The m light filtered through the wooden windows, casting a soft glow over their home. For the first time in weeks, the air inside felt lighter.Feiyin sat cross-legged on the wooden floor, slowly exhaling as he adjusted his breathing. His body had undergone immense ge, his trol had sharpened, and his strength had solidified. He could feel it with every step he took, every movement he made.Today, however, training was not his focus.Today, he was six years old.And for the first time in a long while, he wasn’t thinking about battles, about sharpening his trol, about pushing his limits.Today, he just wao be with his parents.The st of fresh food filled the air, and the warmth from the stove crackled in the quiet m. Feiyi a smile tug at his lips as he stretched his arms, gng toward the kit.His mother was humming softly, her hands moving with practiced ease as she prepared their meal.His father sat at the table, drinking tea, his expression rexed—a rare sight.Feiyin’s heart swelled.It had been a difficult month, full of pain, loss, and recovery. But today, even if only for a short while, he wao let it all go.

  As the m passed, the three of them sat together, eating and talking, slowly easing away from the weight that had lingered over them.Halfway through their meal, Mei Liao suddenly cpped her hands together, her amethyst eyes twinkling with excitement."Alright, sweetheart. Close your eyes."Feiyin blinked. His mother rarely looked this excited."Why?" he asked, a grin tugging at his lips despite himself."Because it’s your birthday, and I have something for you."Feiyin tilted his head but did as he was told, closing his eyes.He heard soft footsteps, followed by the rustling of fabric. Then, something warm and incredibly soft draped over his shoulders."Okay, open them."Feiyin blinked his eyes open and looked down.A bck robe, threaded with silver and purple, y ly over his frame.He ran his fingers over the fabric, feeling its smoothness."This… this is the one you were making."His mother nodded, watg him carefully. “I made it just for you, my love. Something sturdy, something that fits you well, and something that looks just as handsome as you.”Feiyin blushed at the pliment, but he held the robe tighter."It’s perfect.""I knew you’d like it." His mother beamed, her smile as warm as the m sun.Feiyin immediately tried it on, rolling his shoulders and adjusting the fit. It was light but durable, moving with his body like a sed skin."It fits perfectly!"His mother smirked. "Of course it does. I know my son well.""It does suit you."Feiyin turoward his father, who had been quietly watg the entire exge.Cai Feng stood from his seat and, without another word, pced something heavy in front of Feiyin oable.A saber.Feiyin froze.His fiwitched as he reached forward, lifting the on carefully. It was smaller than his father’s—a perfect size for him—but its design mirrored the bde he had trained with under Cai Feng’s guidance.A long, single-edged curved bde, sharpeo perfe.The weight was just right.It was his.His father’s voice was steady. “You are no longer a child who o be sheltered. You have stepped onto the path of cultivation. And so, you will need a bde that is yours.”Feiyin swallowed hard, holding the on with reverence."Dad… this…""You’ve ear."His grip tightened.He had spent months learning under his father’s guidanderstanding what it meant to wield a saber, what it meant to draw a bde with ihis on…It was a responsibility.Feiyin took a slow breath and nodded, his expression serious. "I will wield it well."His father smirked slightly. "Good."Mei Liao crossed her arms and sighed dramatically. "I give him a beautiful robe, and you give him a on. It’s always swords and training with the two of you."Cai Feng raised a brow. "It’s a saber."Mei Liao rolled her eyes. "Same thing."Feiyin ughed, hugging both his robe and his saber close.His mother chuckled, running her fihrough his hair. “Happy birthday, my little one.”His father pced a hand on his shoulder, warm and steady. “Keep growing stronger.”Feiyin nodded, his heart full.This was the happiest he had been in a long time.And with his new saber at his side, he was more determihahe evening air was warm, the st of cooked meats and seasoned vegetables filling their small home as Feiyin sat between his parents, his stomach full and his heart light.It was a rare moment of peace.His mother had insisted on making a feast for his birthday, filling the table with bowls rant rice, steaming cuts of meat seasoo perfe, and sweet gzed fruit for dessert.Feiyin ate heartily, sav every bite, the warmth of the meal sinking into his bones. His mother kept piling food onto his pte, while his father merely smirked at his struggle to keep up."You’ve been training hard, Feiyin. You o eat more," Mei Liao said, passing him another serving."Mom… I think I might explode," he groaned, rubbing his stomaonsense. You’re still growing."His father chuckled. "Let the boy breathe, Liao."Feiyin sighed in relief as she finally relehough her satisfied smile told him she had already won.He leaned back slightly, staring at the dim glow of the nterns overhead.For the first time in what felt like forever, he let himself simply exist.No battles.No training.Just warmth, ughter, and the quiet fort of family.Yet, beh that peace, something stirred.An uanding, a realization he had been waiting for.It was time.His body was ready. His mind was clear. His heart was steady.And his irength had reached the threshold he had long prepared for.Feiyin looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers, feeling the energy within him pulsing like a silent rhythm.After clearing the table and helping his mother with the dishes, he excused himself, moving to the quiet er of their home where he ofteated.As he settled into position, crossing his legs, straightening his back, his breathing naturally slowed.He was not rushing.The moment was right.He let the siletle over him, allowing his thoughts to drift, his seo stretch outward.He remembered.The way each element resohe song each ahe osciltions of his own body.And then, the question arose—What song could be pyed to dispy harmony?A song where every instrument pyed its part, yet none overpowered the others?Where eaote plemented, not flicted?He had pohis for months.And now, he khe ahe creation cycle.One element leading into the , naturally flowing, strengthening each other.He begah. The foundation. The stability.His spleen stirred as his irength vibrated in accordah the deep, steady hum of the earth. The sensation spread, rooting him, anch his existeheal. Structure. Precision.The osciltions shifted, his lungs responding to the sharp, refined resonance. His breath became crisper, his trol more precise, as if the very air he inhaled was being honed.Water. Fluidity. Adaptation.The energy flowed seamlessly, guiding itself to his kidneys, washing over him like an unshakable tide. The osciltions became deeper, rippling through him in steady waves, refreshing and purifying his core.Wood. Growth. Flexibility.His liver hummed, responding to the gentle surge of motion, like branches reag toward the sky. His perception stretched outward, his sight feeling clearer, sharper, more attuned.And then—Fire. Vitality. Passion.A spark ignited in his heart. The beat in his chest grew stronger, bolder, the warmth of his blood c with power. His very sense of taste sharpehe air around him taking on a riess he had never noticed before.And finally—Back to Earth.A full cycle.Each element had strengthehe , a tinuous loop of creation, a symphony of harmony.Agaih.Metal.Water.Wood.Fire.And back.Each cycle grew smoother, each transition seamless.His body thrummed with perfect resonance.His irength moved without resistance, like a song pyed effortlessly by a master musi.Then, something shifted.As the elements merged, verging in a cycle without fw—He felt it.An unpreted sense of harmony.It was as if every part of him—his mind, his body, his very essence—had alighe external strength he had fed, the power he had tempered, the trol he had refi all merged with his irength.He had never felt so whole.Feiyin opened his eyes.The nterns flickered, casting golden light over the room.He exhaled, steady, calm, entirely at peace.He had taken aep forward.And deep within, he khis was only the beginning.