Wu Kexin was a name I heard of often from Wang Yang. He couldn’t stop talking about her even two hundred years later. Their births happened on the same day, and they have been together since then. In his own words, Kexin was like his real Big sister even without a blood relation.

The reason he crawled to the sect from the ditch and cultivated under me was to find her. But, we never got anything about her whereabouts till the end. So, if asked about Wu Kexin, she was very dear to my disciple. As an extension, she was important to me too. 

“Are you interested in her?” I asked.

Xianquan showed me a wry smile at the question. “None of us can ignore it. After all, it is just like yours. Her spiritual root.”

A sigh escaped my lips. Solitary Plum Tree. It used to be my Spiritual Root. The good thing was that there have been several cases where different people have the same Spiritual Roots. The lower the Grade, the more common it became.

However, I have never heard of someone else with this Spiritual Root till now. Anywhere else this root wouldn’t draw this much attention.

“Spiritual Roots are a reflection of a cultivator’s soul. And we have grown up seeing a person with the same roots as that. That’s why I just wanted to as-” 

“If you want to take her in as a disciple, don’t do it now.” I said.

Xianquan looked stunned that I cut him off, but soon smiled.

“Looks like Big Brother is up to something.”

“The board was set by someone else. I am merely waiting for the Soldier to move.” I said drinking the wine.

“Is there anything I can help with?”

“Just do the things we talked about. There are many things for you all to do, so you can leave this to me.” If any more variables were added, things would become more complicated than they should be.

Xianquan stayed silent for a bit before shaking his head.

“Well, we might have to give up on the disciple after all.”

“Why? I said you all can try after things are dealt with.” I said.

“We can try of course, but against Big Brother, none of us will succeed. This is a Female Disciple after all. I think even Peak Master Zhao wouldn’t be enough.” He shook his head in dismay.

“……What’s that supposed to mean?” The question only got laughter out of him.

Even after finishing the whole pot of strong spirit wine, the answer didn’t come out. He must’ve been doing his usual mischief with me for hiding things from him. So, letting it go made more sense.

“Keep an eye on Purple Cloud Sect’s situation, especially that mad woman.” I said.

“No worries, I will contact Big Brother when new information arrives.” He smiled.

“Good. Take a rest for today. If I find some new wine I’ll bring it over.” I said.

“That’s a promise then.” His mood brightened up a lot. Maybe it wouldn’t be bad to share a drink every few months like before.

The flying sword appeared and took me on the path home. All the things I came here to do were done. Under the night sky with thousands of glittering stars, I had to think of ways to train my disciples. Though I didn’t have to worry as rather than a lack of, there was an abundance of ways I could go about it. But, I have to choose the best path. For them, and myself.

With the ideas circling my head, I arrived at Plum Peak. Landing in the courtyard of the residence, I found Sun Lingling sitting in the garden meditating under the moonlight with the sword in hand.

“Greetings Master.” She got up to do the martial salute.

“About cultivation…” Sun Lingling tried to bring the matter up.

“I’ll talk about it after dinner.” It would have to wait a little. Unexpectedly she listened well and followed me without a word. Stepping through the veranda we entered the hallways, the reason?

“Hel- Greetings Master.” Wang Yang seemed to have lost his way in the hallways. This place was rather complex for its own good. But, he’ll get used to it again. The real problem was dinner.

Drinking with Xianquan made the time pass by quickly. Although a bit late for dinner, they had skipped the afternoon meal too. The two weren’t at a level where they could live off Qi and Dew. Even I had to consume food occasionally to maintain a balance of nutrients. Good thing was, I always had food ready to eat.

“If you need nutrient pills or food, you can come here. Eat as much as you want to.” I said, showing them the golden array on the kitchen table.

Waving a hand over from right to left brought a plate of sizzling pork ribs on a hot plate, another wave from left to right made it disappear back into the storage array where the dish would remain fresh for days to come. Wang Yang tried it once, and twice with a sense of awe. But, this was but a small part of Cultivation.

The dinner was quick for Wang Yang who ate at a rapid pace like always. It was even quicker for Sun Lingling who ate one nutrient pill. Although I did want her to eat, the pill would do the same thing, and she seemed to prefer that over solid food like most cultivators.

“Follow me.” Guiding them through the hallways with many turns we reached a fairly simple room.

Here they sat down on the cushions placed on the wooden floor. Under the bright light from the ceiling, they faced me with eagerness to learn, at least one of them. So, I planned to start with the basics.

“Cultivation is a process through which a mortal gains godlike powers and an ever-increasing lifespan. Breaking free of the limits cast on the humans by the heavens. I am sure you have heard this already. I can go on for hours about the history of cultivation and the anecdotes of the Ancestors. But, both of you won’t focus on it halfway through. Rather than learning the whys and whens, I’ll tell you what the ancestors had unveiled about Cultivation throughout the thousands of years and how that benefits you.” The two in front didn’t show it, but they weren’t interested in learning history.

Sun Lingling wanted to get stronger, while Wang Yang had previously dozed off multiple times when he had to learn history. So, the only good way to teach was to get in the thick of it.

“Now, let me start with the central idea of Cultivation. There are ten known realms, Qi gathering, Foundation Building, Golden Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Deity Transformation, Void Tempering, Form Synthesis, Grand Ascension, Tribulation Transcendence, and finally Saint realm. Each has their own sub-realms.” Sun Lingling raised her hand.

“Known Realms? Aren’t they the only ones?” Her question was valid, most sects would teach it like that.

“Cultivation is all about reaching new heights. There was a time when Void Tempering was considered the peak of cultivation. Not only could one use all five elements, but they could also cut open space and travel a thousand miles in a single leap. Yet, in the golden age, it became a midpoint in the journey of cultivation, nothing more than that. So, the possibility of surpassing the Saint Realm and reaching a higher realm is always possible. Several scriptures from the Golden Age talk about a possible higher realm, especially the ones written by the Benevolent Lin Fan.” It wasn’t a mere assumption on ancient writing. Several people did reach that realm in the future. One of them sat right in front of me, showing his awe at the information.

“I understand.” The mention of this also enticed Sun Lingling.

“So, now that you know the realms, let’s talk about the way to progress through them. It isn’t about sitting in one place and absorbing Qi till you break through. That is just a part of it. The other part is understanding your Spiritual Root, the Cultivation Method, and the path you have taken. The Qi you take in is used to temper your body, and the understanding will help sharpen your mind while also teaching you how to use your powers to their highest potential.” Several factors came into play to decide whether one could progress or not. But, the problems that most common cultivators face, wouldn’t be a problem for these two.

“What is a Path?” Wang Yang raised the question. This should be the first time he has heard of it.

“In easiest terms, a path is to a cultivator what a job is to a person. Many people have different jobs, lumberjacks, farmers, carpenters, doctors, scholars, poets, writers, cooks, merchants, and much more. Just like they have to select a job and learn from the bottom, cultivators too have to pick a path and start their journey.” This was the explanation I used to teach him in my previous life, and it worked this time as well.

“But, how do you know which path to pick?” Wang Yang asked.

This looked like a daunting task for a fledgling, and indeed it was. Just like for the mortals, the fear of picking the wrong path was a fear that plagued even cultivators. However, one had to move forward, as that was better than staying still. To make the process easier, a few methods existed.

“The Myriad Paths in the world fall under Four Main categories, also known as the Four Cardinal Directions of Cultivation. Alchemy, Formations, Creation, and Martial Arts. New cultivators try out the classes set for each of them based on the elements of their spiritual roots. Fire or Wood for Alchemy, Fire or Metal for Creation, and any element works for Martial Arts and Formations. As they learn about each direction from the start, their path becomes clear to them as their talents shine, lighting the way for them. They then choose that path and continue.” When I finished, Sun Lingling had picked up the problematic part.

“What if the rapid growth they had was only at the start?” Thankfully with the mistakes of many ancestors, remedies had come into existence.

“To avoid those mistakes every disciple in Azure Sky Sect is expected to follow the classes for the Four Cardinal Directions of Cultivation for four years, the sect helps with the material cost so it is free for the disciples. This gives them time to understand their strengths and choose with absolute certainty. The Elders and Instructors in place also use their experience and keen eye to make sure everything is going well.” Even the late-blooming disciples usually find their correct paths in less than two years and focus on that moving forward.

“Is Master going to teach us like that?” Sun Lingling’s eyes focused on me.

“I do not plan to.” I shook my head. “Unlike the four-year plan. I want you two to learn about each Cardinal Direction of Cultivation till your talents in the respective fields have been realized.”

Unlike the normal disciples, they will continue to learn the other directions while cultivating their true Path.

“Wouldn’t that take too much of our attention?” Her dry voice gained a bit of resistance. Understandably so. If someone heard that this was how I planned to teach a genius like Sun Lingling, they’d call me crazy. Why would someone born to wield a sword focus on alchemy and formations?

“It will take a little bit of your focus away, but with your talents, it wouldn’t affect your speed. The important thing is the benefit it brings you. When you go out, your opponents won’t be strictly from the paths you practice. Formation Masters and Poison Masters are the ones that slaughter a big number of Weapon Path cultivators every year.” Her face blanked for a moment.

This form of cultivation wasn’t mainstream even in the future. As Sun Lingling said, it was time-consuming and only people with high-ranked Spiritual Roots could use that much of their time on other paths. But, even they won’t do that to the degree I want these two to do.

Even with a lot of objections from Elders about the cost and time, we established the four-year system. Most Sects only did it for a year or two, some even stopping the moment the disciple arrived at his path. But, this was the way I learned and taught. That is why, I’ll follow the way that brought about great results.

“Facing Masters with basic knowledge is like comparing a breeze to a whirlwind, you’d be swallowed up. That is why I want you two to learn as much as you can about each Direction. Absorb everything you can. This knowledge will one day save your life. That I guarantee you, because it saved mine many times.” I said, as seriously as I could.

“We will!” Thankfully the two didn’t show much resistance.

“Good. There is a small library in the residence, all the books you’d need would be there. But, before that, we have to do other things.” With that, I gave them two storage rings. “These have your uniforms, emergency pills, some basic weapons for training, and your allowance of spirit stones.”

Sun Lingling took the white jade ring and wore it on her left pinky. A wisp of pale blue Qi seeped into the ring, the faint golden pattern on it shined to show the connection. Wang Yang on the other hand looked confused. Unlike her, he still had no control over Qi.

“Place it against your forehead and focus your mind on it.” Following my instructions, he was able to connect with the Ring in no time.  

“There are a lot of spirit stones inside… Is that for a year?” He must’ve felt confused.

“You’ll get a thousand every month.” They’ll need at least that much.

“…That’s a lot.” For the moment yes, but they had to be rewarded for following my way of Cultivation.

“You can use them or save them for future purchases. The rings can hold up to 200 kg.” I said. “If you run out of anything or space, you can let me know through the disciple tokens. They double as transmission tokens.”

Before regression, Wang Yang only asked for additional rings from the token. Nothing more. Sun Lingling did not react to this aside from a thankful bow. What I have given her is double what Zhao Jun must’ve offered.

After showing Sun Lingling to her room in the eastern wing. We went to the room prepared for Wang Yang. It was a simple room with good lighting. Comfortable bed to sleep on, a closet to keep the uniforms and clothes, a chest to store anything he wanted, and a desk to study with a bookshelf on the side. The open window brought in the fresh air as the array regulated the temperature. Sun Lingling had a similar room. As Wang Yang entered his room, I followed him much to his confusion.

“I need to ask you a few questions.” It was time to talk about Ning Fan.