Inside the house, Slifer looked at the frail woman lying on the bed. Despite being only slightly younger than her husband, she appeared old enough to be his mother.
The pills the original gave them should have kept them looking much younger and extended their lifespan, Slifer mused, wondering if the original had given them defective pills. I wouldn’t put it pass the old miser.
He ignored the father's continuous pleas for help as he approached the woman's bedside. Gently taking her hand, he channeled a sliver of his qi into her body. With his spiritual sense, he watched as the poison aggressively consumed the qi, exacerbating her condition.
Definitely Cultivator's Bane, he concluded, letting go of her hand. The original’s memories of the poison were clear...perhaps a little too clear.
There goes 2000 Karmic Credits, Slifer thought as he purchased the elixir.
In truth, Slifer didn’t feel like he lost anything, Caelum had earned him more than 2000 Karmic Credits already and he would continue to earn more.
The System conveniently deposited it into his spirit ring, sparing him the awkwardness of explaining a sudden, miraculous appearance, which would be easy to explain to a mortal, they would just attribute it to fancy immortal shenanigans. However, his more astute disciple might feel suspicious, if not now then definitely the day he becomes an Ascendant cultivator himself.
Retrieving the elixir, Slifer handed it to Caelum, whose eyes widened in disbelief. "Administer this to your mother."
Caelum, his hands trembling slightly as he gently tipped the elixir into his mother's mouth. The liquid seemed to invigorate her almost immediately. Her frail form began to regain some semblance of vitality. Though her muscles remained weak, there was a noticeable change; she no longer appeared as a woman on the brink of death but more like someone in her forties, albeit severely undernourished.
Caelum's father watched in awe, his eyes moist with unshed tears. "Thank you, immortal," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.
Slifer nodded, offering a reassuring smile. "She needs rest and nourishment now. Her body will recover in time," he advised.
Overcome with relief, Caelum turned to Slifer. "Master, how can I ever repay you for this?"
Slifer shook his head, dismissing the notion. "Seeing you fulfil your potential as a cultivator is repayment enough.”
The higher your cultivation, the more credits you can get for this old man.
Unable to hold it back any longer, tears streamed down Caelum's face as he turned towards his mother, "M-mother." He enveloped her in a tight hug, and soon, his father joined them, wrapping his arms around the family. Slifer stood by, watching the emotional reunion with an awkward air.
Caelum's father, noticing Slifer's discomfort, gestured for him to join the hug.
I’ve never been a touchy person…Slifer hesitantly stepped forward and joined in, feeling out of place amidst the family's heartfelt moment.
Suddenly, a series of System messages popped up:
Ding! Congratulations Your Disciple Caelum’s Loyalty Has Reached 100% New Option Available: Convert Caelum to a Righteous cultivator Reward: A Righteous Disciple Will Earn x3 Credit
Slifer’s mind whirred upon reading the messages. Finally, a clue on how to convert my own disciples, he thought. But the randomness of the loyalty fluctuations lately made him sceptical about the feasibility of reaching 100% loyalty with his other disciples.
Why couldn't all my disciples' family members be poisoned so I could play the hero? he sighed but then immediately shook off the thought. No, that would make me paranoid about being the real target or…being the cause.
Ding! New Mission: One Righteous Disciple Is Worth More Than A Thousand Demonic Trash Description: Your Disciple Is Ready To Join The Righteous Path. Give Him A Sermon And Ask Him To Join.
Guess I know what I’m doing after work tonight.
The hug became awkward as Slifer, lost in his thoughts, forgot to let go. Caelum, realising that his master’s thoughts had wandered again, coughed gently, "Master?"
Startled, Slifer quickly composed himself and stepped back. "Ah, yes, of course."
Caelum's mother, now sitting up and looking healthier, turned to Slifer with a grateful look in her eyes. "The heavens truly blessed our family the day you took my son into your sect, Immortal Master."
Slifer offered a strained smile, thinking, To mortals, what difference does it make if it's an immortal or demonic sect? They're all the same.
Turning to his mother, Caelum's eyes still red from tears, made a solemn vow. "I promise you, mother, I will find out who did this to you and make them pay."
Slifer’s face darkened as he nodded in agreement. "An attack on a disciple's family is an attack on myself," he affirmed. If this was indeed directed at me, I must find out who did this.
"Please, for my sake, do not seek vengeance," The kind-hearted woman pleaded softly, not understanding the harsh reality of the cultivation world.
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"I'm sorry, Mother, but I cannot obey you in this matter," Caelum stated, he knew that whoever did this would not stop until they succeeded or… were killed.
His father, standing beside him, placed a supportive hand on his shoulder. "Get justice for your mother, son."
Caelum nodded before glancing up, his gaze landed on the portrait of his grandfather. "Why is Grandfather's portrait up?" he asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.
"He…he passed away three months ago. I had a painter from the nearby city, Master Leo, come two months ago to draw this portrait. We wanted something to remember him by." His father let out a weary sigh.
The lives of mortals seem so… fleeting, Caelum sighed.
Overhearing this, Slifer felt a jolt of realization. If the portrait was drawn only two months ago, how come it's in the original's memories? The sinking feeling in his gut continued to grow as he connected the dots - the poisoning, the visit from the original Slifer, and the timing of the portrait's creation.
Attempting to mask his thoughts, Slifer cleared his throat and casually mentioned, "It has been over a decade since my last visit. Apart from the... recent mishap, it seems your family is faring well."
The parents exchanged a puzzled glance, clearly wondering what signs of wellbeing Slifer was referring to. Their lives had been anything but prosperous recently: their crops had failed last season, bandits had raided their village, and now the poisoning.
The mother, however, managed a strained smile, playing along with Slifer's comment. "Lord Immortal is right, the family is doing... well," she agreed, though her eyes betrayed her words. "We would be even more grateful if Lord Immortal visited more often."
They are not aware of the original's recent visit...that old bastard, he really tried to poison his own disciple’s mother!
Looking at the woman, who gazed up at him with expectant eyes, he almost shook his head. They should consider themselves fortunate that the original Slifer isn't in control anymore, he thought grimly. Another visit from him, and the husband would have joined his wife in an early death!
Outwardly though, Slifer maintained his composure and nodded to the family, giving them a promise that he knew he wouldn’t remember to keep. "I assure you; I will make an effort to visit more often."
“Thank you, Lord Immortal.”
As the family conversed among themselves, Slifer stood to the side, deep in thought. Why would the original Slifer target his own disciple's family? What could possibly be gained from harming Caelum's mother?
He glanced at Caelum, observing his disciple's upright character and demeanor, and quickly dismissed the thought of any hidden animosity between them. More likely, the original Slifer was scheming against all his disciples, Slifer pondered. I need to uncover any other messes he's left before they come back to kill me.
With a strategic cough, Slifer caught Caelum's attention. "I will look into this matter," he assured him, adopting a stern tone. "As a sword cultivator, you must remain focused on your path. Distractions will only impede your progress. Leave this to your master."
"Are you sure, Master? I don't want to add to your burdens. You always seem so… occupied," Caelum replied.
"Do not worry about me, Caelum. Trust that your master will handle this matter appropriately." Slifer tried his best to offer a reassuring smile.
Caelum nodded, though he still seemed uneasy about the situation.
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This is how they do it, right?
Dusty sat cross-legged, emulating the posture of the city boys around him. He took deep breaths, his attention on the first step of the Path of the Gluttonous Titan technique – opening up his pores to sense the qi around him.
After a few hours, he was able to sense what he assumed was the ambient qi, Haha, and they said it takes weeks, he grinned.
But then, abruptly, a sharp pang of hunger struck him. His eyes bulged, and his face reddened as he panted, "Food... I need food!"
Out of nowhere, a piece of beast meat, known as the Celestial Boar Steak, fell from the large pagoda above. Without a moment's hesitation, Dusty lunged for it, catching it mid-air. His eyes glinted with a hint of madness as he tore into the meat in a most uncivilized manner, devouring it with a ferocity that left onlookers in shock.
"As expected from a peasant," William, watching from a distance, couldn't help but sneer.
Dusty's technique involved more than just eating; as he chewed the meat, he actively channeled the technique from the scroll, focusing on digesting and absorbing the qi within the meat. His method was unorthodox – rather than absorbing qi from the environment, he was directly assimilating it from the beast meat.
Finishing his feast with a loud burp, a faint wave of qi radiated from Dusty.
"Qi Refining!" someone in the crowd exclaimed, surprised at this unexpected breakthrough.
Dusty laughed heartily, patting his now slightly larger belly. "Outer sect?" he scoffed mockingly. "You lot can't even begin to understand your father's immense talent!" he boasted.
I-impossible! His talent is awful, how could an Outer Disciple’s comprehension exceed mine?! William grit his teeth in envy. Even though he was already a 7th Stage Qi Refining cultivator, he had never entered the Qi Refining realm so… effortlessly.
Yeah, stare at my awesomeness, Dusty strutted around like a proud peacock.
Nomed shook his head at his friend’s antics, he had already broken through to the first stage of Qi Refining but he decided to keep it a secret for now, not wanting to put Dusty down.
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Up in the pagoda, Grand Elder Tenzin turned to Grand Elder Darius, who was leaning forward with evident interest. "It's rare for you to share one of your prized food items," Tenzin commented, referring to the spiritual beast steak that Dusty had just devoured, the steak contained the qi equivalent of a 3rd Stage Qi Refining expert.
"This lad's like a well-fed caterpillar that's about to become an over-fed butterfly!" Darius chuckled.
"Seems you have your eye on quite a few disciples this cycle." Tenzin said with a bitter smile on his face.
"Can I help it if they're all naturally suited for the Disciplinary Hall?" Darius snorted dismissively.
With the disparity in their cultivation, Tenzin knew that he would only be making a fool of himself if he were to challenge Darius over a disciple. If only the sect master was here…
"That boy has a talent that's otherworldly, quite literally," Grand Elder Wyatt’s comment cut through Tenzin’s thoughts.
They turned their attention to Kalin who, having already mastered the sword skill in mere minutes, was now casually observing the other disciples.
Grand Elder Darius couldn't help but scoff at the situation. "Let the 'Supreme Elder' handle that headache," he said dismissively, not particularly concerned about the implications of Kalin's presence.
Wyatt, however, shook his head in subtle disapproval. He understood that any issue involving the higher realms could potentially affect the entire sect, not just the one who took the boy in.
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"The trial of comprehension is now concluded." Grand Elder Wyatt announced as the six-hour mark was met.
A wave of mixed reactions rippled through the crowd of disciples. Those who had struggled in vain with their scrolls let out sighs of frustration, their shoulders slumping in defeat. "I just couldn't understand a thing," one muttered dejectedly.
"I was so close..." another disciple lamented; his voice tinged with frustration.
In contrast, others wore smiles of relief. "Finally, it's over," a disciple exclaimed, stretching his arms above his head, "I thought it would never end!"
Suddenly, a rip in space appeared before the Grand Elders' pavilion, drawing everyone's attention. Hughie, recognizing the technique, mentally reached out to Li Fenghao in the ring. "Hey, old man, didn't you say this technique was special? Why does someone else know it?"
Li Fenghao remained silent for a moment, his mind racing. How is this possible? he wondered. When the figure emerged from the portal, Li Fenghao's eyes widened in shock. This guy again! Who is he really? He…he must be from the immortal realm! He nodded to himself, trying to make sense of the situation.
The figure was none other than Slifer.
As he stepped out of the portal, the Grand Elders all rose to their feet, offering a respectful nod, all except Grand Elder Darius. He stood up abruptly, “Slifer!” His voice boomed across the valley.
"Darius, not yet!" Grand Elder Wyatt hissed under his breath.
But Darius, disregarding the warning, released an aura that made even the other Grand Elders pale, the aura of the Ascendant Realm.