As Tyler stood on a tiny platform made of Mists, he greeted the two men. "It's good to see you again, Senior Torval. It's good to meet you in person for the first time, Senior from the Dancing Winds Sect."

Surprised, Flying Rock couldn't help but ask. "You've seen me before, friend?"

"Although I don't know your honorable name, you were the first to arrive at the Slaver's facility after I cleaned it up, so yes. I did. Thank you for taking care of those people, by the way. I wouldn't have known what to do with them otherwise." Tyler said, slightly bowing his head towards the man.

"Friend, no need to be so formal. You are amongst peers, at least from what I hear from Sir Torval here. My cultivator's name is Flying Rock, Sect Master of the Dancing Winds Sect, and my given name is Rock Williams."

Tyler smiled. "Good to finally meet you, Rock." He paused and looked at Ern. "Since he told me to drop the formalities, I will. What have you been babbling about for Sea Formation cultivators to see me as a peer? While I appreciate the visit, why have you both come here? I can guess the reason, but please. Enlighten me."

Ern Torval, who had the highest cultivation out of anyone here, bowed his head at Tyler. "The Young Master sent me and, by extension, the Dancing Winds Sect to confirm the identity of the Wandering Cultivator." He paused, raising his head. "Young Master Thunderpeak has been looking for you all over the Empire ever since I sent the message you requested. To which I must extend my thanks. This chance encounter has raised my position within the Trading Company significantly."

Tyler nodded. "I see. What's your plan now that you've confirmed who I am?"

"The Young Master has instructed me to tell you he is residing in York, a few days travels beyond the mountains where the Dancing Winds Sect resides. His message for me also mentioned that you would be interested in talking to our friend below, Tanaka Kenshiro."

Upon hearing the name "Tanaka," Tyler's heart raced joyfully. He looked down at the Asian man on the ground, noting the resemblance to Master Tanaka and Sakura in his features. It was the first time since learning about the events at Sword King Mountain that Tyler had felt such excitement.

Tyler harnessed the power of the winds to carry his voice toward Kenshiro and gestured for him to follow. "Follow me, but be careful. My aura is a bit.. Yeah. It might be too overwhelming for any mortals nearby," he warned. Then, he turned his attention to Jake, acknowledging the challenge his presence posed. "We'll talk later, Jake. I don't think you can withstand my aura any longer... But do tell the village that I think I have solved the issue. Life should be returning to the land in a few weeks."

The two cultivators standing beside Tyler heard his words, felt the shifts in the winds, and were stunned into silence. This technique wasn't voice transmission or Qi infusion. But real soul projection. Something none of them had ever experienced before. They couldn't deny that Tyler's aura was overwhelming, causing even Sea Formation Stage cultivators like themselves to pause.

Tyler stepped on the mist, heading towards the undead base. His voice, once again, carried so all could hear him as if he was whispering in their ears. "We'll travel to the source of this land's troubles. We can go slowly and talk as we go. Dman, can you stay here and make sure the villagers are okay? I'll share everything with you later!"

Moments later, Tyler had stepped back on solid ground and awaited Kenshiro's arrival as both Sea Formation cultivators followed closely behind him. "How is Bralok doing, by the way? Or rather, did the events in Veridian Peaks affect him at all?"

"I don't know anything about the Young Master's well-being, but from what I understand, the Thunderpeak family exited Veridian Peaks a few days after a new Sword King was appointed without any losses. Days after, mayhem erupted nationwide, and the trading company saw a massive influx of requests for quality weapons and cultivation materials." Ern elaborated.

"Hm. That's good. Not everyone with connections to me died then." Tyler replied.

Curious, Ern asked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, everyone who interacted with me in Veridian Peaks was killed or forced to leave like Kenshiro's family. Before I learned of Bralok's location in York, I didn't know anyone else survived."

Cautious, as he didn't want to anger one of the Young Master's friends, Ern asked a follow-up question. "I knew the new Emperor had sent a kill order on you, but... What exactly did you do?"

Sighing, Tyler answered. "Long story short, the annoying son of the Lo Family didn't like losing to me twice, plotted to have me killed, and I killed him and his entire group of assassinating friends. Father, Big Mad, sent the whole sect after me, was sent packing, and here we are."

"You sent the Sword Sect of Veridian Peaks packing... on your own?!" Rock blurted out.

"Well, the Sea Formation cultivators that showed up yeah. I think none of the higher leveled cultivators were allowed to come for some reason."

Both men stared at each other, visibly shocked. If the man had been a random cultivator, they wouldn't have believed it, but he was the Young Master's friend, and therefore, his words carried a certain weight.

A few seconds elapsed in silence when Kenshiro finally caught up. Tyler observed the man circulate his cultivation as he grew closer to withstand his flaring aura and Qi.

"Sorry about that. Since I got injured fighting Yoon Suko, I haven't been able to restrain my cultivation." Tyler said to Kenshiro. "Let's walk."

Their little group started moving toward the undead base, and Tyler began the conversation again. "Kenshiro, these two gentlemen tell me your last name is Tanaka. I assume you're related to Tanaka-Sensei?"

Still circulating his cultivation, he answered. "Yes, Ryuji is my father."

A smile appeared on Tyler's lips. "So you are young Sakura's father?"

"Yes. My daughter and father speak very highly of you." Said Kenshiro. "The way they speak about you, it's like you're the second coming of the Martial God."

"Yeah, well, I have certain advantages that may make it seem like it, but believe me, I am very average otherwise." Tyler paused. "If anything, your daughter's the prodigy. She's like, what, 14? And she's mastered a tough martial stance and is an outstanding teacher. Now THAT is impressive."

"15, but I agree. She is perfect." Kenshiro said.

"So, why have you come here to see me?"

Kenshiro thought about it for a moment. "My father wanted to come but is still injured and is in no condition to travel outside of York. He was hoping you could come to our home in the capital. He has a question for you, a few stories to share, and wishes to keep teaching you if you want to."

"I don't think I can go to the city until I've gotten a handle on my aura and can fully hide my cultivation, as I'm sure all three of you are getting wildly different results from your detection techniques." Tyler looked at the three men questioningly. "What are those results, by the way?"

"22." said Rock

"24." said Ern

"20." said Kenshiro.

Tyler smiled. "Let me guess, You're level 21, 23 and 19?" All three men nodded. "Interesting. Before, people stronger than me detected a set level. Now, you all detect me as stronger than you. I'll have to ask Tanaka-sensei what he sees to get a real answer."

"It's confusing because you're obviously not emanating True Essence, but your Qi is so dense and plentiful that it almost feels like True Essence." Said Rock.

Tyler thought about it for a second and decided to not comment. Instead, he changed the subject entirely and explained how this land had slowly died. The ghost ritual, the catacombs filled with undead abominations, the ensuing battle, and the swift resolution.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Then, he shared the existence of the altered Liferoot.

"How did you store the plant, if I may ask?" Ern said.

Tyler answered vaguely, sticking to his guns about not letting anyone know about his inner world. "It's suspended in a special storage treasure. Takes a ton of Qi to maintain, but I can easily sustain that expenditure."

Confused, Ern asked. "A storage treasure that requires Qi to maintain its seal? Isn't that extremely wasteful? If you want a proper Tier 3 Sealing Formation Box, I have a few."

Curious, Tyler asked. "Oh? Can I see one?"

Sensing a good deal, Ern couldn't help himself. "Certainly!" With a wave of his hands, three boxes with intricate designs appeared, all of which were of various sizes. "The price for these vary from a few Spirit Coins to a couple Celestials. But unless I see the plant itself, properly recommending any of these would be hard."

Tyler didn't think any of it. "Kenshiro-san, please step away for a little bit. I'm afraid this plant is a bit voracious, and I don't want to injure you when I pull it out."

Nodding, "Thank you for your consideration, young man." The man stepped back a few hundred meters.

Tyler then ventured into his inner world, pulled the Deathroot straight out, and held it aloft by manipulating the winds and expanding an ever-increasing amount of Qi. The plant was devouring all of the Qi he was using to keep it afloat, and if this kept up for too long, he'd be run entirely dry.

Sucking in a sharp breath, both Ern and Rock were shocked and said almost simultaneously, "Spirit Grade!"

"Hurry up now, I can't hold it up there that long. Don't want it to start sucking up the life out of the land again. What box and how much." Tyler said as he started to circulate his entire cultivation, his aura erupting as he channeled the Thundering Winds and Sword Clouds method.

Taken aback by the sudden increase in Tyler's aura, Ern was swiftly removed from his shocked state. "Eighty Spirit Coins and this box!" He threw a box to Tyler, one of the larger ones that could fit the huge Deathroot inside.

With a wave, Tyler threw a single Celestial Coin to Ern. "Keep the change and shut your mouth about this plant and its origin. I have use for it. Now, please, tell me how to open it." Catching the box, he instantly transmitted it to his inner world along with the plant.

A sly grin appeared on Ern's face as he produced a single key. "This key should break open the formation and allow you to open its content." He was more than satisfied with this exchange.

Tyler smiled as his aura calmed down. "Thanks." He grabbed the key and opened the box in his inner world. Then, he cautiously flew it up to the Deathroot in the skies, carefully closed the lid, and removed the key. Everything stopped. The constant drain he had felt since acquiring this plant had disappeared entirely, and he felt no fluctuations from the box.

Intrigued, Tyler took a different box that had been gathering dust in the corner of his warehouse since he had killed Luo Pang and brought it outside. "Say, Ern. How much would a box like this cost, and how do you think it opens?"

Raising his eyebrows, Ern gladly accepted the box. "Hmmmm." The merchant looked the box over carefully. After a few seconds, he pulled out a few tools that Tyler couldn't identify. "This box is made of True Wonder Mahogany and is sealed with a potent formation, probably placed by a Formation Grand-Master in the late Sea Formation stage..." He paused, pulling out a few more tools. "To undo this seal would probably require the Formation Grand-Master's skills and original cryptograph. The only thing I am sure of is that it should at least hold an invaluable Tier 3 Treasure. One much better than your altered Liferoot."

Tyler nodded and flicked a spirit coin to Ern Torval. "For your insight." After returning the box, Tyler placed both into his warehouse and stored the key in his tiny beach home. He could finally breathe.

Signaling Kenshiro that he could return, they continued marching for a bit, and by nightfall, they had reached the entrance to the catacombs.

Under the moonlight, Ern, Rock, and Kenshiro stared at the colossal sword scar in the ground and looked at Tyler with fear. They knew he had been the one to cause this, as the man's account of this battle had been pretty detailed. No one would've thought this attack had been done by someone in the Qi Transformation stage.

"This place was crawling with undead. We can go inside if you all want. But it's pretty gloomy, and the smell of rotting corpses... yeah, not good." Tyler paused. "I looted pretty much everything in there. It wasn't much, mostly books. A few weapons and a few baubles that looked interesting, but that's about it. Even their leaders had no storage equipment."

"We can stay here, friend. No need for all that... Gore. Though it does not surprise me that ghostly beings from the Underworld did not carry storage items, one of the perks of their race is apparently being able to store a tiny amount of goods inside themselves. It's like a small, magically expanded organ that is perfectly hidden. It's truly a neat trick. It's where formation masters got the idea for Storage Treasures, or so I'm told anyways."

Intrigued by Rock's statement, Tyler asked. "Does that part of their bodies disappear when they die or when their souls dissipate?"

The man seemed pensive for a moment. "I'm not sure. I'd have to look at the Capital's libraries to be certain, but if memory serves, that part of their body should remain unless their souls were also shattered. But I have never seen a ghost in my 600-year life."

Curious, Tyler scanned the entire catacombs with his divine sense again, but as he thought, nothing was left. Every ghost had perished under his Ten Direction Sword, and every undead abomination had no exciting piece of equipment that emitted the usual muted energy signature of a storage treasure.

"Well, the source of this land's blight was deep underground. The root system for the plant was most likely pervasive, going in all directions. Jake's village was probably weeks away from being completely overtaken by the death essence within the plant." Tyler paused. "I haven't investigated any other directions. Do you know if any other villages were nearby?"

Ern and Rock exchanged glances before both of them shrugged. "The nearest village is indeed Jake's," Ern replied. "The next village is a day's travel to the west, and if the spread was even, they should be just outside the plant's range. These creatures of the Underworld are crafty, choosing a location so far away from everything," he added. "Based on my map of the region and trade routes, I would have never ventured into this area without having to come looking for you."

"So, now that you've found me, seen what has happened here, what are your plans. Because I cannot go to the capital currently."

Ern answered first. "Well, I will report to the Young Master that you are alive and well in the Empire and, if you allow it, tell him of your location. He might visit."

Tyler nodded. "Please do. I'll even show you where my little cultivation cave is, and you can tell him and only him. If anyone other than Bralok, you, or Rock here comes, they might find me less than hospitable."

Flying Rock added, "While I was only here to confirm that you were indeed the one I reported as 'The Wandering Cultivator, ' I don't have a plan moving forward. Finding you netted me the payout for the contract set by the Thunderpeak Clan, so I might venture into the capital, buy tons of cultivation materials for mortals, and try to turn the life of some of the people you rescued around."

Tyler smiled as he didn't feel the man was lying or trying to incur favors. Rock's body language indicated that he possessed a pure heart and intentions. "If you go to the capital, can I entrust you to deliver something to Kenshiro's father? Come find me after your trip to the capital. I'll have a reward you'll appreciate.."

Curious, Kenshiro chimed in. "I could deliver it to my father; I'm returning right after this."

Tyler turned his attention to the man. "No, you're not, and you know it. Your father sent you here to break through, and you're staying with me until you do." Tyler looked directly into Kenshiro's eyes. "Or am I wrong?"

Holding Tyler's stare, Kenshiro thought about his father's words and relented. "No wonder he said I would break through in this trip... It seems you and my father know more about me than I do."

Tyler broke the staring contest and shifted his gaze toward the sky. "Nah, I don't know much about you," he admitted. "But what I do know is that all you need for your breakthrough is to find yourself, to break free from whatever is making you so... timid." Tyler ran a hand through his now long, flowing hair and sighed. "Something must have happened to you, probably a long time ago. Something that locked a part of yourself away, something that blocked your ability to truly be yourself. I think it's time you let go and be free. Whatever it is, it's less important than seeing your daughter live out her life, right?"

Shifting his gaze back to Kenshiro, who was looking at the ground, his eyes a bit sad. Tyler continued. "Come back home with me. You can take time to find yourself again. Your daughter deserves to find her own path and have you around for as long as possible. When you find yourself, I can guarantee that no one will disturb you in your breakthrough, and should anyone try, well. Let's just say they won't dare to approach."

Kenshiro raised his head and looked at Tyler. He nodded his head.

Silence filled the air for a few seconds.

Feeling a bit awkward, Tyler broke the silence. "Well. That's all nice and dandy, but I have a little panther that probably needs tons of attention and the issue of Jake coming back without his sister."

"About that," Rock interrupted. "When we asked the mortals, someone mentioned that someone with the same name as his sister was sold to the Capital's slave market a few months back, shortly before you came and wiped them out."

Tyler's eyes grew cold as his aura fluctuated ever so slightly. "Ern. Do me a favor?" Tyler paused as he looked over to the merchant. "Tell Bralok that if he wants to repay me, by the time I visit the capital, there better not be any fucking slaves around."

Feeling Tyler's cold stare, Ern's back suddenly was wet with cold sweats. "Yes, sir. I... Will pass on the message."

"Thanks. One last thing: can you deliver supplies to this village? Their usual merchant hasn't been around for over half a year. Just tell me the cost, and I'll cover it." Tyler said.

"Depending on the number of mortals, it shouldn't cost more than a few silvers, so don't worry about it. I'll take care of it. Your tip earlier was more than generous." Ern said.

Tyler flicked a couple silver coins regardless. "Make sure they have everything they need. Let's head back."