Seated atop cold pavement, a group of disciples—Karma included—donned expressions of intense concentration. Opposite the collective, the sagacious Elder Li stood imposingly, voice booming as he expounded upon the principles of cultivation.

"Mystical abilities, by definition, categorize feats accomplished via spiritual energy with no natural origin. How do we define an occurrence of no natural origin? Mm, go ahead."

"A phenomenon without precedence in the absence of foreign conditioning."

"Foreign?"

"Entities capable of manipulating spiritual energy."

"Indeed, a most apt summary. In later lectures, we will craft a more formal definition, but that will do for now."

…

"By consequence of spiritual energy's fundamental purity, we've established cultivation techniques do not contribute to the operation of mystical abilities. Refer to …"

"As we lack the tools to engage in deduction, we proceed with deconstruction. The answer: mystical abilities are congruent to the trickery of spiritual energy."

Amused at the confused reception, his hand rose slightly, signaling silence.

"No doubt, you've all gained more questions than answers. This is good! Question everything. Understanding is borne by curiosity; without the latter, what good is the former?

"Allow me to elucidate on my cryptic statement. There are three essential components in fooling spiritual energy: Will, Intent, and Mechanics."

As if punctuating his sentence, the trinity flashed into existence overhead, forming a triangle.

"What is Will? Will is the universal mode of communication, the bridge between practitioner and spiritual energy."

"What is Intent? If Will is the ferry, then Intent is the passenger. Through Intent, one defines the shape of order."

"What are Mechanics? First, Intent plots a destination, only then can Mechanics create direction. By invoking Mechanics, we illuminate the paths of evolution."

"To illustrate these three foundational concepts, I will perform a demonstration."

The floating Will brightened in intensity, exciting the spiritual energy enclosed within the triangle. Under Elder Li's influence, steam appeared to be puffing out from the will into a roiling cloud, showcasing the unseen interaction between the two.

Subsequently, Intent began glowing, dyeing the colorless steam orange and red, reminiscent of a fire. However, the change was purely cosmetic, as the disciples observed a complete lack of heat.

The last to join was Mechanics, inducing the most violent reaction of the trio. The spiritual energy collapsed on itself, the friction eliciting horrifying shrieking noises and faint sparks. Unlike conventional sparks, however, their trajectory seemed preordained—always finding their respective place within the fiery puzzle.

When the discordant sounds finally ceased, the resultant creation presented a difference of zero and infinity. Zero, as the physical dimensions remained constant. Infinite because a genuine fire occupied the space, rupturing the barrier between illusion and reality.

The disciples began analyzing the floating flame animatedly, finding it indistinguishable from their recollections of the genuine article. The fascinating scene sent many into deep ponderance, playing back the episode in search of clues.

…

Eventually, the spiritual energy maintaining the triangle winked out, causing the words to dissipate. Depressed sighs echoed out, only to morph into surprised gasps.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"Why did the fire disappear!?"

A mixture of perplexed frowns, confused shouts, and startled jumps filled the lecture space. When the disciples' inquiring gazes swept Elder Li's usual spot, they discovered—not the enigmatic elder—but a note reading:

"No lecture tomorrow. Sessions going forward => no spiritual flame, no entry."

**

Standing before the front desk of the Dragon Dwelling Inn, Karma deposited four spiritual stones and some change, extending his stay by a week. Afterward, his tired body hobbled up a flight of stairs, down a hallway, and through his room's doorway.

Despite Karma's meager stamina, a smile adorned his exhausted countenance.

"Come evening and I'm still awake! Huzzah!"

Karma, elated at achieving nighttime lucidity, sauntered over to bed. Instead of crashing down into unconsciousness per convention, he scooched into a comfortable position with his back to the headboard.

After fiddling in his robe's inner pocket, Karma withdrew an inconspicuous gray bag—his spatial pouch. Promptly emptying its contents, a small hill of spiritual stone fragments cascaded onto the bed, topped with two medicine bottles, a golden leaflet, and various knick-knacks.

Gambling won me 168 SSF; I spent twenty for the pouch, fifty for the divination arts (allegedly), four for the room, and I'll ignore those two half-absorbed SSF.

Rubbing his chin, Karma continued audibly, "No need to consider the meds and auction invitation, since I intend to use those, so roughly … 94 SSF, liquid."

Karma lightly shook his head, waving the spiritual stone fragments back into the spatial pouch.

"The wealth earned by half an hour of digging is likely incomparable to a clan's centuries-long accumulation. The world is unfair, but we make do."

Karma sighed dramatically before shifting his attention to the vials of cyan and green. Upon closer examination, Karma gasped, "One, two, three … six Qi Acceleration pills!? Gonna have me a party tonight."

Turning to the vial of green, though not without some difficulty, a slight shake and a closer look revealed nothing.

"Well, it's green. The pills from earlier were also green. If my deductions are correct, I hold between my fingers a healing potion."

Uncontent despite his airtight logic, Karma retrieved his quill and parchment, scribbling down: "Healing potion?"

Hoisting the unknown fluid to his eye, the tip of his quill hovered adjacent to his question. In the ensuing golden-white flash, his hand inched slightly to the right.

Peering down, Karma read the newly appended text aloud, "Yes."

…

Studying the golden leaflet with his naked eye gleaned no further information. Karma, scratching the back of his head, muttered, "Well when do I arrive at the venue? Surely I don't have to divine this too …"

On a whim, he circulated a minutiae of his spiritual energy into the "Ornamental" depicted in large text. Subsequently, imperial golden text surged into his consciousness, reading:

"Navigate to the VIP entrance shortly after the Hour of the Rabbit (around 8:00 AM). Signs and attendants will be present to guide you."

…

Karma's cross-legged figure occupied the bed's center, eyes shut in meditation. His surroundings were clutter-free, save for the three Qi Acceleration pills before him.

Spiritual energy orbited his meridians without issue, confirming his cultivation readiness. Softly, his arm extended to his front, collecting the first out of three doses and placing it on his tongue. Familiar blue streams invaded his meridians, soon forming a spiritual energy typhoon, vacuuming the surrounding spiritual energy.

Accustomed to the pill's effects, Karma actively complemented the absorption process. Unlike previously, his actions did not initiate an earth-shattering turn. Instead, his Spirit Aperture welcomed a steady influx of glimmering mist, gradually building in density.

…

Roughly an hour later, the spiritual tornado unraveled. Fighting to maintain focus, Karma swallowed a second pill, revitalizing the droning suction force.

…

Half an hour later, his actions repeated, the efficacy spanning only fifteen minutes.

...

Ushering one last wisp of spiritual energy marked the end of his cultivation. Evaluating his progress, Karma exhaled in minor dissatisfaction.

"Still in the third stage of Qi Formation, talk about diminishing returns. At least I managed to reach the stage's peak. Even consuming the remaining three pills would be wholly insufficient for a breakthrough …"

After mulling over the issue, Karma muttered in resignation, "If such a glaring shortcut truly exists, it's likely not handed out in your average apology gift."

Karma fell backward with a plop. A mix of anticipation and dread toward the morning's events colored his final thoughts before the world went black.

**

Awoken by morning sunshine, Karma's arms rose high, stretching his aching back.

"Yawn. I wonder if there's a product made specifically for back pain rooted in lengthy cultivation. If I, a young whippersnapper, am complaining, those old folk must have it rough."

Rolling to the bed's edge, Karma yelped as he entered freefall, barely saving himself before impact. Having crawled to a standing position, Karma continued his routine by targeting the remainder of his joints. Mid-squat, from a quick peek out of the window, Karma estimated he had a cup of tea's worth of time before his expected presence at the auction venue.

Limbs limber, mind steady, clothes straightened, Karma set out with sure steps. Exiting the inn, he soon joined the rowdy streets in their inexorable march. Inwardly, he devoutly chanted a mantra of good fortune suitable for the occasion:

Don't fuck up, you will die, oh so painfully. Die you not, riches come forth. Life without riches: better than death.