Vinícius's house was located near the upper-class district, not far from the university — a gift from his parents so he could finish college in comfort. Sitting in his room, Vinícius, burning with curiosity, asked:
"What happened, man?"
Harry took a deep breath."You won't believe me, but everything I'm about to tell you is true."
Harry trusted Vinícius — he was the only childhood friend who had helped and respected him all these years. So, he told him everything. From the moment he arrived at the countryside, the encounter with the immortal, the beginning of cultivation... every detail.
When he finished, Vinícius stared at him with a mix of shock and concern. He placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and said:
"Are you okay, my friend? I think your uncle's death really affected you. Don't worry, I'll pay for a therapist for you..."
Harry sighed, his eyes filled with sadness."My uncle's death did affect me, Vinícius. But I swear I'm telling the truth."
Stunned by the response, Harry rolled his eyes, stood up, and said:
"I can prove it."
He raised his right hand, gathered Qi, and created a small flame the size of a thumb. Slightly out of breath, he quickly extinguished it. Vinícius stood frozen, staring at his hand.
After a few seconds of silence, Vinícius burst out:
"What... what was that just now?! Is this real?!"
Harry nodded and repeated the feat. This time, Vinícius collapsed into the chair, eyes wide open, trying to process it all.
Then Harry continued. He spoke of the demons, the events at the countryside, and the demonic blood. When he mentioned his uncle's death, his fists clenched tightly, trembling slightly, but he soon took a deep breath and composed himself.
He finished:
"Vinícius, I need you to help me look for more cases like this. I don't think it was an isolated incident. And... I don't want anyone else to go through what my uncle went through. And... if you want to try cultivating, I can teach you. But it's hard."
Vinícius, excited, replied with a laugh:
"Hahahahah, of COURSE I want to!"
Overwhelmed by the possibilities, he began asking a thousand questions. After they calmed down and organized their thoughts, they came up with a plan.
Harry began trying to teach Vinícius how to cultivate. Since he didn't know how to do it like old Long Hai, he asked Vinícius to promise never to tell anyone. The friend swore absolute secrecy.
Harry then started to explain what the first level of Qi Refinement was, what meridians were, and how to sense the energy around. The conversation stretched on for hours into the early morning.
Vinícius tried to absorb everything, but found it difficult at first. Even so, he didn't give up — and neither did Harry. In fact, while trying to explain, Harry began to notice new details about the technique, and his own understanding of cultivation deepened.
By the time they realized, it was already morning.
Vinícius, with deep dark circles under his eyes, went to take a shower. Harry, still full of energy, asked for something to eat. Vinícius, being a good host, covered everything. After eating and getting hyped, they headed to the university — energy drink in hand to stay awake.
During class, Vinícius could barely pay attention, lost in thoughts about cultivation. Harry, on the other hand, realized he was understanding and memorizing the content with ease.
"This must be the effect of cultivation..." — he thought, surprised and satisfied.
At break time, as they talked, Alexander showed up to mock him again... but now, Harry...
...was no longer the same.