*Krrrrrr*
Ilis stretched, raising his arms behind his head and groaning. He had just stopped cultivating for he didn't know how long. He sat on the green grass and he looked like he had just woken up from hibernation. From the outside looking in, this was all Ilis had been doing for the past six months since he had found this little spot, but they would be wrong.
*Yawn*
Ilis was a weird one. Unlike most people who cultivated, Ilis really enjoyed it. Most people wanted social lives and even though they would claim that they spent all their time cultivating, in reality, they only spent about half or three-quarters at best. The very fact that they were talking to you was proof that they didn't cultivate all the time. Humans were social animals, be them mortals or immortals so spending time talking with friends instead of spending it cultivating was not uncommon. Of course, this wasn't a completely useless endeavor as making friends with the right person would get you a connection that could save your life, but, regardless, you still weren't cultivating and getting stronger. This was one of the main reasons why people with no talent couldn't catch up to the one with it. Obviously, if you spend the same amount of time cultivating, the one with the greater talent would be further along.
Ilis, however, was a bit different. He was a bit quirky in many aspects of his life. Going back to why he seemed to be sleeping, it's because he cultivated while laying down not in the lotus position. He honestly couldn't be bothered to stay in a lotus position all the f*cking time so he just circulated his energy while laying down. Was there a difference. F*ck no. If there was, Ilis probably just would've quit cultivating. Sitting up was a bother and was only upheld because of tradition.
Ilis also had no social life. He found most people to be bothersome and he hated loud noises and irrationality, trademarks of the cultivation world. So he spent most of his time cultivating. For him, cultivation was not work, but a way to both semi-sleep and loose track of time. Two of his favorite things.
It goes without saying that as such, Ilis was a ways ahead in terms of cultivation realm and could be marked in the upper echelons of the inner court based on that alone.
"How long has it been, I wonder? Not that it really matters that much."
Ilis said sleepily, standing up and stretching out his limbs.
*Snort*
"Yeah, yeah, whatever."
Ilis turned his face towards a towering bear that stood on it's hind legs before him.
The bear, a long time resident of the Depths, was a spirit beast known for it's massive frame and innate ability to amplify it's aura, making it seem much more terrifying than it actually was and giving it the moniker, Towering Bear. With brown, shaggy hair and razor sharp claws, combined with it's formidable cultivation of first level Spirit Warrior, it was one of the most dangerous creatures on the outskirts, as Spirit Warriors were rarely seen in this area, which is a part of the outer court which is filled with Spirit Apprentices.
The bear snorted again and eyed Ilis before dropping down on all fours, making it's head the same height as Ilis. One should keep in mind that Ilis is not short. He is actually taller than most though he can't be considered towering like some f*cking freaks of nature.
{A/N: I'm not bitter. I'm 6 foot 3. I'm just pissed that my dad is slightly taller and that I was f*cking lied too when I was told I was gonna be taller than him. My roommates being football players does not make it better}
Despite having his eyes closed, Ilis kept his eyes on the face of the bear all the way through the motions. His shaggy gray hair was unruly and Ilis had to sweep it out of his face, revealing a handsome visage. While most liked to keep their hair glossy and clean, Ilis didn't really care about his appearance so his hair was somewhat dirty and their was patches of stubble marking his face.
His robe was also in disarray. Ilis had found long sleeves to be annoying so he modified his robe so his sleeves were tighter around his arms. The robe was tightly tied and wrinkled, but it hadn't come off while Ilis was asleep, something he found as a plus. A hood lay barely visible underneath the plethora of hair, another adjustment Ilis had made. Normally, cultivation robes were uneditable, but Ilis was an outer court disciple with no standing. Nobody really gave much of a f*ck about him. Barely anybody remembered him.
{A/N: Imagine: a younger looking uncle dude from I was summoned to another word but that world was at peace. Also imagine robe style hooded jacket and sweatpants}
The bear and the disciple stood face to face with another, the air tense.
Rather than run from the bear who would terrify any normal cultivator, Ilis just frowned.
"Did you really have to disturb me? I was having such a good time."
The reason Ilis had arose was from a loud noise that the bear had caused earlier.
The bear snorted again and glared at the man who acted so nonchalantly in front of him, but Ilis just smirked, stretching his limbs yet again. He seemed to radiate an aura that unconsciously relaxed his surroundings as the air which had been tense seemed to quiet down.
"Don't be petty. Just cause the others are not here doesn't mean you can f*ck with me. As I recall we had a nonverbal agreement. You're like a doting dad whose daughters have been out for a week. They had sh*t to do and so did I thank you very much."
Originally, vulgar and disrespectful words such as these would cause the animals that were listening in the forest to tense up and look at the man in disbelief, but this was not the first time a similar situation had arose. The bear was one of the main proprietors of the valley and often took care of the other spirit beasts that normally resided in and near by. Unfortunately for the bear, all those spirit beasts had left recently to accomplish other tasks and would only return the next day.
The bear just shook it's head and used it's momentum to point towards the direction of the H Center. He was indicating that Ilis needed to return there to let them know he was still alive. Though not required in the outer court, the main receptionist was one of the few people who knew of Ilis's existence and Ilis liked to return every once in a while so she wouldn't report him as MIA.
"Oh, you're right. My bad."
The bear just shook it's head and lumbered away. During these past six months, he had come to accept Ilis as one of his own and felt it his responsibility to make sure he didn't get too absorbed in whatever he was doing. Ilis loved to lose track of time. It was one of his main reasons for cultivating, being able to do nothing and not be aware of himself. Being aware of time was f*cking annoying and Ilis, regrettably, couldn't sleep all the time. So he chose cultivating to pass the time.
Ilis looked back towards the H Center and the outer court. He didn't mind going back. Though he spent most of his time here cultivating, he wanted to make sure nobody had stolen his original living quarters thinking he was dead and there was a couple of things Ilis wanted to check on.
Like the date.
"Oh well, maximum effort." he began to stride out of the forest, the familiar animals that normally would attack any cultivator just watched him lazily. Truly he had been accepted by this small part of the Depths.
{A/N: ima publish this, but it's not edited and there is a lot to introduce. Be patient.}