He paused when a particular row caught his attention—
manuals not arranged neatly like the beginner texts,
not preserved,
not respected.
These were stacked sideways.
Shoved into a corner. Like rejected with disgust.
His heartbeat quickened.
He drew the first one closer.
Golden script shimmered faintly:
"Mid Arcane Grade: Ninefold Meridian Tempering Scripture"
Below it, in his mother's precise handwriting:
"Designed for pure-blooded humans. Too rigid.
Would collapse once dragonblood strenthens."
Kael's breath faltered.
He knew the classification of cultivation techniques.
everyone in the world knew the hierarchy.
Ether-grade techniques
were the foundation of most of society.
Minor clans, small merchants, traveling cultivators —
they all used Ether manuals.
Accessible.
Functional.
Basic.
Arcane-grade techniques
belonged to true cultivators.
Low Arcane was the ceiling for most small sects and village factions.
Mid Arcane and High Arcane were restricted to large sects, established clans, and proper academies — knowledge one had to join to earn.
Anything beyond that left the reach of ordinary forces.
Sovereign-grade techniques
were the pride of empires and ancient first-rate factions —
methods used to forge regional powers.
Celestial-grade
was so rare the world couldn't remember the last time one surfaced.
Too scarce to appear casually.
Too coveted for peace.
Whenever even a fraction of such a technique appeared in an auction…
Blood always followed.
And Kael now held a Mid Arcane scripture
his mother had discarded.
He swallowed and pulled the next manual.
"High Arcane Grade: Dragonbone Eclipse Meridian Art"
Her note was curt:
"Slow progression. Can be useful but waste of time for kael."
Slow…
A High Arcane scripture that sects hid behind barriers.
But she rejected it for him.
Kael felt the world tilt.
He grabbed the next one.
"Mid Arcane Grade: Dual-Soul Confluence Breathing Art"
Her handwriting slashed across the surface:
"…Absolutely not. His triple nature would collapse."
Triple nature.??
His flame seed.
His bloodline.
His spirit.
What exactly was he?
His fingers trembled as he picked the last one.
"Mid Arcane Grade :Stoneforge Body Renewal Scripture"
Her ink pressed deeper into the page:
"Kael's flame seed exceeds the scripture's limit. — Not suitable."
His flame seed… exceeded the scripture.
He sat still, manuals resting in his hands.
These techniques weren't just expensive.
They weren't just advanced.
They defined:
mana capacity,
regeneration speed,
circulation strength,
how fast mana could be used,
greater burst output.
Two cultivators of the same realm were not equals.
What separated them was their cultivation method
and the martial skills they could execute.
And his mother had rejected Arcane-grade techniques
because they weren't compatible with him.
Not powerful enough.
Kael's throat tightened.
Kael placed the manuals back gently.
"She filtered everything," he whispered, "for me."
"Correct."
Kael was breathing unevenly.
If even Arcane-grade techniques weren't suitable…
what path had she foreseen for him?
He wasn't ready for that answer yet.
He pulled his mana away from the rejected shelf
and turned toward the next row.
...….
"Blaze-Crescent Strike — Arcane Tier."
He frowned.
He knew enough to understand the danger.
A martial skill above one's cultivation was useless at best,
and crippling at worst.
Even using a Low Arcane skill required:
steady mana flow,
hardened channels,
proper breathing,
and physical conditioning.
He barely had the mana to warm his palms.
He set it down quickly.
The next scroll shimmered with a faint seal:
"Flame-Piercing Step — Arcane Tier."
Kael didn't dare open it.
Azreath clicked his tongue inside his mind.
"Use that now and you will tear a ligament you did not know existed."
Kael muttered, "Lovely."
Kael pushed the rejected Arcane-tier scrolls aside and focused again on the shelves.
Dozens of techniques rested there—some sealed shut with threads of light, some too complex to even look at without a headache.
But three of them carried a calm, steady presence, as if waiting for the right hands.
His mana brushed the first.
A scroll wrapped in rough brown cloth, its title written in firm, decisive strokes:
"Blazing Fist Strike"
Kael lifted it gently.
This wasn't an elegant art.
It didn't promise elegance or refinement.
It was a straightforward foundation—
short-range power driven through the knuckles, breath, and spine.
A skill that could:
break through a beast's guard in tight quarters,
teach proper stance discipline,
and sharpen the body faster than passive cultivation ever could.
A skill that suited someone who'd survived on stubbornness alone.
Kael nodded, an involuntary spark of resolve flickering in his chest.
"This one… feels right."
He set it down at his side and reached for the next scroll.
The second scroll was bound with thin, dark thread.
Its presence was quiet, almost easy to overlook—yet the moment Kael touched it,
his entire stance felt naturally grounded.
The title unfurled cleanly:
"Voidstep Movement Art"
Kael skimmed the outer notes.
Voidstep wasn't about speed or flashy patterns.
It taught:
efficient weight shifting,
silent advances,
clean retreats,
and keeping one's momentum centered.
An art that wasted no motion and left no openings.
Perfect for someone who didn't yet have strength—
but needed survival.
Azreath hummed.
"You would die less quickly with this."
Kael rolled his eyes but couldn't disagree.
He placed Voidstep beside Blazing Fist Strike.
A third scroll floated toward him, reacting to the rise in his focus.
The parchment was a little older, the ink slightly faded—but the title was carved with an almost ceremonial precision:
"Twin Flame Sword Arc"
Despite the name, it had nothing to do with elemental fire
The "two flames" referred to:
the first arc — a guard sweep used to intercept or redirect an incoming strike,
the second arc — the immediate counterattack riding the same motion.
Defense into offense.
One breath.
One flow.
A technique built on timing rather than strength—
perfect for early cultivation stages where mana was thin and fragile.
Kael held the scroll a moment longer than the others.
This one felt… complete.
A technique made for someone who would one day learn to strike decisively—
but who, for now, needed to protect himself.
Azreath's voice rumbled lightly.
"Hmph. A basic yet respectable form.
If you practice correctly, you may not embarrass yourself."
Kael smirked silently and placed the scroll down.
On the dirt before him lay:
Blazing Fist Strike
A brutal, disciplined close-range art.
Voidstep Movement Art
A survival-focused footwork method.
Twin Flame Sword Arc
A balanced offense-defense sword form.
Three simple techniques.
Nothing grand.
Nothing that would shake the world.
But together, they formed the first real path of his life—
a foundation strong enough to hold whatever future his mother had fought to give him.
Kael drew in a slow breath and closed his eyes.
"These three… I'll start with these."
Azreath rumbled approvingly.
"Then begin.
Movement to survive,
fist to break,
sword to finish."
Kael looked at his three chosen scrolls, and for the first time since opening the ring…
he felt ready.