Naturally, I understood that no one would let me keep all of these priceless treasures. But I had another discovery that came to my aid, a cracked old jade slip describing a technique similar to that used in spatial rings. It created a “folded space” tied to any spot inside the cultivator’s body. Afterward, one could store up to a hundred cubic meters’ worth of items in that space.
I bound the storage to my left arm, hoping that if anyone searched me, they’d assume it was simply part of the seal I used to hold Qi. These two techniques didn’t interfere with one another, even though they existed side by side. Most likely, it was because their “pockets” were offset in different coordinates of multidimensional space.
I spent the remaining time topping up my seal with “dark Qi.” In fact, I ventured into the deepest depths of the caves to collect as much potent “poison” as I could. I had to enclose myself in a special shield, because any contact of that energy with my skin led to bleeding wounds. Meanwhile, as I accumulated Qi, I also sorted through the “treasures” I’d gathered, deciding what might be of use and what I could afford to give away to the leeches in our sect’s leadership.
Finally, the moment arrived for the last eruption, and I stepped into the “elevator.” It spun me around a bit, then spat me out into the normal world. I had been waiting for exactly this moment, using psionics to keep an eye on the future. The rest of the journey up to the lake’s surface would normally have to be done within a tube-like structure of Qi that held the ancient Qi dimension’s water in place. However, I managed to time my movements to slip right through that barrier, ending up submerged in the lake’s water.
Considering I no longer had any trouble breathing underwater, I swam aside and cautiously surfaced. More precisely, I reviewed a future timeline in which I emerged and surveyed my surroundings, pinpointing the location of our allied troops. Strangely enough, the strongest cultivators of the Heavenly Blades Sect were gathered near the geyser, and the geyser itself was surrounded by Black Lotus Sect forces.
“Greetings, Sect Leader” - I said casually, surfacing next to our allies.
“Tan Ji Tao?” - Cheon Chu Han exclaimed in surprise. - “You got out?”
He glanced at the erupting geyser and the enemies frozen around it, who didn’t appear worried.
“Of course. I believe we should leave this place before Mu To Ta becomes enraged.”
“What are you talking about?” - Cheon Chu Han frowned. - “They dared to attack our group and killed ten cultivators at the peak of Foundation Establishment. Now their disciples will emerge from the geyser, and then we’ll strike back.”
“I intended to give this gift to elder Sun Wei Bonk, but I think you’d better be the one to pass it on.” - I said, offering him the “burial ring.”
Cheon Chu Han took it, scanned it with his divine sense, and his eyes widened in shock.
“What? How…?” - He stared at me, dumbfounded.
“What’s going on?” - asked the onlookers, confused about the backstory.
Inside the ring I’d handed him were the heads of nearly one and a half thousand disciples from the Black Lotus Sect.
“I heard elder Sun Wei Bonk threatening to build a pyramid out of the Black Lotus Sect’s disciples heads” - I explained - “so I decided to help him.”
“What? What’s he saying?” - Elder Sun Wei Bonk asked, turning to the Sect Leader.
Cheon Chu Han said nothing, handing him the ring instead. A second later, elder Sun Wei Bonk’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. But an instant after that, he burst into crazed laughter.
“Haha! Grandson, your death is avenged! They’ve paid in full for their treachery.”
“Sect Leader, this gift is for you personally” - I said, extending another ring along with the Qi extractor.
“What’s this?” - Cheon Chu Han asked, puzzled, as he examined what I’d handed him.
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“It’s the head of Mu Ta Gen, son of Mu To Ta, head of the Black Lotus Sect and also his Qi Thread, extracted by this device.” - This time, all the elders heard the contents of the ring and began murmuring in astonishment. - “I think they’ll make a splendid present for the Black Lotus Sect leader.”
“If Mu To Ta finds out his son is dead, he’ll declare war on us” - Cheon Chu Han fumed, glancing at the mass of enemies still crowding around the geyser.
“That’s why we should spread rumors that Mu Ta Gen fell into a trap I set inside the ancient Qi realm and decided to remain there, and none of his companions dared leave him. Then, in ten years, when Mu To Ta returns to the Spirit Geyser Valley to meet his son, he’ll receive the lad’s head instead and learn he’s been dead all this time. It’ll destroy his spirit, giving us the perfect chance to strike a fatal blow at the Black Lotus Sect.”
“What cunning!” - one of the elders exclaimed, listening to my plan.
“Thank you, elder, for the compliment” - I replied with a bow.
Seeing that I took no offense whatsoever at his outburst, he had no idea how to respond.
“So, you planned this all along killing the Black Lotus Sect Leader’s son?” - Cheon Chu Han pressed on, still not sure how to react to these “gifts.”
“No. I just overheard elder Sun Wei Bonk saying he wanted to collect heads, and I decided to help him in his noble endeavor.”
“And you killed 1500 cultivators just because of an offhand remark you overheard?”
Now that the elders understood the magnitude of what had happened, they gaped at me in horror, jaws slack.
“All for elder Sun Wei Bonk’s peace of mind” - I said with an innocent smile.
As for Sun Wei Bonk himself, the face he pulled was so priceless that I decided then and there that someday I’d paint a portrait called “Elder Receives His Gifts” capturing precisely that expression. His countenance was a mix of delight, fury, confusion, and…fear.
In truth, I hadn’t killed all those kids for Sun Wei Bonk’s sake at all. I killed them all for… well… hang on, why did I even do that? What was the point of slaughtering 1500 kids who, strictly speaking, hadn’t done anything to me? Since when had I become the sort of maniac who doesn’t care about human life? Hmm, if I recall my historical record, I’ve been that way from the start. Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!
However, they attacked me first. If they’d just hidden or avoided me, I wouldn’t have bothered chasing them. At most, I would’ve crushed them like cockroaches without a second thought. But since they dared to attack me, they got precisely what they wanted, only in reverse. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. It’s an ancient form of justice, free of malice.
Meanwhile, Cheon Chu Han gave me another stern look, then turned around and declared in a commanding voice:
“Fall back.”
The entire army immediately began moving out, leaving the scene behind.
Honestly, I was a bit surprised that the entire sect had stayed behind for the fourth geyser eruption, just for my sake. Sure, there was the factor of revenge the sect leader mentioned, but that was more a pretext than anything else. In reality, everyone was worried about the fate of the alchemist who had raised a hundred disciples to the peak of their cultivation in a single day. Moreover, seventy of them had broken into the Core Formation Stage, effectively granting them a whole new level of power. In ten years, they would all become formidable fighters, thereby strengthening the sect considerably.
Meanwhile, the Black Lotus Sect, by contrast, had lost its entire younger generation and wouldn’t be able to recover in ten years’ time. As a result, I went from being an unknown upstart to a strategic asset recognized by the entire sect, a result I’d deliberately aimed for. Now, hardly anyone would dare interfere with my growth. After all, any attempt to harm me would mean going against public opinion, which was highly influential in this society.
The army of cultivators pulled back and then split into two groups. The majority headed for our sect “on foot” while the sect leader and elders boarded the Heavenly Ark vehicle. I was unceremoniously stuffed onto the “Heavenly Ark” under orders, forced to spend two hours cramped in a hot, sweaty crowd. Finally, that torture ended when we arrived at the palace, where I was “invited” for the third time to appear in the throne hall. A big crowd was gathered once again, all gawking at me like I was some exotic beast in a zoo: curious but wary.
“So, Tan Ji Tao” - Cheon Chu Han said, giving me a baleful glare - “You’ll now have to explain everything that happened.”
I began describing the events that had taken place after my arrival in Geyser Valley. As for leaving that trio (supposedly my bodyguards) to “stew” in the geyser, I explained it away by claiming I was unwilling to “carry” those who didn’t want to take risks. I attributed my victory over a Core Formation cultivator to my club and the opponent’s arrogance. Which, to be fair, was pretty much how it went. I then recounted how we’d broken into the ancient Qi dimension, showing off the “dead” compass I’d used. Through it, I explained our discoveries in the Leaky Caverns and our journey to the dragon, whose barrier once again had been broken by my club.
Basically, I played up my “luck” and the extraordinary properties of the artifacts I’d acquired. As for obtaining the dragon’s corporeal Qi, I glossed over it by saying something like “I meditated, dozed off, woke up and voilà.” But by the time I got to creating the underwater-breathing pills, the elders’ patience had run thin.
“What?!! You dared to use a stone infused with water dragon energy to make pills?” - one of them howled. - “That’s a priceless artifact! Such insolence cannot go unpunished!”
“I did it for the disciples of our sect” - I tried to defend myself, while Cheon Chu Han looked on impassively as they slandered me.
“Silence!!! We alone can decide what to do with the sect’s treasures!” - foamed the anonymous elder, practically spitting in rage.