The morning sun broke through the mist that hung over the valley like a silken veil. Dew glittered on the wild grasses, and the air was thick with the scent of pine and distant earth.
Liang Yu exhaled slowly, his breath steady as he practiced the Flowing Root Form, a beginner's cultivation stance Lian had shown him. His bare feet pressed into the cool earth, every inhale drawing a whisper of energy from the ground.
For a moment, he felt it — faint threads of warmth spiraling upward through his legs, spreading like gentle vines through his body. When he opened his eyes, a soft cyan shimmer pulsed faintly around his fingertips before fading.
His heart skipped. It wasn't imagination this time. The pulse of mana within him — his wood element core — resonated faintly with life all around him. It wasn't violent like fire, nor weighty like earth. It was patient, nurturing, and endlessly enduring.
Behind him, Feng Lian watched in quiet awe.
He had seen all kinds of mana before — red flames that could scorch the earth, golden light that could melt steel — but this? The colour of Liang Yu's mana was rare even in the Northern Continent, where countless cultivators honed their gifts. Cyan wood mana was said to exist only in beings touched by the "Essence of Life" — healers, alchemists, and ancient forest guardians.
And now… it flowed gently from Liang Yu's hands.
"Does it hurt when you channel it?" Feng Lian asked, breaking his silence as he approached.
Yu shook his head. "No. It feels… peaceful. Like something sleeping inside me has started to breathe."
The man smiled faintly. "Then you have awakened properly.Your mana has the scent of wood essence — life, growth, recovery. It's the foundation for healers and alchemists . But yours is different it's not the usual green. It carries a hue of cyan — purer, denser. That's rare, Yu ."
"Rare?" Yu asked, uncertain.
"Very," Lian said, his gaze intent. "Cyan wood mana exists only in those whose roots were born attuned to the world's living energy. It's not just growth — it's creation. You were born to bring life where there's decay."
Yu blinked, trying to take it in. "Then… I can heal things and fight too?"
"Yes," Lian said, his voice calm but certain. "At higher stages, wood mana can bind, pierce, even devour. But right now, what you need is control."
He knelt down, picking a leaf from the ground. "Every living thing contains mana. Humans, beasts, plants. The difference is in how we use it. And in the East…" His gaze drifted toward the distant mountains. "The world forgot how to listen to mana."
---
By noon, the small courtyard was filled with quiet bustle.
Feng Lian had gone to the nearby market early that morning. When he returned, the children — An'er and Weiwei — ran to greet him, giggling as he lifted them both easily into his arms. He smelled faintly of dust and spice, and over his shoulder hung a heavy pack.
Liang Yu helped unpack the items one by one: dried food, herbs, bundles of rope, spare clothes, a few low-grade beast cores, and several worn-out cultivation manuals written in the old script. Beneath it all lay a few shimmering objects — a silver space bag, a beast bag, and several small porcelain bottles filled with pills.
Yu blinked in surprise. "You… have all these?"
Lian gave a faint smile. "Leftovers from my old life. I was trained as a cultivator long before coming here. Only these items are some which we can use for our journey as many other were made to harmonize with my mana — Thunder affinity. They'll resist your control."
Yu ran a finger along the fine polished edge of the space bag, feeling a faint hum of power. "Then what should I use?"
"That's what we'll find," Lian said, meeting his gaze. "Deep in the mountain, there are old spiritual plants and low-ranked beasts that still retain mana. If we can harvest the right cores and herbs, I can refine a help you refine the beast cores suited for your element."
"Refining cores?"
"To stabilize your meridians and expand your mana veins. Once you've formed your first 'Root Node', your cultivation truly begins."
Yu nodded, determination glinting in his cyan eyes. "Then let's go."
---
Journey into the Mountain begans ,the forest loomed before them by afternoon, the peaks rising like ancient guardians. The air grew cooler, heavy with the scent of moss and wet bark. The children rode on the small beast-drawn cart until the path grew too steep, then clung to Feng Lian's robe as they climbed.
Birds scattered as they passed. Ferns brushed against their legs, whispering softly as if the forest itself was curious.
Yu could feel everything.
Every leaf seemed to hum faintly, every root pulsing with life. His wood mana resonated unconsciously — reaching out, connecting, listening. It was overwhelming, yet beautiful.
Feng Lian led the way, his senses sharp. Though his own cultivation was suppressed in this mana-thin region, his instincts as a warrior were honed from years of battle. He could tell where the beasts nested, which direction the wind carried danger.
By the time they made camp near a waterfall, night had begun to fall. The children were asleep beside the fire, wrapped in cloaks. Yu sat nearby, practicing slow mana circulation as Lian sketched a rough map into the dirt.
"The mountain's outer ring has few lower-grade beasts," he said. "If you're lucky, you might find a Green Serpent or Shadow Rabbit. Their cores are weak but pure — good for beginners."
Yu tilted his head. "And inner parts?"
"May find some more Upper- Lower grade beast," Lian replied. "Mid and upper beasts — some intelligent enough to form cores or cultivate on their own. But we'll stay away from that for now."
Yu nodded. Then after a pause, he asked quietly, "Do you think… I can really become a cultivator?"
Lian looked at him for a long moment before answering. "You already are. The moment you touched mana and made it answer you — you crossed the line between mortal and cultivator. The rest is just… growth."
---
It was the third day in the mountain when it happened.
They had stopped near a small clearing beside a stream to refill their water. Yu was crouched by the edge, washing wild herbs he had gathered — small blue leaves that shimmered faintly when touched by light.
Suddenly, a faint rustle echoed behind him.
Lian's hand immediately went to the sword strapped across his back. His eyes narrowed — the sound was low, deliberate, predatory.
"Yu—"
Before he could finish, the ground near Yu rippled — and a Green Serpent lunged from the undergrowth, fangs gleaming with poison.
Yu's eyes widened. Instinct took over. His hand shot up, mana flooding his palm — cyan light erupted like a flare. The serpent halted mid-air as vines burst from the ground, wrapping around its scaled body.
But the snake was fast. It twisted violently, snapping the tendrils apart. Its tail struck Yu's shoulder, throwing him backward into the dirt.
"Liang Yu!" Lian's shout echoed — but Yu wasn't done yet.
Pain burned through his arm, but the rush of mana surged stronger. He could feel the forest responding to him — the roots beneath, the moisture in the air, the pulse of life. He stretched his hand forward again, shouting instinctively:
"Bind!"
Cyan light flared once more — this time thicker, more solid. The vines twisted up like serpents of their own, grabbing the beast mid-strike. The Green Serpent hissed, writhing, but its movements slowed as the vines dug in deeper, draining its mana into the earth.
Then — silence.
The snake went limp.
Yu collapsed backward, panting, sweat dripping down his temple. His hands trembled, the cyan glow fading slowly from his skin.
Feng Lian was by his side in an instant, checking his pulse, inspecting his shoulder. "You idiot," he muttered, though his voice trembled faintly — relief hidden behind irritation. "Why didn't you call me?"
Yu managed a weak laugh. "You said… every cultivator must fight their first battle."
Lian's lips twitched. "…That was meant metaphorically."
He sighed and turned to the serpent, drawing his blade to cut open its core. A faint green gem glimmered inside — small, but pure. He wiped it clean and pressed it into Yu's hand.
"This is your first core. Refine it slowly; don't rush. Let it settle with your wood mana. You've done well."
Yu looked at the small gem, the faint mana pulsing within it, and smiled. "Thank you."
---
That night, beneath the silver glow of the moon, Feng Lian sat by the fire as Yu carefully extracted the serpent's core energy using the method from the old manual. The cyan and green energies intertwined like vines and mist, merging slowly.
Lian watched him — how his brows furrowed in focus, how his mana flowed with unusual steadiness for a beginner. There was something profoundly natural about it. His presence made the world around him breathe.
When the refinement was done, Yu's mana faintly deepened in colour — still gentle, but more solid, more alive.
"You're suited for healing ,more than for combat," Lian said quietly. "Your mana nurtures, restores. You have the potential to become a healer… or even an alchemist. With proper training, you could refine pills that could save countless lives."
Yu looked up, the flames reflected in his eyes. "Then I'll learn both. Healing and cultivation. If I can help others and protect those I love… that's enough."
Feng Lian felt his chest tighten at those words — a strange, unfamiliar warmth spreading inside him. He had seen too many people cultivate for power, for revenge, for pride. But Liang Yu…
He cultivated for life.
---
The night wind whispered through the trees, carrying the scent of firewood and fresh herbs. The children slept peacefully beside the crackling flame, their small faces lit by the glow.
Feng Lian leaned back against a tree, eyes half-closed, watching Yu as he practiced under the moonlight — the soft cyan light dancing around him, wrapping the clearing in quiet beauty.
Somewhere deep in his heart, a thought stirred — one he didn't want to acknowledge yet.
This human… this rare, gentle soul… is mine to protect.
And so began their first true step into the world of cultivation — a path that would take them far beyond this mountain, through cities, realms, and battles yet unseen.