Yu Chen felt as though he were in a dream as he floated towards the surface. The light filtering through the waves slowly illuminated the world around him as he drifted upwards, revealing the life swarming throughout the river. Schools of tiny fish drifted like clouds through the water. Bigger fish darted among them, eating their fill, and he could see larger things as well, vast shadows moved at the edge of his vision, dwarfing the rest.

  It was a living canvas. He met the eye of an ancient turtle floating in the distance, so old moss and barnacles had formed an ecosystem on its thick shell. It stared at him with clear intelligence, but it made no move to approach, drifting along its own path without a care in the world. Something massive appeared out of the depths below, but it disappeared just as fast. All he saw was the large fin across its back as it vanished from sight. He felt a powerful aura rising from both creatures, but he felt no fear. The river itself held him in its hands, and he’d never felt safer.

  Yu Chen could feel it around him, and it was as aware of him as he was of it. A connection existed between them, faint but undeniable. It was like an extension of his own body, and he felt at home within the waves. He should have been starved for breath, but somehow, he wasn’t. He felt no desperation, no longing for air or anything else. He closed his eyes, feeling at peace for the first time in a long time. He’d been in motion for so long he’d almost forgotten what it felt like to be able to simply relax and drift away.

  It came to an end much too soon. He let out a gasp, a cold wind blowing over him as he crested the surface. The spell broke. Opening his eyes, he returned to reality. He didn’t move right away, floating on his back in the river as he stared at the sky, considering what had just happened. There was so much he just didn’t understand. What exactly was the connection between Xiao Huang and the Yellow River? And how had he become involved in it all?

  He was still a young man; despite all he’d experienced.

  “Yu Chen!”

  He looked over at the sound of his name. Sun Yuan was leaning over the side of the ship, staring down at him in concern.

  “Are you okay?” The other boy yelled down, before turning away to say something to someone else.

  Moments later a rope came spiraling down, landing with a splash in the river beside him. Yu Chen considered it for a moment before flipping over on his stomach. A few powerful strokes brought him to it. He was surprised at just how natural it felt to slide through the water now. He’d always been strong and flexible, and after his numerous tempering's he’d thought there was no more room for growth. He’d felt perfect, to himself at least.

  Now… It was so different. He couldn’t feel a single ache of pain. Every muscle, every fiber, fired in perfect sync, and there wasn’t even a moment’s hesitation between thought and action. He climbed the rope in a heartbeat, clambering aboard the ship and dripping water across the deck.

  He still felt like himself, but he could sense the subtle differences from before. It would take him some time to adjust to the changes, but he felt good.

  “Yu Chen?” Xue Lan was the first to speak, looking at him with uncertainty in her eyes.

  “Yes?” He asked, giving her a smile.

  “You look different.” She said, her brows drawing together in a tight frown.

  He looked down, even twisting his head and his body to see as much as he could. He blinked. Near as he could tell he looked much the same. Except… He raised a hand, gently prodding at his untarnished side. A massive scar used to be there, from when a boar had gored him during his first hunt alone. It was gone now. He blinked in astonishment before turning his arms over, looking for the numerous scars he’d collected during his time as a cultivator.

  His baptism in the yellow waters had reformed him. His skin was now smooth and flawless, and, he realized belatedly, his hair had grown as well. It shone with a lustrous sheen and hung down to the small of his back.

  He stared at it in astonishment. How had that happened? He scratched his head, wincing as he felt a sharp nail dig into his flesh. Perplexed, he turned his hand over. His eyes widened as he took in his thickened nails that appeared more like an animal’s claws than anything human.

  He looked up in confusion, seeing Xue Lan still staring at him.

  “Your eyes too.” She said, pointing at his face.

  Yu Chen raised a hand, touching his face as he turned to look at the others. Sun Yuan at least, didn’t seem to share Xue Lan’s reservations. His eyes shone, if anything he looked impressed at Yu Chen’s transformation. Yan Ziqi was interested as well, appearing inquisitive at the changes. Serbo au Serbo didn’t say anything, but there was respect in his gaze.

  “Who cares about that?” Sun Yuan asked, practically dancing in excitement, “You’ve finally broken through!” He said, slapping him on the shoulder.

  “We’re just waiting on you now.” Yan Ziqi said, tapping his chin as he looked at the boy.

  Sun Yuan nodded at the words, a large smile on his face.

  “I’m ready whenever,” he said breezily, folding his arms behind the back of his head.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Yu Chen rubbed his stomach as the others continued talking, feeling ravenously hungry for some reason. The gesture didn’t escape Serbo’s notice.

  “Eat soon,” He said, “I will cook now.”

  The big barbarian headed to the galley, and a short time later the smell of cookery wafted up from belowdecks. Yu Chen’s stomach grumbled in response, but he ignored it as he did the others, more concerned with the changes he could sense in his dantian. Closing his eyes he reached out, visualizing the center of his power.

  His dantian spread out in his mind. It had expanded by leaps and bounds and was capable of holding far more qi than it had before. It was nearly empty though. After advancing his qi had condensed into a thick liquid, one that shimmered with a density and purity that was far beyond his peers. It no longer diffused through the space in a mist. It churned now, revolving around the small seed of a core floating at the very center of his dantian. That seed would one day become the heart of his core, once he filled the massive reservoir with liquid qi and condensed it around it.

  It let out a pulse every now and then, a quiet promise of what’s to come.

  His Foundation was flawless. A soft smile hung on his lips as he opened his eyes, following the others belowdecks. They gathered around the table, having formed a habit over the last few weeks of eating together. Sun Yuan cracked a joke and Yan Ziqi replied, even Xue Lan joined in with a quip of her own. Their journey together had been stressful, but with Yu Chen’s breakthrough they finally seemed to have returned to some sense of normalcy.

  He found himself joining in, laughing along with the others.

  Then Serbo au Serbo came bustling in, carrying trays full of flatbread and steaming bowls of rice. Yu Chen’s stomach cramped in hunger as he slid them on the table, filling the air with the rich scent of spiritual energy. Then he disappeared, quickly returning with trays of grilled fish the length of his arm, as well as long skewers of meat radiating with a spiritual energy so dense it smothered the others.

  Yu Chen’s eyes lit up at the sight.

  Serbo had been stingy with the meat they’d recovered from the kraken, but he’d cooked up a large portion in celebration of Yu Chen’s breakthrough. Yu Chen didn’t hesitate, reaching out to grab a skewer before the big man could even set the plate down. He bit into it, his eyes widening in surprise as spiritual energy flooded through his body. It practically melted in his mouth. Juices dribbled down his chin as he bit down, ripping off another chunk of meat.

  The barbarian let out a booming laugh as Yu Chen made sounds of pleasure. Nothing brought Serbo more joy than watching others tear into his food. Spinning on his heels he retreated into the galley once more, returning with plates full of vegetables and fruits they’d stolen from the Riverlord’s garden.

  He sat down, joining them. They ate together in a companionable silence. Yu Chen piled up a plate, tearing through it in moments before returning for a second and a third. He felt drained and couldn’t get enough. The technique had used everything it could to fuel his transformation, and he began to feel better as the influx of spiritual energy spread through his body. It was an addicting feeling. Reaching out, he grabbed another skewer of squid meat at the same time Sun Yuan did.

  Something roiled inside him as he saw the boy’s hand land on the skewer. His eyes flashed, narrowing to a point. His claws twitched, a slight tell before he struck out, snatching the skewer from Sun Yuan’s hands before he could react. The table fell silent, everyone turning to look at him.

  “Yu Chen?” Sun Yuan asked, looking uncertain.

  Yu Chen blinked. What was that? An uncomfortable atmosphere rose in between them before he let out a laugh, tossing the skewer back to Sun Yuan.

  “I’m just feeling hungry.” He said sheepishly, before reaching out to tear off a piece of the fish. “It’s been a long day for me.”

  Sun Yuan nodded at him slowly.

  “I make more,” Serbo said, pushing his chair away from the table.

  “No,” Yu Chen protested. “That's not necessary. There’s plenty of food here, I was just playing around.” He said, laughing it off.

  Serbo regarded him for a moment before sitting back down. Yan Ziqi made a quip, breaking the awkward atmosphere. Sun Yuan laughed, hurrying to respond. Soon enough the air of camaraderie returned, but Yu Chen noticed the way Xue Lan’s eyes lingered on him throughout the rest of the meal.

  Eventually the impromptu party came to an end. They spent the rest of the night in a companionable mood as they did their own things. Xue Lan disappeared, probably off to research the inscriptions covering the ship, and Sun Yuan returned to the wheel. Serbo au Serbo found a spot on the deck and threw a line overboard, fishing, as he did most evenings.

  Yan Ziqi retreated to the workshop. He’d been inspired by the Riverlord’s craft and had spent the last few weeks in there, hard at work on something new. He’d commandeered most of the metal they’d found in the sunken city, along with the metals he bought at the auction house.

  For his part, Yu Chen decided to return to his room, crossing his legs as he took a seat on the array carved into the floor. He didn’t rush to activate it, taking his time as he centered himself and considered the changes to his body.

  The physical changes were odd, but he didn’t mind them so much. He could always cut his hair, and scars didn’t bother him, whether he had them or not. The claws were nearly a natural weapon, so he didn’t mind those either. He still hadn’t seen his eyes. The idea of them changing did bother him some, but it was the changes to his mentality that really had him worried.

  His interaction with Sun Yuan troubled him, and he’d have to get to the bottom of what had happened there. He considered it for a little bit, but there was nothing he could do for it now, so he turned his mind to other things. It was hard to believe, but he’d finally stepped into foundation establishment. He couldn’t wait to externalize his qi for the first time.

  He only needed a technique.

  Yu Chen chuckled to himself as the array activated, humming to life. The spiritual energy in the air started drifting towards him, slowly at first before pouring in a torrent as it picked up speed. The river emitted a thick spiritual energy, and was already one of the greatest cultivation aides any cultivator could ask for. All of that energy came flooding towards the ship as the array pulled, until not only Yu Chen’s room but the entire vessel was suffused in a dense fog of spiritual energy.

  Yu Chen cycled his breathing technique, opening up the black hole in his dantain. His body relaxed as energy began pouring in, his meridians sang, and his cells rejoiced. The food had been wonderful, but this was how a cultivator truly received the bounty of heaven.

  He lost track of time, enjoying the sensation of finally advancing again after so long.

  A long while later, he blinked, opening his eyes. At some point night had fallen. Only a stray beam of moonlight provided him with any illumination, but it was just enough to see by as he stood up, stretching before making his way towards the bed. He fell into it, a smile gracing his face as he fell fast asleep.

  He didn’t stay that way for very long.