I woke up to the red sun shining through my window and the familiar weight of the vine wrapped around my neck. Today it was draped lazily across my eyes. The vine had taken to covering my eyes while I slept when I stayed up too late.

  Thank goodness there was no arrogant young master waiting for me outside today. I did not plan on taking on a peak Rank 1 opponent anytime soon, at least not until I was confident I would win.

  “Master, do you think you will be training with Elder Molric today?” Azure asked, taking me away from my thoughts.

  I swallowed hard and shook my head. “No. I don’t want to know what other lessons he has planned for me. Going into a nightmare forest was enough for me.”

  The vine constricted at the memory of that trip and I patted it gently. “Besides,” I added, pulling out the crystal vial of earth essence, “we have more pressing matters to attend to. We need to test whether this works with the World Tree Sutra.”

  “You’re worried about compatibility?” Azure asked.

  I pulled out the vial and examined the liquified stone swirling inside. “It’s not the same as cultivating world earth essence. The energy signature feels...different.” I could feel it even through the crystal - normal earth essence had an ancient mountain feel, a deep cave feel; but this felt sharp and hungry, metallic.

  “The World Tree Sutra was made to adapt to different forms of energy,” Azure replied calmly. “And considering how the Genesis Seed has already adapted to the red sun’s energy, it can probably handle this version of earth essence. The underlying principles are the same, even if the manifestation is slightly different.”

  I nodded. That was my reasoning as well. The World Tree Sutra was adaptable; it had to be, since its goal was to create a whole universe. Of course, it would be wise to exercise caution.

  I settled into a meditative position, placing the vial of earth essence between my palms and closing my eyes. Absorbing the earth essence would be similar to how I absorbed the water essence, but I needed to adjust the Flowing Rivers Formation to accommodate the difference in energy type.

  “When modifying it,” Azure cautioned. “Keep in mind that earth moves differently than water. While water flows easily, earth builds gradually, with a lot of momentum.”

  I envisioned the formation Azure was describing, the flowing curves of the original formation replaced by straight, angular lines that met at intersections like tectonic plates. Using his guidance, I started moving my qi through the new formation.

  My perception of my inner world changed to focus on my inner world. The Genesis Seed dominated my inner world, reminding me constantly of my goal. The small red sun still cowered in its corner, but it seemed to be becoming increasingly accustomed to its role as an energy source.

  As I channeled the earth essence through the new formation, I felt it respond differently than the water had. Azure was correct: where the water flowed freely and eagerly, this earth essence moved deliberately and with intent, each particle of energy settling into its exact place in the pattern before the next would flow.

  The Genesis Seed responded instantly to the initial trickle of earth essence that touched it. The surface of the seed rippled with interest, and I sensed a questioning feeling - like it was examining this new offering. Then the Genesis Seed’s mouth opened, accepting the earth essence with the same measured care that it had accepted the water.

  The response was instantaneous.

  Energy poured into my inner world as the space grew dramatically, expanding to ten cubic meters. The air itself thickened with earth essence, and in certain areas, I could see the energy trying to solidify into actual terrain. Patches of ground would form, only to break apart again into pure essence.

  “Apparently the Genesis Seed is setting up the foundational matrix for physical creation,” Azure observed.

  “That means,” I said, “that I should be able to shape the environment once I have the wind essence.”

  Current Status:

  Cultivation: Qi Condensation Stage 4

  Inner World: Radius of 40 meters

  Soul Essence: 113

  Spiritual Essence: 40

  Physical Essence: 22

  My focus shifted to another unexpected occurrence - my spiritual essence had increased.

  “That’s... a nice surprise. I wouldn’t have expected the essence from this world to influence my cultivation base directly.”

  “Take a closer look at the Genesis Seed,” Azure suggested.

  Using my spiritual sense, I probed the Genesis Seed and realized that the seed was doing more than simply holding the earth essence; it was transforming it. It was breaking the earth essence down into its constituent parts and re-forming it into a structure that corresponded to the fundamental energy of my inner world.

  “The World Tree Sutra uses spiritual essence as its foundation,” Azure explained. “Rather than attempting to incorporate energy from different sources directly into its structure, it converts those energies into a format that matches the World Tree Sutra’s internal structure. It’s quite elegant, really.”

  That made sense. I withdrew from my inner world, absently rubbing my temples.

  The transformation process left me with a mild headache, not severe pain, per se, but like I could feel my energy pathways adjusting to the influx of power.

  “So,” Azure asked, after a brief pause, “are you heading back to the cultivation world now?”

  I glanced towards Elder Molric’s laboratory. “Eventually. But I’d like to learn the flying rune first. Being able to fly would definitely make things more practical back home.” I paused for a moment before admitting, “And... it would feel odd to leave without thanking the elder for everything. Regardless of how crazy his methods are.”

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “Oh?” Azure teased. “Have you grown fond of our eccentric instructor?”

  “He’s the first real teacher I’ve had since being isekai’d,” I shrugged, realising Azure’s observation held some truth. “And despite all of his... strangeness, he does truly want to help. Most of the time. When he’s not intentionally trying to traumatize me for science.”

  The vine chose that instant to tighten its grip around my neck. I reached up to caress it gently. “And I’m going to miss you the most, little buddy.”

  The vine loosened a little so it could get a better view of me and then tightened its grip again, as if announcing that it had no intention of leaving.

  “Azure,” I asked quietly, “do you think there’s any way to bring it with us?”

  “There is theoretically a method to transport the vine using soul sharing,” Azure replied softly, “but your cultivation level isn’t high enough yet.”

  I sighed and stroked the vine along its length. “I know. And by the time we come back, the loop will have reset. All of the time we spent together, all the memories... they’ll all disappear.”

  The vine’s grip tightened in protest, not comprehending what I was talking about.

  “Maybe there are ways within the Azure Peak Sect to allow you to share your souls when you return,” Azure offered.

  I smiled wryly. “Something to look into,” I agreed. “I’m not giving up on you that easily, buddy.”

  The vine tapped me playfully on the nose; its own way of telling me I was getting overly dramatic. I couldn’t help smiling. Even though it didn’t fully comprehend why I was sad, it was still trying to cheer me up.

  ***

  I arrived at Elder Molric’s laboratory later that morning. I had to duck immediately to avoid a blast of crimson energy.

  Elder Molric was busy experimenting with two enormous plants that were locked in combat. Their leaves and branches clashed like swords and fragments of developing runes flickered around them.

  Their combined energy output was enormous - far exceeding what any Rank 2 practitioner should be able to produce. I carefully skirted around the edges of the plants’ fight to avoid being collateral damage.

  “Ah!” Elder Molric looked up from writing notes, looking relieved. “I hadn’t anticipated seeing you for a while. You weren’t very happy yesterday either.”

  I waved my hand in dismissal. “All water under the bridge. Or perhaps all earth essence under the bridge.”

  The elder’s expression showed a flash of relief, but he concealed it quickly with a grin. “Excellent! What do you want to study today?”

  With a flick of his hand, he created a barrier around the fighting plants to contain their destructive energy.

  “I wanted to learn the flying rune.”

  His eyes brightened. “Ah! That’s a fun one!”

  He practically skipped to the shelf and retrieved a scroll that looked a good deal less worn than many of his scrolls. “Here’s the basic flight rune for Rank 2 Skybound. Not too complicated - you won’t be breaking any speed records and with your current energy capacity I wouldn’t advise more than fifteen minutes of continuous flight. But it’s incredibly efficient in terms of red sun energy consumption.”

  I studied the flying rune design carefully. The pattern resembled a pair of wings, but with a precision that reminded me of the aviation diagrams I’d seen in my previous world. The straight lines represented lift vectors, and the curved segments indicated airflow patterns. In the center, a complex tangle of lines resembled a miniature whirlpool.

  “Back is the best location,” Elder Molric stated, already starting to reach for his carving tools. “Makes it easier to distribute energy and helps keep your aircraft oriented properly while flying. Would you like me to perform the carving?”

  I nodded, and he produced the ritual knife. The blade glowed faintly red as he energized it.

  “This might hurt a bit,” he warned, although his grin suggested he didn’t really care about my discomfort. “Try to stay still.”

  He carved with precision and speed - less than a minute of sharp cuts. Every cut stung briefly before subsiding into a dull ache as the rune set in. The vine was paying close attention to the entire procedure, ready to step in if the elder got too aggressive with the knife.

  “Now then,” Elder Molric exclaimed, stepping back and clapping his hands together. “Let’s give you some room to practice!”

  The ceiling of the laboratory suddenly rose and expanded, disappearing into darkness at least thirty meters above us. The walls rippled and stretched outward, creating a space roughly the size of a large courtyard.

  “First, try to master the basics,” he instructed. “Send energy through your Fundamental Rune into the flight pattern. First, concentrate on creating lift; you can figure out direction later once you get the hang of hovering.”

  I nodded, and sent energy through the tree symbol on my chest. The flying rune activated instantly, causing a strange tingling sensation on my back. My feet lifted off the ground... for a mere half-second before I fell back down.

  “Less power,” Azure suggested. “You’re overpowering the lift vectors. Reduce your input by thirty percent.”

  With the adjustment, my next attempt managed to keep me aloft for nearly a meter before I spun out of control. To prevent me from knocking over any of the elder's equipment, the vine sprang forth and wrapped itself around a number of nearby shelves to stabilize me.

  "Excellent job!" Elder Molric appeared to be thrilled. "Your friend here is being extremely helpful, but you need to work on maintaining your own balance. Keep your center of mass steady."

  For the next hour, I attempted to master the basics of flight.

  I discovered that using too much energy caused me to shoot upwards towards the ceiling, whereas using too little generated an awkward hopping action that the elder found amusing.

  Directional control was far more difficult than I anticipated. My first attempt at moving forward caused me to move backwards and slightly to the side.

  However, with the assistance of Azure and Elder Molric's practical advice, I gradually improved my skills and was eventually able to hover steadily at different heights and move in all directions without accidentally spinning or crashing into walls. It wasn't beautiful, but it worked.

  "Well done!" Elder Molric applauded as I landed relatively smoothly compared to my previous attempts. "You have picked up the concept of flight faster than most students. Although I believe that having two instructors may have assisted in that regard." Elder Molric grinned at the vine that had ceased its anxious hovering since I had hovered no further than a meter from the ground.

  Before I could express my thanks, I was interrupted by hasty footfalls coming from the corridor outside. An initiate appeared in the doorway, hesitantly raising his hand to knock. When he spotted Elder Molric, he immediately sank into a low bow.

  "I am deeply sorry for interrupting you, Honored Elder," he stammered. "However, there is an urgent matter..."

  His eyes shifted to me, and I sensed a growing unease emanating from him.

  "What is it?" Elder Molric dismissed his concern with a wave of his hand.

  The initiate straightened but kept his eyes low out of respect. “They…they have Kiran!”

  "Who are they?" I asked, though I suspected I already knew. The vine tightened around my neck in response to my growing apprehension.

  "It’s Zoren," the initiate replied, his voice cracking. "He is keeping Kiran in the eastern training grounds. He says he won't allow him to leave until you agree to come and fight him."

  I furrowed my brow. "The Academy has strict rules prohibiting hosta—"

  "Obviously, he isn't calling this a hostage situation," the initiate retorted with a scowl. "You know how he works, he knows exactly how to play things to stay right at the boundary of what is allowed while..." He shrugged and ran his hand through his hair.

  "I'll go," I said quietly.

  The initiate bowed to Elder Molric once more before rushing off.

  "Master," Azure asked cautiously, "What is your plan?"

  I looked at the doorway. "Even if this is just another loop... I can’t leave him like this. Kiran attempted to warn me about Zoren. They are after me, not him... he does not deserve to be treated this way."

  "Do you believe you can beat him?"

  I shook my head. "I couldn’t handle a half-step Rank 2, and while I might be able to survive against a peak Rank 1, defeating one?" I let out a hollow laugh. "Not likely."

  "So, Master, what is your actual plan?"

  A slow smile crept across my face as an idea began to form. I turned to Elder Molric, who had returned making notes on his experiment. The vine sprang to life, clearly recognising my expression - the one that generally preceded something either brilliant or totally insane.

  "Elder... Do you have a spare robe I could borrow?"