Chapter 4: Unknown Path

Feeling the surge of energy, Wuyi got nervous. Unsure of what this newfound power could do, he willed himself out of the chamber and back to the outside world. He looked around, half-expecting to see some change, some manifestation of the energy he had just felt. But everything was just as he had left it - nothing had changed.

However, he did notice something different within himself. It was as if his body was absorbing a subtle form of energy from the world around him. This new sensation piqued his curiosity but also left him slightly bewildered.

After gathering his thoughts, Wuyi decided to return to the sacred chamber in his mind. The statue stood there as it had before, but something was different. Where it had once appeared as a lifeless gray stone, a tiny spark now glowed within it. It was as if the chant had breathed life into the statue, awakening it.

Wuyi realized that the chant had activated the Statue of Harmony, allowing it to feed on the energy of the world. Though the glow was faint, it was a start - he remembered the voices he was blessed with. He had read enough books to know that he had transmigrated with a cheat. This chamber was his cheat. There was no doubt about it. The life he was suffering through so far finally gave him some hope. As this chamber and this statue seemed to have taken away all his headaches and sleepiness, Wuyi studied them for a while before finally feeling tired and going to sleep.

In the small desert town of Qingyu, Wuyi's life was pretty straightforward for the first few years after regaining his sanity. He ate, he slept, and he tried to figure out the powers of the Statue of Harmony in his mental chamber. His daily goals also included surviving the scorching heat and staying out of trouble. He had decided that he wouldn't be reckless in this life, unlike his previous one.

However, in the fifth year, before he knew it, he had done something reckless, and by the time he realized it, it was too late. It happened on a day when a massive sandstorm swept through the town. The streets were covered in red sand, and the wind carried the sand into his clothes. His grandfather's grip on his hand was unusually tight as he pulled Wuyi through the storm. Wuyi knew he had gone too far this time.

He had been experimenting with the Statue of Harmony, using its powers to read and even manipulate his grandfather's emotions. The statue had a unique mechanism - it absorbed energy from the world continuously. After the initial activation chant, it didn't need to be activated again. It just kept collecting energy, its glow intensifying with each day that passed. Normally, the statue worked passively. The energy it absorbed, it used that energy on harmonizing Wuyi's thoughts and memories. It also helped in sensing the emotions of people around him and providing Wuyi feedback.

But Wuyi wanted to explore its full potential. To do that, he had to read the next chant in the tome. The chant was "Ostende mihi animam eius," which translated to "Show me the soul." Upon chanting these words, the statue's glow would intensify, revealing the depths of a person's thoughts and feelings. And if Wuyi willed it, he could even change those feelings. But that required the statue to use more energy.

When the first time he tried this was on his grandfather. The statue revealed that the old man despised him and considered him a burden. So, Wuyi began to use the statue's powers to slowly change how his grandfather felt about him, activating the statue from time to time for this purpose.

However, that day he overstepped. He delved too deep into his grandfather's thoughts, and the next thing he knew, the old man was gripping his hand tightly and leading him somewhere. The statue had used up its stored energy and needed a few days to regain its glow. Even if he chanted the Latin words again, it wouldn't work immediately. Left with no other options, Wuyi had to go wherever his grandfather was taking him, unable to use the statue's powers to alter the situation.

The grip of the old man was firm but cold, a stark contrast to the desert heat and the swirling sandstorm around them. His hand, weathered by years and filled with unspoken words, guided Wuyi. It kept him from slipping on the sandy stones of the path, but it also led him toward an unknown future.