Iopenedmyeyesandsmiledfaintly.

Icrashedtotheground.Itstailswepttowardme,butIjumpedandgrabbedanearbybranch,leapingontoitstail.Thebeastthrashedleftandright,butIgtightly,refusingtoletgo.

“Lookslike...I’tkeeppyingaround.”

“GRUUUHHH!!”

Atfirst,weremaiill—herattag.

Fiveyearsflewby.I’myearsold,havingbarelyreachedtheEarlyFoundatioablishmentstage.Thepathwasn’tsmooth.Everybottleneckrequiredmetogritmyteethandperseverethroughtlessdaysandnights.Thougheldersinmyfamilycoulduidance,breakthroughsultimatelydependedonmyownpersistendexperimentation.

Then“I”gotserious.

“GreatAsuraGod,I,yourhumblebelieverTianlong,begyoutohelpmysonTianyan.Granthimsuccessohofcultivation.Ihope...youwouldaccepthimasyourdisciple.”

Butitwasfaster.

“ThisistheAsuraRealm.Youmustpletethreeentrytrialsbeforeyouqualifytobemydisciple.”

Itstaggered.Ileaptagain—thistimereagtwelvemeters—strikingitsshortfrontlimbuntilitfractured.

“HYAAAH!”

ienergy!”Myheartleapt.Iheldmybreath,carefullyguidingthefaintqitowardmydantian.

“I”exhaledlightly.

Boy...ewithme.”

MyfirstmissionwastofightaTyrannosaurusRex.AsIacceptedthechalleheserybehmyfeetgedfromasquareroomtoarockywilderness.

ThenIcharged.

Withinthreemicaughtuptome.Isighed.

Themomenthefinishedspeaking,agoldenlightdesdedbeforeus.Acalm,emotionlessvoiceechoedfromwithin.

Ithreunchatitsstomach...andbouncedoff.

Withageure,thegodtransportedmetenewpce.

Thebeasthowledinpainasbloodtrickleddown.Iturnedandran—Thirty-SixStratagems:runningisthebestpn.

“IamtheAsuraDeity.Yoursonpleasesme.

Weonceagainfacedoffinstillhealowgrowndstruckthebeast’sleg—ablowtwiceasstrongasbefore.Itslegwentnumbinstantly.

Injustthreeminutes,Idefeatedtheferociousbeastwithease.

Asthefirstraysunlightshhthewindow,afaintvortexhadformedinmydantian—proofoftrueqi’sbirth.

“EarlyQiRefi...Ifinallydidit.”

Hisvoicesoundedagain.

Today,forthesakeofmygtalent,FatherbroughtmetotheAsuraTempletoprayforhelp.Wekbeforethegod’sstatue,andhesincerelyprayed:

AfterswitgfromQiRefiManualtotheFoundatioablishmentManual,qibecameevenhardertotrol.Eachadvafeltliketemperingmyselfthroughpain.

Afterhoursofeffort,Ifinallygatheredmyfirststrandofqi.ToreachEarlyQiRefi,I’dneedhundredsmorestrandstransformedintotrueenergy.

Witharoar,Idrovethebrantoitsrear,creatingasmallhole.

Slowly,Iclimbedforward—handsagrippinghard.Ireachedthefrontandaimedatitsbackside.

Thebeastroaredandrushedtowardme.Ileapedintotheair.AcultivatoratPeakQiRefijumpfivemeters,PeakFoundatioablishmey-fivemeters.AsanEarlyStageFoundatioablishmentcultivator,Icouldjumpaboutseveers—justenoughtoreachitsbelly.

Fagabeastwhoseteethalonewerergerthanmybody,Ifeltfear—evenwithmyEarlyFoundatioablishmentcultivatioecouldendme.

“Soweak...”

Inoddeddumbly.Heledmetoatrainingchamberpreparedjustforme.Therewasevenapersonalstewardtocook,servetea,aasks—butIhadtopletethethreetrialsfirst.