Three days later, at the Jasmine Garden, Xuan sat cross-legged inside his room.
Over the past few days, he had worked tirelessly to master his control over qi, and now, he had finally achieved Initial Mastery in the {Frozen Gale Codex}. His control over the wind and water qi having grown noticeably smoother.
For that the Duality Pearl, the gift from Master Shen, had proven invaluable. Watching the pearl's energy interact, sometimes fusing, sometimes diverging, had helped him refine his technique far faster than he thought possible.
Xuan closed his eyes, visualizing the next step: unlocking the first pathway between his dantian and the heart node. This connection was critical, allowing qi to flow seamlessly between these two vital points. Without it, he couldnt even be said to be in the Spiritual Vein Realm.
He took a deep breath and began with wind qi, intending to use it as a trailblazer. Guiding it from his dantian, he carefully directed the qi along the dormant pathway described in the codex. The path was faint and fragile, like an untouched thread waiting to be awakened.
Xuan gritted his teeth, beads of sweat forming on his brow as he concentrated intently. The qi advanced steadily but stopped about one-third of the way to the heart node.
Recognizing the strain that prolonged exposure to the wind qi could place on the nascent pathway, Xuan paused and shifted his focus. With a steady breath, he guided the water qi to follow the path left by the wind qi. The fragile passage absored it to strengthen and steady itself.
Once the water qi neared the point where the wind qi had stopped, Xuan switched his focus again. He controlled the wind qi to advance further, pushing through the next third of the pathway toward the heart node, opening the path inch by inch.
And then again, Xuan halted the wind qi and returned to the water qi, repeating the cycle.
Finally, after what felt like hours, the qi reached the heart node. The pathway thrummed with a faint, steady energy, the connection between his dantian and heart node fully established. Xuan exhaled deeply, the strain in his body giving way to a sense of accomplishment. By all accounts, he had now officially stepped into the Spiritual Vein Realm.
The realm was defined by the creation of qi pathways, vital channels that linked the dantian to various nodes throughout the body and connected certain nodes to one another. The heart node was only the beginning, as he would continously unlock more pathways and promote faster and more efficient qi transportation.
But he would have to stop for now.
Xuan's focus shifted inward. The wind and water qi he had painstakingly gathered earlier had been fully absorbed by the newly formed pathway, reinforcing it and ensuring its stability. While this was a natural part of the process, it also meant that his dantian was now empty, and he would have to regather the necessary qi before attempting to create another pathway.
He exhaled slowly, brushing a bead of sweat from his brow.
For a moment, his thoughts wandered to his father. If Dad could see me now… A swell of pride warmed him. But he cooled down just as quickly. His father wouldn't be able to see him here. Not in this place.
Xuan's thoughts turned to what he had discovered over the last few days. Every time he was too tired to continue cultivating, he had gone to the sect's library. The towering shelves of jade slips and scrolls had become a sanctuary of sorts.
He had searched for maps, hoping to find something familiar, but nothing rang a bell. The world, as he now knew, was called "Xianzhou." It was divided into four great regions—North, East, West, and South—each harboring one great demonic sect. The Venomthread Sect was one of those sects. It was located in the southern region, the very land he now called home, albeit grudgingly.
But what he hadn't realized before was that this sect wasn't as centralized as he had assumed. The place where he resided was only one of the many branches of the Venomthread Sect, tasked with overseeing the far southern territories. The main sect itself was located farther north, closer to the heart of the region. It served as the central hub of power for all its subsidiary branches.
Xuan had also learned of the sect's rival—the Radiant Dawn Sect, an orthodox faction that opposed the Venomthread Sect at every turn. Both sects were locked in an ancient feud, their ideologies as opposite as night and day. Yet, the most surprising revelation had been their shared history. The library hinted at a time when both sects were one.
This ancient sect, according to the records, had wielded one of the world's four Mid Earth-grade manuals. But somehow, the technique had been divided—or perhaps copied—and now served as the core treasure of both factions.
But be that as it may, Xuan reminded himself, at this point in time, he was just a core disciple of a branch sect. The main sect, with its vast library and wealth of resources, was still far out of reach. If he wanted access to more information, and perhaps find a way back to his family, he had a long road ahead.
That road began with the basics. Progress through the Spiritual Vein Realm was his immediate priority. And for that, he needed to regather his qi—teardrop by teardrop—so he could continue awakening the pathways within his body.
Xuan exhaled deeply, as he rose to his feet. He stretched out his legs, the stiffness from hours of sitting cross-legged easing as he moved. Soon the cool night air greeted him as he stepped into the garden.
His gaze drifted across the vibrant plants, the carefully maintained rows of herbs, and the scattered stones that seemed to guard the space like silent sentinels. His thoughts turned to the history of the garden and the unease surrounding the Jasmine Garden. But standing here now, Xuan felt none of the ominous weight of the rumors. The garden was peaceful, even welcoming, as if it had been waiting for someone to tend to it again.
"Bad omen or not, it's still a good place," he murmured to himself, a faint smile tugging at his lips. His mother had also kept a small garden, where she would often tend to flowers and herbs. He had watched her countless times, her hands moving deftly through the soil, her face serene as if the world beyond didn't exist.
This garden reminded him of her. For a moment, warmth spread through his chest, bittersweet and fleeting. But Xuan's smile quickly faltered as the memory faded, replaced by the ache of separation. Shaking his head, he pushed the thought aside.
With one last glance at the garden, he turned toward the house, his steps steady despite the weariness tugging at his limbs.
Quietly stepping inside, he decided to check on Lin Ran, only to find her sitting on her bed, cross-legged with her brow furrowed in deep concentration. The flicker of effort in her aura was clear—she was still working tirelessly to unlock her dantian.
"Good," he whispered to himself as he turned back.
But as Xuan turned to head back inside, his foot caught on an uneven patch of the garden path. He stumbled slightly, barely catching himself. A sharp pang shot up his leg—not from any real injury, but from the stiffness of his overworked body. He straightened slowly, the momentary jolt pulling him out of his thoughts.
It was then that he truly felt it. The weight dragging at his limbs, the dull ache in his muscles, and the fog creeping into his mind. Exhaustion, long ignored, finally made itself known. His eyelids drooped as he reached the door, and the familiar pressure of weariness pressed against him. For the first time since arriving at the sect, Xuan allowed himself to think about sleep.
Since that day, where his talent got tested, he had resisted the urge to sleep. The memory of the massacre still haunted him, leaving him wary and restless. Then, once he began cultivating, the desire to grow stronger had consumed him, driving him to use every spare moment to practice. Sleep had felt like a luxury he couldn't afford.
But now, he had no choice. His body demanded rest. ande couldn't hold back the tide of fatigue any longer. He quickly made his way to his simple bed, the stiffness in his muscles easing as he closed his eyes.
It wasn't long before his breathing slowed, and for the first time since arriving at the Venomthread Sect, Xuan surrendered to the quiet embrace of rest.