Chapter Eighteen

Taking Ryuu’s hand, immediately a sense of security and serenity washed through Masaki’s entire being. He trusted the other implicitly, knowing that his companion would never willingly lead him into danger. No one had ever treated him as kindly or as sincerely as Ryuu, and through their blood bond he could tell those actions were not simply a facade, so he got the stabilising his ferocious spiritual vortex required. Ryuu’s care for him was genuine.

Together, they turned to study the new world beyond the gate, finding a vast field of stars originating from beneath their feet and stretching out into infinity. It was like looking into the very essence of the universe, an expanse of deep hues; midnight blue merging into indigo, maroon, magneta, violet, olive, emerald and jungle green. The spectrum of colour, despite being only half a step away from black, was dazzling.

Scattered across this inky canvas were pinpricks of lights, each one a blazing sun. Some appeared more intense than others, pulsing like a beating heart, and drawing Masaki’s attention with a gravity-like pull.

Cautiously, he used his soul sense to probe one of these pulsating light orbs. Immediately, he felt it resonate with his energy, the vibrating hum harmonising seamlessly with his internal Qi.

“It’s matching the flow of my Qi,” Masaki murmured in awe. Experimentally, he probed a few of the duller stars, finding varying degrees of dissonance with his energy. “The brighter the shine, the more compatible they are to us.”

Ryuu’s head tilted in acknowledgement, golden gaze sweeping over the vast field of stars without charging expression.

“Which one do you feel the most drawn to?” he asked.

Masaki scanned the glittering vista once more, before gesturing to a vibrant, rainbow coloured orb that was almost throwing sparks into the atmosphere. Like a crackling fire, drawing his attention back to it time and again.

“That one,” he pointed directly ahead, focused on that enticing light.

Ryuu’s eyebrow twitched. His expression flickering momentarily with surprise.

“Hmm,” he responded slowly. “That one draws me, too.”

“Really?” Masaki studied him with a hint of suspicion. “You’re not just saying that for my sake?”

“Really,” Ryuu gripped his hand a little tighter, and Masaki immediately experienced an influx of emotions that were not his own. Sincerity, amusement and fondness battled each other for supremacy, making Masaki flush to the tips of his ears. Ryuu’s lips curved. “See?”

Unable to meet his piercing gaze, Masaki stared at his shoulder, nodding while mumbling his assent.

“Shall we go then?”

Another nod and mumbling agreement followed. Then Masaki felt a tug on his hand and his feet leaving the ground of the gate. Weightlessly, they flew toward that gleaming, glowing star, almost as though it was actively pulling them toward it. As though they were willing fish caught on its hook.

It quickly became obvious that, although this star had initially seemed like it was within touching distance, it was hundreds of thousands of Ri away.

Sheltered within the crook of Ryuu’s arm. Masaki had to close his eyes against the dizzying rush of light as they spun around and passed them faster than he had ever travelled before. He hid his face in Ryuu’s chest, waiting for the weightless, racing feeling to be over.

Within a sifen, that sense of displacement abruptly ceased. When Masaki opened his eyes, he saw they were hovering in front of the ‘star’ they had chosen.

Except, now it no longer resembled that pinprick of bright light.

Instead, the vista that greeted him was that of an island floating in the vast emptiness of this strange realm. Bursting with a lush abundance of vegetation, there were shades of green Masaki wasn’t sure the human eye was capable of seeing. Vibrancy and living energy radiated from every tiny piece of this otherworldly oasis.

Mists shrouded several areas in the heated steam of the fabled hot springs. And surrounding it all was the subtle curve of a protective array. Glittering with rainbow iridescence, like a large soap bubble, it appeared fragile, as though a single touch might pop it. But the oppressive force it eminated suggested otherwise.

The pair glanced at each other, before Ryuu extended a single wisp of his soul sense to ‘knock’ on the surface of the sphere.

For a long moment, nothing happened. Then they felt a powerful energy swiftly scan them both from head to toe. It took a mere blink of an eye, but it seemed as though that energy stripped them bare of all their deeply buried thoughts and secrets.

Masaki shuddered, cringing away from the feeling of invasion, but whatever it found must have satisfied the energy’s criteria. Almost immediately the barrier parted, and they were drawn inexorably within, its protective array snapping shut behind them like the jaws of a trap.

Once they were cocooned inside the floating oasis, the sensation of being compelled or controlled abruptly dissipated. Their feet touched the glistening, verdant grass, the unusually rigid strands crunching like brittle glass.

For several heartbeats the pair remained motionless, cautiously surveilling their surroundings for even a hint of any threat or danger. In many secret realms, benefits only came after traversing hazards, and each new setting presented new troubles at each turn. This secret realm, with its healing hot springs, however, seemed to be one of the very few exceptions to the rule. So far, all their encounters were geared toward finding resources most suited to them, without requiring them to put their lives on the line to achieve it.

Soon enough, Masaki’s attention turned to the source of the mist that gently floated around them. The legendary hot spring pools. There were several of the pools, small in size, ranging from the width of the average bathing tub, to the largest being roughly one Jou (3m). Each one was a slightly different shade of blue, the steam arising from the surface shimmering in individual patterns.

They were arranged in a step-like formation, climbing up the side of a steep rock face covered with intricate layers of lichen, mosses and hanging plants that made Masaki’s fingers itch with the desire to investigate, catelogy and harvest.

Over the waterfall poured a gushing torrent of crystal clear water, forming a frothing, foaming pool at its base, much wider and deeper than any of the hot spring pools themselves. The spray billowing off it was much cooler, almost icy in comparison.

A natural plunge pool to counteract the heat from the hot springs. Small silvery flashes darted here and there beneath its crystalline surface, traces of tiny fish that made it their home.

In wordless understanding, the two youths split up, making their way toward the hot spring pool which resonated most with their internal energies. Masaki chose one relatively low down the rock wall; Ryuu’s one was located slightly higher. Fluttering eagerly out of his master’s collar, Haoqiong splashed into a pool roughly in-between.

Masaki suspected that the higher up the wall it was located, the more advanced a person’s cultivation level was that it was suitable for. Which was why this secret realm catered to all cultivation stages.

With mutual agreement, they removed their clothing down to their inner robes before stepping into their pools. Leaving weapons within easy reach, just in case they were being lulled into a false sense of security. Clad only in his thin white inner robe, Masaki crouched at the springy, mossy edge of his pool, carefully testing the water temperature with his delicate moonstone pale toes. A small noise of delight escaped him unbidden, finding the water the perfect heat for bathing. Extending both shapely legs into the pool, the soles of his feet quickly encountered a smooth stone ledge jutting out from the wall at an ideal seating height.

A loud splash from above and behind him had Masaki quickly twisting to check on his companions, to see Ryuu already standing in his pool, submerged up to his waist. His own dove grey inner robe was slightly damp, sticking to the powerful contours of his muscled chest. Any attempt at preserving modesty was a failure.

Masaki felt himself flush, uncertain whether it was because of the heat of the pool, or the vision of beauty before him.

“What ya waiting for?” Ryuu shot him a grin, seeing Masaki still perched motionless on the side of his pool.

“Nothing!” Masaki felt even more blood rush to his cheeks as he snapped back abruptly, pushing himself into the water, instantly submerging up to his neck.

He hoped it would camouflage his blush. He didn’t want Ryuu to realise he had reacted this way from merely the slightest glimpse of his torso in wet robes. He really wanted nothing to get awkward between them.

Masaki loved the closeness of their current bond.

Ryuu chuckled as he also ducked down until he was fully submerged, gliding through the water until he could cross his arms on the edge of the pool looking down to where Masaki’s spring was located.

Resting his chin on his forearm, he peered about with a bright gleam in those eyes of antique gold.

“Is your plan still to use the energy of the hot springs to flood your meridians and help to identify the breakpoint for your dantian?” Ryuu asked, gaze following Masaki as he situated himself on the underwater ledge on the opposite side of the pool, so they could converse without him having to strain his neck.

They had already discussed what they wanted to achieve within the hidden realm, but it always paid to ensure their thoughts remained the same.

“Hmm,“ Masaki responded. “And you’re stabilising and refining your vortex?”

“Correct”

“Do you know how long we may stay in here?” Masaki asked.

“Until we’re kicked out,” Ryuu’s powerful shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. “The hidden realm decides when it’s enough.”

“Then we had better get on with it,” Masaki said seriously.

Of course, while they were talking, neither of them was wasting this opportunity. They were busy allowing their bodies and Qi to become acclimatised to this new environment. Drawing on the energies before a period of adjustment could cause harmful inclusions to be absorbed, that may later lead to imperfections and flaws in their Qi.

Running his hands through the warms water, Masaki noted it felt marginally thicker and slicker than normal. More like bathwater with oils added, leaving a sleek coating on his skin. It wasn’t an unpleasant sensation, heating and warming his muscles and soothing away any of his lingering aches and pains. He felt his body and mind being refreshed and relaxed, sliding almost seamlessly into a meditative state.

Concentrating on his cultivation pathway, Masaki sank his consciousness into his core, visualising his meridians. They lit up in his mind’s eye like an iridescent map, pulsing in rhythm with each beat of his heart. Expanding and contracting with every breath he took, he envisioned his pores opening up, like flower petals unfolding to greet life giving rain.

Qi within the water of the hot spring swirled and eddied around his body, forming glittering streams that resembled bright swarms of fireflies flickering rhythmically. Masaki felt the bright glow penetrating his skin, diving deep past his flesh and bones and merging with the energy he had already gathered into his meridians.

Breathing deep from the depths of his diaphragm, Masaki circulated his Qi, steadily absorbing and integrating the external energy into his own. The streams of energy zinged and twisted inside him, darting this way and that like quicksilver little fish. Difficult to catch and slippery to hold on to.

Each one required the utmost concentration, his focus fixed upon the strand of energy in his hands. To purify the energy, he had to first bend it to his will, so that the fizzing, bright, brilliant streams could be manipulated without it fighting against him.

Even though the element of Earth was part of the Phoenix’s affinity, the descendants of the Phoenix were born of the vaulted Heavens of the endless skies, and drew strength directly from the celestial winds. Their affinity for Heavenly Qi was unparalleled, but whenever they attempted to cultivate within caves, mountains, or underground spirit veins, their progress could slow significantly.

Water was the exact antithesis of his abilities.

Thankfully, the atmosphere of the secret realm did the majority of the work for him, but it still meant Masaki needed to put added effort into his accumulation techniques.

It required him to infuse the foreign energy with a wisp of his own soul sense. Seamlessly combining the two until they merged completely into one essence, known as Rebirth Flame Qi. The soul sense had to perfectly match the power intensity of the hot spring energy to neutralise any resistance. If one was stronger than the other, then a pitched and violent battle might ensue. And if this happened, it risked causing a disturbance to his internal Qi that could lead to a dangerous deviation.

The process was painstaking, laborious and excruciatingly slow. Matching his soul sense to the energy needed a delicate touch, requiring exquisite sensitivity and skill in manipulating his own energies. One moment of inattention could cause disaster. The spring’s energy could riot uncontrolled through his meridians, causing severe and possibly irreversible damage to them and the future progress of his cultivation.

So each strand of external energy to be integrated within his meridians required intense concentration and absolutely no distractions. His focus had to remain fixed internally, to the exclusion of all else.

Had Masaki possessed the spare thought power to do so, he would have been thankful for the impenetrable barrier surrounding the oasis. Knowing that no one could breach it was an added layer of security to allow them to advance their cultivation in peace.

Once he had sunk his thoughts into the task, he became oblivious to the passage of time, aware only of the ebb and flow of the energies that swirled around him. Integrating one strand, he moved onto the next, working tirelessly with machine-like focus. He entered a state of complete zen, at one with himself and his energies in a way he had never experienced before.

After an unknown number of days, Masaki came to an awareness of his body and meridians that he had been lacking while he was so thoroughly immersed in his cultivation. He felt as though it filled him to the absolute brim with powerful energy, his Qi pulsing to the tune of his heartbeat within his meridians that felt swollen and bloated, almost to the point of pain.

With the awareness of his body came the awareness of a grumbling feeling of hunger and thirst. Because his cultivation stage was low, his ability to go without food and water was limited. He didn’t know how long he had been working, but he could estimate it was at least two or three days.

A glance over at Ryuu’s pool showed his companion, still deeply emersed in his cultivation. Seated centrally in the pool, his long limbs composed in the Lotus position, his peerlessly gorgeous face was devoid of expression, features calm and cold. He looked like he was in the midst of intense concentration.

Just that short, simple glimpse helped to settle Masaki’s mind, and he looked away just as quickly He knew that someone like Ryuu, with his peak aptitude and refined sensitivity, even in the middle of such focused cultivation, might sense Masaki’s regard. He didn’t want to risk disturbing him at a critical moment.

Reaching for his Zhucun storage bag, Masaki produced a selection of dried yeshou beast meats, spiritual nuts, fruit, and a bamboo flask of spiritual water. As he ate and drank his fill, Masaki noticed Haoqiong merrily swimming around his pool. Seeing his other master watching he chirruped happily, flickering his ear fronds in greeting. It drew a broad smile to Masaki’s lips, and he tossed a strip of the yeshou beast jerky to him, which was snapped out of the air with unerring accuracy.

Hunger and thirst quenched, Masaki gave Haoqiong one final wave before turning his attention back to his tasks. Taking up a lotus position, submerged to his neck in his pool, Masaki once again focused on his engorged meridians, feeling the powerful energy gushing through them like a river in full flood. Threatening to burst its banks.

Thanks to his Phoenix bloodline, Masaki knew he had skipped the stage where he would have to widen and refine the borders of his meridians. They were as broad and strong as they were ever going to be. His task now was to take all of that energy stuffed into his meridians and refine it into its most perfect form. Refinement required both impecable patience and exquisite attention to detail. Hunting down even the smallest ‘rock’ in the raging flood of his Oi, discarding all debris and detritus that might become destructive flaws in his cultivation as his stage advanced.

Once again, it was a tedious and time-consuming process, needing exhausting focus and perseverance. Happily, those traits were characteristics of alchemists, and Masaki possessed the determination to get this right.

He couldn’t let down Ryuu’s unwavering belief and support in this descendant of an unknown family from a distant region of the continent. He had to work hard to live up to that.

Settling his thoughts and resolve, Masaki fished out the largest ‘rocks’ in-the flow of his Qi. Holding these impediments in his metaphysical grasped, he focused his will to generate streams of Phoenix Bloodline Fire that would incinerate that imperfection until it ceased to exist. Then he moved on to the next.

This process was incredibly energy intensive, draining his power and concentration with each piece of the debris he cleared away. Masaki found himself needing more and more frequent breaks for food, water and to replenish his energy. He was grateful he was attempting this massive feat within the secret realm. The more than abundant Qi of the hot springs prevented him from running on empty and allowed for longer periods of refinement than he would otherwise have managed.

In any other circumstance, he would have been thoroughly exhausted merely halfway through one of the bigger ‘rocks’ requiring several days of recovery in between. And those recovery days that ‘rock’ would also recover some of its density. Making the procedure much longer.

And so, Masaki passed his days in a repetitive flow of intensive focus and refueling. The imperfections went from large rocks that could have passed for boulders, smaller and smaller. From the size of his whole body to the size of his torso, then his head. Then two fists to one fist; to the size of his palm, finger, finger nail.

Masaki fashioned a sieve from his will and caught the even smaller grains as they zoomed past, obliterating them with a thought. The mesh grew finer and finer until the tiny pieces he was removing were impossible to see with the naked eye.

He did not know how much time passed, but between one breath and another, Masaki felt the always constant flow of his Qi swell and surge. Power multiplied exponentially within him until he felt as though it was radiating from him in rays that rivalled the ferocity of the sun.

It rushed to his centre coalescing on one brilliant, blazing beam, spotlighting a single point in his core. Gold flowed through his veins and his bursting meridians. He felt as though he might explode. He was so stuffed with this power. It was almost painful in its severity.

He had reached the peak of the Pulse Condensation Stage. The source of that spotlight was the point of focus for his breakthrough to his Dantian. He was on the cusp of breaking through to the Houtian/Pre-Celestial (2nd) Stage. All he needed to do now was prepare for the perfect opportunity to drill through that final barrier.

As he opened his eyes, settling his senses back into the real world, Masaki felt dazed, weariness threading through muscle and bone. Exhaling, he sagged back against the smooth rock wall of the pool, resting his aching head and neck upon the softness of the moss. He stared up at the vastness of the secret realm through the rainbow sheen of the protective array, resembling the starry expanse of the night sky.

If only the Ao Clan could see him now. See how far he had come in so short a time. They would regret throwing him away so casually and so callously.

He would make them regret it.