The Laws of Cultivation: Qi = MC^2

Twilight licked the bright red droplet of blood off of her hands, relishing in the Qi that it surged through her body. Qi spread through her body, heading towards the flower atop her head and filling it gently.

The little plant spirit chimed in satisfaction, before returning to the little bits of blood still left on the master’s chest, slowly dripping forth.

Injured. She realized with concern. Healing. The thought followed, as her concern faded, and she returned to her little feast of blood.

The flower atop her head bobbed up and down as she climbed up onto her master’s arms, making her way up to his shoulder. Sitting there, she let the breeze gently caress the petals atop her head, as she took in the view, listening to the silent whispers of the grass around her. It told her of the dying and the dead buried within the earth, and of the little blobs of Qi that moved through the earth.

The desire to spread her spores filled Twilight, as the whispers of the earth grew in her ears. There were more here than outside. She could set her vines in one of them, and drink into the Qi.

She licked the blood off of her hands, another stream of Qi reaching her belly. The hunger abated soon after, the whispers of the plants turning silent. She knew her master would provide for her. There was no need to go after whatever lay beneath the earth.

“I think that’s about healed by now,” her Master spoke up, one of his hands rubbing her head while the other poked at the wound at his chest. The flesh was raw, pink, and covered with newly grown in skin. Twilight had wished to help, but she lacked in essence in front of her master, and could only watch as he silently meditated, cleaning off the blood from his clothes.

“Chii~” she responded, relaying her happiness at his recovery. The grass around her swayed gently to her voice, showing its agreement as well.

Her master smiled, before digging around his pouch. A moment later, he let out an ‘aha’ as he found something, and opened the pouch in his lap.

The delicious scent of various powerful herbs reached out to Twilight, her eyes turning wide as she looked into the treasure bag. Drool dripped down her mouth as the Qi called her towards a feast, but she held on.

“Oops, my bad. I can only imagine what Labby would’ve done if she’d been here,” her master said, closing the bag quickly, as he smiled in apology.

“Chii!” Twilight replied in agreement. Senior sister Labby would’ve jumped at the bag, thundering with lightning as she did.

“Oh, speak of the devil,” her master said, turning to the bushes further ahead.

Twilight followed his gaze, the plans soon after letting her know of the arrival of companions. Purple lightning arced in the distance, as a rat rushed towards her Master, jumping into his arms with a squeak.

“Glad to see you Lu Jie,” a voice followed after, and Twilight turned to look at the snake-person. She could smell the poison, vicious and cold, as unfeeling as the aura that permeated him.

With a smile, her master greeted the person. “Glad to see you too Liuxiang, though I’m afraid you may have been a bit late,” her master replied with a smile, arms spreading out to indicate to the fallen trees, burnt soil and grass, and the many scars formed in the earth of the waves of sword Qi that had cut through anything in its path.

“It would seem so,” Liuxiang replied, his eyes gazing across the arena. Twilight could feel the grass shrink away from each step he took, afraid of the poison that coursed in his veins. She didn’t mimic the fear of her mindless kin. Poison was merely another aspect of her. One that would nourish the petals, and serve her master’s purposes. Though she didn’t quite understand what those purposes were.

“Labby was never worried. She knew her master would never lose,” Senior sister Labby replied.

“Chii!” Twilight chimed in agreement, bouncing up and down on her master’s shoulder.

“Hmph, called Liuxiang pointlessly here then,” Zhi Zhu said.

Her master laughed in reply, pointing at his chest wound. “I didn’t get off without injuries either. Might be best to work together here,” her master replied.

“You do know that I have no intention of losing right?” Liuxiang added, raising a thin eyebrow at her master.

“Me neither,” her master replied with a grin.

Twilight continued to watch the talks happening, occasionally licking her hands once more for any remnants of blood upon it. She glanced around the area, sensing the stir of Qi around her, when a strange sensation caught her attention.

“Chii?” she exclaimed to the wind, hearing the whisper of the roots.

Life. Blessing.

Twilight’s eyes widened in surprise. Her spirit rose, the hunger stirring in her chest. There was life up ahead. Pure life, stronger than even her master’s. It called her, with the smell of the sweetest nectar.

The world stirred around her, the plants rejoicing, as she felt energy permeate through the ground itself. Unrestrained joy filled Twilight upon the scent coming from further within, as it drifted through the air.

“Chii! Chii!” she shouted, patting at her master’s cheek to capture his attention.

“What’s up Twilight?” her master asked, looking at her in confusion.

“Chii!” she shouted. There! Life!

Frustration filled Twilight's heart as she struggled to form words. Closing her eyes, she focused on the bond that tied her to her master, and sent the message as best as she could.

Life. Scent. Blessing.

More confusion returned to her. Her master didn’t understand. Twilight turned towards the direction of the sweet aroma, following the whispers of the plants around her. The wind rushed through the area, following the steps of the Blessing, as it moved.

With a sudden impulse, Twilight jumped off her Master’s shoulders and began to follow the whispers of the grass. She hoped her master would follow.

***

I stared in surprise, as Twilight bolted off ahead on her little wobbly steps. It didn’t take more than two seconds for me to catch up to her and scoop her up, where she chimed loudly, pointing in a direction as a jumble of words and meanings came to me from her.

“You want me to go in that direction? Why?” I muttered out loud, looking up front. There was nothing ahead outside of trees, even when I spread out my Qi senses. No disciple, no spirit, nothing. It was eerily quiet, more so than any other part of the tournament I’d seen yet.

“There’s wards set up ahead. Suppression wards. I can barely sense them, but they seem to be hiding something,” Liuxiang replied, walking further in the indicated direction.

I followed behind him, setting Twilight on my head.

Liuxiang reached up to a tree, setting his palm against the trunk. A moment later, the bark covering it withered and began to rot off from the poison Qi that spread from Liuxiang’s palm, revealing an engraved character hidden inside.

“Hide,” I read the word out loud.

“No, not hide. Conceal. And a lot more than just one aspect. This is… a master’s work,” Liuxiang replied, rubbing the engraved formation as if he was touching the most precious piece of art.

“How come Twilight sensed something then?” I asked, before looking up to my little plant spirit for an answer.

“Chii!” she replied, pointing ahead, which was the best reply I got.

“Do you think we should go in?” I asked, turning towards Liuxiang.

“This one isn’t certain. The path ahead is still within the bounds of the tournament, and thus should be a part of it. Yet the path ahead only gets hidden even further still, and this one isn’t so sure that this is a part of some trial. The formations are too powerful for a tournament of outer sect disciples,” Liuxiang said.

“Well, we’re not quite regular outer sect disciples. Sounds like a hidden special trial to me!” I exclaimed, as Labby crackled in response to my excitement.

Liuxiang turned to look at me, before looking back towards the woods. I saw a smile tug at his lips for a brief moment before he rushed forward, into the woods.

“Bastard!” I shouted, laughing as I chased after the boy, and heard a loud chime of delight from Twilight.

“Chii!~”

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