Reaching the Sublime

Darkness. Silence. In what felt like an eternal fall, Ji Jue saw the flames once again. Amid the dark, dead stillness of the deep sea, that single flicker of fire leaped in silence, rising from the cold ashes to dance in endless motion. Closer it drew, and closer still, until that negligible speck of flame consumed everything, turning into a shoreless sea of fire... And so, he gradually grew accustomed. And so, he gradually forgot himself. It was as though a speck of ash had fallen back into a greater heap of ash, as though a spark had returned to the flames. In the low, muffled echoes of this deep abyss, Ji Jue closed his eyes, curling inward with exhaustion, like sinking from the deepest recesses of a dream into yet another dream. A voice whispered within his heart, *Ji Jue, you belong here.* "No." Ji Jue opened his eyes. With that, the deep sea, the flames, the nightmare—everything receded and vanished. Before him lay the familiar workshop: steel floors, walls, and ceiling, numerous pieces of equipment, scattered drafts, and even the desk lamp in the distance that had been dimmed after he fell asleep, casting a faint, amber glow. He stared blankly for a long while before slowly climbing out of bed and rubbing his face. "Isis, the time." "Current baseline time: 6:11 AM. One hour and forty-nine minutes remaining until the scheduled hour, sir," a gentle voice replied. "Your sleep vitals remained steady with no anomalous conditions detected. I assume you had that dream again." "Yeah." Ji Jue yawned, washed his face, and looked up, staring at the haggard face in the mirror. "And it was closer. Closer than ever before." In the mirror's reflection, that pale face showed faint traces of gaunt exhaustion, marked by torment and deep fatigue. He had suffered through agony. It wasn't because of the inexplicable nightmare, but entirely of his own making. "My recommendation is to cease that foolish ritual of feigning piety before the gods and Buddhas, eat something, and go back to sleep to enjoy the rest a human deserves. There is still over an hour before the forging begins, sir. You have time." "Unfortunately, Isis, humans are inherently foolish, and this ritual is necessary." Ji Jue shook his head and refused. Now awake, he didn't return to sleep. Instead, he bowed his head to review every step and detail of Chunjun's forging process once more. Even though he had repeated it countless times, even though he could recite it backward in his sleep, it was etched almost into his very marrow. Hunger. He was growing hungrier by the minute. Literally starving and parched. Going without food for seven straight days was still an ordeal for Ji Jue, who was only at the Metamorphosis rank. His body instinctively craved nourishment and water. Though he could endure, habits ingrained over more than twenty years of life told him that he should eat, that he was long overdue for a meal—rather than standing here drinking the northwest wind like a ghost trying to trick itself. Suffering was only natural; lingering in a state where he wasn't starving to death yet hardly felt alive was completely his own doing. *Bathe and fast; burn incense and change robes.* Now, Ji Jue was strictly carrying out a ritual he once would have scoffed at, performing it meticulously and with absolute focus. To be sure, most of the time such practices were nothing more than dregs left behind from the ancient alchemy of the Age of Chaos—an ascetic display meant to flaunt one's willpower. Yet it happened to be paramount to the forging of Chunjun. Confined within a sealed environment, cut off from the outside world as much as possible. No food, no drink; only burning incense and meditating. Focusing entirely on the self. Eliminating external disturbances to the greatest extent possible during these seven days of isolation, burning incense and bathing three times a day, all to strip away the chaotic phenomena and information that muddied his purity. Allowing Ji Jue to return as close to his true essence as possible. From the perspective of the Path of Aether, this was a process of systematically filtering out external noise. If it were merely that, it would be simple enough. More crucially, throughout the entire ordeal, he had to consciously govern his own spiritus and ritual state—never excited, never grieving, forbidding any fluctuation in the flow of his spiritus. Like a pool of stagnant water, maintaining absolute tranquility. Did it work? Perhaps, but not by much; at best, it was merely icing on the cake. Yet even if it raised the chance of success by a single percent, Ji Jue refused to let it slip. More importantly, throughout this process, the initial panic and unease in his heart had gradually dissolved. These brief seven days of asceticism acted like a continuous psychological suggestion, reinforcing his awareness and obsession. Empowered by the Primacy of Mind, his heart was calmer than ever before, and the circulation of his spiritus was reduced almost to nothingness, devoid of the slightest ripple or turbulence. In the silence, he stepped into the pool and rinsed himself clean. For the uncounted-th time, his mind visualized and simulated the entire process from beginning to end, overlooking no detail, hunting for any flaw, while preparing for the possibility of failure at every juncture and how to address it... The moment the last drop of water fell from the bucket, Ji Jue's heart stirred inexplicably! An unprecedented stillness and peace surfaced without a sound. It was time. It was hard to tell whether this was his heart, his instinct, a premonition, a hallucination, or Chunjun itself, not yet brought into existence— It said: *Now!* "Then let's begin." Ji Jue wiped the water droplets from his hair. Surrounded by the complex fragrance of the incense, he donned white robes, left his hair unbound, went barefoot, and walked straight toward the crucible furnace. At that instant, a low hum reverberated from within the crucible. A brilliant golden radiance churned and shifted amid the flames like a living creature, wheeling and soaring, almost breaking its bounds to burst through the air. After seven days of tempering and metamorphosis, the purest light transcended mundane matter. It had long grown impatient! These seven days of fasting had also served as preparation and preheating for the forging. Throughout this period, Ji Jue had handled every material and blessing with his own hands, consigning them to the long, grueling smelting... The forging of Chunjun demanded the utmost purity and perfection; it could never be entrusted to another. Throughout the entire process, from processing the materials to maintaining the blessings, even down to regulating the furnace's heat, Ji Jue managed every single detail alone. Times changed, and alchemy evolved, yet the crafting of the Nine Models still adhered to ancient tradition, casting aside numerous convenient shortcuts and clearer, simpler theories, melding theory and the unknown into a seamless whole. Through this plain and straightforward forging process, Ji Jue, deep in fasting and meditation, felt intimately connected to the materials inside the furnace, indistinguishable from one another. In his trance, he could hardly tell whether he stood outside the crucible or within the raging flames. Or perhaps he existed in both, or neither. Amid that daze, his premonition and insight grew ever clearer. Through seven days of smelting, spiritus ascended from mundane matter, spirituality purified from chaotic impurities, and the blessings stimulated and extracted one another within the blazing flames. In the end, spiritus, spirituality, and blessings integrated into one once more as the physical matter transformed. As above, so below. Thereby accomplishing the miracle of the One! Through seven days of smelting and torment, amid infinite, manifold changes, the moment all spiritus and matter, spirituality and material properties overlapped into a single whole, everything ground to a sudden halt. It was as though an invisible hand had reached out to seize absolute control! Under the mantle of the Non-Offensive matrix, all changes within the crucible furnace seemed to freeze entirely beneath Ji Jue's will. And the moment his hands clenched, a ringing resonance like the growth of steel emerged from the darkness. All flames extinguished, drawn away and receding, the purgatorial heat vanishing in an instant. That blazing, magnificent radiance snapped inward, dissipating, collapsing, and condensing anew to manifest as a physical object! Like an iron branch that had rapidly grown into form! "Now—" Ji Jue clenched his left hand, and a scalp-numbing hiss immediately rang out. He gripped the glowing-red sword blank while its heat lingered, drawing it from the furnace like an unsheathed blade. It cleaved through the dark, spraying countless sparks that drifted like a sky full of twinkling stars. With a resounding clang, the glowing-red sword blank struck the anvil. Then, the forging hammer in his other hand swung to its peak. And smashed down! *Clang!—* Amid the violent shock, the thin, warped outer crust of the sword blank shattered. Strands of light burst open, drifting down in a flurry to illuminate Ji Jue's eyes. Yet his movements never paused. Again. *Clang!!* Sparks sprayed once more, landing upon his face, arms, and neck, searing with an agony that reached his bones. Upon his left hand, which held the hilt in a death grip, scorched skin tore open, and blood welled forth again, hissing as it dripped onto the blazing sword blank. Meandering ribbons of blood rapidly spread from the hilt, blanketing the entire blade. Thirstily drinking blood, greedily bathing in Ji Jue's spiritus, accepting all that came! *Clang!!!* The moment the third thunderous blow landed, the countless threads of blood woven through the sword blank lit up, acting like Chunjun's blood vessels to guide the rushing flow of Ji Jue's spiritus and shape intricate structures. The ringing clang grew ever higher and clearer. Like Chunjun singing aloud! At this moment, the anvil was merely a block of ordinary high-density alloy, just as plain as the forging hammer in Ji Jue's other hand. Yet under the infusion of spiritus, intricate patterns manifested. Within the ritual of Celestial-Human Resonance, countless Sovereign Virtue insignia of Ascension and Aether surfaced, ultimately integrating into the transformations of Embers. Man and sword stimulated each other; the vital act of creation began at this moment! The forging hammer fell once more. *Clang——!!!* Dazzling light of spiritus rippled outward in all directions. The workshop shuddered violently as spiritus circuits materialized out of thin air, trembling with great force. With each collision of the hammer, that shrill, pure chime soared higher and higher, like a bird spreading its wings to wheel freely in the sky. In the end, not even the workshop's seals could contain it. The moment the first pristine ray of dawn pierced the edge of the night sky to illuminate Xinquan, that thread of resonance had already ascended into the heavens. Bridging the long night above, ushering in the dawn below. Here it demarcated the boundary of yin and yang; upon that razor's edge between light and shadow, Chunjun's chime rang out, echoing in the ears of all. So light, so delicate, yet it startled countless people from their stupor and dreams. Instinctively, they strained their ears to listen! "..." Under that same dawn light, in Tide Sound Workshop, Ye Xian, who had remained awake all night, finally raised her eyes in faint surprise. It was three-quarters of an hour earlier than expected? Acting on his own again? And yet, the timing was immaculate! Luck? Or had it happened by nature's design? Deep within the workshop, amid layers of seals, sleeping eyes seemed to open like living things. Sensing the long-absent sword resonance from afar, they instinctively grew excited, thrashing and struggling in an urge to answer the cry of their kin. Alas, their master clamped down on them ruthlessly, seizing them as though muzzling hounds. "Quiet, all of you. Don't cause trouble." And so, all fell silent. Straining their ears to listen. At that exact instant, inside Ji Jue's workshop, a second chime soared into the sky. Beneath the hammer that fell once more, the outer shell of the sword blank fractured, and the first tier of magnificent light illuminated Ji Jue's eyes and his smile. The blessings were beginning to merge and manifest! Sudden enlightenment from the shackles, awakening from ignorance, allowing the soul to transcend physical constraints and gaze down from eternity to witness the operation of all phenomena. The first step of the blessing sequence Reaching the Sublime: this was 【Transcendent Vision】! *Clang!* The moment the first light of blessing was kindled, the hammer struck down again, catalyzing and exciting the rushing, crisscrossing spiritus circuits. A second ray of light broke through the seals. Perceiving phenomena, tracing Heaven's Mandate. Through transcendent perception, bridging the self with all phenomena to feel their resonance. Thus, amid the intricate, ever-shifting torrent of destiny, leaping from the crest of the waves for a brief glimpse of the lingering light and illusions of the future, foreseeing imminent perils and crises. This was 【Sudden Premonition】! *Clang!* The hammer fell again, and phantom light surged like a cascading waterfall, sweeping outward in all directions. The third light manifested immediately after. Breaking the divide between spirit and matter, merging one's mind and will into complete, flawless unity—hence termed 'whole.' Treating this as 'the all,' and equally as 'the one.' Only because of this could spirit be effortlessly transformed into matter, and matter into spirit, realizing fluid conversion between spiritus and substance. Even converting one's own body into spiritus, or taking it a step further: turning the 'being' of the self into 'nothingness' the moment disaster struck! This was 【Ascendance to Truth】! There was no hesitation, nor did any mishap occur. Everything seemed to transform and ascend as naturally as flowing water, a flawless creation continuing under Ji Jue's absolute control. The fourth light rose! Stripping away all affectation and embellishment, tearing off the false luster of vanity, erasing the deceptions of slander and hypocrisy, dispelling every delirious delusion. Returning to the essence, embracing pure simplicity. Amid complex, kaleidoscopic shifts, witnessing the natural, unadorned form of all matter and spirit. This was 【Embracing Simplicity】! Immediately after came a long, profound silence. Not a sound stirred, yet the air felt as though it had solidified, choking every listener until they could scarcely draw breath. Deep within the workshop, only a ceaseless torrent of blood and spiritus poured from Ji Jue's left hand to nourish Chunjun, as if boundless. Strands of light churned and clashed within, like countless rivulets converging into streams, streams into rivers, rivers into lakes, and finally from lakes into an ocean! When abundant spiritus saturated every inch of the sword blank, during this endless infusion, just as the erupting spirituality threatened to overwhelm its material properties and ruin all their efforts... the hammer struck down once more! Like the final basket of earth completing a nine-ren mound. Amid a piercing chime shriller than anything before, the fifth light emerged from the sword blank. *Boom!!!* A colossal ringing that shook heaven and earth rippled outward. Blazing light surged, soaring straight into the firmament, shattering the seals of the workshop and the earth, tearing through Xinquan's dim morning sky to pierce straight into the heavens! Bridging heaven and earth! Accumulation reached its limit, quantitative change pushed to the extreme; at the end of infinite transformations came the final change. In this complete eruption, it welcomed an unprecedented qualitative leap! This was 【Dragon's Surge, Leopard's Transformation】! Beneath the towering pillar of radiant light, the coarse outer crust of the sword blank in Ji Jue's hand had completely flaked away under the furious hammering, revealing a blade as dazzling as autumn waters. The five blessings integrated into one across the chain, seeming entirely natural. The purest, cleanest glimmer flowed across it. It illuminated Ji Jue's eyes. At last, it was done! Yet in this split second, an irrepressible doubt and bewilderment gripped Ji Jue's heart. Success? Had it really succeeded? It should have ended here. He should have been celebrating and cheering, but why hadn't the surging impulse within his chest diminished in the slightest? He even felt an insatiable yearning— *Not enough! It isn't over yet!* The blade of Chunjun in his hand vibrated madly, chiming, urging, screaming alongside Ji Jue's very soul! Telling him: *—Do not stop here!* And so, in the dead silence, the forging hammer in Ji Jue's hand rose once more. Amid the torment of total exhaustion and agonized pain, he marshaled his final dregs of strength, roaring aloud as he raised the iron hammer to its apex with everything he had. And brought it crashing down!!! Silent. Soundless. Because Ji Jue had long since run out of strength to lift the iron hammer at all, yet he didn't even notice—no, he believed with every fiber of his being that this all-important strike had already swung from his hands! Otherwise, where did the shockwave echoing through his soul come from? What had struck from his hands? There was no answer, and save for him, no one was destined to perceive it. Only the faint pop of a bursting bubble sounded. *Snap!* Amid this eerie stillness, a fissure surfaced upon Chunjun's blade. Like a wound, stark and glaring. Shock? Confusion? Regret? Or perhaps chagrin? Remorse? Countless emotions surged and washed through Ji Jue's soul, yet not one could shake his movement. Driven by instinct and Chunjun's call, Ji Jue gritted his teeth and raised that illusory forging hammer high once more. Without hesitation, he brought it down! At that exact instant, behind Ji Jue, upon the watch face he had long taken off and left on the desk, the frozen dial suddenly shifted. As Ji Jue's hammer fell, the progress of Heaven-Endowed Spirit... Soared at breakneck speed!