Elrian settled into a comfortable sitting position, his back straight and his palms resting on his knees. His eyes gently closed, focusing on the sensation of his breath. In and out, in and out—each breath served as an anchor, pulling his awareness away from the chaotic swirl of thoughts that normally occupied his mind.
At first, his mind resisted, offering up a buffet of distractions. A stray thought about the Sky Lion core, the vivid green light from the pearl, even the smell of breakfast still lingering in the air—all of these surfaced, pulling his attention away from his breath. But Elrian persisted. He gently acknowledged each distraction and then let it go, bringing his focus back to the rhythmic pattern of his breathing.
Minutes turned into what felt like hours. The room around him faded away, replaced by an all-encompassing darkness. A less experienced meditator might have panicked, but Elrian found it oddly comforting. It was as if he had dived into an endless sea, with the water supporting him from all sides.
His parents watched, astonished at the ease with which their son seemed to be diving deep into meditation. Of course, they couldn't be sure how deep he was, but something about the tranquility that seemed to envelop him gave them hope. It was a peacefulness they had seldom seen, even among seasoned cultivators.
Suddenly, Elrian felt a jolt—a sensation, an awareness that he couldn't put into words. It was as if his consciousness had expanded, spreading out from his core to envelop something much larger, much more potent. He strained to grasp it, and just as suddenly, it slipped away, leaving him feeling slightly bereft. His heart pounded in his chest, and for a brief moment, the room around him swam back into focus.
Frustration surged within him. He was so close; he could feel it. Gathering his resolve, he turned inward again, reaching out for that elusive feeling. This time, he took a different approach. Instead of chasing it, he opened himself up to it, inviting it to come to him.
Minutes stretched into an eternity, each moment pregnant with possibility. And then, just when he was about to give up hope, he felt it again—this time, stronger, more tangible. It was as if his consciousness had touched something extraordinary, something so vast and awe-inspiring that his mind could barely comprehend it.
And then, it happened. The boundary that had kept him apart from this incredible sensation shattered, and he felt himself merging with it. It was elemental Qi—wild, chaotic, and incredibly potent, yet also inviting and strangely familiar.
Elrian was no longer merely sitting in a room; he was a part of something much larger, connected to an elemental force that defied description. His core pulsed in response, as if in recognition or perhaps in greeting. It was an interaction without words, a communion of energies that went beyond language or thought.
His parents, looking on, could sense a change. Though they couldn't fully understand the depth of what he was experiencing, they felt a surge of both surprise and joy. Their son was doing something extraordinary, something that went beyond their wildest hopes.
As Elrian remained in that deep meditative state, a realization dawned on him: this was just the beginning. What he had tapped into was a source of unimaginable potential, a path that could lead him to heights he had never before considered.
It was a fleeting moment, one that he knew he would have to strive to reach again, but it left an indelible impression. As he finally allowed himself to come out of the meditative state, he felt different—transformed in some intangible way. And while he knew the path ahead would be fraught with challenges and uncertainties, for the first time, he felt truly ready to face them.
As Elrian remained in his meditative state, his senses began to expand in an unprecedented manner. It was as though a veil had been lifted, revealing a new layer of reality that he'd never perceived before. He became aware of numerous bright spots of light scattered throughout the room. These points of light pulsed gently, each radiating its own unique frequency.
Among these lights, a few distinct green spots caught his attention. Unlike the other lights, these green spots seemed to be larger and brighter, pulsating with a vitality that was compelling, almost magnetic. These were not just ordinary spots of Qi; these were elemental in nature, concentrated nodes of wind-elemental Qi.
His heart pounded in excitement. Could it be? Was he actually perceiving elemental Qi? Elrian instinctively reached out towards one of the green spots with his awareness. It felt like stretching an invisible hand through a viscous medium, tentative yet curious. As his consciousness touched one of these green nodes, he felt a sudden rush of exhilarating energy.
The green node responded, its pulsation quickening as if recognizing something kindred within him. An invisible thread of connection formed, linking the elemental Qi to his core. It was a remarkable feeling, akin to two separate notes harmonizing to create a unique melody. The wind-elemental Qi began to flow along this thread, gently seeping into his core.
Unlike regular Qi, this elemental Qi had a vibrant, almost wild quality to it. It surged into his core like a gust of wind, filling him with a sense of boundless freedom and untamed power. His core absorbed the elemental Qi greedily, as if drinking from a long-sought-after spring of water.
Elrian realized that not only was he absorbing Qi, but he was also absorbing elemental Qi—the same elemental Qi he had felt a unique affinity with ever since the sigil merged with his body and soul. This was an astonishing leap, almost unthinkable for someone of his age and lack of formal training.
Yet, here he was, doing something that would be considered miraculous even by the standards of more advanced cultivators. Even without fully understanding the implications, Elrian knew that this was a momentous breakthrough, something that would drastically alter his path in cultivation.