"Ok, that's enough gun training for now.", mentioned Bai Jingshen.
"Are you not angry, kid?", Bennet carefully asked.
"No, why would I be? What does this bit of competition count for? In a real fight he would stand no chance."
"Well, you are probably right. Anyways, I'm sorry. I got caught up in some bad memories."
"Mind to tell me about the history between you too?"
"Honestly, there is not much to say. We didn't like each other ever since our academy days. At that time the old Thobars were at there peak, so we both started at Thobar Bionics. Later we were competing for the Chief Instructor position. Although it wasn't against the rules, but Spike used a poisoned weapon, which he found in the New World. That's why my arm looks like a skeleton's even now. So far, Thobar Bionics didn't find suitable medicine. If you are lucky enough to find some in the New World, it would be great if you could sell it to me."
"I see. I will try keep my eyes open. Do you know what medicine you need?"
"… No."
Bai Jingshen rolled his eyes at Bennet. How could he search for medicine that he didn't know. He could only keep Bennet's request in his mind for now. Bai Jingshen aimed to join the Scholar's tower anyways, so he surely would find something there. Bennet on the other hand didn't have high hopes anyways, so he didn't want to linger on this topic and asked something else:
"By the way kid. Over the last day, I realized your basics for most weapons are really good, but you don't seem to train in any special martial arts? Did you even take a look at our library?"
"No? I figured it didn't make much sense to train martial arts without Qi… or Mana. I'd rather strengthen my foundation."
Bai Jingshen had a slip of the tongue there, but Bennet didn't seem to care much. The former emperor had a guess why his instructor didn't have a reaction, after all everyone used Immortal Qi in the New World.
"That's true, but that's were the scholars' genius shows itself. They recognized, that they had to prepare students for the New World, so they designed all kinds of martial arts, which can be trained without Qi to build a foundation. After you reach the Qi Gathering Realm in the New World, you will already be able to use those martial arts then.
Well, I advise you to take a look at them. Sorry, but I have to go now. I have a date today!"
"Ok I will do as you say. Good luck on your date!"
With those words Bennet left the training room, leaving Bai Jingshen alone. The former emperor thought for a second about what to do next, before sitting down in a meditative posture. He slowly began to breath in and out in a special rhythm. While doing so, he began to circle the White Illusion Cultivation technique. As the circulation grew faster and faster, Bai Jingshen immersed himself in his Sea Of Consciousness. In this state he achieved absolute peace of mind.
Slowly but surely Bai Jingshen arrived in an environment of absolute darkness. It didn't feel threatening or unknown. It was just dark and peaceful. Suddenly a light source emerged. It grew bigger and bigger, shining in multiple colors. As its light got stronger and stronger, it could finally be identified as Bai Jingshen's illusionary core.
As Bai Jingshen focused on it, it slowly started to unravel, like a piece of paper someone formed into a ball before. The calm, white light built up a square, still embracing the other emotions, which moved around like the most docile creatures. Bai Jingshen went through his memories for this day and carefully tapped into his earlier frustration. Behind him a violet river suddenly appeared. It twisted and churned, spreading frustration everywhere. The river seemed to have its own instincts, wanting to influence Bai Jingshen.
The experienced emperor wouldn't budge in the slightest however, especially since the emotion triggered by some lost competition wasn't strong in the first place. Interestingly, the river seemed to be frustrated with its own weakness, slightly growing stronger. If Bai Jingshen let this process continue for a few years, the frustration might actually take over his mind. Unfortunately, he didn't have this much time, so Bai Jingshen focused on his illusionary core again.
Driven by Bai Jingshen's will, the white light grew a little bigger and flew over towards the violet river. Not much of a struggle ensued, as the white light gently embraced the frustration, adding a new color to this unique canvas. Afterwards the white light rather quickly took on the illusionary core's form again, now with one additional color.
After Bai Jingshen pulled himself back out of his Sea Of Consciousness, not much time has passed, contrary to the first time he formed his core, which he later realized took him two weeks. However, controlling the illusionary core with his will still took a lot out of him, so Bai Jingshen decided to get a night's sleep in. Therefore he ordered a snack from General Mao before eating it and lying down on his couch.
Early the next morning Bai Jingshen got rudely awakened by his AI.
"You have a visitor, Lord Bai.", echoed its voice through the whole room.
As a cultivator Bai Jingshen was normally on high alert, so he suddenly jumped up, only to realize that his AI had already called out to him multiple times.
Seems like I underestimated the toll that the White Illusion Arts take on my mind.
Bai Jingshen still felt a bit groggy, but he nevertheless asked General Mao:
"Ok tell me, who is here this early?"
"It's Mister Ra Iros, Lord Bai."
"Alright, let him in."
Finally, after 15 minutes of waiting, the door in front of Ra suddenly opened. He had already considered, if the receptionist would give him a fake room number, if he hadn't seen her together with Bai Jingshen at the hot springs.
As Ra entered the room, he was surprised to see a tired Bai Jingshen. His respect for this man rose rapidly as he knew from experience the harsh training one had to go through to feel such tiredness as a cultivator.
"Good morning, Brother Bai. You look like you trained the whole night, good job. I hope my visit doesn't disrupt your plans. I wanted to spar with you today, but if you don't feel well, we can postpone our plans."
"No no, you came at the right time. I don't have anything else to do besides training anyways."
"That is indeed good to hear. Since this is my first visit, I figured a gift would be appropriate. Please, let me make a cup of tea for the both of us. I brought some od my families' finest tealeaves."
Bai Jingshen was pleasantly surprised by Ra's thoughtfulness. Although from the way both of them talked, Bai Jingshen sometimes wasn't sure who the thousands of year old emperor was between them two, but he had to admit he really liked Ra's conduct. At the end of their last conversation, Ra admitted to Bai Jingshen that he actually was one of those noble heirs from the capital. His family was in the herb trading business and had only risen over the last few hundred years.
Therefore, they wanted him to join Dragon's Tail, as this company's leader seemed to have strong connections. Afterwards he and his brother accepted Claw as their master, most likely only temporarily, so they could try their luck in New Haven City's newcomer competition.
For this reason, Bai Jingshen waited in anticipation as he watched Ra prepare tea for them. The former emperor had attended many tea ceremonies and even conversed with some elders, who immersed themselves in the art of tea for hundreds of years. Therefore, although Bai Jingshen wouldn't call himself a master, but he still possessed a lot of knowledge about tea.
Observing how Ra boiled the water, carefully ground the herbs, and added them together patiently, Bai Jingshen guessed he was at least at the novice level. Bai Jingshen was impressed, as reaching any realm at all in any profession required a lot of work, a bit of luck, and most importantly the right mindset. Bai Jingshen wasn't sure how profession were handled in the Rising Force World, but at least in his Great Cultivation World there existed a lot of them.
Alchemists, formation masters, blacksmiths, but also painter, tea brewer, or musician. Each of these professions were highly respected, as they cold help oneself and others on their cultivation. Most of them fell into two categories, physical and mind, meaning they either primarily produced physical items or helped with stabilizing one's mental state.
However, the line between those remained a bit blurry, as most professions carried traits of both categories. Still, no matter which profession, if you reached any realm in those, you would be highly respected wherever you went. Be it novice, apprentice, assistant, master, grandmaster or transcendent.
Admittedly those ranks were only passed down through ancient texts, as the highest Bai Jingshen had ever witnessed someone reaching, was the realm of a mid-grade master.