After the formation was finished, Chen Wei sat down calmly. "Now… ask anything you want," she said.

  I hesitated, overwhelmed with questions, but focused on the most pressing one.

  "Who exactly are you? And how do you know my mother?" I asked, my voice steady but tense.

  Chen Wei's eyes remained calm. "It's better if you talk to her about that when you meet her soon."

  Her answer hit me like a wave. My mind raced. Who is my mother really? Could she… be like them? A cultivator?

  I hesitated, then asked, "Is she… like you too?"

  Chen Wei gave a soft smile. "Yes… and also your—" She stopped before saying my father's name. I didn't press. Some things I wasn't meant to know yet.

  I swallowed hard, trying to make sense of everything. "Why are we running?" I finally asked.

  They exchanged a look, careful and measured. Chen Wei answered, "When you were a baby, your mother was attacked by unknown people. All your clan members were killed, so your parents moved you somewhere safe."

  I couldn't believe it. We were originally from this world… and Mom had hidden it from me all this time. But the important thing was that we were both alive.

  I hesitated, then asked the last question that mattered most. "And… why do you know her?"

  Chen Wei smiled softly. "I was sixteen, like you. My parents told me about your mother and you. My father said I had to go to the Mortal Realm to find you… but that's all I can say for now."

  I didn't fully understand, but I just nodded. "It's okay. I'm just glad you're here to help me."

  The evening passed quietly. Liu Hao brought in food, and we ate together in silence for a while. Despite all the confusion, for the first time in a long while, I felt… safe.

  Later that night, I found myself at the window, staring at the pale moon hanging silently in the sky. Its light spilled across the village, soft and calm. The quietness made my thoughts loud—so many questions, so many things I didn't understand.

  I sighed and leaned my forehead against the cool wood of the window frame. The world felt… bigger than I ever imagined, and I felt small in it.

  A soft whisper brushed against my ear.

  "Mu'er…"

  I jumped slightly, feeling a strange vibration along my neck. Turning quickly, my eyes met Liu Hao's.

  She froze, a faint blush rising to her cheeks, and stepped back immediately.

  "How… how can I be like you?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly. "How can I cultivate… use Qi like you two?"

  Liu Hao looked at me carefully, her eyes calm and measured. "Yes… you can. But not now." She let out a soft breath, as if trying to choose her words carefully. "For now, focus on your body. Make it stronger… faster. You cannot use your Qi yet."

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  I felt a jolt of shock. "I… I can't cultivate?" My voice rose a little, disbelief spilling through.

  Liu Hao shook her head gently. "Not yet. Your dantian… it's sealed. You will be able to, but rushing it now could be dangerous. You must strengthen your body first. Every part of you must be ready before the Qi inside can awaken."

  I sank back slightly, staring at her in silence. My mind raced. No cultivation… no Qi… all the stories I'd heard, all the hopes I'd carried… it couldn't happen yet.

  Liu Hao softened her gaze, a faint smile playing at the corner of her lips. "Don't worry. We'll guide you. You're not helpless. But patience… patience is the key."

  I nodded slowly, swallowing the frustration that rose in my chest. "Okay… I'll focus on my body."

  The moonlight spilled over us, silver and silent. Outside, the world slept. Inside, I felt the weight of my limitations pressing against me—but also the faintest spark of determination.

  I woke up to the morning light. Chen Wei and Liu Hao were already ready to move. On the table was some food—porridge, bread, and dried fruit.

  We ate quietly. I kept looking at Liu Hao. She caught my gaze once and smiled faintly, then looked away. Chen Wei just watched, calm as always.

  "So… what's the training gonna be?" I asked.

  "Body training," Liu Hao said. "You can't use your Qi yet, so your body has to be stronger first."

  Chen Wei glanced at us, like she was noticing something I didn't. I shrugged it off and finished eating.

  After that, we started walking. We followed a path until we reached a river. Across from us was a cave, hidden behind some rocks. Chen Wei stopped.

  "This is your training spot," she said.

  I crossed the shallow water carefully. Stones slipped under my feet, but I made it.

  The training began. First, I ran along the riverbank. Chen Wei corrected my posture. Liu Hao showed some basic punches and kicks. I tried to copy her. My muscles burned. I was sweating, breathing hard. Liu Hao moved beside me, adjusting my stance, pushing me a little. Chen Wei watched silently.

  After a short break, Liu Hao gestured at the cave. "Inside," she said. "We'll do strength and agility exercises here. Stones, climbing, lifting—your body has to get used to it."

  I stepped inside. The cave was cool and damp. Chen Wei pointed at a pile of stones. "Lift these. Ten times each. Focus on form."

  I bent down, picked up the first stone. It was heavier than I expected. My arms shook. Liu Hao showed me how to hold it, how to balance my weight. "Again. Don't rush," she said.

  I dropped the stone, caught my breath, and tried again. Sweat dripped down my forehead. My muscles burned. Next, she had me run from the cave entrance to the back, then back again. Faster. Turn. Sprint. Stop. Turn. Chen Wei demonstrated a simple sequence of strikes. I followed. Punch. Kick. Block. Turn. My moves were sloppy, but I tried to match her. "Relax your shoulders. Eyes on me," Liu Hao corrected.

  By midday, I was gasping, drenched in sweat, every muscle aching. But I felt… alive.

  "Not bad for the first session," Liu Hao said.

  "Not bad?" I wheezed. "My body hates me right now."

  Chen Wei let out a small smile. "Good. That means it's working."

  I groaned but couldn't hide a small grin. Even if my dantian was sealed and I couldn't use Qi… my body was starting to feel… alive.

  A month passed.

  Every day felt the same—running along the riverbank, jumping over rocks, practicing punches and kicks, then collapsing on the grass, exhausted. We went back and forth across the same stretches of river, the cave always waiting on the other side.

  By now, I could feel my body changing. My legs didn't ache as much after the runs. My arms moved faster, my balance was steadier. Every morning I woke up sore, every evening I fell asleep sore, but it was a different kind of pain—one that made me feel… alive.

  One evening, after the day's training, we returned to the small clearing where we had slept before. The familiar cave, the quiet river, the soft grass underfoot—it felt like a temporary home now.

  Chen Wei and Liu Hao had already set up a small fire. A simple meal waited, steaming gently in the last rays of the sun. I dropped my bag and sat down, exhausted but satisfied.

  "We'll rest here for the night," Chen Wei said calmly.

  Liu Hao glanced at me, her eyes soft. "You've improved. Keep this up, Mu'er. One day soon, your body will be ready for more."

  I swallowed my tiredness and nodded, staring at the river as the sun dipped lower. Even without Qi, even with my dantian sealed, I felt… progress.

  The fire crackled, and the night settled around us. For the first time in a long while, I felt like I belonged somewhere—even if it was just this small clearing, with them, and the river flowing endlessly before us.