Nyx’Sol relaxed against the roots of a large tree, enjoying the radiating heat of the fire. He had bolstered the spot with some soft, dry moss while his little spirit fox companion, Lun’Archessa, had curled up opposite the campfire. The smell of mushrooms and grilled meat still hung over the area.

  This first day of traveling had been rather turbulent. Sol touched the stitches on his uniform. The Sword God had given him valuable advice as well as a harsh beating. Overall, he was mostly thankful to have crossed his path. If he had to do it again, he would, without question, repeat this day just as it happened. Well, maybe he would avoid the fat squirrel and stealthily sneak past the emerald-eyed wolf.

  But ever since his encounter with the swordmaster, everything had gone very well. He had made a new friend to accompany him on his journey through the woods, which would make the countless hours of walking in silence a bit more enjoyable.

  Having a conversation partner and someone to share good food with was valuable.

  The memory he had experienced so vividly during the fight with Krax’Ousay was still clear in his mind. It was like peeling at a piece of skin that stood out. As he tried to remember more, his head started to hurt, only allowing him to replay the short experience in his mind, over and over.

  Snow, dulled pain from an injury on his arm, the cold wind and snowflakes melting on his skin, and the slight smell of smoke. Anger and fury. That familiar voice, telling him, “Your footwork is lacking.”

  And finally, the most important piece of this memory: the relaxation as all that fury fell away and gave way to a trance-like state. It must have been a body cultivation technique. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for Sol to utilize it during the fight with the Sword God.

  He would have to try again during the next fight he found himself in. Calm and peaceful as he was, the technique did nothing. Maybe it converted anger and negative emotions into a more useful state of mind?

  Reflecting on this, he fell asleep, the exhaustion of the day finally taking root. He dreamed of waking up at home, days away from his coming-of-age day. Having to do chores and waiting. The constant waiting to finally get out into the world and see it for himself.

  He also dreamt of talking with his family, and when he woke up several hours later, the thought of it left a bit of a painful feeling.

  The sun had not risen yet, and the black cover of night, with its glittering stars, was starting to slowly fade from the night sky. Lun’Archessa had rolled up between his legs, her head resting on his knee. It looked like a comfortable spot.

  Sol rummaged in his backpack and retrieved another pair of sausages. He would run out shortly after reaching the edge of the woods, but food was there to be shared with friends and family. While he had planned to wait for the fox to wake up, biting into the meat had the same effect.

  “Good morning. You may hand me one of these. I will graciously clean the mess you made before we continue,” the white fox proclaimed.

  So Nyx fed her the share she asked for and stood to continue as the spirit animal made the earth part below the campfire, swallow coals and stones whole, and the forest reclaimed the area by growing a soft cover of moss all over it.

  Their journey from here was rather uneventful. Sol had decided to follow the path until they reached the edge of the woods, where they would part ways.

  They discussed a great many cultural things, which Lun’Archessa was curious about: the natural demonic abilities like shapeshifting and mind control, which also encompassed empathy, as well as control over fire and ice, illusions, teleportation, and the ability to conjure demonic blood for healing purposes.

  Archessa revealed to him that she too had relatives that had been born with innate abilities that she had never been able to copy—one of a poison mist that could devour only undesirable targets. She speculated that it was the natural state of this world that everybody was a little different.

  They passed a few sections of forest that had been burnt down, some rather recent, while others showed the signs from weeks or months past, already recovering from the damage slowly. Shaking her white fur, the fox was unconcerned about the damage. “The forest reclaims its land” was all that she had to say as they walked by several kilometers of destruction that ran like scars up the hillside and down into the valleys.

  The roads helped to break up the spread of fire, which the little fox was appreciative of. It made Sol wonder about the cooperation between her and the sect, but any question he posed on the matter was promptly dismissed as an “insignificant and rather boring” topic.

  Instead, she proceeded to ask about his interests and goals, then about alchemy and whether he enjoyed gathering herbs. A hundred little questions, to most of which Sol had no real answer. But as the duo reached the edge of the forest a day and a half later, the midday sun basking them in her warmth, the fox stopped walking.

  Lun’Archessa grew to her four-tailed size to be eye to eye with him. “Child, it is time for me to take my leave.”

  Nyx’Sol bowed slightly in her direction. “I thank you for accompanying me, Great Wise Master. I will likely never encounter someone like you again.” He clasped his hands audibly, being grateful for the short amount of time they had spent together. “I am thankful for meeting you, Lun’Archessa. May we meet again.”

  The white fox inclined her head a bit in appreciation. “I am indebted to you for alleviating my predicament, and it had been a while since I had good conversations. Nyx’Sol, I will leave you a gift.”

  Archessa made a graceful motion, arching her head backward, a soft white glow shimmering through her fur. Her throat moved rhythmically, something large moving upwards with every bit of movement, causing ethereal light to shine into her surroundings. Finally, she expelled a large egg with colorful markings, which she held between her teeth and carefully placed into Sol’s hands.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  The egg sent an immediate warmth through his body before it dematerialized, and, in a rain of colorful particles, it imprinted itself on the back of his right hand: a small symbol of an egg with two tails.

  Sol was speechless. He had just obtained a spirit bond before he had even taken his first step into the realm of body cultivation. The implications were immense.

  “This bond to my child will serve you well in the future,” the white fox spoke, slowly growing in size. “We are a fragile race, and raising one of us is not an easy feat. But in time…”

  She grew to her full size, all nine tails floating in the air behind her. The tip of her claw, resting on the road before Sol, was almost as large as him.

  “…in time, you will find her quite useful. Raise her well. And make her visit sometimes.”

  Sol wanted to thank her for the immense gift, but before he could even move, the giant white fox had disappeared. He had only perceived the slight shift of her body that suggested a vague direction, then she was gone, leaving only a light breeze affirming her prior existence.

  Sol bowed toward the forest once more, clasped his hands in front of himself, and shouted with all his might, “Thank you, Great Wise Master!”

  Then he turned to continue his journey. Thousands of questions came to his mind that he wished he could have asked. Answers that he would only find in time. It felt frustrating to have been so close to answers that Lun’Archessa could have given him. Before he had even realized what was happening, she was gone.

  Now she was gone, and Sol bet that even searching through the entire forest would do little to locate her. Was it intended to be a test for his skill? It felt a bit irresponsible, considering he would take care of her offspring.

  A spirit bond got nurtured by a cultivator’s growth, starting at the Qi Gathering Stage. He was a long way from that. He felt the urge to hurry, to run. To sprint ahead and save every second he could.

  But as he started to run along the road, which slowly turned from the last remnants of hillside forest to a wide and flat grassland, he remembered the words of the Sword God:

  “Become more of who you are

  before cultivation will make you more of who you are right now.”

  Sol slowed his run to a walk. Foundations. He had to build good foundations. If he built a weak base, his house would crumble, and he would likely harm his spirit companion in the process. She would not be happy to be born to a weak cultivator who could not take care of her properly.

  If he thought about how fluffy the baby spirit fox would look and how he would be able to pet it without concern, he was giddy with anticipation. Honestly, that had been his only complaint about Lun’Archessa. She was so formal that it almost seemed offensive to approach and try to pet her. It had cost him a lot of self-control.

  He could teach his bond all sorts of things, and he could not wait to introduce it to his brother and sister. Azrx and Verx would love a cute new family member, and Sol could already envision a name: Lun’Affiora. White fox of the Eternal Blossom Clan. With a bandana around her neck, carrying the symbol of the clan. Or something similar.

  Nyx was thrilled at the prospects and hoped that he would end up being a good adoptive parent. It would be a great responsibility. He would protect her and make her big and strong so she could fend for herself, just like her mother.

  With a mood as good as ever, Sol’s journey through the endless grasslands remained interesting. However, for the first two nights, he slept on the road to not tempt fate too much.

  In stark contrast to the woodlands, the grassland had not been marred by the scars of fire devastation. Sol was unsure if that was the case because fires tended to not happen as frequently. Maybe the fires would only start when the grass wilted and dried as winter slowly crept closer, then burn down in a blazing inferno?

  The grass gave way to a vast network of rice fields as the land sloped just slightly downhill for kilometers. Smaller villages sprung up near the roads but never connected directly to them. Maybe that was a way to avoid traveling cultivators from disturbing the peace of a village?

  He met a few demons that were clearly farmers, not interested in hurrying to join a sect but rather regaining their memories through a peaceful life and letting fate choose them rather than chasing it. Their rice fields gave way to golden briga fields, the black-kerneled wheat growing slightly higher than Sol.

  They stood on firm stalks and were already ripe beyond harvest. It would take about two more weeks before the plants withered away. Sol almost felt like it would be a waste to lose them. Did they not have enough demons to help with the harvest?

  Nyx helped one of the farmers he encountered to carry a few bundles of briga, the stalks shortened and bound skillfully to each other, forming a half-circle of wheat spikes. Quite smart to bunch them up that way. At home, they had just harvested them rather early and bundled the entire stalks to bring in the harvest. A lot heavier.

  Sol also recognized a few cultivators working the scythe in the fields, mowing down square miles all on their own, with dozens of farmers behind them bundling the briga up.

  In exchange for his help, Sol received a place to sleep as well as a piece of bread and some water to freshen up his travel rations. He also washed his clothes and finally exchanged them for his secondary uniform before he continued on his journey.

  The grassland of the south was commonly called the granary of the Verdant Reflection Sect, as it produced all the food requirements the sect had and would have for the next centuries. Their storages provided safety and food security for all settlements and cities in the larger regions. Food was given freely and could be demanded freely.

  A carefree symbiotic relationship among demons that upheld the southern prosperity for all.

  Nyx passed orchards and herb fields, more exotic and specialized plants, as well as a large-scale kukar field that looked entirely too unsafe. Their hunting pods had already grown to the size of heads, making it quite dangerous for younger demons. But maybe that was more of a feature than carelessness. If operated by cultivators, that would be entirely alright.

  Then, finally, the various settlements and fields ended at an upward slope that rose slowly to about 100 meters before it tapered off into a large-scale flat crater that spanned for kilometers. The grassland here was just a few centimeters high, giving a vibrant green color to the valley, a flat sea of special pristine green grass.

  No flower, no other weed took root here. Only spirit grass.

  Sol had read that the sect's variant of spirit grass was often used as a spirit bond due to its versatility for Qi Gathering disciples. It was used as a powerful bond that quickly lost its value over time as other solutions became more practical.

  The Sword God’s words resounded in his head: a weak foundation for rapid growth.

  Nyx clenched his fist. He would build a strong foundation.

  With strong conviction, he descended through the green sea and the settlement at its center that touched the edges of the Lake of Reflection.

  High above the sea, countless floating rocks and a shimmer of invisible barriers were the only things that announced the buildings of the Verdant Reflection Sect to the casual observer.