AnnouSed chapter today!

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  The usual liveliness of Pine Vilge had taken on a muted air over the past weeks. Though daily life tinued—farmers tending their fields, merts setting up their stalls, militia members patrolling the streets—an undercurrent of unease had settled over everyone like a thick, invisible fog. Feiyin noticed it almost immediately. The ughter in the vilge had grown fainter. People spoke in hushed voices, gng over their shoulders as if afraid someone—or something—might be lurking nearby. The usual gatherings in the square were smaller, and merts who had once arrived in rge numbers now came iant trickles, their expressions wary and their goods less plentiful.At first, Feiyin wasn’t sure what had ged. But then, he began to overhear versations, fragments of whispered words between vilgers and travelers that all seemed to point to ohing. A new sect had risen. And it was terrifying.Sitting at the table in their home, he watched his mother carefully pour tea into three cups, her usual serene expression shadowed with . She had returned from the marketpce looking more troubled than usual, her normally posed demeanor betraying a tension she rarely showed. His father sat across from her, silent but watchful, his sharp gray eyes unreadable, yet there was a noticeable stiffness in his posture.“Mom?” Feiyin finally broke the silence. “Did something happen?”Mei Liao gently set the teapot down before exhaling, her firag the rim of her cup. “You’re perceptive, my dear. Yes… something has happened.”Cai Feng, who had remained quiet, leaned forward slightly, his voice low and heavy. “More attacks. Entire caravans gohout a trace. Remote vilges… wiped out.”Feiyi a chill creep down his spihis wasn’t about the Blue Sword Seymore. That sect had beeroyed, leaving behind a power vacuum, but until now, no one had known who or what had stepped in to take its pce. He swallowed. “Who did it?”His mother and father exged ghe Saint Spirit Sect.”The name sent an odd shiver through the room, as if simply speaking it aloud was enough to taint the air with something vile. Feiyin frowned. “I’ve never heard of them.”“her has anyone else,” his father muttered. “They appeared suddenly… and they’re uhe other sects. They do not cultivate Essence Qi through normal means.” He hesitated before sighing. “They steal it. They pluhe life force of people, draining them dry.”Feiyin’s breath hitched. He had read stories of depraved, wicked cultivators, but to hear it spoken as reality was something else entirely. “Is that why the merts are so scared?”Mei Liao nodded, her expression grim. “Yes. Even high-ranking cultivators have gone missing. Their methods are cruel and ruthless, and they’re growing stronger with every attack.”Feiyin’s hands ched into fists. “Then… what is being done about it?”His father exhaled sharply. “The six remainis of the kingdom have formed an alliah the kingdom’s army. Together, they are mobilizing to resist and hunt them down.”Feiyin reized the names of the six sects. The Starfall Sect, known for their mastery of swordsmanship aial teiques, wielding energy that mirrored falling stars in the night sky. The Crimson Thunder Sect, famed for their lightning-based bat arts, their disciples feared for their explosive power. The Emerald Wood Pavilion, which specialized in body tempering and wood-based teiques, cultivating strong physiques and regeive abilities. The Obsidian Veil Sect, a secretive group that mastered stealth, assassination, and shadow teiques. Heaven’s Flow Temple, a sect focused on water cultivation and healing arts, bang bat and support teiques in battle. And the Fmeheart Fortress, a sect of warriors who wielded fire-based martial arts with relentless, destructive efficy. Each of these sects, despite their differences, had set aside their rivalries to stand against the Saint Spirit Sect. That alone spoke of the sheer gravity of the situation.Later that evening, Feiyin apanied his father to the vilge square, where a group of militia members stood gathered, their usual easygoing banter repced with serious expressions. Jiang Hu, the unofficial officer of the militia, eaking with a few men wheiced them approag. He turned, his gaze sharp. “Captain.”Cai Feng nodded iing befng at the gathered militia. “I take it you've heard?”Jiang Hu’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Hard not to. The merts are terrified. Some are refusing to leave the city anymore.” He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “It’s not just rumors anymore. The st caravan that went missing was one I had spoken to just days ago.”A murmur spread through the group. Some of the younger militia members looked shaken.“Do we know where they’ll strike ?” One of them asked hesitantly.“No,” Cai Feng answered ftly. “That’s what makes them dangerous. They move uably, hittie locations before disappearing.”Jiang Hu’s jaw tightened. “And with the Blue Sword Sect gohere’s no major power his region to protect us.”The weight of those words settled heavily over them all.Feiyin remained quiet, abs everything. He wasn’t naive—he khe world was dangerous, but this was different. This was a creeping shadooison spreading through the nd, and it was beginning to affect the lives of those around him.“We will tiraining the militia,” his father finally said. “Pine Vilge is small, but we won’t be defenseless. We must remain prepared for anything.”Jiang Hu nodded firmly, and the militia members straighteheir backs. Feiyin ched his fists. Prepared. Even as a child, he khat in a world where power dictated fate, being weak meant being at the mercy of others. He refused to be weak.That night, as Feiyin y in bed, staring at the wooden beams above him, his thoughts ed restlessly. The Saint Spirit Sect. The destru of the Blue Sword Sect. The fear in the eyes of the people. The world beyond the vilge was shifting, ging in ways that he was only beginning to uand. The six sects and the kingdom were fighting back. But would it be enough?He exhaled, his fiightening over the b. Ohing was certain. The world was growing more dangerous. And if he wao survive in it—if he wao protect the people he cared about—then he had to grow stronger.—-The only good news i times was that Feiyin’s newly developed method of trolling his irength had proven to be a moal breakthrough in his training. With the precision of a needle guiding thread, he was able tet specific areas of his body with meticulous accuracy, refining each aspect of his outer and iempering with unparalleled efficy.His m training sessions, once grueling and exhaustive, had transformed into something far more calcuted and effective. Instead of blindly p internal strength into his body, hoping for refi, he now eled it deliberately, threading his energy precisely where it was needed. When he worked on his muscles and tendons through the Python Stance, he focused on weaving his irength through the dense, fibrous tissues, strengthening them yer by yer. When he practiced Tiger Drills for his bones, he ensured his energy flowed deeply into his skeletal structure, hardening it bit by bit without unnecessary waste.Even his breathing exercises had evolved. The Earth Breathing teique no longer just reinforced his skin and pores; it flowed evenly, tempering each yer with a steadiness he could now sense and adjust iime. The same went for the other elements—his trol over his body had never felt so profound.He could feel the results in every movement. His body responded faster, his muscles held power with less strain, his strikes nded with greater ford preore than anything, he could feel his progress in raw numbers—his irength had surged forward, approag the threshold of 4000 kilograms.Feiyin had always known that training required patience, but now, for the first time, he could see the path ahead of him clearly. If he ti this pace, with just a few more weeks of refining his teique, he would soon break past the hreshold.Cai Feng had noticed the ge almost immediately. During training, he watched his son with measured approval, his improved form, the efficy of his movements, and most importantly, the focused i behind his every motion. After their session ehat day, he finally spoke.“You’ve grown sharper, Feiyin,” he said, his deep voice carrying a hint of pride. “Your teique has matured, and your trol over your irength is far beyond what I expected at this stage.”Feiyin wiped the sweat from his brow and straightened, looking up at his father with gleaming eyes. “It’s because of the needle-and-thread method, Dad. It lets me guide my strength exactly where it o go instead of spreading it out randomly.”Cai Feng crossed his arms, nodding thoughtfully. “It’s a rare insight, ohat will set you apart from many others in yeion. If you tinue honing it, this will be one of yreatest strengths in the years to e.”Feiyin smiled, feeling warmth spread through his chest at his father’s praise.But then, Cai Feng’s expression turned serious, his pierg gray eyes log onto his son’s. “However, there is something you o remember.”Feiyin blinked. “What is it?”His father exhaled slowly before speaking. “This method of yours—it’s powerful, and in the right hands, it will ge the erson cultivates. But power draws attention, Feiyin. Some will admire it, others will covet it, and some may seek to take it from you. That is the nature of the world.”The boy’s smile faded slightly as he processed his father’s words.“Until you have the strength to protect what is yours, you must keep this teique close to your heart. Do not share it with just anyone. Only those you trust pletely—those whose loyalty you are absolutely certain of—should ever learn of it.” Cai Feng pced a firm hand on Feiyin’s shoulder, the weight of his wrounding him. “Uand?”Feiyin nodded, his young but perceptive mind grasping the deeper meaning.“Good.” His father’s stern look softened ever so slightly. “For now, foastering it. There’s still room to improve.”Feiyin’s determination burned even brighter. He wouldn’t waste this gift—he would perfect it.As he walked bae that evening, feeling the steady rhythm of his own pulse, he knew deep down that he was on the right path. Just a little more, and he would reach the hreshold. He could feel it.And he wouldn’t stop until he did.