Ch 14: Understanding Yin and Yang -1

Feng Chen blinked, surprised by the admission. He hadn't expected the primordial forces of the universe to be so… forthcoming. In fact, he had expected them to be arrogant, perhaps even dismissive of someone as weak as him. Yet here they were, almost pleading with him to take on their powers.

The yang qi chuckled lightly.

"Oh, don't be so surprised. You're the first person in trillions of years to make it here, after all. We've waited so long… and we don't know how much longer it would take for someone else to find their way here. So, we'll put our hopes on you, Feng Chen."

Feng Chen let out a low whistle, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, I gotta say, I'm flattered you two are willing to bet on me… but what exactly do you want me to do?" He smiled, though there was genuine confusion in his eyes.

"I'd love to help, but I'm still kind of in the dark here."

The two energies shared a laugh, their voices intertwining as if they were sharing an inside joke.

"Don't worry," the yin qi said, its voice now laced with warmth.

"We'll teach you everything you need to know. You'll spend time here with us… learning to harness the powers of yin and yang step by step."

"And about your mortal body?" the yang qi added with a playful tone.

"I'll take care of that. No one in the entire universe will dare attack you while you're here."

"Not to mention," the yin qi continued,

"your body won't age while you're in this space. I'll make sure your health is replenished constantly. You'll be in peak condition when you leave here, no matter how long you stay."

Feng Chen raised an eyebrow, processing what they were saying.

"Wait, so my path to ascension is pretty much set… but I'm going to be here for a while, aren't I?"

The yin qi and yang qi both laughed again, their combined voices echoing through the infinite space.

"Indeed, Feng Chen," the yin qi said.

The yin qi's voice, deep and foreboding, cut through the silence.

"To wield our powers, Feng Chen, you must first understand them. You cannot harmonize what you do not know. Before balance, there must be mastery... of both darkness and light, of destruction and creation."

The yang qi's voice followed, warm and soothing like sunlight on a spring morning.

"You will learn to wield us individually, to understand our nature. Only when you have mastered our separate forms will you be ready to harmonize them within your body. This will be the foundation of your ascension."

Feng Chen nodded, determination filling his heart.

"I'm ready. Teach me."

Without another word, the energies began to swirl faster around him, dividing themselves into two separate orbs... one black as the void, the other bright as a star. The black orb, the embodiment of yin, drifted closer to Feng Chen's left side, while the white orb, the essence of yang, hovered near his right. The pressure mounted once more, suffocating him with their proximity.

"Prepare yourself," the yin qi whispered darkly.

"You will become one with us, but the transformation will not be easy. Endure it, and you shall ascend beyond mortal understanding."

Before Feng Chen could respond, the black orb surged toward his left side. The moment it made contact with his skin, an intense cold washed over him, seeping deep into his bones. It was more than just physical cold... it was a chill that reached into the core of his very existence, wrapping itself around his soul and squeezing.

His breath came in ragged gasps as his left arm began to darken, the skin turning a deep, shadowy black. The sensation spread across his body like ink soaking into paper.

The yin qi flowed into his veins like liquid darkness, threading through his muscles, bones, and even his qi vessels. His left side was consumed by the cold, his flesh hardening as the energy coursed through him.

His skin, once fair, took on an almost metallic sheen, dark and smooth like polished obsidian. His muscles tightened, becoming denser, more resilient. His bones felt as though they were being reforged in a frigid forge, tempered by the ice-cold fire of yin qi.

Feng Chen winced in pain, but he gritted his teeth and endured it.

"This… this is nothing," he muttered, clenching his fists.

"I'll endure anything if it means power like this."

The cold continued to spread until his entire left side had transformed, his body now half-covered in a dark, glistening black. His left eye shifted, its pupil narrowing to a slit, glowing faintly with a dark, icy light.

His entire being felt colder than death itself, yet stronger than steel. The yin qi hummed within him, filling him with destructive energy, ready to be unleashed at his command.

"Now," the yang qi said gently,

"feel the warmth of creation. Let it envelop you."

Before Feng Chen could recover from the cold, the white orb surged into his right side. The moment it touched him, an intense warmth bloomed in his chest, spreading outward like wildfire. His right arm began to glow with a brilliant white light, the heat seeping into his muscles and bones.

The yang qi flowed through him like molten gold, flooding his qi vessels and saturating his very cells with radiant energy. His skin on the right side of his body turned golden, shimmering with the vibrant light of the sun.

His right eye glowed with a fiery brilliance, contrasting with the cold, dark gleam of his left. The warmth wasn't just physical... it was a deep, soul-stirring sensation, filling him with the power of creation itself. Every muscle in his right side expanded with pure energy, his bones felt as if they were being forged in the heart of a star.

It was overwhelming, on one side of his body, he held the cold, destructive force of yin, and on the other, the warm, life-giving energy of yang. The contrast was so extreme that Feng Chen could barely contain the power surging through him. His body trembled, caught between two opposing forces, and for a moment, he thought he might tear apart.

"Endure it," the yin qi commanded sharply.

"This is only the beginning. You must learn to wield us separately before you can attempt to bring us together."

Feng Chen gritted his teeth, every muscle in his body straining under the immense pressure. The energies of yin and yang pulsed through him, trying to overwhelm him, to force him into submission. But he refused to yield.

"You think… this is going to break me?" Feng Chen growled through clenched teeth.

"I've endured worse… and I'm still standing!"

The energies responded to his defiance, settling slightly as if acknowledging his resolve. For what felt like an eternity, Feng Chen stood there, his body split between the forces of yin and yang. Time seemed to stretch infinitely in the void. Hours, days, weeks, years... it all blurred together as he learned to control the energies separately.