The afternoon sun hung high above the Azure Cloud Sect.
Most outer disciples were gathered on the wide training terrace carved into the mountainside. Rows of young cultivators stood in formation while their instructor walked slowly between them.
Lin Mo stood near the back of the group.
Normally, he would be inside the Archive Hall organizing books, but today all outer disciples had been ordered to attend a basic cultivation lecture.
It was a rare occasion.
The instructor, a middle-aged cultivator named Instructor Han, stopped at the front of the group.
His sharp eyes scanned the disciples before him.
"Today," he said calmly, "we will speak about meridians."
Several disciples straightened immediately.
Others looked less interested.
Lin Mo listened quietly.
Instructor Han picked up a thin wooden rod and drew a simple diagram on a large stone board nearby.
A human body outline.
Then twelve lines running through it.
"These," he said, tapping the board, "are the twelve primary meridians."
"They form the foundation of cultivation."
"Spiritual energy flows through these channels and nourishes the body."
He paused briefly.
"If your meridians are weak, cultivation will be slow."
"If they are damaged, cultivation may stop entirely."
A tall disciple near the front raised his hand.
"Instructor Han, can damaged meridians be repaired?"
Instructor Han nodded slightly.
"Sometimes."
He tapped the board again.
"However, most repair methods are crude. They force spiritual energy through the damaged channel repeatedly."
"This often causes pain."
"And failure."
The disciples murmured quietly.
Lin Mo listened with calm attention.
The words reminded him immediately of the loose page he had found earlier in the library.
Meridian reconstruction.
Gentle circulation.
Hidden branches.
Instructor Han suddenly turned toward the group.
"Let me ask you something."
His eyes swept across the disciples.
"Are the twelve primary meridians the only ones within the human body?"
Most disciples looked confused.
A few hesitated.
Finally, a confident-looking disciple answered.
"Yes, Instructor. The manuals all describe twelve."
Instructor Han nodded slowly.
"That is the common belief."
He turned and wrote something else on the board.
A small branching line extending from one of the main meridians.
"But some ancient records suggest the existence of secondary meridians."
The group became quieter.
Lin Mo's eyes sharpened slightly.
Instructor Han continued speaking.
"These secondary channels are extremely difficult to detect."
"They are small and unstable."
"Most cultivators never notice them."
He paused briefly.
"However…"
"If such a pathway could be opened…"
"It might strengthen spiritual circulation beyond the normal limits."
Several disciples looked surprised.
Others seemed skeptical.
One disciple raised his hand again.
"Instructor Han, has anyone ever successfully opened one?"
Instructor Han chuckled softly.
"Very few."
"And certainly none among the outer disciples of this sect."
Laughter spread through the group.
Lin Mo remained silent.
Inside his chest, the faint warmth of the First Path stirred quietly.
Instructor Han placed the wooden rod aside.
"For now, focus on strengthening your primary meridians."
"Do not chase strange theories."
"Most of them lead nowhere."
The lecture ended soon after.
The disciples slowly dispersed across the terrace.
Some returned to training.
Others gathered in small groups discussing what they had heard.
Lin Mo walked calmly down the stone steps leading back toward the outer sect grounds.
His expression remained calm.
But his thoughts moved quickly.
Instructor Han believed secondary meridians were rare.
Almost mythical.
Yet Lin Mo had already opened two hidden pathways.
The First Path.
The Second Path.
Neither of them had appeared in any cultivation manual he had read.
Which meant the mysterious black book was guiding him along a path that most cultivators had never seen.
Lin Mo reached the quiet cedar grove surrounding the library.
The familiar building soon appeared between the trees.
He pushed open the Archive Hall door and stepped inside.
The hall welcomed him with its usual silence.
Rows of ancient books.
Dust-filled shelves.
Soft sunlight falling through the windows.
Lin Mo walked directly to his desk.
After checking that no one else was nearby, he opened the hidden drawer.
The black book rested quietly inside.
He unwrapped it and opened the first page.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then the familiar ink slowly appeared.
"The body holds many hidden roads."
Lin Mo read quietly.
Another sentence formed beneath it.
"Two have awakened."
The page turned.
The meridian diagram appeared again.
The First Path glowed steadily.
The Second Path flickered faintly.
But something new had appeared.
A third thin line—barely visible.
A new sentence slowly formed beneath the diagram.
"When understanding grows…"
"The Third Path will appear."
Lin Mo stared at the page in silence.
Outside the library, the sounds of training continued across the mountains.
But inside the quiet Archive Hall…
Lin Mo had just discovered that his journey was only beginning.