Cultivation is Creation

I could feel the sixth stage cultivator trying to press his spiritual essence into my meridians – a common technique used to establish dominance among disciples. Too bad for him, my cultivation base was far more stable than he likely assumed.

I turned around slowly, deliberately, letting a small smile play across my lips. The registration hall had gone quiet, dozens of eyes watching to see how this would play out.

The disciple towered over me by at least half a head, his gray robes embroidered with golden thread that probably cost more spirit stones than most outer disciples saw in a month.

"I'm only going to say it once," I said quietly. "Remove your hand."

His face flushed red, whether from anger or embarrassment at my lack of fear, I couldn't tell. Behind him, his two teammates shifted their stances slightly, already preparing for violence. Their movements were coordinated – clearly a team that had trained together for some time.

"Listen here, you arrogant little first-year," he growled, his fingers digging deeper into my shoulder. "I am Feng Zhao, and I've been in this sect for five years. I've earned my place here. Who do you think you are, walking in here like you own the place?"

I remained silent, which seemed to infuriate him further.

"You think reaching the fifth stage makes you special?" Feng Zhao's voice dripped with contempt. "I bet you just got lucky with some stolen technique or family backing. Real cultivators earn their power through years of—"

The rest of his sentence was lost as his other hand shot forward in a straight qi-enhanced punch aimed at my face.

The movement was actually quite impressive for a sixth stage cultivator – his form was decent, and he'd masked his intent well enough that most disciples of my supposed level would have been caught completely off guard. It was the definition of a true sucker punch, or at least an attempt at one.

Time seemed to slow as I activated both suns simultaneously, their combined power surging through my meridians like liquid lightning. The Genesis Seed resonated with their energy, creating that familiar crystalline clarity where everything seemed to move in perfect synchronization.

I watched his fist approach in what felt like slow motion.

"Master," Azure commented dryly in my mind, "I believe this is what humans call 'showing off'."

"He's attacking me, I'm just defending myself," I replied mentally, even as I activated the Blink Step rune on my thigh.

The world blurred around me as I vanished from in front of the disciple, reappearing instantly at his left side where his stance was weakest. His eyes were still fixed on where I had been standing, his expression just beginning to register confusion.

My hand was already moving in a Phantom Strike, the Titan's Crest blazing to life on my palm. The combination of the technique and the rune's enhancement meant that even a glancing blow would—

The impact sent him flying across the registration hall like he'd been kicked by an angry stone guardian. His body crashed into one of the ornate stone pillars with a sickening crack, sending spiderweb fractures racing through the carved surface. He slumped to the ground, his fancy robes torn and dirtied, a thin trail of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His spiritual energy fluctuated wildly, clearly disrupted by the force of the blow.

The hall erupted in shocked whispers. I caught fragments of conversations:

"Did you see—"

"—just disappeared—"

"—some kind of movement technique—"

"First year disciple?"

"—has to be lying about—"

“A dark horse?”

His teammates stepped forward, hands raised in combat stances, but I could see the uncertainty in their eyes. Their qi fluctuated erratically, betraying their inner turmoil. Their leader had just been taken down in a single strike – and he'd attacked first. They clearly hadn't expected a first-year disciple to be capable of this level of violence.

"That's quite enough."

The voice wasn't particularly loud, but it carried an authority that made everyone freeze. One of the inner disciples manning the registration tables had stood up, his movement so smooth it seemed almost casual. But there was nothing casual about the spiritual pressure that rolled off him, hitting the room like a physical wave.

I watched in fascination as most of the outer disciples simply... stopped. Their bodies locked up, paralyzed by the sheer weight of an Elemental Realm cultivator's aura. It was like watching statues being created in real time – dozens of cultivators frozen mid-motion, some with their mouths still open in half-spoken words.

The seventh stage disciples weren't completely immobilized, but they were clearly struggling. I could see Chen Feng's face twisted in concentration as he fought against the pressure, sweat beading on his forehead. His legendary shadow walking technique wouldn't help him here – this wasn't an attack to be dodged, but a fundamental difference in cultivation bases.

Ming Yue, the other seventh stage cultivator, managed to maintain her graceful posture, but her knuckles were white where she gripped the edge of a nearby table. Her teammates weren't faring as well – the poison expert had gone completely pale, while the sound specialist looked like he was trying to scream but couldn't make his mouth work.

Even Earth Fist Liu, mountain-like in his stability, swayed slightly under the pressure. His ranged combat specialists had both dropped to their knees, their qi fluctuating wildly as they tried to resist the overwhelming force.

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Only Yuan Zhen, the eighth stage cultivator, seemed relatively unaffected. His eyebrows rose slightly in what might have been mild interest, but otherwise he appeared unbothered by the display of power. His teammates, both seventh stage cultivators themselves, managed to stay standing through what appeared to be sheer proximity to their leader's powerful spiritual essence.

As for me... I felt the pressure try to lock my body in place, but the combined energy of both suns, amplified by the Genesis Seed, seemed to create a sort of buffer. It was like being underwater but still able to breathe – uncomfortable, but not debilitating.

The inner disciple's eyes widened slightly as he noticed my relative freedom of movement. Then his stern expression melted into an amused smile that somehow managed to be both approving and predatory at the same time.

"Well, well," he said, letting his aura dissipate. The other disciples gasped collectively as they were released from its grip. Several stumbled, their legs weak from the strain of resistance. "It seems it's only a matter of time before you join us in the inner sect, brother."

The reaction from the other disciples was immediate. Whispers broke out across the hall, and I could feel dozens of calculating gazes reassessing me. Some were filled with envy, others with speculation, and more than a few with barely concealed hostility.

"Did you hear that?"

"—inner disciple acknowledged—"

"—must have serious backing—"

"Another Song Xiang situation?"

"—probably another hidden genius—"

The inner disciple's smile vanished as he turned to face my would-be attacker, who was being helped to his feet by his teammates. Blood still trickled from his mouth, and his spiritual essence fluctuated erratically, showing signs of pending qi deviation.

"You'll be paying a visit to the Disciplinary Hall," he stated flatly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"What?" the disciple sputtered, wiping blood from his chin with a trembling hand. His expensive robes were ruined, torn and stained with both blood and dust. "But I'm the one who got hurt! He—"

"Defended himself quite effectively," the inner disciple cut him off with a laugh that held no humor. "You can only blame yourself for attacking a tiger in sheep's clothing. Did you really think a first-year reaching the fifth stage was normal?”

Two more inner disciples appeared – I hadn't even seen them approach – and took hold of the protesting disciple's arms.

"But senior brother," one of the attacker's teammates stepped forward, his voice wavering slightly. "We were just—"

"Just what?" the inner disciple's voice grew sharp. "Just trying to bully someone you thought was weaker? Just trying to show off your supposed superiority?" He shook his head in disgust. "This kind of behavior reflects poorly on the entire sect. Perhaps some time in the Disciplinary Hall will help you understand the proper way to conduct yourselves."

The other inner disciples began leading the three troublemakers away. I noticed that despite their lack of injuries, none of them dared to resist. The Disciplinary Hall's reputation was apparently enough to ensure compliance.

"The fun is over," the first inner disciple announced, clapping his hands. "If you haven't registered yet, do so quickly. If you have, leave. Now."

The hall began to empty, disciples filing out in small groups, many still shooting glances in my direction. I could hear them continuing to speculate about my background, my cultivation method, my supposed connections. Some were already trying to figure out how to approach me, while others were clearly planning to stay far away from what they perceived as a dangerous political situation.

As I turned to leave myself, I felt a particularly intense gaze on me. It was different from the others – not calculating or envious, but... hungry?

Turning slightly, I spotted Wu Kangming lurking in a shadowed corner, half his face hidden in darkness as he watched me with an unreadable expression. The golden light in his eyes seemed to pulse slightly, and for a moment I could have sworn I saw a spectral sword floating behind him.

"Well, that's not creepy at all," I muttered, heading for the exit. I made sure to keep my pace unhurried, my posture relaxed. No need to show that his attention bothered me.

"Master," Azure's voice echoed in my mind as I walked through the now-empty corridors, "why did you use both suns' power? Wasn't that rather... conspicuous?"

“As much as I hate making enemies, I was sneak attacked and needed to defend myself. Without their power, I wasn't completely confident in defeating him quickly and cleanly."

"But the attention it will draw—"

"Would have come during the tournament anyway," I pointed out. "My goal is to catch an elder's eye and become their disciple. I was afraid of the consequences before, but look at Wu Kangming – he's far more impressive than me, and nothing's happened to him since his return."

"You make a fair point," Azure conceded after a moment of consideration. "This isn't like outside the sect. Here, potential will be nurtured. Outside... well, we both know what happens to interesting specimens in the wider world."

I shuddered, remembering what had happened to Li Yuan.

"Still," Azure continued, "we should be careful about—"

"Disciple Ke Yin."

The voice behind me made me freeze mid-step. It wasn't one I recognized, but something about its tone – a sort of amused authority – made me think I was either in very big trouble or about to receive an interesting opportunity.

Knowing my luck, probably both.

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