After parting ways with the wise whale, Li Yuan continued his journey in an enriched silence. He floated at a depth of forty meters, letting the gentle currents carry him while he contemplated the lesson he had just received about sharing a journey.
Within the one-kilometer radius around him, his Wenjing Realm was working in a way he was beginning to understand more deeply. Unlike the universal effect that was broad and all-encompassing, what was at work within this radius was the specific ability of his Understanding of Water—a profound communication with the very essence of the water itself.
Water is one everywhere, Li Yuan reflected, feeling the subtle vibrations flowing through the medium around him. Yet every drop carries its own unique story.
He began to focus on this communication, opening his consciousness to truly listen to what the water was telling him.
The first thing that flowed into his consciousness were countless tiny voices—the stories from every drop of water within the one-kilometer radius. Each drop was a small consciousness carrying a fragment of experience: a drop that had once been part of a cloud, carrying memories of height and freedom; a drop that had once flowed in a land river, carrying the scent of soil and plant life; a drop that had been part of a living creature, carrying the trace of emotions and biological experiences.
Incredible, Li Yuan thought, fascinated. Every drop is a small library. Every drop is a witness to history.
But even more interesting was how this water carried the intentions of the living creatures that came into contact with it. Because almost all life contains water, almost all intentions and emotions were recorded in the medium that Li Yuan was now listening to.
Slowly, he began to separate the individual voices from this grand symphony.
The first he heard was a school of small fish—perhaps thousands of them—moving in formation in the distance. Their intention was simple yet strong: to be together, to be safe, to follow. There was no complex individuality there, just the basic need to survive through unity. Each fish moved with an almost identical intention, creating a perfect harmony in its simplicity.
They do not question. They just trust, Li Yuan thought. Trust in the collective movement, trust in the collective instinct.
Then he caught a different intention—larger, more individual. A shark was cruising through the area with a focused yet patient intention. Not a greedy hunger or blind cruelty, but a calm and efficient predatory awareness. Searching, assessing, choosing. The shark moved with the intention of an experienced hunter—not wasting energy, not killing without purpose.
Even a top predator doesn't move with anger or hatred, Li Yuan mused. It moves with... a natural professionalism.
The deeper he listened, the more variations of intentions he caught. There were fish moving with the intention of play—movements that had no direct survival purpose, just the pure joy of moving through the water. There were seafloor creatures moving with an incredible intention of patience—crabs methodically searching for food, starfish moving with an almost meditative rhythm.
What surprised him was the emotional diversity he found. He had thought that sea creatures operated purely on instinct, but it turned out there was a deeper layer of complexity. A young octopus moved with an intention resembling curiosity—exploring the coral crevices in a way that reminded Li Yuan of his own youth. A pod of dolphins in the distance moved with an intention very similar to social joy—not just playing, but enjoying the company itself.
They have a much richer inner life than I ever imagined, Li Yuan thought with a deep sense of awe.
But what interested him most was how all these individual intentions interacted with one another. He could hear how the shark's hunting intention created a wave of alertness among the small fish. How the dolphins' playful intention created a ripple of joy that spread to other creatures. How the calm intention of the whales in the distance created a kind of... cosmic tranquility that affected the entire ecosystem.
This is a conversation, Li Yuan suddenly realized. The entire ocean is a giant conversation between millions of consciousnesses, millions of intentions that interact, that influence each other.
Li Yuan began to understand something he had never realized before about the Wenjing Realm. It wasn't just about hearing individual intentions—it was about hearing the dialogue between all those intentions. How every creature doesn't live in isolation, but in a constant network of communication through the medium of water.
Water became the universal conductor for intentions and emotions. Every movement, every emotion, every decision left a trace in the water that was then received and interpreted by other creatures. Not a verbal communication like humans have, but a communication that was far more fundamental—communication through the vibration of existence itself.
This is why water is the perfect teacher, Li Yuan reflected. Water doesn't just teach about flexibility or persistence. Water teaches about... connection. About how to be a medium for the lives of others without losing one's own identity.
As he continued to listen, Li Yuan began to catch larger patterns. There was a daily rhythm in the collective intention—morning with high energy for finding food, midday with intense social activity, night with tranquility and rest. There were also faint seasonal rhythms—preparations for migration, reproductive cycles, adaptations to temperature changes.
The most touching part was how he began to hear... loneliness. Not all creatures moved in groups. There were solitary fish whose intentions carried a deep nuance of loneliness, but also a strong self-reliance. There were old creatures moving with an intention of nostalgia, as if remembering a better past.
Even in an ocean so full of life, loneliness still exists, Li Yuan thought with empathy. But that loneliness isn't always negative. Sometimes it is a choice, part of an individual journey toward maturity.
Li Yuan floated in silence for almost an hour, just listening to the symphony of intentions and emotions from the thousands of creatures around him. He felt like a conductor who for the first time was truly hearing every instrument in an orchestra he had been leading for years.
This experience brought him to a new understanding of his responsibility as a cultivator of the Wenjing Realm. He didn't just have the ability to hear—he also had the responsibility to listen wisely. Every creature whose intention he heard was an individual with its own life and struggles. They were not merely objects of observation, but fellow inhabitants of the universe who deserved respect and understanding.
This is an honor, Li Yuan thought with humility. To be given the ability to hear the intentions of other creatures is an honor that must not be misused.
He began to understand why the Wenjing Realm was so rarely achieved in any cultivation system. It wasn't just about power or ability—it was about the spiritual maturity to handle the intimacy of hearing the inner lives of other creatures without judgment, without exploitation, without losing respect for their privacy and autonomy.
As the sun began to dip toward the west, Li Yuan felt a shift in the collective intention around him. The diurnal creatures began to prepare for rest, while the nocturnal creatures began to awaken with the intention of hunting and exploring. An elegant and organized natural shift without the need for conscious coordination.
Even in a simple transition like day to night, there is a profound beauty, Li Yuan reflected. There is a trust that every creature will fulfill its role at the right time, without external coercion or arrangement.
Li Yuan finally decided to continue his journey, but with a fundamentally changed awareness. He no longer saw the ocean as an empty space to be traversed, but as an incredibly complex and beautiful living community. Every kilometer he traveled would take him through the territories of other creatures' lives, and he was determined to make the journey with respect and humility.
As he flowed with the current, Li Yuan felt a new peace. He was not alone in this vast ocean. He was surrounded by thousands of creatures who each had their own stories, intentions, and purposes. And for now, he was content to be a good listener to this endless symphony of life.
Thank you, he said in his heart to the water around him, to all the creatures whose intentions he heard. Thank you for trusting me to hear your stories, if only for a glimpse.
And in that silence filled with thousands of subtle voices, Li Yuan continued his journey toward the horizon, carrying in his heart a new appreciation for the life flowing all around him.