Mahābhūta (great elements)

A few hours later, a group of five people in dark cloaks approached the battle site, investigating bodies and wandering around the area. Soon after, one of the group members found the old man's lifeless body and called out to the others.

The group leader smirked. "Literature Sage, it's a shame I didn't get a chance to fight you. Our battle could have been legendary.1"

While she was demeaning the Literature Sage, she noticed a trail of shoeprints leading away from the site. "A child's shoeprints," she murmured. "The child must be related to the Literature Sage."

Remembering the heavenly demon's order to let none survive, she gestured to two members. "There is one survivor. A child. Find him and get rid of him. I will go back to the sect to report."

"As you command, fire demon," they responded. The group split up.

As dawn broke the next day, the forest was silent with the occasional rustling of leaves. A black crow, searching for food, spotted a ring on one of the tree branches. It sparkled bright, brighter than anything the crow had seen before. Unfortunately, the ring was on one of Maung Nyo's fingers. The crow pecked his finger, trying to make him release the ring.

"Ouch, that hurts." Maung Nyo cursed the random crow that started pecking his finger. "Shoo, go mind your own business."

After the bird flew away, Maung Nyo's anger turned into hunger and sadness. "Grandpa," he whispered, rubbing his grandfather's ring with his left hand. Being depressed would not fill his stomach. He took a deep breath to encourage himself and climbed down the tree.

Maung Nyo sighed, looking at the few leaves he had gathered. "Better leaves than nothing," he scoffed.

He went to the nearby stream to get some water, but it was polluted with blood from yesterday's combat, rendering it unusable. Desperately, he tried using his ring to get its stored contents, but he didn't know how to use a storage ring.

Maung Nyo had no choice but to eat the leaves raw. "Bleh!" He spat them out, frowning at the bitterness. They were far more bitter raw than in soup.

But he couldn't give up now as his grandfather's wish depended on his strength. He squeezed a handful of leaves tightly into a ball. Taking a deep breath, he shoved it into his mouth, eyes closed. Covering it with his hands, he forced himself to chew.

After eating his breakfast, Maung Nyo sat on the ground deep in thought. I must have missed something. Grandpa wouldn't just give me a useless ring.

Abrupt rain interrupted his reflection, forcing him to seek shelter. "If only it had rained before breakfast, I could have made soup," he muttered, searching for cover. Spotting a cave, he checked it for safety before settling inside. He resolved not to leave until he figured out how to use the storage ring.

Moments passed. If only he could find a way to use his internal energy. A memory broke into his mind.

He recalled the busy streets of the village. During their travels, Maung Nyo and his grandfather had stopped by the village shrine, full of pilgrims. Maung Nyo played around while his grandfather paid his respects. To stop him from disrupting other pilgrims, the old man called, "Child, come to your grandfather."

"Don't you want to do good deeds?" the old man asked.

"Yes, grandfather." Maung Nyo grinned.

The old man guided Maung Nyo into sitting in the lotus position. "Now focus on inhaling and exhaling," he explained. "This is meditation. It can help you gain Samādhi2. Samādhi is the basis of any advanced level martial arts."

Back in the cave, the sun reached its zenith, making the cave more visible. Maung Nyo remained meditating. One by one, his thoughts focused on a single thought, placing him in a Samādhi state.

Concentrating on the ring, Maung Nyo envisioned its contents. Among the items, the "Beginner Internal Arts" manual stood out. With a deep breath, he focused on the manual and felt it materialize in his hands. He repeated the process, taking out some food and a waterskin.

After eating his lunch, Maung Nyo opened the manual. His grandfather appeared before him. His hand trembled, dropping the manual. The vision vanished instantly. Is this the martial intent Grandpa always talked about?

Maung Nyo opened the manual again. The old man reappeared and explained.

"To use internal arts, you must understand Mahābhūta (Great Elements)3. All things in the universe consist of these elements. They are paṭhavī (Earth), āpo (Water), tejo (Fire), vāyo (Wind), ākāsa-dhāt (Space), and mano-dhātu (Mind)."

The old man continued, "Anyone can master all elements, but some are easier depending on your nature. Let's begin by testing which physical elements suit you best. Bring out paper, a candle, and a water bowl from the ring together with a rock found in the cave."

Maung Nyo prepared all the materials and opened the manual once again.

" Great now, let's start with paṭhavī (Earth). Put your mind back into the Samādhi state and try to soften the rock with your mind until it becomes as soft as butter," The old man praised.

Maung Nyo gave his all to make the rock softer but it only turned a little bit soft.

" Not this one," The old man remarked, "Try āpo (Water). Fill the water bowl, and use Samādhi to make the water viscous like honey."

Maung Nyo followed the old man's instruction but the water only became a little viscous like there was a tiny amount of sugar mixed into it.

"Try tejo (Fire), use your mind to heat the surroundings of the candle until the candle lights."

Like before, the candle was only warmed slightly.

"I see, try vāyo (Wind), same as before use your mind to move the paper until it can spin around the air."

Maung Nyo tried to spin the paper with his mind but it only flew a little bit straight.

"We are out of physical elements." the old man sighed.

"Maung Nyo sat back, frustrated, "There is no way I have any talents, Grandpa. I was born under the unlucky comet. Having a talent in element means being lucky."

The old man with a gentle smile, replied, "Child, don't be like that. Although you lack the talent for the elements, you can still overcome your limits with patience and persistence. Moreover, you still haven't tested your non-physical elements. Perhaps your strength lies in one of them."

"Yes, grandfather," Maung Nyo nodded.

The old man continued, "We will continue the test tomorrow. For now, rest well and relax. A tired mind is like a dull sword."

Maung Nyo closed the manual, exhausted by his training. He lay on the floor, playing with his thoughts. 

A dry, eerie male voice interrupted. "Looks like we found you, you troublesome kid. You made us work pretty hard to track you down."