My Little Ghost

Volume 1.0.0 — The Transition

“There were four ancient empires according to the living immortals of this world. The four celestial ancestors of each empire were acknowledged as the most powerful creatures that ever lived. They were the Azure Dragon of the East, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Tortoise of the North.

“In the old age, these four powerful empires would send their most talented descendants to the Central Empire every one hundred years when they reached their age of maturity to cultivate their talents and gain immortality. The successful ones would inherit the title of an emperor when their ancestors retire, while the unsuccessful ones would be sent home with their rights to the throne revoked.

“Each unsuccessful cultivation to immortality would require the empire to wait an entire generation or another hundred years before they could send another candidate. The Central Empire’s realm, which would never open unless it was the season for the ritual, could never grant the immortality of an empire’s descendant if they couldn’t successfully defeat their power tribulation.

“The ancient world was abundant of spiritual energy. The environment itself would emit an endless flow of spiritual energy, making it easier for the ancient people to cultivate their talents. And although only those who possessed the blood of the mythical creatures could achieve immortality, the rest of the world could cultivate their powers with their healthy dantian that everyone was born with.

“Unfortunately, in this modern day and age, all that’s left for us as proof that these historical events ever happened, is the prized magic core they called ‘dantian’ in ancient times. In this generation of rare talents, only those who were born with a magic core can cultivate their powers. Most people with no magic could only rely on talismans, charms, enchantments, potions, and weapons, which are all created by those with magic cores who have reached at least the fourth level of cultivation, and at least already at the fifth light.

“Dantian, in ancient times, could be broken or damaged when they were faced with enemies more powerful than they were. But one’s dantian only belonged to the person it was born with, unlike the magic cores of talented cultivators in our age. Magic cores, on the other hand, as powerful as they may be, can be stolen. A stolen magic core would have its potential peak reduced to half once it leaves the natural host unless the original owner is killed or the magic core is willingly given. This is why children with talents are rarely seen in the streets or outside the safety of their homes; they are locked in for their protection. They are only allowed to practice their cultivation outside once they are powerful enough to protect themselves. This freedom of practice happens when a cultivator has passed the licensure exams.

“There are nine levels of cultivation, with nine lights each to indicate the cultivator’s state in his level. The first light is a sign that the cultivator has just broken to this level, the second light is a sign of progress and potential, the third light until the eighth is the peak of power, while the ninth light is a sign of power tribulation and breakthrough.

“Defeating the power tribulation is a gateway to reach the next level of cultivation. The higher the cultivation level, the more powerful a cultivator is. In ancient times, it was said to be in a form of lightning under thick clouds and the sign of success relied on whether you were dead or alive after the clouds leave. It came within a short notice of three rumbling thunderstrikes, without any other way to raincheck or postpone. The only cultivators allowed to survive the defeat of a power tribulation were those who descended from the four powerful creatures. Their blood was powerful enough to breathe life back into their bodies, but they could only regain consciousness a hundred years later with a damaged dantian.

“In this era of modern magic, cultivators have discovered ways to trigger and delay their tribulation to their advantage and convenience. With the help of technology, these tribulations had been cut down and have been a thousand times less dangerous than they had been since ancient times. The tribulations come in a form of physical pain and can be made even more tolerable through enchanted pills.

“The Cultivation Academy for Gifted Cultivators is a specialized school for children born with magic cores. It is a safe realm only accessible to cultivators of magic with the headmaster on his fifth light of the eighth level and professors on their seventh levels and above to watch over the students until they reach the peak age of their cultivation practice. This is the home of many powerful cultivators in history and beyond. This is a place where the new generation can build friendships and strengthen their powers together with talented individuals like themselves, without worrying about their safety. Built thousands of years ago, it has been maintained to resemble the ancient environment where every cultivator can practice with an endless supply of spiritual energy and achieve the peak of their cultivation as smoothly as they can.

“The academy is located in three ounces of gold water stored in a silver glow glass and a spark of purple flame for Bai Bing Wen. This letter of invitation is set to turn into silver ash after the intended recipient has read and signed their acceptance. Please mix the silver ash into the gold water to activate your student portal.”

— Bai Wang Lei,

Headmaster

Cultivation Academy for Gifted Cultivators

“What does it say, mom?” a five-year-old boy asks with sparkling golden eyes, looking up at his mother in anticipation.

His mother, with a proud smile and loving eyes that resemble the same golden color, ruffles his silky brown hair. “It says you’ll know enough once you learn how to read well, Xiao Bing.”

The kid pouts a little, with his chubby cheeks protruding.

The mother has been in a state of shock ever since they learned about the little boy’s potential talent in cultivation yesterday. In the last few centuries, no one has exceeded the eighth level of the power meter... until their Xiao Bing.

Although proud and with enough power to take care of their family, Xiao Bing’s parents are worried for his safety because a powerful magic core is also a magnet of trouble, especially for people who are already in power. If they decide they want more, they mostly target rogue cultivators with a talented magic core, but Xiao Bing’s magic core has a special case and can be tempting enough for other people despite his powerful family’s protection. Immortality, as beautiful as it sounds, can make other greedy cultivators lose their sense of reason. If they want more, they will strive to get more. And Xiao Bing is only five—an innocent boy who knows nothing about his talent yet. Sending him to the most prestigious academy for people like him might develop him into someone more powerful than his potential, but it also means he gets to attract more danger when he’s at the peak of his power.

“Don’t worry, my little brother,” another boy with the same golden eyes and warm glow, tells him as he lightly pinches the little boy’s cheeks. “I’m only two years ahead. When you’re seven, you’re going to see where I live and you can have many friends. It’s a nice place.”

“But I don’t want other friends. I only want to play with Jie-gege and Zhang-gege all day. Just like before,” the little boy complains with glistening eyes.

The older boy gives him a loud smooch on his nose, giggling. “Then you have to hurry learning how to read. Once you already know how to read your invitation, dad will help you gather the ingredients to open your pass. I’ll be here so we can go together.”

Hearing her second oldest son’s words, the mother snaps out of her momentary lapse and decides to let his youngest son decide for himself once he’s old enough to be sent to school. Just because he has the most potential amongst his peers and even amongst the older people doesn’t mean they would treat him like a fragile glass who has no freedom to practice his talents. They just have to be more careful about the other clans from now on and protect their children without making them feel like their powers are troublesome.

The little boy looks up at his mother’s face for reassurance. When she nods with a tender smile, the little boy is finally motivated to study a little harder. “Okay,” he quips firmly. “But you promised there will be peach steamed buns and soy milk,” he mumbles lightly, picking up his reading cards.

“I promise! And even better...” The older boy leans closer to his ear to whisper, “Color candies.”

“More than peach steamed buns, soy milk, and candies, there are also spiritual stones,” his mother says, pulling them into her arms and embracing them. “A lot more than what we have here at home. You’ll feel good in the academy, sweetheart.”

When the little boy is pacified enough, he starts reviewing his reading cards with the help of his mother and older brother. He’s more motivated to learn, knowing that his brothers have never broken any of their promises. Though he gets his favorite food in their house, he enjoys them better with his two older brothers. And now that he’s the only one left at home, he needs to catch up with his reading lessons so he can follow his siblings to school as soon as he can.

And only then can he finally enjoy his steamed buns and milk.

*****

Xiao: ‘Little’ / Usually a form of endearment for someone younger

Gege: ‘Big Brother’ / A term used to call an older boy