I settled onto the crystalline platform, feeling it resonate with my crude attempt at channeling the red sun's power.

Unlike the other initiates with their sophisticated resonance techniques, I was basically just gathering energy like a beginning qi cultivator. It wasn't elegant but it would have to do until I could learn proper methods from my new master.

"Your method is... unorthodox," the senior sister who had guided me here remarked with a slight frown. "But I suppose that's to be expected from a Natural."

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Sister," I replied politely before closing my eyes to begin meditation.

The platform's energy began flowing into me immediately. I directed my attention inward, examining my inner world.

Since arriving in this realm, the Genesis Seed had spat out the red sun core and let it exist separately. It was an unusual sight, seeing it out, one I was still getting used to. The crimson sphere cowered in its corner like a chastised pet, occasionally casting what felt like nervous glances at its much more powerful neighbor.

"Still trying to understand why it's doing that?" Azure asked.

"It's definitely new behavior," I replied silently. "The Genesis Seed usually just absorbs everything."

"Perhaps it sees some value in maintaining a separate red sun core in this world," Azure suggested. "Or maybe it's just amusing itself."

Shaking my head, I focused on the stream of energy entering my body. The red sun immediately began devouring it, it grew larger and larger, its crimson light growing more intense with each passing moment.

"Quite the glutton," Azure observed dryly. "Though its processing efficiency is remarkably crude compared to the Genesis Seed's methods."

He wasn't wrong. While the tiny sun absorbed massive quantities of energy, most of it seemed to dissipate uselessly into my inner world. Only a small fraction actually contributed to strengthening my red core. Still, with the sheer volume of power the platform provided, even this inefficient method produced noticeable results.

As I watched, something changed in the miniature sun's behavior. Its movements became more pronounced, almost swaggering, as it swelled to nearly twice its original size. The raw power it had absorbed seemed to have gone to its head, giving it a kind of primitive consciousness – or at least the spiritual equivalent of arrogance.

"Oh dear," Azure sighed. "It appears your little sun has developed delusions of grandeur."

The miniature sun, now bloated with absorbed energy, turned its attention to the Genesis Seed. It pulsed aggressively, sending out waves of crimson power in what seemed like a challenge. The display reminded me of a young cultivator showing off their abilities to an elder, completely unaware of the vast gulf in their actual powers.

The Genesis Seed's response was remarkable in its complete lack of interest. It continued its steady rhythm of energy conversion, paying about as much attention to the miniature sun as a mountain would to an ant.

This apparent dismissal seemed to irritate the sun, which flared brightly and launched itself toward the seed in what could only be described as a spiritual tantrum.

"This should be fun," Azure commented, his tone caught between amusement and second-hand embarrassment.

The Genesis Seed's reaction was swift and absolute. One moment the miniature sun was charging forward, all bluster and borrowed power. The next, with a motion that somehow conveyed both irritation and disdain, the Genesis Seed simply... swallowed the red sun core.

For a moment, I felt the seed perform an exaggerated chewing motion, as if to emphasize just how little effort this had required. Then, with what I could only interpret as disdain, it spat the sun back out.

The once-proud miniature sun, now drastically reduced in size and power, looked deflated as it floated limply. It retreated to the furthest corner of my inner world, trying to make itself as inconspicuous as possible.

"Well," Azure said after a moment of silence, "I believe the hierarchy has been firmly established."

I had to agree. The Genesis Seed had completely drained the red sun's absorbed energy, converting it into something different than what I was used to.

While the red sun core typically provided energy that enhanced my physical essence by around 100 points, this purified version reminded me more of spiritual qi.

I watched the converted energy flow through my inner world, temporarily stored in the space the Genesis Seed had created. It wasn't ideal - like trying to hold water in cupped hands rather than a proper vessel.

"Your inner world can contain this energy for now," Azure explained, "but it's admittedly crude. When you form your Foundational Rune, that will serve as a more suitable reservoir for this type of power. Think of it like having a proper dantian specifically designed for red sun essence."

I nodded. It made sense - the Foundational Rune would likely provide structure and stability that my makeshift approach lacked. But for now, this would have to do.

"The Genesis Seed just converted most of that unstable energy into something more useful. I could probably handle a higher platform now."

"True," Azure agreed. "Though moving up would draw attention."

I considered my options carefully. Moving to a higher platform would mean faster development of my red sun core - crucial for eventually forming a Foundation Rune, as Vayara had mentioned. But it would also make me even more conspicuous than I already was.

"They already know I'm different," I decided. "Being cautious won't make them forget. If they're going to target me anyway..." I looked up at the higher platforms. "Might as well get strong enough to survive it."

With that, I stood up, immediately drawing attention from the nearby initiates. Their whispers followed me as I made my way to one of the highest platforms in the chamber.

The senior sister who had explained the platform system earlier noticed my movement and frowned slightly. "Initiate, meditation period is not yet—" She fell silent as I stepped off my platform.

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Steps materialized beneath my feet - another piece of the academy's impressive formation network. "This place really does think of everything," I murmured.

Each step took me higher, past dozens of occupied platforms where other initiates cracked their eyes open to see what was going on.

The whispers started almost immediately.

"Is he insane?"

"Those platforms are for peak Rank 1 cultivators..."

"He'll burn out his core!"

I ignored them, focusing instead on maintaining my balance as I climbed. The red sun's energy grew noticeably stronger with each tier I passed, but the Genesis Seed handled the increase without difficulty. Finally, I reached the highest occupied platform level – nearly twice as high as my original position.

The moment I settled into meditation position, I felt the difference. The red sun's power here was incredibly concentrated, pouring into my spiritual core like a crimson waterfall.

"The platforms appear to be arranged in a logarithmic progression,” Azure explained. “The energy density at this height is at least eight times greater than your previous position."

The miniature sun, seemingly recovered from its earlier humbling, began cautiously absorbing the enhanced flow of energy.

"Don't get cocky this time," I thought at it, though I doubted the construct could actually hear me.

Sure enough, as more energy accumulated, the sphere began to swell again. Its previous lesson apparently forgotten, it once more grew proud and aggressive. When it reached what it clearly thought was sufficient size, it turned its attention back to the Genesis Seed.

I could almost hear Azure sighing.

The confrontation played out almost exactly as before. The red sun core, drunk on its temporary power, challenged the Genesis Seed. The seed, apparently even less impressed this time, simply devoured it, processed the energy, and spat out the depleted remains.

I retracted my spiritual sense from my inner world and noticed that the whispers around me had only grown more intense.

"He's not even using proper resonance techniques..."

"Look at his energy signature - no runes at all!"

"I heard Elder Molric took him as a direct disciple..."

"The Natural everyone's talking about?"

The senior sister had given up trying to warn me, though I could feel her watching intently. Her expression mixed concern with fascination, probably wondering how an initiate with no proper training could handle such concentrated power.

"If she only knew," Azure mused. "The Genesis Seed is doing most of the work. Without it..."

"I'd probably be crystallizing like those failures in the garden," I agreed. It was a sobering thought. The World Tree Sutra's protection was the only thing keeping me sane in this madhouse of a cultivation system.

Hours passed in this pattern. The red sun core would gorge itself on power, challenge the Genesis Seed, get thoroughly humbled, and start the cycle again. Each iteration left me with a bigger storage of pure red sun energy.

When the bell finally rang to end meditation, I opened my eyes to find nearly every gaze in the chamber focused on me. The whispers had evolved into a constant murmur, despite the senior disciples' attempts to maintain silence.

As I descended to rejoin the lines, the senior sister who'd first guided me approached.

"That was... impressive," she said carefully. "And concerning. No one should be able to handle that level of resonance without proper runic foundations."

I bowed politely. "The crimson light illuminates all paths, Senior Sister. As the ancient saying goes - a drop of water finds its own level, just as resonance finds its natural vessel."

It was complete nonsense of course - I'd made up that "ancient saying" on the spot. But in my experience, most would rather accept a flowery non-answer that sounded profound than admit they didn't understand something.

To my surprise, her eyes widened. "The crimson light... yes, of course! Just as water shapes itself to any container, resonance must..." she trailed off, lost in thought.

"I can't believe that actually worked," I thought to Azure as she walked away, still muttering to herself about water and vessels.

"Sometimes, Master," Azure replied dryly, "the most effective nonsense is the kind that lets others find their own profound meanings."

As we filed out of the meditation hall, I could hear her excitedly explaining her "insight" to another senior disciple. Something about natural resonance patterns and fluid dynamics that had absolutely nothing to do with what I'd said.

"I should probably feel bad about that…”

"Who knows?" Azure replied. "Perhaps you'll accidentally trigger her breakthrough. It wouldn't be the first time in history that profound insights came from misinterpreted nonsense."

Our conversation was interrupted when the boy who'd tried to talk to me earlier fell into step beside me. Despite the rules about silence, he couldn't seem to help himself.

"That was amazing," he whispered. "I've never seen anyone go straight to the top platforms before. How did you-"

A sharp crack interrupted him as a discipline whip struck the ground near our feet.

"Silence in the lines!" The senior disciple's voice held genuine anger now. "Next violation earns physical correction!"

The boy paled and snapped back to proper posture. I did the same, though my mind was already racing ahead to tomorrow's lessons. If my crude method was drawing this much attention already, I'd need to learn proper resonance techniques quickly.

"At least the Genesis Seed seems up to the task," I thought.

"For now," Azure agreed. "But we should probably learn the proper foundations before someone decides to 'help' by forcibly inscribing runes on you."

Given what I'd seen of this place so far, that was a disturbingly plausible concern.