The Valerian archive was nearly empty when Alex arrived.
Morning light slipped through the tall windows, stretching across rows of old wooden shelves. Dust drifted slowly through the quiet air.
Two months.
That was all the time left before the academy examination.
Alex stepped deeper into the archive and began pulling manuals from the shelves.
If he wanted even the smallest chance of surviving what came next, his foundation had to be solid.
Knowledge first.
Power would follow.
Two months isn't much time.
The illusion manuals occupied a narrow section of the archive.
Most of the volumes were thin.
Alex opened one and began reading.
Illusion techniques manipulated perception rather than force. The practitioner bent light, sound, or sensory signals using precise Qi control.
What surprised him most was how rare the techniques were.
According to the archive records, only one or two noble houses in the entire kingdom possessed true illusion manuals.
Alex leaned back slightly in the chair.
Illusions are rarer than I thought.
The reason became obvious as he continued reading.
Illusions demanded extreme precision.
The Qi had to circulate through delicate channels connected to the mind and senses. Even a small mistake would collapse the illusion immediately.
Many cultivators simply lacked the control required.
That explained why the technique he found earlier was so unusual.
He continued searching.
After nearly an hour, he found something interesting.
A short counter-technique.
Clarity Sight Technique.
The manual described a method of sending Qi through several minor channels surrounding the eyes while maintaining a specific
The varying energy rhythm of Qi disrupted illusion resonance.
Meaning illusions could be broken.
But the technique had a drawback.
It required constant activation during combat.
Maintaining the Qi flow around the eyes drained energy slowly and demanded continuous concentration.
Alex closed the manual thoughtfully.
So illusion users aren't invincible.
Useful.
Not perfect.
But useful.
He memorized the circulation pattern before returning the book to the shelf.
The next section contained weapon manuals.
Alex focused on sword techniques.
A stack of thinner manuals rested near the end of the shelf. They were older, their covers faded from years of use.
He opened the first one.
Falling Petal Cut.
A downward strike designed to exploit momentary openings in an opponent's guard.
Simple.
Efficient.
The second manual described Flowing River Guard, a defensive movement that redirected incoming force rather than meeting it directly.
The third technique caught his attention.
Silent Draw Strike.
A rapid unsheathing attack meant to end a fight before the opponent reacted.
Alex studied the diagrams carefully.
None of the techniques were flashy.
They were built for efficiency and control.
Good. I need techniques that work, not fancy ones.
Several other manuals on the shelf contained far more destructive techniques.
But as he skimmed through them, a pattern quickly emerged.
Many of them required elemental cultivation.
One manual described Blazing Crescent, a fire-aligned sword technique.
Another mentioned Tidal Arc, a sweeping strike built around water-element circulation.
A third contained diagrams for Stonebreaker, a technique using earth-element reinforcement to increase impact power.
Alex closed the manuals slowly.
Each technique required the activation of specific elemental nodes within the body.
Those nodes were not common knowledge.
According to the notes in the manuals, their locations were taught only under the direct approval of the House Head.
Which meant Lord Cassian Valerian personally controlled who gained access to them.
So the real power stays locked behind authority.
Alex continued reading.
The most common elemental paths were simple.
Earth.
Fire.
Water.
But there were rarer elements as well.
Lightning.
Mist.
The manuals hinted at even stranger variations within each element.
Fire alone had multiple forms.
Ember.
Blaze.
Inferno.
Each representing a higher level of refinement.
But the deeper Alex searched, the more gaps he found.
The manuals described the techniques.
They did not reveal the locations of the nodes required to use them.
Those details had been deliberately removed.
Alex leaned back slightly.
Knowledge isn't missing. It's hidden.
Curiosity led him to another section of the archive.
Cultivation theory.
Alex opened several volumes describing the body's energy structure.
Nodes.
Channels.
Circulation patterns.
The deeper he read, the stranger the information became.
hmm... nodes are simply smaller versions similar to Chakras across the body.
many Channels are connected to those nodes & Chakras
Most books agreed that the human body contained a vast network of energy nodes connected by thousands of channels.
The exact number of nodes varied wildly.
Some scholars claimed nodes are dozens.
Others suggested hundreds giving variety of powers.
The Valerian archive only confirmed the positions of three major nodes (Chakras) with certainty.
The Root Chakra.
Located at the base of the spine.
The Sacral Core.
Positioned slightly below the navel.
The Solar Nexus.
Located near the center of the abdomen.
Beyond those three, the records grew vague.
Alex closed the book slowly.
For something so fundamental… this knowledge is incomplete.
Either the scholars truly did not understand the system.
Or the deeper information was restricted.
By late afternoon Alex left the archive and returned to the training courtyard.
The air was cool and still.
He drew the katana slowly.
The blade flashed through the air as he practiced the techniques he had memorized earlier.
Falling Petal Cut.
Flowing River Guard.
Silent Draw Strike.
Each movement repeated again and again.
Gradually his breathing slowed.
Qi gathered within his body as he began circulating it toward the base of his spine.
Pressure built slowly at the root chakra.
The sensation was subtle at first.
Then it grew heavier.
Like a tightly wound coil tightening deeper within his body.
Alex guided the Qi carefully through the surrounding channels.
The energy resisted.
Several damaged pathways slowed the circulation slightly.
But he maintained the rhythm.
The pressure continued building at the base of his spine.
Almost there.
Then something shifted.
The coiled energy suddenly stabilized.
A quiet pulse spread outward through his body.
Alex opened his eyes.
The root chakra had stabilized completely.
He had crossed the threshold.
Early Initiate Realm.
The change was subtle but undeniable.
His awareness of Qi felt sharper.
His body felt slightly lighter.
But one thing became clear immediately.
His energy circulation was still slightly slower than normal cultivators.
Because of the damaged channels at his secret node.
Alex exhaled slowly.
So the damage is still holding me back.
A soft voice interrupted the quiet courtyard.
"Well… this is unexpected."
Alex turned.
A young woman stood near the entrance path.
Lyra Valerian.
One of his cousins.
She crossed her arms casually as she looked him over.
Her Qi aura was steady.
Close to Peak Initiate.
She tilted her head slightly.
"Preparing for the academy, cousin?"
Her gaze moved briefly to the sword in his hand.
"Most candidates there are already Peak Initiate."
She paused before adding calmly,
"Cedric already reached Tempered Body."
The implication was obvious.
Alex simply smiled politely.
Two months… and he's already that far ahead.
Lyra watched him for another moment before shaking her head lightly.
"Well. Good luck."
Then she turned and left the courtyard.
Alex remained standing quietly after she disappeared.
His gaze drifted toward the training ground stones.
Though his cultivation was slightly slower than normal, his memory felt sharper.
Learning techniques took less time.
Even his perception during combat had improved.
That kind of change rarely happened without a reason.
Alex's thoughts returned briefly to the hidden node he had discovered earlier.
The broken node.
Is that what's changing me?
He had no way of knowing yet.
That evening he returned briefly to the archive.
This time he searched for something very specific.
Methods for repairing damaged energy channels.
Most of the books contained nothing useful.
Channel damage was normally permanent unless treated immediately.
But one reference appeared in an old alchemy index.
Alex stopped reading.
The entry was brief.
Channel Restoration Elixir.
Sold by high-level alchemists for severe meridian damage.
No formula.
No instructions.
Just the name.
Alex closed the book slowly.
So there is a way.
But the academy examination was only two months away.