The Wind Rises from the Tiniest Ripple

Though he strained to open his eyes, everything before him remained a blur. The words on the page were hazy, each one like a tadpole that couldn't swim. He could only make out what was written by holding the paper less than five centimeters from his eyes.

With a soft sigh, Feng Qingmo set the paper back on the table.

"Could my nearsightedness have come with me when I crossed over, too?"

In his previous life, he'd been severely nearsighted. Glasses were an absolute necessity. Without them, he couldn't tell men from women two meters away or people from animals five meters away. He was practically blind.

His eyesight now was a little better than it had been in his previous life, but not by much.

He'd been on his way to get new glasses because his prescription had gotten even stronger. Then he'd tried to save a child who was about to be hit by a car running a red light—and he'd been hit instead.

Everything went black. His consciousness sank into endless darkness. When he woke again, he found himself in a strange world.

Why did he call it strange?

This body was clearly not the one he'd had before. It was younger and stronger, and its hearing was exceptionally keen.

He could easily hear all kinds of sounds from far away. When they reached his ears, he could distinguish each one clearly.

The leaves of the plants in the room rustled as the breeze blew in through the open window; downstairs, someone was cleaning the living room; outside, children laughed as they played on the lawn, pets barked, and water trickled from the fountain on the rockery...

Feng Qingmo half closed his eyes. The sounds carried on the wind painted a scene in his mind as clear as if he were seeing it with his own eyes.

Suddenly, his brow furrowed. He reached up and wiped his nose and the corner of his mouth. His hand felt sticky. When he looked, it was covered in bright red blood.

"Did getting hit by a car and bleeding from every orifice come with me when I crossed over, too?" Before he could find an answer, his thoughts turned to his face and head, focusing on his brain—

Boom!

His thoughts and spirit were transported to a wondrous place.

The mysterious place was boundless, with thin wisps of mist constantly swirling through it. At its center was a single drop of deep blue-green liquid.

No, "drop" wasn't quite right. To Feng Qingmo, it felt as though it were somewhere between solid and liquid, like jelly.

The deep blue-green orb slowly spun on its axis like a star, radiating pale blue-green wisps of mist that steadily thickened the haze around it.

"This is..."

A flicker of familiarity stirred in Feng Qingmo's mind. He felt as though he'd seen this scene somewhere before, but before he could think it through, the orb at the center of the space suddenly exerted a pull. It drew his consciousness inside, and a flood of memories merged with it.

He had no idea how much time had passed. Feng Qingmo, who'd had his eyes tightly shut, suddenly opened them. He took several deep breaths before he could calm down.

"It's actually... Swallowed Star!!"

"Was that the Sea of Consciousness? And that mist was Spiritual Force..." Feng Qingmo effortlessly stirred the Spiritual Force in his Sea of Consciousness and wrapped it around the table before him. The solid-wood table silently rose into the air, hovering one meter above the floor, then slowly descended.

"You really had the worst luck..." After absorbing the memories that remained in the Sea of Consciousness, Feng Qingmo couldn't help feeling sorry for his predecessor.

His predecessor had also been named Feng Qingmo. But unlike Feng Qingmo, who'd been an orphan on Earth in his previous life, he'd had both parents. His father, Feng Jiansong, was a Junior War General Martial Artist, while his mother, Zuo Huifen, was an Advanced Warrior Level Martial Artist.

With his parents' support, Feng Qingmo had finally reached the physical standard for a Martial Artist just a few days after his nineteenth birthday. Feng Jiansong had then taught him the Martial Artist's <Genetic Energy Cultivation Method—Five Hearts Towards Heaven>.

After practicing for several days, he'd finally sensed the energy of the universe today. When he absorbed it for the first time, his physical fitness surged again, and the Spiritual Force in his Sea of Consciousness awakened automatically. But, tragically—

Caught completely unprepared, he hadn't withstood the explosive surge of Spiritual Force in his Sea of Consciousness as it awakened. His soul had shattered!

Though he couldn't see very clearly, a sweep of Spiritual Force revealed his condition in the finest detail. Sure enough, he was bleeding from every orifice.

He went into the bathroom and cleaned himself up.

Looking at the blurry figure in the mirror, Feng Qingmo silently thought, Since I've inherited your body, I'll fulfill your dream for you!

As soon as the thought arose, the deep blue-green orb in his Sea of Consciousness shuddered. Some lingering resentment seemed to vanish in an instant.

"Mo'er, your dad's almost home. Get ready for dinner..."

A gentle yet robust voice drifted up from downstairs. It was his mother, Zuo Huifen.

"Okay... Mom!"

In his previous life, Feng Qingmo had been an orphan and had never known the joy of a family. Now that he'd crossed over, perhaps because he'd absorbed his predecessor's memories, he found it easy to accept this couple as his parents.

His predecessor had relied on his exceptional hearing to identify obstacles and map out the terrain, allowing him to walk almost like anyone else.

But now that Feng Qingmo had awakened his Spiritual Force, it flowed out naturally as he walked. Combined with the way of listening that his body had long since learned, it gave him the uncanny feeling that he had the entire surrounding space under his control.

When he reached the first floor, Zuo Huifen had already served dinner. Just then, footsteps sounded at the villa's front door.

"Your dad's home." Zuo Huifen's smile grew even brighter. She turned to Feng Jiansong as he came in. "Song, you're back. Go wash your hands—dinner's ready..."

"Okay." Feng Jiansong nodded with a smile.

After washing his hands, he joined his family at the table. The three of them chatted as they ate.

"Mo'er, how has your Five Hearts Towards Heaven training been going these past few days?" Feng Jiansong picked up a dish with his remaining left hand and asked hopefully. "Have you sensed the energy of the universe?"

Zuo Huifen looked over with concern, too. Feng Qingmo had been practicing Five Hearts Towards Heaven for several days, but still hadn't sensed the energy of the universe.

"I was planning to tell you after dinner." Feng Qingmo smiled. "Dad, Mom, I sensed the energy of the universe just now, and I've completed my first session of cultivation..."

"That's wonderful!" Zuo Huifen couldn't help cheering. She exchanged a delighted look with Feng Jiansong. "What a great day! Song, we have to celebrate... I'll get the wine!"

"Haha, all right!" Feng Jiansong set down his chopsticks and nodded repeatedly.

Soon, Zuo Huifen returned with a bottle of wine and three glasses. She filled them, and the aroma of wine immediately wafted through the room.

"It's a happy occasion, Mo'er. You should have a glass, too!" Zuo Huifen put one glass beside Feng Jiansong's left hand and another in front of Feng Qingmo.

"Come on, cheers!" Zuo Huifen raised her glass first.

The three glasses clinked lightly above the table with a crisp chime.

After draining her glass, Zuo Huifen set it down and looked at Feng Qingmo with a complicated expression. "Mo'er, only after sensing the energy of the universe and completing your first cultivation can you truly be called a Martial Artist. But..."

She glanced at her husband's empty right sleeve, a flash of heartache in her eyes. "Sometimes I wish you'd never sense the energy of the universe, so you could stay safe in the Base City forever..."

Feng Jiansong reached out with his left hand and gently patted his wife's hand. His voice was tender. "Don't say that. It might be safe, but it's hardly the life Mo'er should strive for..."

"But Mo'er's eyesight..." Zuo Huifen trailed off.

"Mo'er's eyesight may be impaired, but his hearing is more than enough to make up for it..."

After comforting Zuo Huifen, he turned to Feng Qingmo and looked at him intently. "Mo'er, I'm glad you sensed the energy of the universe and became a true Martial Artist. But that's only the first step. You still have the Martial Artist Combat Assessment ahead of you..."

Feng Qingmo nodded.

"You're only a Beginner Warrior now. After that come Intermediate Warrior, Advanced Warrior, War General, War God... and Beyond War God!"

Feng Jiansong paused, then continued, "Do you remember what I told you about the origin of your name?"

Feng Qingmo nodded. "The wind rises from the tiniest ripple!"

"That's right! The wind rises from the tiniest ripple, and waves grow from the gentlest swell. Your mother and I hope that one day you'll become a raging wind and a storm, a mighty surge of waves, moving fearlessly through the world..."