The moon hung low over the Xu Clan estate, casting a pale silver glow across the garden. In his chamber, Xu Xuan sat cross-legged in the center of the spiritual circle etched into the floor, the faint hum of the Void Dantian resonating through his body. The Nameless Scripture's influence lingered at the edges of his consciousness, a gentle pull, as if urging him to take the first steps toward mastery.
He closed his eyes, letting the void within his dantian awaken fully. It was unlike any cultivation he had ever felt—the energy was fluid, ever-shifting, and yet infinitely deep. When he moved, it responded, almost as if it had a mind of its own. Tentatively, he reached out with his soul, feeling the faint traces of the first dormant technique lying in wait. It was delicate, almost imperceptible—a whisper of energy, a subtle vibration in the flow of the void.
For hours, Xu Xuan meditated, his long black hair falling over his shoulders, robes twisting softly with the currents of his aura. Slowly, he felt the first connection—the Nameless Scripture had recognized him. Not as a student, not as a descendant, but as its true owner.
When he finally opened his eyes, they shone faintly with the violet glow of the void. The spiritual sea within him pulsed, and the first of the fifteen cracks shimmered faintly, though it remained locked. A thrill ran through him: this was only the beginning.
The next morning, Xu Xuan returned to the training grounds, where Yuan Heng had prepared several sets of alchemy ingredients for him. His teacher's eyes were filled with curiosity and pride. "Xu Xuan, your dantian… it seems stronger than ever. I cannot say why, but you must train carefully."
Xu Xuan bowed, hiding the truth of the Void Dantian. "I will, teacher."
Under Yuan Heng's guidance, Xu Xuan began refining basic pills again, focusing not just on technique but on understanding the flow of qi, the subtle differences between spiritual energy and natural energy, and the interweaving currents of the human soul with the ingredients. His fingers moved with increasing precision, and soon he was able to refine Grade 1 elixirs, small yet potent capsules capable of strengthening the body, replenishing energy, and stabilizing minor injuries.
Each pill he crafted was a lesson in patience and precision. Yuan Heng watched carefully, offering subtle corrections and wisdom. "The key, Xu Xuan, is balance. Not just in mixing the herbs, but in your own aura. A weak flow of energy will corrupt even the finest ingredients."
Xu Xuan nodded, hiding the surge of excitement within him. He knew the true source of his growing power was not merely his Master's guidance, but the silent, unspoken lessons of the Nameless Scripture. Each night, he returned to his spiritual sea, connecting deeper to the void, practicing the first dormant technique, and beginning to understand the rhythm of the infinite energy around him.
As the days passed, he slowly realized that refining pills was no longer a mundane task. Each elixir was now intertwined with his void energy, subtly enhancing it. Small bursts of violet energy sometimes escaped when he perfected a pill, leaving him staring in awe at the faint crackling in the air around him.
"Teacher," Xu Xuan said one afternoon, holding a newly refined pill, "this one… feels… different."
Yuan Heng peered at it, then smiled faintly. "Then it is correct. Trust your intuition, Xuan'er. That is how a true alchemist senses the life within an ingredient."
Deep inside, Xu Xuan's lips curved slightly. He knew this was only the beginning. The fifteen inheritance cracks in the Nameless Scripture awaited him in the future, each one holding secrets and powers beyond imagination. For now, the path was slow, painstaking, and filled with silent triumphs: meditation, alchemy, and the subtle cultivation of the void within.
But even as he worked, a single thought burned in his mind: when I reach Wu Zhe, the real journey begins.