Darian, Lassim and the rest of the initiate rank disciples gathered their captives and prepared to meet the approaching caravan.
The sight of the caravan’s enchanted carriages, unharmed, was a welcome sight. Hopefully, with the caravan’s assistance, the group and the hostages would not have to walk back to the sect on foot.
As the caravan drew nearer, the leader, a Spirit Ascension stage Inner Sect disciple clad in purple martial attire with silver accents, stepped forward.
He bowed slightly. "Greetings, I am Eldrin, the leader of this caravan. I was informed that we might serve as bait for an ambush, but I am grateful to see that you’ve already managed to capture the bandits."
Darian stepped forward, bowing in return. "Greetings, Eldrin. We were successful in our mission, thanks in large part to Lassim here. We have several bandits in custody and would appreciate your help in transporting them back to the sect, if that’s fine with you."
Eldrin nodded, his eyes scanning the captured bandits. "Of course. Let’s load them into the carriages. New disciples, help secure the prisoners."
The new disciples, all fourteen-year-olds, approached hesitantly from within the carriages. Their faces showed either curiosity and some unease.
These fresh faces were accustomed to battling beasts, not other human cultivators. The sight of bodies cleaved in half where the battle had just occurred with fresh blood stains left a few looking pale and nauseated.
One young disciple, eyes wide, asked, "Are these the bandits from the rumors that have been attacking the caravans?"
Darian nodded in reply. "Yes, they are. But rest assured, they won’t be causing any more trouble."
The young disciple swallowed hard, looking at the bound and injured bandits. "I’ve never seen so much blood... I guess it’s different when it’s other cultivators."
Darian placed a reassuring hand on the disciple’s shoulder. "It’s part of the reality we face as warriors in a sect. Protecting the sect and its members sometimes means making hard choices. Even more so when you have the power to do so. You’ll be forced to fight, whether you like it or not, to protect those weaker than you."
With the bandits securely loaded into the carriages, the group took their seats and began their journey back to the sect.
The enchanted carriages moved at a steady pace, but it was slower than the swift foot travel Lassim and his team had used to get here so quickly.
The return journey stretched just over into seven days, giving Lassim time to reflect on their mission and his next goals.
He wanted to first learn how to break through to Spirit Ascension. That was his biggest priority. Now that he had [Hydroburst], he only needed an increase in power for his [Aegis], possibly adding another beast soul to the [Grand Aegis] formation, and then finally study his progenitor marks.
He had a lot to work on, but he’d easily be able to fill up the three months working on those before he needed to complete another mission.
The caravan traveled along, the wheels gliding across on the uneven sand dunes. The landscape shifted subtly as they traveled, the endless expanse of sand broken occasionally by clusters of rocky outcrops or small oases.
Each night, they set up camp, and Lassim took the opportunity to meditate and practice his activation of the success rate of [Hydroburst]. He had it down to one in every four attempts being a success now.
The oases they had passed on the way there were fewer and farther between as they got closer to the heart of the desert, and the days seemed to stretch on interminably under the hot sun.
Though, it was abruptly blocked out by the perpetual storm once they got within range of the sect’s headquarters, providing much welcome relief.
As they approached the sect gates on the seventh day, the sight of the familiar stormy skies and the towering sect buildings with their lightning rods filled his vision. They had completed their mission and ensured the safety of future disciples. There would be no failure for his first mission, thankfully.
Darian and the others separated form the new disciples at the gate and then led the group to the Mission Hall, where they would submit their report and hand over the bandits.
The hall was bustling with activity as always, disciples coming and going, discussing missions and rewards. Lassim followed Darian’s lead as they approached one of the counters.
The clerk at the desk looked up as they approached. "Back from your mission, I see. Successful, I hope?"
Darian nodded. "Yes, we captured several bandits and brought them back for interrogation and punishment. They’re the fellows with their hands tied up at the back of the group over there. The mission was tougher than expected, but we managed." He then passed her a magic pouch.
The clerk raised an eyebrow, taking note of Darian’s words and observing the bag that was holding the leader’s body that he grabbed before they left. "Tougher than expected, you say? Ah, I see what you mean. Let me pass this to the examiners to determine the leader’s power level but I can see he must have used a forbidden life exchange technique just based on how withered his muscles and skin are.
Let me call in the guards to take the prisoners for now."
A group of sect disciples, clad in red accented guard uniforms, entered the hall and took the bandits into custody.
Lassim watched as they were led away, hoping that the information they held would be useful.
The clerk turned back to the group. "Your original reward was access to one Earth Ranked battle technique tome within the sect’s library. However, given the increased difficulty of the mission, the sect has decided to tentatively grant you an additional reward. That is the standard bonus for increased difficulty.
If an additional reward is to be given out, it’ll be an increase in the merit points for your records, to which you will receive a standard 20 merit points for the base completion."
He handed each of them a token. "This is a one-hour tutor token. You can use it to request an elder to assist you in learning a technique, provide tips, or answer questions with tutoring for the hour duration."
The other Initiate Rank disciples exchanged excited glances, clearly thrilled with the unexpected bonus.
Darian looked at Lassim, a grateful smile on his face. "We couldn’t have done it without you, Lassim. Your strength and skills were invaluable."
The clerk overheard the exchange and made a note in the mission file. "Well done, all of you. Your rewards have been issued and merit points added to your accounts. Have a nice day."
The group thanked the clerk and then went their separate ways.
Lassim, feeling the weight of excess dust and sand all over his body, headed back to his Initiate Rank room. The single-occupancy quarters were a welcome sight after the long journey.
He took a hot shower, washing away the grime and sweat of the past days, and then prepared a simple meal in the small kitchen area.
As he sat down to eat, Lassim’s mind wandered to the mystery of the Spirit Ascension rank. He had so many questions on how to advance and what the constellations that rose above the heads of spirit ascension cultivators when they battled, and he hoped that the sect’s library would hold the answers.
After finishing his meal, he collapsed onto his bed, sleep claiming him almost instantly.
The next morning, Lassim awoke refreshed and determined. Today, he would visit the Sect Library and finally seek the answers he needed.
He dressed quickly, his purple martial robe with dark gray accents as an Initiate Rank disciple, and headed out the door to the library.
The library was an imposing structure, built from dark stone and adorned with intricate carvings of lightning motifs; similar to what he saw on every other building in the sect.
As Lassim approached, he felt a sense of joy. This was a place of immense knowledge, a repository of centuries of cultivation wisdom that he would finally get access to and hopefully with it, some answers.
Inside, the atmosphere was quiet and reverent. Rows upon rows of shelves lined the walls, filled with scrolls and tomes of various sizes. Crystal lamps hung from the ceiling, casting a soft, electric blue glow that illuminated the vast space.
Lassim made his way to the main desk next to the door’s entrance, where an elderly librarian sat, her eyes sharp and somewhat disinterested.
She looked up from her scroll, barely hiding her boredom. "What do you need?" she asked, her tone indifferent.
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"I’m looking for information on breaking through to the Spirit Ascension rank," Lassim replied, trying to sound respectful despite her attitude. "I need some guidance on how to break through."
The librarian sighed, pushing herself up from her chair. "Spirit Ascension, huh? You may wish to find a better cultivation technique but in the meantime you can study a bit. Follow me."
She led Lassim through the labyrinthine aisles, stopping at a section marked "Advanced Cultivation Techniques."
She pointed to a shelf filled with thick, ancient tomes. "These texts should provide the information you seek. You can read here, but no checking out materials without proper permission and deduction of merit points. Just for access you’ll have to pay 15 merit points, Got it?"
"Got it," Lassim nodded gratefully, but then smiled ruefully as he basically had almost all of his newly gained merit points wiped out just to casually browse the selection.
He sighed once she was out of view and began to peruse the titles. He selected a few promising volumes and settled into a nearby reading alcove.
The first book he opened was titled "Spirit Ascension’s Glory."
As he read, he found detailed explanations of the spiritual and physical change requirements to break through to the next stage.
The book was just generalized and vague with it’s explanation stating the process involved refining one’s core essence, aligning the spirit with the natural elements infused in their spirits, and then combining it with the soul to achieve a state of perfect harmony.
The book described various techniques and breathing exercises designed to enhance one’s spiritual energy and strengthen the connection with the elemental forces, but didn’t give the exact method on how to break through.
Lassim absorbed the information, however, he quickly realized that the book was rather lacking.
He moved on to the next book, "A Guide to Advanced Cultivation."
This tome delved deeper into the importance of balancing elemental energies within the body. It provided detailed instructions on how to cultivate multiple elements simultaneously and achieve a state of equilibrium.
Hours passed as Lassim sifted through the texts, but none of them provided the specific guidance he needed.
Frustration began to build, but he pushed it aside, determined to find the answers. He selected another book, "Soul Crystal Shattering: The Path to Ascension," hoping it would offer some insight.
This was the book he needed!
The book described that the process of breaking through to the Spirit Ascension realm required the shattering of the soul crystal within his inner world and then binding it in a shape before the soul dust runs out of energy to create a constellation that is then sent up into the heavens.
The initial shattering also causes some disorientation, dizziness and pain, so it’s best to plan ahead and visualize the shape for several days beforehand to prepare properly.
This constellation, once set into the heavens with the assistance of the gods, would allow the cultivator to use the starlight to purify their mana, expanding their inner heart world significantly.
The description was detailed, yet the process sounded straightforward.
Lassim felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Shattering the soul crystal... It sounds simple enough. Once I do that, my path to Spirit Ascension will be set. Though, I should try and visualize the shape of the constellation I wish to create. I’ll work on that first."
He spent a few more hours cross-referencing the information with other texts to ensure he had a comprehensive understanding of the process of shattering the crystal and shaping the soul dust.
Satisfied with the knowledge he had gained, he thanked the librarian and left the library.
As he walked back to his quarters, Lassim’s mind buzzed with excitement. He was eager to begin the process of shattering his soul crystal and advancing to the Spirit Ascension rank.