4 - Towards Immortality
The morning mist clung to the valley, pale tendrils of fog creeping between broken stone and brittle grass. The air was still - dry, thin, and cold in the lungs. A breeze passed over the camp, ruffling the makeshift shelter where Lin Feng sat cross-legged, eyes closed, motionless.
He hadn't moved since before dawn. No fire. No blanket. Just the flow of spiritual energy circulating through his body, warm enough to keep the chill at bay. Foundation Establishment cultivators needed little rest. He meditated instead, ears half-trained on the faint rustling behind the canvas flap of the artifact tent.
The disciples were beginning to stir.
First came a thump, followed by a groggy voice grumbling something unintelligible. Adrien, most likely. Then the zipper shifted open, and Mizuki stepped out, arms crossed tightly against the cold. She wore the same dark school uniform she'd been summoned in, blazer slightly wrinkled, black tights torn at the knee. She blinked at the pale sky, then trudged toward the edge of camp with a towel over one shoulder and the soap clutched in her other hand.
"River again?" Adrien called sleepily from within. "Might as well just pitch a bath down there."
Mizuki didn't answer. She disappeared past the ridge, following the narrow path that led to the stream.
Adrien's head popped out next, hoodie askew, one sock half-on. "She's not a morning person, huh?" He stretched, groaning as his back cracked. His eyes scanned the horizon, as if hoping to see power lines or buildings that never existed here. "Another day in paradise."
Ning Xu emerged last, towel bundled around her shoulders. Her oversized sweater hung low on her frame, sleeves dangling past her hands. She stepped out barefoot, slippers dangling from two fingers. There were dark circles under her eyes.
She gave Adrien a tired look. "Don't joke about paradise. Paradise doesn't have bugs the size of my thumb."
"You're not wrong," Adrien said, waving a hand at his neck. "I'm still itchy from yesterday."
They'd found a wasp nest near the latrine pit. That had been a learning experience for everyone.
Lin Feng opened his eyes but said nothing. He stood slowly, brushing dirt from his robes. The fire pit had long since gone cold. Only a few charred bones from last night's rabbit stew remained. Ning's summoned pastry, a dome-shaped cake with sugared figs and cream, still sat untouched nearby, attracting ants.
Meals had been the only consistent comfort. Ning's strange magical ability had proven surprisingly adaptable. It wasn't limited to sweets. One morning, she'd summoned meat-filled buns with soft, steaming dough and a tang of ginger. Another, flaky pastries stuffed with mushroom and spinach, neatly arranged on a small table that hadn't been there a moment earlier.
There were still sweets - bite-sized egg tarts with golden crusts, or a soft sponge cake dusted with cocoa - but she'd begun to experiment. Savory custards. Dense loaves with embedded nuts and roasted vegetables. A quiche-like creation that startled everyone by appearing already sliced and still warm.
The results weren't always well balanced, and the portions sometimes leaned toward the absurd - one meal had consisted of nothing but an entire lemon cheesecake the size of a shield - but it was food. Warm, clean, varied food.
And in a place like this, that mattered.
They all still looked tired. Not physically weak, but worn. The excitement from their arrival had dulled into the rhythm of cold mornings, hard ground, and unfamiliar silence. Lin Feng watched them now as they set off toward the river in turns - Adrien going last, towel slung over one shoulder, bottle of shampoo dangling in the other.
At least they were keeping clean. His towels would need washing soon, but it was worth it. Discipline began with order.
He turned toward the training clearing.
When the disciples returned, they would begin again. Breath control. Posture correction. The path to Qi Condensation was slow, and none had reached it yet - but progress, however slight, was there.
Mizuki was the steadiest. Her breathing had settled into a natural rhythm, slow and deep. She no longer needed reminders to keep her spine straight or her shoulders relaxed. The beginnings of a proper cycle were taking shape, her body adjusting instinctively now instead of consciously. Lin Feng said nothing, only passed by her with a nod.
Ning Xu sat with legs folded, back rounded, shoulders tense. Her breaths were shallow, uneven. After a few minutes, her face turned pale, a hand lifting instinctively to her forehead. Lin Feng knelt beside her and, without a word, placed a hand between her shoulder blades and gently straightened her spine. Her eyes widened slightly, but she didn't flinch.
"You're pulling air into your chest," he said quietly. "Breathe lower. Into the belly."
She nodded, and tried again.
Adrien, a few paces off, sat cross-legged - at least in theory. His legs kept shifting, his hands tapping against his thighs, his eyes flicking to the horizon, to the tent, to Lin Feng.
"This posture sucks," he muttered. "And I'm breathing. Like you said. Nothing's happening. How the hell am I supposed to feel fog in my lungs?"
Lin Feng didn't even turn to look at him.
"Then sit longer," he said flatly. "Until you do."
Adrien groaned, flopped backward, and then, with a grunt of effort, forced himself upright again.
No breakthroughs came that day. No sparks. No stirrings. But they sat. And they breathed. And that, for now, was enough.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
The night settled in slowly.
A faint mist clung to the jagged stones around the camp, curling through cracks and hollows. The sky above was clear, pierced with sharp white stars that didn't twinkle, simply staring down upon the world, silent and cold. The tent glowed faintly from within, artifact runes pulsing in slow, steady rhythm. Inside, the three disciples were finally asleep.
Lin Feng sat alone by the firepit, cross-legged beneath the lean-to of stones and scavenged bark he called shelter.
He wasn't cultivating. Not tonight.
His gaze wandered over the Wastes beyond, black rock and crooked silhouettes stretching out like broken ribs against the horizon. Somewhere out there, stronger beasts stirred. The kind that wouldn't announce their approach with noise or smell.
But tonight, the quiet held.
Lin Feng rubbed a calloused thumb over the edge of his knee, expression unreadable. His body didn't need sleep, not truly. But rest was more than a physical thing. And silence like this… it crept into the bones.
He looked toward the tent. The rustle of cloth. A soft murmur - maybe Ning Xu turning over. Adrien's soft snore followed a moment later. Mizuki hadn't made a sound since lights-out.
They were enduring more than most outer sect disciples ever had - thrown into the Wastes without preparation, without cultivation. Every part of life was friction here. Cold mornings. Cold baths. No change of clothes. He hadn't missed the way Ning's hands shook after washing up yesterday, clutching the towel as if it were a lifeline. Or the faint tremble in Mizuki's breath when the wind cut through her damp uniform. Or Adrien's tired jokes that didn't quite land.
Their progress surprised him. Age was supposed to slow cultivation - Ning Xu's twenty years, Adrien's nearly thirty, both older than typical beginners - but they were moving faster than he'd expected. Mizuki, younger and steady, was closest to forming a proper breath cycle. Ning Xu struggled with posture and breath depth but was improving. Adrien fidgeted and grumbled but kept trying. The harsh Wastes, the lack of resources - they weren't slowing them down much.
Lin Feng didn't say anything, just handed each their towel earlier and turned away.
He exhaled, breath clouding faintly in the cold. His fingers drummed against his knee. A long pause followed, filled only by the whisper of distant wind and the brittle hiss of the dying fire.
"How long can they hold out?" he murmured.
No answer came. Just the crackle of wood splitting under heat.
The keystone's protection would fade in a few days. After that, the Wastes would test them hard.
He looked down at his hand. Once, he'd been the one standing in the wilds, bitter and alone, clinging to manuals and discipline with bruised fingers and cracked nails. If he hadn't had Shen Qingxue's faith, he wouldn't be here.
But faith was a burden, too.
These three weren't ready. They needed time. Shelter. Resources. Guidance.
"And he had… this ravine. A rough camp, one artifact tent, a half-cleared patch of training ground - and maybe only days left before the real test began."
Lin Feng stood slowly, brushing dirt from his sleeves. He walked a slow circuit around the tent, checking the perimeter out of habit more than caution. When he returned to his seat, he didn't sit.
He just stood there, watching the flames dwindle.
One spark at a time.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Several days passed.
The Thousand Vein Wastes didn't grow gentler with time but the disciples had begun to harden.
Every morning began the same. Breath control. Posture drills. Stillness. Then labor: firewood, water, stone-clearing. Meals were simple - summoned cakes of eggs, roasted yam tarts, the occasional meat pie conjured by Ning Xu with a shy flourish and a muttered apology for the lack of side dishes.
By the fifth day, the routine held like muscle memory.
Lin Feng sat atop a flat slab overlooking the camp. From here, he could see the tent, the ash pits, the riverbank. His eyes weren't on the view, though. They were fixed on Mizuki.
Her back was straight. Hands rested lightly on her knees. Her breath slow and controlled. A steady rise and fall that pulled in more than air.
Qi.
He stood.
"Mizuki," he said, voice even. "Don't stop."
She didn't respond. Her eyes were closed. But her chest rose, then held.
And something shifted.
The ambient qi twisted around her like a breeze catching a curtain.
Lin Feng turned his head. "Adrien. Ning. Come."
The two were hunched over their post-practice break, Adrien poking at a cracked stone like it had insulted him, Ning Xu curled nearby with her hands folded in her lap. At his voice, they scrambled to their feet.
"What's happening?" Adrien asked, brushing dust off his hoodie.
"She's about to reach Qi Condensation," Lin Feng said.
Both stared. Mizuki remained still.
The shift was subtle. Her breath stopped rising and simply… circulated. Her skin flushed faintly at the cheeks. Qi began to settle - slow, spiraling toward her dantian, drawn in through effort and instinct both.
Then a small sound. Not an explosion. Just a quiet shhhft like something falling into place.
Mizuki exhaled sharply.
Her eyes snapped open.
She blinked, then touched her stomach. "It's… warm."
Adrien stepped forward, awestruck. "Did you do it? Did it work?"
"I think so," Mizuki said. Her voice was soft. Wondered.
She stood and almost stumbled.
Lin Feng caught her arm before she fell. "Careful. Your body's adjusting. It will feel… strange."
She nodded slowly. "Everything's lighter."
"Because you've begun," Lin Feng said. "Your first step. Qi Condensation, first stage."
There was a beat of silence. Then Adrien whooped.
"No way! That's insane! Mizuki, that's - you did it!"
Even Ning Xu cracked a smile, wide and bright and still a little disbelieving.
"You're… really a cultivator now," she said. "Like - like, actually."
Mizuki didn't reply immediately. Her eyes drifted to her hands. She flexed her fingers. Her lips parted like she was going to say something, then closed again.
Instead, she nodded.
Adrien grinned and turned, digging through the corner of the tent before emerging with a plastic bag. "This calls for celebration."
He pulled out three cans of soft drink, slightly dented but still cold from sitting near the riverbank in the shade.
"On Earth, we toast with soda," he said. "Seems appropriate."
The cans cracked open with soft hisses. Lin Feng stepped aside, watching from the edge as they toasted - awkwardly, laughing, Adrien almost spilling his. Mizuki only sipped. Ning Xu blinked at the fizz before laughing into her sleeve.
Lin Feng didn't join. Instead, his gaze drifted upward, toward the faint shimmer in the air that had hung over the camp since the day they arrived - The keystone's protective veil.
A subtle tremor rippled through the air, a fading pulse that barely disturbed the senses. The shimmer wavered, grew thinner, until it was almost gone - not quite vanished, but fragile now.
Lin Feng's jaw tightened. The ward was ebbing, its presence shrinking like the last breath of a dying fire.
A quiet pulse vibrated through his senses. A message.
[System Mission: First Step to Ascension Completed.]
Objective: Have one disciple reach the 1st stage of Qi Condensation.
Reward: Disciples Panel Unlocked. CP +200
Reward: Personal Perk Slot Unlocked (x1)
A quiet hum passed through him. Not an audible sound, but a resonance that stirred something deeper, almost like a ripple through the air itself.
Then came the second pulse.
[System Mission: Trial by Survival Completed.]
Objective: Ensure all disciples survive one week in the Thousand Vein Wastes.
Reward: Freebie Token x1. CP +100
His brows drew together slightly. So the keystone's passive ward had truly faded - he hadn't imagined it earlier. Whatever minor protection the sect artifact provided was gone now. From here on out, danger wouldn't hesitate.
Still, the timing couldn't have been better.
"Disciples Panel," he murmured under his breath.
The air in front of him shimmered faintly, visible only to him. A pale golden screen unfolded like a scroll, casting a gentle glow that didn't disturb the others.
[Disciples Panel]
Name: Mizuki Hiroyuki
Stage: Qi Condensation – 1st Stage
Spirit Root: Metal (Single) – High Grade
Physique: None Detected
Status: Stable. High morale.
Name: Ning Xu
Stage: Body Tempering (Unawakened)
Spirit Roots: Earth + Water (Dual) – Medium Grade
Physique: None Detected
Status: Fatigued. Adapting.
Name: Adrien Chen
Stage: Body Tempering (Unawakened)
Spirit Roots: Fire + Wind + Lightning (Triple) – Low Grade
Physique: None Detected
Status: Struggling. Low cultivation affinity.
Lin Feng studied the panel quietly. Despite Ning Xu's fatigue and Adrien's slower progress, they had come far, especially given their ages and backgrounds. Mizuki's breakthrough was proof that their potential was real.
A new slot shimmered beside the panel, indicating a Perk Slot unlocked. Instinctively, Lin Feng knew that he could now draw on his disciples' unique abilities.
He closed the panel and turned back toward the fire just as Adrien burped loudly after a swig of soda, breaking the momentary tension with a grin.
"Where do the tables come from anyway?" Adrien asked, nodding at the small table Ning Xu had summoned to hold a celebratory cake.
"It just… appeared with the cake," Ning Xu said softly, cheeks tinged with pink.
Lin Feng allowed himself a rare, brief smile. One step closer.
Then, without warning, Lin Feng's vision rippled as the system's quiet notification pulsed into existence before him - a delicate shimmer of gold and white text overlaying the twilight gloom. The weight of the moment lingered like a heavy breath.
[System Notification]
Perk rolling function is now available.
You may perform one free perk roll per week.
Subsequent rolls before reset require 100CP expenditure.
Current CP balance: 800. (400 Mission Rewards + 400 Automatic Accruement)
Remember: If you have enough CP to purchase a perk from a roll, purchase is mandatory. Only one Perk may be purchased per roll. After acquisition, you must wait for the next roll opportunity to obtain another.
Lin Feng exhaled slowly, absorbing the full scope of the system's constraints. One perk per roll. Mandatory purchase if affordable. The path ahead was as much about careful choices as opportunity.
He glanced back toward the campfire where his disciples laughed softly, unaware of the new weight settling on their mentor.
'One step at a time, he thought. One perk at a time.'
Lin Feng's fingers hovered over the interface, heart steady but mind racing. The perks waiting to be rolled were possibilities - and perhaps risks.
He tapped the screen, activating the first free roll.
Lin Feng stared at the glowing interface as the perks rolled in, the usual detailed descriptions missing. Instead, only the bare essentials appeared:
Forge: High-Frequency Manufacturer (Crafting - Technological) - 300CP
Dojo: Self Mending Meditation (Refinement) - 200CP
Grimoire: Ethereal Sight (Divination) - 100CP
Lin Feng's brow furrowed. 'High-frequency Manufacturer... probably something to do with making or enhancing weapons. Self Mending Meditation is pretty explanatory. Ethereal Sight might be a form of enhanced perception - perhaps sensing spirits or something like that'
He weighed the choices carefully. Without tools for smithing, High-Frequency Manufacturer didn't sound very useful. And there were already techniques that allowed one to see spirits ,so Ethereal Sight was out. Self Mending Meditation sounded useful for any cultivator, so without hesitation, Lin Feng selected Self Mending Meditation and felt the system confirm his purchase.
Seeing his total CP drop to 600, Lin Feng decided he had enough points to do another roll. Selecting the option, he watched as his CP reserves dropped a further 100 CP, leaving him with 500 to spend on this new set of rolls.
Forge: No Monsters Were Harmed in the Making of This Product (Quality Resources) - 300 CP
Dojo: Just Like A Visual Novel (Providence) - 200 CP
Grimoire: Four Sword (Control) - 600 CP
Lin Feng grimaced.
He could only infer what the perks did from both their name and the domain or chapter they apparently came from. Some were straightforward while others weren't so easy to suss out.
'No Monsters…' He frowned. Quality Resources. That sounded like a harvesting perk. Possibly related to spirit beasts or monsters. Useful, maybe, but uncertain without more information. Would it involve farming parts? Taming them? Trading?
'Just Like A Visual Novel'... Providence? His mouth twitched. That sounded like it'd meddle with relationships. Probably charisma or some kind of attraction modifier. Knowing my luck, it's the kind of thing that brings more trouble than benefit.
His eyes flicked down to the last.
'Four Sword'... Control… That one made him uneasy. Control suggested mastery - of self, of others, or of abilities. But the price - 600 CP - was steep. A combat technique? Sound like it might be related to controlling a flying sword. Could be strong, considering its price.
He glanced at his CP balance. 500CP left. Not enough for the Four Sword. Fair enough.
In the end, he selected the monster-themed one. "No Monsters Were Harmed…" might be practical. At least it sound more useful than the Visual Novel one. He confirmed the purchase, watching his CP drop to 200CP.
Another roll would leave him with only a paltry 100CP left, and from what he had seen from the perks listed, it would likely end up as a wasted roll.
The system chimed again:
Reminder: You possess one Freebie Token. Use it to grant any disciple a random perk costing less than 100CP. Would you like to use it?
Having brought perks for both Adrien and Mizuki, Lin Feng didn't hesitate to use it on Ning Xu. The moment he did so, the system gave him a familiar notification similar to the one he received when his disciples received their first perks.
[Adrian Chen – Celestial Forge]
No Monsters Were Harmed in the Making of This Product (Quality Resources):Spoiler: Description
[Mizuki Hiroyuki - Celestial Dojo]
Self Mending Meditation (Refinement):Spoiler: Description
[Ning Xu - Celestial Grimoire]
Flight (Domain):Spoiler: Description
'Mizuki just became a self-repairing war machine.
Adrien can turn monsters into raw material mines - and do it without bloodshed.
Ning… can fly.'
Dismissing the system, Lin Feng turned his attention to his disciples - Mizuki with frosting on her lip, Adrien popping open a can of soda with a one-handed flourish, Ning Xu nibbling cautiously on a slice of strawberry cake. They looked... happy. Even after all the hardship, the Thousand Vein Wastes hadn't crushed that.
Then the perks landed.
Three soft chimes echoed in his ears - system notifications only he could hear - accompanied by faint pulses of golden light from each disciple.
He tensed automatically, eyes narrowing. Adrien's can of soda paused halfway to his mouth as he blinked and stared down at his hand, then glanced around as if expecting something else to happen.
Mizuki set down her cake and touched her chest, blinking in surprise. Her shoulders eased with a breath and then stiffened again as she held a hand up to inspect a fading scar. Her eyes went wide.
And Ning Xu?
She lifted off the ground.
Not a jump. Not a stumble. One moment she was sitting, legs tucked beneath her, fork in hand. The next, she was hovering, startled, a full meter off the ground. The cake plate clattered to the grass below her.
"Wha - what - ?!" Her voice cracked into a nervous squeal as she flailed slightly, hovering with the nervous energy of a girl who had never once in her life considered flying to be in the realm of possibility. Her wide eyes darted to Lin Feng, then to her own floating feet. "I - I'm flying! I'm actually - oh my god!"
Mizuki scrambled to her feet, eyes bright. "Wait, you can fly?!"
"I didn't try to!" Ning called back, spinning slowly in the air with no control over her momentum. "I just - !"
Adrien laughed out loud, setting down his soda with a clunk. "Now that is definitely not cake magic."
Lin Feng let out a breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose as Ning wobbled in midair like an untethered balloon. He couldn't help it - he smiled.
So, that was the result of the flight perk. Not bad.
His gaze moved to Adrien, already inspecting the empty soda can like it might be a resource node. That one had received the monster harvesting perk. Lin Feng could practically see the gears turning. Adrien didn't even realize the implications yet.
And Mizuki… her perk had worked subtly. He'd seen the way her posture shifted - more relaxed, less wary. She looked healthy. Whole. That speed of regeneration would change everything for her.
He folded his arms, satisfied.
One breakthrough. Three perks. And now? They had a real shot.
"Ning," he called out, voice calm. "Breathe. Let yourself descend slowly."
"I don't know how!" she squeaked.
Adrien popped another soda can open. "Well, guess we're in the flight arc now."
Lin Feng sighed again.
But this time, he was smiling.
. . .
AN: Feedback would be greatly appreciated.