The air was crisp, carrying with it the faint scent of spirit herbs. Xiao Lan, Lan Feng, and Tie Zhu stood at the entrance of Elder Han’s courtyard, their hearts pounding with a mix of anticipation and trepidation.

  Today marked the beginning of their journey as disciples of Elder Han, a man shrouded in rumour - supposedly he was overbearing and uncompromising in his outlook, a martial focused cultivator who was known for hunting demonic cultivators in his prime.

  Elder Han pushed open the heavy wooden gates, revealing a sight that left the three disciples momentarily speechless.

  Instead of the empty courtyard prepared for martial arts practice that they were expecting, there was a lush garden unlike anything they had seen in the sect so far. Spirit herbs of various hues grew in wild chaos, their leaves shimmering with faint spiritual energy.

  Paths meandered gently through the garden’s lush verdant undergrowth. It was a place brimming with life so unlike the carefully ordered garden they had seen in the disciple selection trials. The thick qi in the air itself seemed to hum with potential, as though it was eager for them to enter.

  “This is a cultivation grotto,” Elder Han announced with a stern glare as if warning them not to damage this treasure. “An artificial recreation of a Spiritual Cave or Blessed Site, that should speed your cultivation while you are within it.”

  This… this is incredible. Xiao Lan thought to herself, her sharp eyes scanning the grotto with a mix of awe and envy. She had grown up in a noble family, studying cultivation as expected of the daughter of cultivators - but she had never heard of someone being able to recreate a Blessed Site.

  Blessed Sites were supposedly bestowed as rewards by the heavens to brave cultivators exploring the wilderness; she had no idea how Elder Han had managed to transpose one into his own dwelling.

  However she was a noble scion and now Elder Han’s direct disciple so she carefully kept her demeanour cold as she asked how it worked.

  Lan Feng looked about in wonder as the qi pressed against his spirit. “It feels... alive.” he murmured. It’s so peaceful here. I’ve never felt so… connected to the world. He couldn’t wait to wander its pathways and see if it held any secrets.

  Tie Zhu merely nodded as his new master explained the cultivation grotto to them. His spirit was not as sensitive as the others and he couldn’t feel the surging vitality in the qi around them, but he understood what this would mean for his cultivation. And he felt a swell of gratitude that his master had gone to so much effort on their behalf.

  After briefly showing them to the suite of rooms where the disciples would be staying Elder Han took them to his reception hall and sat formally in the center of the room as etiquette dictated.

  The three disciples hurriedly sat around him, Xiao Lan furious that Tie Zhu had sat in the position of primary disciple before she could get there - and worse didn’t seem to understand what it meant.

  Xiao Lan tensed slightly when Elder Han didn’t bring out a tea set as etiquette demanded. Have we already done something to offend him? Is this a test?

  She tried to calm herself as Elder Han began to speak, trying to focus on his words.

  Elder Han began to lecture them on the basics of cultivation, his demeanour thawing slightly to merely stern. Yet, the three disciples could sense an undeniable aura of authority about him, a quiet intensity that commanded respect.

  Nervous that their new master was testing their dedication, Xiao Lan found herself interrupting with questions as they occurred to her. She hoped that she was displaying how seriously she was taking the lecture, but couldn’t help but worry that she was coming across as desperate.

  Before she knew it, the lecture was over and Elder Han was walking away, leaving the disciples to retrieve their belongings and settle into their new home.

  The disciples’ new accommodations were modest but comfortable, nestled within Elder Han’s sprawling courtyard. Each of them had been assigned a small room in a shared building, its walls made of polished cedar and its roof tiled with dark ceramic tiles.

  The rooms were sparsely furnished - a wooden bed, a desk, and a small shelf for personal belongings - but they were clean and imbued with a faint spiritual energy to soothe and comfort the occupants.

  A shared common area connected the rooms, complete with a low table and cushions for meditation or casual conversation.

  Xiao Lan was the first to claim her space, arranging her belongings with the precision of someone accustomed to order. She hung her bladed fans on the wall, their edges glinting in the soft light filtering through the paper windows.

  Lan Feng quietly placed his few possessions around his assigned room, his movements hesitant as if he were afraid to disturb its tranquility. Tie Zhu, on the other hand, tossed his bag onto the bed and immediately went out to explore their new home.

  The true marvel of their new home, however, was the cultivation grotto.

  The first time they attempted to cultivate within its confines, the difference was palpable. The Hollow Breathing method that they had initially been given by the sect was a simple foundational method, but in the grotto it felt like a true cultivation path. The spiritual energy in the grotto was far more responsive than anything they had experienced in the sect’s general training areas.

  Xiao Lan was the first to notice. As she settled into meditation in a convenient spot by a lush fern, she felt the energy around her coalesce like a gentle breeze, swirling around her body as though it were alive. Her breaths deepened, each inhalation drawing in a flood of spiritual energy that flowed through her meridians with ease.

  “This… this is incredible,” she murmured, her eyes still closed and barely aware she was speaking aloud. “The energy here is so much more refined. It’s like the difference between drinking from a muddy stream and a crystal-clear spring.”

  Tie Zhu, seated on a flat stone not far away, grunted in agreement. Each breath seemed to do more than fill his dantian, he could feel the energy seeping into his bones and muscles, reinforcing them in ways he hadn’t thought possible.

  “I feel like I could punch through a mountain,” he said, his voice tinged with awe. “This place is a treasure.”

  Lan Feng, sitting cross-legged on a patch of soft moss, was the most affected. His connection to the spiritual energy was different, more intimate. The grotto’s energy felt like a comforting embrace, soothing his anxieties and sharpening his focus. For the first time since he joined the sect, he felt a sense of belonging, as though the grotto had been waiting for him all along.

  “It’s like… the grotto is breathing with me,” he said softly, his voice barely audible.

  They cultivated until evening and retired back to their rooms - exhausted from the long cultivation session and yet too energised by the influx of qi to go to sleep.

  Xiao Lan ended up making a pot of spirit tea for them to share, choosing a blend known for its calming and soothing properties.

  Tie Zhu broke the ice with a question. “So, Xiao Lan,” he started, leaning back on his cushion, “why’d you join the sect? You’re from a noble family, right? Couldn’t you have just stayed home and lived the easy life?”

  Xiao Lan raised an eyebrow, her expression unreadable. “You should refer to me as ‘senior sister’ if you are going to ask such personal questions.” she replied, her tone sharp. “And there is nothing easy about being a noble. Every move is scrutinized, every decision weighed against the family’s reputation.

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  “This is especially true when you are from a cultivation family as I am.” She took a calming sip of her tea before continuing.

  “I joined the sect because the sect is my best chance to become strong enough to elevate my family to a recognised cultivation clan.” She let herself answer truthfully as these two would likely be her martial brothers for years now. And besides, it was information that anyone could find out if they had cause to go digging.

  Tie Zhu whistled, impressed. “Fair enough. What about you, Lan Feng? No offense, but you don’t seem the ambitious type.”

  Lan Feng fidgeted with the hem of his sleeve, his gaze fixed on the floor. “My family are merchants, and it was only by luck that I had the chance to be tested for potential. It could change the fortune of my entire family to have a cultivator supporting them.”

  Unlike Xiao Lan it was clear that carrying the future of his entire family was a heavy weight for him.

  “And you Tie Zhu?”

  “I had nowhere else to go.” Tie Zhu replied easily. “I didn’t expect to get in to be honest, and once I did I vowed to make it as far as I could - no regrets.”

  The room fell silent, the weight of Tie Zhu’s words settling over them. Lan Feng, wishing that he could have even half of the confidence of Tie Zhu and Xiao Lan.

  The next day, the disciples stood together before the imposing structure of the Technique Pavilion. Its towering walls were adorned with intricate carvings of mythical beasts and ancient symbols, each one radiating a faint spiritual pressure.

  As the most important repository in the sect no expense had been spared in its creation, each section lined in spiritual silver down to the myriad ornamental roof guardians.

  Xiao Lan was the first to step inside, her steps confident and purposeful. She had always known what she wanted - a cultivation method that would complement her wind-aspect spiritual roots and enhance her family’s martial arts.

  She knew her sect-oaths would prevent her from passing the method along to her family. But if she could advance far enough to create her own method based on it, then her family’s future would be set.

  She quickly found one titled Zephyr's Edge Meditation Scripture, a spiritual cultivation technique that claimed to use wind aspected qi to boost the users mobility and compatibility with wind cutting arts.

  Since she was happy with her family's traditional martial arts, she chose a spiritual technique for her second scripture called the Whirlwind Fan Dance. A technique that should allow her to create whirlwinds of cutting wind by channelling her spiritual energy into her bladed fans.

  Tie Zhu, on the other hand, found himself torn. He knew that he didn’t have the advantages of his fellow disciples in terms of raw talent, so he knew that he would quickly fall behind unless he found a method that sacrificed something for speed.

  He had initially wanted to focus on body cultivation, if there was one thing he knew he could rely on it was his martial strength. But after Elder Han had explained some of the drawbacks, he couldn’t help but think that spiritual cultivation might be the better option.

  He spent a long time looking through the spiritual cultivation options looking for the perfect method that would be the solution to all his problems. After what felt like hours of deliberation, he turned aways from them all decisively and went to look at the body cultivation methods.

  He found the right one for him nearly instantly.

  It was called the Unbreakable Bastion Ironblood Forging Method and it didn’t require expensive treasures or complex alchemical treatments, just metal aspect spiritual roots and the ability to endure pain.

  The method tried to claim that the pain experienced when breaking through both minor and major stages was actually a benefit - a way to temper your will. But Tie Zhu knew that pain was just pain and had experienced enough to know that there was no nobility in suffering.

  Still, he was willing to suffer for a method that promised faster and smoother cultivation if he could endure it. He didn’t spend nearly as long choosing a martial art, simply selecting the Thundering Spear manual as matching everything he was looking for - a straightforward martial art that focused on strength and precision.

  Lan Feng’s decision was the most difficult. He had been told that his darkness-aspect spiritual roots made him suited for assassination techniques, but the thought of becoming an assassin filled him with unease.

  Not following a path that he was uniquely suited for seemed stupid - a choice that would be failing the expectations his family had for him. But at the same time he just could not see himself as an assassin.

  The image didn’t fit in his head at all. Even the fearful image he had seen in the Mirror of False Reflection didn’t help exactly - bloodstained as it was.

  He couldn’t decide, and couldn’t trust himself to decide. But remembering Elder Han’s words about trusting fate, he selected a number of appropriate methods that would suit his spiritual roots and drew some I-Ching sticks from his robes.

  He didn’t have a copy of the I-Ching with him to interpret a true divination (and wouldn’t really know how to on his own even if he did), so he simply assigned the names of the methods to the five cardinal directions and let the sticks fall.

  He ended up with a soul cultivation method called the Flickering Shadowveil Mantra. Elder Han did say that soul cultivators were known as feared assassins. He thought, resigned. I suppose this is my destiny.

  Dispirited, he simply asked the library elder for advice on choosing a martial arts manual as he didn’t know how to fight or what he wanted to specialise in. He took the Myriad Sword Foundations manual without even reading the slip explaining its nature and tried not to think about what his future might be.

  The disciples returned to the Elder Han’s courtyard one by one, their chosen scrolls in hand. Elder Han listened as each of them explained their choices, his expression unreadable. To each one he nodded slightly.

  “You have chosen well,” their master said. “But remember, a cultivation method is only as strong as the cultivator who wields it. Study your cultivation method carefully and try to understand the principles behind it.

  “This evening, at sundown, wait for me in the grotto and I will supervise as you make your first attempts.”

  As the last of his disciples retreated to their quarters to begin their studies, Elder Han remained in his receiving room overlooking the grotto, his eyes narrowing in thought.

  Once he was certain they were all distracted by their study, he made all haste to the Technique Pavillion to read the full versions of their techniques. Frantically racing through them until he was reassured that he would be at least a few steps ahead of his students.

  That evening, as the sun disappeared over the horizon, the three disciples gathered in the cultivation grotto with varying degrees of excitement and trepidation. As they stood waiting for their master they felt a shit in the qi pressing against them - suddenly it was growing denser and more powerful.

  Before they could process what was happening, their master was standing before them. The same stern presence as before, but now his cold gaze seemed to look right into their souls.

  Han Wei had activated the gathering array on his compound and unleashed his divine sense. Even the undeveloped senses of his disciples could tell that something had changed.

  “When you are ready, begin.” Hearing a note of reprimand in his voice the three scrambled to their meditation spots and tried to settle into the correct mindset to cultivate their new methods.

  Xiao Lan was the first to begin, sinking into meditation with the ease of years of practice, and focused on corralling the powerful qi that now filled the grotto. Just as she was struggling with the circulation pattern she felt something - alien qi darted into her dantian. Somehow it was cold but also searing hot, made of light but somehow sharp as a razor.

  Before her concentration could collapse completely the strange qi nudged her own qi, somehow shifting the path her qi was taking. In the instant before she was jolted out of her cultivation meditation she could feel how much more stable the new path was, and how much easier it was then when she was forcing it.

  She quickly dived back into meditation to apply the change to her cultivation.

  Lan Feng found his cultivation method terrifyingly easy. It seemed to fit him like a glove as he easily aspected the qi surrounding him into shadow qi - but that very ease unnerved him. He could feel himself fighting with the cultivation method even as it was working.

  “Your cultivation is a part of you Lan Feng. It is wholly under your control.” Elder Han’s voice was quiet, but also as if it was directly in his ear and instinctively he knew that he was the only one who could hear him.

  “To fear it is to fear yourself, and to fear yourself is a fool's errand. Focus on the moment, who are you right now? Is that person a person to fear?” There was something almost hypnotic about the words and Lan Feng found his cultivation smoothing out. “Good.”

  Tie Zhu experienced a tiny burst of pain - like a brief full body cramp - as he started his cultivation and stepped into the early Qi Gathering realm with body cultivation. And then it mellowed into a comforting buzz as the qi pouring into his flesh began to feel strangely pleasant

  It was a deep relaxing feeling completely at odds with the discomfort he was expecting. Though he supposed that the lack of discomfort would be more than made up by the pain of advancement that it warned about.

  Tie Zhu suddenly felt the amount of qi that he was guiding into his body decrease, throttled at the source. Before he could figure out why Elder Han’s voice rang in his ear.

  “Do not force it. More qi is not better if you cannot integrate it all. The path of cultivation is slow and steady, do not try to sprint when running a marathon.” Nodding to himself he continued pulling in the lowered amount of qi and making sure that everything that he pulled in was able to be absorbed by his body.

  Watching the three disciples all succeeding on their very first attempt Han Wei couldn’t keep the smile off his face.

  “They have potential,” he murmured to himself. “I wonder how far they can go.”

  As the sun set over the Silvermist Ravine Sect, the grotto was silent save for the hum of spiritual energy and the quiet breaths of three disciples taking their first steps on the path to greatness.

  And in the shadows, their master watched, his own path of redemption and growth now inextricably intertwined with theirs.