Chapter 707 Ten Years
He had done the whole process with careful attention, analyzing and controlling every minuscule detail of the described process.
He just couldn't understand where the problem was. There was no rhyme or reason as the whole process seemed to collapse at the onset and he didn't know why.
Unwilling to throw in the towel just yet, he spent the next couple of minutes replaying and analyzing every minute detail of the first two processes and correlating it with what he did to try and see if there was anything he might have overlooked.
He went through everything with a fine comb but still could not spot whatever mistake he had made.
"I have two more tries, whether I succeed or fail, fifteen tries is all I will do today.." said Yang Qing, using those words to control and firm himself.
If he didn't, he was afraid he would be completely consumed in exploring the art, and before he knew it a month would have passed by without him knowing. It was safer to set a deadline and work with it.
"There must be something I'm overlooking here, something with the memory or is it the spiritual essence?...should I alter its form into the cerulean moth, maybe that might enable it to absorb the memory easier..
But will that really work? It wasn't mentioned and for some reason, I have this nagging feeling, the reason I'm failing is something overt..."
Yang Qing mulled over countless ideas before he finally decided to try and alter the shape of the cleansed spiritual essence and try and see if the structure was the issue of the failure, if that didn't work, he had a couple of other ideas he wanted to try, but with only one more try left after this one, he could only choose one.
With a plan already set, Yang Qing meditated for half an hour to get himself in optimal condition before he began the process over again.
He split a sliver of his spiritual essence and went about cleansing it into a blank state. Though he still took some time to cleanse it completely, the process felt relatively easier after the previous two successes.
After he was done with the erasure, Yang Qing took a deep breath and regulated his breathing as he cautiously started molding the fragile-looking spiritual essence in his hands.
As he said that, Yang Qing breathed in and out, exhaling his fatigue and frustration from within his body as he welcomed a cleansing of relief.
Yang Qing took a seat and began the process over again. He split his spiritual essence and swiftly moved on to cleansing it of its entire makeup. He wasn't sure if it was because of how at ease he was with the thought of the part spurring him on or the carefree relief brought by him not attaching much importance to whether it succeeded or not as it was his last attempt nonetheless, but the process was much much smoother than the previous four times.
After the cleansing was complete, Yang Qing didn't waste a second as he moved on to the next step. At this point, he was even hoping it would fail so he would go see if the ingredients he had told Administrator Mo Guang to procure had arrived.
Still wearing the same carefree demeanor, he channeled his emotions as he did before, only this time, he wasn't wearing the look of some monk who was as still as an unperturbed lake, this time emotions were showing on his face as he closed his eyes.
On his face, one could see glee, relief, fear, excitement, and anticipation. Yang Qing didn't open his eyes, as he channeled his emotions into the crystal-clear spiritual essence. The spiritual essence shivered like it was about to dissipate like last time, however, this time, Yang Qing's hand produced a blue mist filled with mots of light like little starlights that seemed to quell the excitement of the spiritual essence, and slowly permeated into it, transforming its look into an ocean blue color with tiny mots of lights.
Yang Qing's eyes were still closed, almost as if his mind was in another realm while the spiritual essence in his palm was completely transformed and looked like a tiny patch of ocean that reflected the sky on its surface. When the last of the blue mist dissolved into it, it contorted like clay being molded, and transformed, from its formless shape, into a delicate blue-
colored moth.
With its form complete, it started flying around excitedly as it left a blue mist-colored trail as that exuded an aura of freedom.
Without even looking up, Yang Qing could already tell he had succeeded. He slowly opened his eyes with a smile, meeting the excited blue-colored moth that dashed straight at him, heading straight for his nose before making a beeline for his hair where it did circles, turns, and twists.
Yang Qing couldn't help but chuckle as he sensed its rambunctious nature and its purity. He stretched his right index finger and as if on cue the blue moth flew from above his head toward the stretched-out index finger and perched itself on top of it.
"So that was what I was missing.." muttered Yang Qing as he admired the crystal blue moth gently flapping its wings. Within its wings, he could see an image of a younger version of himself. Chubby cheeks, innocence written all over with a hint of mischief, curiosity, excitement, fear, and expectation.
"I can't believe it's been 10 years since then.." Yang Qing wistfully said with a nostalgic sigh escaping his lips as he took in the image of him at thirteen years old when he had left home, with a rush of countless emotions flooding through him as he imagined what lay next for him.
"Things may have not gone exactly as I envisioned, but it's more than what we hoped for little Yang Qing.." he said with asmile.
"Ten years from now, I wonder what that Yang Qing will tell me.." he added as he saw the crystal blue moth flap its wings, fly above him to the roof above, and disappear.