The dawn broke with a low hum that rolled over the valley like the breath of some great spirit. The mists curled around the mountainsides, parting slowly as golden light touched the rooftops of the village. The Iron Path training ground gleamed anew, its wood and stone washed clean from yesterday's rain.
The air was heavy with the scent of dew and herbs. Birds stirred in the trees, and the faint sound of rushing water echoed from the nearby stream — the same stream that had filled and emptied countless Dorgons before.
Today, however, everything was different.
YunKai Tao stood at the ridge above the training ground, his hands resting on his knees, breath steady, eyes tracing the rows of massive Dorgon tanks that lined the field below. There were not just the twelve great ones anymore — now, four new colossal tanks stood apart from the rest, each one carved with symbols of dragons and waves. They rose like silent giants, their shadows long and foreboding.
The elders had made their announcement at dawn:
"From now onward, each team will fill not one, but four tanks together. And for each of you — one great tank of your own."
The words still echoed in YunKai's mind, equal parts awe and disbelief.
Beside him, Ye Chen stretched her arms and yawned loudly. "Four tanks for a team? And one for each of us? Are they serious?"
Wu Chen smirked, tightening the rope around his waist. "They're always serious. You should know that by now."
Chen Li chuckled. "Yeah, but I think even the Dorgons are laughing at us today."
Chen Mei grinned at him. "Then we'll just laugh louder when we fill them first."
The four of them — Team Tao — stood shoulder to shoulder, watching the morning sun spill across the field. The other teams gathered nearby, stretching, murmuring, and exchanging glances of both excitement and dread.
Elder Tong Chen stepped forward, his towering form cutting across the light. His deep voice rolled through the clearing like thunder.
"For six months, you have carried water. You have built strength, unity, and endurance. But from now, you will build flow."
He gestured toward the tanks. "These Dorgons will not yield to brute force. You must move as one — not just in body, but in breath, in spirit, in energy. Every bucket you lift must be guided not by muscle alone, but by awareness."
Elder Yan Zhi Lan followed, her robes trailing softly over the earth. "Today, you begin the path of sensing your own rivers — your acupoints, your meridians. They are the channels that carry your Qi, your inner water. Only when these flow freely will you endure the weight of greater challenges ahead."
The children listened in silence, their faces bright and solemn.
Then, as always, Liang Shan broke the stillness with his booming laugh. "And if your Qi doesn't flow, don't worry! The buckets will remind you — with every drop that falls on your heads!"
Laughter rippled through the ranks. Even the elders smiled faintly.
When the call came to begin, the four teams surged forward like waves.
Team Tao
Ye Chen led the charge toward their tanks, quick and precise. "Alright! We'll rotate! Chen Li and Wu Chen, fetch water; Chen Mei and I will balance the buckets and fill. Switch every fifth run!"
Chen Li gave a mock salute. "Aye, commander."
"Less talking, more lifting!" she barked, already sprinting toward the stream.
They worked in rhythm — footsteps drumming against the earth, ropes creaking, the splash of water echoing across the training ground. The sun climbed higher, and sweat beaded on their brows. Yet unlike before, their movements began to align. Buckets swung in harmony, breaths matched unconsciously, and their laughter cut through exhaustion.
By midmorning, they had already filled two of their smaller tanks.
From the side, Elder Xiao Ling watched quietly. Her gaze was calm, but her lips curved in approval.
"The flow begins when mind and motion are one," she murmured.
Team Liang Shan
Meanwhile, on the far side, Yan Rui and her group were having a very different kind of morning.
"Wu Ping! You spilled half the bucket again!" Yan Rui snapped, hands on her hips.
"It's not my fault! The ground's uneven!" he protested, glaring at the muddy slope.
Huo Min trudged by with two full buckets balanced effortlessly on his shoulders. "Then even the ground has better balance than you."
Li Fen giggled, trying to hide it. "Stop teasing. Focus."
Liang Shan's booming voice echoed from the sidelines. "Balance, my little rivers! Balance! Or you'll end up carrying mud instead of water!"
That got them moving again — clumsily at first, but gradually finding a rhythm. Yan Rui's determination pushed them forward, her voice cutting through fatigue.
"Come on! We're not just carrying water — we're proving we can flow!"
Team Xiao Ren
On another slope, Yeotu's team was strategizing — not just working.
"Listen," Yeotu said, pointing to the tanks. "If we focus on one at a time, we waste effort. Let's fill two together. We'll line the buckets like a relay."
Ling Yue nodded eagerly. "So each one of us only runs half the distance?"
"Exactly."
Qiu Lan's calm voice added, "And it'll let us keep steady breathing. Less exhaustion, more control."
Zhang Wei grinned. "Heh, trust you to think of that. Let's do it!"
Their teamwork was flawless — like gears in motion. Even Elder Yan Hao, who rarely praised, watched them with a faint smirk.
"That boy Yeotu… he sees the battlefield even in the fields of peace," he murmured.
Team Yan Hao
At the lower edge of the hill, Luo Tang's group was, as usual, half-working and half-laughing.
Luo Tang was drenched from head to toe. "It's not my fault the bucket bit me!"
Jin Fei sighed heavily. "It didn't bite you, you tripped again."
Liang Yin burst out laughing. "The mighty warrior, defeated by a bucket!"
Even Chen Ruo couldn't suppress a smile. "Luo Tang, maybe next time, don't challenge the water to a duel."
He puffed his cheeks. "One day, you'll all thank me when I'm the master of the Splashing Fist."
Their laughter echoed across the field — light, genuine, unstoppable.
From afar, Tong Chen shook his head fondly. "That one will either become a legend or a story mothers tell to make their children behave."
By noon, the air shimmered with heat. The smell of water and sweat filled the grounds, and all four teams had begun to slow. The elders gathered them beneath the shade of the ancient tree.
Xiao Ling approached with her familiar small gourd, but this time, she carried four larger flasks — one for each team.
"You've earned your rest," she said softly. "But before you sit — drink."
The children formed lines, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
The liquid glowed faintly, like sunlight trapped in honey. When they drank, the taste was cool and sharp, with a sweetness that spread slowly through the chest.
Ye Chen blinked. "It's… different from before."
Xiao Ling nodded. "It has changed, as you have. This one strengthens your flow — it nourishes your blood, calms your heart, and awakens the sleeping channels beneath your skin."
Wu Chen's brows furrowed as warmth spread through his arms. "It feels like something's moving inside."
"Good," Xiao Ling said. "That is the beginning. Your Qi is stirring."
The elders had them sit in circles, palms facing upward. The ground beneath them was cool, the air filled with the hum of cicadas.
Yan Zhi Lan's voice was soft but firm.
"Close your eyes. Feel the warmth. It is the river within you. Each point you sense — between your brows, beneath your navel, along your spine — these are your acupoints. They are the wells of your strength. In time, you will learn to open them."
The children obeyed, breathing in rhythm. Some trembled slightly as unfamiliar sensations pulsed beneath their skin. Others smiled faintly, feeling peace for the first time.
After half an hour, the elders signaled them to rise.
Tong Chen looked over them, eyes fierce but proud.
"From tomorrow onward, you train to awaken your points. But remember — no power flows from arrogance. Flow comes from harmony. Compete, but do not forget your teams. Laugh, but do not lose your purpose."
Liang Shan clapped his great hands together. "And if you collapse halfway, don't worry — I'll carry you back! …After I finish laughing!"
Even the elders couldn't hold back their smiles as the children groaned and laughed.
As the sun dipped below the mountains, the young trainees stood together at the edge of the training field. The once-empty Dorgons shimmered faintly in the fading light. The air smelled of effort, of wet soil, and of beginnings.
Yeotu turned to YunKai Tao with a grin. "So, who's going to fill all four first?"
Ye Chen smirked. "We are, obviously."
Luo Tang puffed his chest. "Hah! We'll splash you before you even start!"
Wu Ping crossed his arms. "Bring it on. Just don't trip this time."
Their laughter rose into the twilight — bright, defiant, alive.
From the hillside, the elders watched quietly. Xiao Ling smiled, her eyes warm. "They're beginning to understand."
Yan Zhi Lan nodded. "Yes. They're learning that power begins not in the fist, but in the flow."
And as night fell across the Iron Path, the four teams lingered beneath the stars, feeling the pulse of their own hearts — steady, strong, and finally, alive with Qi.
They did not yet know that sensing their acupoints was only the first step…
But in that moment, as the moonlight shimmered on the empty tanks, they knew one truth:
The water they carried was no longer just for the world.
It was for the rivers awakening within.
The night deepened. The stars stretched wide and clear, and the distant hum of insects filled the still air. The elders remained on the high ridge above the training ground, watching as the children's silhouettes slowly faded toward their quarters below.
For a long time, none of them spoke. Only the sound of the wind passing through the trees and the faint trickle of the stream broke the silence.
Tong Chen crossed his arms, his eyes never leaving the field. "Their movements are changing," he said at last, his tone low and thoughtful. "They're no longer fighting against the weight — they're moving with it. The flow is starting."
Liang Shan chuckled quietly, his large frame relaxed. "Aye. Even that little Luo Tang is carrying twice as much water without realizing it. Though I still think he spills half on purpose."
A ripple of soft laughter went through the group. Xiao Ling's eyes glowed faintly in the starlight as she looked toward the youngest trainees. "Spilled water still finds its way to the earth. Just as clumsy effort still leads to progress."
Yan Zhi Lan exhaled slowly, her voice like the wind over leaves. "Their Qi has begun to stir — faintly, but steadily. During meditation this morning, I could sense fluctuations in their breathing patterns. The first signs of internal flow."
Xiao Ling nodded. "The elixir is helping, but it is their hearts that are opening faster. When the heart softens, Qi moves. It always begins there."
Tong Chen's gaze hardened slightly, though pride shone in his eyes. "It will not be long before one of them senses the first acupoint — perhaps the Dantian below the navel. That is the core of all energy. Once they feel that pulse within, their bodies will begin to align naturally."
Liang Shan rubbed his chin. "The boy Yeotu seems closest. His focus is sharp, and he listens to the silence between breaths. That's where it starts — in the stillness."
"And YunKai Tao," Yan Zhi Lan added softly. "He doesn't yet realize it, but his awareness extends beyond his body. When he moves, he listens — to the air, to his team, to the world. That connection will guide him to the center faster than strength ever could."
Xiao Ling's lips curved faintly. "Ye Chen, too. Her Qi burns bright — untamed, but full of life. Once she learns calm, her flow will become like fire under control, fierce yet pure."
Tong Chen's voice deepened. "They are all nearing the edge of the first gate — but it is a narrow path. The closer they come, the more resistance they'll feel. Qi will test them. Their emotions will rise. The body will ache. They must learn patience."
Liang Shan grinned, folding his arms. "And patience is something they still lack. Especially when Ye Chen and Luo Tang start arguing about who's faster at everything."
Even Yan Zhi Lan smiled at that. "The young must burn before they can glow. Let them compete — every flame needs friction to rise."
The laughter faded, replaced by a thoughtful quiet. Below, faint light flickered in the children's quarters — the glow of oil lamps, the soft hum of breathing exercises, perhaps even a few whispered jokes before sleep.
Xiao Ling tilted her head toward the sky, watching the moon's pale reflection in the river. "When the first acupoint opens, it will be like this moon touching the water. The world above and the world within will mirror each other perfectly. That is when their true training will begin."
Tong Chen nodded slowly. "Then, they will no longer carry water — they will be the water."
Yan Zhi Lan's gaze softened, her eyes reflecting the stars. "Until then, they must endure. The river of Qi does not reveal itself to the impatient."
The elders fell silent once more, each lost in thought. The wind brushed past them, carrying the faint scent of herbs from the gardens below — the same herbs that would soon be ground into elixirs for the next stage of cultivation.
Somewhere in the distance, a child laughed in their sleep. Perhaps it was Luo Tang, dreaming of conquering the great tanks again.
Liang Shan chuckled under his breath. "Even in dreams, they train."
Xiao Ling smiled, her gaze distant. "That is the Iron Path — unending, even in rest."
The moon drifted higher, silver light washing over the training ground, the tanks, and the rippling stream. Beneath that light, the earth seemed alive — pulsing, breathing, whispering.
And within that living silence, the elders knew:
The young ones were close.
Very close.
The rivers within them had begun to stir.
And soon, the first gate — the first acupoint — would awaken.