At the highest peak of the Burning Sky Sect, four Grand Elders sat in a closed meditation room with a coefficient of 0.99990. Each represented a pillar of the sect's strength, and today, they were discussing the fate of a seven-year-old child who could change the future of the Verdant Lotus World.
GRAND ELDER BRAM IRONSHIELD - IRON FIST OF DEFENSE
Bram Ironshield, Grand Elder of Defense and Security, crossed his muscular arms, as strong as steel. His body's coefficient of 0.99996 made him like a living fortress.
"Lux Noctis," he murmured, his voice rumbling like a volcanic eruption. "A legacy we don't understand could potentially be the ultimate weapon against the Shadow Viper Sect. But I sense something... unnatural in the energy within his body."
He looked through the crystal window towards the Pavilion Direct Disciple. "This child is not just a talented cultivator candidate. There's something deeper, something that even I can't fully comprehend."
Bram was the leader of the militarist faction. For him, every disciple was judged by their military potential. "If we can train him, direct his abilities to the sect's defense... but what if he defects? We're playing with fire by letting him live."
GRAND ELDER LINA WINDWHISPER - THE FIRE EATER
Lina Windwhisper, Grand Elder of Resources and Trade, smiled faintly. Her coefficient of 0.99995 reflected the financial stability she maintained.
"You always think in terms of battle, Bram," she said, her slender fingers tapping the crystal table. "Look at the economic value. As a 'star child,' he's already increased new disciple enrollment by 40% in the last six months."
She opened an energy notebook. "But that attention is a double-edged sword. Shadow Viper is offering 10,000 high-level spirit crystals for information about him. The Hugo Clan sent three spies. Even our allies, the Lighting Roar, are too curious."
Lina calculated every risk and benefit. "We need to protect this investment, but also ensure he doesn't become a liability."
GRAND ELDER KALMAN - WILD FIRE SWORDMAN
Kalman, Grand Elder of Foreign Relations and Intelligence, his coefficient of 0.99995 was almost the same as Lina's. His sharp face reflected an even sharper mind.
"Lux's position threatens the internal balance," he said in a soft voice. "My grandson, Karion, was supposed to be a strong candidate for Young Master. Now the Sect Master's attention is divided."
He didn't mention the spy network he had placed around Lux. Or that he knew every interaction Lux had with other disciples.
"His legacy could be a powerful tool for diplomacy. Or, if it falls into the wrong hands, a weapon that destroys us from within."
GRAND ELDER SHEN LONGRIVER - BURNING SKY FIRE DRAGON
Shen Longriver, Grand Elder of Sect Members, was the oldest with a coefficient of 0.99994. He was the one who recommended Elder Liam as Lux's mentor.
"We forget that he's still a child," Shen said wisely. "His talent is extraordinary, but our pressure could crush him. Liam reports rapid progress, but also an unusual caution for his age."
Shen was the balancer between these factions. "We need to protect him, not just exploit him. If we corrupt him with greed, we lose not only a disciple, but also the soul of our sect."
The next day, Lux was summoned to the Hall of Eternal Flame. Sect Master Klahan stood before them with five scrolls that radiated pure energy.
"Direct Disciples Lux Noctis," Klahan's voice echoed. "Today you receive the highest inheritance of the Burning Sky Sect - earth grade advance cultivation manual."
Lux felt the coefficient of the scrolls: 0.99978. Very stable, almost perfect.
"These manuals," Klahan continued, "will take you beyond the Nascent Soul, to higher realms and to a wider world. But remember, with great power comes great responsibility."
The manual was the "Phoenix harmonic Sutra" - a technique that allows a cultivator to experience rebirth through fire, reaching higher realms each time they rise from the ashes.
Elder Liam explained the manual system to Lux, as well as showing some examples of the sect's manual collection, and from Lux's view while assessing the coefficients of each manual:
Mortal Low Grade: Body Forging (coefficient 0.99800-0.99920)
Mortal Mid Grade: Qi Nurturing (0.99920-0.99950)
Mortal Advance Grade: Foundation Establishment (0.99950-0.99970)
Earth Grade: Core Forging to soul formation (0.99970-0.99990)
"The Phoenix harmonic Sutra is an advanced earth grade," Liam said proudly. "Only first-class factions possess techniques like this, it is the result of the hard work of refinement of various previous generations, from those generations some have surpassed the nascent soul with pride and some have remained and become the foundation of this sect by guarding it."
Then in the next lesson, Lux learned that each major faction had their own inherited techniques and learned some information that the sect already possessed,
Burning Sky Sect: Phoenix harmonic Sutra (earth grade advance)
Shadow Viper Sect: Shadow Serpent poison (earth grade advance)
Lighting Roar Sect: Thunder Emperor's Wrath (earth grade advance)
Andreas Clan: Adamantine Forging Technique (earth grade advance)
Red Lotus Empire: Imperial Lotus Sanctum (earth grade advance)
"The difference in earth Grade techniques," Liam explained, "well, besides the low, mid, and advance levels, is in the philosophy and approach. Some are aggressive, some are defensive, some are balanced."
That night, Lux sat in his room with the Phoenix harmonic Sutra. The scroll was made of genuine phoenix beast skin, with pulsating energy inscriptions.
"Finally, worm," Mobius said. "You begin your true cultivation journey."
Lux opened the first scroll. The technique began with the first chapter on body forging which discussed warming the bones to form fire bones then making the meridians align with fire energy after the meridian paths were formed the skin would undergo hardening and would be more resistant to heat-based elements, then the formation of the "Phoenix Core" in the Dantian showed that the qi nurturing stage had been reached.
Lux then saw the bathtub that had been prepared by Elder Liam containing various resources for bone forging according to the manual, with a paper note that read "This will feel very painful kid, don't worry when you faint it means the medicine is successful and just a reminder your painful nights will begin soon."
With a sigh Lux said "I guess there's no other way"
Then Mobius spoke mockingly "heh.. just a little pain that you haven't even felt yet and you're already whining, if you're like this I'll call you little worm forever."
"don't worry, I'm just preparing my mind" Lux said as he slowly entered the medicinal bath
At first he felt like he was just taking a normal bath then...
haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa... Lux screamed as loud as he could but the heat felt like it was burning his whole body until he lost consciousness.
And without Mobius realizing it, the mobius gauge that was fused with his soul began to passively distort reality so that the resources entering Lux's body became more suitable for him.
In a few hours of fainting, Lux woke up and felt some changes. Lux began to feel spiritual fire energy flowing in the air even without Mobius's measurement power, and he felt his body was much lighter than before.
"worth the pain" Lux explained.
A week after Lux started his torturous routine medicinal bath, the Grand Elders gathered again. Their faces were serious.
"Lux has begun cultivating with the Phoenix harmonic Sutra," Bram reported. "His energy has increased significantly in the last week. Unnatural for a beginner who has just reached the second stage of the body forging realm."
Lina added, "But his resource consumption is also high. He spends 1000 high grade crystal worth of spirit stones on medicine in the bathtub for bone forging medicine every night."
Kalman said "My grandson reported that Lux showed an unnatural understanding of the manual as if he had studied it before, truly an extraordinary understanding."
Only Shen defended. "He's a talented child. Of course his progression will be different. We should support, not suspect."
After giving the earth advance grade manual to Lux, the event triggered a new competition among the Direct Disciples even though they had been given it several years ago and on average they had reached the qi nurturing stage at levels seven to nine. Karion, who was usually confident, began to show jealousy at Lux's speed who in just two weeks had reached level three bone forging, which he only achieved after four months of training and medicinal baths.
"How can an eight-year-old understand the Phoenix harmonic Sutra in two weeks?" he even protested to his grandfather last night. "It took me 15 months just to understand the first chapter!"
Silvia was impressed instead. "He has a natural talent. Maybe the legacy from that meteor helped him understand complex concepts and his natural comperhension."
Yuan, who focused on physical cultivation, admitted, "His energy is already as strong as a level four or five bone forging cultivator. That's impressive i would like to spar with him when he reach qi nurturing stage."