Ascension through the Abyss

Chapter 2: The Third Meridian

The walk back to his room was quiet. Ren didn't stop anywhere. He went straight to his room. He sat down on the mat and crossed his legs. His back stayed straight as he closed his eyes and slowly calmed his breathing.

His father had taught him this years ago. He guided his qi through his body. The First Meridian responded easily. It had been open for years. The Second Meridian was the same. Then he reached for the Third.

Nothing.

He frowned and tried again and it was still nothing. There wasn't a wall blocking him. There wasn't even anything to push against. It simply wasn't there.

Ren refused to give up, he tried again, and again. Minutes passed, then an hour. Sweat slowly formed on his forehead despite the cold weather outside. His breathing became heavier, and his legs started to ache from sitting, yet it was still nothing.

He kept trying until his body couldn't take it anymore. Finally, he let out a tired breath and opened his eyes. His arms felt weak. His whole body was sore. He stared at the ceiling for a long moment. He used to cry whenever this happened.

But not anymore. After years of disappointment, even tears became tiring. Eventually, he stood up. He wasn't hungry. Instead, he headed for the training grounds.

The training grounds were already busy. Wooden swords clashed against each other while instructors walked around correcting stances. Some disciples trained in groups while others practiced alone.

Ren quietly walked to his usual spot near a row of old training dummies. Nobody noticed him or if they did, nobody cared. He watched the others train for a while, trying to clear his mind.

"Bi Ren."

He looked up. Senior Instructor Bi Rong was looking at him.

"Step forward."

Ren stood and walked over. The instructor looked at another disciple.

"Bi Hao."

A young man stepped forward with a grin Ren didn't like.

"You two will spar" the instructor said. The two bowed to each other before taking their positions.

"Start", Bi Rong commanded.

Bi Hao moved first. His fist shot forward before Ren had even settled into his stance.

Bang.

The punch landed on Ren's shoulder and pushed him backwards. Before he could recover, another strike hit his ribs. Pain spread through his side. Ren gritted his teeth and fought back, but the difference between them was too great.

Bi Hao was already at the Fourth Meridian while Ren was still stuck at the Second. Another punch, another kick. Ren hit the ground. But he quickly climbed back to his feet.

The spar continued.

Every exchange ended the same way. Ren attacked, Bi Hao blocked. Bi Hao countered, Ren fell. Some of the nearby disciples had already stopped training to watch.

A few laughed quietly. Others simply shook their heads.

"He's still too weak."

"I don't even know why he keeps trying."

"At least he makes it interesting."

Ren heard every word. He ignored them. Again, he stood up. Bi Hao knocked him down, again. His breathing became rough and his arms felt heavy. Even gathering qi had become difficult.

Bi Hao stepped forward once more. A palm strike slammed into Ren's chest. The impact threw him backwards. He crashed into the ground and stayed there. Everything hurt, his vision blurred slightly. For a moment, he wondered if he should just stay down.

Then he remembered the tournament, it remaining just ten days. Slowly, he pushed himself onto one knee.

He closed his eyes and reached inward. Toward the Third Meridian. Toward the same empty place he had reached for thousands of times before.

Then... Something changed. A sharp pain burst from deep inside his chest. It felt as if something that had been locked away for years had suddenly broken open. Heat rushed through his body. Qi poured into a place that had always been empty.

His eyes flew open. The Third Meridian... had opened. The feeling lasted only a few seconds, but Ren knew.

He knew.

Before he could even react, Bi Hao's next attack landed and knocked him onto his back again. But this time... he barely felt the pain. He lay there staring at the sky while warm qi flowed through his body in a way it never had before.

The training ground became strangely quiet. "...Did his Third Meridian just open?"

"I think it did."

"No way..."

Ren heard the whispers around him. A smile slowly appeared on his face. Then he laughed. Not because anything was funny, but because after years of failure... after countless disappointments... after everyone had already given up on him... he had finally done it.

His Third Meridian had finally opened. Ren smiled as warm qi flowed through his body. After sixteen years, he had finally broken through. He thought all he had to do now was prepare for the tournament.

But what he did not know was that somewhere in the Bi Family... someone had already started watching him.