5. You're Not One of Us

In the end, Koryn and I had to part ways for the time being. The matter of finding a dao companion was no way near as important as a crimson notice. Notices were issued out by the sect when a sect-wide announcement needed to be made. Because disciples and members of the sect were always out adventuring, sects had a way to track their disciples with sect issued storage rings. These rings served not only as storage devices but also a way for the sect to track the cultivator's whereabouts and to send a notice to them. It was the second most important thing a cultivator could bring when going adventuring, right after their life tablet imprint.

Because I had gotten a notice through my storage ring and a crimson notice at that, I had to part ways with Koryn and rush back to the sect with my parents. Before we parted ways we made an agreement. Since the crimson notice was being served on my sect, there was no telling what was ahead of us, but she would keep trading wares in the floating capital until I was able to leave the sect to go and meet her. Only then would we be able to announce to our families that we were to become dao companions. For some reason, I felt more motivated after that.

Although the Cosmic Path sect had a branch in the floating capital, the sect's actual headquarters was located about a hundred kilometers away from the floating capital, in the port city of Zhen. This city was entirely controlled by the sect and together with Cloud city and seven other cities, formed the nine jewels of Shenzhou.

"Spread the word," father spoke to an attendant as soon as we entered the family estate. "The clan elders will have a meeting tonight. Tomorrow we will have an assembly for the whole clan. All clan members not our adventuring will be expected to attend. Failure to do so will result in harsh punishment."

I could feel my heartbeat quicken just a little bit at his words. Whatever's going on is going change our lives forever. I'm sure of it.

"Little Feng," he addressed me with a dead serious look. "I know you've been secretly keeping your cultivation stagnant at the peak of foundation establishment in order to increase your qi reserves. Break through tonight. Here's a batch of core forming pills."

He tossed a little bag at me. I caught it numbly. "Why so sudden?" I had to ask.

"War, son; war is on the horizon." He paused, perhaps to make sure I really understood what it meant. "Core formation is the minimum requirement for all core disciples of the sect. However, since you are having trouble with your spirit cultivation, you cannot become a core disciple under the Li faction. I am hereby releasing you from your identity as a Li clan member; you're simply not meant to cultivate as one of us. I've already had the hall of knowledge record this. You may attend tomorrow's assembly as a member of the Li faction, but after that, you should get yourself a position among the core disciples of the San faction. It's the only faction that accepts new members regardless of bloodline."

After giving me a deep look, he swiftly left without so much as another word.

I think I was shocked at first, but I was pretty numb throughout the entire conversation. If war wasn't shocking enough, I've been disowned because I was better at other cultivation paths than the one my clan specializes in. Perhaps that was why I wasn't able to say anything in response to my father. Something like this sneaks up on you like an ambush. There's no proper way to take it all in.

I'm not sure how much time passed, but I found myself at my courtyard, staring blankly at the ceiling from my bed.

One of the good things about me is I've never been a super emotional person. That's why I didn't cause a scene with my father. I had the right to. As my parent he owed me an actual explanation after pulling off something like that. Perhaps later I would find the time to air out my grievances before my father and ask him why he did this, but right now the urgency of the war weighed more heavily on my heart.

In the stillness of my courtyard, I contemplated my father's words. The weight of the decision he had made, the sudden shift in my destiny, it all left me feeling adrift in a sea of uncertainty. But, as I lay there, a sense of determination began to stir within me.

I couldn't deny that the Li clan had always been my home, but it seemed destiny had other plans for me. The prospect of joining the San faction, a group known for embracing diversity, held a certain allure. Perhaps this change was an opportunity to discover my true potential.

I knew breaking through to core formation in one night wouldn't be easy, but with the looming threat of war I had no choice. I also had the core forming pills my father had given me. I could do this. I could break into core formation and choose another cultivation path apart from spirit cultivation. Of course that required a bit more reading on my part.

The core formation stage in a cultivator's journey is usually referred to as the real start. This is because the four different types of cultivation only started in core formation. Whether it was spirit cultivators, magic cultivators, soul cultivators or body cultivators, the qi refinement and foundation establishment levels were the same process. Core formation was totally different.

As I rose from my bed, a plan formed in my head. Go to the hall of knowledge, read up more on other types of cultivation, settle on a new cultivation method and breakthrough tonight before the big announcement by the sect tomorrow. I'll join the San faction and gain merits during the war.

I was supposed to be the new Li clan head after my father stepped down but it seems I'm not destined for that. I'll rise to the top of the San faction instead.