Jasmine felt like her entire worldview had shattered into a million pieces in a single day. She had seen a shadow spirit, met a grumpy ink snake, was taken in as the Disciple to the daughter of an immortal, and discovered that the immortal is a facade and everyone is taking orders from a spirit tree.

If that wasn't enough, she was dragged into a meeting with an heir of the Silverspire family and the Grand Elder of a noble family. They bowed to her with respect. She watched her Master effortlessly tame the Silverspires. Then she was told she would participate in a tournament a month from now, having cultivated for only a few days and having no combat experience.

In a daze, she was taken by her Master to a mortal village and told if she didn't perform in the upcoming tournament, she would be replaced by this mortal boy, and now she was back in the sky on a flying sword.

Jasmine sighed. Are cultivators always this busy? I thought they did nothing but sit in caves and meditate all day! Yet it's not even late afternoon, and so much has happened... I am so cold.

Although she couldn't fall off the flying sword as a barrier was erected around its perimeter by her Master, there was no protection from the freezing wind that burned her neck and fingers. Her face was only spared by the wooden mask she still wore.

While she was suffering, her Master stood casually at the tip of the sword in a thin cotton attire that looked suitable for training martial arts in the summer. Her ankles and arms were entirely exposed, and Stella didn't even bother to wear shoes. Yet she was unfazed by the winter wind other than occasionally huffing her short blonde hair out of her eyes.

"M-Master, I am freezing," Jasmine stuttered as her teeth chattered.

"Stand behind me then," Stella glanced over her shoulder with a smile, "I'm blocking most of the wind."

"O-okay," Jasmine shuffled closer and hugged up to Stella. Burrowing her head into her Master's back, she got some relief from the cold.

Master is so warm.

Her body became less numb, and her chattering teeth stopped.

"We will be at Red Vine Peak soon. Are you okay?" Stella asked.

"Yes, just a bit cold still."

"I could give you a spicy fruit to warm you up, but I think you will struggle." Stella clicked her tongue, "I forgot that you are still quite weak. Give me a second; I will speed up the journey with a portal, and we will do a lot of training when we return."

"Okay, Master."

I hope Master's training isn't as brutal as her negotiations. Jasmine prayed in her mind. The way her Master had sneered at the Silverspires as if they were bugs to her was engraved into her mind. Master is ruthless. I hope that Ryker will be okay.

Deciding to distract herself, Jasmine tilted her head to the side and looked down at the forest far below. Her eyesight wasn't the best, and the mask wasn't helping, so the many villages surrounded by many fields were nothing but dots of brown.

Everything seems so small and insignificant from the sky. Jasmine thought with a hint of sadness. To those mortals we just met, that village is their whole lives, yet it's just a smudge of brown on the landscape from up here. Is this how the world looks to all cultivators?

Jasmine glanced back and saw thousands of stone homes encircling the mountain base in the distance, with the palace of white stone lording over it from above. Master had to tell those mortals about an entirely new city that had appeared a few hours away. They were so clueless and trapped in their own little bubble.

"Master, what do you think of mortals?"

"Mhm, nothing really. Why?"

"No reason..." Jasmine muttered.

When I went to school back in Slymere, I asked the teachers what they thought of cultivators, and everyone had long-winded answers. Some admired them, others feared them. They would tell me stories about how they met a cultivator once or how their family was killed in the crossfire of a fight. But to a cultivator like Master, mortals aren't worth thinking about.

Jasmine reached up with her fingers, which had gone red and numb from the cold, and touched her wooden mask.

Master told me to wear this as mortals were bothersome to deal with. But if cultivators are so powerful and wise, why would they find mortals difficult to deal with?

Jasmine looked at the fast-approaching mountain, which was Stella's home. Like the white stone palace, it was high in the sky, impossible and out of reach for any mortal.

Why did Master tell that mortal to meet her at the peak when it would be impossible for a mortal to climb so high? She even went out of her way to help him with a truffle. Is it some kind of test?

Lost in thought about her Master's profound ways, Jasmine blinked, and they reappeared over the mist wall. The sudden change in pressure, making her ears pop, suggested they had gone through a portal. Landing the sword, Stella hopped off, and Jasmine followed. In a flash of silver, the large sword was sucked into Stella's spatial ring.

"What a frustrating day," Stella grumbled as she removed her mask and gestured for Jasmine to do the same. Luckily, it was warm enough up here due to the fire Qi tree, and the mist blocked the harsh winds, so Jasmine happily gave the mask back.

Stella stowed them away and then placed her hands on her hips. "Alright, first up, I should have you eat"

"Hey, Stella!" Someone shouted across the mountain peak.

Jasmine watched her Master's face sour in real time as she turned on her heel.

"The hell do you want, Douglas?" Stella squinted into the distance, "Is that a hut?"

Summoning a portal with a snap of her fingers, Stella dragged Jasmine through. Sure enough, on the other side of the rift was a stone hut like the one her family lived in, and beside it was a broad-shouldered man in a beige suit. There was also a strange creature with glowing blue eyes, and the rest of its features were hidden under what looked to be a black cloak.

"You must be Jasmine, Stella's new Disciple." The man grinned, "I knew Stella and Ashlock would forget how different the needs of a mortal are compared to cultivators and trees, so I built you this hut. Come have a look inside."

"This is for me?" Jasmine followed Douglas through the door and gave a nod to the Mudcloak, which returned a funny grunt and three-clawed salute.

"Yes, this is for your personal use. The entire hut is engraved with a Qi gathering formation and is well insulated to keep heat in. There is a padded bed made from wolf fur that you can use to nap or meditate on. Oh, and over here is a storage cabinet for your belongings and food. Finally, in the corner, there is, of course, a toilet. I know you will spend most nights at home, but Stella has a habit of dozing off or going elsewhere, so this gives you a place you can call your own, rain or shine."

Jasmine was speechless. "This is really all for me? Did you make it?"

"With the help of the Mudcloaks, I made it in a few minutes, so don't worry, it wasn't much of a hassle." Douglas said, "The fur I used for the bed is something I bought a long time ago with the intent of turning it into a coatoh, speaking of, I have something Elaine wanted me to give you."

"Elaine? The nice teacher lady I met earlier?"

"She's a real sweetheart, ain't she?" Douglas passed her a thick black cloak with a hood, "Apparently, Elaine used this in her youth, so it should fit you. It's standard Voidmind family attire, so maybe don't wear it outside as you might get mistaken, but it's fine to wear around here."

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Jasmine slipped into the cloak, and sure enough, it fit her snugly. It was lined with many layers and had big pockets where she could keep her hands. It was perfect for the weather.

"I don't know what to say other than thank you," Jasmine muttered. Today had been all too much.

Douglas laughed, "No need for thanks; I'm just doing what's right. I know your new Master rather well. She has a good heart but a poor grasp on other people's limits..." He trailed off, and his gaze turned dark, "Just like the boss who thinks building a city overnight is a reasonable request."

"The boss?" Jasmine wasn't sure who Douglas was referring to, but he sounded mean.

"Oh, don't worry. I am just mumbling to myself. Actually, speaking of the boss, he wanted me to build him a transport hub by the end of today, so I better get going," Douglas walked around her in the small hut and patted her on the shoulder as he left, "Any issues you can come and find me or Elaine, we are always open to lending a good old ear. Good luck, little Disciple. May we meet again soon."

"Are you done being dramatic?" Stella was standing outside the hut with her arms crossed.

"I wanted to make a good impression on her before you twist her personality," Douglas laughed as he wandered off, "And now that my job here is done, I'm off!"

Stella rolled her eyes as she walked into the hut, "Twist your personality; what does that even mean?" She glanced around, "Though I must say this is quite a nice little place he made for you. I forgot what having four walls felt like ever since the pavilion was destroyed."

Jasmine watched Stella plop down on her bed and sit cross-legged.

"Come," Stella patted the space before her, "Let's cultivate in here."

Jasmine felt through their link that Stella was in a good mood, which was nice. Her Master had been the epitome of irritation during the meeting with the Silverspires.

"Okay, Master," Jasmine sat across from her and was surprised at how comfortable the padded bed of fur was. She almost felt too cozy with the cloak wrapped around her and the bed below.

"Now, my dear Disciple, tell me." Stella locked gazes with her, "What is cultivation?"

That is such an open-ended question!

"It's a way to get stronger?" Jasmine said hesitantly.

"What else?"

"To become immortal and fly around on swords? Errr, to kill monsters? To protect my family?"

Stella frowned, "You are focusing too much on the results. Cultivation is a long road. I know you are young, but focusing on the process is more important than the outcomes. Understand?"

Jasmine nodded.

"Good. Now tell me what the process of cultivation is, not the outcome."

Jasmine remembered Elaine's demonstration, "I have to absorb Qi into my soul."

"That's right," Stella nodded, "Since we are humans, the most efficient way to absorb Qi is to use a breathing technique to bring the Qi into our lungs and then cycle the Qi through our spirit roots until it goes into our soul. Now, what is Qi? Do you know?"

Jasmine opened her mouth to answer but felt the words die at her lips. She had gone to a school in Slymere for mortals where she learned to read and write to serve the cultivators like her father in the future, not cultivate Qi or fight.

"I have no idea," Jasmine let out a sigh.

"Don't worry. Despite cultivating all my life, I used to only know the basics until I spoke with Elaine. It's important information as understanding what you're absorbing can help speed up the process." Stella said with a warm smile. "Now let's see... from what I understand, Qi is the manifestation of heaven's will. You can think of heaven as a force of change that desires creation over nothingness. So Qi is basically heaven's energy. When you cultivated earlier today under Nox, what did you experience?"

"There were all these voices shouting at me," Jasmine shuddered, "And the Qi I absorbed felt impossible to tame. It raged around my body and mostly dissipated back into the surroundings. It was almost like trying to contain steam in my hands."

Stella nodded, "That's because you tried to cultivate what we call untamed Qi. Remember Elaine's example of the bowl filled with water and leaves? You were trying to take in all of creation, every strand of Qi around you woven into this reality, and force it through your spirit roots and into your soul."

"Oh..."

"The best way to cultivate is first to work out what type of Qi your body is best suited to handling; in your case, that would be nature Qi. Then, other cultivators would have to find a location to immerse themselves in that type of Qi. Such as the Redclaws living on a volcano."

"What do you mean by 'other cultivators', Master?"

"Here in the Ashfallen sect, we don't have the constraints others have. Cultivation is hard, so often, people use pills and formations to make it easier. We do the same, but to a greater extent. You could almost call it cheating."

Stella summoned multiple fruits and a waterskin from her spatial ring and handed them over, "This is an Enlightenment fruit. It will help awaken your consciousness to the whispers of heaven. Meanwhile, this is a Mind Fortress fruit, which will help keep you calm and composed, and finally, a Deep Meditation fruit. Now eat up, and then we will continue."

Jasmine bit into the fruits; they honestly tasted amazing with different flavors, and she could feel their effects almost instantly.

"Now, I would have you eat some truffles, but that will have to wait until Diana returns. I'm sure she will want to devour your heart demons, and her water Qi will help with the stench that comes from purging impurities and improving your skin."

Devour my heart demons? Jasmine shuddered at the thought. Diana really was a demoness.

"This should be good, actually," Stella said, "Too much help at the start might hurt you more than help."

Jasmine finished all three fruits and gulped down some water to wash out the nice but overly sweet taste in her mouth. "What now, Master?"

"Shuffle around and show me your back." Stella paused while she turned. "Okay, good. Now, I will help guide Qi through your body since your spirit roots are of rather poor quality and filled with impurities. Just close your eyes and tell me what you see."

Jasmine closed her eyes and felt Stella's palms on her back. The Deep Meditation fruit helped her enter the depths of her consciousness. Breathing in, she felt Qi fill her lungs. Stella helped pull the Qi through her spirit roots and into her consciousness. A myriad of strands flowed all around, but unlike last time, their thousands of whispers didn't overwhelm her. The Mind Fortress fruit was helping keep her calm.

"Master, I see many strands of Qi in my mind; what should I do now?"

"Focus on the strands of nature Qi. It will likely be of a green color, and their whispers will be the most coherent to you."

Jasmine sorted through the many fire, water, earth, and spatial strands as those are the Qi types that dominated Red Vine Peak and honed in on one of the green strands. "Okay, I got it."

"Good, now pull on that strand and try to absorb it into your soul." Stella instructed, "And as you do so, try to listen to its whispers. They contain profound insight regarding your Qi type, and by coming to an understanding with nature Qi, you will reach enlightenment. Only by you and heaven understanding one another on a deep level will you be capable of enacting your will upon the world and wielding your stored-up nature Qi to perform techniques in the future."

Jasmine didn't quite understand, but she followed her Master's teachings. Pulling on the nature Qi strand, she was surprised at how easy it was to absorb compared to the untamed Qi earlier. It flowed through her spirit roots like a calm river and trickled into her soul. While doing so, she also listened to the whispers and slowly learned more about nature.

It wasn't like facts or a conversation with another person. It was a totally indescribable experience. She felt like she understood the world around her on a deeper level that no amount of study as a mortal could ever achieve.

This is why the cultivators see the world in such a different way, no matter their age. Jasmine realized. She was no longer comparable to her clueless self from this morning. Unaware of time passing, Jasmine pulled on more and more strands of nature Qi in her mind and intently listened to the teachings of heaven.

A light pulse of foreign Qi spread through her body.

"Wake up, Jasmine," Stella's voice tickled her ear, "It's time to go home."

Home? Already?

Jasmine slowly emerged from her consciousness, and all at once, reality hit her. Her stomach felt like it was eating itself from hunger, her mouth was parched, and she was bursting for the toilet. Evening sunlight shone through the doorway, so hours had passed without her noticing.

"How was that? Your first proper cultivation session?"

"Life-changing," Jasmine answered honestly, "I see why Elaine told me I should pick a second affinity that interests me. I never knew nature was so fascinating."

Stella frowned. "Don't get too absorbed in the whispers. Otherwise, the Qi will twist your personality." Stella said seriously as she tapped Jasmine's chest, "Your soul is you. Not this fleshy body. All that matters is your soul, and allowing Qi into your soul will change you for better or worse."

Jasmine gulped. It was only her first cultivation session, and she already felt like a different person with a new way of seeing the world. It's as if a curtain she didn't know was there had been peeled back.

"Come on, your mother will be mad if you spend any longer here." Stella helped her to her feet. Her legs felt numb from sitting, and her eyes were blurry.

"Ugh, having a mortal body sucks," Jasmine grumbled.

Stella chuckled as the doorway to the hut turned into a portal with a wobbly view of her house on the other side, "I had Ash make you a portal home because the transportation hub isn't complete. Diana should be around tomorrow, so I will have you eat some truffles, and we can continue from where we left off. Any questions?"

Jasmine didn't know why, but she stumbled over and embraced her Master in a tight hug. Today had been the most crazy day of her life, and it was all thanks to this girl. "Thank you, Master, for choosing me. You are the best Master a Disciple could hope for."

Stella awkwardly patted her head, "Uhm, thank you..."

Jasmine freed her Master from the embarrassment and walked over to the portal. "I will be going now, Master; see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you..."

Going through the portal with a smile, Jasmine felt the pressure and temperature change. Once the portal snapped closed behind her with a pop and a gust of wind, she didn't immediately head into her house but rather crouched beside a patch of grass.

Coating her hands in Qi, she frowned at how it was still colorless despite her absorbing only nature Qi. "Is this because I don't have the Soul Core thing Mistress Elaine mentioned?" Jasmine murmured as she ran her hand through the grass. It was pleasant to the touch. She had never cared much for grass, but now it was beautiful. "Will I be able to control grass with my will in the future?"

"Jaz, you're back. Are you talking to the grass?"

"Yes, Mom... I was." Jasmine sighed with exhaustion as she turned to see her mother standing in the doorway with her arms crossed and a spoon in her hand. "I'm back."