Cultivating instead of sleeping felt weird to Ren. He lay down in the bed, and he closed his eyes as well, but he was still mostly aware while all of this was going on. Maybe he did something wrong, while meditating. Ai told him, that he should just focus on cultivating, and blend everything else out, but he did not really know how. Every time he tried it, he could still feel all around him.

In conclusion, he did not know what to do. So he just continued what he was doing already, enjoying the softness of the bed, while cultivating in silence, trying to improve his spirit and body throughout the night.

The first part of their morning was much like the last, Ren gorged himself on different kinds of food, while Ai mostly looked bemused.

It was a big day in Ren's mind, as today he would be introduced to swordplay. Even just the thought of holding a sword exited him, making his eyes gleam.

Having finished breakfast, Ai told Ren, that she would get wooden practice swords, and that he could, in the meantime, look through his manual, and discover what kind of arts were waiting for him in the future.

Ren happily obliged this request, having been curious as to what secrets the 'Heart of the lonely sword' held behind its covers, anyway.

And so, he read the titles of each art described in the manual, while only skimming through their explanations and corresponding diagrams, while Ai went to get a few practice swords from the armament department, by the mission hall.

While reading through, Ren noticed, that each art should have quite good effects, but was mostly described in a very bland fashion. 'All of your senses will be strengthened while using this art'. And the art was called, eye of the sword. Other prominent arts were called, body of the sword, sword-step, domain of the sword, and the creator of the manual even left a note at the end, stating that for anyone who has not surpassed the level of Master, these arts, in conjunction with the cultivation art, should suffice.

Which led Ren to believe, that they must be powerful beyond belief, as he had witnessed what a Master looked like first hand, though he, admittedly, was not yet advanced enough to gauge exactly how strong Darkhaven is.

But as it was stated, that those techniques could only be used as an Adept, though, Ren mused, as he practiced the cultivation art already maybe he could use the arts earlier as well.

Just as he had these thoughts, Ai came back with a bundle over her shoulder. "All right, Ren, let's go to another training ground this time. Follow me." Jumping from the bed, manual almost forgotten, he followed her out.

He was almost skipping while he ran next to Ai, as they made their way out of the pagoda, drawing a few curious glances to them. They walked down through the different levels of the pagoda, seeing disciples coming and going, training and chatting on the wooden floors, as well as alcoves throughout.

Since Ren had not stopped cultivating, his sense for spirit as well as seeing the world through it, started to expand even more, making it possible for him to register all of this, even though his mind was on the next training exercise. He did not know how his sense compared to a Master's or even someone higher ranked, but he was fairly certain that he could sense all around him better than someone like Ai, as she did not know he had been cultivating yesterday, before she asked him.

They walked through the gardens again but took several different turns, leading them in a different direction, a little up the mountain. The training ground Ai had in mind was something straight out of a martial arts tale. A small river, with a waterfall pooling in a circle, multiple trees looking like they had been used as the targets of swords before, many rocks lying about, and a lush meadow made the picture complete.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Good. Here we are, Ren, this will be our main practice ground for the foreseeable future. Or at least till I have figured out where you will be staying." Ren looked at her like he wanted to protest. "And you definitely can't stay at my place all the time!" She added.

"Now, let's start your first lesson on the intricacies of swordplay."

She opened the bundle, she had slung over her shoulder, and threw one of the wooden swords at him. It was straight and had one edge, that was blunted.

Ai had predicted, that Ren would not catch the sword or drop it, but to her surprise, he caught it deftly and even gave it a little twirl like he was testing its balance. Smiling, he leveled it at her with both hands on the handle, looking as if he was born with a sword in his hand.

'He does have an Intent focused on the sword, and now even a cultivation art as well. Your own spirit does help you learn the things you are inclined to, after all.' Ai thought to herself. 'But looking like this is still abnormal, he is only six after all' She added silently to herself.

The two of them trained for the rest of the day and the following week, with Ai pushing Ren ever further. He learned the basic stances and cuts, like he knew them all along, growing ever more comfortable.

In this week, Ren also tried to learn all the arts described in his manual by heart. Though he could not yet use them, the day would come sooner or later, after all.

When Ren got to later pages in the book, he had not previously as no arts were depicted, he found multiple musings of the author. The first read:

"As I reached the rank of Master, I felt an exultant rush. After all, who could be my equal in martial might? I killed two long-standing Masters whence I was still but an Adept, yet my might only increased. A strong Adept was nothing more than rye on a field to me, and like rye I reaped them. Adepts and Masters both. How foolish I was! All this senseless enmity and bloodshed. What does it accomplish? Dominance? Dominion? Mighty arts and terrible secrets? I would give it all up, could I still my thoughts with it. What does immortality mean if it is nothing but endless remorse? Will I too become a demon in this pursuit?"

Reading this made Ren uncomfortable, was the person who wrote this spirit art not content with his progress? Why did he kill if he did not like it, didn't he write, that he was basically without equal? All of this confused him greatly, and so he closed the book and did not read any more of the author's notes since.

Instead, thinking about his lessons in swordplay put a smile on his face.

Just feeling the handle of a sword, even a practice sword, made him more confident. Even when Ai thrashed him, just the knowledge that he was constantly improving made him happy and ready to raise his sword once more.

After finishing these thoughts, Ai entered their, for now, shared room.

"Good news Ren, a house has been readied for you, and you will join classes, with the new novices who just joined the weapon division, in the morning!" She said enthusiastically.

Ren was a little sad, that they would not be sharing the room any more, and he now had to stay in a house alone. He grew quite fond of Ai in their last week together.

"Will we still train together, Ai?" Ren asked in an unusually dispassionate tone. Ai, was quite confounded with Ren for being so sombre. "Of course we will, don't you remember what Master Darkhaven said? I am to be your mentor, and you can come and visit me anytime you want as well." She said brightly.

They moved all of Ren's things to his new residence. Not that he had a lot.

His residence was a little farther away from any other houses, having an expansive garden. Its walls were made of stone in confusing concentric patterns. It had two floors, already fully furnished with colourful lounges, tapestry, beds and a kitchen, completely overwhelming the still six-year-old cultivator.

"All right, Ren, tomorrow at the first bell after dawn the first class will be held on the ground floor of the grand pagoda. There is something to eat in the kitchen, and some money is also on the living room table."

She then hugged him, and left, leaving him standing in a lonely palace.

He had an impulse to tell her to stay, and not leave him in this massive house, with no one but himself, but held himself back as he thought back to the advice of the misty realm.

Realizing, that he felt more lonely than ever before, he wanted to once again completely immerse himself in cultivation, to blend out the world. He had got a little better at it over the last week, but this night he could not calm his young mind completely. Thinking it a lost cause, he instead decided to practice swinging his sword to calm himself and, 'immerse himself in loneliness'.

This was his first night alone. Only the constant sound of a sword swinging as his companion.