Chương 14: Chapter 15: My Choice

Nothing. No reaction. No resonance. It felt just like regular jade. I tried the Nine Suns Scripture, and it was the same. No big deal. The Infinite Mirrors Codex produced the same results, nothing special. However, when I touched the World Tree Sutra again, that resonance came back. It was weak; almost imperceptible, but I could sense it. My soul sensed something in this approach that it didn't sense in the others.

"Good," Elder Chang said, watching me intently.

"Very good."

"What does it mean?" I asked.

"It means your soul has an affinity for this method," Elder Chang said.

"This could also mean that you have a greater likelihood of achieving success with this method. Or it could mean nothing at all. Cultivation is as much based on luck as it is on talent and preparation." She picked up the other three tablets and returned them to the shelves. The World Tree Sutra remained on the desk.

"The choice is yours, young disciple," Elder Chang said.

"You can pick a safe method which will provide consistent, predictable growth. Or you can gamble everything on a fragmentary method that could kill you, transform you, or create unimaginable powers within you." She left me alone with Senior Sister Liu and the jade tablet.

"Ke Yin, I can't and won't order you to put that tablet back," Senior Sister Liu folded her arms.

"But I'm asking you, as someone who has seen the direct effects of remnant methods, to choose another method. Any method." I looked down at the tablet in my hand. The gold veins were pulsating faintly with light.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked.

"Zhang Wei, the disciple who grew into a tree. Did he have any control over his transformation? Was he aware that it was happening?"

"Yes. He was aware," Senior Sister Liu's expression softened somewhat.

"He came to me two days before losing the ability to speak. He told me that he was feeling himself change. He said the tree wanted to grow and he wasn't powerful enough to stop it. He asked me to remember his name for him, to write it down somewhere, because he was beginning to lose his memory." She paused and I could clearly see the sorrow in her eyes.

"I wrote his name on a plaque and placed it near the trunk of his tree. So even if he forgets who he was, at least there's a record. At least someone remembers Zhang Wei as human." That broke my heart and it should have persuaded me to abandon the World Tree Sutra. Virtually anyone with common sense would have made that decision. But I kept coming back to the same issue. I wasn't a typical cultivator. I had this bizarre affliction where my soul would randomly transfer to other worlds.

Last time, I was sent to a war zone with two suns and killed by what looked like a dark mage. Where would I go next? Would I even manage to return? Normal methods of cultivation would be unable to help me with this type of problem. Normal methods were developed to handle everyday cultivation issues. Slow progress. Gathering resources. Overcoming obstacles. Those were not my problems. The World Tree Sutra discussed branches breaking through dimensional boundaries. Roots reaching into fundamental laws.

Existence throughout multiple realities. That was exactly what I needed. If I could successfully cultivate this method and develop some level of control over my wandering soul, then the risk might be worthwhile. Also, I had Azure. Zhang Wei didn't have a highly intelligent inner world spirit helping him, or at least I don't think he did. If the World Tree began to take over, Azure would know and he could alert me.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Together, we could figure out how to prevent the World Tree from taking over me. Maybe that was optimistic thinking. Maybe I was rationalizing a foolish decision. But sitting here in this library, holding a tablet that resonated with my soul, I felt that this was the right decision. Albeit a reckless one.

"Master," Azure called out softly.

"Are you sure about this?"

"No," I admitted silently.

"I'm completely unsure. But I think that the safer cultivation methods won't be effective for someone like myself. I need a different method."

"The risk is high."

"Every part of my situation is high-risk," I replied.

"At least with this method, the risk might lead to positive outcomes." Azure was silent for a moment. Then he said, "I will keep an eye for any signs of transformation. If you begin to grow bark, I will let you know immediately." That actually made me laugh a little.

"Thanks, Azure. That is reassuring." I looked up at Senior Sister Liu. She was staring at me, waiting to see which method I would choose.

"I want to give it a try," I said. Senior Sister Liu closed her eyes for a few seconds, as if pleading the heavens for patience.

"I thought you would say that."

"Listen," I said quickly.

"I understand the dangers associated with this method. I'm not being arrogant. I don't think I'm superior to Zhang Wei or the others who failed. I just need to give it a try. There's something about this method that feels right. And if I begin to transform into a tree, I will stop cultivating this method immediately." Senior Sister Liu stared at me for a long moment. Then she exhaled deeply.

"You're making a mistake," she said.

"But you're an outer disciple so you do have the power to pick the cultivation method you want, no matter how ridiculous that choice might be." I felt stung by that comment, but it was fair. Before she could finish what she was saying, Wei Lin arrived at the end of the aisle, slightly out-of-breath. Lin Mei was close behind him.

"Ke Yin, what are you doing?" Wei Lin asked, his eyes widening when he saw the jade tablet in my hand.

"Is that… is that a remnant method?"

"The World Tree Sutra," I confirmed.

"Have you gone mad?" Wei Lin's eyes widened.

"Don't you understand the risks with these methods? My father told me about them. He said only desperate people or conceited geniuses tried to cultivate incomplete methods."

"I agree with Wei Lin," Lin Mei joined in anxiously.

"Ke Yin, we just became outer disciples. Why would you jeopardize your entire future on a method that is so dangerous?" I appreciated their concern. Honestly, I did. It was nice to have friends who were concerned with whether I lived or died. But I had already made my decision.

"I know that it is high-risk," I said.

"But I have my reasons."

"What reasons?" Wei Lin asked.

"What possible reason would justify putting your life on the line for this method?" I couldn't tell him the truth. I couldn't reveal that my soul had a propensity to be transported to other worlds that typically resulted in my death in a horrific manner. They would think I'm crazy. Or possessed. Both options were bad.

"The method resonates with my soul," I replied.

"Elder Chang confirmed it. I think that means something."

"That means you have an affinity for trees," Wei Lin retorted.

"Not that you won't grow bark." He drew closer, his face sincere for once.

"Ke Yin, listen to me. Don't try this. My father has influence. Real influence. He can find an Earth-rank method for you. It'll take some time, and it will cost money, but he'll do it. I'll ask him. Just... please, don't waste your life on this." This wasn't the type of offer that Wei Lin usually gave when he was trying to sell us something. This was a genuine offer. Earth-rank methods were expensive. Very expensive.

The fact that Wei Lin was willing to ask his father to buy one for a village recruit he had known for just over a month meant that there was a softer side to that merchant mask that he wore.

"Thank you, Wei Lin," I said.

"Seriously. But I can't accept that."

"Why not?" Wei Lin asked, the irritation clear in his voice.

"Would you rather become a tree than ask for help?"

"It's not about ego," I said.

"It's about fit. This method feels right for me. And your father's method, even if it is Earth-rank, it might not be the right one for me."

"Any Earth-rank method will be better than a death sentence."

"Maybe," I acknowledged.

"But maybe not." Lin Mei gently touched Wei Lin's arm.

"We should let Ke Yin decide his own path of cultivation," she said quietly.

"It's his choice. Not ours." Wei Lin looked like he wanted to continue arguing, but Lin Mei's comment stopped him. He took a deep breath then exhaled slowly.

"Alright," he agreed.

"But when you start growing leaves, don't say we didn't warn you."

"I won't," I promised.

"And thank you for offering. It means a lot to me."

"Just be careful, alright?" Lin Mei gave a worried smile.

"And if anything seems off, stop immediately."

"I will," I assured her. When they walked away to look at other cultivation methods, Elder Chang appeared out of nowhere.

"So," she said, looking down at me with those ancient eyes.

"You decided to cultivate the World Tree Sutra?"

"Yes, Elder."

"Cultivate carefully. Don't rush."

"I will, Elder. Thank you." When I turned to leave, I could have sworn I saw her smiling. It wasn't a warm smile. It was more like the smile of someone watching an interesting experiment begin.

"One more thing," Elder Chang said.

"If you don't end up turning into a tree. I believe you will achieve great things." With that encouraging comment, she waved me away. I walked out of the library carrying the World Tree Sutra tablet safely under my arm. Wei Lin and Lin Mei followed me, both of them looking anxious but trying to hide their anxiety. I had just committed to a cultivation method that could kill me or transform me into a plant. But I might have discovered a way to control my random world-hopping problem.

"Master," Azure said quietly.

"I really hope you are right about this."

"Me too, Azure. Me too." I couldn't wait to start cultivating this method. Not because I believed it would be simple. Not because I thought I would definitely succeed. But because for the first time since entering this world, I'd found a potential solution to one of my major issues. If I could successfully cultivate this method, maybe I could gain control over my soul's tendency to wander. Maybe I could turn a chaotic, dangerous problem into an actual advantage where I could take abilities from other worlds.

Or maybe I would just turn into a tree.