Cultivational Level Guide in this fic as MXTX never had a Cultivational Development Level mentioned in the novel. It was Golden Core straightaway.

Once a human begins cultivation, they increase their lifespan the more qi absorbed and they can manipulate their bodies into staying young at peak shape and form.

Spirit Cultivation (Low, Middle, Upper, Peak) when one reaches upper Golden Core levels, it'll be harder and harder to absorb qi, let alone break through to Nascent Soul.

Qi Foundation
Foundational Establishment (+ 30 years of life)
Golden Core (+ 50)
Nascent Soul (+ 100)
Ensoulment (+ 200)
Ascension (+300)
Half-Immortal (body will no longer physically age, but hair will start graying till it turns white)
Immortal

Body Cultivation (Low, Middle, Upper, Peak) two-times harder to gain than Spirit Cultivation, especially if Feng Shui of your location sucks

Skin Refining (skin is as tough as thick rubber truck tires, not easy to pierce with mundane weapons)
Bone Refining (bones are as hard as steel, only those stronger can cause fractures and breaks)
Body Recreation (spirit swords with poor cultivation or have weak wielders cannot pierce their organs)
Bronze Body (middle-grade spirit swords will have a hard time piercing them)
Silver Body (swords that grew with powerful masters can kill these guys)
Gold Body (at this point onwards, one's fists and feet are deadlier than swords)
Diamond Body
Eight Inner Gates Opening
Nirvana
Heavenly Body

Desires

"Same as last time...its kinda weird that the city has stuff resembling my clothes...the problem, is sizing." Wuxian thought as he wore a disciple's outfit made for combat purposes, and tied his hair into a high ponytail.

He looked at his fingers...

He had to focus using his qi, and carefully snipped and trimmed his finger and toenails, and disposed of them before doing laundry on his robes. It'll be colder soon...

So carrying all his clothes in a basket, he headed for the laundry room.

Mischief is all over his face as he's aware of how his physique is causing merry hell among the macho men in his class.

Wearing a disciple's combat uniform that accentuated his waist, combined with his looks...what chaos will he cause?

He washed all his clothes before marinading them in a warm tub with rosewater after putting a few drops of oil in the tub. Then after that, he would dry all his clothes with talismans before ironing them, folding them neatly, and putting them in his qiankun pouch.

He also dried the soaked parts of his clothes, so he came out of the laundry unscathed...before he went to take a bath because all that work got him sweaty.

He came out smelling like roses.

Next day?

'Whoa, a new look?' Huaisang asked as they left their dorms for breakfast.

'Well, old man chucked me to combat lessons thanks to that near-brawl incident after I finished Spirit Flute lessons.' Wuxian explained. 'So I can't wear my usual outfit for classes anymore. Combat Hand-to-Hand replaced my music class.'

'Heee...'

Classes changed as Huaisang warned his friends as this was routine for annual guest lectures.

If the first two semesters were all about academics, onwards till end was combat-oriented classes.

To his horror, his brother changed his usual classes too, because he noted Huaisang's change and likes it.

So Huaisang got physical training and conditioning as well as focus on cultivating. There's absolutely no way, can he do combat classes!

Wuxian has basics so he was another thing entirely. (Wuxian accepted as he never had hand-to-hand in the past but he's deadly with swords)

One night...

'Uggghhh...one time I need a back massage, the healer's on vacation...' Wuxian groaned as he snuck out to the springs past curfew. He hissed as he got into the springs to heal. The Lans sure have useful stuff.

And Lan Wangji was just minutes away when he saw the object of his interest strip. Usually, Wuxian was IN the springs when he always sees the boy with his friends.

Perfectly normal task to enter the spring past curfew by the way, but why did the sight of Wuxian stripping...incite fire in him?

That. Damn. Underwear(fundoshi). What underwear is that, even?!

He wants to yank it off for some reason.

"It's normal...it's normal..."

Because of his upbringing, he had no idea what this feeling is.

99.9% of the world, calls it LUST.

Because he was THAT sheltered that it kept his...thing from standing tall. Had he known what it was, it would be impossible to hide it. That, and cold spring will prevent it.

He joined Wuxian in the springs.

'...it's past curfew.' he said.

'The healer's on vacation and physical classes made me sore in places I didn't know even existed. Sure I trained in the past but that was to gain some muscle to avoid being sold in a brothel, not combat classwork.' Wuxian sighed tiredly as he sank neck-deep in the springs. 'I can't just take some random herb in the cupboards, hope I get lucky and call it a day.' yes, Wangji thought with a balk. That WOULD be bad indeed. 'It's much safer here. Can I overtime past Haishi for medical reasons?'

'Mm, it's reasonable.' for now Wangji will let it go because he might really be sore. Then he paused. 'Brothel?' last he checked, only women work in such...shameless places not by choice. Women are sold against their wills or voluntarily work there to survive. Its their customers who are shameless, exploiting women like them, and treating them as property with no respect nor care, just to satisfy their base urges. The sad part? Women cannot say no incase their customers are abusive, or cannot earn a coin!

'There's brothels for cut sleeves too y'know. You just have to know where to look.' said Wuxian wryly as Wangji mentally shut-down at that. 'By having a muscular body I avoid being sold as slave there. They like slender, skinny pretty boys. Only my true half can have me, not some random woman or random man.' he scoffed.

So he's fine if its a man?

Why did he feel hopeful all of a sudden?

'Sooo how are the cuties? I hope you're raising them well?' Wuxian inquired as Wangji nodded.

'...adorable.' whoa, from the stoic face, Wangji looked suddenly soft? Wuxian grinned.

'Have you smiled since then, Zhan-zhan?' Wuxian asked, scooting closer to Wangji and leaned on him flirtatiously, making Wangji inwardly nervous. 'One cannot frown for too long at those adorable wide eyes and twitching pink noses you know~'

Wangji blushed. His neck up to his ears went red. "Oh, this is how he blushes?" Wuxian was astonished. 'Well, time to melt the ice, Zhan-zhan...you're kinda cute when you're being shy~ and being honest~' he purred, making Wangji even redder. 'So far I'm halfway done.'

'Halfway done?' to healing?

Wuxian's answer proved him quickly wrong.

'Yup...you're getting closer...to back then.' said Wuxian, sitting back on his place. 'The you on that day...was so cute. That angel on that one snowy night.'

"...how did I look back then to him?" Wangji wondered to himself. He can't remember THAT far...that's so long ago! 'Did I leave that lasting impression?'

'You did.' said Wuxian, reading his expression. 'In a filthy world I lived in where there's nothing but rotten people, you were suddenly there, showing me a shred of kindness. You're like a tiny light after a matchstick was lit up in darkness. That's hard to forget and I admittedly have lousy memory.'

Now Wangji put a tomato to shame.

Wuxian looked for the boy who gave him a rattle drum, found him and determined to 'melt him' after seeing him 'an ice block' after a decade went by.

Well...its not like he knew what made him this way...

Soon, Wuxian got off the springs, toweled himself dry and put on his clothes.

'Nooow then, I'm going back to the dorm, Zhan-zhan. I'll be sore in places again tomorrow~' and he walked away.

Wangji watched him go.

Those strange feelings, further amplified by today's experience.

"...Wei Ying..."

The expression he had just now, was 'Lan Zhan's version of Lovestruck Fool Face(TM)'.

xxx

And things got difficult in his ahem, inner turmoil as classes went by.

Wuxian's classes were about hand-to-hand and Orthodox Cultivation Ethics, as well as Moral Ethics that he lacked due to being left alone too long.

Wuxian played along as he didn't want the Lans pissed at him. Heck, he built a good image this time around. Though he still dissected the rules to introduce new ideas that wouldn't offend their...delicate sensibilities. But as they would be potential future allies, he broadened his teacher's mind, 'infecting' him with 'new trends'.

But admittedly, he worked hard in hand-to-hand as hey, he has no sword, OK?!

And he spent years UN-learning Jiang Sword Style and create a new sword style that's also just as swift and speedy. Using a stick.

He succeeded due to how stubborn he was when he was thirteen and traveled to Dongying. Dongying has a style called badao(batto). He had difficulty with the language, but using talismans to find a good and patient master whom he paid 50000 stolen mon from a CASTLE...poor guy obviously didn't know he got paid stolen money...he learned badao. And it was enough for him before returning home at 14 to continue cultivation, while honing his techniques to muscle memory to un-learn the Jiang Style.

By the time the year ended?

Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng, Jin Zixuan and Nie Huaisang along with a few boys, graduated with Jia Grades. The others have a Yi or less.

'Come on, almost there Huaisang!' Jiang Cheng urged as Huaisang was in the pool with them and he was about to break through to Golden Core stage.

'Come on! I scored a free card with Zhan-zhan so we could stay out here till you get it!' Wuxian egged on. 'Fight!'

While Xichen was optimistic with Huaisang's progress, Wangji was...looking at that towel-wrapped ass that now looks like a micromini slitted skirt. Must be his friends' doing...but its even more...enticing!

'Unnnn...nnnn...!' Huaisang worked to form his Golden Core...it took him four hours past Haishi and bam! Breakthrough! 'Gasp...I did it!' he cried weakly, tired from all that effort.

'Good job!' said Jiang Cheng, proud that Huaisang finally ascended. 'Forming the stupid-ass core was the hardest, but it'll get easier from there.' he said. 'You can either actively cultivate or let it passively do the job for you while you train at home.'

'Yeah, you can do two things at once while you're at Golden Core now.' said Wuxian. 'Have fun at home~' he said with an impish grin as Huaisang shuddered. Thanks to Wuxian's expertise, he can no longer put off training.

'Hiiii!'

From afar, Xichen watched with his brother in the shadows, and the older Lan smiled. "Congratulations, A-Sang. You truly have wonderful friends." and he snuck away to deliver a message to Mingjue who was waiting in the city to pick up Huaisang and Wuxian tomorrow as Wuxian will spend time in Qinghe to train everyone in mastery of the ritual...and he has to come too, considering they have to heal EVERYBODY before those lessons.

And at a hotel in the city?

Mingjue was proud and happy his brother really has good friends. Huaisang finally formed his core AND graduated with Jia Grades. This resulted in him being on good terms lately with the Jiang Sect thanks to their son being a good friend to his brother, pulling him up and getting off his ass and start working.

That came rather as a surprise to the Jiang Family but they got a good repute with the Nie Sect thanks to that.

In another hotel, Jiang Fengmian was nervous, because tomorrow morning, is when he'll meet Wei Wuxian for the first time.

The first time he heard about him in his son's letters, he was in monthly correspondence with Lan Qiren due to his regret that he never found Wuxian on time, thus too old to take him in now to his dismay. But he still wanted to know about the boy.

Apparently, Wuxian ensured his friends never get in trouble. A mischievous trio typical of boys their age, but is also the voice of reason when things go too far...to avoid detention of course. But some things JUST can't be avoided...because Jin Zixuan listens to bad men he made the boy copy a certain rule on 100 pages back to back per rule.

That, and arrange chaperoned meetings for Zixuan to judge his daughter with his own eyes and ears, so he won't listen to malicious rumors any more about her. Wuxian reckons someone is jealous of her good fortune that they speak ill of her to ruin her to her fiance while looking good to him in the process!

Fengmian's annoyance was in tranquil fury while his wife howled her rage for the world to hear like a harridan. If he finds out who they are for slandering his daughter...there will be hell to pay. He was grateful to Wuxian as if the two boys began fighting, they'd be suspended or worse, expelled!

That, and he can finally...let go.

According to his son, Wuxian will be living with the Nie Sect until they master the Exorcism Ritual with four other Lans. They will Exorcise at least, eight Nie Members before those very Nies will help with Exorcism Ritual from now on.

xxx

Next morning...

'A-die!' Jiang Cheng greeted, his luggage with him.

'A-Cheng, good work. Jia Grades for one year...not even I managed that.' Fengmian smiled kindly at his son who beamed at his praise.

'I just don't want to come back here ever again.' Jiang Cheng griped in a huffy armfold. 'I want real food!' Fengmian laughed at that complaint.

'Don't worry, A-Li promised a feast for you back home.' Fengmian chuckled. 'Oh yes, where is he?'

'Wuxian? He said he'll give Lan Wangji some rabbits...but what about that no pets thing?' Jiang Cheng wondered, scratching his head. 'But you never did say why you wanna talk to him.'

'...its best to talk when he's here.' said Fengmian softly. 'Let's wait for him by the top of the stairs.' so they did.

After half an hour, Wuxian showed up with the Nies and...Fengmian knew his son wasn't kidding.

When one cultivates, the best in one's body is brought out. Particularly...looks. That one is a mystery for years, but the stronger you are, the more beautiful or handsome you become. Aging is also slowed down the stronger you become, and one can manipulate their bodies to stay in peak condition. Wuxian has the fairest skin out of anyone his age and he resembles his mother more that all he had of his father, was his eyes and lips. And he wears black robes instead of disciple combat uniforms. They came with a group of Lans.

'Oh!'

'Sect Leader Jiang.' The Nie brothers and the Lans paid respect, so Wuxian copied them, acting as if he had no idea who Fengmian was.

'Oi Wuxian, my dad wants to talk to you for some reason.' said Jiang Cheng while Wuxian was inwardly nervous. Is he gonna try adopt him again?!

'Oh...greetings to Sect Leader Jiang.' Wuxian greeted properly. 'What can I do for you today?'

'Ever since I heard the deaths of your parents...I looked for you, but you couldn't be found...' this was a surprise to the boys. 'Instead, I found their bodies and gave them a proper burial...and kept their swords for you to take.' he said, taking out two swords in his possession. 'Your father's sword Tongxing(to journey together), and your mother's sword Yongxing(eternal happiness). 'You really should study swordsmanship now that you can wield your parents' swords. I kept them as heirlooms for you.' this shocked Wuxian.

In the past, he never got these swords.

This was probably because he was found first that Fengmian didn't search for his parents any more.

'For now you can only wield Tongxing.' said Fengmian. 'Your mother's cultivation was powerful, exceeding your father's, given where she came from.' he informed him. 'The Celestial Mountains where the only female immortal, Baoshan Sanren lives with her disciples. She herself goes down once every few years to choose disciples with no karmic fate, and those with good hearts...and most importantly, orphans. They never leave the mountain they call home...but those who do leave, are not allowed to come back.' he said.

'When I met your mother when your father brought her home as his girlfriend, she was as strong as you now...and upon adulthood, even moreso.' he continued. 'She was stronger than even Wen Ruohan that he pursued her which was reason why she eloped with your father and he left Jiang Sect for her. He was...annoying, in her words, by the way and how he does it will irritate any sane woman out there.' Fengmian shook his head. 'What kept her from killing him when things got too much was that massive army of theirs, she will never know peace in the country.' said Fengmian as Wuxian shakily received his parents' swords. 'You resemble her, so be careful with the Wens.' he warned. 'I looked for you for years because I was afraid of that. And he's...unstable as of late.'

That, was news to the boys and his son, while the Lans and Mingjue frowned. Yeah, the previous conference was something else.

'Wuxian gives thanks to Sect Leader Jiang.' Wuxian shook, trying hard not to cry. Fengmian smiled sadly and patted his head.

'Sect Leader Nie, please watch out for him.' Fengmian asked Mingjue who nodded. 'This child does not deserve Wen Ruohan's obsessive, monstrous attention. You have no idea what the poor woman went through.'

And they don't want to even imagine it!

'On my word.' Mingjue promised as Fengmian left with his son on sword.

'...I didn't know a-niang had that kind of history...that explains why we always travel now. I never grew up in a house.' Wuxian shuddered as he put the swords in his qiankun pouch. Lucky nobody among the Wens recognized him last time...

'Now you do.' said Huaisang. 'Guess you're also gonna learn the sword with me huh?'

'After my work Sang-Sang~' Wuxian forced a smile on his face.

'Wei-xiong, ride with Wangji.' Xichen was NOT blind to his brother's feelings. 'You have yet to learn Sword-Flying.' Wuxian looked at Wangji who nodded. So swords at the ready, and they flew together for Qinghe that took a week of travel.

Wangji suffered his own brand of suffering, when he felt Wuxian's hands on his shoulders.