It took Shu He a full 10 minutes to come to as his eyes focused once more, he steadily sat up on the dull stone stele looking out into the distance, the rain was coming down hard as mist had begun forming creating a white boundary around the ruined building.
Shu He felt like he had been isolated in the world, all that existed was him and the stones around him, the sound of the rain pounding the grassy fields and stones filling the silence, it was a rather peaceful scene.
"Nine Heaven's Divine Body…"
He was going over all the information that had appeared in his mind, it was a complete technique, a cultivation technique aimed at refining ones self, not just body but mind and soul as well, it was a technique that was far above his current status, he could barely understand the first couple levels, the ones above that gave him a painful headache when he tried to understand them, like something was missing in his mind.
It was a technique that was split in to 9 levels, or 'Nine Heavens', each level having prerequisites and conditions.
Each level requires one to undergo an excruciating process of cleansing and transforming their body with the required materials, if one fails the procedure the materials will be wasted, and depending on the person the procedure may require more than one set of materials and cleansing cycles.
Shu He could only fully understand the requirements for the first level right now, and that level was called –
First Heaven – Foundational Heaven.
The prerequisite was a measure of Qi quality equivalent to Meridian Awakening.
He wasn't quite sure why it was measured like that; something was telling him that what he had received wasn't a simple set of texts but something that was guiding him, adapting to his knowledge.
The effects of the first stage were simple, restructure the body, and in turn affect the mind and soul, increasing the baseline strength, qi quality and elemental efficacy.
'Simple, but terrifying'
It was the first time he had encountered a technique that effected mind and soul, something he knew next to nothing about, he was also worried how it would affect his soul since his current theory said it may be damaged in some way.
The required items were as follows – Crystalised sources of the five elements and the two balances.
To which to say, Crystalised Fire, Water, Wood, Earth and Metal resources, Yin and Yang Crystals also, they all need to be of Medium Mortal grade, so obtaining them won't be easy.
Shu He reached into his clothes and pulled out the necklace he was wearing, it was an expensive item but right now he was glad he still held on to it rather than selling it off – it was Medium Mortal grade after all!
He already had one of the seven, but he didn't know if the sect sold the others or where he could obtain them otherwise, he knew that Yin and Yang crystals were popular because of the need for them in earlier cultivation levels, so there were a lot in stock.
As for the elemental crystals, he wasn't sure at all; The next stage that he needs to assail was Elemental Infusion which requires Qi of the five elements, so it was entirely possible the sect sold the needed items as well.
Either way, he couldn't learn the technique right now, it'd have to be on the backburner until he returned to the sect.
And of course he would learn it, why wouldn't he? A meat pie had dropped on his lap, he'd be stupid not to eat it; But he also felt a deep connection to the technique he couldn't describe something about it was different to the usual technique.
Though, Shu He couldn't help but draw comparisons to another technique he had seen before, one he wanted to buy in the Techniques Depository known as 'Sacred Body's Grand Cycle Method', it had a similar way of functioning with nine levels, based on absorbing elemental energies.
He wondered if that technique had anything to do with the 'Nine Heaven's Divine Body', maybe it was inspired by it? Or derived over a long period? It was something he would need to look in to in the future.
"Long Tian…" He whispered a name that was likely forgotten to time, only to come to light in this very moment.
'He seemed like an overbearing man, his eyes effused with pure confidence…' Shu He felt a innate reverence to the man the moment he laid his eyes on him, but also a deep fear.
That man was someone far beyond him in cultivation, another realm entirely, he didn't need to be told that to understand it.
And yet he died.
'What creatures was he talking about? What could have killed someone like him?'
He then looked down at the stele he was sat on.
'Is this all that remains of him? Do all cultivators of his realm leave such a thing when they die?'
He hadn't heard of such a thing, but the only cultivators he knew of were in the mortal realm so it didn't mean much.
"Sage…" He whispered.
Tian Long had mentioned that word, he had said "My fellow sage", addressing the person that activated the stele, addressing Shu He.
Of course, he had no such title, not to his knowledge.
But…
'I've heard that term used before, haven't I? A single time.'
He remembered the scroll he was given when he went to enter the Alchemy Tower, it gave a brief overlook of humanity's history and the development of alchemy, but the most important part was the mention of a calamity that struck the world.
Following that calamity, the energy known as Qi came into existence, and with that was a man.
A man they called the 'First Sage' or the 'Sage of Heaven'.
It then mentioned that more 'Sages' rose after that, rising to struggle to end the calamity.
And they did.
Shu He could only put two and two together to conclude one thing:
'That man was from the age of calamity' He felt shivers rise up his spine, he had just witnessed an actual person that experienced the disaster back then.
He even learned a small amount as to the identity of the calamity.
'Beasts…' He pondered, but he couldn't do much with the information; The calamity ended long ago anyway.
He still wasn't sure just how long still, but after what he just saw, he felt it was even longer than he had first assumed, more than a few thousand years.
'But why would he call me a Sage?' He asked himself, the man wasn't actually here, what he said was likely pre-recorded, or a remnant memory of some sorts, he wasn't sure.
But he shook his head, feeling as that line of thinking was wrong.
'Maybe, it was just that back then cultivators were referred to as 'Sages' instead?'
"No… that may be true but…" He was ignoring a very clear reason.
He put his hand on the smooth but dull stele, now no different from the rest of the rubble around him.
'This stele didn't accept my normal, Azure Qi, instead it only accepted the Golden Qi'.
And if that was the case…
"The condition to be a 'Sage'… is the Golden Qi?" His eyes shot wide open as he shivered, like he had received recognition from something upon stumbling on the answer.
He couldn't help but grin slightly.
"So that's it… I see, I see! Then this means that, at the very least, at some point in the distant past, this Golden Qi was owned by more people!".
He had only encountered one other person, that old man a few years ago.
'Wait, that means that old man was also a 'Sage' since he could manipulate it…'
"How old is he?!" He said, exasperated.
Either way, he felt happy now that he had deduced some information regarding this unique Qi that had been with him since he was younger, it was no longer as much of a mystery.
'But, if people had it back then, why isn't it common these days as well? There has to be a good reason…'
Unfortunately, the extent of the deductions ended there, he had squeezed as much as he could out of what he knew already.
He sighed and stood up, looking down at the stele and clasping his hands in respect to the deceased.
"Senior Long Tian, I will make sure your name is known and never forgotten in the future as thanks for your help" He spoke sincerely.
Then he hopped down the ruins until he landed on the ground, looking out at the rain.
'This sidetrack was beyond worthwhile, but I need to get moving again; I still don't know if anyone would still be trying to track me down after all'.
He wasn't sure how long he had been in a trance earlier, but since it was still raining it shouldn't have been long, to his relief.
He had felt like it had been much longer, but he attributed it to the weird abilities of a greater cultivator.
He took out a map to re-orient himself, then shot out of the ruins, heading towards Redaloy Town.
…
Somewhere far, far away, in a place that was as silent as can be, in the black sky stars of many colours flashed and blinked, shifting and swaying.
In the middle of the pitch-black void was a single man, mediating like he was sat on solid ground yet floating effortlessly, his pure white robes fluttering in the inexistent void wind.
All of a sudden, his eyes opened slightly as his pupils glowed with a divine light, a warm smile gently grew on his aged face, like a grandparent seeing off their grandchild.
"Long Tian… you've been found, huh?".
His eyes shifted slightly, like he was looking at something in the distance.
An image of a boy running under the rain reflected in his glowing eyes.
"That child… Shu He".
He nodded ever so lightly, as if any more force would disturb the equilibrium of the world around him.
"Very Good".