Mortal aspiring immortality.

Waking up the next day just in time for the meet up, Jiang finally has had enough sleep.

Feeling refreshed, he feels ready for a new day. They all head outside for their morning training.

''Hello everyone, since this is your first morning training, let me tell you how it works. I will show you moves and you will have to do as many as possible.''

''They will vary from push-ups to squats. I will go row to row for each exercise and fix your posture if need be. We will start with stretching, this is important.''

They then proceed to stretch every muscle group for a total of 15 minutes until the instructor tells everyone to get ready to do squats.

This goes on for a full hour, where they do every exercises for every muscle groups. They do squats, push-ups, sit-ups, pull ups and even some running.

Since most people didn't really train before, or weren't Qi gatherers, they could only do the best they could. 

The ones that lived in small villages working in farms or forges did the best. They could do a lot more of each exercises compared to their peers. Jiang was among them, having farmed most of his youth.

Most youths realized that training was beneficial for growth. It gave the body a wake up call to begin strengthening itself.

The training helped the youths to understand how their bodies worked in an efficient way. It showed them their limits.

After training, they went to eat before starting classes again. Jiang realized that there was no Qi in his food this time around. This was probably a lunch time thing only. 

They then went on their classes. The first one went in more details over certain sects, the most prominent ones. They told them which sect specialized in what and what kind of people you would expect to find there.

In the "World's affairs" they learned more about what types of beast existed and what kind of monsters there could possibly be. How strong each type could potentially be.

Through the "Breathing class" they talked about how to breakthrough from being a mortal to beginning on the first stage of Qi gathering. 

''So, once you have accumulated as much Qi as possible in your dantian, you may try to breakthrough as soon as possible or wait to get in an array formation for more chances of success.''

''Once you make up your mind and sit down to begin your breakthrough. You have to bring your whole focus on this. The more focus you have, the better. You will need to force all of your Qi to shoot at the barrier holding it back. It will break the shackle of the dantian and allow it to move in your body.''

''Until you do that step, whatever way you may try to move it in your body, you will not be able to bring it back.''

Jiang knew this was true, he had tried yesterday and he did manage to move it in his body. The only thing was that he couldn't keep control over it for long. If he didn't bring it where he wanted and back fast enough he would lose it.

''I believe that everyone here has a chance to make it high. You just have to push through and never stop. Believe in yourself and believe in the Heavens.''

This class talked more about what would happen during a breakthrough, ways to augment your success chances. After this they went to eat and as Jiang thought, there was indeed Qi in this food again.

Not wasting any time, he devours his food and directly focuses on gathering as much of it towards his dantian. He managed to bring more than last time, he was a little bit over half full.

The rest of the day went similarly, he learned more about weapons and how to use them, they focused on the axes this time around. In practice they found ways to use the same weapon.

The sparring session went as last time, he took a number, went towards his arena and waited for his match to start. This time around he fought against someone who was using a rod. 

They both gave it their all using all the ways they had learnt so far. Jiang was on the winning side, as he was about to strike him on his head, the man was faster and completely ignored the strike. He gave him a strike of his own with his rod directly on his jaw. Jiang fell down and lost.

He tried to get himself up to fight again but the other youth didn't give him a chance. Admitting defeat, Jiang thanks his opponent for showing him his weaknesses and heads back in the circle to learn more about ways people fight.

So he then went in his dorm again to cultivate again, hoping to get to "Qi gathering I" as soon as possible. 

Before he could start, one of his roommates, Sun Hei, asks him if he would like to play a cards game two days from now. Seeing no reason to refuse, Jiang accepts.

Now bringing his full attention back to his cultivation, it doesn't take long for him to immerse himself again. Having learnt from his last mistake, he knew not to stay too long. 

He went on for about two hours before heading to his bed, doing his routine. He took the time to sense how close he was. He was almost at three quarters of the way. He knew it wouldn't be long for him to make it.

Before dozing off to sleep he took some time to digest the knowledge he has learnt from his classes and the trainings.

Hence the following day was the same, he trained in the morning. He was sore from the day before but training in the morning helps with removing the soreness.

He then learnt more about the world, he took time to understand the informations in the "breathing class". He then went and digested the food he got.

The theory and practice class were the same, the only difference is this time they focused on the rods.

Heading to the sparring, he was ready to test the new moves he learnt. He took his number, stood where his arena was and waited for his turn. 

He didn't have to wait long this time, his number was 9. He went on the arena and took out a sword, as he looked up, he realizes that it is Zou Gao!

''Oh, didn't expect it to be you! I'm gonna beat you up so bad'' Zou looks at Jiang playfully.

''Only if I let you'' He winks and readies himself. 

Zou took a saber, relying more on the agility given. They both took their time to assess the other and focus to see who would be the one to make the first move.

They didn't have to wait long for Zou to make his move and step forward. Slashing down to up, hoping to destabilize Jiang. Seeing this move, Jiang uses his sword to slash at the weapon on the side, making it miss him from a small margin.

Taking the advantage of Zou being over-extended, he takes a step on the right and slashes right to left, hoping to make him lose the ability to use an arm in that fight.

What he didn't expect was for Zou to let him do that. Instead, Zou took the blow head on and used that chance to slash back with his weapon right on his clavicle.

Jiang had to make a split decision. He chose to kick Zou's leg, making him lose balance. The strike instead of landing on his clavicle ended up on his shoulder.

It hurt but he took the opportunity to strike at his head, Zou couldn't defend on time and the instructor stopped the blow. Bringing the fight to a halt.

''Are you okay?'' Jiang says extending his hand to help him up.

''I will be, it's more my ego that took a hit.'' 

they both laugh and head back in the circle, talking about the next fights and what they would do in that situation.

Jiang found it more interesting to talk about the fights with someone instead of just watching and thinking on his own. Others could think of moves that worked better or slightly worse. In any case this allowed for an interesting dynamic, allowing both to learn a lot.

As soon as the spars were over, Jiang headed straight to his dorms. He waited for everyone to settle down before he himself sat down to cultivate. He was already very close to being able to breakthrough.

He was kind of excited, he knew it wouldn't be long. it took him more time than usual to empty his mind. once he did, he found out that he could absorb a bit more than usual. He didn't know why but he welcomed the change.

Again, after about two hours he looked at his progress and realized that he was at about a tenth left before he could finally breakthrough. He was ecstatic, he did his routine and hopped on the bed. 

----

Jiang wakes up in his room, he realizes that he is back in his old room back in the village. As he tries to comprehend what happens, he hears screams. He heads outside as soon as he hears them. He is shocked to find out there were humanoid beasts destroying and killing everyone in the city.

He hears another scream and he turns around to find his uncle being stabbed by one. Jiang screams and take a sword he found on a corpse to head to that beast. Unfortunately for him, that beast is to fast for him. It holds him up by his throat and speaks an unintelligible language. 

He sees the sword going towards his chest and he screams.

----

''NOOOO...'' He wakes up, drenched in sweat.

Everyone wakes up because of him, alarmed. They are all thinking that they were late!

''Oh god Jiang you scared us! What's wrong with you?'' Sun Hei says, annoyed.

''Please don't scream again.'' He heads back to sleep.

''I'm sorry everyone, it was a bad dream. It won't happen again.''

Cho Meng looks at him sympathetically. He wondered what kind of dream could make him scream like that.

Jiang, after calming himself down, makes his resolve more firm. He had to get stronger to be able to protect his uncle. No one could hurt him.

It took some time for him to fall asleep again. He didn't wish to make that dream again. Luckily, it did not happen. He got ready for his morning training. 

As usual the day didn't change much, the classes went on as usual, nothing really new to talk about. He learned more about the devil sects. There were all kinds; Ones that used blood, others used bodies, rare ones even used the souls of their victims.

The rest of the classes were normal, most people were asking all kinds of question relating breaking through, the faster ones were already ready. the martial classes went on to talk about war hammers. It was a heavy kind of mace. only the strongest ones could use this.

After classes the sparring was not interesting, Jiang took his number and was the first to go, his opponent didn't take a weapon and was clearly inexperience. After 3 exchanges he managed to hit him directly on his head, ending the fight.

Everyone head back to bed and Jiang prepares himself properly. He knew tonight would be his chance to breakthrough. Collecting himself, he enters his cultivation stage pretty fast. He focuses on amassing the missing Qi first before trying to breakthrough.

Around an hour after he started, he finally brings his final bits of Qi in his dantian. He is finally ready to breakthrough.

he heads outside, there were restrictions to walk outside after around 11 p.m. but it was still in around an hour. He heads to a quiet place in the arenas, he found out that almost no one came there at night.

Surprisingly, when he came, there was already more then 10 person there. Without wasting time he took a spot that was relatively far from everyone and calmed himself down. He followed a rythm, when he was calm enough, he focused himself on his dantian.

He tried to manipulate all of it, it was hard but after a bit he got the twist. Once he was ready, he started pressuring the invisible barrier holding his Qi. Hoping to bend it to allow entry, he followed the exact procedure the professors talked about. 

As soon as it was about to break, a warning rang out in his mind. Not wasting any time, he reduced the pressure gradually, to allow the dantian to relax a bit.

He didn't know why it did that but he believed his body wouldn't misguide him. If it wasn't good for him then he should listen. Instead, he followed how his body felt. He took his Qi and pressured the barrier, making sure it wouldn't break right away.

He used his Qi to "eat" at the barrier, slowly digesting it and mending it in his Qi. Making it his nourishment for his breakthrough. What he didn't realize was that this was not normal at all.

No one would do that because it was too dangerous. Everyone that had tried failed because they couldn't use all their focus to breakthrough and eat at the barrier at the same time. they could only break it so that it allowed entry in the mana veins and the body,

Sweat started producing on his forehead, it was becoming increasingly hard to keep up with his breakthrough. He knew that this was a point of no return, since he started it had to end.

After what felt like forever, the barrier finally got eaten completely, allowing for an extremely smooth passage to his mana veins. Normally, someone who would breakthrough, would aways keep a bit of the barrier stuck on the sides of their mana veins.

This was considered the "norm," he was the first one to succeed in this camp. Once the mana flowed through his whole body, he could feel himself being invigorated. He felt stronger than he ever felt before.

He stood up and looked around to see that some people were still persisting in their breakthrough, he walked silently back to his dorm. Opening the door he realizes that Cho Meng and Zou Gao are missing. Slightly confused, he believes they went to breakthrough, only he didn't see them at the arenas.

He headed back to sleep, ready for a new day.