Chapter 14 - My Exes Think Throwing Me Off a Mountain is Training
Wang Li stood at the edge of a towering cliff, staring down into a seemingly endless abyss. Cold winds howled past him, carrying the scent of ancient trees and the distant roars of spirit beasts lurking below.
He gulped. "Okay. Let's go over this again.
"You're telling me that to break through to Foundation Establishment, I need to—" He gestured wildly toward the sheer drop beneath him. "—jump off a goddamn mountain?!"
Lin Ruoyan grinned, arms crossed over her chest. "More like we'll push you off."
Mu Qingling nodded cheerfully. "It's a time-honored training method! All the best cultivators have done it!"
"Not willingly, I bet," Wang Li muttered.
Feng Yuling sipped her tea, completely unbothered. "Look, Wang Li, you're at the bottleneck of Qi Condensation realm, third stage. If you don't break through soon, you'll get crushed in the Winter Moon Tournament."
Lin Ruoyan cracked her knuckles. "And since you're not breaking through by normal means, we have to force your body to evolve. Nothing wakes up latent potential better than mortal danger."
Wang Li took a step back. "What happened to good old-fashioned meditation?"
Feng Yuling shrugged. "Too slow."
Mu Qingling clasped her hands together. "Don't worry! If you die, we'll make sure to collect your body!"
"THAT'S NOT COMFORTING!"
Before he could argue further, Lin Ruoyan stepped behind him and—
shoved him off the cliff.
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For a brief, blissful moment, Wang Li was weightless.
Then—
"AAAAAAAAAHHHH!!"
The world blurred around him as he plummeted through the sky, his robes flapping wildly. The wind roared in his ears, and below, the jagged rocks and dense forest rushed toward him at terrifying speed.
He flailed desperately. "Okay, think! Think! How do I not die?!
Activating Dragon Step midair was impossible—he had no footing! He needed something—anything—to slow his fall!
His mind raced through his limited techniques. The only option was—
Qi reinforcement!
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Desperation fueling him, Wang Li poured every drop of his qi into his legs, willing the energy to condense. His golden aura flared, but it wasn't enough. The ground was getting too close.
Shit, I need more power!
Then—
His mind snapped open, and something shifted inside him.
CRACK!
A surge of pure qi erupted from his core, rushing through his meridians like a tidal wave. His senses sharpened, his vision expanded, and time seemed to slow.
In that moment, he understood.
Foundation Establishment wasn't about controlling qi—it was about mastering the flow of the world itself.
He felt the air currents, the movement of spiritual energy around him. He didn't need a solid surface—he just needed to redirect the force of his descent!
Wang Li twisted his body, channeling his qi outward, and—
BOOM!
A golden shockwave erupted beneath him, pushing against the air itself. His descent slowed drastically, and instead of splattering against the ground, he landed on his feet, skidding across the dirt before tumbling onto his back.
For a long moment, he just lay there, panting.
Then, a voice called from above—
"Hey! You survived!" Mu Qingling's excited tone echoed from the cliff.
Lin Ruoyan laughed. "Told you it would work!"
Feng Yuling's voice floated down lazily. "Hmm. He still looks a little dead."
Wang Li groaned, pushing himself up. His body felt different—stronger, lighter. He could feel the flow of qi within him, steady and powerful, no longer blocked by the bottleneck that had kept him stuck for so long.
He clenched his fist, feeling the power coiling beneath his skin.
He had done it.
He had broken through to the fourth stage of Qi Condensation.
But before he could even celebrate—
A deep growl rumbled behind him.
Wang Li turned slowly, and his blood ran cold.
Standing at the edge of the clearing was a massive spirit beast—a black-furred panther, its golden eyes gleaming with intelligence.
Feng Yuling called down, "Ah. We forgot to mention—there's a high chance a beast will try to eat you after you land!"
"YOU COULDN'T HAVE SAID THAT EARLIER?!" Wang Li shouted.
Lin Ruoyan smirked. "C'mon, consider it part of the training!"
The panther snarled—and pounced.
Wang Li cursed and activated his newly strengthened qi, bracing himself.
The real fight was just beginning.
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