Another three days passed swiftly within the Wugong Forest. Bai Yu continued his rigorous routine: battling various Grade 2 magical beasts during the day under Elder Jian's watchful eye, pushing his techniques and combat instincts, and dedicating the nights to cultivation and reflection. He faced agile Shadow Panthers, burrowing Stone Worms, and even venomous Jade-Eyed Vipers, each encounter adding to his growing pool of experience. The fight with the Iron-Hide Boar remained a stark reminder of his limitations, fueling his drive to improve.
And now, it was the night of the 6th day since they had entered the forest. The moon cast long shadows through the trees as Bai Yu sat in deep meditation, cross-legged on a patch of mossy ground near their temporary camp. Elder Jian was out on a routine scouting sweep of the immediate area. As always, Bai Yu focused on drawing the ambient Qi into his body, guiding it through his meridians, refining it, and adding it to the growing pool within his Dantian.
He had felt close for the past day, the accumulated energy from constant cultivation and the essence absorbed passively during his countless battles with magical beasts pushing him towards a threshold. When suddenly, deep within him, something shifted. The smooth flow of Qi intensified, swirling rapidly within his Dantian. His aura pulsed visibly for a moment, expanding outwards with newfound intensity before settling down, denser and more powerful than before. An even stronger aura emerged from him. The bottleneck had shattered.
He had broken through to the Mid-Stage Qi Refining Realm.
Bai Yu slowly opened his golden eyes, a sense of profound satisfaction washing over him. "So this is the Mid-Qi Refining Realm," he murmured to himself, clenching his fists. He could immediately feel the difference. His physical strength had increased greatly, his muscles felt denser, more energized. More importantly, his Qi reserves had expanded significantly. The pool of energy within his Dantian, which had felt like a small puddle before, now felt substantially larger, perhaps the size of a small pond. His control over Qi also felt finer, more responsive.
Just then, Elder Jian returned silently from his scouting, melting out of the shadows. He stopped abruptly, his sharp eyes immediately noticing the distinct change in Bai Yu's aura. A rare smile touched the old warrior's lips.
"Congratulations, Young Master," Elder Jian said, his voice holding genuine warmth, accompanied by a soft laugh. "Breaking through in the field after only six days... Your progress is truly commendable."
Bai Yu stood up, bowing respectfully. "Thank you, Elder. The constant battles provided the necessary pressure." He then used the remaining hours of the night to stabilize his breakthrough, circulating his newly strengthened Qi, familiarizing himself with its increased flow and potency, ensuring his foundation in the Mid-Stage was solid.
When the sun rose, casting golden light through the forest canopy, they packed up their small camp, ready to continue their training expedition. Bai Yu felt eager to test his newfound strength against tougher beasts. They decided to walk further into a region known to harbor more mid-Grade 2 creatures.
They hadn't traveled for more than fifteen minutes when suddenly, panicked shouts echoed through the trees ahead, followed by the sounds of pursuit.
"Come back here, you bitch! You can't escape!" a harsh voice yelled.
Moments later, five figures burst into view. Four people were aggressively chasing after a lone Woman. She was dressed in slightly torn but high-quality robes, suggesting a noble background, but she was clearly injured, bearing numerous wounds on her body – cuts on her arms, a bleeding gash on her leg – and her breathing was ragged with exhaustion and fear as she desperately tried to flee.
The four people pursuing her radiated menacing auras. Bai Yu and Elder Jian instantly assessed their cultivation: three were clearly Martial Masters, their presence heavy and oppressive, while the one leading the chase, a youth around Bai Yu's age with a sneer on his face, was impressively powerful for his age, already at the Late Stage of the Qi Refining Realm.
Bai Yu and Elder Jian immediately recognized the emblem subtly embroidered on the pursuers' dark green robes – a stylized serpent coiled around a bamboo stalk. They were from the Shen Family, the third of the great clans ruling Water Court City, alongside the Bai and Zhao Clans. And the youth leading the chase was infamous: Shen Mo, widely known as a prominent genius of the Shen Clan's younger generation, known for his talent but also his arrogance and ruthlessness. The situation looked grim for the fleeing woman.