CHAPTER 9: The First Circulation.
Morning came quietly to the valley.
A thin layer of mist hovered above the ground, drifting slowly between the trees as the first light of dawn filtered through the sky. The stream flowed steadily, its sound soft but constant—like a rhythm that had always existed, long before Ryan arrived.
He sat cross-legged on the ground.
Still.
Focused.
Or at least… trying to be.
"Close your eyes," Shen Liang said.
Ryan obeyed.
Darkness settled.
"Breathe naturally. Don't force it," Shen Liang continued. "Your body already knows how to live. You're simply learning how to listen to it."
Ryan inhaled slowly, then exhaled.
Again.
And again.
At first, it was just breathing.
Nothing more.
But gradually, the world began to shift.
The faint sensation he had touched before—the subtle presence in the air—returned.
[SYSTEM LOG: External energy detected]
Classification: Cultivation Energy (Confirmed)
Interaction attempt: passive
Ryan's brow tightened slightly.
The energy wasn't entering him.
It hovered.
Close.
But distant.
"Don't chase it," Shen Liang said calmly, as if sensing his thoughts. "The moment you try to force it, it slips away."
Ryan relaxed slightly.
He let his breathing settle again.
Slow.
Natural.
The sensation returned.
This time, clearer.
It brushed against him—light, fleeting—but present.
Ryan focused on that feeling, not trying to grab it, not trying to control it.
Just… aware.
"Good," Shen Liang said quietly. "Now guide it."
Ryan's focus sharpened.
Guide it?
He tried.
Gently.
Carefully.
He imagined the energy moving toward him, following the rhythm of his breath.
For a moment—
It worked.
A faint thread of that energy drifted closer, brushing against his skin before slipping inward, disappearing into his body like a drop of water into dry soil.
Ryan's breath hitched slightly.
"I felt it—"
"Don't speak," Shen Liang cut in. "Continue."
Ryan steadied himself.
Again.
He breathed.
Again.
The energy returned.
This time, more willingly.
It entered him in small amounts, faint but real, spreading lightly beneath his skin.
Warm.
Strange.
Unfamiliar.
[SYSTEM LOG: Foreign energy detected within host]
Analysis in progress…
Ryan's concentration wavered slightly.
The energy inside him scattered immediately, dissolving before it could settle.
He frowned.
"…I lost it."
"Of course you did," Shen Liang said. "Your body is unrefined. Your control is nonexistent. You expected otherwise?"
Ryan exhaled quietly.
"…No."
"Then try again."
He did.
Again and again.
Each attempt the same.
Draw in energy.
Lose it.
Repeat.
Time passed.
The sun climbed higher.
Sweat gathered along Ryan's brow despite his stillness.
[SYSTEM LOG: Pattern observed]
Energy retention failure: 100%
Cause: structural inefficiency
Ryan's eyes remained closed, but his focus sharpened.
Structural inefficiency.
"Something's wrong," he said quietly.
Shen Liang didn't respond immediately.
"…Your body wasn't trained for this," he said after a moment. "Your pathways are undeveloped. Energy cannot flow where there is no structure to guide it."
Ryan understood.
Not fully—but enough.
"…So I can't use it yet."
"You can," Shen Liang replied. "Badly."
A brief pause.
"Or you can build the foundation properly."
Ryan fell silent again.
Then—
He inhaled.
Slow.
Controlled.
[SYSTEM LOG: Adapting…]
Attempting internal restructuring…
Warning: unknown biological modification
A faint pressure formed inside his chest.
Not painful.
But uncomfortable.
Ryan's breathing faltered slightly.
Something was changing.
[SYSTEM LOG: New process initiated]
Function: Energy Pathway Simulation
Status: unstable
Ryan's eyes snapped open.
His body jerked slightly as the energy inside him surged—wild, uncontrolled—before dissipating instantly.
He sucked in a sharp breath.
"What was that?"
Shen Liang's gaze had sharpened.
"…You tell me."
Ryan hesitated.
Then shook his head slightly.
"…It's like… something is trying to build a path."
Silence.
For the first time, Shen Liang stepped closer.
"Again," he said.
Ryan obeyed.
He closed his eyes once more.
Breathed.
Waited.
Felt.
The energy returned.
And this time—
So did the pressure.
[SYSTEM LOG: Simulation active]
Constructing temporary pathways…
Stability: 12%
The energy entered his body again.
But instead of scattering immediately—
It lingered.
Guided.
Pulled along something that wasn't physically there, but existed nonetheless.
Ryan's breath slowed.
"…It's staying…"
Shen Liang's eyes narrowed.
The energy moved.
Slowly.
Clumsily.
But with direction.
From his chest—
Downward.
Then outward.
[SYSTEM LOG: Energy retention: 8%]
Improvement detected
Ryan felt it.
A faint circulation.
Weak.
Incomplete.
But real.
Then—
It collapsed.
The pathway destabilized, and the energy scattered once more.
Ryan exhaled sharply, his body tensing slightly.
"…I lost it again."
"But not immediately," Shen Liang said.
Ryan looked up.
"…Yeah."
Shen Liang studied him carefully.
"…Interesting."
Ryan frowned slightly.
"What?"
Shen Liang didn't answer directly.
"Most beginners cannot hold even a trace of energy on their first day," he said. "You managed to guide it… even briefly."
A pause.
"…That shouldn't be possible."
Ryan said nothing.
[SYSTEM LOG: Simulation data recorded]
Pathway efficiency: low
Optimization required
Ryan exhaled slowly.
"…I can do better."
Shen Liang's gaze remained steady.
"…Show me."
Ryan closed his eyes again.
This time—
With intent.
The energy returned faster.
Stronger.
More responsive.
[SYSTEM LOG: Pathway reconstruction in progress]
Stability: increasing
Ryan focused.
Breath steady.
Mind clear.
The energy flowed again.
This time—
Longer.
Smoother.
Not perfect.
But no longer collapsing instantly.
Shen Liang watched in silence.
For the first time since Ryan arrived—
There was no doubt in his eyes.
Only interest.
That night, as Ryan lay on the wooden floor, exhaustion settled into his body—but it was different from before.
Deeper.
But… satisfying.
[SYSTEM LOG: New pathway established (temporary)]
Energy circulation: minimal
Growth potential: confirmed
Ryan stared at the faint text.
"…So this is cultivation…"
[SYSTEM LOG: Correction]
This is adaptation
Ryan let out a quiet breath.
"…Then let's keep going."
Outside, the valley remained silent.
But something had already begun to change.