Three men were sitting in a particular courtyard on the outskirts of York, casually sharing tea. Over the last few weeks, they had compiled various reports from all over the empire.
One particular report, however, stood out. One of the sects the Thunderpeak family had contracted said they had come across a powerful cultivator and his spirit beast, matching the description Ern Torval had given weeks back when he mentioned Tyler Reed to Bralok.
Initially, they had overlooked the report as they thought there was no way Tyler, barely in the Qi Transformation stage, had wiped out an entire underground facility where a Sea Formation cultivator stood guard. According to the report, everyone in that facility had died, the slaves rescued, and someone who called himself a Wandering Cultivator had been uninjured.
However, after receiving a full report from the family in other parts of the continent, their tunes had changed drastically. It would seem the rumor that Tyler had killed a few Sea Formation cultivators from the Sword Sect was true. Shortly after their departure from Sword King Mountain, everyone who had gone after Tyler returned in shambles. A few Sea Formation cultivators were gone, and over thirty Qi Transformation died.
Veridian Peaks descended into chaos following these events as Spirit Beasts supposedly invaded The Eternal Palace. Over half the Aperture Strengthening cultivators had been killed off, and most of the Soul Shattering cultivators had fled towards the Underworld, giving up the search for Tyler Reed entirely.
The report indicated that cultivators working for Slaughter Incarnate had infiltrated most of the upper echelons of the eastern part of the Americas. Every country with a border with the Underworld was affected.
It seems only cultivator families with powers from outside of this continent or from the Heartlands were unaffected. Across the entire cultivator world, the drums of war had been rung. Led by the resurgence of one of the strongest cultivators in history and his soul-bound spirit beasts, they marched eastward, wiping out every trace of Slaughter.
The three men, Kenshiro, Ryuji, and Bralok, reviewed the reports together. "Father, I know you wanted to find this Tyler person, but if he's the impetus to this whole war, should we really get involved?" Asked Kenshiro.
Ryuji looked into the distance, pensive. "I don't think he caused this war at all. He was simply a coincidence. Freedom Incarnate was bound to re-emerge at some point, and the moment he did, he would have sought revenge on Slaughter. The man killed his wife after all."
Bralok observed the old dragon try to get up with difficulty. "There are too many wolves out in the world these days. There are even reports of people with similar cultivation to yours who just came out of hiding. The York Emperor's forces are struggling to maintain peace, but luckily, the Heartlands' forces have also spread across the continent." Said the Young Master of the Thunderpeak family.
Kenshiro also looked at his dad, struggling to get up and move around. "Father, why do you want to find this Tyler person? I understand the Young Master's reasons, but yours? From what I understand, he was nothing more than your student for a few weeks. Why go through all this trouble?"
Ryuji held his abdomen, tracing the scar that now covered the foot-wide hole that used to be there, wincing in pain. "He is the only student I would truly consider to have peerless talent in martial arts besides Young Sakura. So, I have a question to ask him and a few stories to share."
Both Bralok and Kenshiro looked at the old dragon with raised eyebrows, and the latter couldn't help but ask. "You said he was good, but to the point where he's on par with Sakura? Is that even possible?"
Out of the training facilities, the young teenager in question appeared, having heard the last few bits of this conversation. "Grandpa, if I may." She said, bowing her head slightly, getting a head nod back from Ryuji. "If I were to guess, his talent surpasses mine. He would beat me if his cultivation was the same as mine."
Kenshiro looked at his daughter. "Don't sell yourself short. He's much older than you and probably practiced far longer than you have."
At this point, Ryuji cut in. "No. While he is older and his skills were somewhat above average when it came to sparring, his skills were that of a mortal who has only worked as a soldier, roughing up other mortals at the gates of cities or other similar jobs." He sat back down slowly after stretching. "It would be a shame if such a person went on without a good teacher."
Seeing that their meeting was drawing to an end, Bralok stood up. "Well, Master Tanaka, I will send a few people to the Dancing Winds Sect and try to find information about this Wandering Cultivator. I'll keep you informed. In the meantime, if you need to get in touch with me, contact the Emporium. I'll be forging your granddaughter's weapon."
The Tanakas sat in the courtyard and observed the young master of the Thunderpeak family fly away.
"How strong do you think he's gotten, grandpa?"
"Hard to know. From these reports, he's probably around the 25th level in terms of raw power. That is if his cultivation hasn't increased since these events."
Kenshiro looked at his daughter with a broad smile and loving eyes. "When you talk about him, it almost looks like you're in love." He said teasingly.
Sakura's cheek turned red. "Dad! It's not like that! Do you know how rare it is to see someone better than me at Martial Arts? Also, he's double my age. That's just gross!"
"Leave her be, son. I was in her shoes once. Being a talented martial artist is a lonely road. Since I cannot leave York with my injuries, could you go to the Emporium and accompany the Thunderpeak's to that sect? This little trip may give you the push you need to break through after all these years.
"Yes, Father. Thank you for still believing in me after all these years."
"Oh, and here. Some of these old things might be useful." Ryuji tossed him a ring.
Shortly after, only Sakura and her grandpa remained in the courtyard. Kenshiro had left. "Sakura. Time to show me the progress you've made. Otherwise, that weapon will be wasted on you. All you need to find is your own essence. Your own affinity, establish your own martial path."
“Ditch my teachings. Trust yourself.”
***
The shop's door opened, and Ern Torval looked and saw an Asian man who appeared to be in his forties, accompanied by a messenger from his trading company. Usually, this only happens when wealthy customers visit the town.
"Good Day, valued customer! What can I do for you today?" Said Ern, a wide and inviting smile that he could probably sell a car to a dead man.
The messenger smiled. "Mr. Torval, this is Tanaka Kenshiro. He's here on recommendation from Young Master Thunderpeak."
Now, his smile was radiant, and his eyes sparkled with greed. "For such a VIP customer, what could my little shop offer you, sir?"
"Sorry, but I am not a customer. I am here because the Young Master mentioned you reported an encounter with a gentleman named Tyler Reed."
"Oh, yes. I did. What about it?" The glimmer in his eyes died down.
The messenger spoke up this time as he produced a single coin engraved with the Thunderpeak's seal. "The Young Master wants you to accompany this man to the Dancing Winds Sect. In the meantime, I shall man your shop under the Thunderpeak name as compensation for your time."
Seeing the shiny coin, the sparkle reappeared, and Ern swiftly snatched it up. "As the Young Master wishes! Tanaka-san, please come with me! The Dancing Winds sect is a few days' travel from here. They are, after all, on my bi-yearly trade route." Pausing, he turned to look at the messenger. "Oh, on our way back, do you want me to drop him off at the capital, or did you have this part?"
***
Old man Flying Rock was about to leave with Jake and Daredevil and return to his village when he received a message from the capital. The Merchant Marquis of the York Empire was coming in person.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Being level 21, he couldn't ignore the visit of a level 23 representative of a branch of the Thunder Emporium. Usually, they would only visit once a year. So, something significant must have happened.
"Friends, do you mind waiting around here a few days? An important guest is coming, and I cannot miss this visit. My poor disciples would panic otherwise." Flying Rock paused. "I will show you to my little palace and set you up in private rooms for special guests. How does that sound?"
Jake looked at Daredevil, who nodded. "It seems like we'll be bothering you for a few days, Senior." Everything that had happened today had been beyond his expectations.
Jake had met with hundreds of cultivators who all worshipped Daredevil and treated the spirit beast like a god. He had been fed food of such a high quality that his interface had shown a slight increase in his cultivation, which had been stagnant for 5 years. Now, he was going to stay at the palace of an Immortal!
***
Tyler had settled into a routine over the last week.
Between studying, experimenting, and recovering his Qi, he hadn't had time to cultivate, sleep or eat.
Since recovering, he hadn't needed to eat or sleep as his inner world naturally absorbed the world's energy to feed his soul avatar, and body. It was like an endless wellspring of power that he wasn't exactly sure of its origin.
Tyler could sense the laws of the world weaving and intertwining with his soul and inner world, yet their origin remained elusive. They seemed to naturally gravitate towards him, infusing him with countless unnamed laws with each breath he took.
With his divine sense, he could observe these laws interacting, shaping the flow of Qi, and continuously molding the world around him. But even after nearly a year in this world and a little over half a year with divine sense, most of these laws remained enigmatic and beyond his grasp.
Only the laws he regularly employed stood out prominently amidst this complex energy web. Sometimes, when the skies darkened, and rain fell, he could feel the incoming lightning and thunder before it sparked across the skies as the atmosphere slowly filled up with those laws, influencing the world and, eventually, offering the path for lightning to strike and thunder to propagate through.
It was akin to possessing the world's most precise and comprehensive detector, a tool that pre-shattering scientists would have marveled at. Tyler could only imagine the immense power they would have wielded, armed with the knowledge of what to look for, an understanding of the underlying fabric of reality, and the ability to manipulate the world directly. Such individuals would have been formidable adversaries indeed.
Tyler had never been a scientific genius or very smart to begin with. While he possessed a basic understanding of science and harbored a fascination for the mysteries of the universe, his knowledge was limited to surface-level information gleaned from books and online videos.
Although he could offer some metaphorical ideas for others to explore, akin to what he had done with Ancestor Fang, his insights remained very shallow, lacking the depth to delve into the inner workings of the universe's laws.
Nevertheless, Tyler had made noteworthy strides in developing his Yin-Yang formation. The ley lines had stabilized, allowing him to channel a substantial amount of Qi without causing the entire formation to unravel.
Unlike the book's technique that transformed the Qi into either life or death attuned, Tyler's formation separated and balanced the existing laws within his Qi.
It harmoniously blended the principles of thunder, winds, water, sword, and even the minute traces of slaughter laws. It allowed them to mutually enhance and support each other, pushing Tyler’s already potent Qi into something denser.
It was to the point that the Qi, after exiting the formation and merging back together, had a slight change of color, something that hadn't happened since his early days on Sword King Mountain.
Back then, his Qi had taken on a few different colors when he had channeled it through One Finger, One Sword. Originally Blue, it had evolved to yellow and green, and these days, the technique shimmered with Blues, Yellows, Greens, Reds, and Oranges.
His entire inner world waters were a dark blue, and so was his Qi. Only when he used specific techniques did the Qi change colors. However, the Qi that had gone through this formation took on a yellowish hue.
Seeing this phenomenon reminded him of a passage from one of the cultivation books he had read in Edge City's libraries, but he couldn't remember exactly what it was. All he recalled was that it didn't happen in the Qi Transformation realm.
Tyler let the Qi within the formation fully transform, and then he dispelled it, returning the Qi to the seas. Then he looked through the entire library of books that he had essentially stolen from the Undead Base for any books on cultivation, and Tyler quickly found what he was looking for.
The Aperture Strengthening Stage
The nine levels of the Aperture Strengthening Stage are characterized by a continuous process of refining one's true essence, elevating the quality of its inherent laws, and sequentially breaking through the aperture walls. Eventually, cultivators would reform their apertures with the latest and more potent laws they cultivate, achieving a higher level of mastery.
After reading the book, the Aperture Strengthening went as follows regarding True Essence colors.
Blue>Yellow>Green>Red>Orange>Purple>Black>White>Silver
Tyler started to wonder how much of a qualitative change this Yin-Yang formation had brought to his Qi for it to show signs of change like this. So, he ran more Qi through the formation.
Days went by as Tyler observed most of his Qi go through the process of being transformed into yellowish water. It almost looked like his inner world was filled with urine now.
Even though his aura had spiked tremendously in the real world, he still did not understand why this change had occurred. Sure, the laws had shifted slightly and seemed more "in tune" with one another, but Tyler didn't understand how this happened.
One thing was certain, however. Tyler’s Qi was much more potent than before. He didn't know by how much, but he was sure that it was significantly better. The next step in his experiments came as he had finally stabilized the formation.
To integrate this change into the Deathroots, rewire the plant's energy channels and hope that Life and Death Essence would eventually reach an equilibrium. There was a problem, however.
He was using Qi, and the plant was high-grade tier 3. It was almost impossible to modify without True Essence. No matter the quality of his Qi and the quantity he used to attempt the modifications, it failed.
Tyler looked through his warehouse and counted a total of 109 Spirit Crystals. Of these, one had barely a single percent used up. If he wanted to make any significant changes to this plant, he would have to use a substantial portion of them and do it very slowly to not overwhelm his inner world.
He couldn't crush a crystal wantonly like he had done after Daredevil had gotten injured. His body probably wouldn't recover this time, and he'd be stuck within his inner world forever.
Tyler attempted to build a formation with a delicate touch using strands of True Essence from the Crystal. The potent energy started to cause some strain to his body after a single line had been drawn, and before he started bleeding from every orifice, he was forced to let the Deathroot absorb the energy.
No matter what he tried, nothing worked. The final result? Ten Spirit Crystals were absorbed by the Deathroot, and it now seemed even more dangerous than before, and he had made zero progress.
Reading through the books on Essence Transformation again, Tyler finally just gave up. There was nothing he could do with it at the moment. He was too weak. Even within his inner world, the hard limits set by the quality of energies required to accomplish some things couldn't be bypassed.
Tyler considered drinking some Serene Dew for inspiration or enlightenment, but he didn't want to risk losing control over the Deathroot and leaving it to absorb all of his Qi and turn his body into a putrid pile of goo. Well, that's what Tyler imagined would happen anyway.
Tyler had been so engrossed in his latest breakthrough that he had completely neglected to scan the external world after each unsuccessful attempt. Consequently, he was oblivious to the remarkable event that had unfolded over the past few days.
Grass had begun to grow once more.
While it was still in its nascent stages, tiny grass shoots had started to emerge from the previously barren earth.
Unbeknownst to Tyler, he had also missed the presence of four entities approaching the village he was supposedly looking out for. It was only thanks to his soul-bound link with Daredevil that he would become aware of his spirit beast's proximity.
Feeling a gentle tug on that link they shared, Tyler returned to reality, dropped his experiments for now, and swiftly scanned the world again.
There are two Sea Formation and one Qi Transformation cultivator, along with one mortal and Daredevil.
The mortal was obviously Jake; oddly enough, he recognized both Sea Formation cultivators. One of them had been the member of the Dancing Winds Sect that had gone to investigate the slaver's cave, and the other was the merchant, Ern Torval, whom he had met on the road shortly after awakening. He couldn't recognize the Qi Transformation cultivator, however.
Tyler couldn't help but notice the significant increase in his own aura due to his Qi taking on a different color. He sighed, knowing he had a potential solution to this problem in mind but would have to wait until he returned home to access the presence-hiding formation that Mister Orleander had gifted him.
In the presence of two Sea Formation cultivators approaching the village, Tyler decided to show off a bit. He took to the skies, hoping to ascend high enough to avoid detection by the mortals below but conspicuous enough to catch the attention of the two cultivators.
Calling upon the winds and the Mistwalker's Stride, Tyler flew high above the clouds and, just like he wanted, instantly attracted the attention of Ern and Flying Rock. As he flew, however, he was pleasantly surprised at the significant reduction in energy consumption that flying now required.
A short moment later, Tyler was faced with two Sea Formation cultivators.
"It's good to see you again, Senior Torval. Senior from the Dancing Winds Sect, it's good to meet you in person for the first time."