Flint gradually began adapting to the method of maintaining focus to draw Genesis natural aura to her throat. Though she still easily lost concentration, she could now spare some attention for other tasks.

Beyond cultivation methods, she was also starting to master important secret arts for attack and defense. One such technique was Shadow Blade, which she had borrowed from the Vault of Heaven's Wisdom, the library of Celestial Sword Sect.

The key to mastering these techniques lay in her body's ability to store Shadow and Light natural aura that hadn't been absorbed by spirit roots. She realized that the Inner Sea seemed to encompass a cultivator's entire body. In her case, She did not store both natural auras simultaneously, but instead focused on concentrating the excess Shadow natural aura in her abdomen. This was the best method she could think of. She did’t know whether Sage Twilight could store two types of natural aura at the same time.

Flint had asked Sage South Rain how long it might take to reach Adept Level. South Rain's dark eyes flickered thoughtfully before she answered.

"For cultivators with a single Gifted spirit root, it typically takes 35 to 40 years," she explained while adjusting one of her silver hairpins. "With two Gifted roots, that time reduces to about 20 years. Those rare individuals with a Transcendent root might achieve it in under a decade." She paused briefly, studying Flint. "But in your case, with unmeasurable spirit roots, I cannot make a prediction."

Flint nodded silently. While she could absorb all the Shadow natural aura released when Spark helped split her Genesis, this didn't necessarily mean her cultivation progressed at his pace. After all, Spark was simultaneously drawing in Light natural aura from their surroundings while she worked with just one source, her Genesis.

It was a bright morning when Flint posed this question to Sage South Rain. She had been practicing her newly acquired Shadow Blade technique when the elder happened to pass by.

South Rain paused her steps, observing Flint's loose black hair cascading down her back. With practiced grace, she retrieved a hair ribbon from her storage ring and moved behind Flint.

"Let me help you with that," she said softly, gathering Flint's hair in her hands. Due to the crack in her mental barrier, Flint caught a whisper of melancholy in South Rain's voice as she added, "You should always tie your hair back when practicing with blades."

South Rain's fingers moved deftly, weaving the ribbon through Flint's hair. "Master Snow used to tell me the same thing," she continued, a bittersweet smile playing at her lips. "She was quite insistent about keeping hair tied back during Secret Art practice."

Stepping around to face Flint, South Rain assessed her work. "There - much more practical now." Her fingers unconsciously drifted to her own silver hairpins. "Master Snow wouldn't have approved of my current style, I imagine."

"But it looks elegant on you," Flint offered sincerely.

South Rain's eyes softened, though a shadow of sadness lingered in their depths. "Not suitable for combat... that's what she would say." Her emotional wavelength steadied, as if she were deliberately containing her feelings - perhaps to shield Flint from their intensity. "Though I suppose the Abyssal Pavilion never really gave me many opportunities for combat anyway."

The remaining days passed peacefully and followed a similar pattern. While Flint wasn't particularly social, Spark was quite outgoing. Though the other Outer Sect disciples had previously considered her "worthless" due to her apparent lack of spirit roots, now that she could cultivate, the rumors and whispers about her had largely subsided.

She would occasionally go to the mountaintop to admire the view. The main peak of Soaring Heaven Sword Peaks, where the Outer Sect disciples trained, was incredibly high - she often felt as if she were standing above the clouds themselves. When accompanying Seedling on flights, memories of happier times would surface, most of them centered around The Abyssal Pavilion. Few of these recollections involved Blaze Mighty. She kept a notebook where she recorded all these memories, and although they were just disconnected fragments, with Sage South Rain's narratives as context, she could roughly piece together when these moments had occurred in Obsidian Snow's previous life.

Gradually, Flint discovered that her memories were triggered by emotional resonance - when someone else's feelings influenced her own, matching emotions from her previous life would surface.

The crack in her mental barrier remained. Though uncertain whether it would heal on its own, she had grown accustomed to the constant "noise" of others' emotions.

This emotional noise was particularly pronounced during meals with Spark. She could sense his inexplicable nervousness, but her focus on drawing Genesis natural aura to her throat often made her seem distracted, causing her to miss the context of his emotional states.

Would Spark have memories of Blaze? While her theory about Blaze Mighty being Spark's previous life was just speculation, she had always felt that Blaze Mighty played a crucial role in Obsidian Snow's life - even if she couldn't remember exactly how.

Did Spark like her? Flint suspected he did. Through the crack in her mental barrier, she could clearly sense his nervous, shy emotional fluctuations, and she enjoyed seeing him in such an awkward state. She wished Spark would transform into a wolf more often so she could pet his fur, but he carefully maintained his human form, even though everyone knew he was an Inferno Wolf.

A year passed, and Flint welcomed another winter solstice at Celestial Sword Sect. Following mortal traditions, the sect served red bean porridge decorated with pumpkin for the winter solstice celebration. In the mortal realm, this marked their biggest holiday, with festivities extending from winter solstice to the new year. While Celestial Sword Sect didn't have fixed holidays, Outer Sect disciples could easily take leave from morning training, and afternoon meditation attendance wasn't strictly monitored. For Inner Sect disciples, cultivation was entirely self-directed.

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After dinner, Seedling suggested visiting the Cultivation Assessment Hall to check their cultivation levels. Seedling had already reached Middle Initiative, while Spark remained at Early Initiative, though he claimed he was close to breaking through.

When Flint placed her hand on the Cultivation Assessment Stone, a faint orange circle appeared alongside the inner red circle, matching Seedling's level.

"You've reached Middle Initiative too!" Seedling exclaimed, her voice bubbling with joy and surprise.

"Congratulations, Flint." Spark's voice carried genuine warmth. Through Flint’s crack of the mental barrier, Flint could sense a tinge of complicated emotions as he realized she had surpassed him.

After a moment's reflection, Spark inwardly resolved to work harder. "You're progressing quickly too, Seedling," Spark commented, his tone slightly strained as he considered how they were both spiritual beasts with Transcendent spirit roots who had joined the sect together, yet Seedling's progress outpaced his own. The common saying that spiritual beasts cultivated faster didn't seem to apply to him, and this realization made his heart sink further.

"That's because I was already cultivating before coming to Celestial Sword Sect! I was nearly at Middle Initiative when I arrived," Seedling replied casually. She suddenly paused, her eyes widening with realization. "Flint, did you cultivate before coming to Celestial Sword Sect?"

Almost immediately, Seedling recognized the absurdity of her question. Flint had initially been unable to absorb any natural aura, yet now her cultivation speed was remarkable. It had taken Seedling nearly two years to reach Middle Initiative, while Flint had achieved it in less than one.

"Uh, no," Flint responded absent-mindedly due to the shift of attention to her throat, though she had apparently caught Seedling's question. She hadn't quite processed how obvious the answer should have been.

Flint blinked as both Seedling and Spark stared at her with wide-eyed astonishment. "What's wrong?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

Seedling shook her head, her white fox ears twitching. "I'm just... amazed." She quickly brightened, her tail swishing with excitement. "But hey, since you're at Middle Initiative now, let's do some sect missions together! I've been looking for a partner!"

Flint recalled the notice board she'd seen near the sect's main gate. It was regularly updated with various tasks - some with cultivation level requirements, others without. The missions ranged from helping Elders gather herbs to assisting with pill refinement or sword practice. Successful completion earned Cloud Beads, which could be exchanged for Secret Art manuals or equipment from the Divine Weapon Forging Hall.

Though the Outer Sect instructors generally advised Initiative disciples to focus on cultivation - since basic cultivation methods and secret arts were provided freely - Flint couldn't bring herself to refuse Seedling's eager request.

"Which mission did you have in mind?" Flint asked, absently adjusting the ribbon in her hair that South Rain had given her.

Seedling's purple eyes sparkled. "Guarding the herb fields!" she declared, bouncing slightly on her toes.

"It sounds boring though. Why would you want to do that?" Flint asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, cultivation in the sect is boring too. Guarding herb fields is just as boring, but at least we get Cloud Beads for it!" Seedling twirled playfully, her fox tail swishing behind her. "My master, Sage West Wind, recommended I get a Zephyr's Embrace Robe from the Divine Weapon Forging Hall." Her purple eyes lit up with excitement. "When I saw it had 'Zephyr' in its name, same as my family name, I knew it was meant for me! It's like fate, don't you think?"

At the mention of Sage West Wind, Flint recalled his status among the sect's highest-ranking elders. Along with Sage South Rain, Sage North Thunder, and Sect Leader Sage East Cloud, he was one of the four cardinal elders of Cloud, Rain, Wind, and Thunder. Seedling's privilege of choosing such an esteemed master came from her Transcendent spirit root - a rare benefit reserved for the most talented disciples.

Flint nodded slowly, seeing the logic in Seedling's reasoning. After all, if one had to spend time doing something mundane, they would rather choose the one that offers a reward.

———

The spiritual herb fields of Celestial Sword Sect were scattered across the sun-facing slopes of Soaring Heaven Sword Peaks. While most spiritual herbs thrived in sunlight, there were also shade-loving varieties cultivated on the northern faces. Flint and Seedling were assigned to guard the sun-facing fields of Pine Mist Peak, a relatively central mountain in the range. The more dangerous positions near the outer edges of the peaks were reserved for stronger cultivators, as those areas were more likely to attract herb thieves attempting to infiltrate from beyond the sect's borders.

After receiving their duties from the previous guard, they settled into the small cottage near the herb fields. Seedling frequently convinced Flint to join her in aerial patrols, though "patrol" might have been too formal a word for their flights. Their assigned peak rarely saw any attempted thefts. Their main responsibility was monitoring the herbs' growth patterns according to the handbook they'd been given, which detailed the normal growing conditions for each variety. If any abnormalities appeared, they were to report them, as such issues typically required expertise beyond their level to resolve.

"Look, the sunset from up here is amazing!" Seedling called out during one of their evening flights, her white fox tail streaming behind her as she carried Flint through the air. The dying light painted the herb fields in shades of gold and amber, the carefully tended rows creating intricate patterns across the mountainside.

Flint had to admit the view was spectacular, even if these "patrols" were mostly an excuse for Seedling to indulge in her love of flying. The Wind-Charm Fox's joy was infectious, especially with Flint's heightened emotional sensitivity through the crack in her mental barrier.

Though they had brought plenty of provisions, without the cooking puppets from the Mystic Enigma Pavilion that usually served in the dining hall, Flint sometimes found herself cooking for Seedling. However, Seedling often preferred to transform into her fox form and hunt rabbits or pheasants in the surrounding forest. On these occasions, Flint would build a fire, and they would share the roasted meat together. After their meals, Seedling would let Flint stroke her soft white fur - a peaceful moment they both treasured.

These guard duties were typically assigned to Adept level Inner Sect disciples, which explained why the sect didn't provide food supplies. It was during their stay that Flint learned something surprising from Seedling - Adept level cultivators, like herself, didn't actually need to eat. While they could consume food if they wished, it wasn't necessary for survival. Their bodies could function purely on circulating natural aura.

Through the jade tablet, Spark's messages arrived regularly, each one carrying a hint of concern beneath his casual inquiries. Flint would glance at them while maintaining her focus on drawing Genesis to her throat, her responses brief and matter-of-fact.

"Watching the herbs," she'd reply one day.

"Cultivating," would be her response the next.

"Flying with Seedling," she'd write another time.

During one such exchange, Seedling peered over her shoulder, her white fox ears perking up with interest. "Oh come on," she teased, nudging Flint with her elbow. "Just write 'I miss you, Spark.' He'd probably transform into his wolf form and run all the way here!"

Flint's lips curved into a small smile as she shook her head. "I'll pass," she replied softly, her fingers absently tracing the edge of the jade tablet. While she found Spark's aloof exterior and hidden warmth rather endearing, her thoughts often drifted to Lenient Pine and her connection to The Bamboo Sovereign. This unspoken truth sat heavily in her heart, making her hesitant to respond to Spark's subtle advances. Their relationship remained in a delicate dance of almost-but-not-quite.

As days passed, Flint found herself handling most of the actual guard duties. Seedling would spend her time soaring through the clouds or hunting in the forest, her joyful energy radiating across the mountainside. Despite being assigned as partners, the careful monitoring of the spiritual herbs fell primarily to Flint. Yet she couldn't bring herself to mind - Seedling's infectious happiness made even the mundane tasks feel lighter.

One evening, as the sun painted the sky in deep oranges and purples, Seedling burst into their cottage, her purple eyes wide with excitement and her tail swishing rapidly behind her.

"Flint!" she exclaimed in a conspiratorial whisper, leaning close. "You won't believe what I saw today!" Her voice dropped even lower as she glanced around dramatically. "There was this Hound with three tails at the foot of our mountain. And get this - he opened some kind of secret underground palace!"

Flint paused in her task of recording the day's herb growth patterns, her hand stilling over the logbook. "A three-tailed Hound?" she asked, her voice carrying a note of concern.

Seedling nodded eagerly, practically bouncing on her toes. "Want to go check it out?" Her purple eyes sparkled with mischief. "It could be an adventure!"