Dear Diary,

I have a foreboding feeling for today. Instinct, that something would be different this time. haha, I am actually getting old, talking about instinct and feeling so much these past few days.

For all intent and purposes, this should be my final letter to you. If I'm wrong, I will see you tomorrow as always. I have been satisfied with this life for some time now. I would ask you not to miss me but I know you won't.

I sat on a sofa while looking at the burning paper I just penned. It was a habit of carefulness. I could put out many excuses but in the end, I didn’t want to be labeled as mad. I threw the ashes in the trash nearby and went to my window looking at the whole city underneath. The ritual started as a chore but I confess it might have become an obsession for me. It wasn't much trouble either, just chanting for a few minutes and hoping to be whisked away to a different life.

I knew many people would kill to be in his position. Young, successful, and wealthy. I knew that I should be grateful for having so much, but the only thing I could muster was boredom. I read too much and it might have corrupted my mind. Wealth and power of influence felt so fickle. Always dependant on someone else. I, on the other hand, wanted to be the hero who slew the dragon, not bounded by the shackles of society.

Unlike many, I had always believed in aliens or beings that were intelligent but not human. Obviously, there was no proof, I did try to have a look at the conspiracy theorists but they were at best deluded and holes in their reasoning so big that a whale could go through without touching any seams. So the question arises, why do this ritual then?

Simple, it was a personal experience that I could not explain away with usual science, I had to either believe that I was mad and seeing things, which might be true but I wasn't going to admit it anytime soon or there was something extraordinary going on. Until I found a logical explanation, one which didn't declare myself mad, I would keep having hope and see if the ritual works.

==============================

I looked at a small city stretching eastwards some hundreds of Li away. One last drink to your name and then I will focus on my broken Dao. Decision made, I took a step, and arrived inside an inn. Spatial steps, my art was called. Very few had enough knowledge about space to comprehend this technique. I wasn’t arrogant about it anymore though, because I met someone who mastered this technique after having one look. The mortal Inn that I chose was in the corner of the city and as shabby as I expected but it would do for a drink.

I asked for some wine and started reminiscing about my love. To the most talented cultivator, I had the fortune to see. I had done these things in multiple cities, it had almost become a habit. One he was willing to break, it doesn’t do for a cultivator to wallow in self-pity for too long. Toasting to her, complex feelings still arose and I sighed again. While drinking my second glass, I felt something, a wave of Qi, a spatial array but more complex than anything I could ever make. I could vaguely make out that this was something to do with the soul. How can such a formation be in such a barren place? There is almost no Qi around. Deciding to take a look, I stepped off towards the source, my wine in hand. Heading headfirst into the unknown was dangerous, foolish even. A person who could command this type of formation was in a different league than even him but what was the most that could happen? I would die? I didn't really care too much anymore.

I used spatial steps again and found myself inside a hut, I hid but what I saw had me struck mute. I saw a necklace around an old man, presumably a servant, of barely 5th stage of body tempering the source of this commotion. I also saw a foundation realm cultivator with a sword in hand running towards that old man. I could see the greed in his eyes and the promise of violence in his Qi. He wanted that necklace, it was plain to me. I sighed again.

A cultivator doing this was amazing in itself but an item that was capable of this much Qi was unheard of. This treasure was worth having even for me but people should really know their limits. Had it been a few years ago, I would have killed off both of them and have a look at that necklace on the old man himself. This necklace was amazing, not only such a complex formation was inside it, the way the detection of it propagated made sure that the farther a person, the later he will feel something is wrong, unlike normal ones, where the whole range is covered in Qi the moment the transportation starts. It was enough of a delay that this foundation establishment cultivator who probably ran from his room arrived here earlier than me.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

I didn't want to involve myself but if that necklace chose that old man, then the old man was special and I would help it a bit. It's better for the old man or soul that is arriving to have his chance at immortality. I flicked my finger as an arc of Qi shot from my fingers to him. The mid-foundation establishment cultivator fell down with his sword still stretched. He was dead before his body hit the ground. I started focusing on the old man using Sense Soul Art. Another art, that was very rare for my level of cultivation. It was hard to notice that the old man's soul dissipated the moment the new soul arrived, leaving a few streams of information, I was hoping for a fight of will between the souls but this Daoist is very careful. This Daoist is probably an old monster, someone who has seen the heights of formations and arrays. The control of the soul is exquisite. The domain of the soul starts from the next realm. He is in a way, my senior. I should help him a little. If nothing else, it's good karma.

While he was getting his bearings and digesting the information, I decided to help him solve a minor issue. I let my Qi expand, no longer was it tightly wrapped around me. The Qi from the world suddenly noticed my presence and started roiling on itself. It was awaiting my command and I gave it, I froze the Qi in the city and let my aura color it. I waited for a few moments for the people to react a little. A warning is polite, there was no need to go overboard. When I noticed that the whole city was finally paying attention, I pressed down the Qi lightly. All the mortals and cultivators kneeled alike. I let a little happiness tinge my Qi. This should be enough for almost all the cultivators. When I finally paid attention to the old man, I saw he was looking at me with questioning eyes. It was a little surprising that he didn't feel the pressure but not unexpected. He probably had his own ways to deal with minor inconveniences like that.

I bowed in greeting as my wine cup sloshed a bit, and said, "Fellow Daoist, it was fate that brought us together, if it were different circumstances, I would learn a lot about formations from you. But I have wine to finish and promises to keep. If we meet again, I hope you can guide me, I also hope you didn't take offense to me flaring my Qi. The other cultivators should back down for now and you shouldn't encounter any difficulties. If you need a place to rest, show this token to any of the sects around and you would be taken in."

Bowing again in farewell. I stepped off towards the east. After all, I had to fix my Dao.

All the cultivators stayed kneeling even after the suffocating Qi was gone for quite some time. They knew where it came from. They really wanted to go and see what happened, but most of them didn't have the guts to even stand up. It was only after some time, that a few brave ones stood up and started walking towards the Qing clan, did they start to follow.

==============================

"Alright, what the hell happened", the old man named Han Li was truly befuddled and scared. As I came to my senses, I got up and started moving away from the dead man in front of me. I was scared but determined. I had multiple plans to deal with different situations. I knew I would be whisked away to a different world if the ritual worked and this scenario seemed one of the better ones although definitely not a good one.

I understood whatever that terrifying youth said, although I didn't understand what Cultivators or Qi meant. I would in due time. I knew people were coming here and probably would either question me or blame me for the murder. Will they believe me that one youth was here and he vanished? I didn't want to find out.

I was outside my hut in a few seconds and ran towards the gate. I knew the layout of the house as well as the city, I dearly wanted to take a moment and ask questions on how but the answer was probably magic. When I was outside of the house, I noticed that the streets were barren as if people had thrown themselves inside their house. Was something happening? Did I cause some big commotion? Not important. Run and hide first. I needed to cross at least two streets before I would consider himself safe enough to even think. He made way for an inn I knew was around that area. I noticed that I was slowing down and only then, did I finally look at myself. What the hell? I got old. There are wrinkles in my hand. No wonder I was so slow. How will I ever do anything in such a state? There was not much time for me to come to terms with it though, as my stomach started cramping from all that running.

When I was finally near an alley connected to a restaurant did I stop running and started walking. There should be people inside. I sat down on the ground on the side of the inn while wheezing. What if I get a heart attack and die? I felt it would be a very funny end to my short life here and started laughing.

Something unclenched inside of me and a smile lit my face. I actually was in another world. I always had hope that there was something mystical about that man, that it wasn't just an illusion of my mind. And the pain in my stomach from running proved it. There were a lot of things to do and I think it's time to stop laughing like a maniac.

The people see an old man chortling by himself near a dumpster from their homes. They shake their head and go on with their lives.