After leaving the sparring dome, the trio made their way deeper into Verdant Rise, following winding stone paths that curved between terraces and small waterfalls that glowed faintly with elemental energy. They passed initiates meditating under open pavilions, others training in quiet formation drills, and a few seated cross-legged around shimmering pools—each immersed in focused cultivation.
Eventually, they reached the cultivation area proper.
A vast, open field ringed with crystal formations and faintly pulsing runes. Elemental wells had been set into the earth, each dedicated to a specific essence—fire, water, wind, earth, even more abstract ones like light and shadow. The air here thrummed with raw, vibrant power.
Aric inhaled deeply, his eyes narrowing in focus. "The water here is sharper. Purified. It flows easier."
Mira stood beside a glowing stone and closed her eyes. "And fire's practically singing. It's not just denser—it's alive here. This is easily ten times better than what we had during the first trial."
Leo stepped into the same space.
He waited for the shift—for the hum in the air to grow louder, for the elemental energy to press against his skin the way it had before. But… it didn't.
It felt the same.
Exactly the same as it had the moment he started cultivating under Eldrin's guidance, after the first trial.
His brow furrowed.
Mira and Aric are reacting like this is a massive upgrade. So why doesn't it feel different to me?
Then it hit him.
Because this—this level of essence density—was what I had after the first trial.
He hadn't just been patched up and pushed along.
He'd been placed directly into an advanced cultivation zone—alone. Before anyone else.
Leo said nothing, but a cold realization settled in the back of his mind.
My treatment after the first trial wasn't normal.
The days passed in quiet determination.
For two weeks, Leo followed a strict rhythm—his mornings spent practicing spear forms, pushing his intent as far as it would go without overreaching. In the afternoons, he meditated, refining fire and space essence through his body, guiding the two forces into delicate balance.
Progress was slower than before.
Unlocking his second qi point had come with a rush—almost too easily. But the third resisted him. The energies clashed, separated, refused to fuse.
Several times, he felt himself brushing against the brink, only for the flow to break apart at the last second.
But on the fourteenth day, it happened.
During his meditation, the fire essence burned cleaner than ever before, wrapping around the tiny flicker of space like a protective shell. They moved together—drawn inward, flowing in rhythm with his heartbeat.
Then—crack.
His body locked up for an instant, then flooded with power.
It wasn't just heat or pressure—his senses sharpened, his limbs felt weightless, and his perception of the surrounding world deepened. It was clarity. Power laced with presence.
The strength was greater than both previous qi points combined.
He stood quickly, heart racing, and rushed to find the others.
Mira and Aric were sparring near one of the wind channels when he arrived, panting and wide-eyed.
"I just unlocked my third qi point," Leo said. "And it felt… huge. Like way more than the other two combined."
Mira stepped back, wiping sweat from her brow. "That's because it is."
Aric nodded. "Each qi point is exponentially more powerful than the last. It's not linear. The more you unlock, the more your essence can compound."
"Especially at the breakpoints," Mira added. "Ten. Twenty. And twenty-one. Those are the real walls. Almost every cultivator hits a plateau at one of them."
"Ten's the most infamous," Aric said. "It's when the body starts resisting further essence flow unless you've refined it perfectly. That's where most wash out. Why do you think novice towers only have ten floors"
Leo let the information sink in.
Three down. Eighteen to go.
And each one harder than the last.
But for the first time since entering the Tower, he didn't feel overwhelmed.
He felt ready.