The mountains outside the village were alive with spiritual energy. Trees shimmered faintly, birds sang in strange patterns, and the wind seemed to whisper secrets. Lin Xuan took a deep breath, feeling the difference immediately.
Master Zhao led him to a clearing. "First lesson: meditation and energy circulation."
Lin Xuan sat down cross-legged, mimicking his master. "How hard can it be? Just… breathe, right?"
Three seconds later, he was coughing, choking, and collapsing on his face. "Okay, maybe harder than I thought."
Master Zhao sighed. "Yes. You are very… dramatic."
Hours turned into days. Lin Xuan learned to focus his Qi, to circulate the stone's energy through his body, and to endure the aches and pains that came with the early stages of cultivation. He fell over, stumbled, and even face-planted into a bush that smelled suspiciously like something alive. Yet, slowly, he began to feel the Qi flowing within him, his body responding to energies he had never noticed before.
One morning, during meditation, the stone flared violently. Lin Xuan gasped as power surged through his meridians, his vision sharpened, and he felt a strange exhilaration. Master Zhao watched silently, suppressing a chuckle.
"You have awakened your Qi," he said. "But do not let this go to your head. Strength without control is like a fire without a hearth… it will burn everything around it, including you."
Lin Xuan grinned, wiping sweat from his brow. "Well, if I'm going to get burned, I might as well go all out, right?"
Master Zhao just shook his head, muttering something about reckless geniuses. "Welcome to the world of cultivation, Lin Xuan. It's going to be messy, chaotic… and absolutely entertaining."
And little did Lin Xuan know, the first of many ridiculous, dangerous, and utterly hilarious challenges was already heading his way.