Embrace the Unknown

Xing Wuye moved deeper into the cave, his eyes narrowing as he noticed something unusual. The air was thick with Qi, more concentrated than any place he had ever encountered...well except one place. At the center of the cavern, shimmering with an ethereal glow, lay a cluster of minerals embedded in the cave walls. He approached them cautiously, his steps slow and deliberate. As he got closer, he could feel the intensity of the energy radiating from them.

"These must be the source of the beast's power, it must have been gathering its energy here." he muttered to himself, realization dawning on him. "No wonder it was so strong."

He reached out and placed his hand on the cool surface of the minerals. A surge of Qi flooded into his body, filling him with a sense of vitality. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was certainly potent—more than enough to tempt him into meditation. The energy from the minerals was practically begging to be absorbed, calling out to his Daoist senses. It was a perfect place to attempt a breakthrough.

Wuye stood still for a moment, considering his next move. Ever since he had broken into the Qi Condensation stage, he had felt subtle changes in his body—specifically, the opening of new meridians. He had heard about the twelve main meridians from his master and the older disciples back at the sect, but he didn't know much more than that. His knowledge was limited, and it frustrated him.

"I don't even know what the minor realms of Qi Condensation entail," he thought, frowning. "But... this opportunity might not come again. If I don't seize this chance, I might regret it forever."

The thought gnawed at him. He had wandered aimlessly since the destruction of the sect, his heart heavy with grief and loss. Mei Ling's death still haunted him, but more than that, the feeling of helplessness during the attack weighed on his mind. He had lacked the power to protect those he cared about, to prevent the tragedy that had unfolded. It was time to change that.

"If I stumble blindly, I might die," he acknowledged, his brows furrowing. "But what choice do I have?"

Wuye sat down in front of the mineral cluster and closed his eyes, focusing his thoughts. He could feel the energy swirling around him, beckoning him to dive deeper into cultivation. But the uncertainty gnawed at him—without knowledge, without guidance, he was risking everything.

He thought back to the sect, to the teachings he had overheard in passing, to the disciples who spoke of the powerful figures in the higher realms. His knowledge was laughably shallow. He didn't even know how long he had left to live or the true scope of the world outside his destroyed sect. The late sect master had been in the Soul Sensing realm, but there was the man dressed in black and gold robes, the man who was covered in writhing shadows and others stronger than him out there—beings who could obliterate him with a mere thought.

And here he was, a mere Qi Condensation cultivator, thinking of advancing with no real understanding of the path ahead.

His fists clenched in frustration, and his mind began to race with doubt. But then, he took a deep breath, calming his nerves. There was no room for hesitation. He had already lost too much. What was the point of living if he didn't dare to take risks?

He sat cross-legged before the minerals, his brow furrowed in thought. Every moment he hesitated, the world moved on without him. His enemies grew stronger, the mysteries of this vast world deepened, and he remained in the dark. The fear of stagnation, of being left behind, gnawed at him. But fear was a cage, and he was tired of being trapped in it.

"Life is short," he whispered, his voice soft but steady. "And those unwilling to risk everything will forever be bound by fear. They will cower in the shadows, watching their brief lives pass by, while those who dare seize their fate will rise above the rest."

With that final thought, he decided to press forward.

He focused on absorbing the Qi from the minerals, pulling the energy into his body. His meridians flared up immediately, the rush of energy filling them beyond their normal capacity. It felt like a flood rushing through narrow channels, threatening to break them apart. His veins began to bulge, turning a disturbing shade of purplish-red. Pain surged through him, and for a brief moment, he feared that his body would explode under the pressure.

But just as the pain became unbearable, something shifted within him. An unknown energy stirred in his core, calming the raging storm of Qi. His meridians began to stabilize, and the energy was gently redirected from his main meridians into the smaller ones, distributing the pressure more evenly. The violent surge of power was brought under control, and the threat of self-destruction passed.

Wuye's eyes snapped open in shock. What had just happened? He hadn't done anything—some outside force had saved him. But how?

Just as he thought everything was under control, everything around him shifted. He felt his consciousness being pulled inward, deeper into his mind. The cave, the minerals, the physical world—they all faded away, leaving him standing in an endless void. His heart raced as he realized what was happening.

A golden light appeared above him, brilliant and vast. It descended slowly, unraveling as it came closer. The golden scroll floated before him, shimmering with divine energy. It was familiar—he had seen it before.

"The Akashic Record," Wuye breathed, his voice filled with awe.

He had glimpsed the record once when he broke into the Qi Condensation stage, but this was different. The scroll had fully revealed itself, and its presence was overwhelming. He felt the weight of its ancient knowledge pressing down on him, the sheer magnitude of it beyond anything he could comprehend.

"Why is it showing itself to me now?" he wondered aloud.

The scroll began to glow brighter, symbols and runes dancing across its surface. Wuye reached out cautiously, his hand trembling as he touched the golden light. The moment his fingers made contact, a flood of information poured into his mind.

He saw the structure of the Qi Condensation realm—the twelve main meridians, the minor realms within Qi Condensation, and the path toward the next stage, Foundation Building. The knowledge filled in the gaps that had plagued him, giving him a clearer understanding of his cultivation. He now knew how to guide the Qi through his meridians more effectively, how to refine his body and spirit to prepare for the breakthroughs ahead.

But the Akashic Record didn't stop there. It also showed him glimpses of ancient treasures, long-forgotten inheritances hidden in the world. He saw visions of powerful artifacts buried deep within the earth, guarded by ferocious beasts or locked away in dangerous formations. He saw scrolls of ancient techniques, waiting for someone to uncover them.

One location stood out—a distant place, far beyond the borders of anything Wuye had known. The record revealed a map, showing him the general direction of the inheritance. But the map was incomplete, leaving large swaths of the terrain unexplored. Wuye frowned as he studied it.

"This world... is much larger than I thought," he realized, his voice barely above a whisper.

The record's visions faded, and the golden scroll slowly ascended back into the void, disappearing into the light. Wuye was left standing in the darkness, his mind reeling from the knowledge he had just gained.

When his consciousness returned to the cave, he opened his eyes and took a deep breath. The Akashic Record had given him a path forward, but it had also shown him just how little he knew. There were entire realms of power, countless secrets buried in the world, Xing Wuye muttered to himself "I'm only beginning to scratch the surface."

But now, he had a goal. He would seek out the inheritance.