BETTER OFF HIDDEN AWAY

"A Pseudo-Core truly is a wondrous object. Just the fact that you get an understanding of how a true core formation works might already satisfy ordinary people. Even to geniuses like us, who hardly would see core formation as a challenging hurdle, it will still save us a great deal of effort. But that's just scratching the surface, so let's delve a bit deeper."

"Firstly, the Pseudo-Core will remain there even after the real Core is formed. All that time, it will keep accumulating impure Qi and excess Spiritual Energy expelled by your real Core. Much like the Superior Stage's Satellites, it'll orbit around our Core. Now, since it will keep accumulating energy that is not as pure, it soon won't generate as much power as the real deal once we step into higher stages... but the difference is that while the true Core must be kept safe at all costs, the Pseudo-Core can be detonated at will."

Cheng Hao cleared his voice and took a sip from a cup full of tea.

"Think of it: months and years of accumulated power bursting out in a single moment. In terms of raw output in the moment, you'd jump several stage over for that short span."

"Especially so when the repercussion will be nowhere as drastic as blowing up the real Core; even at its worst, it won't injure you permanently. It might still inflict some serious injuries, sure, but your life and the better part of your cultivation will be kept intact. Naturally, you can just form another Pseudo-Core later."

"Of course, though this might sound rather enticing, it would be dishonest to claim that just that would be enough to justify giving up on a Martial Way just for that."

One mouthful later, the lecture moved onto another topic altogether as Cheng Hao tackled the most glaring issue.

"As such, I'll now present another reason that might just be the most convincing one of all."

Cheng Hao placed his cup down and motioned Xiao Wu to do the same. When he raised his hands with the palms facing upwards, his eyes closed, the young lady followed blindly, without pause.

"Recall the sensation of the teacup in your hand. Do you feel its warmth radiating still? Now, visualize it as a sphere, that warmth growing faint, a distant heat, even as your hands grow heavier and heavier. And finally, before you open your eyes, fill your mind with purple. Think of violet petals, and sunsets just before nightfall- I needn't speak more, I reckon. You may look now."

Xiao Wu's emerald eyes widened in wonder as the Purple Moon in her grasp gently hovered even as she let go of it.

"Brightfolk sure have it easy. Eidetic memory and all." Blindlight's scales were shrouded in the purple glow as he unravelled from his coils by one side of the table.

"As if you ever bothered remembering much at all, you slothful lizard."

"...so that's how it is," Xiao Wu feebly exclaimed in realisation.

"To begin with, they weren't one whole, but three!" she turned to Cheng Hao for confirmation, "Three Martial Ways. Am I right?"

The boy nodded, "Correct. However, the process to separate the last two is a bit trickier than mere self-suggestion. We'll tackle that later on, once you have better familiarized yourself with your cultivation base."

Indeed, no matter how she tried, Xiao Wu could only bring out the dragon and oak together. For the moment, she'd be limited in her means, having to choose either her Purple Moon or the black and white pair.

"But that suits us just fine, for first thing tomorrow, I was hoping to teach you a skill connected to the Purple Moon: 'I See A Moonlit Purple World'. But, again, that will be a matter for the morrow."

The boy's golden eyes then gleamed with expectation, "Surely, you have realized the implications of having more than one Martial Way, haven't you?"

Xiao Wu nodded as if it were natural, "Of course, if my Martial Ways are multiple, I can simply keep just one in the Pseudo-Core, and at the same time use the others in combat."

There wasn't the slightest hint of doubt as she asked for a formal confirmation with her eyes.

At last, Cheng Hao nodded,

"Mmm. Unknowingly, your three Martial Ways allowed you to create a Pseudo-Core with three Martial ways, but keep it at bay with a single one! This, of course, is only possible because your three Qi thoroughly complement each other! Hark! The benefits of Trple Qi… how truly enviable, Little Wu."

"Eheh, I am a genius after all. Ah, but there has to be a limit, right?"

Xiao Wu asked as she was reminded of the elegant balance that had culminated into her Pseudo-Core: though her complementing Qi might somewhat offset a missing piece from that precarious perfection, it couldn't be by that much, right?

"There is, but it's likely nowhere near as restricting as you might imagine. Even if you aggressively rotate your cultivation base for hours on end, the Pseudo-Core could hold on if it has the support of just two of the three Martial Ways; even with just a single one, you can expect a forgiving half an hour or so. In conclusion, so long as you keep at least two in, you'd have nothing to worry about in your mundane life, at least."

"So I could just walk around with a Martial Way out and not have to worry about it? So long as I am frugal with my methods that is."

"Absolutely, if your Pseudo-Core collapsing is your only worry." Cheng Hao leaned back as his gaze became unprecedently solemn, "About that… it ties in on yet another reason why I chose to seal our Martial Ways in our Pseudo Cores…"

Taken aback at his countenance, Xiao Wu listened in earnest at his next words.

"That is," Cheng Hao announced, "the Pseudo-Core can house a Martial Way in the safest and most covert hiding spot of all."

"Are you saying… people might covet it? But who?" the young lady's purple brows were furrowed in bafflement.

"Don't misunderstand me here," He waved his hand in dismissal as if it were obvious, "I'll be the first disregard the possibility of internal struggle given it's the Xiao Clan and you Brightfolk we're talking about. You won't ever have to worry about that, nor am I insinuating you should. I myself have many a time been a recipient of the Xiao's unbelievable integrity."

"...but Martial Ways are tailored to a specific Qi, aren't they? The Xiao Qi is a Sensed Qi only found among those with the bloodline of Xiao. How useful could it be to others even if a Martial Way of Xiao was stolen? Why would anyone bother if they can't even use it?" questioned Xiao Wu.

"Your mistake here, understandably so, stems from a rather common misconception among the talented." Cheng Hao broke into a wry smile.

"That is… it isn't impossible to force yourself to Sense a specific Qi. It might be a lengthy and laborious process, but so long as you manage to gather the required Strands and refine them into your own, it can be done."

"But-"

"Of course. Without the proper aptitude, one would never be able to make much progress beyond that initial step."

"That's what I'm saying. Why would anyone want to do that, then?"

"Your own Sensed Qi was readily apparent because you had an untold affinity to it, as per your bloodline, temperament, and environment. That affinity culminated into the talent behind a ten-thousand-foot pillar."

"However, the most common occurrence for normal people are pillars that won't surpass the thousand or even the hundred feet: that's because their character aren't deemed desirable by the Laws. Unlike us, common folk don't have the privilege of a Qi's unwavering adoration. Instead, the majority can only work with whatever Qi might spare them a glance out of the faintest inkling they might present an acceptable characteristic."

"How about putting yourself in the shoes of those common folk," the boy leaned forward, "If you now had to part from the grand Triple Xiao Qi that is completely smitten with what you bring to the table, and were instead forced to settle for some lowly Laws that would barely bother with you at all... how would that feel? Wouldn't you rather still progress slowly, yet have the insurance of an enviable Qi, if you had the opportunity?"

"...still, I then wouldn't be able to make much progress- Oh."

Finally, Xiao Wu started to see the entirety of the dreadful picture the boy was painting.

Cheng Hao's expression was sombre as he helped her arrange those erratic thoughts into words.

"Again, it is a strenuous task to gather strands of a specific kind. Even more so if you don't have the aptitude for it, nor are you in a special ground boasting a higher concentration of those strands."

Xiao Wu dejectedly murmured, "...But if one has a Martial Way of that one Qi to gather all those strands..."

The boy swirled his teacup while leaning back in his chair, "Again, it gets exponentially harder to increase one's cultivation if one has little aptitude for their Sensed Qi. This can be made up for with understanding and effort, but how thoroughly could one possibly understand the characteristics of a Qi if the cultivator and the Strands have no mutual ground to compare?"

"...But if one has a Martial Way where all those truths are laid bare..."

Cheng Hao smiled wrily, "Those who have grown extremely powerful despite their lacklustre Qi can only have done so through sheer, herculean effort. However, at some point, that effort will betray them. That is the harsh truth of talent that the talentless can't ever change. Unless that is, they get a chance to restart from scratch, walking a paved Path that has been laid out right before their eyes. If all they needed was to restart from scratch for a better shot at the pinnacle of existence, who among these people whose only talent had been to struggle and persevere, would possibly bat an eye and not make that choice?"

The girl's gaze of emerald was complicated as she pointed out the crux of the problem: "...if somebody knows about Martial Ways and finds out we have them, they will stop at nothing to get their hands on them."

"Not quite. Rather, would you believe me if I said that it's much more drastic than that, even?" Cheng Hao chortled.

"And how could that ever be so?" asked a pair of exasperated purple lips.

"Well, even if someone isn't aware of the opportunities that come with a Martial Way, or doesn't realize that ours are, in fact, the Martial Ways from legend… won't they still think of them as enviable treasures regardless?"

"...Ah."

"In the end, our Martial Ways will appear as precious treasures, and many cultivators will come to covet them if they ever even get to steal a glance. Keeping them hidden in a Heaven&Earth Pouch would not be enough to hide them from those truly powerful."

"Our Seas, on the other hand, are essentially impregnable to unwanted probing."

"Alas, even more so our Pseudo-Cores; a reliable fortress of brutal, antagonistic forces that would send any prying strands of will into helpless disarray."

After a long pause, Xiao Wu could only sigh with feeling and concede as she gently patted her own head in hopes that her gratefulness would reach the Pseudo-Core in the depths of her emerald gaze:

"...ahhh. Hide my Martial Way well won't you, you tiny but ever wondrous thing."

Then, she raised her teacup with a cry: "All hail Pseudo-Cores!"

"Hail, hail indeed!" Cheng Hao chuckled as he humored her theatrics.

The youths so toasted in the name of their one saving grace in a world so exceedingly cold and unforgiving.