Feng Xi

When he landed, his mind was still disoriented and he couldn't immediately figure out where he was or what was going on. After a while the world was back to it's clear and steady state. He was seated on a chair opposite a grey robed old man with disheveled hair. Despite his untidy appearance he had a clean shave. His eyebrows were a mix of black and white and reminded Zhang Wuji of a hairy caterpillar like insect he once saw. A shiver went down his spine imagining that insect on his own brow.

He rubbed his forehead to get rid of the feeling and greeted the old man "Um, junior Zhang Wuji greets senior."

"Haha little boy, do you know who I am?"

"My apologies senior, I'm just a lowly outer sect disciple and ignorant of many things."

"Next time just say no." The old man frowned. "I am Feng Xi, the greatest formation master in the country." He puffed up his chest and waited for Zhang Wuji to worship him.

...

Two breaths later, "Awed into silence, I see. Little boy today is your lucky day. You have the opportunity to become my, Feng Xi's disciple."

"Right! Senior I need to go back there is a test going on-"

"The test is over! Are you even listening? You have an opportunity to become the disciple of the greatest formation master in the country and you are thinking of a stupid test conducted by a subpar formation master like Wan Buji! Did I mess up the landing or something?

"Alright listen, you passed the test with flying colors. That bell you heard is rung only when a better design is created. Grade one formations had long reached their peak and the bell wasn't heard for a very long time. Then you come along and changed that. If grade one can be improved, that would mean that improvement can be applied to all grades. Do you know how awesome that is!"

...

Two breaths later, "Mm, maybe you don't, or is it another awed into silence? Whatever, so tell me how'd you do it?"

"Hm?" Zhang Wuji came out of his shocked stupor and looked at Feng Xi questioningly.

"Oh don't be stupid," Feng Xi scoffed "I'm not trying to steal anything. Although I must tell you it is already stolen. I just want to know how you came to making such a design."

"No I was not- I didn't understand the question. I didn't mean to imply that you intended to steal. Also what do you mean it is already stolen?"

"That formation is the sect's, we have the design. It is only a matter of time before we figure out what's so special about it. In fact, if I weren't interested in the one that came up with it, I would've already solved it. Anyway, tell me how'd you come up with it?"

He used impedance matching techniques used in transmission lines to derive a similar formula for the pattern formations. It was fascinating how similar the two were. Circuit theories was one thing, but for things like reactance and resistance to be present in both was awesome to Zhang Wuji.

The ink with which the pattern was drawn was made with materials best suited for the work. Sometimes they weren't energy efficient as another property like their elemental nature is given priority. So the ink wasted a lot of energy either through consumption, inefficient conversion, diffusion or erosion. This wastage was called material losses and was similar to resistance.

Then there was the resonance effect. It was equivalent to reactance. There was no loss of energy but it added undesired effects if proper care is not taken. Resonance occurs if two adjacent pathways carried elements of same nature or of supporting nature. For example fire placed adjacent to wood or fire would lead to increase in the fire element in the pathway which could corrode the ink or could even be the result one is hoping for. There is no loss in energy. Only the concentration of different elements changes.

With these two effects combined into what he termed as distortion parameter, as there was no word for impedance in the world, together with circuit theories he was able to construct better patterns.

But he couldn't say that. "Trial and error. I kept experimenting till the key to a matched pathway revealed itself to me." was all he could say.

"That's how a formation master should be! Alright you are qualified to be my disciple. But I have to tell you, what you did was good, but unless that helps you understand spiritual energy it's all useless. So tell me this, what do you think spiritual energy is?"

"Uh.. it is.." He didn't expect a question like that and he had no idea what to say.

"No hurry, take your time."

As the seconds passed, his heart started pounding with greater intensity. He didn't want to mess this up. 'Spiritual energy, spiritual energy.. there was none back on Earth. So it isn't anything essential. But I can't say it is just some energy in the world. I can burn stuff with or without it. I can do anything with or without it! It's completely irrelevant to the world!!'

He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. 'Qi is spiritual energy. Without qi there is no life. Life makes inanimate things animate. But isn't it a bunch of chemicals? That won't solve my problem so let's not go down that path. Then if chemicals are removed from the equation, life is activity? No wait, qi flow is life force. So qi has to flow in a particular way for life to be there.

'Whatever, qi is the cause for life. Qi is spiritual energy. Forget what is life, not the question. So in conclusion spiritual energy is the cause for life. I got it! No, but what is it? Whatever I don't know I'll just guess something.'

"Spiritual energy is the residual energy from creation."

"So are you saying it existed before the world was created?"

'Yes no yes no yes no' "Yes."

"And how was the world created?"

"The creation of the world is a subject transcendental to the world and as a part of the world, it is not something we can decipher." 'Haha knew you'd ask that! What do you say to that!'

"Where did you learn this from?"

"My grandfather."

"You do know I'm in core formation right?"

"Hm?" It took him a while to understand what Feng Xi meant. He swallowed hard. His mind ran faster than ever to come up with a solution. Finally he fell on his knees and kowtowed. "Elder Feng please forgive my insolence. I just wanted to leave a good impression!"

"Don't worry about it." Feng Xi waved his hand and Zheng Wuji was sent back to his seat. "I just asked to know how you perceived the world. And I must say, you answered well."

Zhang Wuji's mental sigh of relief was stopped halfway as Feng Xi continued "But lying in front of a core formation realm cultivator makes me question your intelligence."

"Since you were not in the right state of mind, I'll let this pass. Now back to the topic. Spiritual energy at first glance seems redundant, useless. That's only due to ignorance. Spiritual energy is what makes things exist. This is known as the Spiritual Energy of Being. Spiritual Energy of Being is the purest thing in all existence and therefore doesn't interact with anything, which makes it untraceable and beyond all."

He turned his hand and a glass of water appeared in it. "You see this glass of water?, the glass, the water within, the hand holding it, the one addressing it and the idiot staring at it all exist because of Spiritual Energy of Being.

"Next is the Essence Spiritual Energy. This is what makes things as they are, gives them various attributes. It is because fire has fire essence that is hot, it is because earth has earth essence that it is solid, heavy.

"Finally there is the Specific Spiritual Energy that gives the individual identity. In this water, there are billions and billions of water molecules. They are there because of Spiritual energy of being, they are water because of Essence Spiritual Energy and there are many because of Specific Spiritual Energy. All three combined, we get the world. So spiritual energy IS the world you see." Feng Xi ended his delivery with great effect and looked at Zhang Wuji's face intently, expecting him to look at him with awe.

"I don't understand, where is the spiritual energy in all of this?"

"What do you mean?" Feng Xi looked at him with irritation.

"No I mean the qi stuff, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth."

Feng Xi covered his mouth and coughed softly "It is the excess energy from creation."

"So it IS the residual energy from creation?"

"Excess EXCESS not residual."

"What is the difference?"

"What do you know? Residual means the measly quantity left after the greater part is gone in creation. Excess means more than what was required at the time of creation. I Even have to teach you vocabulary! What a tough disciple!"

"Wait did I pass? Am I your disciple?"

"You wish! You'll be my in-name disciple. Once you reach qi condensation, depending on your energy sense you'll either become my personal disciple or remain a disciple only in name.

"Now let's start our first lesson."

"What right now?"

"Why you busy?"

"No-"

"Let's begin then!"