The Laws of Cultivation: Qi = MC^2

Chi circulated around Labby as she sat in her chamber meditating. Her Path had shifted when the heavens had changed. Her Qi had changed, alongside the heavens, as Chi had taken its place instead. As a result, her lightning had shifted subtly as well, though she couldn’t quite tell how.

It was as if before her lightning had a constant shape, a defined form where it knew exactly what it was, but now it felt fuzzier, like instead of something fixed, it was more a bundle of potential, possibilities that could go in any direction she wanted.

Labby took in a breath, trying to meditate as best as she could while following the cultivation arts that she had read. She couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated, her goal had been to follow in the footsteps of her great master, but now it felt like she had just been left behind, while he soared far ahead of her.

Labby let out a breath, the feelings of frustration interfering with her cultivation. She opened her eyes, looking at the cultivation book sitting in her lap. She had spent a lot of time and effort learning through the books. But even as she read through multiple cultivation books, she could not find any that could really tell her the direction her Path was supposed to take now.

Diagrams were drawn in the book in front of her, depicting various cultivation arts regarding the moon’s eight lunar forms, and the various arts corresponding to them. She looked at the one talking about the dark moon, the moon of hunger, and war. The moon of endings, the moon that was most tied with strength.

She already had the crescent moon and the full moon of new beginnings. Now her Path was supposed to take her onto a third moon, and according to Xian Yue, the dark moon would be good for her next.

But, despite her readings, she could not really make sense of this moon. It was supposed to describe hunger and longing, two things Labby was inherently familiar with. She had always longed to be more, and even before she had become Labby, hunger had been a constant part of her life.

The thing that bothered her was how the moon did not run away from these things but embraced them. Labby could not understand it. How can one embrace being incomplete? Being hungry? The new moon was supposed to show both the end and the beginning, but how could one thing be both? None of it made any sense!

Labby’s eyes spun around, as she tried to make sense of the words. As she sat there, feeling frustrated at her lack of progress, a squeak came from nearby. A girl shrieked, rushing into the chamber with tears in her eyes, as one of her rats chased her around.

“Stop!” Labby commanded, and the rat immediately froze in place.

She extended her hand, and the rat scurried towards her, squeaking as it relayed that the girl had been spying on her. Labby turned her gaze to the girl, not recognizing her.

“What are you doing here?” Labby asked, her head tilted in confusion.

“Uhh… I… Well, I was getting some lessons, but the instructor got busy, so I… sneaked out. I saw you reading, so I was curious what you were reading about…” The girl said, looking nervous. “Sorry.”

Labby stood up, the rat perched on her shoulder. “What’s your name?” she asked the girl.

“Mo Lin,” the girl replied. “I just joined the sect.”

Labby nodded, giving her rat a reward as it scampered off. She was about to return to her book and her cultivation, not particularly interested in the girl, when suddenly a doll peeked out from Mo Lin’s dress, looking angrily at the rat and swinging a small blade around.

“Mei!” the girl shouted.

Labby looked at the doll, curious. “What’s that?”

“Oh… this is Mei, she’s my doll. She can move because of my ability,” Mo Lin explained, bringing Mei out.

Labby looked at the doll with fascination. The little doll stood on Labby’s hand, then bowed respectfully like a cultivator.

“Your ability lets you move dolls?” Labby asked, her eyes shining with curiosity.

“Yes! Well, Mei is a bit special since she kind of moves on her own. But yeah, I can move dolls! We were trying to figure out if that was all I could do, but the practices are exhausting, so I came here instead,” Mo Lin said, looking up at Labby. “Are you… a cultivator too?”

Labby gave a nod.

“Is your ability to talk with rats?" Mo Lin asked.

Labby shook her head. “No, it’s this,” she said, extending her hand as purple lightning crackled around her.

“Heavens!” Mo Lin exclaimed. “That’s so awesome! Can you do it again?”

A smile formed on Labby’s face. “That was nothing, Labby can do a lot more,” she said, as the lightning crackled all around her body. Labby curved the lightning bolts, forming different shapes around her hand.

“You’re amazing! Wow… I’m kinda jealous. I love Mei, but I wanted a cool ability too. I know I shouldn’t say that since it’s a new kind of Chi and everything but…” Mo Lin trailed off.

“New kind of Chi?” Labby asked, curiously.

“Yeah! Apparently it’s very rare. I met someone else who also had one! Her name was Yan Yun. She’s been teaching me some things. I only just found out about it. The elder just came to me one day and just asked me to come with him. I was so scared, but he’s nice. He told me I have an ability that’s not been seen before, and they’re trying to study it,” Mo Lin replied.

Labby looked at the girl in surprise. She knew her Great Master had been doing a lot of things, and that many of the kids also had Chi now, but somehow it felt a little bad to know that someone who just got Chi awakened something new before even she did.

Turning around, Labby went back to her book. “Labby needs to cultivate,” she said, taking her seat again.

“Okay!” Mo Lin exclaimed, and for a moment Labby thought the girl would go away but she remained standing there, simply smiling at her.

Labby tried to ignore the girl and return to meditation. She took a breath, circulating her Chi. Yet despite her best efforts, the girl’s searing gaze continued to distract. Labby opened her eyes for a few seconds, looking at Mo Lin.

“Do you need something?” Labby asked.

“Oh, no, I just - I’m curious. What are you doing right now?” Mo Lin asked.

“Labby is trying to understand a new moon. She is supposed to cultivate through it, to reach the next realm, but Labby doesn’t really understand it.”

“New moon?”

“Yeah, it’s about hunger and longing. New beginnings, but also endings. It’s all very confusing. Labby wished her great master was here to teach her, he would be able to explain everything to her easily. But he is very busy now, so Labby has to do this on her own.”

“That sounds really difficult. I don't know much about war and so on. War is scary. My dad almost got sent to war, but he was too weak so they left him. He always felt ashamed and sad about that but… to be honest, I was happy that he didn’t get picked. A lot of people never come back,” Mo Lin said, her enthusiasm dying for a few moments.

Labby thought over it. If her great master had to go to war… she couldn’t see him losing. But, for a moment she pictured it, and her heart dropped. No, that would never happen. Her great master was really strong!

Trying to think of a different topic, Labby looked towards the girl. “What is your Path, Mo Lin? What do you want to be?”

Mo Lin thought over it for a few seconds. “I really want to be like Mei. Beautiful, and graceful and strong,” she said, as the doll brushed her hair, feeling happy to be praised.

Labby hummed. “How will you do that if your ability is controlling dolls?”

“I don’t know,” Mo Lin replied.

The two girls sat in silence for a few seconds.

“Well, Labby can teach you. Labby knows how to fight, she learned it from a dragon!”

“Ooh!” Mo Lin exclaimed, looking at Labby.

A smug smile was on Labby’s face, as she stood up. “Here, come, I’ll show you.”

Mo Lin nodded, standing up. Labby took a stance, centering her Chi, as she took in a deep breath. “Put your stance like this, and then… you must call upon the Chi around you, with power and command, like a dragon,” Labby said, closing her eyes. Lightning crackled all around her, power surging as a storm of lightning descended with her movements.

“Dragon’s Tempest!”

The lightning bolts crashed, all around Labby, before settling down. Mo Lin’s eyes were wide in shock, as she stared at Labby.

“Wow, that was… amazing. A dragon taught you that?” Mo Lin asked, giddy with excitement.

Labby puffed her chest out. “Yup! Labby even rode on the dragon’s back all the way into the skies, and to the moon’s court.”

“Labby is awesome!” Mo Lin shouted, as Labby stood proudly.

“Okay, your turn now,” Labby said. “Just do what I did. Call on the Chi with command to strike lightning. Draw it inwards, like that.”

Mo Lin gave a hesitant nod.

Mei jumped down besides Mo Lin, also taking the stance alongside her.

“Oh, you’re gonna try too, Mei?” Mo Lin asked.

The little doll nodded, jumping up and down. Labby stood, watching as Mo Lin closed her eyes. Chi moved around the girl, as she gathered it around her body, swirling powerfully. Opening her eyes, Mo Lin moved.

“Dragon’s tempest!” she shouted, striking her fist out as Chi flowed through her body.

A second passed in silence, as nothing happened.

“That’s okay, you won’t get it in—“

Crack!

Labby jumped back, as a strike of lightning struck around her, little clouds forming overhead that dissipated quickly. “What was that? Was that you Mo Lin?” she asked in surprise.

Mo Lin shook her head. “No I think that was…” the girl trailed off, as both of them looked at the small doll, crackling with lightning all around her, before patting her chest with a smug look on her face.

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