2025-10-28 22:19:38
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289: The Gathering of the Chosen
The wide courtyard at the base of the sect’s ancient mountain was packed to the brim, tension running like a live current beneath every footstep and hushed conversation. It felt different from any ordinary morning, there was a heaviness, the kind that only came when something legendary was about to begin. Disciples from every corner of the sect crowded the perimeter, eyeing the twenty chosen with envy, awe, or barely concealed resentment.Kai had barely made it through the gate before Darius’s booming voice cut through the low chatter, slicing right through the crowd.“Kai! Look who finally crawled out of hell’s oven!”Liang didn’t waste time either, grabbing Kai by the shoulder and yanking him forward, flashing a grin that showed all his teeth. “I thought you’d melted away in the Lavare. Or got eaten by your own weapon.”Abigail crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow as Kai approached, her usual sharpness on display but the curve of her lips betraying her relief. “So, the prodigal son
288: Before the Gates
A month slipped by so fast Kai barely noticed. Each day started and ended the same way, Kai and Jian Tao meeting at the edge of the training ground, fists up, bodies braced for the next blow, sweat and laughter filling the gaps between strikes. There was a comfort in the routine, a sense of trust that grew with every bruise and every block. Even if Jian Tao rarely spoke, his presence was steady as a mountain, the kind that didn’t need words to feel real.Kai had gotten used to the quiet. Sometimes, he’d tease Jian Tao about stammering less and talking faster, threatening to make him recite tongue-twisters as punishment for every lost bout. Other times, he’d just give him a look and Jian would roll his eyes, shake his head, and mutter two slow words...usually “not funny.” Still, Kai noticed he was getting bolder in public, pushing himself to speak up even if it came out awkward and slow. It made Kai proud in a way he didn’t expect. He'd learnt from Tao and he'd learnt from him too.Now
287: Meet Again.
The sun barely crested over the mountain ridge, but Kai was already striding toward the practice clearing with a rare bounce in his step. There was dew on the stones, cold air in his lungs, and the memory of yesterday’s “acupuncture beatdown” still tingling in his muscles. When he reached the spot, he paused, slightly surprised because Jian Tao was already there.Not just standing either. The guy was in full training mode, sweat already glistening on his forehead, his body moving with a smooth rhythm that only came from years of discipline. For a moment, Kai just watched. Jian Tao’s fists cut through the air in sharp arcs, his legs planting and shifting like a boulder and a reed at the same time, it's solid, but able to bend in a breath.Kai grinned. He kind of liked this dude’s energy, it was awkward, silent, and intense.“Morning, Jian Tao!” Kai called out, voice easy, like they’d done this for years.Jian Tao paused, chest rising and falling, then gave Kai a simple nod. Not a word
286: Jian Tao
Kai kept staring at the man in front of him, half-expecting another silent punch, half-expecting him to just walk off without saying a word. The guy was so quiet, Kai was starting to wonder if maybe he was secretly mute or maybe belonged to some secret order of silent body cultivators or… well, maybe he was just allergic to conversation. What if he’s one of those mysterious types who only communicate with their fists? Or maybe he just thinks talking wastes cultivation time? Kai’s mind was running wild with silly theories, maybe the guy took a vow of silence and only broke it when the sun turned blue, who knew but he had talked a few minutes ago.He scratched the back of his head, awkward but still grinning. “You know, if you’re trying to be mysterious, it’s working.”Finally, after an awkward, endless moment, the other man finally spoke up, slow, drawn-out words like each syllable was being pushed through a tight gate. “I-I was… j-just d-doing… as y-you a-asked.” His voice dragged, e
285: The Lesson in Silence
Kai froze mid-block, his forearm vibrating from the impact. The man’s fist had landed with the weight of a mountain. What the hell? he thought, teeth gritting. He hadn’t said a damn word to him so why the sudden attack?Before he could even open his mouth, the man moved again, his body a blur. Another punch slammed toward Kai’s ribs. Kai twisted and caught it with both hands, the ground cracking beneath his feet. The sheer force rattled his bones. He stumbled back, glaring. “Hey! I didn’t come here to fight you!”But still there was no reply from the attacker. The stranger’s expression remained carved from stone, he stepped forward again, each strike sharper, faster, heavier. Kai had no choice but to defend. His arms blurred, blocking every blow, sparks flying each time their skin clashed.“Old man, what’s your problem?!” Kai snapped, but his voice was drowned out by the next hit.The man didn’t speak or blink. He just kept coming, his energy tightly controlled and flowing through eve
284: Shell and Stone
Kai reached the quiet, wind-swept ledge he’d claimed for himself, a high, empty spot on the mountain where only the howl of the wind and the slow crawl of clouds kept company. He sat cross-legged, rolled his shoulders, and pulled out the scroll and the title glimmered, Tortoise Shell Defense.He snorted at the name. “Tortoise shell, really…” But the more he read, the more he realized the name was no joke. If practiced to perfection, the technique was said to grant a body so impervious that not even a spirit weapon could pierce its first layer. And that was just the beginning, five layers in total, each one compounding the last, each one turning flesh and bone into a living fortress.The first step sounded simple, too simple, almost. Gather all the energy within the body and circulate it rapidly, forcing it to flow evenly through every inch of skin, muscle, and sinew. The trick was speed. The faster the flow, the stronger the skin became, hardening beneath the touch like the ancien
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