Astral Flame Sect.
The awakening ceremony had finally ended, many dreams were broken today while few others embraced their newfound destinies, ready to carve their paths in the world ahead.
Wei Wushang and 24 other youths stood outside the academy dormitory, this place would be their residence until they completed their education.
"Be ready at 8 tomorrow morning, don't be late. The guards will show you to your rooms. Rest up, because starting tomorrow, it will be hard work." Shang Fei addressed them with a meaningful gaze before departing alongside Wei Sang.
Though Wei Sang and the youths present here came from outside the sect, a fundamental difference set him apart from the group– talent.
In Wei Wushang's heart, there was no doubt that this younger brother of his would enjoy special benefits.
Awakening a top-grade talent, wasn't it just wonderful? But it's such a pity that not everyone could enjoy this benefit.
Once the elder departed, a group of orderly mortal guards stationed nearby rushed towards the youngsters, they wore exaggerated smiles that stretched from ear to ear.
It was the infamous look of ass-kissers.
"Young lord, your place is this way." A man with the build of a bear bowed deeply to Wei Wushang, his voice laced with a clear tone of subservience.
Wei Wushang nodded, his expression cold with indifference.
His demeanor left the guard feeling slightly uneasy, prompting the man to hasten in guiding Wushang to his destination before respectfully bidding him farewell.
Shutting the door behind him, Wei Wushang took a moment to survey the room. Other than a bed, a table, and a few wooden chairs, the space lacked any notable luxuries.
But this was exactly how Wei Wushang preferred it.
Wushang settled comfortably on the bed, assuming a cross-legged position. "No time to waste," he muttered, allowing his eyes to close slowly. Taking a few calming breaths, he relaxed his state of mind.
In the next instant, the image of his dantian materialized in Wei Wushang's mind. The dantian was a mysterious and unusual space, situated within Wei Wushang's body, yet existing in a space separate from his internal organs.
The dantian goes by different names — the primal reservoir, the spiritual basin. Nevertheless, it's most commonly acknowledged as Spirit Sea. The Dantian's entirety assumed a spherical form, its crystal walls created a distinct boundary between its interior and exterior. This bluish crystal wall had been formed using the azure light from the destiny threads that had been previously absorbed.
Within the dantian resided a spiritual sea. The spirit water's surface mirrored a tranquil blue hue, while the water itself held a rich cobalt radiance. This was the spiritual essence of a Rank 1 Immortal, and each drop of spirit water was precious, as Immortals depend on spiritual essence to execute techniques, refine pills, and advance their cultivation.
The spiritual sea extended to a maximum of 90% in height, this was a universal constraint applying to all grades of Dantians, whether they be low, mid, high, or even top grade.
"Mm, everything appears in order." Wei Wushang remarked with satisfaction. Guiding his intent, he maneuvered the spirit sea, causing it to ebb and flow in graceful waves.
Swish swoosh…..
The cobalt blue essence gathered like water, compelling a tidal wave to ripple outward. Under Wei Wushang's mental guidance, the spirit water swiftly transitioned into a state of calmness. Next, within a moment, ripples emerged from the sea's center, followed by a concentrated beam of spirit water shooting up like a spear aimed at the heavens, crashing toward the enclosing crystal walls of the dantian.
Wei Wushang possessed low-grade aptitude, resulting in his dantian walls being composed of resilient crystal walls. In contrast, Wei Sang's fragile light walls held significantly less resilience. Likewise, mid-grade talents found their spirit essence fortified by walls of steel, while a high-grade aperture possessed stone walls.
At this time, with the cobalt blue spiritual essence crashing towards the crystal walls, it cast ethereal shadows of light, creating an indescribable feeling.
As time progressed, the cobalt blue spiritual sea's level gradually receded.
From its initial extent of 90%, it diminished to 44%.
'If an immortal cultivator aims to elevate their cultivation base, they must expend their spiritual essence to nurture the dantian. The cultivation ranks are classified into five great realms, each of which is subdivided into four minor realms: initial stage, middle stage, upper stage, and peak stage. For me to progress from Rank 1 initial stage to Rank 1 middle stage, I need to focus on nurturing the crystal barrier until it naturally breaks apart.'
With decades of experience under his belt, Wei Wushang possessed a comprehensive understanding of the stages of spiritual cultivation.
As seconds continued to tick by, the spiritual sea diligently nurtured the dantian walls. It was only when the spirit sea was left with a mere 15% that Wushang finally stopped.
Wei Wushang's eyelids lifted slowly, and he exhaled a deep breath, his gaze serene.
He contemplated, 'In my previous life, I had strong backing; my father was the clan head and a Rank 5 Immortal cultivator. Plus, my aptitude was also top-notch, making cultivation as easy as breathing. But in this life, with just my low-grade talent, cultivation will be far too difficult. Unlike my genius brother, I have no one to depend on here. If my relationship with Wei Sang was a bit better, then I might have still been able to reap some benefits.'
'In this life, I can only rely on myself. Without backing or good aptitude, I can only take on risks. To achieve the ambitions in my heart, I will sacrifice everything. Even without sufficient talent or backing, I am not helpless; I have decades of experience, and with my heart set on eternal freedom, just who dares to stop me.'
At this very moment, Wei Wushang's gaze exuded an overwhelming aura of arrogance. This was a different breed of arrogance, it was audacious enough to look down on life and death itself!
"So, how do I approach this, hmm..." Wei Wushang pondered as he reclined on the bed, while blankly staring at the ceiling.
The problem in front of Wei Wushang right now was cultivation.
He needed to elevate the level of his foundation as quickly as possible. Merely going with the flow wouldn't suffice, he harbored no desire to remain a mere Rank 1 Immortal, contentedly serving the Astral Flame sect.
'To cultivate as quickly as possible, I would need to borrow resources from the sect. Given my current state, I possess no power or ability to travel the world. Once I attain Rank 3 or 4 cultivation, I'll gain the means to safeguard myself and explore the Fallen Rooh world. After all, I still need to discover the method to ascend to Rank 6. Only by journeying across the land and uncovering various inheritances will I have a chance to find the method of ascension.'
'So, my greatest enemy now is time, I must be quick. Otherwise, it will simply be too late. In this life, I don't want to have any regrets. Whether I fail or not is a minor concern. However, giving my all to achieve it is of the utmost priority. In this life, the options are either eternal freedom or a death without regrets – no other choice exists.' With this thought in mind, Wei Wushang couldn't hold back a smile, his lips curling up once again.
He then settled back into a meditative posture, thinking; 'The academy will be my first stepping stone in this place. From my years of understanding, the academy serves as the primary foundation for most students, not only teaching them the fundamentals of cultivation but also acting as a means of indoctrination. Instilling the core values of the sect, their morals, beliefs, and the concept of honor, effectively molding these children for future manipulation.'
'The academy also enables interactions among children, fostering bonds of friendship and even love at times – all of which become a form of restraint in their later years. Moreover, friendly competitions featuring various prizes are held to ignite the competitive spirit within the youths, not to mention the rise of reputation upon victory. Can these hot-blooded youths truly resist such temptation?'
'Hehe, even the most unruly or isolated individuals would gradually assimilate into the sect. Loyalty would take root even in those initially lacking it. Void of kinship, friendship, or love, they would still be shaped.'
"Such are the methods of an organization. Those in power can easily discern this, tsk, tsk." Wei Wushang snickered. These were all the things he had absorbed from his father and come to understand firsthand.
"But this can be made use of, especially the minor competitions." His eyes suddenly lit up as he internally made a decision.
He closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing, allowing the chaotic thoughts in his mind to subside into a more manageable state.
After a dozen seconds, Wei Wushang opened his eyes, determination flickering within them.
"It's time to awaken my Vital Rooh!"