Chapter 217 - The Sensei
After a final exchange of words with the elder, Liu Qian retrieved a specific scroll, symbolizing the official end of our mission.
So far, this mission had been a whole lot of nothing, but it was better than something happening. Sometimes, unpredictable things were fun, but I had too many things on my plate for now.
With the scroll in hand, we left without making a big deal. We navigated through the snowy forests, where every tree stood silent, blanketed in white. The familiar crunch of snow beneath our feet felt as loud as a gunshot in a zombie movie. With each breath, the cold air filled our lungs, and a distinctive rotting smell came from the snow.
It was a bit frustrating being unable to see through the situation. But we weren’t going to stop and see why the snow smelled so bad, this was still very much enemy territory.
We wasted no time on idle thoughts or lingering glances. Fields stretched before us, barren and pale under the winter sky. This time, we didn't even consider stopping to rest; the path ahead was clear, and we focused on a single point, getting back.
I considered stopping for Wu Yan. But, ironically, she had the most stamina among us, even without any formal training. Extreme Physiques were bullshit… Well, even Ye An didn’t have it like this.
After many hours of running at top speeds, we finally crossed the secure walls of the outer city. I closed my eyes when we passed the gate guards, activating the Eight Mind Phantoms Technique. Now that I could afford to lower my vigilance, I could "splurge" a bit.
As a Sky Grade Technique, Eight Mind Phantoms had many perks outside its primary usage. One was the ability to access my mind like an enemy's and recall memories with nearly perfect clarity. It was still a delicate process, not something to attempt carelessly during combat, and required a focused target memory.
In this case, my own memories were the target. Ironically, the technique was easier to use on myself than others, even though it was designed to imprison other minds.
Countless thoughts rushed through me like my life was on fast-forward until I found what I wanted, memories of every detail I knew about monstrous beasts, mainly on reports on strange past activities. Yet, nothing matched the current situation we faced.
My closest reference was an event three hundred years ago when a Nascent Soul-level beast attempted to attack the Void Piercing Sect. Their immortal intervened to handle it, which was why many believed the Void Piercing Immortal was still alive nowadays. But, as usual with these so-called immortals, records were scarce, with no clear account of what happened or how he resolved it.
Even then, though, there wasn't this apparent pattern of missing beasts.
I wanted to use the chance since I was already deep into memory. I rarely used the Eight Mind Phantoms on myself, uncertain of potential adverse effects.
Soon, memories of Earth Grade Techniques I'd studied in the Song Clan Library surfaced. Dozens of techniques, mostly learned to broaden my understanding or use as a foundation. I'd never used them.
But now I analyzed which ones might benefit Wu Yan.
Technically, teaching clan techniques to outsiders was forbidden, punishable by death or even clan annihilation. However, I was in a unique position; I could claim Song Song told me. She'd play along and get off with a slap on the wrist.
I'd never risked something like this in my previous life, but being around Song Song had made me a bit of a delinquent. Also, the odds of someone noticing some obscure technique here in our distant home and reporting it to the Sect were slim.
I had considered using the new techniques the Liu Clan had acquired, but they weren't compatible with Wu Yan.
As I moved on autopilot, following the others' Qi signatures, I compiled a set of techniques for Wu Yan to form a stable foundation for her Foundation Establishment.
The Leaf Trail Technique was used for movement, the Yang Palm Resolution for attack, the Golden Bell Shield for defense, and Flesh Heat Sensing for scouting.
There were other techniques I wanted her to learn, like those connected to stealth, but it was better to start with these.
In truth, the fewer techniques learned, the better. Mastery of one versatile technique was the most beneficial path.
Fortunately, these techniques complemented each other and aligned with life-altering aspects, aligning with her element and most compatible with her physique.
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However, Wu Yan needed to learn these quickly, as a dangerous battle might be approaching.
"Here's your reward," an unknown elder said when we reached the inner city. Liu Qian handed over the scroll, and the old man gave us a dozen spirit stones.
Liu Qian distributed two stones each, even to Wu Yan.
I was absent-minded through the process, still running the Sky Grade Technique in the background. Only when we reached our house's snowy yard, with Speedy dozing beside the frozen pool, did I release the technique.
For a moment, everything felt dreamlike, and my thoughts seemed foggy. But the sharp bite of the cold wind against my skin jolted me back to full awareness.
"Are you tired?" I asked Wu Yan. After using a Sky Grade Technique and traveling without rest, I was exhausted.
But she simply shook her head, and I nodded.
"Good. We'll begin martial training right away. High cultivation alone won't protect you in most situations," I told her.
Wu Yan nodded, determined.
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"Good. I'll demonstrate the techniques, starting with the defensive one since it's the easiest," I said, clapping my hands and letting a hum resonate from my throat.
The Qi movement felt strange and rough around the edges, and it required more Qi than necessary, but this was just a demonstration.
Golden Qi rippled from my skin, bubbling like liquid sunlight as it spread outward, a glimmering aura forming a protective bell around me. The Yang Qi within it resonated with a deep, subtle hum, filling the air with a vibrant warmth that danced in soft waves across the snowy ground. Beneath its touch, delicate flakes melted away, leaving small patches of exposed earth peeking through the snow.
The warmth wasn't harsh but soothing, like the first rays of dawn.
Wu Yan carefully mirrored my movements, her form like a controlled reflection of my own. She guided her Qi along the same paths, tracing each subtle current I channeled. Yet, when her Qi surged outward, it was a modest pulse, conjuring only a faint gust that brushed against the snow around us and pushed it away.
"Good, you've got the movements down," I said.
I felt a touch of disappointment, but it was expected. Wu Yan had never even learned a Mortal Grade Technique, having worked as a farmhand most of her life. Adapting to martial techniques would take time, but we couldn't afford much. I needed to fast-track her training.
Over the next few minutes, I showed her the basics of what the techniques should look like. While I hadn't personally used these techniques, I was more than familiar with similar movement styles.
By the end of our practice, a patch of grass peeked through the snow where we'd melted it away.
During our session, my mother came out of the house, watching us with curiosity.
"You're back already?" she asked. "I thought you'd be gone longer."
"It wasn't a hard mission," I replied, watching Wu Yan struggle to push her Qi outward into the shape of a bell.
We might need to enhance her spirit roots for faster Qi regeneration.
My mother returned with two steaming cups of tea. I took mine, while Wu Yan declined, so my mother drank hers.
As Wu Yan practiced, my mother commented, "Try not to give her any bad habits, like training in the cold."
"I have my reasons," I said. "We need to train hard since troublesome times are coming."
Knowing the dangers of the world, my mother didn't argue. Though she wasn't a cultivator, she'd been part of a cultivation clan for decades. She wouldn't ask me to stop training Wu Yan.
"Take care of her," she said. "Also, don't forget to take care of yourself either. The graveyard is filled with brave corpses and weeping mothers during these times. I do not want to be one of them."
Her tone was firm.
I smiled, attempting to lighten the mood. "Don't worry, Mother. I've tempered my mind under a lot of rivers and waterfalls. My body is made of steel, veins of iron, blood of bronze."
That latter part was a well-known saying in the warriors' community.
"Waterfalls?" a voice chimed in from the house. My father stepped out, rubbing his hands for warmth as he walked beside my mother. "We live on flat land; there are no waterfalls around here. You would have to travel for a long time on horseback and reach the mountains to find one."
He'd likely come in mid-conversation and missed the context.
"There's actually an underground waterfall here," I said, recalling a training spot from my youth. "If you jump down one of the wells here, it leads to an underground water source."
"As wells should," he replied.
"Well, all the wells in the city technically take water from an underground large lake, and there is like a river waterfall thing down there," I added.
The place was probably meant as a secret hideout, but it wasn't much of a secret if Grandpa had shown it to me when I was seven.
Speaking of Grandpa, he'd just entered my sensory range. Moments later, he walked through the gates, sparing a glance at Wu Yan before looking at me.
There he was, my grandfather in his dark uniform.
Uncharacteristically, he had a frown etched on his face.
What was he upset about this time? Hopefully, it wasn't about the time I refused his plan to incite a civil war. My stance hadn't changed, and his frowns wouldn't sway me.
Without greeting, he said, "There will be a meeting soon between all the cultivator clan members, and after that, we plan to send all our people on rapid missions. So you better be prepared."
Well, that didn't sound promising. Last winter had been hectic enough, and now this one seemed set to be worse. It felt as if the central continent's turmoil was beginning to unfold here too.
