Zhang watched the wind blow past him, carrying a chill with them. Snow would fall soon. He clutched his spear, Gravity Chi swirling around his body as he slowly descended from the skies.

“Senior Zhang. We’ve scouted the area. No demonic beasts were found,” the disciple said, bowing to him. Zhang nodded, glancing behind the man within the sect walls. “How’s the training with the explosive arrows going?”

“Good. The elders proficient in archery have already taken up quick usage of the tool, while a bunch of morta- trainees are swiftly picking upon their usage. There is one group in particular, led by Xiao Lan which is nearly ready to be taken out into the forests,” the boy replied, as the two of them began to walk around the wall. Zhang nodded, taking a stock of the city beyond from the walls.

Over the last month the city had seen more change than possibly in the last five years. The city walls were enforced, alongside the walls of the sect, the population of the seventh peak city had swelled to numbers never seen before as every village nearby had rushed to the city to take refuge from the demonic beasts in winter, as the tales of mortals awakening spread like wildfire among the empire.

Given the increasing need to train the rising population of newly founded cultivators, and the upcoming winter, Zhang had been thrust into a position of commanding by Lu Jie. He’d protested at first, not willing to leave Lu Jie’s side and leave him vulnerable, but he’d lost that argument rather quickly.

“What about the scouts?” Zhang asked the boy, glancing out into the forests beyond.

“Nothing, sir. We’ve been searching deep into the forests now, and after the initial tremors, almost all signs of demonic activities have vanished without trace,” the boy replied.

Zhang let out a breath, the vapours forming around his math. “Alright, head back now. I’ll make one final round.”

Gravity Chi swept over his body as his feet left the ground, and he took to the skies. The world slowly fell away, as he rose into the skies, near the clouds and then beyond. He saw the world under him, taking in the sights of everything he knew and had known now be encompassed in this single glance.

How truly insignificant were they all in front of nature? And yet. Resiliant enough to carve it to their own wills.

Zhang’s gaze swept around the area, his senses spreading out far beyond his own body as he took stock of anything unnatural. Slowly moving through the skies, looking down upon the city and then beyond, into the woods.

The landscape was white, with patches of brown between. The leaves had fallen in the wake of winter, yet some life resisted, more resistant than others. Zhang took in the changes to his home, watching the city changing faster than he could keep up with, yet his focus was on the beyond.

He could feel it, on the edge of his senses, beyond the domain of the Divine Tree. Something lurking beneath the earth, waiting. And he did not like it. He knew they were there, creatures of death and destruction, and he’d much preferred them when they’d simply been mindless beasts.

Moving through the skies, Zhang flew over the village of Taizhou. The houses remained empty now, all the villagers having shifted into the city itself as winter arrived. Moving through the area, Zhang flew around till he found what he was looking for. Slowly descending from the skies, Zhang landed the lab, finding Yin inside, guiding her newer students.

“O-oh, Zhang,” Yin said, lightly bowing her head. The girls around her looked at him with wide eyes, some with reverence, others with fear. Zhang paid them no attention.

“Where’s Brother Jie?” Zhang asked.

“Lu- Elder Jie is not here. He left a few hours ago.” Yin replied.

Zhang nodded, ready to turn back around when his eyes caught what was in Yin’s eyes. “Is that…?”

Yin looked down, and then gave a nod. “Yup! We’re working on the gun. I managed to make a working prototype with a slightly tuned up drugnade. Though some have been requesting that we pick easier to speak names for these.”

“I’ll mention it to brother Jie,” Zhang said and then paused. “Do you know where he might’ve gone?”

“I think he went to check on the drug factory,” Yin replied.

“Thanks,” Zhang said, walking out of the lab as he took back to the air. Flying over the city, he found himself landing in an area on the outskirts of the outer city. A rather unassuming building from the outside, if you didn’t know what existed within it.

Stepping inside, the giant steel cauldrons greeted Zhang, with spirit crystals set in lattices underneath, generating flames as spirit herbs were being distilled inside. Steam escaped the lids of the giant cauldrons, formation arts and engravings carved upon them to assist in the flow of Qi through the metallic frame. Many alchemists worked here, running the equipment and making sure nothing went wrong with the production.

“What brings you here boy?” a familiar voice called from nearby.

Zhang turned, greeting granny Lang. “Greetings Granny. I’m looking for Brother Jie.”

The old Granny let out smoke from her mouth, holding her pipe in between her fingers. “Ah, he left some time ago. Seemed to have headed to the market. Something to discuss with Su Lin. Leaving him aside, how’ve you been doing boy? You’ve been working hard for quite some time now.”

“I’m good, Granny. Just trying to make sure we aren’t caught off guard with anything that’s to come,” Zhang replied.

The granny nodded at his words. “Caution is good my boy, but make sure you take some time to rest too. Cultivators though we may be, we’re not immortals.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” Zhang replied.

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“Somehow, I doubt you will. But I suppose that’s why an old woman like me is here, to remind the younger generation to not forget things in their youthful vigor,” the old granny said, taking a breath from her smoking pipe.

“How’s things been going on granny? I didn’t know you were working here,” Zhang asked.

“I come around every now and then. Gotta check in on these kids, make sure they don’t break anything. Even I don’t understand all the process involved in developing this. The boy sure as hell doesn’t. A bunch of formation artists and engravers worked on the cauldrons. But alchemy is still alchemy, and I can help with that much.”

Zhang smiled. “Your help has been invaluable.”

“You bet it has been. You kids are as blind as they come to any finesse. This right here? This isn’t craft. It’s fine to work towards progressing things, but that boy needs to remember the craft that goes within the soul of Alchemy.”

Zhang bowed. “I’ll relay the message.”

The granny snorted, clearly not as angry as she put on to be. “Go, before you lose him again.”

Raising his head, Zhang left the factory behind, taking back to the skies as he headed towards the market. The city, while still recovering, had nearly doubled in population with the influx of people. Normally the months of winter would be full of starving villagers trying to find shelter and food, but with the many ideas Brother Jie had brought forth, the city had begun rapidly expanding. The blessings of Chi kept everyone safer, more and more mortals now awakening to the energy and finding themselves walking upon an entirely new Path.

With less mortals, food demands could be focused on other things, work could go on longer, and more people’s needs were taken care of. It was still surreal to watch, as Zhang flew through the skies, to see how much the world around him was changing.

Making his way across the Seventh Peak city, Zhang slowly landed near the market hub, sensing Su Lin present there, arguing with some men.

“Is something the matter?” Zhang asked, descending from the skies, as he eyed the men nearby.

“Nothing brother, just some old thugs that’re having trouble accepting the new way things work. I’ll get them in line soon,” Su Lin said, glancing sideways at the thugs. Zhang looked at the men- or rather, boys. None of them were older than twenty, and all in rough shape more or less.

“Ya can’t just take over all this and expect us to sit around and do nothing,” one of the boys spat. “We worked for Silver Fang. He’s gonna bring ya down.”

“And where is this Silver Fang of yours? Ran to some other city when things started to go bad? Accept your reality you dumbasses. You’re being given a chance to actually make something of your lives,” Su Lin said, glaring at them.

“What do ya know you backstabbing rat. Ya left us,” one of the boys said.

“I left ya cuz yer an idiot, and Silver Fang was no better than the louts in the sect. I wasn’t gonna go from the thumb of one asshole to another,” Su Lin said, grabbing the collar of the boy.

“Who says this Lu Jie isn’t just like them? He’s some lord chosen prodigy, what’s he to know of our problems?”

Su Lin glared at the boy, ready to snap back when Zhang held them back.

“You don’t trust Brother Jie, is that correct?” Zhang asked.

The boy looked at him nervously, before giving him a nod. “Very well, then take this token and head to the sect. Tell them to give you enough gold to be able to move to the sixth peak, and settle there for winter. You’ll have enough to live through winter, and setup a new life for all of you.”

The boy stared at the token, eyes wide.

“Or, you can take this token to the sect and tell them you want to work for them. Ask them what pay you’ll get, and then make your own choice for yourself,” Zhang said, handing the token into the boy’s hand.

The boy stared at him, before glancing at Su Lin in surprise. A moment later, he turned, followed by the other kids, as they walked away.

“You’re too nice on them,” Su Lin said.

“And you’re too harsh,” Zhang replied.

Su Lin clicked his tongue. “Anyway, what brings you over. Aren’t ya training a bunch of new recruits?”

“I’m looking for Brother Jie,” Zhang said.

“Ah, he’s at the academy. Left a few minutes ago,” Su Lin added.

Zhang sighed, before nodding. Su Lin laughed at his expression. “Yeah, he’s become quite busy hasn’t he?”

“With his rank comes responsibilities. Many of them. But yes, he has,” Zhang said, a wry smile on his face.

“Yeah, he’s gone and become a big man,” Su Lin added.

“Take care brother,” Zhang said, as gravity Chi flared around him and he went into the skies. Flying over the city, he reached the Lord’s manor, upon rebuilding, which had been turned into an Academy for the entire Seventh Peak, at Lu Jie’s request. Slowly descending down, he saw guards look at him warily for a moment, before they relaxed, sensing who he was.

Nodding to the armed men, Zhang stepped inside, and found children running around everywhere. Many turned and looked at him, some with starry eyes, other with fear, as Zhang walked through, before reaching one of the classroom.

“Take a deep breath in. Let your Chi flow through you. Imagine it like a ball of warmth in your abdomen, collecting with your breath, before you release it out into the world.”

Zhang watched Yan Yun seated inside, cross legged, as twenty children, all roughly the age of twelve or so sat in front of her, meditating.

“Could I have a moment?” Zhang asked, and Yan Yun opened her eyes.

“Oh Zhang. Kids, continue meditating, I’ll be back,” Yan Yun said, standing up as she stepped outside. “What brings you here?”

“Looking for Brother Jie.”

“Oh he just-“

“-left just now? Yeah that tracks,” Zhang said.

Yan Yun giggled. “Been looking for him a while huh?”

Zhang gave a nod.

“Well, he’ll be at the sect, some urgent task. Apparently the sect Patriarch is going to discuss his position as Elder of the seventh peak’s cloudy peaks sect. They allowed him to take the role when everything was wrong but it seems like they’re looking to strip him of the title now that the crisis has been averted,” Yan Yun said.

“The Patriarch?” Zhang asked.

“Yup. Grandfather was only an elder, the Patriarch lives in Azure city. He’s really old,” Yan Yun said. “Though Lu Jie also had a guest arrive from the Shie clan so he should be fine.”

“Is it Liuxiang?” Zhang asked.

“Unfortunately not. But one of his- or rather, her cousins,” Yan Yun said.

Zhang nodded. “Thank you.”

“No problem. And hey, if you find him, tell him the kids are looking to learn science again. I’m sure he’ll be happy to take another class.”

Zhang smiled. “I will.”

With a flare of gravity Chi, he flew back up to the skies, using a little more than he’d normally do as he moved towards the inner sect, passing through the wards easily. Flying to the central chambers, Zhang landed on the balcony, walking inside as he heard the voice he’d been looking for.

“Damn old geezers. Making life hard for me.”

“Difficult though it may be, but with our support, the Patriarch should have no reason to hold you from your position,” the boy from the Shie clan said.

“I sure hope so,” Lu Jie replied.”

“Brother Jie,” Zhang called out.

“Oh Zhang, what brings you here?” Lu Jie asked, waving him in. Zhang followed, shutting the door behind, leaving the cold winds out as he stepped in.

“I have some concerning news,” Zhang said, giving a nod of acknowledgement to the Shie clan member before he turned to Lu Jie, and took a deep breath.

“The demons have vanished.”