Yang's days had been going well since he became a first stage Qi Condensation cultivator. The first day after he came out of his cave residence was like stepping out into a new world.

  He could sense the qi in the air. Not just when cultivating, but all the time. It was everywhere. In the breeze that moved across the peaks. In the plants growing along the walkways. In the very stone beneath his feet. A subtle presence that hummed just below the surface of everything. Like discovering the world had a heartbeat he'd never noticed before.

  His senses felt better too. Sharper and more precise. Colors seemed more vivid. Sounds clearer. He could hear conversations from further away than before.

  As he passed his fellow disciples, many of those that were his acquaintances in the sect congratulated him on reaching the first stage of the Qi Condensation realm. "Congratulations, Junior Brother Yang!" one disciple called out as he walked to breakfast that first morning.

  "Well done breaking through," another said with a friendly nod.

  And as he looked at them, Yang realized he could feel their cultivation as well. Some of them were stronger, their qi presence more substantial. Others were at his own level, especially those that joined the sect at the same time as him. A few were still at the preliminary stage, not yet having drawn qi into their dantian.

  It was like opening a whole new sense. He could now look at people and recognize the stage of their realm. Not with perfect clarity, but with enough certainty to know where they stood in relation to himself.

  But it only worked for those in his own realm and those below him, according to the books he'd read. He was unable to see the cultivation of elders and any of the inner sect disciples he came across in the library or anywhere else.

  It took him a bit of time to start getting a measure of who was at what stage of Qi Condensation since it hardly came with a label like in a video game. No convenient numbers floating above people's heads. No color-coded auras marking their exact level. Just a general sense of strength and density to their qi presence.

  He spent a couple of days observing people and trying to get a measure of their cultivation. While he could recognize those in the lower stages easily enough, first through third stage were distinct, he had trouble distinguishing the difference between the stages of the later half of the Qi Condensation realm. Sixth and seventh stage felt similar to him. Eighth and ninth even more so. The differences became more subtle as the stages progressed.

  He asked Senior Brother Jiang Hui about it. Jiang Hui was an inner sect disciple who held classes for the outer sect disciples about cultivation theory and practical techniques. A kind man in his thirties who seemed to genuinely enjoy teaching.

  "Ah, that's common enough," Jiang Hui had said when Yang brought up his difficulty. "Having some trouble distinguishing different stages in a realm is normal for beginners. Once you're more used to it and have a better idea of the qi levels of different stages of cultivators, you'll have an easier time distinguishing them."

  He'd actually looked rather impressed. "You can already distinguish the first half stages of the Qi Condensation realm cultivators? That's quite good for someone who just broke through. Most take a week or two to develop that sensitivity."

  The praise had made Yang feel pleased, though he tried not to let it show too much.

  Now that he was able to cultivate, he had reduced his time spent in the library and was rather spending his time cultivating, increasing his qi reserves. It wouldn't be wrong to say all his spare time was spent in cultivation apart from eating and taking classes.

  If it weren't for having a need to eat, he would hardly come out of his cultivation cave. The progress was addictive. Each cultivation session, he could feel his dantian filling a bit more. His qi becoming slightly denser. His meridians growing stronger. Tangible improvement that encouraged him to keep going.

  That's what his day today was about. He was making his way to the outer sect hall to meet Senior Brother Bo Yu. He wanted to earn points, and so he needed to find a task suitable for his abilities.

  He wanted fasting pills. And for that he needed points.

  The fasting pills would eliminate the need to stop cultivation for meals. A single pill could sustain a Qi Condensation cultivator for three days without food or water. It would allow him to cultivate continuously, only stopping to sleep or attend necessary lectures. The time saved would be substantial.

  He'd just had breakfast and was walking to the outer sect hall after. The morning was beautiful. Clear skies above the clouds. The sun bright but not harsh. A gentle breeze carrying the scent of spirit herbs from the gardens.

  Other disciples moved about the peaks. Some heading to lectures. Others to the training grounds. A few flying overhead on swords, inner sect disciples moving between peaks with casual grace.

  Once he reached the outer sect hall, Yang made a beeline to Senior Brother Bo Yu. The hall was moderately busy this morning. A dozen or so disciples browsing the task board or speaking with the attendants at the counter.

  Senior Brother Bo Yu was at the sixth stage of Qi Condensation. Yang could sense it now. A solid, stable presence. Much denser than Yang's own thin wisps of qi.

  Senior Brother Bo Yu greeted him as he came in, looking up from the scroll he'd been reviewing. "Ah, Junior Brother Yang. Here again. How are you?" Then his eyes sharpened slightly as he sensed Yang's cultivation. "Congratulations on reaching the first stage of Qi Condensation."

  "Hello, Senior Brother. Thank you." Yang bowed respectfully. "It's all because of your guidance. Your advice helped me focus properly."

  The senior brother waved his words off with a slight smile. "Cultivation is dependent on the person. Your cultivation is solely your achievement. I only pointed you in the right direction." He set down his scroll. "What brings you here, Junior Brother?"

  Yang stepped closer to the counter. "I want to find a task suitable for me and was hoping to get your advice on the best tasks for myself."

  "Oh, you want to get a technique with the points?" Senior Brother Bo Yu quirked an eyebrow, interested.

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  "No," Yang replied. "I keep having to stop cultivation for food breaks and want to get fasting pills. I want to get a couple stages of Qi Condensation under my belt as quickly as possible."

  Senior Brother Bo Yu went quiet for a second. He looked at Yang for a long moment, his expression thoughtful. Almost concerned. Then he leaned forward slightly.

  "Junior Brother, normally I wouldn't presume to interfere in anyone else's plans for cultivation. Each person must walk their own path. But since you have shown yourself to welcome advice, I would suggest you leave the fasting pills for now."

  Yang blinked, surprised. "Why is that, Senior Brother?"

  "There's a reason our sect doesn't give an allowance of fasting pills every month like every other sect does," Bo Yu said seriously. "Have you wondered about that?"

  Yang hadn't, actually. He'd just assumed it was a resource allocation issue. That the sect had other priorities for their pill refinement capacity.

  Senior Brother Bo Yu continued, "Junior Brother, no pill is without toxins. Even the best pills refined by master alchemists contain trace impurities. And we as Qi Condensation cultivators are at the most vulnerable time of our cultivation. What we do and add to our cultivation will form the basis of our foundation. And upon that foundation, the whole building of our future cultivation will rest. Everything we do now will affect us in the future."

  He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a more confidential tone. "While the other sects believe the advantages of fasting pills compared to their toxins is negligible, our White Cloud Sect believes in making the best foundation possible. We believe those toxins matter. That they accumulate. That they weaken what should be strong."

  Yang listened intently, his earlier eagerness for the pills fading.

  Senior Brother Bo Yu's expression grew more serious. "Junior Brother, I don't know if you're aware, but our sect, despite being one of the ten major sects, is rather the least respected amongst the ten major sects. Especially amongst the sects that are not one of the major sects."

  That surprised Yang. He'd known White Cloud Sect was on the lower end of the major sect rankings, but he hadn't realized they were actually looked down upon.

  "The major sects are aware of our strength and wouldn't ever dare to make fun of or underestimate us," Bo Yu continued. "But it's the middling sects that like to think we're just lucky. Relying on the glory of our ancestors. That we don't deserve our position among the major sects."

  He paused, then smiled slightly. "But Junior Brother Chen Yang, the truth is our sect is strong enough to support the thousands of disciples it has without asking them for sacrifice. We don't want quick success built upon a foundation that will adversely affect us later."

  Bo Yu gestured broadly. "It's true that our younger disciples are weaker than all of the major sects and even many of the middle rank sects. Our outer sect disciples lose in competitions. Our inner sect disciples take longer to advance. But the truth is the sect allows it to be so because the sect doesn't care for glory and fame. All White Cloud Sect wants is that we stay on the right path and cultivate ourselves properly."

  His voice grew softer, more personal. "Junior Brother, I have never taken a single fasting pill. Many who joined together with me are already ahead of me. A couple of them have already gained entrance to the inner sect after establishing their foundation, and now I have to call them Senior Brothers and Sisters. They advanced faster."

  He met Yang's eyes directly. "But that's their path, their decision. And what good or bad it brings, they have to live with it themselves. Just as I have to live with my own decisions. I chose the slower path. The path of building the strongest foundation I could. And I don't regret it, even if it means I'm still in the outer sect while many others have moved ahead."

  Yang took what Senior Brother Bo Yu said to heart. The man's sincerity was obvious. This wasn't just propaganda or empty advice. This was lived experience. A choice Bo Yu had made and stood by.

  And even his inner instincts led him to believe the senior brother's advice was the right way for him. That gentle pull of certainty he'd learned to trust. The same instinct that had guided him to White Cloud Sect in the first place.

  Yang bowed his head to Senior Brother Bo Yu, the gesture deep and genuine. "Thank you for your advice and care, Senior Brother. I will take your words seriously."

  Senior Brother Bo Yu waved his thanks away with a slight smile. "The rest is your decision, Junior Brother. I've only shared my perspective. You must choose your own path."

  Yang straightened. "Senior Brother, I would still like to earn points. If not for fasting pills, then I would at least like to get a technique eventually."

  Senior Brother Bo Yu brightened at that. "Of course. Let's discuss what tasks will be best for you."

  He pulled out a list of available tasks from under the counter and spread it across the surface. Yang leaned in to examine it.

  There were a couple of tasks for pill refinement assistance that gave the most points. Yang looked at them wistfully, wishing he could have the ability. If he knew alchemy, earning points would have been easy. Alchemists were always in demand, and their tasks paid well.

  Senior Brother Bo Yu noticed his interest and disabused him of that notion immediately. "Junior Brother, alchemy is difficult and requires wealth to practice. You will seldom find people in the outer sect practicing it seriously. Only those with wealthy families who can send them ingredients can dabble in it."

  He tapped the alchemy tasks with one finger. "Since it takes many tries to even get a single pill right if you're new to alchemy, the investment is enormous. The pills may sell for a lot, but the cost to learn is just as expensive. You waste ten sets of ingredients to successfully refine one pill. Those ten failed attempts cost more than the one successful pill earns you. Only those with significant backing can afford to learn."

  Yang nodded, setting aside his interest in alchemy for now. Perhaps later, when he had more resources.

  There were a few spirit herb tasks that seemed more suitable. Tending the spirit herb gardens. Watering them with qi-infused water. Removing weeds. Monitoring for pests. Harvesting mature herbs under supervision.

  One in particular caught Yang's eye. A long-term task in the outer sect's medicinal garden. If he proved himself suitable and responsible, he would be able to earn a steady number of points every week. Regular work, regular income. Not as glamorous as alchemy, but sustainable.

  He put his name forward for the position and got the needed information from Senior Brother Bo Yu about where and to whom he needed to go to start the task.

  As Yang was about to leave, Senior Brother Bo Yu hesitated, then said, "Junior Brother, I have noticed your interest in the cultivation professions. If you want a way to earn money, both points and spirit stones, I would advise you to start with talismans."

  Yang turned back, interested.

  "Talismans have a lower barrier of entry than alchemy," Bo Yu explained. "The materials are cheaper. The failures less costly. You only need paper, cinnabar ink, and qi control. If you get good at them, you can sell them for both points and spirit stones. There's always demand for basic talismans. Light talismans. Warming talismans. Simple defensive talismans. They sell well and the profit margin is better for beginners."

  Yang's interest increased. "When is the next beginner talisman class, Senior Brother?"

  Bo Yu consulted a schedule scroll. "None this week, unfortunately. But as soon as one comes into the schedule, I promise to inform you. I'll send a message to your cave residence."

  "Thank you, Senior Brother." Yang bowed again. "I appreciate all your help."

  "It's nothing. We're all in the same sect. Helping each other is natural."

  Yang left the outer sect hall with much to think about. His plans had changed. No fasting pills. A slower cultivation path but hopefully a stronger one. A job tending spirit herbs. And a new interest in talisman creation.

  The morning sun was higher now. Disciples moved between peaks in greater numbers as lectures began. Yang made his way toward the medicinal garden peak, following the directions Bo Yu had given him.

  His cultivation journey was taking shape. Not the path he'd imagined when he first arrived, but perhaps a better one. More suited to who he was and what he needed.

  And that felt right.