"This…there are so many strange things with this place that I have simply never even heard of before. I will ignore the matter of you achieving such dao comprehension as a mere mortal for now, that is shocking enough. You're just a freak, so let's leave it at that."
Khan rolled his eyes and didn't say anything. However, the spirit sounded quite worked up over something, so he listened quietly with a bit of interest. Regarding the structure of this world, this realm, whatever lay beyond…he was of course curious, just like every other cultivator in existence.
The spirit continued, more or less just talking aloud to herself.
"Sub-realms, where cultivation and even basic soul ascension is impossible? Something like this definitely shouldn't exist! And then this sect…such a shocking method to draw in mortal souls from these separate 'sub-realms' with their memories in tact! Not to mention that you said this sect is located on an actual origin star? Are you truly sure of this?"
Khan blinked.
"Is this strange? According to the sect, there are 10,000 origin stars in this star system. I still don't really know what any of that means, but apparently all of the reincarnated Samsara Souls in this star system are drawn to this specific origin star, which is ruled by the Samsara Sect." Khan explained more or less everything he knew, which wasn't really a whole lot.
The sect just dropped these vague existential bombshells on them and left it at that, not expanding on anything and giving them no way to learn more.
"T-ten thousand origin stars in a single realm?!" The spirit screamed out loud, making Khan frown. Whenever she cried out like that, it rung all through his soul, through his mind, and even his body. It was extremely annoying and uncomfortable.
"Stop screaming. Is this weird then?"
"Weird, of course this is weird! It's already very rare for a realm to contain a single origin star, the absolute most I've ever heard of myself is 9! 10,000…no, there's no way…"
"Well that's what the sect tells all the disciples, maybe they're lying, or maybe you've just never been to a decent realm."
"I have travelled the infinite void for 9 primordial eras, I have most certainly visited some of the most prosperous realms that exist in this world!" The spirit shot him down with a cold snort.
"Hmm…" Khan pondered casually for a moment. The spirit was having an existential crisis right now, but he was able to think about it clearly. In the end, he could think of a few possibilities.
"Then firstly, maybe the sect is just lying, for whatever reason. This doesn't make much sense though…why spread this information that will never be relevant to most of the sect members in the first place if it's just a lie? Secondly, you might have somehow travelled to some far off place compared to where you lived and travelled in the past." He paused before saying the third possibility.
"And?" The spirit pushed.
"You said that before I awakened you, you were sleeping, right? Maybe the entire world changed drastically whilst you slept."
"Impossible!" The spirit shot this idea down immediately as she shook her head. "I slept for a long time, sure, but it should have been around one fifth of a primordial era. This is far from long enough for everything to change so much."
"Then maybe you actually slept for much longer." Khan pointed out without skipping a beat. Who didn't oversleep now and then? It sounded like she was comatosed or something during this time, maybe she was just totally wrong about how long it had been.
The spirit became silent.
"This…is the greatest possibility, although I'm not sure how something like that could have happened, and just what could have caused such drastic changes to this world…?"
"Well, these are all just my guesses, maybe I'm totally wrong and it's something else entirely." Khan shrugged.
"Yes, maybe…the only way I can check if so much time really has passed, is if you are able to bind the full Void Blood Pill." The spirit suddenly mentioned.
"But you lost your body, right?"
"Indeed…however, if the artefact, my body, truly is hidden somewhere within yourself…then it's entirely possible that it will awaken in 81 years as I previously mentioned. If you can attain the peak of the Elementary Stage, the 'Blood Core Realm' as you call it, then perhaps we can learn the truth.
Khan paused. His expression gradually darkened.
"You're saying that the stuff you said before really wasn't a lie, about me needing to reach the Blood Core Realm in 81 years or else I will be devoured by that little pill?"
"Indeed."
"And this might still be holding true?"
"Yes, that is entirely possible."
Khan closed his eyes, then opened them suddenly and yelled out, startling the three girls from their contemplation.
"Motherfucker, why didn't you say this earlier?! Here I was, relaxing without a care in the world, when I only have 81 damn years to reach the Blood Core Realm or else I might die!"
The spirit was startled at his outburst, but realised now that she really should have mentioned this.
"So you're going to start training again?"
"Eh…nah." Khan sat back down and shrugged, his anger from before nowhere to be seen.
"I still want to relax for this week…I'll just do a bit more later on, it'll probably be fine with that formation of yours, no worries."
Everyone was speechless. Khan's mood really did change too quickly.
**********
A week passed by, and it was now the day of the 108th Samsara Branch Sect inner sect entrance exam. All of the Profound Roots Realm disciples from Khan's outer sect lined up nervously, awaiting their turn to test their strength on the realm measuring pillar. One of these black pillars was located in each of the nine outer sects. This was the first test, the test that allowed entry into the inner sect trial grounds for the outer sect disciples.
The elders could of course see through these young disciples' cultivations, but there were certain expensive treasures that could be used to fool a cultivator, whilst this pillar could not be tricked.
Khan didn't enter first, but let Fu Rian go before him. She passed the trial after placing her palm on the black pillar. It lit up with a white light, showing that she was at the Profound Roots Realm.
The reason for Khan going second, after Fu Rian, was quite simple really.
"Failed…mortal, no cultivation…" The inner sect disciple responsible for the testing this year looked at Khan weirdly, but then frowned and felt like something was off.
Khan sighed. He knew this would happen. Well, there was nothing for it then.
With his large hand grasping the curved pole, he pushed forwards and clenched down with his full strength. His Blood Energy strengthened his body, then exploded forwards and caused the pillar to explode forwards, demolishing this relatively expensive item before the disbelieving gaze of the inner sect disciple.
BANG!
The rubble from the pillar exploded in multiple directions. Fu Bian was here with her sister and waved her hand to protect her, whilst Hui was shielded behind Khan.
Many elders were struck by the surprise explosion and felt irritated towards Khan already, though they were of course uninjured. As for the other outer sect disciples…
"Ugh…"
"My rib, damnit…"
"Khan again…at least I won't be living in the same place as that guy anymore…"
…
Khan ignored all of this and turned towards the speechless inner sect disciple and outer sect elders.
"I'm 15 years old and possess a Vital Life Realm body, this should be enough, right?"
"Of course…" The inner sect disciple slowly nodded, then showed a bitter smile. "But you didn't need to destroy the testing pillar…these are expensive you know."
"Oh…I'm not paying for it." Khan said firmly whilst looking him dead in the eyes, once again dumbfounding the young disciple.
Inner sect disciples could take on certain tasks in order to earn merit points from the sect, which they could exchange for anything they wanted, from resources, to information regarding treasure sites, to lectures from the elders. This task was supposed to be quite simple, but the young man felt bitter, knowing that he probably wouldn't earn his merit points now.
The other outer sect disciples were injured not only physically, but also mentally after Khan detonated the pillar. They could visit one of the other outer sects and take the first test there, but they almost all suddenly found that they had lost their desire to compete in a competition where Khan would also be participating.
Most silently went home, trying not to think about this day for any longer than they needed to.
And so, for the first time in the history of the 108th Samsara Branch Sect, only two disciples entered the inner sect entrance exam from one of the nine outer sects.
"You let me go first because you were planning this from the beginning?" Fu Rian asked as they were led past the illusive inner sect gate and into the unknown beyond.
Khan laughed and turned to her with a bright smile.
"Of course, I couldn't leave my Little Riri behind now, could I?"
'He's really going to keep calling me that. I don't suppose he would stop if I asked…sigh.' Fu Rian thought silently.
"Plus, you still want to continue stalking me, right?" Khan turned to her and smiled, giving her a strange feeling.
"What, I'm not-"
"Stalking, observing, watching…whatever you want to call it, it doesn't matter. Either way, you don't seem to be satisfied with whatever it is that you're looking for yet."
Fu Rian stopped walking and her face paled. When Khan realised that she'd stopped, he paused and turned back.
"Pfft, your face!" He burst into laughter, seeing her at a loss for words. "What, did you really think I wouldn't notice?"
Did she really believe that he wouldn't see through her? Ever since he had been young, almost no girl whom he slept with had ever retained good feelings towards him!
Well to be fair, almost nobody he met felt well disposed towards him in general.
He was naturally suspicious of Fu Rian from the beginning, and with how often she visited him, it became obvious that she was observing him.
"I…I-"
"I don't know why you're watching me, but I don't really care anyway. If I thought that you had malicious intentions then I would have killed you already, so you can relax."
After taking a deep breath, Fu Rian returned to Khan's side and they continued following the elders into the inner sect.
"All this time you knew…so you were just messing with me then?" She glanced upwards briefly, but kept a calm expression.
"Hey, don't get the wrong idea! I think my Little Riri is very adorable, that's why I tease you."
'He doesn't take me seriously at all.' Fu Rian sighed internally yet again.