"You may come in."
The calm voice resonated like a ripple across a tranquil lake.
Li Shen took a deep breath, steadying his emotions before stepping into the courtyard. The faint fragrance of pine and rain drifted through the mist. Beyond the sliding wooden doors, Elder Zhang Rui sat quietly before a low table, his back straight yet relaxed, his long white robes carrying the faint glow of spiritual light. Before him, a pot of steaming tea exuded the scent of mountain herbs and aged leaves.
"You may sit."
The elder's tone was neither commanding nor gentle — it was like the wind brushing across still water, effortlessly calm yet impossible to ignore. Li Shen bowed deeply before sitting opposite him, his movements careful and reverent. His heart beat in nervous rhythm. Though he had fought beasts and faced death, this moment — sitting before a Grand Elder — made his spirit tremble.
Zhang Rui poured tea into two porcelain cups. "Tea from Azure Veil Peak," he said mildly. "Picked only once every three years, grown where clouds condense and moonlight nourishes the leaves. Drink. It will calm your mind."
Li Shen obeyed. The taste was faintly bitter at first, but it dissolved into a cool sweetness that seemed to flow through his veins, soothing even his restless Qi.
"Good," Zhang Rui said, observing him quietly. "You have good control over your spirit. Impatience is the bane of cultivation."
He set down the teapot, his sleeve brushing softly against the wooden table. "Li Shen, you may not yet understand what it means to be taken as my disciple. The Verdant Cloud Sect does not nurture mediocrity. I saw you on that day — your blade unpolished yet your heart clear. A sword's true path begins not with sharpness, but with intent."
He flicked his finger lightly, and several items appeared midair, floating before Li Shen.
A long sword of deep green hue, veins of silver rippling across its blade like streams of lightning. The hilt was wrapped in dark leather, and an ancient rune glimmered faintly at its guard.
"This," said Elder Zhang Rui, "is the Verdant Spirit Blade. Forged from the roots of a fallen ironwood tree, tempered with wind essence and moonlight. Unlike your previous blade, this one can channel Qi flow with no resistance.
The sword gently landed on the table, humming faintly, as if recognizing its new master. Li Shen felt his pulse quicken. Just touching its sheath sent warmth into his palm.
"Next," Zhang Rui continued, waving his sleeve again.
A small jade pouch floated forth, engraved with the sigil of the Verdant Cloud Sect. "Inside are five mid-grade spirit stones. Use them to stabilize your Qi during cultivation. When your foundation is shallow, reckless absorption of spiritual energy is like forcing a river into a small pond — you must refine yourself first."
The third item shimmered softly — a thin scroll, bound in green silk. Its title: Windstride Steps.
Zhang Rui's tone lowered, eyes glinting with faint approval.
"This is the Windstride Steps, a movement art of the Verdant lineage. When mastered, one's steps will become lighter than feathers, allowing travel across treetops and even flight under the aid of Qi. It is not true flight, but for your stage, it will suffice."
Li Shen bowed deeply. "This disciple will engrave it into his heart."
Elder Zhang nodded. "Good. Remember — a sword that cannot move swiftly is nothing but a decoration. The wind gives the blade its freedom, and the blade gives the wind its edge."
Finally, he held up a small jade slip, faintly pulsing with runic light.
"This," he said slowly, "is the cultivation art you shall now follow — the Verdant Core Sutra. It refines Qi through resonance with nature itself, harmonizing one's breathing with the rhythm of heaven and earth. It will guide you from Body Tempering to Core Formation without deviation — if your heart remains steady."
Li Shen stared at the jade slip in awe. The air around it hummed faintly with natural resonance, as though even the world recognized its profoundness.
After a moment of silence, Zhang Rui poured another cup of tea. His gaze drifted toward the misty peaks outside the window.
"You should know the structure of our Verdant Cloud Sect," he said slowly. "Understanding one's place is as important as understanding one's cultivation."
He gestured to the open courtyard.
"The Sect Master —Yun Qian — is a Dual Harmony expert, standing just a single step below enlightenment. Beneath him, five Grand Elders oversee the core pillars of our sect: Martial Arts, Formations, Alchemy, Internal Affairs, and Dao Research. I," he said with a faint smile, "oversee the Martial Pavilion."
Li Shen listened quietly, every word carving itself into his memory.
"The rest you may already know. The Outer Disciples are the foundation — seedlings that may or never sprout, yet vital for our heritage. Inner Disciples have proven potential, and Personal Disciples… are chosen by us, the elders, based on affinity and will. Beyond them are the Prodigies, those who defy logic and fate alike. The rest — Elders, Guardians, Envoys — each serve their role, forming the living body of our Sect."
He looked at Li Shen. "Do you know what lies beyond the Sect Master?"
Li Shen hesitated. "The Ancestors?"
"Correct." Zhang Rui nodded. "The founders who transcended mortality — their spirits remain, slumbering within the Sect's Divine Hall. It is said they occasionally awaken to offer guidance, or to protect us in times of calamity."
The elder's gaze deepened. "Such is the weight you now bear, Li Shen. As my first personal disciple, you will represent my teachings and, in time, the Martial Pavilion itself."
After a long pause, Li Shen finally asked softly, "Master… may I know the greater path of cultivation? I wish to understand where I now stand."
Zhang Rui nodded approvingly. "Good question. The ignorant walk blindly through realms, but those who understand their foundation walk with clarity."
He began to explain slowly, his voice filled with ancient cadence.
"Cultivation begins with Body Tempering — the cleansing of mortal filth, forging the vessel that will house the divine.
Next comes Meridian Opening, where the pathways of Qi awaken and connect.
Qi Condensation follows, when the dantian forms and begins storing Qi essence.
Then Qi Gathering, where one draws the energy of the world itself, feeding it into their core.
At Qi Refinement, purity becomes key — impurities are removed, and only the essence remains.
The Inner Core Formation begins the birth of a true cultivator — compressing one's Qi into a nascent core.
Core Formation manifests elemental resonance, granting power beyond mortal limits.
Through Core Refinement, one's energy stabilizes into perfection.
Beyond that lies Dual Harmony, where mind and Qi merge; and Soul Embryo, where spirit awakens.
Those who reach Soul Nourishment and Soul Core Completion walk the edge of divinity itself."
He glanced toward the horizon. "Each realm is a single step across an infinite staircase. One who tries to leap ahead will only fall harder."
Li Shen felt his chest tighten with awe. Every word painted a vast picture of heaven and earth, of countless cultivators striving beneath an unreachable sky.