The Essence of Cultivation

“道生一，一生二，二生三，三生万物。

万物负阴而抱阳，冲气以为和。”

Sylar stared at the pages of the text before him a moment longer. Tongues was in effect, and he could fully comprehend the semantic meaning that each phrase before him entailed.

Unfortunately, there was either some context he was sorely missing, or the author of the book had to be deep in the imbibement of hallucinogens the day he put ink to paper. With a final resigned sigh, he closed the pages of the book, leaning backward in his chair.

He had been surprised to discover that the Daodejing that Guanzhong had mentioned was not, in fact, a secret closely guarded by the cultivator sects. Instead, copies of the text were commonplace even in the home of the average layperson, serving as philosophical guides that touched on various topics. Any deeper meaning was something that cultivators derived from the primary text, by reading between the lines of what they considered a grand truth of the universe.

And some grand truth it was, considering that Sylar had no idea what profound wisdom it was trying to convey.

He thought back to the latest passage that had occupied his thoughts, a small excerpt from the 42nd section of the Daodejing. Tongues could provide a raw interpretation of the words, and from the workings of the spell, he derived a rough literal translation.

From the Dao came the One,

From the One came Two,

From the Two came Three,

And from the Three came the ten-thousand things.

Ten-thousand things, backed by yin and embraced by yang,

are infused with the qi to achieve truest Unity.

He doubted that this was an exercise in arithmetic left for the reader to enjoy, but with what he knew at present, its meaning was difficult to parse. Coupled with some of the more – uh, questionable excerpts of the classical text when their meanings were taken literally, Sylar was beginning to question how this text was generally viewed with reverence by cultivators.

Seriously, that portion from Section 74 had been a real eye opener. He thought back to the rough translation, and wondered if there was some far deeper profound truth to be had there.

When people are not threatened by death,

why intimidate them with death?

Instead, if one trains them to constantly fear death,

and if when one rebels he can be seized and executed, then –

Who dares?

Was the author a revolutionary arguing his case for a system of governance? He shook his head, disinterested, banishing the thought from his mind.

He hadn’t yet had the opportunity of scavenging for any other books that may shed light on the matter, having just returned to the Lu Manor in the dead of night. There had only been a skeleton watch on duty, and after accepting a glass of refreshments offered by one of the estate’s staff, he had promptly sequestered himself in his room. He had discovered the book on the bookshelf of the guest room, but had never seen cause to pay much attention to it before, as fixated on uncovering the hidden truths of Essence as he had been.

And so, after a brief period of rest, he could contain his curiosity no more, and worked his way through the Daodejing with confusion and befuddlement that grew with each passing page.

He rose and stretched. It was time to take a break from reading. He still continued burning Fate-Fate as he worked, but now that he had supposedly achieved the First Comprehension, and opened the network of channels that Guanzhong had informed him were termed the meridians, pooling the released energies was becoming more challenging.

Before, he had been coalescing the energy released by Fate-Fate – qi was what the cultivators termed it, he understood from context – and gathering it together within his body. With his meridians opened, however, there was now a means of release for the stored qi, and a large proportion of what he was drawing in was simultaneously flowing out of the central storage, and coursing along his meridians. As far as he could tell, everything was being performed correctly, but this exercise now felt completely different from how it had been before, back when the energy released from Fate-Fate was simply being compressed together within him.

He’d spent roughly two to three hours reading at this point, by his rough estimation. The dawn was just beginning to break when he began, and by now it was already well into the morning.

There were quite a number of things he needed to get done today. First and foremost was drawing up a concrete set of plans regarding his decision to open a branch of the Nimbrian Academy of Essence Studies in the vicinity of Penshan. It had been an impulsive decision back then, but thinking over the logistics of it now, there would be quite a lot of things he needed prepared.

Then there was the matter of his current student. She was progressing finely with the basic set of spells and Essences that a Neophyte was expected to wield, and he had been assured that there was nothing to fear at present regarding her bodily cultivation, but he had to start thinking ahead into the future. Once she condensed enough qi and opened her dantian – admittedly still quite a long time away, at her current rate of progress – it would perhaps be best for her instruction in cultivation to be handled by the members of the Righteous Heart Sect.

Abruptly, the doors to the guest room slammed open.

“Teacher!”

And speaking of his student…

Lu Qiyu was standing by the doorway, a bright smile on her face, with Lu Jin trailing behind her with a half-exasperated, half-fond look of his own. She cupped a small orb of fire in her hands – Dancing Flames – and continued chattering excitedly.

“Look! I can keep it going for more than ten seconds now!”

She was certainly going at it with far more control than she had previously. It barely wavered as she held in it place, and she seemed to be handling the Soulburn left in the wake of the spell’s manifestation with less discomfort.

Alas, she had quite some ways to go yet.

He laughed and conjured five orbs of Dancing Flames, and had them perform a neat little choreography of his own design that had always left Master Rynwald annoyed in his own days as an Acolyte of the arcane. Qiyu gaped at the display, then pouted angrily, and her own flame snuffed out as her concentration broke.

“Ah, how pride cometh before the fall.”

Jin chuckled with amusement at his daughter’s antics, and ruffled at her hair. “It’s good to see you again, Sylar. You won’t believe how she’s been behaving over the last two days. ‘When’s teacher Sylar coming back, father? Can we go and find him?’ ‘Father, can you teach me combinatorics?’” He shook his head. “Honestly, she’s been a real handful.”

“Father!”

“Come on now, it’s just two days,” Sylar said, smiling with amusement at Qiyu’s flustered reaction. “It’s not as though I’ve been gone for six months without a word and suddenly returned.”

“We were expecting you to be away for a longer time, even. Did everything go well at the Demon’s Pass?”

“You could say that.” Even now, there was a trace of the heightened sense of awareness he felt following his first steps into bodily cultivation, although it now seemed a little diminished following its initial awakening. “It’s been quite an enlightening experience.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Would you like to accompany us for breakfast in the main hall?”

“Please, I’m famished. We pretty much rode through most of the afternoon and evening to get back to Penshan.”

They walked along what were now familiar hallways and corridors of the Lu Manor. Two weeks he’d been a part of this world, and it was starting to grow on him. Sure, he missed his adventuring friends back in Resham, but they only occasionally dropped by for visits when their paths saw them returning to Nimbria ever since he’d taken a break from the adventuring lifestyle. With new acquaintances and friends in this world, new mysteries to uncover, and new dangers to brave, he was beginning to be quite fond of the Immortal Lands.

Even now, Qiyu was hard at work, attempting to repeat a casting of Dancing Flames as she gathered Essence for the spell. The flickering flames wobbled unsteadily, fine control over the spell far more difficult to enforce while the caster was moving, and several embers drew dangerously close to licking the polished wood of the terrace walkways. It was amusing to watch her being told off by an annoyed father that ‘Sylar didn’t agree to your instruction just so you can set fire to the furniture', and the mixed flustered and sheepish reaction that Qiyu offered in turn.

There was a sense of pride in knowing that his teaching and his student’s own diligence allowed the neophyte mage to cast even a basic spell, despite having no prior understanding of Essence and the surrounding non-magical academic rigour required for Essence Studies. It was enough to affirm that his newest decision was the right course of action.

“Jin,” he said, as they rounded another bend. “There’s something I’d like to talk to you in private about later, if you can spare the time?”

Jin glanced at him. “Certainly. It’s the least I can do, after everything that you’ve done for my family.” He threw a look at Qiyu, who seemed both curious at what Sylar wanted to discuss and annoyed that she was being left out of the conversation. “Although, I’m starting to worry that Qiyu might just be jealous of me if I spend too much time with you.”

“Don’t worry about it, it isn’t that urgent a matter. I could meet you after I oversee her morning’s instruction?”

Qiyu’s face brightened at that. “Yes!”

“We’ll work a bit more on the other Primals today; how does that sound?” Sylar suggested. “I did promise a full two hours of teaching when I returned from my errands, didn’t I?”

He had to restrain laughing at her immediate excitement. Oh, Planes Beyond, had he been quite so painfully childish as well before? How had Master Rynwald ever maintained that stoic façade all those years without ever once wavering?

Breakfast was a simple affair, and with both how hungry he was, and how Qiyu was looking forward to their lesson, both Sylar and his student were finished in no time. She fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat, obviously keen on beginning the lesson at once, and Jin finally graciously set her free.

They went to the open terrace that served as their classroom and practice ground. By now, Sylar was a familiar face in the estate, and the various members of staff he came across politely greeted both him and Qiyu.

“Right. First of all – I know you’ve already been doing this, but for now, only tap into Fire-Fire when you perform the cultivation exercises, okay?”

“Teacher?”

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing that dangerous, or so I’ve been told. Besides, you mentioned that you felt most comfortable with that Primal, didn’t you?”

She nodded.

“Right. Keep working on cultivating that element outside of our classes. For now, however, I want to see how you perform in drawing in and utilising the other Primal Essences in your Spiritual Arts.” He took a step back, giving her room to work. “Take your time. Feel for Wind, Water, and Earth, and work on the basic Gust, Water Bolt, and Earth Spike.”

It would be a gradual process, he knew. Now that she had a decent control over a single Primal, it shouldn’t take too long to get the hang of the other ones. Once that was completed, however, she would need to work on their mixed elemental pairs. Getting a sense of her own Core Essence would be the next step, and it was going to be a tricky matter – a Neophyte mage could take anywhere from a matter of days to weeks in order to perceive and draw it outward from within, since Core Essences were generated from within the mages themselves.

He kept a watchful eye over her. He could see the Primal Essences in the ambient environment shifting and moving, becoming drawn toward her. Fire responded readily, and she did seem to have a strong affinity for the element, the same way he did with Fate. The other three, however, were more sluggish, and she seemed to have difficulty perceiving them as distinct entities from each other.

“Try and distinguish them apart before you pull them in,” Sylar said. “It’s going to be a difficult process for now, but it’ll help in the long run as you proceed to the next steps.”

She didn’t verbally answer, but the shift in her posture was enough to let him know that his words were acknowledged. The ambient Essences stilled, and though there was no movement for the next dozen or so seconds, it was proof of her effort.

With that, he found a comfortable rock to perch himself on, pulled out a notebook from among the various paraphernalia he kept strapped to his adventuring tunic, and began to work at reconstructing some advanced Sixth Level spells. Most mages such as himself at the Arcanist stage would know the constituent Essence Pairs required for the more commonly known high-level spells, although the exact positioning of the pairs within their respective subshells were guarded secrets. Still, reverse-engineering them from that starting point was far easier than creating a spell from scratch, as he had done with the advanced scrying spell that had led to his transposition to the Immortal Lands.

At present, beyond the various Divination ones he had picked up, he also had the Elemental Barrage and Flare Beam. What would best round up his repertoire? Transmutation? Illusion? Enchantment? Conjuration? Hybrid spells that drew equal weight from a mixture of Essences?

Or, mayhap, more Divination? One could never go wrong with more Divination spells in their repertoire, could they?

He ran down the list of some spells that he knew of. Titanic Transformation, Unbreakable Object, Dispersion, Programmed Mirage, Fate’s Edict, Binding Geas, Chain Lightning, Hailstorm…

He needed something to protect himself with, he decided. Many of those were interesting, and he’d always wanted to work on them back in Resham, but had been limited by his lack of funds to procure the necessary reagents for harvesting Essence. Now, the limiting factor would be working backward from what he knew of each of those spells to recreate their effects, or at least something similar enough.

Dispersion it was, then. It was an interesting spell, a hybrid between Conjuration and Illusion, and was almost equally divided between Shadow and Space Essence as its major constituents, with Form and other peripheral Essences supporting and providing subtle alterations of the spell’s manifestation.

By virtue of the natures of their Planes of origin – the Hollow Reality was an uncanny reflection of the physical world composed of Shadow Essence, while the Endless Expanse was a Plane where few rules of physical spatial navigation applied – Dispersion allowed for the mage able to successfully use it to temporarily achieve an incorporeal state, existing in a juxtaposition of all three Planes at once, and was seen as a powerful defensive option if one needed to stall for time or escape. They wouldn’t be able to cast spells or otherwise retaliate against their opponents, but it was a state of near-perfect invulnerability.

A mage utilising Dispersion could only be harmed if struck simultaneously in the material world, in the Hollow Reality, and in the Endless Expanse, and only a few known spells or a choice sequence of spells were capable of that. Its main drawbacks were its position as a Sixth Level spell, the inability to retaliate while the spell was active, and its relatively short duration of effect compared to some other defensive spells, but when one now walked in a world of beings that could turn quasi-Transcendental and grind boulders to dust with their bare hands, a powerful defensive option was surely a necessity.

He smiled, and began getting to work. It wasn’t quite his forte, since he specialised in Divination, but with the starting point he already had and his strong background in Essence Theory he reasoned it would take probably no more than two to three weeks of work, assuming he put in due effort.

This was now a routine for him. Overseeing his student’s training on the side while engaging in spellcraft, and then practicing with his own repertoire of spells later on. He would soon need to dedicate quite some time to set up his academy, but hopefully Jin might have the necessary connections to substantially ease the work needed to be done.

For several years now, he had qualified as an Arcanist; a mage capable of utilising Sixth Level spells. The stages of a mage’s progress meant little in this new world, but he had always wished to become a Spellsong – at just one step short of an Archmage, they were able to use spells of the Eighth Level, and were renowned individuals of great power and repute wherever they chose to settle.

For now, Seventh Level spells were still beyond his capability, since he couldn’t handle the over two thousand Pyrans of Soulburn that such a spell would create, but he was well on his way there. If he continued with his practice, within the year – possibly as short as a matter of several weeks – that would be well within his grasp.

As for his cultivation…

Even now, as he continued teasing out the puzzle to find potential spell matrices that might prove stable, he was still burning Fate-Fate. The next step had to involve harvesting qi generated from the activation of an Essence matrix of higher complexity, akin to those of First Level spells. He had observed that among the members of the Righteous Heart, there was a general trend that those of greater seniority burned away more complex spell patterns in the cultivation exercises they utilised. The daoshi that Wenchai had originally been selling to the sect, and the Life Essence contained within, likely played a role once one reached a stage where that was necessary.

For now, however, Sylar was not yet ready to embark upon it. There were risks – he had learned just yesterday the dangers of Qi Deviation, and he was hesitant to experiment just yet with layering the qi harnessed from more advanced combinations of Essences on top of his pre-existing foundation. It had taken some time to truly get a hold on even a single paired Fate-Fate, and if there were any parallels to be drawn with spellcasting, it was that the difficulty grew exponentially with each successive level. A Diviner and a Scholar though he may be, leaping in without due preparation was but a fool’s venture, and he was not keen on having that be his fate.

No pun intended.

Qiyu was making some good progress with her exercises, he noted, and examined her for several moments longer before turning his attention back to his spellwork. It was slower than her initial work with Dancing Flames and the Fire-Fire pair, but by the end of the next lesson they had, he was fairly confident that she would be able to cast at least a single spell of a different Primal Essence. He could only wish that his future students showed as much industry as she did.

There were quite some shortfalls in her theoretical understanding of Essence, but there were precautions he wanted taken before he remedied her of them. Now having a more complete picture of how cultivators understood Essence, and the cultivation world as a whole, he knew that there was a real possibility of danger that would come with the otherworldly knowledge he possessed. He wasn’t too worried about his own well-being, especially if he managed to get Dispersion to work, but there were contingencies he needed to have in place to ensure that his students didn’t come to harm.

All things considered, however, life was good, and he was being kept busy with his present interests.

-x-x-x-

“So…” Sylar said, looking across the table at Jin. “I figure I should start by giving you an apology.”

Jin blinked, stared at him for a long moment, then sighed. “Not quite the way I expected this conversation to begin, but do go on.”

“It’s about Qiyu’s cultivation,” Sylar began saying, and immediately Jin was alert. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing to be alarmed about. She’s doing well, and I have no concerns regarding her progress. Guanzhong has also told me that he’s confident in her cultivation, and that she, apparently, possesses ‘strong fire roots’.”

He gestured, emphasising the words.

“What is the problem, then?”

“To be honest, I might be a bit out of my depth with regard to the process of bodily cultivation and tempering,” Sylar said. “I didn’t understand it before when I first arrived in Penshan, but I now know that there is almost no equivalent to the art back in my homeland. During my trip to the Demon’s Pass with Guanzhong, I did manage to achieve the First Comprehension –“

“The what?”

“That’s what they said, anyway. The First Comprehension deals with cultivating the body. It’s nothing impressive. I’m fairly certain that I opened my meridians, though there are probably a bunch of twelve-year-olds up on that mountain that are at a further stage than myself.” Sylar waved his hand, dismissing the earlier statement. “Anyway, not important. Qiyu is doing fine, at present, and I’ve been told that she should be able to reach a similar stage in due time. I’d put a good wager that she might be faster than they expect, considering her progress with the Spiritual Arts I’ve been teaching her.”

Jin seemed surprised at that, and there was no hiding the obvious pride he felt for his daughter. Still, he was aware that Sylar was holding this discussion for a reason, and there was an undercurrent of worry in his tone.

“Go on,” he said slowly.

Jin already had some notions of Essence, since he had unknowingly taught them about it during the carriage ride up the mountain. As such, there was no need to hold back certain details, though in hindsight Sylar wished he had been more careful.

“The issue comes after that. With my backing in the Spiritual Arts, I think I have a good chance of understanding what I need to do to continue further along with my cultivation, but because Qiyu is practising with Fire Essence, while I work with Fate, it is likely that our methods will diverge greatly past the first step.” Sylar looked seriously at Jin. “I’ve been cautioned by Guanzhong, as one far more experienced than myself in your local cultivation methods, that there are great risks associated with improperly cultivating, and that these dangers only increase with each stage. Given that the Righteous Heart also has members that engage in cultivation techniques building upon a foundation of Fire, it would perhaps be safer for her to join the sect and learn from them once she reaches that stage.”

Jin was silent for a long moment. He clearly knew what that would entail, and Sylar saw no need to remind him of them.

“I see,” he finally said, sombre and contemplative. “What kind of parent would I be, if I allow my only daughter to come to harm as a result of my own desire to protect her?” He sighed, and looked tiredly at Sylar. “How soon would that be, if she has to leave this house to join the Righteous Heart Sect?”

“It’s hard to say. Months, maybe. No more than a year, I would think.”

Again, he fell into a long silence.

“It’s funny,” Jin said. “I know that the Righteous Heart is less strict than other sects on cloistering themselves on Penshan Peak, and that there will be many opportunities for my daughter to return and visit. But even then… it just wouldn’t be the same, would it?”

There was no need to answer.

“And you, Sylar?” Jin asked. “What do you think I should do?”

“The safest option, and the best for her well-being, would be to have her join the Righteous Heart Sect, I think,” he said. “But…”

“But?”

“There is an alternative I’ve been thinking about. I’m not certain if it will work, but you’ll find that I’m not keen to give up my first student without a fight.” Sylar shot a conspiratorial look at Jin. “That brings me to the second issue I wanted to talk to you about.”

“What is it?” Jin asked.

“I intend to open a school of my own; the Nimbrian Academy of Essence Studies. It won’t be anything grand – I certainly don’t have the means or intentions of creating a vast estate up on a remote mountain – but I hope to pass on some basics of my Spiritual Arts to talented students,” he said, letting the words sink in. Then, as an afterthought, he added. “Of course, Qiyu, as my first student, will be the ranking disciple.”

Jin played along. “That would only be natural, yes. Heavens forbid that any of her juniors discover the folly of crossing her wrath.” He smiled faintly. “She’s been a lot more lively recently, you know. It’s always been a hassle trying to get more to engage in anything, and that little child of mine’s chased away more than one tutor that I brought in to teach her. Now, she’s even going out of her way to insist that I provide her with some books on mathematics.”

Heh. “Perhaps you might be generous enough to provide the salary you previously offered her tutors, then?”

Jin snorted. He took another long sip of his tea, and returned back to the previous topic of discussion. “How would that idea help with her situation, though?”

“I’m thinking of bartering an arrangement with the Righteous Heart Sect. In exchange for some pointers and instruction with the Spiritual Arts, they assist with ensuring the safe cultivation of my students and I, and perhaps provide some supervision as well. If it proves fruitful, perhaps we can think of a greater degree of an exchange of knowledge, ideas, and techniques,” Sylar said. “I’m hoping to rely on your assistance with the logistics involved, and any connections you may have with those both within and beyond the sect.”

“You think they will agree?”

“It’s hard to say, and Guanzhong was undecided as well. I know that Elder Yang seems to have a good impression of me, at the very least, but this goes beyond tradition. He thinks that the Grandmaster may have to be involved in making this decision.” He tilted his head slightly. “Have you had any dealings with him before, Jin?”

“Yes, Grandmaster Mu is an acquaintance of mine,” he said. “The leaders of each of the three sects of the Penshan Alliance meet with the magistrates of the cities within Jinxiang Province every few years to ensure that the affairs of the mundane realm are in order.” He hesitated. “He is a fair man, and definitely one who abides by the righteous path. But…”

“But?”

“He holds strong opinions regarding traditions, and the limits to which they can be stretched,” Jin answered. “Grandmaster Mu is proud of the history of the Righteous Heart Sect, and while he is honest and just, he will likely feel that yielding some of the sect’s secrets to outsiders would be akin to betraying his predecessors. He will not be careless with the responsibilities entrusted unto him as leader of the sect. And considering your young age, he might be less inclined to agree to your request as well.”

Hmm. Darn. Sylar hoped it would have been an easier task, but it seemed he may have some work cut out for him if he pursued this course of action. “What would you suggest?”

“For one, you will need to leave a good impression on him. He must feel that you are worthy of some of the sect’s secrets – both in wielding them, and in upholding their continued secrecy. That extends to any students you may have in the future as well,” Jin said, thinking carefully. “You must have conviction. Valour. Pride, and respect. A commitment to the ideals of the Righteous Heart Sect, or at least a way to prove yourself as a worthy ally. Perhaps it might be worth speaking with Elder Yang, and see if he might have any thoughts on the matter?”

The more that Jin spoke, the more respect Sylar felt for the Grandmaster, though he had never even met him in person. It wouldn’t be easy, but Sylar would not have it any other way.

“I see,” he mused. “I had plans to visit the Elder Yang at some point, anyway, and I did promise to meet with Guanzhong, Quanhao, Yao, and Shurui in the near future.”

Right. That was a plan, then. But for more material matters…

He coughed politely. “I don’t suppose, ah, that you might be willing to offer a small piece of land for me to set up my school? Perhaps some raw materials to work with as well?” He felt almost embarrassed to say it, but he had virtually no possessions with him. “It doesn’t have to be within the city. Even outside Penshan would be fine.”

Jin was silent, adopting a calculative and contemplative expression as he studied Sylar intently.

“I am magistrate of Penshan, and one of Jinxiang Province’s administrators,” Jin began saying. “But I am also honoured to call you my friend, Sylar Spellsight. So I must ask you now – are you requesting this in the capacity of a future ally that we, the mundane people, might be able to call upon in times of need, or simply as a favour between friends?”

There was little need to even consider his response. Even as he said it, the words felt right in his ears.

“Both.”

He straightened his posture. He was Sylar Spellsight – former student of Janus Rynwald, scholar of Essence Studies, and Arcanist of the realms of Resham. He was also an adventurer, one who had ventured the lands of the Kingdom of Nimbria and beyond, putting down threats and ensuring continued peace within the Kingdom. In separate phases of his admittedly short life thus far, he had always adopted one of those mantles.

Now, as a Planes-displaced resident of the Immortal Lands, he would pick up both.

“You can count on me – and my future students – as your allies, Jin. And between friends, if there’s ever a favour you need of me in return, you need only to ask.”

Jin – both the official, and the friend of Sylar Spellsight – judged his words carefully.

Then, he nodded.

“Very well, then.”