I should have been lost as soon as I exited the building since I had never been to Healer Hall before. But the Jade token that I had been given, the one that identified me as a member of the Sect, came with perks that resolved any confusion. I had fed the jade a bit of my blood, blood laced with my Qi. The jade had become an extension of my thoughts at that point, bound it allowed my soul realm to access common knowledge that had been stored in the jade’s matrix.

Not GPS positioning but a basic map of the Sect, with landmarks, clearly labeled that would allow for ease of navigation. My housing assignment would be enabled once I had completed the initiation process and paperwork. The Sect would assign me a Master and Mentor. My contribution points would be recorded. And specifics about my Qi, Cultivation technique, Realm, and position in the Sect. Any skills, spells, techniques, or equipment I accumulated would also be tracked. For now, that information was toggled *pending*.

There was also a job mission tracking system that synced with the Sect’s message board and updated missions that were current, completed, or failed. It helped me keep a tab for those that I accepted and their status. It also allowed the Sect to award bonus points. Members that had a 95% success rate on missions were awarded an additional 5%.

The token didn’t completely replace the Smart-AI I had come to depend on, but it was an intriguing bit of technology. Dharmic spells and runic arrays carved into the Jade make it versatile and managed to mimic most of the functionality of my old Earth cellphone.

As I began my trek back to the testing hall, I forced myself to confront what I had been ignoring. The people I had been speaking with were Elves. I had glossed over the Homo Luriens versus Homo Sapiens etymology earlier. But I had to face the big glowing neon sign at some point. Wherever Genesis had sent me, one thing was certain, I wasn’t the Jayden Mitchell that had been born a daughter of Earth.

What the difference between the two species meant, I knew because that knowledge was somehow innate; it was as much a part of me as the color of my eyes. If I wanted to compare the species, I had to make the effort to dredge up and remember my knowledge of Earth. It was much easier remembering details for Shijie, the name of this world.

The size of the planet allowed for a bountiful ecosystem, rich in minerals, plants, and animals. Things grew bigger, severe storms could engulf entire continents, and rings from moons that had shattered but remained in orbit offered a breathtaking view day and night.

I knew that Elves had the ability to cultivate, to absorb the World’s energies and utilize skills and methods to transform those energies into action. But that didn’t have anything to do with racial abilities. Cultivation was more a mechanic of the World that I found myself in, something that could be learned, and not every Elf had a talent for.

But what it meant to be an Elf? Did we live longer? Only eat fruits and vegetables? Were we slow to breed? And were we the only intelligent species on the planet? I had most of the answers to those questions, as I had already thought about and answered some of them without realizing I was accessing that knowledge.

The melding of the Jai that lived and grew up in this world knew the answers to those questions and supplied those answers to the Jai that had recently transitioned. We did seem to be merging, the two becoming one, as ‘her’ memories were able to supply the knowledge that was part and parcel of growing up, something that every child learned at the knees of the parents and teachers. I was becoming more Jai Myche daughter of Shijie, the ‘her’ whose memories I needed to reach for the daughter of Earth that had died.

Elves did live longer, but that was both a reward for cultivation and a genetic trait of the species. All things being equal, an Elf and a Human would have about the same lifespan. Genetic engineering had allowed humans to live at the outside of 500 years, life-enhancing technologies had extended beyond that. Elves could expect the same longevity, even without the ability to advance cultivation levels and realms. The natural process of breathing the air, eating, and drinking introduced enough World energy to sustain a lifespan of 500 years easily.

Those who managed to cultivate and breakthrough to higher realms were able to live thousands of years. Their ability to harness World energies allowing their bodies to repair cellular damage and maintain their youth and vitality. These individuals who advanced to the highest realm would only die if they were slain in combat or killed by beast-tides of immense density. Even mortal wounds and horrific damage could be cured and healed if an appropriate alchemical pill was ingested in time.

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None of the benefits of my race mattered as much as my excitement, I was busy fangirling over the Elf thing. I’d always played one in any game that offered this species option. There was something about them; their elegance, intelligence, gift for magic, and harmony with nature that had always resonated with me.

The reality wasn’t how I envisioned Elves; less fantasy more martial. The entire cultivation thing was a more Asian system trope than RPG. In my mind, Elves were druids and rangers. But when I considered that World energy and cultivation were tangible aspects of living in harmony with nature, I was able to concede that it made a certain sense.

As to the rest of my questions? I did enjoy my fruits and vegetables, but Elves were practical people if you were killing beasts, it made sense to utilize and harvest the meat and skin. Animals had more densely packed Qi stored in the meat and fat then could be found in cultivated crops. Plus, the bones, teeth, and beast core could be used in alchemic processes, array building, and blacksmithing formulas to create items like the Jade token I had been given.

The jade I was using had been bathed in an alchemical formula that used the brain and viscera from level two beasts. Ground beast cores were used to etch the runic arrays into the jade after the bathing process had softened and made the gem’s matric and structure more porous. This softened surface area allowed the formation circuitry to be inlaid. The circuitry was then partnered with a central jade control board, capable of updating and refreshing information stored in the token using sound and harmonics that traveled the currents of World Qi.

As to the mechanics of sex? The intricacies of breeding and propagation weren’t something I was familiar with. I was still considered a child, and my parents hadn’t discussed reproduction with me yet. Long-life meant most Elves were slow to mature. Still, family units remained the social construct that tied society together. Children, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents often lived in family groups, sharing multi-dwelling courtyards that could be expanded when needed.

The Elves were numerous, long lives meant a breeding pair could continue to produce offspring for hundreds of years if they were so inclined. Most Elf partners produced a sibling pair once every hundred years.

And there were no other bi-pedal intelligent species on the planet. Beasts that reached a high enough Realm were capable of developing Elf-like intellect. But aside from animals that needed Qi and Realms to gain intellect, there was a species of aquatic mammals, similar to dolphins, with comparable intelligence at birth to Elves. The Hindel race was an aquatic species, confined to the World’s oceans, they were more Murloc than Mermaid.

The size of the planet and the different environment requirements meant that we had no reason to enter into conflict with them. There had never been a war between our two species. The occasional fight resulting in death did happen, but those were isolated incidents. Our interactions with each other were few, more in the nature of trade than anything else.

As cultivators, once we had reached a high enough realm, we could survive even in the deepest trenches of the World’s oceans. But there were too few who became that powerful, and there was no real need to wage war considering the abundance of resources available on the planet’s landmasses.

Treaties of peace and cooperation between the Elves and Hindel had existed almost from the moment the two species had encountered each other. Trade was slanted heavily towards the Elves as the Hindel were able to supply fish, pearls, coral, and raw ores and minerals. Elves were able to shape and refine those minerals and ores into usable items for the Hindel. A one-sided trade imbalance, but one neither side was much concerned with.

My feet had been on autopilot as my mind worked to sort memories that were now mine. So, my arrival at the Testing Hall was startling, forcing me to abandon the integration of my memories. No one had bothered me as I’d walked back to the Hall, it was only when I was about to enter that I even noticed another person. And I would have ignored him if I wasn’t challenged.

“Hold,” I was ordered as a pair of door guards blocked the entrance, “Testing is ongoing, only applicants who have applied to the Sect are allowed entrance.”

Bowing respectfully, I offered my token as I explained, “The Elder at Healing Hall informed me that I should make my way to Testing Hall. Testing Elder Rhys had left instructions for me to return and complete the examination.”

The ease with which they injected Qi to verify my token was impressive. Granted, I was newly awakened to my Qi and Dharmic powers, but they didn’t appear to be much older.

“The Elder is still in the large pavilion. Testing is about to complete for the first stage, so you haven’t missed much. When you enter, please find an area where you can wait without disrupting the final prospective member's awakening.

“You can meditate using your family's technique if you’d like. It will help you if you are centered when you harmonize with your affinities. Elder Healer Kailee has embedded a medical alert in your token, she notes that you should refrain from cultivating until you have received a new technique. It would be best if you follow that recommendation, follow Elder Rhys instructions carefully,” he warned. I thought it strange that he took such care of a prospective Sect member, but perhaps he had and the other guards had been instructed to be overly helpful.

“If you aren’t able to meditate, simply reflect on the gains that you have made today. The Elder will inform you what to do next when the rest of the applicants have completed testing,” the guard said stepping aside and allowing my entrance as he finished giving me instructions and returning my token to me.

“One thing,” he said, watching as I paused to listen to his parting words, “never hand your token over to another. Contribution points can be transferred between tokens, it is an easy way to be robbed.

“It is best to always keep your token firmly within your grasp. Tokens only need intent and proximity to ascertain identity. Any guard or person who tells you otherwise should be treated with skepticism and reported immediately.”