Immortal Obsession

12 - Breakthrough

Freshly bathed and relaxed after the trying day, Wu Chen sat on his bed in his inner robes and studied the elixir he had won. It glowed softly and was a sparkling blue color with wavy lines of deeper blue all along its rounded edges. He could feel the power pulsing from it right through his skin, and he grew very excited.

He had felt the blockage to the 9th level of Foundation Building for some time now but hadn't been able to finally break through it. His contemplation of the fire element at the Fire Arena had helped. It had given him the deeper knowledge needed for a breakthrough, but not the actual power.

This elixir was just what he needed.

He took the lotus position and swallowed the elixir. With practiced ease, he began circulating his qi. The elixir was like a sudden flood of power through his meridians. It widened them, cleared them, strengthened them, and paved the way for a steadier flow of qi in the future.

He rode the power of the flood like a tossed leaf right through to his core. He felt his dantian steadily growing, and qi filled that newly opened space like a cascading waterfall. It gushed forth, nearly drowning him, and turned his small pond of available qi into a large lake. The rushing flow became so strong that he was finally able to use its power to slam against the barrier before him and break right through as though it were nothing more than a thin wooden wall.

With the blockage removed, the sudden release of qi from his enlarged dantian was so great that he almost cried out as a wave of overflowing power exploded from within. The wave was strong enough externally to knock his scrolls from the table and cause his little house to tremble as though a small earthquake had passed.

His body shook with relief, and after a few more circulations, he had the qi in his meridians back under control. It had taken the rest of the night to accomplish, but the added power from the 9th level was no small thing. There was a significant increase in his abilities and a much larger pool of qi to draw from. He was thrilled with the result. He closed out the circle and released the impurities his breakthrough had cleaned out with his breath.

The elixir had made all the difference. In fact, it had been so strong that it had even carried him closer to the barrier of Core Formation. However, he still had quite a ways to go to reach that goal. Without a significant windfall, such as the Three-Spirit-Elixir, it could take years or even decades to reach that level. Each step in cultivation only grew more difficult as he went. He would have to work hard and watch for more hidden opportunities.

After his breakthrough, he didn't feel tired at all despite the rigorous battles he'd had during the previous day. His energy levels were high enough that he felt like going over his travel plans for the sword quest. It was dawn now, anyway. Yang Hao would be in soon with his morning meal.

Happier than he had been for a while, he picked up the scrolls that had been pushed off the table and sat down to go over the maps his father had given him. Finding the cave where the sword was hidden was not going to be easy, and the clues were few and far between. After all, people had been more concerned about the loss of the hero Wu Chen at the time and less worried about the sword he carried.

He was so engrossed with his studies that he barely acknowledged the footsteps that he heard coming from the entryway. He didn't bother to look up.

'Don't fuss, Yang Hao. I'll clear a space for the meal in a moment.' he mumbled.

Lu Yong stood in the entry, unable to move. Before him was a vision he thought he would never see again. Wu Chen was seated at his table, his lashes lowered, and his elegant brow slightly furrowed in concentration as he looked over a map. He wore only his simple inner robes, his feet bare, and his long hair loose and pooling around him like a shimmering silken veil. The sun was beaming through the open window from behind, lending him a soft glow with its gentle light. Was there anything more beautiful than Wu Chen in the world, he asked himself dazedly.