CHAPTER EIGHT

That night I cultivated according to the Visual Painting. I decided to alternate between absorbing energy from the clouds or stars. It felt more comfortable and proper to me.

I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and able-bodied. I didn’t try and find Hawod before he left, we’ll meet again eventually. This time, however, when I woke up Denom wasn’t heading to the marketplace. Wasn’t any point to. Instead, he was sitting in the big wooden chair, a book in his hand.

“You finally woke up?” Denom looked up from his book.

“Yeah. Y’know Radul is traveling in the same carriage as me. Did you steal his father’s money?” I take off my shirt, walking to the bathroom to prepare my bath. If Denom took his father's money he couldn't go to the sect.

“What? And take away possible competition from you? Who knows, maybe he’s trash or maybe he’s talented. He may even become a threat to you. Why would I get in the way of that?” I hear Denom’s casual laugh in the main room. He has a point - I can’t grow without competition. The tub fills up with water, I close the wooden door and wash myself up.

After my quick wash, I change into my clothes and step into the main room for breakfast. Some eggs are on the table by the time I get out. Denom’s already eating his portion.

“What is Hawod’s father’s background?” My curiosity peaks up, what was it about Hawod’s father that prevented Denom from stealing from him.

“Him? To be honest, I’m not exactly sure. I believe he has deep roots with the Alchemist Foundation - an entity I can’t afford to offend.” Denom thought for a second and then continued to eat.

“Well, is there anything I should know before joining the sect?” At this moment, Denom looks at me as if I asked a silly question. Seeing that I’m serious, he opens his mouth.

“Don’t anger people stronger than you.” Denom returns back to eating.

“Anything else?” Slightly peeved at his ‘smart’ answer I ask again.

“What more do you need to know? Is ‘staying alive’ a better answer?” He looks up from his eggs to look at me once again - only making me feel stupider. I don’t ask again.

We eat in silence, go back to the chairs and read peacefully. Around noon, after lunch, I focus on the visual painting once more. I feel myself slowly becoming closer to the first level of Qi Condensation.

I open my eyes to see Denom holding a small core in the palm of his hand. Seeing that I woke up, he turns over to me and grins.

“I’ve got a gift for you, a 4th level Magical Beasts’ core.” I’m startled. A magical beast core is precious to cultivators - they are the condensed form of a Magical Beast’s cultivation. Only Magical Beasts of the 3rd level or above can form one.

“Uh. Thanks.” I grin - this should shoot my cultivation up to the second level of Qi Condensation. I don’t have to worry about potency - Denom will surely help me refine it.

“Alright, let’s get started.” Denom shows me the hand signs for absorbing cores.

Once I learn everything, I swallow the small magical core. I use the sign he showed me to see inside my dantian.

I watch as the blue magical core lands in the middle. Almost as soon as it lands, it bursts out in a powerful explosion of Qi. I do hand signs, expecting Denom to assist me, only to find nothing.

Strangely, even without Denom’s help, something within me refines the Qi at an incredible pace - I don’t have to do anything. Shocked, I watch as that energy is refined and placed within me. I finally manage to make a stream of Qi within my dantian.

That stream makes me feel a certain type of power I’ve never felt before. I send it through my Qi passageways, feeling the strength it brought to me. My face broke out into a wide smile, my cultivation journey has started. I get up from the chair and nod appreciatively at Denom.

“You only reached the first layer?” Denom frowned. At this point, I’m too happy to bring up him leaving me unassisted. I should be angry, a magical core is unlike a pill. Pills are more controlled and are easier to absorb, magical cores are wild and chaotic. The risk involved with taking a fourth level magical core without even being in the first level is sky high.

“Yeah.” I check once again, I only reached the first level. I should have reached the second level, but I only reached the first. Where did the extra Qi go?

“Hm. Well, you already have a cultivation method - all you need are some martial arts. Those will come from the sect. This next week, focus on increasing your cultivation.” Denom relaxed once again, plopping himself on his chair. He picked up a book and went back to reading.

Throughout the week, I focused on cultivation. I didn’t bother meddling with the rest of the boys, Denom told me not to meddle with mortals. Plus, they would all treat me like a freak. I did know, however, that there was a huge celebration for Radul heading to the sect. The whole village probably wants him to represent Sun Village. Me? They separated themselves from me a long time ago.

It wasn’t long before I found myself on the dirt road, Radul at my side, looking a caravan of carriages. This caravan would take me to the Azure Melody Sect. Take me into the world of cultivators!