Inner Vision

Now, even without deliberately sensing the energy around him, Ling Tian could feel it automatically flowing into his body and being devoured. The sensation grew more and more pronounced; his body seemed like a black hole, swallowing up all the energy around him.

"Tsk, look at how stupid I am. Haven't I developed spiritual sense? I can look inside myself now, so of course I can check what's going on with my body." Ling Tian scolded himself inwardly. But he couldn't really blame himself. He had only just developed spiritual sense, then gone straight to Qingdie Peak to see Hua Min'er, and had forgotten all about it. As he spoke, he began to look inside himself.

"Huh! What's going on?" The moment his spiritual sense turned inward, Ling Tian discovered something unusual in his body.

To be more precise, in Ling Tian's meridians, a white, hazy energy brimming with vitality—chaotic in appearance and much like the energy formed when the Jade Flute and Guqin intertwined—had solidified, tightly clogging his meridians. This energy was purer, more abundant, and more boundless than the gaseous energy formed by the Jade Flute and Guqin. It seemed to have been condensed and compressed from that gaseous energy.

Even stranger, this energy was slowly condensing throughout every part of Ling Tian's body, then gathering in his meridians, where it seemed to be swallowed and assimilated. Even the energy particles around him were being devoured. Though the chaotic energy in his meridians was swallowing energy without pause, it didn't seem to increase at all, like a bottomless pit.

"What kind of energy is this? It feels so vast, yet so gentle and comfortable. It feels a lot like when my body automatically healed itself after I came back covered in injuries from training. It must be this energy at work." Ling Tian wasn't sure.

Ling Tian had often gotten hurt while running or catching Swift Shadow Rabbits, but after a night's sleep, his injuries would heal on their own. Now, the healing was even more obvious: after he was injured, he could see his wounds closing with his own eyes. The sensation of his wounds healing felt just like this energy. It could even dispel his fatigue.

"Where did this energy come from? Could it have formed from the intertwined Natal Dan Artifacts of Father and Mother?" The father and mother Ling Tian meant weren't Lingyun and his wife, but Yuan Hao and Mo Yue from the Immortal Realm. As he thought of them, he gazed up at the sky as if he could see right through it, and longing welled up inside him.

"Was this your doing? This energy has something to do with you, right?" Ling Tian looked inside himself at the Guqin and Jade Flute hovering above his dantian, slowly spinning, and murmured.

He hadn't opened up a qi sea yet; he had only a dantian, and the Guqin and Jade Flute were circling above it.

As if they understood Ling Tian, the Guqin and Jade Flute gently bobbed a few times like little children, then chimed softly, sounding almost delighted.

"Hmph, I knew it was you two. Do you know how badly you've put me through the wringer?" Ling Tian's face brimmed with grievance, his little mouth puckered into a pout.

The Guqin and Jade Flute trembled slightly, as if trying to explain themselves. A thick wave of wounded indignation spread from them, even more aggrieved than Ling Tian's own. Even the air around him seemed colored by their emotions, filled with grievance and a sense of being wronged.

"Hmph, and you two are the ones feeling wronged? You made me unable to cultivate spiritual energy, and everyone called me a good-for-nothing." Ling Tian knew that without the Guqin and Jade Flute, he would probably have died long ago. But after being unable to cultivate spiritual energy for so long, the grievance and frustration had built up inside him. With no one to vent to, he could only pour it all out to the Guqin and Jade Flute.

"Zheng!" "Woo!"

The Guqin and Jade Flute let out a series of mournful notes, like children indignant at being scolded. It seemed that if they couldn't agree, they were about to burst out of Ling Tian's body and argue with him.

"All right, all right, don't be mad. I know it's not your fault, and the two of you have protected me so many times. I shouldn't repay your kindness with accusations. I'm sorry, but I was in a bad mood, too. Forgive me, okay?" Seeing them about to rush out, Ling Tian jumped in alarm. If people outside saw them, the whole outside world would probably be thrown into chaos. He couldn't help remembering the commotion he'd caused when he first descended to the Lower Realm. Who knew whether people from some remote corner of the Five Elements Domain might try to seize them?

Hearing Ling Tian apologize, the Guqin and Jade Flute understood what he'd been through. They seemed to know he had only been venting his frustration, so they didn't hold it against him. They chimed a few times in satisfaction. They really did have the temperament of little children.

"Um, do you know whether this situation can be fixed?" Ling Tian didn't expect much from the question; he was just asking offhand.

To his immense delight, the Guqin and Jade Flute bobbed a few times, their answer unmistakably affirmative.

"It can be fixed?! You know how? How do we fix it?!" Ling Tian was beside himself with excitement. He fired off several questions in a row, his expression full of anxious anticipation.

But even faster than Ling Tian could ask, the Guqin and Jade Flute immediately shook a few times. Clearly, they either didn't know how to fix it or couldn't do so with their current abilities.

"You don't know how to fix it? Then why did you say it could be fixed? You two bosses, are you messing with me?" Ling Tian's face fell, and he spoke with deep reproach.

At his words, the Guqin and Jade Flute bobbed quickly a few times, looking rather pleased with themselves—as if they were getting back at Ling Tian for accusing them earlier.

"Ah, I wonder when the problem with my meridians will be fixed." Ling Tian let out a long, melancholy sigh, suddenly losing interest in everything.

"Maybe I just don't have enough ability yet. When the time comes, it'll sort itself out." Ling Tian muttered to himself, taking it as a way to comfort himself.

To Ling Tian's surprise, the Guqin and Jade Flute actually bobbed in agreement.

"Heh, if it can't be fixed now, there's no point thinking about it. I'd better go learn formations from Father." Ling Tian's dejection vanished, and he smiled.

With that, Ling Tian sprang into motion, apparently heading to find Lingyun.

"Father, I..." Ling Tian began as soon as he saw his father, his expression anxious.

Lingyun waved a hand to stop him. Seeing Ling Tian's expression settle a little, he said unhurriedly, "So you finally came. Tell me, do you want to learn formations?"

"Huh, Father, how did you know?" Ling Tian asked in surprise, though he still nodded.

"Of course I know everything. Ha ha!" Lingyun said smugly as he tossed Ling Tian a Storage Ring.

Ling Tian reached out and caught the ring. "Father, what's inside?"

"Some jade slips with explanations of formations, some insights I've gathered over the years, and some materials for setting up formations." Lingyun replied calmly and unhurriedly.

"Oh, got it." After his father finished speaking, Ling Tian still didn't leave. He just stood there, staring at Lingyun.

"Is there something else?" Lingyun asked, confused.

"Didn't you say you knew everything?" A trace of mischief flashed in Ling Tian's eyes.

"I, I... You little brat, are you making fun of your old man?" Lingyun stammered at first, his face flushing with embarrassment. But when he saw the mischievous grin growing more and more obvious on Ling Tian's face, he flew into a rage from embarrassment. He was nothing like the calm, composed man he'd been moments ago.

"Ha ha!" Ling Tian laughed triumphantly. He'd finally seen his father get flustered for once. That was no easy feat.

"All right, what else is it, you little brat? You're getting worse and worse." Lingyun's old face reddened, but he straightened his robe and pretended to be composed.

"Guess I learned it from you," Ling Tian muttered under his breath, not daring to let Lingyun hear. Then he raised his voice. "Father, I wanted to ask: I can't fly, but is there any way to deal with people who can?"

"Oh, so that's it. Let me ask you: can you catch the birds flying around the courtyard?" Lingyun didn't answer. Instead, he asked a question of his own.

"I can't fly yet, so of course I can't catch them." Though puzzled, Ling Tian answered honestly.

"Even little children in the villages and fields can catch them. You've trained with me for so many years. Could it be that you're not even as capable as children who know nothing about cultivation?" Lingyun teased him lightly, clearly getting back at Ling Tian for making fun of him.

"Even children can do it? That's unbelievable. Do they know how to fly at such a young age?" Ling Tian was astonished. It seemed utterly impossible to him; he didn't even notice Lingyun's teasing.

"Heh, why don't you go out and see for yourself? You stay on the mountain all day, so this is a good chance to see what the outside world is like. The world out there is wonderful." Lingyun smiled mysteriously and began coaxing Ling Tian into going down the mountain.

"All right. Father, are you coming with me?" Ling Tian knew his father must have a reason for wanting him to go down the mountain, so he agreed. He was just curious whether his father would come along, and asked.

"I have some things to take care of, so I'm not going. Go by yourself. Heh, don't tell me you're afraid to go alone?" Lingyun couldn't resist teasing Ling Tian.

"That's not it. I just don't know where there's a village or anything like that," Ling Tian said. He'd spent long stretches alone in the forests of Qingyou Peak, so he certainly wasn't afraid.

"That won't be a problem. Go east for about a hundred li after leaving Qingyou Peak, and you'll be out of Qingyun Mountain. There are sure to be villages and farmsteads there." Lingyun explained patiently.

"All right, Father." Ling Tian was a child, and naturally wanted to see the world beyond the mountain. Before long, he was already imagining what it might be like.

"Squeak, squeak!" Just then, Humei came hopping and skipping in from outside. She must have overheard their conversation, because she squeaked at the two of them.

"Heh, you want to go out for a walk, too? You've had a hard time staying on Qingyou Peak for so long, with your personality. All right, go with Tian'er." Lingyun knew Humei loved to play and couldn't sit still. A touch of regret showed in his eyes as he spoke gently to her.

Humei squeaked a few times and leaped onto Ling Tian's shoulder, full of excitement.

"Father, I have to go to Qingyun Peak three days from now, so I'm setting out now. I'll go and come back early, so I won't be late for our meeting." Lingyun's face flushed slightly, but a moment later his heart was filled with tenderness. He composed himself and spoke to Lingyun.

"Three days from now? Qingyun Peak? A genius?" Lingyun murmured those words, then his eyes suddenly lit up. He looked at Ling Tian with a hint of inquiry, as if he had figured something out.

Ling Tian nodded lightly, confirming Lingyun's guess.

"All right, go on. It's not far. Have fun for a couple of days and come back. Humei, don't get carried away playing." The first part was for Ling Tian; he turned to Humei for the second, his tone tinged with teasing.

"Squeak, squeak!" Humei let out a few soft, bashful squeaks and looked at Lingyun with feigned annoyance, her expression half alluring and half shy.

"Ha ha, go on, go on. Be back soon." Lingyun laughed heartily.

Ling Tian took Humei and soared away. His figure flashed forward at great speed without a sound, not even stirring a speck of dust. Clearly, he had already gained some mastery of movement techniques.