The Eye of Oblivion

Chapter 7: Advancing Physical Cultivation

The surroundings were shrouded in darkness. This planet had no moonlight, and nights were pitch black. However, according to his mother’s tales from a bygone era, there were once moons here—more than one. Yet, by the time of his maternal great-grandfather, they had mysteriously vanished. The cause of their disappearance remained unknown.

Yahan had once dismissed this as mere myth. How could a moon simply disappear? It would require dozens or even hundreds of nuclear missiles to destroy a satellite, but such advanced weaponry was inconceivable in this rudimentary society.

Yahan meticulously scanned his surroundings, then bent his legs slightly and formed a peculiar hand seal near his dantian. Soon, his mind transcended into a state of ethereal emptiness.

Achieving stillness had become second nature to him over the past few years.

In his mind's eye, within a mystical realm, a humanoid shadow stood serene at the center, surrounded by a web of countless delicate threads. Each thread, rooted throughout his body, connected the shadow and threads into a tight-knit system.

Suddenly, the shadow began to move, mimicking Yahan’s exact gestures. The entire figure started to vibrate violently at a consistent frequency, causing the threads to tremble and the surrounding flesh to gradually writhe in resonance.

The threads primarily embedded themselves within the muscles, with very few penetrating the skin, internal organs, or bone. Indeed, no threads reached the bones, marrow, or brain.

These threads represented the mental energy rooted within his body, while the shadow symbolized Yahan’s soul. Residing in the mental realm, the soul acted like a spider in a vast web, controlling bodily movements through this intricate network.

Most human movements are controlled by muscle contractions, which is why the threads are predominantly found in the muscles. The skin and internal organs are generally beyond human control, so mental threads are sparse in those areas. Bones, marrow, and the brain are entirely out of reach.

It felt as though countless tiny insects were burrowing beneath his skin. As time passed, the muscle contractions intensified, causing the nearby organs to resonate with the tremors.

The energy essence absorbed from food surged into the muscles through the tremors, with a minor portion also flowing into the organs and even the bones. Yet, compared to the muscles, this was negligible.

His entire body flushed red, radiating an immense heat. However, today the sensation of heat seemed particularly intense. Gradually, the threads embedded in the muscles began to form a small branch, with a delicate offshoot extending toward the skin.

Suddenly, Yahan's skin felt as if it were electrified, beginning to convulse violently. After a few minutes, he released the hand seal, collapsing onto the ground in exhaustion. His flushed, scalding face turned dark blue as the cold wind blew across it.

Yahan shook his head, regaining a modicum of clarity. The previously pitch-black surroundings seemed slightly brighter, though he dismissed it as a mere illusion. After a while, he staggered to his feet and made his way, unsteady and stumbling, towards his small hut.

...

The next morning, while Yahan was still lost in a pleasant dream, a sudden, sharp pain in his head jolted him awake, sending him crashing to the floor. His head throbbed, and before he could comprehend the situation, a booming voice called out:

"Boy, stop sleeping; we need to get going or we won’t make it back today."

Yahan opened his groggy eyes to see a face covered in stubble, with bits of bloody meat clinging to it. Having endured such rough treatment for two years, he stood up groggily, rubbing his still throbbing head, and peered outside at the still-dark sky, saying wearily:

"Father, isn’t it too early to leave? The sun hasn’t even risen."

"You have no idea. That little town is a long way from here. With you along, who knows when we’ll get there?"

"Oh!" Yahan nodded, resigned.

The items for the journey had already been prepared by his mother the night before: besides several bundles of beast hides, there was a sack of dried meat. These hides, accumulated over the years by Yali, were to be sold to buy a good sword for his son.

Outside, a dilapidated cart was already waiting. At the front, a two-meter-high, three-meter-long beast with curved black horns was impatiently snorting. This large creature, despite its fearsome appearance, was actually very docile.

Its speed was exceptional, and only the chief had managed to capture and tame one, making it the primary means of transportation for the village.

It was rumored that the chief had risen to his position largely due to this beast.

After loading the bundles of hides and the sack of dried meat onto the cart and securing them with vines, Yahan and Yali climbed aboard. Yali gave the beast a light pat on its rear.

The beast seemed to receive the signal, snorting excitedly, and started trotting forward.

For the beast, each journey was a thrilling adventure. But for Yahan, the ride was torturous. The cart had no cushioning, merely three round wooden balls with two logs running through them, and the rough road made the ride jarring. After only a short while, Yahan, sitting on the cart, stood up in agony, clutching his sore backside.

Meanwhile, Yali remained seated on the cart, not budging an inch. He kept the hides and meat secure from the jolting motion and grinned widely:

"Son, riding this cart isn’t easy. Even I’ve only done it three times."

"Father, the cart is indeed fast, but the jolting makes it painful. My backside feels bruised," Yahan said with an innocent expression.

"You little rascal, you don’t understand. Speed always comes with jarring impacts," Yali replied with a look of bemusement.

Yahan, having learned from countless previous experiences, lowered his head in acquiescence, silently scoffing, "The high-speed trains from my past life were far faster and didn’t shake this much."

Of course, this was merely a thought.

Having once read a forum post extolling the virtues of primitive societies, Yahan now realized how misguided that idealization was. The harsh realities and daily hardships he had endured over the past two years had toughened him.

Yet the thought of one day marrying a large, muscular woman who hadn't brushed her teeth in years, and spending his life laboring and raising a brood of wild children, filled him with a profound sense of dread and unease.