Author's Corner: Soooo I've been having one heck of a time with this chapter and just decided to let it goooo... Well I've been deciding on which style he would fight in and came up with reason for the family being ducks there's that.  

Chapter 3: Goals & Training

The youths of the Qiang family would start training their Qi when they were six. To increase there chance to be selected by one of the five Martial Art Schools in Yulia and become a outer disciple. In noble families it was common to reach layer 9 by the age of nine which would make them more than qualified to join most martial schools.

The Qiang family has many martial art, but some such as Ling could not acess anything. To save face the family gave him a martial skill to practice called Water Style a base martial art that is of the lowest rank. A useless skill for a useless person is the what Ling could only describe as nothing less than humiliation.

This was made worse as the younger generation had used the excuse of pratice to bully and hurt him. For a weak skeleton looking boy back thing is wasn't anything short as a living hell. That was the ling before but after his transformation many things have changed and this was just the beginning.

...

As Ling tattered body glistened in the setting sun he continued his routine training of the Water Style. It had been three weeks since the fragment of the other Ling fused with his memories giving him the chance to become a martial arts, but he knew he was well behind other. Armed with the lower class martial skill and a unshakable will he continued to practice the moves over until his body was powerless.

Your talent and level will determined what school or sect that your able to join. There are some exceptions but not many for the most part. Ling knew even if he broke into the Qi first layer his road would be a hard one.

"In one year I must gather as much strength as possible and join a school or sect." Ling clenched his weary body and began to meditate.

What Ling needed was power to break free from the shackles of this tragic life. The simplest way was to join a sec the train. The only problem with going off and joining a random sect was that he was from the Qiang clan and he knew if he didn't improve there option of him he would in danger.

Even if he was a direct descended of the head and his mother was a powerful figure this power wasn't his. This world respected power and he had none at the moment. By partaking in the tournament and getting in the top 10 the clan would reconsider his position entirely.

It wasn't uncommon for some of there clan members to train in other sect because they were usually about the pursuit of power not like clans which was about family. This was the only safe way to break his ties with the clan and Ling knew if he didn't become stronger soon he will die under these heartless beast of a family. Ling sighed heavily releasing his meditation, he gather his thoughts and proceeded to train again.

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Over the past weeks he had started some excessive workout routine to build his body and to achieve a balance. His skeletal figure had been slowly transforming into a health young boy. A strong body and soul are need to cultivated and Ling needed to build up his body.

For this he decided to gather Qi according to the Five Essence method. This cultivated Qi of Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and pure Qi. Ling would gather Qi then filter it for the Purest qi before letting it gather in his dantain.

This was a very slow method and would build a solid foundation and make breakthroughs easier. The other benefit to this was the unfiltered qi would nurture his body.

With the memories from the other Ling he could break into the Qi gathering realm at any moment if he chose to gather qi unfiltered but he want to test out if he would grow strong if he started this method as a base.

After hours of meditation Ling got up from withered tree and headed inside for a meal and rest. Walking in he would see Lin waiting with a table of small food.

“Hmmm, that much more than they usually give me.” As he glanced over to the food.

“Umm yea the chief was ordered to keep the increase of food your given even.” She glanced at the bowl of rice and soup with a bit of sadness.

“What wrong Lin?”

“No, its just even maids such as I when be go to eat get at least twice as much as this. To know master has live with only half I find it quit cruel.”

“Hahaha! Lin really your are one weird girl, but I guess you'll have to be to want to be my maid.” Ling could hear the bitterness in his own voice as he said it.

Lin didn't say any, instead she got up and hug Ling tightly catching him completely off guard.

“Ling I know you've been training like crazy and believe in you.” 

The smell of flowers entered his nose as her soft body wrapped around his. The his heart speed up and his vision became blur. Ling had cried himself to sleep many nights when he was younger and thought his tears had all dried up.

“Yea, thanks.” the crack in his voice was there but Lin said nothing of it. After a short while they both sat down and eat in comfortable silence.