Path of the Ascendant

Despite her proud declaration, she quickly remembered that she still had work to do, so she left and returned in the late evening.

As a result of her increase in strength, the manual labour wasn’t as tiring as before, and the long working hours allowed her to perform a few more circulations of the purple planar energy. Although the last circulation took up an entire hour, she felt that her strength might have increased by around fifty percent from her initial state.

‘It is a little late for reading techniques or shopping, even with my improved eyesight, so I suppose the only thing I can do now is practise the Gentle Breeze Fist. With any luck, the mysterious characters will have improved my comprehension, or perhaps I’ll be able to apply my understanding of the technique to others and learn them more quickly,’ she thought, performing the first move of the skill, ‘I wonder whether I’ll be able to combine these moves with those of other elements, allowing for my movements to be far less predictable and much more powerful.’

Her evening practise allowed her to get more comfortable with a few things, like transforming her planar energy into metal planar energy on demand, as well as some of the intricacies of the Gentle Breeze Fist, but her overall progress was still at the Great Stride stage.

Martial arts and combat techniques, much like planar cultivation, were separated into a number of stages: Initial Accomplishment, Minor Achievement, Great Stride, Full Success, and then a number of unnamed levels which surpass the ordinary understanding of the technique. For instance, if the Meridian Explosion Art, a move that allows a cultivator to gain great strength temporarily in exchange for great risk of injury, was performed at the Initial Accomplishment stage, it would provide a minimal degree of improvement to the cultivator, and have a high risk of damaging them. On the other hand, it if was performed at the Full Success stage, there would be no physically injury unless the cultivator exceed the limits of their body, and it would allow the cultivator to increase their strength by 50%.

If it was performed at the First Level, however, the cultivator could increase their strength by up to 75% without any injury to themselves, and instead of the effect only lasting for five seconds, it would increase to seven seconds. This was only an example, though.

Yi Wei didn’t have access to the technique library, unfortunately, as she was still on the first stage of Energy Condensation and had used up her only opportunity to select a technique for that stage, which was how she acquired the Gentle Breeze Fist. Even though advancing would allow her to choose two more techniques, and perhaps more if she was able to memorise them while in the technique library, she was in no rush.

‘I’ve heard that it is possible for someone to accumulate such a great degree of planar energy in a single stage that they perfect that particular stage, and their cultivation will progress immediately to the next stage and permanently grant them a great increase in strength,’ she remembered, looking inward at her dantian, ‘Supposedly, once one’s cultivation reaches a certain point, they have to resist an ever-growing pressure to advance onto the next stage, but despite my planar energy filling my planar aperture entirely, I feel nothing of the sort. However, I can see that the planar energy is interacting the walls of the dantian, so perhaps it will also be able to improve it, as well?’

Since there wasn’t anything she could do for now, she shut her eyes and went to sleep.

 

The next morning, Yi Wei awoke to find no major changes had occurred to her body. After a few minutes of testing, the only thing she was able to notice was that her sensitivity towards planar energy had grown slightly,

She wasn’t particularly disappointed about the matter, ‘I hadn’t expected the planar energy of the mysterious characters to be miraculous in nature to begin with, so to find out that it cannot improve my talent in a single day isn’t much of an issue.’

If one was to ask her whether she wished for her purple planar energy to be miraculous, however, she would be lying if she said no.

She cleaned herself up and exited her shack before Yi Zehao had another chance to call for her. Her destination was the first floor of the technique library, which was open to all members of the Yi family, regardless of their status or cultivation ability, as the only thing that was held on that floor were basic cultivation techniques, like the Seven Blades Sutra or the Nurtured Sapling Sutra.

To most, such things would be useless, but Yi Wei theorised that if she understood the properties of other elements and their cultivation techniques, she would be able to freely transform her planar energy into those forms and make use of all of their benefits simultaneously.

When she arrived at the technique library, the man that sat at the front desk took one look at her and threw over a small token with the number one written on it.

“It seems like you have improved,” he said, his spiritual will briefly washing over her, “Are you looking for a different technique?”

“I’ve had some luck recently, so I want to see if I can gather some new insight on cultivation,” Yi Wei replied, cupping her fist respectfully.

“I see. You may proceed.”

She entered the library and passed by the stairs, entering the mostly empty floor where the basic cultivation techniques were kept. They were separated into five sections, with each containing four large bookshelves of manuals in various conditions. Some looked to be brand new, with immaculate covers and no signs of wear, while others were faded, torn and crumbling.

‘It is possible for cultivators of a higher realm than mine to read these books without opening them using their spiritual will, but, unfortunately, my Energy Condensation realm only lets me use my spiritual will within my body,’ Yi Wei sighed, reaching for a random technique of the fire element, ‘Right now, the only thing I can do is flip through these as quickly as possible, and hope that my memory is good enough to remember the key parts.’

The first technique she stumbled upon was the Lingering Spark Sutra. It was of the same level as her original technique. The manual contained the instructions for the first five stages of Energy Condensation, and, upon a close inspection, turned out to have quite a lot in common with the Seven Blades Sutra.

‘I suppose that things like this are to be expected on the very first realm. The only differences that are mentioned relate specifically to the element of the technique, as if these were all based on the same concept,’ she noticed, slamming the manual shut, ‘Alright then, let’s see… collect essence to feed the flame… the body as kindling and the mind as the heat…’

She went over the key points of the technique as she focused on her planar energy, trying to properly comprehend the nature of the fire element. However, no matter how much she concentrated on the Lingering Spark Sutra, she was unable to convert her planar essence into the flame element.

‘Perhaps I can’t get enough understanding from a single technique, especially when I haven’t practised it for as long as the Seven Blades Sutra,’ Yi Wei proposed, taking out another manual, ‘If I am able to merge these together, it would be worth even if I have to read every book in this library.’

 

One thing she did not anticipate was that she would actually have to stay true to her word. The thought of reading the entire library entered her mind only for a moment, and she dismissed it quickly, since there was no way that she wouldn’t be able to gather enough information and insight from a tenth of the fire-type manuals in the library, if not fewer.

In the end, she had to read more than two thirds of the entire fire section before she finally felt a spark lighting up within her dantian. She put back the manual she was reading and dropped to the floor.

“Xiao Wei, are you alright?” the man that watched over the library, Yi Zhihao, asked her, suddenly appearing right next to her.

“I’m fine. I got a little too invested, that’s all.”

“Do not exhaust yourself so much over simple techniques and remember that you can only ever practise one of them safely at a time. Trying to mix too many different concepts will just get you killed, or worse,” he gave her some advice, before looking up and noticing that she was in the fire section, “Weren’t you practising a metal technique?”

“Indeed. However, I recalled that fire overcomes metal, and thought that I might be able to learn something from these techniques that I could then apply to my Seven Blades Sutra,” Yi Wei came up with an explanation on the spot – it made enough sense and sounded honest, as it was something she had tried to do when she was fifteen, though not to much effect.

“Good thinking, Xiao Wei. If you do think of any change to your technique, though, check with me first. I wouldn’t want a bright mind like yours being hurt because of your cultivation going berserk.”

“I shall do that.”

When Yi Wei had woken up, the sun was just appearing over the horizon. By the time she exited the library, the sun was directly overhead, and she felt ready to fall asleep at any moment.

‘However, I was successful.’

In her dantian, the violet planar energy suddenly transformed into an enormous blaze, heating up her insides, before returning back to the familiar purple. Even then, the planar energy seemed less docile and warmer than before, though it still had no wish to condense into the second stage without her express will.

‘When I have time-’ she began but was immediately distracted as she saw another yellow paper flying inauspiciously in her direction, “Old man, stop throwing out your talismans!”

As she shouted, she managed to catch the paper in her hand just seconds before it would have landed on her face again. Turning it over, she found that it was yet another failed talisman.

Out of the smoking ashes of the talisman maker’s home, a man covered in soot emerged, a look of surprise in his eyes, “You? Weren’t you the one that got burned by one of my failed talismans? I’m surprised you’re still standing, and unlucky enough to nearly get hit by another one.”

‘Do you have to throw out the talismans?’ she wanted to ask.

All of a sudden, she had a better idea, and transformed her planar energy into fire, “Say, old man, are you interested in taking in a disciple?”

“Even if I was, you’d… eh? Girl, weren’t you practising a metal cultivation technique just yesterday?” he asked, appearing right in front of her in a flash, “That fire… what technique is it?”

From his words, she understood that he had managed to inspect her with his spiritual will without her even knowing. Nonetheless, as he wasn’t able to figure out her secret, she simply smiled and feigned ignorance, “I’m simply practising one of the Yi family’s basic techniques. Is that an issue?”

“Hmph… Very well. This district is sorely lacking in talent, so you’ll do. Just to be sure, you’re not some young mistress of the Yi family in disguise, are you?”

“If I was truly in disguise, I wouldn’t reveal it because of a simple question,” she replied, “However, I am not someone like that. I am the child of two servants, and I’m sure you could confirm this with any other member of the family if you just ask about Yi Wei.”

“Good. If you were related to the higher class of the family, I would kick you out immediately,” the man said, bringing her into the middle of the burnt house, “I am Luo Xiuying, but you can keep calling me old man, or whatever else. I’ll teach you a few things about talisman making, but if you have no talent, then you can leave as soon as you get bored of failing.”

“I understand,” she said, and was about to bow when Luo Xiuying presented her with a thin book, “This is…?”

“I don’t know what cultivation technique you’re practising, but since it is basic, and from the Yi family, it would be much better for you to switch to something superior. In comparison to most basic skills, which result in a quarter of your planar energy being filled with impurities, this Scalding Torch technique will only result in 21% being impurities,” he said, forcing the manual into her hands, “The art of talisman making benefits from fewer impurities, even more so than pill refining or formation arranging.”

“Thank you,” Yi Wei said, putting the small book into one of her pockets, “I’d ask if you would be able to start teaching me now, but there doesn’t seem to be much left of the building itself, not to mention any paper or ink…”

“You don’t need to worry about that,” the old man said, lowering himself to the ground before removing a charred floor tile, from which he retrieved a stack of a hundred yellow papers, a brush and ink.

‘It seems that this Luo Xiuying was well prepared for failure in his craft,’ Yi Wei thought, accepting those items, after which the old man reached back under the tile to retrieve a second set, “If I mess up, it won’t cause as large an explosion, will it?”

“Of course not. Your meagre supply of planar energy will only do harm to things in immediate contact with the paper, at most. Now, observe!”

The old man raised the brush, tipped it in ink and began to write in smooth, steady strokes. Without any interruptions, he wrote the first character, followed by the second, followed by the third. When the last stroke of the third character was complete, the paper briefly let out a soothing red and golden glow.

“There. Any questions?”

“How have you failed to create a four-star talisman when it is this easy?” she said without realising it.

Thankfully, the old man took it well, tightening his hands into fists and scrunching up the newly made talisman.

“What I have shown you is the Sealed Talisman Arts – a talisman making technique suitable for talismans between one and three stars. The process for making one-star talismans is easiest. All you need is some ink, then you must apply your planar energy smoothly and consistently onto the paper, writing out a certain set of characters that correspond to the function you wish to have,” Luo Xiuying explained, removing yet another item from beneath the floor tiles, “Here’s a tome with every talisman I know of from one to three stars. The talisman I just made was the Burn talisman. Try it yourself.”

He opened the book to a certain page and handed it to her. On the page was an image of the talisman he had made, alongside a number of instructions and recommendations on how to get the most out of the talisman. There were also small annotations in the margins, written in a steady hand. Some were in agreement with the text, while others suggested superior alternatives.

Yi Wei took in all of the information for a minute, and once it was all firmly locked within her head she lifted the brush and dipped it in the black ink.

‘The most important thing is for the strokes to be consistent, and for my speed to be neither too fast or too slow,’ she thought, ‘Luckily, the four years of practise with the Seven Blades Sutra and the mysterious characters have taught me a lot about control.’

She set the brush down on the paper and channelled her planar energy through it, effectively writing with it.

The first stroke was simple, as were all the others, but Yi Wei paced herself, drawing each one with the exact same speed. When the first character was done, she moved onto the second. She was able to notice a slight disruption within the flow of planar energy when her hand quivered involuntarily and made sure not to repeat the mistake, but other than that, the process continued smoothly.

When she completed the final stroke, a red glow consumed the talisman. For a single moment, it was brighter than the one created by Luo Xiuying, though the next instant it dimmed and disappeared completely.

“You succeeded on the first try. Not bad,” the old man gave his assessment, “Throw it at something, and see how well it works.”

“I’d prefer not to accidentally do the same thing you did to me,” Yi Wei replied, looking around before she noticed someone in the streets, “Do you mind if I try it out in combat?”

“Fine. Just don’t claim that I made you do it.”

She nodded, and leapt out of the burnt building. Her target was the poor Yi Zhang, who was still looking unwell from their previous encounter. Once she got close to him, she shifted her planar energy to metal, and became akin to a needle that suddenly appeared beside Yi Zhang and stuck the talisman onto him.

A few seconds later, before the talisman even activated, she was already sitting in front of Luo Xiuying.

“I’m guessing that isn’t a friend of yours.”

“Not really, but I’m sure he’ll appreciate my little prank,” she replied, just as the words on the talisman lit up.

It did not simply turn to ash as a common Burn talisman should, but instead it burst into a blaze that instantly consumed Yi Zhang’s shirt, and spread quickly to his trousers and underwear. A passing expert of the Emergent Anchor realm saw the commotion and created a large sphere of water, which he promptly threw at him to douse the flames.

When he came to, it was clear that the prank was not appreciated.

“Does cultivating a wood-type technique make you more flammable?” Yi Wei asked, noticing how quickly the boy seemed to burn.

She knew that there was some relation between one’s practised element and the effectiveness of certain techniques, but even with the addition of her unique energy nobody should have been engulfed in flame quite that quickly.

The old man shrugged, “No clue. If you want to ask a proper question, however, I’m all ears.”

“Alright then, if ink is used as a vessel for planar energy within the talisman, then would blood or a similar substance work?”

“Indeed, it would. However, blood will only hold your planar energy for a short while, so it is only possible to make blood talismans right before combat, or in the middle of it. The creation of talismans on the fly like that is part of a completely different skillset to what I can teach you,” Luo Xiuying explained, “Luckily for you, your skill is quite conducive to the creation of blood talismans, so you might be able to make use of them in the future.”

After that, he instructed her on the creation of a few other talismans, before letting her do whatever she wanted for a few hours. By the time he brought his attention back to her, she had already used up every blank talisman paper that she had been given, creating a variety of different talismans.

“Since you need to learn the Scalding Torch, I can sell any talismans you don’t want to keep for yourself. Quite a number of my customers are only looking for low-level talismans, so having someone else make them for me would essentially be free income,” the old man said proudly.

Yi Wei wasn’t sure how to react to that, so she simply put on a smile and took a few of each type of talisman for herself, leaving a majority of them behind, “You can sell those. I shall go home and cultivate.”

The talisman maker nodded, so she left the burnt wreck of a home, taking with her the manuals for Scalding Torch, Sealed Talisman Arts and the large tome of talismans.

As soon as she got home and shut the front door, she dropped the large tome and flipped open both of the manuals. In a matter of minutes, she absorbed all of the information held within, including the chants, diagrams and complex philosophical statements by the creators of the techniques. In her dantian, the purple mist pulsed twice, as if it consumed the knowledge with her.

Her memory had always been on the good side, though she even impressed herself with how well everything she learned today stuck within her memory. Originally, her expectation had been to permit the mysterious characters to somehow obtain that information from her reading, and then refresh herself on the things that mattered most in a day or two, but it seemed like she might be able to retain everything she had browsed through in just a single hasty read.

When she transformed it into flame planar energy, she found that the fire was hotter, denser and faster, changing from a calm flame one may find within a fireplace to a raging inferno. Despite that, it was still perfectly within her control.

It also confirmed that she was able to change her energy further after condensing an initial understanding of an element, which was highly encouraging and relaxing at the same time. So long as she was able to improve her techniques without the same trouble that some would need to go through in order to switch to something that significantly differed from their current cultivation technique, she wouldn’t need to worry about becoming stuck in her cultivation if she learnt the wrong kinds of techniques.

There had been quite a few famous individuals and cases wherein their cultivation was temporarily paused while they attempted to convert one kind of flame to another, although that was usually the full extent of it. Switching from a metal-type technique focusing on metal to one focused on wind, for instance, was nearly impossible unless it combined the two concepts, and changing from fire to water or from wood to earth was entirely impossible.

Some believed that there were cultivation techniques that focused on two elements at once, which would theoretically permit such a switch, but even they usually led to an entirely different form of energy than the two component elements. They were also either pure myths, or rare enough to be considered nothing more than that.

However, she didn’t exactly have the energy to be thinking about all of that now, nor the time, as the sun had set some time ago.

She lay down on her shabby bed, shut her eyes, and fell asleep.