Anissa kept a straight face despite being truly surprised, Feng Zhiming did not seem to be openly lecherous. Would he truly trade away the compass for a woman?

However she barely had a moment to think.

A greatsword appeared out of thin air and stopped a mere hairs length away from Feng Zhiming’s throat.

*CLANG*

It had been blocked by Anissa’s quick reaction speed.

Anissa and Ellia were ready to engage in battle, their killing intent seeping into the very room,

"Such disrespect, will not be tolerated."

Ellia spoke as he pushed back on Anissa's sword

"Lower your weapon."

She replied as she pushed back.

It was near guaranteed that a great battle was about to erupt.

however it only took a mere voice to dispel it.

“I have been patient with you, do not overstep junior.”

Madam Hua spoke as she gestured for Ellia to return to his seat.

Ellia looked at Feng Zhiming with a disdainful expression before returning to his seat.

“It seems you misunderstood me madam, I would not bargain with a woman to have her, I would merely ask.”

Feng Zhiming replied as exhaled slowly.

“What I meant by my statement is I would allow you to accompany me to the creature, this way you can satisfy your curiosity, and I have the pleasure of your company.”

Madam Hua carefully considered the offer.

“Of course if you were to accompany me I would have you oath-sworn to a pact of non aggression towards me and my subordinates unless we harm you first.”

“Impos-” Lyra was about to answer but Madam Hua raised her hand, signalling for her to stop.

The room fell into silence as Madam Hua continued to contemplate the offer.

“I don’t mean to question your decision, but is it wise to take such a powerful person with us, what if she finds a way around the oath?”

Anissa sent over a mental transmission to Feng Zhiming.

He replied, before biting down on another apple he had retrieved from his storage ring.

“It’s not a matter of choice, they were going to follow us regardless, by doing this we can maintain our safety while securing a semblance of a defense against other Heavenly Eye cultivators.”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“I have considered your offer.” Madam Hua spoke as she leaned back in her chair.

“I will comply as long as a few conditions are met. Firstly both Ellia and Lyra shall accompany us, secondly I will only intervene if a Heavenly Eye cultivator targets you, lastly I will allow you to attempt to hunt the beast before myself, but if you fail, the creature is mine.”

He finished the remaining apple in one bite.

“Then we have an accord.”

He extended his hand in good faith.

"Indeed."

Madam Hua nodded to him, ignoring the hand extended to her.

…

A certain red headed saber wielder found himself sitting atop a tree and thinking about his next move.

“A participant at an unknown stage, accompanying a spiritual awakener nearly as powerful as me.” He thought to himself as he remembered Feng Zhiming and Anissa.

"Preceive" a voice spoke directly into his mind.

Suddenly without any reason he unsheathed his saber and got into a defensive stance before unleashing his divine sense, it behaved erratically trying to find something.

“Reveal yourself, coward.” he spoke to something unseen.

A thin hand slowly appeared seemingly without any origin, and lowered the hood covering its face before stepping out from behind the veil.

An old woman in a robe forged of space stood before Krimin.

“Astute observation young man.”

Krimin pointed his saber at her.

“Are you a participant?”

There was no real reason for anyone else to observe him, he had come to this world as the son of a farmer, thus it was highly unlikely for him to have caught the eye of someone as powerful as this woman.

“I am not one of you un@o*n, I come from an era long forgotten.”

As she spoke the saber that had been pointing towards her vanished and reappeared in the sheath, as if it had never been removed in the first place.

Krimin gritted his teeth and his eyes darkened, he couldn’t directly look at her face let alone figure out her cultivation level.

If she truly wanted him dead he would be.

“Kneel.” she commanded.

He felt an intense pressure but he did not kneel.

“I KNEEL TO NO ONE BUT THE CLAN!” he yelled as blood fell from his mouth.

The old woman smiled.

“Admirable young one, truly fit for the caelum *@)#*(.”

“The what?”

Krimin replied while clutching his head which began to throb for no reason, the pressure lifted letting him breathe easily.

“The Assembly.”

Krimin froze up, he knew if he spoke of the assembly he would die.

“Fret not young one, the observer had long since been put to slumber, it will churn once more after I am rooted.”

Krimin remained unmoved.

“You still fear, yet your father was ecstatic when I visited him, the fate of the clan would prosper he declared.”

Krimin narrowed his eyes.

“What is the mantra of the clan?”

“Praise to the Beastial origin and the Monarch of its wrath, of course.” the old woman replied as she took a seat on the branch opposite to him.

His father would have never taught the mantra of the clan to an outsider.

The old woman gazed upon him as if he was the most clueless being she had ever seen.

“Out of the infinite many mortal worlds you believe that only the Kallen Clan worships the Beastial origin? Don’t make the mistake of being ignorant.”

Krimin accepted the insult and didn’t retort.

“What were you saying about the assembly?”

“It is not that I cannot say, rather you can not know, alas heed this if nothing else. What you seek lies at the heart of the Wildlands.”

Krimin’s eyes widened, the creature of the Wildlands, that's where it was hiding.

The old woman slowly stood up and began to fade from reality.

“I must leave before I am seen, but engrave this into your memory, the being that brought you here. It is the truest of de-”

Krimin clutched his saber as he looked to the sky and frowned deeply with furrowed brows.

"Just what am I supposed to do?"