Chapter 24: World Tree Sutra
"What about that one?" I asked, pointing.
Wei Lin followed my gaze and whistled softly. "Now that's an interesting piece. Look at those engravings - definitely pre-Formation War era craftsmanship."
Elder Chang's expression tightened slightly. "Ah. The World Tree Sutra. I should have known you'd notice it."
"The World Tree?" Wei Lin's eyes widened. "I've heard rumors about that one. Supposedly impossible to cultivate, drives people mad trying to comprehend it..." He grinned. "Want me to ask Father about something safer? I'm sure he could find—"
"Is it not available to Outer Disciples?"
"It's... complicated." She retrieved the tablet carefully, as if it might break. "This is what we call a remnant technique. Ancient wisdom, incomplete and dangerous. Any disciple is technically free to attempt it, but..."
"But?"
"But none have succeeded. The technique is fragmented, its core principles lost to time. Those who've tried to cultivate it have achieved nothing at best. At worst..." She shook her head. "There have been deaths."
She placed the tablet on the table. Unlike the other jade slips, this one's energy felt wild, uncontained. The patterns etched into its surface seemed to shift when I wasn't looking directly at them.