In the following days, I find my appetite return for closing myself off from the chi that permeates the world.

After training in martial arts, I decide to eat something for the first time in months.

A food vendor selling pastries crosses my path. And, with my plentiful coin, I buy one.

The experience is dramatic as the sweetness of the foodstuff bombards my taste buds.

I had forgotten the simple pleasure of eating. I find myself comfortable with the return of my appetite.

My time with Sebastian has been enlightening. He has begun to trust the grinding of herbs to me. Each kind needs its own coarse or fine-grain size.

I pass the months with the lessons I am being taught. It's a pleasant experience. And, even in the bitter cold, I stay warm with the sustaining chi.

Winter comes upon the world with a thick coat of snow.

Added to the difficulty of wielding the soul cuffs, the manifestation of heat takes considerable effort.

I want to find an inn within Callo on one cold night.

But then, I would have to restrain my absorption of chi.

At least out here, I can watch the stars.

With all the moisture of the lower heavens falling to the earth, the stars teach me their lessons.

As I watch the abomination, a sort of pity strikes me. The abomination has always had a hunger that could not be sated. The larger it became, the more it coveted.

The vileness of the creature is no less. But, it is tragic in its way.

I clear my thoughts and watch the wise wizard survey his domain.

The powers of the immortals do not fall into the category of magic. Mana and chi are two sides of the same coin. The difference is in how the mana represents elemental forces, and chi is of the spirits.

The wizard in the sky stands counter to the sage.

They are reflections of one another.

Despite the prominence of the wizard in the stars, I've never heard stories of magic wielders in the history of my world.

I allow my thoughts to settle, and I look to the lessons the wizard and the sage teach.

Both are careful actors in the sky. The student often idolizes them. And they come to the knight's aid when challenges surpass his ability.

I find myself at a loss. As a student, I have the teacher at the dojo and Sebastian as my alchemy instructor.

But, in the world of cultivators, I stand alone.

Then I realize what I've known all along.

The heavens teach me more about cultivation than I believe any sage could.

I let my thoughts pass as leaves on a river—things there momentarily before passing into the abyss of time.

Weeks pass as days as I cultivate many interests.

Today, I find myself scanning the bazaar for items of interest.

What catches my eye is a long metal cylinder with holes open along its surface.

It's a flute.

I find myself drawn to the instrument.

"How much for this?" I take the flute in hand.

I've grown better at haggling in my time since coming to Callo. And, I get a fair price.

With my new toy, I travel out into the wilderness.

I make unbearable sound as I try to temper my blowing into the flute.

It takes me all day to get accustomed to the breathing.

Winter is coming to a close, and I feel empowered as the old year ends and the new year begins.

My time with Sebastian proved illuminating, as my apprenticeship shows great results.

Beyond merely dissecting and grinding, I've begun to brew potions of varying types.

The health potion is ever in demand. Its healing effect is determined by its ingredients and crafting order.

Peacebloom is a common component of the health potion. But substituting cascade lily for it can produce a more potent potion.

There's even more that Sebastian can teach me. And I think to what else I can learn.

I find myself feeling the need to grow more grounded in the world of my youth. But I realize that am seperate from it.

Like the immortal in the sky, I am aloof to the world. Ever seeking higher ascension.

Other than alchemy, my training in the dojo progresses.

The soul cuffs are growing easier to tame. My cracked soul stone is mending slowly.

We practice the art of grappling and the art of striking.

I learn much about being bound and constricted and the methods for escaping such binds.

If not for the training, I would be bewildered about how to escape them.

The soul cuffs level the playing field. So, I'm unable to manifest superhuman strength.

I might even be weaker as I lose another bout.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

I tap out before losing consciousness.

The teacher is neutral as she watches her pupils compete.

Other than the grappling, we learn to fight with our hands, elbows, knees, and feet.

Striking blows and deflecting are the tasks we start and end our days with.

I find myself, unfortunately, prone to coming upon cultivators from the competing sects at war with one another.

Today, it's Divided Fates versus a sect known as the Open Palm sect.

I turn to leave as soon as I see the conflict.

"The Open Palm will never tolerate your dammed sect!"

As I turn away, I bump into a man.

"Where do you think you're going runt?"

I stagger backward, and I'm face to face with an Open Palm cultivator. His tabard of a red hand tells me who he is.

"There's no running for you," he says as he watches me look for an exit.

Knowing that I'm in trouble, I make a drastic play. I remove the soul cuffs on my hands. And, as the man puzzles at my actions, I draw the soul cuffs on my feet.

Free of fatigue, I become a gravity well for the surrounding chi.

"What the-?" the man lets out as I strike out with an open palm to the hand on his tabard.

My action is noticed by the rest of the combatants and members of the Open Palm sect break off to chase me.

After storing the soul cuffs in my cosmos ring, I begin running for my life.

I count myself as fortunate there isn't a master among their ranks.

As I run, I also become aware of the Divided Fates sect chasing me.

"We'll have your core and not the Open Palm."

Despite their mutual hostility, both sides are greedy for a free meal.

All I can do is run.

This is a threat that I cannot bring to any of my friends.

I decide to leave Callo behind.

My path out of the city takes me through the city's back streets.

The civilians are startled as, like the wind, I pass them.

Without the soul cuffs inhibiting my chi flow, I can use my physical abilities to their max.

A rush comes over me as I move at speeds I couldn't have dreamed I'd be able to move at.

But, no matter how fast I am, a new Open Palm or Divided Fates cultivator jumps out in front of me to change my path.

"Give up your soul stone and your life, little cultivator," comes one excited Open Palm assailant.

I curse my luck for having drawn so much attention to myself.

Eventually, I see members of Serpents Tail join in the game.

Laughing and smiling faces jump at me as the noose tightens.

With no other option, I charge headlong into a smiling cultivator. He doesn't lose his smile until I strike him in the side of the neck.

The man convulses as I move on.

With a gap in the net formed, I charge onward to the outer reaches of Callo City.

Occasionally, I'm faced with an enthusiastic attacker. But, I see through their moves and act faster. Even when they have a serious look to the task, I'm able to move in close and take them down with a strike or guillotine grapple, cutting blood flow off from their brains.

Steadily, I move out into the woodland that surrounds the city.

I think I'm safe, then I spy a glint of light.

From the side, the light sparkles again.

I have a bad feeling as a man on a flying sword steadily gains on me in my fleeing.

"I, Berret Falcore, will be reaping your soul stone, whelp," calls the flying man.

I put everything I've got into running. But, the attack only grows closer.

As Berret swoops in close, he directs a chi bomb forward. An airburst shatters the air beside me, and I fly into a heap on the ground.

I lay stunned for a few seconds.

The man laughs as he jumps from his sword and walks toward me.

"Where have you been hiding, little gemstone?"

I gather my wits as the man grows closer.

The air shatters next to me with another chi bomb.

"Ah, ah, ah. No more running for you."

As I give up hope for my continued existence, I hear another air burst.

Berret Falcore bleeds from lacerations to one side of his body.

"Who the hell?" he cries.

Another man with a flying sword comes down from the heavens.

"Falcore..." comes the voice of the new threat. "Have I the fortune to reap two pretty stones?"

"You'll find nothing but an early grave here!"

Berret pulls out a red health potion and drinks deeply from it.

The two men face off while I find the presence of mind to run.

"Don't think you'll be escaping."

An air burst ruptures near me, which I narrowly outrun.

"Shit!" Berret lets out as he fends off his assailant.

"Bastard!"

The battle behind me grows more distant as I put my every energy into the task of fleeing.

Minutes and hours pass as I run deeper and deeper into the forest.

As I feel more confident that I've escaped, I close myself off to the chi of heaven and earth. I hope to hide my energies from pursuers.

This leads me to fend off the late winter cold without the power of chi.

I'd like to know if my pursuers can track the chi that leaks from my cracked soul stone.

Whatever the case, I put on extra layers as I walk through the snow.

Hours pass until night arrives. I'm unable to withstand the cold without chi manipulation.

I keep as low of a footprint as possible as I carry on with my escape.

The hours turn into days.

The last snowfall of the season has passed. And now, a steady melt is underway.

A number of herbs can only be picked during this time of the year.

I can't be entirely sure of my escape. But, I find myself drawn to the herbs whenever I spot them.

The occasional frost lily or earthroot rose peaks from under the melting snow.

I grow more confident in my escape and think about where to go.

Days pass as I gather, and I find myself thinking of home. It has been about a year since I went missing. I tried to find them but came up lacking.

Is this my chance to continue searching for them?

But then, I think to my pursuers. If I brought such attention to my family...

I resign myself to continuing my search.

Already, I miss Sebastian and my martial teacher.

Despite how fleeting those relationships may have been, my dao has grown for knowing them.

I find myself lost in the world. The chase confounded my sense of direction. So, I look toward where Callo is and bow hand over fist to those who helped me along the way.

With some sense of closure, I turn to my new journey.

I feel safe from the other cultivators and return to wearing the soul cuffs.

The ecstasy of free movement is replaced by the heavy burden I carry everywhere.

The herbs draw my attention during the day, and I read the stars at night.

The merchant has grown cold to me, and I turn my attention to the farmer with his plow.

The farmer is a tireless figure. Not everything he sows gets reaped. But, he is ever plentiful in his harvest.

I find myself dissimilar to the farmer. I reap, but I do not sow.

The notion raises uncertainty about how one sows that one may reap.

Is that what the immortals of Divided Fates do? Conscript the masses and take the harvest in either soul stones or soldiers.

Is that what I must do to advance as a cultivator?

Time passes, and the world moves on without me.

Occasionally, I chance upon deer. The creatures are unafraid of me, and I watch as they chew the green plants that grow through the receding snow.

The birds are ever-faithful companions as I take my time collecting my hoard.

Days become weeks, become months.

I turn myself from seeking civilization.

The wilderness is far better a home than any brick-built dwelling, at least for a cultivator like me.

I grow more like the immortal in the sky by the day. Somehow separate from the world around me.

Spring is upon me, and I find the richness of Gaia's bounty for me to harvest.

Nature sows what I reap.

During the quiet moments, I practice my martial arts. It's a different experience from the dojo and less fun.

But, while it may not entertain me as much as the class, I devote myself to the sessions.

Days pass as I meander through the wilderness. I'm aimless and find myself thinking fondly of Callo. Were it not for conflicting cultivators, I could have spent a lifetime learning from my teachers.

I catch myself forgetting about my family. By now, they must think I died or ran away.

I let out a sigh as I return to the present.

Days become weeks as I collect the odd herb here and there. The trees that dot the landscape are growing ever fewer. I carry on until I find a road.

It runs ahead of me on a winding path from where I came.

The thought that all this time, the road had been passing beside me brings a bitter smile to my face.

As I follow the road, I find my harvest less plentiful. But, I carry on.

A sign tells me that a city lies ahead.

The lush forest gives way to tundra as I pass.

The land transforms into a desert as I approach a city.

The city is on the horizon, and the day grows long.

I sense the approach of men as dusk takes the world.

I sense the gravity well of a cultivator among them. In haste, I cut myself off from the chi around me and removed my soul cuffs.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

One of the mortals steps forward with a club in hand.

My eyes scan the group until I lock eyes with the cultivator in their party.

"You should know there's a toll for using our road."

The other cultivator stands tall among the short bandits.

Black hair and intelligent eyes look from me to the gang leader.

A bemused expression takes his face as he watches the show that the gang leader is putting on.

"I see you carry a cosmos ring," the leader continues. "That's a fair price for your passage."

The rest of the bandits are leering at me, greed in their eyes.

I make no moves to hand over my ring, and the leader's mouth twitches.

"Whatever. Kill him."

The bandits start charging for me.

Half a dozen men charge me en masse.

Their movements are slow as they approach. I hold back power from my attack and deftly strike the charging men in their vital points.

Three men fall to the ground as one.

"Immortal!"

The men are startled as the word rings out.

The leader is as alarmed as his men.

The cultivator watches, an amused look on his face.

"Jack, you're up."

The leader is anxious as he calls for his cultivator to step forward.

I allow myself to absorb the chi in my surroundings.

The cultivator, Jack, and I stand opposite one another. Both gravity wells are of similar strength, absorbing the surrounding energy.

Jack's bemused look takes on a more serious expression as he prepares for our battle.

In his hand, he wields a sword.

I watch as he channels sword ki into his blade.

In a moment, we come into conflict. I deftly catch his blade and, manifesting chi into my arms and hands, I break his sword.

Jack looks at the broken blade in his hand. An annoyed scowl takes his face and he casts his broken weapon to the ground.

I watch as the man takes a fighting stance.

"Kick his ass," call out the surrounding bandits.

The leader looks between us, "His ring is yours. Just take it.

Jack seems more annoyed by the little people than by the breaking of his sword.

I wait for the cultivator to approach.

He comes in striking. It's apparent that he has spent little time cultivating his martial skills.

His moves are slow despite his proximity to me as a cultivator.

Rather than evading his attacks, I redirect them and strike at him while he is off balance.

He falls to the ground, gasping for air after I punch him in the diaphragm.

"Fool! What am I paying you for?"

The bemused cultivator is anything but as he climbs to his feet.

Again, he attacks clumsily. I weave through his attack and force him off his balance. I grab onto his arm and pin him to the ground, my legs pinning his face into the dirt.

The bandit leader seems to be contemplating aiding his bodyguard. But instead, he motions for his men to depart the battle.

The cultivator watches as his gang flees from his defeat.

A look of anger crosses his dirty face. An anger that I can tell isn't directed at me.

"I concede," comes Jack's resigned voice.

I let up, and we both find our feet beneath us.

I'm in an unguarded stance as I face the man.

Jack bows hand over fist to me, "Master, please allow me to follow you."

I'm surprised by the man's deference. He attacked me and now wants to follow me.

"I'm no master."

Jack looks amused by my statement.

"You are my master, sir."

I puzzle over the man's statement as I turn to continue my path.

I don't trust him enough to put the soul cuffs back on. But I trust him with my back.

I find the occasional herb as I pass through the tundra. These are herbs I've never seen before, and I find myself consulting the herb book Sebastian gave me.

Jack watches in bewilderment as I spend my days picking flowers.

At night, he watches as I recline under the stars.