The elder sitting furthest to the left had a hint of wood energy mixed with his red sun power. It was faint, barely noticeable, but to someone who cultivated the World Tree Sutra... it called to me like a beacon.

"If you would have me," I said, bowing to the wood elder, "I would learn from you, Venerable One."

The chamber went silent. The wood elder's eyebrows rose slightly – the first expression I'd seen on his otherwise stoic face.

"Interesting choice," he said finally. His voice was quieter than the others, but carried just as much weight. "Why?"

I chose my words carefully. "I feel... a connection to your energy, Venerable One. As if it resonates with something in me."

“Hmm,” he murmured as he studied me for a long moment. "Very well. I accept."

"A waste," the flame elder muttered, but didn't openly object.

"Then it is decided," the ice elder declared. "He will study under Elder Molric. See that proper documents are filed." This last part seemed directed at no one in particular, but I noticed several shadowy figures detach themselves from the walls and disappear through hidden doors.

"Come," Elder Molric said, rising from his seat. He was a tall and thin middle-aged man, with bark-like patterns on his robes. "We have much to discuss."

As we left the chamber, I caught Vayara's approving nod. She'd seen how I manipulated that vine during the raid - my choice of Elder Molric probably made perfect sense to her. After all, why wouldn't someone who could control plants choose the wood element master?

"A logical choice," she murmured. "I was wondering if you'd be tempted by the more... flashy elements. Many initiates forget that true power comes from mastering what you already know, not chasing after every new technique."

She shook her head, "well, my task here is done. Try not to die too quickly - I've invested quite a bit of time in bringing you here."

With that characteristically unsettling farewell, she turned and glided away. I watched her disappear down one of the crystalline corridors, leaving me alone with the elder.

"A focused path is often the wisest," Azure agreed. "You've barely scratched the surface of wood element techniques."

They were both right. Back in the Azure Peak Sect, I'd only begun to explore wood element cultivation. The World Tree Sutra had shown me glimpses of what was possible, but I was still a beginner. Now I had a chance to learn from a master of wood techniques, even if his energy source was different.

"The principles should be similar," I thought back to Azure. "Even if the red sun's energy works differently from Qi, the fundamentals of how it interacts with plants can't be completely foreign."

Besides, I'd already proven I could manipulate the red sun's power. Better to build on that foundation, combining it with wood element techniques, than to start learning an entirely new element from scratch. Elder Molric might use different methods, but his understanding of plant life and energy would be invaluable.

Sometimes the best path forward wasn't the most impressive – it was the one that built on what you already knew.

Elder Molric led me through a series of increasingly narrow corridors, each one seeming to branch off like the limbs of some great crystal tree. The other initiates we passed pressed themselves against the walls, bowing deeply as we passed. Their fear was palpable.

"You're wondering about the wood energy you sensed," he said suddenly, not turning around.

I nearly missed a step. "Yes, Venerable One."

"Few notice it. Fewer still understand its significance." We emerged onto a small balcony that offered a view of dense forests far below. "The red sun's power transforms everything it touches. Some changes are obvious – the Sun-touched, for instance. Others are more subtle."

He gestured to the forests. Even from this height, I could see patches where the trees had taken on a crystalline quality, their leaves catching the red sunlight like shards of ruby.

"I study these changes," he continued. "How life adapts to the red sun's influence. Most consider it a lesser path than pure elemental resonance, but..." A small smile crossed his face. "Nature has much to teach us about survival."

"Is that why you accepted me as your disciple?" I asked. "You sensed my connection to..." I hesitated, not wanting to reveal too much about the World Tree Sutra.

"To life energy? Yes." He turned to face me fully. "Though I suspect there's more to your story than you're telling."

I kept my expression neutral, remembering Vayara's warning about lying to the elders. "There's much I don't understand myself, Venerable One."

"Hmm." His eyes – a deeper crimson than most I'd seen here – studied me intently. "Well, we'll have time to unravel those mysteries. For now..." He reached into his robes and withdrew what looked like a seed made of red crystal. "Your first lesson begins."

I took the crystalline seed carefully. It pulsed with an inner light that reminded me of my own red core.

"What do you feel?" he asked.

I extended my spiritual sense toward the seed. "It's... alive? But not like normal life. The energy patterns are twisted, as if..."

"As if what?"

"As if it's caught between states," I said slowly, watching the energy flow through the crystal structure. "Not fully crystal, not fully plant. It's... adapting?"

His eyebrows rose slightly. "Very good. Most initiates can't perceive the transformation process at all." He took the seed back, rolling it between his fingers. "The red sun's power forces evolution, drives change. Most resist it, try to control it through runes and resonance. I prefer to... guide it."

His words resonated with something deep in my understanding of the World Tree Sutra. The Primordial Wood Arts also emphasized guiding rather than forcing growth, working with the natural flow of life energy rather than trying to dominate it.

Maybe this was why his energy had called to me – our philosophical approaches were more similar than I'd initially realized.

I watched as the seed began to sprout in his hand, growing crystalline roots and leaves that caught the light like prisms. Within moments, a small tree of living crystal stood in his palm, its branches swaying in a wind I couldn't feel.

"Beautiful," I breathed, genuinely impressed.

"Beauty is a byproduct," he said dismissively. "What matters is understanding. The red sun's power isn't just about destruction and madness – it's about transformation. Those who truly grasp this..." He closed his hand, and the crystal tree shattered into dust that swirled away on the wind. "They achieve things others think impossible."

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Is that what you'll teach me?"

"Among other things." He turned back toward the door. "Come. You need to be properly registered, given quarters, and..." He glanced at my villager's clothes with distaste, "appropriately attired."

Analyzing Elder Molric...

Social Link Established

Relationship Level: Enigmatic Master

Trust Level: 5%

Archetype: Reclusive Profound Expert

Note: Subject displays classic traits of the heterodox path cultivator. Isolated from mainstream practices, likely possesses unique insights others have overlooked.

Warning: May be involved in technically forbidden research.

Recommended Approach: Cautious respect with demonstrated interest in his theories.

I had to suppress a smile, Azure’s assessment wasn't wrong. Elder Molric did fit perfectly into that classic archetype of the unorthodox master who'd discovered some profound but controversial dao.

These types usually ended up one of three ways - either as revolutionary figures who changed their world forever, ostracized heretics who died bitter and alone, or the especially tragic ones who pushed their research too far and ended up as cautionary tales after they exploded from pursuing forbidden knowledge.

"Though given this academy's attitudes," I thought back to Azure, "I'm betting on the 'lonely heretic' path. At least he hasn't started ranting about how all the other elders are short-sighted fools who don't understand his profound insights yet."

"That usually doesn't start until chapter three of their story arc, Master."

***

The next few hours were a blur of administrative tasks. I was measured for robes, assigned a small room in one of the lesser spires, and given what felt like an endless series of documents to sign. Most seemed to be various forms of liability waivers, which did nothing to ease my concerns about survival rates here.

"These will help stabilize your resonance until you develop proper runic control," the quartermaster said, handing me a set of silver bands inscribed with crimson markings. "Wear them at all times."

I slipped them on, feeling their power integrate with my red core. The constant pressure I'd been feeling from the red sun eased slightly.

"And these," she continued, placing a stack of books on the counter, "are your initial study materials. Elder Molric expects you to be familiar with the basics of resonance theory before your first lesson tomorrow."

I stared at the pile. There had to be thousands of pages there. "Tomorrow?"

She smiled thinly. "Welcome to the academy, initiate. Sleep is a luxury you can no longer afford."

As if to emphasize this point, a bell tolled somewhere in the complex. Immediately, every initiate in sight stopped what they were doing and formed neat lines along the walls.

"Evening meditation," the quartermaster explained. "You'll learn the schedules soon enough. For now, follow them to the meditation hall. Try not to die on your first day – the paperwork is tremendous."

I joined the nearest line, trying to mimic the other initiates' rigid posture. The boy next to me shot me a quick glance, then whispered, "You're the Natural everyone's talking about?"

"Eyes forward, spine straight!" A senior disciple's voice cracked like a whip. "Meditation line is silent!"

I noticed the boy had fresh bruises on his face, probably from similar corrections. Clearly, Vayara hadn't been exaggerating about the strict discipline here.

The line began moving with military precision through the crystalline corridors. Every few steps, we passed senior disciples who watched for the slightest deviation in posture or spacing.

The meditation hall turned out to be a vast chamber near the top of the main spire. Thousands of individual crystalline platforms floated at various heights, each just large enough for one person to sit comfortably.

"Find your resonance level," a senior disciple instructed me quietly. She must have noticed my confusion, because she added, "The platforms are arranged in tiers based on cultivation level and resonance strength. The higher the platform, the more concentrated the red sun's energy becomes. Attempting to meditate above your level can be..." she glanced at a section of platforms that seemed darker than the others, "fatal."

I reached out with my spiritual sense, letting my red core's power flow naturally. Several platforms near the middle of the chamber glowed in response, their crystalline surfaces resonating with my energy.

"Impressive," the senior disciple murmured. "Most new initiates can barely reach the bottom levels - their resonance is too weak to handle anything higher. The bottom five tiers are for those still developing their Fundamental Rune. The middle sections are for those who have stabilized their core resonance. Only the highest platforms are for those who are close to breaking through to Rank 2." She studied me thoughtfully. "But then, I guess being a Natural changes things.”

“Thank you, Senior Sister,” I bowed.

I then made my way to one of the responding platforms and settled into a meditation pose. Around me, other initiates found their own levels, creating a living constellation of practitioners. The arrangement wasn't just for show - I could feel how the higher platforms channeled progressively more intense streams of the red sun's power.

"The tiered system prevents practitioners from overreaching," Azure noted. "Each level requires perfect resonance with the current tier before the next becomes accessible."

"Through resonance, we transcend," thousands of voices chanted in unison. "Through transcendence, we serve the Last Light."

I had to suppress a smile. Even the phrasing was perfect cult material - vague promises of transcendence, servitude framed as enlightenment, and that melodramatic 'Last Light' title.

"Begin," a voice commanded from somewhere above, and I could almost picture some hidden elder conducting this choir of devoted followers.

Still, I reminded myself, cult or not, they had power. Real, measurable power that I needed.

If chanting some melodramatic phrases was the price of learning their techniques, then I could live with that.