When I came to, I found myself in a stone tunnel of some kind. I was laying down. The ground beneath me was rough and uneven. It must have been somewhere deep beneath the earth, because the air felt cool. There weren’t any sources of light, so I couldn’t see anything, though that wasn’t much of a hindrance. My other senses worked just fine, including my spirit sense.

With the latter, I ‘saw’ that the tunnel was three times my height and just as wide. The walls were rough stone. I strained my ears, but didn’t hear anything. The air smelled of dry earth.

It appeared that I was at the end of the tunnel, since I was next to a solid stone wall. The rest of the tunnel stretched off somewhere into the distance, with the other end beyond the range of my spirit sense. The tunnel was straight, for the most part, though it curved and twisted in some areas.

The qi in this place was abundant, more so even than my estate back at Flame Fiend Hall or my immortal cave in the Black Mist Mountains. However, it was all earth qi, which wasn’t as useful for me. Still, it was better than water qi.

Was I in the hidden realm? Given what happened, I assumed so. Rather, I hoped so. Otherwise, I was in big trouble. After all, I didn’t know where I was and how to make it back to the others. Still, I wouldn’t get anywhere by just lying here and hoping for the best.

I stood up and after checking to make sure that my body was fine, I started walking down the tunnel. It felt like hours before I reached the end, though I couldn’t tell for sure. The lack of any reference points made it difficult to keep track of time. Throughout the entire journey, I remained on alert. I didn’t know what dangers there were in this place. However, nothing happened.

When the end of the tunnel came within range of my spirit sense, I stopped and stared, for lack of a better term. The tunnel ended in a massive natural cavern filled with all kinds of vegetation, many of which were spirit herbs. Giant azure and gray crystals jutted from the floor, the walls, and the ceiling. These were elemental stones, specifically wood elemental stones and metal elemental stones. They changed the properties of the qi inside the cavern from earth to wood and metal.

However, what caught my eye was the skeleton of a large beast situated in the center of the cavern. It looked like it belonged to a feline spirit beast, though I didn’t know what kind. From the aura the skeleton emanated, it must have been a powerful one; either Rank Three or maybe even Rank Four. The color of the bones were mottled green and gray, reminding me a little of the coloration of the Ironwood Tigers. From the way the skeleton was positioned, it looked like the creature had curled up to sleep and never woke up.

In front of the skeleton stood a stone stele with the words “Sacred Ancestor Azure Claw” carved into it. At the foot of the stele was a burner for incense, as well as several spirit herbs, precious materials, magic treasures, and more. I realized that they were offerings. That meant that this skeleton belonged to the Sacred Ancestor of the Forest Tiger Sect. That…made a lot of sense actually, given the sect’s veneration of Ironwood Tigers. The now deceased sect leader’s master had been one, or something similar at least.

I rushed forward, so I could see the cavern with my eyes. As I drew closer, the tunnel started to grow lighter. When I reached the cavern, I saw why. The elemental stones illuminated the entire cavern with faint light.

When I saw the skeleton of the Sacred Ancestor, I stopped and stared. It was even more majestic in person. A feeling of holiness permeated the cavern. It was the tomb of a powerful being, after all.

The greedy part of me wanted to strip the cavern bare and collect everything in sight. While the metal elemental stones were useless to me, the wood elemental stones could benefit me a lot. Not only that, but most of the spirit herbs were rare and precious. Even if I couldn’t use them myself, I could sell them for a lot of spirit stones. However, I felt reluctant to desecrate the Sacred Ancestor’s resting place.

The question was, what now? It was clear to me that the Sacred Ancestor’s skeleton was the sacred treasure of the Forest Tiger Sect. The bones could be used to create several power magic treasures. However, unless I planned on desecrating this place and becoming a tomb robber, I would leave empty handed. And that was assuming I managed to leave at all. I didn’t quite know how I ended up in this place, and I certainly didn’t know how to leave.

Maybe I could leave an offering for the Sacred Ancestor of the Forest Tiger Sect? Perhaps that was the key to leaving this hidden realm. It was as good an idea as any. There was already a stick of incense in the burner, so I just needed the offering itself. The question was, what should I offer?

I searched through my storage bag and pondered my options. My most valuable possessions were gifts from my family and other loved ones, so I was reluctant to part with them.

In the end, I took out the single serving of Starsoul Tea that I received from Uncle Jericho. While it wasn’t a large offering, it was a valuable one. After all, the hall master of Celestial Warrior Hall made it. Still, given how beneficial Starsoul Tea was to my cultivation, it hurt my heart to give it away.

I produced a small flame to light up the stick of incense, before placing the serving of Starsoul Tea with the other offerings. After that, I knelt before the stele.

“Please accept my offering, Sacred Ancestor Azure Claw,” I said, “Though I am not a disciple of the Forest Tiger Sect.”

At first, when nothing happened, disappointment filled me. I expected some kind of reaction. There was none, at least at first. However, after a moment, I felt something watching me. Something dangerous. I didn’t notice anything with my spirit senses or my mundane senses, but it was there. I felt it. My intuition all but screamed at me to stay still and not provoke this presence.

I remained kneeling. Whoever or whatever it was, I was no match for it. I felt like a mouse sensing the presence of a cat nearby, but unable to perceive it. Fear filled my heart, and I started to shake.

“I can’t tell if you’re intelligent or just cowardly.” A voice called out. I couldn’t pinpoint where it came from. It seemed to fill the entire cavern. “Regardless, you’re not blinded by greed. That speaks well of your character, if nothing else. Good thing too. If you had tried to take anything that didn’t belong to you, I would have killed you on the spot.”

I resisted the urge to look around. Instead, I kept my eyes on the stele.

“Greetings, Senior.” I said, my voice trembling. “My name is…” I paused. For a moment, I debated on whether to give my real name or my fake cultivator name. In the end, I decided to go with the truth. “… Darian Wind Dance. May I have the honor of knowing your name?”

I felt something breath against the back of my neck. A shiver ran down my spine, and I resisted the urge to move in order to relieve the tension.

“Why do you ask a question you already know the answer to?” The voice whispered in my ear.

As the voice spoke, I looked at the words carved into the stele.

“Sacred Ancestor Azure Claw.” I whispered.

“Indeed.” The voice said. “Though you may call me Senior Azure Claw. After all, you are not one of my disciples, nor are you a disciple of the Forest Tiger Sect.”

I nodded.

“Now then,” Senior Azure Claw said, “Tell me, Darian Wind Dance. What are you doing here?”

The air in front of Senior Azure Claw’s skeleton shimmered and a translucent figure came into view. This figure was azure and gray, like the skeleton. It was a spirit, one of a feline spirit beast. The spirit looked similar to an Ironwood Tiger. However, there were a few key differences.

For one, the spirit was much larger. Two, it gave off the aura of a Rank Four spirit beast, which was equivalent to the Nascent Soul realm. Three, scales covered the spirit’s entire body. They were difficult to see, due to their translucent nature, but they were there. They reminded of Nova’s scales, when she was in her beast form.

I assumed this spirit was Senior Azure Claw. It looked down upon me with an indifferent expression on its face. However, I saw killing intent in its eyes. The killing intent was dormant for now, but it could awaken at any moment. If I said or did the wrong thing, Senior Azure Claw would kill me.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“Well?” Senior Azure Claw said. “Answer me.”

The spirit unleashed a bit of its aura and pressured me with it. This felt similar to when Nova grabbed me and brought me to her palace. However, Senior Azure Claw was far less gentle. It felt like a giant hand was squeezing my entire body from all sides.

“I apologize, Senior Azure Claw,” I said through clenched teeth. “I was just so overcome by your magnificent presence that I couldn’t say a word.”

The pressure disappeared.

“Flatterer.” Senior Azure Claw said. “However, I enjoy such flattery, so I will forgive you. This time. Don’t test my patience again.”

I nodded, before I told the spirit about what happened and why I was here. The missing rogue cultivators, the investigation, fighting with the Ancient Blood Sect disciples. Everything. Well, everything related to the incident at least.

“I see.” Senior Azure Claw said.

It leaned its head in closer, until our faces were inches apart. I resisted the urge to flinch back. It was large enough that it could swallow me whole if it so wished.

“How do I know that you’re not lying?” Senior Azure Claw asked. “How do I know that you and your companions aren’t the ones who killed my disciple and the sect he founded? Hmm?”

I swallowed before answering.

“I would never attempt to deceive you, Senior Azure Claw.” I said. “Such an act would only guarantee me a painful death. Given your cultivation base, it would be child’s play for you to notice any falsehoods in my words. I spoke nothing but the truth.”

“But not the whole truth.” Senior Azure Claw pointed out. “You’re hiding things from me.”

I took a moment before answering.

“Yes,” I said, “But only because those things are not related to the Forest Tiger Sect.”

Senior Azure Claw stared at me for several long moments, before it snorted and leaned back.

“True.” The spirit said. “You may be a demon, but you are an honest one.”

I stiffened at that. Senior Azure Claw had seen through my Cloak of Dusk innate ability.

“What?” The spirit asked, chuckling. “Did you think you could hide your true nature from me using such a paltry technique? Naive.” It tilted its head. “However, there is something strange about you. You are a demon, yet not at the same time. What are you?”

That last question seemed more directed at itself than at me, so I refrained from answering.

“It doesn’t matter.” Senior Azure Claw said, shaking its head. “Your secrets are your own. I won’t pry.” Its shoulders slumped. “So, my disciple is dead.”

Sorrow filled the spirit’s eyes and I realized that the death of the sect leader of the Forest Tiger Sect affected it more than I thought. The spirit didn’t react as I told the story, so I didn’t think it cared all that much. Foolish.

The relationship between master and disciple was akin to that between parent and child. While there were exceptions, most masters were close to their disciples. For Senior Azure Claw, it was as if it had lost a child.

“Yes.” I said. “The sect leader of the Forest Tiger Sect killed himself rather than risk letting the Ancient Blood Sect disciples find this place.”

“Fool!” Senior Azure Claw said.

Killing intent exploded out of the spirit, cracking the ground beneath its feet and flinging me back. I hit the cavern wall, before falling to the ground. However, the external pain was nothing compared to the internal pain. Senior Azure Claw’s killing intent was so strong that I couldn’t breath and it felt like my meridians would rupture at any moment.

“He should have just given them what they wanted!” Senior Azure Claw said. “I could have killed them with a flick of my wrist! Instead, the fool had to go and kill himself to try and protect me! How dare he? It is the master’s duty to protect his disciple, not the other way around! What was that idiot thinking? He should have tried to stay alive!” The next part came out as a whisper. “Why did he die and leave me behind?”

Senior Azure Claw’s killing intent abated, allowing me to breathe again. I took a moment to assess my body’s condition. By some miracle, none of the damage I suffered was serious. I removed a low-grade Healing Pill from my storage bag and popped it into my mouth.

As the Healing Pill repaired the damage to my body, I stood up and walked over to Senior Azure Claw. His grief was palpable. I felt the urge to comfort him, which a part of me found amusing. A Foundation Establishment whelp trying to comfort the spirit of a Rank Four spirit beast? How absurd. And yet, here we were.

“I’m not the sect leader of the Forest Tiger Sect,” I said, “So I can’t say what was going through his mind at the time. However, I believe that he didn’t want intruders to desecrate his master’s tomb. So much so that he was willing to die rather than let that happen.”

“Fool.” Senior Azure Claw said again, this time in a subdued voice. “Even if they defeated me. Who cares? I’m already dead. What does it matter if some Foundation Establishment whelps looted this place? Material goods are nothing compared to a loved one’s life.”

I nodded to Senior Azure Claw’s skeleton.

“I believe he wanted to keep them away from your remains.” I said. “In his shoes, I would have felt the same way.”

Senior Azure Claw looked at his skeleton and snorted.

“Fool.” He said for a third time.

I pondered what to say next, before an idea popped into my head.

“While the sect leader of the Forest Tiger Sect is dead,” I said, “His legacy remains. My companions and I retrieved the writings of the Forest Tiger Sect. As long as they exist, there is a chance that the Forest Tiger Sect can be revived.”

Senior Azure Claw looked me in the eyes. I froze for a brief second. While I no longer believed that Senior Azure Claw would kill me for no reason, he was still the spirit of a giant feline spirit beast.

“Why do you care?” He asked. “You have no connection to me or the Forest Tiger Sect. None of this matters to you. So, why?”

I shrugged.

“You don’t need a connection to someone in order to feel compassion for their suffering,” I said.

Senior Azure Claw barked out a laugh.

“A demon speaking of compassion.” He said. “I never thought I’d live to see the day.” He paused. “Though, I suppose I haven’t, given my current condition.”

I smiled as well.

“I appreciate your attempts to lift my spirits,” Senior Azure Claw continued, “And I hate being in someone’s debt. As repayment for your… compassion, as well as avenging my disciple, I will give you and your companions my blessing.”

I blinked at him in surprise.

“I thought I already had your blessing,” I said. “Isn’t that how I entered here in the first place?”

Senior Azure Claw snorted.

“No, not quite.” He said. “Your dancing was similar enough to my blessing that it woke me up. That aroused my curiosity, so I brought you here to get some answers.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

Senior Azure Claw looked thoughtful for a moment.

“My blessing is a breathing technique I inherited from an ancestor of mine.” He said. “Any cultivator can benefit from this technique. It’s called Breath of the World. There is a rhythm to the movement and cycles of the world. The sun rises and falls every day. The moon goes through its phases. The seasons change. Everything is connected, and we are all a part of that. Practicing the Breath of the World technique allows one to deepen that connection, to strengthen their resonance with the world’s rhythm.”

I frowned at Senior Azure Claw.

“Is it a cultivation technique?” I asked.

“No,” the spirit said, “However, it can be used while cultivating in order to increase the efficacy of one’s cultivation by at least a tenth. The exact effect varies depending on the individual and their proficiency with the technique. Those who master the technique will gain more of a benefit.”

My eyes widened when I heard this. That meant if one practiced this Breath of the World technique, one could increase the speed of their cultivation by ten percent at a minimum. This was a significant increase, when cultivating could take years, decades, and centuries of arduous work.

“Not only that,” Senior Azure Claw said. “One can use the Breath of the World technique to replenish one’s internal qi. It isn’t as swift as taking a Qi Restoration Pill, but since it’s a breathing technique, one can practice it at any time.”

“That’s amazing!” I said.

Senior Azure Claw preened.

“Indeed,” he said, “The ancestor of mine who created this technique was a lofty figure and an unparalleled genius.”

I frowned.

“Earlier you mentioned that my dancing was similar to the Breath of the World technique.” I said. “Does that mean that I strengthened my resonance to the rhythm of the world while dancing?”

Senior Azure Claw nodded.

“Yes,” he said, “Though it was much cruder than the Breath of the World technique. However, if you developed this dance of yours into a proper technique, it could become something far more profound.”

A technique to aid in my cultivation. Hmm. How much would I benefit if I danced and used the Breath of the World technique while cultivating? I didn’t know. However, it was something worth exploring. Perhaps I could study other dancing techniques to get a better idea of this sort of thing. Clarissa was a member of Divine Dancer Hall. I could ask her for help with this.

“Do you have a blank jade slip?” Senior Azure Claw asked.

I nodded and pulled one out of my storage bag. It flew out of my hand and headed towards Senior Azure Claw. He pressed it against his forehead for several seconds.

“There.” Senior Azure Claw said, handing the jade slip back to me. “I imprinted the Breath of the World technique onto that jade slip. Do with it as you will, be it keep the technique to yourself or share it with your friends. I don’t care.”

Of course I was going to share it. The six of us worked together to get this far. It was only fair that everyone got their fair share of the rewards. Besides, if I left this place and didn’t share something with the others, they would suspect me of keeping the sacred treasure for myself. Rather than deal with that hassle, it was better to avoid it altogether.

“Now then, young Darian,” Senior Azure Claw said, “I have another proposal for you.”