Molting the Mortal Coil

When the time was up the old man appeared before him again.

“Time’s up. Get out.”

It wasn’t very polite, nor did he beat around the bush. Sage thanked him for the opportunity and quickly fled before the old man got angry. Once he was back in the small cave where he had unsealed the door, Sage gave a bow towards the place he had been calling the ‘Seal Master’s Den’ and decided that was an incorrect name. Seals seemed to just be only a portion of that Master’s power so Sage chose out a different name.

He gifted me the ‘Timeless Eyes’... ‘Timeless Master’ sounds sort of like he never gets old, but Master Timeless sounds even weirder. Timeless Master it is then.

Sage hadn’t yet spent any time trying to comprehend the ‘Timeless Eyes’ technique. He also had hundreds of stone tablets to browse through. There was also the matter of the spoils of war he’d gathered from the many encounters he’d had along the way here. With so many things to digest, Sage decided to head directly back to the Holy Flame Sect. With the help of the Stone Tablets and the knowledge of some of his weaknesses, Sage was ready to head back to his home and start another round of intense training and studying.

A couple weeks later, Sage walked back into his home and immediately found his way to the Insect Shed. While he had prepared supplies enough to be gone for years, he still liked to check up on his bugs. After a quick walkthrough he confirmed they were all in good shape and transferred over some of the surplus insects he’d raised while he was out adventuring. After that he went into the house and thought it would be a perfect time for a shower.

Shower… hmm…

The trip back had been uneventful since Sage decided to travel with the Chameleon Mantis. It was quite a bit slower than flying directly with the Emerald Dragonfly, but it was extremely safe. Sage had spent his time looking through the many Stone Tablet sets and cataloguing his gains. He was quite sure that this trip had been his most fortuitous yet. The expedition to the Saffron Swamp was what pushed him out of his rut and opened his eyes to the possibilities just waiting for him out there in the world. This trip to the Timeless Master’s place would be the catalyst to him becoming strong. While it didn’t directly improve his cultivation, it provided him the guidance and knowledge he needed to elevate himself to a new level.

Among the library of Stone Tablets there was around eighty different Qi Cultivation Techniques with their matching sets of Qi Techniques, Body Forging Methods, Martial Arts, and even weapon skills. Most of them weren’t actual ‘sets’, but merely techniques that were all very well suited to each other. It was like a Master had picked out a set of skills for their Disciple. Each of the parts in the set would compliment each other perfectly. After mastering every stone tablet in a set it would create a very well rounded and highly capable Cultivator. All Sage had to do was pick out one of the eighty sets and start studying.

Among the eighty sets, only eleven of them were usable by Sage. Five of them were Wood natured, and six of them were neutral and could be used by anyone. Next, Sage started to filter them out based on their style. All but one of the neutral sets were actually focused around supporting Professions. Sage was aware of how useful and powerful a Profession could be, but he wasn’t quite willing to focus his entire cultivation around one of them. His only advantage in the past was his strong mind that helped him learn multiple Professions, why would he throw them all away now?

The last of the neutral sets seemed quite powerful, but also very limited. It was called ‘Supreme Ultimate Arts’ and revolved around the principles of Tai Chi. The prose was very profound and if the description could be believed it could diffuse or redirect nearly any attack back to their source. The problem was that it forbid attacking and required very careful control of one’s emotions. Sage considered it for a long time, with the Supreme Ultimate Arts to defend himself he could rely on formations and insects to do his fighting for him while having the ultimate defense for himself. Finally, he gave it up. While the idea certainly seemed powerful, he wasn’t sure he could exert such control over his emotions, nor did he like the idea of never being able to attack.

That left him with the wood natured sets. Each of the five embodied a different aspect of the wood element. Sage was actually impressed. The other elements had more sets devoted to them, fire even had ten! Thankfully, the ones for wood all seemed to be of pretty high quality and Sage took his time trying to find the one that would match him the best without interfering with his other abilities and strange body.

The first Cultivation Art was titled ‘Mantle of Four Gentleman’. It was related to four plants called the ‘four gentleman’ that each embodied one of the four seasons and were famously found in many paintings and other artwork. The plum blossom in winter, the orchid in spring, bamboo in summer, and the chrysanthemum in fall. Just like the other moves in the set they revolved around the four seasons. While being wood natured, each of the four seasons included many other changing elements which made the Mantle of Four Gentleman very compatible with Qi Techniques that used other elements. It seemed very powerful, but it lost points with Sage for its lack of focus.

The second was called ‘Roots of the Resolute Heart’. It aimed to mold the heart, striving to be like the mighty bamboo. Its deep roots are resolute, the tall straight stem is honorable, the hollow interior shows its modesty, and the clean unblemished exterior show its chastity. Many swordsman of great renown seemed to have studied this Cultivation Art. For swordsman, one of their greatest desires was to awaken ‘Sword Intent’ and also to form a ‘Sword Heart’. Having one would help to gain the other and this Roots of the Resolute Heart was very helpful in forming a Sword Heart.

The third technique was named ‘Greensea Soul’, and aimed at harnessing the boundless lifeforce of the grasslands and plains. Year after year, the grasses would rise again from nearly nothing. Despite the harshness of winter, the grazing of animal herds, and the devastation of floods or storms; every year the grass would rise again. When the conditions were right, they would cover the world in new life. This Cultivation Art was similar in style. At most times it would be weak, or dormant, but when the time was right it would explode with power, improving at a rapid rate or lending immense energy for battle.

After Greensea Soul was the manual for ‘Connecting Heaven and Earth’. Channeling the essence of ancient and immense trees, the roots extend deep into the earth. At the same time the leaves and branches reach high up into the sky, creating a connection between the heaven and earth. Great trees withstand the elements and make use of them to grow stronger. This art would grow in power as the Cultivator got stronger, just like a tree that covered the sky would start from just a tiny sapling.

The last of the five sets was based on the Cultivation Art named ‘Blossom of the Underworld’. It was focused around the tenacity of the wood element. Even in some of the darkest, deepest, or most inhospitable places there were plants that could find a way to grow. Many would even thrive. The Blossom of the Underworld could gather energy in any environment or condition.