Chapter 2: The Celestial Diagram
Han Feng did not move.
For a long while, he simply stood there with his eyes closed, his mind sinking deeper into the strange space within his consciousness.
The hexagram floated silently before him.
Its lines were ancient and intricate, forming a pattern he could neither recognize nor understand. Every few breaths, the symbols flickered with a faint golden light, like distant stars scattered across an endless night.
Han Feng stared at it.
He had searched through his memories again and again.
Nothing.
Not from Earth.
Not from the memories of this world's Han Feng.
There was no record of such a thing.
That alone was enough to make him cautious.
Anything that appeared without an explanation could either be an opportunity...
Or a disaster waiting to happen.
He slowly extended his consciousness.
The instant it touched the hexagram, his body trembled.
Boom!
A strange force surged through his mind and spread throughout his body.
Han Feng's pupils contracted.
The sensation was indescribable.
It wasn't painful.
It wasn't pleasant either.
It was simply... familiar.
As though this power had been sleeping inside him since birth, waiting for the right moment to awaken.
His breathing became heavier.
He immediately guided the energy into his meridians.
The flow surprised him.
It wasn't ordinary Qi.
Yet it wasn't the energy used by Gu Masters either.
The two seemed to exist within it simultaneously.
Separate, yet perfectly balanced.
Han Feng's expression gradually became solemn.
"Interesting..."
He didn't dare become excited.
Excitement was useless.
Only results mattered.
He carefully observed the movement of the energy.
Traditional cultivation relied on refining Qi and strengthening the body. Gu Masters, on the other hand, relied on Gu insects as the foundation of their abilities.
Two different paths.
Two different systems.
Normally, forcing them together would be like trying to make fire and water coexist.
Yet the energy produced by the Celestial Diagram did exactly that.
It bridged the gap.
Han Feng's eyes narrowed.
Could this be its true purpose?
If so...
Then the path before him had just become much wider.
He would not have to choose between the two systems.
He could cultivate both.
But that conclusion was still only a hypothesis.
And Han Feng had never trusted a hypothesis without testing it.
He took a slow breath.
His consciousness spread outward.
The world around him suddenly became clearer.
The wind.
The soil.
The trees.
Even the faint fluctuations of energy hidden within the surroundings.
Qi flowed through the environment like invisible streams. It was weak, scattered and difficult to perceive, but Han Feng could sense its existence.
Then he noticed something else.
Tiny lifeforms.
Several.
No...
Dozens.
Some moved beneath the soil. Others hid among the roots and fallen leaves.
Their auras were weak, but distinct.
Han Feng's gaze sharpened.
Gu insects.
The foundation of every Gu Master's path.
In the village, young people who showed sufficient potential would eventually receive the opportunity to obtain their first Gu. From there, they would begin refining these strange creatures and use them to walk the Gu Master's path.
For most people, obtaining a Gu was an important milestone.
For Han Feng...
It was an experiment.
His eyes slowly turned toward the ground.
"If the Celestial Diagram really can harmonize Qi and Gu..."
He left the sentence unfinished.
There was no need.
He already knew what he had to do.
Han Feng extended his hand.
He gathered the strange energy within his body and guided it toward his fingertips.
Nothing happened.
A few breaths passed.
Still nothing.
Han Feng remained patient.
He didn't know the proper method.
He didn't have an inheritance.
He didn't have an experienced master watching over him.
All he had was instinct.
And sometimes, instinct was enough.
He changed the flow of energy slightly.
The soil several steps away suddenly trembled.
Han Feng's eyes opened.
Something emerged from beneath the earth.
A small black centipede crawled into view.
Its body was thin and dark, its numerous legs moving in an almost rhythmic manner.
At first glance, there was nothing remarkable about it.
But Han Feng could sense the instability hidden within its body.
Its aura fluctuated violently.
One moment strong.
The next, weak.
Then strong again.
It was as though two opposing forces were constantly fighting within it.
Han Feng's brows furrowed.
"Mutant Gu..."
Such Gu insects were rarely valued.
Their mutations often made them difficult to refine and unpredictable to control. To most Gu Masters, raising one was simply wasting resources.
Yet Han Feng didn't dismiss it.
Instead, he looked at the centipede with interest.
Something about it felt familiar.
Perhaps because its energy was unstable.
Perhaps because, like him, it existed between two different states.
Or perhaps...
The Celestial Diagram had chosen it for a reason.
Han Feng slowly crouched.
The centipede stopped moving.
For a brief moment, human and Gu stared at one another.
Then Han Feng closed his eyes.
The hexagram inside his consciousness began to shine.
A faint connection formed.
The centipede trembled.
Its unstable aura suddenly erupted.
Han Feng's expression changed.
For an instant, he felt the connection almost break.
He didn't panic.
Instead, he pushed his consciousness deeper.
The Celestial Diagram responded.
A faint golden light spread across the darkness of his consciousness.
The chaotic energy within the centipede began to change.
The violent fluctuations gradually weakened.
The two opposing forces no longer collided.
They began to circulate.
Slowly.
Naturally.
Like two streams finally finding the same river.
Han Feng remained completely still.
He could feel every change.
The instability was disappearing.
The mutant Gu's aura became smoother.
More complete.
Han Feng's eyes opened.
The centipede lay quietly on the ground before him.
Its aura had stabilized.
Silence filled the surroundings.
Han Feng stared at it for several breaths.
Then he laughed softly.
Not from joy.
From realization.
"So that's it."
The Celestial Diagram wasn't simply allowing him to cultivate two different powers.
It could harmonize them.
It could take what should have been incompatible and force them into balance.
Han Feng's expression became serious.
This ability was far more valuable than he had initially imagined.
And precisely because of that...
It had to remain a secret.
He looked toward the distant village.
The people there were still living their ordinary lives.
Training.
Cultivating.
Fighting for resources.
Dreaming of becoming stronger.
None of them knew what had just happened.
Han Feng preferred it that way.
Power that was revealed too early was no longer an advantage.
It became a target.
If the existence of the Celestial Diagram was exposed, he could imagine what would follow.
Experts would come.
Some would offer protection.
Some would demand his allegiance.
Others would attempt to seize the secret by force.
In this world, strength was respected.
But mysterious power was coveted.
Han Feng lowered his gaze toward the centipede.
A cold glint flashed across his eyes.
He had only taken his first step.
There was still a long road ahead.
His current strength was insignificant.
His foundation was weak.
His understanding of this world was incomplete.
And yet...
For the first time since arriving here, Han Feng felt that he possessed something truly his own.
Not the memories of his former life.
Not the identity he had inherited.
Not the fate that had been assigned to him.
Something that belonged only to him.
The Celestial Diagram.
He closed his eyes once more.
The hexagram slowly faded into the darkness of his consciousness.
"I need time."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"Time to grow."
He clenched his fist.
"Time to accumulate."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"And when the time comes..."
He looked toward the sky.
There was no arrogance in his expression.
Only determination.
"...I'll make sure no one can stand above me."
The night remained silent.
But somewhere within Han Feng's consciousness, the Celestial Diagram continued to pulse.
Once.
Twice.
Like a distant heartbeat.
And a new path had begun.