The gentle rustling of leaves filled the air, mingling with the distant trickle of a river and the crackling of a blacksmith's forge at the far end of the village. Feiyin sat cross-legged on the wooden training platform behind his home, his breaths steady, his hands resting on his lap as he recalled last night's lesson with his father.
***
"You already understand that the Body Tempering Realm is about strengthening the body so that it can endure Essence Qi," his father began, his voice steady and deliberate. "But what you must now realize is that the body does not simply sit idle as it grows stronger. It is constantly generating power, whether you control it or not."
Feiyin's eyes flickered with curiosity. "You mean internal strength?"
Cai Feng nodded. "Yes. The body energy, raw and unrefined, is constantly being produced within you. Every movement, every heartbeat, every breath contributes to it. But without direction, it is nothing more than wasted force."
Feiyin thought back to the times he had felt something shifting beneath his skin, a faint pulse of energy that seemed to ripple within him. He had always thought it was his breath, or his blood moving. But now…
"You've already been using internal strength," his father continued. "You just didn't realize it. Every time you perform a breathing exercise, every time you stretch your muscles or hold a posture, your body generates a natural force. The breathing techniques you've been practicing are designed to guide that force, to direct it into your organs and temper them."
He reached over and tapped Feiyin's chest lightly. "Every part of your body must be prepared to handle energy. The skin, muscles, bones, marrow, and blood all generate energy to increase strength. But your organs must also be tempered, because they control the very foundation of life."
Feiyin sat still, absorbing the information.
"Each of the five breathing techniques you practice is specifically designed to guide this internal strength into one of your five major organs," Cai Feng explained. "The Tree Breathing Technique guides internal strength into the liver, purifying the body. The Earth Breathing Technique reinforces the spleen, stabilizing the body's core balance. The Metal Breathing Technique nourishes the lungs, increasing endurance. The Water Breathing Technique enhances the kidneys, improving longevity. And the Fire Breathing Technique fuels the heart, refining circulation and adaptability."
Feiyin's mind raced. He had felt it, the way his body responded differently depending on which breathing technique he used. But now, with this knowledge, it made sense.
His father's gaze hardened. "But tempering your organs is a delicate process. Too much internal strength flowing into an organ can damage it instead of strengthening it. That is why I always monitor you, because if you lose control, it could cause internal injuries."
***
He had always been able to perceive the oscillations of the world, but now, with the newfound knowledge from his father's lesson, he had a different goal.
'Dad had said that breathing techniques guided internal strength into the organs'. But what if he could do more than just guide it?
What if he could perfectly replicate the essence of the elements through his own internal strength?
His fingers tapped absentmindedly against his knee in a slow, steady rhythm. Music was the purest form of oscillation, something he had always known instinctively.
Each note carried its own resonance, its own vibration that could influence the body, the mind, and the soul.
And now, he could feel it. The breathing techniques he had been practicing each had their own frequency.
They weren't just techniques. They were melodies.
Feiyin's eyes flickered with excitement as he sat up straighter, his focus sharpening.
Earth… Wood… Metal… Water… Fire.
He began to hum softly, letting his mind wander through each technique, matching each one with a musical note in his mind.
Earth Breathing, deep, slow, and grounding. Like the low, steady hum of a deep drum, resonating with unwavering stability.
Wood Breathing, flexible, ever-moving. Like the long, flowing note of a flute, stretching and adapting as it played.
Metal Breathing, sharp, cutting, strong. A crisp, clear chime, precise and decisive.
Water Breathing, fluid, adaptive, eternal. The smooth, rolling notes of a string instrument, flowing seamlessly.
Fire Breathing, wild, untamed, yet controlled. The passionate, fierce strike of a zither string, full of intensity and power.
He opened his eyes, excitement coursing through him.
If these breathing techniques already carried the essence of the elements, then internal strength could follow the same principle.
His father had told him that most cultivators only saw breathing techniques as a means of strengthening their bodies. But Feiyin had always seen beyond what was in front of him.
If each element had a musical frequency, then perhaps he could learn to replicate it using his own internal strength.
He straightened his back, his curiosity alight with a new purpose.
Slowly, Feiyin inhaled through his nose, drawing his internal strength toward his spleen, the way he had done so many times before with the Tree Breathing Technique. He focused on the vibration it produced, that faint hum that stretched and swayed, similar to the sound of wood bending in the wind.
He tried to match it, to let his internal strength resonate at the exact same frequency.
For a moment, it felt like it was working. His body hummed in response, his internal strength shifting slightly.
Then, sudden resistance.
His internal strength wavered, unable to fully stabilize. A sharp jolt spread through his stomach, and he immediately stopped, breathing deeply to calm the imbalance.
'That was harder than I expected.'
He had managed to get close, but not quite there. His control over internal strength was still too crude, too unrefined to match the precise oscillations of the elements.
His father had always told him that cultivation was about balance, not forcing things. And yet, as Feiyin sat there, he couldn't help but feel the gap between what he could perceive and what he could achieve.
But he wasn't discouraged.
He had always learned best through observation. If he wanted to truly understand the elements, he needed to study them, not just in theory, but in their natural state.
The next morning, after his usual training, Feiyin walked into the forest near the village. The cool morning air was refreshing against his skin, and he took slow, deep breaths, allowing himself to feel everything around him.
He stopped beside a massive oak tree, placing his palm gently against its rough bark.
The oscillations were gentle yet firm, like a slow, rhythmic beat that pulsed with life. Wood was ever-growing, ever-adapting, it swayed with the wind but never broke.
He tried again, pulling his internal strength toward his liver, which was connected to the Wood Element.
This time, he didn't force it. He listened.
'Breathe in… Feel the flow… Breathe out… Adjust.'
His internal strength shifted more smoothly this time, but still lacked the full depth of resonance.
Still, it was progress.
His next stop was the river.
He crouched by the water's edge, watching how it moved, how it never stopped, constantly shifting, yet never chaotic.
Water was gentle, yet unyielding. It could erode mountains over time but could also slip through fingers like mist.
He dipped his hand into the cool stream, letting the sensation wash over him.
Again, he focused on his internal strength, guiding it toward his kidneys, where Water energy was most concentrated.
He tried to match it, to let his internal strength flow like the river itself.
This time, it almost worked, but then it became too fluid, slipping beyond his control, dispersing too easily.
Frustration flickered in his chest, but he took another breath.
'This will take time.'
Next, he wandered toward a large boulder, placing his palm against its cool, firm surface.
Earth. Unmoving, stable, unshakable.
He tapped the stone lightly, listening to the deep, low reverberation that spread through it.
He closed his eyes, letting his internal strength sink down to his spleen, where Earth energy gathered.
This one was the easiest to match, he had trained stability and resilience the longest.
The deep hum of his internal strength was closer this time, almost identical.
But not perfect.
Still, he was learning.
The crisp morning air carried the scent of damp earth and pine as Feiyin stood before his father in the training yard.
Cai Feng, his arms crossed over his chest, regarded his son with his usual calm intensity.
"Today, we move past refining internal strength," he said. "You've begun to understand the natural inclination of the elements, but understanding alone isn't enough." His gaze sharpened. "Now, you will learn to apply it."
Feiyin's fingers twitched in anticipation.
His father picked up a single dried leaf, holding it between his fingers before letting it fall. It fluttered, light as a feather, before settling onto the training platform.
"Shatter it," Cai Feng said simply.
Feiyin blinked.
'Shatter a leaf? That's…'
He looked up at his father, who remained expressionless.
"…How?"
Cai Feng stepped forward, standing next to him. "Your internal strength is like a bowstring. When pulled taut, it is at its peak tension. But if released too early, it will lose its force. If unfocused, it will scatter. And if applied incorrectly, it will be wasted."
He crouched down, his fingers brushing over the leaf.
"To break something as fragile as this, you must not strike it with raw power. Instead, you must release an explosive pulse of force, all at once, at the very moment of contact."
Cai Feng straightened. "Watch."
His body did not move. He did not breathe deeply, nor did his stance shift.
Then, the leaf simply disintegrated.
Feiyin barely saw it happen. A minuscule tremor in the air, a pulse of energy so compact, so perfectly controlled that the dry structure of the leaf had no choice but to collapse under its force.
Feiyin stared, his heart pounding. 'This… this is possible?'
His father turned to him. "Now, you try."
Feiyin hesitated before stepping forward. He took a deep breath, focusing his internal strength as he gathered it beneath his skin.
Firm. Controlled. Explosive.
He crouched, mirroring his father's motion, and with a swift pulse of internal strength,
The leaf… fluttered slightly.
It did not break.
Cai Feng said nothing.
Feiyin frowned, trying again. He tensed his entire body, sending his internal strength forward. This time, the leaf quivered, but still, it did not shatter.
Frustration bubbled in his chest.
"…I don't get it," he admitted, exhaling. "I'm focusing all my strength on it, but nothing happens."
His father nodded. "That's your problem."
Feiyin blinked.
"You are focusing on strength," Cai Feng clarified. "But strength alone doesn't shatter, precision does."
He gestured toward the leaf.
"Do not think of destroying it with force. Instead, think of creating a perfect resonance within it, a tremor that shakes its very structure apart."
Feiyin clenched his fists. That made sense, but,
How do I do that?
He closed his eyes, drawing in a slow breath.
Then, he listened.
The leaf was fragile. Its oscillation was delicate, barely present. To break it, he had to match that oscillation, amplify it, and then let his internal strength strike at the precise moment when the structure could no longer hold itself together.
His eyes snapped open.
With one last controlled breath, he pressed his fingers against the leaf,
Snap.
It didn't disintegrate like his father's, but a clean split ran through its center.
Feiyin exhaled, his chest tight with excitement.
Cai Feng smirked. "You're beginning to understand."
That afternoon, Feiyin sat across from his mother near the riverbank, the flowing water glistening under the setting sun.
Mei Liao held a smooth, thin piece of wood in her hand, her fingers gently tracing its grain.
"You learned about explosiveness this morning," she said, her voice light as the breeze. "But what happens when the world does not allow you to break something by force?"
She placed the wood flat on the ground before them.
"This piece is thin, but firm. If you strike it without enough strength, it will not break."
Feiyin nodded, already seeing the test before him.
"…Then I just use more strength?" he guessed.
His mother chuckled, shaking her head. "No, my dear. If you force your way through, you will only meet resistance. Instead, you must learn to flow past that resistance."
She picked up the wood and tapped it gently with her fingertip. The piece did not move.
Then, without any visible force, a crack appeared along the inside of the wood.
Feiyin's eyes widened.
"You didn't even hit it hard…"
Mei Liao smiled. "I didn't need to."
She tapped his forehead lightly. "This is where you've been thinking too much about external force. What if, instead of breaking something from the outside, you send your strength inside?"
Feiyin stared at the cracked wood, realization dawning.
"…Softness."
Mei Liao nodded. "You cannot always rely on hardness. If something refuses to break, find the spaces where strength can slip through."
She picked up a small river stone, polished smooth by years of water running over it.
"Try sending your strength through this."
Feiyin took the stone in his palm. It was dense, unyielding. His instinct was to try to crush it, to send power forward as he had done with the leaf.
But he paused.
Instead of forcing his strength, he let it sink into his hand. He felt the stone's subtle oscillations, its inner resonance.
Then, he sent his internal strength inside it, spreading it gently instead of striking all at once.
At first, nothing happened. Then,
A faint crack ran along the surface.
Not shattered, not destroyed. But penetrated.
Mei Liao beamed. "Very good."
Feiyin's heart pounded. This was different from his father's explosive force. This was like slipping between the spaces of the world itself.
Softness wasn't weakness. It was another kind of power.
As the sun dipped below the mountains, Feiyin sat quietly between his parents, his thoughts racing.
Cai Feng had taught him how to erupt his strength outward, while Mei Liao had shown him how to send it inward.
Two sides of the same coin. Firmness and softness. Direct and hidden. Yang and Yin.
He looked down at his hands.
'…If I can master both, what else will I be able to do?'
His mother ruffled his hair. "You're thinking too much again."
His father chuckled. "Let him think. That's how he grows."
Feiyin grinned, stretching his fingers.