Chapter 4: not cautious enough?
Pov :Sq1
Core system:"one month before the sect recruitment date sarah and John decided to set out as they had a long way to go"
Sq1 sat in the merchant carriage heading towards the same destination as them so John decided to buy a ticket a travel with them
Core system:"these carriages are quite interesting, they appear to be powered by simple energy constructs that absorb qi from the air to provide acceleration, but this thing looks like busted wooden bus that would fall apart at the next road bump"
5 days later
POV: Sarah and John
Sarah and John sat side by side in the merchant carriage, their bodies swaying with the rhythm of the creaking wheels. It had been a long and arduous journey, but they knew they were getting closer to their destination. Their hearts were filled with hope and anticipation as they traveled to the Sunflower Sect, hoping their child, dong hong, would be recruited as a disciple.
The carriage was filled with a diverse group of people, each with their own stories and aspirations. Sarah couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie among them, as if they were all connected by their shared dreams. Dong hong, their young and talented child, was seated across from them, his eyes filled with excitement and curiosity.
As they continued on their journey, passing through various cities, Sarah and John marveled at the sights and sounds of the world beyond their small village. They saw towering buildings, bustling marketplaces, and cultivators displaying their skills in the streets. The couple couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and wonder, realizing just how vast and diverse the world truly was.
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One particularly eventful stop was a large city that dwarfed their previous destination, Azure Farm Village. The city resembled an ancient metropolis, with its grand architecture and bustling streets. Sarah and John couldn't help but feel a mixture of excitement and trepidation as they stepped off the carriage and into the vibrant city.
The couple explored the city, wandering through its maze-like streets and taking in the sights and sounds. They visited magnificent temples, bustling marketplaces, and even caught glimpses of powerful cultivators engaging in fierce battles. Each experience fueled their determination to see dong hong succeed in his aspirations.
Finally, the day arrived when they reached the Sunflower Sect. Excitement coursed through their veins as they joined the long line of aspiring disciples, patiently waiting for their turn to be assessed. Sarah and John watched dong hong, their hearts swelling with pride as they saw him conversing with fellow aspirant cultivators and sharing his knowledge.
But as they stood in line, an unexpected tragedy unfolded before their eyes. A powerful cultivator, a figure Sarah and John could only describe as divine and venerable, approached dong hong. Without warning or provocation, he struck dong hong with a single slap, extinguishing the young cultivator's life force.
Sarah's scream of anguish was drowned out by the gasps and murmurs that erupted from the shocked crowd. The divine venerable showed no remorse, as if he was harvesting cabbage . He casually threw a orb which seemed to absorb something, explaining that he had noticed something peculiar about the young cultivator.
The crowd was paralyzed with fear and disbelief, their eyes locked on the divine venerable. He proclaimed dong hong a devil, using the term to appease the shocked onlookers, before departing from the scene. Sarah and John were left kneeling beside their lifeless child, tears streaming down their faces, their hearts shattered.
The couple's grief was overwhelming, their minds clouded with confusion and anger. How could someone so powerful, revered even by their own ancestors, show such callous disregard for their child's life? They glanced at the crowd, some still in shock, others whispering among themselves, and realized that their loss meant nothing to them.
In the midst of their sorrow, the divine venerable's words lingered in their minds. What did he mean by Sq1 being peculiar? Why had their child become a target of such a powerful cultivator? The questions swirled within them, fueling a newfound determination to seek answers and justice for their fallen child.
But deep down they knew that is not going to happen because they were immigrants that entered the country with the help of a village elder.
As they clutched dong hong's lifeless body, Sarah and John vowed to find the truth, to seek justice for their dead child no matter the cost
(Divine venerable is a title cultivators use to address divine soul stage cultivators)
(Cultivation major realms:
Qi refinement mation