"Cultivation requires the increment of the scale of this cycle.  Cultivators take in large amounts of essence which they use to not only improve their essence but also their bodies. That is why cultivators are so much stronger than normal people and why they live for so much longer. Essence is life thus having more essence basically ensures that you have more life. However, working with essence requires essence which is why cultivators need to have large essence pools. At least five times the essence pool of the average person is needed to cultivate.

"The thing you must note is that humans are unable to directly cultivate their essence. Rather the essence of humans gives rise to one of two forces in the body. These are vital force or qi and spiritual force also known as arcane energy. What we actually cultivate is these forces but in doing so we improve and increase our essence.

"Vital force or qi is a physical energy. It enhances the body and as its name implies improves vitality and body function. It is capable of truly great things but it is primarily centred on the body and nothing can change that. Spiritual force or arcane energy can extend according to the user's capabilities. It deals more with the world than the body. It can manipulate the natural world to an enviable degree but its benefits to the body are rather lacking.

"Here in Bathar, people who train or cultivate their qi are known as tellurians whilst people who cultivate arcane energy are called arcanists. Your grandmother, Uncle Jonas and I are all arcanists whilst your Uncle Richard and Avery are tellurians. Do you understand what I've said so far?"

Valerian nodded his mind heavy with what he had learnt. "Essence is life and power. It permeates the world and every living thing exists in a cycle of essence. It is the basis for the powers and abilities of cultivators, however, they are unable to train it directly. Rather they train its constituents. Those who are blessed with its physical aspect are the tellurians whilst those who cultivate the spiritual aspect are the arcanists."

Valan gave a proud smile. "Excellent! A bit short and sparse but you got the primary things down. Next we will go over the two forces in more detail".

"Wait! I have a few questions", Valerian interrupted.

"Ask away".

"You emphasised the fact that tellurians focus on their bodies whilst arcanists focus on the world. Does this mean that arcanists are physically weak or that tellurians are unable to affect the natural world?" Valerian inquired. His eyes had a pensive look in them whilst his fingers incessantly stroked his chin in thought.

Valan's smile grew even wider. His own hand unconsciously rose to stroke his immaculate beard as if showing Valerian how it was done.  "That is a very good question. It shows that you are capable of thinking outside of the parameters you have been given. Keep that attitude and improve on it. It will help you greatly in the future.

"To answer your question, traditionally yes. Traditionally a tellurian would be a spiritually inept physical powerhouse who employed his or her powers through feats of strength, speed and whatever abilities he or she has cultivated in the physical self whilst an arcanist would be a frail combatant who made use of his or her spiritual might to control the natural world to attack an opponent. Fortunately or unfortunately the real world is not so easily defined.

"It is perfectly plausible for a tellurian to find a way to use his or her body to control the world and for an arcanist to use the world to strengthen his or her body. So in truth, it will depend on which arcanist or tellurian you meet. Some may truly follow that archetype but there are undoubtedly some who follow other paths. The thing to bear in mind is not to let your guard down. Do you understand? Any other questions?"

"So I shouldn't sit and think that I know what my opponent is capable of simply because the person is an arcanist or a tellurian" Valerian summed up.

"Yes! Any other questions?"

"Ah! Yes. I get why arcanists are called arcanists since they use arcane energy but why are tellurians called tellurians? Also, what are people like me who are both called?"

His grandfather continued to stroke his beard. "Those are just titles my boy. Different people call them different things. That is why I specifically said that in Bathar the terms used are tellurian and arcanist. Elsewhere it's different. For example, warriors and mages, physics and psychics, knights and warlocks, etc. there are many names and different reasons for those names. As for why we in Bathar call qi cultivators tellurians that has to do with old world philosophy".

"Old world philosophy?" Valerian questioned with a puzzled look on his face.

"That is something we might discuss when you are older. Just know that some of the ancients felt the arcane path was the way of heaven and the other that of the earth. As for people with dual force.  There are a few names for them as well but due to them being so rare there are no general names for them. You will be probably be referred to by both titles. Any more questions before we continue?"  Valan clarified.

"Just one more. You mentioned which paths you and grandmother belong to but you didn't mention my parents. Were they tellurians or arcanists?" Valerian probed softly.

Immediately after the question was voiced the atmosphere in the room changed. Valerian quickly wished he had kept his mouth shut. No one in the manor ever talked about his parents. It was pretty much taboo. Even he with his vaunted memory could barely remember anything about them. Thus he couldn't help but be curious about the pair who sired him. Hearing about the rest of the family stirred those feelings up especially since he knew his father was a genius cultivator. He was just about to tell his grandfather to forget about it when the answer came.

"Your father was an arcanist. As for your mother I'm not too sure but what little I know leads me to believe she was one as well".

Valerian sat there unable to come to terms with the fact that his grandfather actually answered his question. The silence stretched on for minutes as both parties remained unsure how to proceed.  Eventually, Valerian just bowed his head slightly and said, "Thank you, grandfather".

Valan seized this chance. "Whatever for boy? Now, let's get back to what we were doing".

Eager to put the matter behind them, the two threw themselves headfirst into study. They spent their time in that study. Valan teaching and explaining with Valerian taking notes and asking questions. The pair of grandfather and grandson were so caught up in their work that they even missed lunch.