The four of them made their way across the large plains like floor, the scale of it reminded Shu He just how large the central mountain of the sect was, you could easily fit multiple full sized football stadiums inside; The three disciples were casually chatting between themselves while Little Xue was resting in Bai Lian's arms, the little duck had given up struggling for its freedom and accepted its fate as a hug toy.
"Yun Jiang, what were you doing with that sculpture back there, I couldn't help but feel... something from it, I'm not sure how to explain it…" Shu He asked, though he frowned as he couldn't put his finger on the exact words he wanted to say.
"Something… is that so…." Yun Jiang stroked his bound beard with his hand as he glanced thoughtfully at Shu He "Have you encountered something called 'Intent' yet?" he then asked.
Shu He's eyebrows rose, not expecting that word to come up here "Yeah, I've heard Chao S- I mean Senior Brother Chao has it?" he remembered that Bai Shun had explained to him before that Chao Shi was in the process of trying to break through his Intent level.
"That's right, Intent is a culmination and crystallisation of a Dao, it turns a concept in to something that can act on the world, for a sword cultivator like Senior Brother Chao it manifests in absolute sharpness, something that can cut everything, but the same logic doesn't work for all Dao".
"So, what you were trying to do was achieve Intent? Did you succeed?" She He said as his eyes glimmered, he wanted to learn more about Intent and someone who had achieved it would be a great reference.
Unfortunately Yun Jiang shook his head "I'm only on the doorstep to the first stage, and that is only when it comes to Sculpting, true intent in the art should fully convey the image I was creating and allow others to learn from it, but I was but a mere mortal until a few years ago, although I'm a skilled craftsman when it comes to the endless Dao I am but an ant."
"The people who birth intents are far and few between Shu He, even in our clan only a few previous patriarchs and matriarchs achieved it, but there are none in the current generation" Bai Lian explained, feeling that Shu He was expecting too much.
"That little? No wonder I haven't heard it mentioned much…" Shu He pondered.
'Maybe because Chao Shi one of the first cultivators I met, my view towards its rarity was skewed' he considered before he turned to Yun Jiang "Do you know anyone else in the sect that has it?" he asked.
"I'm pretty sure the Sect Master would be a good bet, but for who I know actually has it… my teacher Jin Nianzu" a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes as he mentioned his name.
"Elder Jin does?! Really?!" This time it was Bai Lian who jumped at the conversation.
"Yeah, he was the one that explained it all to me… that sculpture of his… it is simply amazing" a glazed look pasted itself over Yun Jiang's face as he stared off into the distance.
"To think someone from that family achieved Intent… why isn't this known more?" Bai Lian questioned "Is it because he asked to keep it secret?" as someone that came from a cultivation clan, she knew prestige meant a lot to them, hiding such a fact was shooting themselves in the foot.
"Well… not quite…" Yun Jiang scratched his cheek awkwardly "Teacher left the Jin clan long ago, although they share a name and bloodline he couldn't care less about them".
"Such a thing happened…? It must have been a long time ago…" Bai Lian murmured thoughtfully.
Meanwhile Shu He's mind went into light panic mode before settling after he heard they weren't connected any more 'He won't be pissed at me for the whole Jin Bao thing, right?' he doubted.
"Look, over there, we're here" Yun Jiang pointed at a large waterfall in the distance, it seemed to be some sort of elaborate art display like set up since such a thing clearly wasn't natural, the two plus one duck looked around with questioning eyes.
"I don't see anything?" Bai Lian said while lightly coking her head.
"Quack" [Nothing?] Little Xue followed suit and tilted her head as well.
Shu He already had his territory up, so he had scanned the area, at surface level there didn't seem to be anything near, there were no formations for hidden entrances like that other hideout either, yet his eyes were fixed behind the waterfall.
"A hidden door, behind the waterfall?" He asked with curiosity.
"I'm surprised you could tell" Yun Jiang brows rose as he nodded.
"I couldn't tell a thing! How did you know?" Bai Lian asked.
"I couldn't really but… it's common knowledge to check behind waterfalls for secret paths!" Shu He triumphantly claimed, unfortunately he was met with three odd gazes.
""It is?" Bai Lian and Yun Jiang said in unison with a confused stare.
"…" Shu He realised; it really wasn't in this world as he swallowed his words.
"Quack?" [It is?]
"Oh quiet you" he pushed the cheeky ducks bill together with his fingers to silence it as they chuckled.
Yun Jiang then went over to the waterfall basin and stepped on multiple rocks in a specific order, after 9 rocks had been pressed down a *Click* was heard before rumbling gently shook the ground they stood on as a thick rock rotated and burst out from inside the waterfall parting it and exposing a passage.
"Let's go" Yun Jiang led the way as he hopped over the water and entered the passage, Bai Lian went next as Shu He was carefully observing the mechanism.
'Impressive, it's all mechanical based, no formations at all so I couldn't detect it… and this stone is so perfectly cut that when it goes back in to position it fits with basically zero visual clue of a gap…'
"Hurry up it's gonna close" Yun Jiang called him, snapping him out of his admiration.
"Oh, sorry" with a small leap he landed in the passageway with the others, they took a few steps inside before a rumbling echoed behind them to signify the closing of the door, from that point on was a sight Shu He had become used to since he had joined the sect, the smooth earthen passageway signified the usage of Earth type technique to forge the path that was then dimly lit by brightstone lamps.
"Does Elder Jin always stay in hobbles like this?" Shu He couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, although he had met a handful of eccentric cultivators, none of them stayed in hidden caves like this all the time.
At least so far.
"Teacher, he… doesn't like being with too many people, he has many hideouts throughout the sect which is why he's hard to find; You're lucky he's in this one or we'd have to go a long way" Yun Jiang explained in a lower voice, indicating that they should speak quieter in here.
"He came out when I was inducted though, was there a reason for that?" Bai Lian asked curiously.
"I don't really know, you'd have to ask him… here, just through this door, let me introduce you first" Yun Jiang gently pushed opened the fine wooden door that didn't even let as much as a creak out as its hinges opened, the four of them walked in to the room that wasn't too large, inside was a dimly lit room with crafting tools, various resources and half complete pieces of work, in a way it was a organised mess as they looked around for a path to walk.
But that wasn't everything, at the back of the room was a simple bed and on it laid a man in a simple grey robe that was currently laid on his side, his chest lightly expanding and contracting as he slept peacefully, he wasn't very tall and had little to go for when it came to the hair on his head, he looked like a generic old man you would find on the side of the road right down to the stubble on his face.
Yet there was an odd, almost attractive aura to him, Shu He found it almost unsettling as if his thoughts were being bent and modified, but soon he woke from his daze as his Qi shone.
'This old man is dangerous… for another reason' he sweat lightly as he looked over to Bai Lian who was also blank faced as he put his hand on her shoulder, gently sending his Qi inside to help hers circulate until she broke out of it as well, she looked startled as she looked to him then back to the old man, yet she didn't say a thing.
She didn't need to; they both had the same thoughts after all.
Coincidentally the little duck didn't seem to be affected, instead taking the chance to break out of Bai Lian's grip while she was in her daze as she posed with a triumphant look.
"Teacher, I've returned" Yun Jiang called out gently, as he did there was a small rustle from the bed as the old man, Jin Nianzu turned over and glanced at them "I know" he then gently sat up before yawning and stretching, reaching for the wooden cup on his bedside and swiping over it creating a tiny bubble of water that landed inside before he gulped it down.
It was only then that he looked back to the four "So, why did you bring these people here? I told you not to didn't I?".
"You did, but these two… three are special, remember this girl? You went and inducted her to the division right?" A slight bead of sweat grew on Yun Jiang's brow as he 'showed off' Bai Lian.
"My memory isn't that bad, of course I remember" The old man shook his head "But so what? I told you, only bring others if it's important; That girl doesn't look like she needs me for anything" he glanced at Bai Lian's eyes causing her to flinch slightly.
"Okay, but this one, this is one of the others that came from me village, his name is Shu He! He's the one who came to you for a request, something that only you can do!".
Jin Nianzu frowned slightly "Only I can do… Shu He… Shu He… where have I heard that name before?" the old man's expression became more and more twisted as he seemed to remember something.
'Oh no' Shu He immediately felt something was off.