"As you all know our world is full of many magical energies, some of which are; Mana, Ki, Qi, and Chakra. But it doesn't matter what you call it, in the end, it all works the same."
"So let me ask you, what is the main way we utilize these energies?" Miss Xirenia asked, her eyes sharply scanning the class.
A delicate hand shot up from the heart of the classroom, standing out among the crowd of students.
"Stand up and state your name for your classmates," Miss Xirenia said as she sat at her desk, putting her legs on it.
Standing up, a look of resoluteness filled her eyes. Her brown hair, tied loosely in a ponytail, swayed slightly. "Once again, my name is Lily Palmer."
Lily paused shortly before continuing "For those with the talent, the main way these energies is cultivation as for the other ways-
"Ah that's fine, for this recap, we're just going to cover cultivation" Miss Xirenia cut her off with a graceful wave of her hand.
"You all have the talent for cultivation no matter how meager it is, so you're already a step above the populace" She added as she stood up from her desk, her voice stern as she addressed the class.
But one thing she didn't mention and something only she and four other people in the room knew, was that everyone had the talent for cultivation but not everyone was willing to give up their peaceful life for it.
This isn't an Eastern fantasy story, they didn't need tons of resources just mana only mana, and a strong will to march forward no matter the stakes.
But even then many still weren't willing to cultivate hence why anyone who did was said to have the talent and those who didn't were said to have none.
"All of you have since started your cultivation journey and have probably realized you still can't control these energies as you wish, no launching massive fireballs or the like."
"That is because you are still weak. Your realm is still too low, and you have yet to reach the peak of your current realm," Miss Xirenia said, stressing the weak part, her eyes scanning the expressions of everyone in the class.
A ripple of tension passed through the class. Some students shifted uncomfortably, their fists clenched against desks, while others exchanged furtive glances. Miss Xirenia's gaze swept over them, unrelenting.
Miss Xirenia, however, remained unflinching, as if their reactions were precisely what she expected. "But What are the cultivation realms that we use to harness the energies of this world better?"
She inquired before gracefully settling onto the edge of her desk, elegantly crossing her legs as she did so.
A few hands shot up seeking her permission to answer, before all but one dropped, after Miss Xirenia pointed toward a student. "Go ahead and speak, Yuki."
Standing from her seat, Yuki straightened her posture before speaking gently, "The main realms are split into different groups upon starting your journey. Um, how many of them do I talk about?"
"Oh, Um, let's only talk about the first two, as many of you are probably only just starting to finish the first set of realms." Miss Xirenia thought for a second before saying.
"Okay, the first set is called the Initiation Realms. These realms contain the Body refinement realm, the Mana gathering realm, and the Mana refinement realm."
"Good, I'll take it from here." Miss Xirenia tilted her head slightly, a gesture of acknowledgment, as Yuki gently settled back into her seat.
"Many of you are still within this Group of realms and are known as Initiators, Body refinement is tier 1, Mana gathering is tier 2, and Mana refinement is tier 3."
"This form of organization was created for easier sorting in our systems and For those who don't understand cultivation, you'll see this used everywhere for convenience's sake"
With a clap of her hands, Miss Xirenia effortlessly steers the lesson back on course, "Now what is the order we refine our Bodies?"
This time a bunch of hands shot up almost instantly after she finished speaking.
"Miss Xirenia, I know," another student with glasses speaks after getting permission.
"First, the body refines itself layer by layer—bones, skin, muscles, and nerves—until the mana pathways can channel energy seamlessly." He finished before returning to his seat.
"Great, after that it's Mana gathering. Will someone tell me why we need to gather this mana when the air is filled with it?" This time only a few hands went up many uncertain of the answer.
"I know this one," another student with a bulky appearance speaks and with a quick nod Miss Xirenia signals him to speak.
"It's to gather mana to form our crystal seed so that it can tell us which profession is best for us." He quickly said before arrogantly dropping into his seat.
"Good answer but not completely right. Kelly" Miss Xirenia adds before calling a student who didn't drop their hand.
A chorus of low snickers sounded around the classroom, the bulky student gritted his teeth in frustration internally thinking he would get back at those who laughed by proving how smart he was.
"It is to utilize our elemental affinities as well as allow us to use our inborn mana more fluently when mixed with the natural Mana in the air." Kelly shared knowledgeably before sitting back down gracefully.
"Another great answer, finally what about the Mana refinement realm?" Miss Xirenia asks as one student eagerly raises her hand. "Sarah."
Sarah excitedly shot up from her seat, her voice flowing out like a raging river "During this stage, you purify the mana to feed the crystal seed to grow it into a sapling."
Whispers from other students echoed around as she answered, with most expressing how they were still in this realm, others complaining about the difficulty, and some confidently stating that they would reach this realm soon.
"Good, But next time try to speak a bit slower for your classmates"
"Okay, now what about after those realms?" Once again she points towards Yuki.
"The next set is called the Dreamer Realms. These realms are Elemental Attunement, Mana pool, and Mana domain." She answered once more before going completely silent.
"Is this the set of realms the transcendent students are in?" one student whispers to his friend, who answers with a nod of her own.
"Why are they called this?" Miss Xirenia pointed towards Brandon next before asking.
"They get this name from the bottleneck that you have to get through to reach these realms," Brandon said giving a short answer, earning a sigh from Miss Xirenia.
"What is the name we use for this bottleneck?" Out of everyone in the class, only four people could raise their hands of which only one did.
Staring at the only one among the four who could raise their hands, she calls out, "Jaylen, go ahead"
"We call it the First Dream. It's when the cultivator enters a sleep-like state where anything can happen, as it's different for everyone… You could even lose your life"
Jaylen paused for a moment, and as he continued, the room erupted in gasps of shock and horror from several students, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Standing up, Miss Xirenia began walking toward the door not caring about about how the students felt about the potential to lose their life.
She had already told them Cultivation wasn't for everyone and that a strong will was needed.
Before walking through the door she ended class "Okay, well done. We'll stop here as no one in the class has reached the next realm after Elemental Attunement."
"Tomorrow for class, please come to the practice room." The last echoes of her voice are carried over as the door closes behind her.
After the door closes, silence fills the air before the classroom erupts into noises as everyone begins to figure out what will happen next class.
"Hey, Jaylen what do you think we could be doing in the next class for Sensei to ask us to go to the practice?" Sarah walks over while dragging grumpy Brandon behind her.
"I don't know, maybe weapon practice or something." he retorted back a random response, his mind elsewhere.
"I figure will know next class won't we" added Brandon as he crossed his arms.
"Hey, where's Yuki going" Sarah suddenly says her finger pointing out Yuki's departing figure.
As Jaylen watched Yuki slip away, a wave of urgency stirred within him. He rose from his seat, pushing aside any hesitation, and began to follow her leisurely but purposefully, determined not to let her slip beyond reach.
"Sigh, those two never change, do they?" Sarah muttered, her voice laced with frustration. She and Brandon exchanged glances, both shaking their heads in a silent pact of disappointment.