As it turns out, cultivators traveled by concentrating qi around the body and running. Yes, sprinting was the secret to fast travel in this world. Not even a horse could compete with a cultivator running flat out. It wasn’t really even running, more like long dashing. Every step was reinforced with a slight buildup of qi before a controlled release. A single step could cover 10 yards with the same amount of stamina lost as taking a step. Walking with this technique allowed even me a wet behind the ear’s cultivator to cross insane distances. Once we were running flat out, we crossed a mile in 20 seconds. If the high inquisitor and interrogator weren’t with me, I knew they would travel even faster.

Before we stopped for lunch, we had crossed over a thousand miles in 6 hours, and I barely felt winded. What would a war be like with these people? It couldn’t be normal with people who could cross an earth continent in hours.

Once we took our break Emily, and I foraged for anything we could find. I started to feel wary of the local wildlife. If we could move at insane speeds, then the local wildlife should be able to as well. Glory turned her head to the side while Rubix warbled without helping. From his impressions, I gained insight into improving my sprint further by tightening my qi between steps. Glory rolled her eyes at my thoughts.

“The technique is only taught to the inquisition. It's how they arrive at towns to cleanse them quickly and why running away is futile.” Glory said.

Rubix warbled something about formations that drain the spiritual energy from the land. “A practice of the nobility to ensure peasants never have the strength to revolt. The only areas with enough spiritual energy to cultivate are either the sects or dangerous areas.” Glory said.

“Then I should destroy them for their audacity. Stealing my spiritual energy is unacceptable.” I said and blinked. I must be hungrier than I thought.

Through my spiritual sense and Glory’s help, I found a small treasure trove of roots and fruits with a touch of spiritual energy in them. A gunshot alerted me to Emily’s kill. She returned with a doe much skinnier than any of the bucks Logan brought back.

“Start dressing it while I try to find some use of fucking roots. Are we moles?” Emily asked.

I pointed the knife in her direction. “This deer is mostly bones and hide. I don’t see a bit of fat on her. Are you a wild dog?” I asked.

She charged, and I threw the knife in the dirt. I threw a right, and it felt like hitting a brick shit house. Her face barely turned to the side, and Glory winced. We were in Gemini County. So, I couldn’t use my battle form. Without it, I was a mortal fighting a mid-coalescence realm.

Her first blow made me see stars, and I wanted to use my battle form. However, not using it felt like tying my hands behind my back and begging to be beaten up. When I managed to put up a weak guard, she smashed her foot against the side of my leg, throwing me off balance. From there, she beat me until my body was bruised, and seeing through my swollen eyes was an impossible challenge.

“Enough,” Logan said as he smoked his pipe. The force of his cultivation base slammed into us, and Glory screamed as she tried to protect me. “Food for a cultivator is scarce this close to baron White’s lands. Our mission isn’t so trivial that we have time to visit his castle and demand the rights of the inquisition.” I cradled Glory in my arms. Rubix warbled in concern.

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Logan looked as if he was going to say something more but turned away. “Eat quickly; we need to get back on the road.” The high inquisitor turned to Emily. “See to his wounds; I don’t want him to slow us down,” Logan said.

I reclaimed the knife wiped the dirt off on my britches, and cut into the deer. The hide was softer than deer in the forest. So using the chainsaw technique wasn’t needed.

“Well, if you're healthy enough to dress my kill, then you're fine enough to travel. How’s the leg?” Emily said with a smirk.

Glory floated beside me shaking in rage. Rubix floated in front of her spinning his worries. As for my leg, I couldn’t put my weight on it.

“Suck my cock, you know how it is,” I said.

Emily’s qi became thunderous. If not for Logan’s presence, she would have attacked me again. Honestly, I’m surprised she hadn’t already drawn her gun on me again.

“How can you flaunt your heretical form? Using it is blasphemous to the human form the Prophet gifted you at birth. How can anyone betray him like that?” Emily demanded.

I looked back at the green-eyed girl. She was beautiful in a big tittied blond sort of way. But, at that moment, her eyes were mostly empty of fanaticism and her cold logic.

“This may seem odd to you, but morality isn’t universal. No matter what your Prophet says, everyone has their line. Mine has nothing to do with your Prophet. To me, true heresy is not using every tool in my arsenal. Beneath the scales, I’m still human.” I said.

The skill hasn’t changed me; I’m still human.

“Liar, I know what you are. Demons and warlocks lie as they breathe; nothing they say can be true unless it hurts the faithful.”

As she spoke, I began to wonder if her Prophet was even human. Wouldn’t it be ironic if the profit was a demon all along tricking the people? But what were the odds of that being the case?

“Here is the meat.” I hobbled my way to a log next to the fire.

“She’s insane; we should ditch them.” Glory said.

“I’ll be found out and have inquisitors breathing down my neck in a week. Now isn’t the right time.” I said to Glory.

I approached the inquisitor. He seemed comfortable looking out in the distance, puffing on his pipe.

“You shouldn’t be so antagonistic. The two of you have a lot in common if you’d stop fighting long enough to see it.” Logan said.

“I can not help but oppose someone so comfortable in their ignorance.” I turned my head to see a glaring Emily. “If I taste dirt in my stew, we’re swapping bowls,” I yelled.

“Why did you get up? You should rest your leg.” Logan suggested.

I rolled the joint it already felt better. My dragon nature wouldn’t let me stay down for long. But that wasn’t why I stood beside the high inquisitor.

“Neither of you have a spirit wandering around. So what happens to the spirits when you reach the coalescence realm?” I asked.

“Your soul absorbs them and begins the long integration process. Then, with enough time and spiritual energy, you’ll reach the nascent realm. At that point, you’re considered a new being. From there, the need for greater amounts of spiritual energy increases. But with time and a lot of luck, you’ll reach the majority realm where your soul fully matures.” Logan said.

I figured that was the realm he was probably in. Still, he didn’t seem that impressive, but that wasn’t really my concern.

“When they’re absorbed by my soul, will they be gone?” I asked.

“Of course not, a part of them will forever live on within you. But if you’re worried about the girl spirit, then don’t be. She isn’t truly a girl’s soul, just a collection of spiritual energy comprised of an idea locked into a particular spiritual frequency. Glory as you named her doesn’t really exist, she is just a memory.” Logan said.

I narrowed my eyes. “That can’t be right; Glory can speak with me, learn new things, and she remembers her past life,” I said.

Logan put his hand on my shoulder. “Boy, I’ve been around for nearly 300 years. I was once a mortal struggling to come to terms with the absorptions of my spirit. When you absorb her, you’ll understand? She is just a memory of a memory her true soul has already returned to the Prophet.” Logan said.

I turned to Glory, who nodded her head sadly. Rubix pushed more soothing qi into me. “We knew our fate the moment we bonded with you.” I could feel the transformation, and I struggled to hold it back.

“If you knew, then why bond with me?” I asked.

My body shook; if something didn’t change soon, I’d transform into my battle form.

“We aren’t dying, Red; we’re becoming a part of you. So you’ll understand when it's over.” Glory said.

I had only just met them, but soon enough, I’d be alone again. Black flames licked at my fingers. “What if I stopped cultivating?” I asked.

“We’d slowly erode your body and rip you apart. You need us to form the soul of your cultivation. Please led let it happen so we can live again through you.” Glory said.

I closed my eyes and knew there was nothing I could do. They had already made their decisions far more informed than me. So my transformation halted for now.

“Is this really what you want?” I asked.

Glory smiled. “More than anything.” Rubix warbled his agreement.