She was carefully going over her pupils’ homework as she inelegantly chewed on the back of the brush she sometimes waved over the papers. She really could not complain about them: they were the most annoyingly responsible students she had ever come across, completely unrealistic. Not one of them, literally not one, had any gaps in their knowledge.

Her eye slid over Shi XinNian’s papers.

Well, maybe not all of them.

She wrinkled her nose with a smile. He did not have the best penmanship and his knowledge of signograms was somewhat basic, but compared to when he had started there had been improvements. She noticed that in some cases his shapes reminded her of her own handwriting. She tilted her head as she smiled more broadly. He was probably studying from her notes. She traced a few more lines to underline some wobbly grammar and then dropped the brush.

She stretched her arms above her head. She had always laughed at the idea of becoming a teacher. Fate truly had a sense of humour. 

She got up quickly, noticing the sun had already risen above the horizon; by then all her students should be in the classroom. She fixed her clothes, getting tangled in her own hair, the sheets of paper and her brushes, and in a hurry she headed down to the main pavilion. 

As soon as her pupils realised she was there, all five turned around with a smile.

“Shizun.”

“Welcome, Shizun.”

They were falling over each other trying to say hello to her. She thought of them as puppies, she could not help herself. She smiled and headed to her desk where she put down their homework.

“So, today I wanted to take a break from our lessons to take you somewhere far more exciting… and maybe dangerous. What do you think?” she asked with a smile.

The looks they gave her told her they were not fully convinced. Ming GuangYing lifted her hand with a smile, she nodded to her to go on.

“If we may know, where?”

She straightened and gestured for them to stand up.

“To the Edges of teleportation.” she said, sure they did not need further explanations.

Liang HaoHan and Shi XinNian looked at each other in confusion, but, as she would have predicted, Ming ZhenYa filled them in.

“That’s where the hunting fields are. Each portal leads to a specific location which holds yaoguai or spirits with different danger levels.”

At those words Liang HaoHan’s eyes lit up with excitement while Shi XinNian turned around with a sigh.

“Boring…” he mumbled.

Zhang YueLiang lifted her eyebrows in surprise. She slowed down to fall in line with the boy.

“Would you rather be ploughing a field?” she asked with a twinge of sarcasm. The boy paled when he realised she was next to him and took a deep breath.

“I… that… that’s not what I meant, Sh… Shizun.” as he was speaking his colouring had changed into beet red. Zhang ZhaoDa chuckled.

“Then what did you mean?”

He lowered his head in embarrassment. 

“Uhm… nothing… just that the hunting fields are monitored, right? So we won’t actually be facing those monsters.”

She studied him and then passed on to look at the others.

“Hm… but I won’t be helping you at all.” she said, raising her shoulders and closing her eyes. Then, it was Ming ZhenYa’s turn to pale.

“But… but… we’re not allowed to pass through the portals without a Master with us, Shizun!”

She smoked a bit from YuHua, walking past them.

“Hm, I know. But that does not mean I will follow the rules. - she dared to glance back at them over her shoulder. - What kind of training would it be? I won’t always be by your side to come to your rescue, you must learn to defend yourselves. Better you learn it here than in an actual battle, right?”

All of them, except Shi XinNian, looked at each other in discomfort.

They remained in silence as they walked to reach the Cliff of the pavilions.

It was called that because it was an actual vertigo-inducing precipice, and on its edge were about ten pavilions with whirling portals, each a different colour. Walking with purpose she led them to the first one on the left. The whirlpool was red and blue, the colours occasionally mixing to project purple shadows. 

The five stared on.

“Is this the first level? The one for those in their Foundation level?” asked Shi XinNian, filled with curiosity.

She looked at him and nodded.

“Yes, each colour represents a phase of the Immortal path. You are still in the Foundation of the Golden Nucleus. - then she pointed her finger to the others. - The golden whirlpool is for those who have created the Nucleus, the green one for those who have started along the path of the Wandering Soul, and so on.” she said, moving to her left.

She bowed her head with a sigh.

“And what about yourself, Shizun?” asked Shi XinNian, coming to stand close to her.

She looked at him in amazement. Few would have had the guts to ask such a question, but there seemed to be no malice in it, just curiosity. She smiled.

“Hm, I am not worth much… - she poised her face in an expression of reflection. - After all, when I was eighteen my spiritual power was already that of a Wandering Soul of the fifth level… and that was without cultivating much.” she sighed.

Yep, it does not make much sense, even though the novel offers a rather unique interpretation of Cultivation, it still needs to be practised. But for the Original? It is as though she was born with it. As though it were a manifestation willed directly from the heavens. She thought. It was all the author’s fault as usual.

The young man looked at her and smiled.

“Perhaps the Heavens had a hand in it, right? - he said, echoing her own thoughts. - Is one of your names not ‘Favoured by the Heavens’?”

She turned towards the boy, he shrugged his shoulders.

“Is that not how heroes are spoken of? People who exceed expectations without any sort of warning? That is what yourself and the Great Master are in this world.” he said with a chuckle, a bright and sincere smile breaking through for a moment.

She blushed a little while she looked at him, then she consciously relaxed the crease of worry on her forehead.

“Perhaps…” she whispered.

It was true she had nothing on them though; Liang HaoHan would accomplish things that were short of miracles and Shi XinNian would climb the Demonic hierarchy in an almost illegal manner.

“Perhaps…” she repeated as she looked at the boy who by then was studying the portals.

She noticed a woman standing next to her who was also looking in the direction their gazes were directed at.

“What is it? Did you see a Purple Toad? Aren’t they just horrible?” she asked, with a feral smile.

Liang HaoHan looked at her. The first thing that shocked her was the plait of blonde hair. Looking at her more closely she realised that it was probably more albino than blonde; for example, her skin was very pale, even paler than Shi XinNian’s, and he was the palest character she had come across. The woman smiled radiantly. 

“Shije, it has been centuries, and yet we live on the same mountain. I think it is outrageous.” she said, exaggerating her outrage.

She smiled.

“I think perhaps our respective schedules have forced us in this situation.” she said, shrugging her shoulders.

- Zhang DuXun, Mistress of the Xin Mountain, guardian of the Edges of Teleportation -

Zhang DuXun tilted her head sceptically as the others joined them. She had been staring for a rather improper amount of time and she almost lowered her gaze. Those were the eyes of a huntress, it felt as though she was passing judgement on every inch of her, with the look of an ancient tree that has seen centuries go past. She wrinkled her nose, that was probably it, to be a Mistress how old was she?

“Shije…” she whispered, coming dangerously close to her nose, so fast she almost missed her even with her semi-Immortal eyes. She saw her pupils freeze and Shi XinNian took a step closer, but she lifted a hand to stop them without turning towards them.

“Shimei?”

She had never been described in the novel, perhaps just mentioned in passing, so she had no idea what kind of person she would be, and when she started sniffing her, her throat constricted.

“You smell different, Shije. - she said in a whisper, looking up at her. Her voice was intimate, as though they knew each other well. - A good scent, very different from the stench of resentment that used to cloak you. - she lifted a finger to graze her chin. - You almost have the scent of a Sacred Beast… the scent of the Heavens, so to speak.” she smiled and her incredibly sharp canines glittered in the light.

She swallowed. What was she talking about?

Suddenly, the woman stepped back and turned around as though the last minute had never happened.

She raised a hand and waved it in the air.

“Shigong has told me of your booking of the Edge of Foundation. Is that right?” she asked, tilting her head in an impressive imitation of an owl.

Still reeling from the conversation it took her a moment to reply. Then she nodded.

“Y… yes, for my disciples.” she said, waving a hand in their general direction. Her pupils were still standing frozen in shock by the interaction that had just taken place.

Zhang DuXun bent forward to look at them over their Mistress. She squinted her eyes at them.

For a moment she feared the woman would focus for too long on Shi XinNian. Should she have any questions, what could a sealed Demon do?

And yet she stood still, just looking at them one at the time.

Ming ZhenYa took a step closer to her in an unconscious reflex. The fact she felt safer close to her than the strange woman was a clear indication of what they thought of her.

She felt the girl grab her sleeve and tug.

“Shizun… what is she looking at?” she asked in a tentative voice.

Before she could even attempt to reply Zhang DuXun straightened.

“The shape of your spiritual energy. - she lifted her chin. - Surely, great Masters will attract great pupils.”

She rested her gaze on Zhang YueLiang again.

“I must hope, Shije, you know what you are bringing up in your care. Will your wings be strong enough to shelter these dragons as they try to fly?”

She quirked an eyebrow with a smile.

“But Shimei, I am a dragon.”

Zhang DuXun looked at her in confusion, as though she had only just come to and realised where she was. Her eyes zoomed quickly between them all and then she smiled.

“Yes, yes, the best among the daughters of QingLong… a dragon… a magnificent dragon among many.” she said chirpy.

Everyone was looking at her in bafflement. She started spinning on the spot letting her arms fall out so her sleeves truly resembled huge wings.

“I am sure, proud and magnificent dragons will hatch under your care. Enough chit-chat, let’s play.” she said, clapping her hands.

She shook her head, she had understood what kind of madness this character had.

Not bad, not bad at all.

The woman raised her hands and face to the sky.

“May the Celestial Immortals stay with your pupils during a safe hunt, with no dangers.”

She closed her eyes and, after taking a deep breath, started a mantra.

“From beast to beast, from one Cultivator to the next, may our hunt be righteous and without reserve. May the path of light triumph should I deserve it, or may the savage hunger swallow me in its spirals of chaos.”

She lowered her gaze once more with an unhinged smile.

“You may go, Shije.”

She turned to her students who immediately brought their hands to the swords tied to their waists. They looked at her filled with uncertainty, but despite it even Ming ZhenYa removed herself from her side and stepped in line with the others.

Shi XinNian was first in line with a predictable sneer from Zhang ZhaoDa, and yet he stood his ground. Zhang DuXun stood in front of him and wrapped his shoulders in a cape of wolf-skin. 

“Your next steps will bring you to a frozen wasteland, do not forget to recite a protection spell. This week you’ll face the mountains of the BaiHu range.” the woman said, winking.

The boy looked at her then glanced at Zhang YueLiang who gestured for him to step forward. He nodded and stretched his hand forward, barely grazing the fine, misty consistency of the portal. He took a deep breath and stepped through without any more hesitation.

The others, after being given a cloak each, followed him.

After Ming GuangYing had entered the portal Zhang DuXun looked at her out of the corner of her eye as she too prepared to walk through.

“Truly some interesting disciples.” she said, stopping her before she could cross over.

Cursing internally she turned towards the woman who was still staring at her. She truly gave her the impression of standing before an ancient monster who had survived millennia, cultivating in silence, sharpening their claws, not shifting, observing everything in silence but sure to spring into action should any danger threaten them.

“Shimei, what are you saying?”