Niva filtered out Elder Lyba's loud munching as she got further lost in thought.

How could you possess a large quantity of essence without the ability to use it? Wasn’t that counter-intuitive –she removed a toothpick from a small box on the table– since you’d have to be dead?

No. Because then you wouldn't own the essence, dummy. Then what was it? She thought, rolling the pick around in her mouth as she had seen her father do.

However, what she was trying to execute was an art passed down through the generations.

It was a technique that masters of the skill thought a deathtrap for neophytes. For only those who cultivated it to its utmost, those who dedicated their lives to studying the art could lose themselves in their daily ongoings while keeping the short, wooden spike of death from ending their pitiful life in this physical plane.

Thus, as she started to gain more confidence, perhaps even getting slightly hubristic, the toothpick made its way down her airway, launching her into a coughing fit.

Luckily for her, she was seated in front of the elder, who made quick work of interrupting her journey into the afterlife by forcefully sending a stream of water down her throat and surrounding the ghastly threat before getting it out of her body.

“You’re an idiot,” Elder Lyba said as she returned to her seat and removed the box of toothpicks from the table.

Because she was panting on the ground, tears streaming down her face, she didn’t catch Elder Lyba’s next statement in its entirety and only discerned something about "first pupil” and “murder themselves.”

It took a minute or two, but she eventually regained her footing and reseated herself.

Needless to say, she was completely embarrassed, staring down at the table. Yet, her mistake had done more than make her look like a fool; it reminded her of her lungs. Of the burning sensation, she felt near them.

Of concepts.

Right. She massaged her throat, regaining her stride.

Concepts were stored in the soul, were they not? And she knew that the soul was key for the third stage. So, wasn’t it obvious that the soul formed the most important part of cultivation?

“It–“

Two residual coughs surfaced.

“–It’s the soul,” Niva said.

Elder Lyba placed down her cup, and the resulting soundwave visibly rippled through the air, phasing through Niva when it reached her.

After the elder stood up, shuffled toward the hearth in the living room, and said: "Correct," Niva followed the old lady.

“According to many," the elder said, starting the fireplace, "the crux of essence cultivation is to increase the quantity and quality of essence you possess. Even the soul is only seen as important by them because it fulfills this role.”

The hearth cast the space in an orange hue and gave depth to the shadows on the walls: reflections of the depictions of nymphs on Elder Lyba's oversized dress. They seemed to play a game of tag with each other, their laughter nearly penetrating into the real world as the elder paced around the room.

“Take this fire as an example," Elder Lyba said, bringing Niva's attention back. "At the moment, it’s not that hot, yes?”

Fluttering side to side, the wholly orange flame looked like an enthusiastic friend encouraging the denizens of the waters, with the heat it gave of reminding Niva of those times she had sat surrounded by candles, meditating.

“But if I pour more essence into it“– the orange ball turned a lighter and lighter shade until blue fire rose out of its roots–“the situation changes.”

Niva had to take multiple steps back to keep her skin intact and heard the spirits screech. Yet, she stared at the casual display of power with wide eyes.

“Another question: what happens when I increase the area it covers?”

“The heat becomes less concentrated,” Niva said immediately, finally turning her face away.

Her reasoning was simple. Although the energy inside would stay the same, it would spread out over a larger area, making it less searing.

The elder nodded. “Which brings us to the most prominent fallacy promoted by the empire: more essence equals greater strength.”

“You too have undoubtedly been exposed to this myth—”

That was true. Hadn’t she, just a few weeks ago, glorified the peak-Gron realm disciple that saved them, almost going as far as to kneel before him?

“—as a result of this, children consume pills and other resources that speed up their cultivation like water, so they reach a high stage faster. Afterward, these 'powerful' and 'talented' disciples enter the frontlines, only to die the first second they step foot on the battlefield."

“If instead, they had gone a little slower, had placed more attention on the principles…”

In the next moment, the fire all but imploded on itself, forming a ball the size of a baby’s pinkie. It spun on its axis wildly and, in addition to banishing the water sprites momentarily, became unbearable for Niva's measly cultivation level.

Only the barrier the elder put up spared her.

A few seconds later, the fire returned to its original intensity. Evidently, both it and the revived water nymphs thought nothing had transpired since the drawings continued their pastime while the fire carried on with its cheering.

“Was that an art, elder?” she breathed in astonishment.

“No.” The elder’s lips, if Niva saw correctly, curved upward slightly.

“But if it’s not through gaining more essence,” Niva asked, ”then how can one become so powerful?”

Despite understanding what the elder was trying to say, she was still confused. Concepts were powerful. But they were ultimately limited by the amount of essence you had. Moreover, the soul itself didn’t help you in a battle. Or did it?

“The technique I have been using during the whole of today,” the elder spoke, pointedly, as if she read Niva's mind, "I deploy through the sole usage of my soul. I don’t have to lift a finger for it to work.”

Not a single finger? She raised her eyebrows. Then again, without trying to be disrespectful, it didn’t seem to do much…

Immediately after she finished her thought, the wooden floor underneath her disintegrated. Not all at once. Instead, in a manner similar to a grassy plain, with a plague of grasshoppers in the middle of it, the floor ceased to exist from the core outward.

The walls of the abode disappeared as well and separated layers of white and green, like when you folded multiple bedsheets and stacked them on top of each other, replaced them.

She looked up and had to keep herself from gaping.

Replacing the stalagmite-covered ceiling was an expanse of water, and the hole, where sunlight shone through, had made way for a moon the shade of black blood that clogged an old wound.

“Not a finger.”

When she looked back toward the speaker and saw both of Elder Lyba’s hands clutched around her walking stick, her heart started to pound out of her chest.

Was the soul that powerful?

“A strong soul,” Elder Lyba said, her presence becoming more demanding by the second, ”stems from understanding.“

“Understanding?”

The elder waddled toward Niva, her stick forming the audible tick-tock of a clock that caused the entire space to vibrate. "Why is it that you cannot control essence before you've absorbed it into your dantian?”

Niva stood as still as a hare who noticed the eagle flying above its head as the elder’s gaze fixed her in place for the second time today.

“What stops you from leaving your mortal coil?” The elder arrived in front of her and placed a finger on Niva’s chest.

She looked down and saw the elder's digit sink into her body. However, she felt nothing.

"In the same way that there are realms of cultivation, there are realms of comprehension. The gap between which is the stretch separating heaven and earth."

After the elder’s hand went in, Niva’s entire being started to shake. She seemed to get taller than the elder by the second while the elder shrunk more and more.

The elder's next words were a whisper but carried with them an intent so severe that they demanded their world come to a standstill, so the immortals up above could peer over the boundary and into the physical realm to see if they were heeded.

“To bridge a divide in the mind and spirit is to surmount the breadth between the stages of cultivation. To be capable of that— to possess the ability to wield a soul which makes the universe hum in delight as it follows your will; that is the true hallmark of a genius.”

Lyba caught the child’s soulless body before moving her into the waters surrounding their land, leaving her to float there, undisturbed.

“Too soon.”

The layers of white and green rose to reveal the body of a snake, the two colors spiraling around its body in tandem, forming an inextricable bond.

Lyba scoffed as she kept her hands from shuddering. That move had taken more out of her than she thought.

"Did we sense the same thing?” Lyba said. ”Perhaps your age is getting to you.”

Neti said nothing, saying all he needed to say.

“When’s the last time you saw two complementary affinities of that rank?” Lyba sneered, her voice rising an octave.

It was true, though. If carrying a single affinity, especially one of high rank, was already incredible, and two affinities, no matter which ones and no matter what quality (besides the lowest), made you an instant prospect of the sect, then what did that make the child?

Heavens have mercy! She had water and moon affinities that were through the roof!

Never before had she seen a cultivator with elemental inclinations that high that were also compatible. Perhaps Zephraim. But, he was the son of the emperor; their entire bloodline was geared toward producing the best possible offspring. So, that didn’t count.

Meanwhile, this child came from some random family she had only once heard of in passing–

“The latest talent out of the family is Adrian Asturias," Neti helpfully supplied. "I believe he held an important chokepoint by himself some years ago, pushing back numerous late-stage Skin Realm corrupted beasts. For this, the empire awarded him a title.”

“Boohoo,” she flung her arms into the air. ”So, he stopped a few critters. Who cares? There are more pressing things.”

Such as what more she had sensed from the child.

Affinities were great. Ultimately inconsequential, yet pleasant to have, for they could provide you with free-of-charge concepts related to your element. Those and the soul were the deciding factors.

She thought back on her examination and had to readjust her grip on her walking stick. What kind of vision had the child received for her concept to give off an aura that imposing?

“Be that as it may,” Neti spoke, the impression his yellow eyes contained letting her know he was concerned, ”forcing her to take a test of the soul at her stage was too much. She cant even sense fluctuations in essence unless they are strong enough to fell a field of mortals.”

“Tsk." Her eyes drooped, and her left hand went up to her earring.

What would you have done, Alwin? She thought, stroking the sapphire crystal affectionately.

Neti made himself smaller and crept up her leg, proceeding to wrap around her, his split tongue protruding between his fangs, slightly tickling Lyba as he gave her a few licks.

“I suppose the situation is dire,” Neti said, his head resting on her shoulder, removing some of the blame.

“It is, my friend,” she sighed.

Although she complained about the sects rushing things (as she too did just now), they were righteous in their sin.

The window of reprieve multiple third realms had bought with their sacrifice was coming to a close. As a result, if the empire did not produce a handful more Akra Soul realm equivalents in the next few years, their short time as the main characters in this period of the annals of history would come to an end.

“Regardless of my concern,” Neti said, ”my gut is telling me she’ll be fine.”

"That I trust with my life,” she said, walking back inside the house.

She couldn’t count on one hand how many times the snake’s senses had saved her. Thus, to repay his service, she used Neti as a blanket —what better way was there to show appreciation— took a seat in the living room, and rested her head.

All that was left was to wait. Hopefully, with the blessing of Rana, the child would pass.