Yu Xuan opened his eyes, feeling refreshed, like a new leaf after spring rain.
He wasn’t sure how much ti had passed, but the first thing he saw was his master’s expression calm, yet complicated.
"Breakthrough feels great," he said lightly, eting her gaze.
Her lips twitched before she replied, voice even but carrying weight.
"Now it may feel easy because of your talent. But when you step into Core Formation, things will change. You’ll need to condense as many elental cores as possible. Not all can be ford, so are too profound, too unorthodox, shaped by one’s very life. But the more you manage, the stronger your foundation will be."
Yu Xuan tilted his head. "What kinds of cores are there?"
She nodded. "You should already know the basics — fire, water, earth, wind, lightning, light, dark, yin, and yang. Then there are the derived ones — poison, plant, shadow, sun, moon, even mud. Beyond that, rare cores like ti, space, gravity, spirit, karma. And finally, the unorthodox: a Sword Core, Wine Core, Knowledge Core, Painting Core... even stranger ones exist. But don’t get ahead of yourself. Core Formation is often the stage of cultivation where the future of a cultivator is decided."
Yu Xuan’s eyes sharpened. "How long did it take you, Master?"
She chuckled softly. "I began with the basic Five Elent Cores. Only as my cultivation deepened did I condense more. But rember — there are endless possibilities, as many as there are Daos. Do not chase them all. Build firmly on the basics. With your talent, additional cores will co naturally. I’ll guide you when the ti arrives."
Yu Xuan tilted his head. "Master, then... what about the unorthodox cores?"
Her eyes curved slightly. "Tell , what do you think life is?"
"Life?" Yu Xuan thought for a mont, then said seriously, "Sothing that is... not death?"
Smack!
He winced, rubbing his head. "Ow!"
"For mortals, that may be true," she said, half amused, half exasperated. "But cultivators walk a different road. With lifespans stretching for centuries, life cannot simply an not dying. For us, a life without aning, without pursuit, is no different from death itself. That is why cultivators are so stubborn, so unyielding — we must cling to our own Dao. For humans, Core Formation is the stage where the shell of mortality begins to peel away, where one first decides what their true self will be."
Yu Xuan’s expression grew thoughtful. "Then what does this have to do with unorthodox cores?"
"Because so cultivators choose to embody their passion, their obsession, as their very Dao," she replied. "They forge their cores upon it. There is even a legend of the Drunken Immortal, whose inner world was said to contain every wine ever brewed."
Yu Xuan blinked. "That... sounds ridiculous. Is it real?"
She smirked. "Real enough. I t him once. The stories are exaggerated of course, not every wine in existence swirled in his core. But it is true that he built his entire cultivation upon wine. His Dao was indulgence, freedom, intoxication — and it carried him to immortality."
Yu Xuan’s curiosity sharpened. "Then what about sword cultivators?"
Her eyes softened with mory. "Many sword cultivators condense unique cores tied to their blade or their understanding of the sword Dao. But rember, no path is identical. The sword path is vast, yet not all who walk it can reach the end. Talent, will, and opportunity all matter. That’s why so many fall stagnant in the later stages, they try to copy others instead of forging their own path. A sword core is powerful, yes, but only if the sword is truly their everything."
"And rember, though I doubt you will lose to anyone — your focus for now should be on building a steady foundation. For the next year, you are not allowed to break through to the Core Formation realm. Instead, you will temper your body with the unique resources I provide, as well as gain plenty of real combat experience. I’ll give you three months of freedom to do as you wish... but after that, your grueling training will begin."
Yu Xuan gulped nervously and muttered, "Yes, Master."
The Elental Heaven Peak Master continued, "Oh, and I’ve noticed that you had almost no human interaction while at the main peak. So, I was considering putting you under Little Bing Xin."
Yu Xuan frowned. "And who is this now?"
"She is the next Peak Master of the Ice Peak. I even taught her myself when she was a child. Her personality, however... is rather cold due to her situation."
"Is that really necessary, Master? I’m doing fine on my own," Yu Xuan protested, preferring to stay away from troubleso entanglents.
His master’s expression hardened due to his refusal and she said sternly. "After our training is complete, you will serve as her assistant in the Punishnt Hall. That is final."
"WHAT?!!" Yu Xuan nearly jumped out of his skin. He had heard all the rumors about the Punishnt Hall, and none of them were good. Worse, he had once experienced it firsthand.
"What, will you refuse?" The Elental Heaven Peak Master’s gaze sharpened, her eyes gleaming with authority.
Yu Xuan swallowed hard. Why was she so insistent on this? This clearly slled like trouble.
He had no desire to get involved with soone tied to the Punishnt Hall — let alone the next Peak Master of the Ice Peak on top of that.
Still, he reminded himself: with his master’s backing, everything would be fine. Connections were valuable, and no matter what, he respected his elders.
"Little disciple... are you thinking strange thoughts about again?" His master’s voice carried a dangerous tone, as if she could see right through his hesitation.
Yu Xuan bowed his head, his heart full of gratitude, and answered with rare sincerity:
"No, Master. I would never refuse you. Thank you, Master for everything."
The genuine devotion in his words struck like an invisible arrow, piercing straight into the heart of the Elental Heaven Peak Master.
And if Yu Xuan’s system displayed affection points, a prompt would have likely appeared before his eyes.
[Master’s Affection 1]
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