By the time Siu left with his payment in hand, the sect had already become busy, most of the disciples waking up from their nighttime meditation and resuming their daily routines. Siu was also walking purposefully, heading towards his destination, looking at the sky, squinting against the sunlight.

  "I think I am ahead of schedule..." He murmured, forming a small smile as everything went as he planned... no. Even better.

  With the promised hour done and Nue not trying to beat him down physically, all was ready for the second step: breaking through the First Barrier. It was a process that most disciples, as they began to tap into the world's natural energy, had to go through. It wasn't hard or difficult, but it was still a barrier, hence the name. Breathing techniques were the start and the foundation, but everyone would sooner or later realize that something was blocking the energies from truly settling within them.

  It wasn't a physical thing, as it was a mental barrier. It was the natural resistance from the brain, feeling the energy could be dangerous or even deadly, subconsciously limiting the cultivator from starting to store the inhaled energies properly. The solution was simple: everyone needed to adjust their outlook, accept the risk, and then readjust their spirit to continue. It was the first untold risk, causing some people to get stuck for a few days to a week or... Well, if they weren't able to face the risk and take any longer than a week to open their minds, Siu was sure they would be silently dropped from even the sect.

  Thinking about it, by now he stood on a narrow ledge overlooking the mist-shrouded trees on one side of the surrounding mountain. It was a place, tucked behind an overgrown stair path he had just walked up from. It was one of the private meditation spots he had booked ahead of time, and seeing the protective barrier didn't stop him from entering; he knew he was just in time.

  "Good..." He smiled, "Time to skip a step... Thanks, geezer~!"

  With a dry laugh, he knelt down on the moss-covered stone that gently buzzed with energy. He was letting his robe be darkened by the dew, which, even if just a little, had extra spiritual energy in it. Everything mattered at that moment... Even the littlest. Empyting his mind of unnecessary thoughts, he reached into his sleeve and retrieved the reward he'd earned from outwitting Nue, the two small, Flame-grade Crystals. They were about the size of thumb joints, their fiery-orange cores pulsing in a similar pattern from the stored energy swirling inside of them. They were not particularly valuable to more experienced cultivators, but to a beginner, they could serve as the foundation for a massive leap forward.

  If one knew how to use them, that is.

  Siu's plan was simple: jump-start the first stage of body cultivation, breaking through his mental barrier and entering the first level of Bone Tempering in one swoop by flushing his system with refined Essence right from the start. Most disciples didn’t dare attempt such a method, mostly because they were never told about it in the first place. It wasn't safe after all... If done incorrectly, it could cause the bones to splinter, the organs to swell, or the energy to become trapped inside somewhere and rot the flesh from within, causing a slow and excruciating death.

  But... Siu had been prepared for this since childhood, hence the state of his body. The only thing he couldn't temper while listening to his mentor was his spirit, as he never really took in the required energy to start cultivating... Even with all the knowledge he was taught, the body would react nonetheless, and he had to go through it. There was no way around it.

  "Like I would fail here, hmph!" He snorted, determination flashing through his eyes, discarding any fear he may have felt as he brought the first crystal to his lips.

  The key was not to consume them physically, but to draw their energy in through his breathing technique. As his eyes closed, his breathing fell into the correct rhythm. Right then, the energy inside the small pieces of CC reacted to it, being tugged on by invisible winds, there to draw it out from its housing. After two revolutions of air, coming from Siu's lungs, the Flame Crystal began to dim in his hand, its glow steadily transferring into his body, as a faint, visible light entered his mouth.

  In the entirety of the Mortal Realm, the First Circle was known as the Refinement of the Body, with five stages defining its steps. Its origin was long lost to history, but it was something that millions had walked and perfected, discovering all of its secrets, providing the foundation for the world's powers. What Siu was entering into was called the Bone Tempering Stage, the very first stage.

  It was the most crucial part for every aspiring cultivator, as their bones must be hardened, expanded, and conditioned to bear the strain of energy and combat alike. Their breathing techniques were designed to guide ambient energy into the marrow and lattice of the bones, soaking them while accompanying physical exertion and medicinal baths could help heal any injuries suffered while tempering them. This was a stage where pain was to be a constant partner, as a still mortal's skeleton would be reformed into something better. Something sturdier. At the end of this first stage, one's marrow was not only able to deal with the world's energy, but they could even refine and distribute it through their blood. In later stages, it would even start producing its own energy, distilling it without thinking about breathing the air the correct way. If this never happened... There was nothing to cultivate...

  The moment the first crystal emptied out, he quickly brought up the second, in perfect sync with his breathing, inhaling the energy from within. The bright light from them continuously flowed into his lungs, then diffused into his bloodstream, causing it to feel like he was starting to boil from the inside out. It was painful, and all his senses cried out to stop already, but he wasn't going to give in. Ignoring the panic and pain, he focused on his breathing, letting it regulate the distribution of the inhaled energy. The flames that were searing his body and causing his bones to endure a rigorous process akin to a month's worth of intense training provided a worse pain than his old mentor had ever described, causing him to silently curse him... but it didn't make Siu stop.

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  He felt it first in his chest, with a strong pulse coming from his heart. Then, like a wave, it traveled down his spine, pulsing through his ribs and his shoulder blades, dripping into his limbs like lava seeping into a frozen lake, causing it to sizzle and steam. Instead of stopping, he welcomed it, taking his next breath as he continued guiding the energy down to every part of his body, no matter how sensitive it was. His breathing technique, which had been personalized and drilled into him without explanation for years, was now activated fully for the first time, finally proceeding in the proper sequence.

  With each breath, he guided more Essence into the deepest part of his bones, be it the smallest or thickest within his body. This brought even stronger pain... Ultimately, he recognized it for what it was: microfractures. His bones were expanding, even if just a little, they just did, and it was eventually followed by fractures.

  He will have to take a medicinal bath...

  Smiling to himself, eyes still closed, he looked like he was sneering from the pain... But his technique ensured the energy would strike the right nodes first, following the paths mapped out by years of conditioning: underwater breath training, weighted sprints, balance routines performed on slick stones, constantly being reminded of his breathing until he perfected it. All of it had prepared him for this moment...

  When the second crystal was emptied, his body felt like it was demanding more. He let it come, inhaling loudly, like a whale, drawing in the private spot's natural energies, without having to compete for it with dozens of orders. Tempering the flow with long exhales, his chest kept rising and falling in perfect rhythm, followed by more heat, more ache, more pressure... and more cracks.

  While some may stop, hearing their own bones fracturing, it wasn't a bad thing, not in this moment. Just then, following a specifically painful splintering, a foul taste curled at the back of his throat, which was then spit out in his next exhalation. Even without looking, he knew it was not blood, nor bile. It was blacker and fouler, followed by another cough when he exhaled, then again, spitting a thick sludge into the grass. Flecks of gray and black lined the mucus, rolling down the edge of his lips... It was the purging of the impurities.

  His body convulsed once, but he held his posture and breathing while more of his bones groaned under the duress. Next, his muscles twitched, and from the outside, it looked like he was having a seizure, sometimes vomiting up another, foul-smelling sludge. It was the most disgusting he had ever felt, and it made him happy that he chose an isolated spot to do this.

  By the time his body stopped trembling and he felt the pain receding, Siu's legs were numb and his fingers tingled as if blood flow was just now returning into them. It made him realize that his heartbeat was pounding in his ears, fast and rapid, as if he had been running since morning. Moving, even just opening his eyes, the pain was back as there was no intact bone in his body, none that didn't receive a fracture or two. Even if it was just as wide as a hair's width, it was still there, and it hurt like hell.

  "Well... This was more than unpleasant..." He exhaled and raised a hand, seeing oozing, dirty sweat dripping from under his skin. "I should have stripped... Damn."

  The first wash was complete... And now he understood why his old mentor called it like that. He just washed his bones, and the amount of sludge escaping his body turned his clothes into a bog. He wanted to puke, this time, for real. But, as a result, he was further away than any of the others; he was sure of it. He broke through the barrier and jumped ahead with the first cleansing of his entire body. By the old geezer's words, after taking a medicinal bath and healing the fractures, by next time, he would be about two to three times faster than anyone else, going at it the regular way.

  What others would take weeks or months to build toward, he had completed in one sitting.

  "Well, geezer..." He chuckled, standing and wobbling, grimacing, feeling as if his legs were both broken, "When we meet again, you owe me a drink... Fuuuuck... This hurts more than you said it would! Liar... Heh..."

  Laughing to himself, he slowly began walking away, heading to one of the medicinal rooms. It was time to take a bath and get new robes, because these were wholly ruined.

  ...

  ....

  .....

  Atop a ledge, not far from the secluded meditation spot Siu had chosen, the figure of Elder Baat stood, watching him like a hawk. He said nothing, observing without Siu ever being able to perceive him, watching as he consumed the two pieces of CC. When the first Flame Crystal began to dim and a faint orange glow rushed down the boy’s airways, Baat’s brow furrowed considerably.

  “No simple outer disciple should know that trick…” he thought, shifting his stance for a better view.

  What Siu was doing wasn’t impossible, and it wasn’t forbidden, either. But it wasn’t taught outside of cultivator families... The act of consuming a cultivation crystal was a common practice among masters for jump-starting their chosen disciples' cultivation...

  "The precision of his rhythm... The timing of his second draw synced perfectly with his first release..." He muttered as Siu's bones were beginning to fracture... He could even hear it. “Well, well, well... A solid proof... That’s not instinct, nor is it luck! That’s training.”

  Watching, his eyes narrowed even further. If this had been done under supervision, with one of the sect’s elders orchestrating it and preparing the boy beforehand, it would have made sense.

  "Just Siu... What a liar..." He snorted and even as he said it, his attention remained fixed on the boy’s convulsions, the waves of black sludge that were purged from his bones, his skin twitching from the internal stress.

  Baat exhaled slowly, his arms tightening over his chest as he finally glanced away, because he didn’t want to interrupt him. In a state like this, the slightest interruption could be fatal... and even animals could pick up on the feeling of being watched. Finally, when he looked back, Siu was vomiting sludge again, his robes already stained, his hands trembling, but he kept his posture, defying the pain.

  “You're good, boy,” Baat chuckled, “Too good for a liar... I do hope, for your sake, that Elder Yan's investigation clears your name.”