"I probably did you a disservice by bringing you away, so I can not provide anything but a few breaths to think about it. But at least I will guarantee that you will not be disturbed while I am outside. So discuss it between yourselves and decide what do you want to do" Deng Guiying said before exiting the private room he had brought Bai Qi and the rest to speak with them.
***
After making sure that the privacy formation was activated, one that even surprised Bai Qi because of its complexity and strength, being the obvious work of a Formation Saint, and probably not of the lowest level either, he simply asked
"So what do you all think?"
"I don't like the idea, but if you feel that it's the best way, I will go with it"
"As I am not truly in the know of the reasons for you being here, not that I would like to, it's better for you to decide"
"However I would like to accompany you, for now if it's such a problem for a Beastman to live in this area, I trust that it's better to follow this old master advice"
"Both Uncle and His Majesty said to refer to you for any decision. If you feel this is the best way to proceed, I will comply"
"I... separating would be bad, wouldn't it?"
"You decide"
In short, except for Chun Hua and Xia Fan, everyone shoved the decision-making on Bai Qi. And however he did not want to decide the life, and even possible future of his companions, he had no other choice but to do so.
He stood up and silently walked towards the enormous crystal paned window, one that allowed observing the 'Free' District, as the zone for new arrivals was called, and to glimpse at the enormous lake to the east from the city.
Deng Guiying's advice wasn't a bad one, no, on the contrary, Bai Qi felt that it was both good and sincere. The Emperor had few details about Shuomen and the surrounding area, not to mention the plane or the situation on it. Albeit the task of approaching, the 'Eternal Sect' seemed not hard at first glance, it turned out to be practically impossible without reaching a decent level of renown or cultivation.
Not only was this Sect was one of the overlords that divided this plane into seven areas, but it was also one of the most closed and isolated ones. Well, except the true leader of the plane, the 'Sky Tear Sect' after which the plane had been called for over an entire local millennium.
In any case, the only true way to get close to any overlord was either to be recruited and excel in one of their vassal powers or obtain enough renown to request entry in their respective areas and find a way to catch their eye and approach.
Apart from the location, with them being in the area controlled by 'Great Forest Sect', the other problem was that to excel or gain renown one required both cultivation and some kind of backer, things that Bai Qi and his group lacked.
After all, 1st tier powers, the closest to the overlords, would not pay attention to any young cultivator below the peak Sage realm. Kass Shaa'r probably could attract some attention, but for good or bad luck, the plane counted with a Beastmen controlled overlord, and so all powers preferred to steer clear of them.
Deng Guiying did not know about Bai Qi's mission, so he only explained it in general terms, hinting that their training would be complete if they managed to enter any of the 1st tier powers, and participate in the events held between them and the overlords. After all, these events gathered the geniuses from all the plane, and if they were successful to obtain an invitation - it meant they were on par with the local geniuses, thus reaching the level of power they would require to consider themselves the peak cultivators on their plane.
He directly told that Bai Qi's group was too weak to directly interest a 1st tier power, but still, they were in luck. The current year was the year for the admissions into all the powers of the Great Forest area, and it was still underway, which allowed them to try their luck and enter the weaker powers. With Deng Guiying's senses being on par with his cultivation and knowledge, he also explained that the best way for the group to advance would be to separate, at least on the basis that no power except the weaker ones would accept the entire, Kass Shaa'r excluded, group because of the weaker members.
He had deliberately not pointed at Li Xia, who was just a Spirit realm cultivator, but in place explained that even peak Soul realm cultivators below 20 years old were hardly considered a worthy recruit for a 2nd tier power. They did recruit some, but mostly as external disciples, which basically meant a servant position, one that would be hard to move from quickly.
"There is also the matter of the cultivation techniques you learned in your plane. I don't doubt that you were provided with the best, but any plane has a limit on achievable cultivation, and so even the best and complete sets hardly go above it. So each of you needs to find a place with a cultivation technique that suits your previously trained one, as if you don't, you can not expect to advance. Or to be even accepted as a member of the power, to say the truth"
These words of Deng Guiying were also true, but Bai Qi was actually not worried about this matter at all. His own cultivation set had no true borders, and from what he had experimented until now could use absolutely any way or environment. As for the others, Chun Hua and Kass Shaa'r had their own innate methods and ideas, while Xie Fan was a golem with no true cultivation.
Xue Ru had been taught a method called 'Imperial Path', and it would allow her to continue with no changes or risks until the peak of the Warrior Lord realm, as for later, it had the benefit of being compatible with a lot of different methods.
And Yuan Taotu turned out to have a special bloodline, so he did not use a cultivation method, but cultivated via the former, which practically meant no limits if the correct environment was provided.
That left Wei, Lan Yanzhi, and Li Xia, but the three of them had received new cultivation methods from Bai Qi, and in the course of their Pocket Realm training, he had made sure for them to adapt to them, even though it required him to actually destroy Lan Yanzhi's cultivation.
So now, Wei was a cultivator of the 'Wargod Path' cultivation set, one that was based on battles and martial experience, and allowed him to proceed up to the Warrior Emperor level. It was a little problematic to later find anything compatible, but it was the best from the ones that Bai Qi could allow to share without much risk. It was decently common, for mid-tier planes, and also did not require Wei to cripple his cultivation or else, being perfectly compatible with the 'Absolute Warrior' that Mo Tai had given him initially.
Lan Yanzhi followed a path far rarer and risky, but it was the one best suited to her quick and flowing combat method, as well as the way she thought. 'Night Blossoming Yin Immortal' was a cultivation technique that Bai Qi had taught to one of his disciples before, and it actually could be used until the Sky realm. Regretfully that required him to cripple and make her restart cultivation from scratch, and so, she was one of the weakest cultivators in the group right now even after the Pocket Realm breakthroughs that everyone obtained. Still stronger than before, but just a 3rd level of the Soul realm cultivator. And a fresh one, with less than an Astral Month of true cultivation time.
As for Li Xia, Wu Guang had no intention to make her a true cultivator, simply wanting her to obtain the increase in lifespan and resilience from reaching the peak of the Body realm. At least he had none until he made her stand on a 'Talent Search Formation'. Meant to determine the cultivation method best suited to a person, it also revealed any hidden talents and bloodlines. And to the surprise of both of them, it turned out that she had a truly rare one. Li Xia could not explain it at all, considering that her known family had no cultivators at all, but an extremely strong Runemaster bloodline was present, and so Bai Qi could not allow it to get wasted. After all, such a level of innate predisposition meant that she would easily become a Rune Saint, if not even more!
And so in place of a simple method, he had taught and led her by the hand to advance two entire minor realms in the 'Thousands of Strokes to Dao', one of the best, and extremely rare complete sets he knew of. And one geared to the increase of control and consciousness, the basis of any rune creation rather than the power, either mind, qi, or soul that other methods followed.
***
"Senior?" Bai Qi walked towards the door and slightly opened it.
"Have you reached your decision?" The raspy voice of Deng Guiying immediately asked.
"Yes, we will follow Senior's advice, but we are at miss about what powers to try for"
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"That's no problem, let's use a 'Talent Search Formation' and I will be able to provide some tips. It will be up to you to follow them or to be accepted, but it will give you an overall idea"
"Thank you, Senior"
"None needed, it's not like I want you nine to be around the city forever"
"Hmm?"
"Oh, I must have forgotten to say, but it's impossible to leave this District without being vouched for by a power. Or without buying a residence in the City"
"..." Bai Qi did not answer anything, deciding that silence would be the best answer for such a miss. Not that it was something unexpected thought, after all, who would just allow people from outside the plane to run amok?
"Ahem" The old man cleared his throat and then as if nothing had occurred continued speaking
"As I said, I may have done you a disservice by stroking the interest of the recruiters by taking you away, but on the other hand, it may be of use now. Stay peacefully for a few hours here and in the morning, I will arrange for you to use a formation in the Exhibition Square"
"Exhibition Square?"
"The place where all the youngsters that hope to get recruited gather"
***
*Slam*
Waiting peacefully until Deng Guiying returned did not work, as just a single teacup of time later, the door to their private room was slammed open.
Bai Qi could be proud of his companions or half-disciples, as just an instant later the room was filled with the auras of everyone, and even Li Xia reached to her holding pouch with the intent of taking out a rune dagger from his spoils, one that he presented her to congratulate her reaching the peak of the Body realm.
"Stand down, you will not even tickle our visitor" Bai Qi was the only one that remained sitting and had not even attempted to act, continuing to sip on a cup of tea brewed with a spirit herb beneficial for cultivators called 'Three Head Orchid'.
"Grrhah! someone has a better nose than the others!" A low voice, if it could be called a voice and not a growl emerged from the doorway, before a ten feet tall figure, covered in fiery red fur and with a tiger's head passed through the privacy formation without any effort.
The view would be enough to freeze on the spot most cultivators, and that was leaving aside the aura freely flowing around his body, one equivalent to a Warrior Emperor. One that even Deng Guiying fell short of.
To no wonder, considering that the latter was just a 4th level Intermediate stage one while the new arrival was an 8th level, Saint Beast!
"Hmm? Human, you don't smell of fear, and you aren't even distressed by my aura, are you?" Huo Laohu quickly glanced over the 8 figures frozen by his sheer presence and turned his attention to the sitting youngster that continued to drink his tea without showing any emotion.
"If the Senior came here intending to kill, no one in the room could do anything, but as Senior isn't here for that, then why should I feel distressed?" Bai Qi calmly responded before lowering his cup, standing up, and graciously saluting before pointing to the seat of honor at the head of the table, one left free by Deng Guiying
"If Senior could please recall his aura and join us at the table?"
"Grrahahaha! I like you human! I am called Huo Laohu, and I hail from the Steel Fang region, I trust your guide informed you of us?" Huo Laohu laugh could actually scare a weakwilled person, especially as it revealed the fangs that covered the insides of his mouth, but Bai Qi just acknowledged the introduction with one of his own
"I am called Chen Guang, and along with my companions arrived today from the 'Seven Islands Plane' intending to cultivate" The best way to deal with Beastmen was to not show any uncalled-for fear while speaking directly and truthfully.
"Chun Hua, you can probably drop the act of acting frozen each time the others do it. And Kass Shaa'r, come and sit close to me. If I am not mistaken, this Beastman is here for you" Bai Qi used his mind-power to send a concealed qi transmission.
________________________________________________________________________
Bai Qi was right, as Huo Laohu had indeed come to retrieve one of his race. That was not the task he usually did, but the situation was just too special. She Yumao, the great 'Feathered Snake', the third Man-Beast King, and one tasked with reading the heavens had announced the arrival of someone from their kin, but not from the same race as them. Not only that, the arrival would be via the Astral Gate, which meant amidst an enormous amount of humans, and right on their territory. After all, free city or not, Shuomen had only a small Steel Fang-owned district, and it was sparsely populated, with only a pair of hundreds of constant residents.
No premonition was full and so Huo Laohu was sent in the case that the new man-beast had trouble on arrival, and in case of the latter being a slave, to have the strength to rescue him or her. Huo Laohu was surprised when he found out that his kin had arrived as a member and not a slave in a group of humans, and when it was later whisked away by the gate guard. Still, it seemed to have turned out for the best.
And indeed it was, as the young human man that turned out to be something between a friend and a master to Kass Shaa'r was a decent member of his race and one that required only the most basic of the explanations.
Even more, just after hearing that Huo Laohu was here to invite, and it was truly to invite, Kass Shaa'r to enter one of the war packs, as the group of Beasts that cultivated called themselves, this Chen Guang immediately said that the lizardman could decide by himself.
And so, with no strings or conditions attached, Huo Laohu completed his objective and left the 'Persimmon Tower' as well the Free Distring less than an hour later.
"What a strange human" Huo Laohu murmured as they approached the gates of what was the Steel District, intending to use the travel formation to their territory set up there.
"Ssenior?" Kass Shaa'r did not even notice how he had started to speak in a way that resembled Bai Qi. Or how he tended to slightly hiss when nervous.
"Just call me Huo Laohu, we don't use human honorifics"
"...Huo Laohu" Kass Shaa'r said after doubting for a bit. He had yet to understand all the status, positions, and honorifics used by humans, but he considered them to have a reason to be, as calling someone who was stronger and more respected than you required at least some way to do so.
"If you meant to ask why did I call your human friend strange, it's because I have never met someone so weak but so strong at the same time. If you understand what I mean"
"I do. When I met him I was just recently born and had no idea of anything, yet far stronger than him. Still, he did not fear me and even proceeded to explain to me things about other planes and our race"
"Oh? He knew about us?"
"Yes, but I promised that I will not reveal this to humans, sso"
"Grahaha, we don't have humans around where we are going, so don't cower, tell me everything!"
________________________________________________________________________
A few hours later, when Deng Guiying returned, he found that the group was down by one member. But he did not ask anything after sensing the remaining lingering traces of a savage aura. This was enough for him to understand what had happened. "And my absence probably was for the best, as I would probably be forced to defend the lizardman if he refused the invitation" While he thought this, he voiced the reason for his return
"Let me bring you to one of the formations now"
Six humans and the golem following their young leader sign rose up and prepared to move out.
But as Deng Guiying prepared to move them to the arena he vacated for this, he received a qi transmission from Chen Guang.
"Senior, could you please explain the matter about buying a residence? What does it entail? What is the price?"
"Mmm, why?"
"Curiosity, and maybe to understand the prices around here. I doubt that such a plane uses metal coins, and so I need to get a more or less clear grasp on what do I can, what I can't, and how many shards I can or have to give everyone. There is also the matter of having a roof that everyone can share when needed, so I would like to know if that is possible or not with what I currently have" An extremely well-reasoned answer followed, and Deng Guiying could be only surprised about the young man's thought process. Unfazed by the changes around him, making decisions for everyone while at the same time maintaining a clear goal, judging from the signs managed to deal with Huo Laohu, and now wanted to grasp the economic side of their cultivation?
"No wonder they selected him as a successor even being weaker, less renowned, or younger than others" Deng Guiying could only remark internally. Not that he expected the youngster to actually have enough shards as to buy anything more than a few low-rarity cultivation treasures, after all, what could a small sect from a lower-tier plane give him as pocket money?