That afternoon, in Master Ha Jin's study.
Master Ha Jin summoned Lisa, Will, and Jin to his study. The three of them stood side by side before him, while Master Ha Jin sat on a chair beside his desk, his head lowered in silence.
"What's going on?" Will quietly asked Jin, glancing sideways.
"Has the training started?" Jin quietly responded, asking the same of Will.
"I don't know," Will replied, equally quietly.
Growing a bit impatient, Will decided to find out what was happening with Master Ha Jin. He crept closer, but Master Ha Jin remained still, offering no response. So, Will crouched down and slowly brought his face close to Ha Jin's.
"Huff..." As Will's face neared, he was startled to hear Ha Jin snoring softly.
"What? It turns out Master Ha Jin is just taking a nap!" Will exclaimed, leaping to his feet in surprise.
"Ah?" Jin and Lisa, standing nearby, exchanged looks of disbelief as they turned to Will.
"Master Ha Jin!" Will shouted loudly, pressing his mouth near Ha Jin's ear.
"Ah!" Startled by the sudden loud shout, Ha Jin woke up with a jolt.
"Master Ha Jin, you called us here, but you're just napping!" Will said reproachfully.
"Ah, it's not time for the nap to end yet," Ha Jin replied, rubbing his eyes vigorously as he sat up. Then, he looked at Will, Jin, and Lisa standing before him and smiled.
"I called you here because Mr. Will and Mr. Jin are determined to confront the Shadow Council," Ha Jin said.
"What? You two are going without me?" Lisa looked at Will and Jin with disdain.
"Hehe, about that..." Will said awkwardly, trying to deflect Lisa's skepticism.
"Of course, the three of us will go together," Jin said decisively from the side.
"Master Ha Jin, what exactly is this training?" Will asked, puzzled.
"Ah, one of you possesses the aura of an ancient sage, while the other wields the power of the Red Dragon. If you can successfully control these powers, you may have a chance to defeat the Shadow Council," Ha Jin explained.
"The aura of an ancient sage, is that the golden aura I feel within me? It's such a strange sensation, though it only emerges in critical moments," Will said, lowering his gaze to look at his hands.
"Mine too. If it weren't for seeing my brother and me on the brink of death, I doubt the power inside me would have awakened," Jin murmured softly.
"Ah, that's quite normal. When one's life or the life of someone dear is in danger, it can trigger untapped potential. Now, you need to learn to control this power within you," Ha Jin smiled at Will and Jin.
"Control?" Will looked at his hands, his face filled with confusion.
"Can I really do it?" Jin muttered, unsure.
"Master Ha Jin, what about me?" Lisa asked expectantly.
"Little Lisa, your task is to supervise them along with me," Ha Jin said casually.
"But, Master Ha Jin, I want to train too," Lisa said, her voice tinged with urgency upon hearing she would not be allowed to train.
"Little Lisa, you don't need special training. You are already powerful as you are," Ha Jin smiled reassuringly at her.
"That's a lie. I can't even defeat Merlin," Lisa said, somewhat irate.
"Ah, that's because there's a fundamental difference between you and Merlin. He can do anything, while you, on the other hand, never intended to hurt anyone. That's why your magic doesn't have the same destructive power," Ha Jin continued, smiling as he explained.
"But..." Lisa still seemed dissatisfied.
"Little Lisa, trust me. You really don't need any special training right now," Ha Jin's expression grew serious as he spoke, dropping the friendly smile.
"Oh, fine," Lisa said reluctantly, backing down without further questioning.
Seeing that Lisa had ceased her protests, everyone present—Ha Jin, Will, and Jin—felt a collective sigh of relief. Earlier that morning, Ha Jin had warned Will and Jin not to let Lisa undergo any further rigorous training. If the power of the Magic Dragon inside her awakened, she would be unable to control it, potentially causing even greater chaos.
"So, what exactly will we be training?" Jin asked.
"Qi. I'll teach you how to control your own Qi. Only then will you have a chance to face the Shadow Council," Ha Jin said.
With that, Ha Jin raised his hand and gently waved it, summoning a shimmering white portal in front of him.
"Come, let's go somewhere else to train," Ha Jin said decisively, standing up and walking into the portal.
Will and Jin exchanged a look before slowly stepping through the portal as well. Finally, Lisa followed, albeit with a dissatisfied expression.
A short while later, they found themselves in a dilapidated building. The place was cramped, with a small closet, bed, and dining table all crammed into a tight space.
"Where are we?" Will asked, glancing around in confusion.
"This is where we'll train," Ha Jin answered, smiling as he surveyed the surroundings.
"Here? It looks even worse than a shelter," Will said, bewildered.
"Ah, don't say that. I spent many years here training when I was younger," Ha Jin replied with a smile.
"Is this the only window in the room?" Will asked, pointing to a tiny window high near the ceiling, barely large enough to fit a face.
"Ah, yes, it seems this window is only for... ventilation," Ha Jin said thoughtfully, after a moment's consideration.
"We won't be stuck in this room for training, will we?" Will asked, growing concerned.
"Of course not. We'll be heading to a much more spacious place," Ha Jin said with a smile.
"Really? That's great! I feel like I'm going to go crazy in here," Will said, overjoyed, as he eagerly opened the door and rushed out.
As soon as Will burst through the door, he let out a sharp cry.
"What happened?" Hearing Will's cry, Jin and Lisa rushed toward the door. When they stepped outside, they were greeted by an awe-inspiring sight—the vast expanse of the ocean stretched out before them.
"Where are we?" Jin turned to Ha Jin, asking in surprise.
"We're on the highest peak of the eastern lands. From here, you can see the shelter. It should be down to your left," Ha Jin explained, smiling.
Following his direction, Jin and Lisa looked to the left and saw the shelter nestled along the cliffs, with a corridor winding along its edge.
Will, having rushed out without a second thought, was now paralyzed with fear at the dizzying height before him. He lay on the ground, screaming in terror.
"Will, you're hopeless," Lisa said, walking over with a mocking smile.
"This is so high!" Will exclaimed, his voice trembling as though he might burst into tears.
"Sigh, let me help you up," Jin said, stepping over and pulling Will up with a strong tug. As Will stood, his legs continued to shake uncontrollably.
"Alright, this is the training area. It should be spacious enough, don't you think?" Ha Jin said.
"Yes!" Will shouted excitedly.