"Come now Juniors, there's no need for that," the Immortal says lightly, tone jovial and free, "Come. Raise your heads. I, Ao Long, allow it."

For a brief moment, I consider keeping my head bowed - but disobeying would be ruder. He's… well, he's handsome. That much is a given - as one cultivates further, one naturally refines one's body and spirit to a chosen ideal. I do not know of any Cultivator that would willingly appear ugly, unless it is part of some game or ploy. Where we of the Heavenly Misty Peak Sect dress in light purples, whites and grays - reflecting the Heavenly Mists - this man is dressed in royal azure blue, accented with blood red.

The robes are cut and designed in a way that suggests they are meant for physical activity, but as an Immortal, that's no doubt a personal choice. He could do everything in a flowing scholar's robe with no trouble. Long flowing black hair, tied back into a pony tail is no particular surprise either, but what is most surprising is the eyepatch over his right eye. An eye is no small thing, but at his level, regenerating it should be easy - unless the wound was delivered by a more powerful Cultivator, in such a way as to prevent healing. Or if he simply needs to have only one eye to satisfy some arcane requirement for a technique.

It's not my place to wonder. It's not my place to do anything but what this Ao Long tells me to.

He holds out an arm - the one not currently holding the saber he used to decapitate the Heron - and a large, black bird swoops in from the sky, settling down on his outstretched arm. It looks a touch ridiculous, if I'm honest as the bird is the size of a small child. Putting aside questions of strength, there is barely enough room for it to perch, but it does so comfortably enough.

"Caw!" it cries, and I cannot help but wonder if this was one of the Ash Cloud Crows the others saw.

"Is it okay for you to be so calm and still, Juniors? Your friends surely require medical assistance if you want them to survive."

I swallow. "If the Honoured Master gives us leave, then I will surely attend to them."

He raises an eyebrow at me, like I'm the weird one for giving him as much face as physically possible, like he hadn't just expressly given us permission to raise our heads. As if he couldn't erase us from existence if we so much as looked at him wrong. "Do so then."

I try not to rush, but I am rushing. First to Kong Meiling, because she's the closest. Her wound has healed, but she's barely conscious, eyes flicking back and forth at me as she struggles to speak. I shake my head and offer her another pill. Its all I can do right now.

Song Ren is… harder. The bleeding has stemmed and I can detect a glimmer of his Qi, but he's paler than he usually is, and… well, the Low Grade Regeneration Pills aren't going to help with a missing arm. They'll help with everything else, and frankly, it's the only thing I can offer him. It's the only thing I can offer Shan Guojin as well, who is at least in one piece, even if his breathing is weak. I have to cycle my Qi through him to help the pill break down, directing it to where it needs to go - which is mostly everywhere. Up close, its clear that for all his strength and sturdiness, his bones weren't strong enough to withstand the Heron.

"You are good disciples - I would be proud to call you my students. What say you, Zhou Cheng? Would you like to become this Ao Long's disciples?"

I can feel Zhou Cheng's tension. It is my tension as well. This is… as questions go, it is absolutely shameless. The only thing that would make it more so is if there were an Elder present to witness their face being slapped.

"I… I must humbly refuse, Honoured Master," Zhou Cheng declares, sounding like he's bracing for the blow, "This humble one cannot abandon his companions!"

"Ah? Is that so? And you, Hei Lian?"

I freeze momentarily - and then remind myself I need to keep Shan Guojin's Qi cycling. "It… it is as Senior Brother says. Where he goes, I must follow."

Ao Long is clearly powerful enough that even if the Heavenly Misty Peak Sect wanted to contest him, they would only do so in the event of egregious insult. Poaching some resources is one thing - provided he doesn't go overboard, the Sect will politely ignore that it happened because acknowledging it would mean having to fight him and whatever forces he has backing him.

But poaching disciples? More than that, poaching them from the Sect's backyard? It is one thing for a Disciple to leave and seek greener pastures, it is another for an itinerant Cultivator to show up and say 'I can do better than your teachers.' and take them.

I cannot say for certain how powerful Ao Long is compared to the Sect's Grandmaster, but that is only because I have nothing to compare him to beyond the Elders - which he has clearly surpassed. He might be strong enough to destroy our entire sect. He might not.

I have absolutely no idea and it is terrifying.

"Loyal! Very good. It's important to be loyal and true." Ao Long laughs. He sounds completely at ease, no burdens or pressure at all, and yet every syllable he says weighs on us like anchors. "Truthfully, if you had taken my offer, I would've discarded you as trash. An unloyal disciple is worthless."

A test. It had been a test. One we seemed to have passed.

"For impressing this old man, I will grant you a boon. Name anything, and by my will, it will be granted. I, Ao Long, decree it."

"Help," I blurt out suddenly, surprised at myself, "I-we do not have the resources to heal them, not like this. They may yet live, but it will be… diminished." I was still cycling Shan Guojin's Qi. Whatever aid the pill managed had been managed.

He wasn't recovering any further. He wasn't recovering at all.

Ao Long hums. "Healing? This one isn't a test, Junior. You may be selfish. I will allow it."

I shook my head, daring to meet his eyes. "It… this lowly Hei Lian has no wish to see his companions die." They're barely my companions, if I'm honest, but knowing I can save them… that's enough for me.

Ao Long nods seriously, his carefree attitude shifting away for a moment. "Very well. I have said I would, so I must. I will help them recover. And you, Zhou Cheng? What would you ask of this Ao Long?"

Cheng doesn't move for a long time. "This lowly Zhou Cheng… asks only that you allow us to keep the Heron." A good call, in my estimation. Ao Long promised to grant any boon, but asking too much might offend him - a boon did not mean we would not suffer retribution for asking too much. One can offer a gift with one hand and a curse with the other. Cultivators are that kind of people, after all.

That just got another raised eyebrow. "Did I not say it was fine to be selfish? Zhou Cheng, you may ask for something greater than a measly Cloudfisher Heron."

'Measly', he says, like it didn't come very close to killing all of us if he were not present. Of course, to someone such as him, it is measly. A Spirit Beast like that is nothing to someone such as him. Ten or even a hundred Cloudfisher Herons would be nothing before him.

But Zhou Cheng shakes his head and holds his nerve. "This alone I ask for, Honoured Master."

Ao Long made a small noise, but he nods all the same. "Well, if that is truly what you ask for - I have no real need for it, if I am perfectly honest. I did not come here to claim prey, but to claim one of these." He steps towards the nest. "Cloudfisher Herons lay eggs very rarely, and then, only in select locations. I've been meaning to find a suitable egg, but I haven't had the time until now."

For an Immortal, this was just a shopping trip, huh? I had a wealth of questions as to why he even wanted an egg, but I wasn't going to ask.

He inspects the eggs a bit and clucks his tongue. "Hm. None of these, I think. Hei Lian, I will take the one in your pouch."

He knew about that one? How long had he been watching us before he intervened…? A foolish question and one that didn't need an answer beyond 'long enough'. "If that is the Honoured Master's will." I hold the egg aloft carefully, bowing as much as I can without unbalancing and dropping it.

"Yes, this one is suitable. You have a good eye, Hei Lian," he compliments, slipping it away into his sleeves. "Now, I promised you assistance. Here." Into my still outstretched hands, he dropped three identical pills. "This will restore your friends."

Only three - that was enough for Shan Guojin, Song Ren and Kong Meiling. But Zhou Cheng and I were both still pretty banged up.

My confusion must've been obvious, despite my attempt to smother it, because Ao Long cracks a smile. "You only asked that I heal them - not yourselves. A lesson in specificity, Hei Lian," he declares, sounding amused. "And let your scars be a reminder of the lessons you have learned today - without reminders, we often forget our mistakes." He tapped his eyepatch at that, sounding more serious.

A mistake… so he could regenerate it? No, not my place to ask. "We are unworthy of your generosity."

"If you were unworthy, I would not grant it. Do not insult me so." His words are light, but I flinch all the same.

I focus on feeding the pills to my downed comrades instead. The effect is immediate on Shan Guojin, practically surging through his meridians. Wounds close before my eyes and his skin takes on a healthy shade. Still kind of pale, but with an almost rosiness to him. The effect is likewise dramatic for Kong Meiling, although her eyes flutter close and she slips into an exhausted sleep as her body integrates the powerful Yang energy of the medicine.

Finally, there is Song Ren. Can this medicine heal his arm? It's worth a shot. It feels a little morbid removing his severed arm from the broken spear and trying to attach it. I hold it in place with one hand and then feed him the pill with the other, trying to cycle his Qi with my free hand. The flesh… bubbles is really the only way to describe it. Supremely disturbing to look at, but in mere moments, it's like there was never a cut at all - although there was a thin white circle left over.

Considering how difficult it was to regenerate a limb, I had to admit that was… who just has that kind of medicine on hand?! I suppose if you have a qiankun pouch that's large enough, there's no reason not to travel with everything you'd ever need on hand.

… I can't believe we survived. We were… are supremely fortunate. If Ao Long was not here, if he had not taken pity on us - or… kindness or whatever he sought to do. That was a terrifying thought. Ao Long had been nothing but kind to us, but this was not a world where one could rely on such a thing. The people who ascend to Immortality tend to be the ruthless kind, not the kind and generous ones.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

If he asks for something in return for what he's given us, we cannot refuse him. More than just dying, he could utterly destroy our souls, hunt down our families… there's no telling what an offended Immortal might do. Admittedly, going that far would likely involve all out war between our Sect and whatever forces he has, so I don't think he'd go that far. But some Disciples on a hunting mission? Anything could happen to us and the Sect would shrug, so long as he didn't parade what he did around.

I risk a glance over. He's talking animatedly to Zhou Cheng, but I can't hear anything he's saying. Whatever it is, he's captivated Zhou Cheng's attention.

Now that I'm sure the other three are in as stable a condition as I could possibly get them into with my rudimentary first aid knowledge, I head over to where Ao Long is lecturing Zhou Cheng.

"Thank you for your guidance, Honoured Master!" he declares, bowing deeply.

"If you remember these concepts and train diligently, then you will surely ascend," Ao Long decrees, nodding sagely. He even strokes his chin like an old sage might stroke their beard - although his face is as clean shaven as ours. "Ah, Hei Lian. Compared to Zhou Cheng, you are not one who is talented, but still, what is there should be nurtured.."

If I had much in the way of pride, that would sting - but even if I did, Ao Long is not wrong. I only bow my head in acknowledgement.

"Your fundamentals are no good, however - your cultivation does not truly suit you. It is understandable though. Such things are difficult to perceive when you lack talent." He nods to himself. "You are one well suited to Yin, I think. Gentleness suits you more than harshness."

That's something I could've already told him.

"It is common for Yin Cultivators to focus on ice and cold, but be flexible, Hei Lian, and remember that for every Yang there is a Yin - and every Yin, a Yang. Flames can be gentle, water can be harsh. I would recommend studying Five Element Harmony Method, or perhaps Yin Vessel Cauldron Technique. Both would be well suited to you."

"Forgive this foolish servant, but I have no knowledge of those methods."

He clicks his tongue. "It is no good if I give you too much guidance - you are not my student, after all. If I go too far, then your Elders might see it as an insult," he says, like he hadn't blatantly offered to poach us earlier. That offer might've been a test… or maybe he's only saying that because we refused.

I have no way of knowing. I'm not sure it matters.

"This should be enough. Little nudges are best when teaching, after all - lessons are best learned on one's own. If someone holds your hand, can you truly be said to be walking on your own?"

I bow alongside Zhou Cheng. "The Honoured Master's teachings are truly enlightening." That all sounds like bullshit to me, but again, I can hardly say that to his face. I can barely think it.

He laughs, and a part of me thinks he knows my opinion of his 'enlightening words'. He seems like he's going to say something else and then trails off, his face turning into a slight frown. "... Hm. That's a pity. I was hoping to enjoy your Egg Flower Soup, Hei Lian, but I suppose I will have to wait a little later. I must take my leave."

The Ash Cloud Crow on his arm takes off, and a dark shape blots out the sun for a brief moment - and when I risk a glance up to see what it is, I see the Thousand Wind Eagle returning.

Despite its gargantuan size, the winds it creates with each flap of its wings brush over us harmlessly, and even when it lands - and to their credit, every Heron in the near vicinity does not simply flee but hunkers down defensively - there is no shock or impact. It is as gentle as a silk dress despite everything.

Ao Long leaps onto its back with a single leap. It shouldn't surprise me at all that he is the creature's master, but it does all the same. The idea of taming such a massive and powerful Spirit Beast boggles my mind - that Eagle alone could probably fight an Elder to a standstill, but to Ao Long, it just seems to be his preferred method of transportation.

The Eagle soars back into the sky, and then Ao Long is gone.

"Senior… Zhou Cheng. Tell me plainly. Did that… did that really just happen? Although I have eyes, I cannot comprehend what I have seen. What I have heard. Experienced." I feel like asking him to pinch me. Slap me, even. I know the trope, of course, of the Old Monster helping the protagonists out. It happens enough in this world that people tell stories about it as well.

'Be careful with beggars, grannies and drunks' is not a proverb, but it is a saying. Ao Long seems to be none of them, but that hasn't stopped him from saving us. I have no idea what he told Zhou Cheng, but I'm willing to bet it was more in depth cultivation training than I got.

Well. I can't complain about what I learned either. Getting someone to tell me my ideal cultivation method was expensive - and here Ao Long just threw it out there.

"Miracles do happen, Lian-er," Zhou Cheng replies, sounding reverent, "Truly, the Heavens must smile upon us." I think they smile down on you, Zhou Cheng. I'm just here in the… splash zone. I'll take some of the reflected glory though, if it helps me.

"Rather than the Heavens, I think it's the Honoured Master who smiles on us." I dust myself off. "... Should we just set up here then? I do not know if we can climb back down with everyone weighing us down." Not to mention we're both tired and exhausted.

After a moment, he nods. "Can you prepare the Heron?"

I crack a wry smile. "Can I prepare the Heron? Zhou Cheng, why do you ask such a silly question of your Junior?"

----------------------------------------

The Heron is possibly the largest thing I've ever butchered, but when I get down to it… its a bird. Butchering birds follows the same basic steps. I set all the feathers to the side - the feathers have some of the strongest Qi of the bird. The head has already been removed, which makes my life easier I suppose. The core isn't located there, although the beak is still very useful, so I just stash the entire head away for now.

Digging through the organs - and there's something odd about slopping out organs as big as I am - I eventually find the core near the lungs. I suppose it makes sense, given the creature's strong wind nature. I set it aside to be refined later. The organs as well, into pots and sealed for later. I might be able to make something out of them at some point.

Finally, there is the meat, and there's… so much. The Heron is not a particularly meaty bird, not like a broiler chicken might be, but you know. It's still bigger than I am, so the meat alone probably weighs as much as I do. I could roast the entire bird and whilst that appeals to me, I did promise soup, so I carefully carve all the meat off for later use.

Then, with the neck and the bones, I can make a delicious stock for the eggs and the meat! That'll take a while, so I get started, chopping up the root vegetables. Pepper, salt, various herbs… no, I don't really need too much seasoning. The stock will have a delicious flavour already, and the eggs are likely to be the star of this.

Speaking of eggs, I crack one open just to take off the top and stir up the yolk with a rod. Once everything's mixed together, I give it a little taste. It's definitely got a rich, creamy taste to it. It's sort of like duck eggs, I think, but richer. Extra pepper will help.

I let the egg balance carefully in place whilst the soup bubbles in the, frankly, massive pot. It has to be massive, if I'm going to actually fit the ingredients - it's easily as big as I am. I feel a bit ridiculous stirring it actually. I stoke the flames a bit with my Qi before getting to a safer distance and preparing to refine the Heron materials into a pill for Zhou Cheng.

Using my own Qi, I take the clear Heavenly Misty Falls water and bring its temperature down as much as I can, adding it to the cauldron alongside the core and a handful of crushed up feathers and some of the birds bones, pounded into a fine powder (both to help it be absorbed and for it to fit). To balance the cool Yin of the water, I stoke the fires harder, feeding into it to energize it.

There are Eight Trigrams in the Bagua - Heaven, Lake, Fire, Thunder, Wind, Water, Mountain, Earth. Despite its name, the Breath of Heaven is not actually about Heaven necessarily - not in the Bagua sense, at least. As it relies mostly on Wind Qi, what I want is… well, Wind. Xun, represented by two yang and one yin, the phase of Wood, and associated with thighs.

All of which is necessary for me in this situation. Cuts of thigh meat and the thigh bones from the Heron, Verdant Spiritual Grass, Blood Syrup, Ghost Tree Nuts. It needs to be powerful in Yang without being dominated, and it needs to be gentle.

I close the lid and begin to concentrate, pushing at the mixture with my Qi to agitate them and begin the process. I'm not trying to reduce everything into pure Qi, but use it all to feed and generate each other, enhancing the already present Wind Qi and pushing it higher. Through all things, there is the breath of life - the Breath of Heaven. So I draw on that, thread it through, and condense everything.

It is… more stable than the Wyvern Pill, but it is no less exhausting and tiring. The process is slower, more gradual. It feels like drawing blood from a stone and in a way, that's sort of what I'm doing.

By the time its over, I nearly fall over from sheer exhaustion, and everyone else has already awoken.

"Hei Lian!" Song Ren calls, sounding appreciably concerned, "You shouldn't exhaust yourself! Not after what has happened already!"

I wave him off. "I'm fine, I'm fine. See? This humble servant has plenty of energy in reserve." I give him a tired smile, and meet Zhou Cheng's eyes.

"It's ready then?" he asks, sounding like he's restraining himself from sounding as excited as he really is.

I nod, and hold it out reverently, letting it sit in my cupped palms.

He looks nothing more like he wants to pounce on that glimmering jewel. I cannot blame him - even though I made it, the power within is… enticing, to say the least. The others are all mesmerised by it as well - its nature is not suited for them, but that doesn't mean the Qi within is not an immense boon. It merely means they would have to work harder to make use of it.

For a moment, I feel like a man holding a juicy steak before a pack of rabid jackals. In our current state, it wouldn't be hard for any of the three to kill us and take the pill - of course, they would then have to fight amongst each other. They are not that kind of people, I know (or at least believe strongly in this moment), but the undercurrent of fear is always there. It's enough that they could.

But Zhou Cheng lets out a slow breath. "I cannot take it as I am," he admits, almost pained, "Once I have rested and eaten… then I will."

I nod carefully, and everyone seems to hold their breath. But nobody makes a move to do anything. "Then allow your humble Junior to finish cooking."

I carefully tuck the pill away, acutely aware of everyone's gazes, and begin to add the meat to the soup. It doesn't take too long for that to cook enough that I take the already cracked egg and begin to add it slowly and carefully to the soup as I continue stirring.

The slow but constant drip of the egg forms a long, unbroken ribbon - the eponymous 'Egg Flower'. Or 'Egg Drop', if you prefer. Frankly, I don't think it much of a flower - more of a streamer, or like a single strand of really long seaweed. In the interest of avoiding the question of 'How do I divide this between bowls?', I cease pouring the egg to break the stream a few times. It takes a minute or two to finish pouring the entire egg in, and with the multiple streams of it, it kind of looks more like a forest of kelp. Egg Kelp Soup? No, that's a terrible name. Egg Grass Soup… bah, sounds like I'm eating the lawn. Whatever, the name isn't important.

In any case… the soup is ready. A wave of my hand and a faint burst of Qi kills the fire, and then its time to serve. There's more than enough for everyone to have… fifths in all likelihood, but it'll depend on them whether there's any leftovers left to be stored after.

And then everyone tucks in without any more fanfare.

The soup is still hot, and it would no doubt be painful if I weren't a Cultivator, but the richness of everything immediately makes up for it. The egg is perfectly creamy, cooked just enough to give it a faintly chewy texture. The flavour of the Heron should almost be overpowering, but given it has plenty of room to shine, it feels buoyed by the vegetables instead, all of which must be said are deliciously soft.

All the Qi that's been drawn out by the long slow simmering and the abundance of Yang in the egg… it truly feels like Chicken Soup for the Soul. Just this one bowl has left me feeling revitalized, and when I go for seconds, everyone joins me.

I manage to fit a fourth bowl in me before I feel like I'm going to burst, one more than everyone other than Shan Guojin, but it does leave me sprawled out on the nest floor, groaning weakly as I rub my belly. Delicious… but oh god at what cost?

"To think such delicious things could exist in this world," Shan Guojin rumbles, similarly laid out like myself.

"Tell me plainly, Hei Lian," Kong Meiling interjects, sounding defeated, "Are you sent from Heaven or from Hell? I cannot tell whether this is nirvana or suffering. To experience such heights… I long for more, but know I cannot have it."

Zhou Cheng snorts gently, rising up with some difficulty. "Lian-er. It's time for dessert."

I stiffen slightly, but manage to push myself up. "As you wish, Senior." I retrieve the pill and offer it before him as though it were a sacred treasure.

Once again, everyone's eyes are drawn to it… but unlike before, there's a sense of satiety present. Everyone is currently too full to do anything even if they were willing to betray us all for it. Kong Meiling can barely lift herself as is. Frankly, I'm impressed she managed a third bowl as it was, given Song Ren and Zhou Cheng finished at two.

Carefully, Cheng swallows the pill. For a moment, there is no reaction. Then his Qi begins to surge around him, whipping up a small personalized typhoon.

Second Step… no. Third? No.

Fourth.

In one single bound, Zhou Cheng has become a contender. Winning is still difficult, but there is no denying that amongst the Junior Inner Disciples, such explosive growth will position him as one to watch.

His eyes slowly open as the storm dies down, and when he exhales softly, it carries with it such an undercurrent of power that I shiver. "Truly… I have been blessed by the Heavens to have such a skilled Junior."

I bow. It's the polite thing to do. "Senior Brother honours this humble servant with his words."

"Come. Let us rest! Tomorrow, we continue the hunt!"

Fourth Step… from one Heron. One excessively powerful and dangerous Heron, admittedly. Barring any outliers like that, I imagine getting to the Fifth will be difficult, let alone the Sixth.

But I do not think it's impossible for Zhou Cheng.