Chapter 3

Within the inner courts, various mountains overlooked the activities of the sect, each taken by an inner court elder who served as both teachers and protectors of the sect. The inner court elders handled most of the facets of the sect and were all powerful cultivators in their own respect. They all respected and followed the sect master whether it was because they wanted to learn the later stages of the [The Zephyr Thunder blade] or because they truly believed that this sect would be great someday.

The mountains surrounded several magnificent structures known as the Thunderstorm compound. It was here where the sect master lives and where the inner court elders would gather to discuss important events happening within the sect.’

Pascal landed at the door of the largest building within the Thunderstorm compound and seemed hesitant to step forward. She took a deep breath and calmed herself.

“Elder Pascal Isa awaiting sect master’s approval!” She proclaimed loudly.

The large doors swung open, and she entered the building. Inside, she saw a bulky man with dark blue hair which matched her own, sitting upon a chair made for a king. The pressure he gave off made anything else in the room feel insignificant compared to himself.

Pascal approached the sect master stiffly and without expression before she knelt on one knee and clasped her hands in respect.

“Elder Pascal pays respect to sect master.“

“How are you, daughter?“ He spoke in a deep, powerful voice.

“I-I’m good, father,“ she replied cautiously.

“You may rise.“

Pascal rose but seemed to have trouble keeping a straight look at her father.

“How has your cultivation been?“

“I’m still unable to open the Golden Core.“ Her words were like those of a child telling their parents about their results for a test. She was constantly checking to see how her father would react.

Just then, a distinct voice echoed out.

“Ah, sister, you needn’t be so disappointed. There are many who cannot open the golden core within their spirit field. It’s already quite surprising you reached as far as you did, so why not just settle down and start a family?“ A light blue-haired woman appeared from the side. She had strikingly similar features as Pascal and was as stunningly beautiful. However, the woman’s gaze had a much more sinister undertone while Pascal only put on a cold front. There was an ongoing debate among the disciples about which of the two sisters was more beautiful and was a hot topic of discussion.

Pascal’s expression darkened seeing her sister, and she couldn’t help but clench her fist tightly.

“Father, sister… its been a while since we’ve all come together like this again.“

“Sister… why are you here?“ Pascal asked.

“Isn’t it because father called me as well? I don’t have as much free time as you taking care of that waste you call a disciple.“

Pascal’s cultivation base erupted however, her sister was undisturbed and smiled as she released her own cultivation base. Their cultivation bases clashed and caused the building to shake. For a moment, it seemed like they were even, but with an icy smile, her eyes glowed golden and her cultivation exploded. Pascal’s cultivation pressure shattered. The full extent of her sister’s cultivation fell upon her, and her body slowly sank down until her knees touched the ground.

Pascal looked hatefully at her sister, who strut forward and placed a hand on her head.

“That’s a good girl. If only you were this obedient when we were younger, then our relationship would be much better.

Having said nothing so far, their father finally chimed in: “Iris, stop it.“

With her father’s words, the fun stopped, and she withdrew the pressure.

Pascal knocked away her hand.

“So feisty,“ Iris chortled.

Pascal turned to her father and asked: “Father, what did you call me here for?“

Her father, Botan, furrowed his brow, and Pascal immediately shrieked back.

“Watch your temperament, daughter, do not think just because you are my daughter that you can talk to me anyway you like. It is because of your hot temper that you have always fallen behind your sister and why you haven’t been able to open your Golden Core.“

Pascal fell silent and nodded in acceptance.

This was what it was like growing up. A cold father who favoured only one daughter and constantly compared one to the other. She grew up in her sister’s shadow and received no praise or warm feelings from their father. Their father respected only one thing, and that was power. Without power, you were useless. As she always fell behind her sister, that phrase continued to echo throughout her life and she soon fell into an inferiority complex to her sister.

Iris was Pascal’s half sister and grew up with her father’s praise. She was arrogant and always looked down on her weak-willed sister, which further strained their relationship. Within the sect, the inner court elders knew of the sect master’s favour for the older sister and would flock to her side as she was likely to be the next sect master once he relinquishes his role from the sect.

After a moment of silence, he said, “Forget it, this wasn’t what I called you in for. Eiken has submitted another marriage proposal. What are your thoughts?”

Her solemn demeanor returned, and she replied curtly, “Not interested.“

“Why are you so quick to dismiss Eiken, sister?“ Iris suddenly said, “He’s regarded as the most handsome within three cities and every day, dozens of women swoon from seeing him. Not only is he handsome, he will inherit the Tora family in the future. Honestly, I don’t see why he is so obsessed with you as you only barely qualify to stand next to him. If I were you, I would have already fallen into his arms and bore our father some grand children.

“If you like him, why don’t you take him? I don’t mind,“ Pascal said without hesitation.

“What was that?“ Iris’ cultivation erupted once more, but this time, Botan quickly ended their bickering.

“Stop, both of you.“ With a single sentence, the two sisters stopped.

He turned to Pascal and asked, “Eiken has been courting you for close to a decade now and you have rejected him every time he visited. Why?“

“We… we don’t match.“

“The path to immortality is long and arduous, paved with the blood and sweat of countless cultivators. Those without strength will fall and become the stepping stones for those who do. With your talent, you will eventually cross the threshold and step into the Golden Core realm but no further. Back in the golden age of cultivation, resources were much more plentiful and there were dozens of immortal cultivation techniques. It’s been 30,000 years since then, and the continent’s resources have grown scarce, and only the seven kingdoms and four supreme sects still have complete immortal cultivation techniques. Within the continent, including the beast immortals, there are less than 100 total immortals. The growing scarcity has caused unrest among the supreme sects. They’ve slowly been sharpening their fangs and have turned their eyes towards the kingdoms. When the time comes, a basic Golden Core realm cultivator will be nothing but cannon fodder.”

“The Tora family has a partial immortal legacy and could help you pave the way to the half step to immortal ascension realm. Behind them, they have also gained the help of one of the supreme sects. Daughter, I ask you, what is more important; your cultivation or your sense of sense of compatibility?”

There was a brief pause, but in her eyes there was no doubt. Although she knew the answer her father wanted, she could not marry him. In her life, there was one absolute in her life you couldn’t touch and that was her disciple. On that day she picked Relic from the rumble, Eiken voiced his discontent with that and shortly after, his negative treatment towards her disciple solidified her opinion on him.

“Father, I’m sorry, but I will not marry him!“ she said with confidence.

Botan stared down his daughter before sighing, "… Very well. Consider this matter put to rest. In his letter, he mentioned this would be his last proposal, but whether or not you agree, he still wanted to meet you one last time. Can you do that?“

Pascal knew of the relations between her father and the Tora family and did not want to make things difficult, so she nodded, perhaps a bit relieved for it to be soon be over.

“How is your disciple doing?“ He suddenly asked.

Pascal’s heart almost skipped a beat. She wasn’t at all prepared for her father to ask about Relic.

Why is father suddenly asking about Relic? Does he want to take back his word?

Everyone in the sect knew how poor cultivation talent he had, and in the beginning, there were many who protested his residence here. Every sect had finite resources, and as a direct disciple of an elder it entitled him to large portions of the sect resources. Every elder wanted the best for their own disciple and having one more in the mix meant their own disciples would receive less. As Pascal was unwilling to negotiate the matter of his stay in the sect, even against her father’s wishes, the resolution was that he would not receive the same resources as direct disciples. In the end, he only received the same resources as those received by the outer court disciples. He was a direct disciple only in name and did not receive the same benefits as the others. The only thing he had was the fact that he could stay with his master at her mountain. However, this news never made it out to the other disciples and thus, the inner court disciples loathed and bullied him, believing he was living the high life.

Despite getting what they wanted, some elders also pursued Relic’s expulsion, believing him as a stain on the sect’s reputation. Pascal, for the first time, realized how alone she was as no one supported her and she was ready to leave the sect with her disciple. Yet, out of nowhere, her father suddenly spoke out and said that as long as Relic reached the foundation realm before the age of 21, then he will be allowed to stay in the sect. Otherwise, he must leave immediately.

It surprised her as she never thought her father would throw out a lifeline like that. She thought perhaps her father had changed, but perhaps she was thinking too deeply.

She worried her father would retract his statement and kick out Relic.

Is father going to kick Relic out because I went against his wishes?

Seeing the worry on her face, Botan understood what she was thinking and said, “Don’t worry, my initial promise is still in effect. If he can reach the foundation realm before the age of twenty-one then he can stay. I simply wanted to know what his current progress is.“

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Hearing this, she sighed a breath of relief.

“Ha, that talentless trash reaches the foundation realm? That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all day!“ Iris laughed.

Pascal was just about to say something in anger when Botan’s voice erupted: “Enough!“ His hand slammed down against the arm of his chair.

The room went into silence, and Iris looked in shock at her father. This was the first time he had yelled at her with such vigor, and there was no way for her to process this calmly.

However, before she could speak, he gave her a stern stare and said, “I will speak with you later. Until then, I don’t want to hear another word from you.“

Her mouth opened and closed several times before she retreated.

Botan then turned back to Pascal, who felt just as shocked as her sister.

“H-He is doing well. He is still only in the fifth stage of the soulless warrior realm, but he has been working hard in his spear work. He can hold his own against mortal weapon experts if they were to battle,” she said in a hurry.

Botan nodded.

“Mn, although he has no talent in cultivation, his work ethic is not any less than the inner court disciples. I admire those who never give up and strive to be better.

He waved his hand, and a jade slip appeared in his hand. The jade slip then floated towards her.

Jade slips contained information so once it was in her hand she immediately sent her inner sight to read the information.

Her eyes widened, and she turned to her father.

“Is this real?“

He said nothing and simply nodded.

She clutched the jade slip in her hands in excitement and a smile stretched across her face.

She immediately bent down on one knee and clasped her hands.

“Thank you, father!“

“Tell your disciple I look forward to his progress. You may leave now.“

Pascal nodded and turned to leave. In her excitement, she didn’t even look at Iris as she rushed back to her disciple to tell him the good news.

Only Iris and Botan remained, and she quickly raised her grievances.

“Father, how could you yell at me like that? I was only making an accurate statement about that trash!“

Botan seemed to not mind her childish ramble and asked calmly, “Have the elders of the Tora clan approved the request?“

She immediately answered solemnly: “Yes, father. Cousin Eiken already has a copy of the imperfect immortal legacy with him. He will be here within a couple of days.”

“That’s good.“ Botan nodded and then said, “You should treat your sister nicer. She will benefit the sect greatly.“

Iris laughed loudly: “Yes, sister will be happy she will finally be able to contribute to the sect. She’ll finally have something in common with that whore of a mother of hers.“

The room suddenly turned cold and murderous intent fell upon her. She saw her father’s murderous gaze and took a step back in fear.

“… I told you to never mention her near me.“

His crippling pressure fell on her and the floor cracked as she fell to the ground.

“Father… forgive me…“

A few moments passed before the pressure disappeared, but the murderous air was still heavy. Iris had made the same mistake once before, and she knew it was best not to say anything. She bowed and quickly left, leaving her father by himself.

His hand slowly clenched the arm of the chair, producing terrifying cracking sounds until it suddenly exploded into hundreds of pieces. The murderous intent in his eyes showed no signs of disappearing soon.

…

Outside, Iris was furious.

“Why does father always over react? I only mentioned her in passing but he still choose to treat me like that!“ She felt like cursing but held her tongue lest her father was observing her.

Out of nowhere, a teenage girl appeared behind and asked: “Master, is something troubling you?“

Iris looked at the girl and a malicious smile appeared as a thought occurred: “Risa, it’s been a while since you’ve seen my sister’s disciple. As fellow disciples of the same generation, it’ll be rude of us not to pay them a visit.

Risa said nothing and simply nodded, indifferent.

A long scarf extended from Iris and wrapped around Risa before she took off into the sky towards Pascal Mountain.

…

Back at her mountain, Pascal entered her immortal abode. As she entered, the smell of fragrant flowers wafting through the air. Relic was standing next to a fire as he tending to a heated pot.

“Relic, I’m back.“

Relic turned his head excitedly and said, “Master, welcome back. I just finished roasting the flower buds. Have some tea.“ He pulled back a chair, and she happily obliged.

He then scooped up the roasted flowers into two cups and set them on the table. He then took the already boiled water and poured it into the cups. Once the water touched the roasted flower buds, they opened up and released a fresh scent, one which made her feel calm and relax.

Relic then presented her with a dish of glutinous rice cakes and took out a bottle of sweet syrup before glazing the top of the dish.

“Hmm, when did you go out to the city to buy this?” She asked curiously.

"Master, I bought some ingredients the last time we headed to the city. You told me it was hard to find a good snack to pair with your drinks, so I made this.

“Oh~“ she smiled. Her disciple was always so attentive to her words and hung on to them like gold. He was an obedient child and never complained to her instructions. Even when he was young and she trained him to face his fears, he would never run but face them head on. Though he didn’t conquer his fears immediately, he never stopped trying. Over the years, she watched him grow to a be a strapping young man who she couldn’t help but be proud. Though she wouldn't say it, the days they spent together were some of the happiest.

She raised her chopsticks and took a bite of the sweet dessert. The savory dessert slid down her throat

“It’s good!“

Relic’s face beamed, and a smile stretched out. Though it seemed like he had only made this dessert in passing, the last time they went to the city was over two months ago. Since then, he had been secretly experimenting on the dessert, refining his skills, and created over a hundred samples until he finally made something he thought was presentable to his master. There was no way for his dessert to taste bad, and if he sold it in the streets of the city, they would quickly become very popular.

Pascal suddenly placed down her chopsticks and looked at her disciple warmly.

“Master, is something wrong?“ he asked, worried that perhaps his snack wasn’t actually up to her taste.

“Do you remember before I left, I said I had two gifts for you? Here is my second gift.“ She took out a wooden box and gave it to Relic.

Relic recalled the box and simply opened it. Immediately, a thick medicinal aroma erupted out and filled the room. However, what drew his attention was three pattern, purple hued pill sitting inside. His jaw dropped as he stuttered, “F-F-F-Foundation… pill…“

Pascal laughed at his dumbfounded gaze. It was always funny to see her disciple so shocked.

His first present had already shocked him to no end, but this second present, well, he almost couldn’t believe it. This was a foundation establishment pill, something hardly ever seen and only spoke of by hopeful cultivators. It was a pill which allowed one to step into the foundation establishment pill. The reason he worked so hard in his spearmanship was because he knew as a cultivator, he had little to no talent at all. It was a hard truth to accept, but he understood the cruel reality of cultivation since he was young. His spiritual root was of the lowest grade, and he had no affinity for any essences. Some were born to cultivate, and some were not.

However, the foundation establishment pill, while rare, had one major flaw, which was the fact that anyone who took the pill would become a fake foundation establishment cultivator. A fake foundation realm cultivator will always be weaker than a genuine one and those who take it will never make another improvement in their life. The foundation realm required one to comprehend the fundamental laws and establish the three pillars of man: will, intent, and vehemence. The foundation establishment pill bypasses those requirements, but by doing so, it cuts off one’s cultivation route and without understanding, the fake foundation establishment cultivators will always be weaker than real ones. However, those who truly wanted the foundation establishment pill were all those who already accepted the reality that they would never ascend to the foundation realm by themselves and being a foundation realm cultivator, even a fake one, was better than never being one.

Relic looked down at the pill. His initial excitement dwindled as quickly as it was lit, replaced with a somber expression. He knew what it meant to take this pill, but that was not the reason for the sudden change in mood. His master hid nothing from him, and he knew of the strict conditions placed on him in order for him to stay in the sect. If he did not become a foundation realm cultivator by the age of twenty-one, he must leave. Taking this foundation establishment pill would not change that fact, for he would only be a fake foundation realm cultivator. This pill was a somber reminder that he only had a few short years left with his master.

“This pill was what I was after when I went to that auction,“ she suddenly said, “With this pill you could become a foundation establishment cultivator and never have to worry about work. Or you could sell it and live a lavish life, never having to worry about money again. You could even offer this pill to a mid-tier clan who would be more than likely to offer you the hand of one of their beautiful daughters and you would live a happy life."

Hearing such choices, any mortal would think this pill was their shooting star, granting whatever their heart desired. However, for Relic, his heart only became heavier the more he listened. He grew up under his master’s care, and he had always hoped to continue to be with her. When he was growing up, as long as his master was with him, he never cared whether he had no friends, or that others bullied him, or of his constant shortcomings as a cultivator. She was the first thing he saw that night when everything around him was black. She was the light which shined down and from that day, he couldn’t imagine life without her.

She continued, “You could even buy an entire town with that pill and be the mayor of-“

She suddenly stopped talking as she saw tears streak down his face.

Relic suddenly bowed deeply, biting his lips in order to calm his shaky voice. “Thank you, master, I will treasure this gift forever and I will not let you down. I will work hard every day on my spearmanship and be the best that I can. I will forever be in master’s debt for saving me that night. Master, I promise I-“

She coughed out, disturbing his speech. She had teased him too much.

“My plan originally was to give you this pill so that once you return to mortal life, you wouldn’t have to face too much hardship. However, such a cozy life is ill suited for my disciple.“

Relic looked up, still teary-eyed and a little confused.

“I just received word from the sect master. He has noticed your hard work and diligence of your training. To reward you for your perseverance, he decided to give you a test, a sect mission. You will travel to the coastal city of the Cloud Treading Kingdom and search for the elusive moonlight jellyfish to retrieve its moon pearl. The time limit is three years, and the reward is the usage of the Genesis Thunder Pool.

Silence…

The two gifts Pascal had given to her disciple were shocking, and the value of both gifts was something no other elder in this sect would spend on their own disciples. He could barely contain his shock for the first two gifts, but hearing this news, it felt like he was struck by lightning. He couldn’t even get a single word out of his throat.

The Genesis Thunder Pool was a treasure solely belonging to the Thunderstorm sect. While one could say the Zephyr Thunder blade art was the foundation of the sect, the Genesis Thunder Pool was its rarest treasure, one which even the outer court disciples didn’t know about and only a rumour of existence for the inner court disciples.

It was said during his travels through the desolate regions, the sect leader chanced upon a forgotten immortal abode, one which existed during the golden age of cultivation. He had only taken refuge there to rest from the storm. However, he quickly noticed that the storm seemed to gather to where he was and before he knew it, purple lightning struck down in a thunderous boom.

The cave was like a lightning rod, drawing the lightning towards it. It was then he noticed it. Behind him, a faint light glowed and in the center was a standing rock, hollowed and in the shape of a bowl. Within that bowl was a single scoopful of crystal clear liquid. This liquid did not have a name, but with one drop it could completely refine anything it touched. Taking a single drop could completely reforge one’s dantian and spirit root, making one gain affinity to the essence of lightning and bolster their cultivation to new heights. It was like becoming reborn, stronger than ever!

The sect leader scooped it up and would later set up the Genesis Thunder Pool, a medicinal bath mixed with a single drop of the strange liquid. A single drop within the medicinal bath, while not as effective as drinking the liquid, would still cause fundamental change to a cultivator’s body and talent. It could sustain a dozen people before losing its effect. Even someone as talentless as Relic would benefit from bathing in it and reaching the foundation realm would no longer be impossible. The sect leader had only ever traded the liquid with one person, an immortal ascension cultivator, and it was to protect their sect for 40 years. Thus, once news of the treasure released, no one would dare target the sect and once the 40 years was up, the sect leader could protect it himself. Since its existence, the Genesis Thunder Pool was used only a handful of times, with even the elders having to gain tremendous contribution points before having the chance to use it.

Pascal had pleaded to her father to give Relic a chance to use the pool for years, but he had always declined, saying it was a waste of the sects resources. She had thought it was impossible for Relic to get the chance to use the pool, that was, until today.

Relic had also heard of the pool but not by his master, but through the passing words of other disciples talking about it. Perhaps Pascal never wanted to get his hopes up by saying too much about the pool, but such a treasure could not be hidden.

This chance to use the pool meant he could reforge his talent and possibly even step into the foundation realm!

Tears welled up in his eyes once more and before he knew it, the waterworks came as he called out, “Master!“

It had been years since he cried out like this but he didn’t care. He lunged himself at her and cried into her clothes.

“Ahh, stop, you’re dirtying my clothes!“ She quickly protested, but he would not let go.

Finally, she gave up and patted his head as she smiled.

“How old are you now? How can you get a wife if you cry so easily? A man needs to be strong so that he can protect the ones he loves. Now, now, stop crying, master also feels the same way.“

Her words reached him as he slowly wiped away his tears.

She looked him straight into his eyes and said, “Relic, success is not guaranteed and finding a moonlight jellyfish is as hard as finding a needle in a haystack; and finding one with a moon pearl is even harder. There has been some who have been lucky enough to find one but in the end, it is still up to the Grand Flow to decide. Be ready with your expectations and don’t let it blind you from what truly matters… your safety.“

“Master…“ He was ready to let out tears once more, but he held it in. He straighten his back and quickly knelt down with a bow.

“I won’t let you down!“

“I know you won’t.“ She smiled when suddenly, she felt a presence. Someone was waiting for her on the summit of the mountain.