The seed sailed through the darkness, a tiny speck against the deepening twilight. I felt it land somewhere near the corner of the courtyard, its presence registering in my spiritual sense like a faint beacon.

"Ready?" Azure asked.

I nodded, drawing the modified Root Traversal technique's energy patterns through my meridians. The knowledge Azure had refined flowed through me. Diagrams of energy channels, visualization methods, and spiritual resonance patterns all coalescing into a cohesive whole.

"Remember, focus on the connection between your qi and the seed," Azure instructed. "Visualize the pathway, not the destination."

I closed my eyes, extending my spiritual sense toward the seed. There it was, a tiny pulse of life energy, now infused with my qi signature.

According to the original technique, I needed to establish a resonance between myself and the root network beneath my feet, then extend that resonance to connect with the target location. But with Azure's modifications, I could bypass the natural root system entirely, using any plant material containing my qi as an anchor point.

Drawing in a deep breath, I gathered my qi, visualizing a green thread extending from my core to the distant seed. The moment the connection solidified in my mind; I activated the technique.

The world blurred. My body seemed to dissolve into countless particles of green light, streaming along an invisible pathway. For a heartbeat, I existed as pure qi, flowing through the connection I'd established.

Then reality snapped back into focus, and I found myself standing at the courtyard's corner, the seed at my feet.

"It worked!" I exclaimed, unable to contain my excitement.

"Indeed," Azure replied, a note of satisfaction in his voice. "And with minimal energy expenditure, as expected. How did it feel?"

I considered the question, analyzing the sensations. "Different from the Blink Step rune. Smoother, somehow. Less like being yanked through space and more like... flowing into a new position."

The Blink Step rune granted high-speed movement that many mistook for teleportation, but this, this was true spatial transference. The similarity to the legendary Hiraishin no Jutsu technique from one of my favorite animes wasn't lost on me, though this was obviously a much shorter-ranged version. Still, the tactical applications were enormous.

I retrieved the seed, rolling it between my fingers thoughtfully. "Let's try for more distance."

Over the next half hour, I practiced repeatedly, scattering seeds at increasing distances and teleporting between them. Each jump became smoother, the transition from material to energy and back again more seamless. By the twentieth attempt, I could teleport to a seed thirty meters away with barely a thought, the technique becoming almost instinctive.

"The energy consumption is remarkably efficient," Azure observed as I completed another successful transition. "Your World Tree Sutra provides an inherent compatibility that most wood cultivators wouldn't enjoy."

I nodded, already thinking of battle applications. "In a forest environment, I'd have nearly unlimited mobility. No need to even plant seeds, I could just infuse the existing trees with my qi."

"Why limit yourself to seeds and trees?" Azure suggested. "Any plant matter should work. Grass, flowers, even fallen leaves."

I glanced around the small courtyard, suddenly feeling confined. "We need a larger testing ground. Somewhere with diverse vegetation."

"The Verdant Pools training area would be suitable," Azure suggested. "It's primarily used for water-based cultivation, but the surroundings include several hectares of managed forest."

"Perfect." I replied, heading off in that direction. "It should be relatively empty at this hour."

***

The Verdant Pools area lay at the eastern edge of the sect, a series of natural springs enhanced by formation arrays to concentrate spiritual energy. As predicted, the area was empty, the training platforms standing silent under the rising moon.

Beyond the pools stretched several hectares of managed forest, carefully curated to include a diverse range of plant species. Some were ordinary trees and shrubs, while others glowed faintly with accumulated spiritual energy.

"Exactly what we need," I murmured, approaching the forest's edge.

I began simply, infusing my qi into nearby trees through direct contact, then teleporting between them. The process was smooth, almost effortless, but it wouldn’t be of much benefit during battle.

"Now for the real test," I said after mastering the basics. "Infusing qi from a distance."

Most cultivators could project minimal amounts of qi beyond their bodies, but the practice was typically inefficient, losing potency rapidly with distance. Without specialized techniques, remotely infusing objects with qi was rarely useful for offensive purposes.

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"You'll need to extend your spiritual sense first," Azure instructed. "Establish a clear perception of the target before attempting to project your qi."

I nodded, settling into a meditative stance at the forest's edge. Closing my eyes, I extended my spiritual sense outward in a slowly expanding sphere. Trees, shrubs, flowers, and grass all registered in my awareness, each with its unique spiritual signature, a tapestry of interwoven life energy.

Focusing on a tree about fifteen meters away, I carefully channeled qi along the pathway created by my spiritual sense. It was like trying to pour water through an impossibly thin straw, the slightest disruption in concentration caused the qi to dissipate into the surrounding air.

"Steady," Azure encouraged. "The World Tree Sutra gives you an affinity for plant-based techniques. Use that natural harmony."

Taking his advice, I shifted my approach, visualizing my qi as a drop of rain falling into soil, natural and welcome rather than forced. The change in perspective made all the difference. My qi flowed smoothly along my spiritual sense, sinking into the distant tree with minimal resistance.

"I did it!"

The connection wasn't strong, just a faint trace of my qi signature embedded in the tree's spiritual matrix, but it was there.

"Now test the teleportation," Azure prompted.

Focusing on that tenuous connection, I activated the modified Root Traversal technique. The world blurred, and suddenly I was standing beside the tree, my hand resting against its trunk.

"It works," I breathed. "Even with minimal qi infusion, it still works!"

But I immediately recognized the critical combat implications - the prep time. Three seconds, no, even half a second, would be far too long in real battle. No opponent would conveniently pause while I established connection points. Combat was lightning-fast reactions and split-second decisions where hesitation meant death.

"This needs to be instantaneous," I muttered, stepping away from the tree. "If I have to consciously focus for even a moment, the technique becomes useless when facing even a Stage 7 cultivator.”

"Indeed," Azure agreed. "The gap between thought and action must be virtually nonexistent."

I concentrated, attempting to streamline the process. Cultivators all use qi for their spiritual sense, it's how we perceive the world beyond our physical senses. But typically, this sensing qi is carefully controlled to avoid leaving traces; it's designed to gather information without interacting with what it touches.

What if I deliberately modified this fundamental technique?

Instead of the two-step process of first sensing and then separately infusing my qi, what if I altered the structure of my spiritual sense itself? If I could reformat my sensing qi to leave microscopic traces of my signature as it naturally swept across the environment...

"Azure, is it possible to modify spiritual sense qi to simultaneously perform both functions?" I asked, the idea crystallizing. "Not just sensing, but also embedding tiny fragments of my signature wherever it touches plant matter?"

"Interesting approach," Azure replied thoughtfully. "Conventional cultivation wisdom recommends against it due to qi inefficiency, but your World Tree Sutra creates unique compatibility with plant life. The energy loss might be minimal enough to make it viable."

I reached for a nearby branch, focusing on the natural way my spiritual sense flowed. Then I carefully restructured the qi's pattern, adding a subtle "echo" that would remain behind after the initial sensing wave passed. Like footprints in wet sand, each pulse of my perception would leave behind a trace, invisible to others but recognizable to me.

I expanded my awareness, this modified spiritual sense flowing outward like ripples in a pond, touching every leaf, branch, and blade of grass. And as it passed, each plant received an almost imperceptible imprint of my qi, not enough to be detected by opponents, but sufficient to serve as teleportation anchors.

I focused on a flowering bush twenty meters away and—

The world blurred, and I stood beside it.

"That was..." I checked my internal time sense, "...less than a tenth of a second from perception to infusion."

"Impressive," Azure noted. "You've almost merged two separate processes into one reflexive action."

Excitement surged through me, but I immediately tempered it, forcing my breathing to remain steady. No time for premature celebration. A tenth of a second might seem imperceptible to mortals, but to cultivators approaching the Elemental Realm, it might as well be an eternity.

Wu Kangming's sword techniques could execute three strikes in that timespan. Even Liu Chang could probably land a few devastating punches. I needed to push further, make the technique truly instantaneous, not just fast, but immediate, like the difference between thought and action.

"Better," I muttered, "but not good enough. Not yet."

Azure nodded in agreement. "For cultivators at the peak of Qi Condensation, a tenth of a second is still a noticeable gap."

It was time for more practice.

***

A few hours later, I had managed to reduce the process to something approaching true instantaneity, at least, it would appear so to cultivators at my realm.

My spiritual sense would automatically leave microscopic qi traces on any vegetation it touched, creating a constantly updating network of potential teleportation points.

The combat applications were staggering. While opponents remained locked in predictable movement patterns, I could instantly appear anywhere within my perception range, attacking from unexpected angles before vanishing again. The momentary disorientation when facing someone who could reposition faster than the eye could track would disrupt even the most disciplined fighter's rhythm.

"I think I'll call it 'Verduring Step,'" I decided as I made my way through the sect grounds. "It fits the nature-based aspect better than just 'Root Traversal.'"

"An appropriate name," Azure agreed.

As I made my way back through the sect grounds, I mentally reviewed everything I'd learned. The Verduring Step wasn't perfect, it required favorable environments to reach its full potential, but even relying on qi-infused seeds, it added a powerful new dimension to my combat capabilities.

More importantly, it was a technique I could display openly during the tournament without revealing my rune abilities. My cultivation style would still seem unusual to observers, but not suspiciously so. Just another disciple with an affinity for plant-based techniques, leveraging that natural compatibility.

By the time I reached my quarters, exhaustion had settled deep into my bones, a pleasant weariness from pushing my limits. The courtyard was completely silent, my fellow disciples either asleep or secluded in meditation.

I fumbled with the door latch, looking forward to rest. Tomorrow would bring more training, but for now, I needed sleep. I collapsed onto my sleeping mat, not bothering to change out of my training clothes.

"Master," Azure called out. "There's something you should know before you rest."

Something in his tone made me pause, sleep suddenly feeling very far away. "What is it?"

"While you were training, I continued monitoring the blood statue in your inner world as I usually do."

I sat up slowly, suddenly alert. "And?"

"It's showing signs of activity again. The statue, it seems to be waking up."

The peaceful weariness that had been settling over me vanished instantly, replaced by a cold, prickling alertness.

Sleep would have to wait.