When the first rays of dawn pierced through the traditional do-paper windows and illuminated the ebony floor, Tran Kien finally opened his eyes. A night of cultivation had passed, yet he felt no exhaustion. On the contrary, his mind and body had reached an unprecedented state of perfection. He let out a long breath.
A stream of turbid white air shot from his mouth like a tiny arrow, traveling over a foot before slowly dissipating into the void. This was the "turbid qi" that had accumulated in his body over the past fifteen years, now washed away and expelled by his very first wisp of Primal Chaos Qi.
He focused his inner sight upon his body. A miraculous sensation spread within. If his previous body was a barren wasteland, it had now been plowed into a fertile spiritual field. Every fiber of muscle, every segment of bone, and every inch of his meridians had become tough and brimming with vitality. In his center, the location of an ordinary cultivator's Dantian, a tiny, milky-white wisp of Qi—bearing both the blistering warmth of the Grand Yang and the frigid chill of the Grand Yin—was quietly spiraling.
It was unlike the spiritual energy Van Tam Thong had once described. The spiritual energy of other cultivators, upon first entering the sect, typically possessed a single attribute—be it scorching, freezing, or sharp. But his wisp of Qi was incredibly harmonious, encompassing myriad phenomena, akin to the most primordial, chaotic state of Heaven and Earth. This was the Primal Chaos Qi.
Tran Kien attempted to circulate this Qi. It did not move rapidly; rather, it flowed with a slow, heavy steadiness through the meridians tempered by the Iron Thrust mnemonic. Wherever it passed, it continued to nourish and fortify his meridians. He could feel his physical strength had increased not just by twofold or threefold. A casual punch from him now could likely shatter a stone wall.
This was the fruit of the Lac Viet path. A peerless foundation, steady progress, and strength that far surpassed those of the same realm.
"Awake?" Elder Wei's hoarse voice echoed from the staircase. The old man slowly descended, still holding an animal hide scroll in his hand. His clear eyes looked at Tran Kien not with surprise, but with the gaze of a master blacksmith admiring a fine ingot of steel that had just been successfully tempered. "How does it feel?"
"Incredibly miraculous," Tran Kien answered honestly, standing up to bow deeply. "Many thanks to Elder Wei for your guidance."
"There is no need to thank me," Elder Wei waved his hand. "This is your own karmic destiny and your own hard work. I am merely the guardian of these legacies. 'Heavenly Cycle Qi Guiding' is but the beginning. It teaches you how to guide Qi into your body, but how to wield that Qi, how to make it your true power—that is a much longer path."
He walked over to the window, gazing at the quiet alleyway outside. "Ordinary cultivators, upon entering the Qi Guiding Realm, will begin to learn various magic spells and how to control magical artifacts. But the path of the Lac Viet is different. We do not focus on such external objects. Our greatest power lies in two things."
"Please instruct me, Elder Wei."
"First, is the physical body," Elder Wei raised a finger. "The fleshly body is the most powerful 'magical artifact'. Primal Chaos Qi has the limitless potential to temper the body. You must continue to use it to forge yourself, until your flesh is as tough as copper and your bones as hard as iron. One day, you will be able to use your bare body to clash against flying swords and magical treasures."
"Second," he raised a second finger, his gaze growing profound, "are array formations. Primal Chaos Qi is the perfect energy source for laying down and activating ancient arrays. You already possess Van Tam Thong's Summary of the Hundred Viet Array Formations; start from there. Learn the Ten Thousand Li Flying Crane Array first. Not to scout or create diversions as you did in the Weeping Night Bog, but to truly use your Qi to form the array, creating illusions with actual combat power."
Saying so, Elder Wei turned to look at Tran Kien with a solemn expression. "I will give you three months. During these three months, you may freely read all the ancient texts on the second floor. Your task is to master the Ten Thousand Li Flying Crane Array and uncover at least three more hidden mnemonic fragments of the Grand Array of Lac Viet's Heavenly Cycle. After three months, I have a matter that requires you to go outside."
"What matter?" Tran Kien asked, a hint of anticipation in his heart.
"You will know when the time comes," Elder Wei smiled mysteriously. "For now, begin. Time waits for no one."
Having spoken, he returned to his armchair and resumed his reading. Tran Kien asked no further. He knew this was a new trial, as well as a new opportunity. He bowed to Elder Wei, then turned and ascended the ebony stairs once more.
For the next three months, Tran Kien completely vanished into the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Tomes. He became a true bookworm, burying himself day and night in the boundless sea of knowledge on the second floor. His life consisted of only three things: tempering his body, researching array formations, and reading.
Every morning, he cultivated the 'Heavenly Cycle Qi Guiding', leading the Solar Qi throughout his body. The Primal Chaos Qi within him grew stronger day by day, transforming from a tiny stream into a surging rivulet. His body also grew increasingly robust. Every afternoon, he studied the Ten Thousand Li Flying Crane Array. At first, he could only use his Qi to conjure one or two blurry, tottering white cranes. But gradually, with his intellect and analytical prowess, he grasped the crux. He could form dozens of spiritual energy cranes, each lifelike, capable of flying at his will, and even diving toward an enemy to self-detonate.
The vast majority of his remaining time was spent reading. He read about pill concocting, artifact forging, various demonic beasts, the geography of the lands... He didn't read aimlessly, but constantly cross-referenced with what he had learned on the first floor, striving to find connections and clues hidden deep within every word.
Time flew by, and three months passed in the blink of an eye. One morning, as Tran Kien was focused on controlling a flock of spiritual cranes in flight, Elder Wei appeared behind him.
"Not bad," he nodded. "To achieve this much in three months... you have not disappointed my expectations. So, have you found any new clues?"
Tran Kien retracted the array. The flock of spiritual cranes transformed into motes of light and dissipated into the air. He turned around and pulled out three different scrolls.
"Elder Wei," he spoke, his voice brimming with confidence. "I have found three clues. The first clue lies within a travelogue titled Unified Gazetteer of Imperial Viet, which describes a mountain called the Five Elements Mountain. The text reads: 'The mountain is not high, yet its posture is steadfast; five peaks gathered like five fingers grasping Heaven and Earth.' I believe this is a metaphorical mnemonic for how to circulate Primal Chaos Qi to lay down the Core defensive layer: Sun-Star Protection. One must use 'posture' rather than mere 'force'."
"The second clue," he continued, "lies within an ancient poem about planting rice. There is a line: 'Hands hold tender shoots, sowing them across the field; bowing the back, hoping for an abundant harvest.' This poem, combined with the image of a person pounding rice on the array diagram... I surmise it relates to the Middle Layer: Hundred Viet Coral. To unleash the power of this layer, one must not attack ferociously, but rather 'sow' spiritual energy into the earth, 'bowing the back' to remain hidden and bide one's time, before erupting to deliver a surprise attack."
"And the final clue," he picked up a hand-copied scroll of ancient lullabies, "lies in a lullaby titled 'The Stork Flies Gracefully'. A verse sings: 'The stork flies with the wind, gliding toward the distant heavens.' I believe this is the core mental method for the Outer Layer: Sweeping Lac Feathers. To control the myriad spiritual Lac birds, one must not use willpower to force them, but rather move with the wind, riding the natural flow of spiritual energy."
Hearing this, Elder Wei fell silent for a long time. Then, he burst into laughter—a truly joyous and satisfied laugh. "Good! Excellent! Not only did you find them, but you were able to comprehend their profound meaning on your own. Tran Kien, you are ready."
The old man turned and walked toward the stairs. "Pack your things. Tomorrow, we leave the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Tomes."
"Leave?" Tran Kien was taken aback. "Where are we going?"
Elder Wei stopped, turning his head to look at him. A strange light glinted in his profound eyes.
"To collect a debt."