Chapter 05 : Reflection Of Past

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fter the clash with the disciples, Ye Tian returned to his residence. His body, still buzzing from the battle, yearned for rest, but his mind had only one focus—cultivation. He sat cross-legged in the center of his humble room, closing his eyes and drawing in a deep breath, clearing his thoughts. Slowly, the energy of the world around him began to gather.

As Ye Tian meditated, something peculiar happened. He could sense five distinct types of qi. Each one had a unique feeling: one was warm like fire, another was soft like flowing water, another was solid like earth, and two others, elusive yet present, reminded him of the wind and the strength of metal.

He gasped inwardly. The Five Elemental Origin Qi!

The energies swirled around him, slowly entering his dantian, filling it with power, and then expanding into his sea of knowledge, where they seemed to settle into their own places, a balance of fire, water, earth, wind, and metal.

"This... what does it mean?" Ye Tian wondered. His cultivation was progressing faster than he had imagined possible, but this new discovery puzzled him. Still, there was no time to linger on it now. He needed more resources to fully understand his newfound ability.

Leaving his residence, he made his way to the point exchange hall. It's already a new month and everyone will there points. "I wonder how points would I get this month" Ye tian lost his matches so he don't get point through battles with disciples. He would exchange herbs and sweep the sect to get some points.

He had been here many times before, exchanging herbs and other resources for cultivation materials.

As he approached the counter , the familiar scent of dried herbs and spiritual plants filled the air.

his gaze caught something—or rather, someone—unfamiliar. A veiled lady, her presence quiet yet commanding, stood behind the counter assisting with the exchanges. Her face was mostly hidden, but her eyes were striking. As their eyes met, Ye Tian felt a strange sense of familiarity, though he quickly dismissed the thought. He wasn’t here to dwell on such things.

He stepped forward to inquire about a particular herb that had caught his attention.

"I’d like to exchange for the White Spirit Grass," he said.

The attendant glanced at the ledger, her eyes flickering with a calm expression before replying, "The White Spirit Grass requires 15 points one leaf."

Ye Tian hesitated, his face betraying his thoughts. He reached for the small pouch of points he had gathered, knowing it wouldn’t be enough.

"How many points do I have?"

The attendant checked his balance. "You have 20 points."

His face tightened. 1 stake weren’t even close to enough. He clenched his fist, frustrated at how quickly the gap seemed to widen between him and the resources he needed for his cultivation.

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"You’ll need more points if you’re serious about getting this whole herb," the attendant continued, her voice as soft as the wind, but the veiled lady behind her remained silent, simply watching him.

"I understand. I’ll be back," Ye Tian said with resolve, stepping back from the counter. As he turned, he felt the veiled lady’s gaze linger for a moment longer before she returned to her tasks.

After his visit to the point exchange, Ye Tian’s frustration turned to determination. The White Spirit Grass was essential for his next step in cultivation, but earning enough points through the usual methods would take far too long.

“I’ll gather the herbs myself,” he decided. The wilderness beyond the sect was vast and filled with spiritual plants, though it was also dangerous. Still, the risk was worth the reward.

The next morning, Ye Tian set off to gather information about the best places to find the herbs he needed. The sect's library held records of various plants and their locations, but not all herbs could be found in safe areas. The White Spirit Grass, in particular, was rumored to grow in a secluded part of the wilderness, where powerful beasts roamed.

After spending hours combing through scrolls and conversing with a few elders, Ye Tian finally had a rough idea of where to go. By the time he returned to his residence, night had already fallen, and the moon hung high in the sky, casting long shadows across the sect’s grounds.

Feeling the weight of his plan, Ye Tian decided to cultivate before his journey. Sitting in his usual meditation posture, he began to draw in the surrounding qi, focusing on the five elemental energies he had sensed earlier. The elemental qi flowed into his dantian, swirling and mixing with each breath he took. Yet tonight, something felt different. His consciousness began to drift, and soon, the darkness of the night gave way to a different kind of void.

Ye Tian found himself lying in a cold, sterile room.

It was a hospital room—one from his old world.

The faint hum of machines was the only sound, their quiet rhythm strangely familiar. He looked around. The room was dimly lit, with just one flickering light casting shadows against the white walls. His body felt weak, as though every ounce of strength had been drained from him. He tried to move but found himself unable to lift his limbs.

“What… what is this?” he whispered.

He was back in the hospital, where he had spent the last days of his previous life, riddled with illness and confined to a bed. The sense of isolation he had felt in that world washed over him once again. There was no one else in the room—just him, the machines, and the shadows.

In the distance, a faint sound echoed through the halls. Footsteps? A voice? It was hard to tell, but the sense of abandonment and emptiness weighed heavily on him. His heart pounded in his chest, a painful reminder of the fragility of his old body.

“Is this… a dream?” Ye Tian questioned himself, his mind struggling to make sense of the situation.

The door to the room creaked open, but there was no one there. The silence became oppressive, and the familiar fear of his impending death in his old life resurfaced. But as he lay there, helpless and alone, something shifted. The fire in his heart, the will that had driven him to cultivate and grow stronger, flared up. He was Ye Tian, a cultivator in pursuit of eternity.

Suddenly, the room began to dissolve, the darkness swirling around him once more. He could feel himself being pulled back into the present, his mind returning to his body in the cultivation world. The cold hospital bed faded away, replaced by the warmth of the qi flowing through him.

Ye Tian’s eyes snapped open. He was back in his room, sitting in his usual position. His body was drenched in sweat, and his heart raced, but he was awake. The dream—if it had been a dream—lingered in his mind.

“What was that?” he muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow. Was it just a nightmare, or was it something more? The vision of his old world, the feeling of helplessness—it was all too real. But why had he experienced it now, after so long?

Shaking his head, Ye Tian calmed his racing thoughts. There was no time to dwell on the past. He had a journey ahead of him—to the wilderness.

“I will become immortal no matter what happens, it's my dream....I'll live forever,” Ye Tian swore to himself, his resolve hardening.

With the first light of dawn breaking through his window, Ye Tian prepared for his venture into the wilderness.