''Young master, let's eat and then head back,'' the head guard replied, noticing that the people on the streets were still looking up at the sky.
The power of Fang Xiong was truly awe-inspiring, and that massive sword had left a lasting mark on their souls. ''Yes,'' Hao said as he waited for the food, his mind filled with various thoughts. How did I reincarnate? How strong are these cultivators? Are they like the ones in the novels?
''Enjoy,'' the chef of the restaurant brought the plates of food and smiled before heading back to prepare more orders.
''Come, eat, and don't think too much about the situation. In this city, we are safe,'' Niang commented as she waited for Hao to eat before taking her own bites.
''This food is amazing,'' muttered Hao as he really enjoyed it. It was the best food he had ever eaten, even on Earth.
''That's normal, it's spirit food. At your age, you can finally eat a bit of it a few times a year. Consider this your present, Hao,'' Niang said with a smile.
''We cultivators don't celebrate like mortals. Our lifespan is longer, and closed-door cultivation lasts for years. Like your sister, she is at the Core Formation stage, but it lasted 50 years,'' she added, savouring the food.
''Aunt Niang,'' Hao called out. It was not wrong to call her aunt, as she practically raised him like a second mother.
Niang frowned a bit as she heard him call her Aunt, knowing he was sweet-talking her, but decided to let it pass. "Yes, Hao?" she asked, preparing for an answer.
''What is your cultivation rank?'' he decided to test his luck and ask.
''Oh my, isn't that a rude question? It's like asking a woman's age,'' she chuckled, finding it cute before answering, ''The same as your sister, but I'm at the 'Peak' stage.'' Giving a small answer, she looked at him.
''Peak?'' Hao asked, confused about the term.
''I guess I can tell you about this since it's not a secret,'' Aunt Niang considered her reply before opening her mouth to explain.
''Each realm is split into five smaller sections, with the last two being optional. Why are they optional? Well, that's a complex answer that your father can provide.'' She continued.
''The first is Early, like your sister who just broke through and reached Vital Core. That puts her at the start of the realm,'' Aunt Niang explained, allowing Hao to absorb the information.
She then continued, ''Next is Mid, followed by Late. At this point, you can try to break through to the next realm as it will offer you a big boost in power, but...'' She paused here and looked closely at him, her expression serious.
''Remember, the foundation is everything. While the next realm is more powerful, advancing too soon can shorten your journey,'' Aunt Niang said, gazing at Hao with love.
He was practically her son by this point. Spending almost five years together for cultivators was short, but Aunt Niang had never had children. Seeing Hao grow and develop changed her deeply.
''Then it's the fourth stage, we call it Peak. I am here and can easily defeat multiple Late stages without breaking a sweat,....and lastly Zeni(Zenith)?, meaning perfection?...'' Aunt Niang paused for a moment, unsure if her explanation was accurate.
''These stages are the strongest, and people often hold great regard for those who decide to delay their cultivation,'' she added with pride.
''Okay, that's all, no more fishing answers out of me,'' Aunt Niang said with a laugh as she got up, making Hao smile. He knew he got caught, but he felt comfortable around her.
''Let's head back,'' paying for the food, they got up and started walking through the bustling city.
''Look, isn't that the city lord's son?'' some of the people pointed, muttering and talking to each other, which made Hao feel a bit uncomfortable.
''You think he will be like his sister? That much talented in sword Dao?''
''Should be, I mean his father is the city lord,'' other voices started filling the place, making Niang frown.
She released her aura, sending a strong wave that pushed back the people who were talking, giving them a warning. Then she summoned her own flying artifact, a big leaf, and told Hao to jump on it.
''Are we allowed to fly in the city? What realm do we need to be?'' Hao asked, curious about the rules.
''Anyone at...did you try to fish information?'' Turning to look at him, she made a scary smile. ''You know what, Hao, let's go back to the lessons,'' she said, leaving him speechless this time, so he only made small talk.
Sighing and looking at the city below, they arrived at the top of the mountain shortly after.
The years passed, and he went to find his father a few times but was told he was in closed cultivation, leaving him with no other option but to stay in the castle.
Bored with nothing to do, he started reading books. Lin Niang kept him company, telling some small stories of her life and how his family came to this city, built it, and now governed over it.
Learning small bits of knowledge about the world he was in, he discovered he was in the zone of Celestria, and 'Cloudsoar' he was in was one of the three main cities.
The area was controlled by the Falling Stars Sword Hall, a prominent sect for sword dao. His sister was a disciple there, well, now she was a core disciple.
Each year, gifted children at the age of 15 from every city were selected to undergo trials at the sect. These trials aimed to assess their potential, and those who displayed exceptional talent could bypass them, gaining entry as outer disciples.
They could choose whether they wanted to join or not, but the most important requirement was that they didn't have any prior cultivation.
This was a significant event for all young cultivators in the region.
Finally, his father emerged from closed cultivation, and Hao eagerly rushed to the main mountain peak where he had summoned him. It had been five years since he last saw him, battling that beast atop the city.
Now, at the age of 10, Hao could finally ask some of the questions he had been wanting to.
Feeling excited, he ran towards the area, but little did he know that he would soon learn a harsh truth, one that would teach him a valuable lesson.