A few hours ago inside the largest Pre-Cultivation School in Wintram City...
Several well-dressed boys and girls from prominent families sat inside a classroom.
Among them, one particular girl stood out—a girl with silver hair and black eyes.
Her intricate facial features, stylish dress, and several cute braids adorning her lustrous hair made her the very definition of youthful charm. She listened attentively to the teacher at the front of the room.
Today, the lesson was different from usual.
"Over the last several months, I have taught you many things to keep in mind for when you begin cultivating—things that will ensure you have a smooth start and don't fall behind," the teacher began.
"But everyone's cultivation journey is unique. For that reason, I have invited a special guest who can share his valuable experiences with you. Please welcome, Astarion Olof!"
As soon as the teacher finished speaking, the classroom broke into excited chatter. Upon hearing the name 'Olof,' several students turned to stare at a particular boy named Malus Olof.
Malus struggled to suppress a smug grin. Some of his friends, seated around him, bumped their fists against his shoulders while muttering quietly. It seemed Malus had already informed them about the 'special guest.'
The door to the classroom opened, and a boy seemingly in his late teens strolled in with a relaxed air.
The teacher continued, "Astarion was also a student at this school. Now, he is one of its proud alumni. He only graduated last year and has already reached the Qi Gathering Realm."
"I invited him so that he might offer insights that will be useful to beginners like you while the memories of his own experiences are still fresh."
A round of applause erupted, many students clapping enthusiastically.
Lyra, however, wasn't among them. Her brows scrunched in evident displeasure before she quickly reverted to a neutral expression.
Astarion introduced himself briefly, and the lecture resumed as normal.
"What is it that separates good cultivators from bad ones?"
"What is the most important thing to take note of when starting out?"
"It is the ability to enter and maintain a meditative state," Astarion explained.
"Even during Body Tempering, your rate of improvement..."
Many students found Astarion's lecture useful and insightful. Not all, however.
Lyra glanced at the classroom clock repeatedly, waiting for the lecture to end. Though she acknowledged that much of what Astarion said made sense, she noticed it wasn't anything new. Their teachers had already covered most of his 'insights' during regular lessons.
But toward the end of the lecture, Astarion said something that truly got on Lyra's nerves.
"I hope my lecture made you all understand something clearly. Cultivation is difficult."
"It took me three months to reach the Qi Gathering Realm."
When they heard this, murmurs rippled through the classroom.
"Yes, it is considered a good pace by many. But it will definitely take me even more time to reach Foundation Establishment or Qi Condensation."
"That's just how cultivation works. It takes time and patience."
"The reason I'm bringing this up is because there are too many rumors circulating about a certain someone who thinks they can challenge a Qi Condensation cultivator in six months."
Astarion wore a sad, sincere expression as he spoke, his tone heavy with supposed concern.
"I don't want you all to follow such bad examples. Don't idolize such attention-see—"
"Pfft." Lyra's scoff cut through his words.
"Just because it took you three months to reach Qi Gathering, don't assume everyone is as incompetent as you," she said coolly.
"There are plenty of people much better than you out there. There's no need to take yourself so seriously." The words left her mouth at a brisk pace.
Astarion's face twisted into an ugly frown. He hadn't expected such a direct insult.
"Lyra!" The teacher's voice rang out, sharp and reprimanding.
"What?" Lyra turned to meet his gaze, her expression impassive.
Surprisingly, the teacher's resolve faltered under her stare. He averted his eyes, avoiding confrontation.
The founder and primary sponsor of the Pre-Cultivation School was the Goldheart family, and Lyra wasn't afraid of any teacher.
The interruption gave Astarion the time he needed to collect himself.
"What Miss Lyra says isn't wrong. Sigh. I'm not great, and there are many people better than me," he admitted, his tone shifting to one of forced humility.
Adopting an expression of exaggerated admiration, he continued, "These people are called Heaven-Chosen. Favored by the Heavens themselves, they are destined to achieve greatness and accomplish the impossible."
"You should know better than most, Lyra, since your elder sister is a Heaven-Chosen."
Then his tone turned pointed. "However, from what I remember, your elder brother, Caelum, is no Heaven-Chosen. Am I wrong?"
He shifted his gaze from Lyra's glare and addressed the rest of the class instead.
"I will say this: don't be disheartened just because you're not among the select few favored from birth."
"Keep your feet firmly planted on the ground. Cultivation isn't about who walks the fastest; it's about who walks the longest."
He parroted an old saying from his elders, but his flawed recollection made it sound less profound.
Lyra's disgust deepened. To her, Astarion's hypocrisy was evident. He clearly hadn't come with good intentions.
She glanced at her teacher, but he avoided her gaze entirely, acting all evasive.
Lyra frowned with suspicion. Was her teacher in cahoots with the enemy?
Although she was frustrated, Lyra was still a young girl. She couldn't come up with the right words to defend her beloved brother's honor.
So she crossed her arms and bottled it up. It's not like she could go punch Astarion anyway. She hadn't even begun cultivating.
Soon, the lecture ended, and the teacher led everyone to an open space at the back of the school for some sparring.
"Why are we here instead of the indoor sparring area?" Lyra asked, her voice doubtful.
"Some scheduling conflict. A different class is using that one."
"Is he going to be here for the sparring too?" Lyra pointed at Astarion.
"I understand that you don't like him. But I hope you won't stop him from giving advice to the other students."
'Why am I the bad person?' Although Lyra was not happy with the situation, she didn't say anything else, merely walking along with her friends.
Soon, the group reached their destination, and the teacher explained the rules that everyone had heard many times before.
"Blunt weapons, don't injure the opponent seriously, etc…"
On their way there, Lyra had come up with a plan. Since she couldn't beat up Astarion, she would instead vent her anger on his younger brother, Malus.
Lyra and Malus had sparred many times before, and Lyra had won the majority of the matches.
It must be noted that before they started cultivating, boys were typically stronger than girls. Only with the usage of Qi and body tempering did the natural gap in strength close.
The fact that Lyra still won most of the time against a strong opponent like Malus was a testament to her honed technique.
"Hey, Malus! Want to spar? Or perhaps you don't want to get beat up in front of your brother?" Lyra challenged him provocatively.