Chapter 11

“You want me to what?” I reel from the bombshell Deng Jian dropped on my head.

“Just as I have said, take on my family name and carry on my legacy. In exchange, I will teach everything I know, and the entire history of the [Deng Clan] will become your strength.”

“I can’t accept that position, I’m sorry.” I bow to him deeply in apology. He sighs before turning back to the sky.

“Well, don’t mind it. I apologize for putting you on the spot there. Anyways, that isn’t the true reason I called you here.” He turns and starts walking deeper into the forest. Now that the [Eternal Spirit Trees] have regrown, it’s become harder to find the path. We finally make our out of the forest and into the now sparse [Plum Market]. Only a few disciples are still up and selling goods, though all of them look like they haven’t slept in days. We head towards the stairs at the end of the lower level. From what I’ve been told, the entrance is further down the sect. This is because of the mortal town that was built around the sect entrance. The entrance is a massive gate built into the mouth of the valley the sect is in. The mountains I saw before were a section of the cliff face. There’s something called a [Formation] that was built as a kind of defense against invasion that makes it disorienting to try to walk through from the outside. Unless you're a member of the sect and know the path or are leaving the [Formation], you will end up trapped within.

For the first time since I’ve woken up in this world, I step out of the sect onto a road. A pair of men in armor rush up to Deng Jian, their armor is detailed with the symbol of the sect, a large star surrounded by four smaller stars. The entrance outside the sect has a staircase leading down to a platform with a large building next to it. The guards talk to Deng Jian off to the side, leaving me to take in the surroundings. Another wall and gate separate this area from the rest of the town. It’s a large space that has training equipment and what seems to be a ranking board. I can just make out a section of the town below from the steps. Truthfully, it looks more like a city than a town. It seems to stretch for miles back with buildings as tall as the sect buildings mixed in. Deng Jian finishes just before I get bored, walking in silence again.

“So, are you going to tell me the real reason you asked to meet me?” He stops for a second seeming to ponder over it.

“Well, you’ll know soon enough. You will be assisting your roommates in their trip to the [Secret Realm] in name.” I stop in my tracks.

“You want me to go to this [Secret Realm], that even cultivators die in pretty regularly, help my roommates? Help them what? Wipe their asses?” Deng Jian looks at me amused.

“You will only be assisting them on the surface, you’re true objective is to use this chance to track the movements of the disciples of the [Orange Cloud Sect]. They will be so focused on the [Secret Realm] while there that they will let their guards down a bit. Just enough for you, someone who isn’t a cultivator currently, to sneak in and gather information for us.” I can see they are already putting me to use. My only concern is how will I be able to handle a face-to-face fight. Considering how I lost to Hao Yi, it would be smarter to use guerilla tactics. I start following behind again, getting lost in thought. As we step out of the secondary gate, the expansive town stretches out in front of me. Despite being the night, there are still people out drinking and eating. Some look to be celebrating, while others look like they lost a major battle.

We walk onto major streets, twisting from one direction to the next. It would almost seem like Deng Jian is lost. until we arrive at the town exit. I don’t know if that was a shortcut or something, but it felt like an unnecessarily long path. At the town gates, a checkpoint staffed with people in military attire different from the sects stands guard. The outfits they wear are more plain than what the cultivators wear. However, they also look more practical. Deng Jian walks toward a cart. An older man in plain clothes sits in the coachmen's seat. The door to the cart is open leaving a view to inside. A couple of benches line either side, though it looks like it won’t hold more than seven people at most. A trunk sits on the far end with two bags, one large and one small, sitting on top.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“This will be your ride to the location of the [Secret Realm] campsite. Your roommates are already there and have set up their campsite. You will arrive in six days so use that time effectively,” He reaches into his shirt, pulling out a book with the title, [Universal Star Art]. “use this. If you have any trouble understanding it, ask Coachman Cai. He is at the tenth level of [Foundation Building] and is loyal to the sect.”

“Thank you, Elder Jian.” I accept the book with a bow, stepping into the cart.

“Before you go, the large bag has rations in it. While the smaller bag has some gold, most places should accept [Spirit Stones], however, people with an abundance of them will not always be enticed by them.”

“What's in the trunk?”

“That has all of your clothes and items from your room. We weren’t sure what to bring, so we packed the things only you seem to know how to use.” That’s pretty smart of them, most of the weapons and equipment I have are centuries ahead of anything here. So I'm the only one who knows what they do, it’s best to keep all my gear nearby in case I have to escape.

“Thank you again, Elder Jian.” I bow one last time before closing the door. The cart rocks slightly as it sets off out of the town. Part of me is excited to have the chance to see more of this world, while the louder part pushes me to prepare. I look down at the book Deng Jian gave me, its face is worn and looks well used for many years. I open to the first page and begin reading the entry:

{The [Universal Star Art] takes all energies of Heaven and Earth, refining it within the body to create a foundation to host a ‘Star’ in one’s dantian… To best begin, sit underneath the open sky at night, feeling the energy of Heaven and Earth… Once one is able to feel the energy of Heaven and Earth clearly, one can begin directing it using the circulation method…}

I haven’t really gotten a good idea of what the energy of Heaven and Earth is just yet. I read through some more of the book, coming across a special type of breathing for the [Universal Star Art]. From what it says, using this type of breathing is supposed to speed up cultivating. I sit in the position shown in the book, following the instructions as closely as possible. Since I don’t know what to do here yet, I start to focus on my other senses. It honestly doesn’t feel like anything different from regular meditation. Then, I remember the special way of breathing that was supposed to be used along with it. I manage to get my breathing into the rhythm shown after a lot of trial and error. Trying to breathe a particular way is a lot more energy-consuming than I had thought. Now that I’m breathing the correct way, I can feel something in the air. It’s too vague to tell exactly what it is.

The cart comes to a sudden stop, drawing my attention. I peek outside the window only to find it to be night outside now. It feels like it hasn’t even been more than an hour. The door to the cart opens roughly, the coachman standing in the moonlight.

“We must set up camp for the night here. We will reach the [Autumn Hare Village] in two days, so please bear with these rough conditions for now.”

“Understood, is there a tent to set up?” He cocks an eyebrow at me.

“No, you can sleep in the cart if you so choose. However, there isn’t much space to sleep.”

“I think I’ll do that.” It’s best to stay as hidden as possible for now. Since this is unknown terrain, using my [Psychic Detection] to scan the surroundings from a safe location is my first priority. With a nod, the coachman closes the door. Instead of setting up to go to sleep, I crack a window directly above me. Letting the starlight and moonshine into the cart. I sit in position again, however, this time I begin using [Psychic Detection]. I expand it to the maximum, flooding my brain with information. It proves to be a bit too much for me as a rebound causes me to vomit. We are currently sitting on the side of a well-used road with plains stretching well beyond my range. The upside is we will know if someone tries to rob or attack us. The downside, we are completely exposed right now. Since we still seem to be in the sect’s territory based on the coachman's attitude, I begin trying the [Universal Star Art].

It takes a bit to get the breathing down again. Though this time was much easier than before. This time the feeling in the air is more clear, but still too vague to tell what it is. I focus on every sense I have to feel that vagueness in the air. It doesn’t become any more clear than it was before even after that. I know if I just reach a bit more I can figure out that strangeness in the air. What more can I use? I can feel my energy fading faster the more I focus. Hoping for it to help in some way, I use my [Psychic Detection]. The vague feeling falls away to leave a tsunami of energy hitting my senses. My senses seem to expand in all areas and ranges, my [Psychic Detection] expanding as well. This is something that shouldn’t be possible. But here is the proof, my detection range has increased to the point I can see a forest where I couldn’t before. More plains stretch out to the west while a mountainous region begins in the east. It almost seems impossible with how far I can see right now. But just as I’m trying out my new detection range, it shrinks back to its original size. Despite this, I can tell I have already grown stronger.