The golden rays of morning filtered through the windows, bathing the room in warmth. The aroma of freshly cooked bread and herbal tea drifted in the air as the group gathered for breakfast. The clinking of utensils and gentle hum of conversation usually marked their mornings, but today, a thoughtful silence hung over the table.
Alex and Lily sat side by side, mechanically nibbling at their food, their expressions pensive. The echoes of yesterday's conversation still danced in their minds—Harvy's words about true cultivation, the balance between body, energy, and soul, and the dangers of blindly following tradition.
Harvy glanced at them, his keen eyes noting the shift in their demeanor. Liz, as usual, remained calm and observant, occasionally sipping her tea, her gaze drifting between Alex and Lily.
After the last crumbs had been eaten and the table cleared, Harvy stood up. Without a word, he raised his hand. A faint ripple of energy shimmered in the air. With a flick of his wrist, three ancient tomes materialized midair, wrapped in a faint glow. They hovered for a moment, spinning slowly, before settling onto the table with a soft thud.
Dust motes stirred in the morning light, giving the moment an almost sacred feel.
Alex blinked in shock. "What the hell...? Did you just summon those?"
Harvy tapped the silver bracelet on his wrist, the metal catching the sunlight. "Spatial storage artifact. Handy, right? These books came from Garrick's personal collection. Old, rare, and not meant for casual use."
Lily leaned forward, her small fingers brushing the worn leather cover. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "They feel... powerful."
"They are," Harvy replied, his tone steady. "But don't let that distract you. Just because you have cultivation techniques in your hands doesn't mean you're ready to use them."
Alex frowned. "Why not? If we've got the techniques, shouldn't we just start already?"
Harvy crossed his arms and looked at them both. His voice turned serious. "Because cultivation isn't like following instructions on how to cook soup. If you mess up a step, you don't just get a bad result—you risk crippling your entire foundation. Or worse, dying."
Lily's eyes widened slightly, and she pulled her hand back from the book. Alex, however, leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. "Alright then. What do we need to know first?"
Lily opened one of the books cautiously, eyes scanning the densely written script and complex diagrams. "So we train both together? Essence and Body?"
Harvy gave a short nod. "Yes. That's the ideal path. But as I mentioned yesterday, before you begin cultivation, you must understand yourself. Your body, your mind, and your natural strengths."
Alex tilted his head. "So where do we begin?"
Harvy stepped back, placing his hands behind his back. His eyes swept across the room like a teacher about to address a class. "Step one is sensing energy. Sit in meditation. Still your thoughts. Let go of distractions. Only when your mind is quiet can you feel the world around you."
"Feel it how?" Lily asked.
"Like a current," Harvy said. "It's subtle at first. A tingle across your skin. A warmth in your chest. Everyone experiences it differently. Once you can sense it, you'll be able to recognize your elemental affinity."
Lily blinked. "Affinity?"
With a subtle gesture, Harvy summoned a floating array of glowing symbols above the table. They spun gently in the air, each etched with delicate runes representing an element.
"Everyone is born with a natural alignment to one or more elements," Harvy explained. "Some affinities are common, others are rare. But they define the kind of energy you connect with most naturally."
The glowing array organized itself into three tiers:
Basic Elements: Fire, Water, Earth, Air.
Advanced Elements: Lightning, Ice, Magma, Metal, Nature, Poison.
Rare Elements: Light, Darkness, Gravity, Time, Space, Sound, Fate, Creation, Destruction.
Alex let out a low whistle. "That's... a lot. So which one's the best?"
Harvy gave a short laugh. "None. And all. It's not about which is strongest. It's about what suits you. Fire can be overwhelming, but Water can wear it down. Wind carves stone, but Earth can anchor lightning. Mastery matters more than the element itself."
Lily studied the symbols intently. "How do we know which ones we're attuned to?"
"You'll feel it," Harvy said. "Some people feel warmth, others hear whispers or see colors in their mind. That's your affinity reaching out. Most people have one, but some rare individuals have two or even three."
Alex cracked his knuckles. "So step one—meditate. Step two—find our affinity. Then we start training Essence and Body, right?"
Harvy raised an eyebrow. "You're missing a step. Before you even think about absorbing energy, you need to study your body."
He tapped the books. "These volumes include detailed diagrams of meridians, energy flow, and the internal structure necessary to handle energy safely. One wrong channel, and you could rupture something vital."
Lily paled. "That sounds terrifying."
"It is," Harvy said without flinching. "That's why most beginners fail. They rush. They chase power without discipline. Cultivation rewards patience—not ambition."
Alex groaned and leaned back. "Alright, fine. We'll study first. How long's that gonna take?"
Harvy smiled slightly. "As long as it needs to. Cultivation isn't a sprint—it's a lifelong journey."
For a few moments, silence settled over the room again. But this time, it wasn't born of doubt or confusion—it was resolve.
Lily reached forward and opened one of the books with steady hands. Her young face was determined. "Then we'd better get started."
Alex sighed and picked up another volume, flipping it open. "Yeah. Let's do this properly."
Harvy watched them quietly. For the first time, they weren't just talking about cultivation—they were beginning it. Slowly but surely, they were stepping onto the path that had taken countless lives to the heavens—and just as many to ruin.
Liz walked over, placing a pot of tea on the table. "I'll help guide the meditation later," she said simply. "We'll need a calm space. No distractions."
"Thank you," Lily said, giving a small smile.
Harvy nodded approvingly. "Good. We start slow. You'll spend the next few days meditating and studying. Once you're confident, we'll test your sensing abilities."
Alex looked up. "And if we fail to sense anything?"
Harvy's eyes glinted. "Then you'll keep trying. No one becomes a cultivator overnight."
Lily placed a hand on her chest. "I want to do this. Not just for power. But... to protect Alex."
Alex blinked, surprised. Then his expression softened, and he nodded. "We protect each other. Always."
Harvy turned away, his voice almost lost in the quiet. "Good. You'll need that resolve. Because once you walk this path, there's no turning back."
The pages of the ancient books rustled faintly as they were opened, studied, and absorbed. Outside, the morning sun climbed higher, oblivious to the sacred transformation unfolding in that quiet room.
And so, the first chapter of Alex and Lily's cultivation journey truly began—not with a battle, not with a flash of power, but with a promise.
A promise to grow.
A promise to become stronger.
And a promise to walk the path—together.