The skies above Phoenix Fall World were clear, touched only by faint wisps of cloud. A gentle breeze carried the salty scent of the nearby sea, brushing through the mountain trees where the Bai Clan now resided. In a corner of the island, within the heart of the Bai estate, Bai Tianlong walked through the stone courtyard with steady steps.
His destination was the central hall, where his grandfather Bai Wu resided.
The old man had been managing clan affairs tirelessly ever since their relocation, and though his strength remained formidable, the lines on his face and the weariness in his spirit revealed the toll that time and burden had taken. Bai Tianlong felt it more than ever today.
"Grandfather," he said, cupping his fists respectfully as he stepped into the chamber.
Bai Wu looked up from a set of bamboo scrolls. His sharp eyes flickered with recognition and surprise as he stood up.
"Tianlong? You're back."
"Yes, grandfather. I've returned to report something important."
The old man chuckled. "From the look on your face, it must be something good. Well then? Speak."
Bai Tianlong took a breath and stood tall. "I've broken through. I've reached the Initiate stage. And... I've awakened my spiritual root."
There was a brief silence.
Bai Wu's eyes widened. "Spiritual root? Already?"
Tianlong nodded. "Yes, and it is a five-element root. Mid-grade. With a purity rating of sixty-five."
The silence grew heavier for a moment as Bai Wu processed what he had just heard. Even among promising beast tamers, awakening a spiritual root so soon after bonding with spirit beasts was rare.
His voice lowered slightly. "Tianlong... that's unheard of. Most Imperial Beast Tamers take a year or more to even reach the Initiate level, let alone awaken a root. And your beasts... one is still just a lion cub without awakening, and the other an unhatched egg. You shouldn't have received any significant feedback yet."
He paused, stroking his beard as he studied his grandson more closely. "Are you sure you're not hiding something more?"
Tianlong simply smiled. "Not hiding, grandfather. Just... working hard."
Bai Wu stared at him for a long moment, then burst out laughing. "Good! Very good! Even if I don't understand it yet, it doesn't matter. A five-element mid-grade root is perfect. Our Bai Clan's core technique—the Five Element Sword Art—suits you perfectly."
With that, Bai Wu reached for a nearby scroll and handed it over.
"This is the first volume of our clan's elemental sword technique. Go to the scripture pavilion and get it recorded officially. From now on, it's yours to train."He continued "at the same time ask for the 1st volume of bai clan spell book "
Tianlong bowed once more. "Thank you, grandfather."
But as he rose from the bow, his eyes caught the subtle tremble in the old man's hands.
His grandfather's hair had thinned. His skin had grown paler. Even his spiritual energy, once as fierce as a crashing wave, now pulsed like a quiet stream. Bai Wu had lived a long and glorious life, but even his lifespan—one which should have lasted two hundred more years—seemed to be slipping away far too quickly.
The weight of grief touched Tianlong's heart.
He can't die yet. Not before I can protect him.
Tianlong clenched his fists silently. An idea sparked in his mind. Perhaps... just perhaps...
---
Later that evening, Bai Tianlong returned to his personal courtyard. The moonlight bathed the stone tiles in silver, and the garden plants rustled softly in the night breeze.
He took a deep breath, walked to the center, and bowed.
"Master."
From the shadows beside a flowering tree, the Heaven-Penetrating Sage stepped forward. His aura was hidden, but his presence weighed heavily in the air.
"What is it now, boy?"
Tianlong kept his head bowed and his fists cupped. "Master, I want to teach the cultivation technique you gave me to my grandfather."
There was silence for a moment. Then, the Sage's voice hardened.
"Do you know what you're saying? That technique is not just some mystical scroll found in a ruin. It's a supreme devouring scripture—one that sages, even kings of cultivation realms, would slaughter each other over."
Tianlong remained quiet, allowing the storm to pass.
"Even blood relatives betray each other for less," the Sage continued, his voice turning sharp. "Are you truly willing to risk that?"
Tianlong slowly raised his head and met his master's gaze.
"I trust my grandfather. And even if I didn't... if my family doesn't share in my rise, what's the point of standing at the top alone?"
The Sage stared at him.
Then, without another word, he turned his gaze away toward the garden gate. A flick of his sleeve—and he vanished from sight.
But just before the winds stilled, a voice echoed in the air:
"The technique is yours. Do what you want."
---
Behind Tianlong, unseen by the boy, the Heaven-Penetrating Sage hovered silently in the void, his presence cloaked by layers of spatial folds.
He watched his disciple for a long moment.
This boy... chose a different path than me at the very first step.
His own past surged in his memory. He had walked alone—sacrificed family, love, and friendship—all for the pursuit of the Dao. In the end, what had he gained?
Power. Loneliness. Regret.
Perhaps that being was right, he thought. Perhaps this boy really might surpass me one day.
And somewhere deep within his immortal heart, a quiet sigh echoed.
If he does... then maybe my path wasn't the right one afterall.
---
As Bai Tianlong watched his master disappear into the void, a strange sense of silence returned to his residence. The last words of the Heaven-Penetrating Sage lingered like wind rustling through bamboo—gentle, yet impossible to ignore.
"The technique is yours. Do whatever you want from now."
With that weighty blessing, or perhaps a warning, Bai Tianlong straightened his robe, steadied his breath, and left for the Scripture Pavilion.
The Bai Clan's Scripture Pavilion stood tall and solemn on the eastern edge of the Bai estate, built into the slope of a polished cliff-face that overlooked the ocean. The sea winds constantly rolled through its ancient windows, filled with salt and silence, brushing against age-old scrolls and spell jade slips. This place held the cultivation wisdom of generations past—some practical, others lofty, but all priceless.
As he entered the grand double doors, a slight shimmer of spiritual energy activated—an ancient protective formation that filtered intruders and preserved the knowledge within. Bai Tianlong calmly stepped through the barrier and walked inside.
Sitting cross-legged near the jade podium was the Pavilion Guardian Elder: Bai Lao.
A peak Foundation Establishment expert, Bai Lao had long since stopped concerning himself with clan politics. His only duty was maintaining the sacred collection of techniques and passing them on to those qualified.
As Bai Tianlong approached and cupped his fists, his voice remained calm and formal.
"Elder Bai Lao, this junior seeks to record his name for the Five Elemental Sword Technique and to request the first volume of the Bai Clan Spellbook."
The elder opened his eyes slowly, and when he saw the young man standing before him, a flash of recognition—and then surprise—crossed his face.
"You've reached Initiate already?" Bai Lao's voice echoed through the library chamber.
Bai Tianlong gave a humble nod.
The elder narrowed his eyes for a moment, his gaze scanning Tianlong's spiritual core before softening. "Hmm... Not even a month has passed since your cultivation began, and you've already stepped into the Initiate level. Your affinity must be even higher than I thought. But then again... the best of the Bai Clan, ranked Saint-Level Mortal Talent. I suppose it was inevitable."
He tapped his finger on the jade tablet beside him, causing a pale green spiritual screen to rise. He searched briefly and made a mark in the clan registry.
"Your name is recorded. The Five Elemental Sword Technique is now unlocked for your study. As for the Bai Clan Spellbook, its first volume is restricted to those with bloodline access. Since your spiritual root is five-elemental in nature, and you carry the main bloodline, it is granted."
With another flick of his finger, a jade slip floated down from the high shelves behind him.
Bai Tianlong bowed deeply. "Many thanks, Elder."
"No need," Bai Lao said, waving a hand. "Just do not shame the technique with poor comprehension."
Tianlong smiled faintly and took the jade slips into his robe. As he exited the pavilion, the sun dipped lower in the sky. In the quiet hush of approaching dusk, he felt the world grow a little wider—and his burdens a little heavier.
The path of cultivation was opening before him.
And he was walking it, step by determined step.
---