Morning mist cloaked the valley like a veil of gossamer, the sun not yet risen above the eastern ridge. Faint light pierced through the clouded sky, casting a golden haze upon the woodnd. LaUhta had remained seated by the stream through the night without rest or sleep since Nuwa had imparted her wisdom of consciousness, fearing to miss any precious teaching.

  A slight rustling sound came from the treetops. LaUhta's eyes opened instantly as he turned toward its source. Nuwa's red dress shone like a living fme in the morning mist, unmistakably bright. She moved gracefully through the forest, her feet seeming not to touch the dew-den ground, her steps as light as those of beings from beyond mortal realms. Her amber eyes gleamed in the thin mist with both expectation and a barely perceptible caution, as if the bck "One" within LaUhta was not merely a gift, but perhaps harbored unknown dangers.

  "You have waited here all night," Nuwa's voice rang clear as a mountain spring, carrying a measure of approval and a trace of concern not easily detected. "Such determination is rare, even among the 'Tao Seedlings' I have encountered."

  LaUhta rose respectfully, brushing the dew from his sleeves, and offered a slight bow to Nuwa. "Your teachings are precious as gold; I dare not neglect them in the slightest." His voice was calm, but his eyes shimmered with an unmistakable thirst for knowledge and hidden concern. He raised his hand, gazing at his palm as if able to perceive the formless energies flowing within. "This bck 'One' grows ever stronger. I feel... as though a flood beyond my control rages within, threatening at any moment to breach its banks."

  Nuwa's gaze fixed upon LaUhta like two beams of burning light. She paced slowly around him, her red skirt swaying gently with her elegant movements, dancing like fmes and leaving enchanting traces in the morning light. Her brow furrowed slightly, her slender fingers rubbing together gently, as if sensing some invisible flow of energy.

  "This matter indeed cannot be taken lightly," Nuwa's voice suddenly grew solemn, the two symmetrical beauty marks at the corners of her eyes shifting slightly with her changed expression. "What you sense is no mere fancy. The nature of the bck 'One' is rare even in the history of the continent of Mu. Should it grow unchecked, the consequences could be dire."

  LaUhta's heart sank, his fingers unconsciously tightening. Nuwa's confirmation transformed his worries into reality. Wind rustled through the treetops, leaves whispering as if trembling at this potential peril.

  "Now that you understand the role of consciousness, look anew upon your own condition," Nuwa's voice carried an undeniable authority, like thunder breaking the silence of deep winter. "Try to perceive the 'One' within you with your consciousness, and then—" her voice suddenly dropped to a mysterious whisper, "attempt to cease its drawing in."

  LaUhta drew a deep breath of the forest's fresh air and slowly closed his eyes. He exhaled the breath from his chest and abdomen gradually, like a mountain peak shedding its snow cover. His furrowed brow smoothed, his face grew tranquil as he cast aside stray thoughts, directing all his attention to the sensations within.

  The Ethereal Origin flowed like gentle streams from all directions into his body, transforming into the "One" under the guidance of his consciousness. He perceived this process clearly, as naturally as his own breathing. The sensation was both familiar and strange, both a part of him and somehow separate. Those bck particles within him pulsed like living things, sometimes gathering, sometimes dispersing, yet always bound by some unseen force within his flesh, unable to escape.

  LaUhta concentrated fully on attempting to intervene in this process with his consciousness, trying to halt the influx of Ethereal Origin. As he tried, the grass bdes around him began to tremble slightly, and a barely perceptible wave of energy rippled through the air. Nuwa's red dress moved though no wind blew, and a fsh of surprise crossed her amber eyes.

  His brow gradually creased, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, his muscles tensing as if engaged in a silent, invisible struggle. Droplets fell from his hair, spshing against the rock beneath him with the faintest sound.

  After a moment, LaUhta slowly opened his eyes, revealing a glimpse of frustration and bewilderment. He shook his head gently, wiping away the sweat from his brow. His face was flushed from exertion, like a climber struggling to scale a sheer cliff yet unable to advance.

  "I cannot stop it," LaUhta's voice was deep and calm, yet carried a trace of concern not easily discerned. "No matter how I try, I cannot prevent the influx and transformation of the Ethereal Origin. Like the beating of a heart or the drawing of breath, this process seems to have become an instinct of my body, beyond the reach of conscious control."

  He looked up at Nuwa, his gaze showing both confusion and determination, a light of unyielding resolve shining in the depths of his dark eyes. "I can sense it, yet I cannot stop it. This differs from other 'Tao Seedlings,' does it not?"

  Nuwa gazed at LaUhta's furrowed brow and shook her head gently, her red hair dancing like fmes in the morning light. Her red dress fluttered slightly in the morning breeze, and a fsh of understanding and sympathy gleamed in her amber eyes. Deep within those eyes lurked a barely discernible worry. Perhaps Torht had sent her to guide LaUhta precisely because he had foreseen the strangeness of this bck "One."

  "Perhaps our approach is mistaken," Nuwa said softly, her voice clear and melodious as a stream. "You attempt to halt completely the drawing in, which is like asking a fish to cease swimming or a bird to stop flying in the sky—it goes against the natural order."

  She sat gracefully before LaUhta, her red dress spreading across the grass like a calm ke. Morning light filtered through the gaps between swaying leaves, casting dappled shadows upon her delicate features, adding a mysterious quality to her presence.

  "Let us try a different approach," Nuwa's slender fingers rose slowly, lightly touching LaUhta's chest, her amber eyes gleaming with wisdom. "Rather than viewing the drawing in of Ethereal Origin as a separate process, imagine it as attached to your body, integrated with your being like breathing or heartbeat."

  LaUhta's eyes reflected a flicker of confusion, but he respectfully remained silent, not interrupting. He adjusted his posture slightly, focusing all his attention on her words like a devoted seeker before the teachings of a sage.

  "Close your eyes, feel the 'One' within you," Nuwa's voice was gentle yet firm, like a breeze passing through a bamboo grove, carrying an irresistible power. "Do not resist it, but accept it, embrace it, let it become part of you. Then, imagine your body as a vessel, with both capacity and limits."

  LaUhta closed his eyes as instructed, drew a deep breath, and let it circute through his chest and abdomen. Following Nuwa's guidance, he adjusted his thoughts, no longer attempting to resist the influx of Ethereal Origin, but accepting it, feeling how it flowed and transformed within him, as naturally as accepting sunlight, air, and water.

  "Good, now imagine every part of your body resonating with the Ethereal Origin," Nuwa continued to guide, her voice calm and powerful, like the moon guiding the rise and fall of tides. "When Ethereal Origin enters your body, it is no longer a stranger, but returning home. The 'One' within you and the Ethereal Origin outside reach a bance, flowing in and out in measure, like rivers entering the sea, each the manifestation of the other."

  LaUhta's breathing gradually became steady and deep, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. Under Nuwa's patient guidance, he began to view the process of drawing in Ethereal Origin as a natural function of his body, no longer actively resisting, but trying to understand and accept it, as he accepted his heartbeat and breath. Yet, the bck "One" within him seemed to have a deeper connection with his very being, not merely a retionship of absorption, but like two aspects of the same existence, bound by blood. This perception both armed and strangely comforted him.

  "Imagine the Ethereal Origin as a stream, and your body as part of that stream," Nuwa's voice grew deep and rhythmical, like an ancient song. "Water does not resist flowing, yet it knows when to flow swiftly and when to slow. Simirly, you need not stop the drawing in, only adjust its rhythm to accord with the order of heaven and earth."

  LaUhta listened silently to Nuwa's words, immersing himself fully in this new experience. His brow gradually furrowed again, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. After several attempts, the "One" within him continued to behave as before, drawing in, transforming, and accumuting beyond his control. A shadow of defeat fell upon him, but he refused to surrender easily.

  On his fourth attempt, LaUhta's body suddenly trembled slightly, his fingertips twitching involuntarily. The surrounding grass and trees swayed gently as if pushed by an unseen force. Tiny ripples formed on the stream's surface, as though invisible fingers had touched the water. A fsh of alertness crossed Nuwa's eyes, but she did not intervene, merely observing LaUhta more intently.

  LaUhta felt a subtle change in the bck "One" within him, though it remained difficult to control. He drew a deep breath, striving to calm his thoughts, not allowing frustration to gain the upper hand. Suddenly, a thought fshed in his mind like the first ray of dawn. He slowly opened his eyes, his dark gaze gleaming with new hope and understanding.

  "You mentioned water knowing when to flow swiftly and when to slow," LaUhta's voice was calm yet filled with resolve, his eyes sparkling with the fire of insight. "This reminds me of the mystery of breath."

  Nuwa tilted her head slightly, her amber eyes showing curiosity and expectation, her red hair swaying gently with the movement like a living fme. "LaUhta, have you gained some insight?"

  LaUhta took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, his long fingers gesturing to this seemingly simple yet profoundly mysterious action. "Breathing is natural, yet can be controlled by consciousness. If I were to combine the drawing in of the 'One' with breathing—"

  He spoke no further, closing his eyes again and adjusting his breathing rhythm. LaUhta concentrated, focusing his attention on two things simultaneously: his even breathing and the flow of the "One" within.

  While inhaling, he attempted to guide his body to draw in Ethereal Origin; while exhaling, he tried to pause this drawing in. Initially, these processes seemed entirely unreted, proceeding independently, like two parallel lines never meant to meet.

  LaUhta did not lose heart. He maintained his focus, attempting to establish this subtle connection again and again with deep breaths. Crystal beads of sweat rolled down from his forehead along his cheeks, but his expression remained extraordinarily calm, like a meditating practitioner transcending worldly concerns.

  In the quiet forest, only the gentle murmur of the stream and LaUhta's breathing intertwined, forming a mysterious melody of heaven and earth. Nuwa stood aside, seemingly transformed into a statue, only the occasional gleam in her eyes revealing her close attention to this unique 'Tao Seedling.'

  After many attempts, LaUhta's brow remained furrowed, veins visible at his temples, revealing his inner struggle. The bck "One" within remained willful, like a herd of untamed horses refusing to follow his will. Each time he believed himself on the verge of success, that power slipped from his grasp like a pyful child.

  Just as LaUhta nearly surrendered, a strange sensation suddenly arose from his chest and abdomen. It was an indescribable connection, as if a hidden switch had been triggered. When he inhaled deeply, Ethereal Origin began to flow in with his breath; and when he slowly exhaled, the rate of influx indeed diminished, though it did not cease entirely—yet this was already a joyful beginning.

  This sensation was both subtle and profound, like finding a key that unlocked the door to unknown realms. LaUhta could clearly feel the connection between his breath and the "One," like two melodies interweaving within him. Those bck particles seemed to respond to his breathing, like tides drawn by the moon, beginning to rise and fall gently with his breathing rhythm.

  Nuwa watched quietly, her amber eyes gleaming with satisfaction. She did not interrupt, simply sensing the subtle changes in the flow of Ethereal Origin around LaUhta. Her delicate lips curved slightly upward in a smile of contentment and pride.

  When LaUhta opened his eyes, a drop of sweat fell from his forehead and, upon touching the ground, fshed with a brief bck light, like ink dropped into clear water, vanishing in an instant. The bck aura quickly dissipated, returning to formlessness, as if it had never appeared, leaving only an ordinary water mark on the ground.

  A fsh of surprise crossed Nuwa's eyes as she stared at where the water mark had disappeared, as if observing some mysterious phenomenon through an invisible barrier.

  "You have mastered the basic method of breath guidance," Nuwa's voice carried a hint of joy, though the vigince in her eyes had not diminished. "Just now, your sweat contained the essence of the 'One,' though it vanished swiftly, it is proof of your progress. This is the first step, and the most crucial one. Controlling the 'One' is like taming a wild horse—it requires patience and cannot be rushed."

  Nuwa rose gracefully and continued: "Let us end here for today. You have found the right path, and the rest of the journey you must walk yourself, as all rivers flow east to the sea, and all mountains face a single peak."

  LaUhta gently touched his forehead, recalling the strange sight of that drop of sweat fshing with bck light. He could feel a subtle change in the flow of the "One" within him—though it continued unabated, its rhythm had begun to be influenced by his breathing, like tides controlled by the moon's gravitational pull.

  "Where will you go?" LaUhta stood, brushing leaves from his sleeves, his voice carrying a note of reluctance and expectation.

  "I must journey to the next settlement," Nuwa raised her gaze toward the distant, unduting mountains, her red dress billowing in the morning breeze like a vibrant banner. Her eyes held a sense of purpose, as if she bore an unknown burden.

  She turned gracefully to face LaUhta, her amber eyes like two small suns, brilliantly illuminating the young man's face. "On my way back to the Heaven's Path, I shall return to see your progress."

  LaUhta nodded respectfully, straightening his back and carefully pcing the bck pearl in his garment. His eyes revealed both reluctance to part and anticipation for the future.

  "Do not accompany me," Nuwa's tone suddenly grew serious, her amber eyes looking directly at LaUhta, deep as unfathomable pools. "Remember, you must practice this breath guidance method without ceasing, until it requires no conscious intervention, as natural as breathing, as instinctive as heartbeat. Your bck 'One' is extraordinary—if mastered, it will be a power beyond measure; if uncontrolled, the consequences are unimaginable."

  "Only then will you truly have grasped the way of control," Nuwa's slender finger lightly touched LaUhta's chest, her fingertip faintly glowing, as if containing some mysterious power. "Consciousness guides, the body remembers, ultimately achieving harmony between intent and action, without need for thought, flowing like water, unified with heaven and earth."

  "When you have mastered breath control, I shall teach you how to release the 'One,'" Nuwa's eyes fshed with expectation and encouragement. She turned gracefully toward the forest path, her red dress like a bright dawn among the verdant trees, her skirt brushing over grass tips, stirring a gentle breeze and leaving a trail of fragrance.

  LaUhta watched as Nuwa's form disappeared into the depths of the forest, then looked down at his hands. He stretched his long fingers, feeling the flow of the "One" within, like tides beneath the moon, now with a subtle rhythm. He gently closed his fingers, clenching his fist, feeling the resonance between the bck "One" within and his consciousness, like a gradually harmonizing melody.

  "Seven days," LaUhta murmured to himself, "I shall use seven days to fully master this breath guidance method."

  He sat cross-legged on the ft stone by the stream, adjusted his breathing, and began his long practice. The murmuring stream and gentle mountain breeze formed the perfect accompaniment to his cultivation. As his breathing deepened, he occasionally felt a bck glow at his fingertips, like ink diffusing in water, quickly fading away—like two resonating tuning forks in the world, pying a mysterious melody that only he could hear.

  LaUhta knew that this path had only just begun, with countless unknowns awaiting exploration. But in this moment, he had found the first key, unlocking the gate to the "Tao." His lips curved slightly, revealing a determined smile.