A Windfall

The mist curled beyond the window.

The instant Chen Qing opened his eyes, every pore in his body expanded. A stream of exceptionally pure spiritual energy manifested at his crown and poured into him like a trickling brook.

"How pure! The spiritual energy I received this time is even purer than last time!"

He immediately sat cross-legged and began circulating his cultivation.

As the spiritual energy flowed, his meridians hummed like trembling strings. The Yellow Court Palace three inches below his navel shone with golden light, and seemed to be taking solid form.

"I wonder how many years I'll skip the next time I enter the dream. How far will my dream-self have cultivated? Will I be able to acquire the memories and experience from those intervening years directly...?"

The spiritual energy he received was only a tenth of what he had in the dream, but it was far purer. It meshed perfectly with the foundation he had built through seventeen years of painstaking cultivation. As it circulated through his body, it gradually melded into his limbs and bones, nourishing every inch of his meridians.

He could clearly feel the barrier between the First Realm and the Second Realm, faintly within reach.

"At this rate, why wait until I'm seventy? I'll be able to try breaking through to the Second Realm soon!"

At the thought, he let out a soft sigh.

The sensation of breaking through to the Second Realm in the dream remained vivid. When Supreme Harmony Qi had washed through his body, his senses had transformed, and he had felt as if he'd been reborn. But waking from the dream had been like falling back to the mortal world. The contrast was inevitable, and left him feeling bereft.

But soon, his gaze cleared once more.

"When others break through, they're like blind men trying to size up an elephant, but I've already made the journey once! Who else has an advantage like that? I'll know the way by heart when the time comes. It'll go smoothly, so what is there to feel disappointed about?"

Just then, a sudden change occurred!

A cool breath, finer than a silken thread, suddenly drifted down from his crown.

Though as faint as a gossamer strand, it made Chen Qing's entire body shudder!

"Supreme Harmony Qi?!"

This was clearly the profound energy that could only be absorbed and nurtured in the Second Realm! Though there was only a wisp, it was like a spring rain, leaving his meridians glistening wherever it passed. His inner breath flowed with a sudden, newfound harmony.

"Though it's incredibly faint, this is genuine Supreme Harmony Qi! Could breaking through in the dream really send back even the power that embodies the true meaning of a realm?"

Waves surged in Chen Qing's heart. But as he felt the cool breath flowing through him, he reined in his thoughts, held his breath, and focused, guiding the wisp through a cycle around his body.

When he finished, the light in his eyes had settled, but his astonishment remained.

"The Grand Void Dao Evolution Record must be even more heaven-defying than I imagined!"

He carefully contemplated that trace of Supreme Harmony Qi, feeling its path as it coursed through his meridians. A moment later, his brows knit slightly.

Though this wisp of Supreme Harmony Qi obeyed his every command, it was like duckweed with no roots, water with no source. Each use would deplete it, and only entering the dream again could replenish it.

The situation reminded him of his master's old warning—

"The path of cultivation demands gradual progress. Forcibly taking in outside power is like drinking poison to quench your thirst. At best, your meridians will swell; at worst, your body will explode. I once knew someone who coveted quick results. The end was tragic..."

The way his master had shaken his head and sighed back then remained vivid to this day.

"But my situation is different. Though this breath isn't something a cultivator of the First Realm should possess, it came from my dream-self, so it shares the same origin and essence as my body in the real world. That's why there's not the slightest rejection. If that's the case..."

His mouth suddenly went dry.

"Once my dream-self can break through to higher realms, could I glimpse the mysteries of the Third Realm's Yin Spirit, or even the might of the Fourth Realm, ahead of time? Then bring them into my true body in the real world?"

The moment the thought appeared, it was like a spark catching fire and setting the whole plain ablaze, stirring up wild imaginings—

"The gap between realms is like a chasm between heaven and earth! Even a mere wisp of the true meaning of a higher realm would be a trump card kept up my sleeve. I could unleash it at a moment of life or death and turn the tide! If I can make good use of this Supreme Harmony Qi and bring it out at a crucial moment..."

A mountain breeze swept through the room, jolting Chen Qing back to his senses. He immediately came to his senses.

"I mustn't rush things out of greed! My priority is still to strengthen my foundation. This time, I gained far more from entering the dream than I expected. My cultivation advanced, I saw a precious Visualization Diagram, gained insights into cultivation, and even received a wisp of Supreme Harmony Qi! Though I can't use the Great Mountain Art for now, it's shown me the way to complete the Sea and Mountain Remnant Scroll. Now is the time to use it to temper my foundation and strive to break through in the real world as soon as possible!"

Just then, a rustling sound came from beyond the window, and his heart stirred.

"Da'ao and Xiaoyao are already up."

Settling his thoughts, he rose and strode out.

He pushed open the door, and the mountain breeze swept over him.

In the distance, Fang Da'ao's shouts rang out, vigorous and full of spirit.

"Martial Uncle!"

Seeing Chen Qing, the youth finished his stance and bowed. His breathing was already much stronger than it had been a few days ago.

Chen Qing nodded slightly. "Your punches are good, but you still need to coordinate your breathing with your movements." His gaze fell on Fang Da'ao's dantian. "Do you still feel that warmth?"

Fang Da'ao hurriedly nodded.

"That's a good sign." Chen Qing smiled. "It means your Yellow Court is about to open. Keep paying close attention to the sensation. Once the opportunity comes, you'll be able to step into the First Realm as naturally as water flowing down a channel."

"Yes!"

Watching the youth leave, practically skipping, Chen Qing fell into thought.

"I should start planning a cultivation path for the two children."

Suddenly, inspiration struck.

"Though I can't bring the Visualization Diagram from the dream back with me, if I can carry the Dao through painting and recreate it in the real world, even if I capture only thirty percent of its spirit, it would benefit the disciples beyond measure. But I'm no good at painting. I'll have to study and practice. The question is, where?"

At the thought, a notion stirred in Chen Qing's mind.

"The insights from the dream entered my heart directly, and I even received spiritual energy in return. Wouldn't the same be true if I learned the art of painting in the dream?"

The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.

"But there's no rush to enter the dream now. Cultivation is like building a platform; each layer must be firmly laid. I gained many insights from breaking through to the Second Realm in the dream, but if I can't fully digest them, they might throw my foundation into disarray. Besides, that wisp of Supreme Harmony Qi is precious, but I need to nurture it carefully before I can truly make it my own."

The mountain mist gradually dispersed, and Chen Qing had made up his mind.

After that, every morning, Chen Qing sat cross-legged atop the mountain, facing the rising sun as he breathed in and out, circulating that trace of Supreme Harmony Qi through his body and feeling it meld with his inner breath.

"Supreme Harmony Qi harmonizes yin and yang and connects the five elements... I see!"

He opened his eyes, his gaze clear and bright.

"I used to think 'the mountain's grandeur conceals the sea's resonance' in the Sea and Mountain Remnant Scroll meant that I had to contemplate the imagery of mountains and seas together. Now it seems to hint that my inner breath must combine strength and gentleness, like mountains and seas giving rise to each other!"

The obscure passages in the Sea and Mountain Remnant Scroll suddenly became clear.

"My master used to say, 'Understand one method, and you'll understand them all.' So he wasn't just mouthing off..."

After seven days of reflection, Chen Qing felt he had digested nearly all the insights he'd gained in the dream.

"About time. I can enter the dream again."

Buzz—

As he thought this, he had just returned to the mountain gate when the talismans in his room suddenly shot out, trembling in midair as they sounded an alarm.

Chen Qing's pupils contracted!

The mountain-protecting formation had been triggered!

"Martial Uncle!" Qu Xiaoyao came running over, panting, her eyes filled with panic. "There are... a lot of people outside the mountain gate!"

"Don't panic." Chen Qing reassured her before asking, "Who's arrived?"

Xiaoyao took a deep breath before replying, "There are a lot of them, but they're all gathered around an old gentleman with a white beard. He says he's from the Mystic Chess Academy and came especially to visit our Hidden Star Gate!"

The Mystic Chess Academy?

Chen Qing's gaze sharpened.

He had heard his master mention this sect. It was a major sect in the Southern Flame Kingdom, with a Fourth Realm cultivator presiding over it. It held a position of great prestige in the cultivation world.

The Southern Flame Kingdom occupied most of the southern reaches of the Eastern Spirit Continent and was a regional power. Naturally, its major sects were beyond comparison with a small sect like the Hidden Star Gate, tucked away on the southern border. But why would someone of such stature deign to visit this desolate mountain wilderness?

"There's more..." Xiaoyao suddenly gripped the hem of her clothes, biting her lip until it turned white.

"What else?" Chen Qing's voice was calm. "Just tell me."

"Senior Brother Han is here too. He... he's wearing Sea Abyss Temple robes and showing the old gentleman the way."

Han Sha? Showing them the way?

Chen Qing narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing through them.

"He's come at just the right time. Saves me the trouble of looking for him." He swept his sleeves and rose. "Since we have guests, there's no reason to keep the gates closed. Go call Da'ao..."

Suddenly!

Fang Da'ao's roar rang out from the mountain gate.

"Move!" Chen Qing snatched up Qu Xiaoyao and hurried off!