"A spirit’s bond to its original flesh represents thest thread of humanity. Once severed, that thread cannot be rewoven. Each new vessel distances the spirit further from what it once was, until only the hunger remains."


    —Demon Lord Sha Kong, Consumer of Ten Thousand Souls


    Xin’s stomach twisted when the servant delivered Master Qingfeng’s summons. The weight of obligation pressed down on her shoulders as she walked with Mei Chen through the Treasure Pavilion’s polished hall.


    Each footstep echoed her mounting anxiety. The umted debt loomedrge in her mind. Such imbnce stretched beyond normal bounds.


    No amount of spirit stones or pills could restore equilibrium to their rtionship. There was only one possible thing that could restore bnce to their that made sense to her.


    At least, only one that wasn’t malicious or damaging to her.


    The ornate door to the tea room slid open. Master Qingfeng sat behind a low table, steam rising from a fresh pot of tea. Angry red blisters covered the left side of his face, spreading down his neck to disappear beneath his cor. His left hand bore simr marks as he lifted his cup—stark evidence of the tribtion lightning he’d faced.


    The image of him atop the Pavilion shed through Xin’s mind. Golden siege orbs had shattered under his power before he struck down their creator. Without his intervention, the battle might have ended differently.


    Rather than take her ce at the cushion, Xin dropped to her knees on the hardwood floor.


    "Miss!" Mei Chen reached for her arm.


    Xin pressed her forehead to the ground in a formal kowtow. Mei Chen tugged at her sleeve but failed to budge her. After a moment’s hesitation, Mei Chen sank to her knees beside Xin and mirrored the deep bow.


    A gentle clink of porcin echoed through the room.


    "Please, I beg you not to ce additional burdens upon me. The weight already threatens to overwhelm." Xin kept her forehead pressed to the floor.


    "The greatest burden we carry is often the one we ce upon ourselves." Master Qingfeng set his cup down. "Come, share tea with me. The floor offers poorfort for discussion."


    Xin lifted her head and shifted to the cushion beside the low table. The aromatic steam from the tea carried notes of jasmine and something deeper—perhaps oolong. The familiar ritual of epting the cup steadied her.


    "Now, about Mei Chen." Master Qingfeng touched the blistered skin on his neck. "I’ve read ounts of spirits leaving their vessels, but witnessing such an urrence would prove educational."


    Xin’s eyes widened slightly. The simple request after her formal prostration was… not what she expected. She turned toward Mei Chen.


    Mei Chen shrugged. "I don’t mind." She looked to Xin. "Miss?"


    Xin nodded. Without hesitation, Mei Chen settled her head onto Xin’sp and closed her eyes. A soft blue mist seeped from her nose and mouth, coalescing into a luminous orb. The spiritual essence drifted upward inzy spirals around Xin before floating toward Master Qingfeng.


    "Ming’s assessment proves urate." Master Qingfeng studied the ethereal sphere. "The spirit demonstrates remarkable strength, yet the physical vessel remains inadequate. I erred in assuming natural adjustment would ur."


    The blue orb swooped down to dance around his teacup.


    What can I do? I need my body! Mei Chen’s thoughts echoed with desperate intensity.


    Master Qingfeng stroked his beard, contemting the spiraling essence.


    A frown creased Xin’s brow. She extended her hand, and Mei Chen zipped back to her instantly. Xin lifted her up to her head and Mei Chen settled into yful swirls in her hair.


    Xin looked to Master Qingfeng. "What steps must we take?"


    "Rapid cultivation advancement stands essential if she is to maintain her spirit on the earthly ne." Master Qingfeng tapped his fingers against the table. "She must maintain regr interaction with others—not fixate solely on a single person. Such obsession breeds dangerous heart demons."


    Heat crept up Xin’s neck at the pointed observation.


    I am not obsessed! Mei Chen’s indignant thoughts pulsed through the blue light.


    Master Qingfeng raised an eyebrow. "Tell me, young spirit, how often have you separated from Miss Lin for any significant duration?"


    The blue light dimmed, pulsing with a mncholic hue. Only once... when I died. Mei Chen’s thoughts rippled with distress.


    Xin reached up and cupped Mei Chen in her palms, drawing the spirit orb close to her chest. The familiar warmth of Mei Chen’s spiritual essence seeped into her skin.


    "As I suspected." Master Qingfeng poured fresh tea. "It stands to reason that a spirit cultivator requires greater mental equilibrium than any other practitioner. While attachment provides an anchor, it bes a dangerous crutch."


    He straightened, adopting the formal tone of a lecturer. "Master Song Lin wrote something relevant in this matter in ’Reflections on the Jade Path.’ His words ring particrly true for your situation: ’The strongest bonds are those which enable growth rather than restrict it.’"


    "But how can she maintain bnce without losing herself?" Xin spun Mei Chen with a finger, eliciting a yful yelp and then a gentle tugging at her fingers.


    "Sage Liu Yue might have addressed this in her ’Moonlit Cultivation Method.’ She taught that spirits must flow like moonlight—touching all things while remaining untethered." Master Qingfeng traced the rim of his teacup. "’The moon does not shine for a single flower alone.’"


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    What if I fade away? Mei Chen’s essence flickered anxiously.


    Xin voiced the concern. "Master Song Lin spoke of meaningful lives for mortals in Reflections, but does that apply to spirits?"


    Master Qingfeng raised an eyebrow and stared at her. "I chose this piece of wisdom as I felt it rted to Mei Chen’s situation."


    "I understand," Xin said. "Interacting with others shouldn’t pose a problem. But what solid n can we make to help her stabilize herself beyond that?"


    "The solution lies with increasing your cultivation. Mei Chen has more power than she has control and skill. What she does nowes by instinct. Yet that can follow unwanted paths if provoked. Just socializing with you, Feng Yu, and others has muted the most feral tendencies in a few days." Master Qingfeng set his cup down firmly.


    "You both require proper instruction from an established school or sect. ckmere and the frontier territories cannot provide what you need. The great institutions in the City of Aeris or Arinthia itself offer your best hope for advancement."


    Xin stared at Master Qingfeng, teacup frozen halfway to her lips. The suggestion struck discordant notes against her expectations. Every interaction, every lesson, every careful observation had pointed toward him taking her as a student. The weight of obligation had settled into quiet eptance at the back of her mind.


    Yet now he suggested other schools? Other sects?


    The blue orb of Mei Chen’s essence pulsed questioningly against her palm.


    "I don’t understand." Xin set her cup down with precise control. "Are you suggesting we seek training elsewhere as your agents?"


    Master Qingfeng’sugh echoed through the tea room. "No, Miss Lin. Your path simply requires broader horizons than ckmere can provide."


    He traced patterns in the air, sketching the emblems of the major institutions. "The Skyward Institute excels in qi control and air maniption. Earth’s Embrace Academy builds unmatched physical foundations. meheart Sanctum specializes in fire techniques and alchemy, while Aqua Seraph Academy masters healing arts and water maniption."


    Memories from Phoenix Kingdom Chronicles flooded Xin’s mind. As Li Mei, she had collected countless technique manuals from these institutions’ ruins. yers built miniature versions of these schools, desperately trying to recapture lost greatness.


    "But what about Mei Chen?" Xin pulled the spirit essence closer. "These prestigious institutions might react poorly to a wrathful spirit?"


    Master Qingfeng shook his head. "Mei Chen doesn’t match the criteria for a wrathful spirit. The term applies incorrectly here. Her condition resembles a spirit cultivator separated from their physical form."


    The blue orb of Mei Chen’s essence brightened.


    Master Qingfeng fixed Xin with a prating stare. "You seemed aware of this distinction already. Curious, given how rare such knowledge proves to be. More curious is how you know of Master Song Lin’s Reflections. Copies are incredibly rare and I have the only one in the county and I don’t believe I shared it with you."


    Heat crept up Xin’s neck as she stared into her cooling tea. "A lucky guess… Jade is rted to… mortal wealth?" Her answer was pathetic at best.


    The truth was that Qingfeng’s mention of the masters rted to the loading screen messages in the game… and while she didn’t remember them exactly because they were all poetic and wisdomy… it did jog her memory a bit.


    She traced the rim of her cup. "And for Mei Chen… Also a lucky guess? I didn’t want anyonebeling her incorrectly as a wrathful spirit. Before creating this... spirit cultivator disguise, she encountered someone who reacted poorly."


    "Hmm." Master Qingfeng stroked his beard. "Preconceptions root deeply in people’s minds. Her spiritual state grants significant power but leaves her vulnerable. The safety seal aimed to conceal her nature and prevent self-harm, though it proved inadequate for its purpose."


    He was dropping the issue of her unusual knowledge? She would happily ept that and straightened. "The attackers removing her seal saved our lives." The memory of Mei Chen’s ice barrier protecting them from Lord Chao’s forces shed through her mind. "Without that limitation, she turned the tide of battle."


    Master Qingfeng leaned forward, his blistered hands sping his teacup. "And yet such premature usage of her powers has damaged her body. While not critical now, such damage umtes. If her vessel breaks before she reaches sufficient cultivation to anchor herself and maintain her dantian core without it, she will dissolve into a true wrathful spirit—the very thing most fear."


    Anxiety crawled down Xin’s spine and Mei Chen flickered and pulsed faster.


    "She needs opportunity to advance and gain that foundation." Master Qingfeng’s expression hardened. "And under no circumstances should she attempt to possess another body or corpse besides her own. Such practices mirror the demonic northerners. She would be hunted, and with good reason."


    The blue essence swirled up from Xin’s hands, expanding into arger sphere. I wouldn’t hurt people like that! Mei Chen’s thoughts radiated distress. I wouldn’t do something so bad... I just want to protect her! The spiritual essence contracted, wrapping around Xin’s shoulders like a protective cloak. Protect Miss Lin and my friends!


    Xin reached up to stroke the ethereal essence. The familiar warmth of Mei Chen’s spirit pressed against her skin, but now carried an edge of desperation that made her heart ache.


    Master Qingfeng stroked his beard, the motion drawing attention to the lightning burns across his neck. "The Skyward Institute stands as your best option. Their mastery of qi control would benefit both of you." He paused to sip his tea. "They maintain a small contingent of spiritual cultivators in Aeris. Though rather insr, they might prove receptive to your situation. Of course, consider your otherpanions—they’ll likely apany you."


    Xin blinked. The tea stopped halfway to her lips. "Feng Yu would attend as well?"


    "And that young man." Master Qingfeng nodded sagely.


    Xin gripped her teacup tighter. "What about my mother and brother? Have you heard anything?"


    Master Qingfeng smiled. "Your concerns appear unfounded. They’ve approached the city steadily and crossed through the gates moments ago."


    The teacup ttered against the table as Xin’s hands trembled. Relief flooded through her chest. "They’re okay?"


    Can we go see them? Mei Chen’s thoughts pulsed excitedly through her spiritual essence.


    "You may." Master Qingfeng set his cup down with practiced grace. "I expect you both for meditation tomorrow."


    The blue mist swirled down into Mei Chen’s still form. Color returned to her pale cheeks as she opened her eyes. A bright smile spread across her face as Xin massaged her shoulders, helping ground her back into her physical form. "I’m up, miss."


    They stood and bowed to Master Qingfeng.


    "Miss Lin." Master Qingfeng’s tone carried a note of warning. "You should prepare an exnation for your remarkable fortune. Such consistent luck draws attention, and others might seek either the truth, or its source for themselves."


    Oh. He hadn’t dropped it…


    Xin bowed lower. "Master, I’ll seek to do better in the future, thank you for your patience."