The morning came quietly, but Li Shen woke in pain. His entire body felt heavy, every muscle sore, every movement stiff. Yesterday's blows had left their mark.
He sat up slowly, his breath unsteady.
The golden lines beneath his skin were faint, almost hidden. He could feel them, but they did not respond.
The armor was silent.
"Good. You're awake."
Lian Yue stood at the edge of the courtyard, her expression calm as ever.
"Come," she said.
"Your training begins."
---
Li Shen stepped into the courtyard. The air felt different it was still, heavy, almost oppressive.
He stopped in front of her.
"What do I do?" he asked.
"Stand," Lian Yue replied.
Li Shen frowned slightly but said nothing. He adjusted his posture, planting his feet firmly.
And without warning
She moved.
---
BAM!
A palm struck his chest.
Li Shen was sent flying. His body slammed into the ground, the impact knocking the air out of him.
Pain surged through him, sharp and immediate.
---
"Get up," Lian Yue said calmly.
---
Li Shen gritted his teeth and pushed himself to his feet. His chest burned, his limbs heavy.
His instinct was to call the armor to let it take the damage.
But nothing happened.
He froze. "…You sealed it?
"For now," Lian Yue replied. "If you rely on it, you will never improve."
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
"You are weak."
Li Shen said nothing he simply stood straighter.
"Again," she said.
She stepped forward.
BAM!
Another strike this time, his shoulder.
Li Shen staggered and fell, his vision shaking from the impact.
"Too slow," Lian Yue said
He stood again
She attacked again and again.
Each strike was simple, no wasted movement, no excess force yet every hit carried overwhelming precision.
"Your stance is unstable."
BAM!
"Your breathing is uneven."
BAM!
"You hesitate."
BAM!
Li Shen hit the ground again his body trembled and his breathing was ragged.
For a moment, he didn't move.
"…Why?" he muttered.
Lian Yue looked down at him.
"Because this is reality," she said.
She stepped closer.
"In a real fight, no one will wait for you, no one will teach you gently, no one will care if you survive."
Her voice remained calm.
"If you cannot endure this… you will die."
Silence followed.
Li Shen closed his eyes briefly.
Images surfaced in his mind he remembered the docks, the cold nights, the empty hunger, the way people ignored him as if he didn't exist.
Then the creature and the hunter.
---
His eyes opened again calmer this time
"…Again," he said.
For the first time, Lian Yue's expression shifted slightly. Then she moved.
This time, Li Shen reacted.
He still got hit.
But he didn't fall as badly.
Again.
He shifted his stance before the strike landed and this time the impact was lighter.
Lian Yue's eyes flickered.
"Better."
Time passed.
---
Li Shen fell, stood and fell again over and over
But slowly, his movements began to change.
His stance lowered, his balance improved and his breathing steadied.
Now he started to see although not clearly but enough.
----
By the end of the training he could barely stand
His body trembled, his strength nearly gone, but he remained upright.
Lian Yue watched him for a moment.
Then she nodded.
"You've taken your first step," she said.
Li Shen exhaled slowly. "…Feels like I got beaten half to death."
"Good," she replied. "That means you're learning."
She turned to leave.
"Tomorrow," she said, "you will learn to breathe."
Li Shen frowned slightly. "Breathe?"
Lian Yue did not stop.
"Without breath," she said, "there is no Qi."
She glanced back once.
"And without Qi…you will never become strong."
---
Li Shen remained where he was exhausted and in pain but for the first time
He understood something clearly strength was not given it was built