I’ve been avoiding other healers.

There are several reasons, but the main one is this.

Most of the esteemed healers are accredited.

Just like the doctors of my world, people expect the person healing them to know what they are doing and having the guarantee of an organization that everyone trusts is one way to be sure of that.

Which is part of the reason I received such a bad initial reception at the Fortress of Healing for the sect. Everyone there, in some aspect, had training with the Healer’s Association or was trained by someone who has the accreditation.

Now, one may wonder why the Healer’s Association hasn’t stopped me from healing people. The answer’s simple.

If you suck, it will soon become known in the cultivation world.

So, they’ll naturally approach after receiving multiple positive… or negative reports. In my case, they likely wanted to come after me to have me join. Also, I’ve mainly been healing desperate, destitute people, so they haven’t needed to reach out to me.

The fact I’ve been able to avoid them for so long is only because of the powerful people around me, making assurances and keeping them away. My scan tells me that Patriarch Tao Feng deliberately kept them away while I was healing at the Fortress of Healing.

Though, that may also be because he wanted to hide the fact that I was optimizing him and Head Librarian Mao Boqin.

However, if they fail to contact me now, with all the important people I've healed at both the Fortress of Healing and now my own fortress, where my towers stand, then it may be interpreted as a reduction of their influence.

If the Alchemy Guild is focused on making money; the Eight Winds Alchemical Research Society on knowledge; and the Ascending Myriad Monsters Group being like an adventurer’s guild; then the Healer’s Association is like an esteemed medical university. Including how it both teaches, provides research opportunities, and assures the cultivation world of its members’ skill.

Either way, I need to handle this.

I move to the side of the room, so that they have a clear path to Big Sis Crane.

As they come in, I give a bow first to Big Sis Crane, and then each of them, in order of cultivation.

The Honorable Li Ying, head of the Healer’s Association. A black-haired, middle-aged man. High Nascent Soul.

Master Xu De, the head of the Eight Winds Alchemical Research Society. A white-haired elder, covered in light scars and subtle chemical burns. High Nascent Soul.

Master Yu Yaoting, the head of Ascending Myriad Monsters Group. Red-haired, excitable man. Mid Nascent Soul.

Let’s see how this goes…

Each of them gives some form of acknowledgement to me, with Xu De and Yu Yaoting giving me a more meaningful nod than Li Ying. Likely because of the contribution that I’ve already made for their groups. Even so, they immediately move past me to pay respect to Big Sis Crane and Sister Nuan.

Just as I had done, they did the same for Big Sis Crane.

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Giving her a deep bow before greeting her. They each extend a small, but extraordinarily powerful gift to her, which is taken to her briefly by the invisible cultivators, before being stored away.

She gives a curt nod of acknowledgement to the three of them. As if the gifts are beneath her notice, but appreciated for the respect given. The three masters don’t show a trace of dissatisfaction and even seem proud that they did not offend her with their gifts.

I can’t help but to notice how chillingly cold she’s acting towards everyone. As if the playfulness from before was a lie.

This is the face she shows to outsiders…meaning that what she showed earlier is only for us. In all actuality… she’s a terrifying force. And not just because she’s beyond Nascent Soul experts.

Soon, I hear her voice resonate across the room, filling the space.

“Thank you all for coming, with such short notice. As mentioned in my communication, I wanted to discuss plans for your groups that I can assist with, while also introducing you to a Heavenly Light sect core disciple I’ve taken interest in. I assume you’ve already heard of him…”

She has her own agendas that she’s rolled me in with, as a way to garner favor from all sides. Nonetheless, I step forward and bow to them again.

“It is an honor to meet you all.”

She continues after my words.

“He will be healing you, so you can see that the rumors are, in fact, true.”

She pauses, an almost imperceptible glance at me, before adding something else.

“Note that the healing you are receiving differs from the standard that is normally provided and shouldn’t be discussed elsewhere.”

Huh…she’s being considerate, even in front of others. Warning them to not spread information about the optimizations she wants me to do.

Her actions don’t go unnoticed and each of them watches me with new eyes, along with glances at Sister Nuan. After all, the success of a disciple is the glory of the master.

The next few moments are a flurry of action, as Big Sis Crane gestures, having one of her people bring in a table for them to lie on. From elders’ perspective, since they can’t discern the invisible cultivators, it probably looks like she is just waving a hand and causing things to move. Something that is normal to do with qi, but without the use of qi, practically like magic.

I move my attention from that thought and back to the item at hand. Despite their trust in Big Sis Crane and having heard reports about my skill, it is different when it is themselves. Which is why I’m not surprised to hear the Honorable Li Ying speak and lie on the table.

“I will go first.”

He definitely wants to analyze my technique firsthand.

I oblige him with a nod, before using my Boundless Healing Method on him. My standard technique seeping into his body, to investigate the ways I can heal and improve him. Subtly, I also use my healing aura on top of that, for the optimization aspect.

However, this is one of the few times I’ve had a chance to heal a well-adjusted Nascent Soul cultivator. Meaning what I’m seeing right now is pretty shocking.

A baby, in his cultivator soul, is staring at me. Intently. Even more so when the baby feels like an old man, based on its eyes and personality.

It’s quite disconcerting.

It moves throughout his body freely, seemingly connected to his dantians in an ethereal way. Tracing the paths my healing technique makes in his body, squinting at every change. Surprised at every step. Which is how I realize he is noticing the healing aura’s effects, as well.

Something that is outside his calculations.

But I do it slowly and subtly enough to make it believable. And in the process, discover something expected. He’s healed himself of most things. Healers are not only excellent with their techniques but also are required to be great at alchemy, as well, for their responsibilities. Since he’s the head of the healing organization…there’s not much I could do to help him.

That’s not to say there was nothing, though.

When a person starts their cultivation, they can certainly improve themselves, with various items. To grow their starting point. Most of those are like fixing a foundation after the house is already built. Possible, but prohibitively expensive. And even then, it won’t be perfect.

But step by step, my technique goes beyond that. Making so that he’s raised up, as if he had the better foundation the whole time, rather than a patchwork fix. Meaning that his breakthrough to Near Peak Nascent Soul was expected for me, but surprised him.

Despite the regularity of an increase of cultivation from the people I heal and optimize, it shouldn’t be understated how rare that is for any realm, let alone the higher realms. Making a breakthrough here from healing is something unheard of for someone without major issues.

As I finish, he lays there, staring up at the sky. Big Sis Crane speaks out, with the barest hint of teasing in her voice.

“Worth the journey, Li Ying?”

His slow nod is all that’s needed to have the two other masters fight to hop on the bed next.

Looks like I’ll be busy…