The next day, Li Xiuwen returned to the same spot. He stood in the quiet forest in a meditative stance, slowly gathering all the Qi into his right hand once more. This time was different from before. The Qi, fused with the essence of pure iron ore, was released at a deliberate pace. It was no longer a distorted, pale white line, but a dark gray chain that appeared forged from true steel. It hung suspended in the air, trembling slightly as he issued a command.
He began his experiment by using the Qi chain to lift a large stone from the ground. His once weak Qi could only lift the stone a little before the chain dissipated, but he did not give up. He tried again and again until the stone finally rose from the ground successfully.
"The strength of it depends on the amount of Qi I use…" Li Xiuwen thought. "The more Qi I use, the stronger the chain becomes."
He spent the entire day in the forest, tirelessly practicing with the Qi chain. He commanded the chain to shoot out and bind a tree, to drag a rock, and even to swing around his body to defend against imaginary attacks. He knew his technique was far from perfect, but he was pleased with this progress, for it was something he had created all by himself.
As the sun began to set, Li Xiuwen decided to return to the sect. But then, he heard a familiar, mocking laugh from behind.
"Oh… look who it is. I thought it was someone else, but it's just the useless brat hiding in the woods."
Senior Brother Zhao Feng and his followers approached Li Xiuwen, their faces full of arrogance. Zhao Feng glared at him with an intense hatred, having never forgotten the humiliation of having to run from a powerless boy.
"I came here to teach you a lesson," Zhao Feng said, his voice filled with malice. "Did you really think your useless killing intent would frighten me?"
Li Xiuwen did not respond. He looked at Zhao Feng and his followers calmly. He knew that this time, he couldn't rely on mere rhetoric and killing intent to survive. He closed his eyes, slowly gathering all the Qi in his right hand, preparing to face them for real.
Suddenly, Zhao Feng charged forward with a punch brimming with Qi, but Li Xiuwen managed to deflect it by sidestepping, retreating a short distance to regain his footing. Seeing this, the other two disciples rushed in to attack. However, Li Xiuwen used the agility he had cultivated to easily evade their assaults.
As their attacks proved ineffective, Li Xiuwen decided to execute the plan he had in mind.
"If you're so brave, follow me, Senior Brothers," he said, turning his back and quickly running into a denser part of the forest.
Zhao Feng was infuriated. He thought a boy like Li Xiuwen was running away in fear, but in reality, Li Xiuwen was using his wits to lure his enemies into a position where he had the advantage. "Follow me, all of you! I'll drag him out myself!" Zhao Feng yelled at his followers, before charging into the dense forest with reckless abandon.
"Three against one… who would dare fight that?" Li Xiuwen thought to himself. He stopped running when he reached a large tree with thick branches and foliage, where it was impossible to see who was where. He used the forest's silence to his advantage to hide.
Zhao Feng and his followers caught up to the large tree, but they could not find Li Xiuwen. Zhao Feng cursed in frustration, and in that moment, he felt an impact from behind, causing him to lose his balance and fall.
Thump!
"Hey! What the hell are you doing!" Zhao Feng yelled at his follower. "Did you attack me!"
"I didn't, Senior Brother!" the follower replied in shock, just as the other follower swung a punch at him. "You're the one who attacked me!"
Li Xiuwen, hidden behind a bush, smirked with satisfaction. He had silently used his "Qi Chain" to hit Zhao Feng on the head, creating confusion, and it had worked better than expected.
While the three were fighting amongst themselves, three mysterious chains shot out from the shadows and tightly bound Zhao Feng and his two followers. They were caught completely off guard and could no longer resist.