Liam had to admit that he didn't know how to take the news. Everything felt too sudden and distant for him to realize what it meant.
If anything, Liam felt that he had to study something that wasn't battle-related, which was disappointing. After all, his goal demanded strength, which those alchemists seemed to have nothing to do with.
"Can't I just buy poison from other alchemists?" Liam genuinely wondered, not even knowing what currency cultivators used.
"Cores are private, personal things," The Disciplinary Elder shook his head. "You might be fine initially, but you'll eventually need nutrients tailored for your dantian's needs."
Liam didn't speak anymore at that point. He still didn't know much, if anything, about the cultivation world. Yet, his goal probably stretched as far as the Dragon King, and he had to believe that ruler to be immensely powerful.
That power had to come from higher stages of cultivation, meaning that Liam couldn't stop at being average. He needed to reach similar, if not superior, levels, making the ability to concoct tailored poisons mandatory.
Nevertheless, the Disciplinary Elder made his decision during Liam's short silence, drawing a square wooden tablet from inside his robe and handing it to him.
"This will open the last cave down the main path," The Elder explained while Liam seized the tablet. "You will spend the night in the Sect. Come the first lights tomorrow, we'll test your spiritual roots and decide whether to accept you as a disciple."
The Elder had basically said that the Sect had to check whether Liam was worth the hassle of welcoming him after the recruitment period. Yet, Liam didn't really get that, and his eyes lit up in excitement at that opportunity.
"Thank you, Sir!" Liam exclaimed.
Liam's blinding excitement almost painted a smile on the Elder's expression, but he held it back.
"Don't thank me yet," The Elder scolded, his hand reaching for his pale-grey robe's insides again, "And take this in the meantime. See it as a reward for beating Disciple Kyle without using Qi."
Liam's eyes would brighten even further if they could. He had to actively hold back from snatching the item from the Elder's hand as soon as he offered it to him.
"That's the Sect's circulation technique," The Disciplinary Elder explained while Liam greedily unfurled the small piece of paper. "After you memorize it, burn it."
The piece of paper looked worthless, but Liam held it as if it were the most precious item in the world, and the same went for the words written on it. The item only had four lines, but Liam couldn't help but treasure them.
After all, that was Liam's first step in the cultivation world, at least the first conscious one.
"That's it for today," The Elder announced before Liam could finish studying the technique. "I'll escort you to your cave now."
The Disciplinary Elder didn't wait for Liam's response and stood up, forcing him to follow. The two trod the previous path backward, which was now empty, until they reached the very first, or last, circular boulder down the mountain.
"Rest now, Liam," The Elder ordered, nodding at the circular boulder. "You have a big day tomorrow."
Liam understood what the Elder wanted him to do. He wielded the square tablet and awkwardly waved it at the boulder, which began to slide to its right.
A simple, small, and mostly empty rocky chamber expanded in Liam's view. The place lacked anything worth noting, even appearing poorer than some of Liam's resting spots on Krosstoen's mountain, but he couldn't help but marvel at it.
After all, Liam had never really owned anything after his family's death. Yet, he now had a cave, his own personal lair.
However, the Elder had inspected Liam during the process. For someone who claimed to know nothing about the cultivation world, he had shown familiarity with the wooden tablet, which contradicted his story.
"It's an unwritten rule for cultivators not to probe each other's secrets," The Elder announced. "But, Liam, if you try to bring any harm to the Pale Moon Sect, I'll kill you myself, understood?"
A tinge of terrifying pressure fell on Liam, sending a chill down his back, snapping his gaze to the Elder, only to discover that he had disappeared.
And Liam didn't understand what he had done initially, until his gaze fell on the square tablet. Understanding arrived at that point, reminding him of a bitter past that quelled any innocent excitement lingering in his mind.
Still, help came in Liam's way.
Liam entered the small cave, noticing the praying mat at its center, a set of candles with matches on one side, and a clean, folded pale-grey robe on the other.
However, Liam suddenly turned, feeling observed, only to find Lucy standing in front of the entrance.
"You are alive," Lucy exclaimed, smiling. "That's good."
"Miss Lucy, thank you for your help earlier," Liam didn't forget to say, "And for standing up for me."
"Elder Logan might look scary, but he is fair," Lucy explained. "It's the only reason why I dared to speak without permission."
Liam couldn't help but nod. The Disciplinary Elder was scary but had still rewarded him, which inevitably left a good impression.
"Why are you here?" Liam asked. "Were you waiting for me?"
"I was," Lucy confirmed, "Just like I'm waiting for you to invite me in now."
"Oh," Liam realized his mistake. "Please, come on in."
"Thank you," Lucy giggled, cupping her fist to perform a quick bow before crossing the cave's entrance. "So, did you join the Sect?"
"The Disciplinary Elder said that they'll test my spiritual roots in the morning," Liam explained. "Whatever that means."
"It means they want to test your talent before allowing you in," Lucy revealed. "The number of spiritual roots decides how much Qi cultivators can accumulate and how vast and firm their foundations can be."
The comparison with trees came in handy there for Liam. If the dantian were a seed, having more, stronger roots would allow it to give birth and support a bigger plant.
"So," Liam said, wanting to confirm his guess, "The more spiritual roots I have, the stronger I can become."
"Only a strong foundation can support higher cultivation stages," Lucy nodded. "Though I wouldn't worry in your case. A strong body is a great indicator, for the body is the soil where the dantian's roots can sprout."
Lucy had used Carl's exact words, which Liam could guess came from standard teachings now. They also made more sense after learning about the comparison with trees.
A better, more fertile soil would facilitate the birth of healthier, more flourishing plants. In the same way, a strong body could allow the growth of more spiritual roots.
"How many spiritual roots can cultivators have?" Liam asked, his gaze following Lucy as she began wandering through the cave.
"Three is the minimum to allow a mortal to embark on the cultivation journey," Lucy explained. "Any less, and a person would fail to accumulate enough Qi to prevent his core from withering."
'So, cores can wither,' Liam noted down in his mind.
"Anything below six is ordinary," Lucy continued. "Six is already good, but obviously rarer."
Liam's thoughts went to Adrian. Cyurs had told him he had average talent, which probably placed him under six spiritual roots.
"Above six are the talented," Lucy added. "Seven and eight are incredible, but also incredibly rare. As for nine, that's a proper genius blessed by the Heavens, hence almost unheard of."
"Is nine spiritual roots the limit?" Liam asked.
"Yes," Lucy responded, turning toward Liam, only to hesitate in front of his evident curiosity. "Sort of."
Liam tilted his head in confusion, at which Lucy could only sigh helplessly. She didn't want to fill that ignorant mind with useless information, but that innocence kept defeating her.
"The Dragon King is said to have ten spiritual roots," Lucy revealed, "But that's a realm beyond the Heavens' talent, something only a direct son of the Ancestral Beasts can possess."
Liam's eyes went wide, but Lucy misunderstood his reaction and smiled before resuming strolling through the cave. In her mind, she had just told Liam that the Ancestral Beasts were real, so his surprise was understandable.
"As they say," Lucy chanted. "Nine is perfection, ten is divine."
Of course, far different thoughts had filled Liam's mind, together with his forearm's annoying itch. At once, he knew that he had stumbled on a major problem.