Chapter 11: A Dream?

With a deafening roar, a blinding light erupted from Yin Tianfang’s body, unleashing a powerful force that sent the two men flying, crashing heavily against the wall, where they promptly lost consciousness. That formidable aura, however, vanished without a trace before it could even escape the cave dwelling. On the bed, Yin Tianfang’s eyes slowly closed, and his body slumped sideways, collapsing onto the mattress.

A clear, crystalline drop of water fell from the air onto the mirror-like, tranquil surface of the water, sending ripples outward.

He found himself in an unfamiliar space—a boundless expanse of water, like a vast ocean with no shore in sight. High above, a mist hung heavy, obscuring the sky. At this moment, Yin Tianfang lay quietly amid this strange realm. He did not know how much time had passed before he slowly opened his eyes and got to his feet.

Looking down, he saw his own face reflected in the water and realized, to his astonishment, that he could stand atop its surface. After regaining his composure, he took a few cautious steps, marveling at how he did not sink. His curiosity only deepened.

Raising his head, he surveyed his surroundings—an endless, silent void, so still that he could hear his own breathing and heartbeat.

“What is this place? Could I be dreaming? Am I inside a dream?” Yin Tianfang murmured to himself.

Suddenly, the sound of water splashing echoed behind him. Startled, he spun around. The water parted, and a figure rose from beneath the surface, appearing before him.

It was a middle-aged man dressed in a white brocade robe, graceful and gentle, exuding an air of scholarly elegance. A faint, warm smile played upon his refined and delicate features, giving him the look of a frail, learned gentleman. Upon closer inspection, Yin Tianfang noticed a striking resemblance between himself and this man.

The middle-aged man stood quietly before him, studying him intently, his smile growing more pronounced.

“Who are you?” Yin Tianfang asked, curiosity piqued by the stranger’s sudden appearance.

“A kindred soul,” the man replied with a gentle smile. “Do you know where you are right now?”

“I suppose I must be dreaming,” Yin Tianfang said after glancing around and beneath his feet, his tone certain as he looked back at the man.

“We meet in a dream and converse within it—do you not think that makes us kindred souls?” the man said.

Yin Tianfang was taken aback, but after a moment’s thought, he nodded, a little bewildered. “I suppose you’re right.”

“Come, sit with me,” the man said, spreading his robe and sitting down on the water’s surface, beckoning Yin Tianfang to join him.

Yin Tianfang walked over and sat beside the stranger. As he glanced at the man’s profile, a sense of warmth and familiarity blossomed within him—something he had never felt with anyone before, not even his master, Daoist Wuchen.

“What is your greatest wish in this life?” the middle-aged man asked, turning to him with a smile so gentle that Yin Tianfang felt utterly at ease.

“My greatest wish?” Yin Tianfang leaned back on his hands, gazing up at the sky, and murmured, “I wish that one day I might find my parents.”

“Since childhood, my parents have never been by my side. I grew up with my grandfather’s family, but everyone treated me as an outcast, a stray child to be bullied by the servants at will. Back then, I truly wanted to find my parents, to stand before them and ask why they abandoned me, left me alone to endure ridicule and contempt.”

“I want to ask them—could they really bear to leave me all alone?” His voice trembled as sadness flooded his heart, unchecked and raw. All those years of sorrow he had never shared with anyone. This was the first time he spoke of it, and it was to a fated stranger in a dream.

“Have you ever considered that your parents may not have abandoned you willingly—that they had no other choice?” the man said gently, a trace of pain in his eyes. “Do you resent them?”

“No, I have never resented them. I know they must have had their reasons, that’s why they left me alone. I just want to see them, I really, really do. I want to know if they’re well.” Yin Tianfang buried his head in his arms, his voice choked with emotion.

“Good child,” the man said, embracing his shoulders. “As long as you are well, your parents will be well. Every parent in this world wishes for their child to be happy and joyful. Your happiness means more to them than anything.”

“Have you started cultivating?” the man asked.

Yin Tianfang nodded, his spirits low. “I apprenticed myself to an immortal master who taught me the way of cultivation. But months have passed, and still, I have not managed to condense even a trace of spiritual power within me.”

“Am I useless?” he asked quietly.

“Not at all,” the man said, patting his shoulder and pulling him to his feet. Pointing to the sky, he said, “Do you see those white currents?”

“Yes, I see them. What about them?” Yin Tianfang asked, confused.

“They are the fruits of your recent efforts. Yet you lack something vital. The art of condensation lies in the very word itself. The spiritual energy you’ve drawn into your dantian floats above the sea of energy, scattered and unfocused. How can you attain the realm of condensation in such a state?”

“But I’ve been training exactly as my master taught me!” Yin Tianfang protested.

The man smiled. “Your master’s teachings are not wrong. But for you, such a crude method will only bring you to the condensation realm through long, slow accumulation. When the time comes, it will happen naturally.”

“Let me teach you another method.” With that, the man touched Yin Tianfang’s brow, and in an instant, countless streams of information flooded into his mind.

Yin Tianfang clutched his head, feeling as if it might burst. After a long moment, the sensation faded, and within his mind, a new cultivation technique had taken root.

“The Three Sacred Sutras of the Primal Azure Lotus!”

“Focus your mind and attempt the breakthrough,” the man said with a smile to the dazed Yin Tianfang. Snapping back to himself, Yin Tianfang immediately sat cross-legged and formed the necessary hand seals. The man gazed skyward; above, the white currents churned and twisted into a vortex, descending straight toward Yin Tianfang.

The man nodded faintly, watching Yin Tianfang seated in meditation, a subtle smile glimmering on his lips as his figure slowly faded away...

Meanwhile, in the cave dwelling beyond, Yin Tianfang lay quietly on his bed as the spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged around him, pouring into his body. Countless streams of energy coursed through his limbs and bones, ultimately gathering in his dantian.

Within that core, myriad white currents converged, transforming into a gentle spiritual rain. It fell from the heavens, each drop landing on the tranquil water’s surface, sending ring after ring of ripples outward. Beneath those waves, a lotus broke through, its green leaves slowly unfurling...