Steel rang across the training courtyard.
Alex stepped aside as two cousins finished a spar beside him. Their blades collided hard enough to send splinters across the cracked stone floor.
The courtyard had filled quickly after sunrise. Wooden weapon racks stood half empty. Instructors moved between groups correcting stances.
Alex ignored the noise.
He sat near one of the outer pillars and closed his eyes.
Qi gathered slowly with each breath.
The Foundation Breathing Method emphasized restraint. No forcing. No rushing. Let the energy follow the body's natural paths.
Alex guided the thread of Qi downward.
The energy reached the root chakra node at the base of the spine and began spreading into the surrounding channels.
Pain followed immediately.
The channels resisted like rusted pipes.
Alex continued the circulation.
Inhale.
Qi gathered around the root chakra.
Exhale.
Guide the flow.
One circuit completed.
Then another.
Sweat formed along his temples. Several channels refused to carry the energy properly. The Qi leaked and before he could refocus, that leaked Qi was absorbed into the channels of the secret broken node causing severe headache.
Alex stopped.
His breathing slowed.
The secret node inside this body was interfering with his cultivation.
Across the courtyard someone muttered.
"Is that the third young master training? Before he would always refuse train & be cooped up - in the either in the library or in his quarters"
"yeah. Also, It seems he can circulate Qi longer than regular candidates"
"So it seems. After all, he is someone from the main line"
Alex ignored them and resumed the exercise.
Another cycle.
This time he deliberately leaked his Qi when supplying energy through the channels of Root chakra.
The reaction came immediately, the energy was absorbed by the channels of secret node.
A sharp pulse struck the back of his skull again.
Alex's eyes snapped open.
He stopped & the sensation disappeared as quickly as it appeared. He also noticed that the some of many damaged channels were healing itself - albeit barely.
He sat still for a moment then tried the same again.
Alex wiped the sweat from his forehead and stood.
A shadow crossed the ground in front of him.
Alex looked up.
Cedric stood nearby.
His expression remained calm as usual.
"I heard you've started training seriously this time"
Alex nodded once.
"The academy exam is in three months."
Cedric studied him briefly.
The faint Qi ripple around Alex confirmed the rumors.
Not strong.
But stable.
"You should focus on strengthening your circulation," Cedric said. "Control alone won't help you during the exam."
Alex met his gaze.
"I know."
Cedric's eyes shifted briefly toward the pillar where Alex had been sitting.
"Do not disgrace the main line"
A pause followed.
Then Cedric stepped aside.
"I'll see you at the exam."
He returned to the sparring area where several instructors had begun organizing matches.
The whispers resumed the moment he left.
"He spoke with Cedric."
"So the rumors were real."
Alex ignored them.
He returned to the pillar and sat again.
In the next circulation attempt he circulated more without caring about the leak causing disturbance to the body as it would be absorbed for healing broken node channels.
His back was soaked from sweat.
The improvement was small.
But measurable.
Alex completed another full cycle.
Then another.
His Root chakra was being energised more and more.
By the tenth circulation the difference became clear.
The body adapted faster than he expected.
Still far too slow.
But not hopeless.
A group of younger cousins walked past him toward the sparring rings.
One of them glanced back.
"I thought the fool hated training."
Another answered,
"Maybe he's just trying to survive the exam."
Alex stood.
Continuing the test here would attract attention.
The next step required somewhere quieter.
He left the training courtyard and walked towards his quarters.
He sat again and restarted the circulation.
The Qi moved slower now but carried slightly more weight.
Alex guided it carefully towards the secret node directly.
The hidden node reacted again.
The pressure formed immediately behind his eyes.
Alex pushed the circulation slightly deeper.
The response was violent.
Pain exploded across the back of his skull. Blood Started coming from his ears & nose.
His breathing broke.
Qi scattered through the channels.
Alex cut the circulation instantly.
He gripped the edge of the stone platform until the pain faded.
That settled it.
The hidden node was dangerous.
For now, he could only circulate one small channel connected to it, and even that required extreme control.
Opening it recklessly would destroy what little stability he had gained.
Alex exhaled slowly.
Three months until the academy exam.
Repairing the damaged channels alone might take far longer than that.
I am fated to die.
Alex's gaze hardened.
"I'll Fucking change that if that is so."