Curse of the Supreme Blood

Li had a restless night as the dream he had earlier kept reoccurring. Most nights he would wake up in the middle of an intense battle between his lookalike and the man and woman in his initial dream. sometimes it would be his lookalike and some other warriors or mages shrouded in darkness.

He would on waking up simply sit down and begin to cultivate. he decided to put the dream at the back of his mind since he didn't know who to tell. In fact, his intuition even tells him he shouldn't tell anyone.

Li decided to be spending most of his time cultivating and only going out to the cafeteria to get food. 

Li loved cultivating. Now the level of his Qi stream had increased in thickness and he could feel a slight loosening in his meridians. He knew he still had quite a long way to go and decided to keep cultivating diligently.

He sat quietly in his room, chanting the Qi controlling technique of the sect. After some minutes, he saw streams of energy flowing from all over the room into his body. The stream of energy flowed into his body through his pores and his pores sucking them up greedily. 

'So there is Qi all over the sect grounds.' Li said gleefully to himself. 'This feeling is wonderful. i love it'. he continued cultivating, soaking up the surrounding Qi greedily.

He was at it till the first morning bell woke him up from his cultivation. He stretched and felt more invigorated. He felt a lightness in his steps as he moved forward.

After taking his breakfast, he went to the inner sect training ground for sword practice. 

Li stood in the quiet corner of the training field, his wooden sword gripped firmly in his small hands. The early morning air was cold, carrying the sounds of disciples practicing their various sword techniques.

He had come here to refine the stances that Senior Brother Han had shown him the previous day. However, as fate would have it, peace was not meant to last.

"Well, if it isn't the little prodigy," a familiar voice sneered.

Li turned to see Bai Chen striding toward him, his smirk as sharp as the gleam in his eyes. Several other disciples followed, eager for a spectacle.

Li took a steadying breath, bowing slightly. "Senior Brother Bai Chen."

Bai Chen's smirk widened. "Practicing alone, are we? Trying to catch up to the rest of us?"

"I'm just trying to improve," Li said, keeping his tone neutral.

"Improve?" Bai Chen laughed, a cruel edge to his voice. "You've been here for what—a few weeks? Do you even know which end of the sword to hold?"

Laughter rippled through the small crowd that had begun to gather.

Li's grip on his sword tightened. "Everyone starts somewhere," he said softly, refusing to look away.

Bai Chen's eyes narrowed. "Let's see if that confidence holds up in a spar. What do you say, little one? Or are you afraid?"

Li hesitated. He knew Bai Chen's reputation; the older disciple was skilled and known for being ruthless. But backing down now would only invite more ridicule.

"I accept," Li said, his voice clear despite the nervous flutter in his chest.

The crowd buzzed with excitement as Bai Chen tossed a wooden sword at Li's feet. "Try not to embarrass yourself too much," he said with a grin, taking his position.

Li picked up the sword, feeling its weight in his hands. He took a defensive stance, recalling the basics he had practiced.

Bai Chen didn't wait. He lunged forward, his strikes swift and deliberate. Li barely managed to parry the first blow, the force of it reverberating up his arms.

The older disciple pressed his advantage, his movements precise and relentless. Li struggled to keep up, his small frame and lack of experience becoming painfully evident. Each block and dodge took more effort, his arms growing numb with every clash.

"Is this all you've got?" Bai Chen taunted, his strikes coming faster.

Li gritted his teeth, refusing to yield. He countered with a wild swing, but Bai Chen sidestepped effortlessly, knocking Li off balance.

"Too slow," Bai Chen said, sweeping Li's legs out from under him. The younger boy hit the ground hard, his sword slipping from his grasp.

The crowd erupted in laughter, some clapping mockingly.

"Get up, little prodigy!" one disciple called out.

Li pushed himself to his feet, wiping the dirt from his face. He retrieved his sword, his hands trembling but his resolve unshaken.

"Again," he said, his voice steady.

Bai Chen raised an eyebrow, his smirk returning. "You're persistent, I'll give you that. But this is pointless."

Li lunged, trying to catch Bai Chen off guard. The older boy parried with ease, stepping into Li's guard and delivering a sharp strike to his shoulder. The blow sent Li sprawling to the ground once more, his sword clattering away.

"It's over," Bai Chen declared, turning to the crowd. "This is what happens when you overestimate yourself."

Laughter and jeers filled the air, but Li's voice cut through the noise.

"It's not over," he said, standing up once more. His face was flushed, his body aching, but his eyes burned with determination. "I may have lost today, but I'll defeat you in two years. Mark my words, Senior Brother Bai Chen."

The crowd fell silent for a moment before erupting into sneers and laughter.

"Two years?" someone scoffed. "You couldn't beat him in ten!"

"Delusional, isn't he?" another added.

Bai Chen turned back to Li, his expression a mix of amusement and disdain. "Two years? You think you can catch up to me in two years?"

"I know I can," Li said, meeting Bai Chen's gaze without flinching.

The boldness of his declaration silenced the crowd momentarily, but the mocking laughter soon resumed.

"Fine," Bai Chen said, his smirk returning. "I'll humor you. In two years, we'll spar again. But don't cry when you lose even worse than today."

With that, Bai Chen walked away, the crowd dispersing with him.

Li remained standing in the middle of the training field, his small hands clenched into fists. His body ached, and humiliation stung more than the bruises on his skin. Yet, deep inside, he felt a spark of something powerful—an unyielding determination to prove them all wrong.

As he walked back to his quarters, the laughter and sneers faded into the background. He didn't care about their mockery. Two years might seem impossible to them, but to Li, it was a promise—a promise he intended to keep.