After arriving at his secret realm, Darian and his father spent the next few days exploring it, with Elliot acting as a guide for them both. It turned out that there was a lot more to the estate than Darian had realized. For one, it was much larger than he had first thought. He wasn't sure about the exact size, but he figured that it could hold a large portion of Clan Wind Dance comfortably, including the servants. If everyone squeezed in together, it was possible the estate could hold the entire clan. Darian wasn't eager to test that theory out, however.
In addition to its large size, Darian and his father discovered that the estate had a number of facilities that were useful for cultivators. There was an alchemy lab, which made Darian's father happy. It had some basic equipment, so it hadn't been a waste of time to bring Darren's, since his was more advanced. They had wasted no time in taking it all out of Darren's holding bag and setting it all up. Ellen had been a great help with that. It turned out that she was a trained immortal chef, and an alchemist equal to Darren in skill. Her biggest advantage was that she also knew a number of recipes and formulas that Darren didn't, including how to make Body Tempering Pills.
Near the alchemy lab was a workshop, useful for creating items both mundane and magical, though none of their group knew much about crafting. As such, they left the workshop alone, though Elliot made sure to keep the area pristine. While none of them had much use for it now, that might change in the future.
Darian had found an ancestral shrine on his second day back, with everything needed for proper worship. While he wasn't the most devout person in his clan, Darian still honored and revered his ancestors, despite his laxness in this regard. They were the root from which he grew.
When he found the shrine, Darian inscribed the names of his most relevant ancestors, including Clan Wind Dance's three Immortals, on little clay tablets that had been set aside for this exact reason. To be on the safe side, he also inscribed Immortal Nova's name. While she wasn't his ancestor by blood, he was still her heir and disciple. If nothing else, it was a show of respect towards his master. Astra had nodded in approval when she saw it. His father, on the other hand, had looked pained, though he didn't say why. After that, he began burning a stick of incense at the shrine every day and communed with his ancestors.
There was also a massive garden area towards the back of the estate, which had made Darren happy as well. The snake twins had utilized the space to grow fruits and vegetables to feed themselves, but there was still plenty of room for cultivation plants. Darian's father had spent an entire day out there, planting seeds from his private stash. Fireweed, stoneleaf, spiritual herb, and more. Darian didn't know what those plants were useful for, but he figured they were important based on Ellen's reaction. She had expressed amazement when she saw what Darren had available.
The estate also had its own repository, a space where cultivation resources were stored and distributed. Any clan, sect, or school worth the name had one. Crafting materials, alchemical reagents, spirit stones, and so on. As long as it was related to cultivation, it was stored in the repository. Techniques, scrolls, and books were the exception. Those were kept in a library or archive. Clan Wind Dance had its own repository, though Darian hadn't had much interaction with his kin working there, outside of picking up his monthly stipend. He hadn't needed to.
Darian didn't get to see much of the estate's repository. It was under Astra's supervision, and to Darian's chagrin, she kept him out of it. She called it the treasury for some reason.
"This is so you don't touch anything you're not supposed to," she had told him when he questioned her. "At least not until you're ready. The things in here can kill you if you're not careful. That's why the 'three items per stage' rule exists."
Darian had to agree with her reasoning, though he didn't like it. It turned out that the Body Tempering Pills she had given him, as well as the necklace, came from the repository. Astra gave Darren access to the repository's alchemical reagents, with Darian's blessing, after he had demonstrated his skill in alchemy.
Darian's favorite place within the whole estate, however, was the library. While it wasn't as large as the one Clan Wind Dance had, it was still extensive. More importantly, it was all his. He didn't need to ask permission to read any of the scrolls or books contained within the library, and if he wanted to take anything out, he could. That said, Darian made sure to sign the catalog whenever he took anything out of the library. That was just proper etiquette.
The only exception to this were the scrolls containing techniques. While Darian could pick them up just fine, he couldn't actually read them. Like with the scroll containing The Nine Gates of Destruction technique, the contents were sealed. He guessed the seals on the scrolls would unlock when he reached the right stage, which Astra confirmed when he asked her.
The names weren't sealed, so at least he could read what they were. From what he could tell, they were all energy techniques, combat techniques, or supplementary techniques for The Nine Gates of Destruction. The first kind wouldn't be useful to him until he reached the Energy Gathering stage and formed his dantian, which would allow him to store a lot more spirit energy within his body. At the moment, Darian's body could only hold a little.
None of the techniques went above the Element Collection stage, however. Immortal Nova had set everything up so that he would have everything he needed before then. After that, he would have to seek out the Dawn and Dusk Sect if he wanted to continue further.
Once he became more familiar with the estate, Darian threw himself into his training. There was so much he wanted to see and do, but couldn't because of his low cultivation level. The faster he advanced, the better. He was far behind his peers, and wanted to catch up as soon as possible. In addition, the faster he advanced, the sooner he could see his friends again. He wanted to be at least near the end of the Foundation Establishment stage before he returned to Mt. Wind Dance. The stronger he was, the less hassle he would have to put up with when he returned.
Waiting until then would also give him time to come to terms with Lucius and Vera being in a relationship. It still hurt to think about. If he came face to face with either of them right now, he knew he would do or say something he would regret. It was better to distance himself from them for the time being. At least he hadn't left without leaving a message, though he imagined they were angry with him for just leaving in the middle of the night without actually seeing them face to face. He would have to find a way to make it up to them.
Refining his meridians was a tricky business, especially when compared to opening his Heart and Eye Apertures. He was using spirit energy to refine the very part of himself that channeled spirit energy. It took a lot of concentration to do so, and he advanced much slower than he liked. Any mistake on his part could have fatal consequences. At best, he would cripple himself.
The process also hurt. His meridians burned as he refined them. It was a low burn at first, but the further he came along, the hotter it grew. When he opened his Heart and Eye Apertures, the fire didn't come until after he had finished. Here, the fire was an integral part of the process. He was burning out his impurities, while tempering his meridians at the same time.
He imagined that this was what it felt like to be metal as it was smelted, or some kind of reagent going through an alchemical process to extract and purify its essence. That wasn't too far from the truth, now that he thought about it. Cultivation was a form of alchemy, internal alchemy, except the cultivator was both the refiner and the refined. It was a process that allowed him to achieve higher and higher states of being.
Thankfully, the scroll containing The Nine Gates of Destruction had a lot of notes on this part, since it was a small realm that was a multiple of three. He also had Astra, who had gone through the same process herself. While she couldn't help with the actual refinement, her words of advice and encouragement helped significantly.
Darian also continued practicing the meditation technique, Mind Flame. It strengthened his mind and honed his mind sense. The latter, in particular, improved by leaps and bounds. He started to get a clearer sense of the world around him through his mind sense. It wouldn't be long before he could sense mortal lifeforms. After that, he could train in the more advanced applications of mind sense.
One day, three weeks after he and his father had arrived at the secret realm, Darian stood in the middle of the stone courtyard, his hands on his knees. Black sludge oozed from his pores. This time, it was thicker and darker than it had been previously, though there wasn't as much. Darian wasn't sure what it signified, but he knew that it smelled even worse than the black sludge from when he opened his Heart and Eye Apertures. Did it mean his meridians had more impurities to get rid of, or did it mean his cultivation was having a more pronounced effect this time around? He wasn't sure.
Off to the side sat Astra, his father, Elliot, and Ellen. At some point, his training sessions had become a sort of social hour for the group. At first it began with Astra giving him advice and guidance. Then his father started attending to give his own take, though he couldn't contribute as much as Astra. The snake twins followed soon after, bringing refreshments as they did so. At first Darian had found it uncomfortable to have so many people observe him while he cultivated. Ellen, in particular, still unnerved him with those stares of her. After a while he grew used to it. If nothing else, Astra's presence was a boon.
A part of him did think there was something wrong with the scenario, however. Weren't cultivators supposed to practice in private? Wasn't that why they called it seclusion?
After finishing with his training, Darian frowned down at his hands.
"What's wrong, young Darian?" Astra said. She was lounging in a little makeshift bed Ellen had made from pillows and sheets.
"My progress is too slow," Darian said. "At this rate, I'll never catch up with the others."
"Again with this?" Astra asked. "Don't worry about any others, and focus on your own path. If I have to keep poking you until this gets through your thick skull, I will."
"Cultivator Astra is correct, son," Darren said. "Worrying about others will hinder you."
"It's difficult, Auntie, Father. My friends are already in the Energy Gathering stage, and I'm barely a quarter of the way through my third small realm. Even if I don't take them into consideration, the rest of my generation are all at the mid to late Foundation Establishment stage."
From the corner of his eye, Darian noticed Astra and his father glancing at each other.
"Should we tell him?" his father had said.
"No," Astra replied. "He needs to figure this part out on his own."
Darian turned his frown towards them.
"What are you talking about?"
Astra shook her head at him.
"Don't worry about it." She sighed. "There is a way to speed up your cultivation progress, but I can't tell you what it is. Or rather, I can, but it'll be more effective if you figure it out on your own. I can't spoon feed you everything." She paused. "I could give you a hint, I suppose. It's this: you already have everything you need to find the answer. You just need to think about it."
Darian's frown deepened, but he didn't question her further. He still remembered what happened the last time he annoyed her. His forehead ached with phantom pain for a brief moment. It was better to spend his time trying to figure out what Astra had hinted at.
After cleaning himself up with the supplies he had brought, Darian sat down to meditate. He always did this before and after a training session. It helped even out his mental state before training, and he found that it also consolidated his cultivation after training. While it wasn't much, every little bit helped.
As he meditated, the others continued talking with each other. He was aware of them from the periphery of his senses, but otherwise gave them no mind. Instead, he focused on trying to figure out the way to speed up his cultivation that Astra had alluded to. She said he already had everything he needed to find the answer.
Was it some kind of pill? No, that wasn't it. The only pills he had access to were the Spirit Energy Pills he had brought, which he took on a regular basis to speed up his cultivation. His father and Ellen were working on a batch of Body Tempering Pills, but they wouldn't be done for another week.
Perhaps it was some kind of technique? The only ones he had access to currently were the ones from scroll for The Nine Gates of Destruction. It would make sense that one of them would help with his cultivation. After thinking it through, however, Darian mentally shook his head. No, that wasn't it. None of them seemed right.
After his meditation, Darian had been no closer to finding the answer than before. What was he missing?
He joined the others and sat down. The refreshments the snake twins had brought, all made by Ellen, helped ease his frustration.
"Sister," Elliot said after a moment. "I find myself in need of some exercise. Would you join me for a spar?"
Darian noticed Ellen glance at him, before turning back to her brother with a smile on her face.
"Of course, Brother. It has been too long since we last fought."
Darian watched as the snake twins moved to the center of the stone courtyard. This was a first. In all his time in the secret realm, he had never seen them spar. While he knew more about the two than he had before, Elliot and Ellen were still an enigma to him. Where had they come from? How did they end up serving Immortal Nova? What were they capable of?
Before he could muse on this further, the snake twins struck, almost moving faster than Darian could follow. His eyes could barely keep up with their movements as they sparred. Their speed left him breathless. Thankfully, he had been practicing the Mind Flame technique, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to see them at all. In addition to strengthening his mind, the technique also increased his comprehension and memorization, as well as his reflexes and mental speed.
As the twins sparred, Darian noticed the differences in their fighting styles. Elliot was steadfast and steady but powerful. A lot of his stances involved grappling his opponent and restricting their movements. It didn't seem to work on Ellen, however. Her fighting style was more fluid and dynamic. Every time Elliot seemed to grasp her, she slid free before striking back, which he blocked. The two of them went back and forth like this.
It struck Darian that his servants were much more powerful than him. That was a first. If it hadn't been for Immortal Nova, he would've never had beings as powerful as these two as his servants, not at his current strength at least. He would have to thank his master when he finally met her.
"What techniques do Elliot and Ellen practice?" Darian asked, his eyes still on the snake twins. "I've never seen them before."
"Yes, I'm curious as well," his father said, leaning forward. "They seem to be on par with our clan's Dancing Wind technique."
"Elliot practices the Grasping Serpent technique, which is an earth-based technique," Astra said in a smug tone. "While Ellen practices the Flowing Serpent technique, which is water-based. Both come from a family of techniques developed by our Dawn and Dusk Sect specifically tailored for serpent spirit beasts in human form." Her tone became even more smug. "Though they are powerful, they are considered lesser techniques of our sect."
Both Darian and Darren gave Astra sideways looks at the insult to their clan.
"Does the Dawn and Dusk Sect have a lot of serpent spirit beasts as disciples?" Darian asked, heading off any potential argument before it started.
"Yes," Astra said. "In fact, the Dawn and Dusk Sect has a lot of spirit beasts in general as disciples. A good third, last I checked, though that might have changed in the last few decades. As a result, many of our techniques were created with our spirit beast disciples' animal forms in kind. It's one of the things that sets us apart from other sects and schools. Another is the quality of our disciples."
Darian filed that away for later. While he had shared his clan's fear and bias against spirit beast early on, it hadn't taken him much to move past it. Astra and the snake twins had seen to that with their mere presence. He wondered if that was why Immortal Nova had chosen them for him. Though, looking at his father, maybe the bias wasn't as strong as he had first believed. His father hadn't seemed bothered by the spirit beasts at all.
To be fair, the prejudice existed for a reason. Spirit beasts often were a threat to human lives, dire monsters in particular. If Astra and the snake twins had been more hostile, he would've been more wary of them. That said, if Astra and the snake twins had been more hostile, he wouldn't be alive right now.
"Are all the techniques of the Dawn and Dusk Sect martial in nature?" Darian asked as he continued to watch the snake twins spar with each other. "Of the three I know about, all of them are combat focused."
"That's because we're all members of the Dusk Faction," Astra said.
Darian looked at her.
"Dusk Faction?"
She nodded.
"Yes. Our sect is divided into two factions that come together to form a greater whole," she explained. "To put it into simple terms, the Dusk Faction is the martial side of our sect. We focus on combat, almost to the exclusion of everything else. The Dawn Faction of the sect focuses on more peaceful professions. Alchemy, crafting, healing…" Astra gave Darian and Darren sideways glances. "…dancing." She held her head up high. "Obviously, our side of the sect is the superior one."
"Clearly," Darren said in a dry tone. Despite that, Darian could hear the amusement in his father's voice. "You do know that our clan's Dancing Wind technique does include combat arts, right?"
Astra sniffed.
"And?" she asked. "It began as a dancing technique, of all things. Really? Even if you put makeup on a pig, it's still a pig. I mean, who dances their way to immortality? Immortality must be attained by the strength of one's might, and the sharpness of one's claws. Not by dancing."
"Our clan's founder would disagree with you. He became an Immortal by the very dancing you seek to mock. The combat arts were integrated afterwards."
Darian focused on the snake twins as Astra and his father got into a heated, but friendly, debate about the various paths to immortality. He watched as they moved back and forth, each one trying to get an advantage over the other. A part of him wanted to join in, though he knew it would be foolish. They were both more powerful than him. Yet, he still wanted to test himself against them.
Another part of him mocked the first. Why would he want to spar with the snake twins? He had never even been in a proper fight before. The beating from Zayne and his cronies didn't count. The only thing he would end up doing was humiliate himself. So what if he practiced a combat-…That's when it hit Darian.
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I'm an idiot," he said.
"Yes, you are," Astra replied without hesitation, pausing her debate with his father. "But why in this specific case?"
"I practice a combat focused cultivation technique, but I've never been in a fight before. I haven't even sparred with anyone. That's why my cultivation speed isn't as fast as it could be, isn't it?"
Cultivation wasn't about performing rote movements in order to achieve the desired results. It was about embracing the principles behind the technique used, and changing oneself to align with them. With the Dancing Wind technique, for example, its practitioners become living embodiments of the concepts of movement and freedom. They became Dancing Winds. For combat cultivation techniques, that meant embracing combat and violence.
"That didn't take you long," Astra said with mild surprise. "I expected you to take at least a few days to figure it out."
"Darian is gifted," Darren said, though he looked pensive when he said this rather than proud.
"So I've noticed."
Their praise caused Darian's cheeks to flush. He wasn't gifted. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so far behind.
"I'm not gifted," he said. "I've just gotten lucky so far." He glanced at the snake twins. A thought occurred to him. "Wait a minute. Is that why they started sparring? To give me more clues?"
At that, Darren grinned.
"I might've dropped a suggestion or two. You would've figured it out on your own before long. I just wanted to give you a nudge in the right direction."
Darian was both thankful for the help, as well as frustrated that he had needed it. A part of him told him to stop being ridiculous. That was why clans, sects, and schools existed. The older generations guided the younger ones along the path of cultivation. It wasn't like his father just told him the answer. Darian had figured it out.
Though he was a bit tired, Darian wanted to give his discovery a try. He waited until the snake twins finished with their bout. The two were almost evenly matched, with Ellen being just a bit stronger, so it ended in a draw. One of these days, he would have them stop concealing their auras so he could figure out just how strong they were.
"Elliot, Ellen," Darian said. "I want to give something a try. Will one of you spar with me?"
"I will, Young Master!" Ellen all but shouted before her brother could even open his mouth.
While Darian found her enthusiasm encouraging, it also unnerved him. Ellen seemed just a tad too eager to spar with him. Still, he had asked for their help. It would be churlish to reject it now.
"Thank you, Ellen," Darian said.
Elliot looked between the two of them, before shrugging. He took his own seat, while Darian joined Ellen in the center of the stone courtyard. The two of them took up their stances. While Darian felt a little nervous, he mostly felt excited. Even though he had never fought before, this felt right to him.
By some unspoken signal they began.
A single moment later, Darian found himself lying on his back. He had seen what had happened, but it had been so fast, he couldn't believe it. Ellen had rushed towards him and swept him off his feet. Her speed had left him stunned. He hadn't even had any time to react.
Ellen crouched by Darian and gave him one of her intense stares.
"Ellen," Darian began. "You know that I'm only in the early Foundation Establishment stage, right?"
"Yes, Young Master," Ellen said, nodding.
"Then why didn't you hold back at all? This was supposed to be a sparring session."
"You didn't specify, Young Master. Clearly, this is your fault."
Darian looked at Ellen's unblinking eyes. He could see the merriment dancing in them, despite the neutral expression on her face. Her attitude was starting to annoy him. He sat up and crossed his legs. Ellen remained where she was, which was uncomfortably close.
"Have I done anything to offend you, Ellen? Ever since we met, you've been…" He gestured towards her. "…like this with me."
"Of course not, Young Master." She gave him a smile that wasn't quite a smirk. "I simply enjoy teasing you. You have the best reactions."
Darian gave her a flat look. At least she was honest about it, though he hadn't expected her to outright admit it. From the sidelines, he heard Astra break out into laughter. He ignored her.
"If you wish, I shall refrain from doing so, Young Master," Ellen said. "Though that will not be nearly as fun."
As she said that last part, she gave him the same mournful look from the bathing incident. It was amazing how she could do it on command. Darian, having experienced it once, was somewhat immune.
"Just don't play around when it comes to cultivation and training," Darian said with a sigh. He was only somewhat, not fully, immune.
"Why not?" Ellen asked, tilting her head.
"What do you mean, 'why not'? Cultivation is not a game."
Ellen looked thoughtful at this, and didn't reply right away.
"No," she said after several moments. "Cultivation is not a game, but that doesn't mean it has to be staid and boring and serious all the time. For me, cultivating is a joy. Yes, we are defying the heavens with our actions, but that doesn't mean we have to be dull about it. We can have fun. Do you not feel joy as you become stronger? Do you not feel ecstatic when you make a breakthrough? I do."
Darian was taken aback by her words. He…Well, he hadn't considered it like that before. He thought back to all the time he spent training. While he wouldn't say it was fun, he certainly enjoyed it. When Astra had shown him the cosmos after he had opened his Eye Aperture, it had been a profound and moving experience, one that had made his soul sing. The only thing that had marred it was the lack of his friends' presence.
"Life isn't always fun and joy," Darian said, grimacing.
"No. It is full of hardship and sorrow, which is why we must savor the moments of happiness whenever we can. For me, it is teasing you, Young Master. Among other things." She stood up and held out her hand. "However, I promise not to play around when it comes to your training, Young Master. I wouldn't want to be the one responsible for holding you back."
Darian eyed her outstretched hand, unsure if he should take it, before deciding to trust her. She was his servant, after all, and they would be together for the foreseeable future. Swallowing his pride was a small price to pay for her future cooperation.
"Thank you, Ellen."
He took her hand and she helped him up. However, she didn't release him after he stood up. Instead, she pulled him in close to whisper into his ear.
"I look forward to the day when you're strong enough to keep up with me, Young Master," Ellen said, her voice low and husky. "That's when we'll have some real fun together."
Before he could even react, she bit his earlobe, sending a shock throughout his body. When she pulled away from him, Ellen wore a wicked grin on her face. Her eyes made all sorts of promises. A heat, the likes of which he had never felt before, burned within Darian.
"Ellen, stop flirting with your Young Master," Astra called out. "Save it for when you two don't have an audience."
Astra's words hit Darian like a bucket of cold water. Ellen's words had shocked him so much, he had forgotten about the others. This went beyond mere teasing. His entire face flushed with embarrassment. He was sure he looked as red as a ripe tomato at that moment. It was mortifying. He wanted to run and hide more than anything else at that moment. If Ellen hadn't put some distance between them and took up a stance once more, he probably would have.
Darian took a deep breath, held it in for several seconds, and let it out. As he did so, the embarrassment drained away. He needed to focus on his training. That was what mattered. Everything else could wait until later. Once he felt some semblance of calm, Darian faced Ellen and took up his own stance. After several moments, they began to spar.
Darian performed…better than he had expected, if he was being honest with himself. Ellen had held herself back to the point where he could keep up with her, but she still trounced him. He had practiced the Fists of the Mortal Flame stances almost everyday ever since he started cultivating, but there was a difference between cultivating and fighting.
For one thing, he wasn't drawing in spirit energy. He couldn't spare the concentration to try. All he had to work with was spirit energy already in his body. Another thing was that when he cultivated, he went through the stances in a neat and orderly pattern. That wasn't the case in a fight. He had to move and act as he needed to in the moment. It was stiff and awkward, at least at first.
That said, Darian didn't lose right away, as he had expected. He managed to put up a decent fight before Ellen swept him off his feet again. She seemed to enjoy doing that. He hit the ground with a thud.
"You didn't do too poorly, Young Master," Ellen said. "Though there is much to improve upon. You still have a long way to go before you would even have a chance at facing me or my brother at our full strength, let alone Guardian Astra or Immortal Nova."
Darian nodded, then winced. His body ached all over. If she hadn't been holding back, he was certain most of his bones would've been shattered, if not all of them.
"I know," Darian said. "I noticed a lot of flaws in my technique."
Flaws he wouldn't have noticed otherwise. For that alone, sparring was worth it, even with the pain.
"So did I, Young Master. Let me give you some pointers."
Ellen helped him up and together they went through the mistakes he had made during their bout. Astra chimed in from the sidelines, and his father did as well. Elliot had already left at that point, so he couldn't give his input. Afterwards, Darian and Ellen went for another round. Already, he could feel a difference in his movements. While he still lost, he performed much better than he had in the first bout.
The two of them continued like this for a few hours, until Astra called a halt for the day. When Darian went to bed that night, he did so with a smile on his face, despite his aching and bruised body.