"I want to ask about the ceremony I went through… is it the reason my face changed so dramatically?" I asked.
Li Shen looked at me for a moment before replying.
"The ceremony rapidly elevated you to the first stage of transcendence," he said.
"The change in your appearance is a natural result. It repairs your body—removing damaged tissue, correcting cellular flaws, even optimizing your DNA."
A brief pause.
"Of course your face would change."
"…If you look closely, the foundation is still there. The higher you rise, the more your life itself evolves."
I fell silent, processing his words.
"Is it normal to awaken this way?" I asked.
"No," he replied calmly.
"It is a privilege—granted to students like you who come from barren worlds."
"…Barren?" I asked.
"Yes. Your world is classified as barren. It cannot naturally produce high-level energy."
A short pause.
"So… you and I came from the same world?" I asked.
Li Shen looked at me.
"Is that important?"
I thought for a moment, then shook my head.
"…No."
"Then focus on what matters."
I nodded slightly.
"Is there any danger in reaching this stage without earning it?" I asked.
"Yes," he said without hesitation.
"You lack control."
"You may easily injure your muscles. Your meridians could rupture if you mishandle your energy."
A brief pause.
"It is fortunate you possess that pendant."
He raised his hand slightly.
A panel appeared in the air.
Within it, an image of the pendant formed.
"The pendant you acquired is a fragment of a Law—left behind by a high-level Transcendent."
"It forms upon their fall."
"This is a high-grade item, especially useful for those with compatible Origins."
Lines of text appeared beneath the image.
"With it, you can regulate your Origin—particularly in your case."
Li Shen's gaze sharpened slightly.
"You possess two flows of energy within a single body."
He briefly explained the effects of having dual energy flows—
including their differing properties.
"The nature of one's energy is influenced by their Origin," he continued.
"Those aligned with earth or metal tend toward density and stability."
"Those aligned with water or wind tend toward fluidity."
A brief pause.
"…Though 'fluid' is a simplification."
"Wind, for example, is closer to omnipresence than flexibility."
"But for now—understand it that way."
I nodded slowly.
"Then… can everyone project their energy outside their body?" I asked, recalling Caine.
"Of course."
Li Shen's tone remained calm.
"It seems you've already forgotten—energy is simply energy."
"It is inherently malleable."
"The determining factor is the individual."
A slight pause.
"The fact that space itself can be folded is proof enough."
"We influence reality through understanding."
I explained Caine's situation.
Li Shen listened quietly, then nodded.
"He is not wrong," Li Shen said.
"But he is confined by the common sense of his world."
"His understanding is incomplete."
"And so—"
"He has confined himself."
Hearing Li Shen's explanation, I understood his words—
but not the reason behind them.
So I asked further.
"Let's begin with this," he said calmly.
"Every person has unlimited potential."
I frowned slightly.
"Then why is it that some people can do what others cannot—and vice versa?"
He looked at me.
"Answer your own question."
"…Because everyone is different?" I replied, uncertain.
"In what way are they different?" he asked.
"…Talent?" I hesitated.
"Not wrong—but not enough."
He paused briefly.
"Let us assume their talent and skill are equal."
A moment of silence.
"…Experience… and perspective?" I said.
Li Shen nodded.
"Yes. Perspective."
"How one sees the world… how one interacts with it… and how one accepts the rules that govern it."
He looked at me calmly.
"The saying—'Above the heavens and below the heavens, I alone am the Honored One'—is often misunderstood."
"It is not a statement of pride…"
"…but of realization."
I remained silent, listening.
"When one becomes enlightened…"
"…there is no longer high or low."
"There is only oneself."
He paused.
"Not because one stands above others—"
"But because one no longer measures oneself against anything else."
His gaze remained steady.
"In that state, comparison loses meaning."
"You do not define yourself by others…"
"…nor by the world."
"You simply are."
Something within me stirred.
His words felt clear—
yet distant.
As if I stood at the edge of understanding, unable to take the final step.
The feeling was frustrating—
like something scratching at my heart, just out of reach.
"You don't need to understand it now," Li Shen said.
"Take your time."
"Think. Experience. Walk your own path."
"One day… these words may help you reach your own realization."
For the first time—
he smiled, if only slightly.