Battle Through the Heavens: Beyond the Great Thousand

The sky had begun to dim, painted in hues of deep purple and orange as Xiao Yan sat beneath the twisted branches of an ancient tree.

Its gnarled roots snaked across the ground like the veins of the earth itself, pulsing with a quiet vitality. A cool breeze carried the scent of distant rain, rustling the sparse leaves above him.

Resting in his lap was the tome he had obtained from the Hidden Archives, its aged cover worn but sturdy.

He had spent the better part of the day poring over its pages, trying to grasp the intricacies of the Cosmic Force, yet comprehension still eluded him.

Unlike Dou Qi, which he had spent a lifetime refining, the Cosmic Force followed entirely different principles. He had been foolish to assume he could apply the same methods he once used back in the Great Thousand World. That was his first mistake—trying to impose control over something that resisted forceful command.

A deep sigh escaped his lips. Looking back now, he realized something. Every trial he had gone through since arriving in this world, every failure, every moment of struggle—none of it was meaningless.

At first, he had cursed his weakened body, his inability to harness Dou Qi, and the loss of the strength he had painstakingly built. But now, he saw the truth.

If he had been able to use Dou Qi from the start, he never would have questioned its nature. He would have relied on old habits, using familiar techniques in a world where they no longer applied.

If the Hidden Archives had simply granted him direct knowledge, he would have approached Cosmic Force like he did Dou Qi—forcing it into submission rather than understanding its flow.

And if he hadn't gone through those trials—the isolation, the struggle for survival, the strange challenges that seemed to test not only his strength but his adaptability—he never would have realized that this world was forcing him to unlearn before he could truly learn.

A bitter chuckle left his lips.

"So that's why…"

The trials weren't meant to test his power. They were meant to break his old ways of thinking.

A Different Path.

He exhaled deeply, forcing his frustration to fade. There was no benefit in rushing. Instead, he focused on the opening passage of the tome, tracing his fingers over the faded ink.

"The foundation of Cosmic Force is not to harness, but to harmonize. The cosmos does not yield to dominion—it flows, boundless and unrestrained. To wield it is to walk alongside its current, not to dictate its course."

Xiao Yan leaned back against the tree trunk, his eyes drifting toward the sky. Stars had begun to emerge, scattered like specks of silver dust across the heavens. Was this what the tome meant? To be in sync with the cosmos itself?

Back in the Great Thousand World, energy was refined and controlled—molded into form through sheer willpower and discipline. But here, it seemed as though one had to attune themselves to something far vaster.

Even now, he could feel it—the world thrumming with an invisible pulse, as though it breathed in harmony with the stars. Cosmic Force was an omnipresent energy, interwoven with reality itself. It was neither internal nor external; rather, it was both.

One could not "gather" it in the traditional sense—it was always there, and the key lay in resonating with it.

First, perception.

He shut his eyes, clearing his mind of distractions. He had attempted this earlier, with nothing but failure. Yet, the tome had warned against impatience.

"Do not seek to see it with your eyes, nor grasp it with your hands. Feel it as one feels the warmth of the sun or the cold of the night breeze. It is not to be held—it is to be understood."

A deep breath. Then another.

Minutes passed. Then an hour.

Silence. Stillness.

And then—a flicker.

At first, it was barely noticeable. A subtle shift in the air, like the faintest ripple across a still pond.

But as he focused, it became clearer. The world was not silent; it thrummed with a quiet, rhythmic pulse, neither sound nor movement but something in between.

His pulse quickened. He could feel it now. It was faint—so faint it was almost elusive—but it was there.

He didn't move. He simply observed. The tome had cautioned against acting too soon. Cosmic Force, unlike Dou Qi, did not respond to forceful command.

Rather, it was like a river—try to seize it, and it would slip through one's grasp. But if one flowed alongside it, they could be carried forward.

Slowly, he let his awareness expand.

The flicker grew stronger.

It was an odd sensation, as though he had stepped into a hidden current within the air itself. Yet, rather than forcing himself into it, he let himself drift along its presence.

And for the briefest moment—just a moment—the force responded. A wisp of energy stirred around him, like a gentle wind acknowledging his presence.

Then, just as quickly, it vanished.

Xiao Yan opened his eyes. His breath was unsteady, his heart pounding with excitement.

It had been brief, but it had happened. He had felt it. This was different from his previous failures. It wasn't an illusion or wishful thinking—it was real.

The corners of his lips curled into a small smile.

"So, that's it…"

For the first time since he had entered this new world, he felt as though he had taken a true step forward.

But he knew this was only the beginning.

The day ended as he felt drowsiness hit him.

He is exhausted, forgot the feeling of hunger as he was deep in thoughts about what this Cosmic Force is.

-----

A new day arrived as a early ray of the sun hit Xiao Yan's face.

He once again forgot hunger..

Excitedly, he reached for the tome, he flipped through its pages once more, eager to understand the next step.

His realized that his initial attempts had been foolish. He had tried to refine the energy like Dou Qi—force it into submission, bend it to his will.

But now, after a good nights rest, and with this newfound experience, he understood the flaw in that approach.

Cosmic Force was not meant to be controlled in the traditional sense. It was an extension of the cosmos itself, a force that required cooperation rather than dominance.

It reminded him of his first lessons in alchemy—how one could not force the elements to merge but had to guide them gently, allowing them to harmonize of their own accord.

"Balance," he murmured.

Turning to a new page, he read:

"To wield the Cosmic Force is to understand the balance of existence. Where there is motion, there is stillness. Where there is force, there is flow. Opposing forces do not contradict; they complement. Without this balance, the cosmos would collapse."

Xiao Yan pondered these words for a long moment. If Cosmic Force was neither internal nor external, then what was it truly?

Perhaps the question itself was flawed. Maybe it was both, just as the tome described—both within and without, existing in harmony with all things.

He closed his eyes once more, letting go of preconceived notions.

This time, he did not seek to sense the energy. He simply existed within it.

The flicker returned, stronger than before.

A pulse. A resonance.

He exhaled softly. It was still difficult to grasp, but he was beginning to see the path forward.

Later, he would experiment further. He would not rush. He would not force.

As hunger dawned on him, he remembered that he had not eaten at all yesterday!

For the first time since arriving in this world, he felt as though he had taken a step onto the right path—not just stumbling in the dark, but moving toward true understanding.

As he closed the tome and set it beside him, he let his gaze drift to the stars.

"A new force… a new beginning," he mused.

The road ahead was long, but for the first time, Xiao Yan felt a sense of clarity.

Later, he would try again.

And this time—he would succeed.

"But now lemme eat something..." Xiao Yan stood up, entering the forest.