Elliot and I arrived at Myriad Gate Hall the morning after we received our mission from Sidra, Martial Aunt Alexia, and Elder Riordan. It was a gloomy and overcast day, with a thick blanket of gray clouds covering the sky. A cool wind blew through, bringing with it the smell of water. I suspected that it would rain later today, not that I minded.

It took a while for Elliot and I to reach Myriad Gate Hall, due to its isolated location within the Dawn and Dusk Mountains. As the name suggested, it was where the teleportation arrays leading outside the sect were located. The hall itself looked like some kind of fortress, one built from thick, gray stone blocks. Magic symbols were engraved into the stone blocks, and several defensive arrays surrounded the hall. A dozen Golden Core cultivators stood guard.

However, none of these measures were designed to keep people out of Myriad Gate Hall. Instead, they were there to keep any intruders contained within. Just as the teleportation arrays allowed people to teleport out of the sect, they allowed people to teleport in. It was a weak point in the Dawn and Dusk Sect’s defenses, so the sect took every measure necessary to minimize the risk it presented.

When we arrived, Elliot and I found Sidra waiting for us near the front entrance of Myriad Gate Hall. Standing near her were two cultivators at early Foundation Establishment. One was a young woman with tanned skin, short red hair, and dark blue eyes. She wore plain black robes with scorch marks on it. The other was a young man who seemed to be the complete opposite of the young woman in many ways. He had pale and delicate skin, long brown hair, and amber eyes. He wore black and gold brocade robes.

Elliot and I bowed to Sidra when we reached her.

“Greetings, Big Sis Sidra.” I said.

“Greeting, Young Mistress Sidra.” Elliot said.

Sidra returned our bows with a nod.

“Greetings.” She said, before gesturing to the two Foundation Establishment cultivators. “These are your charges, Martial Niece Rexanne and Martial Nephew Albin. Respectively, they are disciples of Myriad Treasures Pavilion and Puppet Master Pavilion.” She gestured to Elliot and I. “This is my younger brother, Darian Wind Dance, and Elliot, one of our family’s servants. They are a part of the group that will escort you to East Mesa City.”

Cultivator Rexanne and Cultivator Albin bowed to Elliot and I in greeting, which we returned. I took this moment to study both of them. Cultivator Rexanne wore a taciturn expression on her face, which made it difficult to gauge her thoughts, while Cultivator Albin wore a wide smile.

“Greetings, Cultivator Darian.” Cultivator Albin said, as he rose from his bow. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I have heard much about you.”

I blinked at him in surprise.

“You have?” I asked.

“Yes,” Cultivator Albin said, “Not only are you one of our Dawn and Dusk Sect’s divine demons, but you also defeated Byron Gold Flame in a duel just a few months after you joined the sect. Clearly, you are a dragon amongst men. With you protecting us, our safety is assured.”

At first I thought Cultivator Albin was mocking me, before I realized that this was his attempt at flattery. It left me feeling uncomfortable. Cultivator Rexanne rolled her eyes.

“Don’t mind this one,” she said in a gruff voice, “He’s like this with everyone.”

“What?” Cultivator Albin said. “People enjoy receiving compliments, and I enjoy giving them. I don’t see what the problem is.” He gestured to Cultivator Rexanne. “For example, your hair is as rich and deep as the Earth Fire you use in your craft.”

Cultivator Rexanne let out a derisive snort.

“The problem is that your compliments sound insincere,” she said, “Which leads people to misunderstand your intentions.”

Cultivator Albin shrugged at that.

“It’s not my fault that people fail to perceive my sincerity.” He said.

Cultivator Rexanne let out a sigh, before she gave Elliot and I a wry look.

“Have Cultivator Willow and Cultivator Isabel arrived yet?” I asked, more to change the subject than anything. “Are they already inside?”

Sidra shook her head.

“No, not-…” She paused, before looking into the distance. “They just arrived.”

I looked in the same direction as her and cast my spirit sense out. However, I didn’t sense anything until several minutes later, when I noticed a flying boat heading in our direction. Cultivator Willow stood at the helm and piloted it, while Cultivator Isabel kept an eye out. I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous. Cultivator Willow’s cultivation base wasn’t much higher than mine. Why could she pilot a flying boat while I couldn’t?

Several minutes later, the flying boat reached us. Cultivator Willow and Cultivator Isabel jumped out, before the former placed the flying boat in her storage ring. Sidra introduced the two of them to our charges. Cultivator Albin plied Cultivator Willow and Cultivator Isabel with compliments, though he sounded as insincere as when he complimented me. The two of them gave him odd looks, as if they couldn’t tell if he was mocking them or not.

After introducing everyone to one another, Sidra led the six of us inside Myriad Gate Hall. The guards gave my eldest sister a martial salute, before opening the front entrance for us. To my surprise, the hall’s interior wasn’t cramped and narrow, as I expected. Instead, it was large and spacious inside. Floating lanterns provided warm and soothing light.

Sidra led us through the halls of Myriad Gate Hall and brought us to a stone chamber. In the center of the chamber was a raised stone platform with a complex array carved onto its surface. A moment’s glance at the array told me that it was far beyond my current level of understanding. Within the array were several sockets meant for spirit stones, which would power the array. Sidra pulled out several spirit stones and tossed them towards the array. They flew through the air and inserted themselves into the sockets.

“Now then.” Sidra said, turning to face us. She snapped her fingers and I felt her power seal off the room around us from the outside world. “There are a few things we need to discuss before you leave.”

The six of us gave her our undivided attention.

“The first is that Martial Niece Rexanne and Martial Nephew Albin have already been apprised of the second part of your mission,” Sidra said, “So you don’t have to worry about keeping it a secret from them. While they may choose to aid you in this endeavor, they are not obligated to. All they need to do is make it to East Mesa City.”

We glanced at Cultivator Rexanne and Cultivator Albin, who nodded.

“Second,” Sidra said, “You have half a year to complete both parts of the mission, though you may do them in any order. However, the sooner, the better, as they say.”

I nodded. Half a year seemed like enough time for us to complete the mission, at least by my reckoning. However, Sidra was right. The sooner we finished, the better. I wanted to return to the sect before the start of the Rising Heroes Tournament.

“Third,” Sidra said, gesturing to Cultivator Willow and I, “You two are divine demons and future pillars of our sect. If enemies of our sect realized that you were out in the world, and therefore vulnerable, they would stop at nothing to cut you down and stop you from realizing your full potential. Avoid revealing your true nature if at all possible.”

Cultivator Willow and I glanced at one another, before we turned to Sidra.

“We’ll be careful, Big Sis.” I said.

Cultivator Willow nodded in agreement.

“Good.” Sidra turned her attention to the others. “As for the rest of you, it should go without saying that any carelessness or slip ups on your part will result in severe punishment. Do you understand?”

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“Yes, Vice Hall Master Sidra.” the others said in unison.

Sidra studied them for a moment, then nodded.

“Very well,” she said, “In that case, it’s time for you to leave.” She nodded to the teleportation array. “That will bring to a hidden location about a day’s journey away from Clear Basin City. Good luck.”

We all nodded at her, before the six of us stepped up to the platform. As soon as everyone was in place, Sidra performed a series of hand seals. At the same time, she spoke an incantation. The spirit stones that she inserted into the array earlier started to glow with a brilliant blue light. That light spread to the rest of the array and illuminated the entire room. I felt a tugging sensation as some kind of force pulled at me. A moment later, I felt my body move and darkness surrounded me. The last thing I saw was Sidra watching me with a calm expression on her face.

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One moment I was in darkness, surrounded by nothingness on all sides. The next, I found myself in some kind of stone chamber that looked similar to the one back at Myriad Gate Hall. However, the walls of this chamber were rough-hewn rock instead of stone blocks. Light crystal lamps hung from the walls of the chamber, illuminating it. The air felt cool and smelled of earth. A metal door served as the only way in or out of the chamber.

I looked around and found the others standing nearby. Just as I opened my mouth to say something, a bout of nausea and dizziness hit me. The world spun and I gripped my knees with my hands in order to avoid falling over.

“This is a side effect of going through a teleportation array.” A voice called out in a soothing tone. “They’ll fade away soon, so take a moment to rest and recover.”

I looked over to find a young woman standing nearby. She wore black robes trimmed with gray, meaning that she was a disciple of Restless Grave Hall. With my spirit sense, I saw that she was at peak Foundation Establishment.

Another bout of nausea hit me, and I tightened my grip on my knees.

“Ugh,” I said, “This is worse than a hangover.”

The others let out groans as well. It seemed that I wasn’t the only one having a difficult time.

“The first time going through a teleportation array is the worst.” The young woman said. “After a while, you get used to it. Though, the higher your cultivation base, the less affected you are. Once you reach a high enough cultivation base, teleportation sickness is no longer an issue for you.”

Another reason for me to become stronger as soon as possible. Teleportation sickness felt terrible. I never wanted to experience it again if I could help it.

I looked over at the others. They all looked as sick as I felt, though to varying degrees. Cultivator Willow’s face was pale, but otherwise she seemed fine. Cultivator Isabel and Cultivator Albin were hunched over like me, as if they were going to throw up. Cultivator Rexanne sat at the ground with her forehead resting on her knees.

The only one who seemed unaffected was Elliot. I didn’t know if it was because he was used to teleportation sickness, his late Foundation Establishment cultivation base, or both. Regardless, he stood at the edge of the platform and waited for us to recover with a calm expression on his face.

Several minutes later, all of us felt well enough to move, though Cultivator Rexanne looked like she would throw up at any moment. Once we stepped off of the platform, the young woman from Restless Grave Hall gave us a martial salute.

“Welcome, fellow cultivators,” she said, smiling, “My name is Merla. I am the disciple in charge of this location. In addition to the teleportation array, we do have some rooms set aside, if you wish to stay a little longer and rest.”

Elliot shook his head.

“No, we shall head out right away.” He said. “Thank you for the offer, Cultivator Merla.”

“In that case, I shall see you out.”

With that, Cultivator Merla opened the metal door for us and led us out of the chamber. It turned out that the teleportation array was situated deep within an underground base that the Dawn and Dusk Sect had built. The base contained a number of facilities, including meditation chambers and bedrooms for the disciples stationed here. In addition to Cultivator Merla, there were three in total. The other two were at late Foundation Establishment. They gave us martial salutes as we passed by them, but didn’t say a word to us.

Cultivator Merla led us to the exit of the base and I saw that it had been built into the face of a sheer cliff. At the bottom of the cliff stood a verdant forest that stretched as far as the eye could see. The wind was fierce this high up, though a defensive array kept it out. Once Cultivator Merla opened the array, the wind hit us in full force. However, given the cultivation bases of everyone here, it had little effect.

Elliot summoned a flying boat from his storage ring and gestured for us to board. I hopped right in, followed by Cultivator Willow and Cultivator Isabel. Cultivator Albin helped Cultivator Rexanne, since she still seemed affected by teleportation sickness.

“I wish you luck in your journey, fellow cultivators.” Cultivator Merla said. “If you wish to enter this location again, simply press your sect crest against this spot.” She pointed to an indentation in the cliff face. “That will open the defensive arrays protecting this location will open up for you and allow you to enter.”

“Thank you, Cultivator Merla,” Elliot said, giving her a smile, “You have been most helpful.”

Cultivator Merla smiled in return, before she closed the array. The entrance to the base disappeared, as if it had never existed in the first place. Instead, it looked no different from the rest of the cliff face. The only indication that it had ever been there was the indentation that Cultivator Merla pointed out to us. I made sure to memorize its location.

Soon, we were flying through the air, heading in the direction of Clear Basin City. The sky here was gray and overcast as well, though I saw no indication that it would rain any time soon. The cool wind felt refreshing and helped banish the lingering traces of teleportation sickness.

I had faith that Elliot knew where he was going. Yesterday, I asked him about the mission, after we returned to my estate at Flame Fiend Hall. It turned out that Sidra had told him about it a few days earlier and asked him to be the mission leader. At first he declined, since he didn’t think it was appropriate for a mere retainer to command full disciples of the Dawn and Dusk Sect. However, she convinced him by pointing out that out of everyone going on the mission, he was the most qualified person to lead it.

After Elliot agreed, Sidra gave him a map of the Sacred Ironwood province, which included the location of the hidden base with the teleportation array. Elliot shared that map with me and I spent several hours studying it, focusing on the northern half of the province.

“Since we have some time before we arrive at Clear Basin City,” Elliot said soon after we left the hidden base, “We should go over our plan of action. This is our first time working together as a group, and I wanted all of us to be on the same page.”

Cultivator Willow and I nodded, while Cultivator Isabel crossed her arms and scowled. Cultivator Rexanne clung to the railing of the flying boat, letting the wind blow through her hair, while Cultivator Albin rubbed her back. I noticed this before, but the two of them seemed quite familiar with one another. I assumed they were friends, or even closer.

“Go ahead and plan without me.” Cultivator Rexanne said in a weak voice. “I’m in no state to contribute anything meaningful. I’ll just go with whatever the group decides.”

Cultivator Albin gave us all an apologetic look.

“Rexanne has always had trouble going through teleportation arrays.” He said.

Yes, they were definitely close if they referred to each other without honorifics.

“They’re the bane of my existence!” Cultivator Rexanne declared.

Elliot frowned.

“That might be difficult, since the first thing I wanted to determine is which part of the mission to complete first.” He said. “Should we bring you two to East Mesa City and investigate the disappearances afterwards? Or should we investigate the disappearances and bring you along with us? The former is safer for you two, but the latter is more convenient for us.”

Cultivator Isabel jerked a thumb towards Cultivator Rexanne and Cultivator Albin.

“Why don’t we leave them in Clear Basin City while we investigate the disappearances?” She asked. “Once we’re done with that, we can return for them and use the teleportation array in Clear Basin City to continue with our journey.”

Huh. That wasn’t a half bad idea. From the thoughtful expression on his face, Elliot felt the same way. What a surprise. Given her… abrasiveness, I hadn’t expected much from Cultivator Isabel. It seemed that I underestimated her.

“Actually, Rexanne and I would like to help you investigate the disappearances.” Cultivator Albin said. “We discussed the matter with one another after the elders of our respective halls informed us. I recently refined a combat puppet and Rexanne refined a new magic treasure, and we both wish to test them out.”

Elliot wore a conflicted expression on his face. I pinched my chin and frowned.

“That would make things easier for us.” I said. “We don’t know what we’re dealing with, so the more people available the better.”

“However, that also puts them at risk.” Cultivator Willow pointed out. “We’re supposed to escort them to East Mesa City. If they’re harmed, or worse, then we’ll have to bear responsibility for it. That might even count as failing the first part of the mission.”

We glanced at Cultivator Isabel, who shrugged.

“I already made my position on the matter clear.” She said.

At that, everyone turned to Elliot. As the leader for this mission, he had final say. After a while, the conflicted expression on his face cleared away.

“Young Mistress Sidra said that Cultivator Rexanne and Cultivator Albin may choose to aid us with our mission,” he said, “Since they have offered to do so, I see no reason to refuse them.” He frowned. “However, I don’t think you will earn any contribution points or spirit stones for helping us. It isn’t your mission, after all.”

Cultivator Albin smiled.

“Rexanne and I are fine with that.” He said. “However, if we find any loot during the course of this mission, we would like to get first pick.”

The rest of us nodded in agreement at that. That sounded fair to me, since Cultivator Rexanne and Cultivator Albin were going out of their way to help us.

“Now then,” Elliot said, “I have an idea on how to catch whatever is responsible for the disappearances.”

Our eyes grew wide with amazement as we listened to Elliot’s plan.