Morning Mist clung low to the valley, drifting like silk between the trees. The faint sound of birds echoed slowly through the air. Near the waterfall, where water met stone, Ren Tianyu sat still, as still as the rocks around him. His breathing was slow, calm and measured.
The world seem quiet to him, but not empty.
Not anymore.
Since his father's lesson, his view of the world had changed, or maybe, it was him who changed. Now, he can feel it, the rhythm of all things around him pulsating, each differently. The air seemed to be humming faintly like unseen song strings from afar, the rocks didn't seem so ordinary anymore, they looked woven from something much older wnd ancient.
It was Primordial Thread.
That was the name of these threads or rhythms as his father told him, he also added that it was called in various names, but this was the truest. Saying he would understand what he meant later.
"Don't try to chase or control it" his father instructed, breaking Ren's concentration "let it come to you, make it consider you part of it."
Ren opened his eyes, and his father, crossing his arms and leaning onto a tree, come into view.
"Let's begin?" Ren asked.
"Yes"
And so another day of training began for Ren.
His training's began with repetition, simple and purposeful, to drill the basics into him early.
It started with balance drills, walking narrow beams holding heavy stones. He had to move with his eyes closed, feeling the rhythm around him to navigate. If he slipped or one of the rocks fell, he had to start over.
Then came strength, holding rocks too, but this time they're bigger and heavier, and he had to run with them on his back or while doing physical exercise.
During his training, Mei would come from time to time to mock him or motivate him, depending on her mood after completing her training. " Come on little leaf, even a squirrel can do better than that."
To which he just rolls his eyes and continues his training, sweat dripping down his back.
And then at the end, came the most important, the sensory training.
This was meant to allow him to sense the threads or rhythms at all times with just a thought, without the need to focus and concentrate needlessly.
His father stands further away from him, holding a leaf in his hands. When Ren shifts to focus, he starts controlling the leaf with his primordial energy and telling Ren to try to sense where it's going and stop it before reaching him.
At other times, he would tell Ren to try and directly control the leaf without opening his eyes or touching it.
At first, he couldn't do more than just feeling subtle threads around him, barely. But as the days passed, he started feeling them more and more and even see a few traces of objects that moved.
The controlling part was more difficult, as the threads didn't seem to be easily controllable. They didn't come from him, not a part of him he can control or direct, theh were like water, you can push it around, but can't get a hold of it or control it, but with these threads, you can hardly even feel them to even control them.
The faster he progressed, the more concerned his father became, but he never showed his concern, only pride in front of Ren.
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At night, as Ren sat closing his eyes on the field, almost sleeping, Mei came from behind sneakily.
"Don't try to do it." Ren said, sensing she was about to do something to him thinking je was sleeping.
"Finally, you sensed me, hehe~" Mei exclaimed happily.
After training, when Ren sat kn contemplation like that, Mei sneaked behind him to prank him, pouring water, spices, and others.
She called it "Punishment Training."
At first, Ren found it annoying, but as time went on, he did try and develop his sensory and eventually could feel her.
What he didn't know though is that Mei did that on his parents' orders.
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In the distance, atop a far away cliff, Ren's parents watched.
Mu Qinglan, folding her arms said, "He's progressing too fast, at this rate they might target him more."
Ren Xuanyin furrowed his brows, noddingly saying, "The threads are responding more than they should, especially in this lacking environment, it's like they are a part of him that got detached with time."
"Shall we increase the pace even more?"
"Yes....we shouldn't risk the delay longer than we can."
Unaware, the children smiled happily.
And Ren, not aware, had a flicker in his soul sparkle once more, noticing the change in him.....