After being chosen by the Ice Queen

Gu Yan was led by Lei Kun to a single room in the base's living area, equipped with basic rest and washing facilities. Outside the window was simulated natural light, changing according to a 24-hour rhythm.

After a night's rest, Gu Yan was woken up by Lei Kun's loud voice.

"Hey kid, get out of bed! Time waits for no one, come with me."

The training ground was located deeper within the base; it was spacious, with a floor covered in special energy-absorbing material, and the surrounding walls shimmering with the light of reinforcing runes. Lin Xue was already waiting there.

"First, there is the Mind Source Meditation Method."

"The power of a World Walker originates from authority, and the root of authority lies in the resonance between the mind and the world. Meditation is to help you perceive yourself more clearly, stabilize your mind, isolate yourself from internal and external interference, and thus better guide and control your power, especially... that restless guest within you."

The instructions she taught were not complicated, yet they went straight to the essence: visualize yourself as a still, deep pool, and your consciousness as the bright moon reflected in that pool, illuminating the flow of every strand of energy within your body, especially the dark and deep-seated energy of the candle in your dantian. The requirement was not to control, but to observe and understand, to feel the eerie purple light enveloping it.

Gu Yan sat down cross-legged as instructed, and for the first time, he could clearly "see" the Zhuyin Qi within his body.

It resembled a slowly rotating nebula, entirely grayish-white with a solidified purplish-black core. The nebula exuded a profound chill, as if it could absorb the surrounding light and heat.

As Gu Yan's consciousness cautiously approached, he felt the desire again—a thirst for more yin energy. But this time, accompanied by the clarity of meditation, he could more clearly discern that this was not an independent will.

Rather, it is an inherent property of this energy, like water flowing downwards and fire burning upwards.

"Feel its 'coldness,' but don't be assimilated by it. You are the observer, the pool water, and it is the fish swimming in the pool." Lin Xue's voice rang out directly in her mind.

Gu Yan tried to keep his consciousness in a detached state. Gradually, the rotation of the candlelight energy slowed down slightly as his consciousness focused, and the flow of energy appeared more orderly.

Wisps of extremely fine grayish-white energy were peeling away from the nebula, slowly and steadily merging into his limbs and bones, strengthening every inch of his body. Meanwhile, the purplish-black impurity remained firmly frozen in his core, showing no signs of movement for the time being.

The first meditation lasted about two hours. When it ended, Gu Yan opened his eyes and felt that his mind was not tired at all, but rather clear and cleansed, and the restlessness of the power in his body had also calmed down a lot.

"Meditate at least twice a day. This is the foundation," Lin Xue instructed. "Next is the initial guidance and application. Your Yin Erosion ability originates from the transformation after the Breath of Candlelight devoured the remnant of Orochi. Try to guide it to your fingertips, without letting it dissipate or go berserk, maintaining stability."

This is far more difficult than meditation. Mobilizing power requires the intervention of will, and the cold and obscure nature of the Candlelight Breath makes the process of guiding it like pushing a heavy iron block in icy water. Gu Yan failed repeatedly; either he couldn't draw out the breath at all, or he managed to draw out a wisp and then it quickly dissipated out of control, or it carried a chilling and unsettling fluctuation.

Lin Xue wasn't impatient; she simply pointed out the problems after each of his failures: "Your willpower isn't focused enough." "Your understanding of the concept of Yin is too shallow. Try to imagine it as an extension of shadow, as dust settled over time." "Your breathing rhythm is off; you haven't maintained your meditative state."

Through repeated failures and adjustments, Gu Yan's understanding of his own power gradually deepened. Three days later, he finally succeeded in guiding a stable, condensed, and faintly chilly grayish-white aura to the tip of his right index finger. The aura swirled, the air around his fingertip slightly distorted, and the temperature noticeably dropped.

"Very good." A barely perceptible hint of approval flashed in Lin Xue's eyes. "Maintain it, feel its wear and tear, and try to change its shape, even if only a little bit."

It was another tedious and difficult practice. It wasn't until the fifth day that Gu Yan was able to maintain a wisp of breath at his fingertips for more than ten minutes, and he could barely shape it into an extremely thin needle. Although it would dissipate after only a few seconds, it was still a huge improvement.

He gained a more intuitive understanding of the potential power of the Shadow Corrosion ability—if this power were also attached to the sword's edge, its destructive power and continuous damage effect would far exceed that of before.

During the day, he followed Lin Xue for mental and energy training, while at night he was taken by Lei Kun to undergo practical combat consolidation and physical adaptation training.

"What good is just meditation! You only know how to put it to the test when you put it to the test." Lei Kun's training method was much simpler and more brutal.

He had Gu Yan wear specially made weighted gear and conduct extreme physical training, impact resistance exercises, and most importantly, sword combat without using any supernatural power.

The opponents were realistic combat puppets in the training ground. Lei Kun would occasionally step in himself, using only basic physical skills and a specially made rubber baton. The puppets were tireless, with tricky attack patterns. Lei Kun, on the other hand, was highly experienced, his movements precise and ruthless, specifically targeting Gu Yan's weaknesses and areas where his power was not flowing smoothly.

At first, Gu Yan was still getting used to the enhanced physical strength and speed, and his movements were sometimes distorted. He was also not proficient in using his intuition for master-level swordsmanship, and was often beaten by Lei Kun's rubber baton, making him grimace.

"Put your power in! Coordinate your waist and stance! Is that all the strength you've got from not eating?"

"Rhythm! The rhythm is off! Are you trying to do acrobatics?"

"Intuition! Trust your feelings! Don't just stare!"

Through rigorous training in real combat, Gu Yan made rapid progress. His enhanced physique gave him greater endurance and explosive power, and his mastery of swordsmanship began to truly permeate his very being.

He began to better anticipate the puppet's attacks and was able to occasionally launch counterattacks during sparring with Lei Kun. He applied the subtle perception of his own power flow gained through meditation to his muscle control and power generation techniques, making his swordplay smoother and his power more concentrated.

On the evening of the seventh day, after the final sparring session, Lei Kun tossed Gu Yan a bottle of energy drink and lit a cigarette for himself.

"Not bad, your foundation is much more solid now. Your physical enhancement is basically complete, and your swordsmanship has truly stepped into the realm of mastery, no longer just for show. Most importantly," he exhaled a smoke ring, "that vague restlessness and unease in your eyes when you first returned is gone. It seems Miss Lin's meditation lessons have been remarkably effective."

Gu Yan took a sip of his drink, feeling the surging yet stable power within his body, and the calm and clear state in his mind. He nodded, "Thank you for your guidance, Brother Kun."

"Don't give me that." Lei Kun waved his hand. "You survived on your own. Remember this feeling. In the future, World Walkers will face countless strange and supernatural forces. Without a stable mind and a solid foundation, you'll die the fastest. As for the impurities in your body, suppress them with visualization as Miss Lin taught you. It won't be a big problem. But if you encounter a situation that can cause them to fluctuate violently, be quick-witted."

"clear."

"Alright, that concludes this week's intensive training. Miss Lin should have mentioned the time adjustment to you. Get ready; you can return to that Japanese world now. Your identity and mission there await you." Lei Kun stubbed out his cigarette. "Next time you come back, I hope you can bring back some more interesting 'local specialties'."

Back in his room, Gu Yan engaged in deep meditation, thoroughly processing the week's gains. He felt his control over the Candlelight Breath had improved significantly; while still far from complete mastery, he was no longer entirely passive. His guidance of the wisp of Yin Corrosion aura had also become much more proficient. His swordsmanship was firmly established at the early stages of mastery, and his combat experience had become considerably richer.

He glanced at the terminal screen in the room, which displayed a brief message from Lin Xue: "The passage has been coordinated. You can return to Yi-Si-7743 at any time. The time anchor has been set; the other end is approximately 48 hours from where you left. Proceed with caution."

He stood in the center of the room, silently reciting the instructions.

[Request to return to: World No. 7743 (near the Shimotsuki Tea House safe zone).]

[Time flow adjustment confirmed to be in effect. Estimated time elapsed in the target world: approximately 2 days.]

[Teleportation initiated.]

The scene of the base faded, and he appeared in a quiet alley, not far from the Frostmoon Tea House.

The traveler's mark on his chest warmed slightly, indicating that his mission status had been updated.

[Mission 'Establishment': Chiba Group's 'Advisor Assistant' status is in effect. A trusting relationship has been established with Chiba Rin.]

[Side Quest 'The Promise of the Sword': Clues (key, map) have been obtained and are awaiting investigation.]

[Permissible stay: Approximately 25 days.]

Gu Yan took a deep breath, and the Yin Qi within his body circulated steadily. The vague sense of rejection and suppression he felt when he first arrived was gone. It seemed that as his control improved, his adaptability also increased.

He discerned the direction and headed towards the Frost Moon Tea House. In just seven days, he was no longer the naive man he once was.

PS: I'm taking a break from updating this chapter, I'll make it up tomorrow.