I never lack resources as second to the grand master; I never have to hunt down my herbs. And I make my superior-grade pills.

With the monetary compensation, I cultivate the expensive art of blacksmithing.

When I succeed, I can craft a common-grade sword. But, most times, I prepare scrap metal.

Despite my failures, the acolytes are eager to work under me.

My training in the Steady Sword style of fighting progresses.

And, in time, I am ready to join the rest of the adepts in their practice.

Despite the enormity of my internal energies, my swordsmanship needs considerable practice.

Years pass.

I wonder at the point of keeping track of how old I am.

Were I a mortal, I'd be an old man.

I wonder if my brother still lives. My mother must have passed away many years ago.

Despite how sad I feel I should be to outlive my family, I find myself disconnected.

I am an immortal. There is no heady intoxication with power in my thoughts—only fact.

I must learn a number of things from Nigel, the grand master, and grow.

I already surpassed him in several facets.

"I find I learn more from you these days than you from me." Nigel lets out a soft chuckle.

"Are you prepared for the next step?"

A part of me wants to say no. But, instead, I say, "Yes, sir."

Nigel claps me on the back, "Good lad."

There's no great ceremony as I accept the new role—just a bunch of paperwork.

As the new grandmaster alchemist, I sign off on recipe ideas. Adding notes on how to improve them.

Nigel remains close to advise me on the protocols of my new station.

I still squeeze in my blacksmithing and sword practice. But, the lion's share of my day is spent in the apothecary.

One day, in particular, I am summoned by the patriarch.

Understanding my duty, I turn from what I had been doing and take my flying sword to race over.

"Director Chambers," I greet the man as I approach.

"Grandmaster."

The man is curt but not hostile.

I am directed to the door and find myself in the purple-lit hall of the patriarch.

I walk along the lengthy table until I come before the patriarch and a handful of attendants.

"Sit," comes the commanding man's voice.

I dutifully pull out a chair on the side of the table I'm on.

"Grandmaster," the patriarch says. "How are you faring in your new station?"

"Well, Your Excellency."

I wonder at the nature of this meeting.

"Some in my court feel it premature to give you such heavy responsibilities."

Several voices resound with their agreement.

I watch my tongue in this den.

"I serve at your pleasure, Your Excellency."

"Yes," the ageless man says. "Tell me, grandmaster, what do you know of the origins of our sect?"

I need to gain more knowledge of the history of my sect. Rather than the history, I was always more interested in my training.

"He doesn't even care about tradition!" an angry man bursts out.

Several voices share their agreement.

"Steady Sword has a long history," the patriarch says. "We began our rise to prominence in the age of desolation when the old kingdoms and empires waged wars with armies of cultivators.

"The wars were absolute. No quarter was shown.

"Many sects came into existence at this time. Each sold their services to the nobility.

"Steady sword was no different.

"We were swords for hire. Our concern was not for who deserved to die by our blades.

"This was a time of betrayal. We betrayed the will of the giants who founded Steady Sword.

"In the beginning, the sect only took on those who chose the sect. There was a sense of unity and purpose. The art of the sword was our highest aspiration.

"I was..." the patriarch pauses. "I was not so fortunate as to have lived in the age of giants.

"The age of desolation was upon the realm when I was a boy.

"The sect had long since filled its ranks with conscripts.

"The attrition rate was staggering. We pumped out mortals to fight on the stages of immortals and demigods.

"The wars of the age have left scars upon our world that refuse to heal. Scars like the desert by the Saur Sea."

I think of my time in the desert. I hadn't realized it was the site of ancient warfare.

The patriarch seems caught up in thought, so I wait.

"The current age is a composite of where we've been before. The age of desolation saw us betray our ideals. And, to this day, we conscript and perform mercenary work.

"But, we aspire to revisit the age of giants. For the art of the sword to be the passion of every member.

"I have observed your dedication, grand master.

"You have a pure soul. Your dao carved into it.

"I respect what I see."

I wonder if he went through all this just to say, good work.

"You may return to your affairs."

I stand and bow hand over fist to the patriarch.

The dissenters from earlier in the conversation hold their peace.

He wanted to give credit before his council to reign in the backstabbing bureaucrats.

Whatever the case, I respect the patriarch for his strength of character.

I think of those who sought to undermine me before the patriarch. My ascension with the alchemists has stirred up the hatred of more than a few actors in the sect.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

I shove the useless thoughts out of my mind. My training and work are more important now than ever.

With political enemies comes a form of violence I am unprepared for.

But, the patriarch gave me an edge to use.

My study of the sect's history, the tales of powerful immortals past and present, becomes an important area of study for me.

As I review, the causes of death for a number of those great men were combat-related. Even among immortals, the saying 'live by the sword, die by the sword' rings true.

I dedicate my dao to living by the sword for a long time.

My work with the apothecary progresses smoothly. Despite the paperwork, I continue to have a hand in crafting pills.

Even with his retirement from the position of the grand master, Nigel maintains a strong presence in the apothecary.

He serves as my second when using the grand master cauldron.

I spend years honing my skills. Rather than adept, I am a novice with the blade.

Swordsmanship remains the basis from which everything in the sect stems.

To be a grandmaster in alchemy but a novice in swordsmanship is somewhat embarrassing.

And so, I resolve myself every day to pursue an ever greater standard.

Since reaching this stage, I have begun participating in sparring matches. They are challenging boughts. Everyone I face is at my level or better.

I'm at about even on my win/loss ratio.

Every defeat drives into me how much stronger I need to be. I don't want to die by the sword so soon.

I have also advanced in my blacksmithing pursuit. My scrap blades have dropped in quantity. Though, I am still far from anything resembling a superior sword.

In every aspect of my life, I strive to remember my dao.

At night, I look to the stars. I find myself looking wantonly to the wanderer. Free to come and go as he pleases.

I let out a sigh, my tension leaving me.

I am still determining where I want to wander to. I want to pick a road and follow it.

As I watch the stars, I wonder how many more years it will take to follow my wanderlust.

In this vein, the years pass.

My physical age is the mid-twenties. But, my spiritual age is vast.

Everything I do is laced with my dao, and I become conscious of how my dao affects those around me.

The lessons that young alchemists learn from me in the art shape who they become.

And, at the forge, I have several pupils learning alongside me.

My thoughts turn to Jack, the man who once called me master.

Did he make it into Violet Horizon? Perhaps he climbed the ranks of the sect.

I have stayed in the Steady Sword village since I came here decades ago.

Now that I have taken up his role, Nigel comes and goes as he pleases.

I envy the man's freedom as I fill out the daily paperwork.

It's frustrating having so many people depending on me.

I remember the footloose dao I wanted in my youth. Somehow, every path came with its bonds.

The thing that draws me back to the center is my inner cultivation.

When I dive deep into my soul, I get lost in the sea of Chi that grows into an ocean.

The resonance and fortifying pills are my main path to filling my soul well with the heavenly Chi that is so dense in the Steady Sword village.

The dense chi results from a huge mystical array over the village.

My thoughts turn to the use of arrays in the practice of cultivation.

Unfortunately, there aren't any masters of arrays in the sect. The village's array is a relic of the forgotten past.

There are no masters in arrays. But, some dabble in the art.

"Grandmaster, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

The man before me is a master in all facets of life—an ascended immortal.

"Your Excellency."

I bow hand over fist to the man.

"Oh, come now. Calvin will do."

"Calvin, sir, I've heard of your practice with crystal arrays."

The man smiles, "An exotic art for you to be interested in, grand master."

I say nothing to deny it.

"I thought that it would be a worthy area of study.

"Indeed. I'm glad to be of assistance. I can show you some of the arrays I've had success with. Please, come with me."

I follow Calvin to his estate. As an ascended immortal, he has both standing and wealth to spare.

I wonder about the size of this village. It feels like the space is bent in places.

The estate of the ascended immortal is elegant in its craft.

"Come inside," Calvin guides me into the mansion.

Purple light stone illuminates the interior, and I am drawn to a central space in the room.

"This," Calvin indicates the array, "is the flower of life."

On display are circles within circles made with valuable crystals and gemstones.

"Each circle represents thought and spirit. Spirit is the shell of thought.

"This is the flower of life. But, it only represents something greater, the garden of life. Otherwise known as the tapestry of creation.

"We each have a place in the garden. And spirit and thought are the manifestation of who we are. At that point, you can identify your grace."

I marvel at the design. I can't even count how many circles are laid out.

"What does it do?" I ask, dumbfounded.

Calvin smiles, "That depends on how you lay it out. Using a quartz crystal, amethyst, or jade as you construct the array can have several subtle effects. I find array construction an expensive hobby. You're not restricted to the use of any particular jewels.

"Even stones can manifest the energies of the heavens if laid out in the right pattern. That said, there are stronger and weaker designs." My eye is drawn to the empty circle at the center of the flower.

"If you'd like to test the effects, I welcome you to try the array."

Despite his encouragement, I feel some trepidation.

Calvin smiles encouragingly, and I muster my courage.

The array hums with activity as I set foot in it. The Chi of heaven and earth becomes denser as I move to the center.

I'm practically swimming in chi when I reach my destination.

I look back to Calvin, who stands off to the side, watching as I sit cross-legged at the center of the array.

The crystals are singing to me as I meditate.

The song soothes the crack in my soul body.

I spend several minutes that feel like hours in meditation.

I open my eyes and feel a light shine from within my soul.

Calvin smiles, "Nice, huh?"

This is how an ascended immortal cultivates.

I memorized the layout. I need clarification on the mechanism behind the design.

"You start with a thought that you bind with spirit, and your first layer is formed. From this central node, you extend thought to six equidistant places on the perimeter of the spirit. From these six thought nodules, you create six new spirits. From here, you have the seed of life.

"For every subsequent spirit circle, follow the routine of the first.

"By hollowing out the central node, you take your place as thought, and the array will serve you."

I listen, dumbfounded by the explanation.

"I thought you said you weren't a master in this art."

Calvin chuckles, "If you think this is mastery, you haven't seen anything.

"The true power of an array like this is incorporating it into your soul body."

I feel the excitement grow within me to attempt my own array.

"Come on, I'll show you a few more."

With that, I follow my senior in cultivation around his estate.

The other arrays are fascinating. But I find the flower of life the most interesting array to use for my growth.

"Thank you for your time, Calvin."

"Of course, grandmaster." Calvin smiles as he escorts me to the door of his mansion.

"See you when you have time to visit the apothecary."

"Yes, grandmaster. I look forward to your lessons."

It's somewhat disconcerting to have an ascended immortal show me such deference. But I appreciate his openness.

I leave his estate, optimistic about the lesson in arrays I received.

There is no house for me to find shelter in while I arrange an array. The stars above my only shelter at night for so long.

There is a place I can turn to in this village—the immortals' caves.

There is a large rock face beneath the main village.

It is here that excavation has opened many enclosures to be rented out.

Some guards patrol. Violators of the rules have their cultivation crippled and are exiled from the village.

Here, I can safely assemble an array.

I find the administrators in a cave on the cliff face.

"We can rent out one of our largest caves when you are ready, sir."

I pay out the monthly fee. It is as copper pieces before the cost I expect to find for the crystals and gemstones I will procure.

With shelter attended to, I turn my attention to the matter of my array.

My compensation as grand master is sizeable. I should be able to afford what I want.

My first stop is a shop that stocks crystals and gemstones for enchanting purposes.

"Welcome, sir. How may I help you?"

I tell the man my purpose.

"Sir, we have a wide variety. But, we cannot offer you so many of one specific crystal. It will take time to stock so many."

I resign myself to making a composite array.

The coin I spend digs deep into my coin purse.

But, I now have the necessary items for my very own flower of life.

"Thank you for your patronage, sir. Do come again."

I nod to the pleased merchant before turning to leave.

I enter my immortal's cave for the first time. It's broad and saturated with chi.

The task of assembling the flower of life is time-consuming, and I spend many hours correcting mistakes in the layout.

Every circle gets its type of gemstone or crystal. But then, I started running out of my stock.

I let out a sigh as I survey my work. I had enough to circle the whole array with the last of my stock.

There is still room in the cave, and I will be able to build a comparable array to the one Calvin has.

A thrill of excitement courses through me as I enter the array. I feel a hum take the air as I delve deeper into it.

Sitting at the array's center, I feel heaven and earth's chi almost violently flow into the cave. Each bit of energy fought to get through the cave entrance.

When the chi meets my array, it flows through the stones and crystals.

Winding over and over through the chains of my amateur tapestry of creation.

The energy meets me at the center, several folds stronger than when I cultivate under the stars.

I pop out a Heavenly Resonance and Heavenly Fortifying pill and swallow them.

I begin absorbing tremendous amounts of energy.

My mind sinks into my soul well. That cavernous pit where the ocean of internal energy has been slowly growing for years.

As I view the cavern, I see clouds of chi forming. It threatens to rain down a flood on my soul well.

I pull my focus out of my internal energies and look to my array.

I remember Calvin's words on making the array an extension of my soul body.

It's more difficult than I would have thought.

It's like fighting a current. A moment's lack of focus, and I am carried back to myself.

I spend my free time in this new form of meditation. But I have other responsibilities.

The apothecary leaves me with significant responsibilities, and my martial and blacksmith training are important to my overall cultivation.

The only time I find the freedom to focus on my chi cultivation is at night when I would normally be watching the heavens.

I still manage to fit in time to star gaze.

But array mastery holds too much appeal for me not to use it.

Time passes as I grow in my cultivation. It will be many years before I will be ready to ascend. But I am making steady progress.

"Grandmaster," one of the acolytes speaks up from a crowd. "How did you become so proficient in the art of alchemy?"

I look from the expectant youngster to the eager faces of the rest.

I chuckle, "Practice, acolyte."

The young man doesn't look entirely pleased by the answer.

I let out a sigh.

"Alright," I begin. "You want to know what it took for me to grow as an alchemist?"

A number of the fledglings nod their heads.

"Okay," I say to the sparkly-eyed youths. "In my younger years as an immortal, I was captive to an ascended immortal. My time could be spent however I wished. But, I was prohibited from leaving the island until I made for her a perfect pill."

I've told this story to groups of acolytes like this before. Every new cycle wants to hear the tale.

"What was the pill?" an enraptured student asks.

I look to the student, "The Dragon's Scream."

Before I started telling the tale, few had heard of the pill. However, it has since become a popular pill for aspiring young chemists to make.

"And you consumed every failure?"

I smile a nostalgic smile.

"It was a trial. But, I couldn't abide discarding the pills."

Most attending students still need to open their sights to the spiritual world.

But those that do can see the terrifying whirlwind that is my soul well.

"I wouldn't recommend chasing perfection with the dragon's scream. Many other pills will not consume so much of you."

Despite my words, I know many of these young men and women will attempt to ascend in line with my path.

"Self-study is important. But, my dao of alchemy grew by leaps and bounds when I became an acolyte of Steady Sword.

"The insights preached for centuries paved the way to greater heights in my career."

Those acolytes are eager to stand among the giants of the sect.

It strikes me how every one of these fresh-faced youths survived the trial of the pit, leaving behind the dead and those too weak to climb.

Despite the nature of their incorporation into the sect, they are each eager to prove themselves worthy of the Steady Sword title.

After my speech to the youths, I demonstrate the crafting process. I take for my practice one of the early pill recipes that young alchemists are familiar with, the Earthen Vine pill.

I take one of the more experienced acolytes as my second and begin the preparation.

Only some components are prepared in advance. So, I depend on my second to dissect the herbs on the spot.

The cauldron is warmed, and my crafting begins.

I spend the next two hours demonstrating the process for the young.

Many take notes, trying to find the secret to crafting a rare pill.

I finish and let the pills cool.

Finished, I instruct everyone to form a line.

Each eager young acolyte receives a superior-grade pill, many for the first time.

"The Earthen Vine pill will aid you in forming your soul stone. I wish all of you great fortune."

The acolytes bow hand over fist.

"Thank you, grandmaster."

It strikes me how I've grown accustomed to the title.

What other feats are there to achieve after achieving what I already have?

In the quiet moments, I retreat to my immortal's cave. With every passing year, I expand and refine my array.

I aspire to make an array with all the same types of crystals or gems.

But, my array only grows while the enchanters complain to the store clerk about not having enough materials for their dusts.

I settle for my composite and spend most of my nights absorbing the chi of heaven and earth with the boon of superior-grade pills.

I breathe in and out.

In with chi and out with pollution.

My soul well is a storm of energy as clouds of chi rain down on the ocean of my internal energy.

Despite the absorption rate, I have much work to do before I ascend.

Having such an expansive soul is to my credit, but it has limitations.

Renald has ascended in the years I've spent cultivating.

Despite his ascension, he remains a faithful steward.

"Grandmaster, we've been through this. You are too important to the sect for you to travel unguarded.

I let out a sigh. We have been through this. He refuses to abandon my side, even though I never leave the village.

My training with the high art of the sword has advanced to a stage where I am ready to receive a sword.

But, I have refused the sword that the sect offered me.

I will craft my first sword.

The forge requires more attention as I still make common swords.

Fortunately, there is a market for these disposable swords. Cultivators will dump chi into a sword before throwing it at an enemy. From there, the sword explodes, raining shrapnel down on the foe.

I only make a little with the common swords, but it does cover costs.

I'm no longer living my life but simply observing it.

As the years pass, the fresh faces of the recruits harden with resolve.

Only some people pass the test of time in Steady Sword.

But, at least we feed our acolytes after they pass the test of the pit.

Those who fail to form their soul stone wither with age. Many only attain immortality in their advanced years, and many pass away in meditation.

One can never quite tell how old another immortal is. But I know the faces of my pupils.

If I can cultivate a successor to the role of the grandmaster, then I, like Nigel, will be free to attend to my own affairs.