When Lin Chen opened his eyes, dawn had already broken.
Morning light filtered through the holes in the roof, casting irregular patches of brightness on the floor. Dust motes floated slowly in the sunbeams, like countless tiny stars.
He lay in bed for a long time, not moving a muscle.
Everything from last night felt like a dream—the trembling of the bronze mirror, the darkness deep within his consciousness, the white-haired elder who called himself Jing Lao, the secret of the Chaotic Spirit Root, the inheritance of the Chaos Art… it all seemed so unreal, yet it was etched clearly in his mind.
He raised his hand and looked at the gray, clouded bronze mirror in his palm.
"Not a dream," he murmured.
"Of course not a dream." Jing Lao's voice echoed in his mind, tinged with a hint of laziness, like an old man just waking from sleep. "You have quite the composure, young man. Anyone else blessed with such fortune would have jumped for joy long ago. Yet you've lain here all morning. What are you thinking about?"
Lin Chen was silent for a moment.
"I'm thinking about why you're helping me," he said.
"Didn't we discuss that last night? Mutual benefit."
"Not enough." Lin Chen sat up and placed the bronze mirror on his knee. "You said that in a hundred thousand years, no one could awaken you—I was the first. Why me? Just because I could activate that mirror?"
Jing Lao fell silent for a moment.
Then he laughed. There was helplessness in his laugh, and appreciation.
"You, young man, have many good qualities, but you are too suspicious." He paused, his tone turning serious. "Very well. I'll tell you the truth. I chose you not only because you could activate the Fragment."
"What else?"
"Your temperament." Jing Lao's voice deepened. "I have slept within this mirror for a hundred thousand years. I have seen countless people possess it. Some were overjoyed, some terrified, some wanted to use my power to rise in a single step, some feared me like a tiger or wolf. But you are the first…"
He paused.
"Who, upon learning he possessed the Chaotic Spirit Root, did not rejoice wildly, did not impatiently demand cultivation techniques, but calmly asked what I could give and what you needed to give in return. This temperament is rarer than the Chaotic Spirit Root itself."
Lin Chen said nothing.
"On the path of cultivation, talent determines how fast you can go, but temperament determines how far you can go." Jing Lao continued. "I have seen too many geniuses fall due to unstable temperaments—some arrogant, some timid, some consumed by inner demons. To maintain your true nature through sixteen years of suppression… that is not easy."
The corner of Lin Chen's mouth twitched slightly, as if he wanted to smile, or perhaps offer a bitter smile.
"It's not maintaining my true nature," he said. "I had no choice. A waste has no right to be arrogant, no right to be afraid. All I could do was endure."
"Endurance is itself a skill," Jing Lao said. "Enough of this. Now that you're awake, it's time to begin cultivating. You have only nine years."
Nine years.
The two words struck like cold water, washing away the faint warmth in Lin Chen's heart.
He gripped the bronze mirror and stood.
"How do I begin?"
"First, sit cross-legged with the five hearts facing heaven."
Lin Chen sat cross-legged on the wooden bed, placing his hands on his knees, palms up. The soles of his feet faced upward, the crown of his head faced upward—five hearts facing heaven. This was the most basic sitting posture for cultivators. Though he had never formally trained, he had seen it countless times.
"The chants of the Chaos Art are already etched in your spiritual sea. Begin circulating the first layer's method, guiding your dantian's spiritual energy along the Conception and Governing Vessels."
Lin Chen closed his eyes and sank his awareness into his dantian.
Within his dantian, the faint spiritual energy lay like a stagnant pool, murky and sluggish. The spiritual energy of a miscellaneous spirit root was inherently impure, its five elements clashing against each other, making smooth circulation impossible. In previous attempts at cultivation, the moment his spiritual energy left his dantian, it would run wild like an uncontrollable beast rampaging through his meridians, bringing searing pain.
He took a deep breath and, following the Chaos Art method, carefully guided that thread of spiritual energy out of his dantian.
The energy flowed slowly upward into the Qihai acupoint above his dantian.
No pain.
Lin Chen's heart jolted with surprise, nearly losing control of the energy. He quickly steadied his mind and continued guiding.
The energy traveled upward along the Conception Vessel, passing through Guanyuan, Shimen, Yinjiao… each acupoint was like a checkpoint, bringing a slight resistance as the energy passed, but without the knife-like pain of before.
"Continue." Jing Lao's voice came at the right moment, steady and firm. "Don't rush. Let the energy flow naturally. The essence of the Chaos Art lies in the word 'embrace'—do not forcibly transform the energy's attributes, but accommodate everything. Your spiritual energy is impure because it contains all five elemental attributes. This is not a flaw; it is an advantage. The spiritual energy of the Chaotic Spirit Root is meant to be this way."
Lin Chen said nothing, focusing entirely on guiding the energy.
The energy passed through Zhongwan, Juque, reaching Danzhong. This was one of the most important acupoints on the Conception Vessel and the first true obstacle in energy circulation. Previously, he had always failed here—the energy would go out of control the moment it reached this point, backlashing through his meridians.
He gritted his teeth, guiding the energy slowly toward Danzhong.
The moment the energy touched the acupoint, a sensation of resistance arose, like a rusty door being pushed open slowly. The energy hovered at the entrance for a moment, then—
It passed through.
Lin Chen nearly cried out.
"Don't get distracted!" Jing Lao said sharply.
Lin Chen's mind cleared, and he quickly refocused. The energy continued upward, passing through Tiantu, Lianquan, reaching Chengjiang. Then it turned from Chengjiang to the back, entering the Governing Vessel.
The circulation through the Governing Vessel was more difficult. The energy moved upward along the spine, each vertebra like a checkpoint. As the energy passed, faint crackling sounds came from his spine, as if it were being reactivated.
Dazhui, Taodao, Shenzhu, Shendao…
Each time the energy passed through an acupoint, Lin Chen felt his body lighten slightly. It was a strange sensation, like layers of dust being wiped away from within, revealing something that had been hidden beneath.
Zhiyang, Jinsu, Zhongshu, Jizhong…
When the energy reached the Mingmen acupoint, something unexpected happened.
A powerful suction surged from deep within his dantian, like an invisible hand yanking the energy back. Caught off guard, Lin Chen felt the energy reverse course, and a sharp pain shot through his meridians.
"Steady!" Jing Lao's voice exploded like thunder in his mind. "It's the seal at work! Don't resist the suction—go with it!"
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Lin Chen did not try to force the energy but let the suction pull it back to his dantian.
The moment the energy returned, he felt something within his dantian shake.
Like a door being knocked upon.
A heavy, ancient door that had been sealed for countless years.
Then everything fell still.