Spiritual Qi Revival: I Cultivate Through Dreams

On the third night of the spiritual qi revival, Bai Yan walked into an endless expanse of black water. A sword stood in its center, with only the hilt showing above the surface. The hilt was covered in names, one carved over another. The two names at the very top were etched the shallowest; the stone dust in their grooves had yet to be worn away. They were his own name. He didn't know who had carved it. He only knew that from that night on, with every step he took, the ashen mark on his palm crept an inch higher. Whatever he took hold of in his dreams, he had to give back when he woke.