Finn sat quietly by the fresh grave, knees drawn to his chest, the fog from the academy's mountains drifting low around him. The crude marker read Jin Lan, carved by Finn's own trembling hands. The old janitor had raised him since he was five, ever since he found him shivering on the riverbank behind the academy, half-hidden by reeds and mist. City officials saw no reason to interfere and allowed the old man to keep the boy. Mr. Lan became family, using his humble post at the Rogue Academy to secure Finn a place among its students, though at the lowest level.
Later that night, Finn returned to the humble cabin tucked into the far corner of Lilac City, where the lantern light barely chased away the shadows. The space felt larger now, emptier. He carefully went through Mr. Lan's few belongings, folding clothes and setting aside worn tools. At thirteen, Finn was finally old enough to officially attend classes at the Rogue Academy. Before his passing, Mr. Lan had prepared a small wooden chest, insisting it only be opened when Finn's first day drew near. With hesitant fingers, Finn lifted the lid and began taking out the items one by one.
From the chest, Finn first lifted a red token, its surface worn smooth, bearing the seal of the Rogue Academy and the words Class G Disciple etched beneath it. By cultivation alone, already standing at the Qi Condensing Stage, he should have been ranked Class E. Yet status mattered more than talent, and a clanless orphan was always placed lower. Finn closed his fingers around the token without complaint. Beneath it lay neatly folded emerald-green robes, clean and carefully pressed. Mr. Lan had bought them specially green, a color claimed by no clan in Lilac City and worn by no faction within the academy.
At the bottom of the chest lay one final item, something Finn never expected Mr. Lan to own. It was a cultivation scroll. The seal was made of pure gold, faintly warm to the touch, and it radiated a thin thread of spiritual essence. Finn's breath caught. The Rogue Academy often discarded manuals and scrolls, even cultivation ones they deemed useless or outdated. Still, standing before this seal, alive with energy, Finn could not understand why it would ever be thrown away. Carefully, he read the faded label on the edge of the scroll. Body Refining.
Finn closed the chest and set it aside, his attention fixed on the scroll. A thin layer of dust clung to the golden seal, and without thinking, he brushed it away. The moment his fingers passed over it, the seal shattered soundlessly. The scroll flung itself open, releasing a surge of radiant golden light that filled the cabin. It hovered in the air for several breaths, humming softly, before dissolving into light and entering Finn's body, settling deep within his cultivation sea. Shock lasted only an instant. Finn crossed his legs and began to meditate, reaching for the knowledge now stirring inside him.
As Finn continued to meditate, his senses were drawn inward and the world around him faded away. He stood within his own cultivation sea, an endless expanse of darkness now flooded with brilliant gold light. The scroll hovered above, shining like a morning star and illuminating the entire domain. From the light, a figure gradually formed, a young man who appeared no older than Finn. Yet the presence he carried felt immeasurably ancient, weighed down by countless ages. The figure met Finn's gaze and spoke in a steady, timeless voice.
"It has been over one hundred thousand years. At last, one has proven worthy."
Finn bowed respectfully, his chest tight with awe. "You are the spirit of this scroll?" he asked. The figure's gaze held him firmly, calm and timeless. "Yes and no," the figure replied. "I am the spirit of the last master of this scroll, and you have been chosen as its new master. With your current level, you can only perceive and speak to me. As your power grows, you will unlock the memories and wills of those who came before. My name is Leon Sun." Finn's heart raced; the scroll was no mere manual, it was a living inheritance.
Leon's golden aura shimmered as he spoke, filling Finn's cultivation sea with warmth and light. "For over one hundred thousand years, this scroll has passed through many hands, long before the Rogue Academy even existed. Yet none, until you, have ever been deemed worthy of its recognition. Now that a new master has been found, it is time for the Body Refining Arts to be respected once more." Finn bowed deeply. "This disciple is ready." Leon's expression softened. "Between us there is no master and disciple. I, along with all previous masters of this scroll, shall be your spiritual brothers. Whenever you need us, we shall appear."
Leon's voice resonated through Finn's cultivation sea, calm and deliberate. "The Body Refining Arts follow the same structure as normal cultivation, from the Refining Stage all the way to the Perfected Monarch Stage. Yet unlike ordinary cultivation, the progress of the body never regresses. Whichever level you achieve will remain with you indefinitely, unless you break through to the next. It works by drawing spiritual energy from the world around you, using it to reshape and reinforce your bones, your blood, your flesh, and your skin. Every part of your physical form will be refined and strengthened."
Leon's gaze held Finn's with unwavering intensity as he continued. "Even your organs will be refined, becoming far more powerful and resilient than those of the average cultivator at your stage, and even those several levels above you. The Body Refining Arts allow you to channel strength beyond your cultivation, letting you contend with opponents who far surpass you in power. This is what makes it so extraordinary, and also feared, for not everyone can follow this path. The higher your level in Body Refining, the faster your cultivation will progress. And depending on how far you advance, even after death, your body will never decay."
Leon fell silent, giving Finn the space to absorb the weight of what he had just heard, and to consider whether he truly wished to undertake the path of Body Refining. Across the Kan Realm and countless other realms, the Body Refining Arts were not the path most cultivators followed. It was perilous, and those without the proper destiny often perished before even completing the first stage. Yet Finn felt no fear. Instead, the danger fueled him. He was a low-born cultivator in a vast empire, in an even vaster realm. Choosing the path of the few and the forgotten was not just a challenge, it was his destiny.
Finn lifted his gaze, eyes bright with determination. "No matter the challenge, no matter how long it takes, this is a road I shall walk. From this day forward, I am a Body Refiner. Where do I begin?" Leon's lips curved into a warm smile, pleased to have a junior brother on the path he had long guarded. "You are already at the Qi Condensing Stage," he said. "With this cultivation, you should be able to break through to the Meteor Stage of Body Refining within three years. That, combined with your cultivation, will allow you to contend with opponents at the Meteor Stage and even the Dwarf Planet Stage."
The news filled Finn with exhilaration. At thirteen years old and already at the Qi Condensing Stage, he knew that under normal circumstances it would take a decade just to reach the Shattered Core Stage of cultivation. Yet now, with the Body Refining Arts, he could wield the strength of a Meteor-level cultivator in merely three years. A surge of confidence rose within him. Once he reached that level, he could devote himself fully to his cultivation without fear, no longer held back by his low status or fragile body. The path ahead, though difficult, suddenly seemed within reach.
Leon's voice was calm but firm. "Get some rest, junior brother. While you sleep, I will reinforce your cultivation sea, shielding your progress from prying eyes. In addition, I will refine your spiritual energy with my own and the power of the scroll, enriching your qi. By the time you awaken, you will have broken through to the first stage of Body Refining. When you open your eyes, you shall possess the body of a Shattered Core cultivator." Finn nodded, awe and anticipation stirring in his chest, as a warmth spread through his cultivation sea.
Finn slowly emerged from his meditation, the golden light that had radiated from his body gradually fading until only the faint glow of his newfound power remained. Tomorrow marked the beginning of his journey, not just as a cultivator, but as a Body Refiner, and he did not yet know where that path would lead. It was also the first day of his life at the Rogue Academy. No one there, or anywhere in Lilac City, was prepared for the boy who would step into the race set by the Dominion Lords, a boy whose body and spirit were already far beyond what anyone expected.