The State of Emptiness

A lap of nearly fifty meters wasn’t much for a cultivator.

If it were on flat ground, Su Xuan could cover it in less than two seconds.

But this was a steel cable— And not even a neat, straight line, but more like the shape of a running track.

The four turns made the difficulty soar.

To pass within ten seconds, one had to walk as if on level ground.

Zhang Heng somehow dragged over a lounge chair, lay down comfortably, and spoke unhurriedly.

“Begin.”

“Oh…”

Shoes and socks came off, revealing a pair of fair, delicate feet.

Su Xuan nimbly climbed to the top, took a deep breath, and swept his eyes over the nearly fifty-meter course from above.

“About five meters ahead there’s a turn. After that, an eight-meter straight section, then another turn… Forget it, I’ll just try first!”

When faced with a challenge, people always start full of eagerness, almost impatient to try.

But once you realize it’s difficult, that excitement slowly ebbs away, turning into weariness, then dislike.

And when, no matter how hard you try, you still can’t complete it, despair sets in—then numbness.

Zhang Heng narrowed his eyes, admiring those dainty feet and long legs, anticipating the fairy-like face twisting in frustration.
That expression, he thought, would be exquisite.

“Cold. I can clearly feel the rough steel surface. It’s extremely tough—doesn’t seem like I’ll bend it under my weight.”

Su Xuan carefully felt out the cable. It was stable—he could be certain it wouldn’t snap mid-way. After adjusting his breathing, he stepped onto it.

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t nervous, But Su Xuan could afford to take his time and study it.

He wasn’t planning to activate the inflatable vest right away, so time wasn’t a problem.

“Feel the breath. Adjust the breath.”

He repeated the words silently, focusing on the rhythm of his breathing, On the messages coming from his limbs, On the beating of his heart.

Casting aside all stray thoughts, he moved forward step by step, Forcing his limbs to coordinate under sheer willpower.

Just when his steps began to flow smoothly, Zhang Heng, lounging in his chair, chuckled.

“Not bad. But still missing something—your balance is too fragile.”

A silent spark of electricity flickered, Striking Su Xuan, who had been perfectly steady.

“Ah—!”

The sudden jolt threw him into disarray.

His hands flailed in the air, His small feet struggled to keep him steady, But it was useless—After a brief struggle, he fell.

“Smack!”

He hit the black net hard, A surge of current racing through him.

There was no time to regret his panic—Like a startled kitten, he leapt out of the net’s range in one swift motion.

He was full of pent-up frustration, But he wasn’t about to let anyone see it.

After all, no one had warned him about the surprise electric shocks.

Now he had to be on guard against jolts, And if he fell, he had to get out of the net quickly, Or be shocked even more severely.

Rubbing the spot where he’d hit himself, He climbed back up.

With a body saturated with energy particles, Such a minor injury healed almost instantly.

The shocks were like knives hidden in the dark—You knew they were there, You knew you’d be stabbed, But you never knew when.

The strain on Su Xuan’s nerves was obvious—He was treading on thin ice.

The true power of the shock wasn’t in the strike itself, But in the constant threat of it before it came.

It kept Su Xuan from focusing fully, From coordinating his limbs.

Several times he fell not because of a shock, But because he was distracted, Worrying about when the next one would come.

He still hadn’t strapped on the inflatable vest, Yet he couldn’t even get past the first turn.

The difficulty was clear.

Each attempt drained his stamina.

Under the intense physical exertion, His cells were already burning energy particles to make up for the shortage.

Every shock would throw his breathing into disorder.

Maintaining coordination, keeping his breath steady—It was already exhausting.

And every time he fell, He had to scramble off the net immediately.

Zhang, the black-hearted coach, Wouldn’t let him rest too long on the ground either.

By now, Su Xuan was drenched in sweat.

Good thing he wore a dark short-sleeved shirt—If it were light-colored, the sweat would have soaked it through and made it see-through.

“Learn to control your body—Including how to control it the very first moment you’re jolted.”

Zhang Heng said with a smile, One leg crossed over the other, Scooping bites from a small watermelon.

Su Xuan looked at it with open envy.

The sweat loss had long since left him parched, And as noon approached, the air was growing hot and dry.

If only he had an ice-cold watermelon right now…

“Don’t stare. This is part of your training too—Learning to control yourself in hardship, To resist temptation. I’ve gone to great expense for your sake, you know.”

Zhang spoke with the face of a man who was “doing it all for you,” While savoring his watermelon.

‘Damn it…’

Su Xuan raged inwardly.

This perverse training was going to kill him.

Zhang, still eating, glanced at Su Xuan climbing back up, A sly smile on his lips.

This obstacle had once tormented them for half a month before they barely managed to pass.

But to break through to Initial Form quickly, You needed real pressure—There was no other way.

A naturally achieved Initial Form was just a half-baked product—A flower from a greenhouse, Shattered at the first touch.

Only by constantly pushing past your limits, Forcing every cell to its edge, Could you toughen them, Teach them to wield energy particles.

Then, uniting the whole body as one, You could begin to control the space outside your body.

If you couldn’t master yourself quickly, What right did you have to break through to Initial Form quickly?

What right did you have to earn respect on a battlefield where force ruled all?

Zhang thought as he looked at that graceful figure.

He swallowed hard, Pressed a hand down between his legs, And admitted to himself—So much for being a retired soldier; His control over his own body had definitely slipped.

Meanwhile, Su Xuan was fighting to control his exhausted body.

With energy and water draining away, His brain’s control over his muscles was already fading.

Now he was relying solely on willpower, Forcing his trembling limbs to obey.

Perhaps from sheer exhaustion, His mind slowly emptied.

It felt as though every part of him was under his watchful gaze.

He slipped into a subtle, mysterious state—Every movement, every gesture, Was under absolute control.

His breathing became steady and predictable,

And with every breath, A surge of energy was born.

Every bit of energy in his body was under regulation.

His cells were like a well-trained army, Lined up neatly before his mind, Awaiting orders.

The sensation was grounding, reassuring.

Even if a shock came suddenly, He had the willpower to control his body’s reaction.

“An Empty Serenity state, huh? You’ve made great progress.”

Zhang Heng swallowed, Watching Su Xuan slowly walk along the steel cable.