Fatigue

After dealing with another tiring day of Sect affairs, Wen Xiulan was wondering whether or not she should promote someone to the position of Palace Head in order to free her from unnecessary duties. With the rapid changes occurring within the Sect, many requiring her personal attention, Wen Xiulan's cultivation was beginning to stagnate as she simply couldn't find any time to invest in the endless pursuit. What little time she could free up was spent monitoring the progress of her Direct Disciple, Jia Cai. The latter had started training with an intensity that her past self could never hold a candle to, causing the young maiden's Cultivation to rapidly increase. Though it was incomparable to the growth of Fenrir, Wen Xiulan was proud that her disciple had found the willpower to continue along her path without losing confidence after witnessing their Sect Guardian's ridiculous Cultivation speed...

Thinking of Fenrir's progress, Wen Xiulan's blue eyes flashed with a curious glint as she wondered when, if ever, Fenrir would reach a bottleneck. From what she could discern, even though there were some 'instabilities' within Fenrir's foundation, there didn't seem to be any negative impact on her Cultivation. It was almost as if her body was correcting the flaws that could be found within every technique, causing Wen Xiulan to have slight doubts about her own path.

Though she had never believed her technique to be the most superior amongst all Ice Elemental Cultivation methods but, seeing the proficiency in which Fenrir used the same skills, Wen Xiulan knew she had been too reliant on following a path set by others instead of blazing a trail for herself. Cultivation was, after all, the means in which individuals were able to oppose the very Will of Heaven. The path towards the peak could only be achieved through comprehending the Laws themselves and, while Cultivation methods helped you reach greater heights, it would never take you to the absolute peak that only a handful of practitioners could reach...

Watching Fenrir essentially teach herself the Sacred Heart of the Ice Phoenix, Wen Xiulan was gleaning insights of her own into the shortcomings of her own Cultivation. Part of her wished that she could watch Fenrir's closed cultivation, as it would undoubtedly provide her with even greater insights, but she lacked the courage to trespass the rather cold young woman's domain. What she didn't know was that, instead of tirelessly practicing the techniques contained within the Scroll, Fenrir spent most of her time in a deep state of meditation. Though she was still practicing the Sacred Heart of the Ice Phoenix, her primary focus was on the 'balance' of her heart and mind. In many ways, Fenrir was doing the exact same thing that a Master would do upon reaching a bottleneck, even though her reasons were entirely different...

Unaware of Fenrir's unique method of training, Wen Xiulan raised a jade cup to her mouth before enjoying the calming aroma of her tea. After allowing her mind to settle, she savored the crisp taste of the medicinal herbs contained within before releasing a small sigh of satisfaction. Then, just as she was preparing to enter a meditative state of her own, Wen Xiulan could feel a vibration through the floor that alerted her to someone's approach. Before they could lightly rattle on her door, Wen Xiulan fixed her composure before uttering in a slightly tired voice, "Speak..." She knew the person outside the door was one of the servants, likely arriving to report yet another issue that required her attention, so Wen Xiulan's mood was a bit dour at the moment.

After a bit of hesitation, the servant on the other side of the door answered, "Sect Leader, there is a group of 'irregulars' that wish to join the Sect. The Branch Head has requested your presence..." Having sensed that her master's mood wasn't the best, the servant's hands were trembling slightly as she tightly gripped the hem of her robe. Fortunately, Wen Xiulan wasn't the type to take her anger out on others so, after a few minutes of silence, the door opened to reveal the latter's cold face as she said, "Very well, Inform Jia Cai that I will be away for the afternoon..." Then, without sparing the servant another glance, Wen Xiulan quickly alighted from the nearby courtyard before beginning her quick descent down the mountain...

(Fenrir's Commentary: 'Meditation, focus, balance....mmm.....')