Mo Duan took a moment to study the child to whom he was about to gift one of the most valuable items that he owned.

The two of them had gone to his house, and they were now both kneeling on pillows next to a small tea table in Mo Duan’s meditation room. The kid was doing his best to put on a brave face, but he could tell that the silence was beginning to make Ling Jun feel nervous. Admittedly, the kid was pretty good at hiding his thoughts, likely as a result of his upbringing, but Mo Duan was much older than him even before he inherited his predecessor’s memories.

The Woodland Dominion Method was powerful enough that a small sect would not have much difficulty building themselves around it. It was even on par with the cultivation method that Mo Duan himself used, so giving it to Ling Jun was no small matter.

A cultivation method was, in essence, a set of practices that a person would follow that would allow them to cultivate. These methods differed greatly in how they taught someone to cultivate, such as how the user was expected to gather Qi or the specific meridians through which that Qi would be channeled. Some cultivation methods even required that the user use unique resources or mediate in specific environments if they wished to reach certain levels of cultivation.

As a result, cultivators would develop extremely unique abilities depending on their cultivation method.

Mo Duan’s thoughts drifted to a specific cultivator who his predecessor had a lot of trouble fighting.

That cultivator had cultivated some kind of method that sought to imitate the abilities of a dragon. It had given her tough leathery skin, claws sharp enough to cut through Qi-enhanced metal, and the ability to breathe fire hot enough to turn a Core Formation cultivator into a pile of ash in seconds. Given that Mo Duan relied primarily on wood-based techniques to fight with, it hadn’t been an easy fight. The only reason his predecessor had won was because the cultivator wasn’t able to handle the detrimental effects that her cultivation method had on her mind.

Another example was a cultivator who practiced a method that involved devouring poisonous substances and turning themselves into a living miasma of poison.

Mo Duan held back a shudder as he dismissed those particular memories. His predecessor's experiences had left him eager to avoid running out into the world and picking fights.

Judging how good a cultivation method was not exactly a straightforward affair. This world wasn’t like a video game where each spell or method could be easily and conveniently sorted into ranks. How good each method was depended significantly on the context of the cultivator.

For example, a poor urchin would not get very far if they took on a method that required them to use a lot of resources. Someone who needed power in the short term would not be well served if their method took a long time to show any results. If your method required a specific kind of Qi, then it wouldn’t be useful if you lived in a portion of the world that lacked that specific Qi.

None of that even began to account for the synergies that certain techniques might have with a compatible method.

Mo Duan considered the Woodland Dominion Method to be powerful because the resources it requires were easily gathered, it used a type of Qi that the Verdant Valley Sect was dense in, and it granted fairly unique abilities. It did have the drawback of being rather weak in offensive capabilities early on, but that was something that could be compensated for in a variety of ways.

Mo Duan turned his attention back to his surroundings. He could tell that he had allowed the silence to go on for too long and Ling Jun was beginning to look increasingly uncomfortable.

“Disciple Ling Jun, I’ve brought you here because I wish to give you a particular cultivation method,” said Mo Duan, deciding to get straight to the point. “One which belongs to me personally, and not the sect.”

Mo Duan watched in amusement as Ling Jun’s expression shifted rapidly from bewilderment to disbelief to a burgeoning hope that the kid tried his best to hide. He looked as if he wanted to ask a question, but Mo Duan could tell that he wouldn’t do so without prompting.

“Disciple, please feel free to speak your mind,” Mo Duan said encouragingly. He wasn’t interested in dealing with the stilted conversation that they would have if Ling Jun insisted on being overly formal. “Before I joined the sect as a Guest-Elder, I was merely a wandering cultivator. That is why I am not as… stringent with etiquette as those who were raised in clans or those who have spent most of their lives in a sect.”

Ling Jun struggled with himself for a moment before responding, “Yes, Elder Mo. This one is grateful. I do not wish to seem ungracious, but does this mean that you intend to take me as a direct disciple?”

“It does not,” Mo Duan gently denied. He had no interest in taking anyone as a direct disciple given the cultural expectations attached to that kind of relationship. “However, I don’t believe there is any reason for you to be disappointed. The cultivation method I intend to give you is quite powerful, and will serve you well.”

Ling Jun seemed disappointed for a moment before his expression became one of curiosity, “What kind of method is it, Elder Mo?”

“Its name is the Woodland Dominion Method,” said Mo Duan, retrieving the scroll from his spatial ring and handing it over the Ling Jun. “As you can tell from its name, it is a wood-based method, which means that it will be quite compatible with your spirit root.”

Ling Jun received the scroll with both hands and quickly expressed his gratitude before eagerly opening it. Mo Duan could tell that the kid was getting lost in thought once his expression turned to one of complete focus. It took several minutes before Ling Jun seemed to remember that he wasn’t the only one in the room, prompting him to look up at Mo Duan with a hint of embarrassment.

“Do you have any questions, Disciple Ling Jun?” asked Mo Duan.

“Yes, Elder, this one does have a question,” said Ling Jun, hesitating for a moment before he continued. “Please forgive my impertinence, Elder Mo, but are you the reason that I was assigned to this valley?”

Mo Duan raised an eyebrow at the kid, feeling faintly surprised. It wasn’t exactly unexpected that Ling Jun would be able to reach that conclusion after Mo Duan picked him out to give him a special cultivation method, but he hadn’t thought the kid would call him out on it so quickly.

“Yes, I am,” Mo Duan admitted. “I negotiated with the other Elders to have you sent to my valley, otherwise, I’m certain you would have received several other offers.”

At his words, Ling Jun seemed to let out a shuddering, relief-filled breath, and Mo Duan couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. Even if he might have preferred to take on a disciple who would be a little less troublesome, Mo Duan wasn’t petty enough that he’d actually go out of his way to intentionally distress a child. It was simply the case that this was the first opportunity that he’d had to speak to Ling Jun alone.

“Why me, Elder Mo?” asked Ling Jun after he took a moment to compose himself.

Mo Duan hummed in consideration as he thought about how honest he wanted to be. After a few moments, he decided that he might as well be as honest as he could. There were a few things that he needed to lie about, but he would need Ling Jun’s cooperation in the future, and being honest was the best way to build trust.

“I brought you here because you are the best candidate available to practice the Woodland Dominion Method,” Mo Duan explained. “This method is one that will grant you two unique abilities once you begin cultivating it, both of which will allow you to aid me in the future. Have you heard about what is happening in Vanishing Mist Forest?”

Ling Jun blinked at the apparent non sequitur before responding, “This one had heard from his father that strange things are happening in the woods, Elder Mo. Is that what you are referring to?”

“Yes,” said Mo Duan, nodding. “Handling that matter is why the Verdant Valley Sect chose to recruit me as a Guest-Elder.”

Mo Duan quickly explained the strange things that were happening in the woods, including the cultivators who disappeared there and the increasingly powerful Spiritual Beasts. None of these things was exactly a secret, but the sect heavily monopolized the woods and the valuable resources that it produced, which made it difficult for outsiders to know what was going on inside.

Mo Duan then went on the explain how the ability to sense the spirits of plant life would allow Ling Jun to navigate the woods without getting lost, and how his help would save Mo Duan a lot of time.

“Elder Mo, this one is not familiar with these spirits that you’re referring to,” Ling Jun asked curiously.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Just as all living things in this world possess Qi, they also possess something much harder to detect that is called a spirit,” Mo Duan explained patiently. “If that spirit happens to strengthen to a certain level, then it becomes a soul. This is why Spiritual Beasts and Spiritual Plants become sapient once they achieve a certain level of cultivation.”

Mo Duan felt his lips turning up into a smile as he noticed that Ling Jun was hanging off his every word. The kid seemed extremely interested in anything related to cultivation; that natural curiosity was a good sign.

“Thank you for the explanation, Elder Mo. If I may ask, what is the second ability that this method grants, and how could I use it to aid you?”

Mo Duan hesitated slightly as he thought over what he intended to tell the kid. This was the part that would require him to lie the most.

Resolving himself, Mo Duan clenched the fist that held his spatial ring and focused on his demonic cultivation. He knew that Ling Jun wouldn’t be able to sense that the demonic Qi was coming from him, and from his perspective, it would merely seem as if he had taken some kind of cursed item from his spatial ring.

Damn… this really doesn’t feel all that great.

Although the nature of his cultivation technique generally protected Mo Duan from it under most circumstances, demonic Qi had the effect of provoking negative emotions.

After a moment, he opened up his hand and revealed a blood-red seed that was sitting in the palm of his hand and radiating demonic Qi. Anyone who looked at the seed would feel a sense of pure and unfettered bloodlust coming from it. Mo Duan could tell that it was affecting Ling Jun greatly, given that the kid had lost all color in his already pale face and that he was looking at the seed as if it were about to devour him.

It probably didn’t help that he was alone in a room with a powerful cultivator who had just pulled out an item that most cultivators in the Celestial Jade Empire would consider to be evil.

Thankfully, there wasn’t much risk in showing something like this to Ling Jun as long as he remained unaware that the seed was something that Mo Duan had created through his own power.

“E-Elder Mo, what is that?”

“This is the seed of a particularly powerful Demonic Plant. I found it during my time as a wandering cultivator,” said Mo Duan, speaking truthfully about the seed's nature, but lying about where it came from. “I understand that it is quite terrifying to someone who has no experience facing such potent demonic Qi, but it cannot harm you in its current form. In fact, if you reach a certain level of proficiency in the Woodland Dominion Method, then you might even be able to purify such a seed of its evil.”

Mo Duan put the seed to the side and away from Ling Jun.

“Purify? Can something like that actually be purified, Elder Mo?” asked Ling Jun, his eyes not leaving the seed for a moment.

I certainly hope so, kid. If not, then I’m pretty screwed…

“Of course,” Mo Duan said confidently. “To be more specific, this cultivation method will allow you to change the properties of Spiritual and Demonic Plants by manipulating their spirit. While this ability might not seem particularly impressive at first, it will eventually allow you to change a Demonic Plant into a Spiritual Plant. Once you reach a higher level of cultivation, you may even be able to turn Spiritual Plants into powerful guardians or even grant them sapience.”

Such abilities were far away for Ling Jun, but everything that Mo Duan said was true. If the kid managed to cultivate to the Core Formation stage with the Woodland Dominion Method, then he’d probably be able to turn a harmless Spiritual Plant into a terrifying killing machine that obeyed only his orders. He would also be able to develop an intuitive control over plants and would be able to manipulate them as if he was manipulating his own limb, even without a technique.

“Elder, why would you want to purify that seed?” asked Ling Jun. Mo Duan could tell that the kid was starting to get used to the seed’s aura, and was beginning to calm down. “I don’t see how doing such a thing would be worth the effort.”

Mo Duan couldn’t tell Ling Jun the real reason, but he’d already prepared a plausible excuse for anyone who became interested in his activities. It helped that his excuse was mostly genuine.

“Do you know what separates Tranquil Garden Valley from the other valleys in the sect?” Mo Duan asked after a moment of consideration.

He had to hold back a chuckle once he saw Ling Jun struggling to formulate a polite answer.

Mo Duan decided to throw the kid a bone and answer his own question, “Aside from the obvious factors such as powerful disciples, long-term business relationships with the clans, or significant resources, the thing that this valley most lacks is a specialization. Given what you know, can you guess where I intend for my valley to focus its efforts?”

Ling Jun took on a contemplative expression for a short moment, but it didn’t take long for him to reach the obvious answer. “Elder Mo, do you wish for Tranquil Garden Valley to focus on growing Spiritual Plants? Doesn’t the sect already have such people?”

“Yes, the sect’s alchemists do grow their own Spiritual Plants, but they simply aren’t particularly good at it,” Mo Duan said bluntly, surprising Ling Jun. “Growing a Spiritual Plant is an extremely complicated process, much different from how a mortal would grow their crops. It is not a skill that one can gain proficiency in without dedication.”

In addition, botany was something that could earn him and his valley a lot of money. Few organizations actually had the ability to grow Spiritual Plants in a cost-effective manner. It was something that was generally only done by sects that had accumulated a lot of knowledge on the matter, but Mo Duan felt like he had a comparative advantage. The Woodland Dominion Method was practically perfect for such a thing, and Mo Duan himself was a fairly powerful wood-based cultivator with a large amount of knowledge on Spiritual Plants.

It was a good match.

Mo Duan doubted that he’d be making money hand over fist, but it would be a good foundation from which he could grow his valley. A part of him was slightly worried for the disciples who didn’t have wood spirit roots, but there were all sorts of Spiritual Plants with strange and unique needs. Mo Duan was confident he’d be able to find a way to make use of them.

“But that’s enough of that, Disciple. You do not need to concern yourself with such matters,” said Mo Duan, changing the subject. “Are you willing to learn this cultivation method? If you are, then I will provide the resources that you need to progress up until you reach at least the Foundation Establishment stage. However, I will require an oath that you do not teach this method to anyone else without my permission.”

Although he already knew the answer, he did still need to ask. Choosing a method was an extremely significant decision that would affect a cultivator long into the future. It was possible to switch methods, but that was never something that was done lightly.

“Yes, Elder Mo, this one would be honored to learn the Woodland Dominion Method,” Ling Jun said without hesitation. Mo Duan wasn’t particularly surprised, the kid was educated enough to understand that this was a good offer.

“Excellent. I’m glad to hear it,” said Mo Duan, offering Ling Jun a genuine smile. “In that case, allow me to offer you a lesson. After all, learning a new method for the first time can be quite difficult.”

“Of course, Elder Mo. This one is grateful for your assistance.”

What followed was Mo Duan spending the next hour explaining the Woodland Dominion Method to Ling Jun and answering all of his questions. As their conversation progressed, Mo Duan couldn’t help but feel impressed by the kid; he truly seemed to have a natural talent for cultivation and was quite sharp. He asked all the right questions and showed diligence when it came to learning.

“Elder Mo, why does this method seem so similar to the methods which allow a cultivator to mimic Spiritual Beasts?”

“The Woodland Dominion Method only mimics some of the abilities of a Spiritual Plant, Disciple. You do not need to worry about turning into a tree.”

His hair might sprout leaves every once in a while, but that was a minor detail.

“Elder Mo, why does the Qi Condensation stage of this method seem so different from other methods that I have seen?”

“The initial stages of this method focus highly on increasing your ability to manipulate wood Qi. Although this is rather weak by itself, it will drastically increase the effect of compatible techniques.”

Mo Duan already had a few in mind for the kid, even if it would probably take him a while to learn.

“Elder Mo, this method seems to require large amounts of very pure wood Qi to cultivate. Where can I find that?”

“Disciple, this sect is called the Verdant Valley Sect for a reason. We are perfectly capable of providing you with the necessary Qi.”

At that response, Ling Jun seemed to grow embarrassed for asking such a question, but Mo Duan didn’t bother to tease him over it.

By the time they were done Ling Jun was looking much more optimistic as he was leaving than when he entered. The kid left with a bow of gratitude while promising that he would put his all into learning the method and that he wouldn’t disappoint

As he showed the kid out, Mo Duan couldn’t help but share Ling Jun’s optimism. Actually interacting with the kid made him feel better about the choice that he had made for his disciple.

I suppose now all I need to do is go to the Hall of Administration to post a few missions and then make my way to the Vanishing Mist Forest.

After stirring up his demonic cultivation by creating that seed, Mo Duan could feel himself beginning to grow restless. Not only did he need to actually begin his investigation into the Vanishing Mist Forest, as his predecessor had failed to do, but he also needed to find a wild Spiritual Beast that he could take his restlessness out on.

Besides, it was important to verify that he had inherited all of his predecessor's combat abilities.

After that’s done, I can focus on teaching my disciples and improving the valley until my meeting with the other Elders.

But before anything else, there was something important that Mo Duan needed to do first.

Making his way to the bedroom, he was grateful to see that his predecessor had been wise enough to purchase a large and comfortable bed. Even if a cultivator of his level didn’t need to sleep Mo Duan’s day had been a long one, and sleeping was one aspect of his mortality that he didn’t intend to abandon. As he threw himself onto the bed, there was only one thing going through his mind.

Everything else can wait until tomorrow… I think I’ve earned a nap.