The Grand Magus In Murim

Chapter 4: The First Circle

Days passed in quiet succession within the eastern courtyard of the Ling Manor. From the perspective of the servants, the young master had become unusually diligent after awakening from his long slumber. He rarely left his room except to accompany his parents during meals. Most of his time was spent reading, resting, or gazing into the distance from the pavilion overlooking the gardens. Only Ling Tianyu knew the truth. Every waking moment, he cultivated. Even while sleeping, the channels he had created continued to draw the qi of heaven and earth into his body. The spiritual energy flowed endlessly through his meridians before gathering within the dantian beneath his navel.

At first, the progress delighted him. The amount of qi he absorbed far surpassed ordinary martial artists. The dantian he had created through the principles of magic continued to expand steadily. His senses sharpened with each passing day. His body, weakened by three years of unconsciousness, gradually regained its vitality. However, as time passed, a problem emerged.

Ling Tianyu frowned as he sat cross-legged upon his bed. His robes clung to his skin from perspiration. The qi surrounding him flowed continuously into his body. Yet something felt wrong. He could feel it. The burden. The pressure. The increasing weight within his flesh. His bones seemed denser than before. His muscles felt heavier. Even lifting his hand required slightly more effort than it had several days ago.

Qi was entering his body. That much was undeniable. But his dantian remained unchanged. It resembled a bottomless abyss. No matter how much qi entered, he could not sense fullness. There was no barrier. No limitation. No indication that he had reached the threshold required to form his first magic circle.

Ling Tianyu slowly exhaled. "This should not be possible." In his previous world, the growth of a mage followed a clear path. Mana flowed through magic circuits embedded throughout the body. As mages cultivated, their circuits expanded and strengthened. Eventually, a point would be reached where the circuits could no longer contain additional mana. That saturation forced transformation. A breakthrough. The mage condensed a magic circle within the heart, elevating their existence into a higher class. The process repeated throughout their lives. Every advancement possessed signs. Every threshold announced itself. There was certainty.

Yet the dantian offered none. Ling Tianyu extended his spiritual senses inward. Qi continued pouring into the reservoir beneath his navel. It entered. It vanished. It accumulated. Yet the dantian remained incomprehensibly vast. He could not determine whether it was half full or entirely empty. For the first time since awakening in this world, frustration appeared upon his face. He had once been Aurelius Constance. The Grand Magus who deciphered the Book of Origin. The man who stood against gods. Yet now, he found himself bewildered by the cultivation method of martial artists.

Days became weeks. Ling Tianyu continued cultivating. The burden within his body increased steadily. His movements became heavier. His breathing deepened. The qi surrounding him never ceased entering his channels. Still, no breakthrough arrived.

One evening, as moonlight illuminated the courtyard beyond his window, Ling Tianyu opened his eyes. His expression was thoughtful. He realized he had made a mistake. He had approached qi using the logic of mana. Magic circuits existed to contain energy. Their limitations defined advancement. The dantian was different.

Closing his eyes once more, Ling Tianyu observed the qi within himself. This time, he did not search for boundaries. He searched for purpose. Gradually, understanding dawned upon him. Mana was refined before use. Qi was used before refinement. Martial artists accumulated heaven and earth qi not to fill the dantian, but to transform it through circulation, tempering, and application. The dantian was not a vessel. It was a foundation. It resembled an ocean receiving countless rivers. Its significance did not lie in becoming full. Its purpose was to deepen endlessly.

The heavier sensation within his body was not the burden of excess energy. It was change. The qi entering his body continuously compressed and nourished his flesh, bones, organs, and meridians. Mana elevated the soul's authority over reality. Qi transformed the body into a vessel capable of transcending humanity. Neither method was superior. They simply pursued different truths.

Ling Tianyu's eyes widened. "I understand now." A smile slowly formed upon his lips. He had sought the fullness of the dantian because magic circuits required limits. He had searched for barriers because mana demanded containment. But qi possessed no such requirements. The dantian expanded without end. Its depth reflected the foundation of the cultivator. The magic circle did not emerge because the dantian overflowed. It emerged when the body achieved harmony. The heart. The dantian. The meridians. The transformed flesh. Only when these reached equilibrium could the next step begin.

Ling Tianyu guided his senses throughout his body. The qi circulating through his channels moved effortlessly. His meridians had adapted to the constant flow. His body had grown accustomed to the burden. The dantian beneath his navel revolved steadily like a tranquil sea. Everything had unknowingly aligned. Excitement surged within him. He directed a portion of qi upward. The energy traveled through the meridians connecting his dantian to his chest. Warmth blossomed around his heart. Unlike before, resistance did not occur. The qi responded naturally.

Ancient formulas from his days as the Grand Magus resurfaced within his mind. He modified them. Adjusted them. Removed their dependence upon mana. The beating of his heart synchronized with the circulation of qi. Thump. Thump. Thump. Each heartbeat resonated throughout his body. The qi gathered around his heart compressed repeatedly. The sensation was neither painful nor pleasant. It resembled the forging of steel.

Gradually, intricate patterns emerged within his perception. Lines woven from qi etched themselves upon the heart's surface. One line. Then another. The structure expanded methodically according to principles refined through a thousand years of magical understanding. Time passed unnoticed. Then, accompanied by the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, the final line settled into place. A soft radiance spread throughout his body.

Ling Tianyu slowly opened his eyes. Within his chest, the first magic circle rotated quietly around his heart. He had succeeded. The Grand Magus who had lost everything in the Void had taken his first step once more. Only this time, the foundation beneath his feet belonged not to mana, but to the endless qi flowing beneath heaven and earth.