Middle Realm, Xīng Huī Continent, Qǐ Luó City — He Huan Sect
"Sui Sui! Slacking off again? Stand up and draw this formation for me."
A sharp, authoritative voice dragged Sui Sui out of his wandering thoughts. It belonged to Wan Ru-Xianzi, the sect leader of He Huan Sect. She stood tall, her eyes stern and unyielding as she tapped her slender fingers against the jade desk.
Sui Sui yawned, rubbing the corner of his eye, then obediently walked to the front of the hall. Picking up a brush, he crouched down and carefully drew the Dream Weaving Formation on the ground.
Sect Leader Wan scrutinized his work for a long moment, sharp eyes not missing a single detail. After a moment, she gave a short nod and waved for him to sit back down.
"Next time, I don't want to see you slacking off again," she said coldly. "If I catch you dozing off again, I'll have your feet cut off and fed to the birds."
Sui Sui rolled his eyes playfully and flashed a cheeky grin. "Yes, yes, I've heard it before," he mumbled under his breath, clearly not taking the threats to heart
Wan Ru-Xianzi always scolded him like that, but Sui Sui knew she would never actually carry out such threats. The worst punishment he'd ever gotten was probably being forced to copy music scores in the Music Pavilion. Her tone was stern, but her actions were always indulgent.
It had been eight years since Sui Sui woke up in this strange place.
This place was called the Xīng Huī Continent, one of the countless middle-level realms that existed in the vast universe. Compared to the world he came from, stepping into this realm was like falling into a fantastical dream woven from the pages of an ancient fairy tale.
Though the customs were old-fashioned, this world was far more advanced than the one he came from. After all, here, almost everyone had the potential to cultivate to become an immortal.
In this world, everything ran on something called spiritual energy. It was an invisible force that flowed through the land, the air, the plants, and even people. This energy was the foundation of all life in the cultivation world. Whether it was the growing of trees, the falling of rain, or the power behind a sword strike, spiritual energy played a role in everything.
Spiritual energy came from five natural elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. These five elements made up the balance of nature. Some people were naturally more connected to one or two of these elements, and that connection helped them become stronger cultivators.
In the upper realm, there were special tools and techniques that could test a person's spiritual root in detail. With a single test, you could find out whether someone had a rare pure-element root, a chaotic mixed root, or even no spiritual root at all. But unfortunately, such methods didn't exist in the middle realm. The people here had no way of knowing their natural talent or element. They could only try their best, observe the results, and figure things out on their own.
Currently, Sui Sui resided in He Huan Sect, within the Qǐ Luó City. Eight years ago, Sect Leader Wan had found him on the gates of He Huan Sect, pitying this poor boy, she had taken him in as a disciple of the sect.
Though fate hadn't spared him from being an orphan in this life, at least the misfortune that once haunted him seemed to have been lifted. Perhaps the heavens had finally shown him a bit of pity.
However, even in this lifetime, though he had formed bonds with a few senior sisters and senior brothers, Sui Sui still kept a part of himself at a distance. Deep down, he feared that his misfortune would one day return—and when it did, he didn't want to drag anyone down with him.
The He Huan Sect was famed across the continent for its beautiful disciples; be they men or women. As long as one had the face, courage and a good attitude, they were all welcome to join. However, the sect was equally infamous for its unorthodox practices in dual cultivation, earning it quite the reputation.
Sui Sui had been a little embarrassed when he first learned about it. However, he remained grateful to the sect for raising him. Besides, no one forced him to dual cultivate. He could focus on learning formations and playing instruments instead.
However, despite its scandalous reputation, the He Huan Sect was by no means a pushover.
It may have been infamous across the Xīng Huī Continent for its flamboyant dual cultivation methods, but anyone who dared look down on them in a fight would quickly find themselves regretting it.
Because beneath the sensual surface, the He Huan Sect stood on an unshakable foundation of skill and strategy. Their true strength lay not just in bodily harmony.
Alongside its seductive arts, the He Huan Sect cultivated mastery in two formidable disciplines: music cultivation and illusion arrays.
With a flick of a sleeve and the pluck of a qin string, they could turn the battlefield into a dreamscape, trapping enemies in endless illusions before they even knew they were caught.
Their melodies could soothe the soul or crush the heart.
Countless opponents had once scoffed, only to find themselves dancing to the tune of a zither they couldn't even see.
However, what made the sect even more untouchable, was the ancient force backing them; the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan from the Upper Realm.
In the entire Middle Realm, sects with backing from the Upper Realm were extremely rare. The He Huan Sect was one of the few fortunate exceptions.
Though the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan wasn't among the most powerful in the Upper Realm, they are known for their deep-rooted connections and influence through political marriages. Thanks to this connection, few dared to provoke the He Huan Sect lightly. And even if the He Huan Sect founder had long since returned to the Upper Realm, their name alone still carried weight.
During his years in the He Huan Sect, Sui Sui gradually came to understand how the universe worked. The vast cosmos was divided into three thousand Lower Realms, three thousand Middle Realms, and a single Upper Realm.
The Lower Realms were barren worlds, almost devoid of spiritual energy. Sui Sui suspected that the place he lived in his previous life was in one of these worlds, a place where cultivation was nearly impossible
Next was the Middle Realm, where he now lived, was known as the realm of cultivation. Spiritual energy here was abundant, and almost anyone had the chance to tread the path to immortality. Whether one succeeded or not depended on talent, perseverance, and a touch of luck.
Lastly, at the very top stood the Upper Realm. A mysterious place where true immortals and divine beasts resided. Very little was known about it, as the people from that place rarely paid attention to the realms below. What was certain, however, was that those born in the Upper Realm were naturally gifted, standing at heights people from the lower realms like them could only dream of.
The Nine-Tailed Fox Clan, which backed the He Huan Sect, hailed from that very realm.
—-----
It was already late in the afternoon when Sect Leader Wan finally concluded her lecture on formation arrays. The disciples began to scatter like birds freed from a net, all eager to escape the stuffy lecture hall.
As the disciples began filing out of the hall with relief painted on their faces, Sect Leader Wan suddenly raised her hand and called out, "Sui Sui, stay behind."
Sui Sui, who had already stuffed his brushes and notes into his robe and was halfway out the door, froze mid-step. His shoulders slumped and with no choice but to comply, he trudged back towards Sect Leader Wan, shoulders slightly hunched.
She's probably still mad I dozed off during the lesson again, he thought, silently mourning his lost snack time.
With a sigh of resignation, he trudged back toward the dais where Sect Leader Wan stood, arms crossed, eyebrows sharp enough to slice through jade.
Sect Leader Wan's sharp gaze pinned him down before he could utter a word. "You. I heard you've been going to the back mountain a lot lately. Don't tell me you've been hanging around your Lian-shīshū again—and learning to make those aphrodisiac pills of hers."
Sui Sui blinked innocently. He tilted his head, playing dumb, but Sect Leader Wan wasn't buying it.
I've told you before," Sect Leader Wan continued, arms crossed, tone exasperated, "stop learning from her. Unlike your senior brothers and sisters on the main peak, your Lian-shīshū is a little... too enthusiastic about dual cultivation. She's not the kind of role model a young disciple should have!"
"Auntie Wan," Sui Sui drawled, lips quirking, "we are a dual cultivation sect. What kind of 'good influence' are you expecting to find here?"
"Aiyahh! You brat!" she scolded, waving a sleeve at him like she was swatting a fly. "You're still too young to be thinking about those things! You should worry about your Guqin practice and formation drawings. Leave those... 'other' matters for when you're older."
"Okay, okay, I get it," Sui Sui said, raising his hands in mock surrender, though the glint in his eyes betrayed his amusement.
"I'm serious. Stay away from the back mountain, and from your Lian-shīshū's crazy ideas. Promise me."
"I haven't even seen her lately," Sui Sui said with a shrug. "I've just been taking care of a little rabbit I caught up there. That's all."
Sect Leader Wan narrowed her eyes suspiciously, as if trying to sniff out the lie. Eventually, she let out a sigh and waved her hand.
"That better be the case. Off with you."
Sui Sui bowed lightly before scampering away, his wide sleeves flapping like wings.
He made a quick detour to the sect kitchen, stuffing a few warm buns into the folds of his robes before heading toward the back mountain. The path twisted through bamboo groves and mossy stone steps, and it took nearly half an hour before he reached a secluded spot behind a thick curtain of vines.
After glancing around to make sure no one had followed, he slipped through the foliage and into a narrow, barely visible cave. The air inside was cool and damp, smelling faintly of earth and wildflowers.
In the far corner, a small figure sat quietly on a bed of gathered leaves and blankets. When the boy heard footsteps echo off the stone walls, he immediately turned his head.
Golden eyes shone like lanterns in the dim light, clear and bright. Though the child's white robe was stained with dust and dirt, and his face still round with baby fat, he looked like a little immortal fallen from the heavens.
"Sui Sui-gege, you're here!" the boy called out, his voice soft but full of joy.
Sui Sui's expression melted into a smile as he walked forward, pulling out a bun from his sleeve like he was offering a treasure.
"Of course I'm here. Did you miss me?"
Footnotes:
星辉大陆 (Xīng Huī Dàlù)
星 (Xīng) = Star
辉 (Huī) = Radiance, brilliance, glow
大陆 (Dàlù) = Continent
绮罗城 (Qǐ Luó Chéng) – "City of Silken Elegance"
仙子 (Xiānzǐ) – Immortal Maiden / Fairy- Very common for beautiful, high-status female cultivators
shīshū / shīshūzǔ "Martial Aunt" – female cultivator in the same sect who is a generation older (your master's junior or senior sister).