Volume One: The Eternal Stream Chapter 14: Delicate Threads, Boundless Beings

On the journey back, the carriage moved slowly. The two of them sat inside all day long; when thirsty, they drank from the river, and when hungry, they roasted fish and shrimp.

Dealing with nature’s calls was still the most troublesome matter. Sun Zikai had to run a mile away to relieve himself or leave Jiang Yujin to handle it alone by the carriage.

Sun Zikai kept running back inside. It turned out Jiang Yujin had taken out some scrolls from the Song Kingdom stored in her bracelet, covering various trades and professions. Each book was marked with a price by her, and every time he read one, the cost was deducted from a piece of gold. Despite this, Sun Zikai remained eager and tireless in his reading.

“Hey? Why does this book cost three gold pieces? Did you mark it wrong? Then I owe you two more?” Sun Zikai asked, closing the book carefully as if afraid of accidentally opening it again.

Jiang Yujin glanced at it and said, “That’s a cultivation manual.”

“Really? Then... I don’t think much of it,” Sun Zikai bargained. “How about we trade? I’ll teach you my path of cultivation if you give me this book.”

“I don’t want your crooked ways.”

“Alright.” Sun Zikai was not greedy and obediently put the book aside.

Jiang Yujin picked up the book and read for a while. “This belonged to my third brother’s master. My third brother is the crown prince.”

“Your third brother’s surname is Tai?”

Jiang Yujin sighed and explained the concepts of crown prince, heir apparent, and prince to him.

“My third brother never showed us this; I didn’t expect it to be kept in the royal treasury.” She flipped through the pages, sometimes frowning, sometimes murmuring with suspicion. After a while, she said, “The first step in cultivation is body tempering.”

Sun Zikai’s eyes lit up. “I actually guessed the right direction! My path to cultivation also includes body tempering.”

But then he hesitated. He had punched and killed that flying cultivator wielding a weapon. If entering the path of spiritual energy began with body tempering, then how could it be so? Perhaps these two kinds of body tempering had different meanings.

Jiang Yujin deliberately read aloud, and Sun Zikai reminded her, “I can hear you, you know.”

Jiang Yujin rolled her eyes and continued reading.

Night fell under a cloudless moon. Jiang Yujin stepped outside the carriage and saw Sun Zikai standing on one leg atop the roof, eyes closed in deep thought.

Jiang Yujin walked to the riverbank, bent down, raised her hand, and murmured, “Unceasing breath.” She took a deep breath, exhaled, inhaled, and exhaled again... When her lungs felt warm, she extended her hand, stepped swiftly, mimicked the heavenly battle pattern, inhaling and exhaling clouds of breath. After ten cycles, her bones grew weary. She turned around, exhaled deeply, releasing breath continuously. When, at the limit of her lung strength, a faint chill ran down her throat, that was spiritual energy.

For beginners without guidance, this had to be repeated at least a hundred times before any effect was seen, until all the breath inhaled became spiritual energy, marking the entry point. Then, spiritual energy was cultivated to nourish the body, gradually tempering and spiritualizing the flesh, making it easier to merge with the atmospheric spiritual energy. This was the first stage of the spiritual energy cultivation path—the Body Tempering Phase.

Following the method in the book, Jiang Yujin completed ten cycles before suddenly feeling a chill in her throat. Joy filled her heart as she shouted toward Sun Zikai, “I feel it! It’s spiritual energy!”

Unexpectedly, Sun Zikai, who had been meditating with eyes closed, moved. He descended from the roof, lips parted, and suddenly expelled a large visible breath. The surrounding energy shifted drastically, swirling around him like a storm. The airflow reversed rapidly, and its color changed. Sun Zikai opened his eyes, which shone with a cold blue light, and all around him, myriad phenomena emerged, the wind visibly taking shape.

After a few breaths, he bit through the energy river; the phenomena dispersed, and a look of slight disappointment crossed his face.

Jiang Yujin hurriedly asked, “What were you doing just now?”

“Feeling the spiritual energy. I thought it was some divine power, but it’s just a form of energy, and a half-baked one at that. One pure unit can produce hundreds of spiritual energy units, but the spiritual energy itself is a technique with inherent power.”

Jiang Yujin couldn’t understand. Sun Zikai simplified it: according to the method she read aloud, he not only sensed the spiritual energy but succeeded in body tempering. His body tempering was his own path, and spiritual energy could condense into spiritual essence. Once merged into the skin’s patterns, it greatly enhanced perception and fusion with surrounding spiritual energy. But for Sun Zikai, this was less useful than a chicken rib since he could directly absorb energy, achieving effects hundreds of times stronger than spiritual energy tempering.

“You’re from a sect; you’re lying to me!”

“I’ve told you a thousand times, I’m not.”

“But you have no teacher!”

“Exactly, so I had to figure it out myself. That spiritual energy is just a kind of qi or wind. Once I grasp a bit, I pull the wind to draw out more spiritual energy. It’s simple.”

“Bah! You’re just bragging. You’re definitely from a sect.”

“You idiot princess!”

“Big-mouthed braggart!”

An hour later, they sat leaning together. Sun Zikai explained energy, vitality, and the rules of change—the Way of Infinity—sharing his path of body tempering without reservation.

Jiang Yujin listened intently, gazing at the young man’s face, her mood unsettled for a long while. “I’ve never heard of such things. Everyone says all things arise from spiritual energy, but you say otherwise.”

Sun Zikai said, “I can only come up with crooked ways. Maybe the spiritual energy I sensed isn’t the real thing.”

“But you’re really amazing, a genius, the kind my third brother calls a prodigy born for cultivation.”

Sun Zikai said, “Actually, the path of spiritual energy isn’t necessarily that powerful. I once fought a cultivator who flew with a weapon; he was no match for me. By the way, that was the day I met you—I killed him with one punch!”

Jiang Yujin exclaimed, “Are you sure he was flying with a weapon? Flying?”

“Yes.”

“You’re lying, you’re bragging again!”

“Why would I lie?”

“Then swear you won’t lie to me again.”

“I never lied to you.”

“Swear it!”

“I swear—if I lie to you, may I meet a bad end. Happy now?”

“Did you really kill a cultivator who flew with a weapon?”

“Yes!” Sun Zikai said helplessly. “Though I ambushed him first, he really was weak.”

Jiang Yujin whispered, “Heavens, you actually killed a Foundation Formation cultivator.”

“What’s Foundation Formation?”

Jiang Yujin explained: after body tempering comes Qi Condensation, then Qi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment, Essence Consolidation, Spirit Accumulation, and finally Foundation Formation. Foundation Formation is the first major barrier in cultivation and one of the hardest to pass. The quality of the Foundation Formation determines the ceiling for future cultivation. It takes decades or even centuries. Once complete, one can store atmospheric spiritual energy, nurture mundane things into spirit seats, and fly by wielding weapons. So, cultivators who can fly are strong Foundation Formation masters. In the Song Kingdom, there is only one—the master of her third brother. And yet you killed a Foundation Formation cultivator?

“Well... I...” Sun Zikai doubted himself. “Maybe I’m mistaken? He wasn’t flying? No, he was definitely flying.”

If he hadn’t ambushed, things wouldn’t have ended that way. But that Foundation Formation cultivator didn’t take Sun Zikai seriously—understandably, since Sun Zikai had no spiritual energy, appearing as an ordinary person. Nobody expected this guy to drain him dry, reduce him to a withered old man, and then land a punch over a thousand times stronger than an adult’s limit, charged with sunlight...

The more Sun Zikai thought, the more doubtful he became. “Maybe... he was a fake, pretending to be a cultivator...” He shook his head, dismissing this idea. Eliminating all other possibilities, the impossible must be possible.

“I probably killed a Foundation Formation cultivator, but I ambushed first. He couldn’t react in time. If he had, he could have crushed me. Don’t tell anyone else. That’s just between us.”

Night deepened. They sat beside the river, feet dipped in the cool flowing water, comfortably leaning back. Jiang Yujin pulled out the knife hanging from Sun Zikai’s waist.

The cold blade reflected the stars above in the water’s light. Jiang Yujin said, “Why is the sword a bit curved? Hey, it’s single-edged. Wait, that’s a knife. How can a knife be so thin and so long? If it hits armor, won’t it break?”

“That’s why killing must be fast—no chance for the opponent to react or defend. When I kill barbarians, it’s all over in one move. Swing the knife fast, don’t think about anything. It brings results, and that’s what I want.”

“A cultivator wouldn’t be wielding knives and swords like that.”

“Exactly why I’m on a crooked path.”

“Teach me. I want to learn.”

“Learn this?”

“Yes, I already paid. It’s included in that piece of gold.”

“How can you earn back all that gold?”

Jiang Yujin thought for a moment. “You teach me... what do you know?”

Sun Zikai suddenly leapt up, untied his waist cord, took off his shirt, revealing a strong muscular body. He swung the knife toward himself, and sparks flew as the blade struck like iron. “I can teach you body tempering, gathering the essence of heaven and earth to make you incredibly strong, skin as hard as iron.”

“Go to hell!” Jiang Yujin covered her face but peeked through her fingers. “Who wants to learn that? Put your clothes back on!”

“Oh.” Sun Zikai dressed again, looking troubled. “If you don’t learn this, and I teach you something else, you won’t understand it as well as me. But if you do learn it, you still owe me the gold.”

Sun Zikai had no intention or ability to teach the path of energy and vitality, but he could teach the basics of energy.

“Give me your hand.”

“What for?”

“Give it.”

“No!”

“Are you going to learn or not?”

“Yes!”

“Then give it here!” Sun Zikai grabbed her hand. “Look at you—who cares about touching your hand?”

“Then why do you still touch it?”

“Because I like it! So soft and fragrant!”

Jiang Yujin turned her head in irritation. “Hurry up and teach me.”

As soon as she spoke, a warm current slipped through her palm. Curious, she turned back, seeing nothing on her hand. She was about to ask when suddenly she felt another warm flow pass before her, invisible.

Sun Zikai held her hand and bent down toward the water. Just before touching it, he said, “Spiritual energy? Welcome to the world of energy!”

The moment his fingers touched the water, Jiang Yujin felt as if she was touching tens of thousands of flowing silk threads. She opened her eyes wide and saw the river water but sensed countless fine strands.

“What is that? Is that energy?”

“No, not yet.” Sun Zikai scooped up a handful of water with her hand. Much of it dripped away, leaving a small pool. “Close your eyes; I’ll let you feel true energy.”

Jiang Yujin closed her eyes. Her entire body seemed to dissolve, but the water in her palm came alive. It climbed her skin, then suddenly twisted and broke down into smaller “beings.” They danced everywhere, endlessly energetic. Then, a moment later, “order” appeared. All the beings began rotating in one direction, then a second, then a third...

She felt like she was holding a wind sphere spinning faster and faster. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw nothing in her palm.

“Huh?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Strange, it’s clearly there.”

“Of course it is.”

“Where?”

“Look.” Sun Zikai took a deep breath; visible airflow appeared and blew toward Jiang Yujin’s palm. Instantly, energy manifested—it was countless hair-thin beams of light, short and spinning at incredible speed, following assigned rules and order, forming a dazzling orb.

The energy had form, stirring wind. The wind lifted water; the water picked up sand, swirling upward in sequence, leading all things to follow. Order expanded layer by layer, assimilating all it touched. The swirling wind raised the desert’s yellow sand within three miles.

The roaring wind made Jiang Yujin exclaim, “Is this energy?”

Sun Zikai shouted, “Yes, the purest, most essential energy, like threads and lines. It’s just energy, the building block of all things.”

“How does it form all things?”

“Look!” Sun Zikai grabbed Jiang Yujin’s hand and reached into the energy orb, pulling out a thread of energy. “The Way of Infinity, the Way of Rules, gives energy order and structure...” The energy thread was guided to form a new structure. Once fixed, it spontaneously devoured large amounts of energy from the heavens and earth. Sun Zikai had not realized before that large energy transfers occurred not only when stones or other objects formed or broke down but also with elements like water and fire.

The energy threads formed an energy knot. Suddenly, visibly, this knot took a form—the shape of a water droplet. The droplet fell into the river, and instantly the entire river lit up. The sky-blue water was countless “energy knots.” Then grains of sand also emitted light. Soon the entire desert shone, the earth beaming auroras skyward. The sky brightened, countless energy forms appeared, led by shaped and glowing winds, slowly moving.

Jiang Yujin watched in a trance, feeling much lighter. “This... is the world you see.”

“Not exactly. I still have to concentrate and go through processes to see such scenes. Usually, I just sense energy’s location and changes, not this detailed.”

“What’s that?” Jiang Yujin pointed to a large, mistlike special substance between heaven and earth.

“That’s spiritual energy. It’s a ‘form’ of energy threads constructed under order.”

“If there’s a lot, isn’t that a place rich in spiritual energy? If little, then it’s the barren land my third brother mentioned?”

“Energy is everywhere, but not every place’s energy turns into spiritual energy. From this perspective, my path is more powerful. What’s spiritual energy anyway!”

“Tch, you haven’t entered a sect to experience true cultivation.”

“That’s true. If I get the chance, I want to see the orthodox cultivation path.”

The light gradually faded and disappeared, shrinking until the glowing orbs in their hands vanished. But Jiang Yujin’s heart seemed to drum. She had glimpsed a new world, sweeping away her past confusion, feeling refreshed and deeply excited.

At that moment, she saw Sun Zikai bringing her jade hand to his lips.

“What are you doing?”

Caught red-handed, Sun Zikai smiled and sniffed her hand. “Your skin’s patterns must be different too. The fragrance hasn’t faded. You probably tempered your body too, just didn’t know it.” He sniffed again, even trying to condense essence on her hand by feel.

She pulled her hand away and slapped him sharply.

“Ahhh!” Jiang Yujin screamed in pain. Her hand swelled to the size of a pig’s trotter within moments, aching so much she wailed loudly.

“Ouch, I told you—I’m a copper-headed iron-armed man. My skin is incredibly tough.”

Jiang Yujin continued crying, and Sun Zikai flustered, plunging her hand into the river water.

The next day, the carriage moved even slower. Jiang Yujin sat inside, her entire hand swollen like a pig’s trotter, glaring at Sun Zikai with resentment. “Deduct money!”

“D-deduct how much?”

“All of it! Start counting from scratch.”

“Alright.”

“I want to learn!”

“Learn what?”

“Energy!”

“Ha, energy isn’t a skill you learn.”

“I don’t care, I want to learn.”

“You have to sense energy first. But to sense external energy, your body’s energy level must reach a certain standard.”

“What energy level?”

Sun Zikai explained, “It’s the level of energy inside our bodies. The stronger your body, the higher the energy level. Vice versa, you must cultivate yourself strong enough. I can teach you how to use a knife or punch.”

“No, I want to use a sword.”

“Fine.”

Jiang Yujin asked curiously, “What if your energy level is very, very high?”

Sun Zikai became spirited. “Since I figured it out myself, I fixed the energy levels into a few tiers. If a person raises their energy level beyond a certain height, they won’t be human anymore.”

“What then?”

“Long people—that’s what I call that level.”

“Sounds awful. Teach me swordplay tomorrow.”

“Oh, I don’t know sword techniques. I’ll only teach you how to kill with a sword.”