Void Cultivation

He was so focused on that feeling he had with the wind, that he didn't hear footsteps reverberating in the narrow tunnels until it was too late.

***

"Do you think the Golden Syrup would've fully formed after this past month?" asked a young cultivator whose sharp voice carried through the dim tunnel. A deep scar ran down the side of his head, twisting slightly whenever he spoke. His tone held a hint of both curiosity and unease as he followed behind the older cultivator in front of him.

Both men radiated powerful spirit energy fluctuations, waves that would have sent shivers down the spines of most cultivators in Green City had they been here to witness it. The density of the air around them pulsed faintly with that energy, thick enough to be almost visible in the half-light.

The middle-aged cultivator responded with a disdainful snort. "Of course it has formed," he said, his voice low but brimming with arrogance. "If not for that damned sandstorm and the sudden rainfall that struck at the same time, and the City Lord demanding that all high-level cultivators report for duty, I would've already claimed the Golden Syrup weeks ago."

His words carried a hint of irritation, but also pride. He was a man accustomed to power and being obeyed.

The younger cultivator fell silent. He knew better than to argue. Despite his own confidence, he was still only at the Sixth Level of Qi Accumulation, far weaker than the old man beside him, whose cultivation had long stabilized at the Seventh Level. He owed much of his rapid progress to the older cultivator's help, and that fact alone made him careful with his words.

The two continued onward through the twisting, uneven tunnels, their steps echoing against stone walls slick with moisture. The air was heavy with the scent of earth and faint traces of metal, the kind that lingered in places untouched by sunlight for centuries.

Then suddenly, the faint sound of rapid footsteps reached their ears.

The young cultivator's head jerked up, his senses sharpening immediately. 'Footsteps? Down here?'

The old cultivator's brows drew together, his expression tightening. He muttered inwardly, 'Impossible. Who else could've found this place? Even among the few who know of these caverns, fewer still know the true path that leads to the underground chamber.'

The footsteps grew louder and closer, echoing like a storm through the narrow tunnels. There was even the sharp rush of wind accompanying the sound, as though whoever approached was moving with terrifying speed.

The young man turned his gaze toward his companion, only to see a deep frown etched across the older cultivator's weathered face. The old man's eyes glinted coldly as he whispered, "Someone's coming... very fast. We'll strike first. Use your strongest technique."

Without another word, he began to form hand seals in a blur, his fingers weaving complex patterns that drew in spirit energy from the air.

It took the young man a few seconds to fully grasp what had been said, but once he did, his expression hardened. He bit the tip of his tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood essence, which shimmered briefly in the dim light before wrapping around his right hand. The blood expanded and thinned until it formed a translucent crimson layer-like a glove woven from living essence. A pungent, metallic scent filled the tunnel, thick and unsettling.

Though his hand now looked grotesque, the young cultivator's face betrayed no fear. If anything, there was a flicker of anticipation in his eyes. The old man beside him showed no sign of panic, and that alone bolstered his confidence. After all, how strong could their unseen pursuer be? Even if the intruder was at the Eighth Level, the combination of their joint attacks could crush them before they had time to react.

Still, doubt lingered in the old man's heart. His expression wavered ever so slightly. The more he thought about it, the less sense it made. 'No ordinary cultivator could navigate these tunnels. Without precise knowledge of their structure, one would get lost among the endless forks and dead ends.'

His thoughts drifted back to his own discovery several years ago, back when he had still been an unremarkable cultivator in Green City. Everything had changed the day he learned about the existence of the underground tunnels and where they led. He remembered the excitement that had surged through him as he ventured deeper and deeper beneath the earth, guided only by instinct and obsession.

For weeks he wandered blindly, surviving on stored pills and sheer determination. Then, by pure chance, or fate... he stumbled into a vast underground cavern. At that time, the rains aboveground had been heavy, and the sound of dripping water echoed endlessly from the ceiling.

But it wasn't just water that fell.

Golden droplets, thick, radiant, and shimmering, dripped slowly from crystalline formations hanging from the cavern's ceiling. They fell in steady rhythm, each drop glowing faintly before splashing onto the rocky floor below. The entire chamber was bathed in a pale, golden light that danced across the cavern walls.

The air there was intoxicatingly rich with spirit energy. Every breath filled his meridians with vitality, mending the exhaustion from his long exploration. Within minutes, he felt his depleted reserves refill as though he had spent days in cultivation.

Driven by both curiosity and greed, he approached one of the glowing droplets. The closer he got, the denser the surrounding spirit energy became, until it felt like standing inside a storm of invisible power. He hesitated for only a moment before stretching out his hand, letting a single golden drop fall upon his finger.

Then, impulsively, he licked it.

A sharp surge of warmth exploded within him. His dantian trembled, and a violent wave of spirit energy coursed through his body. Within seconds, he broke through to the Fourth Level of Qi Accumulation.

Shock gave way to exhilaration.

He didn't stop. One by one, he consumed every drop of the golden liquid within reach, each taste filling him with more strength, more light. By the time the last shimmering droplet had vanished, his cultivation had already neared the threshold of the Fifth Level.

"What kind of miracle liquid is this?!" The old cultivator's trembling voice echoed through the cavern as his body shuddered from the rush of power flowing through him. Golden light flickered faintly beneath his skin, tracing the meridians of his arms. "I managed to break through an entire level in just a few hours! Have I stumbled upon a gold mine?"

He laughed uncontrollably for several seconds, his rough voice bouncing off the cavern walls. The thick, golden substance that glowed faintly within the small stone pool seemed to hum in response, as though aware of its own allure. The old cultivator stared at it, his wrinkled face twisting with greed and awe.

"I'll wait," he muttered to himself, his eyes sharp and glinting like cold steel. "I'll wait until it appears again. If I can gather enough of this liquid... perhaps I can rise beyond my limits."

And so he did.

For three long months, the old cultivator remained in the caverns, surviving on dry rations and the faint spiritual energy that gathered there. Every day he would meditate, every night he would inspect the walls and cracks of the underground pool, searching for even the smallest sign of that miraculous liquid.

Then, one day, golden light shimmered faintly across the dark stone once more. The Golden Syrup had returned.

Without hesitation, he hurriedly gathered every drop he could find into a jade vial and swallowed a portion, anticipation burning in his chest. But to his surprise, and then frustration, nothing happened. His cultivation base remained stagnant, as though his body had become immune to the miraculous effects. The only noticeable change was that the spirit energy in the surrounding air had suddenly become denser, nearly triple its normal concentration.

"Why…?" he muttered, disbelief twisting his expression. "Why didn't it work this time?"

He tried again three months later. Again, he consumed the Golden Syrup as soon as it appeared. Again, the result was the same, no increase, no breakthrough. Only that same strange phenomenon where the surrounding spirit energy grew thick and vibrant.

A bitter scowl creased his aged features.

"So, that's how it is, huh?" His tone was low and venomous. "No matter. I'll find another way. I won't let this chance go to waste."

And thus, a dark thought was born.

Sometime later, the old man encountered a wandering cultivator, a young man full of potential, but naïve. With a kind smile and gentle words, he lured the unsuspecting youth into the underground caverns, telling him tales of a mysterious elixir that could help him break through his current bottleneck.

When the Golden Syrup appeared once more, the old cultivator urged the young man to drink it.

"Go on," he said with an encouraging tone, concealing the glint of cruelty in his eyes. "You'll feel it soon. That miraculous surge of power."

And indeed, the youth's aura began to rise within minutes. His cultivation base surged rapidly, his entire body glowing faintly as the same golden light enveloped him. The old man's eyes widened slightly, not with admiration, but hunger.

'So it works for others… but not for me anymore.'

When the Golden Syrup appeared again months later, the old man greedily drank it down once more. The result was as before, nothing. Not a single ripple in his cultivation base.

Rage began to fester in his heart.

"No…" His voice trembled, his fingers twitching. "Why does it work for others and not for me?"

In a moment of madness, he recalled a forbidden technique, an ancient, sinister art recorded in an old scroll he had found in a ruined temple long ago. The scroll had warned that such a technique would twist one's spirit sea, corrupting it beyond repair. But at that moment, he no longer cared.

Muttering dark incantations under his breath, he cast the forbidden art, and with a grotesque surge of spiritual energy, he devoured the young cultivator's cultivation base whole.

The cavern trembled faintly as violent energy flooded into him. The young man's body crumbled into dust, leaving only silence and a faint golden shimmer in the air. The old cultivator fell to his knees, his chest heaving as his cultivation surged wildly once again.

A twisted grin crept across his face. "So that's it... I just have to let them take it first."

From that day forward, he repeated the same process year after year, months after months.

Whenever the rains fell and the Golden Syrup was due to appear, he would find a new cultivator, someone promising, eager, and unguarded. He would lure them into the caverns under the guise of guidance, persuade them to consume the miraculous syrup, then bide his time.

When the moment was right, he would unleash his sinister art and devour their cultivation base. Each time, his own power grew faster and stronger. The more he did it, the easier it became. His once-human aura gradually grew darker, more sinister, steeped in resentment, greed, and bloodlust.

Dozens had fallen to him over the years, their lives swallowed by his insatiable hunger for power.

And now, the young man he was leading into the caverns today, another bright-eyed cultivator, full of promise, was merely the next in line.

The old cultivator's wrinkled face softened into a deceitful smile as he walked beside his unsuspecting prey. Deep within his heart, malicious intent simmered.

'Let me just get rid of this intruder first.'he thought coldly, his eyes narrowing toward the shadows ahead.'Then, I'll feed this boy the Golden Syrup. Once he consumes it, I'll devour his cultivation. Yes... this time, it will be enough.'

He clenched his fists tightly, feeling the faint tremor of excitement run through his veins.

"If I devour his cultivation, I should be able to finally break through to the Eighth Level of Qi Accumulation. Once my spirit sea expands, my strength will soar. No one in Green City will be able to stand before me."

The old man's eyes glimmered faintly in the dim cavern light, not with wisdom, but with unrestrained, desperate greed. Somewhere deep within, what little humanity he had left was long gone.

All that remained... was hunger.

**☺️😉**