Book 2: Chapter 63: The Divine Tree Sect
Lord Zhou stood at the window of his chamber, looking over the seventh peak. It had been a month since the duel had happened, and winter had settled upon the peak fully. The entire month had been spent in a rush of repairing the damage caused, and explaining to people just what was happening. But now, things had finally begun to settle down.
Everything had changed in such a short span of time. Every cultivator on the seventh peak had lost their cultivation within a single moment. And then, they had gained something new in return. Even he had felt the change, his own path subtly shifting, though the effects had altered things less for him than most. The weight of being Lord kept him firmly where he belonged, but for everyone else, it was a brand new world.
Every mortal in the city had quickly realized that they suddenly could cultivate and chaos had reigned for some time. But people had adjusted quickly, as cultivators had begun guiding people in preparation for winter. Lives had quickly returned to how they had been, the common people returning to their livelihoods. Yet the changes that had come would leave a massive impact.
Elder Yan had fled the sect and the peak, without any signs of his whereabouts, leaving the sect in tatters. Yan Yun had taken his place, gathering the sect members. Many disciples had left, and many more had joined the sect anew under Lu Jie. Today was the day when they finally officiated their new sect.
Lord Zhou let out a sigh. Things had been moving rapidly, and winter was not even here yet. The challenges and visions of the future that he'd been told of still lurked in the distance. He only hoped this city would be able to weather what was to come.
"My Lord," a girl said. Lord Zhou turned to look at Elder Yan's Shadows, now free of their oaths. Qui Hou, known as Zu Ri before, had decided to join him in service, alongside a few others.
"What news do you have, Qui Hou?" Lord Zhou asked, taking his seat.
"We've found a destroyed carriage near the central plains. I sent men to confirm and they've brought back some grave news. It seems the Elder from the Alchemy Hall that was meant to arrive had been assassinated."
Lord Zhou stared at the woman. "How could that be? If the man is dead…" Lord Zhou looked outside, feeling a dark premonition fill his chest. "Then who is Sheng Yuan?"
***
I stood within the sect again on a podium of sorts, wearing clothes with far too many decorations. Yan Yun had insisted that it was tradition, but I still hated the look so much. It was too official, and very not like me. I'd managed to reduce the flashiness of it as much as I could, but it still stood out.
"You're going to be the Sect Elder, you need to look the part too," Yan Yun said, fixing my clothing for me. I huffed, but did not argue any further with the girl. She had been the one managing everything in the sect for me, and teaching me how to do things.
There had been a bunch of protests when I'd shown up, despite the massive support for me to take up the position. I myself had felt uncertain at best, but there was not really anyone else who could do the job, and I did want the resources the sect had to offer.
"Any news on your grandfather?" I asked.
Yan Yun looked at me briefly, before looking away. "Not really. He's alive, that's all I know."
"You know, maybe all of this will change his mindset. He lost a significant chunk of his cultivation, so it'll be a blow to his ego," I said, patting Yan Yun's shoulder.
Yan Yun nodded, but did not comment further on the topic. "You should head out, they're waiting for you."
I grimaced, but I suppose there was no point in trying to avoid this work any longer. With a sigh, I left the chamber. A little further, I found Labby waiting for me, dressed up suitably as well. By which I meant, adorned in all kinds of jewelry.
At least she seemed to enjoy it a lot more than I did.
"Master!" she exclaimed, giving me a hug, and I lifted Labby up in my arms. "Labby!" I exclaimed back, as she giggled at me happily. One thing that had happened after my uncontrolled rampage was that Labby had become a lot more clingy. Again. But I didn't mind it, I enjoyed her company.
Walking ahead, I let Labby down to walk on her own. Zhang stood at the gates, even he wore a much better dress than normal as he waited with his spear by his side.
"My Lord," he said, bowing.
"Not you too," I said, grimacing, and Zhang gave me a pleased smile. The guy had grown a sense of humor, one I entirely did not enjoy. How unfair that he teased me, only I was allowed to tease other people, didn't he know that?
"They're all waiting to see you," Zhang told me.
"I know… it's just a lot of responsibility," I replied.
"It's what you wanted," Zhang told me. "Now go, before I have to call Granny." I winced.
"Fine," I replied. Standing in front of the gate, I took a breath. I put my hand on the gate and pushed it open. Slowly, I walked out onto a balcony, as a crier announced my arrival.
"Baron of Taizhou, and the new Elder of the Sect, Lu Jie has arrived!"
Cheers echoed throughout the massive crowd of sect members cheering at me. The wave of strength was powerful enough that I felt myself being pushed back a step from the intensity of the sound.
Yet, what I had expected to be a nerve wracking experience… actually turned out to be pleasant. I stood in front of the people, feeling my spirit connected to each of them, and their feelings flowed into me as one.
I raised my hand, as everyone fell silent. I took a moment to simply look around, before I spoke.
"A lot has happened in the last month alone. Things have changed, for some the very basis of their reality has been upended. For others, an entirely new life's path has opened in front of them. But in all of this, we must not forget the trials awaiting us in the future," I said, my voice pouring out through my Chi as it traveled through the crowd.
"Demons lurk, waiting to rise as winter is almost upon us. We must be stronger, better than we have ever been, and fight for our city, and people. There are no cultivators, or mortals anymore. We are all equal, and so, we must all do our part to face these trials," I announced, glancing as I felt the crowd mimicking my emotion.
"For this, I now begin a new Sect, one founded upon new ideals, and a new Path. No longer does the Cloudy Peaks sect exist. From now on, we shall be The Divine Tree Sect!"
Cheers echoed through the sect, shouts echoing into the skies as they shook the very ground. "Long live Elder Jie. Long Live the Divine Tree Sect!"
I felt a strange emotion fill my heart and I smiled.
My dreams were starting to come true.
***
Sheng Yuan flew within the skies, watching the seventh peak city from afar. "What a fun little trip," he said.
"You've wasted far too much time, Yang Shen," a shadow growled from behind him, holding an unconscious boy over his shoulder.
"Ah, but I wanted to meet my Junior Brother! Not to mention, it's rare that I get to see someone from Earth," Sheng Yuan protested, pouting.
"You waste our time. He is not pleased. Not to mention… why do you insist on still keeping this human form?"
"Because I like it. Why can't I?" Sheng Yuan said.
"It's unsightly. Fragile."
Sheng Yuan sighed. "You just don't appreciate human beauty."
"Such things do not matter to us. More importantly, are you sure about picking this child up? He has no cultivation."
"Yup. He's got the right qualities. It's a shame he was born here, he would've made for an excellent demon with us. But it's alright, we'll train him," Sheng Yuan said, brushing the boy's hair. "Isn't that right, Yan Li?"
The demon snorted, Gu swirling around him. "Enough fooling around, let us depart. Winter is upon us."
Sheng Yuan turned to take one last look at the seventh peak city. Flames erupted around him as his form changed, the demon underneath revealing itself.
"I'll see you at the capital, Junior Brother Lu Jie."
Gu flames swirled around him, as he vanished into the skies.
Chapter [B3] 1 — The Start of Winter
Zhang watched the wind blow past him, carrying a chill with them. Snow would fall soon. He clutched his spear, Gravity Chi swirling around his body as he slowly descended from the skies.
"Senior Zhang. We've scouted the area. No demonic beasts were found," the disciple said, bowing to him. Zhang nodded, glancing behind the man within the sect walls. "How's the training with the explosive arrows going?"
"Good. The elders proficient in archery have already taken up quick usage of the tool, while a bunch of morta- trainees are swiftly picking upon their usage. There is one group in particular, led by Xiao Lan which is nearly ready to be taken out into the forests," the boy replied, as the two of them began to walk around the wall. Zhang nodded, taking a stock of the city beyond from the walls.
Over the last month the city had seen more change than possibly in the last five years. The city walls were enforced, alongside the walls of the sect, the population of the seventh peak city had swelled to numbers never seen before as every village nearby had rushed to the city to take refuge from the demonic beasts in winter, as the tales of mortals awakening spread like wildfire among the empire.
Given the increasing need to train the rising population of newly founded cultivators, and the upcoming winter, Zhang had been thrust into a position of commanding by Lu Jie. He'd protested at first, not willing to leave Lu Jie's side and leave him vulnerable, but he'd lost that argument rather quickly.
"What about the scouts?" Zhang asked the boy, glancing out into the forests beyond.
"Nothing, sir. We've been searching deep into the forests now, and after the initial tremors, almost all signs of demonic activities have vanished without trace," the boy replied.
Zhang let out a breath, the vapours forming around his math. "Alright, head back now. I'll make one final round."
Gravity Chi swept over his body as his feet left the ground, and he took to the skies. The world slowly fell away, as he rose into the skies, near the clouds and then beyond. He saw the world under him, taking in the sights of everything he knew and had known now be encompassed in this single glance.
How truly insignificant were they all in front of nature? And yet. Resiliant enough to carve it to their own wills.
Zhang's gaze swept around the area, his senses spreading out far beyond his own body as he took stock of anything unnatural. Slowly moving through the skies, looking down upon the city and then beyond, into the woods.
The landscape was white, with patches of brown between. The leaves had fallen in the wake of winter, yet some life resisted, more resistant than others. Zhang took in the changes to his home, watching the city changing faster than he could keep up with, yet his focus was on the beyond.
He could feel it, on the edge of his senses, beyond the domain of the Divine Tree. Something lurking beneath the earth, waiting. And he did not like it. He knew they were there, creatures of death and destruction, and he'd much preferred them when they'd simply been mindless beasts.
Moving through the skies, Zhang flew over the village of Taizhou. The houses remained empty now, all the villagers having shifted into the city itself as winter arrived. Moving through the area, Zhang flew around till he found what he was looking for. Slowly descending from the skies, Zhang landed the lab, finding Yin inside, guiding her newer students.
"O-oh, Zhang," Yin said, lightly bowing her head. The girls around her looked at him with wide eyes, some with reverence, others with fear. Zhang paid them no attention.
"Where's Brother Jie?" Zhang asked.
"Lu- Elder Jie is not here. He left a few hours ago." Yin replied.
Zhang nodded, ready to turn back around when his eyes caught what was in Yin's eyes. "Is that…?"
Yin looked down, and then gave a nod. "Yup! We're working on the gun. I managed to make a working prototype with a slightly tuned up drugnade. Though some have been requesting that we pick easier to speak names for these."
"I'll mention it to brother Jie," Zhang said and then paused. "Do you know where he might've gone?"
"I think he went to check on the drug factory," Yin replied.
"Thanks," Zhang said, walking out of the lab as he took back to the air. Flying over the city, he found himself landing in an area on the outskirts of the outer city. A rather unassuming building from the outside, if you didn't know what existed within it.
Stepping inside, the steel giant steel cauldrons greeted Zhang, with spirit crystals set in lattices underneath, generating flames as spirit herbs were created inside. Steam escaped the lids of the giant cauldrons, formation arts and engravings carved upon them to assist in the flow of Qi through the metallic frame. Many alchemists worked here, running the equipment and making sure nothing went wrong with the production.
"What brings you here boy?" a familiar voice called from nearby.
Zhang turned, greeting granny Lang. "Greetings Granny. I'm looking for Brother Jie."
The old Granny let out smoke from her mouth, holding her pipe in between her fingers. "Ah, he left some time ago. Seemed to have headed to the market. Something to discuss with Su Lin. Leaving him aside, how've you been doing boy? You've been working hard for quite some time now."
"I'm good, Granny. Just trying to make sure we aren't caught off guard with anything that's to come," Zhang replied.
The granny nodded at his words. "Caution is good my boy, but make sure you take some time to rest too. Cultivators though we may be, we're not immortals."
"I'll keep it in mind," Zhang replied.
"Somehow, I doubt you will. But I suppose that's why an old woman like me is here, to remind the younger generation to not forget things in their youthful vigor," the old granny said, taking a breath from her smoking pipe.
"How's things been going on granny? I didn't know you were working here," Zhang asked.
"I come around every now and then. Gotta check in on these kids, make sure they don't break anything. Even I don't understand all the process involved in developing this. The boy sure as hell doesn't. A bunch of formation artists and engravers worked on the cauldrons. But alchemy is still alchemy, and I can help with that much."
Zhang smiled. "Your help has been invaluable."
"You bet it has been. You kids are as blind as they come to any finesse. This right here? This isn't craft. It's fine to work towards progressing things, but that boy needs to remember the craft that goes within the soul of Alchemy."
Zhang bowed. "I'll relay the message."
The granny snorted, clearly not as angry as she put on to be. "Go, before you lose him again."
Raising his head, Zhang left the factory behind, taking back to the skies as he headed towards the market. The city, while still recovering, had nearly doubled in population with the influx of people. Normally the months of winter would be full of starving villagers trying to find shelter and food, but with the many ideas Brother Jie had brought forth, the city had begun rapidly expanding. The blessings of Chi kept everyone safer, more and more mortals now awakening to the energy and finding themselves walking upon an entirely new Path.
With less mortals, food demands could be focused on other things, work could go on longer, and more people's needs were taken care of. It was still surreal to watch, as Zhang flew through the skies, to see how much the world around him was changing.
Making his way across the Seventh Peak city, Zhang slowly landed near the market hub, sensing Su Lin present there, arguing with some men.
"Is something the matter?" Zhang asked, descending from the skies, as he eyed the men nearby.
"Nothing brother, just some old thugs that're having trouble accepting the new way things work. I'll get them in line soon," Su Lin said, glancing sideways at the thugs. Zhang looked at the men- or rather, boys. None of them were older than twenty, and all in rough shape more or less.
"Ya can't just take over all this and expect us to sit around and do nothing," one of the boys spat. "We worked for Silver Fang. He's gonna bring ya down."
"And where is this Silver Fang of yours? Ran to some other city when things started to go bad? Accept your reality you dumbasses. You're being given a chance to actually make something of your lives," Su Lin said, glaring at them.
"What do ya know you backstabbing rat. Ya left us," one of the boys said.
"I left ya cuz yer an idiot, and Silver Fang was no better than the louts in the sect. I wasn't gonna go from the thumb of one asshole to another," Su Lin said, grabbing the collar of the boy.
"Who says this Lu Jie isn't just like them? He's some lord chosen prodigy, what's he to know of our problems?"
Su Lin glared at the boy, ready to snap back when Zhang held them back.
"You don't trust Brother Jie, is that correct?" Zhang asked.
The boy looked at him nervously, before giving him a nod. "Very well, then take this token and head to the sect. Tell them to give you enough gold to be able to move to the sixth peak, and settle there for winter. You'll have enough to live through winter, and setup a new life for all of you."
The boy stared at the token, eyes wide.
"Or, you can take this token to the sect and tell them you want to work for them. Ask them what pay you'll get, and then make your own choice for yourself," Zhang said, handing the token into the boy's hand.
The boy stared at him, before glancing at Su Lin in surprise. A moment later, he turned, followed by the other kids, as they walked away.
"You're too nice on them," Su Lin said.
"And you're too harsh," Zhang replied.
Su Lin clicked his tongue. "Anyway, what brings you over. Aren't ya training a bunch of new recruits?"
"I'm looking for Brother Jie," Zhang said.
"Ah, he's at the academy. Left a few minutes ago," Su Lin added.
Zhang sighed, before nodding. Su Lin laughed at his expression. "Yeah, he's become quite busy hasn't he?"
"With his rank comes responsibilities. Many of them. But yes, he has," Zhang said, a wry smile on his face.
"Yeah, he's gone and become a big man," Su Lin added.
"Take care brother," Zhang said, as gravity Chi flared around him and he went into the skies. Flying over the city, he reached the Lord's manor, upon rebuilding, which had been turned into an Academy for the entire Seventh Peak, at Lu Jie's request. Slowly descending down, he saw guards look at him warily for a moment, before they relaxed, sensing who he was.
Nodding to the armed men, Zhang stepped inside, and found children running around everywhere. Many turned and looked at him, some with starry eyes, other with fear, as Zhang walked through, before reaching one of the classroom.
"Take a deep breath in. Let your Chi flow through you. Imagine it like a ball of warmth in your abdomen, collecting with your breath, before you release it out into the world."
Zhang watched Yan Yun seated inside, cross legged, as twenty children, all roughly the age of twelve or so sat in front of her, meditating.
"Could I have a moment?" Zhang asked, and Yan Yun opened her eyes.
"Oh Zhang. Kids, continue meditating, I'll be back," Yan Yun said, standing up as she stepped outside. "What brings you here?"
"Looking for Brother Jie."
"Oh he just-"
"-left just now? Yeah that tracks," Zhang said.
Yan Yun giggled. "Been looking for him a while huh?"
Zhang gave a nod.
"Well, he'll be at the sect, some urgent task. Apparently the sect Patriarch is going to discuss his position as Elder of the seventh peak's cloudy peaks sect. They allowed him to take the role when everything was wrong but it seems like they're looking to strip him of the title now that the crisis has been averted," Yan Yun said.
"The Patriarch?" Zhang asked.
"Yup. Grandfather was only an elder, the Patriarch lives in Azure city. He's really old," Yan Yun said. "Though Lu Jie also had a guest arrive from the Shie clan so he should be fine."
"Is it Liuxiang?" Zhang asked.
"Unfortunately not. But one of his- or rather, her cousins," Yan Yun said.
Zhang nodded. "Thank you."
"No problem. And hey, if you find him, tell him the kids are looking to learn science again. I'm sure he'll be happy to take another class."
Zhang smiled. "I will."
With a flare of gravity Chi, he flew back up to the skies, using a little more than he'd normally do as he moved towards the inner sect, passing through the wards easily. Flying to the central chambers, Zhang landed on the balcony, walking inside as he heard the voice he'd been looking for.
"Damn old geezers. Making life hard for me."
"Difficult though it may be, but with our support, the Patriarch should have no reason to hold you from your position," the boy from the Shie clan said.
"I sure hope so," Lu Jie replied."
"Brother Jie," Zhang called out.
"Oh Zhang, what brings you here?" Lu Jie asked, waving him in. Zhang followed, shutting the door behind, leaving the cold winds out as he stepped in.
"I have some concerning news," Zhang said, giving a nod of acknowledgement to the Shie clan member before he turned to Lu Jie, and took a deep breath.
"The demons have vanished."
Chapter [B3] 2 — History of Demons
I frowned at Zhang's words. "All of them? What about the demonic beasts?" I asked.
"All of them brother, they have all vanished seemingly without a trace," Zhang replied.
"That is… unnatural," Xi Shie—the diplomat from the Shie clan that had arrived here just a couple days ago—remarked. Unlike Liuxiang, the boy did not possess the Shie bloodline and looked more or less like a normal person. It was startling how normal he was in fact, though some of the mannerisms I saw in Liuxiang were still definitely present in him.
"It'd be great if they remained gone forever. The only issue is that I cannot bring myself to believe that's going to happen," I replied.
"I appreciate the report, Zhang, it's something I'll need to discuss with Lord Zhou. For better or worse, I am lacking in knowledge and information about the demons."
"You're not alone in that," the Shie boy replied. "The demons have been the eternal enemy, but for that fact, we know next to nothing about them."
I sighed. "This is why I wanted access to the sect's resources. Those damned elders had to lock everything up before they left the sect."
"We have managed to open up one of the treasuries within the inner sect, but the core vault is still locked. Elder Tian Feng is working on it as we speak," Zhang replied.
I nodded and Zhang's words, reminding myself to keep my internal thoughts quieter. What I said and what I did, now had more influence on other people than ever before. The thought made me hold back a sigh.
"Given our presence within the capital, we have had less interactions with demons than frontier settlements like the seventh peak. But the Shie clan still has warriors on the borders of the empire fighting demons so we aren't unaware of their abilities either. If the sect requires, our agreement could include helping provide information," Xi Shie said.
I looked at the boy, nodded, and gave a smile. "That is a very generous offer, but I believe we will be able to obtain our own resources for now."
The boy's smile didn't slip an inch, as he maintained his even expression, continuing. "Then I hope you will not mind if I just ramble about my knowledge regarding the demons."
I had a hard time rejecting that, and the boy knew it as he continued. I had to play their games. Diplomacy and politics was not something I was used to, while these clans had children learning it from the moment they could speak.
I tried not to worry about the hidden price that this gift might bring. Despite my connection to Liuxiang, I had to treat the Shie as their own entity, separate from her. There was only one reason the clan was so willing to help me out.
Heeding the fact that I could not take a favor at its face value anymore, I began to pay attention to the words being spoken.
"As you must be aware, the demonic activity is the highest in places near the borders of the Azure-Jade empire, places such as the seven celestial Peaks have always received and held back the brunt of the demonic movement. The mountain ranges of the peaks themselves allow for natural barriers to stop the demonic beasts from gaining ground," Xi Shie said.
I nodded at his words. That was basic history that everybody knew.
"This much is common knowledge. But what is not known, is what lies beyond the seven peaks," Xi Shie said, glancing around the room, before picking up a brush and a piece of parchment as he began to draw.
On the sheet, I saw seven mountains, forming a mountainous range that protected the empire's northern and western borders. Beyond it, mountains continued, rising ever higher into the skies.
"The seven celestial peaks are merely the start of the greater mountainous ranges that extend beyond the borders of the empire. Here, ancient elementals of snow and ice, and divine creatures from before the formation of the empire itself reside. It is they who protect our borders, killing most of the demons off. It is also within these places where many of the northern barbarians have formed settlements, beyond the mountain ranges and well into the plains that run across the greater continent beyond our empire. We know little of these people, besides their lack of societal structure, culture, and literacy. But if there's one thing they do not lack, it is strength, and the ability to fight," Xi Shie said.
I looked at the maps, intrigued by all this information. I had already known that the world was a large place, and our empire just a small piece of it, but this truly put into perspective just how much was out there.
"Our ancestor, the great Divine Serpent, had originally arrived from beyond these mountains. There are few who can match these creatures in strength, besides the Divinities," Xi Shie said.
"Do we not have any neighboring kingdoms to trade with?" I asked.
"There are certain Western kingdoms that trade through the Southern ocean, but beyond that, we are not aware of any besides the barbarians."
I hummed in thought to myself. That was one of the major differences between the history of my world and this one. The Azure-Jade empire was more or less isolated on the continent. Given the way it was cut off from both the North with the mountains and the South with the seas, it was more or less an island. That would explain the corruption, and the monolithic culture.
Bringing my attention back to the map, I looked at where Xi is pointing.
"These are the southern borders, and beyond here are the lands that the demons have conquered. At the border is where the main front lines are, and the empire keeps a constant stream of cultivators and warriors standing at the front lines, engaging in an eternal war against them to hold back the invasion. Many young cultivators rise to prominence here at the frontlines, fighting against the demons. Many times we have tried to claim back the corrupted lands from the demons, but the miasma in the air prevents us from doing so. That's partly why holding these lines is so important to the existence of the empire. Any land that the demons can take from us, we will not be able to take back. These creatures corrupt everything they touch," Xi said.
I frowned, continuing to listen, as my mind went back to the images I had seen within the frame when bonding with Ash, and the deathless present there. Did the empire already know of their existence?
"Is there anything that we found when going to the demon lands," I asked, looking at Xi.
"There were a few things we found out. The first was that demons did not like living above land. They do not like the sun, they do not like Qi, and thus their primary numbers exist underground, in caverns full of Gu where they can thrive easily. If not for that fact the empire would've fallen ages ago."
I raised my eyebrow at the words. "Don't we have a lot of powerful people of our own?"
"Indeed, we do. But strength is not the concern here," Xi said, his expression shifting slightly, as he rolled up the map he'd drawn. "If the estimates we have are right… for every cultivator we have, the demons outnumber us ten to one."
There was a moment of silence as both Zhang and I took in the number. A sprawling living empire, down underneath the earth that we knew nothing of.
"How have we held the battle lines so far?" Zhang asked.
"A combination of factors. Superior weaponry, better arts, better formations, and the demons are not a whole lot smarter than demonic beasts. This has allowed us to exploit their weaknesses. But…"
I caught the trailing words. "But now they're starting to become smarter."
Xi Shie gave me a nod.
"Do we know why they fight the empire? Is it even known when they first appeared? Or how, for that matter?" I asked.
"No... we know very little of their motives. We had, once upon a time, captured demons to try and interrogate them but those in our custody died rather quickly, without us being able to learn much. If they had been natural predators, it would've been one thing. But the demonic beasts for the most part ignore other creatures and spirit animals, solely focusing on the empire," Xi Shie said. "As far as we know, demons have existed since before the empire itself and are its sworn enemies."
"That is… strange," I said, thinking over what I knew. I could see some motives the demons may have had to try and destroy Qi or take down the heavens, but… if so, why target the empire specifically? "You said demons have existed since before the empire, do we know where or how they lived?"
Xi Shie shook his head. "There were some insights of an era preceding them, but we know next to nothing of it. Or didn't, until you arrived."
"Right," I replied. I had not told him everything. Truthfully, I had not told him much. But the Shie knew of Chi now, and knew it's connected somehow to the Divine Tree. They knew less about my connection to it, but the knowledge was out there one way or another.
"And that is roughly the extent of what I know of the demons. And what most people do. There are more things, but most are kept within the royal family and within the emperor's command," Xi said.
I gave a nod. "Let's shift topics to matters at hand. We need to figure a way out to protect the villages surrounding Taizhou for the winter, including Taizhou itself. Even if the demons have all vanished, we can't count on them staying that way."
"What is the issue with simply doing what has always been done before?" Xi Shie asked.
"We lack people. A significant number of the more powerful cultivators left the sect when I took over, and we do not have access to all the wards and formations. Due to the change in power, villagers have begun rushing into the city itself to try and gain protection for winter, but we can't house that many people in such a short time span," I said.
Xi Shie thought over my words. "And thus the talks with the Patriarch," he said, and I nodded.
"If the talks go smoothly enough, I could potentially try and get enough resources to be able to protect people, and give the new cultivators the weapons they need to help add to that security."
"Very well, in that case, let us discuss our propositions regarding co-operations after you've spoken with the Patriarch," the boy said, nodding his head as he bowed ever so slightly to me.
I nodded as well, watching Xi step out of the chamber, before letting out one last sigh.
Zhang looked at me with a concerned expression. "Anything I can do for you, Brother Jie?"
"No, you should rest. You've done enough already. This is something I more or less need to sort on my own," I said.
The boy ignored my words, as he so often did whenever I told him to take a break, and I shook my head. A moment later, there was a knock at the door before Qiao Ying stepped in, bowing to me.
"Elder, the preparations for the scrying formations have been completed. The Patriarch will be shortly awaiting the meeting."
Chapter [B3] 3 — Meeting
I followed behind Qiao Ying making my way towards the chamber where the formation had been prepared for this scrying. I had been quite surprised to learn about the existence of long range communication like this, but in hindsight it shouldn't have been too much of a surprise. Given the kinds of various mystic arts that existed it wasn't a big stretch to imagine cultivators being capable of projecting their images across large distances.
The thought only made me more excited and hopeful about what could be done in this world. What was possible if these resources and abilities were not limited to just a fraction of humanity. I was already on my Path to making the world this way. And naturally, those in power are not going to be happy about my actions.
After we arrived at a chamber I wasn't familiar with, Qiao Ying stepped to the side. I stepped forward pushing the gates open, which opened with a slight creak.
Inside I saw a small pool of water set within a circular section made of stone. I could see the lines of Qi running around, creating the formation art. Briefly the thought came in my mind whether the same could be replicated with Chi or if the different energies would react differently within the formation.
The bad part about having access to a brand-new kind of energy was the fact that nobody knew how much could be done with it. Putting the thought aside, I walked into the chamber. Zhang followed behind me.
"Please establish a connection with this formation. When you do, the scrying art will activate, connecting you to the Patriarch," Qiao Ying instructed me.
"Will Lord Zhou be attending as well?" I asked.
"Lord Zhou has some tasks to see to, but I will be here representing him. He has left the matters of the sect to you," Qiao Ying replied smoothly.
That made sense, but part of me also wondered if this was a test. To see if I could handle the sect on my own, or if someone else would perhaps be more suitable to take my place.
"Alright, let's start," I said, sending a pulse of Chi into the pool of water. As I did, the formation arts lit up glowing with a silvery sheen as the still body of water began to form ripples within it. "Please hold the connection," Qiao Ying told me.
I didn't reply, simply focus on the stream of Chi flowing into the body of water. After a minute of shaking, the waters surged, rising upwards to roughly be as tall as I was. A moment later a person's figure formed from the water, as the Patriarch now stood in front of me. The man was just about what I had expected, he looked to be in his fifties, with a few strands of white running through his long black hair as he wore pristine robes and stood tall and proud, with the arrogance that came with a stature like his. Qiao Ying bowed his head, I did not. Instead, I gave a nod of respect and acknowledgement.
"We had heard the rumors, but to think you really were just a child," the man said, his eyes looking me up and down as if trying to seek for something.
"As the saying goes, revere not the elder by years alone, but whose visage betrays not the ages they've known," I replied, smiling to myself for having read a few more books in the little free time I had found.
The Patriarch snorted, Lu Jie noted the barest hints of a smile upon the man's stern face. "We see that you possess sufficient amounts of arrogance. A quality befitting a young cultivator, and one with talent such as yours. Unlike the old fool Yan, we are not so blind to miss the things you represent. But remember boy, a young dragon though you may be, you step in a world filled with dragons older than yourself. It would do you well to learn humility, and gain allies. Even dragons do not live all on their own."
I nodded, not cutting back the Patriarch's words this time.
"Is that perhaps the purpose of this meeting? Talks of alliances?" I asked, looking at the Patriarch with a raised eyebrow.
"You get ahead of yourself. No, we are merely here to see which foolish child decided to take over, and whether you are worthy enough for the right to keep that position," the Patriarch said.
"Am I?" I asked.
"That remains to be seen. What do you intend to do with the sect that you have obtained, what are your motives? The actions you take alienate many of the nobility and aristocracy. Ultimately you are but a provincial sect elder, and an extremely young one at that, how do you intend to gain the support and respect of those within the jade court," the Patriarch asked.
I stood silently for a moment. That was the question, wasn't it? I had been thinking over that one for a while, gaining the support of the Lord was important if I truly wanted to pursue my goals. Part of me was tempted to just say that I could do it all on my own, rise without the help of anybody, what did it matter if the Lord did not care for my methods.
After all, I knew that my methods worked. Unfortunately, reality was different. And in reality, the empowerment of mortals was going to be seen as a threat by the cultivators.
The very thing that made them special, I was trying to give to everybody. There was the point of the demons, and how having more cultivators could only be beneficial, and how it would allow us to beat them and reclaim their lands. After all, it was not just the heavens that I could break with my abilities.
The second Law thrummed in my soul, I could feel its desire to unite heaven and earth back together. But that was not something that the nobility wanted.
I'm sure some of them would love to beat the demons. Lord Zhou would, his domain had to suffer their attacks every winter. But those within the capital? They sat far removed from the conflicts, feeding off of its profits and growing fatter. No, the only thing I could appeal to here was their greed.
I looked up at the Patriarch. "Respected Patriarch, if you do not mind me asking a question in return to your question, how many cultivators does your sect lose every year? To Raiders? To bandits? To Demons? Whether the Jade court would like to admit this or not, the empire is at war. And has been for over a thousand years. And perhaps it is because of that, that people have forgotten. But war costs money. Not only does it cost the lives of your cultivators, the sect members, it costs you resources, weapons, food, goods, and so on.
The Patriarch raised an eyebrow, and I continued to throw my bait.
"Imagine a world where the mortals could fight. A world where mortals could be taught how to do simple Alchemy. How to create spirit weapons. If every farmer could break through and reach the first realm, they will not gain much significant strength, but they will become capable of working for more hours every day.
The more hours they work the more they will be able to feed the Warriors. If the mortals could join and head towards the battlefield without falling sick from the miasma, they could carry resources, weapons and goods, if they could fight against the weaker demonic beasts, protecting them would be less of a hassle. Imagine a world, where every mortal within your territory can hold value, enough to support the cultivators," I said, leaving out the unsaid half, that such a rapid development will only continue to grow them till there are no mortals or cultivators, only people.
The Patriarch frowned. "Even if we were to believe that mortals could learn such things and achieve them, it would pose the threat of them banding together and revolting. Why take such risks?"
I shook my head. "You fail to understand, honorable patriarch. They will not revolt. To them, we would be the gracious immortals, bringing to them a slice of the very heavens themselves. Every mortal would dream of things they had not dared to, and will work hard to try and achieve greatness. It is what we already see happen with children born of mortal parents and obtaining Qi. They flock to the sects, dreaming of reaching the heavens, and ultimately provide the foundation upon which the rest can rise," I said, pushing down the bitterness in my voice.
Though I did not lie, the truth did sting. Ultimately it was those who had been born with Fortune, that gained the most. And what I suggested, only served to present this false dream to everybody, instead of just a select few.
I knew I would not let it end up that way, but even so, there had to be some truth within my words, for me to be able to sell them. I saw the Patriarch frowning in thought, and continued. Reaching within my pouch, I grabbed its contents, showing the man the dozen or so Qi gathering pills inside.
"Patriarch, if you were to get this many pills made for your cultivators, how long would it take you?" I asked.
The man looked confused. "Roughly a day, perhaps half a day of the disciples were talented."
I nodded, closing the pouch. "It takes my mortal alchemist, a single day, to make ten times as much."
The man looked at me in disbelief, before his eyes went back down to my pouch.
"There is an untold amount of potential waiting to be extracted within these mortals. The very moment one chooses to remove the blindfold from their vision, one can see just how much can be gained."
The Patriarch heeded my words, before a smile came upon his face. "We see why you gained Lord Zhou's support, child. Indeed, you have gained our intrigue."
I almost let a smile slip, but the man continued.
"But this is not enough. You must prove what you have said. The divine tree sect shall become a branch sect upon the seventh peak. But the position you hold within it is only granted to you temporarily. If you can show that you are truly worthy of leading, we will allow you to keep what you have gained."
I returned a brief nod. I had expected something more or less like this.
"For now, you may use the resources of the sect," the man said, as part of the water flowed out, forming characters that would unlock the vault. I glanced sideways, as Qiao Ying hastily recorded them on a piece of parchment.
"Do not disappoint us," the man said, as the water fell back down into its pool, with a splash.
I sighed, feeling the tension finally vanish from my body. Glancing sideways, I saw Qiao Ying clutching the pieces of parchment with the characters. "Well done, sir. With this, we have gained the support of the Patriarch."
"Thank you," I replied. "Although I don't quite feel very happy just yet. There's still a lot left to be done."
The boy nodded. "I'll be doing as much as I can to support you in your path."
I gave Qiao Ying a nod, dismissing him to let him get to work, allocating and recording the resources we had finally managed to secure from the sect. Trying not to collapse into a puddle, I thought over what I had to do next, before remembering something.
I looked at Zhang. "Where the heck is the old man?"
Chapter [B3] 4 — Heavens
The old man sat in front of Lord Zhou sipping his cup of tea. It had been a long time since he had sat with the Lord like this.
"This makes us nostalgic. You used to sit here just like this when we were younger, teaching us. We still don't know why you kept refusing to work under us all those years. Was it something we did? Or perhaps our father?"
The old man put down his cup of tea, looking at the lord. "Neither, my lord. It was this old man's choice to settle into a quieter role. We had paid our debt to your father, he had grown into this splendid man. We felt content that you could handle things without us."
Lord Zhou did not reply, looking down at his own cup of tea, now growing cold. "Perhaps you're right. He could have managed, and we did, for many years. But now…" the lord trailed off, drinking his tea, before looking up at the old man. "Sheng Ming, if we are right about this…"
"Despite what we hope, you're most likely correct in your assumptions. And if my grandson- no, if that demon has truly reappeared, then perhaps the future that Tian Feng had warned us about, is closer than we had anticipated," the old man said.
"Do you think he killed the elder from the Alchemy Hall?" Lord Zhou asked.
"Most likely, though this old man cannot say for sure. But if he did, they would use that against us as well," the old man replied.
Lord Zhou frowned, a single crack running in his teacup. Lord looked down in surprise at losing control of his strength, before he set the cup of tea down. "Every step we seem to take is accompanied by two more setbacks."
"Such are the ways of the heavens, trials and tribulations marked the Path of all the cultivators, even more so with burdens as great as you hold," the old man said.
Standing up from his seat, the lord walked to a cabinet, opening it before he took out a bottle. "We had been saving this for a special occasion. But this seems as fitting as any," lord said, walking closer. He then poured the contents into their cups.
The old man looked down at the glistening liquor in his cup, shimmering with Qi. "Let us have a drink."
"Lord Zhou—"
"We are not a Lord right now, Sheng Ming," he said, raising his cup.
The old man looked at him in surprise, before nodding his head in acceptance. "As you say."
The lord smiled, raising his cup, as the two men drank. "It has been a while since we sat together like this. You barely come to visit us anymore."
"You have responsibilities, and so do we," the old man replied.
"That is true. But we still missed this," Lord Zhou said, taking another sip. "What made you pick Lu Jie as a disciple?"
Old man frowned, thinking over it. "Perhaps it was pity. This old man had not had a disciple in a long time, and the boy… he had a burning curiosity. It reminded us of Yuan."
The Lord nodded. "They are indeed similar in a strange way. When Sheng Yuan had been here, he had seemed no different from any other cultivator. Just peculiar. It is hard to think that he could even be a demon. It goes against everything we have seen with them. He was smart, calculating, and powerful. A far cry from the savagery and mindless slaughter those demons display. Even the ones who used to be cultivators that got consumed by demonic presences. It was almost like… he was in control of whatever it is that turns those demons mad," Lord said looking up.
"Do you think… We might have been mistaken? About those demons? After learning the truth of the heavens… it is difficult to say what is right and what is wrong anymore."
"We don't know. Ultimately, none of us can judge. But if there is one thing this old man knows, it is that those demons cannot be allowed to exist. In this, I will not waver," the old man said.
The Lord sighed, taking one last sip from his drink. "Perhaps so, perhaps we will end up finding a different way. Ultimately, it will come down to Lu Jie."
The old man nodded. "The boy must be taught. We have been neglecting things too much. It is time for us to return to our previous Path once more, and to guide him to stand against the enemies he has made."
"What do you intend to do? About Yan Shen? He has grown, since the last time we fought him, now… we fear only the Divinities can rival him," Lord Zhou asked.
The old man looked down into his cup, seeing his reflection within it. More and more wrinkles covered his face with each passing year, he had lived too long, seen too much. "We had hoped, in some corner of our heart, that he had survived. That our Yuan would return to us one day. This old man had allowed himself to be weak, but not anymore. We will do what we should have done ages ago," the old man said, as he set his cup of tea down.
"It is a painful path, and we dare not ask it of you. You have already done a lot for us, and for our people. You do not have to further suffer through this. We will find a way to deal with the Yang Shen," Lord Zhou said.
"No, this time it is not for you, my lord. It's something this old man must finish. We had raised him in our arms. It is our responsibility to see things to the end."
"We had dreaded the arrival of this day for a while now," Lord Zhou said.
The old man smiled wryly. "The heavens can be cruel indeed."
***
I walked through the sect, trying to think over everything that I needed to do. The work was never-ending, all the more so after I had become Elder of the Sect. More and more responsibilities had been on my shoulders. Now, with managing all the new cultivators, running the Qi crystal workshop, and ensuring the production was maintained, to working on funding the research for better weapons to be able to fight back against the demonic beasts, who for some reason, were still gone without a trace. It was as if they had never even been there.
A thousand thoughts went through my head as I made my way across the sect's premises. Qiao Ying had been working on allocating and documenting the resources the sect had, which for some reason, had either not been documented at all, or the documents that had existed had been destroyed or removed.
It was not a surprise to me to realize that the cultivators that had been in power were petty and would not have wanted to leave anything behind. But having to deal with it myself was still exhausting. Thankfully, a few had remained and helped carry and sort things properly, and get a good hold of the inventory that we had available to us.
It should not have come as a surprise, but running something like the sect the size of the Cloudy Peak Sect had required a lot of management and bookkeeping. And when half of your personnel vanished in a day, the task just got a little bit more difficult.
Trying not to worry too much about the problems, I continued my stroll, taking a glance at the changes happening within the sect itself. One of the things that made me the happiest was having free and full access to the library. Despite all the complaints that I made, obtaining the sect was a massive boon in every way, especially now that I could access the spirit herb garden within the sect.
The hoard of Qi crystals that they had been stockpiling, likely a bunch from Taizhou as well, would also help create a bunch of Drugnades, and fund the factories for Qi crystals. Many of the buildings were now being repurposed, as I was planning to shift my lab from Taizhou over to the sect premises.
I would likely keep people in both locations. The sect acting as the main laboratory grounds, and the building inside Taizhou being the secondary lab for research purposes that were more relevant to the location, such as the spirit anchor I'd created for cash and the demonic beasts.
As I strolled through the sect, some shouts caught my attention. Stepping forward with a pulse of Qi, I moved towards the sound, coming from somewhere, moving silently so as not to draw attention. And I found myself looking at the young new cultivators who had joined the sect, training together in formations.
Standing in neatly arranged rows, about fifty of them together, they slowly moved their bodies, channeling their Chi in unison through the various forms. A man stood before them, demonstrating numerous forms for the children to mimic.
Their movements were mesmerizing—no, that's not quite the right word. They were somewhat clumsy, lacking the finesse and control of a seasoned cultivator. Yet, there was a unity in their clumsiness—a harmony that permeated the Chi they manipulated, inhaling and exhaling as one, each breath moving in harmony. This unity, this flow of Chi that enveloped them captivated me, making something in my soul shiver.
I could feel the roots from the tree within my soul reaching out to them. Their Chi was intertwined with mine, and mine with theirs. Still, the full meaning eluded me.
I didn't know what breaking the chains of the heavens truly meant, what these roots symbolized as they intertwined with me, but what I did know was that they had become part of something I bore, a weight on my shoulders that, rather than crushing me under the burden, gave me the push to keep moving, giving me strength to fight and to protect them.
I'd always struggled to ask for help, and I knew it wasn't just me who struggled in doing so. But watching these children move through forms, transitioning seamlessly, and embracing new concepts, I realized how connected we were. How we were all part of the same world, part of something greater than any one of us could ever be.
The realization relieved me somehow. It told me that I no longer had to face challenges alone, that I wasn't the sole bearer of this burden. Even if I failed, someone else would continue what I had begun.
After all, from the start, my goal wasn't to revolutionize the world, but to ignite the spark of change, to be the catalyst of the flames lighting the potential that I saw in this world, of what could be done, and what was possible.
Whether I'd live to see that happen? I didn't know. Lives of cultivators were long, yet also, surprisingly short. Conflict was the norm in our world, and no matter how long my natural lifespan may become, if someone killed me, none of it would matter. Yet… somehow that didn't matter to me right now. In this moment, feeling the Chi moving in sync with mine, the souls harmonizing briefly, I knew I was no longer alone on my path, and I hadn't been for a long time now.
As I watched the kids practice their forms, something poked at the edge of my senses. I'd grown sensitive to Chi, having felt its ties to me, and a part of that sense told me that there was something different in this group.
I scanned the crowd, searching for what I felt, until suddenly I found the thing I was looking for. One girl in the center stood out.
Approaching closer I let my presence be felt as the kids stopped their practice, looking at me with wide eyes and bowed.
Besides them stood a cultivator from the Cloudy Peak Sect, one whose name I didn't know but had chosen to remain when I took over. As I walked up he bowed to me lightly in respect and I returned an acknowledging nod.
"Please continue, don't mind me," I said, before turning to the children. I let my senses spread out, searching for the one whose core had shifted. Scanning the crowd, I quickly spotted her.
Walking into their formation the kids moved aside to let me through. The girl looked around in surprise, stepping aside to let me pass as well but when I stopped right in front of her, she froze, fear taking over her face as she wondered if she'd done something wrong.
Looking up fearfully, she stammered but I stopped her words, placing my hand on her shoulder to confirm my suspicions.
I looked down at the girl, trying to assess her a little, while she continued to sink further and further in fear.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"M-Mo Lin," she said, almost biting her tongue in the process.
"Mo Lin, have you felt something different about your Chi?" I asked the girl.
She looked up at me, then shook her head. I glanced behind the girl, noting her hiding something up her sleeve. Despite what she said, there was no doubting what I felt.
She had unlocked a new kind of Chi, akin to Zhang's and Yan Yun's, but without my intervention.
Smiling as warmly as I could, I said. "Come with me."
Chapter [B3] 5 — New Powers - I
Mo Lin walked behind the sect elder, her heart pounding with fear, uncertain of what had drawn his attention to her. All she had been doing was practicing the forms alongside her peers, but then, out of nowhere, he had appeared, singling her out and leading her away from the others. She shuffled her feet, secretly hoping the elder might suddenly realize he had the wrong person and release her. But with each step, her hopes faded, replaced by a growing dread of impending punishment.
She wracked her brain, unable to recall any misdeed warranting such a consequence. She had completed her chores, practiced her forms diligently, and steered clear of trouble. Yet, if this wasn't about punishment, what could it be? She certainly hadn't done anything noteworthy enough to earn a reward, considering her average skill in the forms. So, if it was neither something bad nor good she had done, there was only one other thing she could think of. It must be about Mei.
At this thought, Mei stirred within her robes, peeking out from inside the little ball. Mei could feel Mo Lin's nervousness, brandishing a tiny blade in a defiant gesture towards the elder before Mo Lin hastily pushed her back inside her clothes.
Stay hidden! She commanded the doll.
It had to be Mei, right? Mo Lin knew she was weird, after all. Things like Mei weren't supposed to move on their own or have Chi, but Mei had both. This made Mo Lin feel special. She was made of wood and clouds, just like all the others.
But what if she was going to be punished because of Mei? Mo Lin knew of scary demon-like puppets called Jianghui or something similar, having heard stories about them from her mother. Although most of these tales were probably fake, some seemed partly true.
What if they thought she was like one of those people who made those inhuman things? More and more, Mo Lin feared she might be one of those now. She didn't want to hurt anybody; she didn't even know how Mei had started walking around on her own!
The silence continued as Mo Lin walked, step by step, further into the sect. Tears began to glisten in her eyes at the thought of being executed. She had insisted on coming here; it had been her dream to become a cultivator for so long, and now, by some miracle, she had the ability. She was going to try, but she didn't want to die, not because of this.
Her mother would probably cry so much if she found out. What would she do? She couldn't fight; she was weak. Unlike Mo Lin she hadn't awakened to Chi, not yet at least. Even then, this was the elder, the man responsible for the big fight and everything. She had heard stories of just how terrifyingly strong he was; he even had a nickname for him.
The Twin Flame Demon, a name that carried a weight Mo Lin's mother could never bear, and her father could only imagine. The more Mo Lin thought, the further her mind came up with every possible scenario that could go wrong. Slowly, the tears began to grow as she somehow began to accept that she was just going to die today. There was no other explanation.
However, her frightful spiral of thoughts was interrupted when they arrived at one of the inner chambers of the sect. She watched the doors open, leading into a lush greenery-filled place. Slowly, she stepped inside, looking with awe at everything present: beautiful plants filled the space, tall bamboo groves rising up in the air. She could feel the Qi in them.
This was a spirit herb garden, she had heard of them before but never seen one. The Qi in the air was rich, and with every breath she took, she felt more and more energy filling her. The beauty of the place managed to banish all the fear from her heart, and she simply looked on in a daze.
A moment later, something moved. Mo Lin jumped back in fear from the bushes. A creature came out and she looked in direct surprise before realizing what it was. "A turtle," she said, watching the little creature slowly walking out with two flower-like spirits sitting on top of it. Its beady little eyes glowed with power as the spirits looked towards her, rushing closer.
The elder bent down, gently picking both of them up and putting them on his shoulders. The turtle walked closer as well, and the elder bent down once more, gently brushing his head.
"Liking your new home, huh? It's definitely better than what we had in Taizhou," the elder said, as the turtle leaned in, before letting out a shuddering noise.
Mo Lin's eyes were stuck on the creature as she watched the interaction, mesmerized. The turtle slowly walked towards the center, and Mo Lin, interested, gently bent down as well, looking at it with shimmering eyes.
A moment later, she turned to the elder and asked, "Can I?"
"Go ahead," the elder said, and Mo Lin began to gently brush its shell.
The two plant spirits, noticing her, also jumped down, flitting onto her, one after the other. Little chimes came from both of them as they began chasing each other in circles. Mo Lin couldn't help but giggle to herself as the little spirits played around her, so much so that she forgot to keep Mei in check, and a moment later, the little doll jumped out, not willing to be left out of the chase. Mei joined the flower spirits as well.
"Mei, no!" Mo Lin shouted, reaching out to grab the doll, but it was too late. The little doll was already running around, playing with the spirits, and the elder had seen it. This was it; this was the end.
She was going to be executed now. Tears filled her eyes as she looked towards the elder in fear, but instead of anger or scorn, she found a small smile instead.
"Is that your doll?" The elder asked, looking at Mo Lin and Mei with a hint of interest. "I've never seen one that animates, though. How do you control it?" he asked.
Mo Lin, unsure of how to reply, stammered, "I-I don't know. She just does her own thing. One day she woke up, she... one day started to walk. I could understand her and we... spoke," Mo Lin replied, wiping the tears from her eyes. "What am I… I'm not going to be punished?" She asked.
"Why would you be punished? Did you do something wrong?" The elder asked.
Mo Lin shook her head. "I just thought that because she was like the stories of demon puppets and thought that... you would... it's a punishment for having made Mei," Mo Lin confessed, starting to feel embarrassed about her assumptions.
The elder laughed. "No, no, I'm not going to do that. If anything, I want to know more about your ability, and maybe we can write that down. Your ability is fascinating and new; I've not seen anything like it before. You're the third person I know who has awakened a kind of Chi that some said did not exist before, but you're the first to have done it outside of my influence. I want to know how it happened," the elder said with curiosity.
Mo Lin looked at the elder, confused by what he meant. "Well, I just one day could sense the Chi, and after that, I found some of it inside of Mei. So, I thought maybe I could try putting a little more in, and see if I could make her stronger, and when I did, she started to move."
"Fascinating", the elder said, "Was there anything else you felt at the time? Anything different? Some kind of revelation or anything?"
Mo Lin shook her head. "Not really. I just…" Her cheeks flushed as she spoke the rest of the words. "It's an honor to be like Mei. I've always admired her, and I was envious of her. I guess I kept hoping that maybe one day I could end up like her—strong, powerful, and beautiful."
"Interesting," the elder said, glancing sideways. "What do you think, Sheldon?"
Mo Lin's eyes widened in surprise as she heard a voice speak in her head, far deeper than she'd expected to come from the tiny turtle.
"Spirit tool. Tied to the spirit. Alive, but not quite. Different. New."
"Yeah, I wonder how far the ability could go, if it can be applied to other things to animate them as well," the elder said, before glancing back at Mo Lin. "You represent something new, little Mo Lin. You have a very special ability, and if I'm right, there are going to be others just like you with special abilities that we haven't seen before, or perhaps abilities that have been lost to time. Nonetheless, you represent a new kind of cultivator, one that, so far, only a few people around me have been able to become. But this? This shows that anyone can become unique."
Mo Lin didn't fully understand, but she still nodded to the elder's words. A moment later, Mei ran back into her arms, jumping up, and Mo Lin caught the little doll.
"I'll be interested in seeing more of your abilities and what you can do with them. But before that, I'm curious about something. Would you like to meet other people who have special abilities, just like yours? I know a girl who's—"
Before the elder could even finish, and without having to think, Mo Lin replied excitedly, "Yes!"
Chapter [B3] 6 — New Powers - II
Instead of walking all the way, I decided to take the shorter route, this time with Mo Lin in my arms. Sky Stepping was still a skill I was not extremely proficient in, but the girl did not need to know that. After her initial shrieking of fear, she seemed to be having a wonderful time. I couldn't blame her; flying was a special experience. Even as someone who had lived in a modern world with airplanes that flew way higher than I could currently, there was something special about being able to fly with your own body, to take off into the skies and roam freely, unhindered by gravity. I would never say this to Yu Song, but sometimes I was honestly jealous of his ability to shoot up into the skies without a care.
As we moved about the skies above the sect, I slowly began to lower my speed, descending near the familiar courtyard where the former Yan clan members had settled. It had been surprising to see how many of them had chosen to stay behind, but I suspected part of that was because of Yan Yun. Her support to me had given them someone familiar to latch onto, and rather than trying to find an entirely new home or place to work, it was far easier to simply settle for a change in who gave the orders. The position of the Yan clan was still a bit uncertain, but for the most part, Yan Yun was the heir, with one of the family members, Di'an, acting as her guard and the so-called patriots of the clan supporting her until she was old enough, or married—though I doubted she intended to choose the latter of those options.
Slowly settling down, I landed in the courtyard, gently letting Mo Lin down. She clung tightly to my clothes, even after we were back on the ground. After she felt reassured she was going to be fine, she slowly stepped down, the little doll Mei peeking from inside her clothes to look outside curiously. I didn't have to call out or speak for someone to notice my arrival. It was one of the nice things about being a cultivator: you sensed someone was coming if they were not trying to intentionally hide it. The door slid open as Yan Yun smiled upon seeing me, but then her eyes went to the little girl by my side.
"Who's this?" she asked, curiosity in her voice.
"I-I'm Mo Lin. It is a great honor to meet you," Mo Lin said, bowing her head deeply.
Yan Yun laughed at the girl's attitude and nervousness. "It's great to meet you too," she said, looking down at the girl before her eyes went to me, asking me for some answers.
For a moment, I simply looked at Yan Yun. She had changed yet again, regaining some of her former jade beauty and noble grace. This time, however, it was much more muted. Instead of the lightning-cold and distant figure that she had been before, there was an aura of friendliness and warmth around her. I suspected her Chi itself played a part in that, but I doubted that was all. She simply was just doing a lot better, and I was glad to see it.
"This is Mo Lin," I began. "The girl has awakened a new kind of ability. She is the third one, after you and Zhang, and I suspect that she could help us in understanding what exactly she can do," I said, my eyes shifting to look at Mo Lin. I found her eyes shimmering, infatuated with Yan Yun's vision. Given what she had said about becoming like Mei, her doll, and Yan Yun as a powerful cultivator, it did not take any leap of imagination to understand the girl's obsession.
"Yes, of course, I'd love to teach such a wonderful little girl. Come on, you two, let's head into my chamber," Yan Yun said, leading us forward inside. Mo Lin walked in after me, her eyes scanning every inch of the surface of the insides of the Yan manor, taking in what was present with the excitement of a child walking into Disneyland for the first time. The excitement was infectious, and I couldn't help but smile at the sight. After entering the room, I took a seat next to Mo Lin while Yan Yun sat across from us. Gently, Mo Lin took out Mei, the little doll, holding her with a shy pride at the interest she stirred from Mo Lin's hand. "This is Mei," Mo Lin said, "she's my doll and for some reason she can move around. I can even understand what she wants and says sometimes."
Yan Yun looked at the little doll, gently accepting her into her own hands. "My, what an aura for a little doll. It's nice to meet you, Mei," Yan Yun said.
The doll looked up at her, then gave her a respectful bow, before jumping back and rushing towards Mo Lin, brandishing her blade as she did so.
"She has a flying sword?" Yan Yun asked, her eyes shining. "I always used to dream about my own dolls coming to life like this, imagining them ready to play with me. You have a wonderful ability, Mo Lin," Yan Yun said, smiling at the girl.
Mo Lin beamed, clutching Mei close to her chest. She happily looked down at her doll, nodding in agreement.
I watched the interaction play out, paying close attention to the Chi in its movements. Back then, when Mei had been activated, she had been using Chi, not just like any cultivator would, yet at the same time, the doll itself had the pathways or meridians, and the orb of Chi present inside of it, guiding its movements. I glanced up to Yan Yun, observing the girl, her own Chi shifting slowly, beginning to flow around Mo Lin as a relationship began to form. 'Friendship Chi,' cheesy as it may sound, had some very interesting implications for how Chi could be used and what forms it could take.
Even now, we didn't fully understand what Yan Yun's ability could do, but I suspected a part of it was supporting others in their development, and it would work better the more attached Yan Yun was to someone. This thing still had to be tested and, for better or worse, threats that had unfortunately arisen meant that time was a precious resource for me now. However, I still appreciated the opportunity. Yan Yun's interest in teaching kids, and Mo Lin in particular, represented the perfect chance to see how both their abilities would interact, so that kind of worked out in my favor.
Yan Yun stood up from where she sat, walking around the chamber. She opened one of the drawers and, after searching for a bit, slowly began to take out a doll, similar to Mei but much older, with dust covering them.
"Ah, this brings back memories. I used to play with them a lot when I was younger," Yan Yun said, looking down at the dolls. "A lot of them were gifts from my grandfather, back when he still somewhat cared." Yan Yun glanced back, turning towards Mo Lin as she presented the two dolls in front of her. One was quite similar to Mei, a young noble lady but without the blade or the warrior's attire, standing with a dignified pose. The other was a respected man wearing long cultivator robes, with a sword at his side. "Do you think you can make them move like Mei?" Yan Yun asked.
Mo Lin looked uncertain and unsure of her ability, but she gave a quiet nod. "I can try and see," she shared.
Yan Yun smiled, letting the little girl take the dolls in her hands. Mo Lin looked down at them, focusing, her brows furrowed, tiny lips pursed as she closed her eyes, trying to focus her Chi onto the dolls. I started to pay attention, focusing on her aura and the Chi within her. Slowly, a little sliver of energy flowed from the girl into the dolls. Mo Lin's frown deepened as she continued, more and more Chi flowing from her. After a certain point, something changed. The Chi gathering within the dolls condensed to a point before they stood up and began to move.
"You did it!" Yan Yun cheered. Mo Lin opened her eyes, sweat on her forehead, looking down in surprise at the two dolls in her hands, now standing and moving around freely. The dolls jumped, looking around at one another as they walked around. Yan Yun picked one of them up. The doll looked at the girl before jumping back out of her hand. Mei moved out as well. As the three dolls stirred around each other, moving almost as if talking without actually saying any words, they ran around, seemingly playful in nature, jumping and chasing one another. Yet even here it was obvious that there was something different about Mei. Mei moved with a grace the other two lacked, taking flight on her sword and condensing Chi around her blade like a real cultivator could.
I glanced sideways at Mo Lin, noticing a thread of Chi running from her into the two dolls she had just given life to. I noticed the girl's face slowly growing more and more pale.
"Are you alright?" Yan Yun asked.
"I—" Mo Lin's words trailed off as the dolls fell and the girl closed her eyes quickly, looking like she was about to faint. Yan Yun moved closer, kneeling beside Mo Lin and putting her hand on the girl's head to see if she was okay.
"She drained her Chi. New cultivators aren't used to doing as much. It's a normal reaction," Yan Yun explained, sending a pulse of her own Chi into Mo Lin as her eyes fluttered open.
"What happened?" Mo Lin asked groggily.
"You just used a little too much Chi in the dolls. It's alright. I did that a lot of times when I was your age. You'll learn how to control your own Chi soon enough," Yan Yun said, gently brushing Mo Lin's hair. The girl nodded. "I feel really sleepy."
"You can rest," Yan Yun replied warmly. "We'll bring you some tea," she said, as I picked up Mo Lin in my arms, carrying her to Yan Yun's bed. Before I gently placed her down, Yan Yun pressed her hand onto the girl's head once more, her Chi flowing in gently as Mo Lin drifted off to sleep.
I felt something crawling at my leg and looked down to see Mei climbing up rapidly, eager to get a better look at Mo Lin. The doll walked up to the girl, still moving around freely, unlike the other dolls that had fallen. I looked at Yan Yun.
"So, what do you think? There's clearly something special about this one doll in particular, but even so, her ability is quite curious."
"It is indeed quite curious," Yan Yun said. "I suspect she might be manifesting Puppeteer Chi, although it could also very well be Life Chi—to give life to inanimate objects. It's difficult to say right now, given that she is still fairly young and does not understand her own abilities," she explained.
"Does that happen very often? To awaken an ability without truly understanding what it is?" I asked.
"Indeed, it does happen, although it is not exactly common. Sometimes people unlock insights that they do not understand consciously, but they do understand it instinctively. I suspect Mo Lin knows exactly what her ability is; she just doesn't know it consciously," Yan Yun said.
"Do you think it could work on people, her ability?" I asked.
Yan Yun shook her head. "Not without complete mastery, at least. But I think it is something that works on objects, at least for now. The Chi she uses seems to infuse life into them."
I frowned, thinking over Mo Lin's abilities and what it meant for the sect and the future. She was just the start, a harbinger of others like her who would appear, people all with their own unique kinds of Chi. More so than anything else, she seemed to represent a path of Chi with a kind of freedom that traditional Qi or Gu lacked. It would be a fundamental change in the way cultivators and society as a whole operated. What were the limits? Could anything be a form of Chi? I didn't know the answer, but it was clear to me that I would need to walk into the darkness myself to try and seek them out.
"What are you thinking?" Yan Yun asked, observing the contemplative look on my face.
"Just about how we lack enough people to fight against a large force of demons. Even against the demonic beasts, it's only because of the Drugnades that I feel some amount of confidence in being able to hold the sect and the city. But it's just the villages nearby. They're rushing to different peaks, including to the seventh peak itself. Even if we manage to hold them for winter, somehow, and fend them off within the city itself, the demons' passage through their villages will have destroyed their homes. If possible, I want to avoid that outcome, so I was thinking, what if we did have to use people to fight demons?"
"She is just a child. She will not be nearly enough, not to mention the burden it would put on her as a whole," Yan Yun said, her tone reflecting concern.
"I know, I know that very well. I don't want to put that burden on her, or anyone, for that matter. But your abilities can give her the Gu she needs, and by drawing Qi from everyone, we could give her pieces of it. I'm sure that if the worst were to come, she would want to protect our home as well," I reasoned.
Yan Yun frowned, contemplating my words. She glanced back at Mo Lin, the little sleeping girl, with her small doll standing protectively next to her. After a moment, she gave a small nod.
"We should rest, though. Don't try to do everything yourself," Yan Yun advised.
I laughed lightly. "If it was all on me, we'd have been sunk by now. It's solely because of all of you helping me that we're getting anywhere," I said, appreciating the support of those around me. Then, shifting the topic slightly, I asked, "By the way, what is Lei doing?" I asked.
"Lei, he's been in his chamber, meditating very often and hasn't been coming out much," Yan Yun said, her expression contemplative. "I can't fault him; a lot has changed in a short amount of time for him. I'm sure he has stuff to think through," I replied, acknowledging the complexities of Lei's situation.
"You should let Mo Lin play with Labby. Watching Labby might inspire her a bit. And, given how close they are in age, relatively speaking, I think they'll become good friends," Yan Yun suggested, thinking about the potential benefits of the interaction.
"I will. Labby herself has been training with Zhang very often. She's been feeling the need to grow stronger, to keep up with me," I noted, understanding the drive for improvement.
It's a sentiment I could relate to, having once hoped to make my grandfather see my worth and be proud of me. Yan Yun nodded in agreement, understanding the parallels. "I'll have to check on Lei later. Maybe send Mo Lin and Labby to play and talk afterwards," I said thoughtfully.
"I will. Try to get some rest yourself, Lu Jie," Yan Yun said, her concern evident.
I turned to leave, stepping to the edge of the chamber. "You too," I responded, before taking to the skies and disappearing into the distance, leaving the tranquility of Yan Yun's chamber behind.