Shang’s eyes opened in a cavernous hall. The walls were lined with golden murals that stretched higher than the eye could see. It was eerily quiet. A lone lantern hung before him, illuminating a throne made of iridescent stones. The sable coalesced on the throne, his whole body now a pure shade of blue and slightly translucent.

“Where am I?” Shang’s voice bounced off the walls, echoing down the length of the hall.

In my, well, I guess soon to be our soul. More so mine, to be honest. Shang felt overwhelmed by the sheer size of the space.

Impressive I know. Rue ran a paw over his head in imitation of a man running his hands through his hair. Now, enough gaping. We have agreed to form a soul pact. I will lend you my meridians. In return, you will be a vessel for my soul. Before my spirit fully awakens, a small slice of my consciousness will exist to help you attain a worthy vessel for my awakening. To that effect, I will gift you this.

A small book materialized in front of Shang. The cover was bound in a dark leather and the edges were worn from use. A title was etched in characters he did not recognize. Embedded in the center of the front cover was a deep blue crystal. The book, despite its small size, felt heavy. Its presence pulled at him, its draw hypnotic, leaving his mind cloudy and mouth dry.

This is my origin codex. I pass it on to you, as my descendant. It has been lent to other cultivators during my life who I thought may be worthy, but it has never been given. The codex contains knowledge on the Dao and the Paths of those of its previous users. You will not have access to it until you form your core.

Shang’s mind raced with this new information. His mother’s tales mentioned Origin Codexes, but those were just legends, stories. He never imagined that they actually existed. Shang was having a hard time believing any of this was real. Maybe he was seeing visions like his father had in the past months.

As a warning human, do not tell anyone about me or this Codex. If you do, they will take you apart bit by bit for even a chance at obtaining it, Rue warned.

"What should I not tell them? Who are you?" Shang hedged. Even if he wanted to, there was little he could reveal about the creature.

The best way to keep a secret is by not knowing it.

Shang scoffed. “Then, what should I call you?” The sable took a moment before answering.

Rue is fine. I like Rue. It’s like, you will RUE the day you met me, right? It suits me, but maybe it's a bit too informal. You should start treating me with a little more respect. I am older than you. So maybe Elder Brother Rue.

“How old are you?” Shang asked.

Ah, wouldn't you like to know!

Shang waited, but got nothing beyond that childish quip. “You know, it’s kind of hard to learn if your Master never gives a straight answer.”

Knowledge can be a poison, boy. A great Master knows when knowledge will only hurt rather than help.

“There’s a difference between not knowing something and pure ignorance,” Shang grumbled.

The Heavens bless fools and curse wise men.

Shang rolled his eyes at the quote. “Didn’t JunCai die drowning in an ankle-deep puddle?”

Precisely, and he was a wise man.

“More like a terrible drunk,” he muttered.

Most wise men are. At least the ones with any sense of morality. Now, I don’t mean to rush you, but we really need to finalize this pact. It’ll be a little bit unpleasant for you, but…beggars can’t be choosers.

Shang couldn’t argue there. He was a beggar in every sense of the word.

Take a hold of the Codex. Shang did as instructed. The leather was soft and cold in his grip. The Codex is linked to me currently. See that crystal in the middle? Shang nodded.

Drip a bit of your blood on there.

Shang hesitated for a second before biting into his thumb and pressing a trickle of fresh blood onto the gem. On contact with his blood, the energy inside the crystal jumped as though agitated. The blood disappeared, absorbed by the Codex, and Shang felt a sharp stinging in his chest.

You see the color change?

Shang was about to shake his head. The gem was a deep rich azure blue, the same color as Rue’s eyes, but as he looked back at Rue, he realized they weren’t the same. Not anymore. The gem was slightly lighter. Such a small change that anyone would be convinced it was a mere trick of the light.

“It’s lighter.”

Rue nodded. Your blood is interrupting my bond with the Codex. Normally, this would be impossible to do. You’d be vaporized for even trying, but since the Codex recognizes me inside you, it's allowing the switch. It just requires you to completely break the seal and reforge the bond.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Shang held back a groan. He could guess what was coming. “How much blood does it need?”

As much as you can give. Your blood carries not only your life force, but also your will. If you were stronger, a mere drop would suffice, but seeing as how you’re the opposite of that, we might be here for…awhile. Rue broke off an opalescent stone from the throne and handed it to Shang. The stone reflected the light in strange patterns, and its corner was sharp from the break. To help you along.

Shang took a shaking breath and began. It was a blessing that the stone was so sharp. He barely had to press for the blood to come, welling eagerly to the surface. The bleeding wasn’t the problem. When the blood touched the crystal, a steady flow this time, the pain in his chest intensified, so sharp that he was having trouble breathing. It felt like he was burning from the inside.

That is the sweet sweet pain of progress. The Codex is becoming imprinted to you.

Shang could do nothing but press on. The agony only intensified as more of his blood entered the gem. Shang was convinced the color was not changing, the blue taunting in its intensity. Only when he looked back at Rue’s eyes for comparison, did he notice the difference.

Shang bled onto the stone until he questioned if he was going to pass out from blood loss. “How much blood have I lost?” He asked Rue.

Rue shrugged. It doesn’t matter how much. It’s not like your body is actually here. The blood is just a representation for your life force and will.

“And when I run out of those? They aren’t infinite.”

There was a weighty pause. Let’s hope that doesn't happen.

From Rue’s tone, Shang knew the repercussions were dire. He couldn't make himself himself care enough to worry. The searing inside his body was all encompassing. It was all he could do to hold his open bleeding palm over the Codex.

Gradually, the crystal at the center of the Codex lost color, now only a pale blue like the early predawn sky. Shang could feel his consciousness slipping. His limbs shook and his head grew heavy as his life energy left him.

Darkness was encroaching on the corner of his vision. All he could see now was the gem and the trickle of red flowing from him. Shang didn’t realize it was done until Rue’s translucent hand pulled his away from the codex. Shang collapsed, his limbs were cold and numb.

Good.

Shang had no time to revel in his triumph as his vision faded to black.

----------------------------------------

Shang woke to a blue sky overhead. The nettles of the pine trees stretched above him, rustling in the wind. His body was stiff and cold from the hard ground, but he was otherwise unhurt, the cuts along his arms gone and his skin tone healthy. Was it a dream?

Good of you to finally wake. A deep voice sounded through his head. Rue. Not a dream then. Shang groaned as he sat up, the exertion of the past few weeks catching up to him. Shang noticed a collection of items gathered in a hollow of the pine tree.

I left those for you. Pick them up. Shang moved closer. He did not recognize most of the items. Though Shang couldn’t sense qi, it was obvious that these were cultivation materials. The fruits were strange with either an irregular color, shape, or texture. One fruit shaped like an apple had a faint pink fluff growing on it like mold. There were glass bottles of every shape and size filled with liquids of impossible shades. Some of the treasures gave off a light of their own.

Rue instructed him to set aside most of the fruits and bottles of ambiguous liquid. Put the rest in that bag. It will keep them hidden from spiritual senses.

The bag was plain and unassuming, made of a brown hemp and stitched together with red thread. Shang picked it up. It weighed little, like it was empty. He untied the drawstring closure and nearly dropped the bag in surprise. Inside was black. Even though the sun was still high overhead, no light could reach past the lip of the bag.

A low chortle sounded in his mind. That bag is connected to a pocket in space, you can put anything inside that isn’t sentient, and it will be perfectly preserved. Enough gawking! Now, you will eat that. Rue could feel his attention being pulled to an apple pear the size of his fist. Its skin lacked the grainy roughness of a pear. Shang rubbed his fingers on the skin, reveling in its cool slickness. It felt like skimming his fingertips on the surface of a calm pool.

I normally don’t condone shortcuts like these. Spiritual treasures earned shows a certain craftiness, but treasures given are rarely appreciated. It makes cultivators lazy and feel entitled to easy progress. Not to mention rushing through a cultivation stage can be disastrous for long term advancement.

Shang felt his enthusiasm wane at Rue’s words. “So it’s best for me not to take it?” Shang wanted to take the spirit treasure. His mouth watered just thinking about it. He’d spent his life stuck, and now this was a chance forward. He was sorely tempted even if it was a cheat.

Opening meridians is a matter of pure force. You cycle enough qi through your channels and the meridians will be forced to unlatch. So no need to worry, you can take it. This lumen fruit gives you a good dose of qi which forces open your meridian. It might not be worth giving to a Foundational Realm cultivator since they can benefit more in the long run by practicing their cycling and breathing techniques, but that is not a problem for you. You’ve had ample practice there.

Shang frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?” Shang had never really cycled in his life. Every time he’d tried, he’d been met with agonizing pain.

The breathing techniques your mother taught you get you 95% of the way there. All you need is to connect that breath with the flow of qi through your channels.

Shang got into the cycling position, though he was still skeptical. He gripped the lumen fruit with two hands and took a large bite. Juices burst in his mouth, its taste sweet and electric. Shang could feel the fruit as it traveled into his stomach. It felt like a ball of lightning coursing through him. He finished the fruit in big gulps, and his whole body buzzed with unspent energy.

Good. Now you feel that energy inside you. Close your eyes and visualize it. You need to guide it through your channels. Feel the way the air flows through your body and pull the qi along with it.

Shang began his breathing technique. When he cycled he always visualized technique creating a path that the air needed to travel to energize and enrich his body. Now, with his meridians whole, he could see the interconnectedness of qi and air in his pathways. He could visualize their paths as they wound their way from his body until they reached a barrier. His first meridian, located near the sole of his left foot, acted as a dam, inhibiting the flow of energy through his channels.

He kept his breathing technique. As he practiced year after year, the technique became second nature. Now, it felt like pushing air against a vast dam. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he struggled against the strain.

Gradually he could feel the dam weaken, its hinges creaking under the strain. The influx of qi from the lumen fruit was too much for the walls to handle. Shang's whole body shook as he strained. In a flood, the gates of his meridian burst open and the world energy coursed through him. Shang gasped as the force inhibiting his breath disappeared. Most of his system was still restricted, blocked by similar nodes, but now he could see.