6

As he spoke, several scrolls appeared in his hand. I gift you a cultivation skill: dawn star cultivation art. A martial skill: myriad swords skill, and a movement skill: the leaves in the wind evasion art. In the event of my untimely death, i also bequeath you with my ring containing all the wealth i accumulated in my life as well as treasures, scrolls and manuals. Don't look down upon it. It is a high quality spatial ring. For the time being, i have placed a seal on it. You will be able to open when you attain the master realm.

' thank you, teacher.'

The scrolls felt leathery to the touch. They looked incredibly valuable despite her lack of knowledge.

' go back now and study. I'll find you food to eat.'

Bai liyue walked back into the cave feeling determined. She didn't know how this cultivation thing will go, but all she had to do was try her best. Her teacher had given her so many treasures. She had to work hard in order to return home.

She sat down on the ground and opened the first scroll.

'huh?'

She folded it and moved to the other scrolls. They all elicited the same look of puzzlement from her. Teacher chu had been able to understand her and so did she when he spoke. although he used archaic words and syntaxe, she still managed to understand him. She'd thought the writing of this world would be the same ones she knew. The writings on the scrolls had just proved her wrong.

'this is going to be tougher than i imagined.'

Two days, later bai li yue was on her knees with her arms raised. She eyed the pebbles floating in the air beside teacher chu warily.

' next question'

' ja.'

' wrong.' a pebble whistled through the air and hit her in the arm.

'teacher, you are abusing me too much.

' how many times have i taught you to differentiate between homophones?'

' is that such a big deal?'

' even a 5 year old can read and write better than you.'

' it's not my fault that the writing system of this world is messed up. I'm doing my best.'

' don't you know why i'm pushing you so hard? If you don't learn how to read perfectly, don't even talk about cultivating. You'll endanger yourself because you misread pull as red just like you did a minute ago. Next question.'

Bai li yue focused on the letters in front of her. It definitely said 'dia' but it could mean either child or seed in the sentence.

' child'

' it's obviously seed. Did you leave your brain in the void?'

She sighed and wondered why she bowed in the first place if she was going to suffer like this?

Everyday, pebbles whistled in the air. It became a normal occurrence in the cave. She still got many answers wrong, but she began to learn the absurd logic that ran through the language of this world. Once she understood this, the pebbles reduced in number. She could now read the scrolls and gain some benefit from them.

'teacher, what does it mean to sense the spiritual energy?'

' oh, it means you should feel it?'

'how?'

' just feel it.'

' i know, but how?'

' sense it. If you feel it then you can sense it. If you sense it, then it means you can feel it. Do you understand?'

His cryptic words were unhelpful. How did he plan to teach her anything by talking in riddles? Why not just come out and say it?

I need to feel it or sense it.

She closed her eyes and sat how he had taught her and tried to sense the spiritual energy around her.

Mmh i'm hungry. I wonder what teacher will bring for today? I feel like eating rabbit stew tonight. Or roasted rabbit? I miss hotpot,  steamed dumplings, fried chicken, seafood pizza, ice cream…

3 months later, bai li yue had made some progress. She could now read the characters in the scrolls and understand them perfectly. Unfortunately, she still hasn't made any progress in sensing spiritual energy. teacher chu left her alone for the most part except when he asked if there was any progress. He said sensing spiritual energy was difficult. It could take years or a second. It depended on a person's luck and hard work.

Bai li yue was at the river to taking a bath after another night of fruitless cultivation. Her teacher might have all the time in the world to wait for her to succeed but she couldn't match his level of patience.

She kicked the water in frustration.

Why can't i sense it? She screamed out loud scaring the nearby birds away.

She settled down after releasing her frustration. She lay down on the rock where her hoodie was drying weighed down by heavy stones. She caught a glimpse of herself in the water and was arrested by the reflection. She couldn't get over the change in her appearance after all this time.

I know that i'm definitely 25 years old. How do i look fifteen?

Does passing through the void have the power to reverse aging? teacher said the void was a weird place. It could very well do that to a person if they went into one of its dimensions. She closed her eyes and felt the breeze and the sun against her skin.

Teacher chu had left for the summit early in the morning. He often went there to ponder the array. She was curious how the forest looked from up there so she abandoned her hoodie after making sure to weigh it down with more stones. She walked up the steep mountain slope and saw him perched on a ledge. She waved to him and joined him on the ledge.

' teacher, i came to keep you company.'

He nodded and went back to staring at the forest.

'teacher, i've always been curious. where is the array?'

' it's around us. It is the mountain, the trees and the river.'

' i don't understand.'

' a natural array is created by nature. It is found in elements that make up nature.

' so we have to destroy it to escape.'

' not exactly. How do you destroy a mountain or a river? The trick is in finding a key.'

' to open the door'

'yes, but finding the key has taken me more than a thousand years.'

' have you found it?'

' i did a long time ago. Unfortunately, i no longer had a body. And then you came along, but you were a mortal. Once you succeed in cultivating, this place can't hold us anymore.'

' teacher, do you think i can do it? It's been 3 months and i still haven't felt anything.'

' don't be impatient. Just keep working hard. This in itself is a kind of cultivation. A tempering of your heart. Learning to weather failure without giving up. You'll be happy you suffered now. You'll understand in the future.'

'okay.'

He went back to explaining the purpose of the array to her. She nodded as she analysed his words.

' so the array is a system made up of different parts. The mountain provides stability, the river represents the moving parts and the forest hides the weakness. That's where the key is.'

Her teacher gave her a long look and nodded slowly in pride.

' yes. I have narrowed down the position of the key, but i will need another thousand years to find out exactly what it is. it could be anything from a stone to a leaf or a creature in the forest.'

' wow'

They sat together in silence till the sun reached its apex and began its descent.

That night, teacher chu handed bai li yue a formation manual.

' read this when you are free. Don't let it intrude on your cultivation time.'

The manual was an introduction to formations. It presented and explained terms that were associated to the art of arraymaking. She recognised a few ideas that she had heard today from her teacher. It was an interesting read.

Formations were similar to puzzles. They could be simple or complex depending on the skill of its creator and its intended use. She learned about all types of formations and wondered what type this natural formation was. It was probably an entrapment array since teacher had been trapped for more than a thousand years. She made a note to ask him about it in the morning.

She put down the manual when the moon emerged from behind the clouds. She would rather read the manual than engage in such a futile activity, but teacher expected her to cultivate every night.

Feel it. Sense it.

She chanted repeatedly under her breath. She finally managed to empty her mind after repeating the phrase in a loop.

All she felt was the cool breeze around her. It whirled around her for a while before disappearing.

The next morning, over a breakfast of fruits, she asked her teacher what she was supposed to feel?

' all i feel is cool breeze on my skin. Nothing else.'

' how long have you been feeling the breeze?'

' oh about 2 months now.'

She jumped when the pebbles appeared.

' teacher, what are you doing?'

If she knew my question was going to lead to a beating, i wouldn't have bothered asking.

'teacher, please use your words. Violence is not the answer.'

After a session of him flicking pebbles at her and her trying her best to dodge them, he stopped and put the pebbles away.

' you should have come to me earlier, li yue. You wouldn't have wasted 2 months when you could have been cultivating. Also, i thought you were smart, you cultivate in a cave, how is it possible to feel a breeze?'

'the breeze was spiritual energy?'

She sat down on the spot, excited beyond measure.

' teacher, let's talk later, i have to cultivate.'

good. Draw the energy through your pores and rotate according to the dawn star cultivation method.'

She closed her eyes and focused on feeling the energy. Now that she knew what to do, she found the process to be much easier.

' don't rush. Draw it slowly into your body.'

The breeze felt cold as it seeped into her body. When enough energy gathered in her body, she rotated it and led it through a few cycles around her body.

' good. You've gotten the hang of it. Now you have to accumulate the energy continuously until you break through to the next level. Since you are starting later than other people, you'll have to work 10 times harder than everyone.'

She listened as she accumulated more energy and rotated it through her body. Her body felt refreshed with each passage of spiritual energy. She felt she could go on like this forever. Who knew cultivation would be such a joyful experience?

If i keep to this pace, i can reach the master realm in a short time.

So easy.

A year later, bai li yue stood in front of her teacher. She was demonstrating the movement technique she had learned. He shook his head.

'Move like a leaf translates to gentle like wind. You've watched so many leaves fall but you have yet to fully grasp the movement. The leave is passive, allowing itself to be moved, not like the aggressive bull you are.'

She pouted and imagined she was a leaf. She was detached from the stalk and fell gently. Her body moved to and from transported by an invisible wind. She came to a rest on the branch of a tree nearby.

' practise it more. Once you grasp it and it becomes second nature you'll naturally glimpse the second step: move like the wind. Once you understand it, you'll be able to escape without hindrance in this world.'

' that's if we ever escape this place.'

' we will. One day.'

' but i have been stuck at the 5th door of the apprentice realm for more than 5 months now. I haven't made any progress at all.'

' that isn't true. You have improved your movement skill and you are making headway in using the myriad swords skill. Even if these two aspects don't catch your eye, what about your talent in formations? You constantly surprise me with how much you've advanced in the space of a year.'

' teacher is right. My eyes are so focused so far in the future that i forgot what was in front of me.'

She went back to her practice with renewed vigour. A flash of guilt crossed teacher chu's face.

Li yue, i shouldn't have set such a high goal for you. I'm afraid i'm hurting you instead.

The next day, teacher chu interrupted her training. She was breathing hard from attacking the wooden dummy nonstop since morning.

' li yue, do you feel that i'm too hard on you?'

' sometimes, but i know you are hard on me for good reason. The stories you told about your experiences have made me understand how dangerous this world is for both mortals and cultivators alike. Everyone is living on the edge of a blade that can target you at any moment. I have to get stronger to survive.'

Her answer has gave him some comfort.

'Li yue, i lied to you. The truth is, we can leave this place right now if you wanted-

She perked up but he quickly add:

' but i want you to train here for a while more. Once you master both the martial skill and the movement, you'll be in a better position to protect yourself.'

She calmed down and nodded in understanding

' i'll do as you say.'

She was almost done comprehending move like a leaf. As for the myriad swords skill, the basic sword compendium teacher gave her, she had only grasped the first three moves of the 8 moves contained in it. She could feel the power contained in draw, slash and stance, but she felt that there was something slightly lacking in understanding of those moves. her moves still felt clumsy attacking the dummy using slice, stab, sunder, defend and strike. She had to work harder on it. There was a lot she had to improve before she left this place.

She quickly built a strengthening array on the dummy to prevent it from falling apart. By the time she was done building it, she could feel herself running out of spiritual energy.

I need to advance my level soon. I have so many formations i can't use because my level is too low.

Instead of resting she readied herself. She held the wooden training sword lightly in her grasp.

I don't need to rest for now. Training while exhausted will force my body to squeeze out of all my potential.

Myriad swords: draw

Whoosh!

The sword flashed from her side and froze in the air right in front of her.

Too slow. Again!

She tried to shorten the time she used to draw the sword.

Too slow. After pondering over her previous movements, she broke into a smile.

The purpose of the draw move is to surprise. If i am able to erase all the factors that lessen the surprise, then i will have mastered it.

Eliminate sound. My sword has to cut through wind like a warm knife cuts through butter. Eliminate any superfluous actions that might give away the surprise. That's it. Speed and simplicity.

Silent... and quick. That is the meaning of draw.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on the sword at the side.

Draw.

The sword flashed and appeared in front of her. Yes!

She calmed down after a long minute of celebration and repeated the move until she was sure it wasn't a fluke.

I was too hasty in the past. Wanting to learn everything in the space of a breath. Working hard and succeeding are rewards on their own. The joy of success after hard work is better than everything. Teacher chu was right, i should learn patience. Cultivation is a marathon, not a sprint.

There was nothing like coming to an epiphany on one's own. Her whole outlook was different now. There was a noticeable difference in her attitude when teacher chu returned to the cave. He nodded in pride.

Li yue is growing up.

He left for the forest the next day and returned 4 months later when the cold began to set in. The ground was covered by a thin layer of frost. Bai li yue was in the training circle. The sword danced in her hand as she attacked an invisible enemy. She advanced and retreated, the sword following her every movement. It swung in an arc and ended up at the dummy's neck.

'wonderful' he applauded her.

' you've made incredible progress since i last saw you.'

' teacher, you are back already. I presumed your trip was a success?'

' indeed. I have narrowed down the search area further.'

' that's great news.' she cheered.

' yes, it is. I'm hoping to return to the zone at least one more time before we leave.'

' you're leaving again?'

' we have only one chance to escape. If we fail, then you know what happens.'

' the key will change positions.'

' and it will take another thousand years to find its new position.'

They were both left with their own thoughts.

They spent the evening in conversation. teacher chu answered her questions regarding her cultivation.

' your cultivation is slower than others, but there is no need to be discouraged. What you need is more time to accumulate spiritual energy. It will be hard at first, but you can increase the time you cultivate by learning to cultivate while doing other things.

' multi task? Is that possible? Don't i have to focus while cultivating?'

' i didn't say it was easy. First you'll have to dedicate a portion of your mind to cultivate while the rest of your mind does other things. It will be difficult at first, but once you get used to it, you can cultivate even in your sleep.'

By the time he finished answering her questions on formations, the sun had begun to rise.

He left after a couple of days of rest. Bai li yue didn't slow her rhythm of cultivation or training. She knew he'd not be back in awhile and she wanted to show some progress by the time he returned. She was finally getting the hang of cultivating at all times. Her dantian constantly rotated spiritual energy through her meridians. She forgot a few times, but she was getting better at remembering. She focused on movement training in the morning, martial training in the afternoon and studying formations and meditation in the evening. The routine was paying off: every so often, she would make new gains in her cultivation.

She advanced to the 6th level a week later. The increase in the size of her dantian meant she could fight longer before she ran out of spiritual energy. She could also finally start working on the spirit gathering array. That evening, she revised her books before casting the array diagram. She focused on drawing the complex diagram with a thread of spiritual energy that was guided by her soul power. Any error would lead to the diagram collapsing before the array was even completed. She finished the three inner circles easily. All she had to do now was connect them into a cycle and unify them into a single array. For every further step included in building an array, it became more taxing on the body. For the time being, she could cast only one spirit gathering array before resting. The runes connecting the circles contained the runes for stability first, then direction and strength.

She wiped a few drops of sweat from her forehead and caught her breath for a moment. 'Now to draw the final circle that will hold all the parts together.'

She muttered to herself and began drawing the circle. The whole array hummed when she completed the circle.

Once she was done, she placed the array diagram around a plant. It had not collapsed as at yet, but it didn't mean that it could work. To test it, she injected a portion of her spiritual energy into the runes.

Spiritual energy flowed into the array surrounding the plant. The wind picked up setting her long black hair aflutter.

Awesome!

She quickly went to inspect the array before it disappeared into the ground. These runes are passable, but mine are still not as good as teacher's. She went back to training in the circle.

One day, a man walked out of the forest. It was teacher chu returning from yet another expedition in the forest. The frost had come and gone. A young girl who was beginning to blossom into a young lady was in the training ground. It was bai li yue working on her movement skill. Move like the leaf had advanced to move like the wind a few months ago, but she didn't move very far. She only appeared 200 metres from her previous position.

She hadn't noticed his arrival so he watched her for awhile. Travelling 200 metres was a feat for any apprentice, but as usual this girl wasn't satisfied. She pushed herself too hard.

'you've done very well reaching the limit of move like the wind. You won't be able to increase it until you break through and enter the realm of master.' his voice was carried by the wind into her ear.

She stopped immediately and walked to his side with a bright smile.

' welcome back.'

' mm. How are you?'

' Working hard. As you can see.'

She quickly heated some water and poured him some tea as she asked about the results of his trip into the forest.

' i made some headway, thankfully.'

' did you find it?'

' i was only able to narrow down the position of the key, but it's more than enough. Normally, i wouldn't bother being this cautious, but there is a lot at stake. The next time, we shall go together. I will need your help to find the key.'

She nodded, trying not to get too excited. There was a lot of work involved in finding the key. She couldn't allow her excitement to turn into impatience. If teacher chu, who had spent countless seasons here wasn't excited, then she couldn't be affected by it. She remembered the first time she arrived in the thousand auroras world. It will soon be two years since she was taken from earth. Fortunately, she had met chu jiang li who took her as his disciple and gave her purpose.

If they managed to escape the natural array, she'd have a chance to return to earth when they returned to the thousand bamboo sword sect.

She felt a brief pang of sadness.

Going back home will be a relief, but i'll certainly miss teacher chu.

The eventual parting of ways reminded her of a poem by song li:

Two travellers met on the mountain

They shared wine

And watched the moon.

They swapped stories

And became friends

As the moon watched

On that mountain.