The early dawn mist clung to the trees like spirits reluctant to leave the night. Master Shen and Derick stood at the edge of a beast-marked trail deep within the forgotten northern forests. Birdsong had vanished hours ago. All was still.
Derick wiped the sweat from his brow. His legs ached. His shoulders throbbed. The constant training, the fasting, the sleepless nights—it was slowly changing him.
Not just his body.
His mind.
His will.
Today, he would take another step.
Master Shen knelt by the remains of a beast corpse, half-devoured by others. From its skull he retrieved a dull, pulsing shard of greenish-blue light.
"Demon Core," he said, tossing it to Derick.
"Well—this one's technically from a corrupted beast, but the principle is the same."
The moment Derick touched it, warmth flooded through his palm. Not the heat of fire—but the thrum of energy.
He stared in awe.
"…This is what they're hiding from us."
The Secret Beneath the Slaughter
Master Shen walked over to a fallen log and sat, tapping his staff on the ground as he spoke.
"Every demon, beast, or high-level cultivator has one of these inside them—a crystal core. When they die, if the energy isn't dispersed, it condenses and leaves behind a treasure."
Derick held the core up. It pulsed faintly with a rhythm, like a captured breath waiting to be absorbed.
"There are three grades," Shen explained. "Ordinary beast cores, which you can find if you're lucky.
Demonic cores—far more powerful, and deadly to harvest.
And then there are the ancient cores, crystallized from beings who touched the peak realms."
"Let me guess…" Derick muttered. "Those are nearly impossible to find."
Shen grinned. "If you're asking that question, you're learning."
He pointed to the core.
"These are more than just energy sources. They're keys. Consuming them in the right state can accelerate your cultivation—but only if your foundation is stable. Otherwise, it'll tear your channels apart from the inside."
"Wait," Derick said. "That's what cultivators use to break through? Just… kill and absorb?"
Shen's smile darkened.
"Cultivation, boy, is just survival refined into a system. You eat, you grow, you kill, you climb."
Techniques and Power
"Now," Shen said, "you've been practicing movement and breathing. That's good for the Body Forging Realm. But if you want to go further… you'll need techniques."
He stood and drew three lines in the dirt.
"First—Ordinary Techniques. Basic martial arts. Anyone with training can use them, even mortals.
Then—Secret Techniques. These require qi. They can amplify your strikes, move faster than sound, or toughen your flesh. But they're dangerous.
Lastly—Ancient Techniques. Rare. Forbidden. Often incomplete. Only those with powerful bloodlines or legacies can survive using them."
Derick absorbed every word.
"You'll start with an ordinary movement technique," Shen said, handing him a scroll tied in black cloth. "Learn the footwork. When your body understands rhythm, qi will follow naturally."
Derick nodded, unrolling it carefully.
The illustrations were simple—but the postures, stances, and transitions were complex. It was like reading poetry in motion.
The Core Awakens
That night, under a silver moon, Master Shen lit a small flame in a stone bowl.
He set the demon beast core before Derick.
"You're ready."
Derick sat cross-legged, breathing slowly. He had memorized the breathing cycle Shen had drilled into him—four counts inhale, six counts exhale, hold, circulate, release.
Ba-dum.
The pulse returned—faint, but clearer now. The whisper inside his chest.
Master Shen placed a hand behind Derick's back and channeled a thin stream of his own qi into him, stabilizing his meridians.
"Focus. Draw the energy into your dantian—the core of your qi network. Let it settle. Don't rush."
Derick placed the crystal between his palms.
The warmth turned hot.
Then—blazing.
His body stiffened. It felt like a river of fire had been poured into his limbs. His bones vibrated. His blood surged.
He screamed—but clenched his teeth.
Breathe. Focus. Let it in.
He visualized the energy moving through him, just as Shen had taught—through his lower abdomen, coiling around his spine, fusing with the breath cycle.
Ba-dum… ba-dum… BA-DUM.
A deep rumble echoed inside him, like stone gates opening.
Suddenly—the pain vanished.
And in its place—clarity.
His senses expanded. The night became vivid. He heard water dripping from trees a hundred meters away. He felt the warmth of Shen's presence like a fire beside him.
His skin glowed faintly with a silver hue.
The First Breakthrough
Shen smiled.
"You've entered the Body Forging Realm—Low Level."
Derick opened his eyes. The world looked sharper. Brighter. Alive.
He stood, fists clenched, energy pulsing through his veins. His muscles didn't just feel stronger—they felt unshackled.
"…This is what it feels like?"
"Just the beginning," Shen said. "Now that your foundation is built, we begin real training."
Derick turned toward the stars.
One day, he would break through this cursed world—this chain around humanity.
This power… would be his key.