Bright rays of sunshine splayed across Yu Chen’s face, startling him out of his sleep. Groggily he sat up and rubbed at his eyes, before looking around and blinking in confusion.

“W-w-what…” Yu Chen stammered out as he peered around him. Why was he outside?

Where had his room gone, and why was he lying in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by thick grass on all sides? He reached out and ran his fingers through it, unsure if he was dreaming, but it felt solid as it brushed against his hand. He could even feel a light breeze playing against his skin, further confirming he was indeed outside. He stood up, confused, and looked around, hoping for some sort of sign to tell him where he was.

“Come.” A voice rumbled out, filling the air around him. Yu Chen leapt to his feet, startled by the unexpected sound. Looking around, he couldn’t find the source of the voice, his vision filled with nothing more than an unending sea of waist high grass. Strangely enough, other than himself, there weren't any other signs of life as far as he could see.

“Come!” The voice resounded again, and this time it carried a hint of irritation. Now that he was paying attention Yu Chen could determine the direction the sound had come from. He took a slow gulp, tamping down on his rising fears and began walking, stepping through the tall prairie grasses as he made his way towards the voice.

“This way,” the rumbling voice spoke once more, slightly to the right of where he’d been traveling, and Yu Chen adjusted direction as he followed it.

Eventually, the steady sound of rushing water entered his ears, and he picked up the pace, making his way towards the sound. Suddenly, the grass gave way and Yu Chen came to a halt, his eyes widening. He’d reached the banks of a great river that snaked as it carved through the land, and to his surprise its waters were the bright golden yellow of sweet honey.

Yu Chen approached the water’s edge and squatted down beside it, admiring the beautiful color of the waters. After a spell he tore his eyes away and looked around for the source of the voice he had heard.

Craning his neck, he tried to find the mighty creature that had summoned him. However despite his best efforts he couldn’t see anything in the midst of the river, until the sound of splashing water entered his ear. Yu Chen turned and looked, and to his surprise he could just faintly make out the head of a creature poking out of the water in the middle of the river.

He’d had his suspicions about the voice, and he was sure it was the same one he’d heard in his head two times before. He had no idea where he was, and had been sweating internally, ill prepared to meet the terrifying beast that haunted his mind.

However…

“Huanghe Shizu?” Yu Chen called out doubtfully as he looked at the creature playing in the middle of the golden-yellow river waters.

“Who else would it be?” The voice rumbled out in annoyance, its deep timbre filling the space between them despite the distance, and Yu Chen couldn’t help but feel the corner of his lip twitch. He let out a hasty cough as he brought his hand up to cover his smile.

Senior, what a mighty voice you have, and what a tiny body! He thought to himself in mirth.

“Apologies senior, this one did not recognize you at first.” Yu Chen bowed at the waist, and didn’t raise back up until he was sure his face was under control. Shizu seemed mollified by his apologies, and the little creature swam closer to the shore without further comment.

As it approached, the creature suddenly dove beneath the waters, before leaping out with a splash, twisting through the air as it flew towards Yu Chen. He felt a flurry of emotions as he watched Huanghe Shizu approach and couldn’t help but lament what a majestic sight it would have been.

If not for the fact that Huanghe Shizu was no bigger than his pinky!

This little fellow was the Huanghe Shenlong he’d met in the darkness? The tyrant of the west? The ruler of all that was seen and unseen?

This adorable guy was the one who had terrified Yu Chen? This was the fellow who had proclaimed himself the Divine Lord of the Yellow River? Didn’t he think those pants were a little big for him?

Yu Chen chuckled internally. How about I call him Xiao Huang, my little yellow friend?

Despite his amusement, Yu Chen still couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe. It truly was a marvelous sight to see a dragon in person, even one as diminutive as this. He found himself captivated as Xiao Huang’s serpentine figure twisted, spiraling gracefully through the air. His sinuous form was adorned with finely detailed scales that shimmered with a lustrous golden light, a sharp contrast with the white scales that covered his underbelly.

Two elegant horns swept back from the top of his head, framing a face that peaked in a dangerous-looking row of spikes that ran down the back of his spine. Graceful whiskers flowed from the dragon's snout, and the hair atop his beard and brows was as soft and white as fresh driven snow. He had four short limbs, each ending in clawed feet tipped with wicked talons that would have been terrifying on a larger beast.

Yet, it was the two eyes set deep into Xiao Huang’s skull that truly captured Yu Chen’s attention. Regardless of the creature's size he could sense the depths of profound wisdom and latent power that lay within them.

“Excuse me senior, but where is this place?” Yu Chen couldn’t help but ask, as he waved his hand around him.

“Your Inner Realm of course. Where else would we be?” The tiny dragon replied with a snort as it frolicked through the air.

“But… How? Did you do this?” Yu Chen said, looking at the changes to his Inner Realm.

It was vast, beyond vast, and even the horizon disappeared beyond where his eyes could see. The inky black space that he recalled from before was gone, replaced by earth and sky, and even the simulacrum of a sun hung far above, illuminating the rolling plains that now covered his Inner Realm. Far into the distance he could make out a beautiful palace lording over the land as it sat atop a massive hill, and the yellow river carved a path through the plains that led directly to it.

“Of course.” Xiao Huang replied arrogantly. “Do you think just anyone can create an Inner Realm?”

The dragon stared at him with a critical eye before continuing to reprimand him.

“You, however, are not just anyone. The blood of Huanghe Shenlong flows through your veins.” Xiao Huang said as he reproached him.

For his part, Yu Chen found it difficult to take the tiny dragon’s admonitions seriously. He’d eaten fish bigger than this little guy after all.

“Maintaining a proper Inner Realm is the least I expect from someone who shares my blood, and don’t think being a little Qi Condensator is any excuse.” Xiao Huang continued speaking, seemingly unsatisfied with Yu Chen’s behavior.

“Yes, Shizu.” Yu Chen said as he bowed his head again. He wouldn’t even know where to begin when it came to making an Inner Realm, but he knew he couldn’t go wrong showing respect to the arrogant dragon.

His uncle had once told him how some men who were shorter than others would compensate for it in other ways, and he felt a pang of sympathy for the little fellow. He was small enough that if a fisherman had caught him, they’d toss him back to grow a little. That had to sting someone so self-important.

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Xiao Huang continued to lecture him on Inner Realms, oblivious to the boy's thoughts, although he’d certainly be spitting blood if he knew Yu Chen had mentally labeled him a little fellow and was drawing all sorts of conclusions from it.

Eventually the lecture ended, and the talk progressed, as the dragon began questioning Yu Chen about the Sect. His questions were probing, drawing out all the details Yu Chen had absorbed, as they discussed everything from his training to the cultivation levels of the sect’s elders, and what sort of sect he’d ended up in.

“This place will serve for now,” The dragon said as it spun through the air in a lazy circle. ” But know this little hatchling, a dragon is not a frog, to stay stuck in a well.”

Yu Chen lapsed into silence at the dragon's words. The topic of his future was something Yu Chen was still confused about. He explored his feelings, finding that the idea was almost foreign to him.

After all, he’d never expected to even leave his home, and, before arriving at the sect, had never desired anything more than spending another day laughing with his family and shepherding sheep.

What was it that he truly wanted to do in his life? Chance had made him a cultivator, but even that decision had simply been a means to escape a looming war and not something he’d dreamed and fought for.

“You’re telling me to aim higher, but what exactly should I aim for?” Yu Chen didn’t have the answers, but he thought that Xiao Huang might.

“To become a dragon of course, what else could possibly be worth doing?” Xiao Huang said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You may have the blood of a dragon running through your veins, little hatchling, but you are no dragon yet.”

Silence filled the air as Yu Chen thought about Xiao Huang’s statement. Was becoming a dragon something to be desired, Yu Chen wondered? It sounded fantastical, and he’d had no complaints about being a human so far.

“How would I do that?” Yu Chen asked doubtfully.

“You humans have stories,” Xiao Huang snorted as he replied, “Follow the path of the carp.”

The path of the carp? Yu Chen thought back to stories his mother used to tell him when he was still small enough to be interested in such things.

“Are you talking about leaping over the Dragon’s Gate?” Yu Chen asked, amused at the notion.

“Foolish hatchling, ready to fly before he can swim.” The dragon drawled as he swam through the air in lazy circles around Yu Chen’s head. “Dreaming of the Dragon’s Gate when you haven’t touched the river.”

“First you must reach the river, and then you must find its source, just as the carp of the yellow river know to swim upstream when the time to return comes.”

Seeking out the source of the yellow river, Yu Chen thought to himself as he gazed out at the honey-colored waters that burbled as they split across his Inner Realm. He’d heard of the yellow river of course, although he’d never seen it. It lay far away, nearly a week's travel from his family home.

The thought that it might have had a source had never crossed his mind. Rivers did have to spring from somewhere he supposed, but in his mind a river was a sort of ever-present thing, and he’d never imagined that one might have a beginning.

He nodded and found himself coming around to the idea. Finding the source of the yellow river. He could do that. After all, he had no other goals to accomplish and nothing to strive for, so it would be interesting to see the place little yellow called home.

Xiao Huang let out a low rumble of satisfaction as he floated close to Yu Chen’s head, coming awfully close to the purr of a cat.

“I’m glad you have some sense,” Xiao Huang said as he floated away. “Now come, it is time to begin your lessons.”

“Lessons?” Yu Chen asked as he followed the dragon.

“Yes, lessons. Unless you trust this… sect,” The dragon drew out the last word with disdain. “To teach you anything of worth.”

Yu Chen followed the dragon as he floated through the air, following the river towards the palace that lay at the heart of the Inner Realm. He watched in fascination as the dragon occasionally dove into the waters of the river, before coming up with a splash, sending droplets of water dancing through the air, where they glittered like gold in the sunlight.

Yu Chen didn’t know how much time passed as they continued in this way, but eventually the dragon brought them to a halt as they arrived outside the gates of the palace that stood in the center of the realm.

“To begin with, your Mind Palace.” The dragon said, lifting a claw and gesticulating towards the large building that filled his vision. “The Mind Palace is yours to cultivate, and I will have no part in it.” he continued, looking at Yu Chen expectantly.

Yu Chen rubbed his head uncomfortably as he stared at the palace. “... er, what is its purpose and how do I cultivate it?”

The dragon sighed, muttering something unpleasant about sects before replying. “The purposes are many. It serves as a mental repository of accumulated knowledge, skills and techniques. A well-organized Mind Palace makes it many times easier to recall knowledge and see the connections between the things you’ve perceived and the information you’ve learned.”

“It can also serve as a space of internal meditation and reflection. By retreating to your Mind Palace you will find it much easier to enter a meditative state and will experience greater benefits as well.”

Yu Chen nodded his head as the dragon explained the various benefits of the Mind Palace. He still hadn’t the faintest idea how to use it, and the dragon didn’t seem to be particularly concerned with getting around to that part yet.

“It is getting late.” The dragon said with a frown, breaking off its explanation and looking up at the sun that hadn’t moved an inch since Yu Chen had been there. “Time moves differently for you here, and there isn’t much left. We will now begin your first lecture. Sit and listen as I explain the Will of the Heavens.”

Yu Chen bowed towards the tiny dragon and followed it into a pristine courtyard within the gates of the palace. Following the dragon’s instructions, he approached the singular bright red cushion that sat in the center of the space, and sat down, making himself comfortable. The dragon positioned itself before him, making sure Yu Chen was paying attention before speaking.

“Of foremost importance to cultivators is the Will of the Heavens. Phenomena fulfill their purpose according to that will and cultivators spend their lives harmonizing with it.” The dragon began, his voice resonating throughout the courtyard. Yu Chen found himself instantly enraptured by the lecture, his thoughts whirling with ancient wisdom as the rich textures of Xiao Huang’s voice imparted his draconic understanding.

“The Heavens dictate the natural order of things, immutable and omnipresent, and neither man nor beast may counteract their will. The tiger fulfills its role as a predator in natural accordance with the heavens. So too do the trees and the flowers as they flourish according to that same will. Over the countless millennia all things maintain these patterns imparted upon them by the heavens, only departing from them as necessary for survival.”

Yu Chen nodded as the dragon went on about how the heavens governed the nature of the universe, determining and balancing all things in harmony. As the dragon spoke, he found that his understanding of his role in the universe - that of a cultivator - was slowly clarifying.

“What purpose do you suppose humans serve?” Xiao Huang asked abruptly, drawing his student into the conversation.

Yu Chen fell deep into thought. What role did humans fulfill under the heavens? Did they exist to dominate and rule over the world? Or perhaps to create, Or… His mind raced, grasping at possibilities, before arriving at an answer he thought suitable.

“Humans exist to realize the Will of the Heavens. Through cultivating the energy of the world, they harmonize with, and step into the heavens.” Yu Chen said with some certainty, as he looked to his draconic teacher.

Xiao Huang snorted, and the faintest wisp of smoke curled from his nostril. “That is why cultivators exist, hatchling, and cultivation is not something limited to humans. The heavens did not reserve such a task for your kind alone.”

“Then, perhaps the place humans take in the natural order is to rule over the earth and the creatures upon it?” Yu Chen suggested, offering his second idea.

This reply caused Xiao Huang to roll over in the air. His deep laughter shook the courtyard and caused even the leaves of the nearby trees to begin trembling, as if the world itself were sharing in the dragon’s amusement. The laughter went on for so long that Yu Chen felt his face begin to warm, and he couldn’t help but feel vaguely insulted.

Was his suggestion so absurd, Yu Chen wondered? The dragon’s laughter gnawed at him, and he clenched his jaw, trying to suppress the sting of embarrassment he felt at Xiao Huang’s merriment.

“Humans, could you imagine?” Xiao Huang finally spoke, his voice filled with mirth. He wiped a talon across his eye before arrogantly adding, “Of course dragons were the ones created to rule over all things, seen and unseen. We are the crown jewel of creation, and stand at the apex of all that lives, breathes, and dreams.”

“Of course, Shizu,” Yu Chen said, nodding his head. His own embarrassment turned to amusement as he watched how the tiny dragon preened at his acceptance. Seeing his teacher's good mood, he seized the moment, earnestly asking, “What then is the purpose of humans?”

“It is this ones opinion,” Xiao Huang replied after a moment of contemplation, as he absentmindedly wrapped one of his long whiskers around a tiny claw, “That the heavens created humans to change. Unlike the birds and beasts, grass and trees, humans are in constant flux. They exist to turn what has been into what will be.”

Yu Chen was struck by the profundity of it, the dragon's words resonating deep within him. Humans existed to change? The realization shook him, reshaping his understanding of the world, and his place within it. The way of cultivation was not a path towards power, but rather a constant journey of transformation.

He hurriedly leaned forward, touching his head to the ground. “Thank you Shizu.” He whispered in gratitude, and as the words left his lips, he realized he truly meant them.

All of the changes from his simple life before had been so sudden that Yu Chen hadn't had a chance to find his footing. Since he’d arrived at the sect he’d felt as though he’d been balancing on a tightrope, afraid to fall as he moved forward without a purpose. He’d lacked even a real understanding of what it meant to be a cultivator and possessed no reason for even wanting to be one.

It was safe to say that before entering his Inner Realm and speaking to Xiao Huang he’d been confused, and worse, he’d been unaware of his own confusion.

However, his conversation with the little dragon had dispersed the fog in his mind, giving Yu Chen a goal, a hint of purpose, and clarifying what it meant to be a cultivator.

Yu Chen didn’t exist to remain the same. The heavens themselves insisted that he change, and so he would. He’d already begun his transformation by becoming a cultivator, and now… Now he’d learn everything he could from the sect before setting out to find the source of the yellow river and see what changes that place had in store for him.

He’d arrive there one day and see if the little fellow had told him the truth, if it was possible for him to transform and become the dragon Xiao Huang believed he could.

The thought thrilled him, but it also filled him with a deep uncertainty. Yu Chen wondered if the essence of who he was could survive such a transformation, or if he would lose himself in the process.

Perhaps, when faced with the choice he wouldn’t become a dragon, and instead he’d see how far the path he could walk as a man stretched.

After all, not everything had to change.