Our hero did one last round, to say goodbye to Mia and to Aunt Ching, and hug her wonderful body, then set off towards the next big city on the coast, some 5000 kilometers to the west.

He had decided not to approach the viper's nest until he had a better idea how far they were spread.

In Lacrimosa City, the Chief and his Guardians had executed three clans and a dozen merchants with ties to the assassins, but they didn't know much. Didn't have much in common either, except their god.

Only their goddess, was called the Lady of weaves and Spiders, which sounded creepy, but wasn't a loaded gun.

If she had named herself Soul sucking demoness of sapphire, then yea. But not all gods were stupid.

The merchants came by sea, following the coast and originated in Port Li. Another major trade hub of the continent, but one without Guardians. Or any high ranks above Core.

That detail drew Pef's attention, as Nascent souls should have been aplenty, even on this continent. All it took was 200 years of cultivation, or a bit more.

The airship had already traveled a week westwards, following the coast some 40 kilometers inland.

'I think they are harvesting souls in Port Li'

'Very possible'

'And yet nobody makes a fuss about it. No rumors about people disappearing'

'We'll find out more...stop. There's a Spirit rank snake to the right...'

'Oh. Better airship!' Pef exclaimed as he opened the vanes for a fast descent.

'It's a Soul Poison Cobra. Be careful Aspirant!'

Pef didn't pay much attention. He jumped out at 500 meters, his feet absorbing each fall on a branch, and then the next.

Much easier that the first time he dropped over forested ground. He was also a hundred times more durable.

Pef ran through the forest, although it was more of a jungle here, and the crashed into a large clearing where a hundred-meter snake was gulping on a huge deer.

'The deer, is Nascent rank too.'

'Nice. I'll try to save the horns' Pef answered with an inner smirk.

His soul converged into a point on his finger, and he shot a helix beam of soul spikes at the cobra, white and silver swirling around each other.

The huge snake rose its head, abandoning its meal to deal with a new danger.

Pef shot again and again.

'Ahhh. It's not working!'

'That Soul Poison Cobra is 2 thousands years old. And it's almost immune to soul attacks'

A swipe of the snake's tail hit Pef and threw him into the jungle, tumbling head over heels.

'Ah, at least it doesn't hurt'

'Yet. Your Sky rank armor is getting corroded though...' the glove said wryly.

Pef grumbled as he stored the sizzling armor in the glove compartment and wore his backup armor.

A Sky ranked lance made from the Morse tusk appeared in his hand. 10 meters long, and sharpened by Smith Lin.

Then he lowered his stance, gathering qi energy for a joust.

He began running, his steps shaking the earth.

In front of him, the Spirit rank Soul Poison Cobra had coiled and rose its head high, like a king of the jungle.

Pef kept running, and projected a spiritual defense shield around him.

Poisoned vapors sizzled on the shield as Pef got closer. Then he drew his elbow back, ready to strike.

The snake struck first, it's poisoned fangs glistening in the sun.

Pef pushed his spirit out, while his feet dug into the ground. The snake bit a meter in front of him, gouging the earth.

Jab.

The lance embedded into the snake's brain, going for 8 meters and then exiting on the other side.

Oh. You fooled the poor snake'

'I need his skin intact, dear glove.'

'Right. Store the body for now, I'll need to neutralize the poison'

Pef patted the dead cobra on its head, and the whole body folded into the glove compartment.

'How large is that dimension of yours?' Pef asked curious.

'Depends on the user, of course. Right now, about 1000 cubic kilometers'

'That's like ten thousand of these snakes?' Pef mused, trying to compute the volume of the snake.

'I'll let the Aspirant know if he reaches the limit'

Pef nodded amused. Doing math on his fingers was complicated.

He took out a Sky ranked axe, and began portioning the dead Nascent deer.

The horns were 5 meters long, and would make a great bow, or maybe two.

The horn spikes could be turned into daggers and short swords, and be way stronger than normal Core ranked weapons.

Then he collected a hundred more sick trees for his stove, and took off again.

So far, the journey looked promising, even though he had learned that beasts were sometimes unpredictable.

As the airship sped towards Port Li, Pef began crafting Nascent ranked weapons from the deer's bones.

It passed the time, and it was good Practice. He did advance a bit too fast, so periods of laying foundations were necessary.

After a dozen daggers, he felt some pressure accumulate on his forearm, then poof out.

'What was that?'

'An acupuncture point being unblocked. You still need a hundred more'

'Oh. Seems like hard work...'

'You could fly above the sea to find worthy targets'

'A Spirit snake was kinda hard already'

'Because you're merely a foot out of Spirit rank yourself'

Pef sighed and continued smithing. Damn cultivation was so hard...

A month later, and another acupuncture point unsealed.

Then the first villages appeared in the distance. Port Li would follow soon after.

Pef decided to land, and disguise himself. More knowledge would be revealed if he started investigating from below.

The village of Woodstick was a poor one. No stone houses, no gravel roads, not even a public building.

The village elder ruled from his own wooden cottage, although one which had wooden shutters and a porch.

On that porch, our hero kowtowed and begged for a meal and work.

"Hmpf. A vagabond looking for trouble, aren't you?" the elder asked rhetorically.

"No, might elder. Just a poor boy down on his luck, my parents are gone and our cabin was taken away by..."

"Enough! You have a week to prove yourself. You will sleep under my porch, so the people know I keep an eye on you.

But if you cause any trouble..."

"No sir. Thank you esteemed elder!"

"Yes. You should thank me, and praise your luck. The village has received an order for a thousand logs, and more hands and back to carry them are needed. Now go to the workers camp, don't rest on my porch!"

"Right away sir..." Pef said meekly, running towards the falling trees and the noise.

And thus, Pef started working in the shipbuilding industry, a growing business these days, as ships carrying stone and metal were traveling around the continent, generating profits for the merchant class.

Working 12 hours a day, with barely any food, and hourly breaks for water was hard, for these poor workers.

Pef loved the breaks, and loved the hours after work even more. Gossip was rampant, and all sorts of news passed his ears.

"The Volcanic Fire Sect is searching for some lost disciples. Some say they saw a huge spider take them away, wrapped in webs"

"The daughter of Magister Fang is rumored to be a beauty. The cart driver saw her hand, and it was white like jade!"

"This new boy works so fast. I could use a hardworking son-in-law"

"A sea monster sunk merchant's Diu trade ship. People say the family is ruined."

"It was pirates. Two of the crewmen are now slaves of the Yu family."

Thousands of random news filtered as Pef spied around the campfires.

After a few days, Pef slunk off into the night, and moved to another village, then another. Closer and closer to Port Li.

A month later, Pef reached the outskirts of Port Li, having learned a dozen trades and listened to thousands of people commenting on the state of the continent.

He was right after all. Some darkness was spreading, and promising cultivators disappeared.

But only a single possible new arrow target. That Fang woman, who was never seen in public, and traveled by palanquin.

Pef changed into another identity, dressing like a young merchant.

He even wore a copper ring on his left hand, while his gloved hand was hidden in his sleeve.

This young master stepped bravely into Port Li, and searched for a tavern to rest.

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"A pale beer for this young master!" he demanded slapping a table.

The owner send his server to bring a wooden tankard, who then eyed this fool with discerning eyes.

"Your honor will stay with us long? Do you need a room, perhaps?" the man asked politely.

"Indeed. Lodging for a month. Someplace with a stove. Also, a bucket of water and three beers per day"

"We can offer food as well"

"I prefer to cook."

"As you wish your honor. For all this...2 copper squares" the man demanded shamessly.

"If there're some questions I get answers to, it's a deal."

"Most excellent your honor. The nearest meat market is a kilometer to the north..."

"Fang residence. A good seamstress. And the best smith in Port Li."

"Oh. The Magister has the stone house with red walls around. Right in the stone square. The closest seamstress is just across the street. She's okay. And best smith... Master Ang can work even Core bones. Master Yu can shape metal"

Pef nodded as he filled the information. It will take some time for enough copper to made available on the continent.

He will need to start smith schools in every large town.

And stamp out the emerging slavery, or at least transform it. You couldn't exactly escape slavery once metals were discovered. Wealth became easier to accumulate.

He drank the beer, which was almost decent, to his surprise. Rice beer, but still.

A young boy came to show him his room, in a longhouse with some 50 rooms under a long roof.

It even had a door, although no lock beside a wooden peg.

"Boy, any clans around that use bows? I want to buy one" Pef asked the bellboy.

"Oh. The Sea guard use bows. And...the disciples of Ara...no. Just the Sea guard, most honored customer" the boy answered with scared eyes.

Pef nodded as he entered his room.

'Disciples of Arachne. Lady of Weave and Spiders'

'And they have tamed spiders that kidnap people'

'Also have a stone quarry, and mine copper as well'

'And likely sapphire too'

'Not around here, no. Higher north, close the Yellow Tear'

'So, she is the one'

'But not the only one. Step lightly, Aspirant. Find out who gains from all this'

Pef nodded to himself, as he made his way back to the tavern.

"One copper square now. We'll see about another in two weeks" Pef said softly, as he palmed a centimeter of copper to the owner.

"Of course, young master. Enjoy the town" the man replied in a flat voice.

Pef made his way across the street, while still checking for any worthwhile aura.

Inside the clothes shop, he found another white aura. And he could only stare.

A young woman, with long black hair, looking about 17, thus under 100, was being measured by an older one, while she looked bored and annoyed. She was dressed only in a light shift, and thus quite exposed to any man with good eyes.

Another scan revealed her to be a Core rank, like he expected.

"Miss Diu, your father will not approve another dress. And least of all white. Brown is more natural and less expensive..."

"Hmpf. He will pay, he always does"

"But if his ships are sunk..."

"Don't believe the rumors...what are you staring at, get out, get out now!" the woman yelled as she noticed Pef ogling her.

"No thanks. I like the view, and I need a seamstress too"

"I am a Core cultivator. Run before I break your legs, you scoundrel!"

"I know. I can see your white aura, Miss Diu" Pef replied with a shrug, while looking over the merchandise in the shop.

The seamstress did have talent, stitching and balancing cuts with a good eye.

The young woman stopped to think, and realized only a Nascent soul could see her aura. Her face paled a little, and her demeanor became more subdued. By a millimeter. She just noticed his metal ring, and became more interested.

"A-anyway. You can look, but polite people introduce themselves"

The seamstress was torn a little, as she didn't want to lose an old customer.

"I'll come back later, esteemed seamstress. I live next door anyway" Pef declared with a small bow, and left the shop.

'Another wife, yes?'

'Of course, my dear glove. But not while we hunt''

'Right. To the stone square then!'

Pef made his way through the thousands of people clogging the streets, while avoiding carts and pickpockets.

He kept looking for the Sea Guard, which he assumed was the police, but there weren't any bowmen around.

Wooden weapons abounded, also a few stone or bone weapons.

'What can Earth ranks do, in particular?'

'Infuse metal with qi. Or even other materials, like bone or stone.'

'Even their own bones?'

'I think so. For the Legion that's not necessary. We do it as we awaken, and then constantly by simply breathing'

'So, I can do formations now...'

'Simple ones, yes. Anchoring them to a person, that needs a Sky rank.'

'Ah. Since everything has mass, even people!' Pef replied in a fit of wisdom.

'Very well, Aspirant. You amaze me every day'

'I wonder if merchant ships have artillery on them. Like catapults and ballistas?'

'Oh dear. They will have them soon, now that you considered it'

'Never mind for now. Stone house with red walls. Let's go visit'

Pef approached the house at a leisurely pace, noting the door guards, and the other guards on the roof, with bows.

"You, stranger! What's your business here?"

"I'm an alchemist from the Blue Xi continent. I heard Miss Fang is sick..." Pef lied with a smile.

"Oh. You look kinda young..."

"I'm over 600 years old, you fool. Don't make fun of me!"

"Sorry your highness. I'll go call Magister Fang..."

Pef waited in a dignified pose, hands behind his back, and chin high.

A dozen minutes later, a fat man in a white robe ran out the gate, escorted by a dozen guards. The rude guard pointed at Pef and whispered to his master.

Pef called his lance and bonked the man over the head, knocking him unconscious, then made the lance vanish as his hand returned to his back. The guards were suitably impressed, although the Magister eyed his hand for a second.

"Don't point fingers at me, that's rude..." Pef proclaimed out loud. Behind him, a crowd of people hid their fingers in their palms in terror.

"Esteemed Alchemist. Please excuse my stupid guard. I'll have him flogged and fed to my pigs."

"Hmpf. Chop it off, the finger. The pain will teach him..." Pef declared in a generous tone, as he stepped on the body and moved inside.

After ten minutes of slow walk and polite nothings, they reached the girl's room.

"Sir, if you can do anything..." the father said in a hopeful voice.

"I have to see her first, right?"

"Of course. Dear, I have someone to see you..." the fat guy declared as he entered the room.

Pef knew the smell already. He did try to heal his mother.

A frail girl lay in bed, reading from a scroll.

Pef scanned her, noting the silver aura, and the shattered core.

"Nothing can heal me" the girl said in defeated voice.

"Magister Fang, give me some time. Her silver aura is fascinating..." Pef whispered as he pushed the father outside.

"Wrong. There are many things that can heal you." Pef said softly, while he checked the room for spies.

Another door in the back hid a guard and a maid, the guard tensed and poised to jump.

In the corner of the room, a spider web with a dozen small silvery spiders, all still like death.

"Another priest of some god? They're useless...all lies and empty promises..."

Pef walked slowly and patted her head with the glove.

'Scanning genome. 218 years old. No known markers. Target not strong enough for Awakening. Core shattered in 16 shards. A single meridian remains active. Projected lifespan, 18 months'

"Nascent soul, and a silver aura. Quite a catch, for whichever god drains your soul. Most likely Arachne, seeing as her messengers are watching in the corner" Pef said softly, sitting on the bed next to her.

"You're not a hack, are you?" the girl whispered with a feeble hope in her eyes.

"Not a god either. I need a Sky rank to anchor a prolonging formation to your body. Let's hope I make in time" he said while raising himself and turning to leave.

"How long?"

"A year and a half. I'll try to return sooner though" Pef said gently, then stepped out of the room.

The sick girl stared at the door, while her hand crumbled the scroll.

Sadly, the strange man was right, although he didn't even ask questions. The Disciples did offer her immortality for her soul.

She just needed to be burned on their pyre. 

Her eyes lifted up, and to the corner, where the spider web had appeared again.

"Guard, clean the spiders webs please. They might bite me." she asked in a weak voice.

"Right away, Miss Fang" her new guard exclaimed, rushing into the room. The sixth guard of his family line, although she always forgot their names. They died too fast.