Chapter 91: Finding His Path

Chapter 91: Chapter 91: Finding His Path

The next morning, just as Yizhou had told Sui Sui, he and several other senior disciples prepared to leave for the Northern Continent once again. Bai Suichen was among those selected for the mission as well this time.

Then after learning that Sui Sui had already returned to the sect, he came over early that morning with Yizhou to see him off before they departed.

"I’ve missed you. I haven’t seen you in person for more than three months. It’s a pity I have to leave on another mission again," Bai Suichen said, pulling Sui Sui into a warm hug and affectionately patting his head.

Sui Sui was nearly enveloped by his older brother’s embrace. The familiar warmth made him smile despite himself, and for a moment, he simply let Bai Suichen fuss over him.

"It’s fine. We can always contact each other through talismans, just like we did before," Sui Sui said.

"That doesn’t count." Bai Suichen immediately pulled back, but instead of letting him go, he leaned closer with an exaggeratedly aggrieved expression "How can a cold piece of paper compare to seeing my adorable little brother in person?"

Before Sui Sui could respond, Bai Suichen reached out and pinched both of his cheeks, deliberately tugging them from side to side.

"Hey, hey! Cut it out!" Sui Sui protested, his words becoming slightly distorted by his squished cheeks. He tried to swat Bai Suichen’s hands away, but his older brother simply laughed and continued teasing him. "You’re going to squish my cheeks flat!"

"Really?" Bai Suichen asked innocently, as though he had only just realized what he was doing. "But I think they’re still perfectly fine."

He gave Sui Sui’s cheek one last playful pinch before finally letting go. Sui Sui rubbed his cheeks and glared at him playfully. "Big Brother is a bully."

Bai Suichen laughed at his reaction before finally letting the teasing end. "Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore. By the way, I heard you’re able to cultivate now. Let your brother see."

Sui Sui could only comply. He gathered his spiritual energy and circulated it through his body, allowing Bai Suichen to sense the faint spiritual fluctuation.

Bai Suichen’s eyes immediately lit up and he was full of smiles, clearly ecstatic "Good, good! With this, I won’t be as worried about leaving you here for so long. Just stay in the sect and focus on cultivating. Have you already thought about what path you want to take?"

"Not really." Sui Sui scratched his head, thinking about it for a moment. He was still unsure which path suited him best. "But I’ve grown quite fond of tending to the spiritual herbs in the herb garden. I’ve also learned a little about alchemy, and I find it pretty interesting. So maybe I’ll give it a try first and see whether I actually have any talent for it."

"Then that’s perfect!" Bai Suichen immediately brightened, looking far more enthusiastic about the idea than Sui Sui himself. He gave his shoulder an encouraging pat, then proudly added, "I happen to know quite a few senior brothers and sisters from Medicine Peak. If you need any help or guidance, just go there and give them my name."

He paused, then raised his chin slightly, clearly unable to resist showing off. "After all, your older brother is quite well-connected in the sect."

Sui Sui couldn’t help but laugh at his shamelessly proud expression. "Alright, alright. No need to brag. I’ll definitely make good use of your connections."

The two continued chatting for a little while before it was finally time to part ways. Before leaving, Bai Suichen reminded Sui Sui to keep in touch with their parents and let them know he was doing well, especially their mother, so she wouldn’t worry.

Of course, Sui Sui had already done that the moment he returned to the sect the previous day.

Yizhou remained nearby throughout their interaction, quietly watching the two brothers without saying much.

Once Yizhou and Bai Suichen finally left, Sui Sui turned his attention to his own plans for the day. He wanted to spend some time researching the different cultivation paths and figuring out which one might suit him best, so naturally, his first destination was the library.

He had originally planned to drag Shi Qing along with him, but when he went looking for his friend, he found him already occupied.

"Sorry, Brother Sui. I have a few things I need to do today. You won’t believe it. Do you remember that my family is associated with the Yuan Family? Their youngest son entered the sect recently, right?" Shi Qing sighed dramatically before continuing, clearly looking rather aggrieved.

"Well, he’s been torturing me by making me go out and babysit him. You see, I’ve even gotten plumper because of him! He’s been taking me out to eat nonstop. The most important thing is, I don’t understand it. He’s eating the same amount as I am, but he doesn’t gain any weight at all. It’s so unfair!"

Shi Qing complained with a deeply wronged expression, as though being forced to eat delicious food was some kind of terrible punishment.

Sui Sui could only laugh at his silly situation.

This was actually the first time Sui Sui had heard of Yuan Wen. The Yuan Family had been mentioned in the novel, but they were not mentioned a lot in the main plot, so he had never paid much attention to them.

Either way, Since Shi Qing couldn’t come with him, Sui Sui had to go alone, He bid goodbye to Shi Qing and went along his way

When he reached the gates of the library, he once again saw the old man guarding the entrance. Unlike the last time, when he had no idea what he was supposed to do, Sui Sui now knowingly handed over his token for identification. The old man glanced at it before letting him pass.

This time, Sui Sui headed straight for the West Pavilion, where most of the cultivation-related books were kept. As usual, there were not many people around, so he quickly found the books he was looking for among the shelves and settled down in a quiet corner to read.

According to the books, cultivators had developed different cultivation paths based on the two fundamental aspects of cultivation: Soul Force and Spiritual Bones.

Those with stronger Spiritual Bones were generally more suited to martial cultivation. Their cultivation focused on strengthening their physical bodies and overwhelming their opponents through raw power. Sword cultivation was one of the most common examples, though other weapon-based cultivation paths followed the same principle.

Those with stronger Soul Force, on the other hand, were more suited to auxiliary cultivation paths. These included Alchemy, healing, Beast Taming, Talisman-making, and various forms of spiritual craftsmanship.

Of course, this did not mean that a cultivator had to follow a path based strictly on their natural talents. They could choose whichever path they wanted. However, following the path most compatible with one’s strengths was generally considered the optimal choice, especially for those who wanted to make the most of their innate abilities and advance more quickly.

The problem was that Sui Sui still had no idea which side his talents leaned toward. Was his Soul Force stronger, or were his Spiritual Bones more suited to martial cultivation? Without knowing that, it was difficult for him to determine which path would suit him best.

Unfortunately, the items used to test a cultivator’s natural talents were extremely rare. Only the larger sects possessed them, so if Sui Sui wanted to find out, he would have to request a test from the sect.

But that would inevitably attract attention.

Sui Sui had only recently begun cultivating, and he still wanted to keep his abilities as low-key as possible. Drawing the attention of everyone in the sect without his brother or Yizhou with him simply to determine his talents was something he would rather avoid for now.

Since there was no need to rush, he decided to test himself manually instead.

He could try the two different cultivation paths and see which one felt the most natural to him. If his body responded better to martial cultivation, then perhaps his Spiritual Bones were stronger. If he found himself more attuned to auxiliary techniques, then his Soul Force might be the stronger of the two.

As for where to start, Sui Sui already had one path in mind.

Alchemy.