Morning in the outer sect began long before sunrise. The disciples were already gathering in the courtyards, breathing in unison as they trained under the silver haze of first light. The clack of wooden weapons and the hum of low chants filled the air.
Kai stood at the edge of one of the open fields, his robes tied neatly, his hair brushed back, eyes fixed on the instructor ahead. Today was the start of something new. Something that mattered.
Body Tempering.
His muscles still ached from the evening before, but his mind felt strangely clear. Maybe it was the air, or the rhythm of movement around him. Or maybe, it was the silence he found inside himself each morning now. The voice hadn't spoken since his first night here. But it watched.
It always watched.
"Your body is the first vessel," Instructor Shen said, walking among the rows of students. "Before you can wield Qi, your body must become a forge, not a container. You will break. You will rebuild. You will repeat."
They began with weight drills.
Large stones shaped like drums were lifted over shoulders and carried across the courtyard. The weaker students struggled to move even one. Others dragged their stones, breathing like dying animals.
Kai moved slowly, deliberately.
He picked a stone that was smaller than what he could truly carry. He let his pace match the weakest in the group. He grunted just enough. Frowned just enough. Kept his head down.
Inside, his muscles barely stirred.
**You could carry three of them.**
The voice again.
He ignored it.
He didn't want to be noticed. Not yet.
As the days passed, the training intensified.
Ice baths. Heated saunas. Rationed meals. Stone runs. Fist forms until skin split.
And Kai endured it all.
Not with ease, but with silence.
He watched. He mimicked. He learned every inch of his body, every stretch of pain, every movement.
He healed faster than the others.
He slept less.
He stopped flinching at bruises.
And no one seemed to notice. Or if they did, they said nothing.
Weeks passed. Then months.
Classes shifted from general form to personalized drills. Kai took notes. Practiced after hours. He didn't seek friends. But he didn't avoid anyone either. He floated in the middle. Present. Unassuming.
Only once did someone confront him.
A senior outer disciple—broad, arrogant, used to being feared. He shoved Kai during a group exercise, muttered something about "pretty boys who don't belong."
Kai didn't retaliate. Not with fists.
He caught the boy's wrist, twisted it just enough to remind him of bone.
The boy avoided him after that.
So did a few others.
Instructor Shen never commented. But during evening review, he paused longer behind Kai. And once, after sparring class, he looked him dead in the eye and said only:
"Don't lie to yourself too long."
Kai hadn't replied.
Instead, he trained harder.
Not to impress.
To survive.
And with each day, each repetition, each breath drawn under the weight of stone—his body changed.
He wasn't strong by outer sect standards.
He was stronger.
He was just smart enough not to show it.
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**Author's Note:**
As we move into the next stretch of the story, time will begin to pass more quickly. Chapters 13 through 20 will highlight key events, trials, and turning points across the next several years of Kai Jin's journey—culminating in Chapter 21, where he is now 24 years old and preparing for the preliminary round of the Gods Tournament. The pace will reflect long-term cultivation and growth, while still staying grounded in Kai's personal evolution and inner world. Thank you for reading and enjoy the journey ahead.
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**End of Chapter 13**