It was evening when the crowd cleared.
At a little distance, like a trickling stream, dots of human figures in all colors slipped away. The sky became an overwhelmed blushing maiden donning colored garbs, and it felt like a sobering tune was welcoming a group of flying swallows back home.
A group of children followed behind a handsome young man. Their path cut through the center of the looming Shajing with its old and ancient ruins, its abandoned shacks and tall giant stones cut into strange shapes —remnants of palaces and forts, giant citadels of King Raven of the Soul Tribe.
Suddenly a young man's laughter broke into this somber picture. His cyan clothes shimmered, gossamer like strands caught light tenderly, like tendrils catching dew. Under the blushing red of evening sky, he suddenly became a lustrous weave of fragmentary pink and mauve—one would expect such brightness to subdue his other features, yet a dimple appeared on his cheeks, gracing his features with deeper shades of ambiguous affection.
Unlike him, the children wore all kinds of attire —plebians, noble and merchant sons and daughters, and even outright beggars followed together—similarly flustered. They were seen crossing the river, walking upon an old wooden bridge when the question was asked.
"No, no of course not!" The young man laughed light-heartedly. "No, rest assured. No one will make you walk all the way to Tianlan Sect. And no, carriages and horses cannot reach the place where we are going—don't assume things and don't worry, little brats! A flying ship will come tomorrow. Some more elders will join us tonight and together we will head back."
"A flying ship!? Does it really fly, brother?"
"Brother you aren't lying? How can a ship fly in the air? Or are we going by the sea?"
"Hmm, that ship does fly. In fact there are many treasures that will do that for you. Do not limit your imagination, there are many inconceivable things waiting to be discovered by you." He lowered his hands to rub the head of the boy, Rong Yuanchun and said, "Flying for the first time is an experience you will recall even when you've grown older. But if you cultivate well enough, you won't even need to use treasure to fly in the sky."
"Brother Li, do we need money to live in the sect? Or to cultivate?" A precocious looking girl, Ning Yizhuo, asked. "Do we have to pay gold to study as we do in the academy here? What happens if we don't have anything?"
Suddenly many smiling faces stopped beaming visibly. A few beggar children looked at each other nervously. Brother Li took in their nervousness and immediately reassured them.
"No, you do not need to worry about that. Although our world is cruel, it is still fair. You will be given three years time to get used to the ways of the sect. As for gold and such things…unfotunately, they cannot be used as currency in Cultivation world, little junior sister."
Brother Li explained carefully to everyone. "In fact, in our world gold and silver hardly matter. Even when it is used, it is only used by mortals —there are mortal villages and towns in the cultivation world, where you can see gold being used as currency. But even then, our gold differs in properties from here. However, you don't need to worry about livelihood so early. The sect gives out tasks which need to be completed by disciples from outer and inner sect alike and after completion of each task, you'll earn sect contribution points which you can exchange for resources from the sect. Although the sect won't ask you for payment for accommodation, disciples are required to support their needs by themselves. So you'll have to buy your own pills and herbs, weapons and treasures, but for now, new disciples like you can easily cultivate on sect's stipend, which will cover a lot of your needs. You will hear from others how the stipend is low and insufficient, but it is for older cultivators not for you. Don't worry. As for currency, most cultivators use Spiritual beads and Spirit stones and crystals, and your first year stipend will include thirty low grade spiritual beads and ten low spirit stones. Sounds good, right?"
He then took out a luminous stone and showed them. Its jagged edges suddenly caught stray sunlight, the white spirit stone burned fiercely.
"This is, what we cultivators call, a non-attribute low-level Spirit stone. It doesn't have any attributes of its own, so everyone can use it no matter what kind of spiritual roots they possess. Spirit stones are generally divided into low, medium and high grades, depending on how much spiritual energy they hold within themseleves—you can sense this difference on your own once you are familiar with Qi. One low quality Spirit stone is worth a hundred spiritual beads in our continent. And a thousand low quality Spirit stones when exchanged will fetch you one medium quality stone, while a hundred medium quality Spirit stones can be exchanged for one high quality Spirit stone. As for Spiritual Crystals, they are rarer and considered heavenly treasures. Hardly anyone who has seen them will ever use it for trading."
"Brother Li, you are here! I hope you've told them about the test."
Suddenly another cultivator jumped down from the rooftop. He walked closer and put an arm around brother Li's shoulders and said in a playful manner, "Or you forgot the main event while telling them about trivias?"
"Feng Shao…you are here. So the entourage reached early?"
"Don't ask, brother. You wouldn't believe what it is like there or what we saw…Xicheng, tsk! Come on, I won't spoil your mood. I will debrief you later. At this moment however, let me meet my prospective new junior brothers and sisters!"
All the children who'd scooted closer in fear, recognized the familiar looking cyan-cloth and immediately saluted and called out in tender voices, "Senior brother, hello!"
"Hello juniors! Hello, hello. You can call me brother Feng. Your brother Li and I come from the same village, so we are more like brothers in the sect. If you ever need any help from any of us, come to me. Don't be shy now. Come, come, tell me something about yourself."
"Greetings brother Feng." A slender girl wrapped in layers upon layers of mist-like silk clothes came forward and introduced herself, gently bowing in an elaborate salutation. "You can call me Xi Qingqing, brother Feng. I just joined from Anjing. Brother Li told me I have a wood attribute Heavenly spiritual roots."
"Good, good! Hello junior sister Qingqing," Brother Feng seemed to be very pleased with this news. He asked brother Li, "I heard you picked up a treasure this time brother Li. Does she have a mutant physique?"
"She isn't the one about whom you heard." Brother Li shook his head lightly. "Wei Zhiruo, here, has mutant thunder roots which are close to perfect roots."
Xi Qingqing, frowned and looked at the child he pointed out. She saw a scrawny little girl, wearing rags. Xi Qingqing's frown immediately turned into a deeper contempt.
"Perfect Roots!!? Really? That's definitely a one in a million opportunity. Brother, you struck gold."
Brother Li, however, just shook his head laughing.
What followed was another round of introduction. Ning Yizhuo, Wei Zhiruo, Rong Hualan, RongYuanchun, Hua Shen…many faces came and embarrassedly introduced themselves.
Brother Feng took a second look at Wei Zhiruo's ghostly pale face, then nudged his companion.
"Is the rumor true? Destined disciple of Venerable Gu…does that person really possess a thunder root?"
"You said it yourself right. It's just a rumor. Destined or not, little junior sister Wei has great potential, and it won't change much even if she really happens to be the one in the Jian Venerable's prophecy." Brother Li replied looking thoughtful.
"Yes, she has good aptitude, enough to be called a real genius anywhere in this world. Venerable Gu has never taken a disciple because of strict requirements of his Arts—this time, if his destined disciple really happened to go to the sect, it will be another great contribution to the Sect! I am looking forward to your good fortune, little sister."
"Let's hurry back." Suddenly Brother Li extended his hands and looked at a piece of yellow paper with a frown and then said something cryptic to Brother Feng, "It's a big deal already, a returning group was attacked. Be careful and don't let these candidates out of your sight. We don't know how many of those beasts are lurking around. Tsk, it's becoming a game of tag."
"Is it Elder Shen's group?" Brother Feng sighed. "It was his group that was supposed to come around this time."
Wei Zhiruo suddenly roused her distracted eyes. The name Shen was all too familiar to her, so she keenly listened to the two young men chat.
"Yes, it is him. He was coming back after investigating the Shen clan's burnt down manor, when he got attacked. You might have heard that the Shen family was exterminated. He said junior Haiming informed the sect about this. Even that event is somehow linked with demonic cultivators."
"Hmm…I had my fair share of doubts, you know. Now the whole affair of sending away junior brother Haiming seems like a huge conspiracy. Hisss, tsch! So many pitfalls. What even are those Alliance leaders doing?"
"Who knows." Brother Li snorted mockingly.
Brother Li suddenly turned to the group of silently eavesdropping children. His solemn eyes suddenly turned mellower. As if remembering something, he started explaining in his slow voice as they walked under a path lined with tall poplar trees on both sides of the road.
"There will be a test, little juniors. Before you can truly become the sect's disciples, you'll be asked to climb the Immortal stairway and show your determination to walk on this road of strife and suffering. If you fail, you have failed to prove your ability to stay true to your Tao! So the test is a very important part of your future journey. The cultivation world cannot accept failures."
Rong Yuanchun thumped his chest and promised, "Brother Li, we will succeed! You just wait. We will become fellow disciples of the same sect for sure."
"I am glad if you are this confident. I am looking forward to that day." Brother Li smiled and said.
***
By the time everyone arrived at the inn, it was already night. Tired, dispirited wayfarers found their way to a three-story building, clumsily tucked between several quaint looking ones with wooden walls and jutting out eaves and roofs that curled elegantly, shapely and carved. Numerous huge trees stood rooted around the edifice, framing and animating everything with their softer rustling branches. There was a storm of lanterns giving off their effusive glow; a stone step led into a huge double door, going past which one would come across a grand hall with high ceilings, wooden beams framing its height, evocating deeper awe.
Indoor balconies and hallways on higher floors were occupied; people came and went, climbing stairwells, descending them. There were tables and chairs placed around. Wei Zhiruo saw candles burning everywhere she turned; silk and brocades, scintillating fabrics drew flickering eyes towards their delicate lines. Lanterns floated everywhere.
Soon, their small group of children was joined by other cultivators and other groups of children following behind them. Introductions were made and it was found that Tianlan Sect wasn't the only one coming out seeking new disciples this time. The inn had housed guests from three major sects —Kunlun, Tianlan, and Wuji Sect—though now, the Kunlun sect had already departed on their way back last morning.
"Li Sifeng? I heard your sect has found a gem this time. Is that true? A perfect Root physique? Will our cultivation world see the rise of another genius?" A cultivator wearing black clothes with golden cuffs and brocaded collars came closer with a wide smile on his face. His dignified posture immediately stifled the small chatter.
Brother Li didn't comment much, but he turned to the children and started introducing the newcomer. "This is Brother Deng everyone. He is an older Inner disciple from the Wuji sect. His family comes from an ancient line of Artifact makers. If you ever need any treasures you can go to Brother Deng's shop."
"Everyone from the Tianlan sect is always welcome!" Brother Deng replied good humouredly. Then the two older men started exchanging news.
"It's amazing. There are so many mortals with spiritual roots in Dajin. I don't know how it is in the Yong Empire or Daxia, but my fellow cultivators have brought too many good seeds out of those places as well. If what we found here is the norm, then…I feel sorry just thinking about it. We have been clueless for too long. This is too great a price to pay for our ignorance!" Li Sifeng remarked somberly.
"You tell me." Brother Deng sighed while he shook his head. "But a loss averted is no loss at all, some would like to say. The situation is becoming clearer and the elders are discovering deeper roots of conspiracy, but imagine —what would have happened if we didn't discover the situation here, and still kept thinking the mortal realm will no longer provide a bed for newer talents? We should be thankful, Sifeng."
"I am brother Deng. But more than that, I feel this situation could have been entirely averted had the Alliance been more mindful of their duties."
The two fell silent, then talked some more.
After a while, Brother Deng looked at the group of children chatting amongst themselves and said, "This time your sect and Kunlun have struck real gold. Someone counted up to fifteen single-spiritual root seeds amongst Kunlun's new batch, and some really good ones have been kept hidden. Fifteen, mind you! Being the number one sect in the cultivation realm has its own privileges."
"Fifteen?" Li Sifeng sounded incredulous.
"Bizarre, right? The Disciple taking ceremony is going to be grand—someone's calling me? Indeed, someone is calling me, Sifeng. I will catch up with you later, but don't forget to come to Wuji after going back this time. I will be waiting for you."
Li Sifeng watched the group leaving, then led his own group of children deeper into the building. The whole building had been reserved for their use; even now small groups were coming from outside —they came from other nearby villages and towns. After entering a hall, everyone looked at the served tables and waiters standing with food on platters waiting upon children and cultivators. Immediately everyone formed small groups and gathered to have dinner.
***
Wei Zhiruo sat down on a chair. She and other four children —the girl named Ning Yizhuo and her sister Ning Fei, and Rong Hualan and her brother Rong Yuanchun—sat together fairly close to the hall's wide entrance.
"Junior sister Weeei!" Rong Hualan chirped. She put one of her arms on the table and tapping the surface she asked frustratedly, "Do you really have a mutant spiritual root? Why didn't you tell me? I thought we had already shared every secret between us! "
"She does. And did you ask? Almost everyone knows this. I thought you already knew, but you turned out to be more clueless than I thought," Ning Fei said without waiting for Wei Zhiruo to answer. She happily enjoyed glum looking at Hualan's angry expression and protest, sat down lazily and pulled her hesitant sister to sit together too. She said, "It is a rare thing, having pure roots, am I right? My sister's Heavenly fire root's purity is nothing like yours. You are so lucky, Wei Zhiruo. I think you'll be immediately chosen by some elders in the sect or even by True Taoist lords. Don't forget to take care of us if you do!"
"Of course, I will," Wei Zhiruo nodded, "I guess it does make a lot of difference if you happen to be chosen as a disciple of some eminent monks in the sect. I am guessing it's because of the resources they can provide. The higher their cultivation level, the better their guidance. But it must be very hard to get noticed. Even if I happen to have a special spiritual root, if there is no one who has similar exercises or inheritance, it's useless to have such potential, right?"
"That's true, I didn't think about that. But brother Li said you are some kind of destined disciple…maybe it's true."
Brother Li, Li Sifeng. Wei Zhiruo was suddenly reminded of his reluctance when talking of Venerable Gu. She pondered and said, "We will only know when we reach the sect, right? What if it's just a rumor or a case of mistaken identity?"
"Hmm...Don't worry, you'll be fine."
"Of course she is going to be fine! Even if the prophecy is a rumor, she is still the best talent in our batch!" Rong Hualan couldn't help but beam, as if she was showing her own abilities. Then as if she thought of something sad, she cupped her cheeks and sighed, "Now, I am worried about us three —me, my brother and you, Ning Fei—we all will have to take the test."
"But didn't they say the test is for everyone?" Wei Zhiruo interrupted, sounding confused.
"Exceptions are made for exceptionally good candidates like you two. If you two don't want to take the test you wouldn't have to." Ning Fei chimed in and then bowed her head again, picking up her food in small bites and chewing them elegantly.
"You two are so lucky," Rong Yuanchun sighed enviously. The three looked equally glum. Wei Zhiruo knew she couldn't say anything to cheer them up, so she focused on inquiring about the news.
"Is that so?" Wei Zhiruo whispered, "Or is it something like a test within a test? What if there are certain benefits of taking the test despite having these privileges? Or the test wouldn't be open for everyone, right?"
Ning Yizhuo paused in her action as she picked up a tender slice of meat. She looked towards Wei Zhiruo for the first time. "Do you think so too? I was going to take the test either way because of that. It is better to be safe than sorry or we might miss some unexpected opportunity."
"But are you two sure you want to take this risk? What if you end up failing?" Rong Hualan looked at them worriedly.
"We can try, right? There is no loss in trying. And if we fail, that's upon us, it just shows we aren't capable enough." Wei Zhiruo replied. She watched Ning Yizhuo silently. If she hadn't kept an eye open directed in her way, she'd have missed Ning Yizhuo's small nod which came several minutes later.
***
Wei Zhiruo finished walking around the more scenic parts of Shajing. Having seen the ruins of past palaces, ghostly chambers and vaults, tunnels dug within the ground, accompanied by her group of new friends, it was already late afternoon, when they all walked back to the Market Square. She watched fresh faces, newer carriages and people running to line up. Noise bubbled, making her mind numb.
"Let me do that." She said to Rong Hualan. "I know where the breakfast store is, so I will be quick. Will steamed dumplings be enough for all of you?"
"Yes, yes. Come back quickly, we will wait for you around the platform." Rong Hualan replied.
Wei Zhiruo wasn't lying. She really recalled the exact location of a small shop selling fresh breakfast, so she swiftly walked towards her new destination. After she had finished ordering her food, she waited under the eave of the shop for some while, bathing in the morning sunshine, when suddenly a huge rattle of wheels and harnesses broke into her silent deliberation.
"It's late! Are we late, mother?!" A boy jumped out of his carriage. "I told you two to hurry up but you wouldn't listen! Look! Aren't we late now? What if we miss the ceremony? It's all because of her! That ugly thing—!"
"Ming'er! Don't talk rudely!" A woman immediately chastised her son, putting her hands on the boy's blabbering mouth. "Watch what you're saying, Ming'er. This isn't the way you should be talking about your concubine sister. Now, walk ahead."
"I understand mother." The boy glumly conceded, then chewed back his angry words. "But mother if it wasn't for Yu Mengjin causing such a scene to come along with us, we wouldn't be this late. And father — he actually agreed! Why did he do that? Despite you not wanting to take her, despite all of our protests, he still took her with him! Did he think about you or both of us for even a second? Where does he place your dignity as his proper wife, mother?"
"Okay, okay. These are things between adults and you children shouldn't be minding them. Think about good things. Get ready for the ceremony, okay?" The woman gave her son a soothing look.
"Am I not feeling this bad for your sake? I just cannot accept this mother."
"Brother is right, mother. You always excuse our father giving a number of reasons for his actions, but don't you feel tired? I feel tired for your sake." Another girl, perhaps the woman's daughter, added.
Suddenly a maid came panting to them and said, "Madam, please hurry up! The line is getting longer and both the young master and miss will have to line up by themselves! I asked and they won't allow servants to replace the candidates in this process. I told them they are tired from their long journey from Tainan prefecture, but they won't listen! Everyone has to stand in the line by themselves, they said, and there is no exception to this rule. What should I do?"
The silently leaning woman straightened her back, then said, "Is that so? Don't worry. Ming'er, Lan'er. You two heard her, right? Now go and line up. Hurry. Or it will be really late!"
Although the woman was slightly displeased, she immediately showed her graceful bearing and kept her displeasure to herself. She escorted her children then pushed her son towards the line in a breezy manner and watched her daughter follow along.
Wei Zhiruo gravely watched the beautiful woman turn back towards her carriage after she'd looked at both of her children for a long time, watched her climb the steps and disappear.
There was something unsettling about them. Her instincts were going haywire. She felt a shiver run down her back. She was paying the shop owner money when she felt it —that heavy, lingering and invisible sight falling on her back. She looked back.
There was nothing there. She picked up the paper wrapped steamed buns, and made her way through the crowd. Echoes of steps, laughter and cries and angry shouts and yelling faded away like a lost thread. She felt the color fade away, felt the traces of stillness weigh on her shoulder heavily. She felt her heavy breath taking center-stage echoing like a trumpet signaling the chaos of a war — in her chaotic mind, she found herself alone, lonely, like a floating star. Figures, shapes and outlines muddled together to create hollowed out caricatures flung in the air together, jutting out like extended arms of ghosts, or shadowy figures. Her steps had long stopped going forward.
She saw something. She couldn't recall what she saw. She thought, perfectly sure, that she hadn't seen a thing —but now she wondered. If she hadn't then what happened to her? What was this resentment, this deep dread filling her mind? Was that scene really that empty of any shape?
Maybe it was due to her stubbornness, she soon realized what it was. After struggling endlessly, she recalled what she saw —a gray shadow floating over the boy's head.
Something pierced her mind. Her heart throbbed achingly, while urgent thoughts filled her mind. Urgent wishes. She wished to seamlessly plunge into that other side of her consciousness. She'd previously glimpsed it in the past, the abyss that stretched on and on, on the opposite side of her sanity. But she clenched her teeth and muttered no to herself. She couldn't let go of herself; she couldn't. Doing that would mean abandoning all control to something that was outside herself. Losing control. And she could never do that to herself again. She would die, she would lose all hope, but she'd never let another creature play with her mind, play and interfere with her freedom! Not now, not in Cuiping, not in depths of heaven or hell. Nowhere…
"Snap!!"
A twig crunched under her feet.
The sound brought her to consciousness. That sight was no longer on her back. A second later, the gaze followed. One step, three, she counted fifteen and felt the gaze intensify before retracting —she didn't dare to think it was gone. She was right; she felt the sight on her again. The familiar pain rooted deeper. It came, then retracted, then chased her again.
'It's suspicious of me,' Wei Zhiruo sweated.
She took out a piece of steaming meat-filled bun and took a bite. The taste was lost. She chewed and swallowed mechanically. She watched a few more families joining the test site, and decided to go back to find her companions sitting around the pool amidst ruins. As she approached the raised platform, she busied her mind tracing the remnant tiles, the patterns in the remaining archways around the pool, pathways connecting them made of stones cut and polished in peculiar hexagonal shapes, she smelled a rotten fishy smell in the air; it was smell that came from sea, smell of salt and fishes and sand and of breeze in which good and foul intermingled and there was sweat too. Then she smelled something horrid, like a left-behind pile of fish, left for a long time in a sweltering humid closet to rot, to get filthier in its flesh and blood. She felt too nauseous to eat anymore so she threw away the buns to a stray dog.
The boy was near her.
Wei Zhiruo pretended to be calm when she saw the shadow floating around that boy, Ming'er. He was standing innocently amongst a sea of children, looking expectant and cheerful, and guileless. Ignorant of the creature floating on his head. She didn't know what that thing was; the gray of its flesh looked sickening, as did its pitted and ugly texture like ugly tumors growing from blobs of filth. She wondered whether it was even a thing. It had no shadows, no shape of its own—it was not a spirit, nor any creature she was familiar with. She doubted if it even had a soul.
At that instant as if in tune with her disgust with itself, the tentacles squirmed nauseatingly.
Feeling her back sweating profusely, Wei Zhiruo kept looking around herself to see if anyone else had seen that abomination. No one looked alarmed—not those humans, nor the Daoist. She grew more panicked—this shouldn't be happening, she thought. If even the cultivators were clueless about this…what could it be?
Suddenly, Wei Zhiruo heard its voice. Muffled, hoarse, mechanical and stiff. It talked like it was coming from a place where nothing existed and it had never felt any need to utter a syllable. Or like an old machinery trying to get back into shape, rubbing against its rusty parts with unfamiliarity.
[The system itself cannot intervene directly…host. Your sister is…dead. Her soul is lost, her body…occupied. Mercenary Ning Minglan…the heroine of the second book, is already here. We cannot stop these events from happening. You need experience points to stop her from harming your mother…host. You need to do the tasks to gain those points…do it to stop the alien soul from exploiting your sister's body and doing those atrocious…things written in the novel. Do you wish to initiate this Task?]
The monster was talking with the boy. It seemed the boy was aware of his existence. Even if he knew there was something talking to him, looking at his pale yet unhorrified face, she became sure even the boy couldn't see the real appearance of that thing which called itself the 'system'.
[Initiating side quest! Weaken Protagonist Yu Minglan! Steal her opportunities, hamper her progress.]
Wei Zhiruo controlled her aching head from reeling. Her fingers twisted and formed a seal. She opened her eyes —that shadow was there, amidst the golden threads, with nothing attached to itself. It was as if the heavens here couldn't feel its existence at all. There was no doubt—this thing didn't belong to this world at all!
[Host Yu Yichen is being given access to the first arc's completed storyline. Chapter loading…Ting! Do you wish to see the current progress of the main task, host?]
[Storyline One, First Arc Progress: 4%]
[Experience gained: 8 points]
Her headache intensified.
[Progress is too low…you are in Shajing, host. According to our calculation, you should have gone to Xicheng. However, the plot changed. We are still trying to find out the reason for this change. Host Yu Yichen…should refrain from exacerbating plot deviations any further. Do you wish to see the next plotline?]
[Storyline
She felt the deep anger the thing emitted from its pores. It looked indignant.
[Warning! Main target Yu Mengjin is missing from the scene! She is still stuck healing Wen Haiming. By the System's precise calculations, she should have already gained the Artifact Soul Effacing Jade after Wen Haiming died…discovered hidden Bloodline Rejuvenating Elixir and stimulated her bloodline…Progress being recalculated…Ting! New estimates show she hasn't awakened her Phoenix lineage yet. Next plot point for the heroine: Meeting and becoming Venerable Lord Zhuge Qing's last disciple.]
Wei Zhiruo saw the worried faces of her friends. Rong Hualan looked at her pale face and jumped down the platform to come to her.
[Initiating transmission of Second Storyline:
Heroine: Yu Minglan
Progress: On the way back to the Tianlan sect, the ship is attacked by Demonic cultivators. Yu Minglan steals a dead demonic cultivator's Dimensional Space ring, containing fragments of an ancient Cultivation Art.
Task: Stop her from obtaining the treasure.
Tark Rewards: 200 experience points, a chance to draw Immortal artifacts from Gacha, ten Top quality Spirit stones!]
This time, she clearly saw a light screen flickering with letters on them, which the system read out aloud. Still no one around seemed to notice this bizarre development.
[Yes, despite previous animosity, you need to support heroine Yu Mengjin. Your Main task is to prevent invading soul 'Yu Minglan' and heroin from second novel, from making any changes in the first novel
Wei Zhiruo felt the buzzing voice in her head taking over every thought. She felt if this continued her brain would soon burst open. She was tethering to the edges of control when…her huadian suddenly flashed. As if stimulated it unfurled its sixth petal. At the same time, Rong Hualan reached her and clutched her cold wrist.
A cold sensation soothed her mind.
[Ting! Second Side Quest issued!!
Description: Yu Minglan, the girl who finally climbed the three thousandth steps of the Immortal pathway, became the last to reach the peak. But when Elder Shen announced the rewards, he brushed his white beard and let her pick her reward first. She looked down at the dagger blade, a blackened iron ring, and a mystical looking piece of rolled up scroll and immediately reached out to pick up the old looking ring from the gifts. Something told her it was her transmigrator's golden finger. Didn't all those descriptions of cannon-fodders finding their mustard-seed dimensional space feel similar to this event? What if this is the same scenario? The scroll must be a high level cultivation technique, the knife was good for those who wanted to be swordsmen but she didn't feel the burning desire to pick any of the two. It was this. This ring. It was her chance!
Task: Stop Yu Minglan from being the first in the test or gaining the ring with the space.
Quest rewards: Twenty Top Quality Spirit stones, ten draws at Gacha, 500 experience points.]
"Wei Zhiruo, don't scare me! What is happening to you? Are you feeling faint because you didn't eat this morning?" She heard a faint worried voice of Rong Hualan but it soon got drowned out in long announcements of the system that followed.
[The third Side Quest is being initiated…Ting!! Initiation completed, please carefully look at the details!
Description: Yu Minglan frowned. She didn't want to meddle into someone else's business, but she really detested this white lotus heroine! Who said the Red Phoenix was born selfless and pure?! Why couldn't she find any shred of selflessness in this creature, this Yu Mengjin, who was always looking to see her downfall? What gave this concubine born daughter the courage to feel resentment from her —or the original owner? Shouldn't it be her who should be resentful?! So she saved that disciple called Wei Zhiruo. Who would have seen…Yu Minglan looked down at the necklace she picked up from that girl's neck. Venerable Gu's second disciple was really true to her reputation. Foul mouthed, uncouth and hot-tempered. The way she stormed away immediately after throwing away the bag full of spirit stones as if she could pay the price of her life that way…but she did gain this thing. Not only that. Now Yu Minglan knew where she could go and soak to temper her body—who could have known the old ditch which smelled so foul had Spiritual Water Pool stored underneath it?!
Task: Stop Yu Minglan from awakening her Ice Phoenix bloodline by gaining ancient Ice Sapphire Necklace. Stop her from saving Wei Zhiruo, and gaining knowledge of the Spiritual Pool.
Quest rewards: 100 experience points, 5 Top Quality Spirit stones]
"Wei Zhiruo…Wei Zhiruo, say something!" Rong Hualan panicked and ran back to call others.
[Ting! The conditions have been met for extraction of the third book!! Do you want to extract the storyline for the third novel
[Please prepare for the transmission—!!]
"Wei Zhiruo? Are you even listening to us? What's the matter with you?" Ning Fei called out into her ears.
She looked up, her head swimming. Rong Hualan and others were looking into her eyes and dragged her away to sit down. "Come, come this way. We have been calling you for so long! What happened? Are you okay? Maybe it's the heat of the sun which is making you so uncomfortable—"
***
"What is happening?"
With her almond shaped eyes, a pretty young lady pointedly looked towards a direction. Men and women wearing armors over their bodies, holding swords and long spears and a range of other mysterious looking weapons descended from the sky.
Kunlun, Wuji, Tianlan sects, even the Cultivators Association had sent their members to quell the unrest in Xicheng. Now, many of the quest seekers were returning to go back to their world together.
"Xicheng…the whole town has turned into a ghost city."
Li Sifeng brought the group of children close to where the Ship was anchored to the ground. He heard the discussion and stopped in his tracks. The two young ladies greeted him respectfully.
"The sect has decided to send Nascent Soul Cultivators, so don't worry," Li Sifeng informed them. "Maybe other ancestors will intervene. This is no longer just the problem for sects to deal with. Other cultivation families will also come forward this time. Or else…"
It was the evening of the second day. Many children lined up to climb the ship's stairs and go inside, being guided carefully by other cultivators. Wei Zhiruo hardly noticed others— there were few who could enjoy the curious artifact of the cultivation world in their right mind at this moment, as just right in front of them stood an army of ferocious looking faces. Some rode their flying vehicles, some came with their growling beasts. But always, they would keep the newly arrived flying ship in the center of their formation as if preparing for an ambush.
"They successfully destroyed everything. It's those wicked demonic cultivators! It can only be them!"
"Why now? Weren't the sects alerted in time?! I heard even Sect elder Shen and Tang, both late-stage Nascent Soul Cultivators, went to Xicheng. The Wen family sent their Deity Transformation Ancestor along with those coming from Gu and Chen clan. Everyone was alerted; almost half of the cultivation world was furiously protesting at this oversight. How could the Cultivator's Association fuck this up at such a sensitive moment?!"
"It was already too late." Li Sifeng shook his head.
The first girl explained to her friend, "By the time they arrived the whole town had been burned to ashes. It took them a fortnight just to cleanse that foul breath of remnant ghosts! Who knows what those crazy dogs were thinking! Demonic cultivators had long ago completely infiltrated Xicheng, unnoticed. There were inhuman torture camps in there—they were also trading human flesh with demons from Western Continent! And now it is being said, Xicheng is not the only such place in this mortal realm. Those who searched brought news of similarly afflicted countless villages and towns. It's almost like the whole mortal realm was being turned into a demonic entity's blood pool! Can you believe that? But such horrible things were happening in Xicheng and elsewhere, humans were being kept captives, tortured till their last breaths, killed, butchered, for years and years they were kept like animals in chains—all this was happening while we conducted spiritual root testing ceremony in Xicheng at ten years interval and never found a clue. We found no disciple here, so we thought the spiritual energy was completely drained! I hate to think about what they suffered just because of our carelessness! The Association didn't have a clue of this, nor did our sects — how can there be so much ignorance! I refuse to believe no one knew."
"Is it actually that bad?!"
"It's horrible! I can't believe something like this was happening there and for so long! No way there is no involvement of traitors from our side. If it wasn't for junior brother Wen and others bringing the news, who would have heard of this?"
"You mean, our sect's junior brother Wen Haiming? What does he have to do with this?"
"Wen Haiming was the one who informed the sect." Li Sifeng took the turn to explain this time, "Demonic cultivators were chasing after him and his companions, the last time I heard from him. All four are missing along with Junior brother Wen. No one knows whether they are dead or alive. But they should be safer now that so many people have come to support."
"Wen family…it is understandable why they are so angry this time. Their only young master's life is in such jeopardy," the other female shook her head, "this is the reality of our world, isn't it? The powerful prey on the weak and innocent people die like mayflies."
Suddenly a booming voice echoed in the air interrupting their heated conversation.
"Get inside the ship quickly. We will depart in fifteen minutes." Grand Elder showed up.
"We obey, Grand Elder!!"
Chaos ensued.
Wei Zhiruo climbed inside following the lead of brother Li like her other companions. Inside the ship, another elder stood before them with his hands kept behind his back, scrutinizing their faces as he spoke out instructions in a cold manner. Wei Zhiruo recognized him to be the same Elder who had done the test for her.
"Find your places. Choose a room and settle there until you reach the sect. Loitering around within the ship is forbidden! We will not reach the Great Barrier till a week from now and even then," The elder briskly swept across his weary eyes around the Flying ships deck full of curious little bobbing heads of children, teenagers and a few, conspicuous adults but who were looking at him with eager eyes to understand the course of their journey towards their new future, "—even then, we will have to wait a long time before we reach Tianlan. As you might have heard, there are demonic cultivators running rampantly. Be prepared to live here for a long time, as we delay the trip to secure your safety. In the meantime, follow orders and listen to your senior brothers and sisters about common sense knowledge related to the cultivation world. That world is nothing like the world you have been familiar with since your birth. It's a cruel world, full of suffering and pain. The strong eat the weak. Only the strong have the right to express their demands and the weak like you — you are the fodder which isn't even enough to feed their pets! Learn!! Knowledge and only knowledge can be the key to your future survival. Best of luck."
The Elder finished his speech, then vanished, turning into a handful of mist.
Wei Zhiruo felt it. The air charged with tension, with pulsating, thrumming anxiousness.
In the midst of the noise, she once again heard the mechanical disjointed warning blaring loudly like a screech of an angry ghoul.
[Warning! Anomaly detected!! Warning!!]
[Warning! An urgent Task is being issued! Ting!! Task details: Identify and kill the variable!!]
[Reward: 900,000 Experience Points, a lifetime access to all system treasures and resources.]
"Hey, Wei Zhiruo, which room are you going to choose?" Rong Hualan patted her on the back and asked.
"Let's look at the rooms first."