"To seek the Dao," I whispered, "is neither noble nor vile. It simply is."
I was not a savior, nor was I a monster. I was a man who refused to accept the limits placed upon him. I walked this path not to prove anything to the world but to answer the only question that had ever mattered to me:
Can I reach it?
My heartbeat steadied. I exhaled slowly.
"If the heavens try to crush me, I will endure. If the world tries to break me, I will rise again. This is my dream. My madness. My impossible goal. And so, I will walk forward. Step by step, no matter how dark, no matter how treacherous."
I carefully rolled up the painting, setting it back on the shelf. My hands no longer trembled. The doubt, the hesitation—they had been burned away by the fire of my resolve.
I turned toward the window. The world outside was still and quiet, but within me, a storm had begun to rage.
And then—
A sudden force surged through my meridians. My body tensed, my breath hitched as an invisible flood of energy poured into me, raw and untamed. My veins burned as my inner world expanded, greedily devouring the ambient Qi.
I dropped to the ground, crossing my legs as I focused, forcing the wild energy into order. Sweat dripped down my face, but I did not falter. Seconds blurred into minutes, minutes into hours, until finally—
My eyes snapped open.
Power thrummed in my veins, my senses sharper, my strength boundless. I raised my hand, feeling the sheer force coiling beneath my skin.
"Heavenly Ascension Stage…"
I could hardly recognize myself. The power I now wielded could erase my former self in a single strike. It was intoxicating. It was terrifying.
I inhaled, steadying my mind. This was not the end. It was merely another step. And I knew, with absolute certainty, that I could not remain here any longer.
"I've reached my limit in this place."
I moved swiftly, pulling out parchment and ink. My brush glided across the page.
Little Brother,
The shop is yours now. Treat it as your own. I have set out to pursue my path. Live well, follow your own heart.
I left the note on the counter, lingering only a moment before turning away.
Stepping outside, I was greeted by the crisp night air. The city lay silent beneath the silver glow of the moon.
I lifted my gaze to the heavens.
"I never noticed how beautiful the moon truly is."
Standing beneath the vast expanse of night, I whispered the thought aloud. The moon hung in the sky like an eternal deity, cold and distant, watching the world with indifferent light. I felt small beneath its gaze. Would I ever reach it? Could I one day stand among the stars.
A faint smile touched my lips, but the thought carried a pang of longing.
With a flick of my sleeve, I stepped into the air. The ground fell away beneath me as I ascended. The wind rushed past, tugging at my robes, whistling in my ears, but I paid it no heed. My gaze remained fixed ahead. The moon loomed larger, almost within reach, yet impossibly far.
"The world is vast," I murmured. "No matter how far I go, there will always be something beyond my grasp."
I stopped at the peak of my ascent, floating in the air. The cold was sharper here, unfiltered by the warmth of the earth. Below me, the land stretched out endlessly, rivers and mountains reduced to faint veins upon the world's flesh.
I closed my eyes.
Then, I let go.
The energy that held me aloft vanished, and gravity seized me like an old lover reclaiming what was hers. I plummeted, the wind howling in my ears, my robes billowing wildly. The sensation was both terrifying and exhilarating—a fleeting taste of death.
Would I shatter upon the earth? Would my journey end here?
No.
At the last moment, my power flared to life, slowing my descent, and I landed lightly upon the ground. Dust curled around my feet before settling back into stillness.
I took a breath.
Without hesitation, I turned and stepped into the night, my path leading me to Ming Chen's home.
I reached out with my spiritual will, my consciousness slipping past the wooden walls like a silent breeze. Inside, father and son slept soundly, their breaths slow and steady. Ming Chen lay curled in his blankets, murmuring something in his dreams. A small smile played upon his lips.
I exhaled softly. My fingers lifted, and a stream of silvery light coiled from my fingertips, drifting through the air like mist. It passed effortlessly through the walls and into Ming Chen's forehead.
A farewell gift.
All my knowledge, my insights, the foundation of my cultivation—sealed deep within him, dormant until the time was right. A legacy he could claim, should he ever choose to walk this path.
"If I could…" My voice barely rose above a whisper, dissolving into the night breeze. "I would have stayed here, watching over you until my last breath."
But that was a lie, wasn't it? A comforting delusion.
I lifted my head, staring at the vast sky, my eyes tracing the pale glow of the moon.
"I didn't want to burden you with this inheritance," I murmured, as if speaking to someone who could hear me through the veil of sleep. "The path of cultivation is vast, filled with wonders beyond imagination. But it is also cruel, unrelenting. It strips you of everything—your innocence, your peace, even the simple joys of an ordinary life."
A deep breath filled my lungs, and I closed my eyes for a moment. The scent of the earth, the distant rustling of leaves, the faint warmth still clinging to the stones from the sun's embrace—these little things, the things I had come to cherish, would soon be nothing but memories.
"I wish you could live free from all this," I admitted softly. "Safe, content, unburdened by ambition or fate. But…" My fingers curled into fists. "A selfish part of me hopes you won't."
Because to live without ever reaching for something greater… could that truly be called living?
I stepped closer to the quiet home, letting my voice drop into a whisper, as if afraid to wake the sleeping boy within. "I wish I could see you grow up. To sit beside you, to share drinks as men, to laugh as we reminisce about these days."
But I wouldn't be here for that.
A faint chuckle escaped my lips, tinged with self-mockery. "Farewell, Little Brother. Take care of yourself."
I turned, my silhouette bathed in moonlight, stretching long against the dirt path ahead.
I didn't look back.
The years I had spent here had taught me much—humility, simplicity, the beauty of fleeting moments. But they had also taught me one unshakable truth.
I was not meant to stay.
I was meant to walk forward, to chase something beyond the reach of ordinary men.
And so, without hesitation, I took my first step into the unknown.
Years flowed by like ripples across a still lake, each one fading into the next until time itself felt like a distant dream. I sat by the water's edge, a fishing rod loosely held in my hand, watching the gentle waves stretch toward the horizon. The occasional whisper of the wind rustled the trees, and somewhere in the distance, a fish leapt, breaking the surface before vanishing once more.
But I wasn't here to fish.
I was here to temper my spirit, to quiet the restless heart that had endured the trials of countless years.
Time was slipping through my fingers like sand. Of all the years granted to me in this world, only one remained.
I had walked through mountains and rivers, wandered bustling cities and forgotten villages, lived a hundred lives in a single lifetime.
I had been a beggar, hands outstretched for a few coppers, learning what it meant to be powerless. I had been a warrior, my blade cutting down beasts and bandits, feeling the weight of gratitude and expectation press upon my shoulders.
There were days when I wore the robes of a scholar, sharing wisdom over cups of tea with those who sought answers. And in the quietest moments, I had been a farmer, my hands buried in the earth, feeling the cycle of life and death with every harvest.
Each role, each path, had left a mark on me. With every experience, my heart had grown quieter, my understanding of the world deeper. And yet, as I stood at the pinnacle of the Heavenly Ascension Stage, as I gazed upon the endless sky, I found myself wondering—was this all there was?
For the first time in many years, I felt the pull of the past. A longing to return.
Not to the vast lands I had traveled, nor to the fleeting friendships I had made along the way.
But to where it had all begun.
The Iron Vein Sect.
A soft sigh escaped my lips as I glanced at the fishing rod in my hands. With a mere thought, it dissolved into shimmering particles, fading like a forgotten dream.
I rose to my feet, dusted off my robes, and cast one last glance at the tranquil lake. Then, with a wave of my sleeve, I vanished.
When I reappeared, the towering silhouette of the Iron Vein Sect loomed before me. The great stone staircase stretched upward, lined with eager aspirants hoping to carve their names into history. Their faces were filled with determination, excitement, and an undercurrent of fear.
I ascended the steps slowly, my gaze drifting across the familiar scenery. The sect had changed, yet it remained the same. The stones beneath my feet, the scent of pine in the air, the distant clang of metal striking metal from the training grounds—it all felt like stepping into a past life.
At the summit, the sect's grand gates stood wide open. Disciples bustled about, managing the registration of newcomers.
Some were young, still filled with boundless ambition. Others, a little older, carried the weariness of those who had tasted failure and knew the struggle ahead.
As I approached, a young disciple stepped forward, blocking my path with a stern expression. But before he could speak, his eyes widened. His breath hitched, and his posture shifted into a deep bow.
"Elder…" he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
I said nothing, merely offering a faint nod before walking past him. My steps were unhurried, my presence like a passing breeze—acknowledged by some, unnoticed by most.
A short distance away, another disciple, having witnessed the exchange, furrowed his brows and stepped toward the first. "Who was that man? Why didn't you check his identification? Why didn't you stop him?"
The first disciple frowned, confusion flickering across his face. "What are you talking about? No one passed without proper authorization."