In the early morning of the next day Alex stepped into the courtyard. The air was crisp, and a light mist clung to the ground. Alex took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling steadily as he prepared for another day of pushing his limits.

Yesterday’s progress with the Iron Flow Fist had invigorated him, yet it also left him hungry for more. The synergy between the mortal martial art and his Flowing Steel Qi had opened new doors in his training, but he could feel there was still untapped potential waiting to be unlocked.

“The foundation is solid,” Alex murmured, stretching his arms overhead. “Now, it’s time to refine it further.”

He began his warm-up with a series of basic stances and breathing exercises, allowing his qi to circulate through his body. The energy coursed through his meridians in a rhythmic dance, alternating between dense solidity and fluid movement. It was the hallmark of Flowing Steel Qi, and Alex had become increasingly adept at wielding its duality.

As the sun peeked over the horizon, bathing the courtyard in golden light, Alex moved into the Iron Flow Fist. His movements were precise, each strike and shift executed with deliberate intent. His fists sliced through the air, the force of his punches creating faint ripples that disturbed the mist around him.

But something was missing.

Mid-sequence, Alex froze, his brow furrowed in thought. Activating Quantum Insight, he replayed the last series of strikes in his mind. The transitions were smooth, the power sufficient—but there was a lack of versatility. Against a real opponent, who would move unpredictably, this rigid flow could become a liability.

“I need to adapt,” Alex said, his voice steady despite the realization. “A true technique isn’t just about repeating forms. It’s about fluidity in chaos.”

He adjusted his stance, widening his footing for greater mobility. This time, he visualized an opponent—not a stationary target but a living, breathing enemy. In his mind, the shadowy figure darted around him, launching sudden strikes and feints.

Alex responded instinctively, his fists weaving through the air in unpredictable patterns. Each strike carried the power of Iron Flow Fist, but now they were imbued with a dynamic quality a freedom to shift and redirect at a moment’s notice.

The courtyard echoed with the sound of his movements, the sharp crack of his fists displacing the air. Sweat dripped from his temples as he pushed himself harder, faster, his qi surging to keep pace with the imagined battle.

When he finally stopped, his chest heaved with exertion, and his arms burned from the relentless practice. But a smile tugged at his lips.

“This is it,” Alex said, his voice filled with quiet triumph. “The rhythm, the adaptability it’s all coming together.”

As the day wore on, Alex shifted his focus to the next phase of his training: exploring the practical applications of his techniques. While the Iron Flow Fist was a powerful offensive tool, he needed a way to defend himself effectively.

He returned to the library, his fingers tracing the spines of the scrolls until he found what he was looking for: Azure Wave Palm.

Unlike the aggressive nature of the Iron Flow Fist, this technique focused on deflection and redirection. The scroll described it as a way to dissipate an opponent’s strength, using fluid movements to neutralize attacks.

“This could complement my training perfectly,” Alex thought, unrolling the scroll.

The Azure Wave Palm required a deep understanding of timing and positioning. It wasn’t about meeting force with force but rather about guiding an opponent’s energy away from its intended target.

Returning to the courtyard, Alex began practicing the basic forms. The technique was deceptively simple on the surface, but as he moved through the sequences, he realized the true challenge lay in its subtlety.

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He visualized an incoming strike and raised his palm, twisting his wrist at the last moment to redirect the imagined blow. The motion felt awkward at first, but with each repetition, it became more natural.

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, Alex began integrating the Azure Wave Palm with his existing techniques. He imagined a sparring match, alternating between the defensive redirection of the palm technique and the powerful strikes of the fist technique.

The combination was transformative. Where the Iron Flow Fist provided raw power, the Azure Wave Palm added a layer of finesse. Together, they created a balanced fighting style that allowed Alex to both attack and defend with equal efficiency.

That evening, Alex sat beneath the willow tree, his body aching but his mind alight with excitement. He had spent the entire day honing his techniques, and the results spoke for themselves.

Yet, as he gazed up at the starry sky, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of urgency. The Lidra Sect selection was fast approaching, and while his progress had been remarkable, he knew the competition would be fierce.

“I’ve come this far,” Alex said, clenching his fists. “But this is just the beginning. If I want to stand out, I need to keep pushing myself—to go beyond what others think is possible.”

The golden cube pulsed faintly in his mind, its presence a constant reminder of the power lying dormant within him. For now, other abilities remained sealed, but Alex could feel it stirring, as if responding to his determination.

“I’ll earn it,” he whispered. “Step by step, I’ll become strong enough to unlock its full potential.”

As the night deepened, Alex closed his eyes, his thoughts drifting to the challenges ahead. The road to the Lidra Sect would be fraught with trials, but Alex welcomed them. With his techniques, his determination, and the mysterious power of the cube, he knew he could overcome anything.

The next day he woke earlier than his usual time before even the sun rose,he sat under the willow tree to meditate and absorb qi.but after thirty minutes the sun rose and all of a sudden he discovers the intensity of qi increased, it became so potent that he could feel his progress,it saved him a full day worth of cultivation time, with this new discovery he was sure that he will reach the peak of third stage or even fourth stage if he upgrades the flowing qi steel to profound rank.

The surge of qi ended after 30 minutes,his qi reserve increased by a good amount,after this experience he cancels his plans of practicing martial arts.He goes directly to library looking for a qi refinement technique that allows one to gather qi at a faster rate luckily for him he found one of middle yell rank technique called Heavenly gathering qi.

It was a basic technique, but it was effective, and it would help him to refine his qi more quickly. He started practicing it immediately, and within a few hours, he could feel his qi gathering at a much faster rate than before.

After seeing his efficiency of gathering qi increase he decided to merge it with flowing steel qi.

As Alex melded Heavenly Qi Gathering with Flowing Steel Qi, he immediately felt the shift within him. The fusion of these two techniques created a new force, one that flowed through his meridians with unprecedented ease.

The new technique allowed him to absorb qi faster than ever before, each breath drawing in vast quantities of energy from the surroundings. It felt like a torrent, filling his body with a speed that far surpassed his previous training. His cultivation time shortened significantly, allowing him to refine his qi with an efficiency he had never imagined.

As the energy entered his body, it was refined seamlessly. The purity of the qi increased, its flow adapting to his needs. It felt smoother, more concentrated, and far more potent. The energy no longer just entered his body—it transformed, strengthening his foundation and enhancing his overall power.

The fluidity of the combined technique had a remarkable side effect. As he cultivated, his body began healing minor injuries on its own, the regenerative effects of the technique offering a constant stream of recovery. His qi reserves replenished with each passing moment, reducing his reliance on external means of restoration.

The technique also resonated deeply with the natural environment, especially during times of heightened qi density. At sunrise or during storms, the energy around him seemed to align with his cultivation, surging into him at an accelerated rate. These moments felt like an infusion of raw power, propelling his growth forward with startling speed.

In addition to its cultivation benefits, the fusion of the two techniques enhanced his body’s resilience. Flowing Steel Qi’s hard aspect fortified his physical strength, while the fluid nature of the technique expanded and refined his meridians. This balance reinforced his entire foundation, ensuring that he could sustain rapid growth without risking internal instability.

When it came to combat, the new technique was even more versatile. It combined the explosive power of Flowing Steel Qi with a newfound defensive flexibility. He could shift from offense to defense seamlessly, redirecting and dissipating incoming attacks with unmatched precision while still maintaining a powerful offensive stance.

Finally, the fusion of techniques cleared the bottlenecks that had once slowed his progress. Cultivating through the stages of Qi Refinement became smoother and faster. Alex could already sense the path ahead opening wider, and the Lidra Sect selection felt more within reach than ever before.