Cultivation is Creation

I sat cross-legged in my quarters, staring at the jade box containing the water essence. The liquid starlight within seemed to pulse with its own rhythm, almost like a heartbeat. Even through the box's containment formations, I could feel its power calling out to me.

"So," I asked Azure, "how exactly do we do this? I know we can't just put physical objects into the Inner World – not at Qi Condensation, anyway."

"The World Tree Sutra includes specific methods for essence absorption,” Azure replied. “Place your hands on either side of the box and close your eyes."

I did as instructed, feeling the cool jade against my palms. Through my spiritual sense, I could see Azure creating a complex pattern in my mind – curved lines that flowed like water itself, intersecting in ways that seemed to defy geometry.

"This is the Flowing Rivers Formation," Azure explained. "Channel your qi through your hands following these paths. The pattern will help transmute the physical essence into a form your Inner World can absorb."

I tried to trace the pattern with my qi, but it was like trying to write calligraphy underwater. My energy kept slipping off the prescribed paths, dispersing uselessly into the air.

"Too rigid," Azure advised. "Don't force it. Let your qi flow naturally, like water finding its own path."

"Water finding its path," I muttered. "Right. Because that's not frustratingly vague at all."

But I tried again, this time focusing less on perfectly matching the pattern and more on the feeling of flow. My qi began to move more smoothly, though still not quite right.