Everyone froze in place as the aura of an early Golden Core cultivator descended upon us. The pressure was enough to make my knees buckle. I wasn’t the only one either. Even the late Foundation Establishment cultivators among us found it difficult to remain upright. When the aura of a second early Golden Core cultivator descended, my legs faltered and I fell to one knee. Willow and Cultivator Galen fell to their knees as well.

I knew that there was a huge difference in strength between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core, but I hadn’t realized what that meant until now. As the saying went, it was like the difference between heaven and earth.

A part of me panicked in the face of someone overwhelmingly stronger than me. However, my demonic nature stirred. I wanted that strength. Not because I wanted to make others kowtow before me, but so I would never have to bow before anyone else again. I gritted my teeth and forced myself to stand up, or tried to at least. It was like pushing against a mountain, futile and pointless, yet I kept trying.

Moments later, two figures descended from the sky and landed in the middle of us. One of them was a short and burly man with light brown skin, dark hair, and dark eyes. Like Cultivator Rexanne, he wore plain black robes that were scorched and burned in several places. He must have been a disciple of Myriad Treasures Hall.

The other figure was an older man with long black hair, who wore the white and gray robes of the Thousand Blade Sect. He was leaner than the burly man and exuded a sharp aura. If I had to compare the two men to weapons, the former was a hammer while the other was a thin blade.

“As entertaining as this is,” the burly man said, grinning. “It’s time we put a stop to it before someone gets hurt or dies.”

Cultivator Evette stared at the lean man, her face pale.

“Branch Head-…” She started to say, but the lean man cut her off with a slashing gesture.

“I told you to stay away from Cultivator Water Fang.” He said, his voice cold and sharp. “And what do you do? You pick a fight with her in public, again, a mere month after your confinement ends.”

Cultivator Evette flinched.

“Branch Head Elroy,” she said, “There were extenuating circumstances. Cultivator Water Fang, she harassed my brother and threatened to ruin my brother’s reputation.”

Branch Head Elroy’s left eye twitch.

“Do you expect me to believe that nonsense?” He demanded. “I heard about what happened at the Dawn and Dusk Treasure Hall. There were witnesses, and all of them claimed that Junior Brother Galen harassed Cultivator Water Fang, not the other way around. If you had done your due diligence, you would have known that as well.” He shook his head. “However, you were so eager to fight Cultivator Water Fang again that you didn’t even bother.”

Cultivator Evette looked down and her shoulders slumped.

“I apologize, Branch Head Elroy.” She said. “I take full responsibility for this incident, and will accept any punishment you deem necessary.”

Branch Head Elroy studied her for several moments, before sighing.

“At least you’re willing to acknowledge it when you’re at fault.” He said. “Not only that, but you fought well, which is to your credit.” His expression grew stern again. “Very well. Once again, you are confined to your quarters for the next six months.” He gave her a hard look. “The only reason why I’m being so lenient is because of the upcoming Rising Heroes Tournament. Otherwise, your confinement would have lasted a full year.”

Cultivator Evette, still looking down, nodded.

“As for you, Junior Brother Galen,” Branch Head Elroy said, turning towards Cultivator Galen, “You will receive one hundred lashes for your punishment. Afterwards, you will be confined to the sand dungeon for the next year.”

Cultivator Galen’s face twisted with terror. I didn’t know what this sand dungeon was, but it must have been terrible for him to make that expression.

“You can’t do that!” He exclaimed. “I-…”

Branch Head Elroy focused his aura on Cultivator Galen. The latter paled and spat out a mouthful of blood, before falling to his hands and knees.

“Galen!” Cultivator Evette exclaimed, rushing to his side.

“Not only did you cause a commotion, Junior Brother Galen,” Branch Head Elroy said, “You fled from an opponent with the same cultivation base as yourself and lost face for our Thousand Blade Sect.”

Huh. From what I could tell, Branch Head Elroy was more upset about the latter than the former. Perhaps that was why Cultivator Evette’s punishment was so light. As Branch Head Elroy said, she fought well. Causing a commotion was fine, as long as one didn’t tarnish the reputation of one’s sect.

“Does this satisfy you, Branch Head Xavier?” Branch Head Elroy asked, turning towards the burly man.

The burly man, Branch Head Xavier, smiled.

“Indeed, Branch Head Elroy.” He said. “Let us put this incident behind us and forget it ever happened.”

Branch Head Elroy nodded, before he gathered the other Thousand Blood Sect disciples and left. However, as he turned to leave, Branch Head Elroy gave me an inscrutable look. I made sure that my Cloak of Dusk innate ability was still working. If Branch Head Elroy found out that I was a divine demon, then I could end up in serious danger. However, nothing happened and the Thousand Blade Sect disciples left without incident.

The moment they were out of sight, the aura from both Branch Head Xavier and Branch Head Elroy disappeared. I shot to my feet and rushed to Ellen’s side, checking her injuries. None of them were serious, thank the ancestors for that, but it still pained me to see her hurt like this. Ellen chuckled as my fussing.

“I’m fine, Darian.” She said. “While Cultivator Evette is a strong sword cultivator, I can hold my own against her. These injuries are trivial.”

I looked her right in the eyes.

“Nothing that causes you pain can be called trivial.” I said.

Ellen’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened at that. I took advantage of her surprise by pulling out a mid-grade Healing Pill from my storage ring, before feeding it to her. Branch Head Xavier laughed at that.

“It seems you snagged yourself a good one, Junior Sister Water Fang.” He said.

Ellen gave me a fond look.

“Yes, I did.” she said.

“You already heard my name, but let me introduce myself. My name is Xavier. I am the head of the Dawn and Dusk Sect’s branch office here in East Mesa City.”

Elliot, Willow, and I saluted him.

“Greetings, Branch Head Xavier.” We said in unison.

He waved us off before we could introduce ourselves.

“Oh, there’s no need for that.” He said. “I’m not big on formalities.”

“Branch Head Xavier is a very casual person,” Ellen said, “To the point where he treated a retainer like me as a full-fledged disciple of the Dawn and Dusk Sect. Otherwise, I would have had a more difficult time here in East Mesa City.”

Branch Head Xavier shrugged.

“You have a decent cultivation base and you’re diligent.” He said. “Only a fool would treat you poorly.”

I found myself liking Branch Head Xavier. If I had met him back at the Dawn and Dusk Sect, perhaps we would have become friends.

“Thank you for treating Water Fang well.” I said. “She’s very dear to me.”

I took Ellen’s hand in mine and gave it a brief squeeze. Willow pouted at that and grabbed my other hand.

“Don’t forget about me.” She said.

Branch Head Xavier stared at me in surprise, before he burst out into laughter.

“Anyway, welcome to East Mesa City.” He said. “Feel free to stay here as long as you like. The branch office here works similar to the main sect. You can buy resources, attend classes and lectures, and even take missions to earn contribution points or spirit stones.” He grinned. “The Violet Desert hidden realm is opening up in two months. If you’re still here when that happens, you can enter and compete if you wish.” He gestured to Ellen. “Junior Sister Water Fang can tell you the details.”

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I knew a bit about the Violet Desert hidden realm. It opened up once a year, allowing cultivators to go inside and collect Violet Sand. There was a natural restriction in place, so only cultivators below Golden Core could enter. That was the limit of my knowledge.

“Thank you, Branch Head Xavier,” I said, “We’ll keep that in mind.” I paused. “Ah, but where are our manners? We forgot to introduce ourselves.”

Branch Head Xavier shook his head.

“There’s no need.” He said. “I already know who you three are. I received word from the main sect some time ago.”

From the knowing look he gave us, I realized that he knew our true identities, including the fact that Willow and I were divine demons.

“I have to go now,” Branch Head Xavier said, “But if you ever need anything, feel free to let me know.” He paused. “Before I go, let me give you a word of warning. Cultivators from the Thousand Blade Sect are slow to forgive slights and tend to hold grudges.” He grimaced. “And then there’s the Ancient Blood Sect. They never pass up an opportunity to cause us trouble. So, be careful during your stay here in East Mesa City. They shouldn’t try anything too overt, but it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.”

We nodded in understanding. With that, Branch Head Xavier flew into the sky and disappeared from sight.

“Shall we continue with our reunion?” Ellen asked.

We all nodded and headed back inside her immortal abode.

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

The four of us spent the rest of the day together, catching up with one another and enjoying each other’s company. Well, in Ellen and Willow’s case, the two of them spent time getting to know one another. Soon enough, the two of them started treating one another as if they were actual sisters.

Cultivator Isabel joined us about an hour after the Thousand Blade Sect disciples left. Willow messaged her using a transmission talisman, to let her know that we found accommodations within the city. Ellen’s immortal abode was large enough to house five people, though it would be a little cramped. Cultivator Isabel grumbled a bit about wasted time when she arrived.

As we spent the day talking, Ellen cuddled me from one side while Willow cuddled me from the other. We must have made for an amusing sight, considering the height difference between Willow and myself. Cultivator Isabel rolled her eyes and scowled when she saw this, but kept her complaints to herself.

I listened with rapt attention as Ellen told us about her time in East Mesa City. She spent her first year completing missions and doing odd jobs for the branch office. One of these odd jobs involved working as a shop assistant at the Dawn and Dusk Treasure Hall. Branch Head Xavier realized that Ellen had a knack for selling magic treasures, so he assigned her to the shop on a permanent basis.

Within two years, she worked her way up from shop assistant to manager. Soon after that, she encountered Cultivator Galen. He wasn’t much of an annoyance at first. However, when Ellen rejected him after he proposed to her, he grew obsessed and his harassment began. Thanks to Cultivator Galen’s status within the Thousand Blade Sect, Ellen couldn’t ban him from the Dawn and Dusk Treasure Hall without justification.

After this persisted for a time, Cultivator Evette involved herself in the situation, under the assumption that Ellen seduced her younger brother. This may or may not have been an excuse to fight someone at the same cultivation base. Considering what I saw of Cultivator Evette, it was possible. The two of them fought and Ellen won thanks to the puppets within the Dawn and Dusk Treasure Hall.

Cultivator Galen stayed away from the shop for a time after this, but soon returned to continue harassing Ellen. As we saw today, he crossed the line, giving Ellen the excuse she needed to ban him from the Dawn and Dusk Treasure Hall.

After hearing the full story, I regretted not punching Cultivator Galen in the face when I had the chance. Even though Branch Head Elroy punished him, that wasn’t enough to satisfy me. Still, at least he was gone now, and that was what mattered the most.

“When did you start learning puppetry?” I asked, curious.

“Almost as soon as I arrived.” Ellen answered. “As a spirit beast, my cultivation speed is slower than that of a human. It won’t be long before you surpass me, Darian. To make up for that, I searched for ways to increase my power. I decided to learn how to refine and control puppets. It requires a lot of resources, but it’s well worth it.” She smiled. “Besides, I enjoy puppetry more than I expected to.”

A fair point. A skilled puppet master could face opponents more powerful than themselves, or a large number of opponents, if they had the right puppets for it.

When evening neared, Ellen cooked a large dinner for everyone. Willow and I offered to help, or at least help pay for the ingredients, but Ellen wouldn’t hear of it. Dinner, of course, was quite delicious and I moaned throughout the entire meal.

“I’ve heard less vulgar sounds come from a brothel.” Cultivator Isabel muttered under her breath.

I ignored her and continued enjoying Ellen’s cooking. Afterwards, we sat around and discussed our next course of action while drinking some decent spirit wine.

“What are your plans going forward?” Ellen asked. “Are you going to stay here in East Mesa City, or are we going to head back to the Dawn and Dusk Sect? If it’s the latter, I’ll need at least a week to settle my affairs here. Branch Head Xavier treated me well, and I don’t want to put him in a tight spot.”

Willow and I glanced at one another. Elliot and Cultivator Isabel left the decision up to us, since they were here to ensure our safety.

“I’m not sure,” I said with a frown. “I was so focused on reuniting with you, that I never considered what to do afterwards.” I shrugged. “There’s the Rising Heroes Tournament, but that’s several months away. Until then, my schedule is free.”

“Mine is as well,” Willow said, also frowning. “I wanted to come here to get Big Sis Ellen’s approval. I didn’t have any concrete plans beyond that.”

Ellen smiled.

“In that case, why don’t we stay here in East Mesa City?” she suggested. “There are plenty of locations to visit and sights to see. Even I haven’t found everything of interest in the city, and I’ve lived here for years.” She made a sweeping gesture. “Not to mention, there are plenty of interesting locations within the Howling Desert Province that you could visit. There are dangers, of course, but I doubt that would deter either of you. If anything, that might be an incentive.”

I mulled it over. She made several good points. It would be nice to settle down in one place for a while. Over the past few weeks, I hadn’t had much time to cultivate since we spent most of it traveling. I could also spend more time practicing the Heartflame technique, while also making progress in the Breath of the World technique. The latter required observation of the movement and cycles of the world. The hubbub and bustle of cities wasn’t excluded from that.

“True.” I said. “There’s also the Violet Desert hidden realm, which will open in two months.”

“Yes!” Willow said. “Big Sis Ellen, could you tell us more about that?”

Ellen shrugged.

“There isn’t much to tell.” She said. “The Violet Desert hidden realm is rather tame, as these things go. There aren’t any powerful beasts or dangerous natural features. It’s a massive stretch of land, interspersed with the occasional mountain.” She pursed her lips. “The biggest threat comes from other cultivators. The Violet Desert hidden realm only stays open for three days, and there are only a few places where one can harvest Violet Sand. During those three days, cultivators compete with each other to secure these places. Sometimes, this competition becomes violent and it isn’t unusual for cultivators from different sects to fight each other.” She paused. “In fact, sometimes cultivators from the same sect fight each other.”

I blinked at her.

“Why?” I asked. “I can understand why cultivators from different sects would fight each other, but not why they would fight their fellow disciples.”

“I don’t know about other sects, but the Dawn and Dusk Sect rewards its disciples based on how much Violet Sand they bring back from the Violet Desert hidden realm,” Ellen answered. “The more they bring back, the greater the rewards.” She let out a derisive snort. “For some, it’s easier to steal from others than to harvest Violet Sand themselves.”

Willow frowned.

“Wouldn’t that cause strife and conflict within a sect?” She asked.

Ellen gave her a sharp smile.

“Some people let their greed overpower their good sense.” She said.

True. Every cultivator was greedy to some degree or another, including myself. However, there were lines that I wouldn’t cross.

“Due to the natural restrictions of the Violet Sand hidden realm, only about two hundred people can enter when it opens,” Ellen said. “Any more than that would risk collapsing the entrance and cutting off the Violet Sand hidden realm from our world. Since no one wants that, the limit is strictly enforced.”

Fair enough. The livelihood of East Mesa City depended on the Violet Sand hidden realm. Without it, the city would wither and die. The people might survive, but the city itself would become no more.

“How many disciples can each sect send into the Violet Sand hidden realm?” I asked.

“The Dawn and Dusk Sect, the Thousand Blade Sect, and the Ancient Blood Sect each have thirty slots reserved for them,” Ellen answered. “The city lord, the local clans, and the local sects have a total of one hundred slots. The remaining ten are sold to rogue cultivators who pay the required fee.”

“What are the requirements for entering the Violet Sand hidden realm?” Cultivator Isabel asked, speaking up for the first time in a while. “With the limited number of slots assigned to each sect, I assume that disciples need to meet certain standards before they are eligible.”

Ellen nodded.

“At minimum, one needs to be in the Foundation Establishment realm,” she said. “While Qi Condensation cultivators can enter, they would be less than useless.”

I nodded. That made sense. Foundation Establishment cultivators were stronger and could use flying magic treasures. That alone made them better suited to entering the Violet Sand hidden realm. And if every sect was sending in Foundation Establishment cultivators, then a Qi Condensation cultivator stood no chance. They would be just throwing their life away.

“Another requirement is that one needs to have a certain proficiency in refining magic treasures,” Ellen continued. “Just enough to identify and harvest Violet Sand. However, the most important requirement is battle prowess. Since everyone is competing for Violet Sand, it’s better to send in disciples who are adept at fighting than those who aren’t.”

I frowned. While I was confident in my battle prowess, the same couldn’t be said for my proficiency in refining magic treasures. From the looks on everyone’s faces, they faced the same dilemma.

“If you’re worried about the second requirement,” Ellen said, smiling, “I know the disciple who organizes the lectures here. There is one every month. While it will cost contribution points, I can guarantee us seats in the next two lectures. The one just before the Violet Desert hidden realm opens up focuses on how to identify and harvest Violet Sand.”

Everyone seemed excited by this idea.

“Then we’ll have to trouble you, Ellen.” I said.

After deciding to stay in East Mesa City for a while, at least until after the Violet Desert hidden realm opened up, we talked some more before heading to our respective rooms. Well, almost. Ellen dragged me into hers. Willow watched us go, a mix of envy and curiosity in her eyes, though she didn’t say anything in the end.

Once we were alone, Ellen pounced on me and sank her fangs into my neck. I felt her poison seeping through my body. However, unlike our first night together, it just weakened me instead of paralyzing me. Reaching Foundation Establishment and mastering my Demon Form innate ability gave me greater resistance against poisons in general.

Not that it made much difference in this situation. I wasn’t a match for Ellen at full strength, and even less so in my weakened state. She brought me to bed and straddled me, wearing a look of anticipation and excitement on her face.

“Don’t expect to get any sleep, Darian.” She said, her eyes gleaming. “We’re going to spend the entire night getting… reacquainted with one another.”

I let out a derisive snort.

“Are you going to actually do something, or just keep talking about it?” I goaded.

Ellen grinned at me, before she pounced. As she promised, neither one of us got any sleep that night.