A Song For The Ages

The chamber inside the molten cave pulsed faintly, the warm red-orange glow of the walls giving off a breath-like rhythm. It wasn't just the heat radiating from the molten veins running beneath the stone, it was the presence of the earth's essence, humming softly to those capable of sensing it.

Feiyin sat alone in the chamber, cross-legged on a stone slab that shimmered with residual warmth. His robes were damp from sweat, his breathing steady, but every inhalation seemed to pull more heat from the air, and every exhalation released a gentle wisp of golden mist.

Mu had remained in his room today, training one of his newly acquired techniques. Feiyin, for his part, had chosen solitude in one of the Molten Cave chambers. He was close. He could feel it.

Inside him, the three dantians pulsed with controlled fury. Each qi nexus was a roaring cyclone reaching a height of 9.9 inches, spinning at a relentless 360 rotations per second. The pressure was immense. Every cycle of rotation drew more essence qi, and every moment it circulated through his body, it pushed his limits.

His meridians, tempered by countless cycles of internal strength and blessed by his previous breakthroughs, were holding firm, but only just. If not for their reinforced structure, each rotation would've been a scream of agony instead of a breath of control.

Feiyin lowered his gaze, closing his eyes and letting his spiritual sense drift inward. He extended it through every corner of his body, brushing over the torrent of essence rushing through his qi nexuses. Like three storming rivers converging at different corners of a valley, they spiraled, separate, but of the same origin.

He added his oscillation sense, letting the subtle vibrations of each qi nexus reach his awareness. Each had its own frequency, a pulse, a song. The key was not to force them into alignment, but to guide them. Like an orchestra finding harmony, he subtly coaxed their rhythm, one after another.

Slower.

Now steady.

And then, together.

The resonance hit him like a gong. A unified beat echoed through his body, and from that crescendo came a focused burst of essence qi.

An invisible barrier seemed to break as his Qi Nexuses synchronised, breaking past the extreme of 9.9 inches and reaching perfection with 10 inches. Their rotational speed going a beat faster, reaching 361 rotations per second, attaining the true perfection of the Qi Manifestation realm.

He directed the surging qi with the precision of a master tailor, threading it through his meridians and guiding it to the skin of his forearm.

He visualized a needle threading silk.

The essence qi pressed forward.

Pop.

The moment it exited, he felt the air shift. The qi seeped out in a ribbon of white light, flickering before settling against the palm of his hand.

With the essence qi now flowing beyond the boundary of his skin, Feiyin had officially entered the Qi Flow Phase.

The purpose of the Qi Flow Phase was to open the body's acupuncture points, the subtle gateways tied to the network of inner meridians. Once opened, these points allowed essence qi to not only flow outward with control and precision but also to draw in essence from the world through various parts of the body. This influx greatly increased the pace and efficiency of cultivation.

A smile spread across Feiyin's face as he opened his eyes.

He had stepped into the Qi Flow Phase.

After stabilizing his energy and letting the aftershocks of the breakthrough settle, Feiyin wrapped himself in a fresh robe and made his way out of the cave. The light of the afternoon sun filtered through the distant stone arches, casting an amber glow that clung to his skin.

His first destination was the branch archives.

There was a lightness in his step. For the past few months, his focus had been alchemy, cultivation, leadership, survival. But now, finally, he had the qualification to explore deeper techniques, ones that required control beyond the body. The possibilities stretched before him.

As he passed through the archive gates, he was greeted by silence and the scent of aged parchment and mineral-rich ink. He exchanged a nod with the older disciple managing the floor, then delved into the rows of jade slips stored within stone alcoves.

He passed rows labeled with bold, elemental symbols. One section detailed palm strikes, simple yet elegant techniques that used controlled bursts of essence qi to strike from a distance.

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Another shelf featured body-tempering arts: Iron-Skin Flow, Tempered Veins Sutra, and more. Many, however, required elemental affinity to truly function, something only accessible after reaching the Elemental Infusion Phase.

Feiyin made a mental note to return later. For now, it was best to focus on what he could apply.

Then, the saber techniques. His hand paused on a jade slip with a worn red tag: "Crescent Wave Flowing Cut."

He tucked it under his arm.

Further down the aisle, a curious category caught his eye, an alcove carved with a faint symbol of a starburst over an open eye: "Auxiliary Techniques."

He browsed a few before his gaze landed on one with a pale-blue shimmer in its etched seal.

"True Pupil Cultivation Method."

Feiyin tilted his head, intrigued. The jade slip glowed faintly at his touch. He activated it and read the initial passages. It was a method designed to refine and evolve one's perception using spiritual sense in tandem with essence qi. When trained properly, it would heighten visual clarity, sharpen movement detection, and even allow limited sensing of illusions or disturbances in ambient essence.

It wasn't popular, it required slow, patient progress and didn't lend itself to flashy combat, but the potential for refined awareness called to him. He had already developed his oscillation sense to an advanced degree; this would pair well with it.

He tucked it under the saber slip.

A voice called out from the side.

"So you finally broke through, huh?"

Feiyin turned to see Mu approaching, his robe slightly wrinkled at the sleeves.

"Yeah," Feiyin grinned. "Just made the breakthrough an hour ago."

Mu smirked. "You're still sweating like a pig."

"I was glowing," Feiyin corrected. "Glowing with progress."

Mu waved off the jab. "You're not the only one making strides. I just mastered the first level of that Spirit Thread Technique from the Saint Blood Branch."

Feiyin's brows lifted. "That creepy thread thing that lets you bind and cut people with spiritual sense-infused essence qi?"

Mu grinned. "Exactly. I figured it'd pair well with my poisons. Thread them through the wound or bind the joints before the toxin spreads."

Feiyin gave him a mock shudder. "I regret introducing you to new books."

"You'll thank me when we need someone taken down silently."

Feiyin chuckled, then turned to show him the jade slips under his arm. "I picked up a saber technique and something unusual. This eye cultivation method. Looks obscure, but might help me refine my perception further."

Mu squinted. "You're not already dangerous enough with your senses? You also want to see through walls now?"

"That'd be convenient," Feiyin said, then added with a serious note, "But no. I just want to sharpen what I have. Every edge matters."

They walked out together, the afternoon sky slowly bleeding into dusk.

With their cultivation having reached the Qi Flow Phase, a whole new array of possibilities opened up to them. The first and most immediate benefit, besides the advancement itself, was the ability to finally activate and control tools and artifacts that required essence qi flow.

Naturally, the first priority was acquiring a spatial pouch.

The two of them made their way to the branch's Equipment and Artifact Hall, a solid stone building nestled just off one of the main arteries of the outer sect grounds. Upon entering, they were greeted by the scent of polished wood, faint incense, and a waft of metallic tang that spoke of numerous refined tools.

A third-class disciple in a pale robe approached them with a polite nod. Like many others in lower positions, he worked a menial task assigned within the branch to earn enough contribution points and stay afloat. Positions like this, though simple, were relatively safe and therefore highly coveted, keeping watch over supplies, helping with records, tending to halls. In a sect where dangers could come from both within and without, safety was a rare commodity.

"Can I help you, fellow disciples?" the disciple asked.

"We're looking for storage tools," Mu said with a nod.

The disciple led them to a reinforced section where various jade boxes and pouches were neatly arranged. Feiyin and Mu took their time examining the options, noting the craftsmanship and accompanying price tags.

Most of the basic pouches offered just one cubic meter of space, priced at a steep 1,000 contribution points. The larger five-cubic-meter pouches ranged upwards of 10,000 points, and even more refined options came with specialized bindings and essence-stabilizing runes. These were priced far beyond what they currently had access to.

Feiyin picked out a sleek, minimal design that hugged the waist and looked inconspicuous, while Mu selected a more traditional satchel-styled one, preferring to carry it over the shoulder.

After the transaction was complete, they fastened their respective pouches and made their way out of the hall.

"It's strange," Mu said, adjusting the strap. "Something as mundane as a pouch feels like a real milestone."

Feiyin smiled. "Because it is. It's one of the few times we get to see our progress in a tangible way."

As they walked, both of them focused their essence qi and spiritual sense into the pouch's bindings. The tools shimmered faintly before recognizing their new owners. Feiyin closed his eyes for a moment, sensing the interior of the pouch, an empty, dark space that somehow felt wider than its outer dimensions.

He reached into his robe and pulled out one of his alchemy journals, slipping it into the pouch with a satisfied grin. A moment later, he retrieved it smoothly, then repeated the action with a few jade slips.

Mu raised a brow. "You're having a little too much fun with that."

Feiyin shrugged. "It's like a magic trick, come on. Want to see it again?"

"You're hopeless," Mu muttered, chuckling as he slid one of his poison kits inside his own pouch.