Xiao Wei stood still, looking at the Shadow Bear and the Shadow Bird beside him. He raised his hand slightly and spoke in a authoritative voice.
"Enter my shadow"Xiao Wei ordered both of them.
The Shadow Bear let out a low growl of understanding, and the bird gave a soft chirp. Both of them nodded, as if they understood his command clearly.
Then, the Shadow Bear and the Shadow Bird bodies began to change slowly and turned into small black balls of misty shadow. The dark energy swirled quietly around them, shrinking their forms until they were no bigger than the size of a fist.
The two shadow balls floated gently for a moment before moving toward the ground—heading straight for Xiao Wei's shadow.
As they touched it, his shadow rippled like a drop of water falling into a still pond. The balls of shadow sank into it and vanished without a sound.
Xiao Wei took a deep breath and slowly sat down on the floor of the cave. He had used a lot of energy, and now it was time to recover and continue his cultivation.
After sitting, he pulled out two Middle Grade Tier 1 Spirit Power Pills from his Storage Ring. The pills gave off a soft glow, filled with rich Spiritual Energy. Without hesitation, he placed both pills into his mouth and swallowed them.
Almost immediately, he felt a warm energy spread through his body. He closed his eyes and began to guide the energy carefully into his Dantian.
He stayed like that for several hours, quietly absorbing the energy from the pills. His breathing was calm and steady, and a faint glow surrounded his body as the energy was refined and pulled into his dantian, the center of his cultivation.
Then, suddenly, he felt something change inside him. A barrier he had been stuck at for a while broke apart like a thin wall shattering.
Xiao Wei opened his eyes, and a bright smile appeared on his face. He could feel it—his strength had clearly improved.
"I have reached the Fifth Layer of the Martial Apprentice Realm"Xiao Wei said softly to himself, full of happiness and pride.
He clenched his fists, feeling the power flowing through his body. All the training, all the effort he had put in, was finally paying off. This was just the beginning of his journey.
Xiao Wei remained seated for a while longer, feeling the newfound strength flowing through his body. But even with the joy of his recent breakthrough, a serious expression soon replaced his smile. He lowered his head slightly, deep in thought.
"No… I can't rely only on pills and my Shadow Soldiers."Xiao Wei muttered to himself, his voice firm but quiet.
He clenched his fists, remembering his past life experiences—the moment in the dungeon, when things had gone terribly wrong. Back then, after his Shadow Soldiers were sealed, he had been helpless in front of them. His lack of real battle experience had nearly cost him everything, but not in this life.
"My cultivation is rising, that's true… but if I can't hold my own in an actual fight, it's meaningless. And I can't use my Shadow Soldiers openly. If someone sees them, it could cause trouble—or even put my life at risk."Xiao Wei said, his gaze sharp and focused.
He stood up slowly, the determination in his eyes growing stronger with each word.
"I need to train in real battle. I have to face opponents directly, feel the pressure, the pain, and the chaos of a real fight. Only then will I learn how to truly survive and win."Xiao Wei said, his voice lowered, filled with resolve.
"I won't let what happened in that dungeon happen again. I'll gain the experience I need. And one day, I'll be able to face anyone…"Xiao Wei said with determination as his heart burned with a fire.
After gathering his thoughts, Xiao Wei stood up and looked around the cave one last time. With a wave of his hand, he carefully stored everything—pill bottles, herbs, cauldron and other belongings—back into his Storage Ring, leaving the cave neat and empty once more.
Without wasting any more time, Xiao Wei stepped out of the cave. The cool morning breeze brushed against his face as he stood on the quiet slope of Tiger Mountain.
He took a deep breath, and used the Water Flow Steps technique. His figure moved swiftly and gracefully, like a stream flowing downhill—light, fast, and smooth.
Step by step, his silhouette weaved through the trees, descending the mountain path with practiced ease. In just a short time, he disappeared into the forest, heading back toward the Xiao Clan for the morning training.
In the Xiao Clan's training hall, the atmosphere was unusually lively.
When Xiao Wei arrived, he paused at the entrance, his brows slightly furrowed. The large open space, usually filled with the sound of training and shouts of effort, was instead buzzing with excitement and chatter. Almost every member of the younger generation had gathered in a circle, their eyes filled with admiration and awe as they surrounded a single figure in the center.
That person was none other than Xiao Yen.
He stood tall and proud, dressed in Xiao Clan training robe embroidered with silver patterns. His posture was confident, his expression calm yet slightly smug, clearly enjoying the attention. His aura had changed—stronger, steadier, more refined. It was the unmistakable presence of someone who had just broken through to a new level.
"Congratulations, Young Master Yen! You've reached the First Layer of the Martial Master Realm at just fifteen years old. Even your older brother only broke through after fifteen!"Xiao Li said loudly, stepping forward with a respectful tone.
"Truly amazing! Young Master Yen is the pride of our Xiao Clan!"
"He's the most talented among us. No doubt he'll become a great figure in the future!"
"And he's so handsome too… strong and elegant!"one of the girls in the group added with sparkling eyes.
"Powerful, talented, and charming—Young Master Yen is unmatched!"
Compliments poured in from every direction. The younger members of the clan, both male and female, continued praising him without pause. Some looked at him with admiration, others with envy, and a few with hope that they might gain favor by being close to him.
Xiao Yen, standing at the center of it all, accepted the praise with a small, knowing smile—like a rising star who already knew he belonged in the sky.
Just as the praises continued to flood in, the doors of the training hall opened, and an air of authority swept through the room. Elder Xu stepped inside, his gaze calmly scanned the crowd before settling on the young man at the center of attention—Xiao Yen.
A faint smile appeared on Elder Xu's face as he approached, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Congratulations, Young Master Yen, on your breakthrough"Elder Xu said, his tone carrying both admiration and approval.
"To reach the First Layer of the Martial Master Realm at just fifteen... this is a rare achievement indeed. The clan is fortunate to have a talent like you."Elder Xu added.
"Thank you, Elder Xu. I'll continue working hard to not disappoint the clan."Xiao Yen clasped his hands together before replying, his face was calm but his eyes gleaming with pride.
In the background, leaning quietly against one of the rock pillars, Xiao Wei watched everything unfold. His expression was unreadable. He said nothing, simply observing the scene in silence. His eyes remained fixed on Xiao Yen, not with jealousy, but with a deep and calm focus—as if committing something to memory.
After a few more moments of celebration, Elder Xu ordered them to begin practicing the Tiger Claw technique like always.
As the training session came to an end, everyone began to leave, their conversations light and full of excitement after Xiao Yen's breakthrough.
Xiao Wei, however, remained behind. Once the hall had mostly emptied, he quietly approached Elder Xu, who was standing near the side, observing the last few students with his hands folded behind his back.
"Elder Xu"Xiao Wei said respectfully, giving a slight bow.
Elder Xu turned to him and nodded.
"Xiao Wei. What is it?"Elder Xu asked.
Xiao Wei took a deep breath before speaking, his tone calm but determined.
"Elder Xu, I won't be coming to the training hall from tommorow until the upcoming competition start. I'll be continuing my training alone on Tiger Mountain, in preparation for the upcoming clan competition."Xiao Wei said calmly.
Elder Xu narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression thoughtful. He studied Xiao Wei for a moment, noting the calmness in his voice and the quiet resolve in his eyes. Then, with a sigh, he shook his head slightly.
"I've noticed, your cultivation, which had regressed, has clearly improved. But, Tiger Mountain… it's not a place to be taken lightly. It's filled with danger, even Xiao Yen won't be able to go there for training"Elder Xu said slowly.
Xiao Wei nodded but didn't back down.
"I understand, Elder Xu. But I need real experience. I can't grow stronger by following the same routine every day. I need to challenge myself, but I am not a idiot, I will only stay at the outskirts of the mountain"Xiao Wei explained.