Chapter 4 - First Day at School (1)

For a week, Guo Yang and his siblings were confined to their rooms to allow their bodies to adjust to the changes. They all received inter-spatial rings, bound to them by blood. However, the weapons they were given were fake magical weapons, as they were too young to wield ones on the same tier and power as those used by Tang City's guards. The celebration of the triplets' survival and elemental affinities made the New Year's celebration even grander than before.

Guo Mei and Guo Lin immediately began integrating spiritual energy into their martial arts, and many clan members looked upon them with satisfaction. However, Guo Yang seemed uninterested and spent his time tending poisonous herbs for more magical beast meat and milk. If he couldn't finish, he stored them in containers and placed them in his new ring. How could they know that his progress was different from theirs?

By interacting with different kinds of herbs, he discovered new ways to apply poison. Since birth, he had hidden the fact that he could also use poison through his spiritual energy. Being struck by his fist, charged with spirit energy, would actually poison the victim! Such a discovery would shock and terrify many people. While normal humans only replenished and slightly absorbed spiritual energy from magical beast meat and milk, his neidan absorbed it all.

Out of habit, he would sometimes carry his brazier or wear heavy clothes, still adjusting to the new elemental attribute that had finally awakened. Practitioners with elemental affinities could turn their spiritual energy into the elements they possessed. Guo Yang would watch as his two elder siblings enjoyed their newfound powers, but he remained more terrifying than they, though only members of the main branch knew that. Guo Yang was the second richest member of the Guo Clan due to his contributions in harvesting poisonous herbs for the Alchemist Association, with a portion of his profits going to the Guo Clan.

"Hey, youngest brother," Guo Mei said, spotting Guo Yang one day. "You should be training for school tomorrow. Others might try to bully us out of jealousy."

"Then I'll kill them," Guo Yang replied, shocking many members of the sub-branches who overheard him. A twelve-year-old speaking such cold words without hesitation was far from normal.

"You can't kill! Killing is bad," Guo Mei protested.

"We kill bugs, pests, demons, and magical beasts. We even kill humans from other nations and continents. What makes a bully any different from what we kill in the house, besides being human?" Guo Yang retorted.

"Because humans are more terrifying than those creatures," Guo Feng interjected, standing beside his first son. "They seek retribution if justice doesn't satisfy them. Yang'er, you must not be prone to violence. Also, you must control yourself if you see avian magical beasts at the school."

"You people complicate things," Guo Yang muttered, carrying small, sealed containers of poisonous herbs. Soon, he would have more milk, meat, and demon spirit coins. Demon spirit coins were made from the fossilized bones of demonic magical beasts excavated from deep underground.

When Guo Yang learned to read, he discovered how humans understood the world's history. There were once four races: humans, demons, magical beasts, and demonic magical beasts. Demonic magical beasts were the ancestors of magical beasts and demons, the latter two created through mutations. Demonic magical beasts had once ruled the world, but were nearly driven to extinction by the jealousy and betrayal of the other three races.

The bones of demonic magical beasts could be shaped but never destroyed. One could only imagine how powerful they had been. Their bones became currency, a tribute to their ancient might. In his past life, Guo Yang had survived against all odds and reached the crossroads of ascension thanks to one thing: the hereditary memories of his demonic magical beast ancestors. His neidan was proof of his high-purity demonic magical beast lineage.

Even his ancient ancestor, born countless millennia ago, had been a snake demonic magical beast. Demonic magical beasts were beings with all seven elemental attributes and innate abilities unmatched by any other race. Guo Yang was proud of his unique poison. Using his hereditary memories, he had mastered practitioner techniques beyond anyone else's and survived to reach the crossroads of ascension. He had reached a cultivation stage that no snake magical beast had ever attained. Thanks to those memories, Guo Yang felt little need to train in front of others.

"Oh, another batch. Excellent. Good work, my grandson," Guo Jing beamed as Guo Yang appeared. Beside him stood an old man in long black robes with gold collars. The back of his robe bore a jade image of a stone lion turtle, the mark of the Alchemist Association.

"I wonder how he harvests those herbs without being poisoned. I must say, while he’s not the strongest or fastest of your grandchildren, he is certainly the most dangerous," the man laughed as he received the containers.

"If only you knew," Guo Yang thought, collecting his wages.

"I assume he’ll be attending school tomorrow?" the man asked.

"Yes, all three of them will be," Guo Jing nodded.

"I see. Good luck, young master, on your path to cultivation," the man bowed, placing the containers in his ring before leaving.

"Now, I know you don’t like being around other humans, but you must attend school. Learning basic spirit practitioner arts will prepare you for elemental attribute arts. As for attribute-less practitioner arts, you should master those first. You’re at the age where your body can withstand learning how to use spiritual energy. You must prepare well. After all, you’re the only one who hasn’t yet displayed any combat prowess," the patriarch warned.

"How am I supposed to advance my cultivation in that peaceful environment?" Guo Yang asked.

"It’s not as peaceful as you think. You have three elemental attributes, something most practitioners envy. No doubt, you’ll make many friends and enemies. Some will try to befriend you for your power; others will seek to eliminate you to weaken our clan. Most children from powerful clans are arrogant and will challenge you to humiliate you. School is a den of vipers," Guo Jing said. "Not vipers of the body, but of the mind. I already know you’re a cunning child. You won’t be disappointed."

"Can I choose my classes?" Guo Yang asked.

"All classes are taught by a single teacher. You’ll be in the same class as your sister. Your group is the most talented of the three grades: freshman, junior, and senior year. Not all the students underwent the awakening ritual where you did; they were scattered across other regions. However, the children with the strongest influences and connections were in your group of fifty. There are five classes per year, and you’ll be assigned to Class 1-E, alongside the other survivors," Guo Jing explained.

"What? I thought there were more survivors. Could they have been killed off?" Guo Yang asked, and his grandfather nodded.

"They may have awakened their spiritual energy, but that doesn’t guarantee their bodies could handle it. You were confined to your room for a week to survive that dangerous period," the patriarch answered. "Now get some sleep. Tomorrow, you start your first day at Tang Arts School for Practitioners."

"Yes, grandpa," Guo Yang bowed and left. That night, he sat on his bed, reviewing his memories. All his hereditary memories contained practitioner arts used by snakes, but now he had to adapt them to his human body. As a snake, he knew the importance of movement techniques—they were how he had escaped, and later chased, magical beasts and humans. Though he had never encountered a demon, he was confident he could have killed them.

For combat practitioner arts, his current cultivation allowed him to use only one technique each from his earth and water attributes. The *Stone Breaker Art* encased his fist or spear in small rocks, which combined into a boulder that exploded upon release. The *Moon Slicer Art* required a flick of his wrist or spear, sending a crescent-shaped wave of water slicing through the air.

By imagining his limbs as his former snake body, Guo Yang found it easier to interpret his hereditary memories into human practitioner arts. Silently practicing in his room, he smiled with delight as he successfully manipulated his spiritual energy. Confident he could execute the techniques, he fell asleep, satisfied. He had yet to explore light attribute arts, but he knew he would take his time learning those.

The next day, his sister rushed him and their brother to their first day at school.