The wind carried the crisp st of pine as Feiyin stepped onto the training grounds, his breath steady, his mind focused. Today felt different. There was a lightness in his limbs, a strength in his core that hadn’t been there before. For the past three months, he had pushed his body and internal strength to their limits, tempering every part of himself inside and out. His progress had been slower than others, but today, something told him that the effort had not been in vain.The militia members were already gathered, their voices carrying over the m air. Jiang Hu, as usual, was the loudest, arguing with Sun Ke over some trivial matter. Zhao Wei stood with his arms crossed, nodding occasionally, while Lao Min groaned about how much he disliked running drills.Feiyin took his pce among them, rolling his shoulders as he prepared for the day’s training. It started as usual—footwork drills, evasive movements, strength ditioning. But when they moved into paired bat practice, that’s when he felt it.Sun Ke lu him, his movements sharp, refined. Feiyin twisted his body instinctively, redireg the force of the attack, tering with a trolled burst of internal strength. The air seemed to hum around him, his body moving in perfect synization with his will.Sun Ke barely mao block, his feet skidding slightly in the dirt. For a moment, his face was frozen in surprise. The out a short, incredulous ugh.“…What the hell?”The group had been engaged in their own sparring matches, but at Sun Ke’s rea, all eyes turo them.Feiyin blinked. “What?”Jiang Hu strode rabbing Feiyin’s wrist, feeling the tension in his muscles, theing go with a grunt. “Do that again.”Feiyiated, then moved through the motions once more. He could feel it now—the power surging through him, the sheer weight of his own internal strength responding to his movements.Jiang Hu let out a sharp exhale, then barked a ugh. “Hah! This little brat just hit 1000 kilograms of strength, didn’t he?”A brief silence followed. Then—“Wait, seriously?” Sun Ke’s voice cracked as he looked at Feiyin like he had grown a sed head.Zhao Wei, always the quiet observer, narrowed his eyes. “That’s… No wonder his movements feel heavier.”The realization rippled through the group, and soon, the militia was in an uproar.“He’s just a kid!”“How the hell did he reach that already?”“This brat’s outpag grown men now?!”Feiyin’s face flushed with a mixture of pride and embarrassment as Jiang Hu cpped a heavy hand on his baearly knog the breath out of him.“You little monster. You’ve been training quietly, and now you pull this on us?”Feiyin grinned, his heart swelling with joy. He hadn’t been sure before, but now, hearing it from them, feeling their reas—this roof that his effort had been worth it.He wiped the sweat from his brow, his chest rising with excitement. He had trained slower thahers, fog on both his inner and outer foundation, but now he could see that his patience had paid off.Jiang Hu ruffled his hair. “Alright, alright, don’t get too full of yourself. Keep training, and maybe in a few years, you’ll actually be able to spar with me properly.”Feiyin scoffed. “You mean in a few months?”The group roared with ughter, and Feiyin couldn’t help but ugh along with them.

  That night, after dinner, Feiyin sat cross-legged in the quiet of their home, his heart still buzzing from the day’s events. He had reached 1000 kg of internal strength. He had proof that his body could withstand immense force. That meant…He was ready.He had spent months refining his irength, uanding how it resonated, how it flowed through him like a song iwined with the world’s osciltions. But up until now, it had remained just that—a resonance, an uanding.Now, he wao take it further.He closed his eyes, breathing deeply, reag inward.The elements all had their own rhythm. He had felt them irees, in the wind, ier. But fire—it was the one he had yet to truly grasp.He thought back to the fmes in the vilge, to the merts cooking over their stoves, to the flickering torches lighting the training grounds. The osciltion of fire was lively, wild, always shifting, but there was an unmistakable harmony to it, a rhythm within the chaos.He steadied his breathing. Slowly, carefully, he began to adjust the osciltion of his irength to match the pulse of fire.At first, it was difficult. Fire’s rhythm was fickle, hard to grasp. It buroo fast, tht, slipping away the momehought he had it. He furrowed his brows, trating harder.Then—A spark.His heart stirred, a warmth blooming deep within his chest, filling him with a sense of power and exhiration. His blood pumped stronger, each beat vibrating in harmony with the fire element. The air around him tasted sharper, richer, more alive.He had do.He wao ugh, to celebrate—Then, suddenly, the warmth turned scalding.His heart lurched, the fire within him spreading outward untrolbly, searing through his body like a wildfire ing dry wood.Pain—blinding, unbearable pain.His breath hitched, his vision blurred. He tried to stop it, but the fmes within his irength had taken root, spiraling beyond his trol.Before he could cry out, a cool, steady hand pressed against his back.“Feiyin, stht now.”His mother’s voice was sharp, firm, but ced with urgency.Through the haze of pain, he felt her irength flowing into him, calm yet powerful, ing around his erratiergy like a river cooling molten rock.With her guidance, he focused, forced his breathing to slow, and after what felt like ay, the burniion receded, leaving his body trembling.The silehat followed was heavy.Then—“…What were you thinking?”His father’s voice cut through the air like a bde.Feiyin’s throat tightened. He turned his head slightly to see his father standing at the doorway, his usual calm expression repced by something… sharper. . Frustration.“I—I almost had it,” Feiyin whispered.His mother exhaled slowly, rubbiemple. “Almost had it? Feiyin, do you uand what could have happened if I wasn’t here?”His chest ached. He hadn’t meant to make them worry. He thought—he truly thought he had do right.Tears pricked at the ers of his eyes before he could stop them. “I thought I was ready,” he said, his voice crag. “I—I just wao—”“To what?” Cai Feng stepped forward, kneeling to meet his gaze. “To rush ahead without fully uanding what you were doing?”Feiyin bit his lip.His father sighed, shaking his head. “Yifted, Feiyin. But that doesn’t mean you skip steps. Mastery es from patienot from reckless leaps forward.”His mother pced a gentle hand on his shoulder. “We’re not angry, Feiyin. We’re worried. You o tell us before you try something like this again.”Feiyin sniffled, nodding as he wiped his face.Cai Feng studied him for a moment before his expression softened. “You did well in sensing the fire’s rhythm. That is already an achievement. But ime, you will not attempt something like this alone.”Feiyin nodded quickly, relief and exhaustion washing over him.Mei Liao smiled, ruffling his hair. “Yrowing, little one. Just… don’t burn yourself out.”A small, wobbly smile crept onto Feiyin’s lips. He wouldn’t stop. He couldn’t stop.But ime, he’d be more careful.As the tension in the air settled, Feiyi out a shaky breath, his body still trembling from the aftereffects of his reckless attempt. The warmth had pletely left his limbs, leaving behind a dull ache in his chest and a strainess where the fire had once burned. His mother’s hand was still on his back, gently rubbing slow circles, as if easing the st remnants of disfort away.After a few moments of silence, Mei Liao stood up and walked over to a nearby shelf, her movements smooth and precise. She opened a small wooden box, taking out a por vial filled with ahy-sted liquid. Feiyin reized the st instantly—a mixture of medial herbs she had ofteo help with his body tempering recovery.She poured a small amount into a cup and ha to him. “Drink. This will help repair any internal strain and soothe your meridians.”Feiyin took the cup hesitantly, the st strong but familiar. He had never particurly ehe bitter taste, but right now, he wasn’t about to pin. He brought the cup to his lips, taking small sips before swallowing it all in one go.Immediately, a cooliion spread through his chest, like a soft stream washing away lingering embers. His breathing steadied, the ache in his limbs easing ever so slightly.His mave a small nod of approval. “Rest for tonight. No more experiments with your irength until your body fully recovers.”Feiyin nodded, still feeling the warmth of their despite the scolding. As he sat quietly, letting the medie take effect, he silently made a promise to himself—to train smarter, to grow stronger, and to one day truly master the elements without losing trol.