After the testing stone stopped glowing, Kayle continued staring at it with curiosity.
The bright red light slowly faded until the stone returned to its ordinary gray color.
Kayle looked up at his father.
"Father, what does red mean?"
Asher smiled and placed his hand gently on Kayle's head.
"It means you have a strong affinity with fire."
Kayle tilted his head.
"Is that good?"
Asher laughed.
"Very good."
Liu Yu smiled from beside them. Seeing how excited her son was, she already knew what question would come next.
Sure enough, Kayle immediately asked, "Does that mean I can learn cultivation now?"
"Yes," Asher answered. "But before you cultivate, you need to understand what cultivation actually is."
The three returned to the courtyard.
As usual, Kayle sat beneath the enormous spirit tree. One of its branches slowly lowered itself and rested beside him as though it, too, wanted to listen.
Asher noticed but said nothing.
He sat across from his son.
"Kayle, everything in this universe contains energy. The mountains, rivers, plants, beasts, humans—even the air around us contains traces of it."
Kayle looked around.
"But I can't see it."
"You aren't supposed to. Not yet."
Asher raised one hand.
A faint light gathered around his fingers.
Kayle's eyes widened.
"When someone begins cultivation, they learn to sense the energy of heaven and earth. Then they absorb that energy into their body."
"And that makes you stronger?"
"It can."
Asher's expression became more serious.
"But cultivation isn't simply about becoming strong."
Kayle waited quietly.
"Your body is like a container. Cultivation strengthens that container while allowing you to hold more energy. As you advance, things that are impossible for ordinary people slowly become possible."
Asher pointed toward the courtyard wall.
"At the beginning, a cultivator might become stronger and faster than an ordinary person. Later, they may shatter stones with their fists, leap across buildings, or live much longer than normal humans."
Kayle's eyes became brighter with every example.
"And after that?"
Asher chuckled.
"You've only just discovered you can cultivate, and you're already asking about the end?"
"I want to know!"
Liu Yu laughed.
Asher shook his head.
"There are people powerful enough to destroy mountains. Above them are beings capable of crossing the heavens. And somewhere beyond even them are existences so powerful that your father couldn't begin to explain them to you."
Kayle became silent.
He remembered nothing of what had happened when he was born.
He did not know that somewhere in the distant reaches of the universe, beings capable of destroying planets had once trembled because of him.
To Kayle, those beings were simply characters in his father's incredible story.
"So Father is really strong?"
Asher froze.
Liu Yu covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
Asher straightened his back.
"Of course."
"How strong?"
"That isn't important."
"Can you destroy a mountain?"
Asher coughed.
"Your father was explaining cultivation."
Liu Yu finally laughed.
Kayle grinned.
After the laughter settled, Liu Yu sat beside her son.
"You also need to understand where we live."
She picked up a thin branch and began drawing upon the dirt.
"Our home is in a small town called Peach Town. This town belongs to The continents of Si Nu, and our continents is only one of many."
She drew a larger circle around the first.
"Beyond our continents there are, empires, sects, clans, and lands controlled by powerful cultivators."
Kayle stared at the crude map.
To him, his little town had always seemed enormous.
Now it suddenly felt tiny.
Liu Yu continued.
"There are also places humans don't control. Ancient forests, forbidden lands, ruins, territories belonging to spirit beasts, and places where even powerful cultivators can disappear without anyone ever finding them."
Kayle pointed beyond the largest circle she had drawn.
"What's outside there?"
Asher and Liu Yu exchanged glances.
"The rest of the world," Asher answered.
"And outside the world?"
This time, Asher remained silent for several seconds.
Finally, he looked toward the sky.
"A much, much bigger world."
Kayle followed his father's gaze.
High above them, countless stars were beginning to appear.
For the first time in his young life, Kayle wondered what might exist among them.
Behind him, the spirit tree suddenly trembled.
Its leaves rustled despite there being no wind.
Neither Asher nor Liu Yu noticed.
But Kayle did.
He turned toward the tree.
For just a moment, he heard the familiar gentle voice inside his mind.
"One day, you will see it all."
Kayle smiled.
He didn't understand what those words truly meant.
Not yet.
But somewhere far beyond their little world, an ancient existence suddenly opened its eyes.
And the mark of the flaming lotus on Kayle's right hand gave off a faint red glow.