With every weary step, a soft grunt escaped Ying Xia’s lips.

  The initial, incandescent excitement that had propelled her from the village had long since fizzled out, replaced by a deep, aching fatigue that settled in her bones.

  Days had bled into one another, a monotonous blur of rustling leaves, chirping insects, and the steady, unrelenting crunch of boots on the forest floor.

  Her limbs felt as heavy as stone.

  It’s been a few days now! she fumed internally, her patience worn to a threadbare whisper.

  I can't feel my legs!

  "Hey, Bi Kan!" Her voice, loud and sharp, shattered the tranquil quiet of the woods.

  A slow, controlled sigh escaped Bi Kan’s lips. He didn’t need to turn to know the source of the outburst.

  I swear, every single day she has something new to say, he thought, a flicker of profound regret passing through his mind.

  I really, really regret bringing her with me now. "What is it, Xia?"

  "How long until we get there?!" She marched up beside him, her teeth bared in a frustrated glare.

  "We've done nothing except walk, eat, and sleep for the past god-darned few days! I can't take it anymore!"

  She threw her hands up, flailing them in the air as if to physically beat back her own boredom.

  Her foot connected squarely with a loose rock on the path, sending it flying like a catapult stone to smack against a nearby tree with a loud thud.

  Bi Kan finally stopped, turning to face her with an expression of weary exasperation. "What do you think you're doing? You're the one slowing us down.

  Each time you complain, you waste energy and time. Suck it up and let's keep going." He turned his back on her and started walking again, his own pace steady and unbroken.

  Besides, he added silently, we're almost there anyway, as long as we don't get sidetracked.

  "How can you spend your days like this?!" she demanded, her voice incredulous as she shook her head.

  "A damn waste of time if you ask me! We should head towards the dangerous paths! Maybe opportunities will arise!" Her eyes, which had been dulled by fatigue, now glinted with a familiar, manic excitement. She ran to catch up, grabbing his arm and shaking it back and forth, the motion dizzying him. "We might even find some ancient treasure! An axe, a sword, or armor!"

  "Stop it, Xia," Bi Kan said, gently but firmly pulling his arm free. He looked at her, his expression softening from annoyance to a more paternal concern.

  "Even if I wanted to take the crucible path, we don't have ample time. The village we're going to might be suffering as we speak."

  Ying Xia’s eyes widened. She slowly took a step back, her gaze falling to the dirt at her feet. The romantic, storybook adventure in her head crashed against the grim reality of their purpose.

  "I know walking for days on end is boring," Bi Kan continued, his voice softer now. "And you want to be surprised by random beasts and such, but we're on a mission. We can't take this lightly."

  A small, guilty pout formed on the girl’s lips, her earlier blaze of excitement morphing into a quiet ember of regret.

  "Besides, we have time after this. That's what being a cultivator is."

  Bi Kan took a step forward, and Xia’s eyes, now filled with a dawning comprehension, focused on the steady set of his shoulders. A small smile touched his lips.

  "Time is a currency we strive for, an ocean we hope will never run dry." He looked up at the sky, the wind picking up and rustling the canopy above, the sun glinting in his eyes as he turned back to face her.

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  "We all wish to become Immortals one day, to live for an eternity and do every single thing this world has to offer! Some even want the world in their grasp!"

  He grinned, his own ambition a palpable, infectious thing. "All wishes take time. That is why we strive for a boundless supply of it, so we can have all the time in the world to do everything!"

  Her downtrodden expression lifted, a small, hesitant smile forming on her lips that quickly bloomed into a wide, brilliant grin.

  "If you say so!" she declared, her spirit rekindled. She bounced back to his side, her step now light and purposeful.

  "I'll spend a little bit more time treading this path. Can't wait to kick some bandit butt and save the day, like a hero!"

  Together, they continued their journey, their shared purpose a silent, unbreakable bond between them.

  A couple of hours slid by, and nightfall once again draped the world in a cloak of deep indigo.

  The campfire crackled, a lone beacon of warmth and light in the vast, cold wilderness.

  Ying Xia lay on her back, staring into the dancing flames as if they were the most tedious spectacle in the world.

  "Hah… Another boring day," she sighed, "paired with a cold and boring night."

  A gentle but firm nudge came at her shoulder. She turned her head, her gaze meeting Bi Kan’s patient expression.

  "What is it, Bi Kan?" she groaned, rolling away from him.

  "You've been putting it off for a while, Xia," he said, his voice calm and steady.

  "Come on, get up. The night is perfect for it. No distractions. Let's get you into the Qi Sensing Realm already."

  She ground her teeth, begrudgingly sitting up and tossing her blanket aside with a huff.

  "Fine! But only because I can't sleep anyway with you staring at me like a worried mother hen!"

  Bi Kan merely scratched his head, a familiar mix of confusion and irritation rising.

  She begs me to teach her, then complains when I do. Why is she like this? "Ahem," a sound cough from the disciple, clearing his throat.

  "Come on. Close your eyes and feel the Qi gathering around your body, just as we practiced."

  Pouting, she reluctantly closed her eyes. The cool night air was a sharp contrast to the warmth of the fire, and the combination helped her sink into a relaxed state far more easily this time.

  "That's right," Bi Kan encouraged, his voice a low, guiding murmur.

  "Feel the tingles in your body. That feeling is the world’s energy acknowledging you. Don't chase the light; invite it in."

  A series of deep, rhythmic breaths escaped her lips. I can feel those lights entering me, she thought, a flicker of wonder cutting through her boredom.

  What did he call it again? Is this being enlightened or something? I don't know… Her eye twitched. The sheer novelty was warring with the sheer monotony of sitting still.

  "Focus, Xia," Bi Kan’s voice cut through her wandering thoughts.

  "Once you enter the realm, it'll be second nature. This is the first great step. Break through your mortal state. Become like us, a cultivator."

  Her eyes squinted shut, her body tensing as she tried to force herself to relax.

  "Don't," he corrected gently. "Relaxation must come from within. Don't force it." It's been a few days, and she has failed so many times, Bi Kan thought, watching her.

  I really do hope that tonight, under the moonlight, she can finally break through.

  Another hour passed. Her breathing deepened, her eyelids, once twitching with impatience, grew still. Her focus became absolute.

  Good, she's getting the hang of it, a swell of pride in his chest. Tonight's the night. Confident in her progress, allowing his own exhaustion to claim him.

  The boy lays down on the hard-packed earth, his own eyes slowly closing as he fell into the deep, welcoming abyss of sleep.

  FWOOM.

  His instincts screamed. A sudden, sharp fluctuation of Qi erupted in the clearing, a silent alarm that bypassed his conscious mind.

  His eyes snapped open. In a single, fluid motion, he was on his feet, a blur of motion that ended in a perfect fighting stance, his dagger already clutched in his hand, its blade glinting in the firelight.

  He scanned the darkness, his senses on high alert for the Qi Sensing Realm enemy that had just revealed itself. "Xia! Open your eyes!" he hissed, his voice a low, urgent warning.

  "We might be under atta—"

  His words died in his throat.

  The moment his battle-honed gaze landed on Ying Xia, the tension in his shoulders instantly dissolved, replaced by a wave of pure, dumbfounded realization.

  She opened her eyes. The world she saw was not the same one she had closed them on.

  A soft, ethereal aura of pure, newly-gathered Qi pulsed gently around her small frame, a visible testament to her breakthrough. She looked at Bi Kan, a slow, brilliant smile spreading across her lips.

  "I did it, Bi Kan," she said, her voice filled with a quiet, profound awe. "I've reached the Qi Sensing Realm. It's like… I'm inside a new world!"

  Bi Kan’s tense, battle-ready posture collapsed. A long sigh of relief escaped him, followed by a proud, genuine smile that lit up his face.

  "Brilliant," he said, his voice warm. "Now, let's eat before we continue on our way."

  The girl nodded eagerly, all traces of her earlier boredom gone, replaced by an incandescent joy.

  She snatched one of the rice balls wrapped in banana leaves, taking a large, triumphant bite.

  "Mhm, delicious!" The overbearing lights, she thought, her new senses already adapting, filtering, focusing.

  They aren't so… distracting anymore. They don't take up so much of my vision.

  A single, powerful thought echoed in the newfound quiet of her mind.

  I'm a cultivator now.