Black Snake gazed at the indistinct mountains beyond the gorge, filled with white mist. His mind was empty; he had no idea what to name himself.
He turned back and asked casually.
"Are there any rules for choosing a name?"
Lin Wei perked up at the question and gave it serious, careful thought.
"For cultivators, you could say there are many considerations, or very few. Some take their names from nature, some use them to express their path of cultivation, and others follow an orderly lineage of generational names."
"In the Mortal Realm, people favor auspicious meanings or names that balance the five elements in their birth charts. But ultimately, your name is your own. As long as it sounds pleasant to your ears and feels right on your tongue, that's enough."
After a moment's thought, she added another remark.
"A name is the foundation on which you stand in the world. It mustn't be frivolous, careless, or too grand. Otherwise, not only might you fail to bear the fortune it carries, you could also make yourself a laughingstock."
Black Snake fell silent after listening. Looking at the hazy mountains and mist, he still found no inspiration.
Choosing a name was harder than fighting or dueling with spells.
He recalled Lin Wei mentioning birth charts and the five elements. Though he did not know when he had been born, he knew his cultivation centered on Gui Water. There was no mistaking that.
Based on the rudimentary knowledge he had learned before, he would do best to choose a name related to metal.
According to the cycle of generation and restraint among wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, either Geng Metal or Xin Metal would benefit his cultivation.
With a direction in mind, he finally had a thread to follow.
Black