Regressed Master: Raising The Son Of Heaven Isn’t Easy (Xianxia/Progression)

[Overload69]

Before Li Muchen became Li Muchen, he wasn't sure if he'd reach his thirties. And, as he predicted, he died at the age of twenty-three. Then, reborn as an orphan in a world much crueler than the capitalist society, he once again wondered if he'd live till thirty.

Thankfully, while working as an errand boy at the city lord's mansion, he caught the eye of the Sky Mending Saint. The young man who dreamed of thirty lived past half a millennia. But sometimes he wished he didn't.

The short years he lived on earth were already wracked with problems. Same when he crossed over. Maybe that pain was the price for his second chance.

But the second chance, one he believed to be full of fortune, did give him pain in equal measure. He met his junior disciples and had a kind master. He lived a much easier life than most people in the mortal realm. That was until he took in his disciple, Wang Yang.

Wang Yang's existence flipped his world. He received a lot because of the Son of Heaven, but misfortune came in spades. Muchen had lost count of the times he had got targeted for being Wang Yang's Master, the number of hardships he went through because of that title, and the people he lost.

Was the loss equal to what he gained? Li Muchen still couldn't answer that. He couldn't measure that fortune and misfortune.

However, one thing he knew was that his problems stemmed from the Disaster Gods and their followers. Even when sealed, the presence of these Gods of Carnage had the mortal realm in a death grip.

Li Muchen lost his life battling one of them, Hundun. However, he received his third chance thanks to another Disaster God, Taotie.

A strange connection, a strange balance.

Inside his mind realm, Muchen eyed the Black Lotus. The previous small flower had outgrown the pond it sat in. Its velvety petals increased from 12 to 16, each darker than the night. The mist from the stamen, much thicker and heavier. It washed over his feet like chilly water.

Standing in its shadow, Muchen felt a faint heartbeat inside it. He wondered if it was the Taotie it had eaten. The creature had this inside it, and the Disaster God had an affinity for absorption.

Absorption… Regression…

Muchen couldn't grasp the thread between them. Maybe there was no thread. Maybe it was the Heavens sending him back because they had no other way to save the world? But if they had the power to send someone back, why him? Why not Wang Yang himself?

And, even if they chose Muchen, why does someone else seem to know the future?

The only thread Muchen had at the time was a fragile one, at least regarding the secret of his regression. But one way or another, he had to find Bai. He had to stop him before things blew out of proportion, out of his chessboard.

"Brooding again?" Yae appeared on his shoulder.

"A little." Muchen had allowed her entry only under strict rules. "So, know anything about this?" He signaled at the black lotus with his chin.

"The only thing I know is that it's disgusting." Yae's two tails moved impatiently, her snow-like fur ruffled. "But it suits you, I have to say."

"Very funny." Muchen looked into her eyes. "What do you know?"

"The great famine in the eastern continent, a Black Lotus caused it." Yae seemed to remember it. "It sapped the continent of its vitality by latching onto the main Qi vein and then fed on the hungry souls of the perished mortals."

"The Black Lotus was the cause of that dark period?"

"It's an entity that is only found in hell, only one of its kind, I think. They summoned it into the mortal realm by offering sacrifices." Yae said lazily. "After a century of preparation, the Sun Cult then sacrificed 1,287,678,546 bodies, the century-long famine's victims, and the Black Lotus to summon Taotie. I am sure you know the rest. Your Master must've told you all about the hardships."

"I didn't know they had summoned Taotie." Muchen had read the ancient texts a hundred times; by now, he had them memorized.

"A gag order. Fear of Disaster Gods only feeds them." Yae licked her paws, eyes locked on the lotus. "I know because my father told me, he put the thing in an illusion so your master and others could seal it. If it wasn't for him, the Eastern Continent would have disappeared long ago."

"And he was repaid with a knife." Muchen turned to the emotionless fox.

"Whatever the repayment was, the end would be on my terms." Yae looked at him, eyes burning again. "I will not stop till I slaughter those chickens."

"I am sure you won't." Muchen nodded along.

"With the rate you cultivate, even they might die before I get my chance. Come on, let's get back to cultivation." Yae slapped him with her fluffy tails, eager to go.

How could Muchen explain to this genetically lucky creature that his mortal body needed time to adjust to the new level of power?

Rome wasn't built in one day, now, was it? Besides, he had other matters to attend to.

"We have a feast to attend." He told the grumpy fox.

***

Yae had a few places to rest in Plum Peak. It used to be an empty lot with rough cliffs and forests. The entire place was her garden, but lately one part had become so obnoxiously loud that she couldn't help but growl.

Why did they build that stupid thing along her walking path? They didn't even leave the cave she liked to nap in.

The noise alone pissed her off; she had contemplated torching the buildings a few times. But after taking a dip in Heaven's spring, she decided to tolerate it.

What she couldn't tolerate was the massive waves of people entering Li Muchen's residence for the past three days. Apparently, the sect decided to hold a seven-day celebration for his breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Realm. Muchen said that it was just formality and a normal tradition, since breaking into the Nascent Soul Realm held value now.

Caught between the rush of people, gossip, and performance going through the residence, Yae couldn't even rest in the eaves.

Seriously, a party for reaching Nascent Soul Realm? I reached that before reaching double digits, and all I got was an extra mooncake! Yae hissed in his mind, but she couldn't deny that the mooncake that day was exceptionally sweet.

She only watched as Elders and important-looking people visited each night, gifts and pleasantries in hand. Thick with perfume, their mouths had smiles and sweet words, but eyes as sharp as daggers.

At least Muchen didn't have that mask; he was a scheming bastard through and through.

He welcomed them as the host, looking as princely as ever. Silky black hair with a golden hairpin, pure white robes with a silver belt with black trimming, not to mention he smelled like fresh sunshine and flowers. No wonder the women admired him from afar; it was like he was one, just dressed up as a man.

There were even small competitions in literature, poetry, and sword dances. Giving the less well-off elders and disciples a chance to enter Heaven's spring as rewards.

Yae sat at a table right now, hearing Muchen talk with a powdered, chubby man with a greasy smile. His name was Elder Shen, or was it? Didn't matter. What got to her was that his servants placed a teal ceramic vase near her.

On it was a red bird with a fiery crown of crimson and legs like a swan; below it were people genuflecting.

According to him, this was a treasure unearthed from an old tomb of the Xia dynasty. A vase with the divine bird blessing the Xia royal family to hold eternal power.

I'll kill all these chickens! Yae scoffed, her pink paw smacking the vase off the birch table.

Crashing to the ground, the vase burst into a million pieces, shards sliding across the polished wooden floors. The sudden crash drew eyes, all wide with shock.

"The Resurgence pot! No!" The elder grasped his head, turning red. It didn't take long before he collapsed.

Hahaha! That's what you get for worshiping chickens! Yae's victorious laughter lasted for mere moments.

Muchen's eyes locked onto her, but he simply smiled. She wanted to run away, but the bastard was much smarter and faster.

"Mei'er, I found Yae." He called out the biggest nightmare of Yae's life.

"Yae!" Hua Mei, the little ball of infinite energy, arrived as fast as lightning.

Yae could only stay still as the little girl hugged her, smothering her like a common house cat.

I am a fierce beast. A nine-tailed fox that can wipe out this sect with a swing of my tail! Show some respect and don't you dare pat my head! Yae raged.

But the little fangs and the growl, that even thought of as cute, only fueled the intensity of the Hua Mei's squeals. The ear scratches weren't bad either; even better was the grooming. The kid had a talent for brushing fur. Yae had never felt so thoroughly refreshed before.

"Come, Yae, I saved some rainbow trout for you." Hau Mei broke off bits of the moist white fish and fed her a little by little.

Why does this seem so normal these days? Yae shuddered after eating the third fish. Truly, how terrifying this little girl was.

"Would you like to eat anything more? There are roast fowl, spicy beef, sweet and sour pork, too." Hua Mei beamed.

Yae looked at the table, a polished oak wood standing on six legs. Nine cushioned seats with intricate wooden patterns on the padded armrests. The table had enough food for a party of twenty, but only Hua Mei sat there alone.

There wasn't a single kid around her age, no, not a single youngster in the main hall. Just elders in all shapes and sizes clinking wine glasses over trivial small talk. Most disciples, alongside Wang Yang, were in the lower gardens.

Yae looked back at the expectant Hua Mei, then back at the crowd. Her eyes reached into the garden beyond the hall. Leaping off the table, she rushed through the hall at lightning pace, scaring some elders in the process.

"Are we playing a game?" She heard Hua Mei, the girl kept up.

Sliding under tables and jumping off walls, scratching off heads, they arrived in the back garden. Hua Mingzhu, in her orange dress with white strips, noticed their appearance and looked away from her conversation partner. She smiled at Hua Mei and turned back to the woman from before.

Muchen had explained it to her, but Yae couldn't understand it. There was no doubt in her mind that Mingzhu cared for Hua Mei as much as a mother would for her child, even more so in her case. But every time she arrived, the witch only showed harshness.

Yae pulled the silk dress, her fangs tearing into the golden edge.

"Lady Hua!" The woman in white gasped, eyes on the tear in what seemed like an expensive cloth.

"Yae, you can't do that!" Hua Mei snatched her up.

Look at her, you fool. She's more important than whatever you are talking about! Yae growled at Hua Mingzhu. There was no way she'd understand, but maybe she did understand.

"My apologies, Lady Mu, I will continue the topic another time." With a curt goodbye, Hua Mingzhu took Hua Mei and returned to the hall.

She didn't bother changing her dress and sat at the table with her daughter, talking with the kid while eating. At some point, Yae slipped away from the two. Her usual spot on top of the main western wing's roof looked rather cozy right now.

Most of the hubbub was on the eastern side, so she could have some peace here. Watching the full moon, she curled up into a ball, her tails around her neck on the slightly colder night.

"Why would she leave a child alone? Is that what you are thinking?"

Yae hissed. But Hua Mingzhu sat beside her, a jar of wine in her hand.

"No need to act." She said, cracking open the mud seal. "Hua Mei is already sleeping, if you were wondering, she ate a lot today."

"I don't care about that." Yae raised her head, locking eyes with the woman. "How long did you know?"

"Since I first saw you." Mingzhu took a swig of the wine, a thick, flowery scent wafting over. "Muchen doesn't like pets; he hates burying them."

"If you knew, why act like you didn't?"

"Hua Mei is perceptive; if I treat you differently, she'll try to find out why." Mingzhu rested the jar on her thighs, leaving a stain on her bright dress.

"I… I know I am not the best mother." She started. "I never thought I'd become one, because I wasn't even human to begin with."

"Wasn't human?" What nonsense was this woman spewing? She was a human from what Yae could tell. "Is the wine that strong?"

"I wouldn't know, alcohol stopped affecting me by the time I was 5." Mingzhu chuckled. "I was only born to serve, to follow, and to protect, like a dog. That's all I was trained for. That's all I knew."

"There were many kids like me. I don't even remember them anymore."

"Were they that forgettable?" Yae's eyes narrowed.

"They didn't have any names. I didn't have one either." Mingzhu peeled off the fake skin on her wrist, showing the ugly brand with the number 701. "My mistress gave me one after I came under the service of Frozen Flower Holyland; she thought it was an inconvenience that I didn't have one."

"I've never had a parent myself, so I tried to do the only thing I knew best. Make my kid stronger." Mingzhu sighed. "It's the only way to survive out there."

"Is that all?" Yae turned her head, ready to close her eyes again.

"It seemed you've raised kids before," Mingzhu added. "There aren't many mothers I can consult here, you see."

"I used to have a lot of free time, so I helped look after the clan's younger ones; they weren't that younger than me after all. They loved playing with me, eating too, but the happiest I saw them was when they returned home and hugged their mothers." Yae lay her head on her fluffy tail.

"Giving your child the tools to survive is good, but being around them is much more important." She added. "You may have another child later, but your child only has one childhood. Once it's gone, she won't have another chance."

"I understand." Mingzhu set the wine jar aside. Yae didn't doubt her on that. "I am going back to her. Do you want to come?"

"It's too noisy down there," Yae complained.

"That it is, come by my residence in Tiger Peak. It's the quietest place. I'll prepare some rainbow trout and meat for you."

"I'll think about it if you make mooncakes, the fish better be high-quality too. I don't eat common drivel." Yae scoffed.

"I'll get the best I can."

After Mingzhu left, Yae closed her eyes.

But she couldn't sleep. She could never sleep. She only closed her eyes to recall her village. The high mountains, the clear streams.

Running along the wooden houses with kids, roasting wild game, and picking fruits from Uncle Ping's garden. Memories of her childhood and adolescence. Memories of the cherry blossoms fluttering in spring, running down the stream to catch fish, catching birds, and insects.

And memories of the fire that rained down on them from high above on that cold night.

"Li Muchen, I will not allow failure." Her eyes glowed in the night, locked onto the man she had to sign a contract with. He had reached the Sky Peak, but she knew he could feel the rage in her heart.

It didn't matter if she had to be a docile house pet or the terror of the mortal realm; she'd do anything if it meant snuffing the fire out of those damned birds.

"I will have my revenge." She vowed to the moon, gazing into the far west.
...
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[Overload69]

With the chill prickling his skin, Muchen climbed the black marble steps. Hands behind his back, he took one step at a time, feeling the wind flow through his flapping robes.

Cold on the surface, but something burned deep within his chest. Was it Yae's feelings of revenge, or the rage he felt towards the person he would meet in a few moments? Muchen hadn't the slightest clue; few things could shake the lake-like mind of his. But when it shook, he had a hard time understanding the cause.

Not that the reason was complex, but the fact that he could still lose his cool. It terrified him, but also relieved him.

Passing through the bamboo forest on the western face of Sky Peak, Muchen passed through the main gate of Elder Ling's estate. Wide gates made of obsidian and high walls of black brick, the intricate patterns on the gate showcased every major conflict the continent had seen in the past millennia.

The Purple Tiger tragedy, the Qin revolt, the Corpse King War, and even the Jingyuan pass incident. Muchen had handed the tools to Elder Ling when he carved them into the gate. He had helped design and build this very estate he entered now.

Past the long hallways full of ink paintings and calligraphy from his Master, Muchen followed the scent of the eternal spring. A scent from the incense only made in the Kunlun Mountains. An incense Elder Ling fell in love with. An incense Muchen had given the old man as a gift after his trip to the Western Continent.

Beyond the cream-colored doors, in a room full of vases and statues depicting mythical beasts, Elder Ling sat in a seat reserved for the second-highest honor.

Smoking tobacco through a simple bronze pipe, he looked over lazily.

"The star of the sect shows himself." Elder Ling's voice sounded hoarser than he remembered.

"You didn't bother to come, so I had to." Muchen knew Elder Ling wouldn't attend the banquet. His haggard face said it all.

"Stop the formalities, you never bothered with them before." Elder Ling leaned back into his cushioned chair, eyes on the black hairpin in Muchen's hair. "Get to the point, Shadow."

"I am sure you already know." Muchen took a seat across from him.

Elder Ling had been in the sect for the longest time; he knew the ins and outs, the secrets, and the roles everyone had. Muchen could see it in his eyes from the last meeting they had during the sect trial, and his recent silence only confirmed it.

"Ever since you were little, I was glad that your loyalty was with the sect. Out of all the disciples of Sky Mending Saint, you were the one I least wanted to have as an enemy, I guess. Zhao Jun came a close second." Elder Ling set his bronze pipe on the small stable beside his chair.

"The Heavens always push you to a position you dislike, a cruel and fickle thing it is."

Muchen looked at Elder Ling, his hands clenched under the silk sleeves.

"Do you have to do this, Muchen?" He asked.

"I am just following what you taught me," Muchen remembered it all clearly. "Working with the Demonic sect to incite conflict in the Orthodox Alliance, that's traitorous. Not to mention harming the sect's disciples."

Elder Ling closed his eyes at those words, a sigh laced with anger escaping his lips.

"We needed that. We had to put those bastards in their places. The Saint wanted to make the Azure Sky Sect the strongest on the continent. I just wanted to do that!" Anger bled into his words.

"Making the sect strong and conspiring against others to bring them down are different things. This wouldn't please my Master."

"How do you know?" Elder Ling's voice cracked.

"How do you not know?" Muchen looked into his shaken eyes. This man had followed his master for close to a millennia. A person who respected the Sky Mending Saint above all.

"Is it because you are at the end of your rope?" Muchen already had the answer.

"…" Elder Ling sighed, all external anger washed away. "Did the Saint tell you?"

Muchen could only shake his head; his Master never confirmed it. But he wasn't oblivious to signs. Elder Ling had made no progress beyond the 7th lamp of Nascent Realm for the past century. He could see the peak, but not reach it.

"Does it make a difference?" He looked at Muchen.

"A little." Muchen nodded.

For the first time in years, Muchen saw Elder Ling laugh again. He had watched him since young and felt it himself, so he knew. The pain of stagnation, of not having enough talent, of watching the ones you want to stand with move forward.

"I only wanted to stand at the peak with the saint once." Elder Ling confessed, eyes lingering on the seat of honor. "This was the only way I saw; Heaven had closed other doors for me."

"You can still run away; I am the only one here." He hadn't told his fellow disciples yet; just like him, they too grew up with Elder Ling. Even though he had changed since Muchen's appointment as a Peak Master, they still held respect for him.

Muchen saw his shoulders sag. Elder Ling sighed again before locking eyes with him, a smile on his lips.

"The fact that you've shown yourself means I have no chance, I know that much, kiddo." He shook his head; a thorn still stuck in his throat. The man had aged another decade in mere moments. "No matter where you go, you can never outrun the shadow."

"I am flattered." Muchen gave Elder Ling a black jade bottle. A few spoonfuls of liquid inside sloshed.

"Yellow springs, eh? The poison of the Nameless." He examined the colorless and odorless liquid before pouring it into a newly opened jar of wine. "Glad to know my last toast would be expensive."

Muchen didn't stop him from stirring the rice wine; it was a cheap wine drunk by beggars and peasants, far removed from the luxuries of this estate. A wine from Elder Ling's hometown.

He could see it in the man's eyes. He had given up, maybe long before this confrontation.

"Will you tell the others about it?" He asked.

"Liu Zhi will figure it out. But she is good at holding her tongue at the right price."

"I have a secret cellar below this house. Give the wine there to her, it'll be wasted on the other fools." Elder Ling upended the cup, his face turning rosy as he downed the entire jar.

"If I do that, she won't work," Muchen said.

"Troublesome as ever." Elder Ling nodded; the jar crashed on the marble floor. He looked at the decorated ceiling and asked his final question. "Will you tell her?"

"It's not a matter of whether I tell or not." Muchen glanced at the seat of honor in the hall; a lotus carved into the headrest. "Nothing escapes my Master's eyes."

"That is… true." Elder Ling laughed, the tears he had tried to restrain flowing down his wrinkly face.

He had more to say. Muchen could see his lips move, but no words came. The Heavens didn't allow him the parting words, or maybe they just weren't for his ears.

Walking out of the estate, Muchen shielded his face from the torrent of cold air, tucking a loose strand of hair behind his ears. Under the bright moon, he walked down the black stairs dividing the mountain in half.

The line between good and evil, Elder Ling taught him how to navigate that space. However, he crossed the line himself.

Muchen closed his eyes, coming to a halt.

How much longer could he walk that thin line? At some point, he'd fall. Just like the ones who tried before him. The fall didn't scare him. It was, which side would he land on?

Sitting on the black stairs the entire night, he wondered about the answer.

***

Wang Yang could never hide his awe when he compared his time in the village to the life of cultivators.

The ability to smash a tree with a touch, the wind blasting on your face on the flying sword, pills that could give the taste of delicacies, not to mention the extravagance of banquets that could bankrupt an entire kingdom.

To the average person, cultivators were far removed from the mortals. Like gods, gods you could meet if luck allowed it.

However, today he found one point both shared.

A body rested in a grave; dirt shovelled over him. Inside was Elder Ling, an important elder of Sky Peak who passed away.

The news was as sudden as lightning, but no one looked surprised. His Master and other Peak Masters paid their respects, holding a three-day fast, and finally sealed the tomb on Lotus Peak, his prized possession, a wooden flute, next to the tombstone.

Even though the surface seemed calm, Wang Yang heard that the Peak Masters thought highly of Elder Ling. Hua Mei said that her father had rushed back the moment he heard of the incident, and the peak had been in chaos.

Master must be feeling down, too. Elder Ling was like a Second teacher to him. He had heard from Hua Mei when she came to play with Yae.

Most disciples on other peaks had stopped training for three days; they filled their time with praying or meditating. Just when Wang Yang expected a little break, his Master broke that illusion shortly after the funeral rites ended.

"Forget about no training, it has doubled." Crawling back into his room, Wang Yang ate a healing pill. He had done it every day for the past week, but it only numbed the pain.

Since the tribulation, his master had made a point to look over their training every day. He personally guided them through theory about formations, alchemy, and sparring for martial competence. To say the least, he gave them only enough time to breathe.

Sun Lingling followed along with little to no problem, his senior only had to worry about the sword and cultivation, along with some theory which she could memorize at a glance.

Wang Yang, however, felt like he'd fail to keep up even if he had two bodies. He wanted to learn Sun Lingling's technique, but his mind wasn't as sharp. But what he lacked in brains, he made up for with effort.

It had reached the point that on the one day of the week he got to rest, his body felt uncomfortable. Even sitting still became a problem, as someone poked at him to move.

Maybe I've lost my mind. Wang Yang truly felt so when he walked into the library, shuddering at the scent of dried ink and aged paper.

"Library on a rest day?" His Master, sitting on the windowsill, looked over with his sharp face. Still as fresh as the day he first saw him, Wang Yang looked at his reflection on the polished glass desk and regretted it.

"It felt weird to sit still after constant training." Wang Yang scratched the back of his head, looking and acting like a monkey compared to his graceful master.

"Must be because you are young. I would kill to get some rest." His Master smiled, just like he usually did.

Wang Yang doubted his words. Since he had come to Plum Peak, he had never once seen his master, Li Muchen, rest. Never caught the man catching a wink of sleep. Every day at any moment, he had a task, cultivating, or he was in the library reading or writing.

"It may sound like a joke, but I really do need rest. Everyone does."

And, his Master could definitely read minds.

"I am not reading your mind."

See? There was no other way to explain it.

"I am sure I've told you the reason before." He shook his head.

His Master most likely did tell him, but Wang Yang had no clue. So, he changed the subject.

"If Master wants to rest, you should rest, no?" He came closer to the window, and the cool wind, along with the soft sunlight, washed over him.

"Well, it's never about what you want, but about what you must do." His Master closed the grey book in his hands for a moment.

"Can't they both be the same thing?" Wang Yang tilted his head.

"Life is seldom that convenient." His Master laughed; he never laughed like that. But he should definitely do it more often; it sounded like music.

"Since my disciple wants me to rest, I guess we can arrange that," he said.

"Really?" Wang Yang wondered what the catch was; with his master, there always was one for some odd reason.

"Have you understood the first chapter of the Shan Dian Manual?"

"…" Wang Yang stepped back; he would've reached the library door if his Master hadn't grasped him by the shoulder.

"I'll take that as a no."

Wang Yang had tried. He had tried for days. Understood what the words said. Even memorized them. But he could never follow them.

His master tapped the book on his fair cheek for a moment before he looked over with a smile. Wang Yang felt a pit growing in his stomach.

"If you execute the first chapter by dinner today, I will take tomorrow off. What about it?"

"That's…" Wang Yang stepped back, a web; he had been caught in the web.

"What happened, my dear disciple?" And the spider closed in without mercy, looking as pitiful as one could with that handsome face. "Don't you want your master to get some rest?"

Unfair. That was the only way to describe his situation.

A man doesn't go back on his word. Since it has come to this, Wang Yang could only brave through the consequences like the protagonist of The Valley where two Paths meet.
...
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[Overload69]

Shan Dian Martial Manual. A book as thick as they come. It contained techniques, many of which Wang Yang saw in the index.

From hand-to-hand combat to swordplay, and even spear techniques and footwork. Mind-related spells and techniques for tracking and observation. The book contained hundreds of these techniques, created and refined over centuries. At least that's what Wang Yang's master told him.

But when he opened the book, it started with none of them. The first chapter taught him about the energy needed to use these techniques. Of course, they won't work on normal elemental qi.

Sitting on a rock in the middle of the pond, Wang Yang felt the refreshing breeze brushing through his untied hair, bringing the scent of the nearby garden. The sweet smell of the flowers circled him, the taste of ripe fruits on his tongue.

With the sun moving westwards, the sunlight fell square on his face. Gentle and empowering. Earth, Water, Wood, and Fire, the elemental qi gathered in his hands, and last, he introduced his own metal qi, completing the chain.

After hours of focus and retries, he finally had the right amount of qi from each element. Every bit measured with care, eyed to perfection. But the moment he tried to blend the five-element qi, they dispersed. He braced himself for an explosion, but it didn't happen this time.

"I almost had it!" Wang Yang clenched his hands after an exhale of exhaustion and relief, hitting his already sore thighs.

"Observe why you failed and try again." His Master turned the page of the thirteenth book since he started, lying in a thing he called a hammock. It looked like a wide swing, but for sleeping? "You won't find your pure qi if you get distracted this easily."

"Apologies, I will try again!" Saying that, Wang Yang reopened the manual. For a book so thick, it weighed as much as a feather, even though it looked very heavy. The cover felt good to touch. Like aged crocodile leather.

Wang Yang shook his head, fighting the distraction. He reread the first chapter.

To use these techniques, you must unlock your pure qi. Wang Yang went over the concept again.

Pure Qi, a qi only accessible to those who could manipulate all five elements. The mixture of the five elements formed pure qi. Easy enough to say, but a heck of a lot difficult to pull off.

The main problem for Wang Yang was the end part; he could disassemble the qi from his Dantian into five elements, like unraveling a cloth, one thread at a time.

However, he couldn't reassemble them outside his body. His master said it was about balance and image. He succeeded in balance in his last try, but the image eluded him. Even if he thought of it as mixing five colors in a bowl, it didn't help; in fact, that attempt ended in the explosion he feared before.

Thanking the silk vest and protective barrier on his chest for the nth time, Wang Yang started to contemplate. Arms crossed and eyes narrowed, his face sterner than the rock he sat on. His reflection on the pond looked funny, but he decided to focus.

As the orange hue settled in, Wang Yang wanted to give up. He had tried seven more times, seven different images, but nothing worked. Was it just not possible for him?

"What do we have here? Giving up?" His master stood at the pond's edge, hands behind his back. Seemed like he had finished reading for the day.

"No, I will find the right answer." Wang Yang scrambled to his feet; only an hour remained till dinner time. He had to do it fast.

"Right answer?" For some reason, his master chuckled. "No wonder you keep failing."

"What?" Wang Yang tilted his head. Wasn't finding the right answer the point? What else would he look for?

"Wang Yang, if you see a person drowning in the lake, what would you do?" His Master asked.

"I'll save them." That was a no-brainer.

"Do you believe everyone would do the same?"

"I… believe they should." Wang Yang hesitated for a moment. "I am sure they would want to help."

"What if the person is evil?" His Master didn't let him hide behind that answer. "Do you think they'd still save someone?"

"Well… How would you know?" Wang Yang didn't know; maybe they'd save them? Maybe they won't. Everyone had their own answers.

"That's right…"

Wang Yang saw the smile on his master and understood immediately. He didn't need the right answer; he needed his answer.

He had seen the Shan Dian manual in action. Whenever he thought about the pure qi, only one person popped up in his mind. Shan Pei. His lightning-like energy, the color and shape of it, had left a deep mark on him.

Wang Yang had already decided that the pure energy should be like that. He had made that decision in his heart, and his brain tried to follow. However, that white lightning was Shan Pei's answer, not his.

Five elements gathered in his hands, each in its spot, each a symbol. What was the best way to mix them? When Wang Yang closed his eyes, the image flashed in his mind.

The flash that had him mesmerized a few days back. The thundering clouds above his Master's head. The swirl in the middle that churned with lightning, the white sparks that tore the sky. The thunder that reached him.

Even with his eyes closed, he saw the elements move. A clockwise movement, however, unlike the violent shift of the clouds, it moved with gentleness. A slow swirl he used to make in a bowl of soup as a child, it moved like that, gathering the elements in the middle of the swirl. Contained and smooth.

When he opened his eyes, the pure qi sparked between his fingers, illuminating the darkness that surrounded him. Unlike the white he had yearned for, this one had an azure tint to it. But this was his answer, his pure qi.

"Water's smoothness, but the fierceness of thunder." His Master said, as if waiting for him to get out of the trance. "It suits you well."

"Thank you for your teachings." Wang Yang bowed; excitement bubbled in his heart at the thought of the next chapters. How much of the true potential could he unleash? The question blew away all the tiredness.

"Aren't you glad you did something instead of resting?" His Master asked.

"Definitely." Wang Yang understood his master's point, he really did. "Still, isn't it ok to take a rest sometimes? We can just work harder the next day, right?"

"If you think about it that way, then that's good." His Master nodded, then looked him in the eye. "But, if your hard work today makes your tomorrow easier, would you take a rest?"

"Oh…" Wang Yang scratched his head; his master liked to prepare in advance. But he respected that train of thought. "Guess I'll have to avoid rest for a while."

"Don't take my word for it, find your answer." His Master added. "If you believe that after an enlightenment, after advancement in cultivation, or after figuring out a difficult technique, if you feel you've earned rest, you should give yourself that luxury."

"What do you think, Wang Yang? Have you earned a rest after today?" He asked.

"I feel like I did, but I want to learn more. So, I'll delay the rest for now." Wang Yang itched to read more of the manual, but he had another question. "What about you, Master? Have you felt like you've earned your rest?"

"Hmmm…" A playful smile danced on his master's lips as he glanced at the moon, covered with clouds. "No, not yet."

"I see…"

Even after reaching Nascent Soul Realm, his Master didn't feel like he had earned his rest. Wang Yang understood the importance of that realm; there were only 200 Nascent Soul Realm in the Azure Sky Sect, it was like a needle in a haystack.

Wang Yang felt in his heart that if he had chosen to rest today, he would've regretted it. No, he wouldn't even know what he missed to regret it.

A day well spent indeed. Wang Yang smiled. Even though he failed to reach the pure qi before dinner time, he gained something more in comparison. Maybe next time he'd be able to stand true to his Master's expectation and maybe make him feel like he had earned his rest by raising a capable disciple.

***

Deep inside the Lotus Peak, near a yawning crevasse, was a clear blue lake. Its water as clear and clean as it could be, giving the onlookers a look at the lives of the colonies of colorful fish and corals. It was the only lake on the peak where Lotus flowers didn't grow.

Near it was a pavilion nested under a rocky overhang, fingers of sunlight illuminating its wooden pillars and walls, breathing life into the vines and flowers that climbed the red tiled roof. With the thick forests and warding herbs and a dozen formations that connected to all in the sect, this place was formally named the command center about four decades ago.

Before that, it used to be the playroom for Muchen and his junior disciples. A place hidden from their master, at least they thought so at first, where they could relax after long days of training.

There were many a room in this labyrinth-like structure that had started as four mud walls and a thatched roof, every disciple gathering what they liked in the ever increasing rooms.

Xianquan enjoyed gathering olden artifacts that he bid for in his travels. Liu Zhi filled her area with exotic wines bought from merchants and tonics of her creation. Huang Bai gathered books from new to ancient, anything that caught her eye. Hua Jiahao gathered the weapons of the opponents he had bested since his youth; the collection continued to grow. And, Muchen also had a room of his own, but it was a mixed bag.

He had manuals, old swords and weaponry, artifacts he had found in some secret realms, music scores he happened to hear or remember or find in some graves, and games he had recreated from earth for his leisure.

The games in particular were a hit with his juniors; Huang Bai and Li Xianquan took a shine to chess, which Zhipeng later commercialized; last he heard it had even reached the distant northern isles. Liu Zhi used blackjack to fleece Jiahao of his money and wine, which Muchen had to win back before the stubborn boy would lose even the clothes on his back. The cards had become a big hit in the Western continent.

Now, the disciples gathered here again.

Even after they had given this place an official title, they only gathered here to unwind. To catch a moment of respite from their high positions.

However, for the first time today, the burgundy walls of the main hall saw their serious faces. Around a five-sided table carved out of spiritual wood, the disciples gathered as the sandalwood incense burned slow, the illusory smoke sliding off the curved ledge.

With the moon on the zenith, most of the sect slept, aside from those on guard duty. But the Peak Masters had another sleepless night ahead of them, discussing the current turmoil under the calm surface.

"Are they still preparing their forces?" Huang Bai looked weary, but she had found her footing again.

"Rather than preparing, they have already tried to take over Elder Ling's artifact business by force. It is a miracle that they haven't succeeded." Li Xianquan shook his head, clearly upended.

"Rather than a miracle, isn't it because of us?" Liu Zhi sighed, sprawled against the table. The real miracle was that she hadn't run away yet.

The problem came with the fortune Elder Ling left behind. He had only dedicated his life to cultivation and never took a wife. Even if Muchen scoured the records, the man hadn't a single blood relative alive. Not even distant cousins, he was the last of his bloodline.

Now that he had passed, without leaving any will or orders, his subordinates started to move in the shadows to shovel as much gold into their pockets as they could.

But the problem was that Elder Ling's fortune wasn't small; it had a couple of dozen businesses and several cities. He had enough in gold and silver to even make Muchen look like an average person. Not to mention the cultivation resources that could measure up to a big mid-sized sect.

With that amount of wealth, things were bound to get bloody sooner or later. So, it came to them to stop this before an incident broke out.

"Can't we just take the property and be done with it?" Liu Zhi groaned as the discussion continued.

"We can't do that." Hua Jiahao, sitting next to Muchen, showed his towering presence. His deep voice echoed in the otherwise quiet hall, bouncing off the filigreed walls. "They have served Elder Ling for years; they deserve a fair chance, too."

His smoldering golden eyes shone, and his bright crimson hair moved like a live flame. If not for the smile that seemed even brighter, he'd feel like a beast in human skin with wide shoulders and bulging muscles.

"We aren't fighting for the inheritance, Jiahao." Muchen had to make it clear.

"We aren't?" Jiahao seemed conflicted, even though he had just returned from his long journey filled with duels and beast subjugation, he wanted more.

Muchen could only shake his head as his junior brother had embraced the Martial Path in full.

"We already hold enough power and wealth; if we try to dip into what Elder Ling held, it would destabilize the balance of the sect," Xianquan added. "Should we intervene, I suppose it would be better to go in as an intermediary force to prevent escalation."

"That seems logical." Jiahao nodded, though he seemed a bit deflated that he couldn't have another duel.

Muchen would agree with Xianquan's suggestion here, as he had before his regression, but times had changed. Azure Sky Sect had two factions, one around the Peak Masters, and the second revolved around Elder Ling and the pioneers of the sect.

Some of these pioneers had already passed on, and the rest had no interest in wealth or power. If wealth were a measure, Elder Ling was the second richest after Muchen's Master. Elder Ling's faction had elders and members who were hostile towards the peak masters, Muchen in particular, or only cared for profit. Letting them have the fortune would only sharpen their claws, claws that could harm the sect.

"We have to seize the wealth." Muchen had to use this opportunity to cut away the harmful parts in their system. He spread a yellowed scroll across the table for his junior disciples to see.

"This is Elder Ling's will, a will where he left everything to the sect." He could see that Xianquan had already caught onto it.

But Muchen planned to leave on a journey in a few days. And before that, he wanted to bring about a few changes in the sect.
...
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