Hua Xiran and Su Meilin were still in the room discussing important events.
Hua Xiran puffed a smoke ring from her mouth and said.
"The inheritance realm was predicted to open in six months."
Su Meilin looked confused and asked.
"What's that, master?"
Hua Xiran felt her vein throb.
Do you even read the information slips I send you?!
"The secret realm held the inheritances of powerful experts from the past, techniques, treasures, and knowledge left behind. Each demon sect got 100 tokens, each one giving a person the chance to enter and try their luck inside."
Su Meilin nodded her head.
"What about the four righteous sects?"
"It's a turn-based system, since the secret realm only opens every four years, this time it is the demon sect's turn."
"What about junior sister? Should I take her along as well?"
Hua Xiran thought for a moment and spoke.
"Hmm, the sect competition ended, so 75 tokens were given to the top seventy-five, 7 tokens were given to the outer elders, 16 given to the inner elders, the grand elder has 1, and I got 1."
Hua Xiran then took a puff from her pipe then exhaled it into the air, and continued.
"I gave my token to you. I can ask the grand elder to give her token to Shuying, but it depends on how far her cultivation progresses. If I'm satisfied, I'll agree to let her go."
Hua Xiran wanted Bai Shuying to go, but with her current strength, it wouldn't be easy. So she decided to wait and see if Bai Shuying cultivated seriously, she'd earn the chance. If not, too bad.
Hua Xiran took out objects that radiated Yin energy from her spatial ring.
"Well, here use these, and go into seclusion by the time you get out, I want you to be at least at the sixth stage in the foundation establishment realm."
Su Meilin eagerly took the items.
"Wow, don't worry, master, I won't let you down."
Hua Xiran's face turned serious.
"One more thing, make sure you look after Shuying."
Su Meilin was curious and replied.
"Why the concern, master?"
Hua Xiran took a puff from her pipe and exhaled a smoke ring and narrowing her eyes.
"It seems your junior sister's parents, especially her fox parent, are rather special."
"How do you know that, master?"
Hua Xiran felt the energy from Bai Shuying's demon core, and with the red hair color, knew she had some relation to the Heavenly Nine-Tailed Fox clan. One of the five great clans in the demon realm.
"Well, just intuition, stop questioning your master."
Su Meilin became sulky and replied.
"Yes, master~"
Knock! Knock!
Bai Shuying spoke loudly.
"Master, Meilin, I'm back!"
Bai Shuying burst in with excitement in her eyes.
"Oh, you finished quickly?"
"Master, two hours have already passed."
Both Hua Xiran and Su Meilin were stunned at the amount of time passing.
"Master, look at these three I picked out from the Sutra Pavilion."
Bai Shuying gave a piece of paper with her three choices she had written down from the Sutra Pavilion to Hua Xiran.
Hua Xiran was touched by this act.
Unlike the foolish Su Meilin, who acts then talks, I prefer the smart Bai Shuying who talks then acts.
Su Meilin, oblivious to this, was also curious about what Bai Shuying chose.
"Lotus steps, Thousand Lotus Bloom, and Blooming Lotus, Shuying, you must like lotuses a lot."
Bai Shuying was embarrassed by Su Meilin's assumption.
It's not me, sixth sense likes them!
"Shuying, you chose well."
Hua Xiran was impressed by Bai Shuying's choices of a movement art, a sword art, and a cultivation art. The practicality of the first two needs no explanation, but to choose arts with a synergy effect as a beginner, it is either luck or Bai Shuying is a genius.
Synergy effect is when the arts practiced by a practitioner harmonizes with one another boosting the performance from 100% to 120%.
Due to the number of techniques that exist to achieving a good synergy is difficult since harmony between them varies; one combination could produce 15%, but changing one factor could change it to 20%.
The combination Bai Shuying chose brings out the maximum synergy effect from it.
Hua Xiran turned her focus to the cultivation art Blooming Lotus. Since Bai Shuying's choice of what cultivation art to practice does not just affect her, but herself and Su Meilin.
Hua Xiran was stunned again by this art, it complements her Yin-Yang Fusion Scripture and Su Meilin's Two Moons art. Like two puzzle pieces that fit well together.
Bai Shuying, who is a hybrid, would find it difficult to practice and progress due to what art she chooses, but the Blooming Lotus not only does not hinder her but also helps her with both cultivation systems.
Hua Xiran faintly remembers this cultivation technique from the sect's historical records. During the golden age of the Yin-Yang Sect, the head at the time practiced the Blooming Lotus cultivation technique and was named the Venerable Green Lotus, who reached the Dao Seeking realm.
"Well, for now, Shuying, sit in meditation and practice the Blooming Lotus art to awaken your spiritual roots."
Bai Shuying followed her master's instructions and closed her eyes, practicing the Blooming Lotus art.
Inside her body, near the navel, a closed lotus started to form, attracting all the Yin energy in her body. She also noticed a red bead moving towards the center of the lotus.
The closed lotus absorbed all the Yin energy in her body, and Bai Shuying felt exhausted, but with the stamina trait, it only lasted for a moment.
"You should feel exhausted now, but don't worry, next the energy will flow back through your meridian channels, giving your body benefits."
During the Qi Condensation realm, the practitioner can sense spiritual energy, receive minor physical enhancements to be able to perform feats such as lifting boulders, and basic elemental manipulation, the ability to control fire, wind, water, and earth qi. Spiritual roots have an affinity to an element; the more affinities it has, the more impure it is, so if a person has an affinity with four elements, their cultivation progress would be slow, while a person with a single element affinity spiritual root would be heaven-defying in cultivation speed.
The closed lotus opened one petal. A burst of energy flew out following a certain pathway in her body.
Wow! This must be my meridian channels!
"Make sure you memorize the pathway!"
Another lotus petal opened, letting another burst of energy through her body.
Hua Xiran and Su Meilin noticed the area around them getting slightly colder.
What surprised them the most was the physical changes in Bai Shuying; her body got slightly bigger.
Inside Bai Shuying, another lotus petal opened, sending another wave of energy.
On the outside, three semi-transparent lotus petals formed around the meditating Bai Shuying, her spiritual roots awakened, the coldness spreading from her increased, and her body started to get slightly bigger; her chest and rear went from budding to slightly protruding. From the first stage of qi condensation to the sixth stage of qi condensation.
Su Meilin was stunned.
Does cultivation have such effects?!
While Hua Xiran had her jaw drop to the point that an egg would fit in her mouth.
Oh my GOD! A Yin core and a Yin spiritual roots, what kind of Yin monster is this?!
Bai Shuying's demon core has a Yin affinity, just like her spiritual roots; most foxes possess a Yin-aligned demon core. Currently, it is dormant until her demon core reaches Tier 2 Elemental Beast.
The quantity and quality of Yin energy that Bai Shuying has is outstanding to the point that just letting it out into the outside causes the temperature to drop and ice to slowly form.
After Bai Shuying finished her first circulation and opened her eyes, a faint lotus mark formed on her forehead between her brows, while her sky blue eyes now radiated a coldness and gleamed brightly.
"Congratulations, Junior sister, you're a cultivator now!"
"Thanks, Senior sister~"
The two girls laughed. Hua Xiran watched with a smile.
"Well, Shuying, you can live with Meilin in her residence."
"Yay!"
"Yes, master!"
"Meilin, give the new disciple items to Shuying, then prepare to go into seclusion. I'll be heading out now."
I can't handle any more surprises right now!
Hua Xiran ran away, leaving the two by themselves.
"Meilin, are you going into seclusion?"
"Yup! I'm preparing to break through some minor realms!"
Su Meilin brought out sect disciple clothes and a ring.
"Here are the disciple clothes and a storage ring from master, tomorrow head to the main peak hall to sign up for classes taught by the elders."
With her task finished, Su Meilin disappeared, leaving Bai Shuying stunned.
Bai Shuying looked at the pinkish white clothes and realized.
Where are the shoes?! Am I going to be barefoot forever?!
Su Meilin giggled and thought.
Like I said, we are a lineage of barefoot women!
…
The next day, Bai Shuying made her way to the main peak where the new disciples gathered to register for classes.
Why does this give me PTSD from my college days?!
Bai Shuying thought back when she was a young freshman starting in college, battling against other freshmen to get in before the class was closed.
Papers were handed out to all the new disciples, which listed the classes and which elder was teaching the class.
"Okay, new disciples registering for classes, circle the class you want to take and the name of the elder who is offering the class you want to learn from."
Bai Shuying looked at all the courses offered, but she didn't care who taught them since she didn't know anyone. She heard the discussions of those around her.
"Hey, take the dual cultivation course, I heard that Elder Mo is teaching it!"
"The Elder with the nice body!"
"Wait, that Elder Mo?!"
It seems all the new male disciples are excited by this Elder Mo!
"I heard Elder Lin is teaching the sword cultivation course!"
"Really?! Elder Lin, slurp."
The new female disciples were drooling over Elder Lin. The last one sounded dangerous!
Bai Shuying moved away from the group of girls.
The classes that were offered were dual cultivation, sword cultivation, alchemy, formation, talisman, gardening, refining, cooking, etc.
Seems there are many courses offered. A new disciple has to choose at least one class.
A cultivator must choose at least one path to pursue the great dao. They may choose as many paths as they want, but as the saying goes, a jack of all trades, a master of none.
How far a cultivator walks is what can separate a strong cultivator from a weak one, especially if they walk the same path. Most cultivators walk many paths, but limit the main path to one or two, while the other paths become auxiliary to offer help or support for the main path. This is in terms of the average bunch with mediocre talent.
Bai Shuying is clueless since becoming a new cultivator, no one took the time to explain choosing a path to her, so she only chose the ones she was interested in.
Bai Shuying notices Elder Hua was teaching gardening and cooking. She chose both of the classes, but Bai Shuying only picked these two because she just liked Elder Hua.
Hmm, should I choose alchemy? I did use poison.
If alchemists heard this, they would spit blood.
What does our profession have to do with poison?!
Bai Shuying marked the alchemy, beast taming, and sword cultivation courses.
Let's not add dual cultivation, too high of a hurdle for a person like me who almost reached the status of wizard in my last life.
Bai Shuying then handed the paper to a disciple on duty who registered her for the classes she indicated on the paper. The disciple on duty handed a paper back to her. The paper had a confirmation of the courses and elders she choose and a time table of when those courses will be taught.
Course: Gardening, Instructor: Hua Qingyan
Course: Alchemy, Instructor: Lan Wumian
Course: Cooking, Instructor: Hua Qingyan
Course: Beast Taming, Instructor: Qi Chen
Course: Sword Cultivation, Instructor: Su Moyan
Wow, Jackpot a class a day!
Remembering the timetables in her college days filled with blocks and comparing them to the one she has now, Bai Shuying felt she was lifted from the depths of the darkness into the light.
As Bai Shuying savored being in the light, she suddenly had a thought.
Surprisingly, the sect has such a class system. I wonder who and how it was created?
After traveling abroad, Hua Xiran found the Yin-Yang Sect's methods primitive. When she became sect master, she reformed everything, replacing outdated traditions with the superior systems she'd witnessed.
Now, when Hua Xiran sees the disciples of her sect comparing them to her generation, she thinks.
Finally, the savages became civilized!
…
Bai Shuying returned to her residence and went to the training ground in the back of the house. She started to recall the movement art, Lotus Steps, into her mind.
Lotus steps is a movement art where the practitioner creates a lotus platform below their feet, which then can be used as a springboard to move forward at high speeds.
Bai Shuying created a lotus beneath her feet, but it was blurry and not well defined, then she positioned her self to perform the action of leaping off the lotus. She moved at a decent speed forward.
Bai Shuying looked very dissatisfied with the movement art.
The Lotus Steps were created by a female elder of the Yin-Yang Sect who gained inspiration from observing lotuses in the lake where frogs leaped from one lotus to another lotus.
In reality, it was a very unpopular movement technique in the sect, which no one practices, even the elder who created it seldom uses it.
"Achoo!"
"What's wrong, Elder Hua?"
"Nothing, I feel as if someone is talking about me."
Bai Shuying, possessing the trait of great comprehension and knowledge from her previous life, dissected the movement art.
"Hmm, why both feet instead of one foot? The lotus stores potential energy, which is then converted into kinetic energy during the action of leaping. Why not make continuous lotuses for every step? The more energy stored, the more the lotus image becomes clear? Even after the leap, should it linger for a while or disappear?"
If Elder Hua, the creator of the movement art, heard this, she would have thought.
Am I the creator?! Or did you make it?!
Bai Shuying started to apply all her ideas. Under her bare right foot, she focused her Yin energy soon a blue lotus formed, she continued to pump energy, the lotus became more and more refined and now appeared as if a real life lotus sprouted from the ground.
Bai Shuying then performed the leaping action, and she then zipped at an unimaginable speed.
Thud!
"Ow, ow, ow."
She rubbed her forehead which smacked into a tree, she then looked at the distance she traveled and was amazed.
Too bad I don't have a stopwatch to measure the time; if I could, I would know the velocity.
Bai Shuying started to create lotuses all over the ground, some real, some faint, some lingered, and others vanished.
Bai Shuying looked at the scene and felt a spark light in her mind. She focused the energy into feet, but did not form a lotus, but jumped into the air and started to take steps.
A miraculous sight appeared every step she took in the air. Created a lotus platform soon lotuses were floating in the air.
Whoever created this movement art is a genius!
"Achoo!"
"Elder Hua, are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine, now I'm sure someone is talking about me!"
If Elder Hua saw this scene, she would have thought.
I'm sorry, you win, I give up!
Only Bai Shuying could use the Lotus steps in such a way due to her having a large quantity of energy, high quality of energy, and the stamina trait. Enough energy to fill a lotus, able to refine such a life-like energy image, and the ability to continuously do it without collapsing out in exhaustion.
After she had her fun playing around, she moved on to the sword art Thousand Lotus Bloom. Bai Shuying did not have a sword, but used the branch of the tree she rammed into.
"...Every sword is a lotus petal."
Bai Shuying focused her blue tinted energy into the branch and performed the sword art soon a small blue lotus petal formed fluttering near the sword.
She created more lotus petals, but all they did was float around.
"Hmm, how do I make them attack?"
No matter how much she urged the lotus petals, they just floated in the air.
Wait, this move, could this be?! My senb***ak*ra!
Bai Shuying was a proud member of the culture.
"Forget it. I'll just wait until the sword cultivation class happens to figure it out."
Bai Shuying started to run the cultivation art she chose, Blooming Lotus. Three lotus petals formed with her in the center.
"Hmm, it seems three is the limit for my current realm. If I want more, I'll need to break through to the foundation establishment realm."
Bai Shuying noticed she could manipulate the lotus petals.
She formed a shield around herself.
Wait! Don't tell me!
She then took the three petals and overlapped them.
"Hahahahaha! It does!"
My very own R*o Ai*s! Let's go!
Bai Shuying was a very proud member of the culture.