In harmony with the rising sun, the three disciples gathered once more on the cavern plateau.The wind was still constant, carrying with it the spiritual energy of the hidden veins beneath the mountain.The Qi at sunrise was always denser—ideal for cultivation.
Sai was already waiting for them, seated on the flat rock as he had been the day before.
— Have you thought about your paths? — he asked bluntly.
Wei Lian was the first to speak.
— Master, before answering, I have a question.
Sai raised an eyebrow and nodded for him to continue.
— What exactly will we face on this path?
Sai blinked, surprised. Then he let out a short sigh.
— You're right. That was my oversight. — He took a few seconds to organize his thoughts. — I forgot that two of you are still beginners in the world of cultivation.
He interlaced his fingers in front of him, his gaze distant for a moment—as if seeing something far away.
— As I said yesterday, cultivation is a constant battle against the laws established by the Heavens. — He paused. — But the Heavens are only one of your enemies on this path.
— What do you mean? — Yan Li asked. Though she had more experience than Wei Lian, she was still a novice.
Sai looked back at them.
— Cultivators like to believe they transcend humanity. — His voice was low, almost a whisper. — But the truth is crueler: the stronger we become, the more our weaknesses are amplified.
The wind passed through the bamboo.
— Joy, anger, sorrow, fear, attachment, hatred, desire. — he listed calmly. — These are the Seven Emotions. Natural. Inevitable. And fatal, when they dominate the heart.
The three remained in absolute silence.
— The Six Desires are even worse, — Sai continued. — Pleasure that imprisons. Attachment that paralyzes. Ignorance that makes us repeat the same mistakes. Envy that corrodes the spirit. Pride that blinds. And hatred that devours from within.
His voice grew heavy, like ancient stone.
— You will not face only other cultivators on your journey. You will face these things… within yourselves. — He closed his eyes briefly. — And believe me… more cultivators have been destroyed by their own emotions than by any blade.
Wei Lian swallowed.
— So… it's not just about becoming stronger.
— It never was. — Sai replied, opening his eyes. — Strength without clarity only hastens one's own ruin.
Wei Lian hesitated, then gathered his courage.
— But, Master… if that's the case, why must we fight other people? Couldn't we just cultivate in our caves until we reach immortality?
Wang Tao let out a brief snort of laughter.
— Sorry… — he muttered.
Wei Lian ignored him. He knew his own ignorance on the matter.
Sai took a few steps, turning his back to them.
— The answer is simple, Wei Lian: resources.
He lightly touched a bamboo stalk beside him.
— Spirit stones. Rare herbs. Qi veins. Materials for weapons and artifacts… all of that is limited. And where there is limitation… — he turned, eyes sharp — …there is war.
A chill ran down Wei Lian's spine.
— Morality exists while there is abundance. When it ends, what remains is deciding who survives and who dies.
— And who decides that? — Wei Lian asked, his voice slightly trembling.
Sai did not hesitate.
— Those with the strength to uphold their choice.
Wei Lian and Yan Li remained silent. Killing for resources was not part of either of their realities. Not yet.
Sai returned to the center of the plateau.
— That is why cultivation is not only refining Qi, strengthening the body, or expanding the soul. — His voice carried weight. — It is deciding, at every step, what kind of person you will allow to become more powerful.
With that, he observed the three thoughtful disciples and gave a small, satisfied nod.
Silence lingered for a few moments.
Then Wei Lian took a deep breath.
— Master… Yan Li and I talked last night. — His voice was firm, though his hands trembled slightly. — Neither of us was born for the battlefield. Now I understand that as cultivators we won't always have a choice… but we would like to cultivate the spirit along with the Qi.
Yan Li nodded beside him.
— I want to understand what moves things, — she said with conviction. — Not just destroy them. I want to cultivate the soul.
Wei Lian clenched his fists.
— If I'm going to have power… I'd rather use it to create. Not to kill.
Sai did not respond. He only watched them in silence.
The weight of that gaze was almost physical.
Wei Lian nearly stepped back. Did I say something wrong?
Then Sai nodded, almost imperceptibly.
— I understand.
He turned to Wang Tao.
— And you?
Wang Tao kept his posture firm.
— I want to cultivate all three. Qi, body, and soul.
He took a breath before continuing.
— My destiny is not simple. The more means I have to survive, to resist, and to change what awaits me… the better. If I must advance more slowly because of that, I will accept it.
Sai stared at him for a few seconds.
— Are you sure?
— Yes.
The golden-haired boy nodded slowly.
— Then it is decided.
Sai stood up.
The wind ceased.
He walked to the center of the plateau, and the three disciples felt the surrounding Qi stir, as if the very air acknowledged what was about to happen.
From his spatial pouch, Sai took out three volumes.
They were not ordinary books.
Each was thick, bound in treated leather inscribed with spiritual markings that glowed faintly.The pages exuded an ancient scent—not of mold, but of time. As if they had crossed eras.
The three disciples exchanged stunned looks.
— Th-those… are cultivation manuals? — Wang Tao murmured, his voice faltering.
He had seen manuals before. Thin pamphlets, worn pages, basic techniques copied in haste.
But this…
This was different.
Sai did not answer immediately. He merely held the three volumes carefully, as if carrying something sacred.
— These manuals were written with who you are in mind, — he said calmly. — They are not copies. They are unique.
He walked to Wang Tao.
The young man straightened, but his heart raced.
— Wang Tao. — Sai's voice was low, but every word carried weight. — The path you chose is not only difficult. It is lonely.
He extended the first manual.
— The bonds of destiny do not break easily. Many have tried. Few survived. But you… — his eyes gleamed — …you carry blades sharp enough to cut even invisible chains.
Wang Tao took the manual with both hands.
The moment his fingers touched the cover, something burned in his chest.
It was not pain.
It was… recognition.
On the cover, crimson letters seemed to bleed, pulsing in sync with his own Qi:
Scripture of the Blade Amid the Currents of Fate
Wang Tao closed his eyes.
For a brief moment, he saw something: a blade cutting through a raging river. The water resisted, but did not stop it. It merely… flowed around it. And the blade advanced, relentless, until emerging on the other side.
This is my path.
When he opened his eyes, they were damp.
— Thank you, Master.
Sai then turned to Yan Li.
Her heart began to race.
— One gives birth to Two. Two gives birth to Three. Three gives birth to the Five. And the Five give form to all things under Heaven. — His voice was soft, almost melodic. — Few understand this beyond mere words.
He extended the second manual.
— You do not seek to dominate the elements, Yan Li. You seek to understand them. You do not wish to destroy them… but to give them form.
When she touched the book, warmth spread through her fingers. It did not burn—it felt like touching concentrated sunlight.
On the cover, symbols flowed and rearranged themselves like living brushstrokes:
Scripture of the Primordial Colors of the Dao
Yan Li held her breath.
For an instant, she saw colors that did not exist. Shades between red and orange she had never seen in mortal paints. Hues beyond blue. Something no palette could ever capture.
Her hands trembled.
— Master… — her voice came out hoarse. — I… I see…
— Your soul will be the canvas, — Sai said gently. — The elements, the colors. And the world… will be the painting that never finishes being painted.
Yan Li pressed the manual to her chest, tears silently streaming down her face.
For the first time, she felt that maybe… just maybe… she could capture what had always slipped through her hands.
Sai then turned to Wei Lian.
His gaze changed. It became… different. Harder to decipher.
Wei Lian felt a chill run down his spine.
— Wei Lian. — Sai's voice was low, almost cautious. — You spent more time observing others than being observed, didn't you?
Wei Lian blinked, confused.
— I… yes?
— You learned to change before being asked. To wear forms before even knowing who you were.
Wei Lian's heart tightened.
How does he know that?
Sai extended the final manual.
— Your Dao is not of matter. Nor of elements. — He paused deliberately. — It is of identity.
Wei Lian felt as if the ground had vanished beneath his feet.
— Some would call that dangerous. Others, heretical. — Sai continued firmly. — I call it… rare.
When Wei Lian touched the manual, he felt something strange.
It was neither heat nor cold.
It was as if the book had been… waiting for him.
On the cover, dozens of subtle faces emerged and vanished, like distorted reflections on water:
Scripture of the Thousand Faces of the Inner Dao
Wei Lian swallowed.
— Master… I don't understand…
Sai placed a hand on his shoulder.
— You will. — he said simply. — But remember: what we seek endlessly can make us lose what we already have. Do not worry about speed. Only keep your steps firm.
Wei Lian nodded, still trembling.
He did not fully understand.
But for the first time, he felt that maybe… maybe there was a path where he could truly exist.
Silence took over the plateau.
The three disciples held their manuals as if carrying priceless treasures.
Sai took a deep breath.
— These manuals are not shortcuts. They are maps. — His gaze swept over the three. — Every step will be yours. This is only the first volume. To receive the next… you must engrave these words into your souls and strengthen your foundations.
Then he raised his hand.
The surrounding Qi reacted immediately.
— Now… we begin with the Nine Chakras.
— R-right… now?! — Wei Lian blurted out.
Sai smiled—a small, almost amused smile.
— Fate does not usually warn before it changes, Wei Lian. — His eyes gleamed. — Why should I?
And with a simple motion of his hand, the spiritual energy of the entire plateau began to converge toward the three disciples.
True cultivation… was about to begin.