Almost a month had passed since Wu Jian had dinner with the Zhou Clan at their compound.

He had not seen nor spoken to Zhou Lihua since then, so he did not know how she was doing. But the Zhou Clan and Wu Clan had become closer since then. Wu Jian had gone to the Auction House several times with his father and they were given VIP treatment. Not only were they allowed to sit in a booth that overlooked the entire auction hall, the Zhou Clan allowed them to buy cultivation pills at a discounted price.

The days had not flown by, as one might expect when life consists of nothing but training, but was instead plodding along at a steady pace. Spring was giving way to summer now. That meant the atmosphere was getting warmer.

While the Shang Kingdom enjoyed a mild climate, the area where Zahn City was located was often subjected to hotter summers and colder winters. It would not be long before the sweltering heat made everyone want to remain indoors.

Even Zahn City, located at a higher elevation than much of the Shang Kingdom, would become quite warm come summertime.

“How does someone decide on a cultivation method?”

Wu Jian looked up at Hou Jingshu as she asked this question.The girl had a book in front of her. She flipped through the pages at a slow but steady pace, eyes moving back and forth. It was a book about cultivation, something he and Wu Meiying had already scoured through a few years prior to Hou Jingshu’s arrival.

“There are a lot of ways to decide on a cultivation method, but traditionally, you want to choose one that matches either your body type, affinity, or your fighting style,” Wu Jian answered.

“Can you explain that to me?” asked Hou Jingshu, gesturing toward the book. “This isn’t explaining that part to me very well.”

“Sure. Let’s see. Hmm. Why don’t I start with body type?” Clearing this throat, Wu Jian began his small lecture, “While this method does not apply to everyone, there are some people whose unique body works better with certain cultivation methods than others. I think the greatest example I can use is someone with a pure yin or pure yang body. You know that chi is made from a combination of yin and yang energies, right?”

“Of course. Yin and yang are also known as the energies of heaven and earth. They are opposing forces that combine together and form what’s known as chi. Everyone knows that,” Hou Jingshu said.

“Right. Well, someone with a pure yin or pure yang body are only capable of creating one type of energy. Someone with a pure yin body is better suited toward cultivation methods that have ice or negative affinities like darkness and shadow. Someone with a pure yang body will be better off with a cultivation method for affinities like fire and light. I’ve also read that body enhancing cultivation methods are more suitable to someone with a pure yang body.”

Hou Jingshu did not say anything as she listened to Wu Jian’s explanation. Her bright eyes were focused entirely on him. She wasn’t even blinking, which just showed how diligently she was paying attention to him.

“Of course, almost everyone slants toward either yin or yang,” Wu Meiying interrupted. “You’ll almost never find someone who has achieved complete balance. You’re definitely gonna be more slanted toward yang.”

“You think so?” asked Hou Jingshu.

“Yes. Because you are very active and like getting into other people’s business, you will definitely be a yang user. Yin users tend to be more quiet.”

“I-I do not get into other people’s business!” Hou Jingshu snapped with a blush.

“You kind of do, actually. Remember when Ming Shen was disrupting that man’s business before the tournament? You jumped in almost immediately and tried to help out. Mei and I also found you trying to protect that kitten. I imagine you saw those kids and leapt in without even thinking about it,” Wu Jian said.

Those weren’t the only incidents to speak of. Ever since she arrived in Zahn City, Hou Jingshu had continuously butted into other people’s business whenever they were in trouble. She helped old ladies cross the street, helped stock books in the local library, dealt with bullies… the list went on.

“But… if I didn’t jump in, who knows what those people would have done!” Hou Jingshu said.

“I’m not saying you did anything wrong, so settle down,” Wu Jian said while waving his hands in a “calm yourself” gesture.

“Then what are you saying?” asked Hou Jingshu. Her cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunks and she had crossed her arms in defiance. It was very cute, but Wu Jian knew she would get embarrassed if he told her that.

“I’m saying it’s that kind of attitude that makes you more predisposed to yang energy,” Wu Jian said.

“I see. And what energy do you think you two lean toward?” asked Hou Jingshu. She looked most curious as she leaned forward and stared at them, awaiting an answer.

“I definitely slant toward yin energy,” Wu Meiying said.

“I’m probably more yang energy myself,” Wu Jian admitted.

“Actually, Jian, I’d say you are likely going to be the most balanced of the group,” Wu Meiying corrected.

“You think so?”

“Definitely. You are very calm and analytical. You hardly let yourself be drawn into situations that you know aren’t ideal, like me, but you can be hot-headed at times like when you challenged Wu Yong despite how badly he bullied you, or when you decided to protect Hou Jingshu before you two knew each other. Even your decision to begin training was made from an emotional response rather than a logical one. However, while your actions might be based on your emotions, you are able to properly analyse a situation and decide on the best course of action.”

Wu Jian leaned back and crossed his arms, the book in front of him completely forgotten. Wu Meiying wasn’t wrong about him. He agreed completely with her assessment, though he did wonder if having a balance of yin and yang was a good thing. All of the scrolls he had read stated that most cultivation methods had a heavier focus toward either yin or yang, so having a balance between the two might make choosing a suitable cultivation method hard.

I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.

“So what about affinities?” asked Hou Jingshu.

“Affinities are actually a bit easier,” Wu Jian said, shaking his head and getting back on topic. “Just like how everyone is suitable toward yin or yang, cultivators are also suitable toward specific elements. The Five Common Elements are the ones most people have an affinity for. They are earth, water, wind, lightning, and fire. There are also elements like light, dark, ice, and shadow, which are less common. Of course, there are even more elements like sharp, peirce, and desolation. These elements are much rarer and therefore not many cultivation methods exist for them. Most people starting out will have a cultivation method geared toward a specific element unless they’re focused entirely on training their body. I should also mention that a body enhancement cultivation method would be a yang type.”

“So all those macho guys with the big muscles use a yang cultivation method?” asked Hou Jingshu.

“Probably,” Wu Meiying said.

The other girl grimaced. “I don’t want to be like them.”

“I’m sure you won’t get massive muscles like those guys,” Wu Jian assured her with a smile before getting back on track. “Anyway, the last way of deciding on a cultivation method is determining what kind of fighter you are or want to be. Are you a close-range, mid-range, or long-range fighter? Do you prefer using weapons over fists? Is your style straightfoward or deceptive? Do you prefer attacks, defense, or counters? Even within cultivation methods with specific elements, there are some methods more suited toward a specific kind of fighting than another.”

Hou Jingshu nodded several times, listening intently, then let out a sigh as she stretched her arms forward and rested her chin on the table. It seemed listening to his explanation had exhausted her.

“Ugh, choosing an appropriate cultivation method sounds like it’s going to be hard,” she said. Then she blinked and sat back up. “Wait, you mentioned most people starting out will choose a cultivation method geared toward one of the five common elements. Does that mean people can change methods later on?”

“Of course they can. However, changing from one cultivation method to another can have drastic and potentially adverse affects on a cultivator,” a voice said behind them.

“Grandpa Son!” Wu Jian and Wu Meiying said at the same time.

“Sorry for interrupting. I could not help but overhear your conversation and wish to add my knowledge,” Grandpa Son said, stroking his long beard. Since it was getting warmer, he wore a light orange hanfu made from thinner than normal materials. The contours of his physique were visible. Wu Jian realized he was actually in great shape despite how old he looked.

That’s a cultivator for you. Even someone whose face looks like aged parchment has a sturdy body.

“Not at all. Please, feel free to tell us what you can,” Wu Meiying invited.

“In that case, I will.” Grandpa Son coughed into his hand. “Ahem. Switching cultivation methods is something that must be done with great care. Choosing one that is too drastically different from what you were using before could set you back on your cultivation. In the worst case, it could leave a sequelae that you will never recover from. For example, if you switch from a fire cultivation method to an ice cultivation method, not only will your cultivation be much slower because you’ve been gathering yang energy for so long, but your body might not be able to adapt to the cold yin energy. That will inevitably damage your dantian and meridians.”

Hou Jingshu gulped, blood draining from her face, leaving it pale.

Wu Jian and Wu Meiying already knew this, but they were also quite nervous.

“You forgot to mention that there is a way to change from a yang cultivation technique to a yin cultivation technique,” Wu Meiying said. “However, it involves destroying your previous cultivation base by expelling all the yang energy you’ve gathered. Most cultivators wouldn’t dare to do that since it means starting over from scratch.”

“You are correct. For a cultivator, having to start from scratch is just as bad as receiving a lasting injury. The best time to cultivate is while you are young. The stronger you become when you’re young, the higher you will ascend. Take me, for instance. I am sixty-five years old, and yet I have only reached the sixth subrealm of the Body Forging Realm. The chances of me ever reaching the Anima Realm are practically zero. However, your father, Wu Yōushì, reached the Anima Realm when he was in his thirties and is currently at the eighth subrealm of the Asura Realm. This is why he looks so young despite being over fifty years old. He also has a greater chance of ascending to the next realm, though it would have been much easier for him if he had reached the Asura Realm at a younger age.”

As Grandpa Son continued his lecture, Wu Jian thought about his father.

The Asura Realm was considered the peak of cultivation in small countries like the Shang Kingdom. A lot of that had to do with the lack of resources. Larger, more prosperous nations like the Xia Dynasty had a lot more resources at their disposal, which was why the Asura Realm was considered the bare minimum requirement to join a sect there.

Grandpa Son continued talking, “Back on to topic, switching from a fire method to a desolation method won’t be as difficult since fire and desolation both rely on yang energy. Ultimately, the type of cultivation method you choose first is something you should do only after taking careful consideration of your body type, affinity, and yin-yang leanings.”

Grandpa Son’s lecture was, as always, a valuable experience.