Whispers From The Heavenly Realm

It was a day of celebration in the Kingdom of Wuyong as news spread that the Crown Prince had been born. The people dressed in elaborate clothing, leading a parade outside the royal palace. They sang praises towards their new prince, ecstatic about the miracle of his birth. The queen had said only a year prior that she was unable to bear children, which was a devastating blow to the people. Yet here, tonight, fate had other plans and presented the Kingdom with Prince Bai Xu under the Ominous Star. 

The celebration continued for seven days and seven nights. Banquets were held to honor him, and the palace was piled with more and more gifts. Bai Xu was Wuyong's pride and joy. He continued to be as he grew older. Everyone marveled in his kindness and love he held for his people. Wuyong has never seen a prince so great and so generous. 

As Bai Xu grew older, he decided to follow the path of cultivation, determined to protect his people with everything he's got. His biggest dream was to become a god. By doing so, his people would be untouched and given the best protection one could offer.

Bai Xu was accompanied by his four vassals; Bao Xian, Mu Chen, Zhong Ren and Guan Qi. Even though they were just his mere subordinates, they were also his close friends. The five of them did everything together. And the four, knowing they must protect the Crown Prince with their lives, took up cultivation alongside him. 

The five boys hiked up Mount Huo Wei, the great volcano that overlooked the whole Kingdom of Wuyong, preparing themselves to talk with the great master. Outside the eyes and ears of the people, the boys were able to be themselves. 

"How long does it take to hike this dumb mountain?" Guan Qi, the youngest out of the group, asked. He wiped the sweat that was dripping down his forehead. "How far up is this guy? I'm exhausted!"

"Stop whining, will you?" the boy closest to him, Zhong Ren, said, rolling his eyes. "You're sucking all the fun out of this trip!"

"We could have just used one of the Royal Carriages!" Guan Qi retorted. The other three just laughed while Bai Xu stopped in his steps. He turned to look at Guan Qi, a soft smile lingering on his lips.

"Of course we're not going to use a carriage," he said, his voice soft. "I need the master to see that I can get by without the royal treatment. Otherwise, he won't accept me as his disciple! Besides, hiking up a mountain isn't so bad! At least it hasn't started snowing yet."

"Don't jinx it, now," Bai Xu's closest friend, Bao Xian, said, placing his arm around his shoulders and turning him to face forward again and continue to lead him forward. 

The other three fell behind, whispering to each other about their two friends in the lead. They felt a little jealous, because the two were always together and would sometimes leave them behind. Yeah, Bai Xu would teach the three of them well, but it never seemed the same whenever he was with Bao Xian. He seemed gentler with him, almost fonder.

"Let's just leave them be," the oldest of the three, Mu Chen, said with a sigh. "It's always like this. We should be used to this, anyway."

"Do you think they're going to forget we're here?" Zhong Ran asked. He took off his outer robe, folding it over his arms.

"Why would they forget about us?" Guan Qi asked with raised eyebrows, spotting a tree branch that had fallen to the ground. He grabbed it to use it as a walking stick. "They won't be able to get anywhere without us!"

"Yeah!" Mu Chen said with a soft laugh. "Zhong Ran is obviously the brains of our whole group!"

This wasn't a lie, either. Zhong Ran was one of the smartest kids in the whole Kingdom. He made the big decisions of their group, making sure they didn't run into any trouble. Mu Chen and Guan Qi were practically Bai Xu's personal attendants. They would run any errand the Crown Prince needed, help him with his laundry, cook him food, really anything he needed. 

"It's right ahead," Bai Xu suddenly said, looking back at the other three. "Just beyond that patch of trees!"

Sure enough, a valley rested behind the trees, where a large temple sat. It was the temple of the Heavenly Emperor, Tian Qi. Bai Xu really looked up to Tian Qi. He wanted to be by his side up in the heavens, looking after the people of the realm of humans. Tian Qi was great and powerful, known to answer prayers of millions. 

The five boys stepped inside the temple, dropping down in front of The Heavenly Emperor's divine statue and kowtowing three times and lighting incense. They then turned to the man sitting inside the temple, kowtowing to him as well.

"Guoshi," Bai Xu said, standing tall in front of the man. "We've come to you in hopes to be your disciples."

"And why does His Highness wish to learn from me?" the man asked without looking up at the group before him. Bai Xu cleared his throat and glanced up at the divine statue. 

"I wish to cultivate so I can become like the great Lord Tian Qi," Bai Xu said, glancing back at the great master.

"And what do you think you'll achieve by becoming a god?" the man asked, taking in Bai Xu's appearance. "And what makes you think you can ascend?"

"Isn't the answer the same?" Bai Xu asked him. "I can achieve because I love my people, and I choose to protect them. Once I become a god, I can protect more than just my kingdom. That's my biggest wish."

"Do you think you can protect everyone?" the man asked with a raised eyebrow. The four boys behind Bai Xu exchanged looks, nervous about what the Crown Prince might answer.

"It's not that he thinks he can protect everyone," Bao Xian spoke up in place of the prince. "Because we all know that is impossible. The wish His Highness has is to protect his devotees in the same way the great Lord Tian Qi does."

Zhong Ran let out a deep sigh after hearing their words. He had a strong feeling that this wasn't going to go well. They sounded naive even to him.

"Answer me this," the great master said, standing up and turning away from them, his hands resting behind his back. "If the Kingdom was in great peril, would the five of you sacrifice yourselves and die for your people if it were the only option to protect them?"

"As is the vow of a cultivator," Zhong Ran spoke up. "The people come first, always."

"I will protect my people," Bai Xu said, while the other three agreed with their two friends. 

"The five of you have a lot to learn," the master stated. "Your spiritual energy is low. You may have been trained in martial arts, but that's not what makes a cultivator. Head down the mountain to the land of Ling Ye, a great valley with immense spiritual energy. Cultivate in seclusion for one month. If you come back and your Qi has expanded, then I will be your teacher. If your Qi can't expand after a month, then you have no business being a cultivator."

"Yes, Guoshi," Bai Xu said, kowtowing to him in gratitude. The others followed suit. "We will take our leave, then."

"He said a martial artist doesn't make a cultivator," Guan Qi said in confusion as the group traversed down a mountain path. "I've been training hard to be a good martial artist!"

"He didn't mean that you couldn't be a martial artist," Bao Xian told him with a deep sigh. "My skill in martial arts isn't great, but it doesn't mean I can't be a cultivator. That's what he was trying to say."

"Yeah!" Zhong Ran said, nodding his head in agreement. "Great scholars can become gods. All they have to do is cultivate. I haven't heard of any scholars that are great with martial arts. Some of the elemental gods, even, weren't ever known for their martial arts. That's why there are martial gods. Their specialty is martial arts. So, in that regard, being great at martial arts could do you some good!"

"But not all of us will become gods," Mu Chen added. He glanced at Bai Wuqiang, who was quietly leading the group forward, seemingly lost in thought. "Actually, it's extremely rare for a god to ascend from the same generation. Especially from the same Kingdom, or even the same circle of friends. The odds are against us. Out of the five of us, only one will probably ascend."

"And it will undoubtedly be His Highness," Bao Xian said. 

Everyone slowly nodded their heads to his words, but silence took over the group. Bao Xian had the highest faith in their Crown Prince, but the others still had dreams. But they couldn't let that be known, not to Bai Xu. Behind his kind exterior, the Crown Prince had a temper. He didn't let people see it much, but his friends knew very well how things could trigger him. Therefore, they had to let him take the lead and follow behind him. They refused to let him get upset.

"It's not like I will go alone," Bai Xu suddenly spoke up. The group glanced over to him. Bao Xian smiled at his words, once again wrapping his arms around his shoulders and delicately supporting him as they walked. "You guys are my closest friends. When I ascend, can't I appoint my own heavenly officials? That's what I've heard in the stories. Obviously I'm taking you guys with me. I would never leave you behind."

"I know you won't," Bao Xian said softly. 

"It'd be nice," Quan Qi whispered to the other two, keeping his eyes on their prince, "if some of us could become gods too, though. We're allowed to dream too, are we not?"

"Of course we can," Zhong Ran said, patting his shoulder. "But you know more than anyone else that we're here to follow His Highness. We're on his journey to ascension with him, not for ourselves. We chose to stand by him and cultivate with him. We need to support him with everything we have. Do you understand?"

"Come on, Quan Qi is still young," Mu Chen spoke up, smiling at their youngest friend. "He has a lot to learn. Just let him dream for now."

Meanwhile, Bai Xu walked with his tongue between his teeth, taking in everything his friends were saying. Sure, they thought they were being secretive, but he could hear their words. He knew they also dreamed of a bright future. Who wouldn't? 

"Am I selfish?" he asked Bao Xian, his voice barely above a whisper. They left the others further behind, brushing past knee high grass. The sun was setting, and it was starting to get a little chilly. The cool air added to Bai Xu's darkening mood. "I stand above them, do I not? Isn't it more practical that a Crown Prince with an infinite future should ascend?"

"Of course of course," Bao Xian said, patting his shoulder, doing his best to cheer him up. "Obviously you're the most practical one of us all to ascend. They don't have the same drive as you to protect the people. Besides, you're the Crown Prince. The people will follow you before they follow anyone else! No one is kinder than my dear Highness!"

"You flatter me, Bao Xian," Bai Xu said with a soft chuckle. He glanced at the other with a fond smile. "Do you really think I can ascend?"

"We've been over this a thousand times, Your Highness," his friend told him, taking off his outer robe and placing it over the prince's shoulders to keep him warm. "I have the utmost faith in you. You will cultivate to become extremely powerful, you will save your people and rise above everyone else. You will sit by Lord Tian Qi's side and be a powerful Martial God!"

"You think so?" Bai Xu asked, his cheeks going red at his words. 

"I already told you! One day, I believe you can even take the place as the Heavenly Emperor! One day Lord Tian Qi will retire, will he not?" Bao Xian asked, watching the path ahead. "Tian Qi will see you and he'll bring you to sit by his side. And in the future, maybe you'll find someone who can stand by your side as well."

"You're already by my side," the prince said, seriously. Bao Xian chuckled and shook his head, waving him off.

"No, not like that," Bao Xian said. He glanced around, spotting a clearing. "Come on, let's get some rest. The mountain path is getting too dark. It's best if we sleep now."

He walked into the clearing so he could set up camp. The rest followed, getting to work immediately. Mu Chen and Quan Qi immediately started a fire while Zhong Ren went into the forest to hunt for their food. Bao Xian sat Bai Xu down by the fire and then walked over to set up a shelter the five of them could sleep under.

It didn't take long until all of them were gathered around the fire, roasting rabbit for their dinner. Zhong Ran told the group ghost stories, keeping everyone thoroughly entertained. Bai Xu's mood lifted tremendously and soon he was laughing with the group. These were his friends. His friends who could never lose or betray. He knew they would be by his side for the rest of his life. Otherwise, he didn't know what he would do without them.

The land of Ling Ye was vast. All that could be seen was grass for miles and miles. They could feel the spiritual energy bursting all around them. It was a mystical feeling neither of them had felt before. The experience was absolutely breathtaking. The spiritual energy, however, was so overwhelming that Quan Qi was finding it tough to acclimate. The group had to support him to sit down.

"I think first we should meditate," Bai Xu said, sitting next to their youngest friend and grabbing his hand. "Allow the spiritual energy to flow through us. Give it time to seep into Quan Qi so that he can grow used to it. Meditation is the biggest part of cultivation. He allows us to connect with nature and let it all in."

"Let's hold hands," Bao Xian said, sitting next to the Crown Prince and grabbing his other hand, squeezing it lightly. The group agreed and sat in a circle, taking hands and closing their eyes. "Think of nothing. Just breathe."

And so they sat like that for an hour, just breathing in the clear air and allowing the spiritual energy to flow through them. They became one with nature, listening to the birds chirping in the distance and the wind blowing around them. No one dared to say a word or break their meditation. It was silent and very peaceful.

Everyone break away one by one after a significant amount of time had passed. The only one that continued to meditate was the Crown Prince. They left him alone and surveyed the land that they were on. A water stream could be heard in the far distance, but it could not be seen. They would have to go an hour out of their way just to get water. 

"How are you doing?" Mu Chen asked, placing his hand on Guan Qi's back.

"It's easier to breathe," he said softly. "But I don't think I can train martial arts for a few days until I'm fully used to the air here."

"You should continue to meditate like His Highness," Bao Xian said, nodding towards Bai Xu. Guan Qi looked at their prince, slowly nodding his head. He thought meditation was extremely boring, but he knew he shouldn't argue with the others. They were right, after all. Meditation was already helping him out. "Close your eyes and really connect with this land."

"I did," Guan Qi said, looking at him.

"Do it some more," Bao Xian said, shaking his head. He then walked back over to Bai Xu and sat down next to him. He closed his eyes and started training idioms under his breath. The remaining two exchanged looks. 

"Let's go replenish our water," Zhong Ran said quietly to Mu Chen so they wouldn't disturb the others. Mu Chen nodded his head in agreement. 

"We need to find materials so we could build a shelter as well," Mu Chen added.

"Absolutely not," Bai Xu spoke up without opening his eyes. He sat up straight and tall, unmoving from his position. "We are here to connect with the land. There will be no shelter. We will sleep under this sky. Our meals will be few. Our sole focus is cultivation."

"Yes, Your Highness," Mu Chen said, a little taken aback by his words. He exchanged looks with Zhong Ran, a complicated expression appearing on his face. He was starting to feel a little bit worried about this trip.

"Come on," Zhong Ran said, leading him away. "Let's get our water."

When they left, Bai Xu went back to meditating. Bao Xian was watching him, silently. He was probably the only person that agreed with his words. He knew that Mu Chen and Zhong Ran was going to complain as soon as they were out of ear shot. But they only had a month to grow stronger in their cultivation. Bai Xu knew what he was talking about. And nothing could ruin this for the Crown Prince. They were going to get through this, even if it proved to be tough. This was Bai Xu's path to ascension.