If Ren expected to see any results from his new technique, he could only be disappointed. On the surface it seemed to be business as usual. But the waters were too muddy to see if anything else was changing. He smoothly broke into the 7th layer of the qi gathering realm and was progressing steadily as the months flew by. There were only 8 months left for the opening of the inheritance.

  He continued to peel back the mysteries of the Causality of Karma step by step. A lot of the language used to describe the technique was unnecessarily flowery and poetic. It would often leave him scratching his head. But with time, he began to understand the essence of the technique.

  It was divided into three parts. Creating strengthened bonds of Karma using the seed of intent. The seed would be taken up by the counterpart. The word referring to the other was so inconsistent that Ren decided to call them "inheritor" to suit his sensibilities. In the second part, it suddenly switched to using flames as the metaphor. Like an ember that is slowly nurtured to a flame, it would grow. It spoke of the Fire of Life and Fire of Achievement. The second term, Fire of Achievement was frequently interchanged with Fire of Action, or Fire of Endeavor.

  Ren suspected it was mainly the repeated tampering of the manual that left it with such incongruencies. From what he understood, the second step was about the actions of the inheritor and how their achievements or karmic debt were created. This seed or ember would grow before being pulled back along the karmic threads tying the cultivator and inheritor. There were also warnings against pulling back too much, as it would settle the debt between the two, and the thread would be dissolved/burnt.

  The final part was using these reflected flames to grow your own. Or in other words, cultivate using the reflected power. While most sections were damaged, it was this section that was most affected. Ren worried that the biggest problem was in this step because it didn’t mention anything about a filter. If the karmic sin or merit was simply reflected back and he cultivated using both good and bad, no wonder it had such a high risk.

  It must have been the doing of the corrupted monk, who further changed the cultivation manual. If the balance had tipped too far on the negative side, he must have developed a heart devil. This step gave exact knowledge of the good or evil your actions directly caused to the world and those around you. Ren may have sympathized with the monk, but he couldn’t forgive him. Because it looked like after being affected, instead of righting his wrongs, he had leaned into it and changed the manual to generate greater power from karmic sin.

  Ren had started by using the first step only. This step was the least harmful. It was still harmful in the sense that cultivators could be pulled down by the weight of their karmic attachments and be unable to break free, but for that to happen, it would take a long time. Still, he used the technique sparingly. It would have been easy to practice it with every action he took, but there were just too many unforeseen consequences.

  He could build connections with the plants he grew, but if he sold them to someone who used them to make a poison pill to harm someone or make a weapon that, for whatever reason, was used to kill an innocent or used to feed a spirit beast that went on a rampage. According to snippets in the manual, all these actions could lead to indirect karmic sin. It would have a weaker effect on him but would still have an effect.

  While there were just as many possible positive outcomes, the manual scared Ren too much for him to be cavalier wielding it. So he mandated limitations for himself until he fully understood the method or managed to create a filter for the final step. Unfortunately, Ren had not a single idea how manuals were created, modified, or merged. He just knew it was possible to take the strengths of different methods and build a new one. If he fixed the manual, he could cultivate it without reserve.

  Ren made a promise to himself to not use the seed of intent for anything other than building connections he wanted to keep for a long time. He wanted to build his puzzles and write books and intended to do so for a long time. Having a degree of separation between his actions and the actions of others was the best way to play it safe.

  While hesitant about it, he also resolved to maintain the same level of sincerity with his relationships. His friends and family, his seniors and juniors, all would continue to be treated the same. As for any existing grudges, perceived or otherwise, he certainly didn’t want to add fuel to the fire. It was better not to tie himself too firmly to anyone at this stage. He could always change his mind in the future.

  The rest of his routine was mostly unchanged. He cultivated every morning. Practicing with all his new techniques, such as his sensory, movement, and fist techniques, had widened a lot of his meridians. Now when he cultivated, the qi flowed more evenly through all the channels and not just those used by the Grass Blade Manual.

  Once he was done cultivating, Ren then worked on his fields. He had grown more at ease with his current rate of spirit plant growth. Three of the 5 spirit plants were sown based on custom orders from senior disciples or anyone willing to pay. The other two plants would be to help balance the others, their environments and needs to ensure they all grow to maturity and are of good quality. Recently he had been contemplating increasing that to 4 spirit plants based on orders per batch, as he now had a solid foundation of experience.

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  With the careful planning and the formations he had already set up, he had very little to do other than wiggle the strange dance of the Nurturing Rain Sutra. The little Myriad Path Tortoises loved it and would wiggle their butts along with him as they enjoyed the shower of qi. While growing beyond the expected pace, they were still an extremely slow-maturing species. Ren didn’t mind; it meant they would stay small and adorable for longer.

  They showed no indications of settling into any qi attribute, but already their effect was noticeable on his fields. They fed on pests and, with a little training from Ren, specific weeds that were abundant in his qi rich courtyard. They had very limited intelligence at this stage, but as spirit beasts, that would change as they came into their power. Ren sometimes worried if he should take up a beast tamer technique before then.

  It wasn’t always necessary if the beasts were docile by nature and raised well, but sometimes without a restricting technique, they had a tendency to buck their owners’ control and flee. Ren didn’t think it was likely with his companion pets but felt it was worth considering. He had put it off for later, as he still had plenty of time before it was needed. And more importantly, not enough resources to spare on a new technique.

  Then he attended his advanced formation class or went to the library on days without lectures. He expanded his research from just spirit plants to the properties of metals and forging methods. There seemed to be no end to the things he needed to learn. There were just so many ingredients out there. Each one was differently affected by different qi and interacted with other ingredients in bizarre and multitudinous ways.

  Ren had the initial thought that after learning about spirit plants, he could eventually move on to becoming an alchemist. They formed pills like the qi boosting pill that greatly aided cultivation and were useful in countless other ways, from healing to strengthening. Since it was a very expensive profession, as an unimaginable number of herbs would be wasted in learning the required skills, Ren thought he could reduce the rate of failure by being intimately familiar with the ingredients.

  Little did he imagine that forging weapons was just as complicated, and he had been severely underestimating the effort it needed. Bao Hua had also given him a list of some common high-density metals to study. He had been on the lookout for those but didn’t know which one he could acquire first, so it was up to Ren to prepare in advance. It made him grateful to know that cultivators had extended lifespans; otherwise, it would be impossible to master any one field, much less the many he had been contemplating.

  Once Ren’s head was stuffed with all the knowledge he could absorb in a day, he would try and practice what he learned. Either by trying to identify plants and ores in the market, by examining weapons, by talking to the crafters who were working the sects' workshops, or by forging in his courtyard. There was always something new.

  In the evenings, he would often share meals with friends or entertain guests. This was one of the more significant changes since the tournament. He had earned some small fame, but combined with his existing reputation for his skills, knowledge, pleasant demeanor, and for giving good advice, people had started approaching him.

  They would ask him for advice about cultivation, herb care, and dueling. Some asked him to refer them to others or just to create a connection with him. That was often the case with the fresh batch of new disciples that had joined a few months ago. One shy girl had just talked about tea the entire time. Honestly, Ren received more than he gave in that interaction, even buying better tea based on her recommendation for future guests. He was rapidly turning into a celebrity.

  It had gotten to the point where Ren had to make drastic changes to the illusion and security formations in his courtyards to maintain some privacy from his visitors. All that research and the interplay of the formations he ended up using gave him the perfect idea for his next challenge. If the previous one had been about strength or agility, the next one would be about perception.

  That would have to wait for now because the number of callers showed no signs of receding. Both Bao Hua and Mei Ling teased him about it, but he had felt embarrassed enough that Ren had to seek advice from senior Chun Wei. He was the most popular and well-liked senior that Ren knew. Sitting in their courtyard, Chun Wei took his request seriously.

  “This is part of the burden of standing out, little brother. Your actions are noticed and copied. Your words have great influence. Your prestige becomes tied with that of the sect. While it does have its benefits, it is also a responsibility you should take seriously and treat with sincerity.”

  Having learned all too much recently about the burdens of connections, Ren bowed his head and asked, “Please guide me, senior brother. How should I act when under such scrutiny?”

  Chun Wei’s advice was unexpectedly practical. He recommended setting clear boundaries, limiting those he was unfamiliar with to interactions in public spaces at set timings. Giving his own example of keeping a stall at the weekly market. Visits to the courtyard should be only for those he was close to. He also advised against showing too much favor to any one person, as that would create unreasonable expectations in others.

  “Just keep doing as you are already. You have the right temperament and attitude. You’ll definitely be the pride of our Heavenly Sword Sect.”

  They also talked about other matters, such as Chun Wei preparing to break through to the foundation establishment realm. With his prize from the tournament, he had decided to take the leap. He had exchanged much of his wealth to acquire a foundation establishment pill to aid his breakthrough. If successful, he would be advancing to the inner court in a matter of weeks.

  “Thank you for all your assistance. I will not forget!” Ren clasped his hands and bowed in a martial salute. Without this senior’s assistance in connecting him to other seniors in need of herb growers, Ren’s business wouldn’t have had the same degree of success nor taken off so rapidly. He truly owed him a lot.

  “Ah, it’s nothing much. You can repay me by doing the same for your juniors.” Replied Chun Wei, with a bashful laugh.

  It was definitely times like these that Ren was so grateful he had joined this sect. He had been prepared for a much more brutal sect life. While he still observed it happening occasionally to others, he was glad to have avoided the worst of it. That was thanks in no small part to the people he had met. He resolved to do as told and nurture his juniors with the same integrity his seniors showed him.