**Chapter 8
Lazy Lotus and Blossoming Attention**
The morning sun cast golden shafts through the pavilion's open sides as disciples gathered to review the latest Cultivation Rankings—a carved stone plaque listing everyone's current level and title. Alex Reed squinted at the characters:
1. **Foundation Establishment (筑基, Zhùjī)** – Lay the groundwork of one's qi sea.
2. **Core Formation (结丹, Jiédān)** – Condense a spirit core for greater power.
3. **Nascent Soul (元婴, Yuányīng)** – Forge a nascent spirit for soul-projection.
4. **Spirit Ascension (飞升, Fēishēng)** – Break the sky's limit and ascend toward immortality.
Next to each title, disciples' names gleamed in jade-green for Foundation Establishment, sapphire-blue for Core Formation, and the rare gold for Nascent Soul. Alex, still brand-new, glowed in pale green: **Alex Reed – Foundation Establishment, Stage 1**.
"Foundation Establishment, Stage 1…" he muttered, "that sounds like kindergarten."
Jin Mu leaned over. "Actually, Stage 1 means your qi sea's stable. Pretty good for one day in-world."
Before Alex could reply, a soft tsk drew his gaze upward. There, reclining on a silk-upholstered platform draped in lotus banners, lounged Lotus Cloud Mistress—widely known as *the* laziest spirit ascension cultivator in all of Azure Mist Sect.
Her cultivation level was **spirit ascension, Stage 4**, a rank that routinely demanded endless meditation and pill refinement. Yet she spent more time napping in sunbeams than gathering herbs. Rumor had it she'd once slept through an entire Sect Council meeting and still earned a merit badge for "exceptional aura resonance."
Today, however, she was… awake.
Lotus Cloud Mistress flicked a languid finger at Alex, eyes half-lidded but sparkling with amusement. Her voice was as smooth as water flowing over jade: "So you're the Invisible Guy."
Alex blinked. "That's me."
She yawned theatrically. "I hear you've been through the Spirit Beast Gauntlet, the dragon duel, and even a midnight spy mission. Impressive… for a Foundation Establishment."
Alex rubbed the back of his neck. "I have a good team."
She sat up, stretching so that the lotus-patterned sleeves fell away. The air around her shimmered with faint petal-like motes of qi. "I'm looking for someone to test a new formation," she said, voice teasing. "Someone with… unconventional talents."
Alex's heart skipped. "Me?"
Lotus Cloud Mistress stood at last, graceful despite her reputation for indolence. She extended a single slim hand, the bracelets on her wrist tinkling softly. "Come by Lotus Pavilion tonight. Be… visible."
A murmur rippled through the gathered disciples. To attract Mistress Lotus's attention was rare—her favor normally reserved for family heirs or legendary prodigies. Yet here she was, seeking out the newest—and clumsiest—invisible novice.
Ling Xiao'er threw Alex a thumbs-up. "Looks like your 'invisibility' finally got you noticed."
Alex swallowed, trading a glance with Jin Mu. "Well," he said, "I guess I'll make sure my Foundation Establishment qi sea is… loud and clear."
As Lotus Cloud Mistress drifted back onto her silk platform, Alex realized that sometimes, being visible to the right person was more important than any cloaking field. Especially if that someone was the laziest spirit ascension genius in the sect—who now seemed to have the energy to tilt her world toward him.
And so, with cultivation levels on display and a lazy lotus's interest awakened, Alex's next lesson would be far more… romantic. Visible or not, his heart was already in Core Formation.