The streets of Ironhold stretch wide and varied before them, twisting through merchant stalls, hidden alleys, and towering buildings marked with ancient symbols of past sects and neutral clans.
For the past few days, De has trained, sharpening his foundation, reinforcing his techniques. Kalia has done the same, their sparring pushing both of them closer to their limits.
But battle alone does not determine strength.
Resources, knowledge, and understanding the world's hidden layers—those are the true stepping stones to power.
And Ironhold is filled with opportunities for those who know where to look.
The main district hums with energy. Merchants call out their wares, cultivators barter for rare materials, and whispers of upcoming battles weave through the air like drifting smoke.
De moves through the crowd, his senses open, watching carefully.
His purpose is twofold—gathering resources and seeking anything beyond the ordinary.
It doesn't take long for something to catch his attention.
A small underground stall, tucked between larger, more prominent vendors, yet oddly undisturbed despite its modest presence.
Unlike the other booths filled with common herbs and weapons, this one is different.
No loud advertisement. No obvious displays of wealth.
Just a withered old man sitting behind a counter, watching the world pass by.
And before him—a table of seemingly insignificant objects.
At least, that's how it looks to those who do not understand what they are seeing.
Kalia glances at De. "You sure about this one? This place looks like it sells more dust than treasure."
De doesn't respond immediately.
Instead, he steps forward, scanning the objects laid before him.
At first glance, the items appear ordinary—dried herbs, faded scrolls, fragments of old inscriptions.
But beneath that, De recognizes something else.
A rare mineral infused with condensed qi.
An herb that stabilizes the meridians after forced breakthroughs.
A fragment of an alchemy tool that could refine pills more efficiently.
Subtle. Hidden. But not worthless.
The old man watches him, his gaze sharp beneath the weariness of age.
"You see something interesting, boy?"
De picks up the mineral first, weighing it in his palm. The residual qi within it pulses faintly—far stronger than any common material.
"This," De says simply. "And the jade inscription."
The old man raises an eyebrow. "Most pass by my stall without a second glance. You, though—" He leans forward slightly. "You look like someone who sees past the surface."
A flick of his fingers, and a small dust-covered scroll is pulled from beneath the counter.
"A gift, since you know how to look. Consider it knowledge meant to be passed on."
De accepts it, not questioning the old man's motives.
Some information is given freely not because it is worthless, but because it is meant to lead to greater discoveries.
And this—this will be one of them.
They leave the stall, their purchases secured.
The market stretches on, but De is already focused on something else.
The scroll in his hands.
Faded, fragile—but filled with something far more valuable than common trade.
A record of the body's hidden pathways.
He scans the contents, his pulse steady, but his mind sharp.
He knows these diagrams. He's seen them before, in his past world.
Acupuncture Points.
A method of unlocking latent potential within the body.
Something every advanced warrior in his previous world understood—but here, the knowledge is… incomplete.
Kalia notices his focus. "What's with that look?"
De doesn't answer immediately.
Instead, he turns to her.
"How many Acupuncture Points have you opened?"
Kalia blinks. "What?"
He repeats the question, voice even. "How many?"
She shrugs. "Twenty.""
De's mind sharpens. Twenty?
He knew from his past that the human body contained 360 Acupuncture Points.
If she only knows of 120, and she has only opened 20…
He closes the scroll.
His heart remains steady, but a single thought grips his mind.
If she has only twenty… how many have I already opened?
They return to their training ground, the night settling over Ironhold with its usual tension, the quiet hum of a city filled with warriors preparing for war.
De sits cross-legged, his mind clear, his qi circulating as he begins examining his own body.
A slow breath.
A subtle shift in focus.
And then—
The truth reveals itself.
Not twenty.
Not thirty.
Over one hundred Acupuncture Points open.
A realization, sharp and absolute.
Without knowing, he had already unlocked what others struggled to achieve.
Without guidance, without deliberate intent—his own cultivation had been leading him toward something far greater.
He exhales, opening his eyes.
And then—he looks at Kalia.
"I need you to trust me."
She frowns. "That's a dangerous thing to say."
De doesn't react. "If you let me, I can open more of your Acupuncture Points."
Kalia raises an eyebrow. "And how exactly do you know how to do that?"
He doesn't answer.
Not with words.
Instead, he presses two fingers lightly against her wrist, guiding a thread of qi through her meridians.
Kalia stiffens. Her breath catches.
Because in that instant—she feels it.
A pathway she had never noticed before. A circuit within her body waiting to be unlocked.
She swallows.
"…How many?"
De's voice is quiet, but certain.
"At least thirty more."
Her eyes widen.
He doesn't rush her decision.
Because this is a moment that will change everything.
Kalia looks at him for a long time. Then, slowly, she exhales.
And nods.