The Laws of Cultivation: Qi = MC^2

Yan Yun felt her breath tighten, as she gazed upon the rising figure of the dragon, and the crashing tribulation welling in the sky. Her clothes were drenched from the pouring storm covering all of seventh peak, and the mortals now stood behind formations meant to protect them from the harsh wind and lightning of the tribulations as they remained with their heads bowed.

The past half an hour had been strange, as the entire arena had gone silent, losing track of everyone currently inside the trial. The scene had shifted to a display by the sect instead, as the participants went through the secluded enclosure.

Then all of sudden, the world had shuddered, as a tribulation had rumbled around the sky. A moment later, all of Seventh Peak watched a soaring dragon rising into the sky, and heading head first towards the heavenly tribulation and then beyond.

She looked around at the mortals and cultivators alike, bowing their heads in respect as the dragon soared into the Heavens themselves. She couldn’t help but wonder over what was going on.

Her gaze shifted towards the central seats, where she found the lord of the peak watching over the rising dragon, as an uproar of fear and excitement was going through the crowd. Yet knowing Lu Jie, and the truth behind his core, Yan Yun found her stomach turning over itself in concern.

“You look pale,” the boy behind her muttered. Xiao Lan, the boy Lu Jie had defeated. He’d decided to stick by her side for some reason, and she’d not see reason enough to send him away.

“Is that any way to speak to a Senior disciple?” Yan Yun replied with a calm voice, glancing towards him.

Widening his eyes, the boy slightly bowed his head. “Forgive this one, Senior sister,” he spoke, and Yan Yun let out a ‘hmph’ as she walked aside.

She never enjoyed putting on the act of a haughty senior disciple, yet it certainly had its uses at times.

“A disciple has gained the blessing of the great dragon,” the lord said, his voice projecting outwards on Qi as the arena grew silent to listen carefully.

“A child of the sect has truly been blessed today. Many congratulations, sect elder,” the lord said, as the crowd broke into cheers.

Yan Yun continued to gaze at the turbulent skies, feeling a similar turbulence rumbling in her own heart.

She hoped everything would be fine.

***

Tian Feng opened his eyes, his gaze rising to the sky. Even with all his divinations, he’d not expected for things to turn out this way.

“Perhaps I see why you took an interest in her, Xian Yue,” Tian Feng said.

“It was a whim. And being the spirit of the moon, I never fail to act upon any of my whims,” Xian Yue replied, her gaze also towards the sky.

“Do you wish to head to the court as well? All lunar spirits will be watching our dear rat arriving atop a dragon, beyond the heavens themselves. It would be a tale most of your kin and sisters would hate to miss,” Tian Feng said. He knew how the spirits of the moon were, this was a tale that would be told for at least a decade to come. Centuries in the spirit realm.

“As amusing as it would be to watch my sister’s reactions when they realize that I’d guided the little rat from the start of her journey, I think we both have better things to be doing,” Xian Yue said, chiming.

Tian Feng saw a smirk hanging upon her lips and knew to leave things there.

“Chirp!” Sheldon chirped from behind, his Qi expanding outwards. Streams of water flowed around the area, as Tian Feng’s Qi mingled with Sheldon’s.

Streams of fate flowed through the air, as mist filled the room, and Tian Feng returned to his divination. He could only hope now.

***

Labby stood in front of the right moons. There was a strength to their form that she could not sense. It was a vast thing, vaster than the sprawling lands she’d seen beneath atop the dragon’s back.

Her gaze shifted through the many moons, as she watched the marks upon their foreheads and the ornaments they wore, reflecting that. Each moon looked like the other, sharing the same face. Yet they couldn’t have been further from one another in demeanor. The dark moon madee Labby nervous and afraid. There was a deep hunger in the moon’s gaze that made the Labby fearful.

The waxing crescent felt like kin to Labby, and she felt a tie to the moon.

The full moon glowed brightly within her senses. The brightest moon that reflected all. A moon of completion and fulfillment.

And so she watched the faces of the moon, all the same, yet different.

“Squeak!” Labby replied.

She watched the court of the moon. It sat with eight thrones, arranged facing eight directions. Each moon was marked upon each throne, with many branches extending out from all of them, into a silvery white eternity.

Never before had Labby felt this much Lunar Qi in her surroundings. The world was drenched in the scent of the moon. A gentle light filled the room, with starry sparling curtains that rippled in and out of existence decorating the chamber.

Labby tapped her feet on the ground, feeling the clouds that formed the floor beneath her. She did not understand how she could stand upon them, when they felt softer than anything, and like air.

Murmurs spread throughout a court spread, as little spirits moved and drifted from all over.

“It has been ages since our court has had a visitor like you,” one of the moons whispered.

“Millenia!” a spirit shouted. “Not since the old stag!”

Delightful laughter spread through the many spirits, as they danced and moved through the court.

Labby looked on in confusion. “Umm, Labby wants to… gain a human form. She was told that you can help.”

The crescent moon laughed a beautiful chiming laughter. “Impatient, are we dear? First we shall hold a celebration. You are a guest of our court today, La Bi. Come, and join us,” the moons said, as mist rose from the ground around her.

Labby was carried off by the mists, flying towards a little seat. The right moons sat on their thrones, watching as the spirits of the moon came. They sang and danced, as laughter and wine flowed like a river.

Rare delicacies passed in front of Labby, brimming with the scent of Lunar Qi, yet something in Labby’s soul told her not to eat anything, or she’d be stuck in this place.

Time passed by in a blur, in what felt like a week of celebration. Labby watched the spirit tell magical tales, with vivid illusions, they sang melodious songs and the melody of the moon. It was a celebration grander than any she’d even fathomed.

“Ah, what a shame. The time to part has arrived,” the waxing crescent moon spoke, her eyes lingering upon Labby.

The court shifted once more, the spirits sweeping past as the thrones faded. Mist covered Labby through the silvery room, as the eight moons all stood in line, the waxing crescent moon standing front and foremost.

“My child. You have sworn yourself to my path. To the path of growth and journey. Now, it is time for you to pick another moon, or walk further along the path you already walk,” the moon said, her voice resonant.

Qi wavered and pulsed, power gathering within the words. The eight moons regarded her as one.

“Tell us. Why did you pick this path?”

The weight of the moons pressed upon Labby’s shoulders. The court stilled, each spirit watching her in silence.

“Labby wishes to grow. She wishes to keep up with her master. To learn about the cycles of the world and to understand what lies beneath it. To help her master spread curiosity and knowledge. To journey beyond the little areas and explore the vast world around her. Squeak!” Labby replied, looking up at the moons.

The Lunar Qi shifted, as something flowed within Labby. The crescent on her forehead lit up, flowing a bright silver.

“So you walk the path of the curious. A little rat that gazes upon the moon,” the moons spoke as one, regarding her.

Labby felt the weight on her spirit increasing.

“Tell us. What does the moon mean to you?”

“Change! And a cycle of the world. The moon is the cycle of the world, just like the sun. It is the cycle that changes constantly, yet is fixed in nature. It is a cycle of periods of time. It represents growth, it represents phases. The moon means change!” Labby exclaimed proudly.

“The moons are varied, we form a single whole, but are eight and more. Like the ever shifting faces of the moon, our domain changes as well.” the moons echoed.

Silvery mist formed around Labby, as she felt Lunar Qi forming around her claws.

“Why do you walk our path?”

Labby thought over her path, over her purpose. Why did she wish to follow her path?

“Labby was granted everything by her Master. She wants to accompany him on his path. Labby wants to be the moon to her master’s light, to follow him like the moon follows behind the sun, eternally reflecting its light,” Labby replied, looking up at the shifting faces of the moon.

“Labby wishes to take on a human form,” she replied towards the moons.

“We witness your Path child of thunder. You wield lightning few others possess. To you, we grant the blessing of the first moon. The moon of a new beginning.”

The moons leaned forward, their forms dark and starry like the endless void of celestial places, yet marked by the silver light of the moon. Together, in a joint form, the sisters pressed their finger against Labby’s forehead, as a bright light lit up upon her.

Lunar Qi swirled, flowing in towards Labby. Her crescent grew larger and larger as the second moon imprinted itself upon her forehead, forming above the crescent.

“Like the shifting faces of the moon, you can shift into the form of your desire.”

Labby felt the lunar wisps flooding her, as her dantian was filled to the brim. For a moment, she felt like she was going to pop, but she controlled the Qi and channeled it to her body.

Lunar light gathered on her fur, rising to be a glowing blinding shimmer.

Closing her eyes, Labby sat, as the QI flowed into her and began to change her body. The heavens rumbled beneath the court, and the air vibrated around her as she pushed past the 2nd realm within moments, breaking into the third.

A spirit of the moon played the flute, laughing.

“This shall be a tale to tell, of the rat that rode upon a dragon’s back, crossing the very heavens to reach the court of the moon. All to take the form of her Master!”

And so the court of the moon sang, the tale of the rat that rode a dragon to defy fate. Of the moon that followed behind her master’s sun.

The story of La Bi.