Different Types

Wishing to maintain the image of a good boy for at least a little while however, and also because he deemed it important, Edrick remained in his new residence until the next day came, waiting for Gang to come back with the tests to determine a bunch of things.

The one that was done to all at the gates of the sect was rather simple, checking one's quantity and purity of inner energy, as that was the foundation of cultivation, if one had a good quantity they could be allowed in, as purity was something that could be easily improved, but considering that the inner energies of people were supposed to be full of impurities, being already pure in that regard was a sign of latent potential.

This test was very surface level, most that were allowed in would come out the other way after a little while as the greater majority passed based on their volume of energy, and that didn't say anything about one's ability to cultivate properly.

When the elder showed up, he came with much more than this test, carrying a big box under his arm.

"Hello again!"

'This old man is way too happy…' Edrick could feel this guy's radiant joy rubbing off on him like some sort of viscous sludge, anyways, Anoteros beamed a smile back and motioned for him to come in.

Pulling in a stray table, the two men sat opposite to one another in the middle of the empty living room, the only thing standing out at the moment being a big fireplace.

"Alright, let's begin with the basic one, grab this sphere and clutch it as hard as you can" instructed the senior, pulling out a metallic orb that would fit comfortably in a regular hand, doing as he was told, the elder looked around.

"Are your wives not awake yet?"

"The commemoration of our new home exhausted them" he casually responded, the old man not needing a detailed explanation to get the implication.

'Young people these days…' Gang had certainly not had enough stamina to tire out even a single woman before falling prey to exhaustion himself, at least, before he began cultivating.

"You can stop clutching now" he got the sphere back and activated a small mechanism using his fingernail, revealing the results.

"Pretty high energy reserves… But not too surprising considering your size- Though that purity is rather impressive, have you ever practiced anything requiring the usage of any type of energy before?" the elder questioned, it wasn't too uncommon for smartasses to practice some form of energy manipulation in an attempt to purify at least a portion and try to pass as some sort of hidden talent.

"No"

"Mmh… Very well then, may I prickle you with this needle? On the tip of your finger" once again, Edrick didn't mind, not caring at all as the thin object pierced his skin deep enough to draw blood.

Catching a single drop in a small vial, the elder continued speaking :

"It is typically only done to disciples with great potential or done by those with enough money to spare as it is often not considered urgent, but since you are a special disciple- We'll check whether or not you a bloodline nestling within you"

"It is often seen as a sign of prestige, but apart from the ones that are passed down in certain families, the ones that pop up randomly are… Well, random, so rarely very useful, but having one means that the body could easily handle the absorption of at least one other bloodline" he explained, the blood in the vial turning a dark blue after the senior put an unknown powder and shook it for some time.

"Seems like you have none"

Not lingering on with the results, Gang continued to run through a bunch of different tests, next was the one to see if Edrick had a particular physique, which was not be mixed up with one's actual, physical body, these were pretty much exactly like bloodlines with the difference that you could most often earn some by completing certain cultivation techniques.

Following this, Gang mostly checked the specifics of a bunch of different energies to see which were in abundance and which were pure, as of course, few things were very simple in this world when it came to the so-called 'ways of power', and this impacted cultivation as their whole schtick was about enhancing themselves through the circulation of energy in particular ways and under special circumstances.

But considering the fact that 'energy' was a term that designated a thousand different things, the type of energy one decided to use for their cultivation was rather important, certain cultivation methods required specifics energy, or should outright not be practiced using some of them, although simple on the surface, like most things, cultivation was a tangled mess.

"Mmh, as I thought, you are greatly suited toward body cultivation, though, you surprisingly have aptitudes in the rest as well- I would still recommend to focus on your body however, you were clearly born special and should cater to it for the best results"

"What are the types aside from body?" asked Edrick, he had earned a bit of information through the wisps but since he had a professional at hand, it was best to squeeze all intel from him.

"The most prominent are body, mind, soul and spirit cultivation, those who fancy themselves as spell casters can choose to enhance their energy of choice itself too… Although, most cultivators are not talented in any of them in particular, so they chose methods that are sometime referred to as 'all-cultivation' which basically enhances everything alongside one another- Here, at the Myriad-Arm Sect, we specialise in what we call 'weapon cultivation' however"

"On their own, they tend to result in rather average cultivators naturally, but there is certainly an advantage to having a little bit of everything, I suppose- Although, the majority of the masters who do lean on one in particular tend to also practise an all-cultivation method alongside it" explained the elder, as it turns out, few cultivation methods actually had to be used on their own until completion.

In fact, it was rather rare for someone to simply be incapable of using multiple methods alongside one another, it was simply that without good talent, spreading your time and focus to more than a single one was too complicated and not worth it.

"I will make sure you get access to our libraries- Oh, and don't take it the wrong way, but I would recommend a body cultivation method that is geared toward making one like an ape, you already have their long arms" smiled the elder, very much serious.

Silence fell in the room, and Gang fake coughed.

"Would you mind waking them up? I brought tests for them as well…"

"Sure thing, Elder Gang, but if I may ask, do my authorisations and status also extend to my wives?"

"Eer… They can accompany you anywhere you can go, but technically, no"

"Do you want them to get the same treatment as you?" the senior asked.

"If possible, yes"

'Damn… What a good character this fellow has…'

Edrick didn't mind giving Fanqia and Linmin some autonomy, they already bore the crest of domination anyways, there was no need to keep a constant eye on them and also, showing some trust in his wives helped with a good image too.

But mostly, Anoteros favoured some autonomy and agency, just because they were his belongings did not mean that should rely on him, owning people all the while granting them freedom was something that felt very pleasing.

Like having tamed a dog so well that you didn't need a leash when walking it, being capable of leaving the door wide open and knowing that it would never run away, it felt much better than having to be careful with a dog whose behaviour might lead it to just flee without thinking.

It was difficult to put into words, Edrick just liked his possessions to have value beyond how pretty they were or how nice they felt.