After Nova threw me, I flew through the air and soon cleared the edge of the island. I screamed, but my screams became lost in the wind. Thankfully, the skies were clear after Nova’s punch, so I didn’t have to worry about the storm clouds. The sound of rushing air filled my ears and the wind pushed me around in all directions as I fell to the ground below. I felt like a leaf in the middle of a storm, at the mercy of nature and unable to control my movements.
Flame Fiend Peak lay below me. When I saw it earlier, from the safety of Nova’s palace, I thought that it looked glorious. It made for a striking image, with the floating platforms against a backdrop of magma. However, as I fell towards Flame Fiend Peak, it seemed like a giant monster waiting to gobble me up. I fell towards it at an alarming rate. If I didn’t do something soon, I would die.
A part of me wanted to call for help from one of my sisters or from one of my friends. However, I resisted the urge. I couldn’t rely on others for everything. When our mother raised my sisters, she took the “sink or swim” approach to parenting. Dangerous, but she never put them through any challenge that they couldn’t overcome. That was something my sisters also emphasized whenever they told me stories about their childhoods. I wanted to prove to Nova, and myself, that I had what it took to swim; or rather fly, in this particular case.
I took a moment to calm myself, which wasn’t easy considering the circumstances. However, I succeeded in the end. Once I reined my panic in, I pulled a carpet from my storage ring. It was the flying magic treasure that Sidra gave me as part of my reward for going through the Crucible of Fire. The wind almost tore the flying carpet out of my grasp, but I managed to keep hold of it. I bound it to me, before using my spirit sense to control it.
This took a lot of trial and error on my part. Now that I had reached Foundation Establishment, I had the internal qi and spirit sense strong enough to control flying magic treasures. However, I had little to no experience in doing so. There was a significant difference between controlling a hovering turtle shell and a flying magic treasure. Under normal circumstances, I would have practiced controlling the flying carpet from a distance. I didn’t have that luxury at the moment. Either I learned to fly, or I died.
A part of me didn't believe that my own mother would let me die like this. That part fell silent at the sight of Flame Fiend Peak growing closer and closer. Regardless of whether or not my mother would let me die, I still wanted to get through this experience using my own strength.
Controlling the flying carpet took more effort than I expected. The rushing wind in my face didn’t help. However, after some practice, I gained some proficiency with it. Good thing too. Flame Fiend Peak had filled my vision. I guessed that I was less than a minute from reaching it.
I directed the flying carpet underneath me and used it to catch my falling body. Rather, I tried to. The flying carpet hit me with great force, knocking the wind out of me. I tried to grab it with my hands, but the wind ripped it out of my grasp. Thankfully, I maintained control of it with my spirit sense. I pulled the flying carpet towards me and grabbed it when it was within reach.
This time, instead of trying to stop right away, I used the flying carpet to arrest my fall and slow my descent. This worked better than I hoped. While my control over the flying carpet lacked any skill or finesse, at least I could avoid falling to my death. Joy and excitement filled me, which caused my control over the flying carpet to waver.
I tried to correct my mistake, but went too far and just made the situation worse. By this point, I was seconds away from reaching Flame Fiend Peak. Rather, I was seconds away from reaching the floating platforms that made up Flame Fiend Hall. Instead of landing in magma, I would hit hard stone instead. When I looked down, I realized that I was just above the platform where the estates for the core disciples were located.
With little time left, I gripped the flying carpet with all my strength and used my spirit sense to yank it up. It bucked underneath me, but I managed to keep it under control. Encouraged by this, I used the momentum of my fall to redirect my movement. Soon, instead of falling I was flying forward. I let out a whoop of joy.
Yes! I had done it.
Just as I celebrated my success, a powerful force hit the flying carpet and knocked me off. Thankfully, I hadn’t been that far up, so the fall didn’t hurt me as much as it could have. I hit the ground and rolled, before slamming into some kind of wall. When I stopped, I ended up on my face and just laid there.
My body ached all over the place. The buffeting of the wind, hitting the flying carpet, and falling to the ground left me battered and bruised. I felt like I just endured an entire hour’s worth of sparring with Estelle. By some miracle, none of my bones were broken. I counted that as a win. Besides, thanks to the strange properties of Flame Fiend Peak, enduring these injuries would advance my cultivation. That made all this worth it.
The wall next to me disappeared, interrupting my thoughts.
“Cultivator Darian?” a familiar voice said.
I rolled over to find Cultivator Willow staring down at me, her eyes wide with astonishment. I saw Senior Brother Kayden, Senior Sister Eliana, and Senior Sister Zenia standing behind her. They also stared at me with wide eyes. I looked around and realized that I ended up hitting the gate to Senior Sister Zenia’s estate. Somehow, I doubted that this was a coincidence.
“Do you know what happened?” Senior Brother Kayden asked with a worried expression on his face.
“We heard a loud sound and when we rushed outside we saw that something had split the storm clouds above Flame Fiend Peak,” Senior Sister Eliana said, also worried. “However, we didn’t see what caused it. Afterwards, we saw you falling from the sky. What happened?”
Senior Sister Zenia frowned for a moment, before understanding lit up her face.
“It was Hall Master Nova, wasn’t it?” She asked. “While I have never met her myself, she is one of the few people in the Dawn and Dusk Sect powerful enough to do something like this.”
Senior Brother Kayden and Senior Sister Eliana stared at her in surprise, before turning towards me. Cultivator Willow continued to stare down at me in astonishment, not saying a word.
“Yes, it was my mother.” I answered with a nod.
My throat felt hoarse. I must have damaged it with all of my screaming.
“Did… Did Hall Master Nova throw you from the sky?” Senior Brother Kayden asked, a bit hesitant.
I smiled, though the effort hurt.
“My mother wanted to teach me how to fly,” I said, “Sink or swim. Rather, fall or fly in this case.”
Senior Brother Kayden and Senior Sister Eliana stared at me, horrified. Senior Sister Zenia just seemed amused.
“Considering the fact that you’re still alive, I assumed her plan worked.” She said, before giving Cultivator Willow a quick glance. “Well, since you’re here, why don’t you join us? We’re still in the middle of our little drinking session.”
I looked at Cultivator Willow, who studied me with a thoughtful expression on her face.
“My mother also told me to spend more time with my friends and enjoy my youth,” I said, “So yes, I will join you.” I muttered this next sentence to myself. “Besides, I need a drink after what I just went through.”
A bright smile spread across Cultivator Willow’s face, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw it. Maybe my mother was right. Over the past four years, I spent most of my time cultivating and training. I should enjoy my youth more.
With that thought in mind, I stood up and joined the others, though I made sure to retrieve my flying carpet first. Afterwards, Cultivator Willow hooked her arm around mine and refused to let go. As we entered the main building to Senior Sister Zenia’s estate, I heard the faint sound of Nova’s laughter in my ears.
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I spent the rest of the morning drinking with Cultivator Willow and the others. It was a fun and enjoyable experience, the perfect end to the feast celebrating my breakthrough to Foundation Establishment. Cultivator Willow in particular stayed by my side. We never crossed any lines, but the air between us was charged with anticipation and longing. It was clear that we both wanted each other, but something held us back.
Afterwards, I made my way back to my estate, where I found Elliot waiting for me. At first he looked worried, but when he smelled the alcohol on me, his worry disappeared and an inscrutable expression replaced it. He asked to spar. Realizing that it was time to pay my dues, I sighed and agreed.
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It wasn’t quite a thrashing, but it wasn’t far behind. Unlike when Elliot and I sparred in the past, he no longer held back. He didn’t need to. Now that I was also in the Foundation Establishment realm, Elliot no longer had to worry about killing me if he didn’t control his strength.
Falling from the sky already left me bruised and battered, and the sparring session with Elliot just made it worse. It didn’t help that I was drunk from drinking spirit wine all night and all morning. By the end, my face was swollen and puffed up.
Still, I considered this a small price to pay if it meant maintaining peace between Elliot and I. Yes, we were master and servant, but I also considered him a friend. Not only that, he was Ellen’s brother. In a way, that made us family. Besides, suffering injuries while on Flame Fiend Peak would just help with my cultivation.
The sparring session also gave me a chance to test my newfound strength against a more powerful opponent. Elliot was faster, stronger, and tougher than me. However, even though he was no longer holding back, the difference in power between us wasn’t so stark. This filled me with joy and boosted my confidence.
All in all, even though Elliot gave me a beating, I benefited from the experience as well. A part of me wondered if I was a masochist, or becoming one at least. If so, I wasn’t the only one. The special properties of Flame Fiend Peak, and the culture of Flame Fiend Hall, encouraged its disciples to endure injuries to benefit their cultivation. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that more than a few enjoyed the experience.
Afterwards, I went to bed and fell asleep until morning of the next day. Thanks to Nova’s words, and the drinking session with the others, the worries from before no longer felt as heavy. They still burdened me, but they seemed far more manageable than before. If the burdens became too much for me, then I just needed to become stronger in order to carry them.
When I woke up, I went to visit Sidra. I had fulfilled my end of the bargain, and now it was her turn. It was time for Ellen and I to be reunited. Either Sidra would assign me a mission that would bring me to Ellen in East Mesa City, or I would head off on my own with Elliot. Regardless, I would see my lover again.
Sidra lived in an abode located near elder hall, which was where the elders of Flame Fiend Hall met to discuss matters relating to our hall as well as the Dawn and Dusk Sect as a whole. I had never been there before, or much of the Flame Fiend Hall now that I realized it. During the past four years, I kept myself isolated from a good portion of the Dawn and Dusk Sect. Now that I was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, I needed to change that. I couldn’t live in seclusion forever.
To my surprise, Sidra’s abode seemed far more humble than I expected. It was a simple one-story building made from stone. However, when I entered, I realized that the interior was much larger than the exterior. Through the use of some kind of spatial magic or array, the interior of Sidra’s abode rivaled the size of Nova’s palace. It contained all the facilities a cultivator needed, including spaces dedicated to growing spirit herbs, a workshop for refining magic treasures, an alchemy lab, and more.
I was a little jealous, though I consoled myself with the knowledge that I had my own abode. In fact, I had two: my estate on Flame Fiend Peak and the immortal cave I received from Astra. The courtyard residence back at Celestial Warrior Peak didn’t belong to me. Besides, now that I had my own immortal cave, it was best not to burden others when I could provide for myself.
When I found Sidra, I asked her to fulfill her end of our bargain and send me to East Mesa City. She studied me for a moment, before nodding.
“Very well,” she said, “Give me two weeks. There is a situation brewing in the Iron Wood province, which stands between us and the Howling Desert province. I believe your skills are suited to dealing with it. However, I need some time to gather more information.”
I thought about it for a moment, before nodding.
“Very well.” I said, before smiling. “Thank you.”
Sidra returned my smile.
“How was your first meeting with Mother?” she asked, changing the subject.
I stiffened for a moment.
“It was… interesting.” I said.
Sidra chuckled.
“Considering how it ended, I would say so.” She said.
My cheeks heated up with embarrassment.
“You saw that?” I asked.
“Little Demon, the entirety of Flame Fiend Hall witnessed it.”
Which meant that everyone saw me falling and screaming after Nova threw me off of her palace. My left eye twitched, before I sighed in resignation. There was nothing to be done about it now.
After that, I left Sidra and spent the next two weeks preparing for the journey to East Mesa City. It was located in the Howling Desert province, which was a massive wasteland covered in sand and dotted with towering mesas. East Mesa City was built atop one such mesa. I researched the province in preparation for my reunion with Ellen.
The Howling Desert province derived its name from the massive sandstorm located in its center. This sandstorm had raged for countless years, never weakening or subsiding. When one drew close enough to it, one heard the sound of countless howling beasts. Nobody knew if the wind caused the howling or if there were actual beasts located within the sandstorm. Anyone who had ever ventured into it never returned, or they kept it to themselves if they had.
While I thought it was foolish to venture into such a dangerous area, people kept trying. There were rumors and legends that the sandstorm protected treasures and secrets that only the worthy would find, causing countless people to test their luck. However, it would take more than the vague promise of treasure to tempt me.
Using the spirit stones I received from everyone during the feast, I bought plenty of spirit herbs and reagents for alchemy. At my current proficiency, I could only concoct pills at the Qi Condensation level. Even then, my success rate was low. I hoped to practice during this journey and increase my skill. I also bought plenty of materials for refining magic treasures for the same reasons. By the end, I had a little over two hundred spirit stones left.
As part of my preparations, I sparred often in order to get used to my new strength and test my limits. Elliot was my usual partner, though I also sparred with my friends. Now that I was also in Foundation Establishment, I was now a worthy opponent for them.
I also practiced flying around on my flying carpet. It gave me such a feeling of freedom and liberation, now that I no longer had to rely on others. So much so, that I wondered how I ever lived without it. I felt like a true cultivator, one detached from mortal concerns and worries.
In addition to that, I spent time studying the Celestial Asura dual refinement technique that I received from Nova, as well as the Heartflame technique that I received from Astra. The former was more profound than I realized at first. It refined the principles and concepts of both the Soul of Divine Fire technique and the Asura Crucible Body technique, combining them into one. In essence, one transformed oneself into a starry sky. One’s soul became the stars, while one’s body became the void between the stars. Together, one became a raging asura, blazing with starlight.
As Nova told me, cultivating with this technique increased my speed by a significant margin. While I wasn’t as fast as I was before I formed a Dual Foundation, I wasn’t that much slower. I also cultivated with both divine qi and demonic qi, and found no significant difference between the two. Both advanced my cultivation at the same rate. This meant that I no longer had to switch between the two. I could just stay at Flame Fiend Hall if I wanted, though I made a mental note to visit Celestial Warrior Hall every now and again. I was an honorary disciple after all.
I decided to hold off on studying the jade slip she gave me, the one containing knowledge on intent. For now, other matters took precedent and it wasn’t as if I needed to learn intent right away. I would study it after I returned from East Mesa City with Ellen.
The Heartflame technique proved to be more interesting than I expected. When Astra gave it to me, she said that it would help me with pill concocting and magic treasure refining. However, I soon discovered there was more to it than that.
The Heartflame was an advanced technique. The mystic arts and techniques suitable for Qi Condensation were rather simple. In comparison, the ones for Foundation Establishment and above were far more complicated. Many had layers to them, the number of which depended on the technique in question. Each layer represented a different level of mastery and power with the technique. In short, the more layers one mastered, the more powerful the technique became.
The Heartflame technique had three layers. In the first layer, one used one’s inner fire to concoct pills and refine magic treasures instead of relying on external sources such as Earth Fire This required a great deal of discipline and control, otherwise one’s inner fire would rage out of control and cause injuries to oneself. This suited cultivators with Fire-aligned spirit roots the most, but those without could make use of it as well. Everyone had an inner fire after all, even those with Water-aligned spirit roots.
The second layer of the Heartflame technique allowed one to refine exotic flames and make them part of oneself in order to enhance one’s inner flame. While the primary purpose of this was to aid in pill concocting and magic treasure refining, I realized that exotic flames refined in this manner could also be used to attack or enhance one’s attacks. Exotic flames often had strange and mysterious properties. Being able to attack with them made for a powerful trump card. I wondered if the creator of this technique had this in mind when they created Heartflame, or if this was just a side effect.
The third layer of the Heartflame technique allowed one to create a furnace out of one’s inner fire, negating the need for a pill furnace or a treasure refining furnace. Using this method also imbued the pills concocted and the magic treasures refined this way with the special properties of one’s inner fire and the exotic flames one refined. This made it perfect for spirit enhancement, which I wanted to study as well. However, I needed a high enough level of proficiency in refining magic treasures before I could even consider studying spirit enhancement.
After I studied the Heartflame technique and realized the gap between Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment, I wanted to find another Foundation Establishment level technique so I could study it for comparison and increase my power. Almost all of my current techniques were at the Qi Condensation level. A part of me was tempted to use the token I received from Sect Leader Twinheart to get one. However, I refrained.
The token allowed me to learn any mystic art or technique of the Dawn and Dusk Sect. It was too precious to waste. So I held back for now. I would use it later on, when I had a better idea of what I wanted. Instead, I planned on earning spirit stones and contribution points in order to buy Foundation Establishment level mystic arts and techniques. While this route was slower, it would give me time to consider what I wanted.
The next two weeks passed by in the blink of an eye as I cultivated, trained, and also spent time with my friends. As Nova said, I should enjoy my youth. At the end of the two weeks, I received a summons from Sidra. It was time for me to leave the Dawn and Dusk Sect and head towards East Mesa City.