Shi Yao continued his climb up the winding mountain trail behind the Peak Master, Rui Feng. From time to time, his gaze would drift away from the path, captivated by the breathtaking scenery that unfolded around them. Towering cliffs rose majestically on either side, their jagged peaks piercing the sky. A roaring waterfall cascaded down a sheer rock face in the distance, its spray creating a perpetual mist that danced in the air. Flocks of vibrant birds soared effortlessly through this ethereal veil, their calls echoing through the crisp mountain air.
Completely lost in his admiration of the natural beauty, Shi Yao momentarily lost his footing. With a startled yell, he tumbled forward, his arms flailing wildly as he rolled down a short, winding section of the path.
The Peak Master, who had been several paces ahead, halted his ascent and turned to face his new disciple, a hint of amusement in his piercing blue eyes. "Watch your step, Shi Yao," he said calmly, his voice carrying easily on the mountain breeze. "This mountain, despite its appearance, has numerous talismans and strategically placed traps in certain areas." A faint, knowing smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"You wouldn't want to inadvertently stumble into one of those… now would you?"
Moments later, after the slightly embarrassing tumble, Shi Yao and his enigmatic master, Rui Feng, finally reached the mountain peak. There, resting peacefully atop the summit, stood a small, quaint castle, its architecture blending seamlessly with the natural surroundings.
"Tada!" Rui Feng announced with a flourish, a hint of pride evident in his voice as he gestured towards the structure. "This, my dear disciple, will be your new home for the foreseeable future."
"Wow! That's really going to be my new home?" Shi Yao exclaimed, his eyes wide with genuine excitement. "I knew choosing this peak was the right decision! No more sleeping on beds as hard as solid rock!" He clenched his fists and raised his arms in a gesture of pure, unadulterated enthusiasm.
"What in the world are you talking about, Shi Yao?" Rui Feng asked, a bemused expression on his face. He then pointed towards a small, rather dilapidated hut nestled beside the impressive castle.
"That quaint little abode over there will actually be your new home."
Shi Yao's triumphant arms slowly dropped to his sides, his initial excitement rapidly evaporating.
"...You're joking with me, right, Master?"
Rui Feng was already turning away, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he placed his hands behind his back. "Just make absolutely certain that the roof doesn't decide to spontaneously collapse on you tonight. Wouldn't want you getting rained on in your sleep."
Shi Yao, letting out a sigh of utter disappointment, trudged slowly towards his designated new residence. He reached out and grabbed the rusty doorknob of the small hut but before he could even attempt to turn it, the entire door shuddered violently and then collapsed inward with a loud crash, leaving him standing frozen in place, staring into the dimly lit interior.
"Damn it…"
he muttered under his breath, a sense of profound disappointment washing over him. "And here I was actually starting to think that coming to this peak was a good idea after all."
With a groan of effort, he propped the dilapidated door back into its frame as best he could and cautiously stepped inside, only to find the room in a state of utter disarray.
The moment his foot crossed the dusty threshold, a thick cloud of dust erupted into his face, causing him to cough and splutter.
Just then, Rui Feng's head popped back in through the broken doorway, a wide, innocent smile still plastered across his face. "Oh, I almost forgot to mention, Shi Yao… I seem to recall seeing quite a few rather large spiders in there before. You might want to keep a watchful eye out for them.
Well, I've suddenly remembered I have somewhere terribly important to be. Later!" And with that, he vanished as quickly and silently as he had appeared.
"Wait, don't leave me here ye… t! What a complete scumbag of a master!"
Shi Yao looked around the dirty, dust-filled room, a sense of resignation settling over him.
"I honestly can't believe that I now have to add 'cleaning extremely dusty and possibly spider-infested huts' to my ever-growing list of chores."
With a sigh, Shi Yao closed his eyes and stretched his hands out in front of him, his palms facing forward. Almost immediately, the air directly in front of his outstretched palm began to swirl gently, forming a miniature vortex, no larger than his hand. It wasn't a powerful gust of wind nothing that could uproot ancient trees or scatter heavy stones. Instead, it was a delicate current, a playful whisper of air, no more forceful than a child's soft breath.
The gentle breeze danced around his outstretched fingers, lightly lifting a few stray blades of grass that had somehow found their way into the hut and causing tiny white wildflowers growing nearby to nod their delicate heads in unison. The breeze carried the faintest, almost imperceptible scent of damp earth and wild blossoms, stirred and then scattered by Shi Yao's nascent control over the element of wind.
He could feel the subtle pressure of the air against his palm a delicate sensation that was a direct result of his inner energy gently influencing the outer world. He held the small zephyr in his hand for a few quiet moments, observing its delicate dance, carefully sensing the subtle feedback flowing through his meridians, a quiet testament to his growing control over his abilities and his deepening understanding of the intricate link between his inner world and the elemental forces around him.
Then, with a calm, measured breath and a simple thought, he expanded the gentle wind, carefully guiding it outward to carry away the accumulated dust and grime.
Shi Yao closed his eyes once more, focusing his intent with a newfound clarity and carefully drawing his inner qi towards his fingertips. He didn't even attempt to summon water from the distant shimmering lake he had seen on his ascent; he knew that level of control was still far beyond his current capabilities.
Instead, he concentrated his focus on the very air that surrounded him the invisible moisture held within the humid heat of the mountain air. He imagined the air as a vast, ethereal ocean, and his own inner qi as a gentle, persistent current, capable of slowly gathering the scattered droplets. He extended his hands again, this time with his palms facing upwards and his fingers slightly curved, as if cradling something precious.
His inner qi pulsed gently, a faint thrumming sensation that resonated deep within his bones. He visualized tiny motes of water vapor, completely invisible to the naked eye, swirling and coalescing around the tips of his outstretched fingers. It was a patient, methodical process, like carefully coaxing morning dew to form on a delicate leaf.
He didn't try to forcefully make the water appear; instead, he gently guided the subtle energies, carefully shaping a focal point in the air a nexus where the scattered water molecules could be drawn together. His focused qi acted like a gentle, invisible magnet, slowly and steadily drawing the dispersed water molecules into a unified form.
Minutes stretched into what felt like an eternity under the relentless gaze of the midday sun. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, trickling down his temples, but his mental focus remained unbroken, his will unwavering. He could feel the almost imperceptible shift in the air directly above his hands, a faint coolness beginning to emanate from the gathering moisture a clear sign that his efforts were slowly but surely taking hold.
Then, a small, delicate miracle began to unfold, as fragile and wondrous as a newborn's first breath. First, a faint shimmer appeared above the center of his right palm, a fleeting glisten that caught the harsh sunlight for a brief instant. It was so incredibly small that it could have easily been mistaken for a mere heat haze or a trick of the light.
But Shi Yao felt it a tangible, albeit minuscule, weight, a distinct coolness against the skin of his palm. He held his breath, intensifying his mental focus, pouring all of his concentration into the delicate process. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, more moisture from the surrounding air began to gather, drawn to the initial droplet. The shimmer grew in size and intensity, the individual droplets beginning to merge and coalesce into a single, larger form. It was a painstaking process, each tiny sphere of water forming as if it were being conjured from the very nothingness of the air.
He continued the meticulous process, his focus unwavering. Once a sufficient amount of water had gathered in his hands, he subtly shaped it with a single, focused thought, sending a gentle stream of purified water sweeping across the dusty interior of the hut. The thick layer of dust vanished as if by magic, carried away by the carefully directed flow, and within moments, the small, dilapidated dwelling was surprisingly spotless.
"Looks like the principles of atmospheric water generation can still be successfully applied in this world," Shi Yao mused to himself, a hint of scientific satisfaction in his voice.
"Even in another world entirely, the fundamental laws of science still hold true,"
Shi Yao said, looking up with a satisfied grin at the now clean interior of his new, albeit humble, abode.
As Shi Yao stepped out of his hut, the bright morning sunlight washed over the mountain peak, illuminating the rugged landscape and the breathtaking vista that stretched out before him.
The refreshing scent of wet stone and morning dew filled the crisp mountain air, a welcome change from the dust-filled interior of his dwelling. Up ahead, near the edge of a sheer cliff that offered a stunning view of the valley below, Rui Feng stood casually, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his bare feet planted firmly on the rocky ground. One hand held a thin, almost invisible strand of what Shi Yao recognized as concentrated qi, extending it like a delicate fishing line down towards the pristine lake beside the cascading waterfall.
A heartbeat later, with a sharp, almost imperceptible flick of his wrist, the qi line snapped back upwards. Three silver-scaled fish shot into the air, their bodies wriggling in the bright sunlight, before dropping neatly into a woven basket that rested at Rui Feng's feet, already containing a respectable catch. Turning around with a casual air, the Peak Master spotted Shi Yao standing outside his hut. "Morning, dear disciple," Rui Feng said with a wide, slightly mischievous grin. "Looks like breakfast is on me today."
His sharp eyes, however, quickly traced the noticeable dark circles under Shi Yao's eyes, betraying a less-than-restful night. "Rough night?" he asked, his tone light but carrying a hint of amusement. Shi Yao scowled, his voice sharp with lingering irritation.
"Rough? Try sleeping on a bed that decided to spontaneously collapse halfway through the night. I might as well have just slept directly on a pile of jagged rocks for all the comfort it provided."
As Shi Yao continued his slightly disgruntled rant, Rui Feng casually sat down on a weathered log near a small, crackling fire he had apparently lit earlier. Without saying much, he skillfully stabbed the freshly caught fish with a couple of clean, sharpened sticks he had whittled and set them carefully over the dancing flames.
"I swear, I'm just going to pack my meager belongings and lea—"
Shi Yao paused mid-sentence, his nose suddenly twitching as a tantalizing aroma reached him on the gentle breeze.
"Wait a minute… is that… is that fish you're cooking?"
Rui Feng merely smirked, a knowing glint in his eye. "Why yes, dear disciple. Indeed it is. You want some?" A simple "Sure," was Shi Yao's immediate and enthusiastic reply. The two sat in comfortable silence, sharing the grilled fish in quiet, contemplative bites, the tension of the previous night momentarily forgotten.
For a peaceful moment, the only sounds to be heard were the gentle sizzle of oil dripping onto the crackling flames and the distant, melodic birdsong that echoed through the tranquil valley… until a massive, earth-shattering explosion suddenly echoed through the valley, ripping through the peaceful calm like a jagged blade.