Two weeks passed.

  We returned to our regular classes last week.

  Once again, we had hours of morning meditation where we sat in rows and cultivated under Senior Sister’s watchful eye. There was afternoon combat training with Chen Bo, weapons practice with Feng Hua, and my favourite which was the evening theoretical studies where we continued to learn about spiritual energy circulation, meridian pathways, and cultivation bottlenecks.

  I soaked up as much knowledge as I possibly could.

  It was all useful.

  But the most frustrating thing about the past two weeks was that I had made no progress on the World Tree Sutra.

  It was probably because I hadn’t broken through to 3rd Stage of Qi Condensation so there was no trigger for my soul to be yanked to another world, which meant no otherworldly energy to awaken the Genesis Seed.

  As for the other outer disciples, they were all progressing steadily through their cultivation practices. Most of them had broken through to the Qi Condensation Realm Stage 2.

  Lin Mei had just completed the first cycle of her Flowing River Method and had mentioned that her spiritual energy flowed more smoothly through her meridians. Wei Lin was as vague as ever about his progress, but from the smirk that appeared on his face whenever someone mentioned anything about cultivation, I could only assume it was going well. Some of the village recruits who barely passed the entrance exam were beginning to show visible signs of improvement in their cultivation auras.

  Every time I sensed that someone was making progress, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. It was pretty simple for them: cultivate, progress, breakthrough. But I guess the simplicity was one of the advantages of Human Rank Methods.

  As for my method, it required that I travelled to a completely different world just to start.

  Despite the frustration, I knew I should stay patient.

  The World Tree Sutra was my only chance at better dealing with the random soul-jumping.

  And it wasn’t like I hadn’t made any progress in my cultivation as a whole.

  I’d spent most of this past two weeks meditating intensely, pulling spiritual energy into my inner world, and condensing it based upon the Qi Condensation fundamentals. Azure was monitoring my progress and had said that I was experiencing steady growth in my Spiritual Essence.

  Although I wasn’t at Stage 3, I was close.

  Maybe another week or two of intense cultivation would get me there.

  In the meantime, instead of comparing myself to others, I had decided to practice the Phantom Strike.

  The technique was more simple than I had expected.

  The jade slip contained instructions for releasing a burst of spiritual energy through your body in sync with a physical strike. Timing was key. You had to release the energy at the exact moment of impact - not before, nor after. Too early, and the energy dissipated harmlessly. Too late, and you just wasted qi with no additional enhancement to the strike.

  I had been practicing the movements solo, imagining the energy flow without actually using the little spiritual energy required. I’d been punching at air, testing various angles and approach vectors, and getting my body accustomed to the explosive motion needed for the technique.

  It was working. I could tell that I was improving. The timing was becoming more intuitive and more automatic. Azure confirmed that my Physical Essence was growing ever so slightly due to the repeated practice, just as Wei Lin had predicted.

  I hadn’t used it in actual sparring yet. Partly because I wanted to master the technique before sharing it, and partly because I hadn’t needed to. The sparring sessions for the week were relatively uneventful.

  That was largely due to Zhou Ming being banned from assisting with the training.

  Apparently, he “unintentionally” crippled one of the outer disciples during a sparring match three days ago. I’m pretty sure it was Wu something - I couldn’t remember the full name of the disciple, but I remember seeing him hanging around the dormitory. He was a quiet kid. Stage 2 cultivation. Not exceptionally talented or problematic.

  Zhou Ming destroyed Wu’s meridians during what was intended to be a controlled training exercise. Senior Sister Liu acted quickly to intervene, but the damage was done. Wu would require months of treatment and recovery, and potentially, his cultivation might be permanently impaired.

  Zhou Ming had been banned from helping out.

  That was the extent of the punishment.

  The injustice in this situation had caused me to boil with anger, but I couldn’t do anything about it. Zhou Ming was an inner disciple. He had influence within the sect. The rules bend for people like him.

  I was sorry for Wu whatever-his-first-name-was. Just another victim of sect politics and bullying culture. However, I was also thankful it hadn’t been me. If I had been paired with Zhou Ming again, it might have been my meridians that were crushed.

  Knowing that motivated me to continue to practice.

  Currently, I am alone in the courtyard, running through another series of Phantom Strike movements in the fading sunlight of the late afternoon when I paused mid-movement due to the unsettling sensation of being watched.

  “Master, I can detect a qi signature nearby,” Azure announced. “And the power level… oh. Oh my. It’s significantly above our weight class. Peak Qi Condensation!”

  I slowly turned to see what was going on.

  There was a young woman watching me from the edge of the training ground.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Usually that wouldn’t be a problem, but this young woman was wearing purple robes.

  The kind of robes worn exclusively by Core Disciples.

  During the recruitment process, disciples were assessed and placed into three potential paths - Outer, Inner, or Core. The original Ke Yin was lucky and overjoyed to be recruited as an Outer Disciple.

  As for Core Disciples, they were the elite - either hand-picked for their talent or advancing through pure drive and ability.

  So, finding out that one of them was watching me practice was disturbing.

  Especially when the Core Disciple was a jade beauty.

  Even though Senior Sister Liu could be classed as a jade beauty, the woman watching me was in a different class altogether.

  She was breathtaking in the most literal sense - I literally forgot to breathe for a moment. Her features were perfectly proportioned, with an otherworldly quality that made even the most beautiful mortal women appear dull in comparison. Her long black hair fell behind her like silk down to her waist, and her eyes contained subtle gold highlights. Her purple robes flowed around her like water, and each of her movements seemed as if she was capable of making celestial maidens jealous.

  “Your form is very good,” she said, realizing I had noticed her. “Especially for someone at your cultivation level.”

  There was an unwritten rule in cultivation novels.

  As soon as a beautiful female cultivator became interested in you, it was time to plan an exit strategy. Preferably to another continent. Or in my case, maybe another dimension.

  “I am Wu Lihua,” she continued when I didn’t reply. “I saw you training the Phantom Strike technique and I have to admit, you’re very talented.”

  I respectfully bowed, and maintained precisely the correct amount of deference for a lower ranked disciple.

  “I’m Ke Yin. Your praise is overly generous, Senior Sister.”

  And it was true.

  If I was being honest, I had some talent in combat arts, but nothing that would draw the attention of a Core Disciple.

  Which was exactly why I couldn’t help but feel suspicious as to why she was taking time out of her day to talk to an Outer Disciple like me.

  “Survival is the priority,” I told myself. “Beautiful Core Disciples are more dangerous than demonic beasts.” Although my treacherous mind helpfully pointed out that her smile really did resemble moonlight on clear water…

  No. Stop that. This was exactly how those tragic young master side characters started their downfall.

  “You’re being too modest,” Wu Lihua interrupted the uncomfortable silence, smiling warmly. “Your comprehension of the Phantom Strike technique demonstrates an exceptional understanding of the underlying concepts. How long have you been practicing?”

  “Two weeks, Senior Sister,” I replied.

  Her eyes opened wide. “Two weeks?! That is... impressive. The Phantom Strike technique typically takes months just to develop the fundamental movement pattern. You must possess a natural aptitude for the technique.”

  “The technique simply fits my fighting style,” I deflected, trying to think of a polite way to get the hell out of here. “I still have a lot to work on.”

  “Have you considered which cultivation method you’d like to cultivate?” she asked, taking a step closer.

  Ah, there it was.

  She must have heard that an Outer Disciple had taken out the World Tree Sutra and that had drawn her curiosity. She probably wanted to see if I had started transforming into a tree or something.

  “I’m still researching different cultivation methods,” I deflected. “It’s a big decision and I don’t want to rush it.”

  That wasn’t entirely a lie.

  After all, I was just trying out the World Tree Sutra.

  If I didn’t have any luck with it or if it didn’t help with my soul-jumping problem, then I’d have to take Wei Lin on his Earth Rank cultivation method offer.

  “Yes, but recognizing your natural abilities is essential,” she agreed. “The advanced versions of techniques like Phantom Strike can become extremely powerful when mastered. However, finding a suitable instructor is critical…”

  Was she offering to instruct me? That was... troubling. In cultivation novels, receiving instruction from beautiful senior disciples usually resulted in more strings being attached than a marionette maker’s workshop.

  “Senior Sister’s counsel is always invaluable,” I replied tactically. “But I worry that my current cultivation level is too low for advanced techniques.”

  She dismissed my concern. “Talent often outweighs cultivation level in many techniques. Besides… ” her smile became slightly playful.

  That was when I noticed the second pair of eyes that were watching us.

  Near one of the pillars stood a young man wearing white Outer Disciple robes, his complexion appeared noticeably paler than normal. It was the Wu something that had been crippled by Zhou Ming.

  Wu Lihua recognized him too. For a brief second, her smile faltered. Then, she closed the distance between herself and me, her interest becoming almost suffocating.

  “I think I can teach you a trick or two…”

  The situation was now evolving into a scene from a cultivation novel unfolding in slow-motion, with me unknowingly participating in a role I didn’t wish to play.

  Fortunately, I saw Wei Lin standing near the equipment rack. “Thank you for the kind words senior,” I said, bowing respectfully. “But I promised my fellow disciple that I would help him train. Perhaps another time?”

  “Of course,” she replied, her smile remaining unchanged. “Don’t hesitate to ask for my help if you have any questions. Concerning anything…”

  I left as tactfully as possible, noticing the obvious tension between Wu Lihua and the Wu guy as I left. There was definitely a story here, and I wanted no part of it.

  “That,” Wei Lin laughed, as we walked towards the dormitories, “has been the most entertainment I’ve experienced since the sparring match! Did you see how she was looking at you? The unassuming village boy Ke Yin, captivating the affections of a Core Disciple…”

  “Stop,” I groaned. “Who was that woman? And why do I feel like I walked into someone else’s revenge scenario?”

  “Wu Lihua? Everyone knows about her,” Wei Lin’s expression turned unusually serious. “She arrived in the same recruitment wave as us. One of the Grand Elders spotted her talent immediately and recruited her into the Core Disciple program. But that isn’t the interesting part…”

  “The pale guy watching us?”

  “Wu Kangming,” Wei Lin confirmed. “From the same clan as Wu Lihua. They were actually engaged before entering the sect but once Wu Lihua was recruited as a Core Disciple, the engagement was doomed. No Core Disciple would marry an Outer Disciple who has never won a sparring match.”

  “Speaking of sparring matches, is that Wu guy the one who...”

  "Yeah," Wei Lin spoke softly. "Remember how Zhou Ming was banned from teaching Outer Disciples? Wu Kangming was the one Zhou Ming 'accidentally' injured. His cultivation base is crippled."

  Great. Just great. We had every part of a classic cultivation revenge story — the talented fiancée, the crippled cultivator, the smug young master who injured his rival... and now me, it appeared, as the new love interest without even applying for the position. The only thing missing from this equation was the mysterious power-up of the young master, which I sincerely hoped I wouldn’t be around for.

  And Zhou Ming... well, Zhou Ming had sealed his fate. There were certain things you didn’t do in a cultivation world, and crippling a young master's cultivation level was relatively high on that list. I couldn't possibly try to explain any of this to Wei Lin — trying to tell someone that their world operated on story logic would likely lead to disaster.

  "No more jokes about Wu Lihua," I said to Wei Lin seriously.

  "What? But it's hilarious! The way she looked at you…”

  "I mean it," I warned him. "When people fall in love or when people want to protect their face... especially cultivators... they do crazy things."

  "You think...,” Wei Lin eyes widened in understanding. “But he's only a failed Outer Disciple. Even if his family has some influence..."

  "Promise me you will stop with the marriage jokes.”

  "Okay, okay," he raised both of his hands in surrender. "Even though you’re probably being paranoid. What’s the worst that can happen?"

  "I don’t want to find out."

  As we walked back to our quarters, I thought about how I’d have to be extra careful in where I trained from now on — the last thing I wanted was to get pulled into whatever drama was unfolding between the Wu clan members.

  I just hoped I hadn't already attracted Wu Kangming's attention. The worst thing that could happen to me was being seen as Wu Lihua's new suitor by her crippled ex-fiancé. That type of plot point typically ended with someone getting tossed off a cliff.

  Maybe it would have been easier if I had been reincarnated as a spirit beast.

  Surely nothing dramatic ever happened to them...

  Right?