Chapter 8: The Awakening of Space
The morning air was still, heavy with the anticipation of the day's events. Xian Di stood in the quiet courtyard, his senses sharpened, every detail around him coming into focus with heightened clarity. The sky above was barely tinged with light, the sun still hidden behind the horizon. Today was the Tang family gathering, but he was no longer the person they remembered. The knowledge he had gained, the power he had unlocked—it had changed everything.
His fingers tightened around the shaft of the spear, feeling its familiar weight, but something had shifted within him. Space itself felt different now. The unseen force that surrounded everything had become tangible to him, and Xian Di knew it was time to test the boundaries of this new understanding.
He exhaled slowly, centering his mind, and began to move.
Xian Di's body reacted instinctively as he shifted from stance to stance. His feet barely touched the ground as he glided across the courtyard. There was no hesitation, no misstep. His strikes were swift, his movements fluid, almost disappearing into the air around him. Each thrust of his spear was precise, the energy concentrated at the tip as if drawn from the very space between himself and the target.
The world around him seemed to slow, each movement calculated with an awareness that felt almost supernatural. He could sense the distance between objects before he even moved, his body naturally adjusting to the space. He was no longer simply fighting—he was navigating through space itself.
He spun, striking out in quick succession, his feet carrying him effortlessly from one position to the next. The balance between offense and evasion had become seamless, his body slipping through invisible gaps as if he were walking through shadows. Each motion, each strike, was part of a greater whole, every action complementing the last.
There was no need to overthink it—his mastery had reached a point where everything flowed together. The spear moved with purpose, but it was the way he maneuvered through space that had become the true art.
As his practice intensified, Xian Di could feel the energy pulsing within him, syncing with the flow of his movements. His awareness of the space around him deepened, every shift in the air, every subtle tremor in the ground felt through his heightened perception. He wasn't just reacting to the world around him—he was bending it to his will.
A thrust forward sent a ripple through the air, the spear cutting through the space between him and the nearest tree. His body twisted as he disappeared from one spot and reappeared in another, his feet landing lightly, his breath controlled and steady. The sense of control was exhilarating, the realization that he was not just navigating through space but commanding it.
With each pass through the courtyard, he pushed himself harder. His movements became faster, his strikes more precise. He wasn't satisfied with just mastering the basics—he needed to see how far he could take this newfound power. Each step, each swing, felt like an extension of the world around him.
As the sun began to rise, its light filtering through the trees, Xian Di slowed his movements, his practice coming to a halt. His breathing remained calm, his body warm with the residual energy of his training. The space around him felt alive, as if it had responded to his mastery, bending subtly to his presence.
He had crossed a threshold, one he hadn't been sure he could reach. But now, standing in the center of the courtyard, Xian Di understood something deeper—his control over space was still in its infancy, yet it already felt limitless. The Void Walker Codex had granted him more than just a technique; it had given him the ability to shape reality itself.
And he had only just begun to unlock its secrets.
The sound of voices in the distance broke the silence, signaling the approach of the family gathering. Today, the Tang family would witness the results of his training, but they wouldn't see the Xian Di they once knew. They would see someone who had embraced the power of the void, someone who could bend space to his will.
He rolled his shoulders, the weight of the moment settling comfortably on him. For years, he had been the one overlooked, the one cast aside. But today, that would change.
With a final glance at the courtyard, Xian Di turned toward the main house, his heart calm, his mind focused. The family gathering was only hours away, but for the first time, he wasn't worried. He was ready.