10. Bingxue Cultivation Technique

When Bai Cong came back to his room, he saw Bai Chen sitting on his bed like he owned the place and Bai Chang shadow practicing his sword movements at the side. When they noticed Bai Cong enter, Bai Chang and Bai Chen walked up to him excitedly.

"Xiao Cong, did you go to the detector stone? What's your potential?" Bai Chang said without a moment of rest.

"Xiao Cong, don't mind him," Bai Chen said as he waved Bai Chang away, "You don't have to tell us if you don't want to."

Although he said all this, Bai Cong could still read the expectation on his face. Bai Cong pushed both of the boys away and went to lie on his bed. After spending five years with his new family, Bai Cong knew that they were all trustworthy people so he didn't put up much of a wall when it came to them.

"Grandfather said that I have an unreadable potential," Bai Cong reported to them.

"An unreadable potential? What's that?" Bai Chang asked looking at Bai Chen. He had never heard of that term before.

Bai Chen put his hand on his temple and tried to think back to when he had heard his father tell him about this.

"I remember!" he cried out, "Father once told me that having an unreadable potential means that your potential is too high for the detector stone to read."

"There's such a thing?" Bai Chang exclaimed in amazement, "Having a potential too big for the detector stone to read sounds amazing."

"It is," Bai Chen nodded his head with happiness. He felt genuinely happy for his little brother. Although he always wore a cold face, he knew that Bai Cong loved them very much. He just didn't express it so openly than let's say Bai Chang.

Bai Cong looked at his brothers who he felt were acting very foolish and thought of an important question, "What did you guys get when you had your potential checked?"

"I had-"

"I have a violet level potential," Bai Chang cut his brother off and puffed out his chest as he proudly said what color on the detector stone he got.

Bai Chen glared at him and focused his attention on Bai Cong, "I also have a violet level potential," he said calmly.

Bai Cong nodded his head. He then took off his outer robes and slid under the covers.

"Big brothers can leave now," Bai Cong said as he closed his eyes to sleep.

"You kick us out as soon as you get an answer," Bai Chen chuckled, "Sleep well Xiao Cong," he said as he made his way out of the room.

"Yeah, sleep well Xiao Cong. You have to be well rested so you can help me with my training tomorrow," Bai Cong laughed as he too, walked out of the room, not waiting for Bai Cong to disagree.

When they closed the door, Bai Cong softly laughed to himself and fell into a deep slumber.

The next morning, Bai Sze called Bai Cong to his study. Bai Cong got dressed quickly and made his way there. When he opened the door, he saw his grandfather going through a few documents.

Bai Sze had already sensed Bai Cong when he was a few feet from the door so he made no extra movements when he walked in.

"Cong'er greets grandfather," Bai Cong performed a proper greeting.

Bai Sze acknowledged Bai Cong and waved him over.

Bai Cong complied and walked over to his grandfather.

"Cong'er, from now on, I will be looking over your cultivation development," Bai Sze said as he took out an old looking book, "This is our Bai Family's cultivation manual that has been passed down for many years," he said.

Bai Cong took the manual that Bai Sze handed him and leafed through the pages.

"It's called the Bingxue cultivation manual. But there are limitations to who can practice it," Bai Sze said.

Bai Cong paused and looked at his grandfather, "What are the limitations?"

"You have to have the Bai Family bloodline in your body and you have to have at least purple level potential," Bai Sze explained.

Bai Cong nodded his head in understanding but then thought of an important point, "Grandfather, wouldn't first and second brother also be able to cultivate it since they both have violet leveled potential?" he asked.

"They told you?"

"Yes, when I came back yesterday, they told me what they got on the detector stone," Bai Cong said.

"Well yes, if it were only those two criteria for practicing this technique, then they too would be able to do it. But they can't," Bai Sze shook his head.

"Why?" Bai Cong asked with a soft voice.

"You have to have the right inner personality to practice this technique. Chang'er is sporadic. You don't know what that kid will do or what trouble might get into if you're not watching him," Bai Sze chuckled, "Chen'er is too calculative. This technique requires your thoughts to be simple and not focus on outside things," he explained.

Bai Cong hummed in understanding and started to see why his grandfather chose him to practice this technique.

"But this technique also requires you to close your heart to all forms of affection," Bai Sze said softly, "This is also why I didn't want anybody to practice this."

"Then why now?"

Bai Sze disregarded how rude Bai Cong was being, "I sense something is about to happen. I don't know if it's good or bad but we have to prepare for it regardless." he said as a crease appeared on his forehead.

Elsewhere…

A man sitting at a desk was scribbling something on a piece of parchment. He had flaming red hair and beard and bronze colored skin. Although he was just writing, his eyes were fierce and his grip was resolute.

The man was so concentrated on what he was writing that he didn't notice a bird fly in through the open window. When it landed on the table in front of him, the man stopped writing and looked at it. Seeing the paper tied to it's leg, the man reached for the bird and untied it.

He opened the tiny piece of paper and read the contents in it carefully.