Tales of the Teal Mountain Sect

Year 663 of the Stable Era,

Thirtieth day of the tenth month

Eleven minutes before the 2nd Inner Hour

"Greetings Shifu."

Yeung Lin looked up from his notebook at his disciple's second greeting as he finished scribing his last thoughts.

-Slight metal element for better kettle heating. Systematic shattering and repair as application method? Carp Scales as material for affinity with water

-Cup to utilize aforementioned method for optimal heat retention? Use specialized compression array for shaping indents prior to firing clay to improve integration.

"Greetings Disciple Chao Ren," he finally replied, storing both book and pen in his spatial ring before looking around the training field.

His training field.

He was still getting used to that fact.

He'd been using the general fields for so long that it was still hard to think of this one as now being his and his alone. He'd never seen the need for it himself, as it was just one more thing he would need to manage, but Lan Yun had insisted that it was necessary if he wanted to be seen as a serious contender for the Senior Instructor position.

"All the other instructors have their own fields," she had said, pointing a chopstick full of spicy beef noodles in garlic broth and an extra helping granite quail eggs at him. "And you can't just keep carrying all your training equipment around with you. Besides, it's not like you can't afford it. And it'll give you the space properly try out all those new training devices you're always talking about."

She had been right about the price, of course. Between the earnings from his various formation designs, his Instructor's salary, and the money the sect had granted him to continue pursuing his new cultivation method, he could easily afford the yearly fee for a small training field. Or a medium-large one, as Lan Yun had suggested.

That was another thing she had been right about.

The formations he'd been tinkering with wouldn't have been able to fit in the space between the sparring ring and the exercise area on one of the smaller fields, even if he shaved a few inches off the wall. It was truly serendipitous that the field next to his workshop—which had recently become vacant—was the appropriate size, as it meant that he could easily transfer materials back and forth between the two locations.

Perhaps a bit too easily, though. He'd had to force himself to limit personal experimentation to at most a third of the field, as any more would mean that there would scarcely be enough space for his disciples to get any real training done.

His modification to the Roiling Ground Formation had worked out excellently for reducing the space needed for running exercises, especially once he had figured out that he needed to separate it into lanes to ensure that disciples wouldn't get dragged across the ground if they failed to keep up with the pace. He'd also solved the problems he'd been having with his largescale variant of the Phantom Tarp Technique thanks to a conversation he had had with Disciple Lee Han, and the pair of wooden sparring logs on each side of the field now served as the anchor points for what he was tentatively calling his Instant Tent Technique version 6.

Although, thinking about it, perhaps…Yeung Lin pulled his notebook out again for one last quick note before turning back to his disciple.

-Bowls as anchor points with ricepot? Place around to form heat array, additional positioning for water. Variation of Five Elements Alignment Array with emphasis on two elements to reduce complexity?

He gave Chao Ren an appraising look as he waited, to see if his disciple had anything further to say.

He was far healthier than he'd been when he first became one of Yeung Lin's direct disciples. He'd come a long way from the emaciated youth that had nearly starved himself to death during the entrance exam. He'd grown another five inches in the time he'd known him, and he now stood a tall six and a half feet, a good two inches taller than Lin himself. His physique was filling out his robes nicely now that his cultivation had reached the Body Refining stage, although Lin had had to make sure that he didn't neglect it too much in favor of excessive qi cultivation.

He was still wearing his dark hair in a short braid, though there was a chance he might end up growing it long again should he decide to learn a technique that required it. The odds of that weren't particularly high, but Yeung Lin had long since learnt that surprises were the most common thing to expect from younger cultivators.

Xia Bao and Min Huan arrived as he was double-checking the last of his preparations, and he greeted them each in turn as they gave him a pair of polite bows. Like Chao Ren, they often arrived early to his lessons, although without the same punctuality as Chao Ren—who insisted on always arriving ten minutes ahead of the start.

"Greetings Disciple Xia Bao. Greetings Disciple Min Huan."

"Greetings Shifu," the two replied, waiting for him to turn back to his work before they started to talk with Chao Ren, making sure to keep their voices hushed to avoid disturbing him. It was quite polite of them, even if it was rather meaningless in terms of secrecy. A cultivator of his level could easily overhear them without even having to focus his senses. Perhaps he should teach them a good voice directing technique as their second technique.

It would suit Xia Bao quite well, as the tall disciple seemed to have an affinity for techniques that involved sound, and it would be a good challenge for Min Huan, who was still a bit too focused on the physical aspects of cultivation. The muscular disciple clearly preferred when he could take a hands-on approach with his teachings, and Yeung Lin hoped that he could learn to appreciate the scholarly side of cultivation now that they were moving onto a more tangible aspect of it.

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For many techniques mental and spiritual control mattered just as much as their physical aspects, and an object lesson of the relevance of this balance would serve as a good motivating force for young Min Huan to understand their practical benefits.

As Yeung Lin straightened the last of the scrolls, having made certain that they were all in their proper places, Bailong Shen and Lee Han arrived with Li Lee in tow. They joined the others in their conversation about what his lesson would be, clearly deferring their greetings until he was done with his task.

Yeung Lin was glad to see that Li Lee was getting along so well with the others. He had been the only disciple from his group to pass the exam and become one of Yeung Lin's direct disciples, for reasons that the others were unaware of. Given the strong bonds that they had formed through their shared experiences during the entrance exam, Yeung Lin had been worried that they might end up excluding Li Lee as an outsider, as he had joined them rather abruptly. Fortunately, that had not been the case, and while Chao Ren still seemed to be slightly standoffish with Li Lee, it seemed to be more from a lack of common interests than animosity.

Turning to his disciples, Yeung Lin waited for them to complete their greetings before responding in kind.

"Greetings Shifu," they chorused, and he gave them a polite nod before replying to them each in turn, following the order they had spoken.

"Greetings Disciple Lee Han. Greetings Disciple Bailong Shen. Greetings Disciple Li Lee," Yeung Lin said. He clapped his hands together, and the last of the conversation between the disciples stopped as they straightened to attention.

As a rule, Yeung Lin didn't demand decorum. The time wasted nitpicking posture could be better spent learning. But on some level it was slightly heartening to see it, as it was a sign that his disciples were indeed paying attention to him.

"Today is our first lesson on cultivator techniques," he continued, "a subject that I know many of you have been waiting for for quite some time. While some may refer to them as true techniques, I rather prefer the term cultivator techniques, as there is much to be learnt from the study of mortal techniques. The distinction might seem quite granular at times, but…ah, I digress." He cleared his throat before continuing.

"You have worked hard to refine your foundations for the last five years, and now is the time to lay the next layer of stone upon them. While some of you have been practicing family cultivation techniques, you have also been practicing our Teal Mountain Sect's Teal Jade Cultivation Method. It is one of our sect's most refined cultivation methods, the result of the work of thousands of cultivators over the three millennia since our founding. Each have added to it through their practice of it, small notes and insights that have shaped it into its current form."

"It is precious, not because of its great power, unmatched speed, or profound nature, but because of its flexibility. It transforms your body into something akin to a lump of jade: an infinite potential that can be shaped into any form. It is compatible with many more techniques than most other starting cultivation methods, which makes it ideal for whichever technique you decide to make your first."

Yeung Lin paused to allow for Chao Ren's gasp, for once followed closely by several of the other disciples, the sounds staggered by their different speeds at realizing his implication.

"What do you mean 'whichever you make your first', Shifu?" Lee Han asked, ever the first to break one of Yeung Lin's signature silences. He always appreciated the young tiger's upfront nature, as his lessons were much easier to teach when they were accompanied by such an eager student.

"Exactly what I said," Yeung Lin responded. "Your first technique will be one that you each will select for yourselves. You have learnt cultivation methods and cultivation techniques according to what your elders have instructed you. Your first true technique, the one that will allow you to first make use of your cultivation, you shall choose for yourselves. After, of course, the proper considerations."

Taking a half step to the side, he gestured to the tables arranged behind him, and the disciples followed his hand as they realized the purpose of the trio of tables currently occupying the sparring field.

Each was covered with techniques.

The first was piled high with scrolls, each evenly spaced and held in place by small wooden blocks to prevent them from rolling away under a brisk autumn wind.

The second was filled with books, their rectangular covers meticulously tiled to eliminate as much empty space as possible without overlapping. Most were bound by bamboo and other woods, but a few boasted covers of hide—taken from an assortment of mortal and spirit beasts—each proudly displayed for all to see.

The last was the strangest of the three, reserved for techniques contained by the oddest of mediums. Several tablets of stone and clay rose above the rest, carved with reliefs of posing cultivators and words of ancient wisdom. A few metal sheets glinted between them, the words of their technique requiring the surety of steel and copper to bear the nature of their teachings.

Others still were carved into bone and tusk; thin, ink-filled engravings winding webs of tight spirals around columns of ivory, requiring that any cultivator attempting to learn them follow the circuitous steps of laid out by their creator.

"Before you begin to learn your first technique, you will need to read through these," Yeung Lin said. "Those tables contain a multitude of early level techniques. Read through them and select a technique that interests you. Be thorough, and do not worry about picking the same technique. These are all familiar arts, and I can simply make a duplicate should more than one of you desire to learn the same technique."

He again paused, allowing his disciples and their questions to catch up with his words.

"Any of these techniques, Shifu?" Xia Bao asked, craning his neck to get a better look at the tables' contents.

"Yes, any of these techniques," Yeung Lin confirmed with a nod.

"Are you saying that you know all of them?" Min Huan asked, giving the tables an incredulous look. There looked to be easily three dozen scrolls alone, never mind the books and the other…things.

"In my life I have studied a wide array of techniques," Yeung Lin affirmed. "The ones on the tables are simply the ones that are most appropriate for cultivators of your ability. That is not to say that all of them are equally easy to learn, so I advise that you read them carefully before you make your decision."

"How much time do we have to read them all?" Chao Ren asked, his red socks vibrating as his toe tip quietly tapped a rapid tempo into the ground.

"As much as it takes," Yeung Lin replied. "There is no time limit, but I would recommend that you not dally too long. There is more to today's lesson than picking your techniques. To aid you in your selection, there are manuals summarizing the contents of each manual. They are at the end of each table, with the green covers."

Chao Ren nodded, his gaze flicking between his fellow disciples and the tables as he waited for any of them to ask Yeung Lin further questions.

After none came, he sprinted over to the table, grasping a green-bound book from the far end of the center table as he began to furiously read through it like his life depended on it. He really didn't need to worry about it, as Yeung Lin had made enough copies of the summary manuals for each disciple to have their own, but it was nice to see that he was so enthusiastic.

Lee Han laughed as he jogged after him, the rest of the disciples following close behind now that it was clear that they were starting. Yeung Lin stepped aside to let them pass, watching with a faint smile as they each began to go through the collection of techniques before him, eyes gleaming with the sparkle of curiosity that shone brightest in the young.