A Song For The Ages

Chapter 190 - Silver and Bright Qi



Morning mist curled over the cliffs as Feiyin made his climb once more. The Heavy Mountain greeted him like an old opponent, its weight unrelenting, its silence absolute. He had grown used to its pressure, though never truly comfortable. Each step pressed against his bones, each breath tested his lungs. Yet his heart beat with steadiness, and his organs resonated faintly under his inward focus, like instruments learning to tune themselves.

He pressed onward until sweat drenched his back, then paused, drawing in breath after breath, feeling the pull of yin energy coursing through his dantians. Within, the moons circling his qi nexuses shone like silver mirrors- clearer and brighter than ever before. His yin refinement had reached ninety-nine percent. The final thread of completion eluded him, but he felt it drawing near, like a song's last note waiting for release.

When he descended, the valley spread below him, alive with its quiet rhythms. Giants sparred in the distance, children's laughter echoed faintly, and the scent of burning herbs wafted from the alchemy halls. This place had become a temporary home, and every sight imprinted itself upon his heart.

That afternoon, as Feiyin sorted herbs in preparation for another small refinement session, a shadow fell across him. He looked up to find Alaric, the clan's pragmatic alchemist, holding a small stone box with both hands. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes carried a weight of intent.

"I remembered you asked once," Alaric said slowly, voice deep and even. "We searched the vaults, and though most was already used up long ago, I found this."

He extended the box. Feiyin accepted it carefully, sliding the lid open. Within lay a shard of Hollowed Silver, gleaming with an inner radiance. Its surface shimmered like moonlight captured in metal, humming faintly with a resonance that only his oscillation sense could catch.

Feiyin's breath caught. "Hollowed Silver…" He looked up sharply. "Do you realize what this means?"

Alaric's lips twitched in the faintest of smiles. "I have some idea. We exhausted our Cleansing Gold decades ago, but our records note its provenance. It came from the central part of the continent. If fate guides you there, perhaps you will find more. But for now, take this. You may yet fashion the artefact you spoke of."

Feiyin closed the box with trembling hands, bowing low. "Alaric… this is beyond precious. With Hollowed Silver, I'm closer to refining the Purifying Needle. My companions- those still bound by the sect master's parasites- this will free them. With it, we can truly begin the counterattack."

The giant's gaze softened, though his tone remained measured. "Then consider it an investment. For you, for them, and for what lies ahead."

Emotion welled in Feiyin's chest. "You honor me. I will not squander it."

That evening, a gathering took place upon a plateau cleared for cultivation trials. The clan had prepared a formation to showcase, record and steady a cultivation breakthrough- sigils and stones placed with precision, glowing faintly with restrained power. At its center sat Elder Fjord, legs crossed, back straight, eyes closed in calm focus. In his hand gleamed the pill Feiyin and Gawain had previously refined, etched faintly with a rune of yin and yang intertwined.

Feiyin and Darak stood just beyond the formation's circle, observers to what was about to unfold. The air was taut with expectation.

Fjord opened his eyes, light glinting within them. He raised the pill. "Boy," he said, voice booming even in restraint, "watch closely. This step will teach you much. And Darak- remember what you see. One day, you will stand where I sit."

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With no further words, he swallowed the pill.

The effect was immediate. His aura surged outward, yin and yang refined qi swirling violently before settling into a rhythm. Silver light of yin coursed through one half of the formation, golden brilliance of yang through the other. The two clashed, hissed, threatened to break apart- then slowly, inexorably, began to spiral together.

Feiyin's oscillation sense caught every thread. The harmony was delicate, like balancing a scale on the edge of a blade. Yin threatened to smother, yang threatened to scorch. Yet Fjord's will held them, guided by the pill's resonance.

Behind him, the air shimmered. A faint vision emerged- at first only vague outlines, then growing clearer. A silver river wound its way into the air, flowing endlessly. A golden mountain rose beside it, proud and immovable. For long moments, they stood apart, opposing forces. Then, slowly, the river descended, winding down the mountain's slope, merging into a single natural image: a river running down a mountain, life flowing from firmness.

Darak gasped softly. "His manifestation… it changes."

Feiyin's eyes widened. He recognized the symbolism. This was Fjord's True Manifestation, reborn- now further refined and condensed by a deeper merging of yin and yang.

As they watched, his qi shifted. What had once been vaporous, like mist, now condensed. Threads of liquid light coursed through his meridians, shining with density and weight. His aura pressed outward, heavier, brighter, impossible to ignore.

The ground trembled faintly. The formation's stones flared, straining to contain the energy. Then, suddenly, all settled. The glow faded, leaving only the steady, radiant presence of a man transformed.

Fjord opened his eyes and exhaled. His aura was no longer diffuse, but dense, liquid, radiant. He had stepped fully into the Seventh Phase of Qi Condensation- the Bright Qi Phase.

He rose to his feet, laughter booming across the plateau. "Hah! These old bones were worth mending after all!" He turned to Feiyin, his grin fierce. "You and that boy Gawain gave me this gift. You've breathed fire back into an old hammer."

Feiyin bowed with deep respect. "Congratulations, Elder Fjord. Your strength is renewed. But I must ask- do not accompany me yet. If you walk beside me now, it will reveal our cards too soon. The sect master will learn too much. Better that you remain here, hidden, until the time comes."

Fjord's smile faded into something gentler. "You would refuse my strength?"

"I would treasure it," Feiyin replied steadily. "But I would not waste it. Stay, for now. I will leave you a talisman, so that when the time is right, I can call upon you. Then you may strike, and the enemy will not see you coming."

For a moment, Fjord studied him. Then his grin returned, wider than ever. "Hah! Clever boy. Very well. Leave me your talisman. But do not delay- my new strength demands an enemy worthy of it."

Feiyin chuckled faintly. "I will not delay."

The following couple of days blurred together. Feiyin prepared in silence, packing his things, checking his reserves of pills, refining a few more for emergencies. He visited Alaric once more, thanking him again for the Hollowed Silver. He spent an afternoon sparring with Darak, both testing the sharpness of their progress. He shared quiet words with Fiona and Finn, who clung to him with innocent admiration, their questions endless. He carved one last mark on his stone tally, the days now too many to count without weight.

On the morning of his departure, a good part of the clan gathered at the valley's edge. Giants stood in rows, their massive forms solemn. Fiona waved both arms, her voice bright with cheer, while Finn stood stiff beside her, muttering but unable to hide his admiration. Darak clasped Feiyin's forearm, a warrior's gesture of trust. Drakar nodded his head, silent but resolute. And Elder Fjord, radiant in his newfound phase, placed a massive hand on Feiyin's shoulder. "Do not falter, boy. Call on me when the time comes, and we will make the heavens shake."

Finally, Alaric stepped forward. In his hands glowed a small jade, etched with a profound rune. "Gawain refined this for you. With it, you may speak to us, even from beyond this realm. Use it wisely."

Feiyin accepted the communication jade, bowing in gratitude with a smile. "I will. And thank him for me."

He turned, the path ahead stretching beyond the hidden valley, and with a step, left the secret realm behind.


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