Chapter 10: The Silent Struggle
Half a year had passed, and progress remained frustratingly elusive for Lin Tian. No matter how many hours he devoted to the pursuit of a neutral and adaptable meditation method, success danced just beyond his reach. He had diligently combed through every available meditation technique stored within the Lanshan Intermediate Soul Master Academy's public collection. But as he had expected, true treasures of cultivation were reserved for only the most privileged or prodigious students.
Most of the methods he found were rudimentary or element-specific—effective for students with innate elemental affinities, but utterly useless for someone like him who needed a method that transcended elemental attributes. Neutrality and versatility were non-negotiable.
Still, failure didn't deter Lin Tian. He took to his studies with unwavering determination, carefully cataloging each attempt, diagramming their energy flows, and comparing every discovery. And in the process, he uncovered a small but important breakthrough.
Lanshan's instructors and resources lacked the concept of meridians, as Tang San had once described in his teachings—the Eight Extraordinary Meridians that acted as vital pathways for energy. Yet as Lin Tian meticulously analyzed the flow patterns in the academy's meditation methods, he noticed something curious: the soul masters unknowingly made use of minor meridians, though inconsistently and without any refined understanding.
There was no consensus on the naming or structure of these energy paths. Some ancient scrolls referred to them as "hidden veins," others called them "spiritual channels," which led to considerable confusion. The inconsistent terminology was a major headache, but Lin Tian endured, compiling notes and forming connections where others saw only fragments. Each note he wrote, each observation he made, slowly pieced together a puzzle no one else knew existed.
He sat at his desk one quiet afternoon, small fingers tracing diagrams etched in faded parchment. His spiritual awareness, sharpened from countless hours of meditation, stirred as memories from his past life resurfaced. He recalled Tang San's warnings about the meridians—how they often had blockages that could only be overcome with either overwhelming force or precise control.
Lin Tian sighed. No matter how brilliant his insights, he was still limited by the fact that his martial soul had yet to awaken. Without that awakening, he couldn't generate enough soul power to push through blockages, nor could he safely attempt delicate energy control. This would have to wait.
Time Skip: One Year
Age: Four and a Half
Another year passed, yet Lin Tian remained as relentless as ever. Creating a neutral meditation method required balancing yin and yang, a task that demanded near-perfect equilibrium. At four years old, this kind of balance was an ambitious goal—perhaps too ambitious—but Lin Tian refused to settle for anything less. He was aware that his demands for the meditation methods were unreasonable, however two properties were unnegotiable: He needed neutrality and adaptability. The path ahead remained slow and treacherous, with many trials and failures. But for him, failure was just another kind of progress.
He had learned to tread cautiously. One misstep could spell disaster. Early in his experiments, he had overexerted himself and slipped into a state of soul power exhaustion so severe that it left him unconscious for two days. His parents had been beside themselves with worry, fearing that their son had fallen gravely ill. Lin Tian managed to convince them that it was nothing more than a minor sickness and exhaustion from playing. But the lesson was clear: recklessness could undo everything.
That incident had also revealed another important truth—his body wasn't ready for everything cultivation demanded. His mother, wanting to help her beloved son recover, prepared a medicinal bath using a 50-year-old ginseng gifted by Elder Xin. Lin Tian had read that consuming the ginseng directly would have yielded the greatest benefit, but the medicinal energy was too potent for his unawakened body. Soaking in the bath was the safest option, and even then, he marveled at the tangible effects. He could feel the bath's energy soaking into his muscles, strengthening them, and fortifying his bones.
Despite the challenges, his efforts weren't without reward. Over the past year, his body had absorbed soul power slowly but steadily. The ginseng bath had catalyzed a subtle change within him. Whereas most of the energy had previously dissipated into muscle and bone, now a small portion lingered beneath the surface. It was faint, but Lin Tian knew what it meant—innate soul power was beginning to take form.
He sat cross-legged on his bed, the soft light of dawn casting a golden hue across the room. Calm and focused, he closed his eyes and centered his mind, inhaling deeply. The familiar warmth of soul power stirred within him, an ever-present energy waiting to be shaped. With precise control, Lin Tian mobilized a small thread of soul power and guided it through his body.
He followed the most promising pattern he had discovered so far: beginning at the navel, the energy flowed downward toward his groin, ascended the length of his spine to the crown of his head, and cascaded back down his face and chest, returning to its origin at the navel. It was an intricate dance that required absolute concentration. Any deviation in the flow could disrupt the delicate cycle.
With each loop completed, his connection to the energy deepened. The flow became smoother, more natural, almost as if his body was beginning to understand what he was asking of it. This pattern wasn't perfect, but it was the closest he'd come to achieving balance.
After several minutes, Lin Tian opened his eyes. Serenity filled his gaze—peaceful, but not content. Joy flickered within him, a brief celebration of progress. But that joy was tempered by helplessness. He was close, but not close enough. Without his martial soul, further refinement of the method was beyond his reach.
He leaned back, sighing softly. He was nearing the limit of what an unawakened soul master could achieve. His body felt full—as if a reservoir of energy within him was filling to the brim. Based on his calculations, it wouldn't be long before he reached the peak of level 10, the highest point an unawakened soul master could attain. And once that happened, the only way forward would be to acquire a soul ring.
The thought filled him with both excitement and frustration. He was so close to breaking through—so close to touching the future he had envisioned for himself. But nature had its own schedule, and Lin Tian would have to wait patiently for his martial soul to awaken.
Patience, he reminded himself. Rushing would only lead to mistakes, and mistakes could cost him everything.
He rose from his bed and stretched, feeling the gentle warmth of the morning sunlight on his skin. A quiet determination settled within him, as firm as the foundations he was building day by day. He knew that even the most legendary methods—like the Mysterious Heaven Method—had taken generations to perfect.
He didn't need centuries. He just needed a little more time.
For now, there was nothing to do but prepare, learn, and wait. His martial soul awakening would come soon enough. And when it did, he would be ready.
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