What are yin and yang?
They are the foundation upon which all things operate, the law governing the flow of energy, the unity of opposites: light and dark, motion and stillness, life and death.
They exist within the five elements, within every living thing, and just as well, across the vast lands of Zeyarira.
But for the creatures of the Prime Material Plane, yin is simply yin, and yang is simply yang, each with its own deity holding dominion. The gods of life and death stand in stark opposition, and professionals of every class are masters of a single path, pursuing the ultimate purity.
But for the Cultivators of Void Profound Heaven, the five elements and yin and yang generate and overcome one another in an endless cycle. To reach Foundation Establishment, one must cultivate the five elements and coalesce yin and yang, emulating the workings of the universe to construct an inner cosmos.
Without yin and yang, the inner world would be a soulless shell, unable to truly come "alive." It could not form a self-sustaining cycle, much less nourish its creator and bring about a leap in the very level of their existence.
Whether it be the World Tree or the Crown forged from the core of a sun, in the eyes of a Cultivator, they are no longer the lofty regalia of gods. Instead, they are components in the construction of a world’s operation, the twin treasures of yin and yang that lay the foundation of the Dao.
This is a romance unique to Cultivators, a philosophy and wisdom condensed over millennia on the long path of cultivation.
But paths are not divided into right and wrong; Zeyarira has its own philosophies as well.
A path is underfoot; if someone walks it, it becomes the Way.
And Chen Yu intended to walk them all.
At this moment, he felt as if he were in his pitch-black inner world, his consciousness having become a round, rolling ball of qi suspended in its center.
He opened his formless "mouth" and slowly spat out two intertwined masses of treasured light from his belly—the twofold qi of yin and yang.
"Omm..."
The twofold qi of yin and yang slowly ascended, rising higher and higher like two playful dragons, spiraling toward the zenith of the inner sky.
The yang qi rose, and the shattered phantom of the Crown of Ignis faintly materialized, transforming at the highest point of the small world into a golden sun that blazed with immense light.
It shone down upon the land, bringing light, warmth, and vigorous life to this newborn world.
The yin qi settled, condensing into a verdant seed that fell to the soil. The seed quickly took root and sprouted. A World Tree sapling began to grow wildly, its trunk thickening, its canopy flourishing, stretching ever higher until it touched the inner sky.
It brought tranquility, shade, and a reserved vitality to the world. Its swaying shadow soothed all agitation, allowing energy to cycle, settle, and accumulate.
The Crown was the sun, and the World Tree was the moon.
The sun wheeled across the sky, and the tree’s shadow moved slowly in a circle. Where there was light, there was day; where there was darkness, there was night.
With the advent of the sun and moon, yin and yang were now divided!
"BOOM!!!"
In that instant, the entire inner world truly came alive.
Sunlight scattered down, making the forests more lush and verdant. Leaves shimmered with a golden light, and the streams sparkled as if liquid sunlight flowed through them.
The tree’s shadow, like water, gently caressed every inch of the land, allowing the life of the day to turn inward and rest, letting all things gestate new strength in the darkness.
Day and night began to alternate, and the imagery of the four turning seasons started to faintly emerge within the inner world.
A minuscule yet complete inner world had finally been constructed.
"RUMBLE!!!"
It was like the final echo of creation, or the first cry of a newborn life.
Peals of spring thunder rolled across the sky, and a fine rain nourished every inch of the inner world like sweet dew.
A majestic power fed back from this newborn world, surging like a flood from a broken dam, instantly washing over every inch of Chen Yu’s Gel, every one of his cells.
He felt himself floating higher and higher... His perspective detached from his inner world, even from his Gel body, and spread out to every corner of the battlefield.
Arthur and Levin, locked in a fierce battle with the Iron Cavalry Demon Yax; the monsters charging the Demon Legion; the Gargoyles and Poisonous Sting Bees circling in the sky; the distant silhouette of Stormwind Fortress...
Everything appeared clearly in his perception, as if he had activated a god’s-eye view, looking down upon the entire battlefield.
’This feeling is incredible.’
...
After Chen Yu fell into his "slumber," Celeste sat on a relatively clean rock nearby, vigilantly observing their surroundings.
Meanwhile, Count Brand took small steps, pacing in circles around Chen Yu, having volunteered for guard duty.
Seeing a Skeleton Soldier wandering aimlessly toward them, Count Brand immediately flapped his wings, flew in front of the skeleton, and lifted his head haughtily.
"Caw! Listen up, little bag of bones. This Count is in a good mood right now, so you’d better scram."
"Otherwise, when His Majesty wakes up, he’ll be cranky. If he decides to dismantle you, this Count won’t lift a feather to help."
The Skeleton Soldier stopped, lowered its skull with a CLICK-CLACK, and stared at Count Brand with the ghostly green soulfire that flickered in its empty eye sockets.
It was merely acting on instinct, feeling that the glowing Slime, which radiated a hateful aura of Holiness, was deeply unsettling for an Undead.
But this noisy crow in front of it was just as irritating.
Without hesitation, it raised the Bone Bow in its hand, nocked a crooked bone arrow, and aimed it at Count Brand.
"WHOOSH!"
The bone arrow shot through the air.
Count Brand squawked "CAW!" in fright as his entire body exploded into a cloud of scattered black feathers. The bone arrow passed through the gaps between the feathers, hitting nothing. The feathers drifted down behind the arrow, then rapidly converged and reformed into the crow’s body.
"Caw! You dare ambush this Count?! Just you watch..."
Count Brand postured as if to charge forward and teach this rude bag of bones a lesson with his talons.