Elder Shadow detailed a Sect servant to help me scrub the impurities off when he sent me to the showers. I appreciated the help even as I felt bad for the young woman he had appropriated. The impurities were much worse this time, black gunk caked most heavily in my hair and on my scalp. As bad as that was, it was the itching along my back that was becoming distracting.

I hadn't unpacked yet, and because of that I still carried my personal belongings in my storage device. Part of that was because there hadn't been time. At least time I willing to spend on household chores instead of accessing the computer system I'd been given and the Alchemy Lab that had been set up as part of the apartment.

The apartment, itself, was already fully furnished, so there wasn't any need for any of my belongings to replace what had been provided. The blankets, sheets, towels, and dishes the Sect had supplied was even a cut above what I was used to.

Once I'd finished bathing, I followed the assistant to Elder Shadow's office. The smell of fresh paint still clung to the room, giving it that freshly constructed, or recently decorated feeling.

His office was appointed starkly, much as I'd envisioned, it reflected his personality. There was a desk, as well as cabinets and shelves for jade tokens. His computer was much larger than mine and had been enchanted with a more complete set of arrays and illusions. It allowed for a better resolution, a deeper dimensionality to font and images. The information he was browsing included a photo inset, my picture, that had been almost lifelike because of the improved quality of the illusions he was using.

He didn't bother closing the application he was using, not worried or caring if I saw what the Sect profile had managed to garner about me. I noticed that he was reading a new entry from the Profession Master, an annotation from Elder Dill that showed I had requested a withdrawal from Alchemy Hall with a note that my apartment assignment should be adjusted when I chose a new field of study.

Elder Shadow had added his own addendum, tagging the Patriarch and each of the Professional Heads with my complaint. He had requested a meeting asking Elder Dill to explain why he had removed a talented alchemist from his department, entered incorrect information that suggested I asked for a transfer, and then tried to strip me of an apartment that I had earned through competition.

I wondered how he would explain his actions too. He had fulfilled his Oath. What was the point about lying about it, or trying to have me kicked from the apartment I'd been assigned? It seemed petty, and not something a person so concerned with Honor would attempt.

"I thought we were trying to have me fade into the background?" I asked. His note added to my file, and the request for a Sect meeting was sure to stir up interest in me. Interest that he and the Patriarch had stressed I should attempt to avoid.

"It is," he agreed as he moved to take a seat at a small grouping that allowed for a more intimate conversation.

And for tea.

He didn't bother with ritual or ceremony, a quick splash of water into two cups to warm them before he gestured for me to help myself. He had discarded the warm water from his cup before pouring tea from an infuser where it had been steeping, waiting for me to join him and sit, before taking his first drink.

I found it strange, as I poured a cup, that I wasn't hungry or thirsty. I had spent almost the entire day facing my tribulation and had had no chance to eat or drink, and still, I felt as refreshed as I did after breaking my morning fast. I could only assume the energy I had absorbed from the lightning barrage, as well as the increased amount of Qi I could now manage had impacted my appetite, my body still nourished from Heaven's passage.

"There are a few things we need to deal with, but before we get started, is there anything besides the Elder Dill incident you'd like to discuss?" He asked.

"My library access has been the only other issue I've come across," I informed him. "But I admit I got lost in interacting with the new computer technology yesterday and crafting pill last night. I didn't spend any time exploring the Sect, or meeting people."

"I've already adjusted your library permissions," he informed me. "I can't remove the block on Alchemy materials that Elder Dill placed, but all other secondary professions are open for you to browse.

"You have access to anything related to the Qi Gathering Realm, as well as the materials for all professions up to journeyman level. Up to journeyman level, you will need to test and prove you've attained apprentice competence to unlock the journeyman level material," he warned me. "Settle on a profession, you can take some time, but soonest is better. Figure out where your interests might lead now that you have the time to delve into each profession.

"You are also able to access the library materials, techniques, and spells that deal with Dharmic abilities and spells. You will find that you can cast spells no matter what element the spell aligns with, but those that align with the elemental affinities that you have mastered will be demonstratively more powerful.

"A fire elemental cultivator is always going to cast stronger spells that deal with fire than those that deal with water. You have a certain advantage having been gifted with a platinum spirit root and dual elemental affinities, it is why those with your gifts are so prized.

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

"That you have worked hard to weave the elements that you are naturally aligned with together and gain control of ancillary elements speaks to your diligence. Your Dharmic control and reach have been magnified because of your hard work, as you found earlier when flying. Dharmic abilities are more than casting a spell or harnessing an element, those talents give you the ability to control the element itself."

"Will I have a tutor?" I asked. Elder Tye had helped me with the limited Dharmic control I had, at least enough for me to gain control of my Dharmic fire for alchemy. But that was nothing to what I had unleashed when flying. The freedom I'd experienced had nothing in common with the exacting control I needed to guide and use alchemy fire.

"The Sect offers lectures you can attend," he assured me. "You can also use contribution points if you want personalized attention. There are Core disciples that are willing to tutor or answer questions for a price.

"Your best source of knowledge is going to be the jade tokens you find in the library or those you can purchase. You will find they have been programmed with demonstrations and explanations that work exactly like the martial techniques you mastered. A master has imprinted his knowledge within, allowing you direct access to his thoughts and techniques.

"If you are having problems, you are either trying to master an element you have no affinity with, or you have glossed over information contained in the token, that would resolve that problem. Be honest and ask yourself if one or the other might be the reason, before seeking help at Contribution Hall."

That made sense. Although Elder Shadow had trained my martial skills, he hadn't gifted or trained me in my techniques. Those I had learned from the jade token, a token I needed to access again soon. With my elevation in Realm, there were five more techniques that I could now learn.

"Any other issues, Jay?" He asked.

"Not that I can think of," I assured him.

"Then to other matters," He said as he withdrew a token from his spatial device and activated it. A map of Delph was displayed with Mount Seia and Four Element Sect highlighted. The island was about the size of California, and except for the shape of the island and Mount Seia, very little of the island or the interior had been mapped.

"Delph Island has a population of around five hundred million people. Most of them scattered among hundreds of settlements. Those settlements concentrated along the coasts where the residents have access to ships. As you can see, even along the coast the vast majority of the island has yet to be explored."

"There are a few small cities that have done well because someone was smart enough to figure out what the Hindel needed and started trading with them. How those cities prosper now that the Hindel no longer hold claim to the island remains to be seen, I expect in the short-run both profits and trade agreements will suffer.

"You will notice that except for the area around Mount Seia, the interior is completely unexplored. The reason for this can be directly attributed to the lack of cultivators who have visited or lived on Mount Delph. The island simply hasn't had anyone strong enough to test the interior, to explore what might be hidden and survive.

"Until now.

"The Patriarch and the Emperor expect a city to grow and flourish at the base of Mount Seia, one that will cater to and revolve around trading and supplying goods for the Sect. If history is anything to go by, their assumption will prove out. The only Sects that I can think of that weren't supported by a mortal town or city failed to survive.

"I don't believe the Patriarch will allow that to happen. She hasn't mentioned anything yet, but she has probably already sent cultivators to each of the towns and cities offering tax concessions and discounted land prices for people willing to relocate and build here.

"The Emperor is also easing travel restrictions for people that are willing to emigrate to the island for the next ten years," he said. "I'm sure there will be a cap on how many people the Empire allows to take advantage of that offer, and that the people allowed to emigrate will be the more unsavory, but that can be handled. The Patriarch expects another half a billion people will find their way here over the next decade or so."

"Can the Sect support that large an influx of new people?" I asked.

"I have no idea what size of a city the Patriarch envisions to be built near Four Elements, but I would hazard to guess that it wouldn't be larger than a million people, ten million at most. The rest of those migrating will be absorbed by the cities, towns, and villages that litter the coast."

"What is this area?" I asked, pointing to a green icon that was blinking.

"That is the town Patriarch Umbra has earmarked for you to consider establishing your Capital. As you can see, there is a river that feeds into the harbor where the town was built. If you claim your barony with that town as the primary population center, the area you can claim would expand to include the forests, plains, and foothills around it."

He swiped his hand across the map, the blinking icon responding by enlarging until a sizable amount of land was included in the territory that I could claim. His change to the map had also come with a grid layout, allowing exact demarcation of areas available to be claimed. Other than the territory Elder Shadow had highlighted, the grid had expanded to cover the entire island. If I was reading the new grid layout correctly, the island had been divided into fifty counties; each county further divided into ten fiefs.

The area that Patriarch Umbra had set aside for me to consider was a bit larger, the shape of the land allowing her to cede almost twice as much area as a normal fief. The only disadvantage I could see was the distance between the town and the Sect. The harbor the town had built at was as about as far away from the Sect as you could get while still being located on Delph.

Still, with my new ability to fly, and Storm's ability to carry me if needed, the village was only a two-hour trip away. I might not want to make that trip every day, and I probably wouldn't, I needed to build a House, and staying in town would make that easier.

My assigned duties toward the Sect involved martial training and demonstrations, but those were only required to be held weekly. It might be more efficient to work out of that town and only return to the Sect one day a week. While I was at the Sect, I could fulfill my obligations to the Sect, turn in any resources I'd gathered, and purchase supplies and items needed to expand and protect the town.

If Patriarch Umbra and Elder Shadow meant for me to keep a low profile, it was easiest done by making myself scarce. It would be much easier for people to forget or discount my presence if I seemed to devote all my attention to kingdom building.