The Third Realm - Chapter 13 preview

The smell in the apothecarist’s room was familiar, pulling shards of memory from Wu Ying’s past. How many hours had he practiced, under the watchful eyes of Senior Li? She had been a patient, kind teacher, who was more likely to show him the proper way of doing things than beat him with a stick till he achieved the right position.

The apothecarist whose room they stood within smelled like his room, even with brand new robes. The scent of cooking pills, strong herbs and delicate flowers along with the sharp, acrid smell of mixing metals were familiar in content, though not in ratio.

As for the room itself, it was dominated by the apothecarist brazier urn, so big that Wu Ying would fail to put his arms around the largest central portion. Gold and brass, with multiple vents to allow and control the flow of vents, the brazier was at least in the Spirit, if not Saint-level of crafting items. Along the walls, shelves with earthen urns and clear jars covered the walls, clear labels across each container indicating their contents.

Yet, it was at the table near the entrance that the pair had gathered, the herbs and pills that Wu Ying had provided for the man set aside, along with the traded Core Formation aiding pills he had bargained for on the opposite end.

It was, however, the final box, sitting between the pair that had both their attention. The pill he had located so many months ago, dragged across over a thousand li as he had travelled across the border, through the depths of the wilds and now, finally, brought here to this man and his sect.

“Do you know what it is, or not?” Wu Ying said. Payment for the process of identification had been bargained for, resulting in fewer pills to aid him in his cultivation and the continued process of altering his body. All to get an answer. “You have stood there, silently, for the entirety of a joss stick, Apothecarist Cai.”

“Of course I do.” Apothecarist Cai sniffed and raised his nose to stare at Wu Ying. “This is just a variant of the Thousand Striation Pill.”

Wu Ying could not help but raise an eyebrow. The pill itself had two bands of colour, jade green and red in bands that slowly blended into one another.

“Variant. Also…” Apothecarist Cai raised his hand, forming a flame above it. He picked up the pill with a pair of wooden tongs, raising the pill closer to the fire so that the flames could reflect off the pill. In the brighter light, gradiations between the colours, tiny bands that formed the bands of colour were revealed. “As I said, a variation. Normally it’s more dispersed. This type of work… it’s an ancient formula.”

“Is it still good?” Wu Ying asked.

Apothecarist Cai hesitated. “It is. The ingredients in the pills, the process – it only grows stronger when left aside to mix and concentrate.” He cocked his head to the side. “How did you say you found this, again?”

“I didn’t.” Wu Ying watched as Apothecarist Cai released the flame and placed the pill back down, hands hovering near it. “What does the pill do?”

“Well, I can tell you what the current Thousand Striation Pill does…” the Apothecarist hedged, making Wu Ying gesture for him to continue speaking. “It’s a pill for a Core Formation specialist like you. It reinforces the Core walls. Each layer of the pill, as it breaks down, will refine and strengthen the Core walls. The pills are much sought after for those nearing, or close to the Peak of the stage, to increase the strength of their Core.”

Wu Ying frowned. That sounded good – strength, after all, was good. But… “Does the Nascent Soul not need to break free, during ascension?”

“It does. But before that, it must be purified by Heavenly Tribulation,” Apothecarist Cai explained. “To survive Tribulation, to survive purification, your walls must be strong. After you survive the initial purification period, then the Core is weakened anyway and the Nascent Soul can emerge. Stronger.”

Wu Ying bowed his head in acknowledgement of the information passed to him and thanks. Apothecarist Cai just waved his hand, dismissing the unspoken words. He tapped the table, his fingers edging towards the box before returning after a moment.

“This pill. As I said, it’s a variant. An old variant, one that I’ve only read of before. Such variants, such lost knowledge, it is of value to one like myself.” He cocked his head to the side, eyeing Wu Ying. “Would you consider selling this as well?”

Wu Ying paused, not surprised by the request but hesitant about his own response. The pill was valuable it was certain, and its potency was likely unmatched. Who knew how long it had lain there, under the stone? Safeguarded for an eventual ascension that never happened. He might never find such a potent pill ever again.

Then again, it was a pill that only gave some form of benefit in the future. Years, maybe decades of travel. Through dangerous lands, seeing and seeking powerful creatures, gathering dangerous herbs. And all the while, he would have to safeguard this treasure. Or he could trade it now, for pills that he could use in short order to speed up his cultivation journey.

“This is a significant request,” Wu Ying said, his gaze tracking over to the pills he had already acquired. He sent his spiritual sense inside his own body, testing his own dantian. Months of meditation, months of training and he believed, he felt, he could form another layer if he had a few more months.

“It is.”

“It is not one I can make a decision on, not so easily.” Mind spinning, Wu Ying gestured to the pill. “Is there much that you could learn, studying the pill without destroying it?” He knew part of this answer from his own studies, but best to ask.

“A little. In the greater degree of things, not much. But a little,” Apothecarist Cai said. “What is it that you are considering, Cultivator Long?”

“A trade. I require a cultivation chamber, a place to contemplate my travels and to make use of your wares.” A gesture by Wu Ying to the pills he had found.

“And in that time, if you were to make use of our sect facilities as a visiting Elder, I could study this pill.”

Wu Ying inclined his head in agreement.

Apothecarist Cai lips thinned for a second, then he nodded. “A moment. I must speak with the Sect Head.”

Wu Ying nodded in acknowledgement, taking the proffered seat and the tea set before Apothecarist Cai hurried away. He nibbled on the snacks brought to him by the apothecarist’s disciple, making idle conversation about sect life. Or trying to, though the disciple’s answers were less than enthusiastic and elaborate. Eventually, he fell silent and chose to just enjoy the brief moment of relaxation.

When Apothecarist Cai returned, he was all smiles. “Arrangements have been made, Honorary Elder Long.”

“Very good. And there was no problems?” Wu Ying asked, curiously.

“Nothing at all. We’re all honored to have such a prestigious visitor.” Apothecarist Cai replied.

Wu Ying chose not to pursue the matter, though his nose wrinkled a little at the acrid, tense and fearful smell that rose from the Apothecarist.

“I should pay respect to the Sect Head then,” Wu Ying murmured after he finished packing the pills he had purchased.

“No need, no need!” the Apothecarist waved his hands around, gesturing for Wu Ying to come with him. “The Sect Head is a busy, busy woman. She has not time to see you at this time. After you exit your closed door cultivation, then we shall meet her.”

Wu Ying frowned but sensing no treachery he followed after. He was in a different country; a different sect. Manners and customs would not be the same. More likely however, there were sect politics in play and he had learnt to leave that well enough alone.

Travel from the apothecarists building where Apothecarist Cai worked – by himself and a half-dozen apprentices – to the cultivation chambers took them across the entirety of the sect. It was a large orthodox sect, not nearly as populous as the Verdant Green Waters with just over a thousand members traversing the manicured, open grounds.

The entire sect itself was built on a flat plane, a nearby lake providing fresh water and a river that bisected the sect itself. On the opposite side of the downriver apothecarist hall, the sect hall stood, its sprawling compound containing both the residences of the main branch family and their training halls. Right opposite the hall, on the other side of the river, the gathering and training grounds were built, the paved stones regularly replaced to ensure a smooth traversal.

Dotted through the grounds, amidst paved walkways and manicured lawns were free standing pagodas, areas for the sect members to lounge, converse and contemplate the numerous cultivation works. On the far end, directly opposite the apothecarist guild was the cultivation tower, formations surrounding it to help provide the additional environmental chi required for its working.

It was to this building that the pair were headed towards, traversing the grounds as sect members bowed and greeted them. The Apothecarist greeted the various sect members who approached them cordially. More than once, he had a word or two of a pending order, going so far as to be willing to speak to even lowly Body Cleansing cultivators.

Wu Ying, carrying his goods over one shoulder, idly watched the interactions and the area about him, drinking in the new sights and interactions.

Only for Apothecarist Cai to come to a stop, their way barred by a quintet of glowering cultivators. The two in the lead were Elders, clad in the silver and gold that he had come to associate with the sect but with significantly more elaborate designs and stitching to mark their position as Elders.

“Little Yu (4). Who is this ruffian you bring along?” the lead Elder, a man with a thin mustache over his lips and well maintained, thick eyebrows asked the Apothecarist, all with a smile on his lips that never reached his eyes.

“Cousin Yao,” Cai Yu said, offering the man a placating smile. “This is Expert Long. He is a visiting Cultivator who will be making use of our facilities to progress his cultivation.”

Wu Ying bowed to the group, offering them a martial bow with his hands clasped together. The bag on his back threatened to fall of, so he rose a little faster, adjusting it with his elbow. At the same time, the wind picked up a little, pulling their scents to him.

Core Formation cultivators, the Elders, one and all. He knew that this clan held its place in the kingdom due to the number of Core Formation cultivators in its ranks, though it only had two Nascent Soul cultivators heading it. Or at least, that were known – who knew how many hidden Elders, attempting to breakthrough were secreted away.

“Honored Elders. I am grateful to be here,” Wu Ying said.

“A foreigner.” Elder Cai Yaosaid, lips twisting in disgust. “You would let a foreigner and outsider use our clan cultivation tower?”

“The Sect Leader has agreed,” Apothecarist Cai Yu said, hastily.

Wu Ying’s eyes darted between the group, watching the way they stood, the tone of their words and the intent behind them. The large sects in the kingdom of Jin were clan based sects, with family cultivation and martial techniques dominating the landscape. There were a total of seven clans that dominated the Jin kingdom, of which the Cai clan was one of the largest – and conveniently, most closely located to where Wu Ying had exited the wilderness on his latest jaunt.

The entire power structure of the clans was fascinating to him, since most clans had main branch families, side branch families and then, ancillary or allied clans that were considered part of the main branch to some extent. All of which were tied together by bonds of duty, promises and specific cultivation techniques.

All of which led to this – a level of internal sect politics that were vicious to the extreme as individuals attempted to climb higher, breaching ceilings of propriety and tradition by virtue and renown and deeds of service.

“Well, if the Sect Leader has agreed…” Elder Cai Yao replied. “It does make me wonder, what it is that you traded with this…Expert to give him such access.”

Apothecarist Cai’s smile grew strained, but he chose not to answer. The silence grew tense, while the crowd around slowed down, watching the group with ill-concealed interest. As they stood there, the wind picked up a little, throwing leaves around the group.

“If Cousin Yao will excuse us,” the apothecarist murmured, bowing low. “I should send Expert Long to his cultivation chamber.”

“Of course… I look forward to speaking with the Expert when he exits.” Again that slight sneer to his words when he replied.

Wu Ying could not blame him, much. He was, as usual, suppressing his own aura such that it would be difficult for most to gauge his strength. If anything, he probably felt no stronger than a mid-grade Energy Storage cultivator, and that only because removing his aura entirely would be considered rude.

The pair offered their final thanks, skirting pass the group that chose to continue to take up the majority of the walkway. As they passed, one of the other cultivators chose to shift his position at the last second, intent on bumping Wu Ying with his shoulder. Yet, reading his intent long before he moved, Wu Ying let himself flit around his shoulder, hiding his dodging as he adjusted his backpack with an elaborate shrug of his shoulders.

Snorting a little to himself at the childish play for violence, Wu Ying hurried after the apothecarist. They ascended the rest of the way to the top of the tower with minimal fuss. The room that was opened for him was a plain and empty abode, the raised dias in the center perfectly positioned among the chi collecting arrays to provide the greatest benefit.

In short order, Wu Ying was alone, Cai Yu in a hurry to return to his studies, and Wu Ying happy to be left alone to cultivate. Placing a couple of talismans on the inside of the room for added safety, he soon took a seat on the dais to begin his period of closed door cultivation.

He would not need much, to ascend.

As for what lay for him outside, when he exited… well, he would deal with clan politics afterwards. If he was fortunate, he would be gone long before matters came to a head.

***

Hours into days, days into weeks, weeks into months.

Wu Ying sat on the raised dais, meal pills under his tongue to help stave off hunger. Even so, full meals were delivered once a week through a slot built just for such a need. Environmental chi swirled around him, feeding energy into his body as he cultivated, passing the chi through his meridians before it entered his dantian. Some of it eventually seeped into his Core, refined even further while the main energy of his dantian continued to fill.

Months of travel beforehand, his time in the Zhuang clan village and the constant consumption of pills and herbs had seen his smaller than normal Core filled with Core refined energy. In addition, two thirds of his dantian was now filled, a prospect that had taken him years before his ascension to Core Formation. Now, the expansion of his own meridians and the use of new Soul Cultivation techniques at Core Formation allowed him to grow, faster than ever.

His time within became one of routine and concentration, the intense focus only viable by entering a semi-trance, meditative state of mind. Wu Ying’s consciousness floated on the pool of serenity, bobbing into silent meditation before exiting to cultivate, passing between the two states of pure thought and emptiness.

Even with years of practice and the rigorous discipline of a decades long martial artist, Wu Ying found himself at times unable to conjure the necessary stillness and discipline to cultivate. During those periods, often after he had taken a break to consume much needed repast, he would train with his sword or practice the physical Body Cultivation forms.

Flowing from form to form, alternately cutting at imaginary foes or replicating the movements of the wind in his own forms, he passed the hours till exhaustion robbed him of his physical strength. Then, for hours he would sleep, waking to a clearer mind to begin the process of cultivating once more.

Months later, his dantian filled to the core, Wu Ying took a few days break. He chose to spend his time resting, reading a few novels he had purchased along the way. Perhaps it was his recent experiences, but the fictional accounts of Judge Di filled his leisure time along with continued practice of his forms.

Only when he believed his mind and demeanour to be fully stabilized did Wu Ying choose to take the next step. He picked out the Core Formation pills he had purchased, the trio of pills laid out before him. Each pill had its own effect, and he read over the written instructions over again.

First, consume the Heavenly Desert Pill. The pill was beige in colour, similar to the midnight colour of deserts – or so Wu Ying was told, having never been to one before. Upon consumption, the pill drew chi from the outer meridians of the body, ‘drying’ out the meridians and concentrating such energy in the dantian in preparation for the formation of the next layer of the Core.

Then, having intensified the amount of chi in the dantian – an amount, even now that made Wu Ying feel like he was a water pouch filled to bursting – he was to consume the Black and White Tortoise Shell Pill. Similar to the creation of the Core layer, the pill thickened the chi within his dantian, making the process of compressing the new layer of his Core easier.

Lastly, the final pill was to be consumed. The Twice Cooked Dog Kidney and Wolf Liver Pill would provide additional chi to help fill the newly made Core and replenish the empty dantian that Wu Ying would suffer from upon the next layering. That pill was the one that made Wu Ying hesitate the most, since the name of the pill and its purchasing had come with very strongly worded warning from Apothecarist Cai that it had been named by its originator due to the taste of the pill, rather than its effects.

Still, hesitant or not, Wu Ying knew he needed it. He had suffered once already from the effect of having insufficient chi in his dantian and Core. He would not make the same mistake again.

In fact, because the pill was both a popular beginner pill to create for apothecarist venturing into the Core Formation pill making business due to its simplicity in construction and, conversely, extremely low in demand, it had been the cheapest pill by far. For the same cost as his other two pills, he had managed to acquire five Twice Cooked Dog Kidney and Wolf Liver Pills for his future usage.

Mind calm, soul serene, Wu Ying picked up the Heavenly Desert Pill and consumed it. He entered a state of meditation, drawing the environmental chi into his body as eh waited for the pill to take effect. It was a gradual process, beginning at first from a sensation of dry mouth – except throughout his entire body. Ignoring the uncomfortable sensation, he kept focused, continuing to fill and stuff his dantian.

An hour later, his body withered, his eyes bloodshot, Wu Ying wondered if Apothecarist Cai should have, perhaps, mentioned the effect of this pill too. And if he had chosen to not do so, how bad was the third pill in truth?

Pushing aside idle thoughts, he picked up the next pill. Almost immediately, Wu Ying felt its effects after consuming it, the remaining chi in his body growing sluggish, even those drawn in from the environment slowing.

Still, Wu Ying forced himself to circulate the energy, pushing it through him, churning his chi as he waited for the full effects. When he could no longer contain himself any further, Wu Ying began the process of compressing his dantian, shoving the energy downwards towards his existing Core.

This was the most dangerous time – for a badly build Core could fracture. Without being sufficiently reinforced during this period, without it being packed full of refined Core energy and the Nascent Soul given sufficient strength, he could fail.

Fear for a moment ran through Wu Ying, as he compressed the energy. Yet, his Core held without issue, the wind chi within rushing around, compressing even in its sluggish state, buffeting the Core as he pushed downwards.

Each breath in, he relaxed a little, each breath out, he squeezed mentally. He shrunk the size of his dantian, the thickened wind chi conforming itself to the walls of the Core, until such time that it could no longer compress itself. Then, the process of hardening the outer shell, of forming the Core began, with just enough space for more refined chi to seep in to nurture the Nascent Soul.

Time crawled on, as Wu Ying built his Core. Unlike most, smooth edged Core’s of other elements, a Wind Core like his required tunnels where the compressed energy could flow, where the never-ending blowing of the wind could continue. The shaping of such took time and effort, leaving Wu Ying mentally worn out when he was done and the effects of the pills ended.

Finally, Wu Ying opened his eyes, his new layer of his Core formed. He had but one last trial left – and it was the most daunting of all.

Staring at the pill, Wu Ying girded his loins and picked it up, swallowing the muddy black-green sphere and condemned himself to another cultivation session.

All to improve himself, one tired step at a time on the road to immortality.

Footnote: 

4 - The usage of ‘big’ or ‘little (small if directly translated)’ is a form of address from one that is close, or trying to emphasise closeness. You might call someone ‘Big Brother’ or ‘Big Boss’ as a sign of respect, but almost never ‘Little Brother’ or ‘Little Boss’ without a pre-existing relationship since that would denote superiority over the individual.