In the clearing near the cultivation caves, the disciples were already waiting in silence when Sai arrived.
No long speeches.
He simply sat on a low rock and looked at them.
"Today, we will talk about talent."
Sai raised his hand and traced a simple symbol in the air, which quickly dissolved into thin strands of Qi.
"A cultivator's talent is defined by how many elemental veins the body carries."
Wei Lian blinked.
"Elemental… veins?"
Wang Tao and Yan Li already knew the theory.
"Meridians that respond to the elements of nature," Sai explained. "Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The fewer you possess… the faster Qi organizes within your body."
Wei Lian tilted his head slightly, attentive.
"So… less is better?"
Sai nodded.
"In terms of cultivation speed, yes."
His gaze passed over Wang Tao.
"For example… Wang Tao has affinity with two elements: water and metal."
Yan Li turned to him, surprised.
"Only two?"
"That means the Qi he absorbs only needs to align with two flows," Sai continued. "Less dispersion. Less internal conflict. That is why his advancement is fast."
Wang Tao kept a neutral expression.
Yan Li frowned.
"Then… what about me, Master? I have talent in all five elements. Does that mean I have no future?"
Sai looked at her for a moment before replying.
"Are you saying your master has no future?"
Silence fell for half a second.
"Y-you mean… you have the same talent as me?" she asked, incredulous.
The other two disciples were equally stunned.
Sai raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Exactly. But it does not mean there is no future. Only… a different one."
She blinked.
"Different… how?"
"Every particle of Qi carries traces of the elements," he said. "To cultivate stably, you must absorb Qi that aligns with your elemental veins."
"Wang Tao only needs to align water and metal."
"We… must align all five."
Yan Li opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
"That's… unfair…"
Wei Lian murmured without realizing it.
Sai did not disagree.
"That is why five-element cultivators advance more slowly," he continued. "Either they absorb all flows and build an extremely solid foundation… or they sacrifice part of them to advance faster, accepting an unstable base."
Yan Li bit her lip lightly.
"So… I'm slow because… I'm trying to do it properly?"
"Exactly."
She let out a long breath, half frustration, half relief.
Wei Lian raised his hand hesitantly.
"Master… and me?"
Sai looked at him.
"Wood and metal."
Wei Lian's eyes widened slightly.
"Also two…?"
"Yes. High talent," Sai replied. "And an uncommon combination."
Yan Li tilted her head.
"Uncommon?"
"Wood gives form. Metal gives structure," he explained. "Ideal affinities for control techniques… and for the art of puppetry."
Wei Lian fell silent.
Something in his expression seemed to fall into place.
Sai then closed his eyes for a brief moment.
"But talent does not decide everything," he said, shifting tone. "From Foundation Establishment onward, something more important than elemental affinity comes into play."
"Spiritual energy."
Wei Lian frowned.
"But… we already use Qi outside the body. Techniques, projectiles, blades…"
"Yes," Sai nodded. "Before Foundation, Qi is merely released. It explodes, strikes, and disappears."
"When the Foundation is formed, a Temple appears in the dantian."
"There, Qi is transformed."
Yan Li's eyes widened.
"Transformed… into what?"
"Into spiritual energy," he replied. "An energy that does not simply leave the body, but spreads, perceives… and sustains."
He raised his hand.
The air around his fingers rippled faintly, as if something invisible were being pressed.
"With it, cultivators can sense the environment, control objects, and maintain techniques at a distance."
Wei Lian murmured,
"So that's why only Foundation cultivators can make swords fly… and control puppets…"
"Exactly," Sai said. "Without the Temple, such control cannot be sustained."
Wang Tao narrowed his eyes slightly.
"But you already do that."
Sai looked at him for a moment.
"I understand the structure… but I do not possess the full foundation," he answered. "I can touch the world, but I cannot rule it like a true Foundation cultivator."
"The Dao allows me to see the step before stepping on it."
"But it does not remove the staircase."
The words carried weight.
---
That afternoon—
"Senior Brother Wang?"
Wang Tao raised his eyes.
Yan Li stood at the entrance of his cave, holding a canvas.
"Can I come in?"
"…Of course," he replied, putting away his tools.
She entered and sat down, placing the canvas aside.
"You've been acting strange."
Wang Tao forced a smile.
"Wei Lian said that too."
"Because it's true."
She tilted her head.
"You… seem tired. Not physically. But… inside."
Wang Tao looked away.
"I'm fine."
"Okay, but… if you ever want to talk, I'm here."
She stood, picking up the canvas.
Stopped at the entrance.
"Oh, and…"
She turned back.
"I painted you. But it didn't feel right."
"Why?"
"Because…" she hesitated, "…your eyes were too empty. Like you were looking at something very far away."
She shrugged.
"Anyway. Have a good day, brother."
And she left.
Wang Tao remained alone, staring at his "tools of work."
---
That night, Wang Tao returned to the same observation point.
A hill.
The wind blew gently.
The wind… is more than perfect.
He wore his professional attire.
Black beast-leather clothing, tight enough not to hinder movement. A matching hooded cloak behind him. And on his face, a red mask—his favorite color.
He did not wait.
He drew the bow from his back and knelt, already in firing position.
Now I just wait.
And then he came.
Lin Yu walked along the same path as always.
But this time, he was not alone.
Elder Guo Zhen walked at his side.
The pressure of his presence struck him immediately.
His heart tightened.
Elder Guo Zhen. Foundation Establishment cultivator.
He remembered the lesson from that morning.
Coincidence?
He shook his head.
I'm not prepared for this situation. I still have tomorrow.
If he attacked now, it would not be an assassination.
It would be direct confrontation.
He scanned the surroundings, calculating new possibilities.
He did not adjust the bow.
Did not touch the arrow.
Wang Tao took a slow breath.
"Then… tomorrow is the day," he murmured.
He retreated in silence, dissolving into the darkness.
The final day was approaching.
And this time, there would be no perfect plan.
Any mistake could be fatal.