The moon hung above the willow tips. <br><br>Matthew Lee suddenly opened his eyes and looked at his father, who was sitting nearby, sipping tea while holding a cloth scroll that documented the Initiation Technique. <br><br>“Father, I have thoroughly mastered this technique over these past two months,” he said, pausing briefly. “Today marks the beginning of summer in the Eight Solar Terms; perhaps it’s worth a try.” <br><br>“Go ahead and try.” <br><br>Matthew Lee nodded and spoke slowly. <br><br>Grace Tian was overjoyed and so were his three elder brothers. They eagerly helped him prepare by lighting incense, bathing, and setting up a ritual table in the courtyard. <br><br>Matthew Lee solemnly brought out an inspection lens, respectfully mounting it on a frame engraved with dragon patterns that he had personally carved days prior. Nine sticks of incense were placed in front of the table, alongside fruits as offerings. <br><br>River Sage Lu couldn’t help but feel somewhat awkward; this setup of incense and offerings looked as though they were worshiping a deceased person—him. <br><br>Grace Tian knelt in front of the table, performed three bows and nine kowtows, then bowed deeply, speaking respectfully: <br><br>“Grace Tian, disciple of the Lee family, humbly requests the Arcane Enlightenment Art to safeguard life and bring peace to the soul, while committing to the path of cultivation.” <br><br>“By honoring the timing and the promise, one does not betray faith. With the talisman burned, the body shall rest under the Moonlit Yin Essence.” <br><br>With that, he emptied his mind and activated the technique, repeatedly absorbing the natural energy of harmony. <br><br>At the same time, River Sage Lu willed a thought, and the mirror surface suddenly rippled with shimmering light, akin to flowing water. <br><br>“There’s a reaction!” <br><br>Matthew Lee and the others were thrilled, staring intently at the table. <br><br>The blue-gray mirror began to hum, and from its surface emerged a radiant White Pill. It was a perfectly round and luminous sphere, emitting white light that made the entire courtyard glow intensely, forcing everyone to squint. <br><br>Grace Tian felt his mind go blank, his head resounding with a deep echo. A majestic and solemn voice suddenly emerged: <br><br>“To Grace Tian of the Lee family: abstain from emotional ties, end faults, sever the roots of wrongdoing. Bestow the Arcane Enlightenment Art, enabling the cultivation of sacred achievements. From mortal to divine, from beginning to end, one must first adhere to the precepts before ascending to true enlightenment. A single volume of the Moon Essence Circulation Manual and one Golden Light Technique is granted.” <br><br>Grace Tian hurriedly sat upright, cross-legged. The White Pill leaped into his Mind Palace, his entire being shuddering as a cascade of complex information flooded his consciousness. <br><br>The White Pill imparted the technique, gently revolving within his Mind Palace before traveling through his meridians and ultimately settling in the Core Energy Center at the Qi Sea Acupoint. <br><br>Matthew Lee and the others watched anxiously as the Seed of Arcane Pearl Glyph merged into Grace Tian’s head. They nervously observed him sitting cross-legged with eyes closed, seemingly lost in meditation, until dawn broke. <br><br>As the moon set and the sun rose, Grace Tian finally trembled and awakened slowly. Upon opening his eyes, he found himself surrounded by his brothers, their faces filled with worry. <br><br>“Father, brothers! I have obtained the Seed of Arcane Pearl Glyph and stepped into the gateway of cultivation!” Grace Tian leapt up excitedly and embraced his father in jubilation. <br><br>Matthew Lee chuckled heartily, spinning Grace Tian around. His other brothers exhaled deeply, their expressions also glowing with excitement. <br><br>“I acquired a technique called the Moon Essence Circulation Manual,” Grace Tian exclaimed. He attempted to recite the main points of the technique aloud, but the White Pill within his Qi Sea Acupoint pulsated lightly, rendering him speechless for a moment. Not a single word escaped his lips. <br><br>Alarmed, he instinctively covered his mouth and tried again: <br><br>“Father!” <br><br>Realizing he could speak once more, Grace Tian let out a long sigh of relief. Unconvinced, he attempted to recite the technique again but found himself unable to utter it, nor could he write it down. <br><br>“This celestial technique cannot be spoken or written. How peculiar,” Grace Tian remarked, his expression betraying a trace of awkwardness. <br><br>“Do not fret.” <br><br>Matthew Lee gently patted Grace Tian’s head. After respectfully returning the lens to its proper place on the table, he added: <br><br>“Come summer solstice, the rest of us will also request a technique.” <br><br>“Eldest Brother,” Grace Tian interrupted hesitantly, “It seems there are only six glyph seeds available.” <br><br>“Only six?” Lee Tongcai, who had been reading the Initiation Technique, looked up in surprise. <br><br>“When I received the Seed of Arcane Pearl Glyph, vague knowledge filled my mind—talk of six realms of cultivation and Inner Breathing. The lens seems capable of producing only six glyph seeds,” Grace Tian admitted. <br><br>Li Xiangping nodded in understanding. “Such a miraculous item, harnessing the essence of the cosmos, was unlikely to be abundant in the first place.” <br><br>Eldest Brother Matthew Lee yawned and waved his hand dismissively. “Let’s all return to sleep. We’ve stayed up the whole night and are exhausted.” <br><br>“Is it because you’re worried about Sister-in-law?” teased Li Xiangping with a laugh. <br><br>“You rascal!” Matthew Lee pointed at him in jest before adding with a smirk, “I think Grace Tian would make a fine match.” <br><br>“Eldest Brother, stop matchmaking!” Li Xiangping’s expression turned serious as he walked out of the courtyard and returned to his room. <br><br>“Hahaha…” Matthew Lee laughed heartily as he entered the front courtyard. <br><br>“It’s promising!” Matthew Lee stroked his beard, smiling internally. <br><br>———— <br><br>That night, moonlight flowed like water. <br><br>Grace Tian sat cross-legged in the courtyard with his eyes closed, forming hand seals. He drew a stream of energy from his Qi Sea Acupoint, guiding it through his meridians, past the Twelve Layers of Ascension in his throat, until it emerged from the center of his brow. <br><br>In an instant, his vision brightened as the moonlight coalesced and converged with the wisp of spiritual energy from his brow. <br><br>Before long, Grace Tian formed another seal, directing the now milky-white energy back into his brow, through the Twelve Layers of Ascension, and back into his Qi Sea Acupoint. <br><br>After repeating this process three times, he opened his eyes and glanced at the sky. Two hours had passed. <br><br>“This absorption of Lunar Energy is far too slow,” Grace Tian thought. He calculated that eighty-one cycles of absorption would yield a single strand of Lunar Energy, and eighty-one strands would form the first Lunar Wheel of the Six Realms of Inner Breathing—the Arcane Wheel. <br><br>“Once I create the Arcane Wheel, I’ll officially enter the realm of Inner Breathing and be able to cast spells.” <br><br>“Three cycles in two hours means eighty-one cycles will take fifty-four hours. Training six hours a day will require nine days. To gather eighty-one strands would take two full years…” <br><br>Gazing at the Lunar Energy accumulating within the lens, Grace Tian’s eyes gleamed with sudden inspiration. He sat cross-legged beside the stone platform and began cultivating again. <br><br>River Sage Lu, half-asleep within the mirror, had long since absorbed sufficient Lunar Energy. The prolonged and uneventful time in the mirror was as dull as attending a boring lecture in college, leaving him drowsy. Sometimes, he would blink and find an entire day had passed. <br><br>Grace Tian’s spiritual energy emerged from his brow and entered the moon halo on the mirror, startling River Sage Lu awake. Observing the boy, he chuckled silently to himself. <br><br>“Such cleverness.” <br><br>Guiding the energy back into his Qi Sea Acupoint, Grace Tian felt his entire body cool. The Lunar Energy had multiplied tenfold in intensity. With this method, he realized he could form a strand of Lunar Energy in just five or six cycles! <br><br>Elated, he formed seals with his hands and continued to cultivate. It wasn’t until dawn, when his brothers gathered in the courtyard, that he reluctantly ended his practice. <br><br>When his father and brothers arrived, he recounted the events of the previous night. Their reactions were a mix of astonishment and joy. Matthew Lee sighed and lit another stick of incense for River Sage Lu before leading the children out of the hidden chamber.)
