Cultivation is Creation

Coming back from the Two Suns world was a smoother experience when you weren't, you know, dead.

And I had to admit, I preferred this method.

Getting vaporized, stabbed, or transformed into pure light might make for dramatic exits, but they weren't exactly pleasant.

"Congratulations on not dying, Master.” Azure said as I felt my consciousness settle into my body.

"How long was I gone for this time?" I asked, opening my eyes.

"Approximately two hours," Azure replied promptly.

I nodded, having expected as much. "Same ratio as last time – about a month there for every two hours here."

Before Azure could respond, I felt a gentle tugging sensation in my soul.

I closed my eyes, shifting my awareness to my inner world. There, nestled in a specially created bubble near the Genesis Seed, was a sight that made me smile.

Through our connection, I could feel the vine's curiosity and desire to explore this new world. Its consciousness brushed against mine with a clear question: Could it come out?

"Alright then, come on out. Just... be careful, okay? This world is different from what you're used to."

I opened my eyes, maintaining the connection as Yggy materialized beside me in a swirl of green light. The vine moved cautiously at first, its tip weaving through the air as if tasting it. Suddenly, it recoiled, wrapping around my arm in what felt distinctly like alarm.

"The energy here is different," Azure explained. "The vine is used to drawing power from the two suns. While qi is abundant in our world, it's fundamentally different from what Yggy is accustomed to."

That made sense. I reached out to stroke Yggy's length. "You should still be able to draw energy from the suns in my inner world," I said through our soul bond, keeping the communication silent to prevent any eavesdropping. "But out here, we use something called qi."

Yggy's tip formed a question mark, and I felt its curiosity spike through our bond.

"Qi is... well, it's like the energy of life itself," I explained, watching as Yggy extended tendrils to test the air. "Everything living generates it, and cultivators like me learn to gather and control it. It's not better or worse than sun energy, just different."

I spent the next few minutes explaining the basics of qi cultivation, watching as the vine gradually relaxed, its movements becoming more curious than fearful.

"Master," Azure interrupted gently, "while I hate to dampen this moment, we should exercise caution. We don't know how the sect elders might react to a being that uses an unknown energy source. It might be wise to keep Yggy in your inner world until we better understand the potential consequences."

I sighed, knowing he was right. "Sorry buddy," I said to Yggy, "but Azure has a point. We need to lay low for now – at least until we can figure out if it's safe for you here."

Yggy's tip drooped slightly, but I felt its understanding through our bond. The vine gave me one last squeeze before dissolving back into motes of green light, returning to its bubble in my inner world.

"Maybe I can ask Elder Chen Yong about unusual spiritual beasts during our next formation lesson," I mused, walking to the window. The night sky was clear, stars twinkling above the peaks of the sect. "If I'm careful about how I phrase it, I might be able to get some information about how the sect views beings that don't use conventional qi."

I stifled a yawn, the events of the "day" finally catching up with me. Time dilation or not, transitioning between worlds took a lot out of you.

"For now though," I said, making my way to my bed, "I think it's time for some actual sleep. We can figure out our next move in the morning."

***

The next day, I found myself walking through the core disciple area, heading toward Liu Chen's quarters.

Now that I was no longer in the Two Sun’s world, the blue sun was back in its proper orbit in my inner world. Theoretically, I could fly again, though I had no intention of revealing that particular ability anytime soon.

More importantly, now that I had the Shroud rune, when I channel the red sun’s power, I’ll no longer need to rely on the blue sun for cover. As for the 20% debuff, that was a reasonable trade-off for better concealment.

Still, I needed to properly test how it affected each rune in combat conditions. Which was why I was here.

I found Liu Chen in his training yard, practicing basic sword forms while Rocky watched with what could only be described as paternal pride. The stone guardian noticed me first, letting out a grinding sound that was now understood as his version of a greeting.

"Brother Ke?" Liu Chen lowered his practice sword. "Is everything okay? We just saw you two days ago..."

I couldn't help but smile. To him, our last meeting was fresh in his mind. To me, it felt like we hadn't spoken in weeks. "Everything's fine," I assured him. "I was actually hoping to do some training with Rocky, if you don't mind. There are some techniques I'd like to test out."

Rocky straightened up at that, mumbling something that sounded like "Rocky happy help." His stone features might not have been expressive, but his enthusiasm was clear in the way he moved.

"Can I watch?" Liu Chen asked excitedly, already bouncing on his toes. "Elder Song says watching skilled cultivators spar is almost as valuable as practicing yourself!"

"Of course," I agreed. "Lead the way."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Liu Chen practically ran to his private training area, a space specifically designed to withstand the kind of damage cultivators could dish out. The ground was reinforced with spirit stones, and formation arrays lined the walls to contain any stray energy.

We took our positions, Rocky and I facing each other while Liu Chen stationed himself at what he clearly considered a safe viewing distance. Which, given Rocky's size and strength, was probably wise.

"Ready?" Liu Chen called out, clearly enjoying his role as referee. When we both nodded, he threw his hand down. "Fight!"

I narrowed my eyes, studying Rocky's stance. We were both at the sixth stage of Qi Condensation, which made him perfect for testing how the Shroud rune's effects would impact my combat abilities. Time to see just how much that 20% power reduction actually meant in practice.

I channeled the Shroud rune's power, feeling something similar to a veil settle over my presence. Then, in one smooth motion, I activated Blink Step and vanished.

I reappeared directly in front of Rocky, my right fist already moving, powered by the Titan's Crest rune. The stone guardian reacted with surprising speed, meeting my strike with his own massive fist.

The impact felt... different. The 20% reduction in power was noticeable, though not as debilitating as I'd feared.

The clash sent a minor shockwave through the training ground, our fists locked in a contest of pure strength. Despite the size difference and the debuff, we seemed evenly matched.

"The decrease appears to affect raw power output more than precision or speed," Azure observed as I ducked under Rocky's follow-up swing.

What followed was a fast-paced exchange of blows that would have looked absolutely ridiculous to an outsider – a human-sized cultivator trading punches with a fifteen-foot stone guardian. But Rocky proved to be an excellent sparring partner. My speed let me weave around his attacks, but his incredible durability meant I could test various combinations without holding back too much.

"You have to admit," Azure commented dryly, "he really does make an excellent punching bag."

A right cross enhanced by Titan's Crest barely chipped his stone skin. His counterpunch nearly took my head off, forcing me to backflip away. I landed in a crouch, only to have to immediately roll sideways as Rocky's foot came down where I'd been.

"Your form is improving," I called out, genuinely impressed. "Been practicing?"

Rocky's grinding reply might have been bashful, but it was hard to tell with his stone face.

I sprang back to my feet, deciding it was time to test how the Shroud rune affected my elemental techniques. But before I could activate Vine Whip, Rocky did something unexpected – his right arm shot forward, literally extending as the stone restructured itself, turning his already impressive reach into something ridiculous.

My eyes widened. That was new.

The Aegis Mark activated almost instinctively, its hexagonal barrier materializing just in time to catch Rocky's extending fist. The impact still sent me sliding backward, my feet leaving grooves in the reinforced ground.

"Go Rocky!" Liu Chen cheered from the sidelines. "Show him your new technique!"

I felt Yggy stirring restlessly in my inner world, eager to join the fight. "Not yet," I sent through our bond. "Soon, but not yet."

Landing in a controlled slide, I activated Vine Whip, causing three nearby vines to respond to my will. As they wrapped around me, I quickly activated Explosive Seed, carefully measuring the power I fed into each one.

This wasn't about winning – it was about testing the interactions between my runes under the Shroud's effect.

The vines shot forward like living whips. Rocky dodged the first one, then grabbed the second out of the air and hurled it away. But the third one managed to wrap around his leg just as he was completing a rather impressive rolling dodge.

And that was when the explosion was triggered.

It was relatively minor – I'd deliberately kept the power low – but it still filled the training ground with dust and debris. When it cleared, Rocky was standing there looking more stunned than damaged.

"I think that's enough for today," I called out, lowering my guard instead of taking advantage of the giant’s stunned state. "Thank you for the spar, Rocky. You're a perfect training partner."

Rocky shook off the effects of the explosion and then bowed. "Rocky learn lots," he rumbled. "Thank you."

Liu Chen ran over, practically vibrating with excitement. "That was amazing! I want to spar with you too, Brother Ke!"

I laughed, ruffling his hair. "One day, kid. Focus on your basics for now – they're more important than flashy techniques."

The stone guardian nodded sagely at this, though the effect was somewhat ruined by the small bits of debris still falling off him from the explosion.

After helping clean up the training ground (and apologizing to a rather frazzled-looking gardener who'd come to investigate the explosion), I said my goodbyes and headed back toward the outer disciple area.

The spar had been informative – the Shroud rune's power reduction was manageable, and the ability to freely use the red sun’s energy more than made up for it.

I was so lost in analyzing the fight with Azure that I almost missed it – a familiar voice from behind me, smooth as silk and twice as dangerous.

"It's been a while, Junior Brother."

Slowly, I turned around, already knowing who I would see.

A/N

Comment below who you think it is

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