After that, Darian continued to train at his father’s immortal cave every chance he could. It was tough at first. The whole reason he went to his father for help was so he could train in secret, without any prying eyes watching him. However, after every session, he would be covered in black gunk. Anyone with even the faintest familiarity with the Foundation Establishment stage would know what he had been up to, including his clan’s servants. Some of them belonged to families that had served Clan Wind Dance for centuries, so they knew more about cultivation than most mortals. Even if someone didn’t know what the black gunk meant, if they saw him covered in the stuff on a daily basis, they would talk. Eventually word would reach the wrong person, and everything Darian worked hard to keep secret would be exposed. Darian started bringing cleaning supplies as well as a spare set of clothes with him to avoid this hassle.

The end of that first training session had been frustrating, however. He had waited until late at night so he could sneak back to his house without anyone seeing him. Thankfully, it had been late afternoon by the time he finished training, so he didn’t have to wait for too long. With his enhanced senses and physique, it was child’s play to remain unseen. Whenever he heard someone approaching, or felt an aura draw near, he simply hid. He even managed to evade Stella’s eyes when he reached his house. This meant Darian had to wait until the next day to tell his father about Astra.

His father, to his surprise, had been pretty indifferent about Astra sneaking into Mt. Wind Dance. It turned out that Mt. Wind Dance’s defensive formations had certain exceptions built into them when it came to allowing others onto the mountain. Sometimes clan members would join a sect or a school. As long as they bore no ill will towards Clan Wind Dance, any teachers or fellow disciples from those sects or schools could pass through the formations. Apparently Astra counted. When he heard this, Darian felt relieved. He liked the cat spirit beast, despite the way she teased him sometimes, and didn’t want her to come into conflict with his clan.

Speaking of Astra, she was there whenever Darian showed up to the immortal cave to train. He didn’t know if she was always there, waiting for him, or if she followed him around while concealing herself from his sight, but she never failed to show up. In fact, it was the only place on Mt. Wind Dance that he saw her. She guided him as he trained in the Fists of the Mortal Flame technique, peppering her explanations with healthy doses of teasing. She also only had to remind him to call her Auntie two more times, before he learned his lesson. Those claws of hers were sharp and painful to experience. At least she had regular access to the spirit water spring, which always put her in a good mood. His father had accepted her request.

Astra also explained to him why he couldn’t sense mortals the same way he could sense cultivators. He asked her one day, before he began his training for that day.

“It’s because your mind sense is too weak,” she said.

“Mind sense?” he asked.

Astra looked at him for several moments, before shaking her head.

“Your education is sorely lacking,” she said. “What have they even taught you?”

Darian’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment at this.

“When it became clear that I couldn’t cultivate, my clan didn’t bother teaching me. Everything I know I learned myself.”

Most of that was from the clan’s library, but some of it had been from overhearing his clan members. That was why his education was spotty sometimes.

“Very well then,” Astra said. “It looks like I’ll have to add cultivation basics to your lessons.” She flopped onto the ground and groaned. “Senior Sister Nova, why do you have to have such a troublesome disciple?”

Darian looked away from her, his cheeks burning with anger and shame.

“I’m sorry I’m such a burden,” he said, in a half-sarcastic tone.

A warm presence brushed against his cheek. Somehow Astra managed to stand on his shoulder without him noticing.

“Hey,” she said in a gentle voice. “None of that now. Don’t take my complaints to heart.”

“Don’t listen to her,” Astra also said, this time from further away. “Do take my complaints to heart. This is such a pain.”

Darian turned to find another Astra, or the same one from earlier, laying on the floor in the same spot. His anger and shame turned into confusion.

“Why are there two of you?” he asked.

“Clone,” both Astras said, before glaring at each other.

He looked between them, unable to determine which one was the clone and which one was the original, before shaking his head. Not for the first time, he wondered what he had done to deserve such an eccentric mentor. Was Immortal Nova this weird? He didn’t know. Given the fondness Astra held for her, he could only assume the two were close. That did not bode well for him.

Astra Two, the one on his shoulder, cleared her throat.

“Continuing on,” she said, glaring at her counterpart. “Mind sense is what allows you to sense spirit energy and auras, though that’s a rather simple way to put it. It is your mind’s way of perceiving and interacting with the world. Right now it’s weak, so you can only sense certain auras, but as you grow in strength, so will your mind sense.”

“Boooooooring,” Astra One, the one laying on the floor, called out. “Can we do something else? I haven’t had a good fight in ages.” She lifted her head and looked at Darian. “Wanna spar?”

“Uh…”

“Will you stop interrupting my lesson?” Astra Two said. “This is important information! He needs to know this if he’s going to be a cultivator. We promised Senior Sister Nova that we’d teach him.”

“That was before we realized just how ignorant he was,” Astra One said, putting her head back down. “This is why I will never have disciples of my own. Too much trouble.”

The two Astras started to bicker. As entertaining as it was to see her arguing with herself, Darian did want to know more about mind sense.

“Auntie,” he called out, to no effect. He tried again. “Auntie!”

“What?” both of them said at the same time.

“Why can’t I sense your aura?” he asked. “Or the snake twins’ aura for that matter?”

“Because we’re concealing ours,” Astra One said. “How do you think we’re able to sneak around this place without getting caught? Otherwise, we’d shine like the sun in everyone’s mind sense.”

She had a fair point. Darian was doing the same thing, though he required the necklace Astra had given to him. As far as he knew, Astra didn’t need external aid.

Wait a minute…

“What do you mean, ‘we’?” Darian asked, his eyes narrowed.

Both Astras looked guilty at this.

“I’m leaving this to you,” Astra One said. She hopped into the air and disappeared from sight.

“Traitor!” Astra Two called out.

“Auntie,” Darian said. “What did you mean by ‘we’?”

“Would you believe me if I said I was referring to my clones and my main body?”

Darian closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Are Elliot and Ellen also somewhere on Mt. Wind Dance?”

Astra Two let out a sigh.

“Yes. The three of us have been keeping an eye on you.”

Darian almost asked how the snake twins bypassed the defensive formations, but then stopped himself. Barring any exceptions, the formations protecting Mt. Wind Dance only let in clan members, spirit beasts tamed by Clan Wind Dance, and servants. Since Elliot and Ellen were now his servants, or perhaps tamed spirit beasts, they could come and go as they pleased. Or at least, that was his guess.

“Next time, let me know when you three pull something like this,” Darian said with a sigh. “That last thing I want is something to happen to any of you. Or my clan.”

Astra Two chuckled.

“Don’t worry about us,” she said. “We can handle ourselves. Just focus on your training.”

And so Darian did. Days turned to weeks as he cultivated within his father’s immortal cave. Before he knew it, an entire month had gone by. Bit by bit, he grew closer and closer to opening his Eye Aperture. A pressure began to build in him, one that drew stronger and stronger as he trained. During this period, he spent most of his time either cultivating, or he spent it with his father. Sometimes Darren contributed to Darian’s education, and other times they just spent time together for the sake of it. On occasion, they played chess, though Darian never won any of their matches. It was the most time he remembered ever spending with his father. He found that he liked it, and wished he had done it sooner. He really was a poor son in that regard, and promised himself to do better.

Darian hadn’t seen Lucius since their argument on the mountain path. He had gone to see his friend a few times, but Lucius’ servants always rebuffed him, saying that their master was busy training. It didn’t take a genius to realize that Lucius didn’t want to see him. He didn’t give up, but the repeated rejection did leave him despondent at times.

Vera was another matter. Lucius must have told her about Darian’s decision to “stop training”, because she came to see him about it. That hadn’t been a fun conversation. She scolded him while poking his chest several times. With her strength, her finger felt like an iron bar jabbing him in the chest. Eventually, Darian managed to convince her to let it go. While she was concerned and disappointed, Vera understood his reasoning and had accepted it. She hadn’t been happy, but she had accepted it.

Guilt had wormed its way into Darian’s heart once more, and he resisted the urge to confess the truth once again. He and Vera spent some time together after that, usually by having dinner, though this only happened a few times. She had her own training and cultivation to attend to after all. Darian treasured these moments nonetheless. He also made a mental note to go to Valeheart to buy Vera’s gift. It had been a special order, so they should have held it for him, but it was best not to delay too long. Thankfully, Zayne had complied with Lucius’ demands and returned Darian’s money. That would have to wait, however.

One day, a little over a month after he started training in his father’s immortal cave, Darian felt that the pressure inside him had reached a breaking point. He stopped his training after going through a full set of the Fists of the Mortal Flame.

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“Auntie,” he called out to Astra. “I think I’m ready to open my Eye Aperture.”

Astra was in the corner with one of her clones. They were playing chess against each other. He couldn’t tell which one was the original.

“Already?” One of the Astras asked. He designated this one as Astra One in his mind. “Let me check.”

“No, I’ll do it,” Astra Two said, looking frustrated. “I need a break. To think about my next move.”

Astra One chuckled and laid down in front of the chess board to take a nap while Astra Two sauntered over to him. When she reached him, he felt something enter his body and scan him. It felt odd and uncomfortable. Thankfully, Astra had taught him more about how mind sense worked, otherwise he would have panicked. Mind sense, among other things, could be used to examine people’s bodies, souls, and minds. At least when it developed more. Darian wasn’t at that level yet. The process was invasive, however, which was why it was considered rude to do so without permission. That didn’t stop some of the more unscrupulous cultivators from doing so.

“Huh,” Astra Two said. “You are ready to open your Eye Aperture. This is inconvenient. I had something special planned.” She paused, looking thoughtful, before looking at Astra One. “How’s the weather outside?”

“Cloudy,” Astra One said without opening her eyes. “Though it might clear up by tonight.”

With the turning of the wheel, spring was in full swing now. The weather had warmed up, and life had started to bloom all over Silverwood Vale. This also meant that the spring rains were imminent. They hadn’t arrived yet, but it was just a matter of time.

“It’ll have to do,” Astra Two said. “Young Darian, I need you to delay opening your Eye Aperture until after nightfall. Can you hold out for that long?”

“Why?” Darian asked, rubbing his forehead. His Eye Aperture was located near his eyes, overlapping with them, and that’s where the pressure was strongest. He felt that with a little push, he could open his Eye Aperture and release that pressure.

“Just trust me. You won’t regret it.”

Darian thought about saying something, but decided against it. Despite the way she treated him sometimes, he did trust Astra; with his life if necessary.

“I’ll do it. In the meantime, I’ll meditate.”

He sat down on the spot, closed his eyes, and started meditating. One of the supplementary techniques for The Nine Gates of Destruction was actually a meditation technique designed to help stabilize one’s mental state, sharpen one’s focus, and hone one’s mind sense. It didn’t have a name, so Darian called it the Mind Flame technique. Like the rest of the techniques in The Nine Gates of Destruction, Mind Flame resonated with the number three. In this case, it had three levels: candle, torch, and bonfire. Candle was the beginner level of the technique, with torch and bonfire as the intermediate and master respectively.

He began by visualizing a candle flame and taking deep, even breaths. As he breathed in, the flame grew stronger. As he breathed out, the flame died down. In, out. Over and over again, he repeated this as he visualized the candle flame. As he did so, the pressure had a lesser effect on him. It didn’t go away, but he was able to handle it better.

As he meditated, Darian lost track of time. Before he knew it, hours had passed. Astra poked him with her paw.

“It’s time, young Darian,” she said.

When Darian opened his eyes, he saw that there was just one Astra now.

“Do you have a Spirit Energy Pill?” she asked him. “The boost it gives you will increase your chances of success.”

Darian nodded. He started bringing a Spirit Energy Pill to his training sessions some time ago, but almost never used them. The spirit energy in the immortal cave was so abundant, he hadn’t needed to. Besides, there was the spring of spirit water. Astra had warned him about taking more than a drop, however, otherwise he might explode. The spirit energy it contained was that potent. After hearing that, Darian refrained from trying.

“Good,” Astra said. “What about a Body Tempering Pill?”

“No,” Darian said. “My father is working on making some, but the process is slow and expensive.”

His father had requisitioned some Body Tempering Pills for Darian, but the clan didn’t have any since most of its members didn’t need them. When Darren found out, he decided to try to make some of his own. Ever since his injury, Darian’s father had dabbled in a number of professions to keep himself occupied and sharpen his mind. One of those professions was alchemy. While he wasn’t a master in it, Darren was proficient enough to make a number of pills and elixirs. Darian suspected that many of the Spirit Energy Pills given out to the clan as part of the monthly stipend were made by his father.

Darren had little success in making Body Tempering Pills, however, which he took as a personal insult. Despite suffering many setbacks, he never gave up and had made it his mission to learn how to make them. At this point, Darian believed his father was doing it for the challenge itself rather than just for his sake at this point.

“In that case, I’ll give you one of mine,” Astra said. “I’d rather not have you fail. After this, however, find a way to get your father to meet with Ellen. She can help him in his endeavors.”

She could? That surprised Darian. Then again, it shouldn’t have. He hadn’t spent much time with either her or her brother, and knew very little about their capabilities. He would have to change that.

“Thank you, Auntie,” Darian said.

Astra pulled a Body Tempering Pill out of thin air and gave it to him. One of these days, he would have to ask her how she did that. Afterwards, Darian went to the pile of his things and pulled out a Spirit Energy Pill. He returned to his previous position and ate both without ceremony. The Body Tempering Pill tasted sweet and spicy, as he expected, while the Spirit Energy Pill tasted like…The only word Darian could think to describe it was power. He didn’t know how power could be a taste, but he decided to accept it and move on.

As he ate the pills, Darian felt his body burst with two kinds of energy. One affected his body, restoring his body’s vigor and stamina. The other felt like a fire made of spirit energy churning in his gut, and like fire, he needed to control it or it would burn him. Darian began performing the stances for the Fists of the Mortal Flame. At the same time, he circulated the spirit energy all throughout his body, directing it towards his Eye Aperture. It was tricky to handle, but Darian’s control held.

The pressure inside him grew stronger and stronger, while he felt external pressure pressing against his body, as if he were caught in a giant’s fist. The two ground against him. It felt as if he would explode from the inside out, while at the same time, it felt like he would be crushed into a small ball. It was an unpleasant sensation that soon turned to pain. Darian powered through it, however, and kept directing the spirit energy in his body towards his Eye Aperture. The pain and pressure grew stronger and stronger, consuming his world, until there was nothing left. There was just pain and pressure.

Just as he felt like he could no longer stand it, his Eye Aperture started to loosen. Then, all at once, it opened. The internal pressure disappeared, and the relief was so great, Darian almost faltered.

“Don’t stop!” Astra barked out. “Keep going!”

Spurred by her words, Darian pushed himself and continued performing the Fists of the Mortal Flame. As before, when he opened his Heart Aperture, a fire of spirit energy spread throughout Darian’s body, originating from his Eye Aperture. Unlike before, it didn’t debilitate him. He managed to keep going. The fire burned his body, refining and tempering it, but to a much lesser degree than before; for most of his body at least. His eyes were another matter. They felt like they were boiling, and Darian felt tears stream down his cheeks. His vision whited out. Yet no matter what, he kept going. He didn’t stop, until the fire burned down and there was nothing left.

When he finished the last set of the Fists of the Mortal Flame, Darian’s legs wobbled and he fell to his hands and knees, panting. Little by little, his vision returned. When it did, he saw that he could see better than ever before. When he had opened his Heart Aperture, he had thought his vision had become sharp. He had been wrong. It was many times better now. So much so, that he felt like he had been half-blind when he was a mortal. He felt like he could spend hours simply staring at the floor of the immortal cave, picking out details that he would have missed before.

Blackened tears dripped from his eyes and fell to the ground. Darian wiped them away, and realized that it hadn’t been tears streaming down his face earlier, it had been the black sludge. His face was covered with the stuff. It should have disgusted him, and it did a little, but for the most part, he just felt relief. Darian sat on his knees and looked up, staring at the ceiling.

“Will it always be like this?” Darian asked. “Pain and pressure?”

“For the Foundation Establishment stage?” Astra said. “Yes. The hotter the fire, the stronger the steel, as one blacksmith once said to me. The fires of this technique burn hotter than most. Power comes at a price, but if you survive, it is well worth it.”

Darian nodded, still looking up. It was worth it. His body felt stronger, purer, than he had ever remembered it being. He was transforming himself on a fundamental level, building the foundation for his path to immortality.

“I’ll wait for you outside,” Astra said. “Join me when you're ready. I have something to show you.”

With that, she fell silent. When Darian looked around for her, he found nothing. He sat there for several more minutes to compose himself, before getting up and heading to the pile of his stuff. He cleaned himself up, changed into a new set of clothes, and left the immortal cave. True to her word, Astra stood outside, waiting for him. She looked up, a frown on her face. Darian looked up as well. It was still overcast. Clouds blanketed the night sky. There was not a star in sight.

“That’s annoying, but the situation is salvageable,” Astra said.

“What’s going on?” Darian asked.

“I have something I want to show you. Stand back, I’m about to take on my true form.”

Before Darian could respond, Astra started growing in size. She grew bigger and bigger, until she was about the size of Darian’s house. The wreath surrounding her neck grew larger as well, and more intricate. It looked like it had been weaved out of strands of pure fire. The black diamond on her forehead became a diamond-shaped fractal pattern. Flames burst to life around her paws, flickering and crackling. The air around her exploded with heat, and smelled of woodsmoke. Yet, despite all that, the area around them remained undamaged. The trees barely even flickered at her presence, let alone caught fire.

Darian marveled at Astra’s true form. He thought she was amazing before, but now, he realized just how beautiful she actually was. Lethal and graceful, yet also warm and comforting. He was at a loss for words.

“Jump on,” Astra said. Despite the increase in her size, her voice remained the same. “We’re going on a trip.”

As she said this, Astra laid down. Darian shook himself out of his daze and jumped onto her back. It was a little awkward at first, as he struggled to find purchase, but finally managed. Astra radiated heat, almost painfully so. If he had still been mortal, it probably would have been painful.

Astra stood up. Darian had to grab onto her fur to keep himself in place.

“Hold on tight, young Darian,” Astra said.

It was at that moment that Darian realized that he should have asked what she had planned. Before he could voice his concerns, her body tensed and she leapt up into the air.

“Aaaaaaaaaah!” Darian screamed as he found himself riding on Astra’s back as she flew.

Astra just laughed at this and headed straight up towards the clouds. Darian clung to her back as gravity pulled on him, afraid to let go. He couldn’t fly, and if he fell, he would go splat. They rose higher and higher, with Darian screaming all the way. The air around them grew thinner and colder, though still within Darian’s limits. At least Astra’s warmth kept the worst of the cold at bay.

Soon they pierced through the clouds, and Darian could see nothing. Everything around him was cold and wet and insubstantial. In a matter of moments, the two of them reached the other side and were above the clouds. Darian, who had never been this high before in his entire life, didn’t know what to think of it. They stopped and remained there, hovering in place.

“Here we are!” Astra said, pure joy in her voice. “Look up, young Darian, and behold the heavens!”

At her words, Darian stopped screaming. With his hands shaking, Darian pulled himself away from Astra’s back with great reluctance. He looked up, and what he saw left him breathless. The night sky spread out before him, but it was the night sky as he had never seen it before. It was much closer and much clearer. Stars twinkled in the sky, shining brighter than ever. They hung in a void that wasn’t a solid black, as Darian thought previously, but one that was various shades of deep blue. It reminded Darian of an ocean, dark and mysterious, but it was infinitely deeper than any terrestrial body of water.

To see the cosmos like this left Darian feeling humbled, a small part of a much larger mystery. Yet, it didn’t leave him feeling insignificant. Instead, he felt himself a part of a much greater whole. Distinct and independent, but a part of something wondrous. Words were inadequate to describe the wonder and joy he felt. Reverence came close. He sat there, just marveling at the sight before him. It was sublime. Time held no meaning, in this place above the clouds. There was just him and Astra, with the universe spread out before them.

At some point, Darian thought of his friends and wished they were with him so he could share this sight with them. Longing pierced his heart, cutting deep, accompanied by regret as well as anger at his own foolishness. He should have never hid his cultivation from them. His own actions had already caused a rift between him and Lucius, and further silence would only widen that rift. He had to come clean with his friends, and tell them everything. It was the least he could do. They would be angry with him, rightfully so, but they deserved the truth. Envy, and more than a little resentment, had already cost him much. He wouldn’t let it take any more from him. He would tell his friends the truth, and soon.

An idea popped into Darian’s mind. He still had to pay for Vera’s gift and pick it up. While her birthday was still several months off, he could give her the gift early and tell her the truth then. If he arranged it right, he could ensure that Lucius would be there as well. That way, he could tell them both at the same time. Perfect.

Plan in mind, Darian felt a heavy weight lift from his heart. The guilt that had been eating at him ever since he started lying to his friends lifted. Feeling lighter, Darian continued watching the stars for the rest of the night.