The two suicide notes had arrived at critical junctures, moments when Chen Guan was about to make a decision that would dictate the course of his future. If his guess was correct, the greatest gift of these morbid letters wasn't foresight, but a lifeline—a way to steer clear of the spotlight's lethal glare.
With this chilling realization solidifying in his mind, he sat cross-legged, lost in thought, and half a day evaporated in the blink of an eye.
It wasn't until dusk began to settle, after hundreds of failed attempts from the children around him, that a small boy finally shot to his feet, his voice cracking with unrestrained joy.
"I succeeded! I can feel it! I can feel the Dou Qi! I did it!"
The boy's ecstatic shouts shattered the tense silence, jolting everyone from their concentration. If their stern instructor hadn't been watching, he would likely have been dancing on the spot.
But the captain, Yan Hongtao, didn't reprimand him. Instead, a rare, satisfied smile broke through his usual severe expression.
"What is your name?"
"Zhao Gang, sir!"
"Well done, Zhao Gang. Very well done. Step forward. Your task now is to memorize the circulation path of the Qi Method. I am Yan Hongtao, Captain of the Royal Guard's Third Squad, and a six-star Dou Shi. If you have any questions in the coming days, you may come to me."
"Yes, sir!"
Listening to their exchange, a wave of raw envy washed over the other children. This was the first time Captain Yan Hongtao had bothered to ask for a name. Without sufficient talent, it seemed, you weren't even worthy of being remembered.
Chen Guan sat within the crowd, his face a mask of calm. He waited patiently for nearly an hour, letting the sky darken fully. Then, perfectly mimicking Zhao Gang's earlier outburst, he leaped to his feet with feigned excitement and announced his success to Yan Hongtao.
"Excellent. And your name?"
"Chen Guan."
After a brief acknowledgment, Chen Guan was motioned out of the ranks to stand beside Zhao Gang.
The results proved a harsh truth: in a place as remote as the Jia Ma Empire, true geniuses were few and far between. For the entire day, among dozens of children, only Chen Guan and Zhao Gang had succeeded.
Yan Hongtao was quite pleased with this outcome. If these two young talents were nurtured properly, there was a strong chance they could one day break through to the Dou Ling realm and become pillars of the empire.
"That is all for today," he announced. "Someone will arrange your accommodations after the evening meal. Rest well. You will continue tomorrow."
As the other children shuffled away, casting disappointed and envious glances over their shoulders, Chen Guan remained impassive. Zhao Gang, however, was a different story. He stood ramrod straight, his small chest puffed out, a look of immense pride plastered on his face.
After dinner, a soldier led them to their new quarters. While the others were crammed seven or eight to a room, Chen Guan and Zhao Gang were granted special treatment: they each received a private room.
Qualifications determine treatment. This world was brutally, refreshingly realistic.
With a soft sigh, Chen Guan finished washing up. Just as he was about to settle onto his bed to finally begin cultivating, a knock came from next door. It was Zhao Gang.
"You're Chen Guan, right?" he began, not waiting for an answer. "I'm Zhao Gang. I was the first one to sense Dou Qi today. You should remember that. If you run into any trouble with your cultivation, you can come ask me. I'll make sure you can practice quickly."
He rattled on, the undisguised pride shining in his eyes. The past was smoke. After making contact with Dou Qi, he had already crowned himself the number one genius of their batch. The others, who couldn't even feel the energy of the world, were beneath his notice. Only Chen Guan barely met his standard for an associate—and even then, he was clearly second best.
The vanity of a child was both simple and ridiculous.
Chen Guan offered a few vague replies and politely ushered him out. He had no intention of competing with the boy; it was far too childish. Mentally, they were not peers, and it would be impossible for them to truly connect.
Back on his bed, Chen Guan took out the Soul-Guiding Art from within his robes. His eyes burned with eagerness, but he reluctantly set it aside. As his instructor had warned, his focus now was not on the advanced method, but on the basics. He needed to reach the rank of Dou Zhe as soon as possible.
Putting the booklet away, Chen Guan began his practice, absorbing the ambient Dou Qi to temper his body. The work was tedious, but he held a firm belief: every effort yields a reward. His curiosity about this new power and his fierce desire to grow stronger fueled him through the entire night.
Magically, after a sleepless night of cultivation, he didn't feel tired at all. The benefits of his practice were already beginning to show. Or perhaps it was just a psychological effect.
The next few weeks fell into a rhythm. Each day, Yan Hongtao would take the successful children aside for private instruction, explaining the finer points of absorption and cultivation. Spurred on by the special treatment, the other children grew more determined. Four succeeded on the second day. Six on the third. The numbers grew steadily.
In the blink of an eye, a month had passed. Of the nearly fifty children, only seven had yet to sense Dou Qi. Chen Guan keenly noticed the flicker of pity in Yan Hongtao's eyes when he looked at them. If nothing changed, their future was sealed: they would be forged into death-sworn soldiers.
In this world, talent is everything, Chen Guan sighed internally, before pushing the thought away. He had to be cautious with his own life; how could he possibly worry about the fates of others?
Over the past month, he had practiced relentlessly, sacrificing sleep for progress. The harvest had been great. He was now at the first stage of Dou Zhi Qi. He'd discovered this a week prior when he secretly tested his strength on the large, black testing monolith that would be used for their official assessment. To go from nothing to the first stage in less than a month was an incredible speed. After all, he was still building his foundation. It was common knowledge that only after reaching the Dou Zhe rank could one truly accelerate their cultivation with the help of medicinal pills and other treasures.
His communication had also improved. He could now hold a normal conversation, though his speech was still a little slow.
Zhao Gang's visits had become less frequent. The boy had likely realized that Chen Guan's attitude lacked the deference he received from the others, and it had bruised his ego. Chen Guan was more than happy with this development. He wished for nothing more than to be left alone, to pour every waking moment into his training.
Time flows fastest during cultivation. In what felt like a flash, half a year had passed.
The assessment Yan Hongtao had spoken of on that first day had finally arrived.
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