Chapter 25: Strong and Weak

- Come in. - Yee Rhys let her in - I thought I'd see you after the tournament.

- I'm your watcher. - The Lady slipped inside at a glance, she explained. - I've come to check on progress.

He closed the door.

- Hand. - The guest demanded

Yee Rhys extended his hand forward without complaint. Thin fingers touched his wrist.

- Hmm. - The Lady frowned. - It's not much.

- I should stabilize the base after the breakthrough. - The young man explained. - In addition, I've heard that the tournament scheme gives an advantage to those at the peak of their wisp. Since I am unlikely to reach the peak of the second wisp in time for the tournament, it is better to take my time and form the second wisp after it.

- You're right about that. - Dra Jae had to agree. - Now freeze and don't move.

Yee Rhys obediently froze. Though there was a sudden chill in his stomach.

With a grim smile, the beauty slowly reached out her hands to his face and placed her fingers on his temples. An alien force began to scrutinize the young man's mind. It felt unpleasant. Like being undressed.

Yee Rhys remained calm. He'd rather be undressed than raped.

- But there is a noticeable increase in mental energy. - The Lady summed up. And put the information into the jade. - That's enough. You can move now.

- I was wondering if I might ask you a question. - The young man ventured to call out to his visitor, who was already on her way to the door. But the answer was too important.

- Yes. - The Lady turned.

- Usually, disciples seek apprenticeship with one of the elders and join a faction. What should I do if one of the elders offers me to become his apprentice?

The Beauty froze for a moment, and in the next moment she appeared before Yee Rhys. A thin, delicate palm penetrated his hair. It gripped the hair at the back of his head with unladylike force, forcing his head to lean back and him to go down to his knees.

- Refuse. - She demanded flatly, hovering over him, releasing her Crystal Core aura. - Remember. You belong to the Master. You are his thing. And even I wouldn't risk taking you on as my disciple without his permission. Believe me, he certainly won't want to share his thing with some Outer Sect elder. You got it?

- Got it. - Yee Rhys wheezed.

- That's good. - The beauty reluctantly loosened her fingers, releasing his hair. The young man collapsed to the floor. Not that he was weak, but the aura of the Crystal Core Sphere completely suppressed his first wisp of the Wisp Creation Sphere. - Because the Master might consider your becoming a disciple a betrayal.

Yee Rhys shuddered. Betrayal. An absolute taboo.

And that's why he risked asking the question. To find out the exact answer.

- More questions? - The Lady coldly clarified.

- No. - The young man said sprawled out on the floor.

- See you then.

The uninvited guest left the house.

A few minutes later Yee Rhys sat up and carefully checked the aching back of his head. Couldn't she just say normally? The back of his head would ache at the sight of any elder now.

***

The next day brought cloudless skies.

And a gloomy Usa Lada.

- She said to tell you. - The girl held out a jade slip to the young man, holding it as if it were a poisonous spider.

Yee Rhys took the slip. Checked the contents.

And instantly regretted it.

Inside was a dual cultivation technique.

His fingers trembled, wanting to either drop the slip or crush it to powder.

Nevertheless, the young man calmly tucked the slip into the bag, maintaining an indifferent expression on his face. If he gave in to provocation, the Lady would wallpaper his walls with this technique.

- Uh, it's ... - Getting rid of an unpleasant errand, Usa Lada immediately cheered up. - I have to go and choose a technique.

- Uh-huh. - Yee Rhys slowly walked forward. - Have you decided which one?

- Which one? - The girl didn't understand. - I don't know what kind is out there.

- What type of technique. - Calmly, like to a small child, explained the young man. - The most important one is the cultivation technique. What's yours now?

- The Seven Gems technique. - Usa Lada answered.

Yee Rhys stumbled on the spot.

- Do you know what that technique is? - He asked in a low voice.

- The Grand Elder said it is a good technique. - Unsurely the girl answered.

- It's not just a good technique. - The young man explained tiredly. - It's a core sect technique, you know.

- Core technique? - Judging by the face and the tone, this meant nothing to Usa Lada. What kind of big rock did they dig her out of?

- I'm paraphrasing, - Yee Rhys grimaced, - you know there's a Beginner's Ranking Tournament coming up?

- Yes. - The girl nodded. - The Elder said everyone has to participate.

- Uh-huh. - The young man confirmed. - Do you know what the grand prize of the tournament is?

- No. - She shook her head.

- A hundred copies of the Seven Gems technique. - Only the best one hundred will be allowed to learn the technique. And no Inner or Outer Sect Elder may circumvent this rule.

- But what about... - Usa Lada blinked her eyes. She was finally beginning to get it.

- Only a Grand Elder is allowed to give a technique bypassing the rules. - He who was forced to enlighten, continued. - Under his personal responsibility. So I strongly advise you never to tell anyone else that you cultivate this technique. If asked, name any other. What have you cultivated before?

- Three waves of the Azure Sea.

- That's what you'll name. - Nodded the young man.

- But why? What's wrong with the core technique? - The girl worried.

- The technique itself is fine. "Wrong" is the attitude. You'll get your throat ripped out for that technique and they won't choke on it. Take my word for it, you mention it in public and you'll be challenged to a duel in no time to see if you're proficient in the core technique. Are you ready for a series of battles for the right to possess the technique?

Usa Lada shook her head in the negative way.

- Secondly - Yee Rhys continued, - it is this technique that separates the formal disciples, who are here only for numbers, from the real ones, whom the sect will develop. Your skill with the Seven Gems puts you in the second category. But I'll be honest, you don't fit the path of the cultivator.

- Why not? - Girl was offended.

- Do you know what a real cultivator is? - The young man grinned. - A hard forged and unprincipled man. It is someone who will get what he wants at any cost. One whose path to the top is paved with the bones of his enemies. The world of cultivators is an endless battle for resources. A world of survival of the strongest. A world where the word of the strong is law.

- Not true. - Usa Lada shuddered.

- True. - Smiled Yee Rhys - You remember what happened between us? I asked the Lady afterward why she did that to you. Do you know what she said?

- What? - The girl asked quietly. The mere thought of "that" gave her chills.

- Because you're weak. - He grinned in her face. - Somebody would have raped you anyway. Why not her? She's weak, so any cultivator at a higher level could do anything to you. And you wouldn't even dare make a sound. For cultivators at the level of the Grand Elders, youth fall into two categories: promising seedlings and expendable material. You are the latter. A disposable tool that will be thrown away after use.

Usa Lada was shaking. She didn't want to accept such a truth. But the fact was that she had indeed been used time after time without even asking.

- Believe me, the Lady is still gracious. - Yee Rhys smiled slightly. - She's compensating you, isn't she? And she doesn't need to eliminate you. When this is all over, you'll just go back to being a normal sect disciple. You're too weak to cause problems now or in the future.

- You, you, you... - The girl just got jammed up. - Why do you call the Grand Elder Lady?

- She gave me permission. - The young man smiled nonchalantly.

- But, but, but... she... - Usa Lada's eyes widened.

- And I am arrogant. - Yee Rhys grinned. - By the way, we were talking about the Seven Gems technique, right? And the difference between formal and real disciples. So if you've learned the technique and become a real disciple, you become part of the sect. And attempts to escape or betray are severely punished. If you run away, they send hunters after you. You see, by giving you this technique, the Lady not only did you a favor and support, but she also tied you to the sect. From the moment you started practicing this technique, you'd better forget about running away.

The girl flinched.

- Don't be so afraid. - He shrugged. - It's all right to live in a sect too. Some of the elders are stuck in the Soaring Core Sphere. There are even some employees in the Wisp Creation Sphere. So there's a place for you. Stay off the top and you'll be fine.

- Let's call it a day. - With her head down, asked Usa Lada.

- All right. On top of that, we're almost there. - Yee Rhys smiled.

His "girlfriend" must understand the plain truths, or she won't last long here.