Forge of Destiny Threads Chapter 519-Borders 3

With a firm press of her hand, she felt the solidity she had grasped loosen once more, only to be assailed by a throbbing, painful vibration. The scattered motes of her Qi buzzed agonizingly, threatening to disperse beyond recovery.

"Heaven Qi. It's obstructing the passage of yin energies," she stated, descending back to the ground with effortless silence. There's no physical barrier present, hidden or... No, I suppose there's some sort of field now."

"One who conceals themselves by declaring 'I am not here' is best kept at bay by an assertion of 'I am here'. Heaven is thought, presence, raw energy intertwined with sunlight; it represents the purest manifestation of yang," Meng Duyi lectured. "A space that is full cannot be empty. Its most minuscule sparks radiate presence, provided they receive even a little sustenance."

"It's not something solid, nor is it strictly manipulating the wind, which explains why I didn't detect it. It's entirely porous, except when encountering dense concentrations of yin, which it doesn't block so much as scatter. The sense of solidity is merely my own consciousness reflexively holding me together, a feat the cloud couldn't replicate," Ling Qi analyzed. "In this location, it acts as a barrier only for me and any passing rain clouds. It must require very little energy."

"It would be strikingly apparent if there were more snow, or even amidst the trees, where the field would interact with wood Qi," Meng Duyi conceded readily.

"Heaven Qi does not penetrate the earth effectively. The density of the earth smothers that very presence you speak of," Ling Qi mused.

She didn't truly traverse the earth; her movement began in one location and concluded in another, effectively skipping the intervening distance, though she did not pass through objects. Conceptually, she moved around them.

That being said... She circulated her Qi through meridians brimming with kaleidoscopic energy, then took a half-step out of the world. Immediately, she winced, rubbing her eyes and stepping back. "Bright."

The barrier revealed itself as a roaring vortex of crackling electricity, like the cackling laughter of strobing lightning in a wild revelry.

"A solution that is too simple, yet it is always wise to investigate. Often, what is obvious to you will not be evident to the creator of a barrier," Meng Duyi encouraged.

She could perceive her intended destination, which was usually sufficient, but clearly, it was not enough for this particular barrier. Ling Qi drew upon her Qi, causing the air to shimmer as a vortex of dreamstuff materialized. A flurry of birds formed within a glittering cloud around her. They shrieked triumphantly as they swooped outwards in all directions, their talons and hooked beaks poised to rend, yet they passed through the barrier without harm. Those that drifted towards Meng Duyi disintegrated like splashes of paint, dissolving into colorful smoke and fading into the air.

"So, it's not merely yin energy then."

"Borders need not be singular in nature."

"Walls and a roof delineate the space belonging to their occupants, but they also serve as a physical boundary between the outside and the inside. These concepts remain interconnected. A barrier must possess a cohesive concept underlying its various components," Ling Qi vocalized her thoughts. "I do not move through physical space. Yet, I must still progress from one point to another. I cannot be in multiple places simultaneously yet."

She observed her dream constructs darting in and out of the barrier.

"Heaven Qi also serves as a conduit for thought."

"Indeed. The signals by which a mortal's mind directs their body are carried upon the Father's sparks," Meng Duyi responded. "As do yours, though as a cultivator, you possess greater options."

"It's more than just my consciousness preventing my Qi from scattering. The Heaven Qi is also acting as a screen against conscious thought, disrupting and dispersing it." She glanced upwards at the sky. "The cloud possesses little inherent identity. It is temporary by its very nature, thus lacking the continuity to resist the scattering of its constituent parts. I am ensnared by my own wholeness."

Meng Duyi appeared to be anticipating further remarks from her. Finally, he offered a slight nod. "To name something is to define it. This act fundamentally creates division. You have grasped this. To possess 'us' creates a 'them'. To define 'inside' necessitates an 'outside'. Define virtue, and vice is inevitably created. If you are 'I', you cannot be 'me'. Such is the art of borders, the creation of separation."

Ling Qi circulated the Qi flowing through her nerves, compelling her senses to delve deeper. It was not, as she had initially surmised, merely an amplification of the ambient heavenly Qi. There was also a minuscule trace of Meng Duyi within every mote.

She rarely sensed his Qi. He almost always appeared as merely an old man. To be able to perceive him now must signify that he was revealing a portion of the underlying reason.

She could not pass through the sieve of sparks because she was not Meng Duyi, and Ling Qi could not exist in Meng Duyi's place, not without ceasing to be herself.

A presumption was all she had. She wasn't like her other teacher, but could that still be a valid strategy to escape? A temporary overlap of herself, if only for a fleeting moment, was a possibility. Given his high cultivation, Meng Duyi could undoubtedly stop her, but if he viewed it as a viable solution, he might refrain from doing so.

What lesson was he attempting to impart with this particular solution? The alternative she considered was burrowing beneath the earth. This was unfamiliar territory for her; it felt unnatural. Darkness resided beneath the earth, though not truly within it. The only air available was in the minuscule spaces between soil particles and the rapidly collapsing tunnels of earthworms. She would have to descend quite deep. Regardless of insulation, the heaven Qi permeated the topsoil in some manner.

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Pursuing an understanding of his intentions was likely a misstep, if she trusted her instincts. The method she chose to resolve this dilemma held greater significance.

An idea formed: a transient concealment, a reinterpretation of definitions that would allow her 'I' and Meng Duyi's 'I' to momentarily merge, blurring the lines just enough to evade the snare he had set. Standing there, contemplating him and his emotionless expression as he awaited her next move, she questioned if this was truly something she desired to undertake.

Was it hubris to pursue a direct confrontation with his defenses? There was little point in attempting to break down a locked door when an unlocked cellar was readily available.

The core of the lesson, as far as she could discern, was to provoke contemplation on the nature of boundaries and the implications of transgressing them.

Her gaze shifted to the ground. She had previously phased through solid objects, even floors, but always to reach something on the other side. This involved a distinct transition, one that the net actively prevented.

Ultimately, it returned to her initial analogy of a clear boundary: the earth and the heavens. She had never truly perceived the ground as a simple obstruction like a wall, a boulder, or a tree.

Meeting Meng Duyi's gaze, she then submerged herself into the earth.

Allowing herself to dissipate, to dematerialize and sink into the barren soil felt peculiar. As she broke apart into a swirling breeze, her typical focus was on maintaining a sufficient connection between the fragments of her being to prevent them from scattering entirely.

When she envisioned the earth, her mind conjured an image of a solid, unyielding mass. However, the earth was far from that. It comprised countless elements: grains of soil, pebbles, pockets of moisture, burrowing worms, and strata of rock. Far, far below, substantial reserves of water existed, a perpetual frost that solidified the dirt into a cohesive whole, while simultaneously forming channels—gaps within a net through which she could pass.

Navigation proved challenging. She possessed no sight or hearing, though she could faintly sense the surface in this state, perceiving the open expanse of the wind and the crackling of electrical discharges.

Just as the dream was the realm of yang, the earth represented yin. While she risked disintegration in the plane of thought, here, she felt threatened by compression. Yin consumes; it absorbs. Within the dense profundity of stone and soil, she was no more significant than a mere speck of dirt, and the temptation to be utterly subsumed was immense.

She felt the chill seeping downwards and the heat radiating upwards. In her state devoid of sight and sound, the soft, crackling whisper of heat ascended, sending tendrils through the compacted soil, transforming frost into mud. It craved release. It longed for the sky. It yearned to combust.

It pulsed with the ferocity of a long-imprisoned beast, testing chains that showed signs of imminent fracture. She doubted their restoration was possible now. The passage had been breached; the boundary between above and below had been perforated too profoundly for reversal. There would be no sealing of these channels now.

Zhengui and she had a formidable task ahead.

The Celestial Empire and the Emerald Seas faced a similar challenge.

In the end, isolation was never a sustainable condition. Beyond the boundaries one established for oneself, the world persisted in its motion and transformation. Barriers were incapable of repelling everything indefinitely. Isolation exploited and preyed upon one's own limitations. The more rigid the definition, the sharper its bite.

Meng Duyi had not facilitated this transition easily. His presence probed the surface and the topsoil, faltering as he delved deeper into the yin wellspring that was the earth.

Stone. The sparks of self could not permeate stone, and with her newly attuned senses, she perceived the inviting expanse of the sky beyond.

Ling Qi exhaled sharply, feeling as though she had held her breath for an eternity as she reappeared on the bare stone where Meng Duyi had stood, her eyes blinking against the sun's blinding brilliance.

"I had anticipated your pride would lead you down the more challenging path," Meng Duyi remarked calmly. "Being compelled to introspect, escaping through the earth seemed the most logical choice. Did you not consider the possibility of a snare?"

"I don't believe that was the intention of the exercise," Ling Qi responded. "That feels more like a lesson Elder Jiao would impart. Your way of thinking differs. A straightforward solution isn't always a disadvantageous one."

Meng Duyi gave his assent. "Straining your very essence to evade my grasp, diminishing yourself to the brink of dissolution, or attempting to forge a stronger bond would reveal far more about how deeply you've absorbed the philosophies of your other mentors."

"More so than simply questioning me?" Ling Qi grumbled.

"You are well aware that individuals do not always perceive their own truths. Furthermore, that was not the primary objective of this trial. All things possess a degree of permeability; they blend into one another upon closer examination. Even the distinction between the heavens and the earth, between yourself and myself, is not an absolute, unyielding boundary. Even the concepts of 'is' and 'is not' are lines that can be transgressed. Therefore, for a cultivator attuned to wind, earth, and mountains, the path may appear impassable, an obstacle that can only be worn down over countless ages. However, such paths have their breaches, points where the wind can pass through, provided one possesses a sufficiently discerning eye."

Ling Qi slowly nodded. As an introductory lesson, it made perfect sense, guiding her thoughts in the correct direction.

Meng Duyi strode past her, his passage leaving no trace as the residual sparks of his presence in the air dissipated. "Come. Let us commence charting a course back to the cliff face, and we can then deliberate on the potential avenues for the spirit of flame that you and your brother must contend with. His comprehension is innate; yours must be acquired."

Ling Qi followed, recentering her focus and subtly easing her breathing. Before proceeding, she cast a backward glance at the ground, her gaze lingering on the earthy browns and greys, and the deeper darkness that lay beneath.

Isolation, she mused, was invariably a construct of perception. Every being required connection, but whether they recognized overtures of companionship was an entirely separate matter. Her own domain, long dormant, stirred beneath her skin, the mists within churning. She had once declared isolation her weapon and had carved a place for it within her soul, but had she neglected to keep it honed?

In the intervening period, she had poured considerable effort into unifying and giving back. Perhaps, in doing so, she had drifted from her original intent. Maybe that was the source of the nagging sense of incompleteness that tinged her inner song.

Such reflections were for a later time. Coldness, Isolation, and Endings – they were all interconnected, in the grand tapestry of existence.