Lassim left his quarters with his mind aching from the repeated attempts to shatter his soul crystal. His soul crystal was proving to be an insurmountable obstacle, and he needed guidance.
Hopefully using his 1-hour token for guidance would prove useful and give him the answer he needed, if he could find the right elder to seek out.
As he walked through the sect grounds, he decided to seek advice on who might be the best person to help him.
His first stop was the mission hall. His idea was that the mission hall should know everyone in the sect and have records, knowing they kept records so meticulously of everything. They should also have an idea of who best within the sect could be the most knowledgeable to help.
The mission hall was also the place where he needed to submit the token anyways, so there was a chance to both searching and requesting at the same time.
As he entered through the doors, it was bustling with activity as always. The sounds of stamps pressing down against slips of papers, and beast carcasses being butchered and little hammers tapping against submitted minerals for quality checks filled the air. Looking around, he decided it was probably best to approach the consultation desk first to see if they could help him.
He approached the clerk hoping she might have some recommendations.
"Excuse me," Lassim began, catching the clerk’s attention. "I’m looking for an elder who specializes in advanced cultivation techniques, particularly in the use of mana or breakthroughs to higher cultivation stages. I’m experiencing some issues and could use the help. Do you have any suggestions?"
The clerk looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding. "You might want to speak with Elder Taltos. He teaches a battle art theory class and is known for his deep understanding of cultivation theory and how to optimize the use of the mana pathways to enhance or alter techniques. If anyone can help you, it’s probably him."
Lassim thanked the clerk and decided to head to one of the other counters labeled for mission requests to submit his tutor token request. He approached the counter and explained his situation to the clerk there.
"I’d like to request an hour with Elder Taltos using this token, can you see if he’s available today for me please," Lassim said, handing over the token.
The clerk examined the token and nodded. "Alright. I’ll contact him right away. Please wait a moment."
The clerk pulled out a plate-like object from beneath the counter and activated the communication disc, sending a message to Elder Taltos. After a few moments, the disc glowed, and the clerk nodded.
"Elder Taltos has some free time now and can see you. Since he has accepted your request, this will confirm the usage of the 1 hour guidance token, so we will keep it. We’ll confirm with him that it has been used and he will be reimbursed for his time. Should you wish for additional time beyond 1 hour, you will need to ask him directly for his hourly rate fee. His residence is near the library.
Do you still have the standard issue map you received when you joined? Please show it to me so I can mark his residence on it."
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Lassim nodded and pulled out his map from his magic pouch. The clerk then used the quill sitting on the counter to circle the location of Elder Taltos’s residence. Lassim recognized the area; it was a few buildings down from the sect’s library that he had visited almost a week ago.
"Thank you," Lassim said, taking back his map and heading towards Elder Taltos’s residence.
The walk was quick, and soon Lassim found himself standing in front of a modest, well-kept building with an entrance that directly let out onto the street pathway in front with no garden area.
He knocked on the door, and after a brief moment, it opened to reveal a man who appeared to be in his mid-thirties or early forties, with sharp, intelligent eyes and an aura of calm authority present in all of the sect Elders Lassim had seen so far.
"Ah, you must be Lassim," Elder Taltos said with a polite smile. "I’m Taltos, but please refer to me as Elder Taltos, since you’ve come for a lesson and guidance. Please, come in."
Lassim stepped inside, immediately struck by the cleanliness and minimalism of the interior. Shelves lined the walls, filled with neatly organized books. The elder led him to a study room with a comfortable-looking couch facing a chair, with a table in between.
"Make yourself comfortable," Taltos said, waving his hand. A tea set appeared on the table, and with a small spark of lightning, he heated the base plate beneath the teapot and poured Lassim a cup. "Now, tell me how you wish to use your hour token. You may ask any questions you have or you can let me take a look at any techniques you are having difficulties with.
I can then give you some suggestions for improvement."
Lassim took a deep breath, explaining his situation and the difficulties he was facing in shattering his soul crystal. Taltos listened intently, his expression becoming more intrigued as Lassim detailed his unique circumstances.
When Lassim finished, Taltos leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing slightly in thought. "May I inject some of my own mana into your mana pathway to access your inner heart world with my spirit sense? It’s somewhat invasive and there might be a slight bit of discomfort, but it might help me understand your situation better."
Lassim nodded, and Taltos took his wrist and Lassim felt a pressure try to invade his body almost instantly. The elder’s mana flowed into Lassim just past the skin, but it was almost immediately repelled by the overwhelming power of Lassim’s divine mana as soon as it tried to breach his mana pathways.
Taltos, puzzled, said, "Please don’t try to fight back and relax." He tried again, his spirit sense working hard to catch a glimpse of Lassim’s inner heart world before his mana was destroyed once more.
After a few attempts, Taltos managed to get a brief glimpse of what was causing his mana to be so feeble compared to Lassim’s. It was the flash of a rune that exposed itself when interacting with his mana. It was something that not only he, but nearly every cultivator wished and aspired to obtain in their lifetimes.
Taltos’ expression turned deadly serious. Without speaking, he immediately got up from his chair and pressed several switches behind a book on a shelf in the room. Lassim felt several barriers activate in a row, cutting off the space of the room from everything outside.
Taltos returned to his seat, his eyes fixed on Lassim with a mixture of curiosity and caution. "I do not know what game you’re trying to play, but who are you—really? Which god or demi-god is pretending to be a student at this sect and questioning this humble Elder?"
Lassim felt a surge of anxiety but maintained his composure. "Uh… I’m neither, Elder Taltos. I assure you, I’m just a student with some... unique circumstances."
His face cringed slightly as he looked down feeling embarrassed and unsure that his biggest secret had unexpectedly been exposed. He hadn’t even considered the fact that he would be found out and had genuinely forgotten that his mana was so different from others after having had it for several years now.
Taltos still looked unsure, but Lassim knew he had to convince him.
Lassim then took the time to explain his cultivation journey so far and how he had two elemental spirits, Lightning and Water, that awakened during his Spirit Awakening ceremony and how he had become the progenitor of the space element with the help of the old Goddess Khaalseru. Taltos listened, his mind clearly working hard to process the information.
After a long moment of silence, Taltos finally spoke. "Khaalseru…. So that is the name of the newest throne in the heavens that was spotted… Ah, I’m getting sidetracked. I think I understand, but how long exactly have you had divine mana?"
Lassim replied, "It hasn’t been all that long, but when I left the Myriad Spirit Academy at around 9 years old, I was already a first level Spirit Growth cultivator. I advanced quickly and I didn’t have the usual age restriction for advancement like others. I then began traveling to the sect, but that’s when I got trapped within a certain area and led to me converting my mana…"
Taltos leaned back, his expression contemplative. "So that means you forged your soul crystal when you entered Spirit Transformation entirely with divine mana. Most soul crystals are forged from the standard mana found in everything that surrounds us. You saw how mine reacted just trying to touch yours, and it completely fell apart and I’m Spirit Transcendent stage level 7.
This means your soul crystal is of divine quality. How can something divine, something supposedly perfect, be allowed by the will of the heavens to shatter or be tarnished?"
Lassim felt a sinking feeling of dismay as he heard the Elder’s question.
If his soul crystal couldn’t be shattered, his progress to the next realm would be impossible. He would never advance to the next stage and forever be stuck as a Spirit Transformation stage cultivator.