Jack meekly nodded and took a seat. Even though none of the five Dao Seeking experts put on any air’s and treated him like an equal, he himself felt inferior. Seeing Jack look so uncomfortable, Zhi just let out a laugh, “No need to be so tense. Depending on your choice, you may become a regular at this table you know.”
Hearing this, Jack was a bit shocked as he tried to understand the hidden meaning behind that sentence but couldn’t find one. Jack then cautiously said, “I don’t mean to be disrespectful of Seniors expectations but I do not possess the needed qualifications or knowledge to sit at this table.” Hearing such a humble decline, a grin formed on everyone’s face as they all looked at Tiger.
Tiger however just laughed loudly as he said, “You might not possess the knowledge now but knowledge comes over time. The more you spend your time at this table, the more you understand the worldly matters.” He took a breath and looked towards Zhi as he said half a sentence, “As for the qualifications….”
When the half a sentence ended, Zhi picked up the end and said, “Your qualification would be the path you will now train on. Raelag passed down his Legacy down to you, didn’t he?” Hearing the name Raelag, Jack’s eyes widened as he asked in surprise, “Senior knows Raelag?” Zhi nodded his head, “Yes, I met him way back when I first escaped the Ancient Battlefield and founded the Dragon Cross Sect. At that time, I was nothing more than a simple Sovereign Realm practitioner. He offered me some guidance back then while also helped build Dragon Cross into the Sect it is today.” After saying so, his eyes flickered as he asked, “Why do you address him as Raelag?”
This little notion was also something that didn’t escape the ears of the other people present. Since he succeeded Raelag’s Legacy, it would be obvious to call him Master, not Raelag. Jack put on a bitter smile as he said, “He himself ordered me to call him Raelag not Master. In my heart, he truly is the person that gave me a new chance in life and will be forever a person a kin to a Master.”
Zhi raised a brow as he asked, “He himself forbade you from calling him Master? Why?” Jack answered Zhi, “He told me that he was unqualified for me to call him my Master.” After saying so, he summarized what had happened inside the Mask. Most of the things Raelag had told him, his awakening and such. Of course, he omitted the true strength of the Mask and everything about the Crown as well. Zhi and the other’s knew that he left some things out but they did not ask him about it. It was obvious that everyone had their own secrets and it would be ridiculous of them to have Jack speak of everything. Also, it was completely ridiculous to expect a person to give out all their trump cards just because he was told to.
After Jack finished his summary of what happened, Zhi let out a sigh and said, “That old fool…. Usually he was an irrational and an eccentric person that didn’t care about honour or justice at all but unexpectedly he was prideful of at least some things.” Zhi shook his head as he remembered that old fellow.
Zhi could not deny the fact that he had helped him build Dragon Cross to what it was today. If it hadn’t been for his guidance and help, it was even questionable whether Dragon Cross still existed or not. Zhi looked at Jack and asked, “Did he tell you something more about the stages of cultivation?”
Jack shook his head indicating that Raelag had only told him up to Heaven Realm. Zhi sighed even deeper as he said, “What Raelag said was right, after the Dao Seeking Realm is the Heaven Realm.” He then took a breath and looked at Jack seriously as he said, “However, that is not all. The Heaven Realm is divided into two branches. The Heavenly Emperor stage and the Heaven Profound stage.” Hearing this, Jack tilted his head to the side thinking what the difference was. Zhi continued, “The Heavenly Emperor is someone that has surpassed the Heavenly Rules and was approved by them, making him the Emperor of the Cosmos’s Heavens. Inside the Cosmos, they are the Heavens and they decide who lives and who doesn’t.”
He let it sink in for a bit before continuing, “However, the Heaven Profound stage is different. They also surpass the Heavenly Rules but they aren’t approved by them. They are a weaker than Heavenly Emperors but they have one major advantage over the other…. They can leave the Cosmos.” Hearing this, Jack asked in shock, “Heavenly Emperos can’t leave their Cosmos?”
Zhi nodded his head and added, “Yes, they can’t take even half a foot outside the Cosmos. This is also why there are so few Heaven Cosmoses. Very few are willing to spend an eternity cramped inside the small Cosmos without being able to leave. No matter what happens outside, they can not leave it except for one occasion….”
Jack listened intently and waited for Zhi to say what that occasion was but seeing him not say it, he asked, “When can they leave?” Zhi thought about it for a second and said, “It is still too early for you to worry yourself with those kinds of things. When you reach the Sage level, I will fill you in as you will also not have a way out of it.”
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After Zhi had explained it like that, Jack understood the subtle hint in the sentence. It was never good to bite off more than you can chew. If you know too much, you will only burden yourself with things you have no control over. Jack thought to himself, “The Sage level huh?” The Sage level was a Mage’s equivalent to Dao Seeking.
Raelag had also included the rankings and their counter parts in cultivation in the information given. The ranking from bottom to top was: Acolyte, Mage, Arch Mage, Wizard, Arch Wizard, Sage, Heavenly Saint/Earthly Saint. Cultivation had a more distinct and strict classification while Mages classification was much more lax. Acolyte, Mage were under the First Tribulation, Arch Mage was equivalent to the Empyrean Stage, Wizard was equivalent to the Sovereign, Paragon, Primadorial God stages and Arch Wizard was equivalent to the Origin Realm. Jack was currently at the very bottom of the chain, an acolyte.
After a bit more chitchat and Zhi confirming how much exactly Raelag had told Jack, he asked him directly, “Since you will now pursue the Path of Magic, what is your plan exactly, do you plan on continuing in the Hidden Dragon?” Jack thought about if or a moment before he answered, “First things first, I will most likely research Fire Magic more deeply and also absorb all the knowledge left behind by Raelag. For now, I would honestly not dare and take part in the Hidden Dragon’s activities.” Zhi’s eyes flashed as he asked immediately, “Not dare?”
Jack nodded his head seriously as he said, “I honestly have no idea of my own capabilities, how can I take on dangerous missions when even I don’t know what I can do and what not?” Hearing Jack’s answer, Zhi grinned as he nodded in approval. He added, “Good. You did not let the power rush to your head. Although everyone says cowardly people do not progress far, there is a very thin line between caution and cowardice.”
Zhi’s meaning was obvious, slow and steady wins the race. It doesn’t matter how strong you are, if you throw all caution to the wind, only death awaits you. This was also why they didn’t ask him about the intricate secrets, who knew if there was some technique that could spy on them without them even having an idea. Zhi looked at Jack seriously and asked, “Since you do not wish to take part of the Hidden Dragon activities for now, no one will force you to. So, would you be interested in becoming a City Lord instead?”
Hearing the word City Lord, Jack looked at Zhi in astonishment. Across the many Worlds, Dragon Cross had hundreds of Cities and Branch Sects. The position of a City Lord or Branch Master was envied by a lot, even those from the Main Sect. The City Lords were literally in control of a City and all the powers within a certain radius of the City. If a Branch Sect existed in that radius, the City Lord also had full control over the Branch Sect. Of course it was all within reason. Dragon Cross turned a blind eye to minor things if they were either extremely miniscule or one time errors but if there was a repeated offender or a major crime, the City Lord or Branch Master would have to suffer the punishment according to the Sect Rules.
The City Lord would get a yearly cut from the city profits while at the same time they would get a “salary” of contribution points if there aren’t any major problems or incidents. In every Major city, there was also at least one Origin Realm expert on guard at all times, so there were very few that dared to cause big trouble, well if you didn’t count Blood Immortal Conclave that is. However, even Blood Immortal Conclave did not dare to create trouble at the cities that had more than one Origin Realm Expert standing guard over it.
Jack thought about it for a second before cautiously asking, “Will there be no problems with me getting such a position out of the blue?” An old man at the side let out a laugh as he said, “In Dragon Cross, Master’s word is law. Besides that, you have a major contribution of creating a passage way to the Blood Immortal Conclave and helping us exterminate it. Without you, Blood Immortal Conclave would still be running amuck.” After the old man pointed it out as a matter of factly, Jack froze. “Would still be running amuck?” As Jack focused on that part, he quickly asked, “The Blood Immortal Conclave has been destroyed?” Everyone was startled by the question as Tiger said in confusion, “Yes, after you came back three weeks ago, we immediately mobilized to destroy it in a quick surprise attack.”
“Three weeks ago?” Jack cried out involuntarily as he looked at Tiger with a shocked face. Zhi suddenly thought of something as he asked, “How long do you think has passed?” Jack thought for a moment and said, “Since I left the Blood Immortal Conclave, it feels as though only a day or two has passed.”
Zhi immediately told him, “In reality three weeks have passed since you came back. You entered the inheritance the day after the one you came back, the inheriting lasted for three weeks in itself.” Jack’s eyes opened wide as he listened to Jack. To him, it felt as though only a day or two had passed but to think that three weeks had already passed.
Jack thought over it for a while as he tried to digest this fact. Zhi however just smiled and said, “If you have no objection, then I will appoint you as a City Lord. None of us have the knowledge to help you on your path anyway. As a City Lord, you have to do very little but at the same time, you will get enough money and contribution points.”
As Zhi explained it like that, Jack could feel that there was another reason he was given the position of a City Lord.