Cultivation is Creation

I turned slowly, despite not recognising the voice, I somehow had an idea of who I would see.

Sure enough, Old Man Bu stood there in the empty hallway, looking exactly as he had in his warehouse – the same wrinkly face, the same simple merchant's robes, even the same slight stoop that made him appear older and frailer than he likely was.

"Senior Bu?" I couldn't quite keep the surprise from my voice. The registration hall was one of the last places I'd expected to run into the crippled merchant.

He looked me up and down, studying me with far more intensity than he had during our previous meeting. "It seems you really put that water essence to good use, young friend."

Something about the way he said it made me think he wasn't just making casual conversation.

"I... didn't expect to see you here," I said carefully as I tried to figure out what he was doing here. A merchant with access to the inner areas of the sect, appearing right after I'd drawn attention to myself? "You being here means..."

"That I'm not just a simple merchant?" he smiled. "Indeed. Though I do enjoy the role – it's much more relaxing than my actual duties."

"You're an elder," I breathed, the pieces finally clicking into place. The restricted materials in his warehouse, his deep knowledge of cultivation techniques, the way he'd seemed to know exactly what I needed... it all made sense now.

He nodded, then, with a casual wave of his hand that somehow managed to convey both 'follow me' and 'this isn't really a request,' he said, "Let's go somewhere more private to talk."

The world... compressed. That was the only way I could describe it. It was like reality itself folded around us, space twisting in ways that made my eyes water. When everything settled, we were standing in what appeared to be someone's private quarters.

The room was... unusual, to say the least.

One wall was lined with shelves containing bottles of every shape and size imaginable, their contents ranging from crystal clear to deep crimson.

Another held what appeared to be a massive formation diagram, but it was like no formation I'd ever seen – the lines curved and spiraled in impossible ways, forming patterns that seemed to shift when I wasn't looking directly at them.

Was Old Man Bu some kind of formation expert?

The furniture was sparse but elegant – a few comfortable-looking chairs, a low table that appeared to be made from some kind of spirit wood, and a desk covered in scrolls and what looked like wine-stained formation diagrams.

The overall effect was somewhere between a scholar's study and a wine merchant's tasting room.

"Where..." I started to ask, still trying to orient myself after the sudden transition.

"My quarters," he replied without looking. He was already rummaging through one of the many drawers built into the wall. "Now where did I... ah!"

I tensed slightly, wondering what sort of treasure or pill an elder of the Azure Peak Sect would consider worth showing to an outer disciple. Would it be some kind of test? A reward? A—

He pulled out a bottle. Just... a bottle. It was dark green, unmarked, and looked completely ordinary. But the way he cradled it, you'd think he was holding a newborn child.

"Beautiful," he murmured, running his fingers along the glass surface. Then, without any ceremony whatsoever, he uncorked it and chugged down the whole bottle.

My eyes widened as his features began to shift. It wasn't a dramatic transformation – no blinding lights or magical effects – but more like watching ice melt in reverse. The wrinkles smoothed away, his slightly hunched posture straightened, and his gray hair darkened to a rich brown.

Within moments, standing before me wasn’t the elderly merchant, no, it was a man who appeared to be in his mid or late thirties.

"Much better," he sighed, rolling his shoulders. "As fun as it can be, maintaining that old man disguise gets tiring after a while."

"It seems we were correct about him being more than a crippled merchant," Azure commented in my mind, sounding amused.

"Looks like we found ourselves a drunken master archetype," I replied mentally. "One who apparently enjoys playing a crippled shopkeeper in his spare time."

"You do seem to attract the most eccentric individuals," Azure noted dryly. "Though I suppose that's better than attracting the boring but murderous type."

I was saved from responding to that observation by the elder clearing his throat.

"I suppose proper introductions are in order," he said, settling into one of the chairs. "I am Chen Yong, Elder of the Azure Peak Sect, master of the Drunken Immortal Path, and..." he grimaced slightly, "recently promoted to the Life Realm."

I bowed deeply, making sure to show proper respect. Whatever his eccentric behavior, this was still one of the most powerful cultivators in the sect. "This disciple Ke Yin greets Elder Chen."

He waved off my formality with a snort. "Save the ceremony for the stuck-up elders who actually care about that sort of thing. I'd much rather discuss why I've bothered to reveal myself to you."

I straightened, choosing my words carefully. "This disciple would indeed be curious to know what business an elder might have with him."

Chen Yong's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Very diplomatic. You're much better at this game than most disciples your age." He leaned back in his chair, studying me with new interest. "To be honest, I've been keeping an eye on you for a while now."

My heart rate picked up slightly. Just how much did he know about me?

"Not by choice, mind you," he continued, making a face. "The Sect Master asked me to, and well... it's generally not wise to refuse when Yuan makes a request."

I couldn't quite suppress my reaction to that. The Sect Master himself had taken an interest in me?

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Chen Yong burst out laughing at my expression. "Don't get too excited, kid. You weren't impressive enough to draw the Sect Master's attention directly. No, that honor belongs to Song Xiang." He took another sip from a fresh bottle that I hadn't even seen him produce. "You just got stuck with old me instead because I'm supposedly good at spotting potential. Though personally, I think Yuan just enjoys making my life difficult."

He settled more comfortably in his chair, the bottle dangling carelessly from his fingers. "I was perfectly happy to stay in the shadows and not get involved with your cultivation. After all, why make an already tedious job more complicated? Do you have any idea how time-consuming it is to look after you brats? The questions, the training, the constant need for guidance..." He took another long drink. "Give me a good vintage and a quiet afternoon any day."

I got the distinct impression he was enjoying his role as the lazy, put-upon elder a bit too much.

"But then," his voice grew more serious, "I noticed something interesting today. Something very interesting indeed."

I nodded slowly, already knowing where this was going. The blue sun's energy was too distinctive to hide completely, especially from someone who had just entered the Life Realm.

"You see," Chen Yong continued, "I had just finished my breakthrough – completely by accident, I might add. Wasn't even trying to advance, but apparently the heavens had other ideas." He made a face that suggested the heavens had personally offended him.

My eyes widened slightly at that. Accidental breakthroughs weren't unheard of, but at that level? The amount of accumulated knowledge and power needed to advance by accident was staggering.

"So, imagine my surprise when I sense a Qi Condensation disciple giving off an aura similar to Life Realm energy."

I tensed slightly, but kept my expression neutral. This was the moment I would find out if my plan had worked.

Noticing the look in my eye, Chen Yong held his hands in front of me. "Relax, kid. I'm not going to interrogate you or try to steal your opportunity." He took another drink, longer this time. "Every cultivator has their secrets. Besides, I have enough trouble dealing with my own cultivation without trying to steal someone else's."

That... was reassuring to hear. "Then what do you want, Elder?"

He smiled, but there was something almost vulnerable in his expression. "At my level, it becomes difficult to find new ways to break through. Previously, I didn't care much about advancing – was perfectly happy to stay where I was, drinking my wine and avoiding responsibility."

"But now," he continued, his voice softer, "I've got these little brats depending on me."

I must have looked confused, because he elaborated with a slight grimace. "Life forms have begun appearing in my inner world – primitive ones, barely more than sparks of awareness, but..." He trailed off, looking uncomfortable with his own sentiment. "If I die, they die too. And somehow, that makes everything more complicated."

Here was one of the most powerful cultivators I'd ever met, someone who by all rights should be focused solely on his own advancement, and his primary motivation for getting stronger was to protect the tiny life forms that had appeared in his inner world.

It was... unexpectedly touching.

Something in my expression must have given away my thoughts because he pointed his bottle at me accusingly. "Don't give me that look! I'm not being noble or anything. They're just..." he waved his hand vaguely, "annoying. Like having a bunch of needy children following you around constantly calling you 'Creator.'" He shuddered. "Do you have any idea how disturbing that is?"

Despite myself, I found my lips twitching into a smile. There was something refreshingly honest about his reluctant acceptance of responsibility.

"Anyway," he continued, "that energy you gave off – it's similar to Life Realm energy but different in some key ways. I was hoping to study it. Might help me comprehend something useful." He shrugged. "Or might not. But it's worth a try."

"And what would I get out of this arrangement?" I asked carefully.

He threw back his head and laughed. "I like that you're unwilling to lose out! Already thinking like a proper cultivator." His eyes twinkled with genuine amusement. "But remember, you do owe me a favor from our previous transaction..."

I nodded slowly. If all he wanted was to study the blue sun's energy, that would actually be a relatively safe way to repay that debt. As long as he didn't try anything too invasive...

"And," he added casually, "I noticed you're interested in learning formations. I could also teach you a thing or two about those."

My eyes narrowed. How had he known about that? I'd only bought the formation tools in Myriad Paths City, not in the sect.

Chen Yong waved off my suspicious look with another drink from his bottle. "Don't worry about things that are above your level of understanding. Let's just say I have my ways of staying informed."

Then his expression grew serious, the abrupt shift reminded me that for all his casual behavior, this was still an elder of a major sect. "So, young man," he said, fixing me with that penetrating gaze again, "what will your decision be?"

I stared at the elder as I weighed my options.

On one hand, letting anyone study the suns' energy was risky. On the other hand, having an elder's guidance with formations could be invaluable, especially with the tournament approaching. And if I had to reveal some of my abilities to someone, a lazy elder who preferred to avoid sect politics might be the safest choice...

The ball was in my court now. I just had to decide whether to take the shot.

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