The Mountains of Blackhead-

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It took only a few hours to fly to the deepest parts of the Blackhead mountains where the Sunbird Flock lived. He managed to impress the wounds who carried him there as he didn't complain a single time while in flight. The cold air didn't affect him in the least.

In fact, it made it easier for him to cultivate as the cool air against his warm skin felt pleasant. Doing something to his stress and generally setting him at ease. Not to mention the amount of Qi with his method that he took in was a lot easier so high up. There were so many rays of light and warmth that his blood could be heard producing a humming sound. He still took in the tainted energy which cleared up the smog in the air further and made it more pleasant.

As for the Harpy Duru, she could tell he was doing something and that he was cultivating due to them physically touching for the most part. But she was too distracted by the pollution clearing up through the area to bother to ask. She also received small benefits to her cultivations and felt it improving by the minute.

*Woom!* Passing through a barrier of Qi, Rexford stopped what he was doing to focus. His senses had grown to a good degree as well as his understanding of his cultivation methods. But time was still needed to digest it further than this.

"We will go to talk with the others, please remain here for now." The Flock Leader left with the majority of those who party in her group. Leaving behind Duru, the not-so-aggressive fighter, and the Apothecary Damla. "If you must venture anywhere I am sure they would be happy to escort you."

Rexford was no fool and understood this was not a usual situation. The Flock Leader was slightly nervous and with the way Duru vouched for him earlier to be the one responsible if something happened, she had to have some kind of worth, right?

The Apoethacry Damla was pretty old and maybe getting replaced if the other Harpy who shared the same clothing and marking on her arm meant anything.

We should head to the outer area, the view is beautiful." Duru said once the others were out of range. She walked off assuming that the other two would follow.

"This way." Damla gestured as she walked to the side of him. "How long have you been an Apoethacry?"

"Can't really say I am one or been at it long but I have done it for a while now." He was counting a few herbal remedies he had to learn and use in the military when supplies were scarce. All in all, it may have amounted to about a year really. 'Can't really say the Butcher's amount since the stronger I become the more I can access from what is suppressed and kept down.'

'To be fair, it is a lot.' The Mini thought to him with an anxious tone. 'I know you have not talk to me much lately but there is something in this mountain range that is dangerous. On the level of the statue we are holding on to.'

'Yeah, you two should tell me what that is already before I take matters into my own hands.' Rexford thought back as he followed his "guide" at a steady pace. 'You and the First Man have a lot of explaining to do and it has been long in my book.'

"But you look so young." Damla was a little hesitant to ask and thought it better to get an accurate time frame for another time. "I have done this for the last few decades and found myself always learning something new. If not for the problems going on I would dedicate all of my time to it."

"Then do so, the needs of the many should not dictate your entire life." Rexford had no idea what she was getting at or if she just wanted to talk and vent. But he couldn't stop himself in giving his own view on the matter. "I am sure you have done a lot for your.. Flock and all, but enough is enough you know. You have to live your own life while you can. Not for nothing but if you don't break through soon to the next Realm you might not get the chance to."

"Yes, I know but the Flock is everything to me."

"Such a pity, they do not seem worth it so far." As they walked the observation of the entire populace was lacking. "Are all the cultivators in this region like this?"

"Yes." Duru said through gritted teeth. Not because of what he said but because her Flock was in dire straights. "The fighting with the others does not help. But we have to keep fighting to keep what we have."

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

The houses and structures looked worse for wear. Needing new paint and general upkeep just to pass a basic living inspection. Despite having more Qi in hte area they were not that strong.

Almost all of them were Body Tempering from medium up to high. But they all looked sickly as well and somewhat out of their minds. A young cultivator banged their head against a wall and no one tried to stop this.

Only looking on muttering that they hoped the other would stop soon.

"Foolish." Rexford reached his hand out and snapped his fingers once his mental energy wrapped around the person. "Go to sleep!"

*Thump!* The body dropped like a sack of potatoes which you would think would be good. But the young cultivator was currently smiling happily until someone went over and woke them back up fretting.

"Wake up before you lose your entire cultivation!" The woman shouted loudly to child, but the concern was there somewhere in her voice, Rexford liked to believe so. "You worked too hard to fall short now!"

Indoctrinated and drilled messages had an effect, the young cultivator woke up in a few seconds. Less disturbed than before and able to recognize the current surroundings at least.

But the flashing wild look did not assure the would-be Champion of the situation getting better on its own.

"They won't lose it, and if they did, it is better than going out of their mind." Rexford had more questions than answers as he looked over the situation. "This may be QI Deviation but allowing madness to set in while still at a low level of cultivation is not a smart move. Better to abolish it and start over."

"Humph! What do you know about such a thing!" An older woman said as she looked over the young cultivator. "It took her forever to get to this level and she can become a great warrior if she succeeds."

"She won't, she will die at this rate or be better off, better to let her start fresh and abandon whatever stupid art she has been studying." Rexford knew that could be somewhat taboo and inconsiderate to say but this was just stuff from what he saw. "Even if it is some Ancestral thing or supper cultivation method your people won't survive studying it."

"Shut up!"

"Tch!" Rexford delivered a backhand that was strong enough to crush boulders when he hit her, but to the shock of a few he caused the woman to stumble. 'A much higher level of Body Tempering than me but not enough that I can't hurt her or anyone else. I need to tread carefully.'

"Heh!" Wiping the blood away the older Harpy lost a bit of edge in her eyes. "Not bad for one so young!"

"Griselda, don't take it to heart he is just here to make a deal for some medicine to help with the previous situation." Damla did not look at her as she looked at Rexford's backhand which was perfectly fine. 'How strong is his hand to come unscathed?'

"It is fine, but unless he has a solution we must continue our ways." Griselda looked at Rexford who gave her a nod. "Oh?"

"Here." A canteen of water came out near the area of the Wolf Spirit ring, but it really came out of his Internal Space. "Give her a little and some others, consider it my .. apology for acting without permission."

It pained him to say but this was still outside his understanding for these people. He was not the previous version of himself where he could help anyone whenever he felt like it cause he had money.

Cracking a Vortex Spirit Enhancing Pill, he put 1/10 of it in the canteen and swirled it. It was just simple math derived from what he saw of the previous Harpies and the way it reacted on their bodies. Also, the young one strength was not at the level of those who escorted him.

Feeding the young one a little sipped worked well and soon a few of the other Harpies dragged the deranged young ones to this location. Each of them forcefully takes a sip to get rid of the malady caused by the beginning stages of Qi Deviation.

Duru had seen enough and urged them to continue onward since the situation changed enough. The remaining of the pill was given to Griselda who promised to use it with others to treat as many as they could.

"This place is really something else." Rexford muttered as they moved and focused forward instead of looking around too much more. He really didn't like what was going on and without a stable advantage, it would be unwise to do anything more just yet. 'At least there are a lot of resources available for me.'

"This is Sunset Cliff, a place I come to relax and remember why I seek the path of Immortality." Duru words shocked Rexford as it was quite wholesome and alluded to something else. "This is also where the previous Flock Leader died suddenly..."

Damla's reaction of course was stronger than Rexford's with a strong expression of both anger and sadness. But the older Harpy did not dispute it and didn't even mutter anything.

"I want you to find out what happened really." Duru dropped to a knee as she begged him. "I need to know the truth!"

"I will do what I can." Rexford looked down as he was clear why she vouched for him to come to her. He was just supposed to make some deals to secure business but this was a quick jump that might end badly. "If I do this, you are going have to give me some leeway for my methods."

Duru nodded as she stood up then turned back to view. It really was a breathtaking sight with the mountain completely visible as far as the eyes could see.

One could get lost in this for hours and not get bored.

As night came he heard too many discouraging hearsay and saw too many give him an evil look. Enough that he put up some protection and went deep into his Cultivation to make sure he was ready for something bad to happen.

Focusing on the Tortured Mind Refining Arts he was determined to pry open the secrets of it or create his own techniques of cultivation of the mind. As if his Mind was waiting specifically on this with the rush of Menral energy coming in, a new understanding of the Art blossomed.