Chapter 6: Preparations and Discoveries
Night had descended upon Misty River Village.
Most of the houses had already gone dark.
The sounds of the village had faded, leaving only the occasional bark of a dog and the whisper of wind passing between the wooden houses.
Inside his cabin, however, Han Feng was still awake.
He sat cross-legged on the floor, his breathing slow and steady.
Qi circulated through his meridians.
One cycle.
Then another.
He carefully controlled every movement of energy, refusing to waste even the smallest amount.
The battle against Wang Tao had taught him a simple lesson.
He was still too weak.
The victory had exposed him.
And now that people were beginning to notice him, weakness was no longer something he could afford.
Han Feng opened his eyes.
The flame of the oil lamp flickered beside him.
He looked down at his hands.
His body was stronger than it had been several days ago.
The difference wasn't dramatic.
But it was there.
His connection with the Dual Chaos Larva had changed his cultivation in subtle ways. His body seemed more receptive to Qi, and the energy flowing through his meridians felt smoother.
But that alone wasn't enough.
Not even close.
The annual assessment was approaching.
If he wanted to survive whatever came next, he needed to improve.
Quickly.
Han Feng closed his eyes again.
This time, he focused on the Celestial Diagram.
The hexagram appeared within the darkness of his consciousness.
It was still as mysterious as ever.
Six lines.
Countless symbols.
A faint golden light pulsing at its center.
Han Feng had spent countless hours examining it.
Yet every time he thought he understood something, another question appeared.
He reached toward it with his consciousness.
The moment he made contact—
The world went silent.
Han Feng's consciousness trembled.
Something flowed into his mind.
Not words.
Not a voice.
Fragments.
Images.
Sensations.
Two currents of energy moving around one another without colliding.
A chaotic force being drawn toward a stable core.
A Gu insect absorbing refined energy.
The process repeating again and again.
Han Feng frowned.
He tried to grasp the images.
They disappeared.
He reached for them again.
This time, he noticed something different.
The energy wasn't simply entering the Gu.
It was being transformed.
The Celestial Diagram seemed to be acting as a bridge between his Qi and the Gu's essence.
Han Feng's eyes slowly widened.
"Could it be...?"
He immediately summoned the Dual Chaos Larva.
The little Gu appeared in his palm.
Han Feng carefully sent a strand of Qi toward it.
Nothing happened.
The Gu trembled slightly.
Han Feng stopped.
He tried again.
This time, he altered the flow.
Instead of forcing his Qi into the Gu, he allowed it to circulate around the creature first.
The Celestial Diagram responded.
A faint golden glow appeared in his consciousness.
The Qi surrounding the Gu slowly changed.
The Dual Chaos Larva absorbed a small portion.
Han Feng froze.
He could feel it.
The Gu had become slightly stronger.
His breathing became heavier.
"So that's the connection..."
The Celestial Diagram wasn't simply allowing him to control Qi and Gu essence.
It could serve as a bridge between them.
If he could master this process...
The growth of his Gu could be accelerated.
But Han Feng didn't become excited.
He immediately stopped.
There was too little information.
He needed more testing.
How much Qi could the Gu absorb?
How quickly could it grow?
What would happen if he gave it too much?
Would the two opposing essences remain balanced?
There were too many variables.
A careless experiment could destroy the Gu.
Or worse...
Damage himself.
Han Feng stared at the Dual Chaos Larva.
"Slowly."
That was the safest approach.
Strength gained too quickly often came with a hidden price.
He needed resources.
The first was obvious.
Qi.
As long as he continued cultivating, he could gradually provide the Gu with more energy.
The second was more troublesome.
Spiritual materials.
Certain herbs, minerals, and natural treasures contained concentrated energy that could nourish Gu insects and assist their development.
The village possessed some.
But the elders controlled most of them.
An orphan like Han Feng had little chance of obtaining anything valuable without attracting attention.
He tapped his fingers against his knee.
Then his gaze shifted toward the window.
The Misty Forest.
The thought came naturally.
The forest surrounding the village was dangerous.
But danger also meant opportunity.
If spiritual materials existed anywhere nearby, the forest was the most likely place to find them.
Han Feng looked at the oil lamp.
Then at the darkness beyond the window.
He made his decision.
A short while later, Han Feng stood outside his cabin.
He carried only a small cloth bag and a short knife.
Nothing more.
He had considered bringing more equipment.
Then discarded the idea.
The more he carried, the slower he would be.
And if something went wrong, speed might be more valuable than strength.
Han Feng looked toward the village gate.
Two guards stood nearby.
One was awake.
The other leaned against the wall, fighting sleep.
Han Feng waited.
He didn't rush.
A few moments later, the awake guard turned his head toward the other side of the village.
Han Feng moved.
One step.
Then another.
His figure disappeared into the darkness between two houses.
He waited again.
No alarm.
Good.
He continued.
Soon, the wooden walls of the village appeared ahead.
Beyond them was the forest.
The mist had become thicker during the night.
Trees stood like enormous shadows beneath the moonlight.
Han Feng stopped at the edge.
He could already feel the difference.
The forest was alive.
Countless faint auras moved within the darkness.
Some were harmless.
Others were not.
The Celestial Diagram reacted faintly.
Han Feng's eyes narrowed.
Interesting.
He hadn't expected it to respond from this distance.
He didn't investigate.
Not yet.
He had one objective.
Resources.
Anything that could accelerate his cultivation or strengthen the Dual Chaos Larva would be useful.
Han Feng took a slow breath.
Then stepped beyond the village boundary.
The moment his foot touched the forest floor, the sounds of the village disappeared behind him.
There was no turning back now.
The wind passed through the trees.
Something moved in the darkness.
Han Feng stopped.
His hand slowly moved toward the knife at his waist.
Silence.
Nothing happened.
He waited several seconds before continuing.
The forest at night was nothing like the forest during the day.
Every shadow could hide a Gu.
Every strange sound could be the warning of something stronger.
And yet Han Feng continued forward.
Not because he was fearless.
Because he had calculated the risk.
Remaining weak was also dangerous.
Perhaps even more dangerous.
Han Feng tightened his grip on the cloth bag.
"Let's see what you're hiding."
The mist swallowed his figure.
Behind him, Misty River Village remained silent.
Ahead...
The forest waited.