“I don’t understand the point you’re making, Brother Tao,” Zhang Yuhan said, his brow furrowed as he stared at the pages of the manuscript Jiang Tao had laid before them.

They sat together in a secluded courtyard, the evening air cool and quiet. Zhou Yixing was off to the side, his eyes half-closed, meditating as he listened in.

Jiang Tao ran a hand through his hair, frustration seeping into his tone. “What I’m saying is, we’ve been thinking about cultivation too narrowly. The Elder’s lecture… It was a revelation. He talked about the Dao, and the principles behind it, not just techniques or power. He made me realize we can’t just follow a straight path. We have to understand the essence of what we’re doing.”

Yuhan’s frown deepened, his fingers brushing the edge of the manuscript. “So you’re saying that instead of just mastering the techniques, we should focus on what’s behind them? But that's obvious, Elder Yan Ming gave a lecture on the same thing back at Five Lights Peak,”

Jiang Tao’s lips thinned in frustration. "It sounds obvious, but we’re not doing it. Think about it. We’ve been learning techniques and improving our cultivation bases, but have we really been trying to understand the why behind each of our steps? We’ve been so focused on advancing that we haven’t asked ourselves if we’re walking the right path. The Elder said it—stagnation is death. We’ve been content just following what’s in front of us."

Zhang Yuhan tapped the manuscript, a flicker of curiosity breaking through his skepticism. "So you’re saying we’ve been… Coasting? Just going through the motions?"

Tao nodded, his eyes blazing with the same intensity he had felt during the lecture. "Exactly. We’ve been doing everything we’re supposed to do—cultivating, practicing, and learning techniques—but that’s not enough. It’s like we’re trying to climb a mountain without realizing why we’re climbing it. The Dao is what connects everything, and if we don’t get that, we’ll never break through our limits."

Zhou Yixing, who had been silent until now, opened his eyes and glanced at Tao. "You sound like you’re chasing something bigger than just cultivation realms, Tao. What is it you’re really after?"

Jiang Tao paused, considering Yixing’s question. What was he after? Survival, sure. But it was more than that now. The lecture had ignited something deeper within him—a hunger for understanding, mastery, and more than just surviving in a brutal world.

He wanted to be exceptional, to rise above not just his enemies but the very limits of the world itself.

"Perfect attainment," Tao said quietly, almost to himself. Then louder, "I want to master my path. Not just stumble through it hoping for the best. It’s like Elder Rong said: the Dao is the tapestry of existence itself, and we’re just trying to piece it together.”

Yixing gave him a surprised look “Perfect attainment? Brother Tao, that's a myth and a fancy of delusional cultivators. This Elder Rong had led you astray,”

Must you always be the pessimist? He thought mildly irritated.

Jiang Tao met Yixing’s gaze, determination flaring in his chest. “Maybe it is a myth, but what’s wrong with striving for it? Isn’t that what cultivation is about? Seeking the highest truth, the ultimate understanding of our paths? If we aim for the stars, at least we’ll rise higher than we would if we set our sights lower.”

Zhou Yixing’s brow furrowed, his skepticism clear. “And what if you fall short? What if chasing this ‘perfect attainment’ only leads to disappointment? Countless cultivators have pursued lofty ideals and ended up broken or worse. You must keep your feet on the ground.”

“Grounded? Sure, but not so anchored that we forget to reach for greatness!” Jiang Tao retorted, his voice rising. “We can’t let fear dictate our ambition. Just because something seems unattainable doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. We must push beyond our limits, or stagnation will consume us!”

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Zhang Yuhan, sensing the tension, interjected, “Okay, let’s not turn on each other. Jiang Tao, I see where you’re coming from, but maybe Zhou Yixing has a point. We shouldn’t lose sight of our immediate goals. Perfect attainment is grand, but that is far, far away even the founder of the Zhang Clan has not achieved it,”

Jiang Tao took a deep breath, trying to rein in his frustration. The air between them felt charged, their perspectives clashing like swords in a duel. “Never mind, I concede for now... I have something else I wanted to say,”

“I wanted to discuss how we win this succession war..”

Zhang Yuhan immediately perked up, intrigued. “Go on.”

“I know you've been eyeing the stragglers who haven't sided with any of your siblings but I believe there’s a more worthwhile pursuit,”

“Which is?”

“We create our own supporters. I was inspired by your actions with Yichen. The same thing just on a wider scale, we find wandering cultivators or people with untapped potential and we nurture them into formidable cultivators,”

Zhang Yuhan's eyes widened, and he leaned forward, clearly interested. “You mean to say you want us to take on students and teach?”

Jiang Tao nodded, his excitement palpable. “Exactly! Think about it. Instead of just waiting for potential allies to come to us, we could actively seek them out.”

Zhang Yuhan leaned back, contemplating the implications of Jiang Tao’s idea. “But that’s a significant undertaking. We’re only in the foundation stage, and we still have our own cultivation to worry about. How can we teach others when we’re still learning ourselves?”

Jiang Tao shrugged, his enthusiasm undeterred. “That’s the beauty of it! Teaching others can reinforce our own understanding. By sharing our knowledge and experiences, we’ll grow alongside them. Plus, we’ll build a network of allies who are invested in our cause. Imagine having a group of strong supporters who owe their growth to us!”

Zhou Yixing, still skeptical, frowned. “It sounds noble, but can we afford it? Pills and manuals do not grow from trees. I could source them from the clan but Grandfather would not support wasting clan resources on outsiders,”

Jiang Tao waved a hand dismissively. “We’re not just handing out resources for free. We can set up a system where those we train contribute back to us in some way.”

Yixing made a noncommittal gesture, clearly still weighing the practicality of Jiang Tao’s idea. “And what if these so-called supporters turn out to be liabilities? We’ll be spreading ourselves thin, trying to cultivate our own paths while managing others.”

Jiang Tao leaned forward, his eyes shining with fervor. “That’s a risk we have to take! Think about it, Yixing. Every great sect and clan started from somewhere. They didn’t just wait for the right people to come to them. They sought talent, nurtured it, and built something greater.”

Zhang Yuhan nodded slowly, catching the spark of inspiration in Tao’s words. “But how do we find these people?”

Jiang Tao straightened, enthusiasm bubbling up. “They're right under our noses,” He said before gesturing around. “We can start with the outer disciples of the twilight flame sect, like Yichen. I forgot to ask but what are your intentions with him?”

“Oh, brother Yixing thought it would be amusing to watch the twilight flame disciples' reactions to his growth.”

Yixing took the moment to chime in, "Yes amusement we didn't intend to inspire such ideas,"

Jiang Tao shook his head, a mix of frustration and determination in his eyes. “You see, that’s exactly the mindset we need to change. You're too arrogant.”

Zhou Yixing opened his mouth to respond but paused, surprised by the intensity in Jiang Tao’s voice.

“You haven't realized we have the worst chances out of everyone in the Celestial Illumination sect and we’re looked down upon by everyone else. They call Yuhan the peasant prince. We’re on the losing side which that’s why no one wants to join us..”

Zhou Yixing narrowed his eyes, the weight of Jiang Tao's words sinking in. “So what? Just because we’re seen as lesser doesn’t mean we can afford to nurture those we view as even lower,”

“Yes, so swallow your pride and listen,” he said.

“I agree with Brother Tao this is worth trying,” Zhang Yuhan chimed in.

Zhou Yixing stared at Zhang Yuhan in disbelief. “You can’t be serious. Are you considering this? Training those beneath us? What good will it do? We must focus on our cultivation, not become nursemaids for stragglers.”

“We’ll just have to be better,” Jiang Tao said staring him down.

Yixing sighed, “There’s no convincing you otherwise. I concede,” he said echoing Tao’s earlier words. “This better succeed brother Tao.”

As the weight of Zhou Yixing’s reluctant concession settled in the air, Jiang Tao felt a surge of hope mixed with a tinge of anxiety.

“It will. It has to.”