Cultivator Raphael guided us through the main hall of Celestial Warrior Hall. The hall’s interior was just as beautiful as the exterior, as if it had been built by some kind of heavenly architect. The building felt sacred, as if we were walking through the interior of a temple. We passed by several other cultivators on our way to meet with Hall Master Jericho, though they didn’t stop or impede us in any way. Most eyed our group with curiosity, though a few glared at us. Soon, we reached a door located deep within the main hall.
“This is where we part ways for now.” Cultivator Raphael said. “Hall Master Jericho asked to meet with Darian alone.”
Astra pouted at this.
“Aw,” she said, “I wanted to say hello to Uncle Jericho, too.”
Cultivator Raphael smiled.
“Maybe next time, my dear.” He said. “Instead, why don’t we visit my parents while Darian talks with Hall Master Jericho? They haven’t seen you in a while and they miss you.”
Astra seemed conflicted by this and looked at me. I smiled at her.
“Go.” I said. “I’ll be fine, even if you’re not back by the time my meeting with Hall Master Jericho ends. I have Ellen and Elliot with me.”
“Well, if you’re sure.” Astra said.
She embraced me and gave me a kiss on the cheek before she left with Cultivator Raphael. After they were gone, I took a deep breath and entered through the door. To my surprise, it led to an outdoor garden. That should have been impossible, since the door was located deep within the main hall, yet clearly it wasn’t.
I looked behind me. From this perspective, the door stood alone. It wasn’t attached to any wall. However, I could still see the interior of the main hall through the door. The snake twins looked back at me, their eyes wide with wonder.
“A hidden realm.” Elliot whispered.
I sucked in a breath. Hidden realms were entire worlds that were distinct in their own right, but connected to our own. Some were smaller, while some were just as large or even larger than ours. Hidden realms contained natural treasures, creatures, and even special types of qi that couldn’t be found anywhere else. Cultivators coveted control over hidden realms for this reason, and sometimes went to war over them. However, risk and reward often went hand in hand together. Hidden realms contained many dangers of their own, and cultivators who explored them needed to be wary lest they lose their lives.
“Indeed.” Hall Master Jericho’s voice said. It seemed to come from all around us. “However, have no fear. We tamed this hidden realm a long time ago. You are in no danger here, Darian Wind Dance. If you follow the path, you shall find me. Oh, and don’t forget to close the door.”
I looked and saw a stone path that led to somewhere deeper within the hidden realm.
“Yes, Hall Master Jericho.” I said, before giving the twins one last look and closing the door.
I followed the hall master’s directions and walked down the stone path. As I did, I looked around. This hidden realm seemed to be some kind of heavenly garden. It stretched on as far as the eye could see. There was light everywhere, yet the sky contained no sun. The air here smelled clean and pure. Each breath I took cleansed my body of impurities.
The divine qi here was abundant, even more so than the rest of Celestial Warrior Peak. Plants and flowers of all shapes and sizes filled the garden. I didn’t recognize any of them, but from the amount of qi each one contained, I assumed they were all priceless natural treasures. All in all, this hidden realm seemed more like a piece of heaven rather than a place in the mortal realm.
After following the stone path for a few minutes, I saw that it led to a small hill. Atop the small hill stood a gazebo. Like the other buildings on Celestial Warrior Peak, it was a gorgeous work of art. Sitting within the gazebo was a man, who wore a set of white robes trimmed with gold. There was something otherworldly about the man, for lack of a better term, though I couldn’t put my finger on what. He looked like a regular person, with sun-kissed skin, dark blonde hair, and brown eyes. His features were plain and unremarkable. Despite this, he exuded an air of grace and wisdom. If someone were to tell me that this man was an immortal, I would believe them.
However, what amazed me the most was that I couldn’t sense this man’s aura. He was a cultivator, that much was obvious, yet I couldn’t feel his cultivation level at all. Either he hid his aura, or his power was far beyond my understanding. My intuition told me that it was the latter rather than the former.
The man sat at a wooden table within the gazebo. A pot of tea and two tea cups stood on the table. When he noticed my approach, the man gave me a gentle smile. His smile dazed me. It felt like being smiled at by the sun.
“Hello, Darian.” The man said.
I bowed to him.
“Greetings, Hall Master Jericho.” I said.
I couldn’t help but feel nervous. If I couldn’t feel this man’s cultivation, then that meant he was above the Nascent Soul realm; either Domain Creation or above. That was a level of power that I could scarcely imagine, let alone comprehend. What would such a powerful being want with me?
“Come now,” Hall Master Jericho said, “There is no need for such formality between us. This isn’t the first time we’ve met, though I doubt you remember our first meeting.”
I stood straight and gave him a questioning look.
“I was at your naming ceremony.” Hall Master Jericho said, answering my unspoken question.
Huh. In that case, that meant he was closer to my family than I realized.
“Please, sit.” Hall Master Jericho said, gesturing for me to join him at the table.
I obliged him and sat down. The moment I did, he poured me a cup of tea. The tea was dark blue, almost black, with little motes of golden light floating in it. It was as if someone had captured the night sky in liquid form. The tea also contained a strange kind of qi. It felt like divine qi, but unlike any divine qi I have ever encountered before. Though, in my defense, the only divine qi I had any real experience with was the Divine Fire qi back at Astra’s old immortal cave.
“This is Starsoul Tea.” Hall Master Jericho said. “It contains star qi. As the name suggests, it is a type of divine qi gathered from the stars in the heavens above. It is especially beneficial for someone like yourself.”
I stared down at the tea in wonder. I didn’t know much about star qi but it was clear that this tea was precious beyond measure. It seemed almost blasphemous to drink it. However, I couldn’t just reject Hall Master Jericho’s hospitality, not when he was gazing right at me. I steeled myself and took a sip.
The tea’s taste and aroma were beyond anything I had ever experienced before. I didn’t have the words to describe them. The star qi contained within the tea coursed through me, cleansing my body and nourishing my soul. The divine flame that burned within me grew a little brighter, a little hotter. This single sip advanced my cultivation by a day. How far would drinking the entire cup take me? What about the entire tea pot?
“This is amazing.” I said, staring down at the cup of tea in wonder.
An accurate, if woefully inadequate, description.
“Thank you.” Hall Master Jericho said. “I made this tea from Starsoul Flowers that I grew and prepared myself.”
He grew and prepared this tea himself? I felt touched that he would share something like this with me.
“Thank you.” I said with the utmost sincerity.
We didn’t say anything for a long while after that. Instead, we drank our tea and enjoyed the beauty of the garden around us. By the time I finished my cup, my cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds. It wouldn’t be long before I broke through to the fourth small realm of the Qi Condensation realm.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
“Now then,” Hall Master Jericho said after he finished with his tea, “You must be curious as to why I invited you here.”
I nodded.
“It’s simple.” He said. “I wished to see you with my own eyes and speak with you.”
I waited for him to continue. When I realized that was the entirety of his answer, I blinked at him in surprise.
“That’s it?” I asked, unable to contain my incredulousness.
Hall Master Jericho chuckled.
“That’s it.” He answered.
I stared at him, unsure whether to believe his words. He wanted to see me and speak with me? Nothing more? That didn’t make sense. I narrowed my eyes. There was something more to this. I thought back to his words from earlier, when he said that he had attended my naming ceremony.
“Do you have some kind of special relationship with my mother?” I asked.
That was the only reason I could think of, other than my being a divine demon. However, Hall Master Jericho made no mention of that.
“You could say that.” The man said with a chuckle. “Sister Nova and I are fellow disciples who once studied under the same master. While centuries have passed since then, I still consider Nova and her children my family.” He nodded at me. “This includes you, Darian Wind Dance.”
My eyes widened.
“Is that why my sister called you Uncle Jericho?” I asked.
Hall Master Jericho nodded.
“Yes.” He said. “Feel free to do the same, if you wish.”
I stared at him. It seemed that my family on my mother’s side was larger than I believed. I studied Hall Mas-…I studied Uncle Jericho and compared him to my other uncle, Dominic Wind Dance. The contrast between the two was stark. I liked Uncle Jericho more.
“I will.” I said, beaming at him. “Thank you, Uncle Jericho.”
He chuckled at that, before pouring himself another cup of Starsoul Tea and taking a sip.
“Can you tell me about my mother?” I asked, unable to contain my curiosity.
Uncle Jericho raised an eyebrow at me.
“I’ve heard a bit about her from my sisters and others.” I said. “However, you’re her peer. Since you’ve known her the longest, I thought that maybe you could tell me something about her that the others couldn’t.”
He looked thoughtful for a moment.
“True.” He said. “Though, let me make a correction. While Sister Nova and I studied under the same master, the one who has known her the longest is your sister, Niece Sidra. They’re nearly the same age.”
I blinked at him in surprise. Sidra and our mother were almost the same age? That meant Mother must have given birth to Sidra at a young age. Well, young for a cultivator.
“People use many words to describe Sister Nova.” Uncle Jericho said with wistful eyes. “Fiery. Violent. Lustful. These are all accurate, yet none of them come close to touching upon her true nature. If I had to summarize her in a single word, I would describe her as driven, though this is far from adequate. People are like jewels in that they have many facets. A single word can only describe one of those facets.”
“Driven?” I asked.
“Yes.” Uncle Jericho said. “Cultivators tread upon the path to immortality for many reasons. The desire for power and the fear of death are the two of the most common ones. However, out of all the cultivators I know, few dedicate themselves to cultivation as much as Sister Nova, though I don’t know why she pushes herself so. Others call her a martial idiot. I would say it is more accurate to call her a cultivation idiot.” He smiled. “Of course, she does enjoy fighting as well.”
I took a moment to think over Uncle Jericho’s words. From what I’ve heard, my mother was a lustful martial idiot who enjoyed drinking. None of the stories I heard about her depicted her as a driven person. In fact, a part of me thought of her as frivolous and foolish. It seemed that I underestimated my mother. What an unfilial son I was.
“Thank you, Uncle Jericho.” I said. “I feel like I’ve come closer to understanding my mother.”
“You’re welcome, Nephew Darian.” He said. “Of course, if you truly want to get to know your mother, I suggest speaking to her yourself when she emerges from seclusion.”
I stiffened. I didn’t know if I was ready for that just yet. While Uncle Jericho’s words painted my mother in a new light, the stories I heard from my sisters told me that Mother’s methods of raising her children were… interesting.
“I shall take your words into consideration.” I said.
Uncle Jericho laughed, as if he knew what was going through my mind. Perhaps he did. When it came to higher level cultivators, many things were possible.
The two of us continued to chat and get to know one another. About an hour after I arrived, it was time for me to leave.
“As much as I enjoyed our conversation, this is all the time I can spare for you, Nephew Darian,” Uncle Jericho said. “My duties as hall master keep me busy. It’s a wonder that I have any time to dedicate to my own cultivation.”
Despite his complaints, Uncle Jericho smiled.
“My disciple, Tobias, shall meet with you after you leave this place.” He continued. “He will be your Second Master.”
This was a clear dismissal. I stood up and bowed.
“Thank you, Uncle Jericho.” I said. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”
“I could say the same of you, Nephew Darian.” He said. “Have a good day.” He paused. “And don’t worry about holding back. The disciples of Celestial Warrior Hall can endure a good beating.”
I stared at him in confusion. However, Uncle Jericho just smiled at me. When it became clear that he wouldn’t explain what he meant, I just shrugged and walked away. High level cultivators were strange and beyond the understanding of a Qi Condensation cultivator such as myself.
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When I emerged from the hidden realm, in addition to the snake twins, I found another person waiting for me. He was tall with a lean physique. Like the rest of Celestial Warrior Hall, he wore a set of white robes with gold trimming. He had pale skin, long blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, and sky blue eyes. Whereas Uncle Jericho exuded an air of grace and wisdom, this man exuded an air of dignity and elegance. Combined with his delicate and beautiful features, he looked like a celestial being that had descended from the heavens. In terms of cultivation, he was at peak Golden Core, which put him on par with Astra and Cultivator Raphael.
I hated him on sight. He reminded me so much of my kin back on Mt. Wind Dance that I couldn’t help it. In fact, a part of me wondered if he was a Wind Dance. Given his appearance, it was quite possible. I hoped beyond hope that this wasn’t Tobias, my Second Master. However, the man dashed my hopes when he opened his mouth and spoke.
“Greetings, Darian,” the man said, his expression solemn and serious, “I am Elder Tobias, and your Second Master. However, you don’t have to kowtow to me. That honor belongs to your first Master.”
I was tempted to reject him. The last thing I wanted to do was learn under someone who reminded me so much of the people I hated the most. However, I refrained. My sisters put so much effort into arranging this for me. The last thing I wanted to do was trample on their efforts. Besides, this man was a Golden Core cultivator. If I rejected him and injured his pride, I risked making an enemy of him. It was better to swallow my distaste and put up with him for now.
“Greetings, Second Master Tobias.” I said, giving him a quick bow. “Please look after me.”
Tobias frowned, though I wasn’t sure why.
“Come along, Darian,” he said. “I shall show you to your assigned quarters.”
With that, he turned and started walking away. I hurried after him. The snake twins, who had been standing off to the side, fell into place behind me. When we emerged from the main hall, Tobias pulled a flying boat out of his storage ring. Once the four of us boarded the boat, it took off, with Tobias at the helm.
“Your quarters are located near the edge of Celestial Warrior Hall’s territory,” Tobias explained as we flew. “You’ll be sharing it with three others.”
Ellen’s nostrils flared when she heard that.
“Excuse me?” she demanded. “You expect Young Master Darian to share a living space?”
“Ellen.” I said in a sharp voice.
She turned to me, her eyes filled with outrage.
“But, Young Master-”
I slashed the air with my hand, cutting her off.
“It’s fine.” I said. I turned to Tobias and bowed my head. “I apologize for my servant’s outburst. Feel free to punish me in her stead.”
I felt Tobias’ gaze on me.
“No, please punish me.” Ellen said. “The Young Master shouldn’t have to suffer for my mistake.”
A few tense seconds passed, before Tobias let out a sigh.
“Raise your head, Darian.” He said. “I’m not so prideful that I would punish someone for a few words spoken out of concern.”
I lifted my head and blinked at Tobias in surprise.
“You shouldn’t bow your head so easily.” He told me. “As the young master of Flame Fiend Hall, you have a reputation to maintain.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. His behavior seemed genuine, yet I couldn’t help but feel suspicious of him. In the end, I settled for the polite response.
“Thank you.” I said.
Tobias frowned. What was it this time? Had I done something wrong?
“As I was saying,” he said, “You will be sharing a living space with three others. Like you, they’re honorary disciples of Celestial Warrior Hall, though their situation is different from yours.”
“How so?” I asked.
“They’re outer disciples who have caught our attention, but they haven’t reached the Foundation Establishment realm yet.” Tobias said. “Rather than leave them be and risk another hall noticing them, we decided to take them in as honorary disciples and nurture their potential.”
Ah, that made sense. If I wasn’t Nova’s son, and thus the young master of Flame Fiend Hall, that was probably what would have happened to me. I couldn’t deny that I received special treatment because of my family. However, it was also true that I was more talented than the average outer disciple. Well, when it came to physical refinement at least.
“Do you want me to befriend these three?” I asked.
Tobias shook his head.
“No,” he said, “I leave that up to you. Feel free to befriend or ignore them as you wish. Though, I ask that you avoid making enemies of them. You will be living with them for the rest of your stay here at Celestial Warrior Hall, however long that may be.”
That made sense. It was better to get along with one’s neighbors than not. I turned away from Tobias, and we spent the rest of the flight in silence.