When everyone opened their eyes from the sudden flash, they found themselves inside an old shrine. They were standing on a stone altar that had a complicated formation inscribed on it. Before they could even understand what had happened, they heard Nalser speak out, “Welcome to the Starry World.” As Mei looked around carefully, she suddenly said to Nalser, “This isn’t the same place we were in previously?” Nalser just smiled and said, “No, this is a separate pocket dimension. However they all connected and this one is about the same size as a minor world.” Everyone were dumbfounded but Nalser continued, “Currently the only intelligent life here is you guys. This place is place I had prepared for you. Come I’ll give you a tour.”
With a signal of his hand, everyone started blankly following him. They were like country bumpkins, who had had never stepped out of their little farming village, who had suddenly appeared inside the Royal Capital. As Nalser walked out of the little temple, he said, “This place is the Teleportation Hall. However, before you go out, you should let me know, so I can give you the key to get back here.” Everyone blankly listened as they followed him around. Nalser introduced the little town he had put them in. It looked like it was built in an old Chinese style. The districts were all strictly separated.
After walking for 3 hours, they had finished their little tour of the place. Now they were at the living quarters and Nalser asked them, “Now then, are there any questions?” Everyone still had the same blank look but now, a tinge of fear was hidden inside them. To casually prepare such a place for them, Nalser’s resources were too deep for them to even fathom. Every place had special formations to give the best cultivation terms for them. It would not be a stretch to say that their cultivating terms were even higher than their Worlds Royal Lineage.
Every month, they would get a certain number of elixirs. The Library with techniques was open for free, there would even be experts that came regularly to guide them on their paths. This just left them shocked to the core. They had no words to say. Finally, as Nalser was starting to feel a bit awkward from the silence, Mei asked, “Is there some sort of ranking?”
Nalser just answered, “Well, I thought I’d leave that for yourselves to figure out. I just want someone to be a representative for you. Say like someone wants to leave to get experience outside, they tell that person and that person will tell me.” Everyone understood that Nalser wasn’t planning on becoming their ruler or something but will leave them to their own devices until there was either a need to intervene or until they asked his help with something. Everyone subconsciously looked towards Mei, she was the one who knew something about this place.
Seeing this Nalser let out a sigh as he said, “Don’t even think about it, her cultivation is going to be done at the same place as me. I suggest you pick someone else.” This baffled everyone, however, Sweeper and the rest already knew this so there was no change in expression for them. Since it was their Master’s decision, they had no reason to interject themselves. Finally it was settled that Mei’s Father would be the representative and Nalser said with a smile, “Congratulations, from now on you will be the first ever Patriarch of the Xu Clan.”
Everyone was starting to adjust to Nalser’s easygoing attitude and they started to relax a bit. Seeing that everyone needed to time to digest everything that had happened today, he dismissed everyone saying that they should pick their courtyards and he also gave the Patriarch his first job. He told him that he wanted him to establish some order in which they would come for tomorrows testing. In the beginning, he was confused but when Nalser elaborated that it was needed to see everyone’s talents and to see their personalities in order to help guide them to their most optimal paths, the Patriarch was very eager as he set out to do his task.
Nalser also gave him a pendant that he could use to contact him if they needed something. Bidding farewell for now, he took Mei along as he blinked them to Starry Island. Seeing the familiar surroundings Mei also calmed down a bit. They sat down at the familiar table underneath a giant tree, next to the little pond. As Medic brought them a cup of tea, Nalser said, “I am honestly surprised that you came back. Technically saying, I gave you no reason to trust me or my words, so I am quite interested in the reason why.”
Sweeper and the rest knew this conversation was going to come so they tactfully left the Starry Island, leaving only the two of them there.
Mei looked down as she said, “Honestly, I do not know why I trust you. I just feel that you won’t throw us away when you have achieved your goal. It is a feeling deep inside, I can’t exactly explain it.” Nalser was dumbstruck as he looked at Mei oddly, he understood what she was talking about. He thought to himself, “I have only known her for a few days, sure I saved her life but why does her explanation sound like she fell in love with me?” Mei didn’t see Nalser’s odd face because her head was cast down. Nalser asked, “You know nothing about me, my origins, only know I want your help to kill a man but not who that man is. However, nonetheless you still trust me?” Mei thought for a second as she nodded her head.
Nalser just started laughing, this made Mei feel awkward but his next words made her a bit embarrassed., “If you place your trust in someone blindly like that, you will get burned.” Nalser smiled lightly, “However, this time the trust is not placed wrongly.” This made Mei puzzled as she looked towards Nalser. Nalser laughed a bit then narrated his true goal to her. He concluded everything with this, “The road of cultivation is endless. Revenge? Duty? Those are worthless. What I long for is freedom. I want to travel unfettered and I need a backing to do that. Individual strength will take you only so far.” Now Mei understood what Nalser meant. Her initial guess that revenge was only a little side step for him wasn’t wrong. She just didn’t know what he wanted to do.
Mei tried to change the subject, “However, I did not know you had so many experts under you or even that you had an entire minor world.” Nalser just lightly laughed, “Neither did I. I learned of these experts about a week ago. I knew that the puppets had intelligence but they had hidden it far too deeply. After certain circumstances, they all came out in the clear and also pledge their allegiance to me. However, that world. I had no idea about it until three days ago.” This completely stupefied Mei. She was confused as Hell until she remembered what Nalser once said.
She asked in a doubtful voice, “You said that you acquired this place as a Legacy?” Nalser laughed lightly and said, “Yea, this whole dimension, the techniques, the puppets. Everything is a part of the Legacy and I acquired this all recently. Before this I had had no contact with the outside world at all.” Mei was even more confused than before. Nalser narrated how he had lived and how he came upon the Legacy.
This decision was something that Nalser quarrelled a lot with Librarian. Librarian was dead set against Nalser telling Mei everything. Nalser however, said this, “Why should they trust me when I don’t trust them.” This shut up Librarian. It was logical that everything had a price. To earn someone’s trust you had to show your trust in them. However, Librarian was not entirely agreed to it, so the debate continued for a while. Finally, after several days of debate, Nalser finally won out. However, he relented enough not to tell Mei that the Legacy was the Ancient Kings. Not yet atleast.
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Mei however asked, “You told me everything now, why?” Nalser just chuckled, “How can I ask you guys to trust me when I don’t even trust you enough to tell you about my origins.” This made Mei feel warm inside. She felt that the gap became a bit closer between them. Suddenly Librarian appeared next to the table and said, “Master it is time to go and evaluate everyone.” Nalser and Mei looked at each other blankly, then they laughed.
Without knowing, they had talked the entire night away. This was the first time Nalser met someone his age. The distance between the same generations people was smaller than between him and Grandpa or Sweeper and the rest. This was the first time, he felt that he didn’t feel the feeling of a junior but an equal.
They followed Librarian to the training ground. It was the place they chose to evaluate them. In the middle of the room was a little crystal ball. It showed the element the person had the best affinity with. The time they allocated for a person was half an hour. You had to give props to the Patriarch as well. With minimal time, he gave the most optimal line up. The young ones were the first, then the elder, and he himself was left last. Since to the elders it didn’t matter if they waited for one or two more days but that one or two days of a difference was very crucial to the juniors. As juniors came in one after the other, the first test was for the affinity. Most people had a better affinity with another element than water. This surprised the Patriarch a little but Librarian said, “It is no surprise, unless you were some ancient water type clan that allowed their people only to marry water affinity people.” This made the Patriarch understand that although the bloodline had some impact on a persons affinity with the elements, it wasn’t set in stone. The affinity could also change a bit due to the environment and so on. Since they lived in the middle of the plains and mountains where Earth and Wind Type Qi were more abundant, the Water affinity dropped.
After two days had passed, 4 columns stood in front of Nalser. They were divided by their element affinity. As Nalser nodded to himself he said loudly, “Now then, since we know everyone’s affinity I am going to say the people in charge of your divisions. So pay attention because they are going to be your future teachers.” Everyone sharpened up as they listened to him. Seeing this Nalser said, “First one, Water Types will follow this guy.” As he pointed towards Sweeper, he stepped forward. Sweeper took over as he said, “Water types are most suited for light sword arts. I also train in the sword so I can offer you some guidance but on other weapons I may not be able to help out much.”
As Nalser nodded, he stepped back. Nalser’s voice sounded out again, “The Earth Types will follow this mountain.” As he said that a gigantic person walked forward. “Earth Types are most suited towards Heavy Weapons. My personal weapon is a Hammer. I will do my best to guide you on this path.” This guy had huge bulging muscles and he wore a blacksmith like clothes. He was also a Master Artificer.
Nalser nodded towards him and he stepped back. Nalser continued, “Wind Types will follow this lady.” As he said that, Medic stepped forward and said seductively, “Wind Types are most suited to light weapons or ranged weapons. I will do my best to guide all the people following this path. Especially all the young men, I will gladly give you some pr-va-te lessons.” As she said so in a very flirtatious manner, Nalser only facepalmed himself as he said, “Please, do not stir up unnecessary trouble.” Medic just lightly struck out her tongue towards Nalser as she said in innocent manner, “Okaaay.” Nalser was starting to think that putting her in charge was a bad idea.
However he had no time to mull over it as he introduced the last instructor. “Fire Types will follow him.” As he said so, Dummy stepped forward as he said, “Fire Types are most at home in close combat or in magical arts. I use close combat myself, so if you wish to follow the magical arts path, I suggest you seek out this guy.” As he said so, he pointed towards Librarian. Librarian nodded and also stepped forward and said a few words for everyone who wished to follow the magical arts path.
After everyone had been introduced, Nalser gestured everyone to take them to their respective training grounds. Soon the only ones left were the Patriarch, the two old men in the Nascent Soul Stage and Mei. The Patriarch looked towards Nalser and asked a little frightened, “May I ask why we were not put into any of the divisions?” Nalser just lightly sighed as he said, “Because we need to first figure out what you want to do.” He waved his hand, signalling them to follow him. Soon they arrived in a little courtyard. As Nalser gestured all of them to sit down, Mei went to bring tea to them. She knew what they were now going to talk about.
When the tea was served Nalser asked, “What do you guys want to do now? You know that to train in the Ancient Path, you need to start over again. All of you guys have good affinity with water, that is the only reason you have gotten this far in the first place. Now my question is: Do you wish to start from scratch or do you want to continue on the Modern Path?” This stunned the old men. Nalser gave the choice to them, he had no desire to demolish everything they had worked so hard for their whole lives.
As they were thinking the Patriarch suddenly asked, “If we started over, would we be able to reach Nascent Soul Level again before our longetivity runs out?” Nalser lightly smiled as he said, “The Modern Path and Ancient Path are very different.” With that he explained the differences of the two paths and they all looked on blankly. Finally, one of the old men sighed, “No wonder that a Modern Era cultivator can’t even hold a candle to an Ancient Era one who is in the same stage.” The other two weakly nodded with a bitter smile.
Nothing was known of the Ancient Path any more. Now that they heard the differences between the cultivation stages, they finally understood how big the gap between the two paths truly was. If the Ancient Path could be described as a stone castle then the modern path was like a straw hut. Now matter how much work you put into it, it won’t be able to survive a storm. Now they had some serious thought material whether to start again or not. Nalser didn’t rush them either, this was something that concerned their whole life’s work. The decision won’t be made rashly. After thinking for half a day, the last of the old men had made his decision.
They all decided that they will start again. Nalser lightly smiled and then said, “I honestly admire your resolution. If I was asked to throw away my whole life’s work and start again, I would probably tell the person to go fuck himself.” They could only lightly smile to that. It had not been an easy choice but the choice had been done nonetheless. Nalser took out 3 jade slips from his Spacial Storage and passed them to each of the old men. “Inside the slip is the method most suited to you. Familiarize yourselves with them through and through. However, do not start cultivating yet.” They all looked towards Nalser puzzled.
Nalser just smiled lightly and said, “We won’t let all your previous work go to waste. Through a special formation we can change it to pure Qi you can use as a booster to quickly pass through the Qi Gathering and into the Qi Kindling stage. How many Qi Kindling’s you can condense is up to the work you have done so far.” Hearing this this the old men had a complicated feeling. No one had been as kind to them before as Nalser. He didn’t even let their cultivation, that they had already discarded, go to waste. As they expressed their gratitude, Nalser left them to prepare.
Nalser took Mei back to the Starry Island and said, “Now that everything has been sorted out and everything is moving onwards, it is time to tell what we are going to do with you.” Hearing this Mei immediately sharpened up as she started listening attentively. Seeing this Nalser also put on a serious expression as he said, “The technique I will pass on to you is called the “Water Fairy Arts”. It is extremely hard to train in but you should have an easier time training in it than any other Water Type Art.”
Mei was a little puzzled and Nalser explained the cultivation method in detail. In the beginning stages, the Art will reform the body. Since most of her Qi is corroded, they first need to destroy her cultivation, then using the Water Fairy Art, they will reform her body and heal her meridians. The requirements for training in this art are extremely strict but there is one that is more crucial than others. The Art can only be trained in by people who have the Heavenly Water Embryo Body.