Yomi floated in the abyss, weightless and untethered, his breath shallow and deliberate. The void stretched infinitely in every direction, a silent expanse of oppressive darkness. He clenched his jaw, forcing himself to stay grounded—though in this vast nothingness, the concept of grounding was an act of willpower alone.
The air—or what passed for it—felt icy against his skin, a cold so profound it seeped into his bones. It wasn't the cold of wind or snow, but a bone-chilling emptiness that gnawed at the edges of his sanity. He shivered involuntarily, his body a fragile shell suspended in the belly of an endless night.
Suddenly, a sensation rippled through him, foreign and immense. His senses sharpened as he felt it—something moving in the void. It was massive, ancient, and terrifyingly alive. The air around him seemed to shift, the cold intensifying as an unseen force coiled around his being.
It was not a physical touch, but a presence—vast and suffocating. Yomi felt its weight pressing down on him, a predator circling its prey in the infinite dark. He strained his eyes, searching the void for any sign of it, but the darkness remained impenetrable.
Then came the sound. A low, guttural rumble, neither a growl nor a voice, but something in between. It reverberated through the void, through him, shaking his very core. The groundless expanse felt alive, as if the void itself was observing him, judging him, waiting.
Yomi took a deep breath, steadying himself. "Stay focused," he whispered to himself, his voice a faint echo in the emptiness. He forced his breathing into a slow, deliberate rhythm, drawing on years of discipline to maintain his composure.
The presence tightened its unseen hold, its movements deliberate, its intent unfathomable. For a fleeting moment, Yomi felt his resolve waver. This was unlike anything he had ever faced—not the Ki he sought to master, nor a foe he could overpower with sheer strength. This was something primordial, a force that existed beyond comprehension.
"Whatever you are," he murmured, his voice steady despite the fear that churned within him, "you will not break me."
Yomi's pulse quickened as the presence surged around him, no longer content to merely observe. It coiled aggressively, dragging at him as though the void itself sought to claim his essence. The sensation was harrowing—a relentless pulling and twisting through him, as if his very being was submerged in the crushing depths of an ocean.
The weight pressed against his chest, his limbs flailing as invisible currents tried to drag him under. But Yomi was no stranger to struggle; he had defied death before and would do so again. He gritted his teeth, forcing his trembling hand to stretch outward, his fingers clawing at the unseen.
With mighty effort, he kicked his legs, propelling himself forward. His muscles burned as though the void itself resisted his every movement. Yet, inch by inch, Yomi climbed. His head broke through the surface, and he gasped, tearing free of the oppressive depths.
The void gave way to an entirely different realm—a vast expanse of water stretching endlessly in every direction. Above him, the sky was an infinite canvas, painted with swirling hues of twilight and starlight. The waters shimmered, their surface a perfect mirror reflecting the celestial expanse above. As Yomi stood, the surface of the water solidified beneath his feet, forming a foothold that rippled gently under his weight.
His chest heaved as he steadied himself, taking in the surreal beauty of his surroundings. Recognition dawned. This wasn't the void. This was his soul mind, the ethereal landscape of his inner self. But as his senses sharpened, he realized he wasn't alone.
The surface of the water exploded, sending waves crashing outward. From the depths, a magnificent form emerged. Its serpentine body unfurled, scales gleaming with a radiant interplay of white and black energy. The creature twisted and writhed, its energies colliding and harmonizing in an eternal dance of yin and yang. A Dragon, a sacred beast of legend, hovered before him. Its pearl-like eyes glowed with ancient wisdom and unyielding resolve, its presence an overwhelming manifestation of the Ki coursing through this world.
Yomi's eyes widened, recognition flashing within them. He had heard of this entity before—a Sacred Beast, a being of balance and power revered in the shrine maidens' tales of his homeland. But never had he imagined it to be real, let alone levitating before him.
The dragon's gaze bore into his soul, and Yomi understood: this was a test.
The beast roared, a deafening cry that split the heavens, and charged. The force of its approach sent waves crashing in all directions, a tempest of power that churned the once-calm waters into chaos.
Yomi's stance shifted instinctively, his breath steady as he raised two fingers before him. He exhaled, focusing his will into a single, sharp motion. As the dragon closed in, its swirling energies threatening to consume him, Yomi struck.
A sweeping arc of concentrated energy slashed through the beast, the precision of his strike splitting its form cleanly. The sacred dragon howled as its energies unraveled, a storm of white and black swirling around Yomi in a vortex of power.
The Ki surged into him, violent and relentless, like a hurricane crashing into the core of his being. Yomi's body trembled as he absorbed the energies, his veins alight with raw force. The storm raged within him, his chest burning as the overwhelming power began to settle, melding with his own.
In the physical world, his body reacted to the strain. Blood trickled from his eyes and mouth, his frame shuddering under the intensity of the transformation. Yet, even as his body teetered on the edge of collapse, the wound in his chest began to close, the raw energies knitting him back together.
Finally, Yomi's eyes shot open, glowing faintly with a newfound brilliance. The storm within him calmed, replaced by a profound stillness.
The chime of the system echoed in his mind, its words resonating with quiet triumph: "[Breakthrough achieved: Zen Flow - Stage One: Shisui (静水) — 'Still Waters.']"
Yomi exhaled, a smirk playing on his lips despite the blood staining them. The void, the dragon, and the test—it had all been worth it. This was only the beginning.
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A/N: Anyone reading my first chapters thank you so much