Druidic Cultivation | Eleven

“I might have a little bit of ancestral knowledge about that sort of thing, but it all tells me that I am way too good to sign a spirit contract.” The cute little girl bunched up her face and stuck her tongue out again. “Then again, if a strapping young man like yourself were to offer, I guess the least I can do is hear you out. What’s your plan?”

“Well, you said you had to burn down my martial spirit to appear because both of you were slotted into the same area, if my understanding is good so far. I figure that if we can find another slot to fit you into my spirit, so to speak, I can regrow my martial spirit and you can get more powerful. So, I think you should sign a spirit contract with me and become my familiar.”

In their last world there were no martial spirits, only spirit animal familiars that aided their partners in different ways. Humans interacted with mana in a completely different manner there, absorbing it and pooling it before exhaling it back into the world and funneling it through arcane formulas to create external effects they called spells. In this world, the humans trained their bodies to take in Qi through their meridians and refined their bodies. Sure, in late stages of cultivation some martial techniques could resemble spells, but it wasn’t the same.

It was like trying to have a duel of blades while swinging your sword with your feet and walking on your hands, extraordinarily difficult and complete inefficient. Even most humans in his home world were unable to affect the mana around them and compose spells, that was where familiars came in. The beasts of both worlds were much more in tuned with nature and magic, capable of getting stronger just by passively absorbing the Qi around them. Mages would often bond with an animal that had magical properties in order to improve their abilities.

In this plane, the humans were born with martial spirits, disembodied consciousness of deceased creatures, which also assisted the humans in their handling of Qi. Someway and somehow, Feng Jiao was sure that the entities were similar but not the same. After his communion with plants was reestablished after he turned ten, he was sure that the Qi here was the same as the mana of his home, doing this ritual only reaffirmed that his magic should work again. If magic worked, why not the spiritual contracts of his home as well?

“Mmm. When you say it that way, I guess it sounds like a great idea… Although I’m a little resistant to being tied down. How about we work on teaching you how to cultivate, your tree is a little, well, little right now.” She giggled with her head tilted. Feng Jiao’s other martial spirit had been the ash tree from his last life and was currently nothing more than a seed and a pile of ashes. Feng Jiao did not blame her for burning the tree down, as she said it was the only way for her to appear as his primary martial spirit. Had she not done that, the tree would have been the one leading his training of the martial arts and he may not have known she was buried within his spiritual sea for years.

Aideen went on to explain the ins and outs of cultivating in this world, how martial spirits assisted in the gathering of Qi, and then told Jiao Feng that he would need to get his hands on a cultivation method. Without one, it would take years for Jiao Feng to gather enough Qi to finish refining his body let alone step onto the path of immortality. Jiao Feng knew that cultivation manuals were infinitely valuable to one’s potential. The disadvantages may not display themselves within the first few realms as they required only the gathering of Qi and opening of the meridians, but it was something he’d need eventually.

As for re-growing his martial spirit tree, that process had already been started. The samara seed that Aideen had given him was already beginning to sprout again and would grow back to its old glory over time. During that time, Aideen would have to help him as he cultivated and they would attempt to change her job, so to speak, once her backup was trained. She frequently shot him glances while she mentioned how enthusiastic she would be to help him grow, whatever that meant. 

“So how can I make this place more livable for you? I can’t imagine you enjoy being stuck in a black wasteland void.” As they finished their chat, Feng Jiao decided to ask that question. In order to start cultivating he needed to be present in his physical body, but he wasn’t ready to say goodbye to his old friend yet. Besides, his spiritual space really was too dull.

“Start cultivating. This area you see is your spiritual sea and is barren as a desert. Open up some meridians and get more powerful, eventually your spiritual sea will grow. According to these new memories, once you reach a certain cultivation your spiritual sea will become an entire world of its own, equip with plants and animals and everything. Now that you mention it though, I miss that old tree. It lacked your spirit, but it was still okay company.

“Since we’re talking about making each other comfortable, I’ve got a bit of a request.” Aideen sauntered over to Feng Jiao, stopping only when she was less than a foot away. Feng Jiao saw her nostrils flare as her eyes darted back and forth, alternating between looking in each of his eyes. With her hands on his chest, she stood up on her tippy-toes and whispered into the beautiful young man’s ear.

“Go out and make some friends, little perch. You’ve been lonely for so many years, stop doing that to yourself. A tree might be a solitary existence, but humans are pack animals. Stop punishing yourself for my sake and go make some friends for once.”

“Why would I befriend those who will not be able to keep suit with me. I am destined to rise in power or die trying while none of these other children could possibly share my conviction. Making friends would only tie me down until they leave of their own volition or die.” Feng Jiao had been resistant to forming bonds with the other kids of his generation. Not only were they nowhere near as matured as he was, they were weak and untalented. After having a friend so close that they’d fight the heavens with you, why would one settle for less, afterall? 

“Friends aren’t supposed to be for life, Jiao’er. Friends are a fleeting existence, in your life for a season and gone for the rest. Each one brings lasting impacts and allows you to grow as a person. They make you stronger. Even the seasons are not permanent, each of them serving their own purpose. Without spring, there would be no plants. Without summer, they’d have no chance to grow and produce the air that you breathe. Without fall, everything would die during the cold transition, having no time to prepare. Without winter, the world would overgrow and choke to death on its own life. 

“If even the planet must allow for never ending change and death, then what makes you so much better? Let people into your life, let them light your soul on fire even if only to douse it themselves later. Let them forge you into a finer blade, develop your edge. Most importantly though,” Aideen removed her hand from where it had been resting on Feng Jiao’s heart and placed it on his cheek, angling his face toward hers so she could stare deeper into his eyes. “Make friends so that I’ll already have some when you let me out of here. Make sure they’re really pleasant to look at too!” The little bird girl flexed both of her hands in front of her in, a suggestive motion, toward Jiao’s chest.

Feng Jiao flicked her upon her forehead, wiping the toothy smirk off her face and causing her to scowl in mock-indignation. What she said made a lot of sense and Feng Jiao had already been considering getting a group of friends together. The world was large, and it would be difficult to stand against it by himself, so having a few people with him would make fighting the heavens that much easier. Then she had to go and make such a silly joke, completely killing the mood of the room. She deserved a flick!

“How are you going to talk to them if you’re only a bird? The only reason I can understand you is because you are inside of my soul speaking to me. Besides, why would I know what you consider to be pleasant looking.” 

“I trust your judgement on their looks, but besides that everything in this world is based on your strength. If you are stronger, people will not bully you. The world will open its vault and expel its treasure for you, if only to stop you from prying it open and stealing it yourself. The same goes for all creatures, including beasts. I don’t think it was possible in our old home, but here I can not only refine my bloodline, I can evolve.

“Who is to say that, once I am powerful enough, I won’t be able to take on human form? I am not a native species of this world, but I am also not the same as I once was. I don’t just mean my current spiritual existence, but even my genetics feel slightly altered. The samara could not kill off my memories and take away what made me, but it could still add to me. I feel different, and in this world strong beasts can look just like humans. Get stronger and carry me alongside you.” Every word that came out of her mouth was said with such conviction that Feng Jiao was left with no other choice than to take it for prophecy.

“Okay, then it's a date. In the meantime, fix up my actual martial spirit so that we can try out the spirit animal ritual and I’ll start cultivating. We will walk against the heavens together once more, but this time, we will win.” With an iron will, Feng Jiao stated his intentions. Aideen gave him but a single nod of affirmation before flicking him on his forehead to send him on his way. Feng Jiao shot straight up and looked out of the carriage, the sun had just started to set, and a fire was lit nearby with food roasting over it. 

He climbed out of the carriage and set off on a crash course with the bonfire to start on his first mission. Feng Jiao needed to start making friends with other humans.