The morning sun filtered through the dense canopy, casting dappled light on the forest floor as Li Feng dodged another of Yan Wei's strikes. His breath came in sharp bursts, his muscles burning with exertion. The once-clumsy boy had grown faster, his reflexes sharper, but Yan Wei was relentless.

"Not bad," she said, feinting a jab before sweeping her leg toward his knees. Li Feng barely managed to leap back, his qi-enhanced muscles propelling him out of range. "You're still too predictable, though. A real opponent would have skewered you by now."

"Do you ever give compliments without an insult attached?" Li Feng shot back, his frustration simmering.

Yan Wei grinned. "What would be the fun in that?"

She lunged again, but this time, Li Feng was ready. Channeling qi into his arms, he deflected her strike with a wooden staff he'd crafted during their training. The force of their collision reverberated through the clearing, and Yan Wei's eyes gleamed with approval.

"Finally using your head," she said, stepping back and lowering her blade. "You're starting to understand how to balance power and control. But don't get cocky—this was just practice."

Li Feng collapsed onto a fallen log, his chest heaving. Every day felt like a battle for survival, but the results were undeniable. His body had grown stronger, his movements more fluid, and his connection to qi more stable. For the first time, he felt like he was making real progress.

"Why is everything so focused on combat?" he asked after catching his breath. "Isn't cultivation supposed to be about balance and enlightenment?"

Yan Wei shrugged, wiping her blade with a cloth. "Balance is important, sure. But the world doesn't care how enlightened you are if you can't protect yourself. Power is the foundation of everything in cultivation. Without it, you're just waiting to be crushed."

Her words lingered in his mind as they resumed their journey through the forest. The Silver Shadow Sect was still hunting them, and the pressure of their pursuit was a constant weight on Li Feng's shoulders. He couldn't afford to be weak—not if he wanted to survive, and certainly not if he wanted to uncover the truth about the mark on his palm.

That evening, as they set up camp near a qi-rich stream, Yan Wei introduced a new technique.

"You've been focusing on channeling qi internally," she said, crouching beside the water. "Now it's time to learn how to project it outward."

Li Feng frowned. "Project it? Like throwing it?"

"More or less," Yan Wei replied. She extended her hand, her fingers curling slightly as a faint glow surrounded them. With a flick of her wrist, a burst of energy shot from her palm, slicing cleanly through a nearby branch.

"Whoa," Li Feng said, his eyes wide. "How did you do that?"

"Control," Yan Wei said simply. "You've already got the basics down. Now you need to focus your qi into a single point and release it. Start small—try forming a sphere."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Li Feng nodded, his curiosity piqued. He closed his eyes, drawing qi from his core and guiding it to his palm. The mark on his hand glowed faintly, amplifying the energy as it pooled in his grasp. He concentrated, imagining the qi taking shape, but the moment he tried to release it, it exploded outward in a chaotic burst.

Yan Wei ducked just in time to avoid the blast. "Careful!" she barked. "You're letting the energy scatter. Focus on containment. Think of it like holding water in your hands—you need to keep it steady."

Li Feng tried again, this time with more care. The energy swirled in his palm, flickering and unstable, but it held. A faint sphere began to form, its surface rippling like molten glass.

"Good," Yan Wei said, watching intently. "Now release it."

He extended his hand, and the sphere shot forward, striking a tree with a dull thud. It barely left a mark, but Li Feng's face lit up with triumph.

"I did it!" he exclaimed.

Yan Wei smirked. "Don't celebrate yet. That was barely enough to bruise a leaf. You've got a long way to go before you can use it in a real fight."

Her words tempered his excitement, but the spark of pride remained. For the first time, he felt like he was tapping into the true potential of cultivation.

Their progress was interrupted the next day when the forest erupted in chaos. A piercing whistle echoed through the trees, followed by the distant sound of footsteps—dozens of them.

"Silver Shadow Sect," Yan Wei said, her expression darkening. "They've found us."

Li Feng's heart raced. "What do we do?"

"We fight," Yan Wei said, unsheathing her blade. "And if that doesn't work, we run."

The first disciples appeared moments later, their robes adorned with the sect's silver emblem. They moved with practiced precision, their weapons drawn and their eyes cold.

"There they are!" one of them shouted, pointing directly at Li Feng.

Yan Wei didn't hesitate. She surged forward, her blade flashing as she met the first wave of attackers. The clash of steel and the crackle of qi filled the air, and Li Feng was left frozen, his fear paralyzing him.

"Focus, Feng!" Yan Wei shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Use what you've learned!"

Her words snapped him out of his stupor. He gripped his staff tightly, channeling qi into his limbs as he faced the nearest enemy. The disciple lunged, but Li Feng sidestepped, his movements faster than he'd expected. He countered with a swing of his staff, striking the disciple in the ribs and sending him sprawling.

For a moment, he felt a surge of confidence. But the sect's disciples were relentless, and for every one he defeated, two more took their place. Yan Wei fought like a storm, her blade carving through the enemies with ruthless efficiency, but even she was beginning to tire.

"This isn't good," she muttered, her breathing labored.

Li Feng knew they couldn't hold out much longer. Desperation clawed at him, and the mark on his palm began to glow brighter, its pulse quickening. He felt the energy building within him, overwhelming and wild.

"Feng, don't—" Yan Wei started, but it was too late.

Li Feng unleashed the mark's power. A wave of qi erupted from his palm, a blinding torrent of energy that engulfed the clearing. The disciples were thrown back like leaves in a storm, their cries swallowed by the roar of the blast.

When the dust settled, the clearing was silent. The disciples lay scattered, unconscious or worse, and Yan Wei stared at Li Feng with a mixture of awe and anger.

"What were you thinking?" she demanded, grabbing his arm.

"I… I didn't know what else to do," he stammered, his body trembling from the effort. The mark on his palm was dim now, its energy spent, and he felt a bone-deep exhaustion that left him barely standing.

Yan Wei sighed, her grip loosening. "You're lucky you didn't kill yourself. That kind of power comes at a cost, Feng. You can't keep relying on it."

Li Feng nodded weakly, the weight of her words sinking in. He had survived the battle, but the mark's power was a double-edged sword, and he knew he couldn't afford to rely on it recklessly.

"Come on," Yan Wei said, helping him to his feet. "We need to move before reinforcements arrive."

As they fled deeper into the forest, Li Feng couldn't shake the feeling that he had crossed a line. The mark's power had saved them, but it had also revealed just how dangerous it could be.

And the Silver Shadow Sect wouldn't stop until they claimed it for themselves.