C13 Source Energy!

"Damn, I haven't had a steamed bun in two days!" The man took a hearty bite of his half-eaten bun, chewing thoughtfully as he turned to Kong Qing. "By the way, little brother, what's your name?"

Though Kong Qing had also gone without food for two days, he didn't devour his portion with the same ferocity. Nibbling on a small piece of the bun, he answered, "Kong Qing."

"Kong Qing?" The man nodded in acknowledgment and said, "I'm Luo Bing. You've just come of age, haven't you?"

Kong Qing nodded in confirmation. "Yes, I've been in the Ancient Quarters for three years now."

"Three years?" Luo Bing was momentarily taken aback before regaining his composure with a smile. "I apologize, it's just that not many young men your age manage to survive this long."

"What do you mean by that?" Kong Qing asked, his curiosity piqued.

Taking another bite of his bun, Luo Bing explained leisurely, "Well, young folks tend to be full of fire. Usually, when they arrive in the Ancient Quarters, they're brimming with defiance, unwilling to bow to anyone. If they encounter a lenient supervisor, they might just get a beating."

"But if they run into a supervisor from District 26, they're dealt with... permanently."

Kong Qing reflected on his own arrival in the Ancient Quarters, which had been much like Luo Bing described. After the supervisor had seared the unremovable hook brand onto him, he no longer dared to challenge their authority.

Over three years, to minimize the beatings, he made sure to complete his tasks on time. Even when the supervisor lashed him, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and keep digging.

"What's on your mind?" Luo Bing inquired, noticing Kong Qing's distant gaze.

"Oh," Kong Qing quickly responded with a forced smile, "I was just thinking about my early days here in the Ancient Quarters."

"Haha, sounds like you had a somewhat decent supervisor," Luo Bing chuckled.

"Actually, Brother Luo," Kong Qing said, shifting to a more serious tone, "how did you end up here?"

"Me?" Luo Bing pointed to himself, and upon seeing Kong Qing's confirming nod, he set aside his bun and slowly raised his eyes to the dark, cloud-laden sky.

Kong Qing, too, set his bun down and intently studied Luo Bing's profile. The somber expression and the fleeting cold glint in Luo Bing's eyes dissuaded him from probing any further.

After a moment of reflection, Luo Bing let out a bitter smile and gazed at Kong Qing with a sense of calm.

"I was captured and brought here seventeen years ago."

Before Kong Qing could respond, Luo Bing went on, "Back then, I was only thirty years old, serving as a guard to a young master."

"A guard?" Kong Qing's brow furrowed in confusion.

"That's right, and not just any guard—I was a warrior!" Luo Bing said with a resigned smile, a fleeting glint of nostalgia flashing in her eyes.

"Brother Luo, you're a warrior?" Kong Qing exclaimed, astonished. He hadn't expected to encounter a warrior slave in this place and pressed eagerly, "Then why are you still here?"

"Like I said, that was seventeen years ago," Luo Bing cut in.

"But how could a warrior end up..." Kong Qing struggled to believe that a warrior could be captured in the Ancient Quarters.

Luo Bing offered another bitter smile. "My master was a real piece of work, desperate to impress a stunning woman in our city. He sent us guards on a quest to find the exquisite Blue Heart Flower, which only grows in the Ancient Quarters."

"To secure the flower for him, we had to slip by unnoticed by the warriors of the Ancient Quarters, so we stuck to the outskirts. But even there, we couldn't evade their watchful eyes."

"My three loyal brothers fought valiantly to protect me. Just as I was about to escape the Ancient Quarters, a massive hand of source energy materialized and snatched me up in an instant..."

"A hand of source energy?" Kong Qing gasped, his mind racing to visualize the scene Luo Bing had described.

After listening to Luo Bing's tale, Kong Qing offered a comforting pat on her shoulder. "Brother Luo, hang in there. We still have a chance to escape."

"Escape?" Luo Bing was taken aback, then dismissed the idea with a chuckle, "Little brother, let's be real. It's a nice thought, but surviving this long is fortunate enough."

Seeing Luo Bing's resigned demeanor, Kong Qing fell silent, contemplatively nibbling on his steamed bun.

"By the way," Luo Bing suddenly perked up, shedding her despondent air with a smile, "you wanted to learn about warriors, right? Since I've accepted your kindness, I ought to hold up my end of the bargain."

Kong Qing quickly set aside the steamed bun he was holding and nodded vigorously with excitement, like a chick pecking at grains, murmuring, "Mhm, mhm, mhm."

"To become a warrior, there are two methods. One involves using an Origin Stone, which you can buy outside. It's neither particularly cheap nor overly expensive. The other method is for a high-ranking warrior to directly infuse Origin Energy into your heart."

"The brain is the foundation of a human, and the heart is the foundation of a warrior. Origin Energy is the sole energy that a warrior uses to condense various techniques, stored in the heart and utilized throughout the body."

Warriors are categorized into three realms: Human Origin, Earthly Origin, and Heavenly Origin, each with three sub-levels: low, middle, and high.

To reach the low level of the Human Origin Realm, the initial stage of becoming a warrior, one must progress through the Nine Steps of the Inner Sanctum, also known as the Innate Nine Steps.

The Nine Steps of the Inner Sanctum are designed to help warriors master the control of Origin Energy in their hearts and to enhance their body's resilience to a level that can endure the strain of martial techniques.

In essence, to harness martial skills, one must attain the Human Origin Realm.

"The Nine Steps of the Inner Sanctum..." Kong Qing pondered, looking down. "When I used the Origin Stone to channel Origin Energy into my heart, I must have reached the first step of the Inner Sanctum. The subsequent breakthrough would then be the second step."

At present, Kong Qing could only be considered a warrior at the second step of the Inner Sanctum.

"By the way, Brother Luo, is there a difference between using the Origin Stone to infuse Origin Energy and having a powerful warrior do it?" Kong Qing inquired.

"Uh," Luo Bing was momentarily perplexed by the question. "I've never mentioned any difference between the two, but the load that the Origin Stone places on the body is immense!"

"The heart, in particular, is at risk. A slight mishap could cause it to stop beating, leading to death. Many have failed to use the Origin Stone because they couldn't withstand the agony."

Upon hearing this, Kong Qing realized just how fortunate he had been. Without any knowledge of the Origin Stone, he had managed to activate it on his own. If he had to attempt it again, Kong Qing wasn't sure he'd have the bravery to face it.

"What about those with greater power?" Kong Qing pressed on with his inquiry.

"I'm not quite sure about the more powerful individuals, but whatever they use is certainly far superior to the Origin Stone. Only us poor folks resort to the Origin Stone. To infuse someone else with source energy, a warrior must have reached at least the Earthly Origin Stage."

"I see!" Kong Qing now had a clearer grasp of what it meant to be a warrior; the concept was no longer as nebulous to him.

"And what realm has Brother Luo reached?" Kong Qing asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Me?" Luo Bing was momentarily taken aback, then quickly gestured with her hand and sat up after finishing her last bun.

"When I entered the Ancient Quarters, not only did they take my three sworn brothers, but they also stripped me of all my cultivation..."

By the time Kong Qing regained his composure, Luo Bing had vanished from his view. Reflecting on this, he berated himself for inadvertently touching on a sensitive subject.

As Kong Qing felt the energy coursing through his arm, he became increasingly aware of how extraordinary source energy was.

Now, every organ in his body was enveloped in source energy, enhancing both his strength and speed significantly.

"Even warriors can be captured; it's clear that I need to become much stronger," Kong Qing mused silently.

Afterward, Kong Qing never saw Luo Bing again. He didn't know if she had perished at the hands of the supervisors or met some other fate. He deeply regretted this, as the knowledge Luo Bing had shared was invaluable to him.

Once Kong Qing had awakened his source energy, he spent his days alternating between mining and hiding, practicing his source energy manipulation in secret within a cave.

Kong Qing had intended to continue his training in the 26th area indefinitely, but his unusual behavior eventually caught the supervisor's attention.

"Hold on!"

As Kong Qing was about to take his mantou and head back to his cave, the third supervisor's icy voice stopped him in his tracks.

Kong Qing's face fell, and he quickly turned to face the third supervisor, "What is it, Supervisor?"

"I've forgotten your name," the third supervisor stated gravely.

Kong Qing's heart raced, though he managed to maintain a composed facade. He promptly responded, "Kong Qing!"

"I understand," the Third Supervisor responded.

"If there's nothing further, I'll take my leave and get some rest," Kong Qing said, and he quickly turned to leave. But before his foot could touch the ground, the Supervisor's deep voice called out once more.

"Where have you been hiding all this while?"