The classroom was noisy, as usual.
Students whispered, laughed, and scribbled notes, but Liang Chen sat quietly, his gaze fixed on the textbook in front of him. Not that he needed to study for grades — his mind was elsewhere, tracing invisible lines of energy, feeling for the faint pulse that had stirred in him yesterday.
It was subtle. Almost like the memory of a dream he couldn't fully recall. But he felt it — a thin thread weaving through his body, a warmth in his chest that responded when he focused.
The teacher's voice droned on, and classmates occasionally glanced his way, puzzled by his calm composure. To them, Liang Chen was just another diligent student — polite, handsome, and unassuming. No one suspected the quiet intensity in his every movement, the careful calculation behind his every thought.
After school, he didn't linger with friends or wander aimlessly through the streets. He went straight to his makeshift workstation.
Herbs, powders, and small vials were arranged with precision. His fingers moved quickly, grinding and mixing, but his attention was divided.
Focusing inward, he tried to push the spark of energy further. At first, it resisted. The pulse in his dantian flickered like a candle in the wind. But Liang Chen didn't panic. He had faced impossible odds in another life. Patience was his ally.
As he concentrated, he felt it respond. Slowly, faintly, the energy coursed through his limbs. His vision sharpened, his reflexes subtly quicker, his senses slightly more acute. The effects were minor, almost imperceptible to anyone else, but to him, they were undeniable.
He leaned back, a small smile tugging at his lips. The first step is taken. Not a breakthrough, but progress.
There was a soft knock at the door. Liang Chen turned to see the girl he had helped before, holding a small bag of groceries.
"I… I didn't know you lived alone," she said, hesitant. "I brought some extra for your mother."
He accepted the bag with a nod. "Thank you. You didn't have to."
She shrugged, looking down. "I want to. My family… we help each other when we can."
Liang Chen nodded, understanding more than she realized. Strength is built in small ways, he thought. Not just in cultivation, but in action, in responsibility, in the quiet discipline of living.
After she left, Liang Chen returned to his work. He ground herbs for a new batch of pills, experimenting with minor additives that might subtly increase focus or stamina. Each test, each tiny success, built not just money but confidence. Step by step, he was preparing for the moment when his spiritual energy would surge fully.
As night fell, he sat by the window, looking out at the city lights. The world seemed ordinary, mundane, but he knew better. Life was full of hidden potential, waiting for someone who had patience, focus, and resolve to uncover it.
And Liang Chen intended to uncover everything.
Chapter Ending Quote:
"Progress is measured not in leaps, but in sparks that refuse to die."