There are five stages within each rank.
Dormant stage, 10%. Awakened stage, 20%. Refined stage 40%. Harmonic stage, 70%. Finally, the peak of every rank, Transcendent stage, 100%.
With every increase in stage, the amount of Nyxa and Solyn produced rises. In both quantity and quality, there is a profound change. A Dormant stage cultivator produces faint and relatively weak Nyxa or Solyn, while a Transcendent stage cultivator produces the darkest and strongest Nyxa or Solyn, and far more of it.
Twelve ranks in the cultivation journey accompany these stages. Each increase represents a quantitative change within the first four ranks; however, crossing into rank 5 requires a qualitative change to occur.
"Xeris! Are you in there? It's me – Kara.
Xeris's eyes unfocused on what he was reading before looking up.
"I would like to check out the textbook on Aris."
An annoyed look flashed across Xeris's eyes as he closed the book, setting it down as he walked towards his door.
Opening it, he saw the brunette girl from the prior week standing there. She smiled, taking the book from Xeris, handing him a stack of Crescents.
"Thank you!" she said, glancing back over her shoulder as she turned to leave.
Xeris did not react, briefly pausing before closing his door.
Both Kara and Corin had come to his door multiple times since they had made their agreement.
It was the first day of the week; therefore, the students were all given 100 Crescents. From just his own allowance, he was currently sitting around 170 Crescents. Kara and Corin's payments brought his total to 220.
This is okay for now, but if I cannot obtain more Crescents, I will fall behind and my progress will slow.
So far in the first week of their semester, Xeris had made no tangible progress on awakening his Aris. Everything he learned was focused on after the awakening occurred.
Xeris stood up and left his room. His time would be better spent making progress in his current position, rather than ignorantly fantasizing about something that was not guaranteed.
He paused before pushing open the door before him. The room was dim, lit only by slats of afternoon light. Dust drifted through the air.
In the center sat a man, cross-legged – in ordinary clothes, with no trace of a spiritual aura.
Xeris had noticed this instructor was an outlier when compared to the others.
The instructor opened his eyes, looking up at Xeris.
"Why have you come?" he asked.
Xeris laughed lightly, "How are you an instructor, when it is clear that you are not a cultivator?"
The man smiled faintly, unoffended. "My name is Fenric. You are correct, I am not a cultivator; however, I am also not truly an instructor either." He paused, "In three weeks from now, I will be giving lessons on physical combat to all the students."
"I would like your guidance now," Xeris said
This time it was Fenric who laughed, "I am not doing personal lessons. Just be patient and wait until –"
"How much?" Xeris asked, his tone cold, but his voice remained calm. "I am not someone who cannot pay for your services."
Fenric raised a brow, reassessing Xeris. After pondering for a moment, he gave a price, "40 Crescents, and I will train you for the week."
This was not surprising; Fenric was not a true instructor. His income opportunity was far inferior to that of any cultivator; thus, he gave a price that was expensive for a student, but not one that was impossible.
"Done," Xeris spoke, not even trying to bargain.
"I also need access to the school's rulebook. I assume they have given you a copy?"
Fenric, who was slightly dazed by Xeris, smiled once more after hearing this, "Yes, of course, would you like to look at it?"
"How much?" Xeris asked.
"You can read it anytime this week for 10 Crescents."
Xeris handed a small bag of Crescents to Fenric, "Can we start now?"
A few hours later, Xeris left; he was sweating and out of breath. In his hand, he gripped the institution's rulebook, which he had purchased from Fenric.
They had tested Xeris's baseline. Fenric was impressed with Xeris's natural ability; however, there was clear room for improvement.
I spent all of the extra Crescents I gained this week. This book was a one-time expense; however, I will only be gaining 10 extra Crescents a week at this rate.
Xeris's expression did not change at this thought; this was an investment in himself. If he could gain even the slightest advantage from this training, he would be satisfied.
Now, he only had a small amount of time to consume a large amount of information. There was no need to pay Fenric any more than necessary, but learning the rules was a must.
To make any true gains, one must learn to step around the rules imposed. To avoid future setbacks, it is essential to understand the rules.
Halcyon Sect is virtuous; they would not directly punish anyone without a just reason. However, if I cause too much trouble, even if I do not break any rules, they could easily make an excuse to get rid of me.
Rules are no more than words, created by people no smarter than yourself. Many forget this, instead creating the illusion that because something is a rule, it is wrong to break it.
But, is it so wrong to want to take off the collar that binds your neck? Is it wrong to want to break the leash that constrains you?
As he walked, he gazed at the beautiful courtyard around him. The air was cool, the sunlight gentle upon his skin.
Beyond the village, the mountain's shadow stirred.
"The trees crowd the mountain, the leaves fall and rise with the wind. Each one hinders my path, yet together they paint the mountain's soul. When I look back from the peak – success or failure, all will fade into the serenity of nothingness."
Xeris made his way to the dining hall on the second floor. Sitting before opening the rule book.
His focus deepened, thoughts sinking into the page.
He read for close to an hour until a noise broke his focus.
A group of boys had walked into the hall talking loudly.
"Hey, watch it!"
"Piss off!"
Two of the boys laughed as one pushed the other into a nearby table.
There was a loud sound that echoed around the hall.
The collision with the table had knocked over a cup, spilling its contents onto a girl sitting nearby.
"Whoops! I'm sorry about that, haha. It was truly my mistake." The boy said, looking somewhat embarrassed.
"If you are truly sorry, why don't you do something about your mistake?" The girl looked up at him with a serious gaze.
The boy blushed; "Do what?" he stammered slightly.
She was a true beauty, having soft, elegant features. However, her stern gaze contrasted with her face, making her appear even cuter.
"Clean it up." She spoke.
The boy's head drooped slightly before he nodded.
As he cleaned, his friends were laughing at him. But they stopped after noticing her staring at them.
She turned away, leaving without saying a word of thanks.
Xeris watched with a neutral expression.
That girl again, huh? I think she said her name was Saela Veyne.
He turned his focus back to reading.
Day slowly faded into night, yet Xeris was unbothered, continuing his methodical study of this resource.
By morning, he had completed it.
He slowly stood up, stretching his body. Afterwards, he turned, heading back to return the rulebook.
Dawn had crept through the windows, pale and cold.
When he arrived, Fenric was already awake. However, there was clear surprise in his eyes, seeing that Xeris had returned so soon.
Xeris ignored him, walking over towards the desk in the corner, setting the book down.
Exhaustion slowly began to set in over Xeris's body. Staying awake all night was one thing, but the added mental fatigue of memorizing an entire book accentuated this feeling to another level.
As Xeris turned, he was greeted with a kick to his lower abdomen, which sent him flying backward.
Fenric laughed loudly, "Thinking of leaving without training?"
Xeris looked up at him, and an expression of slight annoyance flickered across his face.
"Remember, you paid me for this. So don't look so surprised."
Xeris stood, his face emotionless again, as he assumed a fighting stance.
"Very good." Fenric smiled before attacking once more.