Strange Phenomena Arise

951 words

Knowing that Han Li had injured his foot, Zhang Tie personally brought the meals to his room, intending to eat together with him.

Han Li watched as Zhang Tie clumsily moved a chair, then the table, fussing around for a long time before everything was finally set for the meal. Han Li found it somewhat amusing, but more than that, he felt a hint of gratitude.

Once they sat down at the table, they chatted about trivial matters within the sect while stuffing food into their mouths, occasionally exchanging insights on their training.

Whenever the "Elephant Hide Art" came up, Zhang Tie would roll his eyes in frustration.

Zhang Tie had grown to dread the Elephant Hide Art. Although he had only cultivated the first layer, Doctor Mo had already tormented him endlessly. Not only did he have to soak in foul-smelling medicinal baths at fixed times, but he also had to endure Doctor Mo's wooden staff beating him, claiming it was to temper his bones and muscles.

These brutal training methods had once made it impossible for him to sleep soundly at night. His entire body would be swollen and red; the slightest contact with the wooden bed would make him wince in pain.

For him, it was a true nightmare.

In contrast, Zhang Tie greatly envied Han Li's nameless oral formula. He thought it only required sitting in meditation like a monk, chanting silently. Hearing this, Han Li could only remain speechless.

Han Li could understand Zhang Tie's fear of the later layers of the Elephant Hide Art. Anyone who knew they would have to endure several times more torment would be restless and unable to eat or sleep.

That Zhang Tie had persisted so far without giving up already earned Han Li's deep admiration.

If it were him, he would never practice such a self-torturing martial art, even if it could make him a first-rate master overnight. He held the same view.

As they talked, the meal was nearly finished. Zhang Tie quickly cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks, then rose to take his leave. Before leaving, he urged Han Li to rest early to recover from his foot injury.

Han Li stood at the doorway, watching him leave, then hurried back into his room. He closed the doors and windows tightly, leaving only the ventilation skylight open. Only then did he take out the bottle from his pouch and study it again.

After all, Han Li was just a child of ten or so. After fiddling with it for a while without finding any clue, he grew a bit bored. With his foot still injured and his mind tired, he unconsciously leaned against the bedside, the bottle in his hand, and drifted off to sleep.

He did not know how long passed. As he slept soundly, he suddenly felt a cold sensation coming from one of his hands.

Han Li shivered, forcing his heavy eyelids open. Half-dazed, he looked toward his offending hand.

He shot upright, his mouth wide open, not even noticing the drool dripping from the corner of his lips. All sleepiness vanished, shocked by the sight before him.

Threads of white light, visible to the naked eye, descended through the only open skylight in the room, all gathering on the bottle in his hand, forming grains of white light the size of rice grains. The entire bottle was wrapped in a thin layer of white radiance.

The light was very soft, not dazzling at all. The cool sensation came from this faint white glow.

Han Li swallowed a mouthful of now-cold saliva, then abruptly came to his senses. He flung the bottle away as if it were scalding, scrambling to the other side.

He watched warily for a while. Sensing no danger, he cautiously approached again.

The bottle, enveloped in white light, appeared exceptionally beautiful and alluring, with a touch of mystery.

Han Li hesitated. He poked the bottle gently with his finger. Seeing no reaction, he carefully picked it up again. He placed it on the table, then crouched nearby, excitedly observing this unprecedented spectacle.

Without blinking, Han Li stared intently at the bottle in the white light for a quarter of an hour. Finally, he discovered some of its secrets.

The bottle was continuously absorbing the white light dots floating nearby through its surface. No—it was not absorbing; the dots were frantically squeezing into the bottle, scrambling over each other as if they were alive.

Curious, Han Li touched one of the dots with his fingertip.

Cool. That was all—nothing else special.

Han Li looked up.

Threads of white light were still falling from the skylight, showing no sign of stopping.

Han Li glanced at the sealed doors and windows, then at the open skylight above.

A flash of inspiration struck. He gently pushed open the door and poked his head out.

Fortunately, it was already deep into the night. Aside from the chirping of autumn insects, everything was quiet. There was no one around.

Han Li withdrew his head, turned, grabbed the bottle, stuffed it back into his leather pouch, and ran out quickly.

He ran to a secluded, empty spot and stopped.

He scanned the surroundings carefully. Confirming there was no one else, he took out the bottle again and gently placed it on the ground.

The light dots that had originally clustered around the bottle had vanished without a trace after being put into the pouch.

But Han Li was not worried.

Sure enough, after a short while, far more threads of light than before gathered from all directions. Countless white dots appeared densely around the small bottle, forming a huge ball of light the size of a washbasin.

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Reading Guide Decoding

The Bottle Awakens: Han Li's First Encounter with the Supernatural

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

In xianxia cosmology, the energy of heaven and earth (天地灵气) is often invisible but can be condensed into visible forms near powerful artifacts or blessed lands. The white light threads and dots in this chapter represent such condensed spiritual energy, attracted by the mysterious bottle. This is consistent with the trope of a cultivation treasure that “absorbs the essence of the sun, moon, and stars” (吸收日月精华), a concept rooted in Daoist alchemy where celestial bodies are sources of vital energy. The bottle’s behavior—gathering light only when exposed to the open night sky—implies a connection to the heavens. Note that the novel does not yet explain the nature of this energy; it remains a mystery, adding to the story’s slow-burn revelation style. This scene also echoes the real-world Daoist practice of absorbing qi during specific times, such as midnight. However, in this fiction, the bottle itself does the gathering, not the cultivator.

Chapter Overview

This chapter focuses on Han Li’s interactions with Zhang Tie and the first occurrence of a supernatural phenomenon involving the mysterious bottle. Zhang Tie brings dinner to Han Li’s room due to his injured foot. They discuss their cultivation progress: Zhang Tie bitterly complains about the painful Elephant Hide Art under Doctor Mo’s brutal training, while he envies Han Li’s seemingly easy nameless oral formula. After Zhang Tie leaves, Han Li studies the bottle again but falls asleep. He wakes to a cold sensation and witnesses white light threads descending from the skylight onto the bottle, forming countless glowing dots. The bottle appears to draw in these light motes, which behave as if alive. Frightened at first, Han Li recovers his curiosity, touches a dot, and decides to test the bottle outside. In the open, the light dots become far more numerous, creating a large luminous sphere. This chapter establishes the bottle’s otherworldly properties without naming them, laying the foundation for its crucial role ahead.

Key Plot Points

Zhang Tie takes care of Han Li by bringing meals to his room, showing their growing camaraderie. During the meal, Zhang Tie vents his frustration with the Elephant Hide Art, describing the painful sessions of medicine baths and wooden beatings that leave him unable to sleep. He envies Han Li’s nameless formula, which requires only meditation. Han Li remains quiet but internally understands Zhang Tie’s fear. After Zhang Tie leaves, Han Li returns to examining the mysterious bottle he found earlier. He becomes drowsy and falls asleep holding it. Suddenly, he is awakened by a chilly sensation. He sees thin strands of white light falling through the skylight onto the bottle, coalescing into bright specks. The bottle is enveloped in a soft white glow. Startled, Han Li throws it away, but after observing no danger, retrieves it. He discovers that the light dots are actively forcing themselves into the bottle, not being pulled in. He touches one and finds it merely cool. Curious, he steps outside and places the bottle on the ground. The light dots vanish when the bottle is packed away, but when exposed, they return in greater numbers, forming a washbasin-sized ball of light. This phenomenon confirms the bottle’s unique ability to gather ambient energy, a trait that will prove invaluable later.

Reading Guide

This chapter introduces the first overt supernatural element in the story, so far grounded in martial arts realism. Pay attention to how the narrative handles the unexplained phenomenon: Han Li’s reaction shifts from fear to playful curiosity, typical of his pragmatic but inquisitive character. The description is vivid yet restrained—no overblown fantasy language, just “white light threads” and “cool sensation.” This aligns with the novel’s “white sketch” style. For new readers, note that the bottle’s ability is not named or explained; the author trusts the audience to accept mystery. This sets up a long-term plot device that will unfold over many chapters. Also observe the contrast between Zhang Tie’s physical suffering and Han Li’s meditative cultivation—two extremes of martial training in this world. The outdoor test shows Han Li’s effort to understand the bottle through experiment, hinting at his analytical approach to problems.