Yang Feng stood outside his modest home, feeling the warm breeze brush against his skin. His eyes widened as he gazed at the magnificent creature perched before him—a massive eagle, its body made entirely of shimmering crystals that refracted the sunlight into brilliant rainbow hues. Each movement the creature made was precise, graceful, and filled with an otherworldly elegance. Its sharp talons dug into the earth, and its wings, although folded neatly, seemed as if they could stretch across the entire sky. This was unlike anything Yang Feng had ever seen before.
The eagle's very presence radiated an aura of power and majesty that made the ground beneath his feet feel insignificant. He could sense the life energy pulsing from its crystalline form, each pulse like the beat of a drum, a reminder of its power. As he stood frozen in awe, he couldn't help but compare it to the crude qi eagle he used to conjure in his training. His creation had been nothing but a hollow imitation—this was a living, breathing entity of pure light and power.
"So... this is a spiritual beast," Yang Feng whispered to himself, his voice barely audible over the rush of wind. He clenched his fists, suddenly recalling the wolf that had appeared in his mind when he was tested. It, too, had been magnificent in its own way—wild, fierce, and majestic. The image of its glowing eyes and powerful stance flashed in his mind, and he felt a strange connection to it. It was his spiritual beast, after all. "My wolf..." he muttered, unable to finish the thought before being disturbed.
"Are you Yang Feng?" a voice broke through his thoughts.
Yang Feng blinked, pulled from his reverie, and turned to see the man standing in front of him. It was Ming Ling, the one who had descended on the back of the crystalline eagle. His presence was just as imposing as his beast—tall, with sharp features, and an aura of authority that was impossible to ignore. His eyes were intense, locked onto Yang Feng as if searching for something beyond the surface.
Yang Feng nodded hesitantly, feeling the weight of the question. "Yes, I am," he replied quietly.
Before Yang Feng could say more, the door behind him creaked, and a familiar voice interrupted the moment. Bai Feng stood in the doorway, his usually gruff expression unreadable as he glanced toward Ming Ling. For a moment, Yang Feng thought his father would join the conversation, but instead, Bai Feng's eyes flickered between the two, and with a deep breath, he closed the door behind Yang Feng.
"Come back when you're done," Bai Feng's voice grumbled from behind the closed door, his tone dismissive yet carrying an odd undercurrent of emotion.
Yang Feng stared at the door for a long moment, wondering what had gotten into his father. Only moments before, Bai Feng had been emotional, urging him to find his path, yet now he had retreated back into the safety of the house. Was it embarrassment? Resignation? It was as if he had suddenly returned to his old self. Yang Feng shook his head, pushing the thought aside. His father always acted strange when emotions ran high. Perhaps that was all this was.
But Ming Ling's brow furrowed slightly as he watched Bai Feng leave, a flicker of confusion crossing his features. He took a small step forward, tilting his head as if to listen to something only he could hear. His sharp gaze shifted back to Yang Feng, and for a brief moment, his expression tightened. Ming Ling's spiritual sense brushed across the area, searching for something... someone. There was a familiar aura lingering in the air, something he should recognize, but it eluded him like a dream slipping through his fingers. He shook his head, deciding to dismiss the feeling for now.
"I must be imagining things," Ming Ling muttered to himself. He focused his attention back on Yang Feng, his expression unreadable once more. Without warning, he took a step closer to the boy.
"Apologies for this," Ming Ling said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. Before Yang Feng could react, Ming Ling reached out and placed a firm hand on his head.
In an instant, Yang Feng's world went blank. The familiar colors of the forest, the breeze against his skin, the sounds of nature—all vanished in the blink of an eye. He felt weightless, suspended in a void of emptiness. There was no ground beneath him, no sky above him, just a vast nothingness that stretched in all directions. His thoughts felt distant, scattered like leaves caught in the wind, and for the first time since his awakening, there was no presence of the wolf. There was nothing at all.
Seconds passed, though they felt like an eternity.
Then, as suddenly as it began, the world came rushing back. Yang Feng gasped, staggering slightly as his vision cleared. He was back on the hill, the warm breeze against his skin once again. Ming Ling stood before him, his expression one of contemplation, as though he were pondering something deep and mysterious.
"Guess I was wrong," Ming Ling said, sighing as he withdrew his hand from Yang Feng's head. His gaze softened as he looked at the boy, a faint trace of disappointment in his eyes, though it was quickly masked. He took a deep breath and straightened, his posture as commanding as ever.
Yang Feng, still reeling from the strange experience, stared up at the spiritual master with wide eyes. He wanted to ask what had just happened, but the words wouldn't come. What had Ming Ling been searching for? What had he expected to find?
"I apologize for the intrusion," Ming Ling said again, though this time his voice was more formal, as if the matter was already behind him. He folded his hands behind his back and regarded Yang Feng with a much lighter gaze. "I'll be staying in the village for the night. Tomorrow morning, we will depart together. You should use this time to say your goodbyes."
Yang Feng blinked, his mind still racing to catch up. "Wait... Depart?" he echoed, confusion lacing his voice. "Does that mean... I'm going to the Spiritual Academy?"
Ming Ling's lips curved into a faint smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Yes," he said simply, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "You've been accepted. There's no need to worry. Just be at the village square tomorrow morning, and don't be late. Come prepared."
With that, Ming Ling turned and walked away, his robes billowing in the wind as he descended the hill with smooth, fluid movements. His crystalline eagle let out a low, rumbling cry before it followed him, its wings glowing with a soft light as it rose into the air. Yang Feng stood frozen, watching as the spiritual master and his beast disappeared into the distance, leaving behind nothing but the gentle sway of the tall grass and the faint echo of Ming Ling's final words.
Yang Feng stood there for a long moment, the weight of everything that had just happened settling in his chest. Tomorrow. He was leaving tomorrow. The realization hit him like a tidal wave. The village he had known all his life, the simple routine of daily existence—he would be leaving it all behind.
The spiritual academy... His father had wanted him to go, but Yang Feng wasn't sure if it was truly what he wanted. The path ahead seemed both daunting and uncertain, yet somehow, he felt drawn to it, as if some invisible force was pulling him toward a destiny he could not yet comprehend.
"What is my purpose?" he whispered to himself, the question lingering in the air, unanswered.
Yang Feng turned back toward the house, his gaze falling on the closed door. He had only a few hours left in the village. There were goodbyes to be said, and a future to prepare for.