Chún followed his teacher higher up the mountain and deeper into the forest, beyond the boundary the villagers never ventured past. Their stories placed Monstrous Essence Beasts here, and those stories had always been enough to keep them in the foothills.
Even Chún knew little of the forest beyond the geese pasture. He had never gone more than half a li beyond the pool and waterfall where he bathed. There had been no need: game and edible plants were plentiful, and he could hunt for furs and supplement his diet without going far. Besides, perhaps the villagers' stories held a grain of truth. There was no need to tempt fate, after all.
The trees broke the Golden Crow's light into shifting beams and patches of shadow. Even without pushing his Essence outward, Chún could see glowing curls of coloured mist drifting around their trunks, with scattered specks twinkling in the dark hollows. The mists thickened and the specks grew more numerous as they went deeper into the mountain.
A low chorus of animal sounds, bird calls and insect hums rose and fell beneath occasional louder swells of complaint. Water trickled and fell somewhere among the trees, and breezes rushed through the leaves. Now and then, a rustle or flicker of movement betrayed creatures withdrawing from their path. Barks, coughs, chirps and squawks mingled with the chiming of Yijing's stave and the soft susurrus of their feet in the leaf litter.
The air was fresh and cool in Chún's lungs, heavy with moisture and the taste of greenery. He breathed in the loamy scent of decomposing leaves, flowers, aromatic plants, earthy fungi and wild fruit. Herbs released their spice as he brushed against them. Now and then, a sharper note cut through: the tang of spoor, the sweet-sour fermentation of overripe fruit, or something he could not name.
Their pace varied. Yijing slowed to point out a dense gathering of Essence where water flashed over a rock lit by the Golden Crow, or a tree or plant that seemed to absorb or produce more Essence than its neighbours. These were places to remember. The elements coming together there might eventually form Dao, releasing more Essence and producing treasures.
"This happens with or without us," Yijing explained as they walked. "Left to itself, such a place might take ten thousand years to form Dao. The presence of a True Cultivator can hasten it many-fold, simply through the way we affect the Essence around us."
Eventually, Yijing stopped in a small clearing just short of a cliff thickly overhung with greenery. Enormous vines, more like twisted tree trunks than creepers, ran up and down the rock like a mythical giant's net. They supported a profusion of dark green, plate-like leaves, brilliant flowers of many colours and heavy, teardrop-shaped fruits. Swirls of Essence glowed dimly within the fruit, making Chún think of festival lamps.
"What is that, Teacher?" he asked, staring. "I have never seen so much Essence in a single plant before."
"An Earth to Heavens Vine, Xiǎo Chún. Unless I am mistaken, it is not far from becoming a Five Elements Tree. An ordinary Earth to Heavens Vine bears neither fruit nor flowers like those. It is one of the reasons I chose this place for your Immortal's Cave."
Chún blinked. "We use Immortal's Caves as well?"
Yijing harrumphed. "We have always used them. Consumers make poor copies—although, in time, anyone who learns to sense Essence well will learn to find or create good ones."
Chún coughed quietly before venturing another question. "Teacher, you have said repeatedly that True Cultivators are different from Consumers. Our bodies connect to our own Dao, while they force Dao into themselves through techniques and cultivation methods. But apart from that, this one sees little difference. You gave me Essence water yesterday, and it strengthened my body. We can use resources to much the same effect. Is it merely that two enemies cannot live under the same sky?"
The old man looked at him and nodded. "We can use resources, but we need not deplete them. The fruit of this vine will greatly help to temper your body with concentrated Essence—especially if it attains the Dao of a Five Elements Tree. Your presence will help it to do so."
"I understand, Teacher," Chún persisted, "but I have heard that many sects grow and maintain Essence herbs and plants…"
Yijing shook his head and raised a hand to stop him. "Student, I have barely begun to explain the differences between an average Consumer and a True Cultivator. Many larger sects do grow Essence plants and herbs, but they use formations and other resources they cannot replace. They do not use their own Dao."
His tone grew stern. A formless pressure settled over Chún as the old man's gaze held him in place. "It is good that you continue to think. However, there is much you have yet to learn. With the aid of the World's Dao, a True Cultivator can replace what has been used by channelling energy and Essence into a Dao."
Chún found it difficult to breathe. Yijing's words boomed in his ears like thunder, and the old man's body seemed to grow until it blocked the Golden Crow's light. Chún could not move his limbs.
"In the end, all Consumer methods consume one resource to create another, or to generate the Essence with which they remake their bodies. Without a means of re-creation, demand outstrips the natural formation of new resources. Eventually, the World no longer holds enough energy to comprehend Dao. It becomes lifeless. It dies."
The old man fell silent. His form seemed to shrink again as he looked steadily at Chún. When he spoke, each word fell like a blacksmith's hammer striking iron against an anvil.
"I. Have. Seen. Worlds. Like. That."
Yijing's eyes gleamed. "For now, Student, remember this: True Cultivators are part of the Dao of Heaven and Earth, and so create. Consumers go against Heaven and Earth, and so destroy."
Able to move again, Chún bowed shakily. He no longer wanted to ask questions. Only then did he realise how still the mountain had become during the old man's speech. All sound and movement had ceased around them. His teacher might look and behave like a simple old man, but here was a Master who could command the winds and rain.
The remaining pressure faded, and Yijing spoke quietly. "You are correct that Consumers have much in common with us. There are reasons for that, but they are lengthy and have little bearing on your immediate training. Consumption, rather than true cultivation, remains the central difference—except for the special cases and World-level Cultivators we discussed. Dwelling on this too much at your present stage may cause deviation." He turned towards the cliff. "Now, Student, follow."
Chastened, Chún followed him into the tangle of vines and leaves. They shifted aside as though a breeze had pushed them, leaving a clear way through. Glowing shapes and strange characters moved over branches, leaves and stalks, combining and separating as the plants stirred. Chún struggled to make sense of them. They felt obscure and strange, yet somehow suggested silence, blandness, things of no consequence—nothing worth noticing. The patterns kept changing…
"Teacher, this one sees shapes in the Essence of the plants…"
"Very good, Student. This is another thing Consumers learnt from us: manifesting Dao to affect a place, an object or a person. They call it inscriptions or formations. They use resources to make inferior copies of parts of Dao, arranged to produce the effect they want."
Yijing continued through the leaves. "I asked the Earth to Heavens Vine to hide this place and gave it Essence and support. It comprehended and grew Daos of concealment and protection within itself. Those combine and change naturally as the plants move into different formations. They will keep your Immortal's Cave hidden. I will show you how to ask the Mountain to hide itself as well, so Consumers do not find it before it can protect itself—or find you."
Chún blinked as they entered a narrow tunnel, its ceiling only a little above his head. The smooth walls felt ancient. Strangely coloured veins of minerals traced the walls and ceiling, glowing with enough Essence to light their way.
After a short walk, the tunnel opened into a comfortably sized cave, and the ceiling vanished from sight. The air was fresh and warm. Motes of air energy spiralled down from somewhere overhead. In one quarter of the cave, a small ground spring bubbled with as much Essence as water, feeding a large pool in the centre. Steam drifted above it with rising motes of Fire Essence, and occasional mineral scents hinted at a vein of earth-fire beneath the pool.
Water poured from a crevice in another wall, falling into a short stream that also fed the pool. There was no steam here, only ordinary amounts of Essence and the occasional surprised minnow splashing down the little waterfall. Chún guessed that this water came from outside the cave.
The combined glow of the Essence spread faintly through the chamber. It was not bright, but he could see his surroundings easily.
"Xiǎo Chún, here you have access to all the basic forms of Essence. You will find them easy to merge with, and can temper your body and spirit by channelling them without much effort. The place is a little unfinished. You can use the Dao you comprehend to make what you need for comfort."
Yijing sat unceremoniously on the smooth stone floor and pointed with his staff. "Sit, Student, and listen. I will explain as much as I can of what you must know. We must be quick; I cannot remain much longer on this Mountain."
Chún bowed and sat before him. "Yes, Teacher," he answered solemnly.
"You have much to learn, and the World will teach you most of it. So I can feel assured in leaving you."
Yijing's eyes glowed in the dimness. "But these things I will teach you. First, you must learn to appear as an ordinary 'cultivator' to Consumers. Reach out with your Essence."
Chún closed his eyes and let the colours and music of Essence fill his senses. His teacher's voice continued through them.
"I told you that True Cultivators hide from Consumers. Can you think why?"
Chún snorted bitterly. "This one is an orphan, Teacher. I know exactly what happens when the villagers see I have something they think would be better suited to their use. We can create resources for cultivation. If the normal cultivators knew we existed, they would imprison us for eternity, making us provide all the resources they felt they deserved."
"An accurate, if simple, explanation. There could be much worse consequences." Yijing nodded, and Chún watched with amusement as his teacher's glowing form shifted in his Essence senses. "Wars are fought over resources. For this, the abnormal cultivators would fight without restraint and destroy the very World they depend upon to grow."
Chún shuddered. "I understand, Teacher."
"Now, you said that wandering cultivator told you that you had no ability to gather Essence. Focus on mine, Xiǎo Chún. Tell me what you sense."
"As you… oh. You are shrinking, Teacher… no, wait. The Essence is dimming. It is gathering into spheres? There is one in your head and another… are those dāntián?"
"Very good, Student. What else?" The old man's voice was amused.
"Before, you looked like a fountain of Essence. Now… there are lines all through your body, and none of the Essence is flowing back out. It is only going around inside you. Wait—is that what Consumers do?" Chún heard the disgust in his own raised voice and blushed, opening his eyes. "Forgive me, Teacher. It just feels wrong…"
Yijing nodded approvingly. "Do not worry, Xiǎo Chún. I am using Dao to conceal the outward flow of my Essence into the World. It is not entirely cut off. Look at the meridians in contact with the ground."
Chún cast his Essence outward again. "The lines in your feet? Oh, they merge with the Earth…"
"Anywhere the body touches other Essence directly, in fact. This is quite ordinary for young or poorly trained Consumers: they leak Essence. Much of their early training goes towards containing it and preventing it from leaving their bodies." Yijing grinned wickedly. "There are advantages to being dismissed as unworthy of notice." He thumped his stave against the floor, its bells chiming emphatically. "Now you do it."
"Ah… how?"
The old man laughed. "Ask nicely."
Chún furrowed his brow and turned his Essence senses inward. He had the distinct sensation that something was looking back at him. The much smaller fountain flowing through him and out again seemed to raise an eyebrow it did not possess.
Could you, perhaps…?
Approval and mischief flowed through him. The fountain separated into parts within his body, imitating his teacher's example, although Chún's dāntián and meridians were much smaller and dimmer.
"When you need to work, your Dao will return to its natural state unless you specifically need it to remain otherwise. Be careful around Consumers. Mortals will not notice the difference, of course, and it would take a very high-level Consumer to recognise that your Essence is not following a technique. Even so, this is good practice."
Yijing raised an eyebrow. "I will not insult your intelligence, but this bears repeating: do not work with Dao around Consumers unless Dao requires it. Notice that I did not say 'never', or 'unless your life depends on it'…"
Chún nodded. That made sense. Sometimes acting might be part of Dao; sometimes dying might be…
"More than this I cannot tell you without endangering your growth."
"Strangely convenient, that, Teacher." Chún smiled sardonically, and the old man grinned back without shame.
"And inconvenient as well, Student. Most Truth is like that." Yijing shifted and drew a quiet breath. "We cannot delay your connection to your locus much longer. Restraining my Essence has slowed the process a little, but the Mountain has been on the verge of awakening for some time."
His voice grew serious. "The second thing I will show you: reach out again. Greet the Mountain as you would an older brother. Use your thoughts, feelings and Essence, not your voice."
Chún closed his eyes and let his Essence flow naturally again, outward like a fountain into the World. Essence passed from the Mountain through his body and back again, like a river returning to the ocean. Something answered his greeting. He could not have described it, but he knew the answer was cautiously friendly.
"Good. Tell it respectfully that it must conceal its growing Essence. If Consumers find the Mountain before it can defend itself, they will strip away its resources until it dies, unable to fight back."
After Yijing's words about dead worlds, the thought of the Mountain being plundered until it died stillborn filled Chún with revulsion. He understood what his teacher meant about fighting, but the best defence was not to be there when a fight began. Avoiding the village bullies had taught him that the hard way.
But if the Mountain moved, surely someone would notice. It had to not be there, yet show no difference… If it looked like an ordinary mountain, no one would think to search for it. And it could choose to let good people stay, while hiding from the rest. Then he and Teacher could live there safely…
A pulse of understanding answered him. A great many instruments rose together in triumph. Chún felt something twist, then snap into place. He seemed to have travelled an immense distance without moving at all. For an instant, a vast, coiling shape of Dao spread through his senses—then an immense ignition wave of blindingly dark brown, blue and green Essence slammed through him, and he knew no more.