The feeling did not leave.
Even after Li Shen resumed training, even after the courtyard returned to its usual rhythm, he could still feel it.
The eyes watching and waiting.
His strikes slowed, then stopped completely. The cracked wooden post before him leaned slightly, its surface barely holding together after repeated impacts.
Li Shen exhaled slowly, lowering his arm.
"…He hasn't left," he murmured under his breath.
Within him, Dao's voice echoed calmly.
"Of course not. A hunter does not reveal himself so easily."
Li Shen's eyes flickered faintly.
"…Should I force him out?"
A brief pause followed.
Then Dao chuckled softly.
"No."
The answer was simple.
"Not yet."
Li Shen didn't argue.
Instead, he turned and walked away from the training ground, his steps steady, his expression calm. To anyone watching, it seemed as though he had simply finished his training.
But in reality he was moving with purpose.
---
From the shadows, Zhang Wei followed silently.
His aura was suppressed, his movements light as he kept his distance. As an inner disciple in the First Stage of Qi Gathering, tracking an outer disciple in Body Refinement should have been effortless.
And yet
"…Strange," Zhang Wei murmured.
Li Shen's path was too deliberate.
It didn't feel like random movement.
It felt like....
Zhang Wei's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Impossible."
He continued following.
---
Li Shen walked through the outer disciple grounds, eventually reaching a quieter area near the edge of the sect. Fewer disciples trained here, and the surrounding trees created a natural barrier from prying eyes.
This place was perfect.
Then he stopped.
Silence settled.
The wind moved softly through the leaves.
"…You've followed long enough," Li Shen said.
Zhang Wei froze.
For a brief moment, he considered remaining hidden.
But then he stepped out.
"There's no point hiding anymore," he said calmly.
Their eyes met.
Li Shen studied him briefly.
Inner disciple robes.
Controlled aura.
Stronger than Lin Xuan in stability, if not raw pressure.
"…First Stage of Qi Gathering," Li Shen said quietly.
Zhang Wei raised an eyebrow slightly.
"…You can tell?"
Li Shen didn't answer.
"Why are you following me?"
Zhang Wei smiled faintly.
"…Curiosity."
Li Shen's gaze didn't change.
"…That's not a real answer."
Zhang Wei sighed lightly, as if amused.
"…Very well. Let's say… someone is interested in you."
Li Shen's eyes darkened slightly.
"…who?"
Zhang Wei's smile paused for the briefest moment.
Then returned.
"…You're smarter than you look."
Silence followed.
The tension in the air thickened.
Zhang Wei took a step forward.
"…I'll make this simple," he said. "If you have something valuable, hand it over."
His aura rose slightly as he spoke, the pressure of Qi Gathering spreading outward.
"…You're not in a position to refuse."
Li Shen stood still.
"…So that's how it is."
Inside him, Dao's voice echoed, quieter this time.
"of course, you should have expected it sooner than later."
Li Shen's fingers curled slightly.
"…I was wondering when it would come to this."
Zhang Wei frowned faintly.
"…What?"
Li Shen lifted his head fully.
A faint smile appeared.
"…Someone stronger than Lin Xuan."
Zhang Wei's expression shifted slightly.
"…You think this is a game?"
His aura surged instantly, far more controlled than Lin Xuan's, yet sharper. Qi gathered around his palm as he stepped forward, his presence pressing down on Li Shen like a heavy weight.
"This ends quickly," Zhang Wei said.
Then he attacked.
His movement was fast.
Faster than Lin Xuan.
His palm strike cut through the air, carrying condensed Qi aimed directly at Li Shen's chest.
But Li Shen did not dodge Instead, he stepped forward.
Their attacks met and a sharp shockwave spread outward.
Zhang Wei's expression changed slightly.
"…You blocked it?"
Li Shen's arm trembled slightly, but he held his ground, barely.
The difference was clear.
Zhang Wei was not holding back.
And this time, Li Shen felt it completely.
The gap between Body Refinement and Qi Gathering was one thing but the difference between opponents within that realm was another entirely.
Zhang Wei moved again, faster than before. His strikes came in succession now, each one precise, each one infused with controlled Qi.
Li Shen defended.
Step by step
He was pushed back.
The ground cracked beneath his feet as he struggled to keep up.
His breathing grew heavier.
His body strained.
"…This is the limit of your strength," Zhang Wei said coldly.
Li Shen said nothing.
Because he knew he had reached it.
The edge...The boundary...
The wall he had been standing before for days.
Dao's voice echoed again.
"…break it."
Li Shen's eyes sharpened.
Within him, his Qi surged violently. The refined energy that had been circulating smoothly suddenly accelerated, crashing against the limits of his body like a raging tide.
Pain spread instantly but he did not stop.
Again and again
The barrier trembled.
Zhang Wei's next attack came down but Li Shen did not retreat.
Instead
He stepped forward into it.
"Are you trying to die?!" Zhang Wei snapped.
But Li Shen's voice was calm.
"…No."
His Qi exploded outward.
The stagnant energy within him shattered its limits, breaking past the invisible barrier that had restrained him.
In that instant everything changed.
The scattered Qi within his body gathered.
Condensed and refined.
Li Shen's aura surged violently.
Wind burst outward from his body, forcing Zhang Wei to take a step back.
His eyes widened slightly.
"…You broke through?"
Li Shen stood upright, his breathing steadied and his presence transformed.
No longer scattered...No longer unstable...
For the first time true Qi flowed through him.
"…First Stage," Li Shen said quietly.
"The First Stage of Qi Gathering."
Dao's voice echoed with faint approval.
"…Now the real path begins."
Zhang Wei's expression darkened.
"…Good."
Anger painted his face as his aura rose again, even stronger now.
"…Now this might actually be worth something."
The air between them tightened once more.
Because this fight, had only just begun.