Exploring Law

Afterwards, as agreed, Yan went to see the old headmaster.

"My child, have you been settling in well?" Seeing Yan arrive, the old headmaster set down his hoe, wiped his brow, and asked kindly.

"Everything is fine, sir. Brother Cisheng and the other seniors treat me very well." Yan was momentarily disconcerted, as the old headmaster's demeanor was not what he expected from such a revered figure.

"It's just... Senior Disciple Xiao keeps scaring me, especially when we go out late at night. I'd be walking along, then someone would pop up ahead. It seemed normal at first, but halfway there, when I'd look up, two huge eyes would be staring right at me before I could even turn away!" Yan complained tearfully. "You have no idea the psychological damage it's done!" His distress was genuine.

The old headmaster wasn't sure how to console him. "Indeed, that lad Xiao has gone too far. How can he scare a fellow disciple like that? Don't worry, I'll go discipline him right now!" he said, sounding somewhat guilty.

Hanxiao happened to be passing by. Glancing over, he saw Yan pouring out his woes to the old headmaster. Sensing trouble, he immediately slipped away.

"Old Headmaster, what brings you out here..." Yan finally remembered to ask, having calmed down a bit from the consolation.

"Farming, of course! The environment here is perfect, most suitable for wheat!" The old headmaster proudly led Yan to see his field. Every kernel was plump, every stalk heavy with grain.

"Old Headmaster, this is incredible! The wheat from acres back in my hometown can't compare!" Yan stared, captivated. Though he'd rarely worked the fields himself, he was always the one to handle the harvest each year. If the yield was poor, his parents would first take their frustration out on him. So, his judgment of wheat quality was sharp.

Hearing someone appreciate the fruits of his labor, the old headmaster was overjoyed.

"Yan, in a few days your senior disciples will have a sparring match. You must attend! Watching them will greatly aid your future cultivation. As for now..." The old headmaster stroked his beard thoughtfully. "It's a good chance to test Cisheng's teaching. Let's examine your theoretical knowledge! I have some books here; take them back and review carefully!"

Yan had never taken an exam. While studying theory, he'd always wanted to test his knowledge but lacked a way. Seizing the opportunity, he asked tentatively, "Old Headmaster, could other disciples also take the exam? I've studied long with Brother Cisheng and remember most of it. I just want to see my level. Please?"

Seeing Yan so eager, and considering it had been a long time since their last test, the old headmaster nodded. He even specially appointed Cisheng as chief examiner.

When the news reached every disciple, their hearts were thrown into turmoil. Many, wanting to shine in the upcoming sparring match, chose to go into seclusion to train. As for theory, those from the neighboring mountain had studied it, but those who entered through their own strength in the trials had never considered it.

Now, with a sudden exam added, the hopefuls were in trouble. They had to review by day and consolidate their cultivation by night. They probably cursed the ancestors of whoever stirred things up, making the old headmaster decide on this exam.

For a time, discontent filled the Sub-Institute. Naturally, Yan didn't understand why everyone was so unhappy about such a good opportunity. But seeing their state, he deliberately reduced his trips outside. Time passed. Luckily, no one came looking; it seemed he hadn't been discovered.

On the eve of the exam, Yan couldn't sleep. He flipped through pages but quickly lost patience. Lying in bed, thoughts of the next day's test made him toss and turn. He wanted to walk, but the angry roars and curses of his fellow disciples reviewing reached his ears. Uneasy, he went back inside, fretting, unable to sit still.

The next day, he entered the hall with dark circles under his eyes, listless. He sat down, and the test began.

A bamboo slip was placed before him. The characters on it were dense and blurry, seeming to swirl before his eyes. His head felt as if filled with lead; he couldn't lift it and didn't dare let it drop.

He finally found his brush, barely understood one question, raised it to write a single character—then his head slumped, leaving a long streak across the slip.

Fortunately, characters on the bamboo slip could be erased with magic if mistaken, but that didn't solve the immediate problem.

Cisheng noticed Yan's distress, approached, and whispered by his ear, "Little brother, don't be afraid. If you're sleepy, take a nap. I'll wake you!"

Only then did Yan feel at ease and let his head droop.

A wondrous dream came. He was in a void-like place. Before him, an old man gazed at the sky, murmuring, "Between this heaven and earth, all living things—lightning, rain, and air—their essence can be probed."

He saw the old man pinch something from beside him and press it toward the ground. The surroundings instantly grew immense. Grains of sand became mountains, shallow grass turned to giant trees. Gradually, everything blurred, then cleared again.

Countless tiny particles were tightly interconnected. They didn't seem small, yet gave an illusory feeling.

"This is the essence of all things—the 'Zi'." The old man remained standing there as everything around him seemed to slow. "Watch once more."

Those tiny 'Zi' appeared to shrink further. Within their spherical centers, one could vaguely see nuclei, each surrounded by even smaller particles orbiting them.

Zooming in again, the central nucleus blazed with intense heat and light. Though invisible on a grand scale, within the microcosm, it shone with immense brilliance.

"That's... the sun!" Yan gasped, his jaw dropping in awe as he stared, mesmerized by the nucleus.

Unconsciously, he drifted closer to that nucleus, longing to see more detail—closer, and closer still—letting the fierce flames wash over him, allowing the intense light to sting his eyes.

Suddenly, the world shook violently and Yan woke up.

"Little brother, more than half the time is gone. Hurry and answer the questions!" Seeing Yan's strange state, Cisheng rushed over and shook him awake.

"Brother Ci, what is a 'Zi'?" Rubbing his eyes, Yan asked, the wonder of the dream still clinging to him.

"We're in the middle of an exam. It's not the time for questions. After the test, you can ask the old headmaster. His mastery in this area is unmatched!" Cisheng gently patted Yan's shoulder before resuming his invigilation.

Now fully awake, the questions on the bamboo slip became clear. The brush in Yan's hand seemed to dance through the air, gliding swiftly. Soon, the once-blank surface was filled with answers.

When it was time to hand in his work, Yan had no spare moment to check his answers. After submitting, he hurried off to find the old headmaster and recounted everything he had seen and experienced in the dream during the exam.

"No wonder, little one. The entity within your Immortal Seed must have exerted its power!" After hearing Yan's description, the old headmaster stroked his beard thoughtfully, then patted Yan with satisfaction. "To think you could glimpse through a dream the secret I've pursued for a millennium—truly, you are worthy of being chosen by the Immortal Seed!"

"However, not every 'nucleus' is like a blazing sun." The old headmaster stretched out his hand. With a single open gesture, a 'Zi', magnified infinitely, appeared in his palm. The surrounding small particles were about the size of soybeans, while the central nucleus was akin to a fist. The heart of that 'Zi' was dim, emitting no light, and even carried a slight chill.