After Yu Ning left, silence swallowed the room whole.
Li Wen sat alone at an old wooden table layered with dust. On top of it rested four thick books, neatly stacked but aged beyond their years. The covers were faded, the corners curled like dry leaves. He brushed off some dust with his sleeve and read the titles one by one.
Cultivation Techniques. Martial Arts of the Empty Hand. Potion Crafting. Monster Control Methods.
Li Wen frowned.
"Monster control? That sounds ridiculous," he muttered under his breath. But when his gaze stopped on the first book, the corner of his mouth twitched.
"This one though… Cultivation. Now that's interesting."
He picked up the book titled Cultivation Techniques and flipped it open. The pages looked ancient, yet the black ink remained strikingly clear. The characters shimmered faintly, almost trembling as he stared longer.
"Strange… it's like they're alive," he murmured, trailing his finger along the text.
The first section explained something called spiritual energy—an invisible essence that filled the air, the ground, even the blood of living beings. According to the book, this energy could be absorbed through breathing and refined into Qi, a force that strengthened both body and mind.
Li Wen exhaled softly.
"So basically, divine-level inner strength, huh?"
He couldn't help recalling those kung fu movies he watched as a kid—heroes leaping across rooftops, smashing boulders, catching blades between two fingers. Back then, it all seemed like fantasy. But now… he wasn't so sure.
The text went on, describing how a true cultivator could shatter stone with a single strike, heal fatal wounds, even extend their lifespan beyond human limits.
Li Wen chuckled under his breath. "If that's real, maybe I'll live forever."
Still, a small spark of belief flickered deep inside him—a part of him wanted it to be true.
He set the book on the floor and crossed his legs, following the meditation posture shown in the first few pages. The initial steps were simple: clear the mind, control the breath, and sense the flow of energy around you.
"Alright," he whispered. "Let's see if this is all just nonsense."
Minutes passed. Nothing happened. Just silence and the faint chill of the room pressing against his skin.
Then—something.
A subtle warmth bloomed in his chest, like a tiny ember flickering to life. The sensation spread gradually through his body, down to his stomach, his arms, his fingertips. Li Wen cracked one eye open and blinked. The air before him shimmered, as if rippling heat distorted it.
"What the hell…" he whispered.
He focused again, copying the breathing rhythm described in the book. This time, the warmth intensified—hot enough to sting. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but he forced himself to stay calm, to keep going.
Then came the sound.
A faint crack—like ice breaking underfoot, except it came from inside his body.
Instantly, the pain vanished. The heat faded, replaced by an incredible lightness, as though every cell in his body had exhaled. His breathing steadied. His thoughts turned crystal clear.
Li Wen opened his eyes.
Everything looked… sharper.
The air felt cleaner, the faint hum of the world somehow louder. Even the dust drifting through sunlight seemed distinct. He stared at his trembling hands.
"So… it actually worked?"
He stood slowly, still dazed, glancing back at the table. Three unopened books waited for him like silent promises. His gaze locked onto the second one: Martial Arts of the Empty Hand.
"If the first book teaches how to gain power," he muttered, "then this one probably teaches how to use it."
But he didn't reach for it—not yet.
"Step by step," he told himself. "Master the first before chasing the next."
He sat again, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes.
This time, he didn't need the book. His body remembered. The rhythm came naturally—inhale, exhale, draw in the unseen.
The air around him pulsed softly, like a heart beating in rhythm with his breath.
Li Wen's expression hardened, focus sharpening into something fierce. "If this really is another world," he whispered, "then I'll learn everything it has to offer."
He dove deeper into his concentration. The room's temperature seemed to rise, faint waves of warmth radiating from his body. He didn't notice.
Because now, he knew.
Whatever he had just done—it wasn't an illusion.
And for the first time in his life, Li Wen believed that the world hid truths far greater than human logic could ever explain.
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