Kai Feng had no awareness of what unfolded in the library, for Kai Feng was no longer there.
Blade-sharp wind slammed against his body, shocking him awake.
His eyes snapped open as he drew in a ragged breath.
He stood atop a jagged mountain peak, its rocky edge piercing a sea of drifting clouds. Around him stretched boundless skies painted by dawn's first light, vast and endless beneath the weight of heaven itself.
The air was crisp, saturated with potent ancient Qi—wild, primal, utterly unfamiliar. It resonated deep within his dantian, awakening something buried in his spiritual roots.
Before him stood a thin old man, his expression mischievous and knowing, his long beard and tattered robes giving him the air of a sage from forgotten dynasties.
"You're finally here," the elder mused, eyes twinkling with amusement.
His robes were weathered like old parchment, his long white beard so long it nearly swept the stone, and his eyes sparkled with an unsettling amount of mirth.
"Finally awake, are we?"
Kai blinked. "Who the hell—"
Before he could finish, a wooden cane cracked across his skull.
WHACK!
"OW! What the hell?!"
"You dare speak to your master like that?!" the old man cackled. "No respect! No discipline! Bah!"
Kai rubbed his head, glaring. "Master?! I don't even know who you are!"
The old man ignored him completely.
"Hmm. Weak body. No spiritual foundation. No discipline." He sighed dramatically. "Why must the heavens always send me fools?"
Kai took a step back.
"Listen, I think there's been a mistake—"
WHACK!
"NO THINKING!" the old man bellowed. "ONLY CULTIVATION!"
And before Kai could protest, his brutal tempering began.
At first, Kai resisted with every fiber of his being.
He complained. He screamed. He tried to flee.
But no matter what he attempted—the old master was always three steps ahead.
Every time he refused to train, the cane found his skull. Sometimes he was kicked clean off the cliff, only to somehow land back on the mountaintop a heartbeat later.
Kai kept track of the passing days by scratching marks on a massive boulder.
Days blurred into weeks. Weeks into months.
His body, once weak and useless, became sharp, strong, swift.
At first, Kai did nothing but cultivate—meditation, breathing exercises, and circulating his internal energy. His master instructed him to sense his Qi, guiding it through his meridians, into his palm, arm, and vital organs. Soon, Kai could see the energy itself, his hand wreathed in a glowing aura of spiritual power.
His first real trial came when he was ordered to direct that energy at a willow tree. The first few attempts barely stirred a breeze, but with time, he began to harness his Qi properly, eventually striking the tree with enough force to splinter bark and scatter leaves.
From there, his cultivation grew more complex. He was taught to weave his Qi into various attack forms, refining techniques that enhanced both power and precision. One day, his master hurled a flurry of small stones at him, forcing Kai to react by instinct—he formed a Qi barrier just in time, deflecting them like rain off a roof. Another day, he was required to strike multiple moving targets in succession, learning to manipulate his energy mid-flight.
At first, Kai grudgingly followed the old man's commands. As time passed, he found himself drawn into the training. He had nothing better waiting in his real life anyway—why not master something extraordinary? His body felt lighter, stronger, more responsive than ever before. His reflexes sharpened, and he felt healthier than he had in years.
And yet, through it all, he never stopped wondering.
"Why am I here?"
"Is this a dream?"
"If I wake up… will I still remember all of this?"
The old man only ever smirked.
One day, after what felt like three years of relentless tempering, the old master finally stood still.
"It is time."
Kai, exhausted and panting, frowned. "Time for what?"
"Time for you to go," the old man said.
Kai's gaze fell upon the boulder. He silently counted the etchings—one thousand and ninety-five markings. So… it had been three years. It felt like an eternity carved into his bones.
As soon as this realization struck, the world began to dissolve.
The sky shattered like jade.
And as everything around him faded, the old man grinned.
"Let's see how well you survive, my foolish disciple."
Kai gasped, his eyes flying open, revealing the familiar sight of the library once more.
The library was exactly as he had left it. Kai found himself seated at his desk, exactly where he had been before.
But something was different.
As his vision cleared, he realized he was surrounded by four strange-looking unfamiliar figures, their expressions unreadable. The stasis barrier had vanished, and the air was thick with killing intent.
Kai swallowed hard. What the hell just happened?