So, what were my plans for the future? I had my first real contact with the wider world, and it didn't go as planned.

I was forced into a quite restricting oath, though I did get some useful stuff out of it. I only started exploring arrays and their uses recently, and had yet to even try out more complex ones. That'd be done as I went along.

First things first, did I want to leave the town, or stay here? Lioness wouldn't be able to track me down if I just packed up and left after all. I'd really need more information about sects and clans, and their power.

Clans. Damn. There was that too. I had insulted the clan that killed my mother in a rare moment of stupidity.

That was a reason to leave too, to avoid any fallout from that. Damn. I really liked it here. Could I go another route?

Power. If I could advance my cultivation to the late third, or maybe early fourth realm, the clan probably wouldn't bother with me. So, how fast would advancing towards the fourth realm be? I didn't know the first thing about the fourth realm, but considering the way advancement worked so far, it seemed reasonable just further compressing qi would work.

Which was a problem. You needed a little less than a hundred times the concentration of plasmatic qi to create normal qi.

And about two hundred times as much qi to create liquid qi.

There were several possibilities how this would further evolve. The requirements could continue to roughly double, which would be bad. They could also grow exponentially harder, which would be worse.

On the other hand, qi could also reach new states in an logarithmic fashion, which would make the requirements stagnant sometime. That could be both good and bad, depending where on the graph I was.

Either the requirements would raise ever higher, only evening out far later, becoming useless for me. Or they'd even out after liquid or solid qi, it useless for me.

I'd need a third datapoint to even begin to guess, which meant breaking into the third realm. Well, time to get to it then. I'd have liked to have more qi filling up my dantian by then, but the qualitative change in my qi would expand my aura significantly, increase its density when controlled, and allow me to cultivate faster.

So, break into the third realm, leave the town, or both? I didn't know. But I would have to decide soon. I’d decide after reaching the third realm, if I couldn't manage to do that, then staying would be stupid. So, what more? I knew I wanted to continue researching arrays, and how to use them.

Which would need one thing, time. So, if I didn't leave, I’d need some mortal employees. Perhaps some that I could elevate into the first realm. It shouldn't be too hard, considering a mortal’s qi was negligible. If I added a heavenly oath as part of awakening them, and the possibility of future training, it should be easy enough to get some useful pawns.

After all, if I stayed by my lonesome I probably wouldn't be able to dodge fighting with the Waid Clan. But, if I had lots of cultivators working for me, doing errands, cooking, and protecting my home when I was away, then they’d have to think twice.

After all moving resources in a world like this was quite the challenge, even though not as much a challenge as I thought, considering the existence of spatial rings. Anyways, just my work could easily support a dozen cultivators all things considered. So, if I wanted to hire more, I’d need to expand.

In theory I could increase my output of robes, but perhaps it was time to start on a plan I originally hatched when my mother died. Salt trade. There was a reason salt had been called white gold in the middle ages after all. And while the strange spirit salt definitely put a small wrench in my plans - producing it seemed quite cheap, which meant I’d either have to offer luxury products, or bully my competition out by competing with their prizes.

And perhaps some healthy advertisement.

Now, where to base that operation though? And did I want it to lead back to me?

All things to consider later, first though, I felt the time had come. The third realm waited for me.

I moved into my meditation room, and sat down. I closed my eyes. Something I really didn't need to do anymore, but doing it felt calming. I had done that action everytime I cultivated, so by now it was a natural part of my cultivation.

My inner senses focused on myself, my head, and my dantian within. It’s vast expanse, filled with gaseous qi, and a small part in the center. The black hole floated there, filled with the majority of my qi, unusable for now. It was time to ascend into the next realm. Sure, the black hole could hold more qi until I naturally broke through, at least I thought as much, but this much should be enough.

Still, I pulled as much qi out of all the spirit stones in my possession as possible, and integrated it into my cultivation.

Once that was done I was done stalling. Wait.

It would be stupid to break through in town, with as many cultivators still present. So I got up, and left my house in the dead of the night, towards the forest. I didn't take long to arrive, easily passing the guards watching the forest unseen.

I entered the forest, and made my way towards the small cave Mr. Fox gifted me. Once there, I lay down again, now feeling finally ready to break through.

I focused on the black hole, and allowed all the liquid qi just beyond the event horizon to be drawn down, towards the center of the black hole. Immediately my qi reacted, propelled by the immense gravity it thought there, and nearly teleported downwards. All the liquid qi I had gathered over the months came together, and compacted, drawn ever deeper by the immense gravity of the black hole. A gravity so powerful, so unavoidable it ripped suns apart, and caught even light.

So my qi compressed, unable to stay in its previous form, but also unwilling to leave it. I continued concentrating, forcing my qi to compress, beyond the point of stress, until something snapped. Immediately my qi fell into itself, forming strange, highly compressed crystalline patterns. I could feel the black hole still pushing, compressing the qi, but stopped supporting it with my mental strength and power. I didn't want to jump a realm after all, and miss out on the stuff one was supposed to do in this realm.

For the first time in months, I allowed my aura to expand to its full form, soon sensing both qi and gravity in a sphere of nearly a hundred metres around me, increasing its radius by nearly five times it’s previous width.. I could see the wildlife filling the forest, some unlucky cultivators sleeping in the forest, too poor to afford the overfilled inns or barracks of the town.

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Well, all of them were up, looking around alarmed, but seemingly unable to find me. I grinned.

Before I could do anything, a certain fox appeared before me.

“Hi. Good to see you.” I said.

Planning could wait.

“Hello.” He said, looking around. “Did you see a third realm cultivator around here? I know I just felt one!”

“Of course I did. I just broke through.” I answered.

His eyes widened, and for the first time I could feel his aura, as it passed through mine like it wasn't there, inspecting my whole body, until finally finding my dantian in my head. His aura passed inside, searching, until it found the small crystal of solid qi in the black hole in its middle.

“What in all the heavens is that nightmare?” He asked.

“Hmm, what do you mean?” I asked.

He indicated my dantian.

“What is that thing in the middle of your dantian? It eats qi! Its hungry, ready to swallow everything!” He shouted, worried.

“Oh, that's just a black hole. I made it to help my cultivation.” I explained.

“What is a black hole? Another part of your strange, human knowledge?” He asked.

“Well, I doubt many humans know about them.” I answered. “But black holes are the ultimate expression of gravity. They are so powerful, so strong not even light can escape them.” I explained.

“And how do you know about them then?” He asked. “I have never seen something like this!”

“Well, that's easy enough. Black holes are gravity in its purest, most destructive form.” I said. “All stars you see in the sky, the sun, and even the moon and planet orbit a black hole. But you can't see it because no light escapes.

I can feel it if I want to though. The pull out here is weak, barely noticeable even compared to the moon or sun, but it’s there. Always.”

“So, how does this work for you? You can't use a majority of your cultivation base like this!” He said. “I don't feel like that is worth it, for a small help in breaking through.”

“Well, I can still affect gravity with the qi within.” I answered. “I just need to exhaust it while concentrating on what I want to do. Like changing the way gravity works on things, increasing or decreasing someone's or something’s gravity. Like this.”

I quickly focused on a small pebble on the ground, bending the gravity that affected it upwards, and watched as it fell up, and then along the line. Watching that was always great!

“Well, yes. That would still work I guess, but direct manipulation is less effective than techniques. You should really learn a few. There’s a reason most cultivators use a technique instead of direct manipulation, even if direct manipulation is arguably more powerful.” He said.

“But I don't know any techniques. And I doubt you know any I could use, seeing as you don't cultivate gravity yourself.” I answered.

“I don't. But techniques are easy. You really already use one. Controlling ambient qi, getting it to do your bidding is really all a technique is.” He answered.

“Wait. Techniques are a part of aura manipulation?” I asked. “How does that work?”

“Qi can affect other qi, even if it's ambient qi.” He started explaining. “So, you can use both your aura and qi do give ambient qi a simple command, like you did. Rotate around me. The ambient qi will go and exhaust itself, fulfilling your command. The trick to techniques is not how to use them, but how to do so fast, and without using too much qi.”

“So I can just develop techniques of my own? By using my qi and aura to affect other qi, which will exhaust less qi than directly manipulating the world?” I asked.

“Yes. It’s quite easy. Congratulations on your breakthrough.” He said.

“Thank you. So, could I ask you some questions?” I asked.

“Sure.” He answered.

“Good. So, how powerful are Clans? And Sects? And is there something above these?”

“Hmm, I am not the best to ask stuff like that, sects and clans are inventions from you humans, and I don't really care about them.

I can tell you what I know though. Clans are led by one, powerful cultivator, usually in the third realm, sometimes an immortal. They are all part of a big family, usually, and have a few secrets they jealously guard.

Sects on the other hand have at least one fifth realm cultivator leading them, and at least one or two immortals as sect elders. They all cultivate in a certain, narrow way, control a city or two, and war with other sects, competing for small towns and villages between their territory. I heard some humans talk about bigger, more powerful organisations, but never met one of their number.” He explained.

“Thanks. Say, I can still visit you, can't I? After all you said third realm cultivators aren't allowed to enter the forest.” I asked.

“Of course, you’re harmless. Just don't go around, hunting beasts and stealing actual treasures.” He said.

I smiled, and nodded.

“Good. Now, a second question, how many cultivators would I need to make a clan hesitate to come after me?” I asked.

“At least two dozen second realm cultivators, and about a hundred first realm cultivators. Minimum.” He explained.

Well. That was going to be annoying. I’d have to expand my business then, and add a new branch. So I’d have even less time to do the really interesting stuff, for now at least.

“Thanks. I think I need to prepare some things for the future.” I said.

“You know, you can also let me deal with them. I am on my way towards the fifth realm, and making good progress. Because of you.” He said.

“That's a nice offer.” I said. “But I made that mistake myself, and will have to deal with it by myself.”

I paused for a moment. That offer did sound really tempting to be honest. But it was my own fault, and it would set a bad precedent, letting my friends deal with problems I created myself. Especially because that would only invite making similar mistakes again later. And dealing with a clan sounded possible, but anything more powerful would be a big problem.

“As you wish. I’d like to clear my karmic debt to you, now that you are slowly entering the realm of the really powerful.” He said.

“But I didn't tell you any secret to help you.” I answered. “What would be an appropriate compensation for you? Perhaps some detailed tips how to advance through the third realm?”

The fox’s expression lit up. It seemed that was enough for him.

“Yes. That would suffice.” He answered. “The third realm is all about advancing your qi intent, to reach critical understanding and expand your senses. Normally that is. Once you reach that point, you lock yourself on your path, and will have to forge ahead into the unknown. Anyways. You have done that in the second realm already. Anyways. The next step is to grow your core to the size of a marble, expand your meridian network, as well as your meridians, and finally, to break through into the fourth realm and ascend to immortality.

Immortals are different from normal living being. We do not have a body and soul. No, an immortal’s soul is their body, as their body is their soul.

The last step in the third realm, and into the fourth is the hardest. You need to sense your soul, fill it with your qi, and drag it into the world, to perfectly blend your body and soul into one, single whole. Your mortal body will die, as it is not made to be connected with your soul on such a deep level.

And, like a phoenix from the ashes it will be reborn. Perfectly fit to conduct your qi through your body, a single extension of your will. Being immortal is to be yourself, to find yourself and your qi, and become one with every part of yourself.” He explained. “There’s more to it, but I said enough, otherwise the karmic debt would reverse.”

“Thank you very much.” I said.

“So, what do you think, how long until you reach the fifth realm?” I asked.

“Not all that long. Perhaps three decades. You should return to your own though, little Triss. There is someone approaching your home.” He said.

“Thank you for the warning.” I said. “See you later.”

I turned around, and ran back towards the town. No one should come visit me this late in the night, which meant they meant ill. I’d have to see what to do, all depending on what they planned to do.