Fang Jian's foundation was established firmly, and his prenatal Qi was so absolutely purified that the serpent spirit had nothing to devour but the energy that came from the food within his belly. He had rushed out of his home in his fervor to become a disciple of Hidden Shadow Sect, but he did not get far before he felt the need to stop at a street vendor's cart and buy a large bowl of noodles to stave away the pain in his stomach.
The few silvers he possessed were quickly spent, but that did not stop him from contentedly devouring his noodles as he considered his path moving forward. Once he had become an official outer disciple of Hidden Shadow Sect, he would not have to worry about meals- compared to his life as a waste not even seven days ago, he felt wealthy even with empty pockets.
At his level, it would take Fang Jian nearly seven hours to reach the outer Pavilion; it was early enough for him to reach the pavilion without having to stop somewhere for the night, but he would have to hurry if he wanted to avoid inconveniencing his elders when he presented himself. The ever present heat and humidity of Wu Gui left everyone coated with a sheen of sweat and a tendency for shorter patience, but Fang Jian's mood could not be dampened as he walked toward his future in the Hidden Shadow Sect.
Having a reputation for kindness was not unheard of in the martial world, but compassion was seen as a companion of weakness more than anything. Letting the infant son of a rival clan survive a purge is one and the same as letting a mortal enemy survive; if one did not have the strength to defend their belongings, few would step out of their way to catch the thief. Growing to adulthood living the life of a cripple has led to Fang Jian cultivating a reputation that was its own sort of strength. Those who sought the immortal dao often leave behind thoughts of those who abandon the path to live a more mundane life, but Fang Jian had countless friends and allies among the common citizens of Heaven Shattering Pavilion.
The stinging pain of hunger re-established itself faster than should be possible as he journeyed. He knew the shops and households that he passed were offering a prayer for luck in his favor, not because they could ride his coattails to success, but because they had watched him grow to be a respectable man. He could stop at any door and he knew those inside would give him food, but he could not bear the thought of begging on the day he would join the Hidden Shadow Sect, so he settled down between two crates in front of a stable and began to absorb world energy.
Coalescing into a drop, like dew gathering on a leaf, world energy slowly filtered into Fang Jian; Within his meridians the yang serpent spirit greedily devoured every drop of energy he could absorb- in trade the searing hunger in his belly was relieved. The serpent spirit was a part of him, and he was the serpent spirit. The ever insatiable need to feed, to grow filled Fang Jian as he focused on the circulation art of the king serpent sacred spirit art. Rather than feeling as if a conscious beastial spirit was roving within his meridians, he felt as if his meridians were the beast. The energy trickling into him was not enough. It could never be enough. Sharp pangs of starvation gnawed at him, disturbing his concentration and slowing the rate he absorbed energy.
Swept away by the infinite flow of the serpent spirit, he grew numb to his senses. No outward perception would help him glean the secrets of the serpent spirit, and he did not have the ability to look within and study it, and he would not gain the ability to do so until he opened his mind dantian and nurtured his divine sense. He focused his senses on the abyssal heat that spread across his meridians as he settled deeper into his sacred art, mustering his focus to try and differentiate between his own prenatal Qi and the feral yang energy of the serpent spirit. With every calm intake of breath, the droplets of world energy swelled and fell into the sea of energy inside of him, but he could not taste or feel the energy, as the serpent spirit too quickly devoured it and converted it into rich and pure yang Qi that was identical to his prenatal Qi.
One of the undisputed truths of the immortal dao is that prenatal Qi cannot be replenished once expended, and it could not be increased, only purified. Those who are born with weak or insufficient prenatal Qi, whether due to karma or luck, would grow slower, and to lesser heights than those who were graced with pure and strong prenatal Qi. The king serpent sacred spirit art, in combination with the living yang king serpent spirit inside of his indestructible, conflagrated meridians combined to provide him with a way to refine, and increase his prenatal Qi with regular cultivation; the drawback was his inability to make progress on his immortal path.
It was easy to help the serpent circulate faster and faster, but that did not change the rate at which the world energy collected within him. The different forms of energy in the world had their own rules of flow to observe and master, but Fang Jian could not even observe or explore the energy for a heart beat before the serpent gobbled it up. The only way he would be able to advance his cultivation and increase his intake of energy, would be to learn to control the serpent spirit fully. The essence of the serpent spirit had already expanded to cover his meridians, to become his meridians. The resonance between the sacred art and the spirit guided him as he relaxed into the will of the insatiable, uncontrollable embodiment of his Qi.
He slowed his breathing, envisioning the Qi in his meridians as heavy and thick. The serpent could not rampage any faster than the flow of his Qi. He inhaled as slowly as he could, filling his lungs to their depths; the moment before a droplet of world energy coalesced into his meridians, he held his breath. The serpent spirit vibrated with rage as it was restrained in the unmoving flow of prenatal Qi. With the circulation of energy restrained, the droplet of energy failed to completely form, it was as if he was dying of thirst and the last droplet of water in his water pouch refused to drip into his mouth. The strain of holding his breath was more aggressive than it would normally be, and as the seconds passed the thrashing of the serpent spirit intensified.
Wet and cool, he felt the sensation of world energy mixing with his prenatal Qi, like water mixing with oil. The single drop was not enough to refresh him, or to help him seek answers, but feeling it for the first time since opening his body dantian was uniquely satisfying. Fang Jian instantly relaxed his held breath and melted into the satisfaction of success, losing control of the spirit, who quickly devoured the foreign energy, but the burning pain of hunger within him had somehow been assuaged. Soggy with sweat his clothing stuck to his skin and he stumbled as he sprung to his feet with shaky limbs, but Fang Jian was ready to continue his journey to the outer pavilion.
Shadows were longer than he expected them to be when he opened his eyes, prompting him to decide that his only way to arrive on time would be to run as much as possible. He had no movement technique, and he could not use one if he wanted to without access to deep wells of postnatal Qi. He gathered his breath, threw one foot out in front of the other and began to jog.
"Where are you going?" Luck was the only thing that stopped Fang Jian from tripping as the nine year old Cui Qing suddenly spoke up from where he was sitting on a crate beside where Fang Jian had been cultivating.
"You surprised me, brother Cui Qing. Today is the day I present myself as an outer disciple of the Hidden Shadow Sect." Cui Qing was dressed in the simple gray and black robes of the outer pavilion, his head was shaven and his eyes were as blue as the sky.
"So this means that you are truly not crippled anymore." Fang Jian smiled wanly, he knew that Cui Qing was not being disrespectful intentionally, and would not hold it against him, but he was beginning to realize that his new brothers and sisters may be somewhat less receptive then he had hoped.
"Considering what we know today, the truth of yesterday is a lie. This one was never crippled, this one is merely a late bloomer." Even to the side of the road as they were, Fang Jian tipped his head close to Cui Qing to keep the chastisement personal, and Cui Qing gave a quick bow in response.
"You are correct, junior brother Fang. This senior brother had eyes but failed to see the truth." To insult a fellow brother was the same as to insult the entirety of the Hidden Shadow Sect outer pavilion, and even more, as his senior brother, Cui Qing had a certain responsibility to his Junior.
"No need to be so serious, senior brother Cui, I do not think anyone heard what you said anyway. Would you like to join me on my journey to the outer pavilion today?" Cui Qing pulled his pouch from his belt and tipped it toward Fang Jian to reveal dozens of spirit herbs and spirit grasses, including multiple stalks of ten and nine colored serpent grasses, silver moss, and even a variant ginseng root.
"I will join your trip! I am on my way to the contribution hall. I am afraid that if Treasurer Shi Fu does not write my name in his book more I will be demoted, so I took an herb gathering job." Fang Jian chuckled at Cui Qing's youthful excitement, all while he inwardly spat blood at the riches being casually displayed.
"A hot day is best spent in the company of friends, and I find it is easier to keep walking when I am not alone." The duo immediately began to walk side by side down the crowded road, not slowly, but not too fast either.
Within an hour of starting their journey, hunger was once again gnawing at Fang Jian's motivation. It had been easier to ignore the growing discomfort in the face of companions, but it did not stop the growing dread that his sacred art would leave Fang Jian living a life in extreme discomfort, the same discomfort he had lived with for ten thousand years as he relived the yang serpent's life. He allowed his thoughts to drift to the serpent spirit and the life it had lived.
As he walked, his focus on reality faded and he succumbed to his body's need to cultivate. He trusted that Cui Qing would not allow him to step too far from the correct path and sought an answer to the pain he was suffering. He tried to apply the new trick of isolating the serpent spirit, but he could not focus enough to control it. He could not absorb enough energy to offset the pain, but the serpent was constantly supplementing his prenatal Qi, protecting him from any of the fatigue from walking.
"Brother Fang, would you like to stop for some food? My Auntie has a restaurant near here and we have spent the last few hours walking." A deep gurgle emanated from Fang Jian's empty belly the moment Cui Qing mentioned food, and it would be impossible for Fang Jian to focus enough to try to absorb energy while walking any further. "It will be my treat!"
The much younger senior brother laughed as he increased his pace and steered the duo toward a medium sized restaurant situated below one of the many enormous evergreen trees within the Heaven Shattering Pavilion. Eight tables were arranged in a semi-circle around the base of the tree with the restaurant acting as the crown. Nine chairs surrounded each table and nine stools supported the counter top. Every seat was full.
"I told you, Brother Fang, this will be a treat! My Auntie is famous!" Cui Qing's prideful exclamation was punctuated by the ferocious roar elicited by Fang Jian's stomach as he noticed the length of the line of waiting people. The scent of spices, bread, and roasting meat affected the watering mouths of every person waiting.
"The line seems long and I would like to cultivate while we wait, do you mind, brother Cui?" The younger boy blinked several times before bursting into a short fit of laughter.
"This one had heard that you've made incredible progress since opening your dantian, I guess you earned it with diligence! This one will make sure no one disturbs you." Fang Jian bowed to his brother before finding a comfortable spot in the shade of the evergreen and sitting to cultivate in earnest.
Like stinging nettles, the scent of pine filled his nostrils as he breathed deeply and Fang Jian could not help but to succumb to an uncontrollable fit of sneezing. The aromatic spices made his breath seem sticky, amplifying the scent of the pine and accentuating the intensity of the effect. He had no choice but to cultivate to avoid the pain of his hunger so he inclined his head to those he had disturbed and took another deep breath through his nose.
The world energy was different than what he was used to experiencing, it coalesced somewhat faster before dripping into his internal energy. The heavy spices seemed to stick to the energy as it was being absorbed, infusing an added yang element. The serpent spirit feasted on the yang laden energy; it eagerly thrashed within his meridians, trying to hasten his cultivation speed and disturbing his natural rhythm.
A small Vacuum formed due to the dissonance between the sacred serpent art and his natural rhythm causing prenatal Qi to flow out through his pore apertures. If he breathed deeply, he broke out sneezing, but if he did not- the greedy serpent rampaged.
"Sometimes a curse is just a curse." He coughed blood into his hand as a result of the dissonance. The momentary lapse in cultivation triggered another rampage, but Fang Jian could not muster the focus to counteract the domineering serpent spirit. The Heavenly Soul Array god body made his meridians indestructible, they could withstand the abuse.
Spasms rocked his muscles as he flinched and seized from the internal dissonance. Breathing slowly, he tried to increase the speed of his internal circulation to match the speed of the serpent spirit. Blood poured from his nose as vacuums began to form once more. He could not absorb world energy fast enough to support the increased circulation speed without breathing deeper and faster. A blockage in his nose was impeding the flow of his breath.
A coppery tang polluted the scent of spices as Fang Jian once more breathed in through his nose. The breath lasted longer than previously, and he could feel a difference. The fiery yang energy imbued by the spices in the air was wearing away at the blockage in his nose. Two droplets of condensed energy formed in the time it would have taken one as he started his next breath. His nose aperture was loosening!
Opening the ear, nose, throat, and eye apertures is a common goal for those who cultivated. Even though he knew it was something he needed to do, Fang Jian did not know how to go about it, but luck was its own form of strength. As the barrier was eroded, he could breathe more deeply without fear of being agitated by the spices in the air. Deeper and deeper he breathed, even as it felt like the yang laden energy was burning his nostrils, he battled to erode the barrier to his nose aperture enough to fully open it.
The potency of the spices in the air suddenly intensified and he pulled his breath as deeply into his body dantian as he could. It did not take long for the remnants of the barrier to crumble away. It felt as if a dam had broken, in the same amount of time it would take for one droplet of energy to form before he opened the aperture was enough time for ten droplets to form after he opened it. Even the serpent spirit could not instantly devour all of the energy he was absorbing.
Fang Jian opened his eyes to see Cui Qing standing before him holding a steaming platter of food. The elevated potency of the aromatic energy that had helped Fang Jian open his nose aperture came from the platter.
"Brother Qing, your timing is impeccable!" Fang Jian leapt to his feet and clapped his senior brother on the back before helping him to sit down with the heavily burdened platter.
"No need to be so excited, my Auntie never makes me pay for food, I am her favorite nephew." Cui Qing beamed as he shoved a steamed bun into his mouth, Fang Jian was all too happy to follow Cui Qing's lead and dig into the delicious meal.
"Your Auntie is an incredible chef, not only does this taste amazing, but even the scent alone loosened my nose aperture and helped me to open it!" Food was disappearing in a fraction of the time they had waited for it, too delicious for them to slowly savor.
"Even elder Feng Cai wants my auntie to be his personal cook, but my auntie will not abandon her stall. Seeking Wind Temple even invited her to come and be an inner disciple in exchange for an opportunity to study her cooking techniques." Fang Jian grinned at Cui Qing's upbeat attitude and Filial pride, happy to have found such good company for the journey.
Well rested and well fed, the duo resumed their journey to the outer pavilion. The smell of the world had a new depth and each breath had a special coolness to it. With his nose aperture opened, even the humidity seemed less stifling. Fang Jian breathed in more deeply than he ever had before, reveling in the comfort and strength he felt from each breath as world energy continued to condense without concentration. Insatiable as ever, the serpent spirit continued to devour all of the energy it could, but it was too small to devour all of the energy in an instant.
World energy was able to coalesce into droplets and fall into his dantian to pool. The serpent spirit could not enter the dantian, it was too large. While energy can be stored in the body dantian, Fang Jian had no way to draw it back out or utilize it, but the serpent spirit was still supplementing his prenatal Qi. Every breath felt like it was doing twice the work and Fang Jian felt full of freshness and energy. He decided to push himself hard to move faster and arrive earlier. The duo steadily increased pace until they were running toward their destination.
"Junior brother, you are beginning to make this one feel competitive, let's race to the outer pavilion; you may be twice my age, but this one is still two stages beyond you." Fang Jian's eyes glittered at Cui Qing's friendly provocation as he moved slightly faster.
"What shall we wager then, senior brother, with the depth of your cultivation, you surely understand that one can never get something from nothing." Cui Qing laughed in response as he tried to overtake Fang Jian.
"If you can beat this senior, I will give you all the contribution points I earn for this bag of herbs. As long as Shi Fu puts my name in his contribution ledger." Cui Qing sprinted forward, but could not leave Fang Jian behind.
As Fang Jian stretched his legs and matched his stride to his breath, the serpent continued to flow through his meridians and convert world energy into prenatal Qi. Fang Jian burned the prenatal Qi to fuel his body as he ran. His muscles felt no fatigue as the miles disappeared beneath his feet.
"Are you not getting tired yet, Junior brother?" Cui Qing was breathing raggedly and struggling to maintain his posture as he ran. They had been running for well over thirty minutes at a near sprint pace.
"Tired? How could this one be tired with just a warm up?" Cui Qing blanched as Fang Jian significantly increased his pace and easily left him behind.
A trip that would have taken six hours to walk took Fang Jian less than an hour; Cui Qing arrived half an hour later and collapsed upon arrival. Fang Jian propped him up and fanned air into his face as Cui Qing tried to regain control of his runaway heartbeat and ragged breathing.
"Well fought, Senior brother. Seeing someone surpass their limits as you have done today is inspirational to me." Fang Jian could do nothing but praise his senior brother and Cui Qing smiled weakly as he tried to catch his breath.
"My family has called me talented for reaching the dark green stage of semi-mortal as early as I did, but they called you a waste. Even if you are twice my age, it is truly an injustice." Cui Qing finally stumbled to his feet and did his best not to lean on his junior brother as Fang Jian composed his reply.
"For many years I could do nothing but let my name and my family's name be dragged through the mud. I am glad to have my chance to rise above that fate. I will not hold it against those who called me a waste when there was no difference between that and the truth, but I will not forgive those who have eyes and fail to see that some things do change."