A Song For The Ages

The sun had already dipped behind the jagged ridge of the Saint Body's mountain, casting a warm orange hue over the stone terraces of the Branch's training grounds. The air smelled of iron and sweat, saturated with the earthy tang of minerals freshly unearthed.

Yue straightened, wiping the sweat from her brow with the sleeve of her robe. Her pickaxe clinked against the stone as she set it down, her muscles thrumming with soreness, her skin glistening with exertion. With a final exhale, she looked at the last four chunks she had hauled, bringing her total to an even 100 kilograms of essence stone for the month. It was only two weeks into the new cycle, yet she had already met the quota.

A far cry from the previous month, where she'd barely scraped through near the end. But that was before she broke through to the Qi Manifestation phase. Now, each swing carried more force, each lift more stamina. Her strength had caught up with her will.

Essence stones were no ordinary minerals. The essence of the world is said to be born from the ancient breath of the planet's core and the distant embrace of the stars. Within the planet, this essence seeped and formed slowly within the crust, crystallizing into pockets of condensed world essence, known as veins of essence stones.

The deeper they were buried, the denser their power. When Yue held one, she could feel the subtle thrumming in her fingers, like the heartbeat of something immense and ancient.

In the Saint Body Branch, where the body was a weapon and training was measured by suffering, the task assigned to disciples was not refining, nor healing, but mining.

Their cultivation required grit, and so their quota was built on it, hauling tons of stone with raw strength alone. It served a dual purpose: physical conditioning, and resource collection. Essence stones could power formations, fuel artifact refinement, be traded on the open market, or be ground into powder to be minted as Essence coins.

Coming out of her thoughts, she let out a long breath, rolling her shoulders. The ache in her arms was a familiar companion now, one that reminded her she was still moving forward. Still here.

A heavy footfall echoed behind her, followed by the familiar rumbling voice of Jin Ruo.

"Well, would you look at that. Little lynx beat the quota again."

Yue turned with a tired smile. Jin Ruo towered over her, three meters of pure muscle wrapped in loose robes. Her fierce smile and booming laughter had made her seem intimidating during the entrance test, but now, Yue knew her better.

"I'm not little," Yue said, flicking her tail behind her. "Just compact."

Jin Ruo laughed, the sound bouncing off the canyon walls. "Compact and dangerous. You'll make us all look bad at this rate."

Yue chuckled, grateful for the moment of lightness. "You say that like you're not the one who carried four boulders on your back last week just to prove a point."

Jin Ruo grinned wider. "Well, we all have our way of blowing off steam."

They walked together along the gravel path back to the dormitories, the sky above streaked with the last light of day. The Saint Body Branch's compound was carved into the side of a mountain, with homes, training grounds, and mines layered across ledges and plateaus. Yue had come to love its rugged edges. The cold air that bit at her skin reminded her she was alive.

Still, as they walked, a silence settled between them, thicker than the dusk.

"You've been quiet," Jin Ruo said softly, nudging her shoulder with a massive hand.

Yue nodded. "I've been thinking."

"About her?"

She didn't answer right away. Her hand drifted toward the pendant tucked under her shirt, a simple string, braided by Hui, meant to bring luck. It hadn't worked. Not then. Maybe not ever.

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"Yeah," she whispered.

They walked a little longer in silence. Then, Jin Ruo said, "I still think about what you told me. About Hui. You painted her so vividly... like I could see her right in front of me."

"She loved to cook," Yue murmured. "Said it reminded her of home. Of her mom."

Jin Ruo nodded slowly. "She sounded like someone who gave warmth to everyone around her. We don't get many like that here."

"No," Yue said, her voice hardening. "We don't."

They stopped at a ledge overlooking the valley, the sky now a deep violet. Below, the Saint Body Branch glowed with scattered lights and the quiet hum of training formations at work. Yue leaned against the stone railing, letting the wind tug at her hair.

"I miss them," she said. "Ren, Feiyin, Mu. We used to be together every day. Now it's just... fragments. I still haven't gotten used to the quiet."

"You won't," Jin Ruo said. "Not fully. But you'll grow around it."

Yue tilted her head. "You sound like someone who knows."

"I do." Jin Ruo's smile was quieter now. "I lost someone too. A long time ago. You never stop missing them. You just... carry them differently."

Yue was silent, then looked up. "How do you stay strong?"

Jin Ruo flexed her arm with a grin. "Have you seen these biceps?"

Yue laughed through a sniffle. "Idiot."

Jin Ruo's tone softened. "Truthfully? You find something worth enduring for. And you hold it tight."

Yue stared into the darkness for a moment, then nodded. "I want to become strong enough that no one I care about ever dies in front of me again."

"That's a good goal." Jin Ruo leaned against the railing beside her. "Speaking of strength, you've stabilized your breakthrough into Qi Manifestation, right?"

Yue blinked. "You can tell?"

"Sure. Your aura's changed a bit. It feels...heavier, in a way."

Yue looked at her hands, flexing her fingers. "I've been feeling... stronger."

"It's the essence gathering," Jin Ruo explained. "Qi Manifestation is when your body starts absorbing world essence to change it into your own. But it's all internal. You can't push it outward yet."

Yue frowned. "Yeah, I can feel it when I try to circulate it. But it's still stronger than before."

"That's the internal reinforcement. Once you reach Qi Flow, though? That's when things get fun. You can start pushing essence out of your limbs. Channel it into blows. Into movement."

Yue's eyes lit up. "So I can punch farther!"

"Exactly. Qi Flow's about control. You start shaping your energy beyond your skin. And eventually, you learn to breathe essence into the air itself. Shift the world around you."

"That sounds... powerful."

"It is. But it's also dangerous. Control matters more than strength at that point. A wild surge can injure you if it rebounds."

They stood in silence again, the weight of the future pressing in around them.

"Thank you," Yue said, voice quiet. "For everything."

Jin Ruo shrugged, her giant frame easing into a lean against the railing. "You've told me about Hui, about what happened... and I'm not the kind of woman who forgets that kind of pain. Not when it happens to one of us."

Yue's throat tightened. "That's why I joined your faction, you know. Not just because it was all women, but because you listened. You didn't try to fix it. You just... stayed."

Jin Ruo smiled, more gently this time. "We all have battles. Sometimes, what you need is someone to hold the line with you."

Yue laughed again, a little lighter this time. Then her expression shifted into playful disbelief. "Why did you have to name it the Star Women though? It sounds weird."

Jin Ruo immediately blushed, her cheeks coloring despite her towering presence. "Don't mention it, I know my naming sense is bad."

Yue laughed harder, bumping her shoulder gently. "Don't worry, it's still cute. But why choose a star as the emblem?"

At that, Jin looked proud, her eyes gleaming. "To become like them!"

She pointed up toward the star-studded sky overhead. Yue followed her gesture, staring at the glittering expanse.

"The stars? What about them?"

"Haven't you read the stories?" Jin asked, voice reverent. "In the myths, it's said that when cultivators complete their Qi Condensation realm, they step into the Astral Chakra realm and can ascend beyond the sky, becoming an immortal star."

Yue tilted her head. "Huh? So there would be countless strong beings in the sky? Do you think it's true?"

Jin smirked. "I don't know, that's why I want to find out. Aren't you curious as well?"

Yue blinked slowly, the stars reflecting in her eyes. "That seems so far though... Do you think they have food to eat over there?"

Jin guffawed, her booming laugh echoing against the stone. "As expected of you."

They bantered and chuckled, the tension that lingered from earlier slowly dissolving.

They turned and made their way back toward the sleeping quarters, the cold wind no longer quite so biting.