The warm and bright rays of the sun were shining directly into Tian Han's eyes. As always, that was his cue to wake up. The sun rises, and Tian Han awakens.
He jumped out of bed and immediately began his daily routine. First came stretching, then he went to the kitchen and ate his usual meal—dried meat and mushy rice. Having eaten these foods repeatedly for the past few days, he was finally getting used to both their taste and texture. They no longer seemed so unpleasant.
After finishing his meal, Tian Han picked up the Floating Leaf Breathing Technique manual and began reading. He had read this book so many times by now that he was noticeably faster. Today, he managed to finish it from start to end quicker than usual.
And it wasn't just his reading speed that had improved—each time he read the manual, he understood more. Concepts that had once been confusing now made sense, and things he had grasped only on the surface, he now saw in greater depth.
Though these seemed like minor improvements, Tian Han believed that if they kept accumulating, one day they would form a massive leap—enough to push him into the next stage.
Once he finished reading the manual, he calmly closed it and placed it on the table. Without taking a break, he sat in the lotus position, preparing to train the Floating Leaf Breathing Technique.
Sitting comfortably, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle. Inside were ten green pills, each etched with tiny, barely visible patterns.
As he stared at the bottle, Tian Han began to wonder.
"I wonder what effects these pills have. Will taking them directly cause any issues? I doubt it—The Esteemed Sect Master himself said they would help me. Why would he give me something harmful?"
Both nervous and curious, he reached into the bottle and took one pill out. Holding it up to his eye, he carefully inspected it, checking for anything suspicious.
His attention was drawn to the delicate lines etched onto the pill's surface. They were beautiful, mesmerizing. In fact, they reminded him of the dragon from the book Ye Feng had once conjured to impress him and Tian Zhi back in the village.
After gazing at the lines a while longer, Tian Han took a deep breath. He relaxed his muscles, calmed his mind. His thoughts became still, like a tranquil, waveless lake.
Following the instructions of the Floating Leaf Breathing Technique, he gently raised the pill to his mouth.
His hand trembled slightly with hesitation, but he remained firm. He placed the pill on his tongue.
Immediately, he felt a numbness and tingling sensation spreading across his tongue, which quickly extended through his entire mouth. As the pill began to dissolve, the effects traveled further down his throat, bringing with them not only numbness and tingling, but a burning sensation as well.
The dissolved parts of the pill flowed down his throat, each inch they passed leaving behind a trail of burning discomfort. It made him want to cough, desperately—but he restrained himself. If he coughed and expelled the pill, it would be a terrible waste of something so valuable.
Soon, the entire pill had dissolved and was making its way through his body. His chest burned. Breathing became difficult. The further the pill went, the more intense the pain grew.
Yet Tian Han refused to stop. He had made up his mind to endure this to the end.
The dissolved part of the pill traveled down Tian Han's throat, heading straight toward his stomach. Like a violent wave tearing through everything in its path, the pill's molten remnants finally reached their destination.
The moment they hit his stomach, a terrifying burning sensation erupted within him—a pain so intense, it felt as though he had swallowed pure acid.
Tian Han clenched his jaw to keep from vomiting, mentally chanting over and over again:
"Don't throw up! Don't throw up! Don't throw up!"
The effects kept intensifying, wreaking havoc inside him. His entire body trembled. Sweat and blood poured down. His expression was contorted with agony.
"Don't you dare throw up, Tian Han! Don't you dare stop, Tian Han! Don't give up, Tian Han! If you give up now, all your efforts and the few pills you have will go to waste. Endure it, Tian Han! Hold on! Hold on!"
The effects of the pill continued to increase. Tian Han's body was shaking. He had a feeling that he was covered in blood and sweat and was in terrible pain.
Just as he neared the breaking point, the burning sensation in his stomach began to fade.
Tian Han let out a deep breath, relieved. His trembling subsided, and his face slowly returned to normal.
Soon after, a warm and sweet feeling emerged in his stomach—like he had just eaten the most delicious dessert imaginable. It was an odd sensation, as if he could taste it not on his tongue, but directly from his core.
The sensation grew stronger, making him feel as if he were being lifted up into the clouds. It was intoxicating, euphoric. For a moment, he wanted nothing more than to surrender to the feeling completely.
A dazed, dreamy smile spread across his face, making him look like a drunk. He remained like that for a while, enjoying the high.
Then the feeling began to fade.
In its place came something harder to describe. His senses sharpened—he could feel every detail of the room, every object around him with stunning clarity. Comparing his previous perception to now was like comparing a blurry image to one in crystal-clear focus.
He could feel every fiber of his body—each muscle, each hair. Though the room was still, even the subtlest of breezes brushed gently across his skin.
This was a first for Tian Han. Being able to perceive his body and surroundings so vividly was both strange and beautiful.
But instead of getting lost in the sensation, Tian Han focused. Without wasting another second, he resumed his training.
With his heightened senses, Tian Han relaxed his muscles. As he did, he realized something thanks to his improved perception—during his previous training sessions, he hadn't been able to fully relax his muscles. But now, with this enhanced awareness, he could do it far more effectively.
After fully relaxing his body, Tian Han prepared to clear his mind. His heightened senses made it much easier to enter a meditative state. Within moments, his thoughts became still.
All that was left now was to follow the instructions laid out in the Floating Leaf Breathing Technique.
Tian Han began training. With his advanced perception, time seemed to move slower than usual. Though the duration was the same, every moment felt more meaningful and efficient.
He stayed completely still, not letting anything distract him. He was so focused that even if someone were to enter the room, his senses—normally sharp—wouldn't register them. His entire being was absorbed in the training.
From the outside, it might have looked like nothing was happening, but in truth, Tian Han was making the greatest progress he ever had. He was beginning to understand the world on a much deeper level.
Several hours passed. Eventually, the pill's effects began to fade, and his senses slowly returned to normal. Yet Tian Han continued his practice, sitting in lotus position until the very last trace of the pill's power dissipated.
Once the effect had completely worn off, Tian Han opened his eyes slowly. A wide, satisfied smile spread across his face—he was clearly pleased with the pill's effect and the results of his training.
"What was that?! That pill worked even better than I expected. If I keep this up, the Arcen Awareness Stage might not be as far away as Brother Li said."
Breaking from his lotus position, Tian Han slowly stood up. He was exhausted, not just physically from sitting for so long, but mentally as well. The heightened sensory experience had drained him.
Though he wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed, he first needed to record what he had learned. He grabbed a pen and paper and began jotting down detailed notes from his experience. Once finished, he sat and reviewed his writing thoroughly.
After reading through his notes, his thoughts turned to the garden. He looked outside—it was still light out. That meant he had time for his daily maintenance and watering.
Despite his fatigue, he quickly headed outside and took care of the garden. Once finished, he returned inside. He desperately needed a shower—sweating from the intense training and then working in the garden had left him with a terrible smell.
After his shower, Tian Han didn't even have the energy to dry his hair. He threw himself straight into bed. Just as he was about to fall asleep, a thought struck him.
"I should go over my notes one more time before I sleep—see if I missed anything."
Tian Han sat up again, walked over to where he had placed the paper, and began reading it as he returned to his room. He lay down in bed, continued reading, and evaluated his mistakes. When he was done, he set the paper aside, buried his face into his pillow, and fell asleep almost instantly.
The sun rose again. Birds chirped. The wind blew gently.
Tian Han awoke and began his routine—stretching, eating the same meal, reading the Floating Leaf Breathing Technique, and then popping a pill before training. After his session, he took notes and tended to the garden.
Occasionally, Li Shan would visit. They'd chat, he'd ask about Tian Han's progress, then leave without staying long.
Two weeks had passed like this. Every day, Tian Han followed his routine without fail. He had completely adapted to the rhythm and no longer had any complaints.
His only problem was the isolation—he couldn't leave the house, and it made him feel caged. But he knew he had to endure. Once he was strong enough, he could walk freely outside.
The sun rose once more. Tian Han got up, stretched, ate, and read his manual. By now, it only took him an hour to read the entire book, and he understood nearly everything within it. He put the book down, pulled a bottle from his pocket, and prepared for another training session.
After two weeks of use, only three pills remained.
He took one and placed it in his mouth. As before, it dissolved slowly, first numbing and tingling his tongue, then burning and numbing his throat as it slid down. Once it reached his stomach, it burned like acid.
Then the pain faded, replaced by euphoria—a blissful intoxication that made him never want to leave that state. And finally, that sensation disappeared too, and Tian Han's senses heightened once more.
By now, he was familiar with the process. These feelings no longer fazed him. He sat calmly in lotus position, even as his perception sharpened.
Then, something appeared in his mind.
It shimmered like a plucked guitar string, vibrating gently yet radiantly. Though translucent, it sparkled so intensely that if a mortal had seen it, they'd be inspired to write poems or sing songs about it.
When Tian Han saw this thing in his mind, his eyes flew open. His face lit up with joy. His mouth stretched into a huge grin, and his teeth gleamed in excitement.
He jumped to his feet and ran to the window. Flinging it open, he stuck his head out and screamed with every ounce of strength in his lungs:
"I FELT IT!"