C13 The Jade Seal Gathered the Spirit

In the crisp early morning of winter, a mist hung between heaven and earth, and a delicate layer of frost dusted the ground.

By the lake, Han Binn's eyes snapped open, his first instinct to scan the silent surroundings. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief, grateful for the absence of wild beasts that could threaten his life in these desolate mountains. Memories of the moments before he lost consciousness caused his heart to skip a beat, and he hastily checked his surroundings. The Heavenly Dao Imperial Jade Seal lay undisturbed by the water's edge, unchanged.

Han Binn's brow furrowed as he pondered the situation. Then, a thought struck him, and he glanced at his wrist where the talisman had been. Now, only a residue of black powder remained, a sign the talisman had burned away after all the Spiritual Power was depleted. But it should have lasted at least three days. Why had the Spiritual Power been exhausted so quickly?

It had to be the Heavenly Dao Imperial Jade Seal. Before he fainted, it had forcibly absorbed all the Spiritual Power within him. But to what end? Han Binn picked up the seal and examined it closely, finding no anomalies. Just then, the day's first sunlight pierced the dawn, thinning the fog. Concurrently, streams of spiritual energy bubbled up from the earth, filling the space between heaven and earth.

Han Binn knew that at dawn, the spiritual energy was at its most potent, especially at the moment when the first sunlight touched the earth. Sensing the rich spiritual energy in the air, he found a secluded spot, sat down cross-legged, and began to meditate. No sooner had he settled into his practice than he felt an intense surge of Spiritual Power converging on him. Elated, he quickened the pace of his breaths. Yet, after several cycles, his body remained devoid of spiritual energy. Instead, the energy seemed to be funneling into his chest.

"What's happening?" Han Binn emerged from his meditative state, attuned to the flow of spiritual energy as he peered into his bosom.

As Han Binn peered down, his eyes bulged in surprise. Aside from the Heavenly Dao Imperial Jade Seal, his arms were empty. Could all the spiritual energy be converging on the seal? But why hadn't he witnessed such an occurrence during his previous cultivation sessions? Just last night, the seal had absorbed the spiritual power from a talisman, and now this strange phenomenon had emerged. Was it possible that absorbing spiritual power had unlocked a function within the Heavenly Dao Imperial Jade Seal?

The more he pondered, the more plausible it seemed to Han Binn. He grew increasingly convinced of the seal's remarkable nature. Yet, what good was such a treasure if he couldn't harness it for himself? Disinclined to continue his cultivation, Han Binn turned his attention to the seal. If it could absorb spiritual power, what did it do with it afterward? Was it possible that the seal itself was cultivating, striving to ascend to immortality as humans do?

"No, that can't be!" Han Binn dismissed the notion. If that were true, why had there been no sign of it before, and why had it manifested only during his own cultivation? Then, like a bolt of lightning, an idea struck him, startling even himself. "Could it be that the Heavenly Dao Imperial Jade Seal is meant to aid my cultivation?"

"Pity this thing can't talk. It would be so much easier if it could just tell me what it's thinking," Han Binn mused, toying with the seal and stroking his chin in contemplation. He was determined to unravel the seal's intentions. After a while, with no clear answers and the once rampant spiritual energy now tapering off and vanishing, he resumed his cultivation.

As soon as he settled into his practice, the spiritual energy began to wildly flood into the seal once more. This excited Han Binn; his earlier theory was spot on. The seal didn't absorb spiritual energy on its own—it only did so when he was cultivating. Now, the task at hand was to channel the energy absorbed by the seal for his own use. Holding the Heavenly Dao Imperial Jade Seal, Han Binn attempted to cultivate, but despite his efforts, nothing changed. The spiritual energy within the seal remained stubbornly outside his grasp.

"Perhaps the approach I took earlier was incorrect. Condensing spiritual energy is achieved through breath control; it can't be absorbed through mere physical contact," Han Binn realized, promptly lifting the Heavenly Dao Imperial Jade Seal to his nostrils and inhaling sharply. The force of his inhalation was so intense that it caused him to choke, and he coughed violently before he could catch his breath.

Yet, as he regained his composure, Han Binn experienced a tingling sensation throughout his body, akin to the feeling of ten thousand ants gnawing at his flesh. The instructions on the paper Tang Xiaofeng had given were clear: if one could feel such tingling, it indicated the presence of spiritual energy within. This meant he had reached the threshold, the first level of the Qi Cultivating Stage. With continued practice and accumulation of spiritual energy, he could then attempt the initial phase of the Qi Cultivating Stage as outlined in the technique.

At this revelation, Han Binn was dumbfounded, exclaiming in amazement, "Is it really this miraculous? A single breath can endow my body with spiritual energy?" He had been practicing for over a month with only a hint of spiritual energy to show for it. To achieve this in one breath was astonishingly swift, leaving him with a surreal feeling.

The sensation of ant bites persisted. Han Binn pinched his thigh forcefully, the pain confirming he was not dreaming. Emboldened by this reality, he decided to press on. He was eager to discover what other wonders the Heavenly Dao Imperial Jade Seal held. With eyes closed, he re-entered the state of cultivation, methodically drawing in the air before him, breath by breath.

As the spiritual energy flowed into him, it began to cycle naturally, intensifying the ant-bite sensation.

Han Binn lost himself in the depths of his practice, his focus unwavering. Time slipped by unnoticed, and only when the sunlight bathed the ground did he emerge from his meditative state. Awakening, he felt an extraordinary comfort in his body, the winter chill a distant memory. It was as if he had become a vessel of energy, with streams of spiritual energy coursing through his meridians, warding off the cold from his surroundings.

Continuing at this pace, Han Binn knew it wouldn't be long before he reached the first level of the Qi Cultivating Stage.

In that moment, he felt an unprecedented surge of confidence in his cultivation journey. However, that optimism quickly faded. If he hadn't witnessed inner sect disciples pursuing Tang Xiaofeng over a certain item, he might have remained hopeful. But that incident had altered his perspective. Han Binn was certain that the Cultivation Realm was no different from the mortal world—a place where the strong prey upon the weak, where acts of violence and theft were even more blatant. In the world of cultivation, where desires ran rampant, who wouldn't yearn for profound spiritual power or aspire to an eternal life alongside the heavens? Faced with such temptations, human conscience could easily be overshadowed, or even vanish entirely.

He knew he must safeguard the Heavenly Dao Imperial Jade Seal with utmost care, keeping it hidden to avoid drawing deadly attention.

With this in mind, Han Binn tucked the Heavenly Dao Imperial Jade Seal into the pocket of his inner garment and set his sights on the Heaven Light Sect. Lacking a Wind Control Talisman, he had no choice but to proceed on foot. Luckily, the sect wasn't far, and after a half-day's walk, he arrived at its base.

At the mountain's foot, the two disciples on guard were taken aback to see Han Binn. "Are you an outer sect disciple?" one asked. It was rare to see someone make the trek by foot. With thousands in the outer sect, it wasn't surprising they didn't recognize Han Binn.

He produced his wooden identity token and flashed it before them, explaining, "Senior Brothers, I got a bit carried away showing off when I visited my family and ended up draining all the spiritual power from my Wind Control Talisman."

The guards chuckled at his confession and waved him through. "Go on in!" They understood the sentiment; visits home were infrequent, and who didn't like to impress their kin?

After returning to the outer court, Han Binn doubled down on his caution during cultivation. Each morning, he'd slip out of his room under the pretense of gathering herbs on the mountain.

On this particular morning, as dawn broke, Han Binn was on the verge of departing when Xie Hu's voice halted him, "Han Binn, hold up a second."

Han Binn stiffened. The guy had been sound asleep; how had he woken up so suddenly? He turned and asked, "What's up, Xie Hu?"

Donning his coat, Xie Hu gestured for Han Binn to come closer, then asked with a grave tone, "Han Binn, do you consider me a brother?"

Xie Hu had looked out for him consistently, and Han Binn had long since come to view him as a friend. Without hesitation, he affirmed, "Absolutely."

Pleased with the response, Xie Hu probed further, "You've been quite elusive these past days, leaving at the crack of dawn. What's going on?"

Han Binn felt a twinge of anxiety but kept his composure. He explained, "You know how tough herb gathering can be. Everyone's picked the nearby herbs clean. If I don't rise early, I might end up with nothing to eat." His justification made sense; while the outer court's herb-picking disciples were known to rise earlier than most, none were as early a riser as Han Binn, who greeted the day at first light.

Noticing Xie Hu's peculiar stare, Han Binn's face took on a slight edge as he pressed, "Xie Hu, I see you as a brother. Why would you doubt my word?" With disbelief hanging in the air, he feigned indignation. Han Binn's childhood love for storytelling had given him a keen insight into human nature, far beyond that of his peers.

Xie Hu dismissed the tension with a wave of his hand, "If you're not ready to talk, I won't pry. But..." He trailed off, swiftly moved to the door to peek outside, then abruptly locked it and shut the window. Only then did he approach Han Binn, pulled out a slightly yellowed piece of paper from beneath his bedding, and handed it over, whispering, "Take a look at this."

Han Binn snatched the paper, barely glancing at the first line before his eyes widened in astonishment. "Xie Hu, where on earth did you get this?"

Xie Hu let out a sly chuckle and teased Han Binn, "Surprised, aren't you?"

Surprised was an understatement for Han Binn. The item Xie Hu had just shown him was an exact replica of what Tang Xiaofeng had given him.

"Listen, you can't breathe a word of this to anyone," Xie Hu insisted, waiting for Han Binn's nod before continuing in a hushed tone, "I've spent months here, getting to know all the outer disciples. And I've discovered something—this so-called chance of fortune doesn't require three years of cultivation here. There's a much easier path."

"An easier path?" Han Binn couldn't reveal his own secrets to Xie Hu, so he feigned ignorance. "How did you manage to get your hands on it?"

Xie Hu exhaled deeply with relief and explained, "It's all about who you know. I brought a hefty sum in silver notes when I arrived, and I spent it all on the right people. That's how I bought this from a disciple in name only."

Han Binn's eyes bulged even wider, his shock deepening. "This can be bought?"