Yian sat on a soft pillow in front of the table Long Daiyu had placed the soup on. She calmy looked at how the energetic Long Daiyu sat and began to blow softly at the soup in order for it to cool down.
"Yu'er do you want to go vist the world for a couple of months?"
Long Daiyu who was focused on her food suddenly looked up at her mother with large eyes. Originally they were only supposed to stay here until she reached Qi Refining, but they had stayed longer as she wanted to learn about Alchemy.
Yian chuckled at her expression before speaking "Mother had kept you here to long. Although you are young and have reached Foundation building, as you try to make breakthroughs into the next stages it will only get harder. You will need to go out and understand the way of the world along with encounter oppertunities so you can progress. Right now I am only slowing your cultivation as I keep you here."
"Then mother wants me to go where?"
"Every ten years in the lower realms a certain realm is opened for those the ages of thirty and under to go into. The large sects in the area send in their students so that they can learn and gain experiences. Although the realm belongs to all the large sects they allow nomad cultivators to join the expedition as well."
Yian looked at the excited face of her child and could only sigh. She only hoped this child wouldn't let her mischievous nature take control of her and create trouble. Although she was laughing in her mind Yians face was serious as the next words came out of her mouth.
"I was planning on not letting you go in the beginning but you have grown quite a lot these past years, if I sheild you from danger you will never grow strong. It may seem like a trivial little exploration of a place but the only reason the sects allow nomad cultivators to join is so that they may be canon fodder. The realm is very strict on those who can enter and leave, in the recent decades only one third of the people who go in come back alive. Inside it is said they compete against each other for survival and only with their opponents death can they advance. Yu'er, you know that I have brought you up the way I did so that you may know just how dangerous the world outside actually is."
Long Daiyu only nodded her little head constantly at her mothers reminder. These years her mother had reminded her every day a small set of words.
"Yu'er knows mother. If I happen to cause trouble, I should remove the root of the problem before it can grow."
Yian nodded in satisfaction before beginning to drink the small bowl of fragrant herbal soup.
"We leave tommorow morning, so make sure you have everything in your spatial ring."
Long Daiyu nodded with enthusiasm, she couldn't wait to find the treasures the realm had to offer. Thinking of her low supplies of herbs, her small plump lips curved upward. If she could find rare herbs, she could make even more delicious foods and better pills.
That night, instead of cultivating the ambitious Long Daiyu thought of the endless delicacies she could make if she had the resources.
The morning came quicker than expected and Long Daiyu could only look at the small house and beautiful trees around with a little sorrow. Here she had learned of the vast world and broken her mortal chains. She could only look back as she held onto her mothers hand and entered a portal. Her mother had explained to her that powerful people could use artifacts to make portals and it took a large amount of spirit Qi. She always asked her mother what stage she was at but Yian would only look at her with a tender smile and say "strong".
They arrived in some woods that gave off an oder of blood. It seemed cultivators nearby were either hunting or being hunted. Yian remained passive and took out a large hat that had a black veil surrounding it.
Her cute daughter had on all black with gold embroidery designs of plum blossoms. It contrasted well with her silver hair giving off an ethereal apperance. Yian blushed before she took out a black jade hairpin she used back in the day when she was younger. The hair pin was actuly a mid-level talisman for protection. If her yu'er ever faced a life threatning situation the talisman would create a barrier and protect her, but it could not block the attacks of Peak-stage core formation and over. She used the hairpin to put her hair up before placing the hat on her.
"You musn't let to many people see your apperance. The hat has an array that lets you see outside but prevents others from looking in."
Long Daiyu nodded as she looked at her surroundings.
"Mother how long will I be in the realm?"
"Even I do not know that, but when you return I'll take you to my sect so you can meet all you senior sisters."
Under the dark veil Long Daiyu smiled in excitment, her mother rarley talked about her home and always said when she was ready she would take her. She knew her mother disliked telling her things early on so that it would add a sense of longing and created more motivation to improve. This mother of hers was really scheming at times.
Yian herself put on a hat and veil similar to Long Daiyu's before she took out a large black fan and gently placed yu'er on it. The fan was unlike anything yu'er had seen and was mesmerized by the details on it. The embroidery on the fan told a story itself and Long Daiyu was soon entranced. Yian looked down to see her lovely daughter caressing the designs on her fan. When she first came into contact with the windless sorrow she to was entanced. Yian had found and got hold of windless sorrow when she went into a newly found grave back when she had just begun cultivating. Many cultivators had went after the many treasures avaliable but she had went after a dirty old fan instead. In the end she did nor regret it as she felt she had an affinity with it and it soon became her lifebond talisman.
It was owned by a fairy cultivator who fell in love with an emperor in the mortal realm, however he held no love for her and betrayed her devotion. The fairy then began to hate men and lost herself to a heart demon during her cultivation. The fan tells the story of how she fell in love yet recieved nothing but hurt in the end.