The first tribulation.

The trial of initiation.

The first clash with Heaven.

The challenge of the mind.

The phenomenon has many names. Some long, some short…some that describe it well and some that attempt to hide its nature. The trial is ever-present, one of the only things constant throughout the entirety of existence, or so they say.

In the end, despite its many names and despite whatever labels man and beast may attach to it. It serves a simple purpose. It is the first step on the path of cultivation - a step that everyone must cross one way or another. It is considered both the easiest and the most difficult trial that must be faced.

It is easy since it barely requires any resources. Mortals would easily be able to pass it if they knew of its existence. All it requires is a bit of physical fitness, willpower and an accumulation of Qi, if even that.

A single loaf of bread made using Sun Blessed Wheat has enough Qi inside to trigger the advancement. Of course, it must be prepared in such a way that it doesn't hurt the mortal that attempts to consume it.

But…

…if it is so easy to advance, why are there so few cultivators? Why do the spiritual beasts outnumber them? Are they just more enlightened than humanity?

Does an ant, a mindless creature bound to its instincts with a brain so small it's debatable if they even have a consciousness, know more about the world than man? Or is it that the very mind of man works against him.

Therein lies the problem. Knowledge. The power to think and deliberate.

The Heavens have control over the minds of mortals. They mold and twist them as they desire, shift their perception, learn from their experiences and treat them as their puppets should they so wish.

The Heavens are ever present and all encompassing. They are the air one breathes, the earth one walks on and the light that shines into one's eyes.

Most of all, they hate all that goes against their system.

But

They are not all knowing and neither are they all powerful.

Or so they say.

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*Sigh*

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Zhang Dongmei couldn't help but release a sigh while watching the events under her unfold. Closing her eyes she decides to massage her temples to prevent the oncoming headache.

Her, a cultivator and an inner disciple of the Twilight Lotus Sect getting a headache. Just the thought of it is enough to make her chuckle.

'I wish I could have just forced his cultivation open, but he isn't a thrall. The Heavens will notice and kill him if I do that. It may take a decade or a century but they'll get him eventually for the slight against their system…'

The cultivator sighs again, not bothering to hide her voice. She is far enough away from the hunter and boy duo where they wouldn't be able to hear her.

Only her imperfect invisibility technique prevents her from being noticed but it's not like she needs anything more. When she doesn't use reagents the technique just makes her transparent, it's not true invisibility. It's like she's made of the world's clearest waters.

In any other circumstance she would have been beaming with happiness about her disciple and how well he was doing. His intelligence and foresight, his knowledge about his shortcomings at such a young age. His steadiness and dedication, leaving as little to chance as possible.

Yet… she couldn't bring herself to celebrate in the current circumstances.

"I'm so stupid. My curiosity over whether or not he would be able to surpass this challenge by himself was just that - Curiosity. It doesn't help me and it doesn't help him."

She had been right outside the village head's house when Kenki had been asking him for advice. All she would have had to do was to send a wave of pressure down on the old mortal and he would have dismissed the boy then and there. But she didn't.

Again, she had been curious. And here she is now, wasting a perfect opportunity to awaken the young boy to the world of cultivation.

An unreasonable trial is exactly what is needed to awaken the potential. The first step is to overload the entirety of an initiate's system with Qi. To the point where they have no choice but to use it in their everyday life, when they move and when they think. Even if the Heavens prevent them from noticing.

She had seen him use Qi multiple times this day alone.

It is considered a wasteful and time-consuming method by many, especially when compared to the alternatives. It also requires a special technique to make the meals with just the right amount of Qi inside them.

But, it is the most successful method that she knows of. She only has one disciple after all. It has a staggering fifty percent success rate!

Add fitness and weapon training to build a good foundation for the future.

All that's left is to place them in an impossible situation. A disciple has to almost completely lose hope. The disciple must know that all of their ways out are gone, they must despair. But they must continue trying to strive forwards.

In that hopelessness, when they need something more. When they need a miracle to survive. Where all of their survival instincts are in overdrive. Then they will cut through the fog of confusion placed on them by the havens. Then they would have passed the first trial.

Of course, they're never in any real danger as long as their masters are around.

Overall. It is quite the gentle method of awakening if she does say so herself. She wishes her own Master had awakened her the same way.

'As it is, I can see how the Heavens are strengthening the aspects of his personality that lead him away from advancing. His stability and humbleness have become shackles. Combine that with the fear that he has toward cultivators in general… Not once has he asked me if he is even my disciple or what I intend to do with him'

'Well. He has perfect loyalty, he barely hesitated when presented with his task' She nods to herself, her attention shifting back to the duo. They have just finished driving off the wolf pack for a second time.

She swoops in and finishes off all of the escaped wolves that had been stricken by arrows. They would have succumbed to their injuries either way. She inspects the arrows for any traces of Qi but fails to find any.

Just as she's about to stash them in her dimensional treasure she hears a series of howls that take up her attention. Many years spent in danger zones has made her able to distinguish between the different species of beasts so she's able to sense that something is off.

Her eyes narrow but the howls are over shortly afterwards.

She inspects the surrounding area for any danger to the duo and, not finding anything, she darts back to where the duo came from. Retracing the steps that they had left behind until she reaches a spot they had been at an hour prior.

It's where Goro and Kenki had found the mysterious trail cutting through the snow. She had disregarded it back then but now that she takes a better look…

…with a flick of her wrist all the snow along the length of the trail is flung to the side, exposing the black earth underneath.

She takes a good look at the massive prints in the soft soil, each one the size of an adult man's head.

"Hoh" Dongmei exclaims as a smile spreads through her features.

'Well, isn't this an interesting development?'