Next day morning at Qing Feng Mountain...

Lin Yuan extended his hand forward, summoning the turtle out. He tenderly held the turtle with both of his hands. He serenely concentrated his mind on his cultivation — as the turtle had consumed plenty of berries yesterday, Lin Yuan refining the turtle with his core now.

2.0% → 2.3% → 2.5%

The turtle and his aperture were simultaneously throbbing with a green light like a heartbeat. Lin Yuan successfully refined the turtle beast with his aperture.

Lin Yuan extended his left hand slightly upward and held the turtle with right. He called for the fox beast core.

In a flash, the beast core rippled out from the space above his left palm, plummeting into his palm. He placed the beast core in front of the turtle which is avidly lingering its head.

WHOOSH!!

The turtle beast opened its mouth slightly. Right away, the shining, green beast core in front of the turtle vanished into nothing, leaving a trial of wind there. Then the turtle shell began to glitter in faint green light as it consumed a Rank 2 beast core.

’Relax your mind now. And try to refine the beast core, Lin Yuan.’ Lin Yuan said to himself.

"I just learnt a fuckin’ crazy thing, today morning from this brat’s thought." Lin Yuan sneered, his face spasming. ’The Fatal Sin in cultivation: ’If anyone disturbs or tries to stop one’s cultivation in the middle, it is a fatal sin. One can justify, granting sinners a brutal death. It’s not a crime, even if it was a Sect Master!’ Fuck with this sin... I need to be careful when someone closes their eyes and cultivates. But... Wait, if some bastard comes and disturb mine I will gouge his eyes out brutally, and no one will question me for that."

Lin Yuan frowned, because of another memory of his father explaining the disadvantage of losing concentration when cultivation.

"Every cultivator will pour their entire effort into cultivation and refinement. If the process was disturbed in the middle, situations like refining a high level beast core, which may ascend them to the next realm — will cause lethal damage to their aperture if they lose concentration in the middle. So, concentration is most important, and cultivators can kill the person who commits this sin. Remember one thing, being kind should be your choice, not a hope... If it requires you should kill anyone who comes in your way." Lin Zhentian explained, walking sideways his stare fixed on both of his sons.

"Being kind... huh..." Lin Yuan whispered, a faint smirk spreading on his lips. "I have a philosophy in my past life: Be kind because you choose to be — not because you expect anything in return. If they betray you, or leave you alone, that’s not your fault; it’s just their nature. I will be kind when I wish, and I will kill when required. Kindness should be a strength... not a weakness. And I will show no mercy to anyone who stands in the way of my goal."

"I killed many people who wanted to break out my secret of forbidden ritual and who wanted to kill me," Lin Yuan whispered, staring at the turtle’s shell. "We should be ruthless and kind as per your will in this accursed world of scammers and betrayers."

Lin Yuan held the turtle painstakingly like a fragile glass. And closed his eyes, concentrating his mind inward. The turtle was shimmering again, but it was brighter than before. Lin Yuan’s aperture is resonating with the glow of the turtle. The beast essence started to increase more than before.

2.5% → 2.9% → 3.7% → 4.5% → 5.0%

SWISH!!

The beast essence in Lin Yuan’s aperture swirled rapidly. The green light flickered before it became normal. As he reached the 5% beast essence, Lin Yuan felt a shift in his aperture.

"Is this...." Lin Yuan elated, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Yes! Yes! Yes! My Cultivation Stage increased!"

Lin Yuan is now at Baby Beast Realm - Mid Stage. His techniques’ potential and beast essence consumption increased. Lin Yuan has a faint thought about his techniques, that he can use both Shell Strike or Shell Guard now without depletion of my beast essence.

Lin Yuan smirked, feeling anxious after his ascension.

"I ascended to Mid Stage now," Lin Yuan muttered, a cunning grin spreading on his lips. "Thanks to the beast core, I ascended to Mid stage fast."

Lin Yuan leaped up, walking towards the city. As he passed through a handicraft shop, a familiar voice called Lin Yuan.

"Lin Yuan!" a young boy’s voice called out from the right side. "Wait a second!"

Lin Yuan turned his head slightly to see who was calling him. It was Chen Ming, a friend who was the same as Lin Yuan — rejected by the ’River of Origin.’ But Lin Yuan felt something was wrong.

"Ni hao, Chen Ming!" Lin Yuan greeted, his voice devoid of his unpleasant thoughts.

"I need to show you one thing," Chen Ming halted in front of Lin Yuan. He shoved his left hand into the pocket of his traditional robe, and took out a falcon hatchling outside. "This is my core beast, Lin Yuan. As I was rejected by the river a month ago, before you, my father gave me this falcon egg. After many trials of cultivation, I succeeded to bond with it a week ago. Now I am at the Mid Stage of the Baby Beast Realm, Lin Yuan."

Lin Yuan flabbergasted, listening to the words of Chen Ming. Chen Ming was also rejected by the river, but he has a rare core beast. Lin Yuan brainstormed with many thoughts.

’His father gave him a core beast?’

’How the hell got into Mid Stage this early?’

’Does the core beasts are only given by the ’River of Origin’?’

"I am sorry, Lin Yuan. I heard that you were rejected by the river." Chen Ming continued. "I will ask my father to help you—" 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"No worries, Chen Ming," Lin Yuan interrupted, placing his left hand on Chen Ming’s shoulder. "I already have a beast. And I am also a Mid Stage cultivator."

Chen Ming’s eyes narrowed in shock. "W-What?? Really? Show me your beast, Lin Yuan."

Lin Yuan sluggishly stretched his right hand forward, and in an instant the turtle appeared. Chen Ming smiled, seeing the turtle gnawing.

"Is it Epic rank beast or even more?" Chen Ming asked.

"Even I don’t know the answer for that, Chen Ming. My father says it was uncommon, but I am damn sure it was different from those miserable uncommon beasts." Lin Yuan frowned, his face spasming in confusion. "But, one day I will prove to him by becoming the Saint Beast Realm - Peak Stage Cultivator."

"Hahaha...." Chen Ming laughed in a mockery way. "You will be the strongest, I agree, but Saint Beast Realm is too much."

Lin Yuan didn’t answer. He just laughed it off. And Chen Ming started speaking. "Lin Yuan, I heard something which will be helpful for us. There is a Cultivation Academy in the outskirts of our city, towards the northern gate. The academy trains the people who were rejected by the river, but they started the cultivation on their own — By finding any beast. Let’s join the academy and become strong together."

"Is it real, Chen Ming?" Lin Yuan muttered in a state of confusion and joy.

"Yeah, it is. Tomorrow we will go there! Be ready in the morning!" Chen Ming said, calm, but demanding. He started sprinting into his house, waving his hand. "Ciao!"

Lin Yuan grinned, as Chen Ming left. "So, the core beasts can be found outside.. Maybe they will be found more rarely than Rank 6 uncommon beasts" Lin Yuan mumbled, a cunning grin crawled on his face.

Lin Yuan got to know another new thing that he can also find core beasts outside also.

"I am joining the cultivation academy tomorrow," Lin Yuan confirmed. "Let’s see how the academy was."

Clink!

A sudden thought clinked in Lin Yuan’s brain.

"What happens if I feed my turtle with a grade beast’s core? And is the falcon’s core efficient to feed my turtle?" Lin Yuan asked himself, his voice was devoid of kindness.

"Umm... I think a grade beast’s core will be the highest boost for my cultivation. And as the turtle is Earth & Water-type, Falcon is a Wind-type, it will be a waste to my turtle." Lin Yuan elucidated, answering to his own question.

’Then, Falcon’s core is a waste. I will just think about the grade beast’s core thing when I become strong,’ Lin Yuan disappointed. ’First, I need to go to the academy tomorrow...’

Lin Yuan walked home. It was the month of summer – July season, but Lin Yuan felt the lingering warm breeze like cold air. Lin Yuan reached home, as usual.. He changed his robes and completed his dinner. Lin Yuan stared at the ceiling of his room, laying flat on his bed. He was in a storm of thoughts about his cultivation and beasts. And one main question was lingering in his mind.

’Cultivation academy... I wonder how it would be...’ Lin Yuan thought, closing his eyes and fell asleep.