The moment Kai's foot touched the deck of the ark, he felt a subtle shift in the ambient qi. It was as if the air around them had been brought to life. He glanced at Liu Wei, wondering if his companion had noticed the change. Judging by the wide-eyed look on Liu Wei's face, he had.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Elder Feng said, a hint of pride in his voice. "This ark is infused with wind and water-attributed spirit stones. It can cover vast distances in a fraction of the time it would take to travel on foot."

Zhi-Zhi, still sat on Liu Wei's head, snorted. "I've seen faster. Why, in my younger days, I once rode a bolt of lightning across half the continent!"

Kai suppressed a smile. I really need to get the full story behind Zhi-Zhi sometime. His backstory keeps getting more and more ridiculous.

As Shen Yu boarded the ark, Kai watched him closely. The boy's movements were smooth and graceful, betraying a level of body control that seemed at odds with his apparent lack of cultivation.

Another anomaly, Kai thought. His stats say he's just a normal mortal, but he moves like a trained martial artist. What's your deal, Shen Yu?

Once everyone was aboard, Elder Feng made a series of complex hand gestures. The ark shuddered slightly, then began to rise into the air.

Liu Wei gasped, clutching the railing. "We're... we're flying!"

"Of course we are," Zhi-Zhi said, rolling his eyes. "Did you expect us to sail through the trees?"

Kai placed a hand on Liu Wei's shoulder. "It's okay, Liu Wei. This is perfectly normal for cultivators. Just think of it as... an extremely smooth carriage ride."

As the ark ascended above the treetops, Kai took a moment to survey their surroundings. The village looked tiny from this height, a cluster of buildings nestled in a sea of green. In the distance, he could make out the faint outline of mountains, their peaks shrouded in mist.

So that's where we're headed, Kai mused. The Azure Sky Sect is probably located on one of those peaks. It looks so close but is actually so far away, classic xianxia style.

Elder Feng's voice broke through Kai's thoughts. "Young cultivators, our journey will take several hours. I suggest you use this time wisely. For those of you who have already begun your cultivation journey, quiet meditation would be appropriate."

The Outer Elder's gaze settled on Shen Yu. "As for you, young man, I believe it's time you learned the basics of qi sensing and gathering. Come, sit with me."

Kai watched with interest as Shen Yu moved to sit cross-legged in front of Elder Feng. The boy's face remained impassive, but Kai thought he detected a flicker of... something in his eyes. Anticipation? Or was it recognition?

This should be interesting, Kai thought. Let's see how an expert teaches the basics... and how our mysterious friend here reacts.

Elder Feng smiled at Shen Yu. "Now then, young one. Before we begin gathering qi, you must first learn to sense it. Your body can already feel qi, but your mind needs to recognize and interpret those sensations."

Shen Yu nodded. There was no hint of the nervousness or excitement one might expect from a complete novice.

"Close your eyes," Elder Feng instructed. "Take a deep breath and try to feel the world around you. Don't focus on what you can hear or smell. Instead, try to sense the energy that flows through all things."

Shen Yu obeyed, his eyelids sliding shut as he took a deep breath. His posture was perfect, Kai noticed, as if he'd sat in meditation a thousand times before.

"Good," Elder Feng continued. "Now, I'm going to release a small amount of qi. Try to feel it with your mind, not your body."

Kai watched as Elder Feng extended his hand, palm facing Shen Yu. A faint, barely visible shimmer appeared in the air between them.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"Do you feel anything?" Elder Feng asked.

"Yes," Shen Yu said simply. "I can sense it clearly."

Elder Feng's eyebrows rose slightly. "Oh? That's... quite impressive for a first attempt. Can you describe what you're sensing?"

"It's like a gentle current," Shen Yu replied, his eyes still closed. "Warm and flowing, but intangible. It reminds me of sunlight on water."

That's an oddly poetic description for someone who's supposedly never sensed qi before, Kai thought.

Elder Feng seemed equally surprised but quickly composed himself. "Well done, Shen Yu. You have a natural talent for this. Now that you can sense qi, we can move on to gathering it."

The elder's voice took on a more instructional tone. "Qi gathering is the foundation of all cultivation. First, I want you to focus on your breathing and imagine a warm light at the center of your body, behind your navel. This is your dantian, the core of your qi."

Shen Yu nodded, his breathing steady and rhythmic.

"As you breathe in," Elder Feng continued, "imagine you're drawing in the qi you can now sense from the world around you. It enters through your nose, flows down to your dantian, and makes that light grow. As you breathe out, let that energy circulate through your body."

As Kai watched, he saw a faint shimmer begin to form around Shen Yu almost immediately. It was subtle, but to Kai's trained senses, it was unmistakable.

That's... not normal, Kai thought, his mind racing. Even a prodigy shouldn't be able to gather qi this quickly on their first try.

Elder Feng's eyes widened, a look of astonishment crossing his face. "Shen Yu, this is... remarkable. You're already beginning to circulate qi. Can you feel it?"

"Yes," Shen Yu replied calmly. "It's moving in a circular path, just as you described. From the dantian, up the spine, over the head, down the front, and back to the core."

Elder Feng seemed at a loss for words for a moment. "That's... that's correct. The microcosmic orbit. But how did you...?"

Shen Yu opened his eyes, his gaze meeting Elder Feng's. "It just felt natural," he said, his voice neither boastful nor apologetic.

Natural? There's nothing natural about this. Either Shen Yu is the biggest cultivation prodigy I've ever seen, or...

A message flashed before Kai's eyes:

Shen Yu

Level: Qi Refining Stage 1

Qi: 10/10

Strength: 15

Agility: 15

Endurance: 15

Skills: Basic Qi Circulation

Or he really isn’t what he seems, but whatever he is, Shen Yu just became the most interesting person on this boat.

Suddenly, Shen Yu's eyes darted across the horizon, his usual calm demeanor was tinged with a hint of tension.

"We should be careful," he said quietly.

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Why's that?"

Instead of answering, Shen Yu just shook his head slightly.

Kai frowned. Something about Shen Yu's warning set off alarm bells in his mind. He decided to check his map. His eyes widened as he noticed three large red spots appear on the map, moving rapidly towards their position.

What the hell? Kai thought. Those can't be good.

Before he could voice his concerns, the boat suddenly rocked violently. Something large whooshed past, barely missing them.

"What was that?" Liu Wei cried out, stumbling to keep his balance.

The boat rocked again as another shape flew by. And then a third time.

Kai gripped the railing, his mind racing. Three fast-moving objects. Big enough to shake the boat. Just what kind of beasts are we up against.

As if in answer to his thoughts, three massive winged creatures burst into view. They circled the ark, their powerful wings creating gusts of wind that buffeted the small vessel.

Kai's eyes widened as he took in their appearance. Each beast was easily the size of a small house, with wings spanning at least thirty feet. Their bodies were covered in scales that shimmered in the sunlight. One drake was a deep blue. Another was a vibrant green. The last one, larger than the others, had rich purple scales.

Great, Kai thought. Dragon wannabes.

A quick glance at his status window confirmed his fears:

Thunderwing Drake

Level: Foundation Establishment (Peak)

HP: 4000/4000

"Liu Wei, Zhi-Zhi, stay low," Kai said. "These aren't your average birds."

Liu Wei nodded, his face pale. "Y-yes, Master Kai."

Zhi-Zhi, however, puffed out his tiny chest. "Ha! As if I would cower before such lowly beasts," the spirit tortoise declared as he waddled over to a corner of the boat and plopped down. "I shall allow you youngsters the chance to prove yourselves. Consider this a valuable learning experience!"

With that, Zhi-Zhi retreated into his shell, leaving only his eyes peeking out.

I’m not surprised at the least, Kai shook his head with a smile at the tortoise’s antics.

Elder Feng stood at the bow of the ark, his face grim as he surveyed the circling drakes. Kai approached him.

"Elder Feng," Kai said, keeping his voice low. "What are our options here?"

The Outer Elder's expression was tense. "This is... unfortunate. While I am at the Pseudo Core Formation realm, which would typically be enough to handle three Peak Foundation Establishment creatures, an aerial battle changes things significantly."

Right. Humans aren't exactly built for midair combat. And he's outnumbered three to one.

"What about the ark?" Kai asked. "What are its defensive capabilities?"

Elder Feng shook his head. "I'm afraid this vessel was designed for travel, not combat. It has no significant defensive measures."

Damn, Kai thought. But I guess that makes sense. Sects probably wouldn't waste resources on defenses for a simple recruitment trip. Talk about bad luck.