Qing pulled her hood low as she moved through the streets of the Inner District of the Lotus Empire. With some transfer arrays, she had made good time of only a week to the capital of the backwater Empire. It was rustic to her eyes used to peak Diamond Tier formations and materials surrounding her.
Aside from the nobles, the highest thing she saw in most of the streets was Stone Tier quality. The Darkmoor Kingdom took the lionshare of high tier resources aside from what was promised to the nobility, thus most of this Empire never rose above Iron Tier if they were lucky.
She did not think less of them, but she knew not to expect to resupply the resources she needed for her cultivation here. It would not be a problem as the Sapphire Auction House could act as a resource for her due to their Sect trade agreements but it might be delayed. She sighed as she finally saw the spires that marked the Lotus Academy.
Shoti had been going on about the young boy, Lind Frey, for over a year since she returned from a mission for the Sect. The change in Shoti had been so positive that Qing had found herself curious but only that. Now, she would be meeting the boy and he was the same person that made those excellent elixirs. How?!
He was only 17 years old and a 5th tier Soul Realm. Even though alchemists could make excellent pills, it took years of steady progress and hard tests to prove the quality of their work, but this boy seemed to effortlessly create elixirs as if it was an everyday thing.
A message up the chain to the higher realms had returned a positive response and Shoti was likely to get a rare opportunity but Qing had no doubt she would squander it. The woman seemed to have other goals than her cultivation these days.
She saw a peak Soul Realm guard at the gates to the Academy but he saw the symbol on her cloak and merely saluted her through. A frown crossed her face, but she had no desire to crack down on shoddy security. To even get to this gate required passing several decent formation defenses but those were only as good as the cultivator monitoring them.
She moved without obstruction past many wide eyed students. She had not been more than 4 years younger when she was in the Soul Realm but she had never seemed this naive. She noted the arrogance of several people and sneered in her mind at their foolish feeling of authority.
A Soul Realm might be considerable in this place, but in the wide world, a Soul Realm was barely above a mortal to most cultivators. Even a promising seed would only be treasured if they could surpass the wall of World Realm.
She had heard of clans that could consistently reach the Sand Tier but after that it became a steep climb to go higher. A Stone Tier or Iron Tier could be a patriarch but not easily replaced in this part of the world.
She sighed again as she felt minor fluctuations pass over her. Her cloak was a peak Gold Tier defensive armor that would carry her through most of this Academy without the slightest scratch, but she then narrowed her eyes as someone on her own level finally looked her over.
It was a quick sensation but she disliked being looked at without her permission. She understood that it was at least reasonable in this instance, but she did not like it. She finally reached the medical ward after following signs through what passed for defensive walls in this Empire.
An old man with a chest length gray beard stood at the entrance. His fine robe was peak Iron Tier armor, very good for this Empire, but the man himself was low Gold Tier which surprised her. The Emperor was high Gold Tier so this person would be the 2nd most powerful individual she knew of.
"Greetings Heavenly Maiden, I welcome you to my Academy." Qing finally clicked and confirmed this was the Head Elder of the Lotus Academy. She smiled politely but did not extend her hands. The report she had read on the way here left her with little pity for this man or his Empire. The politics of Darkmoor infuriated her greatly.
Her disdain seemed to rankle the old man, but he could not exert his higher cultivation to this particular guest. The power behind her could crush the Lotus Empire without even really trying.
"Where is he?" She skipped any more banality by getting to the heart of her reason for being there. The Head Elder frowned but did not object as he led her inside. They passed several wards filled with injured students. She noted most of them were minor or some kind of modest poison.
As they ascended, however, the problems became more severe. She actually nodded with approval of a few formations that would help purify a heavily contaminated meridian or dantian. There were even rooms that isolated a patient to recover as they were vulnerable after a near brush with lethal poisons or disease. The pills made by alchemists often came with a price the higher the grade needed to heal someone.
After 4 flights of stairs, they finally reached a place with massive suites. Staff were on standby for intensive care of critically injured students or Elders. Qing arched an eyebrow as one older man was clearly screaming as an armored insect was eating his arm but no sound came out. The staff quickly worked and were preparing to amputate the arm to save his life.
"Given the unique nature of what happened to Lind Frey, we felt it wise to keep an eye on him in case he was repossessed. It is rare, but our records show it has happened." Qing's stern visage softened slightly at the consideration shown. She did not know the details of the edicts and orders isolating this boy, but clearly the Head Elder was frustrated and vented it by giving the best care they could. It helped that he was correct, repossession was a possibility even though Qing had never heard of a Soul Realm being possessed before.
"I read over the report we had from my Sect, is there someone that can answer questions for me aside from Lind Frey?" The Head Elder nodded and retrieved a communication jade from his bag or some other treasure on him. Someone was going to be retrieved for her to interview.
Finally, they came to a warded room. Qing nodded in satisfaction but wondered where Gold Tier level wards had come from for this Academy. Seeing the question in her pale eyes, the old man puffed with pride.
"These are procured by me from the Sapphire Auction House trade desk. I did not want to take any chances, but it turned out–" A deep frown appeared on his face as he led her through the curtain and Qing was stunned at what she saw. "Lind Frey has no interest in being normal."
She had expected several possibilities considering the severe nature of the possession reported, but instead of a near crippled boy, she saw a vibrant young man quietly laying in bed as he read from a scroll. A few jade slips were on a small wooden table near the head of his bed as he moved slowly to place the scroll down.
Qing immediately saw his body was indeed still healing. She pulled her hood back and noticed an oddity. Lind definitely noted her face but he did not even glance down at her body. She still had her cloak on but it was usually an instinct that men seemed unable to deny. She might have thought he was simply not interested in women at all but Shoti affirmed he most certainly was.
Qing worried how Shoti verified that particular fact but she could sense that his yang Qi was still pure. She noted the staff monitoring him and found no fault but she also noticed a complete lack of a specialist when a cultivator suffered from a heart demon possession.
"I am Qing of the Heavenly Maiden Sect, I was chosen to take care of you Lind Frey." Qing kept things distanced but saw his face screw up in confusion as he turned to the Head Elder. She also turned to the old man and found him scratching the side of his cheek as if he was a young man caught doing what he should not be.
"A-ahem. Could the rest of you please step outside?" The medical staff froze but quickly bowed and left as there was no issue to override the Head Elder. It was the only area a medical professional could order even an Emperor but it did not mean they would not pay with their life later.
Lind looked between the 2 people left with him and seemed perfectly fine to wait out eternity. The Head Elder wove his elements to create another formation on top of the wards already present. Now, even if the head of the department tried to use the wards, they would hear nothing.
"The Sapphire Auction House activated a clause in your contract." The sentence meant nothing to Qing but Lind's eyes widened before nodding slowly. He then looked at Qing again and she felt a chill in her spine. It was not the look of a teenager trying to gauge a beautiful woman, it was as if a sleeping beast was evaluating a threat.
"World Realm, Iron Tier I think, and likely water, fire, and air. A healer?" Qing was stunned. This was a 5th tier Soul Realm looking at her cultivation that was at mid-Iron Tier! How did he do that?!
"World Eyes?! You have World Eyes?" Qing moved towards him in curiosity but saw him pull back instantly. She then saw it. It was just for a moment, but she saw the look she had known so well most of her life. She now understood so much about Lind at that moment.
"Head Elder, thank you for escorting me, please leave the ward in place and hand me nodal control." The Head Elder frowned but this was not an arena where his authority did him no good. A pre-made formation could be controlled by another cultivator even if they did not share elements so long as the creator handed over the control. It would eventually disperse, but it would take longer than without anyone at all controlling it.
Once the man was gone, Qing turned back to Lind and saw the kind of wounds she specialized in. She carefully looked him over but his physical wounds were on the mend. She estimated it would take 2 to 3 more weeks to be safe, but she felt a resistance to her Qi trying to enter his body. World Touch! This boy had cultivated the 2 talents to a whole major realm above his own! Why?!
She did not share those talents but had some artifacts that made up for her deficiency. A healer with either of his gifts would be a god at their profession. A bright bauble floated over Lind's bed but merely gave her a rundown of his condition in detail to her senses. His meridians and dantian were in pristine condition which was now explained.
"Your World Touch is so perfectly cultivated it saved your cultivation during your profession, but conversely your body took far more damage than it would normally. Your World Eyes likely helped you guide your ministrations without fully cultivating, but there is more." She saw Lind's dark green eyes bulge but he confirmed nothing. She summoned a black box and held it up to him and saw a reaction that was damned rare. Innate cultivator. By the spirits!
"You are an Innate Cultivator and a 6 elemental. Also, which parent was assaulted?" She had been clinical up to the last question. The last one was said gently and she let down the high walls she kept up and let her eyes show the pain she had lived through. Shock and anger flared but then she saw his face look in awe at her. He saw it! He recognized one of his own kind!
"M-my mother was. My aunt died after giving birth and 2 others died as well." Qing was appalled but she stayed steady as she slowly moved closer to him. He no longer pulled away but he was skittish like a frightened animal. This was the most dangerous time as his heart demon could rear its head once more, but she was slow and careful.
"You spoke of that quickly. Shoti did not include that in her reports, only that you were somehow involved with the incident that resulted in the death of the 3rd Princess." She saw rage flare again but it was not directed at her. That made 2 heart demons so far. They were deep too. "I can't promise much but I am here for you, Lind. I really do understand."
Her hand gently touched his and it jumped but she waited before carefully putting it in the palm of her and closing both around it. It was as far as she wanted to push him right then. His soul was fragile in more ways than one at that moment. She then hummed a little tune Shoti used to sing to her when she was first at the Heavenly Maiden Sect.
The tension slowly drained from Lind's eyes and body as he seemed to relax at last.
Qing reviewed the details and barely frowned before she put the treasures away. His control of his Qi was monstrous. Despite clear emotional highs and lows, his Qi hardly varied at all. What kind of childhood did he have?
"Lind, I have to be honest. You have multiple severe heart demons and it will be very difficult. Normally you would have more time but with the current state of affairs, you need to understand something." Qing looked gently into his eyes. Her eyes likely shifted colors faintly as they would when she got emotional. His far too young face began to break her heart. "If we cannot resolve the heart demons, my diagnosis is you will die if you try to break through to the peak of the Soul Realm let alone the World Realm."
Silence descended but she never broke eye contact as tears began to form on his face. Qing internally breathed a sigh of relief. It was not known broadly due to the ravages of possession destroying cultivation normally but if a cultivator survived, they might have lost a part of themselves. If they could not fear death or the future of pain, they would likely be consumed completely when trying to break through a minor tier let alone a major one.
"I am here to help, Shoti is my friend too." The dam finally broke as Lind clung to her and began to wail. Who knew where it came from, but it was the start she needed. Lind was still human and she had a lot of work ahead of her.