Chapter 2: Drowsiness

Qin Zhan nodded. Although he tried to muster some spirit to give Lin Shan a reassuring smile, for some reason, a strong sense of weakness continuously assaulted his mind, as if he had not closed his eyes for ten days and nights, causing his vision to become somewhat blurred.

It was already past the hour of Chen. Qin Zhan was secretly astonished.

A series of heavy knocks accompanied by crisp shouts came from outside the door, instantly waking Qin Zhan, whose mind was still somewhat hazy.

When Qin Zhan and Lin Shan arrived at the backyard, Zhang Wang had evidently been waiting for a while. Upon seeing this respected eighth-level Qi Refining master from the entire Shunhe City, the two hurriedly stepped forward and called out "Master." However, due to their concern about potential punishment, Qin Zhan's voice clearly revealed a hint of guilt.

Qin Zhan felt gloomy as he finished washing up, yet he knew in his heart that he would definitely not be able to avoid today's punishment

After Zhang Wang instructed the servants not to disturb the courtyard, he had Qin Zhan sit down. Following the method of cultivating true energy, he activated the faint true energy within Qin Zhan's body. Once Qin Zhan entered a meditative state, he immediately pressed one hand against his back to seal the governing meridian, infusing pure innate true energy into his body, while simultaneously protecting the fragile meridians and guiding Qin Zhan's true energy to circulate within.

After finishing the washing, the two of them immediately left the house and walked towards the backyard

Lin Shan, who was nearby, heard Zhang Wang's loud shout and immediately ran over. Upon seeing the two of them looking exhausted and worn out, she quickly asked, "What happened, Xiao Zhan'er, Master? Is something wrong?"

As soon as she left, Qin Zhan, whose mental exhaustion was extremely severe, immediately relaxed. With this relaxation, the overwhelming fatigue could no longer be suppressed; his head tilted, and he fell into a deep sleep.

Upon hearing this, Lin Shan immediately knew that Qin Zhan would not face any punishment. She stuck out her little pink tongue at him, looking extremely adorable

Master ... ... I ... ...

Hehe, no need. I just activated my internal energy and consumed too much mental focus, that's all. It's nothing to make a fuss about. Look, even the master is that exhausted. Don't worry, I'll take a nap, and it won't be long before I feel better.

Alright, hurry up, otherwise the master will impose penalties without showing any mercy

Guiding the true energy in a cycle is not an easy task, even for practitioners at the eighth level of Qi Refinement. Qin Zhan immediately expressed his gratitude, saying: "Thank you, Master, for your support"

Fortunately, the yard was not far from his residence, and before long, he had already arrived at the house

"Rest assured, do you not trust me?" After saying this, they reminded once more and exited the room, closing the door behind them

Oh, good. Lin Shan nodded, recalling that she had not completed her practice of swinging the sword three hundred times yesterday, so she began to practice this fundamental skill again

Upon thinking of this, she also felt a slight sense of relief and gently said, "Very well, I will instruct the servants not to disturb you, so you can rest well"

"It might be because I went up and down the mountain yesterday; I was really exhausted, injured my hand, and lost quite a bit of blood. My body feels weak, which is why I woke up late today." With this thought, Qin Zhan quickly got up, skillfully put on his clothes, and got out of bed. Just then, Lin Shan had already brought up the water. Seeing this, Qin Zhan hurried over to take the items, saying, "Shan'er, I can handle these myself."

Qin Zhan and Lin Shan were only about eleven or twelve years old. Under the gaze of Zhang Wang, a practitioner with an eighth-level Qi Refining cultivation, they immediately became tense. Before he could speak, Lin Shan hurriedly said: "Master, please don't blame little Zhan. He accompanied me to the mountain yesterday, carried me back down, and even cut his hand, bleeding quite a lot. He must be tired, which is why he got up late to study. If you want to blame someone, blame me. If it weren't for me calling him, he wouldn't have gone to the mountain, and today he wouldn't have delayed his morning practice."

Zhang Wang and Qin Yue are sworn brothers, renowned for their reputation, and they share the glorious achievement of jointly eliminating the bandits of Feng Jue Ling across a thousand mountains. After a bloody battle, their bond deepened, and they pledged brotherhood to each other. After retreating from the martial world, Zhang Wang was invited by his elder brother Qin Yue to take residence in the Qin family.

In a haze, Qin Zhan wearily opened his eyes. As the door was pushed open, a beam of sunlight streamed in through the crack, illuminating his face, which had not yet fully awakened.

Lin Shan hurriedly supported him and quickly walked towards the courtyard where he resided

Master, it is not related to Shan'er, it is I...

With a loud shout from Zhang Wang, Qin Zhan, who was in a daze, was suddenly awakened. Startled, he quickly gathered his spirit and managed to control the vital energy that was about to dissipate. However, due to this delay, it was evidently impossible to complete a small circulation of energy. Zhang Wang could only protect his vital energy and retreat it back to the dantian.

Yes, Master

Xiao Zhan, what are you saying? Clearly, it is ... ...

Hehe, you should go back as well. Don't slack off just because I'm not there to practice with you. If after another year you still haven't reached the second level of Qi Refinement, the master will definitely have something to say to you.

Setting aside his identity as a named disciple of the Sacred Profound Sect, the mere fact that he has reached the eighth level of Qi Refinement and attained the formidable innate realm is sufficient to affirm his esteemed status. Even the lord of Shunhe City would treat him with utmost courtesy and respect.

Zhang Wang listened to the two of them eagerly trying to take on the blame, and he couldn't help but laugh. He waved his hand, intending to interrupt their mutual quarrel: "Alright, alright, I never said I wanted to punish Zhan'er. You two little spouses are each helping the other bear the blame, making it seem like I am the one who has become some kind of irredeemable villain."

Qin Zhan's father, Qin Yue, ventured out in his youth to seek his fortune, traveling far and wide and befriending many accomplished individuals. Among them, the most distinguished was Zhang Wang, a disciple of the Sacred Xuan Sect, who possessed an eighth-level cultivation in Qi Refinement and was the strongest in Shunhe City.

The gaze of Zhang Wang was remarkably sharp. When he heard Lin Shan mention that his palm was injured, he had already noticed the few small wounds that were about to heal, confirming that there was indeed no serious issue. Thus, he nodded and said: "Since that is the case, let us begin. You have now become Qi Refiners who have cultivated true Qi. While physical training is important, after these years of continuous hardship, you have already made considerable progress. Today's practice will primarily focus on guiding Qi." After saying this, he cast a glimmering glance at Qin Zhan: "You have been at the peak of the second level for half a year. Today, I will guide you through another cycle, to see if you can seize this opportunity to grasp this cycle and enable the true Qi within you to complete the small circulation."

Zhan'er, did you injure your hand? Is there any damage to the meridians? Do you need to take a day off?

Lin Shan expressed her concern: "Xiao Zhan'er, could it be that the thorns of that strange tree from yesterday are poisonous? I will go find the master, and ask the uncle to have a doctor come and take a look at you"

At this moment, Qin Zhan appeared to be on the verge of collapse, seemingly unable to even keep his eyes open. After sitting down, he immediately felt the urge to succumb to sleep.

Zhang Wang smiled inwardly; he was well aware of Qin Zhan's temperament. He knew that unless there was a specific reason, Qin Zhan would never delay his morning training. Therefore, he carefully observed his complexion, seemingly trying to discern whether he was unwell.

At this moment, how could there be even a moment of distraction? As soon as the mind wavered, the faint innate true energy immediately lost control, and there was even a sign of a trace dissipating in the meridians.

Zhang Wang shook his head and sighed, saying: "I was too anxious; Zhan Er is not in the right state today, how can we rashly attempt the breakthrough to the third level of Qi Refinement?" After saying this, he looked up at Lin Shan and said: "Today's training will stop here for now; you should help Zhan Er back to rest."

The master is indeed the most formidable person in the city; even a brief exertion of his internal energy leaves one feeling exhausted. Xiao Zhan, despite being able to handle a dozen opponents, cannot match the master, and naturally, he feels even more fatigued.

You little girl are the one who is getting anxious first

"Xiao Zhanzi, get up, the master is about to start scolding people. Hurry and open the door. If you don't open it soon, I will come in."

Concentrate your mind and gather your energy

As the sunlight shone down, Qin Zhan suddenly jolted awake, forcing himself to regain his composure. Upon seeing Lin Shan, who came running in with a smile, he quickly asked, "Shan'er, is it very late?"

Little Zhan'er ... ... Little Zhan'er ... ...

He has always been diligent in his training. Since he began at the age of 8, he would get up early every day before the hour of Chen, independently exercising to strengthen his muscles and bones. For four years, he has persevered through wind and rain without interruption, even when sick or injured. Today, however, sleeping past the hour of Chen without waking up is simply unprecedented.

It's nothing, just a minor injury. Master, let's start the training.

Lin Shan thought for a moment and agreed.

I am fine ... ... Shan'er, let's hurry back.

On the way back, Qin Zhan's enthusiasm was clearly lacking, especially the fatigue evident between his brows, which made Lin Shan feel deeply pained. She could only comfort him softly, saying: "Xiao Zhan, don't overthink it. The master also said that the transition from the second layer to the third layer is a small bottleneck. Not being able to break through in one go is nothing to worry about. I believe in your talent. Once you have rested well and are fully prepared, you will definitely be able to break through in one go and enter the realm of the third layer of Qi Refinement."

Zhang Wang devoted his entire life to cultivation, having neither wife nor children. He held a deep affection for Qin Yue's son, Qin Zhan, especially upon witnessing his exceptional talent. At the age of nine, Qin Zhan successfully cultivated his first strand of true energy, reaching the first level of Qi Refinement. As a result, Zhang Wang made an exception and took him as a disciple, imparting all his knowledge. Under this affection, even Qin Zhan's fiancée, Lin Shan, frequently received guidance, achieving peak strength at the first level of Qi Refinement by the age of eleven

At first, everything went smoothly, but perhaps due to not having fully rested, under such a state of heightened mental concentration, the originally sustainable mental energy was consumed like water. Before long, he began to feel a sense of excessive mental fatigue, akin to drowsiness.

Do not take it to heart; after all, transitioning from the second layer to the third layer is a minor bottleneck that cannot be easily overcome. Failing once is not a big deal. For those who practice martial arts, one cultivates essence, refines energy, and nurtures spirit, all three of which are indispensable. If one wishes to reach the ninth layer of energy refinement and successfully communicate with the spiritual realm to obtain spiritual power, mental state becomes even more crucial. You should rest for a day; once you have recovered and restored your spirit, we will try again.

"You silly boy, why are you still being polite with me?" After saying this, he turned to Lin Shan beside him and said, "You can practice by yourself for now."

Innate masters are top-tier experts in the entire nation. It is a rare opportunity for anyone to personally experience the guidance of an innate master in channeling energy. Qin Zhan quickly focused his mind, concentrating on controlling the flow of true energy within his body. Following the guidance of his master Zhang Wang's innate true energy, he conducted a small circulation through the Ren and Du meridians within his body.

Of course, it's already the third watch of the night. Otherwise, why would the master send me to wake you? Little lazy pig, get up quickly. Having said that, I ran to the back room to help him fetch water and prepare for washing.