Volume One: Entering the Path Chapter Sixty-Six: Perfect Manifestation

Having relaxed, Ye Junze soon adjusted his state. Letting out a long breath, he began to circulate the qi sphere in his hands, intending to manifest the small cauldron he had etched in his mind.

Just as before, he channeled his spiritual power into the qi sphere, and simultaneously, the spiritual energy from the surroundings gathered continuously. As the spiritual power and energy within the sphere increased, the sphere began spinning rapidly. Observing this, Ye Junze activated Narrative Guidance, seeking to manifest the small cauldron from his mind through the qi sphere.

His hands moved with purpose, and the qi sphere responded, gradually transforming into the shape of a small cauldron. Perhaps because this cauldron was no ordinary weapon, the spiritual power and energy required for this manifestation were several times greater than before; the spiritual energy he had just gathered was already showing signs of insufficiency. Sensing this, Ye Junze immediately intensified his absorption of ambient spiritual energy. With the sphere at the center, the surrounding energy whirled into a visible, miniature storm, all converging toward the sphere.

As the commotion grew, some of those who had already finished their cultivation stopped what they were doing and turned to Ye Junze’s location. When they saw the storm of spiritual energy gathering around him, they gasped in shock, all wondering what on earth Ye Junze was doing. Though they knew he was manifesting, the scale of his activity was far beyond that of anyone else present. Out of all the students, only his actions caused such a spectacle.

Even Sun Yu had been alerted. In fact, with such a disturbance in his class, he had noticed long before. Observing Ye Junze’s situation, he thought to himself, "It seems you’ve finally found the weapon that resonates with your heart. I wonder what it could be?"

Sun Yu fixed his gaze on Ye Junze, eyes full of curiosity, murmuring, "Such a commotion really does arouse one’s curiosity. Ye Junze, what surprise will you bring us? I find myself growing more and more expectant."

Amid the ceaseless exclamations of wonder, others who were still in cultivation were also disturbed, opening their eyes one after another, thinking something had happened. When they followed the others’ gaze, they saw Ye Junze, now the focus of the audience. In just this brief moment, the storm of spiritual energy around him had grown even larger, as if the small cauldron he was about to manifest had become a bottomless pit, its appetite for spiritual energy seemingly endless. Naturally, this revelation caused another round of startled gasps, and many inwardly sighed, "Is this guy some kind of monster...?"

Glancing at the size of the qi spheres they had condensed, everyone began to doubt themselves: "Have I been practicing a fake technique?" "Are we even doing the same thing?"

Some even considered asking Sun Yu if he was playing favorites, giving Ye Junze a different method than them... Fortunately, these thoughts remained unspoken, for if they had voiced them, Sun Yu might have given them a lesson in what true favoritism and fairness meant.

While the others were in an uproar over Ye Junze’s situation, Ye Junze himself seemed to exist in a world entirely cut off from them, oblivious to the stir he had caused. He could not have known the complexity of their thoughts; even if he had, he would have simply smiled and dismissed them. Once he realized the growing demand for spiritual energy in manifesting the cauldron, he focused all his attention on gathering energy and completing the manifestation, with no mind to spare for the outside world.

As time passed, the qi sphere in his hands gradually assumed the rough outline of a cauldron. To the onlookers, it appeared as a sphere about the size of a human head, though the exact shape was unclear due to the distance.

Once the cauldron’s outline appeared, Ye Junze sensed the sphere’s demand for spiritual energy lessening, no longer as voracious as at first. Sensing this, he realized that success was near and felt a surge of joy, though he did not relax his concentration, continuing to employ Narrative Guidance with utmost focus.

As he did so, the qi sphere in his hands took on the full form of a small cauldron. Aside from some fine carvings and decorative details, it was identical to the image he had seen and envisioned. Judging by its appearance, once those details were manifested, the cauldron would be complete.

Sensing the cauldron was nearly finished, Ye Junze felt a surge of happiness. Even from the not-yet-fully-formed cauldron, he felt a mysterious connection—a sensation absent from the sword he had previously manifested. This, he thought, must be the legendary resonance between heart and weapon.

Delighted by this discovery, Ye Junze concentrated even more on Narrative Guidance, fearing any mistake might undo all his efforts. Gradually, fine carvings began to emerge upon the blurry cauldron, making it ever more exquisite. An indescribable aura wafted from it. With each new carving, more spiritual energy gathered, as if to perfect the details. As the energy converged, the carvings multiplied, until at last the entire surface was adorned.

Then, the energy concentrated at the base of the cauldron, as if about to manifest its feet and base decorations. In little time, three identical feet emerged beneath the cauldron, arranged in a triangular formation—elegant and beautiful, just as Ye Junze had envisioned.

Looking at the exquisite cauldron, Ye Junze thought, "At last, I’ve succeeded in manifesting it."

He believed everything was finished. Yet, contrary to his expectations, once the cauldron was complete, the spiritual energy enshrouding it seemed to gain a will of its own, pouring into the cauldron’s interior. Only when all the energy had been absorbed did everything appear to settle.

Observing this, Ye Junze lifted the cauldron to inspect its interior, finding nothing but empty walls. Shaking his head, he dismissed the thought, gripped the cauldron to confirm its solidity, and ceased the circulation of Narrative Guidance.

No sooner had he done so than a sudden change occurred!

All those who had been watching Ye Junze to see what weapon he would manifest now witnessed countless streams of spiritual energy converging on the indistinct object in his hands, just as he finished the process.

None felt the phenomenon more keenly than Ye Junze himself. As the boundless energy surged toward him, he wanted to react but didn’t know how. Just as he considered calling out for Li Xi’s help, the energy made contact with the cauldron.

Finding nothing amiss at the moment of contact, Ye Junze suppressed his anxiety, choosing to wait and see.

The torrents of spiritual energy did nothing more than pour into the cauldron, as if silently strengthening the weapon he had manifested.

This process did not last long; the great influx of energy vanished as quickly as it had come. Once the cauldron had absorbed all it could, its previously milky-white body began to radiate golden light, the glow flickering as though the cauldron had just taken a satisfied breath.

When the transformation was complete, Ye Junze looked again at the cauldron. Now, its body shimmered with a blend of milky white and gold, the two colors interwoven in a dazzling pattern. If the cauldron had turned wholly gold, it would have perfectly matched the one he had seen in his vision.

When the others finally saw clearly what Ye Junze had manifested, exclamations broke out: "What is that?" "If I’m not mistaken, that’s a cauldron!" "You’re not mistaken, and it looks like a three-legged cauldron, too." Those nearby began to discuss heatedly.

Even Sun Yu couldn’t help marveling inwardly: "I never imagined he would manifest such an object, and the aura emanating from it stirs even my own heart."

With this thought, Sun Yu approached Ye Junze with a smile and asked, "You’ve succeeded?"

Ye Junze looked at him, scratching his head in embarrassment. "Yes, Teacher, it seems I have."

"Would you mind if I have a look?" Sun Yu asked again.

"Of course not, Teacher. Please," Ye Junze replied, handing him the cauldron.

Sun Yu examined the cauldron carefully before returning it to Ye Junze. "Truly impressive. It seems this is the weapon that resonates with your heart."

"Thank you for your praise, Teacher," Ye Junze replied with a smile.

Sun Yu waved a hand. "Alright, get ready. The test for this class will begin soon."

"The test?" Ye Junze asked, puzzled.

"Yes. You’ll learn the details soon enough—I won’t spoil the surprise," Sun Yu answered.

Though still full of questions, Ye Junze nodded obediently, suppressing his curiosity and waiting for answers to reveal themselves.

Seeing this, Sun Yu said no more and turned to walk back to the lectern.