Chapter 0001: Bewitched by Love

　　Qi, the source of all life.

　　Qigong is the cultivation of the source of life.

　　When cultivation reaches its peak, various supernatural abilities emerge.

　　A qigong master can "break rocks with bare hands," "hear ants fighting," "walk on water," "breathe out green fire," "become impervious to blades and spears," "connect their qi to the clouds," "survive by swallowing qi without eating," "abstain from cooked food," "communicate with heaven and earth through thought," "track souls over a thousand miles"...

　　James Walker is such a qigong practitioner.

　　Abundant Continent, Yandu City.

　　This city is the wealthiest on the continent; even at night, it is bustling with traffic and brilliantly lit.

　　It is midsummer now. The pitch-black night sky is thick with clouds, distant thunder rumbles, and the air is heavy with moisture, as if a thunderstorm could break at any moment.

　　Bang!

　　A rarely visited spot at the corner of the city wall suddenly bursts open, revealing a deep hole.

　　A seventeen- or eighteen-year-old youth, dressed all in black and holding a delicate box, leaps out of the hole like a cat.

　　This youth is James Walker.

　　In Yandu City, among the powerful families, The Walker Family's young master is a well-known qigong expert. Though young and not physically imposing, every movement he makes seems to stir a mysterious current within him, ready to explode at any moment.

　　With a sudden movement, the currents inside his body roar thunderously, their force overwhelming and soul-shaking.

　　"Looks like I'll soon reach the fifth level of qigong, the Exploding Qi stage. By then, I'll be able to project my qi outward—I'll truly be a master, rising in one leap!"

　　Glancing at the high city wall, James Walker is quite satisfied. In a flash, he slips into the dark forest outside the city, moving so fast he is like a black panther, displaying superhuman physical prowess.

　　His qigong has already reached the fourth level, the "Refining Qi" stage.

　　On the Abundant Continent, all masters cultivate qigong, which is divided into nine levels.

　　The first level is "Nourishing Qi."

　　The second is "Circulating Qi," moving the vital energy through the body's meridians.

　　The third is "Gathering Qi," collecting the vital energy and storing it in the dantian.

　　The fourth is "Refining Qi," where the gathered energy is refined, becoming as strong as steel.

　　The fifth is "Exploding Qi," projecting qi outward to harm enemies from a distance.

　　For most people, cultivating from the first to the fourth level—"nourish, circulate, gather, refine"—is all about moving energy within the body, which only strengthens the body. But reaching the fifth level, "Exploding Qi," is a transformation: one can unleash qi, project it outward, and injure others from afar.

　　The fifth level, "Exploding Qi," is the mark of a true master.

　　So-called "Exploding Qi" is a grade in qigong cultivation, a watershed.

　　At this stage, one can perform the Hundred-Step Divine Fist—strike from a hundred paces away, shattering trees with a single punch. The combat power is extraordinary, able to fight a hundred foes alone.

　　As for the sixth level, "Weapon Qi," one can condense qi into weapons.

　　The seventh level, "Form Qi"—"form" refers to myriad forms, imitating shapes. Qigong can condense into the forms of dragons, tigers, fierce beasts, even birds with wings, gliding through the air and crossing the void.

　　Then there is the eighth level, "Transforming Qi," reaching a miraculous state, the whole body enveloped in a protective qi shield, impervious to blades and spears.

　　The ninth level, "Qi Master," a grandmaster of qigong—something James Walker cannot yet hope for.

　　It is rumored that those who break through the ninth level, "Qi Master," can even seize fate from the heavens, entering the "Life-Seizing Realm," undergoing a complete transformation, and living several times longer than ordinary masters. However, James Walker has never seen such a person.

　　His body flickers as he enters the small forest ahead. James Walker sees a woman in a sapphire-blue long dress, her figure graceful, her noble aura breathtaking, standing with her back to him.

　　"Grace, I brought the Fulong Pill. I managed to use my status to steal it from the city lord's treasury."

　　Seeing this woman, James Walker's heart races, and he immediately raises the box in his hand.

　　"Oh? James Walker, you finally succeeded." The elegant woman finally turns around, her face exquisitely beautiful. She extends a hand as white as ivory: "The Fulong Pill, let me see it."

　　"Alright." James Walker hands the box to the woman called "Grace" without hesitation.

　　"Grace" takes the box, opens it, and immediately sees a fiery red pill, like a lively flame dancing, its fragrance overflowing, casting a rosy glow on the beautiful woman's face, giving her a unique charm.

　　"Grace, you said that if I helped you get the Fulong Pill, we could run away together? Let's go now." James Walker urges anxiously.

　　"Sorry, James Walker."

　　"Grace" quietly puts away the box, her face turning calm: "I still have things to do. I can't run away with you now. Let's talk about this later."

　　Step, step, step.

　　A bolt from the blue!