Innate Disembodied Sword Qi

Even a novice like Eddie could sense the immense treasure he had chanced upon.

The very word "Innate" was enough to send shivers of excitement down his spine, hinting at a profound and rare mastery that transcended ordinary martial arts.

The complete spear technique, once capable of guiding practitioners to the esteemed Innate realm, now seemed like a distant dream within the family.

Centuries had passed without a single member reaching such lofty heights, and the most promising of them all, the father of the original Tommy, had met an untimely end, leaving behind a legacy of unfulfilled potential.

In this world, where martial prowess was revered, those who had reached the ethereal Innate realm were rare jewels.

They were typically ancient protectors of nations or esteemed elders of the Wind and Snow families, enigmatic figures rumored to have lived for centuries.

Eddie learned that none of these legendary figures had achieved their status through solitary effort.

Instead, they had bonded with sacred or divine beasts, whose immense power slowly unlocked and enhanced the warriors' innate potential.

This path to the Innate realm was notoriously slow and arduous, often taking lifetimes to achieve.

Eddie realized that the Innate Disembodied Sword Qi offered him an unprecedented shortcut.

It was not merely a martial art; it was a direct path to begin his cultivation journey at a level that others could only dream of reaching after centuries of rigorous training and bonding with mythical beasts.

His destiny in this world was not to merely survive or mimic others. He was on the precipice of an extraordinary journey, one that could lead him to heights unimagined. 

As he pondered this new path, a sense of purpose filled him.

He was no longer just an accidental traveler; he was a potential cultivator of the legendary Innate realm, ready to carve his own path in the vast and mysterious world of Dragonrise Continent.

In his dreams, Eddie was tutored by a Sword Spirit Sister, a celestial maiden who seemed as intent on transforming him as he was on cracking jokes about it.

"Hey, if you're teaching me 'Innate Disembodied Sword Qi,' can I at least get a 'Sword Spirit Sister for Dummies' version?" 

He jestingly petitioned the old mystic in his mind, "Oh mighty Master, surely this graceful Sword Spirit is your kin? A generous gift to your favorite pupil, perhaps? I solemnly vow to cherish such a divine dowry!"

He chuckled at his own audacity, imagining the old mystic's stony face turning red with either rage or a suppressed chuckle.

Sleep, once a simple necessity, had become Eddie's private dojo.

He'd toss and turn, not with insomnia, but with the thrill of each new breakthrough in his dream training.

"Who knew you could get a workout while sleeping?" he joked to himself.

The Sword Spirit Sister had vanished, leaving Eddie to his own devices.

He took it as a challenge, doubling his efforts in his slumbering state, where the cosmos seemed just a breath away.

The woman, with her sporadic welfare checks, found Eddie perennially napping.

"Poor boy, he's been through so much," she'd think, mistaking his intense dream training for post-traumatic exhaustion.

Little did she know, each snore was a step closer to Eddie becoming a powerhouse in his own right.

As days melded into nights, Eddie's new routine was sleep, train, and occasionally eat. He was the hermit of the house, the monk in the bedroom, committed to his path of enlightenment or, at least, to not being a total pushover.

"For honor, strength, and a dash of future romance," he vowed, half-seriously, as he drifted off each night into the realm of sword qi and potential greatness.

Whenever the woman glimpsed Eddie in deep meditation, a profound stillness etching his features, she'd beam with maternal pride.

Each day, like a little ray of sunshine, she'd usher Frost through the doorway to visit him, their steps echoing a rhythm of familial care.

One fine morning, she breezed in with a buoyancy that lifted the very air around her.

 "Little Eddie," she exclaimed,

"your Uncle Four is practically dancing on the clouds!

He's off spreading the good news of your summoning success.

And guess what? ...

He's snagged a Beast Spirit Enlightenment Pill from the Piaomiao Sect just for you!" 

Her excitement was infectious, even if Eddie knew half the words were lost on him.

Beast Spirit Enlightenment Pill, the words resonated in Eddie's mind, sparking a cascade of information.

In a world where strength was currency, these pills were like winning the lottery, albeit a lottery that involved ancient sects and a dash of cosmic luck.

The fact that these pills were rarer than a blue moon and costlier than a king's ransom didn't seem to deter those desperate for power and prestige.

Eddie couldn't help but marvel at the lengths to which the woman and her husband had gone for the original Tommy.

 Their sacrifices transformed into the simple wooden hairpin she now wore, a humble testimony to their love and hope. 

Each glance at the unadorned piece of wood was a reminder of the colossal sum they had poured into a dream, now resting on Eddie's decidedly unheroic shoulders.

The realization didn't weigh him down; instead, it invigorated him. 

Here he was, an accidental traveler gifted with a second chance in a world brimming with magic and might. The thought coaxed a wry smile onto his lips. 

With the spirit of a true underdog, Eddie decided to embrace this wild, wondrous journey. 

After all, if life handed you a Beast Spirit Enlightenment Pill, you didn't just swallow it – you made sure it propelled you to realms and adventures beyond anyone's wildest dreams.

As Eddie absorbed the woman's insistent words, a current of humility and appreciation washed over him. Her earnest demeanor and heartfelt concern pierced through his initial resistance. 

"Alright, I understand," he acquiesced swiftly, touched by the depth of her sacrifice and the heavy weight of the responsibility she placed upon him.

The woman's continued arrangements for Bing'er's return to guide him in summoning techniques only deepened Eddie's resolve.

 "Rest well tonight," she advised with gentle firmness, oblivious to the true nature of Eddie's nightly sojourns into the realm of Innate Disembodied Sword Qi, which revitalized rather than exhausted him.

To alleviate her worries, Eddie nodded in agreement, deciding to feign an early retreat to rest. 

Perhaps it was the profound impact of her sacrifice that ignited a shift within him, or maybe it was his burgeoning spirit of determination. That night, as he delved into his practice, he experienced an epiphany.

 Spiritual energy coursed through him, following the intricate pathways of his body's meridians, culminating in a fine jet of sword qi that shot from his thumb — a modest yet undeniable manifestation of his progress.

Awakening from his dream, electrified by this newfound ability, Eddie replicated the technique in the tangible world, the invisible sword qi easily piercing the brick wall before him. 

It was a modest inch of progress, yet it symbolized so much more: the first tangible step on his journey along the path of Innate Disembodied Sword Qi.

No longer merely an accidental visitor in a strange, new world, Eddie felt a burgeoning excitement and sense of purpose. 

He might still have a long way to go to match the celestial maiden's formidable prowess, but the seed of potential within him had sprouted, promising growth and strength. 

One day, he mused, he might just stand under the moon's glow, not as an overwhelmed outsider, but as a confident cultivator, boldly howling his triumph into the night.