Its been three months since that incident where I fell in the pool.
They said I was found at the entrance of the village past out, drenched and covered with bruises. Though I can't remember how I even manage to come back, because as far as I can remember, I fell in that pool and my consciousness faded.
I thought I was going to die, it's really a miracle that I even survive.
I didn't tell anyone that I accidentally entered the inner ring of Wuhen Forest, then walked out of it—though scathed.
I picked a brush pen and examined it. It looks elegant with its simple design with polish. After paying 3 coppers for the pen, I went to another stall and bought a new coat, a shoes, and a blanket. It cost me a total of 10 coppers. After selling those herbs, I only earned half a silver, which is already a lot.
A 100 copper coins equal to 1 silver, a 100 silver equal to 1 gold, and 1000 gold is the equivalent of 1 Starfall crystal—a hard currency that only beast tamers can possibly possess.
And half a silver is 50 copper coins.
After buying all of that, I only have 27 copper coins left, because after I sold the herbs, I bought a lot of food reserves, which cost me 10 coppers.
I am choosing supplies so I could give them to Duan Yu before he goes to the village school. Because, once they enter they can't come out until the exams are over.
And today is the day that I'll be sending off Duan Yu to the village school.
Walking towards our house, I saw Duan Yu just as he walks out the door.
"Xiaoyu!" I called out to him.
"Here take this with you." I say as I hand him the bag containing the things I bought.
He took it without a word and looks at me.
"Don't worry about me, we've talked about it already, so go and enjoy your time in the school and don't worry too much." I pat his shoulder, assuring him.
"Okay... "
"Let's go, I'll walk you to the village school."
While walking we passed by fellow villagers and old acquaintances who congratulated Duan Yu.
"Xiaoyu, congratulations." Grandma Leng—our neighbor—said as we encounter each other on the road, "Your sister must be proud of you."
"Yes. Thank you Grandma Leng."
"Xiaoyu kid, don't forget us when you become a beast tamer in the future, okay?" Uncle Tong—the butcher—said.
I just watch with a smile as this happened, feeling proud. Now, I can finally stop worrying about his future. Only my future seem so bleak. I sighed heavily.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just... you know. My younger brother is finally leaving my side, it feels like I'm sending you off to marry." I said, ruffled his hair, then laughed at the end.
After walking for a while, we've reach the entrance to the village school. I faced him an give him a hug, as I won't be seeing him for a long time.
"And be good there, okay?"
"Okay" he responded obediently, looking so innocent.
"Go on." I nudged him.
"Goodbye sister, I'll miss you."
"Goodbye, Xiaoyu."
I watched as he went inside, not looking back. I know its his resolve that is stopping him from looking back, because once he do look back, he might not want to go to the village school anymore.
In the past three months that I lived with Xiaoyu, I discovered that he is innocent, yet mature at the same time. His life with the previous Duan Yanyan was full of hardships, as they only had each other—which is why he learned to grow up early.
After staying for a while, I left when I can't see his back anymore an returned to our house.
Looking at our small shack of a house, it appears crowded due to the limited space, yet now it feels so empty without Xiaoyu. I walked over to the worn-out bed and sat cross-legged. Entering the meditative state.
I've been cultivating—tried—in the past three months, but there has been no progress until last night. I think I felt heavy there, for a moment.
I emptied my mind and trying to sense the world's energy around me. But still nothing. Is the progress last night just a fluke?
"Maybe I should buy a proper manual, after all." I thought to myself. The beast taming techniques at home is left behind from Duan Yanyan and Duan Yu's parents. And I already have memorized it by heart. But its for taming beast after all and not about sensing the worlds energy.
I walked towards the village trading center and spotted a shop that sells books. There's a variety of books being displayed—maps, economic, techniques, and history of the whole of beast taming world—known as Aetherion.
I found a book—Beginner's Guide: Sensing the World Energy, and it cost a whopping 10 coppers! After buying this book I only have 17 copper coins left, I have to be thrifty.
Walking back to our house, I sat in my previous position and read the book seriously.
Power comes from forming resonance with the world's natural rhythms, inner self, and beasts or divine forces. There are three paths:
Inner Resonance - cultivating the soul, emotions, and will. At the highest level, can be almost immortal, as long as you have a little soul, emotions, or will that is left behind, you can be resurrected.
Beast Resonance - forming soul contracts with spirit beasts or divine beasts. The closer the bond, the more abilities they can share. Some even fuse temporarily. In the highest level as long as one of you is alive the other can be revived.
Heavenly Resonance - resonance with universal laws like time, light, death, dreams. Achieving heavenly resonance can create god-like powers.
Although there is three paths mentioned, the only ever path that is currently flourishing is Beast Resonance—widely known as beast taming. The Inner Resonance is still somewhat used in the current era as complimentary to help in taming beasts, but the Heavenly Resonance is already a long lost cultivation path.
There are nine stages of the Beast Resonance path known as:
Spirit Awakening - The beginner stage, sensing the world's energy and strengthening the mind.
Spirit Mark - Can form a basic soul contract with a beast. Communication begins through emotion or intent. But cannot borrow abilities of the beast.
Heart Thread - The bond strengthens and the human and beast begin to share senses and instinct. Battle awareness improving significantly.
Spiritual Bond - Can borrow stronger abilities and can mix techniques mid-battle.
Dual Manifest - can partially manifest a beast's traits like claws, wings or armor.
Bond Manifestation - The beast tamer resonates with a beast or person. Unique personal abilities awaken, independent of the bonded being's natural talents.
Mutual Evolution - The beast tamer and beast influence each other's evolution.
Harmonic Merge - The beast tamer and beast can fuse into one entity temporarily, combining traits, power, and consciousness.
Eternal Rebirth - Even if one dies, part of them lingers in the other. Rebirth, reincarnation, or spirit reconstruction becomes possible through memory and will.
...
After reading the book, I emptied my mind off of distractions and breathes rhythmically—just like what the book says. Slowly, I feel a tingle in my skin, and the air feels heavy around me.
I can feel the world. Its humming through the earth, the very air that I breath. This is what they call Resonant Breath.
I open my eyes, and for a moment, all the colors around me seem sharper. The world hasn't change, but the way that I can finally see its true color, is beautiful, and I can feel that its alive, listening.
The heaven and earth, the world I lived in, in my previous life on Earth and here on Aetherion, both are the same, alive.
Suddenly, I feel a sudden flash of inspiration—an enlightenment.
Images flicker through my mind—beasts of every shape and color running across skies, swimming through stars, sleeping beneath stone. Not memories. Not dreams. But possibilities.
My chest tightens—not from fear, but awe. For the first time, I understand: the energy of the world isn't something to conquer. It's something to harmonize with.
I can trace the every path of the energy as it flows from the world into my skin, through my veins, filling my every being. The world harmonized with me.
I close my eyes again, and this time, I don't need meditation to feel it. It's already there, into every heartbeat, every breath, every bones, and every muscles in my body. Its there.
This is Spirit Awakening!