Apparently, not drinking wine, then fighting, was enough to get in the sect. I’ll admit I was expecting to fail. Secret first trial aside, my combat ability can’t be very good in this world, even with my body's memories I doubt my own ability to adapt to a fight, but my brief exchange with lì huá must have had some lasting impact, or maybe it was the fact that everyone who took the trial got in, except for some poor soul who Jin fought, he managed to cripple the guy by shattering his leg. I absolutely made the right call when I avoided fighting him.

I will admit, I didn’t know what I was getting into here. I was expecting duels to the death, harsh physical training, and maybe meditating under a waterfall. But this? Definitely not this. lì huá smacked me on the back to knock me out of my thinking. “Quit zoning off! We have to finish the laundry in an hour or we’ll miss lunch!” I let out a sigh as I started scrubbing the cloth under the water of the stream, manual labor. Apparently, we’re currently outer disciples, which means that on top of intense physical training, we have to do a bunch of manual labor. lì huá and I were both set to do laundry today, we’ve been doing a lot of work together since we’re sworn friends, something I still don’t fully know how to deal with. My only real thought process behind accepting that was that she’d be better a friend than an enemy. But still, this girl was far too weird.

“Hey sworn friend! Don’t you think it's a little demeaning to do all of this labor?”

“It is what it is. I don’t really see myself leaving the sect anytime soon, so, laundry.”

“Still! Shouldn’t we be doing some manly stuff? Like hunting or sparing?”

“If we weren’t doing laundry, someone else would have too. Everyones gotta play a part, annoying as that is.”

“That's fine! The elders will see our skill soon and make us inner disciples!”

“That does remind me though, especially now that we’re sworn friends, what's up with your fighting style? It doesn't suit fists at all.”

“Wha-What do you mean?! I’ve always fought with just my bare hands!” I shook my head while placing a shirt in the drying section.

“No, if that were the case you would’ve retracted your limbs so I couldn’t grab them as easily, but since you left them for longer than you should’ve, I’d guess you were used to something sharp like a sword or dagger.” That wasn’t based on this body's knowledge, that's all me, but my point stands, she's off.

“Err, well, I … haaa.” She let out a defeated sigh. “Fine, I’m used to using daggers. But I refuse to continue with them! The way I was taught was specifically in a manner resembling dance. It’s more theater than combat, so I threw it all away when I joined the sect.” I let out a small hum as I continued working on the clothes. So she was taught? Interesting.

“Well, I can’t say I know much about you, despite the fact we’re sworn friends, but I will say, you should never hold yourself back based on how others perceive you. I’d think sticking with weapons you have even a little familiarity with would be better than dumping them for no reason.” At that statement, her face turned to a frown, a genuine one, unlike the exaggerated scowls she had shown previously.

“I'm not holding myself back, I just refuse to be looked at like a commodity to be sold. I will force the world to acknowledge me, as an equal underneath the same heavens as all other beings.” A silence only filled by the rushing water met that statement. I looked into my reflection in the river. People here are really poetic.

The main buildings for outer disciples were inside the mountains, a deep hole was mined out of the interior making almost the entire place hollow. The inside resembled a small city lit with various floating dots of light that were made via some form of talisman. lì huá and I walked down the large circular stairs which wrapped around the interior, heading for the very bottom where we stayed. The official reason was that climbing up and down constantly would give us better endurance, but I’m pretty sure they actually just shoved it onto the new people so that any seniors wouldn’t be stuck down there if they could help it.

The schedule for an outer disciple was pretty simple. Wake up, do some work, get called into a lecturing hall where we get drilled on the precepts of the sect, do some more work, get called into a training area to practice basic forms, do more work, and sleep. That's what I’ve been doing for around 4 weeks now.

It was the afternoon, and after a quick meal at the cafeteria, me and Li huá separated once we got to the homes of the outer disciples, which resemble the inside of the inn with its simplicity. I slept in the same room as 2 other male disciples, we haven’t really talked, they both get there earlier and fall rather promptly to sleep, such as now. With the two of them sleeping, I felt restless. The training that we’ve been doing, it’s not enough. I looked at the two of them, before turning on my heel and walking out, heading for the training arena.

The small city wasn’t very active at night, a few late disciples and people who worked maintenance on the various buildings still moved around, but it paled in comparison to the bustle of the day-to-day activities.

I arrived quietly at the training arena, no one was in the facility as I walked through its halls. I reached the main area where training took place, it was a simple open arena with sand flooring and walls surrounding it that instructors would walk on yelling out advice and criticism. I unsheathed my blade when I was hit with a moment of clarity. What on earth am I doing? This kind of behavior wasn’t typical of me. I never considered myself lazy, but certainly not sneak out in the middle of the night to exercise levels of dedication. How much has changed in the consciousness transfer? I looked into the reflection in the blade and reminded myself that it wasn’t my eyes looking at me, and it wasn’t me the eyes were looking at.

I stayed there for a minute, no real thoughts running through my head, instead, I felt an incredible calm, as if I simply couldn’t understand what was going on, which was probably true. Regardless of my identity crisis, I had made the trip this far, I should at least train. With that in mind, I started my movements. I had removed the spinning slash due to the last battle, only the basics mattered to me now.

Stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step,slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step, slash, stab, slash, step.

Sweat dripped down my face as I kept going, movement then movement. After long enough, I felt it again, the energy blocked but wanting to help. Wanting to break free. Wanting to release the full potential of the few movements. It may have been the removal of the spin, but I could feel them stronger now, they were mainly in 7 different points.

The top of my head. My forehead. My throat. My heart. My chest. My groin. The base of my spine. I kept moving, focusing on the bottom one, the base of my spine. It sought connection and stability. The only point when I feel truly connected to this world is through these movements, but even that isn’t me. I never felt this on earth, I don’t know these movements, and yet here I am doing them anyway. In some sense, maybe the way I’ve failed to adapt to this world is in the way that I failed to accept that I and this body are no longer separate. Whoever used to possess this body, my body, is no longer here, and so, though I may not recognize it as such, we must become one and the same if we are to survive, so until I learn to be Yìchén, we need to at least work together. As I reached that conclusion, I took a final step, feeling the point on the base of my spine open, dripping energy of some kind into me. I took a few deep breaths before walking off.

_______________

The elder stroked his beard as he watched along the wall of the arena. They get some interesting recruits every year when the trials come around, and of course, the one that stays late to practice more always shows up as well. Most elders recruit from exclusively the inner disciples, though as the one in charge of administering the trials, he found recruiting from the batches of outer disciples to be a much more exciting method, after all, what’s an old man to do when he's got nothing but time? Finding rocks in the sand and polishing them until they become fine jade, or crumble wasn’t the worst hobby. Regardless, he isn’t actually allowed to accept them as his personal students until they are first accepted as inner disciples, but he could still give him bits of advice now and again. After all, this new disciple of his was quite unobservant.

The elder looked at the arena, and how the sand had been shifted with his final step before the student finally stopped. The step had sent a shockwave through the entirety of the arena, which left the student in a perfect ring of circles from the waves of sand. The disciple didn’t notice, as he left to finally sleep. The elder couldn’t help but chuckle at that, quite unobservant indeed.

_______________

The energy source wasn’t unlocked yet, not fully anyway, but I could feel drops of energy flow through my body. Little bits of … something, that I used to the fullest extent to keep myself conscious throughout the day. As useful as that training session was, I really kill far too much time when I fall into those movements.

I sat cross-legged while I did the laundry once more. I could still feel the drip of energy working through me, but I could also feel what little energy was there reaching outward, expanding beyond my body and into the ground. Out of curiosity, I allowed it, letting the energy flow into the grass and dirt. I closed my eyes and At that moment, I was connected to the ground, connected to the stream and the wildlife. The grass, the rabbit 5 meters away staring at us. And through the ground, I was connected to li huá, who was currently about to smack me upside the head for zoning out.

I caught her hand before it could reach me, opening my eyes to look at her while I did. I could see her expression change to one of surprise while I released her arm. “Sorry. Figuring something out.”

“What are you figuring out?”

“I can feel the energy flowing from the base of my spine, not much right now, but enough to connect to the world around me. I was experimenting with it, which is how I found out I could do that.” She tilted her head as she thought for a moment.

“Base of the spine… Oh! You’re opening your Chakras!” I thought I was in ancient china-ish, isn’t chakra Indian? “It’s a vital step before becoming a full-fledged cultivator! Congrats Yìchén!”

“Hmm, any idea how to speed the process up?”

“Nope! All I really know is that it's supposedly a very spiritual journey, it's an experience unique to every person so sharing is rather taboo.”

“Got it, thanks for the info.”

“No problem, I’m a little jealous you’ve already started though! Normally even beginning it takes years of dedicated practice, you’re pretty special huh friend?”

“...That’s one way to describe me I suppose. Well, don’t let me get too far ahead of you.” She let out an aggressive laugh.

“Not a chance!” I shook my head as we finished laundry.

_________________

The beast felt its massive head chomp down on its recent prey. Squishy, weak, and only managing to defend itself through sharp bits of metal it kept with it, the same kind of prey as the ones who inhabit the hollow mountain. The beast flicked its tail into a rock, feeling it shatter as it vented its frustration. Those pests had herded together to keep it from devouring them, it would not be enough. The beast is that which devours, not what is devoured, in a sense that revelation is what had started the beast's journey, to begin with. The fundamental understanding of reality which played on repeat in its head like the endless beating of a war drum. Eat, or be eaten.

_________________

I sat cross-legged in the enclosed area of the lecture hall, an inner disciple stood in front of all of us, running us through the precepts of the sect once more, he was a different one from last time. My voice joined in the course of others all repeating the same few rules we had become familiar with.

Don’t harbor hatred or jealousy in your heart. Maintain a kind heart. Don’t set your mind on sexual desire or give rise to passion. Don’t utter swears. Don’t take liquor or drug.

6: Don’t give into demonic temptation

The swearing one was more of a suggestion from what I’ve picked up on, but the few that have concrete definitions are treated rather seriously. Not that I think it’ll ever be a problem for me, it isn't like there's much liquor or drugs just lying about, and the only girl throwing herself at me is Li Huá, and by throwing herself I mean her fists specifically. After the repetition of rules, the disciple then began lecturing us regarding cultivation philosophy, which was just a crash course about how it worked.

“Cultivation, in essence, is a development in which one's physical body achieves enlightenment alongside the mentality of a person. Enlightenment, as we call it, is just a belief about how the universe functions, the most interesting part of cultivation in this disciple's opinion is that the belief doesn’t truly have to be correct to grant enlightenment. This is how cultivators with directly opposite opinions can both achieve the same levels of cultivation, such as our sect when compared to demonic sects, which hold beliefs opposite to ours. Similarly, when animals become old enough or experience and survive enough strife, they too can come to reach a form of enlightenment, thus becoming divine or demonic beasts.” That, actually, was quite interesting. So then power here is achieved through belief? Strange.

From there we received our assignments from a board, I and lì huá were unsurprisingly paired together, on hunting and gathering duty as opposed to our regular laundry duty. She and I met at the exit of the lecturing hall and began the long walk to the mouth of the underground city.

We made idle talk as we journeyed, having grown used to each other's company over the few weeks we’ve been here. Hunting and gathering was just food collection. The sect did have a few connections to a farming community and the actual job was somewhat redundant but it was considered good training for outer disciples and a method of becoming more self-sufficient. The one aspect of hunting that I disagreed with was the fact that neither of us received bows, just 2 baskets for berries, we were genuinely supposed to run down any animals we could find to hunt them, which was a little ridiculous considering we haven’t fully reached superhuman qualities yet. I mean, we’re a lot stronger and faster than a regular human but chasing down a rabbit is still a fruitless endeavor. Regardless, there were a few locations both lì huá and I had heard about that were good hunting or good gathering.

We were walking together silently when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. I held my fist up in front of lì huá to stop her as I went to inspect it. They were tracks, but massive ones, and not prints but instead one large cylindrical imprint, as if something had been dragged through the area. I crouched down to inspect it closer while lì huá spoke up. ”Looks like something got dragged. I heard a few wolves stay in the area, might be an unlucky prey of some kind?”

“No, if that were the case then there would be blood. This is completely dry, it was just something moving, something big.” lì huá shook her head.

“This is the forest right outside the heaven-guided white sect, one of the 5 great righteous sects, there's no way anything unnatural would be able to grow.”

“How often do you see any senior disciples around here?” She faltered at that.

“Err, well, even so.”

“No, I think something big grew nearby, nobody noticed because nobody was paying attention.”

“What about the array protections? Wouldn’t they stop anything malicious?”

“Not my area of expertise. Regardless, I don’t think this is enough to report anything, it could just be a coincidence, but stay extra cautious. If you hear any rumbling or unnaturally loud noises, see anything big especially, run straight to the city. If there is something unnatural around here priority number one is reporting it, even if that means one of us distracts it while the other runs.” With that in mind, we started back up, the casual atmosphere having shifted drastically to a tense one. I truly did hope that the trail was just some weird ki-related stuff, but I couldn’t be sure.

For 2 silent hours, we trekked around the forest looking for prey with no results. We managed to collect a full basket of berries and considering the circumstances we agreed that was enough to head home. We had gotten into a small clearing with a small lake in it when we turned around. Before we even had a chance to leave the clearing, we heard a deep and heavy rumbling in the direction we were heading. li huá and I exchanged glances, both crouching slightly. I shook my head in the direction of the densely forested area to our immediate side. It’d be easier to hide and sneak home. I saw her hesitate, clenching her fists, before another rumble, deeper and closer made her reconsider. She got into the wooded area first, and I followed soon after, the rumbling was getting noticeably closer.

I was carrying the berry basket close to my chest as we both quietly moved away from the clearing, which of course is when I stepped on a branch, a loud crack resounding through the area. We both tensed, waiting for any hint that the creature, whatever it is, had noticed my mess up. Nothing came, the rumbling was still in the same place before it abruptly stopped.

We exchanged another glance, waiting a tense few seconds before moving once more. I crept forward, turning back to look behind us for a second, and when I turned back around, all I could see was the fleshy insides of a mouth and 2 massive fangs reaching out for me. I heard a shout as I felt a hand grab me by the collar. “Yìchén!”. Li huá managed to pull out of the range of the first bite of the massive beast in front of me. Its dark green scales blended into the scenery of the forest, and its watermelon-sized red eyes glared at both of us, not with malice, but with hunger. Yeah, that was unmistakably a massive snake.