《The Path Forward》 Chapter 1 A child cried out, his voice echoing through the empty town, but there was no one to hear him. As time continued, the cries gradually softened until eventually, they stopped completely. In the darkness, all which remained was the sound of a slowly beating heart. Every beat was like a tick of the clock ticking away the remaining time the child had left. Tick Tick It wasn¡¯t long now. Just then, everything shook, and the ceiling collapsed. Light beamed down, revealing a small child buried within. The child looked up weakly and there he saw an enchantingly beautiful woman with dark blue hair and porcelain like skin staring down on him. The women stared at the boy with tearful tenderness and cleared away the rest of the rubble with her hand. Perhaps absentminded, the boy did not notice the crowd of people around him, focused solely on the woman. Her eyes welled up with tears seeing the state the boy was in. He was pale and malnourished with dull eyes. The hunger and physical pains had all but numbed at this point and perhaps it was a good thing for he paid no heed to his mangled left arm which was barely holding on by strings of tissue and muscle. The boy ambled towards the woman but could not move forward no matter what. He had already lost all feeling in his left arm. He turned his head when suddenly; the woman embraced him gently. ¡°It¡¯s okay, there¡¯s nothing to fear, I¡¯m here.¡± Her words gently caressed his ears as warm energy entered his body. His eyes turned heavy before he fully lost consciousness and fell to sleep. The warm energy continued to enter his body, healing him. Seeing him fall asleep in her arms, the woman reached towards his left hand. It was gripping something, another hand. The other hand reached out from underneath some rubble and they were gripping one another tightly, almost afraid to lose each other. Despite being unable to see the buried body under the rubble, she could see the emotions and care from the way the hands interlocked. Her hands gently lay over theirs and she said with a heavy tone, ¡°Please rest, he¡¯s safe now. I¡¯ll take care of him.¡± She gently pulled the boy¡¯s hands away from the icy hand. She picked up the boy and looked down on his sleeping face delicately before turning around and walking past the others who had kept their silence. Suddenly, a man with distinguished attire and chiseled features approached her and asked with a frown: ¡°Pascal, what are you planning to do with that boy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to bring him back to the sect and raise him as my disciple,¡± she curtly replied. ¡°Why go through such trouble when you don¡¯t owe this boy anything? Just bring him to one of the large cities and drop him off in the orphanage. That¡¯s already a great favor to him.¡± Pascal turned and stared at him with an icy glare as she said, ¡°What I do is none of your business and I wish you keep that in mind in the future.¡± She walked passed him and ignored his solemn gaze. Gazing at the crowd of young disciples, she waved her sleeves and shouted: ¡°We are returning to the sect!¡± A long scarf extended out with enough space for all of them to sit on. ¡°Elder, what about the sect mission?¡± a disciple asked. ¡°Suspended until further notice! I will report it to the sect master when we return and you¡¯ll all await further instructions.¡± She turned, showing she was no longer answering questions. The disciples all turned to one another for a moment before taking their seats on the scarf awkwardly. With a single leap, she took to the sky with the disciples in tow with the man following behind silently. The sun was setting slightly over the horizon and as she flew, she couldn¡¯t help but turn her head one last time to stare back at the place they had planned to rest at. It was a town on top of a grand mountain, but all that remained now was destruction and dead bodies strewn around. Sadness escaped her icy demeanor and just as she was about to turn back, she saw in the distance, motes of blue light dancing around. The lights danced beautifully around each other before abruptly disappearing. ¡°Though the town is no more, at least I could save this child.¡± She turned back to the sleeping boy in her arms and she let out a faint smile. Though she knew nothing of this boy, she already considered this boy as her own. In the days to follow, the boy finally woke up but with no memories except his name, Relic. Besides his amnesia, he also barely spoke, scared of everything, and wouldn¡¯t leave her side. He couldn¡¯t be around others, for he would scream and run away. If you left him alone, he would huddle himself into a corner and shake. Only when one person, his master, was within sights would he relax and hold on to her tightly. With her around, he could do anything she asked. Though she would get strange looks and whispers from the others in her sect, when she looked into his hazelnut eyes; her heart was calm and absolute. ¡°Relic, from now on, you are my one and only disciple, I will always be here for you so don¡¯t be afraid, okay?¡± she smiled as she extended a hand. ¡°O-Okay¡­ master¡­¡± he loosened his grip around her clothes and reached for her hand. Though his left arm was no more, he gripped her hand with his right. Together, they walked around the sect as she taught him about the wonders of cultivation. Two years later¡­ In a secluded forest, a boy was facing a creature of his deepest nightmares. A black wolf beast stared viciously at him as drool dripped down from the side of its mouth. His hands were shaking and clammy. All of his senses were telling him to run away, to get to safety, but he held on as he muttered to himself, ¡°I can do this, I can do it for master.¡± Following the chant, he steadied his breath and tighten his grip around his spear. He glared fiercely back at the wolf beast, who could wait no longer. It dashed straight for him and leaped to attack with its razor-sharp claws. He quickly dodged with a roll and immediately ran towards the trees. The wolf beast followed and was right on his trail when the boy vanished. The wolf seemed confused as it saw the boy run past this tree but vanish. It sniffed around the tree and caught the scent. It turned its head upwards, but it was already too late as the boy descended with his spear pointed downwards. The spear penetrated through the wolf¡¯s hide but wasn¡¯t quite enough to penetrate past its muscle. Still, it was enough for the wolf to howl in pain and stagger back. Seeing his chance, the boy charged towards the wolf and thrust his spear forward. However, in that moment, the wolf¡¯s instincts kicked in and it tilted its head away from the spear. It sprang up and tackled the boy to the floor. It tried to snap at the boy¡¯s head, but he quickly held the spear between them. The boy tried desperately to hold the wolf off, but the wolf was simply too strong and with only a single arm, his strength was already fleeting. Though it seemed like he was on the losing end, the boy did not give up and summoned every ounce of strength he had to push the wolf away. It seemed like neither would give up. However, in his moment of adrenaline, the boy¡¯s eyes met the wolf¡¯s fierce glare. A memory, forgotten and repressed, emerged from the back of the boy¡¯s mind and darkness enveloped his vision. His body trembled as ravenous growls echoed around him. The strength which once fueled him had now retreated, and the spear which separated the two fell. The wolf didn¡¯t hesitate to take advantage of its opponent¡¯s sudden turn and snapped its jaws towards the boy¡¯s neck. However, whether it had realized what was happening, it suddenly found itself next to the boy, unable to move an inch more. There was no thought as its consciousness ceased the very next moment and the bisected body collapsed to the ground. A woman of dark blue hair looked down at her disciple, who was trembling in the fetal position. She looked at him with tenderness and sighed as she placed a hand on his head. ¡°What am I going to do with you?¡± As soon as her hand touched his head, his body suddenly stopped trembling. The boy gradually opened his eyes and slowly opened his eyes. When he saw his master, he rushed to her and clung to her. ¡°Master!¡± He called out and cried into her clothes. A trace of unease crossed her face as she thought about pulling him away, but her hands instead laid on top of his head as she gave him gently pats. Even after the two years of living together, though she took on a motherly role, she herself did not think of herself as one. She tried her best to teach her disciple, but this disciple differed from others and needed constant attention. Thus, she wasn¡¯t sure whether she should comfort him or scold him in order to toughen him up. Though she knew she should try to get him to be more independent, when she heard his cries, she couldn¡¯t help but soften her heart. The gentle pats were enough to calm the boy down, and he eventually let go of her to look up. ¡°Master¡­ I failed again,¡± he said dejectedly. She looked at him aloofly and responded, ¡°No matter, we will continue training until you can face these wolf beasts by yourself. Your fears are deeply entrenched with wolf beasts and only when you learn to face them can you take your first step towards cultivation.¡± The small boy, Relic, nodded with understanding as he wiped away his tears. He then looked at her solemnly and asked: ¡°Master, will I ever be strong like you?¡± She gave it a brief thought before simply answering: ¡°No.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Oh¡­¡± The boy¡¯s expression turned despondent and his head lowered when her hand settled on his head. He looked up to see his master smiling gently at him. ¡°Your talent is less than others and there is little chance you will ever get very far in cultivation.¡± His heart turned heavy and felt like it turned to stone as he heard those merciless words along with that seemingly innocent smile. She chuckled slightly to herself before finally continuing: ¡°But, master doesn¡¯t need you to be the most talented or very strong. My only wish is for you to grow up healthy and happy. As long as you are by my side, trying your best, then that¡¯s enough for me.¡± Light return to the boy¡¯s eyes as new tears welled up in his eyes and snot dripped out. ¡°Master!¡± He buried his face into her clothes. ¡°HEY, HEY! DON¡¯T RUB THAT INTO MY CLOTHES!¡± For being such a weak little boy, he sure had a firm grip for holding onto his master. She finally pried him away and with that, he wiped away his tears. ¡°Master, I won¡¯t give up! I¡¯ll do better next time!¡± ¡°Mn, that¡¯s good to hear. Only when you confront your fears, can you take the next step,¡± she said as she waved her hand. A long scarf extended out, meant for the boy to sit. However, the boy did not take a seat and instead asked, ¡°Master, could I¡­ could I ride on your back instead?¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re already ten this year-¡± He hit her with another sadden lost puppy look, and she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say no. She resigned herself and gestured for him to get on. He happily leapt up and wrapped his arms around her neck. ¡°What sort of disciple did I get?¡± she could only sigh before leaping into the sky and leaving the bisected wolf''s corpse behind them. As they traversed the clouds, back to their sect, she asked, ¡°We¡¯ll be staying in the sect for an extended period so if there is something you want to eat in the city, you can tell me now.¡± No reply came. She turned her head to see he had quietly fallen asleep. A warm smile found its way on her face and the two travelled through the sky in silence. ¡­ Five years quickly passed and the Thunderstorm sect was currently busy conducting tests for the new disciples. Most of the elders had already gone to the testing site to call dibs on any potential geniuses that may reveal themselves. However, there was one elder who remained in her immortal abode as she cultivated peacefully. Deep within her abode, a dark blue hair woman stood within an empty room silently. In her hand was an immaculate white sword and a sharpness which would lead one to believe could cut through anything. Everything was still, and she herself showed no signs of movement. Even for someone of her realm, achieving such a state of stillness was difficult. Her mind was calm as she focused inward and an image of a bead like object appeared before her. This bead represented the barrier between her and another step towards immortality. Known as the sealed core, those in the spirit realm would use many techniques in order to break open their own sealed cores. Everyone had their own way to break through the core, with some using brute force while others using insight into the Dao. She focused on the core in front, trying to probe for any weaknesses. In her heightened state of awareness, she was extremely sensitive to her surrounding that even a falling feather would not escape her detection. Her eyes suddenly snapped open, and with a swift movement, her sword flashed across the core. A deep splinter formed along the surface of the bead and golden light shined out. However, the crack quickly sealed back up, and the light disappeared. She looked to her sword and ruminated. ¡°What am I missing? What should I do to break through?¡± The threshold between the realms became increasingly difficult the higher one goes, and she had reached a point where many had failed. ¡°Maybe If I ask father¡­¡± Her thoughts suddenly dwelled on a male figure, but when faced with his presence she did not feel familiarity with it, but apprehension. She shook out the thought. ¡°Ah, forget it, there no use thinking about it now. Hmm, I¡¯ve been in secluded cultivation for over a month. I wonder how Relic is doing now. ¡° She sent out her divine sense and found her disciple diligently practicing his spearmanship at the base of her mountain. Swoosh Relic, now a teenager, had been practicing with his spear since he first came to the sect. With only one arm, one would think he would have an easier time with a sword which cultivators commonly used, but his talent with the sword perhaps matched his talent in cultivation. Both were abysmal and the young Relic back then seemed to be on the verge of shedding tears. However, when he tried the spear he was more than capable of utilizing it with adequate competence. His spear pierced through the air. From the outset, it seemed like he had only just thrusted his spear straight forward but to those with a trained eye, they would be astonished to find how perfect that thrust was. From the movement of his arms to his legs, the spear thrusted perfectly without wasted movements. Such a perfect thrust was not possible without years of hard work and training. After years of practice, the one move he practiced day and night grew more refined until it had finally reached perfection. ¡°He¡¯s finally reached perfection.¡± She smiled and was about to move when a pair of disciples of the inner court walked by, talking without reserve. ¡°Hey, did you hear?¡± ¡°Hear what?¡± ¡°The third direct disciple of great elder Eiji, Ban, has already reached the core formation stage of the foundational realm. He¡¯s only thirteen this year! At this rate, he¡¯ll quickly reach the revolution stage in about 2-3 years!¡± ¡°It¡¯s no surprise, he gets some of the best resources for being a direct disciple of an elder after all. If you aren¡¯t able to reach at least the foundation stage by that age despite being a direct disciple, then you might as well quit cultivating all together.¡± ¡°Yea, if I couldn¡¯t reach at least the foundation realm at that age I would just go die!¡± The disciple spoke and laughed loudly. Though they did not face Relic, it was clear those words were for him. Relic was the black sheep on the inner court disciples. His talent was subpar, below even those of the outer court disciples. Yet, he was a direct disciple of an inner court elder, a position many coveted for. As a direct disciple, he had access to many techniques and resources, and those who saw him couldn¡¯t help but be envious of his position. Many couldn¡¯t make sense why an elder would take in such a talentless person and because of that, many rumours surfaced about their relationship, some even being risque. Of course, no one would speak these rumours for fear of being castigated, but behind closed doors, even the other elders could not keep a tight lip. To the disciples and elders of the inner courts, Relic was a street urchin who got lucky and was just using his position to get resources. The discontent among the inner court disciples for him grew, and they mocked wherever he went. Though Relic was used to these types of comments by now, the truth in their words affected him heavily. He cared little what they said about him, but being a direct disciple of an inner court elder, he would always hear the grand achievements of other direct disciples and the fame it brought their masters. Yet, as a direct disciple himself, he could bring his master nothing but shame. His movements slowed, and he made more mistakes in his form. However, before those two could continue their mocking, an aloof voice came from above. ¡°These two disciples seem to have ample free time. Tell me, are the disciples of my Thunderstorm sect only interested in gossiping instead of pursuing the path of cultivating?¡± The two disciples immediately turned stiff upon hearing the voice and quickly realized who it was. They turned around and paid their respects. ¡°Elder Pascal!¡± They bowed deeply and didn¡¯t dare look upon the person who slowly descended. ¡°Master!¡± Relic''s eyes immediately lit up as he rushed towards her, however she quickly lifted her hand and smiled to him. He stopped as she turned back to face the two bowing disciples. The two felt the suffocating air and their backs drenched in cold sweat. Much like her disciple, the other disciples of the inner courts did not like her. She was fiercely protective of her disciple, and cold disposition was hard being around. As her gaze laid on them, they couldn¡¯t help but recall the scene a few years back, witnessing a dozen senior disciples sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain. Back then, they had only recently joined the inner courts and saw some senior disciples making trouble for the feeble-looking boy. There had been many who thought it was unfair for such a talentless boy to be a direct disciple, and there weren¡¯t any shortage of disciples willing to express their disapproval of him. However, what happened next left many onlookers in shock as elder Pascal appeared and in the next moment, the dozens of disciples flew like rag dolls. Had the other elders not shown up, many others would have likely gotten injured as well, The sect leader reprimanded her, but from that point forth, no one dared to pick on Relic again. Though there were many who would still talk behind his back, no one dared to pick on him again and those dozen of disciples who had originally picked on him steered clear of him all together. The pair were now sweating bullets, cursing themselves on why they thought coming here was a good idea. In their eyes, she was like an evil witch, ready to grind their bones to dust. ¡°Well?¡± she said in a heavy tone. ¡°E-Elder, w-we were just talking about senior Ban''s rapid advancement. We didn¡¯t mean to offend,¡± one of the disciple said nervously. ¡°Y-Yes, we were heading to the training hall and were just discussing something on the way,¡± the other added. If they were to explain things in such a way, surely even this irrational elder won¡¯t fault them, right? After all, it¡¯s not like they mentioned her disciple directly. Perhaps such thinking would work if they were talking to a regular elder, but she was not like the other elders. She had brought her disciple from the ruins of a destroyed town and cared for him. From there, she watched over him as he grew and the two were as close as actual family. While a relationship between a disciple and their master had always been one of respect, hers and her disciple was much closer. To protect her disciple, she was ready to make enemies of the other elders and even incur the hate of the disciples. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Her eyes darkened as pressure befell the two disciples. Their knees buckled under the pressure and their heads descended to the ground. She spoke out in an icy voice and said, ¡°When I was around that age, I had already reached the revolution stage of the foundation realm and before I turned eighteen, I stepped into the spirit realm. Do you think such achievements are worth anything more than a passing thought? You two have been cultivating since you could read and have consumed large quantities of wealth in order to reach the cultivation you have today, yet you two have yet to step into the core stage of the foundation realm.¡± The pressure suddenly disappeared, and the two disciples carefully looked up. ¡°Remember this, there will always be those better than you whether it is in talent, strength, cultivating, or anything else. While it is fine to aspire to be like those you admire, but to also so easily down play cultivation as something you should be ashamed of because you are not as good as someone else is the mindset of mediocrity. The only person you need to be comparing yourself to is the person you were yesterday. As long as you try more than yesterday, that is already an achievement you can be proud of.¡± The two disciples looked at her in surprise. They did not receive the lashing they thought they would, nor did this elder entirely berate them. Instead, her words were more like words of encouragement that cultivation wasn¡¯t a competition with others but with one with yourself. Indeed, in history, there have always been geniuses who were more heaven defying than the last. Though they were both inner court disciples, essentially elites of the sect, they were average compared to real geniuses and even less so when compared to the geniuses of history. To constantly compare yourself to others was a simple way to trap yourself in a mindset of believing it is okay to never try harder because you will never be as good. The two were both from influential families and though they weren¡¯t the top genius of their family, they still received resources the average person couldn¡¯t even fathom. Their families looked down on those weaker than them while hugging the thighs of those stronger than them. It was a pattern they followed and which continued when they entered the sect. Holding onto the thighs of the stronger seniors, they grew complacent and while they ridiculed those below them, subconsciously; they also believed they would never be as good as their genius seniors. They had both become stagnant in their cultivation and with that, their enthusiasm in cultivating also diminished. However, after hearing her words, a new found spark emerged. The lost passion for cultivation surged, and they found themselves excited to cultivate. They both kneeled and clasped their hands. ¡°Thank you elder, we understand now!¡± they both said. ¡°Mn, report to the contribution hall and tell them you will forgo on the next round of resources,¡± she said. They froze and realized they were still in trouble. However, they were not mad and were still much more thankful for her words. They nodded and respectfully left. Relic walked up to her and was just about to say something when she said, ¡°Follow me.¡± She walked up towards the mountain and Relic followed as they scaled up towards the summit. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 ¡°Master, is there something wrong?¡± Relic asked curiously. They reached the summit without her saying a word. She withdrew her thin white sword and said, ¡°Relic, it¡¯s time for you to show me how much you improved.¡± His eyes turned solemn, and he quickly took a battle stance, spear in hand. There was a brief pause before Relic suddenly shot out in long strides. Pascal readied her sword however, just as he entered her range of attack, he stopped and thrusted his spear. The spear pierced through the air and appeared in front of her in the next moment. Pascal widened her eyes slightly in surprise, but it wasn¡¯t enough to catch her off guard. Her sword deflected the spear to the side, and she retaliated with a fast diagonal strike. Relic quickly moved to the side and backed away. ¡°Good reflex.¡± She smiled. ¡°That was a good move. You carried the momentum of your strides, stopping right at the perceptive range for your spear, and transferred the energy into one powerful thrust. It was a good surprise attack as no one would have expected your spear to travel so far and that quickly so fast.¡± ¡°Thank you, master!¡± He seemed to perk up slightly hearing her praise and was more eager now to show off his hard work. ¡°Now, let¡¯s test out your foundation.¡± This time, she took the initiative and quickly appeared in front of him. She slashed down, but the spear quickly blocked it. As this was a spar, she would not use a single ounce of cultivation to help her, nor did she flaunt her superior martial skills. Her entire focus was to see where he was in his spearmanship, and every move was to test that. Her arm suddenly increased in speed and a barrage of sword strikes came from all around. Relic struggled to keep his spear still, forced back with every strike. Her strikes were relentless and with one last swing it broke his guard. Relic gritted his teeth and though his hand was numb, he did not let go of his weapon. He didn¡¯t have time to think as her sword slashed horizontally towards his head. It seemed as if she would not show mercy to her disciple. He quickly dived, barely dodging the sword by mere inches before springing up towards her in a diagonal lunge. Using only two fingers, he pulled the spear down until his hand could grasp the base of the spearhead. With this, he could fight in close range and was his own method to counter the disadvantage of close range fighting with the spear. Having trained every day for the past seven years, his muscles in his right hand and arm were uniquely fit to handle the spear and to him, the spear was already part of his body. He got close and shot the spear head upwards. His spear was already piercing upwards as her weapon was finishing its swing. If it were to continue, the spear would reach her before she could retract her sword to block the spear. She had no choice but to jump back in order to evade the spear. She only took a single leap back, but it had already given Relic enough time to recover and counterattack. A perfectly timed spear pierced towards her before her foot even touched the ground. In this way, there was no way for her to dodge. She was astonished at the seamless transition from being on the defence, then retaliation, and finally a full on counter. It was a testament of his hard work and his mastery of the spear. Even though she saw everything clearly, knew how to counter the attack, and could easily stop the attack, she did nothing and let the spear travel unimpeded. The spear looked as if it would continue straight through, but then abruptly stopped in front of her chest. His spear stopped right at the edge of her clothes which, under her eyes, was as close as to touching only a single thread on her clothes. ¡°You¡¯ve really improved since the last time we sparred. You¡¯ve worked hard,¡± she said with a smile. Seeing as it was over, Relic collapsed to the ground, panting heavily as sweat soaked the ground. She extended a hand and helped her disciple up. ¡°I never thought that from the first time you took the spear you would reach such a level. I¡¯ve never given you guidance in the spear''s way, but I can tell your foundation is close if not already perfect. If only you had a true teacher of the spear who knows how much further you could go?¡± She sighed before taking out two items from her spatial ring. One was a thin book while the other, a wooden box. Relic looked at the two items in her hands. ¡°Master, these are?¡° ¡°Gifts for you. ¡° He looked at the gifts strangely, then back to her. ¡°Master, is today a special occasion?¡± ¡°What special occasion? Can¡¯t I just give a gift to my disciple?¡° One could hear the sharpness of her voice rising. He gave it some serious thought and couldn¡¯t help but feel apprehensive in checking them out, especially the book. The last time she had given him a book was when he had just turned twelve. He had just begun his growing phase and as a young teen, he obviously had some questions regarding his body. Most boys his age would already have understood their bodies well in advance before entering the sect, but neither he nor his master knew how to ask. Pascal, especially as the one who raised him, felt the responsibility fell upon her to educate her disciple about his body. However, as someone who pursued cultivation, she never took the time to study the opposite sex. A pure maiden, she was as clueless about the opposite gender as one could get. She had even kept her eyes closed whenever she would give him a bath when he was younger. Determined to help her disciple, she immediately headed to the closest city in order to find material about the subject. What she came back with was a hefty book titled: [A Boy¡¯s Journey Through The Clouds] Relic could remember the exact words she said when she handed him that book. ~ Relic, this book will answer every question you have about the changes happening in your body. Although this book is rather large, it is apparently very popular among young men, and the bookseller guaranteed on his reputation that you will be a man after reading this. Not doubting his master¡¯s words, he retreated to his place and broke the wax seal. The first thing he saw was a drawing of a beautiful, fully nude woman with bountiful endowments in a striking pose. Eyes widened and jaw dropped, he didn¡¯t even realize he had been staring at the image for several minutes. A strange sensation roused within him and before he knew it, he had already turned the page. What followed was a short story describing the woman on the first page as she fell in love with a younger, more virile man who helped her understand the true nature of her womanhood in place of her distant husband. The story was riveting and Relic couldn¡¯t put it down. Before he knew it, the story had finished with a satisfactory ending and he couldn¡¯t help but feeling like he wanted more. He turned the page and what followed was another image, now depicting two young women in risque clothes lying in bed on both sides of a well-toned man. You couldn¡¯t see the man¡¯s face, but you could see his chocolate abs and the flush on the women¡¯s face which made their lust palpable. Who ever did the illustrations for this book surely was surely a renowned artist.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. The story of the image followed, and by now, it was easy to see what kind of book this was. Indeed, what his master had bought him was erotic fiction but not just any old erotica, but the greatest collection of erotic fiction in the entire continent. This book contained hundreds of the best rated erotica written by various authors, paired with exquisite illustrations, and bond together in one book. Relic quickly forgot about everything else as his mind delved into the stories and as night turned to day, he had only finished up to a third of the book. The man who had sold this book had not lied, and he learned a lot regarding both the male and female body. Perhaps it had been a good thing that after she had handed this book to him, she entered secluded cultivation and did not bother him, for she would have seen her disciple in the corner of his room reading the book like a madman. He skipped his training and continued reading, even skipping meals despite his stomach protesting. However, on the second day, everything took a sharp turn. This book comprises the greatest collection of erotic fiction, which did not pertain to any one type of erotica. The first half of the book was more or less vanilla, perfect for new readers into the genre, but the second half of the book began a journey into less than savory topics. Those stories explored the depths of the human imagination and introduced him to the sins of man. Chains, whips, slaves, abuse, it only got worse as the stories progressed, some of which even made him feel like vomiting in disgust. However, although every fiber of his being told him to stop reading, he could not as if something was compelling him to finish. He read through every wretched story and on the fourth night, in the dark of night, a fire was born and within that fire, a book burned to ash. That following week, he spent his time indoors, haunted by what he saw and read. It would take another week before he would take a step outside and resume his training in order to forget the things he saw. When he next saw his master, he said nothing of the true contents of the book and said that it had taught him a lot regarding his changing body. Knowing his master, it would likely cause an awkward tension between the two if she knew he gave him erotic fiction to teach him about puberty. Thus, prepared to bury the truth along with the ashes of the book, he lied and [A Boy¡¯s Journey Through The Clouds] became a notion of the past. However, to this day, Relic has been wary of any gifts from his master. Seeing the blank book in his hands triggered the memories of those days, and he couldn¡¯t help but shudder. Pascal raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked Relic quickly snapped back to reality and stuttered: ¡°N-Nothing, err, well, master, what kind of book is this?¡° She could see him acting strangely but still answered: ¡°This is a gift from a spear cultivator which contains a spear art known as the [Cascading Spear].¡° As her words entered his ears, he felt his heart jump as he muttered: ¡°Spear arts¡­¡° Of all the disciples in the Thunderstorm sect, he alone was the only one who practiced the spear. The reason being that the Thunderstorm sect was actually quite new among the sects, being only several decades old since establishment. This was a sect with little foundation and had never gone to war with any other sect. The amount of techniques and weapon arts within the depository was paltry, and there were no spear arts or spear techniques found anywhere in the sect. However, the Thunderstorm sect would still garner respect for being a second-rate sect in part to their sect master, one of the most powerful Golden Core realm Cultivators in the continent; and also in part to his secret arts [The Zephyr Thunder blade]. This art was one of his own creation and allowed him to rise through the realms unimpeded all the way to his current realm, which was just below the half step to immortal ascension realm. The sect master divided the art into separate volumes which the disciples could take out to study. The first three volumes were available for outer disciples, while the next three were strictly for the inner disciples. Publicly, there are only nine volumes in total for the complete art, which only inner court elders or those with extraordinary potential could study in its totality. However, in reality, to complete the art, there was a tenth volume which only two people in the entire sect actually looked at, which included the sect master. Thus, for a spear user like Relic, he had little in the way of guidance in techniques or arts. The only spear techniques he had ever gotten were very basic ones meant to teach him about different stances and basic techniques. There were no arts available to the public as the various sects held those arts within their sect, and only if you joined as a disciple could you borrow them. Seeing the art within the book in front of him, his body shook in excitement. He took the book and flipped through the pages; and aside from the spear art, it also touched upon the foundations of the spear and the experiences of the cultivator. In the last sect section, it even mentions how to become one with the spear and eventually grasp piercing intent. As he read the last sentence, he muttered blankly: ¡°Piercing¡­ intent.¡° Intent was something incredibly hard to grasp, as you couldn¡¯t directly teach it; cultivators had to figure it out themselves. In part, intent was a law of the world which guides the movement of anything and everything. Grasping intent meant you could move with the world and see things normal people couldn¡¯t. With greater understanding, one could even manifest an intent into reality and with piercing intent, one could make even a dull rock as sharp as a spear. Relic was in a daze and only when his master coughed out did he snap back to reality. He quickly turned to her and asked: ¡°Master, I don¡¯t understand. Who would give such a precious book to me?¡° Pascal understood her disciple¡¯s confusion, as even she was uncertain as to the reason that man had given her a book of such value to her disciple. She explained: ¡°Several months ago, I went to Azure Sky city in order to take part in an auction hosted by the Illustrious Purple Pavilion. There was only one thing I wanted at the auction, so I ignored everything else. However, midway through, they brought out an ancient manual depicting a certain spear arts. This manual was already breaking apart and seemed as if a simple breeze would turn it into dust. Anything writing inside had already become illegible aside from a few poses. I thought despite the state the manual was in, you may gain some insight from staring at it, so I tried to bid for it.¡° Hearing this, Relic¡¯s heart felt especially warm. Ever since that day Pascal had picked him up, the two had a relationship which was as close as family. Though she did not act like a mother, she had taken care of him and he cared for her as much as any child would their parents. Even with the fiasco of regarding [A Boy¡¯s Journey Through The Clouds], he was grateful because it was from his master. She continued: ¡°Fortunately, there was little interest in the manual and so I thought I would get the item. However, before it was over, there was another bid from within the VIP lounge. I bid again, thinking they had only done so by mistake, but they continued to bid for the item. There was a short back and forth before I had to give up as I still needed the funds to bid for an item. In the end, they took the manual, and I won the item I had originally come for. As I was about to leave, a man approached me and introduced himself as Surius of the Cascading spear. I¡¯ve never heard of him, but he was the one who had bought the manual. Although it was only a brief exchange, I could feel this man was not simple and was likely several times more powerful than me. Just being in his presence I could feel a faint piercing intent exuding from him despite him simply standing in front of me. He asked why I was interested in obtaining that manual, and I simply stated that my disciple practiced the way of the spear and didn¡¯t have any spear techniques or arts to learn from.¡° ¡°He looked as if he was pondering before he called over another man. It was his student and I could feel an incredibly sharp aura coming from him, which was only lower than his teacher. They had a brief discussion before he took out another manual and gave it to me. Sir Surius then told me that this manual contains the technique to perform his Cascading spear art and other notes regarding the way of the spear. He told me you could have this manual on two conditions and that was you had to reach the bare minimum of being a mortal weapon expert. Today in our spar, I believed you have truly reached that thresh hold and among mortal weapon experts, you truly are not lacking." Relic looked at the manual, more confused than before. It simply made little sense why such a powerful spear cultivator would share their spear technique with someone they didn¡¯t even know. ¡°And the second condition?¡° he asked. ¡°That if you are to accept this manual, then you can be considered as his student. In his words, the path of the spear means no obstacle is impregnable and the best way forward is one you can see straight through. You should take his words as something meaningful and ponder them when you practice.¡± Relic ruminated for a moment before nodding. ¡°I understand, thank you, master.¡° Those words will probably stick with him for all his life and become his mantra as he travelled further down the road of the spear. In his heart, the man who he did not know but whose writing was in this manual became his teacher. I will repay this debt of gratitude one day, I promise. He made a solemn promise. Pascal nodded. In the heat of things, Relic likely forgot about his other gift. Just as she was about to hand him his second gift, her ring suddenly vibrated and she heard a voice transmission in her mind. She suddenly froze and Relic, concerned, asked: ¡°Master, is everything okay?¡± ¡°Y-Yea, take sometime to study the manual. I have something to do so I¡¯ll be back later,¡± she said with a smile. She took off to the sky leaving behind her confused disciple. Chapter 3 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.¡°Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. 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.