Azreal and Master Juhee make it back to Azreal's dorm, and Master Juhee stops just outside of his doorway. "Azreal, you've had your moment in the sun. Twice you've faced challenges that should've killed you, and yet here you stand, stronger for it," says Master Juhee, her expression becoming stern. Azreal turns in his doorway and locks eyes with his Master, sensing an almost frightened tone to her words.
"I know you believe you are strong, and perhaps you are stronger than some of the outer disciples," Master Juhee lets out a heavy sigh before continuing, "but what you will face in the future makes Junai look like an infant who hasn't learnt to crawl yet. The Sanguine Harbinger had not fully formed either, allowing you to kill a monster beyond your reach." Stopping her speech, Master Juhee stares into Azreal's eyes, searching for something deep within his soul.
The intense stare lasts for thirty seconds before Master Juhee continues, "I want you to promise me that you won't become arrogant or overconfident of your abilities. Both Lin Xue and Xin Hao could easily kill you, and I believe that Junai was only so simple to beat because of the intense rage and grief he felt over his brother's exceptionally recent death." Her words strike Azreal's weak sense of self, causing his previous heightened sense of self to diminish. A man such as Azreal wants to bask in the light for more than an afternoon, but he can see her words are important; he has just killed a 'powerful' disciple rather easily because arrogance replaced skill and intelligence.
Master Juhee stands still, her heart breaking as the handsome young man in front of her goes from an extreme high to an extreme low because of her words. She curses herself for being too harsh and eager to ensure he stays on the right path. Did I just destroy my disciple's sense of accomplishment? Why do I feel such a sense of fear when I think of this man dying due to his own foolish actions?
"Master, thank you for your guidance. I believe you are right. I am merely a frog stuck in a well, looking at the water around me and believing it to be the sky above!" says Azreal, his dour mood nowhere to be seen, a steely resolve all that remains. "I will continue to strive forward and ensure I become strong enough to protect myself and achieve my goals."
Master Juhee's previous concern is swept from her mind. Shame on me, I've doubted him and his resolve. I need to reward him for his efforts in the last two weeks. I want to give him more, but the Sect Leader advised me that if I spoil him, it will ruin his future. A new feeling begins to take shape deep within her mind, one of confidence and wishing to fully support the young man in front of her whose potential far outshines her own.
"Azreal, now that I've said what I wanted to, I have two pieces of information to tell you. Firstly, your reward for heading to Lihan Village and killing the Sanguine Harbinger. For this, the Sect has given you three hundred contribution points," Master Juhee says, as she takes out her jade slip and gestures for Azreal to retrieve his own, tapping them together as small ethereal golden coins transfer from her jade slip into his wooden outer disciple slip.
"Thank you, Master, but I do not know what I can do with contribution points, aside from buying food at the Ancient Dragon resturant..." Azreal replies with a sheepish grin on his face, unable to make eye contact with Master Juhee. Her face scrunches in reaction to his statement, "What do you mean, you don't know what contribution points are for?"
"I've never been told, and you sent me on a mission a couple of days after I got here," replies Azreal.
She moves her hand to her forehead and runs her long, elegant fingers along her eyebrows. "You are the strangest disciple this Sect has ever seen, and it's only been two weeks." Azreal gives an awkward smile to her statement, and from everything he's seen, his Master is most likely correct.
"Contribution points can be used to access Sect resources such as special training grounds specifically imbued with an ambient Qi type or equipment for specific techniques, to purchase rare and powerful cultivation manuals. They also allow you to request assistance from Sect Blacksmiths or Alchemists for equipment and potent elixirs essential for breakthroughs in cultivation," Master Juhee explains, her tone softening as she guides her disciple through the intricacies of Sect life.
"They can even be used to bid for spots in Sect missions that offer greater rewards and dangers, providing an opportunity for rapid advancement in cultivation and status within the Sect. Think of them as a currency that reflects your contributions to the Sect's strength and prosperity," she continues, ensuring Azreal understands the weight and value of the points he's earned.
"Thank you for your explanation, Master. I will use these points well," says Azreal, genuine joy beyond Master Juhee's expectations plastered on his face. I've never been so rich before. I can eat Bea's food now, right? I can't believe it. If I was this healthy in the real world, would life have treated me better? Even as Azreal's thoughts become darker, his sense of genuine joy can't be wavered. He has crushed his enemy, and now he is rich, at least in comparison to his real life.
"Now, the second piece of information is indeed a reward. Here, take this," Master Juhee remarks, a shadow crossing her face as she recalls Ancestor Eranta's rigorous training sessions. She manifests a bamboo scroll, secured with a strip of blue silk, from her robes. Azreal accepts the scroll, eyes widening as he unfurls it to reveal the title, "Nine Astral Steps," the name alone infused with a mystique that sends a shiver down his spine.
Azreal, taking the gift from his Master, examines the scroll as he unfurls it and reads its contents. "I know we talked about being more careful and ensuring you do not die from overconfidence. But in two weeks, you've fought against the Sanguine Harbinger and against an extremely well-connected disciple," Master Juhee says with a heavy sigh.
"I can only assume that you will continue to find yourself in dangerous situations, so I will pass the Nine Astral Steps down to you. Only the first two of nine steps are contained on this scroll; the rest were destroyed during a tragic event that almost killed the Ancestor. I won't tell you the details, as it's not my story, but just know that if you can master the Nine Astral Steps, you will be untouchable in the lower heavens," says Master Juhee.
"Thank you, Master. You keep providing me with profound techniques and guidance. I have never received such kindness," Azreal thanks Master Juhee, staring directly into her violet eyes. Master Juhee returns his stare and finds herself being taken back by his flawless face and captivating crystalline blue eyes, which shine as rays of sunlight pour in from behind Master Juhee and illuminate his handsome face.
A tense moment between Master and disciple, staring into each other's eyes, is broken by Azreal's words, "Thank you once again, Master. I plan to rest and recover before the outer disciple meeting tomorrow." He turns and makes his way inside, closing the door.
Master Juhee stands still, dazed by his handsome face, and shakes her head before turning to leave. The gentle breeze carries the scent of blooming flowers and the distant sound of clashing swords, a reminder of the constant pursuit of strength within the Sect. A soft reminder that if you stand still, the world will move past you. You're a grown woman. Why are you letting a boy make you feel this way? she curses to herself as she finally disappears from his dorm.
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Azreal, moving to his bedroom within the dorm, sighs as he lays down on the damaged futon, the day's events running through his mind before sleep takes hold and the fatigue of the day finally catching up, forcing him to drift off to sleep.
Awaking as the room slowly becomes brighter and brighter, Azreal questions how long he's been asleep. "Don't tell me I've been asleep since yesterday afternoon," he mutters.
"Plenty of time!" Azreal responds to the system internally without much thought. Previously, he had struggled with the idea of talking to another inside of his own mind. But from overuse, it's become second nature to respond internally to the system, so that no one would suspect anything.
Azreal stands up and dusts himself off; he has neglected his dorm for a long time, gathering a thick layer of dust throughout. I can't let this place get filthy like my apartment... or previous apartment, I should say. I wonder how Kerian and Amelia are doing. I hope they are okay and the Blood Tigers haven't followed them. They should be safe in the Eastern Jewel…Azreal thinks to himself as he goes to the small lake inside of his garden and washes his face with the clear water.
Azreal, cleaning himself in the small lake, finishes quickly and finds a new pair of outer disciple robes placed on the small wooden table. Who left this here? Azreal shrugs and wears them before looking at his status page, a large grin surfacing as he reads through the improvements from his last fight.
"Woah, why is there so much information here compared to usual?" Azreal asks.
'Just tell me what I've forgotten!' Azreal's light frustration is apparent in his tone.
A grunt is all Azreal can muster in response, still frustrated, but Azreal cannot refute anything the system has said. If he didn't learn to analyse himself and not be wasteful, what hope did he have to become strong to protect himself?
"Okay, let's do this," says Azreal, returning his vision to the top line, ensuring to actually take in the information on his status screen. "My cultivation pathway is Heaven's Exile, and I am currently at the sixth rank of Martial Adept and Soul Novice. I have a strong physical battle ability, but my Soul Novice cultivation means nothing. I have neither ability nor understanding on how to mobilise this power. A trip to the Sect Library to find a Soul Cultivation method," Azreal moves his eyes towards his stats. "I understand these, but I don't see the impact they have. My dexterity and spirit are off the charts compared to my other stats. Maybe this is where my talents shine?"
"Ten Adepts???" Azreal blurts out, a dumbfounded look on his face.
Azreal nods. "I don't have a death wish... At least in this world," Azreal laughs, enjoying his own humour more than he should. "Alright, I didn't learn squat about stats, but it's unimportant at the moment, apparently," says Azreal, who has moved on to scanning the rest of his page. A few things of note jump out at him.
"I haven't refined the venomous spider core yet. I was warned that I was too weak when I initially killed it, but now I am far above it in cultivation. Will this still help me?" Azreal asks.
"Hmm, I still can't see my physique. How annoying," says Azreal.
"Yeah, you're right. Thanks," he replies, feeling his mood improve. Azreal, happy seeing the three Qi affinities, wonders about the limit of Qi. The system educates Azreal that there are countless times more types of Qi that exist within the vast heavens. The first heaven can only grasp the most rudimentary, as the development or establishment of advanced Qi is extremely rare and countless times harder to cultivate in the first heaven compared to the upper heavens. It's said that if you can cultivate an advanced form of Qi, you are considered to be a one-in-a-million genius in the lower heavens, yet this drops to a mere one-in-a-thousand genius by the third heaven.
Azreal becomes further frustrated again as the system can't divulge more information regarding these advanced types of Qi and his affinities. Azreal questions if the basic eight affinities that Master Juhee and Elder Tulia taught him when he underwent his potential testing are the basis for all advanced forms of Qi or if they are merely one among countless thousands. This is the cause of the system telling Azreal that he can't know this information yet, as the reality will cause a disconnect with his cultivation pathway.
"Fine!" Azreal shouts, heading for the door of his dorm and making his way down to the Unbound Pavilion's training grounds, meeting with Darian and Xiara before making their way to the Outer Meeting Hall.