After several seconds spent gazing wistfully at the retreating butterfly, she finally turned her attention back to her master, who had just descended to the ground alongside four unfamiliar figures. As she approached them, her aura of lively joy diminished ever so slightly, her pout still present.
"Why didn't you warn me, Master? The butterfly flew away!" she grumbled, her tone half-serious, half-teasing.
Great Elder Jianhai, unfazed by her behavior and long accustomed to her whims, ignored the complaint entirely. Turning to Mikael and the girls, he offered a brief introduction.
"This is your Second Senior Sister, Hua Lianyu."
"Second Senior Sister?" she repeated, her tone curious as she tilted her head slightly, a curious glint in her eyes.
Jianhai gestured toward Mikael and the girls. "These are my new disciples. They are your new junior brother and sisters."
"Ehh?" Lianyu exclaimed, her expression frozen in shock for a brief moment—before sheer excitement overtook her. She began bouncing on the spot, unable to contain herself. "I have junior brother and sisters!" she cried out joyfully.
Still bouncing, she made her way toward them and, with unrestrained enthusiasm, introduced herself. "What's your name, my lovely junior? I'm Hua Lianyu, but you can just call me Lian'er!"
Lian'er's excitement was infectious, and while her unfiltered energy caught them a little off guard, the first to answer was Amelia.
"Amelia Mournsky."
The others followed suit, introducing themselves in turn.
"Mikael Angelini."
"Lyra Mystoria."
"Kiara Dreyfus."
Lian'er gave them an enthusiastic thumbs-up. "My juniors all have such wonderful and unique names!"
Then, just as she finished speaking, something seemed to dawn on her. Her eyes widened slightly, and she murmured dreamily, "I'm... now an elder sister…"
Almost instantly, her entire demeanor shifted. Her bubbling excitement vanished, replaced by an air of self-proclaimed composure as she attempted to present herself as a calm and graceful beauty.
Clearing her throat with a delicate cough, she spoke with an exaggerated sense of poise. "Ahem. As your Second Eldest Sister, you may come to see me at any time if you have a problem, a question, or anything of the sort. Even if you want to play with me, I'd be happ—I mean, if you have a cultivation question, I am disponible." She confidently patted her chest as if reinforcing her new role.
'You wouldn't have fooled me even if I hadn't seen your earlier behavior. She's clearly not the reliable elder sister type… No, she's more like a mischievous younger sister,' Mikael thought, inwardly shaking his head in quiet amusement at Lian'er's conduct.
After their brief introductions, a small conversation began between the four new disciples and Lian'er. She continued trying to act like a dependable elder sister, but her efforts often fell apart as she repeatedly slipped into her usual, less-than-elder behavior.
They spent some time getting to know each other, with Lian'er alternating between playing her role and breaking character. Meanwhile, Great Elder Jianhai watched silently from the side, a content smile resting on his face. The meeting between his old and new disciples was going much more smoothly than the one with Renjiro.
Then he gave a polite cough, drawing their attention. "Lian'er, we won't disturb you any further. I need to introduce your new junior brother and sisters to the path of cultivation."
Lian'er tilted her head. "Introduce? But they're already at the first layer of the Spiritual Foundation Realm?"
"They come from outside the Akashic Records Universe," Jianhai explained calmly.
"Ooohh, okay, I understand now." She pondered for a brief moment before adding with curiosity, "Say, would it be possible for me to come with you during their introduction?"
Great Elder Jianhai considered her request for a second, then nodded slowly. "There wouldn't be a problem—as long as you stay quiet."
Lianyu immediately raised a finger to her lips, mimicking the act of zipping her mouth shut, earnestly promising silence without uttering another word.
With that settled, Great Elder Jianhai moved over to a flat patch of emerald grass and sat down cross-legged. The five disciples soon followed, forming a neat semicircle in front of him, each settling into a seated position and preparing to listen.
"You see," Jianhai began, his voice deep and composed, "cultivation is the act of defying the heavens. It is not an easy journey, but rather one of relentless struggle—breaking free from your mortal limitations and striving ever upward on the path toward immortality. It is..."
As the Great Elder continued speaking, his lecture gradually unfolded into a comprehensive explanation of cultivation, its principles, and its dangers. Yet what stood out most was his voice—imbued with a subtle, magnetic quality that held their attention with ease. Mikael quickly noticed that he was absorbing the information with surprising clarity. Even the more obscure or complex concepts weren't slipping past him. While he didn't gain an instant understanding of everything, he at least grasped a part of it—enough to piece the rest together later.
'This is clearly a mix of my high comprehension and something strange in his voice… some sort of Qi resonance?,' Mikael mused, inwardly recognizing that the experience was beyond the ordinary.
And so the lecture continued, stretching on as the afternoon light deepened. Mikael and the girls listened intently, slowly building a more concrete understanding of cultivation—its foundational principles, key concepts, and unwritten truths. Even Lianyu, usually playful and mischievous, was paying close attention. Her eyes followed every gesture of the elder, her usual levity replaced by a rare and focused calm that showed she could be serious when it truly mattered.
Throughout the lecture, Mikael and the girls—Lianyu being the only exception—occasionally raised questions. At one point, Mikael asked, "What will happen to the cores and energies I acquired outside the Akashic Records Universe? Right now, they've reached a clear limit, and I haven't found any way to push them further. Are they simply going to become more and more useless over time? Or do cultivators have methods to continue refining or evolving them?"
Mikael's question immediately drew the attention of the girls, as it was something that concerned all of them deeply. Unfortunately, Jianhai's answer wasn't what they hoped to hear.
"Regrettably, the cores and energies you gained outside the Akashic Records Universe will indeed become progressively less useful," he explained, his tone steady. "They've already reached their limit, and no matter how powerful you become as cultivators, those external cores and energies will no longer respond to your growth."
"In fact," Jianhai continued, "as your cultivation advances, they'll turn from being stagnant to actually becoming a hindrance. When you eventually reach the Core Formation Realm, having multiple incompatible cores within your body can obstruct the formation of your true core. That's why, at that stage, those external cores will naturally disintegrate—making way for the seamless formation of your own cultivation core."
Mikael's expression darkened as he digested the information. "There's truly no method? No cultivation technique, no ancient knowledge, no lost art or secret path that allows one to continue developing those cores and energies?"
Jianhai gently shook his head. "Not to my knowledge. If such a method exists, it's beyond what this sect currently knows."
Hearing those words, Mikael and the girls couldn't help but show signs of frustration and disappointment. Their expressions grew grim, which Jianhai noted, though he made no comment. On the path of cultivation, walls and obstacles were inevitable. Overcoming them was the responsibility of the cultivator. Emotions were part of the journey, but in the end, progress could only be made by enduring them and moving forward—alone, if necessary.
With that understanding, Jianhai resumed his lecture without pause. However, Lianyu, observing the shift in mood, offered a few quiet yet encouraging words. Her lively voice carried enough warmth to gradually ease the tense atmosphere, helping the others refocus. Slowly, the girls began to recover their composure, their expressions softening as they redirected their attention toward their master's teachings.
They made a conscious decision not to dwell on it any longer. It was irritating—infuriating, even—to lose the cores and energies they had cultivated with so much effort and discipline. But since there was nothing they could do about it, they resolved to let go of the frustration and immerse themselves in the lecture instead.
Yet, while the girls managed to move past the disappointment, Mikael did not. For a while, he sat silently, his mind brooding, brainstorming, contemplating. Then, like the others, he returned to quietly listening to Jianhai. But unlike them, his eyes held a burning flame—an unwavering fire of ambition and determination. He wasn't someone who gave up easily. He wouldn't let go of his progress without a fight.
And so, the lecture continued for hours without interruption, until finally—
"...And that," Jianhai said, his voice gradually slowing, "is how one begins their journey on the path of cultivation. Now, the only thing left is for each of you to obtain your own cultivation techniques—only then can your true journey begin."
Mikael and the others remained silent, absorbing his final words, while Lian'er blinked drowsily, her head gently nodding forward as if fighting off sleep. "Nnnh... wait, it's over?" she murmured, a long yawn escaping her lips as she teetered on the edge of slumber.
Jianhai stood up without commenting on her state. "Let's go."
And so, under the golden light of a waning afternoon, five disciples and their Master rose from the grass. Together, they left the tranquil scenery of Sword Heart Peak behind, flying toward the Scripture Pavilion where their next step awaited.
As they ascended into the skies, Jianhai discreetly observed his newly accepted disciples. The fact that all four of them were already capable of flight, despite having only just stepped into the Spiritual Foundation Realm, did not escape his notice. While his expression remained composed and impassive, inwardly, he was quietly impressed.
'Truly… monstrous talent.'
Once they reached sufficient altitude, he began his explanation. "Even though you come from outside the Akashic Records Universe, I trust that you have at least a basic understanding of what a Scripture Pavilion is, correct?"
Seeing them nod in affirmation, he continued, "Still, I will go over the details—particularly regarding how it functions within our Wandering Sword Sect—to ensure that we are all on the same page. The Scripture Pavilion is a critical building where a wide range of knowledge is preserved, and more importantly, where cultivation techniques are stored."
"When I speak of cultivation techniques, I refer to a broad spectrum. This includes methods for advancing through cultivation realms, as well as movement techniques, sword arts, and many others of varying nature. All of these can be found within the Scripture Pavilion."
"Of course, the Scripture Pavilion isn't a single building. After all, we have millions of outer disciples; a lone structure would never suffice. For this reason, multiple pavilions exist within both the Outer Court and the Inner Court."
"However, these are merely replicas—containing knowledge and techniques of limited significance. The True Scripture Pavilion is unique and located in the Core Court. Because of the immense value of the materials housed there, it is under the highest level of protection. That is where we are currently headed, so you may select your own cultivation techniques."
He gave them a glance before asking, "Now, how does one actually gain access to the Scripture Pavilion and the treasures within it? There are two primary requirements. The first is rank. The Scripture Pavilion is divided into floors, with each ascending level containing knowledge and techniques of increasingly greater value."
"To access the higher floors, you must first meet the corresponding rank requirement. The first floor is open to Outer Disciples and above. The second floor is accessible to both Outer Elders and Inner Disciples. The third floor is reserved for Inner Elders and Core Disciples—which, under normal circumstances, is the level you would be entitled to access."
He paused briefly before adding, "However, due to the exceptional conditions surrounding your recruitment, all four of you will be granted access to the fourth floor."
"The fourth floor is typically reserved for Core Elders only. The fifth floor is even more exclusive, accessible solely to Great Elders—such as myself," he said, gesturing to his chest, "Great Elder Theren, and Great Elder Mei. Finally, there is the sixth and final floor, which is restricted to the Sect Master alone. No one else is permitted entry."
Author Note:
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