The cave was cold and silent.
Xuan Tian sat cross-legged, his thin frame trembling from hunger and exhaustion. His clothes were torn, dried blood staining the fabric.
But his eyes… his eyes burned brighter than ever.
> "If the cultivation methods of this world have failed, then I will create my own!"
---
Breaking Point
He began by circulating the fragment of Qi in his dantian. The energy was pitifully weak, like a flickering candle in the wind.
He experimented with different breathing patterns, forcing the Qi into unused meridians.
Pain erupted instantly. It was as if molten steel was pouring through his veins. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, but he clenched his teeth and endured.
> "Again!"
Over and over, he tried. Each failure left him coughing blood, his meridians tearing under the unnatural strain.
Days blurred into nights. His body became thin and frail, but the spark in his eyes never dimmed.
---
The Small Success
On the seventh night, something shifted.
As he breathed in deeply, the Qi followed a new path he had envisioned in his mind—an untested, dangerous circuit he had created himself.
His entire body trembled. The meridians screamed as they widened under the pressure.
> BOOM!
A faint explosion rang out inside his dantian.
For the first time, he felt a thread of Qi circulate smoothly. It was weak, but it was his—born from his own creation.
> "It works…"
Xuan Tian opened his eyes. His pupils were calm, yet filled with a determination that could shake the heavens.
---
The Vow Strengthens
He looked at his thin hands, still stained with dried blood.
> "This is only the beginning."
He knew the road ahead would be even harder. Without resources or guidance, every step would be like walking on the edge of death.
But he no longer cared.
> "I will create a cultivation method that surpasses the heavens themselves. One day, I will return and crush those who destroyed my sect!"
In the silent cave, the boy who had been forsaken by the world began to transform.