Flint closed the "Twilight Harmony Cultivation" manual with a quiet sigh, her back pressed against the cool stone wall of the Aura Meditation Ground. While the book's techniques seemed of little use to someone without spirit roots like her, South Rain's guidance about spirit root locations felt like a promising start—a small but significant piece of the puzzle she needed to solve.

A restless rustling beside her drew her attention. Seedling was fidgeting, her white fox tail twitching with poorly contained energy. "I absolutely hate afternoon meditation," she whispered, though her voice carried through the quiet cave like ripples in still water. "If we want to accumulate Flux Element, we should be running around outside, not sitting here like statues." Despite her attempts at discretion, several nearby disciples shifted in annoyance, though the ones deep in meditation remained blissfully unaware of her complaints.

"Please? Just help me with this?" Flint kept her voice gentle, careful not to let her expression reveal the weight behind her request. If this attempt succeeded, she might need to ask Seedling to stay here with her regularly—a favor she wasn't quite ready to explain.

Seedling's fox ears perked up, and she leaned closer, purple eyes sparkling with barely contained excitement. "Fine, but..." She glanced around conspiratorially before whispering, "Can you really absorb natural aura now?" Her tail swished back and forth, betraying her curiosity despite her attempt to keep her voice down.

"Maybe." Flint's response was characteristically brief, echoing Obsidian Snow's economical way with words. She took Seedling's hand in hers and said simply, "Try absorbing Flux Element natural aura."

The Aura Meditation Ground, a collection of stone caves near the main peak's summit, hummed with ancient formations designed to gather natural aura. Here, Initiative level disciples spent their daily meditation sessions absorbing the concentrated energy. Even those with Gifted level spirit roots and above unconsciously gathered natural aura while eating or drinking, but dedicated practice in such aura-rich locations could significantly accelerate their cultivation.

As Seedling began her absorption, she noticed a subtle increase in the flow of natural aura. She dismissed it as a normal effect of the cave's enhanced environment, her distaste for meditation making her attribute the change to the location rather than Flint's influence.

A different force, distinct from Flux Element natural aura, coursed into Flint's body. She recognized it as Stasis Element natural aura, and felt her hand growing weaker. The realization struck her—she had overlooked this effect during their previous flying adventure. Perhaps Stasis Element natural aura caused this weakness when flowing through limbs housing opposing Flux Element spirit roots.

Sensing Flint's loosening grip, Seedling felt her natural aura absorption suddenly decrease. She opened her eyes and instinctively tightened her hold on Flint's hand. As the enhanced flow of natural aura returned, she closed her eyes again, settling back into her meditation with renewed focus.

Feeling Seedling's firm grip, Flint allowed her entire arm to relax as the Stasis Element natural aura flowed through it. She focused her intangible force, gently guiding the stream of aura toward her brain, like directing water through an invisible channel.

There, she sensed something remarkable—her brain resonated with the aura, almost like two instruments playing in harmony. Yet a delicate barrier remained, gossamer-thin but impenetrable. The Stasis Element natural aura, for all its potency, couldn't quite breach this final threshold.

Just a little more, she thought, her eyes still closed in concentration. "Could you absorb a bit more?" she whispered to Seedling, her voice barely disturbing the cave's meditative silence.

Seedling's fox ears twitched slightly at Flint's words—a detail lost to Flint's closed eyes. She felt the Stasis Element natural aura strengthen, but only marginally. A subtle sigh escaped her lips, almost imperceptible in the quiet cave.

So cultivation remains beyond my reach? The thought settled heavily in Flint's mind, tinged with resignation.

"Still not enough?" Seedling's eyes suddenly flew open, the question bursting from her lips. As she released Flint's hand, the lax sensation vanished from Flint's arm, strength flowing back into her muscles. Flint flexed her arm experimentally, then opened her eyes to meet Seedling's concerned gaze. She nodded slowly, "No, not quite enough."

"Then let's go." In one fluid motion, Seedling sprang to her feet and yanked Flint up with her, leaving Flint momentarily bewildered by the sudden movement.

"What are you doing?" Flint asked, struggling to match Seedling's rapid pace as they hurried through the cave.

"Let's fly again!" Seedling called out, pulling Flint down the mountain path with unbridled enthusiasm. "The natural aura I absorb while sitting in meditation is nothing compared to what I use when flying!"

Seedling came to an abrupt halt halfway down the mountain, still gripping Flint's hand. Flint stared at her friend with a mixture of disbelief and dawning realization, reading the wild intent in those purple fox eyes. "Wait... you're not planning to run first? You want to jump from here?"

"Yes! Don't you want to try?" Seedling's eyes sparkled with excitement. Before Flint could object, Seedling's grip on her wrist tightened, warm and sure.

Flint tensed, her mind racing. While she knew she couldn't feel pain, death was another matter entirely. True, she had survived her last fall from the sky, but that had been nothing compared to the dizzying height of the main peak's midpoint. She cast an uncertain glance at the valley below, its floor barely visible through wisps of cloud.

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"You're amazing, you know that?" Seedling's voice cut through her worries. "Every time I hold your hand, the natural aura feels so abundant!" She raised her free hand, and suddenly the mountain air came alive. A violent gust materialized from her palm, so powerful it nearly swept them off their feet.

"Here we go!" Seedling's voice rang out above the howling wind. Her enthusiasm was infectious, her joy palpable in the turbulent air around them.

Before Flint could process what was happening, Seedling broke into a run. Three quick steps across the narrow mountain path, and then—they were airborne. Flint's stomach lurched as they plunged over the cliff's edge, but Seedling's wind caught them like an invisible net. The powerful updraft lifted them higher, sending them soaring past jutting rocks and ancient pines.

The surge of Stasis Element natural aura flowing through their joined hands made Flint's arm go limp, but Seedling's iron grip kept her securely aloft. The wind whistled past them, carrying whispers of power that made Flint's skin tingle.

Once again, Flint channeled her intangible force, carefully guiding the Stasis natural aura toward her brain. The familiar barrier remained, gossamer-thin yet impenetrable, like a silk curtain made of steel.

"Use more Flux Element natural aura!" Flint called out over the rushing wind, her voice carrying a rare note of urgency.

"You got it!" Seedling's response was immediate and enthusiastic. She accelerated their flight, her command over the wind growing stronger. Her white ponytail and fox tail streamed behind her like twin banners caught in a storm, creating an striking silhouette against the azure sky.

They spiraled around the Soaring Heaven Sword Peaks in wide, graceful arcs. Their unconventional flight drew attention from nearby Adept-level disciples, who paused their sword-riding to watch the spectacle. Even the Initiative-level disciples on the main peak abandoned their practices, clustering at the edge of training platforms to gaze up at the peculiar pair.

Their path traced loops and swirls through the mountain air, with Seedling's expert control of the wind keeping them both aloft despite Flint's deadweight arm. Each turn brought them closer to the peaks, then swooping away again, like a dance performed for the ancient mountains themselves.

The intensified Stasis Element natural aura crashed against the barrier in Flint's mind with renewed force, yet still fell frustratingly short of breaking through.

"How did Obsidian Snow overcome this barrier?" The question echoed in her mind, accompanied by a maddening sense of having once known the answer, now just beyond her grasp. The harder she tried to remember, the more elusive the memory became.

Flint closed her eyes, focusing on the Stasis Element natural aura pooled around her brain. Despite their rapid movement through the air, the aura remained perfectly still around her, like being suspended in motionless liquid. Within this strange stillness, her consciousness expanded, becoming aware of things beyond physical sight. Not the mountains, trees, or rocks below, but rather the emotional tapestry of those around them.

Seedling's joy radiated the strongest – pure elation at flying through the air, delight in drawing attention. Beyond that, she sensed a mix of reactions from others: annoyance, envy, curiosity, concern. No words, just raw emotions, with Seedling's happiness shining brightest of all.

That intense joy pierced through her mind like a needle, and suddenly Flint felt submerged in an ocean of memory. Through closed eyes, she saw a man with sage-colored hair like Lenient Pine's, surrounded by faces both strange and achingly familiar. The sage-haired man held her arm, his voice ringing clear: "The Abyssal Pavilion provides refuge to all fallen souls in the world."

Her eyes snapped open to the rushing mountain scenery. Raising her free hand to her face, she found tears streaming down her cheeks – not tears of sorrow, but of profound joy and excitement.

While Seedling continued her joyful flight through the mountain air, Flint felt something shift in her mind. The gossamer barrier that had blocked her from absorbing natural aura developed a tiny fissure, allowing a thin stream of Stasis Element natural aura to trickle in. Though the flow was much slower than the rate at which the aura was being produced, it marked a significant change.

"Seedling," Flint called out, her voice steady despite her inner turmoil. "Can we go to the Cultivation Assessment Hall?"

"Right now?" Seedling asked, banking through another graceful turn. "But we're having so much fun!"

The memory fragment of the sage-haired man kept replaying in Flint's mind, mixing with South Rain's stories about the Abyssal Pavilion. "Could that have been the Bamboo Sovereign?" she wondered. "We founded the Abyssal Pavilion together..."

Flint closed her eyes again, trying to recapture that clarity of emotional perception, but her own chaotic thoughts had created too much internal noise. Even Seedling's vibrant joy, so clear moments before, now seemed distant and muffled.

"Please," Flint said simply, hoping her friend would understand the urgency in her voice without requiring an explanation.

Seedling sighed dramatically but adjusted their course toward the Cultivation Assessment Hall. "Fine, but you owe me another flight soon!"

As they landed in the main peak's plaza, Flint spotted the Cultivation Assessment Hall, a side chamber of the Heaven-Piercing Grand Hall positioned symmetrically opposite to the Spirit Root Testing Pavilion. Inside, she knew, waited the cultivation assessment stone that could measure a cultivator's level.

"There you are!" Spark's voice called out as he jogged toward them, holding the book Flint had left behind. "When people started talking about someone being dragged through the sky, I knew it had to be you two." He handed the book to Flint with a slight smile. While Adept-level disciples commonly flew on swords, the sight of Seedling pulling Flint through the air had certainly drawn attention.

"I glanced through it," Spark continued, his tone thoughtful. "It's quite rare to find people with opposing spirit roots..." He looked between them curiously. "Where are you heading?"

"Cultivation Assessment Hall," Flint replied simply. "I might be able to cultivate now."

"Really?" Spark's eyes lit up with surprise and delight. Without another word, he fell into step beside them as they made their way toward the hall.

As Flint placed her hand on the cultivation assessment stone, the chamber fell silent. Both Seedling and Spark leaned forward slightly, their breathing shallow with anticipation. Seconds stretched like hours as the stone remained dark and unresponsive.

Then, almost imperceptibly at first, a crimson light began to emerge from the stone's core. The red glow strengthened gradually, forming a single, steady ring of light - the unmistakable signature of Early Initiative Level.

Spark exhaled audibly, his shoulders relaxing. Before Flint could even remove her hand from the stone, Seedling had already bounded across the room and wrapped her in an enthusiastic embrace.

"See? You can cultivate now!" Seedling squeezed her tighter, her tail swishing with excitement. "Give it a few days, and you'll be ready to teach Pierce and his gang a lesson!"

"He's already avoiding you," Flint pointed out, her voice muffled against Seedling's shoulder. Despite her matter-of-fact tone, a slight smile played at the corners of her mouth.

Seedling pulled back just enough to meet Flint's eyes, her own purple ones sparkling with mischief. "True! Ever since that time in the dining hall, he practically runs the other way when he sees my ears." She flicked her fox ears for emphasis, grinning proudly.

Spark stepped closer to examine the stone, his expression thoughtful. "Early Initiative..." he mused, his golden eyes reflecting the crimson light. "It's not much, but it's a start. And considering where you began..." He trailed off, clearly impressed by the development.

The stone's light continued to pulse steadily, casting a warm glow across their faces as they stood together, marking this quiet moment of triumph.

Flint stared at the crimson ring of light encircling the stone, lost in thought. The path to Adept level stretched before her like an endless road, its destination hidden in fog. Her mind kept circling back to the fragments of memory that had surfaced during their flight - the Abyssal Pavilion, the sage-haired man who might have been the Bamboo Sovereign. Each remembrance felt like a piece of a vast puzzle, its full picture still shrouded in mystery.

"What's on your mind?" Spark asked quietly, noticing her distant expression.

"Nothing much." Flint turned away from the stone, deliberately avoiding Spark's gaze. She brushed her fingers across the smooth surface one last time before withdrawing her hand. The crimson glow faded immediately, plunging the chamber into the softer light filtering through its high windows.

"I was just wondering... when I might reach Adept level. Maybe then... I could remember more." She kept her voice neutral, not wanting to hint at her suspicions about the Bamboo Sovereign. Something told her Spark wouldn't take kindly to hearing about her past connections to the Abyssal Pavilion.

Spark shifted his weight, his golden eyes flickering with an uncharacteristic uncertainty. A slight flush crept across his cheeks as he recalled their previous conversation about past lives and possible romantic connections.

"Oh... right," he managed, his usual aristocratic composure slipping just slightly. He adjusted the cuff of his sleeve, a nervous gesture he rarely displayed. "I'd... I'd like to hear about your past life too, when you remember more."