Tian Han was shouting until his throat burned. He was laughing, unable to stay still from happiness.
"Hahahahahahaha! I felt it! I felt it! I finally did it! I, Tian Han, have sensed Arcen energy!"
Tian Han was laughing like a madman. If someone saw him, they might have truly thought he had gone insane—but his joy was understandable. For the past two weeks, Tian Han had been living a life as if trapped inside this house, doing the same things over and over again every single day, too scared to step outside the boundaries of his home.
He feared that if he stepped beyond his doorstep, someone might beat him to death again. If that happened, he wouldn't be able to resist—he'd just have to endure it and face a long recovery all over again.
To escape this fear, Tian Han had been working himself to the bone for two weeks straight, doing everything he could to grow stronger. But no matter how much he tried, it had always felt like he was making no progress—until today. He had finally done it. He had sensed Arcen energy. If he wasn't allowed to feel happiness after this, then who would be? He had every right to be overjoyed.
He continued laughing for a while longer. After some time, he began to calm down, muttering to himself.
"I did it… I did it… I did it…"
Though he had calmed a little, Tian Han was still bursting with excitement. He had no idea what to do next. He began pacing around his house rapidly.
If anyone had seen him in that moment, they would have found the sight quite amusing—a small child, pacing back and forth in excitement, mumbling to himself. His serious expression and upright posture only made the image even more endearing.
After pacing for some time, Tian Han finally settled down. He took a deep breath and sat on the couch.
He crossed one arm over the other and rested his cheek on his upper hand, deep in thought. His face carried the serious expression of someone clearly lost in thought.
"I managed to sense Arcen energy... but what now? What am I supposed to do? Up until now, I was only focused on sensing it. Now that I've done that, I have no idea what comes next. Maybe I can ask Big Brother Li."
Until now, Tian Han had been striving toward a single goal—sensing Arcen energy. He had finally reached that goal, but he hadn't thought past it. As a result, he now felt lost. What was next?
As he pondered, his eyes drifted toward the window. The sun had already begun to set. With that, he decided to put his thoughts aside for the moment and got up from the couch to take care of his gardening tasks.
Although his face still wore a thoughtful expression, Tian Han chose to deal with the garden first and think afterward.
Arriving at the garden, he glanced around before beginning. Over the past two weeks, some of the seeds had sprouted, while others were beginning to mature. The plants in the second and third sections looked like they were close to full ripeness.
He had been surprised when they started bearing fruit just a week earlier—he had never seen seeds grow this fast before. But then he remembered these were cultivators' seeds. Of course, they weren't normal.
Looking over his garden, Tian Han wore an expression full of pride. It was clear from his face just how proud he was of the work he had done.
He stepped down the stairs into the garden, then made his way to the shed, where he grabbed a watering can and a few other gardening tools. Over the past two weeks, Tian Han's physical strength had steadily improved thanks to his consistent gardening and training. Carrying these tools no longer strained him as much—it was almost easy now.
Even Tian Han himself was surprised by his physical improvement. He had always been stronger than his peers back in the village and could easily handle those who bullied him, but the strength he'd gained in just two weeks was surprising even to him.
Still, he didn't dwell on it much. He figured it was just part of his growing phase.
With his tools and watering can in hand, Tian Han returned to the garden plots and began the daily maintenance—removing weeds, aerating the soil, and getting rid of any rotting or dead sprouts.
While he was working, he heard a voice call out from behind him.
"Little Brother Han, I see you're still keeping up with your gardening. I truly admire your dedication and hard work. How are you?"
Recognizing Li Shan's voice, Tian Han turned and smiled brightly.
"Big Brother Li! I'm great—actually, I've never felt better! Something amazing happened today!"
Upon hearing that, Li Shan's face took on a teasing and amused expression.
"Don't tell me... Little Brother Han sensed Arcen energy?"
He chuckled to himself after saying that. There was no way Tian Han had managed to sense Arcen energy in just two weeks. Even Chun Hai hadn't done it that fast—how could Tian Han? At least, that was what Li Shan thought. The truth was very different.
Tian Han responded with excitement and joy.
"Big Brother Li is so clever! Yes, I really did sense Arcen energy! It's only been a few hours, but I finally did it. That's why I wanted to ask you a few questions about what comes next."
Li Shan started laughing. He thought it was a funny joke. How could a child sense Arcen energy in just two weeks?
"Little Brother Han really knows how to tell jokes. Just what I'd expect from you. You actually got me laughing!"
A look of confusion crossed Tian Han's face, followed by a serious expression as he replied.
"Big Brother Li, I'm not joking."
Li Shan kept laughing.
"Of course you're not joking, Little Brother Han. Hahaha—"
But as he continued laughing, he noticed Tian Han's expression hadn't changed. The boy was staring at him with absolute seriousness. Li Shan paused, his laughter fading.
"Wait... are you serious, Little Brother Han?"
"Yes, Big Brother Li."
Li Shan felt like he'd been struck in the head with a sledgehammer. The shock hit him so hard, he almost lost his balance.
"WHAT?! YOU'RE SERIOUS?! IT'S ONLY BEEN TWO DAMN WEEKS! HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?! IMPOSSIBLE! IMPOSSIBLE! I'VE NEVER SEEN OR EVEN HEARD OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS!"
Li Shan's face twisted into an unreadable expression. Was it anger? Shock? Maybe both. Who could tell?
"Little Brother Han, you're really not joking?"
"I'm not."
"Don't just stand there and say that! Do you have any idea how hard I worked for this?! Five years! Five full years! And now you're telling me you managed it in two weeks?! Even if you had taken all the pills for yourself, it still shouldn't be possible!"
Li Shan's expression kept shifting—his emotions clearly in chaos. It changed from second to second, becoming more and more unstable.
With a twitch in his eye, Li Shan tried to compose himself and spoke again.
"Little Brother Han looks deadly serious. It doesn't seem like he's joking at all… I honestly don't even know what to say right now. I don't think you realize just how unbelievable what you've done truly is. It took me five years to sense Arcen energy."
Tian Han paused at those words.
"What?! Five years?!"
Li Shan continued, his voice carrying the sting of wounded pride.
"Yes. Five years. Five long, painful years of blood, sweat, and tears. And now you say you did it in two weeks."
Tian Han was stunned.
"I've been complaining for two weeks about not being able to sense Arcen energy… and Big Brother Li took five years? Did I even have a right to complain?"
"Little Brother Han, I don't think you understand what it means to sense Arcen energy. Let me explain—sensing Arcen energy is the very first step toward becoming a cultivator. And when I told you that some people spend years—or even their whole lives—trying to do this and still fail, I wasn't exaggerating. If you've truly sensed Arcen energy, then you've already crossed into the half-step Arcen Perception Stage. You've taken the most crucial step. From here on, it's just about building up Arcen energy within your body over time."
Li Shan's words hit Tian Han like a revelation. Until now, he hadn't fully grasped how difficult reaching the Arcen Perception Stage truly was.
"So when the Sect Master gave me a one-year deadline, that wasn't generous… it was actually ruthless. For a normal person, reaching the Arcen Perception Stage in a year is like trying to climb to the heavens!"
Seeing Tian Han's shocked expression made Li Shan feel a bit better. At least the kid understood the weight of his achievement.
"So that's why the Honored Sect Master brought this child here and placed him directly into the Outer Sect. Guang Mu, you didn't understand this kid at all. He'll make you pay for what you did. As for me… I'm lucky I never did anything to him."
Li Shan had fully realized Tian Han's talent. At first, he was only interested in him for the pills and a bit of fun. He planned to discard Tian Han once he had what he wanted. But this boy wasn't just talented—he was a prodigy. Not a normal one either; someone who had managed to sense Arcen energy in only two weeks. It was certain that he would soon reach the Arcen Perception Stage.
"I have to build a strong relationship with this child. If I do, I might be able to rise through the sect ranks with him."
Li Shan was already constructing plans in his head, reminding himself to stay close to Tian Han at all costs.
Meanwhile, Tian Han was still standing there, completely dazed by what he had just heard. His mind felt empty, and he didn't even know what to say.
"Little Brother Han, I have to admit… I underestimated you. Honestly, I never thought you'd be capable of something like this. Actually, I didn't think anyone would be capable of it—but especially not you."
Tian Han scratched his head bashfully and offered a shy smile in response to the praise.
"I could never compare to Big Brother Li's experience. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even understand how important sensing Arcen energy really is. I only know now because you told me."
Li Shan felt himself soften a little. A genius like this humbly praising him? It definitely massaged his ego.
"In that case, Little Brother Han—what were the questions you wanted to ask me?"
Smiling, Tian Han began explaining.
"Well, for the last two weeks, I followed the instructions from the 'Floating Leaf Breathing Technique' book word for word, just trying to sense Arcen energy. But now that I've finally done it… I have no idea what comes next. I never thought ahead this far."
Li Shan found that a little odd. The 'Floating Leaf Breathing Technique' was divided into two sections. The first half was about sensing Arcen energy; the second half explained how to accumulate it within the body.
"If Tian Han doesn't know about that… then the version he has must be the one distributed to Fourth Tier disciples. But where did he even get that book? Since he arrived, he's only left the house once—and that time, Guang Mu beat him half to death. Where did it come from?"
Li Shan asked,
"Little Brother Han, where did you get the 'Floating Leaf Breathing Technique'? I don't recall seeing you go out."
"Big Brother Li, on the day I arrived, I fell asleep. When I woke up, the book was just sitting on the table."
"That's strange… maybe someone placed it there while you were asleep. Well, can you show me the book? If I'm right, it's probably the first-part version meant for Fourth Tier disciples."
Tian Han nodded and quickly ran back inside to grab the book. He returned shortly after and handed it to Li Shan.
Li Shan took it, looked through it briefly, then handed it back.
"As I thought—this is the version of the 'Floating Leaf Breathing Technique' given to Fourth Tier disciples. It only covers the first section. Normally, when someone manages to sense Arcen energy, they report it to a Fourth Tier elder, who then provides the second half. But since your case is a bit… special, you were placed directly into the Outer Sect. I'm sure no one expected you to sense it in just two weeks. So whoever left the book probably only gave you the first part so you wouldn't get confused by reading ahead."
"I understand, Big Brother Li. Thank you. So, what should I do now?"
Li Shan placed his hand on his chin and thought for a moment.
"After you've sensed Arcen energy, the best thing to do is to practice another technique alongside the Floating Leaf Breathing Technique. That way, you'll increase your efficiency and learn new skills."
Tian Han listened to Li Shan's words with utmost focus, not missing a single detail—he didn't even blink.
"Big Brother Li, how can I get new techniques? As you know, I can't go outside."
"Little Brother Han, normally we get new techniques from the Outer Sect library. Every new disciple in the Outer Sect has the right to choose one technique for free, but afterward, each technique must be exchanged using contribution points. If going outside is a problem for you, I can accompany you to the library tomorrow. As long as I'm with you, I'm sure no one will dare cause trouble."
Tian Han's eyes lit up with joy and excitement.
"Really, Big Brother Li? You'll go with me?"
"Of course, Little Brother Han. It's no big deal for me—I'm free tomorrow anyway. It won't cost me anything to tag along."
Tian Han's excitement and happiness surged even more. He had been stuck inside his house for two weeks, and now he was thrilled that he could finally go outside again.
Seeing him like this, Li Shan felt the urge to scoff but stopped himself. After all, he too had once lived in harsh conditions in the Fourth Tier area before finally making it to the Outer Sect. When Tian Han had first arrived, Li Shan didn't like him either—just like the others—but he got interested because of the pills, and thought it might be fun to chat with the kid.
However, the more he spoke with Tian Han, the more he realized something: this boy was really just a child. He had been separated from his family and suddenly thrust into an unfamiliar place. The day after his arrival, he'd been beaten within an inch of his life and left terrified. Now, the only person he could comfortably talk to was Li Shan, and being around him made the boy genuinely happy. Realizing this, Li Shan started to feel a bit of warmth toward Tian Han. And to top it all off—he turned out to be a prodigy.
Li Shan had now decided to maintain the best relationship he could with Tian Han.
They chatted for a little while longer. Before leaving, Li Shan promised to accompany Tian Han to the library the next day and gave him a few more helpful tips. Then he left the garden and returned to his home.
Since it was evening, Tian Han also went back inside. As soon as he closed the door, he started hopping and running around the house with excitement.
"Finally! I can finally go outside again! I was getting so tired of being stuck at home. And Big Brother Li even promised to go with me to the library! I'm going to get a new technique and take another step on the path to becoming an immortal!"
Tian Han couldn't stop running around the house as he thought these things, overflowing with energy and excitement. After a while, when he had calmed down a bit, he went to take a shower and then got ready for bed.
But even after lying down, Tian Han kept tossing and turning in excitement, unable to fall asleep. He murmured to himself over and over, until just before drifting off:
"Tomorrow… I'm going to the library."