The next morning, Cain got everyone up early so they could get a good start on the day. He intended to have them walk for at least the first half of the day until they were well outside the area where the Sects were camped. That way, they wouldn't attract too much attention, and they could fly away on their Swords without any idiots trying to rob them.
At least, that was the plan. But by the time they finished breakfast and began heading toward the edge of the Cultivation Sects' camps, it became clear that leaving without attracting attention simply wasn't going to happen.
Every Sect that they passed was familiar with both the Sect's uniforms as well as Cain's reputation as the purveyor of the obscure and prohibited. How he got so many Sects' secret techniques was a matter of great discussion among the assembled Elders, but they all agreed that he seemed to know every secret that they thought they had kept hidden from the world.
He even knew secret techniques that the originating Sects had forgotten.
All of that made them believe that Cain was a Deity Realm Cultivator who had been injured, losing most of his power but not his millennia' worth of knowledge.
Even if he told them, nobody would believe his story about a System giving him the power to read their skills and copy them. The notion was just so ridiculous that only a madman would accept it as truth.
"Elder Cain, won't you stay a while longer? So many Sects would love to have a chance to sit in on your lectures." A young man in vivid green robes asked as the Forbidden Treasures Sect walked past his camp.
"Unfortunately, we must get going. But I will stop in at various Sects along the way. Many of them have been kind to us during our stay here, and if we pick up something good along the way, we might have a reason to trade with them." Cain explained.
"We will look forward to it then. Our Jade Mountain Sect is near the Dragon Peaks. If you are heading that way, feel free to drop in. I am certain that the Elders would give you very good terms if you wanted to trade some of your knowledge with them." The guard informed them.
"We will keep it in mind."
Dozens of similar conversations took place as they left, and Cain managed to fill in quite a bit of his rudimentary map, adding in training grounds and protected areas, as well as dangerous Sects that they might encounter on their journey.
Strangely enough, many of them considered the Shadowed Blade to be one of the unfriendly Sects that was too dangerous to approach, but in Cain's experience, they were really quite friendly.
With the addition of so many Sects and their territories, they now had a clear path to the mountain without worrying about running across an unknown force. Crossing a number of Sects' training territories was unavoidable, as they butted up against each other, but with his newfound familiarity, they shouldn't attack at first sight.
The locals no longer considered him a lone Wandering Cultivator, which was always a threat, and most likely insane. Instead, they were a foreign Sect touring the area in search of adventure and knowledge, much like the group from the Lightning Dance Sect that he met in the valley village where he met most of his Disciples had been.
The level of respect that the two of them got was somewhat different, despite Cain's apparently low cultivation, due to the knowledge that he already possessed, but the concept was the same.
"Be careful out there. I have heard that the monsters in the woods have been increasing in power much faster than usual lately, and they might have exceeded the normal threshold that the Sects keep them at.
I know your Disciples are talented, but if they come across a stronger Immortal Beast, they could be in real trouble." One of the guards at the last Sect that they passed called out.
"Thanks for the warning. I will be close by, so there shouldn't be any real danger. As long as we don't come across any Divine Beasts, we should be alright."
"Way to set the flag. Who wants to wager? Are we going to meet a Divine Beast today or tomorrow?" Penny asked.
"Tonight, just after we start cooking but before we can eat." Tena wagered.
"You ladies are too pessimistic. The Gods are looking out for us, and they want us to have a fun and enjoyable vacation. I say we don't see a single one until we reach the Dragon Peaks." Cain disagreed.
"What about after that?" Solara asked, not happy with his line of logic.
"Well, there is supposed to be at least one dragon there at that level, and we are going to see them on purpose, so I am hoping that we will see one at the Dragon Peaks."
"Somehow, that still doesn't make me feel better. I wager on tomorrow. There are too many people in the area for strong opponents to be hiding in the woods nearby." Solara bet.
"Keep walking. We have a long way to go." Cain ordered, shooing his Disciples forward.
The walk through the woods was quite relaxing, and the trail was nearly at the standard of a modern gravel road, well-used and clearly marked, with regular stopping points for the mundane humans who transported goods with wagons and oxen.
They passed a handful of similar caravans, bringing goods and food to the City of Knowledge which they had just left, but they didn't come across a single other Cultivator.
The event was in full swing, and the finals of the Inner Sect Competition were happening soon, followed by the Core Disciples competition, where the strongest of the younger generation would show off their might for the crowd.
No Cultivator wanted to miss that, and space was already at a premium around the city, so there wouldn't be too many groups still arriving this late into the season.
When it started to get close to sunset, Cain picked them a spot in the woods, away from the road, where they wouldn't be bothered by travelers who might still be out at this hour.
"Everyone set up Camp. Better yet, I will set up camp, and you all can get dinner ready." Cain decided.
He had a number of tents in his inventory, but he only pulled out the single largest one, similar to the one he had been staying in while they were in the Lotus Blossom Camp. That had more than enough space for everyone to sleep, and he could line the floor with a large tarp and cushions to make it extra comfortable.
While he set up, Luna summoned an adorable baby Earth Elemental to create a firepit and some seating, which Penny placed a large Cast Iron grill on top of, and Sabbat started a magical fire inside.
The heat that it gave off was a comfortable change from the chill mountain air, and it was close enough to the tent that they likely wouldn't have to heat it tonight, even if Penny was in human form and not the portable space heater that was her giant wolf form.
"Why are you putting green things on the skillet with the meat? Meat is good." Luna asked as Penny began to cook.
"Vegetables are good for you. They help you grow up big and strong. You can't eat only meat and sweets if you want to stay healthy." The Lycan explained.
"I require more documented evidence," Luna demanded, glaring at the sliced zucchini on the grill.
"If you dip it in sour cream and dill dip, it is really good," Tena whispered to the little Demon, making her eyes light up.
"Oh, so they're like potato chips? You could have just said that to start with." Luna complained.
"I have some mushrooms and flour. Do we have a pot and oil to fry them?" Solara asked as the grill heated.
"We have everything. Just ask Master Cain. He is holding most of the supplies." Jen told their newest member, who hadn't ever asked how they all came to be traveling together, and so didn't know why Cain had everything.
"I heard you. Here, I put the stuff in your old storage rings. Feel free to sort them out as you see fit based on daily duties." Cain called, then handed over a set of storage rings containing all their old supplies, as well as a split of the money their old Master had been carrying.
That was enough to get them through a lifetime of traveling, as long as they could find food, and the last of the tension about the journey began to melt away. If Cain didn't see a need to protect the valuables, they could infer that he wasn't expecting any real danger.
In Cain's mind, the rings were only taking up inventory space, and he didn't need anything that was in them. He could have a golem make him a castle every night if he wanted, so the camping gear was redundant. Even Luna could have made pots and pans if she wanted, though a well-seasoned Cast Iron skillet was a treasure that the Earth Elementals couldn't master.
When the food was ready, Tena passed over a single coin to Penny, having lost the wager on when they would meet their first Divine Beast of the trip, and they all settled in for the evening on the benches that the Earth Elemental had made.
Once it was fully dark and everyone was relaxed, Cain pointed to the tent. "Get some sleep. I will take the first two watches since I don't sleep as much. I will wake someone early for the last watch, and you can make breakfast once the sun comes up."
They all got ready to play rock paper scissors for the duty, but Penny moved Solara to the side, excluding her from the selection since she was the weakest of them at the moment and could be too easily ambushed.
She had the knowledge to set up a variety of alarms, traps, and other warning inscriptions, so the annoyed Alchemist set an intruder alarm on the tent and walked inside, finding the whole interior covered in pillows and blankets.
"No wonder Luna's sleeping habits are so strange. This is what Cain comes up with when he gets to make the bed." She laughed.
"That's a bit glorious, though, isn't it? We can just sleep in a pile or scattered, and it is all just as comfortable." Penny sighed. She had won the first round, so she didn't need to compete for the task anymore.
She transformed into her oversized Lycan form and grabbed a blanket, curling up in the very center of the room, ignoring the pleading look from Luna to turn into a wolf, which was much softer and larger.
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