Soft light filtered through glowing crystals embedded in the cave walls, giving everything an ethereal glow.
Right now Lucian, Celine, Isabella, and Lyra sat around a low table made of polished spirit wood. Before them lay a feast of spirit fishes, fragrant rice, and bottles of red wine.
Celine poured everyone a cup of wine from a wine bottle. The liquid sparkled as it flowed, releasing a sweet and intoxicating aroma that filled the air.
Celine took a sip and savored the rich flavor. Then she asked curiously, “Didn’t you say something about needing our Essence Blood or something?”
Lucian nodded, chewing slowly. He really enjoyed the tender flesh of the spirit fish. It seemed to melt in his mouth.
After swallowing, he waved his hand. From his space ring came out a small bronze compass. It was the size of his palm, covered in mysterious runes.
“This is a Blood Compass,” he explained, “Using Essence Blood as guide, it will lead me towards the most suitable Cultivation Technique.”
According to Alisa, the Secret Realm had many mysterious places where rare cultivation resources can be found. But these places were very dangerous. Many cultivators had died seeking treasures there.
And this Realm has existed for countless eras. Ancient cultivators ‘left behind’ their legacies – Cultivation Techniques, secret techniques from long-extinct sects…
Though dengerous, he wanted to enter these places to find a Cultivation Technique for Celine and Isabella.
But of course, he wouldn’t explain this to his mother and sister. No need to make them unnecessarily worry.
“So does that mean I can finally start cultivating?” Isabella asked excitedly.
Lucian nodded, “If I find suitable Cultivation Techniques for you, then yes. Otherwise you’d be limited to the sect’s basic ice techniques. But those won’t unlock your full potential.”
He took a sip of wine, savoring the sweet flavor.
Isabella’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Really? I can’t wait to start cultivating!”
Celine looked thoughtful, “These special techniques sound dangerous. Will you be safe, son?”
Lucian gave a confident smile. “Don’t worry, Mom. I won’t such placed without establishing my foundation.”
Lucian then smiled reassuringly at his mother, “Mom, I need to extract your Essence Blood now. It may be uncomfortable!”
Celine nodded, trusting her son completely.
Lucian activated his Qi Sense, scanning her body carefully. He eventually focused on her heart, where he sensed seven drops of dark red blood resting silently.
“You’ll feel weak after this, Mom. But you’ll recover in about a month,” he explained gently.
Celine took a deep breath and nodded again. “I understand. Do what you need to do, son.”
Lucian concentrated, and carefully, he locked onto one drop of the precious Essence Blood.
As Lucian guided the Essence blood to Celine’s throat, she immediately paled and trembled. Her body felt weak, as if her very life force was being drained.
She abruptly threw out a mouthful of fresh blood!
Meanwhile Lucian’s Qi Sense remained locked onto the precious blood droplet. Carefully, he separated it from the normal blood.
The tiny red sphere floated in the air, quite mysterious.
Gently, Lucian guided it to the bronze compass. The blood droplet settled onto the treasure’s surface.
Instantly, the runes etched on the compass glowed with a soft red light for a movement.
Celine slumped back, her face pale and covered in a light sheen of sweat.
“That… that was intense,” she whispered. Her face was as white as snow.
“Are you okay, Mom?” Lucian asked with concern.
She nodded weakly. “I’m fine, just… a bit dizzy.”
Lucian nodded and turned to Isabella next, “Your turn, Sis. Although both of you have the same physique, just to be sure.”
As for Lyra, she didn’t have any special physique. At least for now…
***
The morning sun peeked over the horizon, casting a golden glow across the Azure Sword Mountain. Mist clung to the slopes, slowly dissipating as the warmth spread.
The air was crisp and clean, filled with the scent of mountain flowers and spirit herbs. A gentle breeze carried the songs of few low-level spirit birds as well as the cries of livestocks.
At this moment Lucian, wearing the robe of Azure Sword Sect’s Inner Disciple, stood with nineteen other young cultivators in a clearing. Dew sparkled on the grass beneath their feet.
The cultivators stood in neat rows, their azure robes a stark contrast to the greenery around them. Excitement and nervous energy radiated from the group.
Among these disciples, five stood out piercingly. They were the core disciples of the sect, all in Foundation Establishment realm and the Golden Core seeds of this young generation.
Their auras were powerful, radiating spiritual pressure that made the other disciples instinctively keep their distance.
Standing far behind, Lucian saw finally Marcus, who at this moment was talking to a red-haired man beside him.
The red-haired man laughed at something Marcus said. His fiery hair seemed to dance in the breeze, matching his arrogant demeanor.
Marcus seemed to sense something and turned back. His golden eyes met Lucian’s crimson eyes.
He then smiled amiably, sending a message through Qi Sense, “We finally met nephew. Don’t worry about the others, your uncle will take good care of you!”
Despite his concern, Lucian could sense the sarcasm in his “uncle’s” words.
The red-haired man beside Marcus also turned. He smiled arrogantly at Lucian. A look of disdain flickered across his face.
An aura of scorching heat radiated from him. His cultivation was rumored to be at the peak of Foundation Establishment.
Lucian met their gaze calmly. But he didn’t reply back. There was no reason to care about a dead man walking.
It seems this red-haired guy also wishes to die.
When the other three core disciples noticed that two of them were staring at someone, they also turned to look. However, they soon lost interest after realizing it was just another disciple of the Qi Gathering.
Instead their eyes swept over the group, assessing the their “fellow disciples” with cold indifference.
A tall, slender woman with flowing black hair stood regally. Her jade-like skin seemed to glow under the morning light.
Beside her, a burly man with a shaved head crossed his muscular arms. His eyes were sharp as knives.
The last core disciple was shorter but emanated a dangerous aura. His fingers twitched, as if eager to crush something.
While Lucian was checking these core disciples, at this moment, an aged voice resounded through the clearing, breaking the tension.
“Gather round, disciples!”
A massive flying boat appeared in the sky, descending towards them!
It was easily fifty meters long, crafted from deep blue spirit wood that seemed to ripple like water. A thin barrier of spiritual energy enveloped the vessel, distorting the air around it.
At the helm stood an elderly man with a long white beard. His eyes gleamed with wisdom and power. This was Elder Feng, the same elder who had taken the recruitment test.
“It is time to leave,” Elder Feng stated. His voice carried effortlessly across the clearing.
Then with a wave of his hand, vast tendrils of Spiritual Energy extended from the boat. They gently wrapped around all twenty disciples, lifting them into the air.
Lucian felt weightless as the energy cocoon pulled him upwards.
As Lucian reached the barrier, the elder used a control token to open it. The spiritual energy rippled like water, parting to allow entry.
Inside, as he landed, Lucian saw Alisa sitting on an ornate chair.
She wore a flowing black dress that contrasted starkly with her long white hair.
Her white hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall of moonlight. The combination of her dark dress and pale hair created an ethereal effect.
After all the disciples entered, the barrier closed, and Elder Feng stood behind Alisa, his posture respectful.
Alisa’s piercing gaze swept over the gathered disciples. Her eyes lingered on Lucian for a moment before moving on.
The disciples immediately bowed and said in unison, “Greetings, Vice-Sect Master!”
Their voices rang out in perfect harmony, echoing through the spacious interior of the flying boat.
Alisa nodded, her expression impassive. Her voice was clear and melodious as she said, “It’s still 10 days until the Secret Realm opens. And our journey there will take about 6 days.”
She paused, her gaze sweeping over the disciples once more.
“You may each choose a small room to cultivate in during our travels.”
She gestured gracefully towards a row of doors along the side of the ship.
“These rooms are equipped with arrays to aid cultivation. Use this time wisely.”
The disciples bowed once more before walking towards the rooms.
As Lucian was walking towards a room, he heard Alisa’s voice echoing in his mind, “I’ll be waiting in my chambers, hubby. Don’t keep me waiting too long.”
His footsteps didn’t falter as if he hadn’t heard a thing. But a slight smirk played across his lips, invisible to others, ‘It’s been a while since I’ve tasted a Gilf’s pussy.’
Meanwhile, Elder Feng activated the control token. The massive flying boat surged forward, cutting through the sky like a blade.
It sped northward, leaving Azure Sword Mountain far behind. The landscape below blurred.
Clouds parted before the boat’s barrier. The disciples felt a slight tremor as they accelerated to incredible speeds.
Inside his chosen room, Lucian sat cross-legged on a meditation mat. After activating the Energy Gathering Array, He closed his eyes, focusing on his cultivation.