“I came across an entirely new species of spirit plants and herbs while in the Mystic Realm,” I informed my father as we sat on a bench placed to give shade and view. “They require a specific environment to grow, but I think adding their unique Qi to the energies collected and funneled to the tree might add a new dimension to its abilities.”

Mom and dad hadn’t asked about the Mystic Realm. Not because they weren’t curious but because they classified that excursion as something outside their purview to understand being non-cultivators.

That kind of mindset was endemic to our race. It had its roots formed from history- atrocities performed by cultivators who were too secretive or too certain of their own superiority to consider every non-cultivator beneath them.

The Sects, Clans, and Houses fostered that belief, and young masters that treated non-cultivators as lesser proliferated across the Empire. It was the reason my family had been forced to give up their suite on the ship and had done so without making a fuss.

Non-cultivators had learned that when it came to Cultivators, it was best to give them a wide berth. My family had been inconvenienced; the living space was barely large enough to host them. But that was better than being dead.

“What type of plants?” Dad asked, his excitement over the chance to grow and study something new overwhelming his caution when dealing with the world of cultivation.

“They react to Qi, but their function is to deal with the soul and spirit realm. I’ve found a few rituals that allow a person to bind with a spirit, similar to how cultivators bond with animals and beasts.”

“If these plants are related to the soul and spirit, what effect will they have on non-cultivators?” Dad wondered.

“We won’t know until we start testing, but I think everyone might have a chance to forge a connection with a spirit. I want to see if that is possible. If it is? If that might awaken non-cultivators, allowing them the opportunity to create a Dantian and begin cultivating to clean out their meridians? Then I will see that my entire territory is given a chance.

“Even if the spirit contracts that are formed only allow non-cultivators to step into the Body Formation Realm and never tier up again, that would have an amazing impact on safety for our people.”

“It would overturn our economy,” Father warned. “Billions of new cultivators would gain access to professions they were locked out of because of their inability to direct Qi. Resources would become strained as more and more people used even the commonly available spirit plants and herbs.

“You might want to restrict who knows that you are testing this until you are certain of success and your entire Fief has undergone any procedure you might develop.”

“I wonder if someone could form a spirit bond before awakening?” Father mused. “If so, I bet the chances of them awakening would be substantially improved.”

“That is something to test as well,” I replied thoughtfully, making plans to discuss the idea further, offering the chance for my sister and brother to make an attempt once the concept had been proven.

“If non-cultivators are able to create spirit bonds, and it allows that person to step forward on the path of cultivation, then perhaps having a bond before undergoing the awakening ceremony will mean every child awakens, and at a higher tier.”

“How hard will it be to create an environment where the plants can flourish?” Father asked.

“Let’s find out,” I said before turning my attention inside the torc to get Toi’s attention.

“Toi, could you manifest and answer a few questions my father and I have about creating an environment suitable for propagating soul-aspected plants in our world?”

“Of course,” she replied, suiting words to actions, leaving the torc and appearing next to me.

“Toi, this is my father, Garth,” I introduced them. “Toi is my contracted spirit, perhaps the most significant Heavenly opportunity I discovered when visiting the Mystic Realm.

“She is well versed in all things related to the soul and spirit world and should be able to make suggestions to incorporate what she knows about soul plants with what has already been established here.

“Toi, I would like to create an area for nurturing those soul plants used in creating the potion for the ritual to contract with spirits. Something that would harmonize with the Qi formations that already exist, perhaps even enhancing those formations.”

We watched as Toi gained height to better view what she was dealing with. Not long after, the same billowing fog she had released inside the torc to create an environment suitable for soul plants began to waft out.

The fog moved in eddies of currents that followed the Qi spiral that had been created to feed the World Tree. As the mist expanded across the breadth and width of the acreage that my father had managed to establish, it seemed to pause.

I watched with concern as the fog, which had been pristine white, edged up against a neighboring plot of land and began to turn gray. The longer the soul energy that Toi expressed touched the border between my family's property and the next, the deeper the color became until a refined rim of black was formed.

“Your people have done an adequate job dealing with Qi, but soul energy has been completely ignored. I can add a construct that you can use to grow soul plants and integrate the soul energy into the Qi spiral that has been created. But not until the negative soul energy has been dealt with first,” Toi reported, manipulating her soul energy to burn off the negative energy that had stained her expressed mist, black.

“Do you know what is causing the negative soul energy?” I asked.

“Someone has created a mass grave nearby,” Toi reported. “The Karmic fluctuations of people that have been brutalized and killed have pooled there. Whatever karmic threads might have existed to tie the dead to their murderer have been severed, but the dead remain, trapped, hoping for relief.

“They are destined to fade if nothing is done. Their chance at reincarnation will be lost as each soul loses cohesion. Or worse, this area and the souls might serve as fuel for a demonic incursion.”

“What can be done?” I asked with genuine fear. Bad enough, a mass grave had been created here, but my family was living next door. An area that might open a rift for a demonic incursion was something that needed to be dealt with quickly.

“Exhume the bodies and treat them with respect and any last rites your people practice for the deceased. It is simple enough. Once that is done, I will teach you how to cleanse the karmic dissonance that has pooled and restore the land to balance,” Toi promised.