Chapter 11 The Blueberry in the Void
A year had passed since Su Zhen took his first Goldthread Pill. Under the guidance of Elder Ge Xu Tong, he had mastered all nine stages of Hidden Yang Fire Burns Impurities and reached the sixth stage of the Mountain Eagle's internal form.
It turned out even Uncle Lin had only attained the second stage of the form—Iron Claws—which allowed him to break through basic Qi barriers of opponents at the first stage. Uncle Lin explained that, in the world of Jianghu - home of martial artists, adventurers and bandits - most proficient practitioners of internal arts only reach the second or third level, as the levels differ in strength depending on style.
The third stage—Iron Wings—let one cut through flesh with the edge of the palm like a blade and block blows from blunt weapon—clubs or iron rods—using nothing but their forearms. Anyone who reached that stage would be considered a respected master in Jianghu. When Su Zhen reached this level, he stopped telling Uncle Lin about his progress to avoid drawing further unwanted attention.
The fourth stage—Eagle's Cry—allowed the practitioner to strike without touching the opponent, from a short distance. The power depended on how much Qi was used. With enough Qi, a simple first-stage barrier could be pierced.
The fifth stage—Eagle's Iron Heart—protected the internal organs from falls from great heights, forming a dense barrier capable of stopping direct sword stabs and slashes to the bare body several times—as long as they weren't Qi-infused and were dealt by ordinary soldiers, not internal masters. Practitioners at this level could, at will, retract their scrotum to protect it, shield their acupoints, and control their body at a reflexive level. This stage was legendary in martial arts circles, rarely attained by any but the founders of the greatest martial schools.
The sixth stage—Eagle's Adamant Body—was already, according to Elder Ge, comparable to the combat techniques of alchemists. The manual Uncle Lin gave Su Zhen claimed that at this level, one could stop sabers and swords from martial artists with bare hands, and heightened cat-like reflexes allowed catching arrows mid-flight. Qi strikes from a distance could kill fourth-stage internal form masters. It also allowed weight reduction and high leaps through Qi redirection—a technique known as qinggong (轻功).
However, Ge Xu Tong noted that the manual contained copyist mistakes—clearly written by someone who hadn't achieved that level. The style itself was unbalanced in terms of elemental composition and was likely tailored for someone with a rare physique, probably being a fragment or adaptation of an alchemical method. Practicing solely from the manual, one could never reach completion. But thanks to the Hidden Yang alchemical practice and the development of wondrous meridians, Su Zhen was able to manifest this stage.
The final seventh stage—Eye of the Celestial Eagle—was the very reason Ge Xu Tong had allowed Su Zhen to practice this style. This stage forcefully opened the Heavenly eye, allowing one to see Qi flows, communicate telepathically and use alchemist's artifacts.
This wasn't the vague spiritual sight used by healers, meditators, shamans, and sorcerers—where spirits were seen mixed with one's own imagination. It was the true Heavenly Eye, or Divine Eye, enabling clear vision of real Qi flows and the spirit world. Normally, it opens only after the full restoration of the microcosmic orbit and accumulation of true small elixir. Some methods, however, allowed it to be forced open—something frowned upon in alchemical tradition. Alchemists saw nothing unique in this, but for mortals, it was a rare and extraordinary achievement.
To reach the seventh stage and open the Heavenly Eye, Su Zhen would have to take the final Goldthread Pill and apply the ninth-stage techniques of Hidden Yang Fire Burns Impurities.
The slightly taller and more refined Su Zhen sat cross-legged in Elder Ge's dimly lit cave, bathed in an eerie blue glow. Facing his master's withered body, he listened intently to the telepathic voice echoing in his mind, responding aloud:
"Zhen Xu, do you already know the local plants well?"
"Yes, Master. After I reached the ninth stage of the Hidden Yang Fire, my brain was purged of impurities and nurtured with true Jing. I gained complete clarity and memory. In just one month, I memorized the encyclopedia that Doctor Bai gave me, and all the books from his library related to herbs, the mortal understanding of alchemy, and medicine."
"Good! Very good! We near the end of your foundational training. Once you open the Heavenly Eye, you'll be able to enter the chamber behind me."
"Chamber?"
"Yes. I'm not sitting here for no reason," Elder Ge smirked. "This chamber is a hidden reserve vault of our Holy Sect of Refining the Void. In that room are resources meant for rebuilding the sect in case its main stronghold fell. I've been sitting here for three hundred years—and no one has come. That can only mean one thing: the sect was completely destroyed. Or at least, all the elders and the sect leader were."
"That dagger in your neck…"
"Yes. I teleported here during the attack, and mid-process, the enemy managed to strike me. When I arrived, I couldn't move—the blade severed my spinal cord and an artery on one side of my neck. Worse, the blade was poisoned. My true Qi was just enough to halt the poison and sealed the wound, but not to heal it. I fell into deep samadhi. When I awoke, I couldn't tell how much time had passed, but judging from indirect signs while scanning the space around the cave, I believe at least three hundred years have gone by."
"Amazing! Then how old are you, Elder?" Zhen Xu's eyes widened in awe.
"During the attack on the sect, I was three hundred and two years old."
"And how many years can one live by practicing alchemy?!" Zhen's curiosity kept growing.
"Thousands—perhaps even hundreds of thousands of years. But usually, after a few thousand, practitioners who've reached the Embryo Fusion stage ascend to the Heavenly Realms. How long one can live there... I truly don't know. Once you open the Heavenly Eye and gain access to the chamber, you'll find records with answers to many such questions. You'll be able to clarify everything you wish to know about the world of alchemy."
"Understood, Master."
"By the way, you can take the sword with you now. Bai Xiao won't question you, and by now you're more than capable of defending it from bandits."
"Hmm... Alright, Master." Zhen stepped forward and lifted the sword from the platform.
A month after their first meeting—and after Zhen had buried the sword—he decided it would be better to return it to the elder's cave for safekeeping, rather than leaving it buried under a tree in the damp earth.
"And one more thing... Do you remember the rumors about flying shields and glowing orbs from a year ago?"
"Yes, Master."
"Be careful. Once you open the Heavenly Eye, those beings might try to make contact with you. Ignore them completely, as you should anyone who tries to speak to you or draw your attention. You must not reveal your knowledge or cultivation level. Don't direct your Heavenly Eye toward anything. In fact, try to shut it off immediately. Don't talk to anyone—just run straight here, to the cave. It would be best to open it somewhere near the cave. You won't be able to do it right at the entrance, since there's a powerful formation here that blocks cultivation. But you can practice at the base of the cliff, close enough to reach the cave quickly if anything happens."
"Beings?"
"Yes. Those 'shields' are flying vehicles— crafts of demonic entities from another world..."
A chill ran down Zhen Xu's spine.
"Could they uncover and kill me?" he asked anxiously.
"Yes. They don't bother mortal martial artists because they sense no threat. But if they uncover that you're an alchemist, they will undoubtedly try to kill you—or at the very least, recruit you by force." Old Man Ge's voice in Zhen's mind was deadly serious. "Zhen Xu... our world holds a secret..."
Goosebumps crawled over Zhen's entire skin as his blood and Qi rushed to his brain in dreadful anticipation.
"We live on a farm-planet, where mortal humans are livestock for demons. That is why humans have their Heavenly Eye sealed and why alchemy is so difficult to practice."
"Wait—a planet? You mean, like, a celestial body?" Zhen Xu asked, trying to steady his stomach as nausea threatened to rise.
"Our world isn't a flat disk, as mortal books claim, but a sphere—like a ball or a blueberry. Travel far enough in one direction, and you'll end up right where you began.
Many planet-worlds like ours exist in the Void. The stars in the sky are distant suns, each with planets orbiting around it. Not all are inhabited. Many are lifeless—like the other planets you see in the sky: Jupiter, Mars, Venus. There are countless such suns and planets, stretching across the vastness of space..."
"So... these demons devour us like cattle?"Zhen swallowed nervously.
"No, not literally... except for their certain dark rituals... They drain lifeforce through special implants embedded in the subtle body at birth. An alchemist's first task is to remove them. The moment you interfere with them, the demons will sense it and come to investigate who's trying to break free. Opening the Heavenly Eye with your Mountain Eagle's internal form doesn't fully remove the implant from your head, but it severely damages it—enough to attract the attention of demonic overseers."