"Ling'e, do you know what qi truly is?"
"Qi is the breath of all living beings, the pulse of heaven and earth. All cultivation begins with qi. A thousand techniques are but transformations of qi. To inhale and exhale in cycles is to open the circuit of the Dao."
Today, Master Qi Yuan's voice was solemn beneath the shade of willows by the lakeshore."What I pass to you now is the introductory chapter of our Duxian Sect's core inheritance the One Qi Origin Scripture. It is the foundation upon which the Dao is built. Even across the Five Continents, it is considered a first-class method of establishing one's Dao base. With this, even should you practice other techniques in the future, your foundation will remain unshakable.
Ling'e… Ling'e?"
"I, I'm here!"
Startled, Lan Ling'e hastily withdrew her gaze from the sparkling lake where her Senior Brother was practicing. She bit her tongue in embarrassment.
Qi Yuan chuckled, glancing at the water. "Your brother is experimenting with the Water Escape. Pay him no mind. Focus on my words."
"Mm!" Ling'e straightened, forcing herself to listen.
But only moments later
"Master! Senior Brother disappeared!" she cried, pointing at the lake.
Qi Yuan sighed helplessly. "That is escape technique. Come, let us move indoors. Your Senior Brother has a peculiar fondness for such things. This should already be his sixth."
Inside the thatched hut, with a tap of his whisk upon her head, Qi Yuan scolded lightly, "Concentrate."
Ling'e sat cross-legged, finally managing to calm her restless thoughts.
Meanwhile, upon the lake, Li Changshou stood with hands clasped behind his back. Step by step, his figure dissolved into streams of water, reappearing further away.
"Water Escape is still too slow," he murmured. "But merging with water grants resistance against treasure strikes. Water nourishes all without contending, carries ten thousand vessels without breaking… Worth exploring further."
He continued tirelessly, experimenting, until Master's voice called him back by dusk.
…
"Changshou," Master said, "Ling'e has yet to fast properly. Build a stove when you set up her hut. Until she learns to subsist without food, prepare her one meal each day."
"Yes, Master."
Moments later, with Master gone in a swirl of smoke, Ling'e whispered in awe, "Senior Brother, was that… Smoke Escape?"
Changshou chuckled. "A concealment art. Useful to save one's life. You'll learn once your cultivation is high enough. As for Water Escape you'll need to reach the Spirit-Refining stage before you can even begin."
"Oh… then what does 'rookie' mean?"
He smiled. "A clumsy beginner."
Soon after, Changshou demonstrated with a flick of a pebble. The stone curved through the forest, struck a three-colored spirit pheasant, and returned to his hand.
Ling'e gasped in amazement.
Before long, a fire was built by the lake. The scent of roasting meat drifted on the breeze. Ling'e's stomach betrayed her with a rumble, and her cheeks flushed red.
As she chewed eagerly on the first bite, Changshou's voice turned calm and steady, his words sinking like stones into her heart.
"Ling'e, remember this: the Great Wilderness is merciless. To become an immortal is only to step out of the novice village. Beyond lie seven or eight vast realms. At each threshold, countless so-called geniuses fall.
Even within the same realm, without treasures, you are nothing. With treasures but no divine arts you are nothing. Even with both, if fate turns against you,you will still perish.
In the end… what awaits is always the same."
His eyes narrowed."Body destroyed. Dao extinguished."
Ling'e shivered, shrinking back.
But Changshou's smile returned, gentle as spring breeze. "Thus, three principles to survive. First: avoid karma. Do not meddle in strange matters. The safest path is to stay home, cultivate quietly, and keep away from people. Yet karma is unavoidable, you and I already share it through Master. When entanglements arise, learn to judge carefully. Only by avoiding danger can you live longer."
Ling'e nodded, wide-eyed.
"Second: trump cards. Hide your strength. If you have a hundred points of power, reveal only seventy. Save thirty for the unexpected. Every hidden art, every treasure, every technique when held back and revealed at the critical moment becomes your killing blow. Even your true cultivation can be masked as a card."
She gnawed on the roast, trying to memorize every word.
"But Senior Brother," she asked timidly, "what if I use up all my cards… and still lose?"
Changshou flicked his finger. The roasted pheasant split apart into neat, steaming pieces, floating before her.
"Then comes the third principle: run."
Ling'e blinked. "Run…?"
"Indeed. As the saying goes—keep the green hills, and there will always be firewood. Recklessness only wastes a bright future. Life is precious, and most only get one. Only with enough escape techniques can you slip from a true expert's grasp."
The evening sun stained the lake golden. By the shore, a young Qi Refiner spoke patiently, roasting spirit meat, while a small girl listened with shining eyes, her lips greasy with oil.
These words, carved deep into her heart, would shape her entire immortal path.
Yet as she chewed thoughtfully, Ling'e couldn't help but feel… something about her Senior Brother's philosophy though logical seemed just a little bit… off.