"We've finalised your missive, 5000 sigils has been deposited in your cloudmulet. Good work snuffing out those dregs." The disciple with silver hair said in a monotonous tone. It was not the first nor the last time he would be saying that. Shuren felt a light buzz in the cloudmulet as the sigils were added.
The disciple took out a tiny spirit jade, fidgeting with it with his index finger. "Open your palm."
"Oh. They even give spirit jades as rewards?" Shuren questioned, eyebrows slightly raised. Following the instructions, he opened up his palm. The slight sensation of a cold stone, storming with a flow of Qi fell, pressed deep into his palm. His heart felt clearer. The disciple kept his index finger lingering on the coin before letting go.
"Consider it a little bonus. It happens." The receptionist said, plopping down on his chair, still facing Shuren. This chair seemed to have wheels as the receptionist swivelled around with it in boredom.
The Hall of Missives was mostly vacant, most disciples attending their curriculum. Only a handful of people were here to handle or begin new missives. The last time he was here, it was abuzz like a swarm of bees.
"I must say, the Sect Leader has made a very streamlined system for the sect." For some reason, Shuren decided to strike up a chat with the very dry person in front of him.
"It's all a convergence of brilliant ideas. As far as I know, even in the northern sects there's no such system in place." He thought back to his home, a land where many major sects used as their headquarters. They followed the legend that the centre of the world was the birth of the Firstborne, where the Grand Paths were formed.
The receptionist chuckled, his hand propping his head. "Ah, the old farts in the Granxian Continent. They're all useless, no better than the Scum Heap. They have all the power but remain stagnant for years on end. Absolute zero creativity." His finger began tapping the side of his head. Those expressions of baggy, sleepless eyes had a shine on them. "So you tell me, have you predetermined the path you tread for your journey? Path Foundation is just around the corner."
Shuren's right hand lay on his staff. He took his time to consider his answer. He let out a long, weary sigh, one that had been bottled up since his childhood. A sigh that shouldn't have come out of a young man. "I wished to tread the Path of the Sword, like my forefathers. That road has long cut off for me now." He thought back to his deceased grandfather and disabled father. Veins bulged in his hand as he tightened his grip on the staff. Why the hell am I reminiscing this now?
"A path that is predetermined? A path that I can choose for myself? It's the pinnacle of conceit. You can only do things your soul has an inclination to; your innate talent." Shuren didn't know why he entertained the receptionist's thoughts with such vigour, but his mood worsened as he went on. "With enough influence and power, anyone can come and seal the entrance to it. It's all a charade, we all can only do what we can meander with."
He felt like he was acting like a child, saying all this. What's up with me today?
"Interesting. I like your answer." He cocked his chin up and raised his left hand, as if he were holding a seminar. "They all claim that the Path has to be that of a weapon, or an object or a belief. It's all ancient gibberish. The Path is just your ego manifest, forever evolving as you grow."
There was a way to his words that captivated people, Shuren caught himself invested in the disciple's words. He made a fascinating conjecture about the nature of Paths.
The nature and parameters of Paths, to this day, were still argued by all the academics in the world. It was no hard system. In fact, Seraphim All-Seer, the Immortal Reverend that pioneered the Lexis Path, was once an elderly old man that never even entered the Qidense Realm. At his deathbed, he comprehended the truth of the Grand Paths, ascending to Path Foundation and regaining rejuvenation. The Heavens bestowed miracles; allowing one to bypass the conventional rules of cultivation. As rigid as they were.
"You say paths can just be sealed and blocked for you? Then just reject it. Defy your fate, and your path can never be stopped. It is all merely stepping stones along the pavement, a branch in the way."
Shuren almost spat at that line. Defy fate? It was the very heavens that granted you fate and power; Qi was its breath, and the Paths were its heart. It was akin to a child defying their parents when they still relied on them for sustenance, shelter and care.
The world didn't run like that.
When did such idle chatter start to develop into such a conversation? He sharpened his gaze as he got annoyed at this disciple. "It's incredibly easy for you to say those words with such little weight. Have your dignity be destroyed, have someone dictate your destiny, and see if you can spout such fantasies of self determination. We can only ever do what we can, that is all there is to it."
Shuren was puzzled by his sudden frustration. He almost began venting out his inner thoughts that he's hid for his entire life. "The Paths that the Heavens bless us to even touch, let us have the capability of not being crushed like ants, and gain some iota of control against nature. What do you think you can do in front of a Nascent Soul, or even just a Core Genesis cultivator? Pray that you never encounter such obstacles, then maybe your theory might hold true." The muscles in his hand began to sore. Shuren had continuously held his tightened grasp on his staff. Before he could finish the sentence, the disciple in front of him said it for him.
"But there is no path without obstacles." He smiled, flashing his bright teeth. "Your self resignation is your own hurdle. You will never tread the way of the sword because you've already accepted it."
Shuren walked away.
He walked away before he would escalate the discussion any further. That man had dissected him inside out. His indignation had reached its peak. It seemed everyone and everything had it out of their way to ruin his mood.
Right as he exited the Hall of Missives, Wu Ming ran into him. "What's with that face? Did you fail your missive?" Wu Ming said.
"No, it went fine." Shuren muttered his words. He felt a light pat on his shoulder by the swordsman.
"Take it easy. Can't expect to slay them all." Wu Ming clinked his sword as he said those words. "I'm planning to join major subjugation missives that require a team in the future. Keep yourself open, yeah?" Shuren just nodded in acknowledgement to Wu Ming before moving on. His stomach churned and his heartbeat wouldn't slow down. At moments like these where his stress reached its peak, Shuren would do as he always did. Recall his favourite poet's memoirs. Of Dan Zi's Scriptures.
Lotus. Beneath Heaven's gaze, Rising through murky depths, Serenity in chaos blooms, Harmony.
Be like a lotus, unwavering. Still in the face of chaos, harmonious in the eyes of strife. Shuren slowly submerged his emotions once again. The only control in his life since childhood, the scriptures of Dan Zi were his pillar.
Maybe it was because of his experience of fighting that devilish abomination, the Core Genesis guard's mental attack, the crazy Heavenly Blessing girl, or the disciple reading him like an open book. Hell, maybe it was because he hadn't had a fix of his Candeseal tea in a while. If he needed to break through to Path Foundation fast, he needed to gain a mastery of his emotions. Stress was the killer of the mind, the pebbles that scattered across the lake, and no cultivator worth their salt would risk Qi Deviation with that.
Shuren stepped on his flying nimbus, heading towards the Alchemical Archives at the Second Peak to purchase a stock of ingredients. Remembering his Senior Haze's words, he took the shortcut behind the Fourth Peak.
"I have a seminar in Spiritual Alchemy today, and I heard Elder Spiritweaver will be there. An Alchemist that's a Rank 4 Path Forger, and the oldest elder in the sect. If I become his disciple, I can also assist my father in his business, and potentially have a source of my own income. If I become a Core Disciple, I can even assist my mother and mediate trades with other regions. Finding a suitable Staff Path inheritance would be feasible afterward, since for now my battle strength alone will be fine for a while."
Shuren had a glaring problem if he wanted to become renowned. The only Rank 6 faction that taught the Staff Path was a monastery in the northernmost edge of the world, almost three entire continents away from Shuren. Even if he could use the Liu Clan reputation to join, he didn't want to pledge loyalties to a sect so far away.
But Cloud City was not only where his family decided to move, but was also a perfect new region that was still booming, alongside being located at the borders of three continents. Right now, Shuren's fundamental weakness was not developing his strength, but rather his vocation.
As Shuren flew around to the back of the Third Peak, nearing his destination, the chilly breeze scented with the convergence of people transitioned to a warm cacophony of creatures. The hidden side of the mountain.
In this world, cultivators wouldn't go far by being a pure battle cultivator, unless they were the descendent or disciple of a powerful faction willing to invest in them for life. For most cultivators, they needed to make money; spirit jades. A lot of spirit jades. And not everyone wished to put their life on the scale working as a glorified mercenary for money.
And how did one make lots of spirit jades? To sell their services to others. Pill Refining, Spiritual Alchemy, Armament Metallurgy, Talispirit Comprehension, Divination, the options were as vast as the drops of water in the ocean. Combining this with your Path, the options were endless.
A Water Path cultivator would inherently have a higher affinity for refining items that boosted those of the Water Path, so communities amongst Paths were born. The more popular your Path, the more options you had from the guidance of others. Of course, the cream of the crop were those able to peddle their services to a wider demographic of cultivators.
Even aside from Shuren's personal interest in Spiritual Tea, Spiritual Alchemy was the most suitable vocation for him. It was related to his father's business, and the reputation of the Seven Clouds Sect would bolster him, so he had a natural advantage in selling his own services in the future, while also using his family's connections. He would get involved in the young but growing industry of Woodspirits Smithing, while gaining connections amongst the Silverwoods Factions. Later on, he can use these to leverage his position in the main Liu Clan, able to provide various streams of investments and alliances.
Shuren smiled as he ruminated on the future. Soon, he would achieve his first goal. To gain independence, and be the man able to support his family with his own abilities, rather than being provided for all his life. To form a stronger relationship, being able to give back to both his parents, and likewise them assisting him on his Path. That would be achieved if he became a disciple of Core Elder Spiritweaver for a couple of years at least. If his sister keeps improving on her passion, becoming a Formation Array expert in the Seven Clouds Sect, this would be another stream of income and influence for their family.
His back and shoulders relaxed a bit from reducing the accumulated stress.
Flying past waterfalls and trees, clouds dancing amongst avian fauna, Shuren saw a cave entrance on the side of Second Peak. A vertical tree stuck out of a cavern, and a violet fluffy crow hopped around. A thin line stretched out from the tip of the tree all the way down the mountain, past a raging waterfall, and it wouldn't end. Maybe at the base of the mountain there'd be some sort of pond. It was an absurd scene.
Haze was perched unnaturally on the peak of that tree, fishing in harmony. He whistled a joyful tune, echoing through the enchanted mountains.
"My dear sweet junior. Have you perchance sighted a fish capable of scaling this waterfall?"