The man didn't speak immediately.
He watched them.
Not their faces.
Their breathing.
Their stance.
The way they stood without realizing it.
Then he gave a faint exhale.
"…You're not even in Qi Refinement yet."
Lin Mo's eyes narrowed slightly.
Shi Yue stayed silent.
—
"…What does that mean?" Lin Mo asked.
Direct.
No hesitation.
—
The man shifted his weight slightly, clearly unbothered.
"…It means what you're doing now," he said, "is just opening the door."
He stepped forward.
Not threatening.
But close enough to feel.
—
"…This is called Meridian Opening."
The words landed simply.
But heavily.
—
"…Everything before Qi Refinement is just preparation."
Lin Mo's grip tightened slightly.
Preparation.
That meant—
everything they had struggled through…
was just the beginning.
—
Shi Yue spoke this time.
"…And after that?"
—
The man glanced at her briefly.
"…Qi Refinement."
A pause.
"…Nine layers."
—
Lin Mo immediately caught it.
Nine.
Not stages.
Layers.
—
"…Each layer is a step," the man continued. "Each step increases control, density, and output."
He pointed casually toward the forest behind them.
"…That beast you saw earlier?"
"…Second layer."
—
Lin Mo's mind sharpened instantly.
Second layer.
And it had felt unreachable.
—
"…And you?" Shi Yue asked.
—
The man smiled faintly.
"…Higher."
—
Not arrogance.
Just fact.
—
He crouched slightly, picking up a small stone from the ground.
"…You've learned how to move what's already inside you."
He flicked the stone lightly.
It flew.
Fast.
Too fast.
Cracking against a tree with a sharp sound.
—
"…But you haven't learned how to take what's outside."
—
Lin Mo stilled.
—
"…External Qi," the man said.
"…That's what Qi Refinement is."
—
Silence.
—
The wind moved faintly through the trees.
For the first time—
Lin Mo noticed it differently.
Not just air.
Something else.
Something subtle.
Everywhere.
—
"…Sit," the man said.
—
Lin Mo didn't hesitate.
He sat.
Shi Yue followed immediately.
Lin An'an stayed close, holding onto Shi Yue's sleeve.
—
"…Close your eyes."
—
They did.
—
"…Don't look inside first," the man continued. "That's your mistake."
"…Look outward."
—
Lin Mo adjusted his breathing.
Slower.
Steadier.
—
"…Feel the space around you."
"…Not with your body."
"…With what you've already awakened."
—
The thread.
—
Lin Mo reached for it.
Found it instantly.
—
"…Now expand it."
—
Expand.
—
At first—
nothing happened.
Then—
slowly—
the thread didn't just move inside him.
It stretched.
Faintly.
Barely.
—
And then—
he felt it.
—
Something outside.
—
Not touch.
Not sound.
But presence.
—
Faint.
Thin.
Everywhere.
—
Shi Yue's breathing shifted slightly beside him.
She felt it too.
—
"…That's Qi," the man said quietly.
—
Lin Mo didn't move.
Didn't react.
He stayed with it.
—
"…Now draw it in."
—
That—
was harder.
—
The moment he tried—
it slipped.
Vanished.
—
Lin Mo's focus tightened instinctively.
Wrong move.
The thread collapsed.
—
He opened his eyes slightly.
—
"…Don't grab it," the man said.
"…Let it come."
—
Lin Mo reset.
Closed his eyes again.
—
This time—
he didn't chase.
Didn't pull.
—
He simply stayed.
—
The thread expanded again.
Touched that faint presence.
—
And slowly—
very slowly—
—
something entered.
—
A faint sensation.
Cool.
Subtle.
—
It moved inward.
Following the same path as his internal cycle.
—
Lin Mo's breath steadied.
—
Cycle.
—
The moment it completed—
—
his body reacted.
—
Not violently.
Not dramatically.
—
But clearly.
—
The warmth inside him changed.
—
It wasn't just his anymore.
—
Shi Yue inhaled sharply.
"…I felt it."
—
She had done it too.
—
The man nodded once.
"…That's the first gate."
—
Lin Mo opened his eyes fully.
—
"…So this is Qi Refinement?"
—
The man shook his head slightly.
—
"…No."
—
A pause.
—
"…This is how you step into it."
—
Silence.
—
"…When you can do that consistently…"
"…when your meridians are fully opened…"
"…when your body stops rejecting external Qi…"
—
He looked at Lin Mo directly.
—
"…that's when you enter the First Layer."
—
Lin Mo didn't speak.
—
Because now—
he understood.
—
They weren't just cultivating blindly anymore.
—
They were at the edge.
—
Right before the real beginning.
—
Shi Yue looked at him.
—
No words.
—
But the meaning was clear.
—
This was it.
—
Lin Mo stood up slowly.
—
Not tired.
Not uncertain.
—
Focused.
—
"…We continue," he said.
—
The man watched him for a moment.
Then gave a faint smile.
—
"…Good."
—
Not praise.
—
Approval.
—
And for the first time—
—
Lin Mo felt it clearly.
—
The path ahead wasn't distant anymore.
—
It had opened.
—
And they were about to step onto it.