The Core Disciples of the Crushing Mountain Sect were mostly in the early Immortal Realm, with a few being promising youngsters still in the Spirit Realm. They were also a proud lot, having been told for most of their careers that they were the future of the Sect, then its backbone, and now that they had reached Immortality, they saw little reason to listen to others.
Given time, they would hit a bottleneck and start to grow out of their arrogance, but when Cain began the lesson just after lunch that day, only six of the two hundred and some Core Disciples had decided to attend.
"Sect Master Cain, should we delay a moment while we fetch the others?" One of the Elders asked politely.
"No need. Opportunity comes when it comes. If they miss the session and it could have helped them, that's their fate." Cain replied with a placid smile.
In order to preserve some of their dignity in front of the juniors, the Elders had not come here with their notebooks today. Though a few were in direct attendance, most had chosen to remain upstairs in a private room and listen to the lecture or watch using a remote viewing ability.
That was fine by Cain. Teaching only six people would be much easier than teaching a whole room with a whole room worth of questions.
"What path have you six followed? What skills are you working on? The method is the same either way, but making it relate to a relevant skill can make things easier for the students." Cain asked the small group in the front row.
"All of us are the stalwarts of the Core Disciples. We all train the Sect's cultivation method, and Earth Skills, though we have all specialized since entering the Core Disciples in order to set our own path." One of the older men in the group responded.
"So a reliable faction within the Core. That is good. Tell me, what do all of your current paths have in common?" Cain asked.
"Physical enhancement. We are all working to advance through skills that strengthen the body."
Cain nodded and thought about all of the various skills that had that effect and then narrowed it down to the ones that were from the Earth Element.
"Do any or all of you know [Mountainous Endurance]? It comes from Granite Elementals originally, and I think it would be suitable for today's explanation." Cain waited, but they all shook their heads. They might know it under another name, given his experience with the newbie and the book of [Backhand], but if they didn't know that particular fortification ability, it would be perfect.
"Mountainous Endurance is a passive skill that increases your stamina and grants you a large amount of damage reduction. We will start with the legend that lets you understand the diagrams in this and most other Skill books." Cain began.
The lecture went until near dinnertime, and all of the six had managed to learn the skill well enough to activate the passive ability, though not nearly at its maximum potential.
"Just keep working at that, and you can raise it all the way up to the Spirit Rank and increase your body's durability by a few more times compared to where it is now. I don't think you'll be a soft target anymore, though, it really is a potent skill, and you are quick learners." Cain commended them.
"Thank you, Sect Master Cain. To think that the secrets of the Skill Book Diagrams were so easy to decipher once you had the key." One of the disciples sighed.
"Sadly, if we had been able to read the skill books, we would have known in advance that the forgotten language was so complex that the meaning of runes couldn't be interpreted by something so simple as an alphabet. But even knowing this much of the language is enough to make great progress in any skill we try to learn.
Might I ask you, Sect Master, how is it that you came by this sort of Divine Knowledge? We watched your ascenscion, were you granted it at that moment?" One of the Spirit Rank prodigies asked.
"No, I already spoke the languages. I know you couldn't see what went on from the Compound, but all of the Elders are aware that I am not a human but a World Dragon." Cain explained.
It still felt strange to say that, as he had just gotten used to being an Ancient, and now he was supposed to be some sort of Divine Dragon.
[They come from the same place. The Creators formed both to take care of their worlds, but in different ways.] The familiar voice in his head informed him.
[How so?] Cain asked, wondering if he could sneak an actual answer out of the voice.
[The Mortal Species needed a guide and caretaker, so they were gifted the Ancients. The Immortal Dragons and Divine Beasts need no such level of coddling, so the World Dragons were adapted to take care of their planet and ensure that they didn't accidentally destroy their own home in their exuberant embrace of life.]
The Dragons and Divine Beasts were in danger of destroying their own planet because they had so much fun. That simple fact shocked Cain, but at the same time, it was completely expected. He had seen the power of the Dragons, and the image of the first World Dragon setting things straight and fixing the planet they were on, clearly, the one next to where Cain had been transferred, appeared in his mind.
The planet wasn't intended for that level of abuse when it was formed, and the Creators had actually moved the whole star system at some point in the past as part of their effort to shield it from the other Greater Gods that they had upset, placing it somewhere where the energies would help sustain the world more efficiently.
Cain's world was at the lower end of the Mortal Realm in power, but the world of Dragons and Beasts next to them was far more advanced, a phenomenon that Cain wondered about but would have to wait to understand until he could find a spot where he could find real answers and not just guesswork.
[So there were no World Dragons before that?] Cain asked.
[Yes, but also no. There were Divine Guardian Dragons in charge of worlds, and Life Dragons, who are very much like World Dragons, and both are called World Dragons due to their Divine Duty, but the actual species is a Hybrid.]
[You're much more talkative than usual.] Cain noted.
[Your power is finally becoming stable, so it is much easier to communicate. Plus, it's almost time for you to come home. We have checked fate a thousand times to make sure, and before long, you will be back with our creations and your beloved children for the greatest and final surprise of your Class Progression.] The voice replied, then burst into laughter at the memory of what it had seen.
[There is more to my Class Progression?] Cain asked, confused. He was completely certain that he had already selected all the skills in the tree and hadn't found any more hidden skills.
[The last reward for bringing your whole family back together. But that can wait. We are looking after them for now, and you won't miss the most important moments with that Divine Elder nearby.
She's kind of cute, though. You should bring her back here for me.]
The voice had taken on a slightly lecherous tone that made Cain roll his eyes.
[And if I turn her into an adorable child first?]
[I'm a patient man. Of course, I could change her back, and she could do it herself, but if she prefers it, she can sit on my knee and sip tea. That is good as well.]
Cain's laugh was out loud this time and startled the cultivators who were still in the room.
"Sorry about that, mental communication. It was funnier than expected." Cain explained.
"One more question Sect Master. Is it possible for us to learn those forgotten languages? If we could read the whole skill book, it would be so much faster to completely understand the skills that we are trying to implement to forge our path." A Core Disciple asked.
"It is possible but not easy. I don't have training materials here to help you, and it's unlikely that I could teach it to you in any sort of reasonable timeframe without them." Cain sighed.
The language books were different from skill books, and he didn't have a base copy to duplicate them from, so he would have to either perfectly recall them for himself or make up a whole new textbook for learning a forgotten language, which sounded like way too much work.
"It was worth a shot. Please do guide us again in the future if you get the chance." The Core Disciple replied, then bowed deeply and left the room, intent on rereading all of the skill books he had in his possession to see what he had missed that was keeping some of his skills at lower levels.
The others left soon after, and the Elders filed in from their hiding spot upstairs to get a more detailed look at the diagrams and writing on the board so that they too, could gain the last bits of knowledge about the [Mountainous Endurance] skill and advance their own cultivation a little bit more.
"Divine Elder Mariel, I have a request to pass on to you. Please come to see me alone when you have a moment." Cain informed her when the woman came to look over the skill on the board.
"A request to pass on? How curious. I will see you later this evening, then."
