C9 At the Beginning

In the thick of night, he began to delicately split his soul force into two, meticulously stimulating Aotian's soul and mind. He carefully modulated his energy to the lowest possible level to avoid overwhelming Aotian. With each careful step, he delved deeper.

Aotian, fully engrossed, was suddenly flooded with an immense energy that barraged his mind and relentlessly prodded his soul. The pain was excruciating, as though his soul were tearing apart and his head on the verge of bursting.

In that instant, pain was all Aotian could perceive. Clutching his hair in agony, he knew he had to endure, to not give in. Relaxing even for a moment would spell disaster, ushering in dire consequences. With gritted teeth, Aotian summoned all his focus to fend off his master's onslaught.

Despite his reluctance to cause pain, the dark night warrior persisted with his cautious assault, penetrating to the deepest recesses of Aotian's mind. He enveloped Aotian's soul with his energy, launching a full-scale attack. The impact was torturous, making Aotian feel as though his body was splitting in two, scattering his concentration. The situation was perilous for Aotian.

Just then, Aotian's ring emitted a soft red glow, seeping into his body. A mysterious, icy current flowed through him, easing the bodily pain and sharpening his mental clarity and focus.

Even with the aid of this mysterious current, Aotian was still unable to bear the soul-deep torment.

"Ah!" Unable to contain the excruciating pain any longer, Aotian cried out. His forehead beaded with sweat the size of peas, his face ashen and lips bloodless.

Realizing Aotian's distress, the dark night warrior concluded that it was time to cease for the day. To avoid any mishaps, he withdrew his energy and exited Aotian's body.

Relieved from the agony, Aotian collapsed onto the bed, gasping for breath. The current continued to soothe his pain, aiding in his recovery from the ordeal.

"Aotian, what's wrong? Why did you scream so loudly?" Maria, alarmed by Aotian's cries of pain, rushed to his room and asked with concern.

"It's nothing, just a bad dream, I'm fine!" Aotian quickly reassured her.

"Alright then, get some rest," Maria said, before turning to head back to her room.

Once Aunt Maria had left, Aotian took deep breaths, trying to ease the lingering pain that had frightened him so.

"Alright, kid, let's call it a day! Rest up, and we'll pick this up again tomorrow," Dark Night Zhan told him, seeing Aotian's gradual recovery. Truth be told, even though today's session was brief, just a few minutes, he was quite pleased with Aotian's performance. He knew the kind of pain that seared through one's soul and mind was not something just anyone could bear. For Aotian, who was only a few years old, to withstand a full-on assault for even a few minutes was impressive.

"Okay, Master," Aotian breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing his master's words. Honestly, he had been dreading the possibility of another round.

"Master, was it you who sent that flow of Qi into me?" Aotian asked curiously, recalling the sensation. He had assumed his master had intervened to help him cope with the pain.

"Qi flow? What are you talking about? No, I had to focus all my energy on you; I didn't have a moment to spare to help you," Dark Night Zhan responded, puzzled by Aotian's question.

"But when I was on the verge of collapse, a surge of energy flowed into me just in time. It eased that terrifying sensation and helped me stabilize my mind and concentrate," Aotian explained, still feeling a chill as he remembered the close call. He was truly grateful for that mysterious surge of energy.

"Is that so?" Dark Night Zhan mused, recalling the incident. He did sense an external force aiding Aotian's recovery from the traumatic shock. At first, he hadn't given it much thought, but now, it seemed there was indeed something to it.

"Hey! I just remembered, kid. That airflow you mentioned, it's ice-cold, isn't it? Not only does it ease the pain, but it also helps you focus, right?" Dark Night exclaimed, as if a lightbulb had gone off, and sought confirmation from Aotian.

"Yes, Master, do you know what it is?"

"I'm getting on in years. It's been ages since I've used it, and I can't believe I actually forgot about it! What a blunder!" Dark Night Zhan lamented.

"What is it, exactly? Master, please tell me!" Aotian implored, hanging on his master's every word.

"It's this ring on your finger! Did you think being called a divine artifact was just for show? This ring isn't just a storage space; it has many functions. One is to help you focus and stay calm. Another is to protect its owner in times of danger, just like it did for you earlier! It also enhances your ability to absorb elements. That feature might not be too useful to you just yet, but there are many other benefits you'll come to appreciate. Ah, it's been so long since I've used it that I even forgot about that! Old age catches up to us all," Dark Night Zhan said, reflecting on his own forgetfulness.

"Oh, so it's the ring that's been helping me!" Aotian said, deeply moved as he caressed the ring on his finger. "It truly is a divine artifact! There can't be more than ten of them on the entire continent! To think I came to possess one by sheer luck, and it even saved my life today!"

"Yep, lad, now that you understand, make sure you always carry it with you and take good care of it, got it?" Dark Night Zhan advised, thinking fondly of the ring that had been his companion for so long.

"I will. The ring stays with me, for as long as I live. You can count on that, Master," Aotian promised earnestly.

"Good, now off you go to get some rest."

Maybe it was the exhaustion of the day, or perhaps Aotian was simply out of energy, but no sooner had he lain down than he immediately drifted off into a deep sleep.

Watching Aotian sleep so deeply, Zhan couldn't help but sigh. He had really pushed the kid to his limits today, and in the process, he had worn himself out too. Currently in his soul form, his strength was a mere 1% of what it once was. He had expended a massive amount of energy today and was utterly drained. Yet, there was still one last daily task he had to complete: easing the boy's physical exhaustion. If he didn't help Aotian now, the poor kid wouldn't stand a chance of getting up tomorrow.

Time has a way of speeding by, and before you know it, a year has gone by. Aotian has been relentless in his grueling training regimen, gradually adapting to the initial struggles. What used to take him six hours to complete 50 laps, he can now do 100 in the same amount of time! His stamina in the water has improved dramatically too—from barely managing a few minutes to now being able to hold a stance for four hours with energy to spare. After a year of relentless training, Aotian's soul and mind have also grown resilient, able to withstand nearly an hour of his master's full-on assault. These significant strides have brought numerous benefits to Aotian.

Maria shook her head with a mix of resignation and pride as Aotian sprinted past her. Over the past year, she had seldom intervened in his training, finding no reason to halt his progress as she witnessed his transformation. Only on the rare occasions when Aotian returned home late did she offer a few words of caution. For the most part, she let him be, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction at his growth.

Aotian's physique had become remarkably more robust, with his height having shot up impressively. After nearly two years of intense training, he was a far cry from the eight-year-old he once was. Now at ten, he didn't just match up to thirteen-year-olds—he surpassed them in strength. His body was a landscape of bulging muscles, each one hinting at the power within. His fiery red hair framed a sun-kissed, healthy bronze face, and his well-defined muscles added a distinct character to his appearance. His piercing gaze only added to his commanding presence.

Aotian's silhouette darted swiftly across the mountain's backside, his nimble steps coming to a halt at the edge of a waterfall.

"Hmm, it seems my current strength isn't challenging enough. Running a hundred laps in just over four hours means it's time to push my limits!" Glancing at the time, Aotian leaped into the waterfall, embracing its cleansing torrents.

The task completed, evening was approaching, yet there was still ample time before nightfall. Aotian made his way to the lawn's edge, intent on learning to sense and absorb the fire elements from the natural world around him. This exercise was an additional task his master had introduced three months prior, to make use of the spare time after mission completions. His master had explained that the atmosphere is imbued with the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, and that a warrior hones their battle qi by drawing in these elements from the air, aligning them with their own to fortify their strength. Once a certain level of elemental presence is achieved within the body, one uses the heart method and pathways of battle qi to assimilate them, integrating their power into the body's meridians, thus enhancing the cultivation of battle qi.

Aotian had once queried Dark Night about the necessity of absorbing these elements, given his Nine Yin Meridian constitution. Dark Night's cryptic reply was simply that the absorption would prove beneficial, advising Aotian not to question but to trust that understanding would come in time. With that, Aotian refrained from further questions and diligently set about sensing and absorbing the elements. For the initial two months, he struggled to detect their presence, but with perseverance, last month marked the first time he truly sensed the elements, their hues of yellow, green, blue, red, and gray likely representing the elemental quintet of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Enthralled by their vibrant activity, Aotian became absorbed in his interaction with them, playfully engaging and eventually finding himself in a profound state of unity with the cosmos. While Aotian might not have grasped the full magnitude of this experience, Dark Night saw its significance crystal clear. He marveled at Aotian's fortune and innate talent; such a state is a rare gift, elusive to many throughout their lives, yet Aotian had attained it. Despite his current inability to cultivate battle qi due to his Nine Yin Meridians, this experience was destined to be a significant asset in his future cultivation journey.

In this way, Aotian's initial encounter with the elements would prove to be immensely beneficial to his future path of cultivation.