Chapter 5 – Spatial Spiritual Root

The journey west continued smoothly. The regular lessons started to bore Sher as the subject remained unchanged. However, she still showed up so as not to disrespect Senior Sister Li.

Sher focused on her own cultivation, amassing Qi and following the complex cycles of White Tiger Blawan to enhance her body and slowly remove any impurities omitted during her breakthrough to the Qi Condensation realm.

This evening, when the lesson ended, Sher decided to try something new. The third technique, which Senior Sister Li was kind enough to regularly display for the disciples in detail.

Taking in her hand a bunch of pebbles, Sher encased them in her Qi and started levitating one of them above her hand. Soon, a second, then a third pebble joined the first. Of course, telekinesis was a basic technique, she had long since mastered. But for the benefit of anyone who might observe her, it was prudent to perform these exercises. And as she had to get used to her new cultivation base, it also held merit for her own development. This body had to get used to channeling Qi and any technique she wanted to use in an actual fight needed to become reflexive again.

She continued the self-designed exercises, slowly moving on to more complex movements, adding more pebbles, controlling them separately, until she had been satisfied with how familiarized she became.

Next, she progressed with increasingly heavy objects. While the number of pebbles controlled and precision of the movements were directly linked to the mastery of the technique, the mass of the affected objects was limited by her Qi, and she soon hit her limit.

After repeating the exercises a few more times, Sher decided to try something truly new, even for her. Back during the selection ceremony, Elder Feng had performed a test to determine her current body’s Spiritual Root. The result was what truly caught his attention and brought Sher onto this ship.

Her Spatial Spiritual Root.

Typically, cultivators only began to access their Spiritual Roots during the Foundation Refinement realm, refining their accumulated Qi to a higher purity and changing its qualities to match their roots’ attributes.

That wasn’t going to stop Sher from making use of something so beneficial at her disposal. What she was going to do was unheard of for an average Qi Condensation cultivator, more so for an early stage Qi Condensation cultivator, who started their training mere days ago. But if she wanted to defend herself from dangers ahead, she needed something more ingenious than the simple Tiger Palm technique she was learning.

Meaningfully affecting her Sea of Qi was beyond her current level. That, and the Qi permeating her whole body due to the White Tiger Blawan technique, would need to wait until she reached the Foundation Refinement realm.

Sher had a different idea. There were Arts that even cultivators in Qi Condensation realm used, such as summoning flame serpents or throwing bolts of lightning at enemies. These cultivators did not somehow manage to refine their Qi to take on the attributes of Fire or Lightning.

Instead, these Arts were fueled by a cultivator's Qi through specific incantation gestures, and an effort of will, typically developed by much more advanced cultivators. The Qi changed to fuel the Art, taking on the required properties without affecting the practitioner’s cultivation base.

Sher planned to develop something akin to such Art. As her Qi materialized to envelop a pebble, or a sword, she would change its nature with a proper incantation. Then, when needed, another incantation gesture would trigger the Spatial attribute displacing the controlled object.

While less flamboyant than some flashy elemental spell, Sher appreciated the unpredictability and sudden surprise more. How could an opponent block a flying sword that, just as it was about to hit their perfect guard, shifted to be already on the other side of their intercepting weapon? In the end, the only important thing was the enemy was dead and her alive.

With a clear picture in mind and ages of experience backing her endeavor, Sher set about designing incantations for her first original Art of this life.

* * *

In the following days, Sher appreciated the revitalizing effects of Qi once again. Adhering to the lessons’ schedule and filling her days with gathering of Qi, while designing and testing incantations late into the night, would have worn any mortal out. Yet here she was - a cultivator, fresh and ready each morning to face the day.

It had already been almost two weeks since the journey started, and the ship left the Empire’s territory, traversing over the sparsely populated grounds to the West. There were many dangerous zones in these lands, but none as threatening as the mountain range slowly becoming visible to the far northwest.

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Even from a distance, the Huashan Mountains loomed menacingly. While Sher was far from ready to challenge them as a budding Qi Condensation practitioner, she felt an innate call to adventure.

Sher noticed with slight concern that the ship adjusted its course and started heading towards the mountains.

She brought it up to Senior Sister Li’s attention one day, after the morning lesson had concluded.

“Don’t worry, Junior Sister, we won’t be crossing the mountains. We have a stop in the village at their base, where Senior Brother Chen is waiting to be picked up.” Senior Sister kept composure very well, almost too well for Sherenna not to notice the hidden worry.

“I see, may I ask what Senior Brother Chen is doing there?” inquired Sher.

“I don’t see why not. Senior Brother has been stuck at the peak of the Foundation Refinement realm for a long time now,” said Senior Sister Li. “Half a year ago he decided that what he needs to finally breakthrough is to challenge himself by going through a true trial by fire. He hoped to find what he lacked and reach a higher realm.”

‘Not a bad approach’. Once, as a rogue cultivator, all her major advancements had come from taking chances and risking life. But she wondered why a cultivator backed by a sect would resort to this. Was he under pressure from someone else inside the sect? Or was this Senior reaching the end of his lifespan, with the only way to extend it being a breakthrough to a higher realm?

“Is it often that Baihu disciples explore Forbidden Zones?” lately, Senior Sister Li had been swayed by her talent and continuous efforts at cultivation. Sher felt more at ease talking with her, finding Meilien as forthcoming in casual conversation as she was during lessons.

“It’s not exactly unheard of, though it is far from common.” Li Meilien contemplated for a while. “Suffice it to say, you won’t be forced on such an adventure at Qi Condensation. Later, it is possible to be punished for a severe transgression with a quest to a Forbidden Zone. On the other hand, if you feel confident, you could undertake such a quest for a hefty amount of contribution points.”

“I have read that the site of Baihu sect had been once considered a Forbidden Zone. Senior Sister, do you know why?”

“Well, that is a long topic. If you are interested, why don’t you attend a history lecture once you have settled into the sect? There is Elder Aqar-Nabû who likes discussing the times of our Founder and the challenges it took him to establish the sect. In fact, you can expect him to lecture on this topic several times each decade.”

“I think I will do just that.” Sher felt a sudden shift in Qi inside the ship. “Oh? I think one of our Junior Brothers finally broke through.”

An expression of concentration appeared on Li Meilien’s face for a moment. Before she could confirm, however, there was a second sensation from below the deck.

“And another one. And all that amid our cabins. It seems it would be best for us to cultivate outdoors for a while, Senior Sister,” Sher said, sighing with feigned sadness.

* * *

As the mountain range drew closer, the evening lessons started to incorporate sparring sessions among the three Qi Condensation disciples.

At first, these were very awkward affairs.

Fu Jin and Yuan Hao vastly underestimated the effect Qi had on a body and were very apprehensive with the prospect of fighting a girl. It did not help that the girl in question was a princess of the Empire they hailed from.

Sher’s solution was simple and tested many times over. Repeated ass kickings ensued. Then the boys finally started to try to fight back and made barely passable sparring partners.

Fortunately, that did not break their spirit, instead it propelled them to work harder on their cultivation base and technique. Convinced that they could catch up.

The last young man, Tang Jun, seemed dejected, and Sher noticed him wandering around the ship, seemingly lost. Not physically, but mentally or perhaps spiritually. It was truly unlucky that he first witnessed her almost instant breakthrough and the other two disciples broke through at the same time, having him stand apart rather than stand out.

One night, after making some progress on her Art, Sher went outside to catch a breath of fresh air and clear her head before a late-night cultivation session.

She stood at the stem and looked towards the Huashan Mountains. They were already close enough that she could notice flickering lights at their base. It seemed that they would be arriving by morning at the latest.

Sher was satisfied with her progress: steadily gathering Qi, grasping the basics of the Tiger Palm technique, and developing working incantations for her Art.

She sighed contentedly. Life of luxury and comforts was pleasurable, but truly, the most satisfying thing in life was self-improvement and progress towards one’s goals.

Sher turned away and headed back below the deck. She noticed another figure standing at Elder Feng’s side. It was the lagging young man, Tang Jun. They seemed to have a quiet conversation.

Sher slowed down and, while refraining from eavesdropping, observed the body language and faces of the talking men.

Elder Feng radiated patience and reassurance. As the Elder spoke, the tight knot of tension in Tang Jun's shoulders seemed to loosen. He listened, his head slowly lifting, until finally, he stood straight, the despair in his eyes replaced by a fragile spark of resolve.

Sher’s estimation of the Elder rose slightly, though as she descended the steps, she couldn’t rid herself of this strange feeling. For her, who used to be a rogue cultivator, unaffiliated with any sect, the freely given lessons, personal pointers, easily shared techniques felt unsettling.

* * *

This new batch of disciples was full of surprises.

Two of the selected young men reached Qi Condensation at an astonishing speed, though because of the biggest surprise, they did not even realize their achievement.

Immersed in his meditation, Elder Feng sent his Divine Sense to check on the serendipitous princess. She was deep in cultivation even at this late hour, trying to control a cluster of flying pebbles, like her Senior Sister did during the lessons. Even though no one expected her to learn this technique just yet.

As his Divine Sense flowed over her, it seemed almost as if she sensed it, though of course that wasn’t possible. Truly an unexpected and wonderful find.