《To Be A Senior Brother》 Prologue: Mysterious Origins The Plum Tree sect was a second-rate sect with a mysterious origin. In this sect, there was a senior brother, Tian Lu, with a mysterious origin. His master, Zhao Fei, was at the peak of mortal cultivation and he too had a mysterious origin. The sect master, Huang Di, of this mysterious sect had an origin that could only be described as mysterious. The mysteries surrounding the sect, the sect master, and the senior brother will not be fully addressed until much later. In this mysterious sect located in a mysterious mountain peak inside a mysterious cave was the mysterious senior brother himself - Tian Lu. He was cultivating. To be precise, he was cultivating rice. His Foundation Establishment realm would be considered good in the mortal world among third-rate sects. But alas, this senior brother was the senior brother of a powerful and mysterious second-rate sect. And unfortunately for him, he was the senior disciple of a legendary sword master. Zhao Fei was in the same mysterious mountain peak, inside a different mysterious cave. He too was cultivating. To be precise, he was cultivating his qi. A Transcendent Realm cultivation and master-level swordsman, Zhao Fei would be unmatched not just among the second-rate sects but also among the mortals in the entire Empire. But alas, his mysterious origin has him stuck in the Plum Tree sect.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The Plum Tree sect was located in the not so mysterious region of a land belonging to the Empire. Its sect master was in the sect hall listening to the news delivered by a messenger from this powerful Empire. Huang Di would normally not involve himself with such affairs but alas, in order to keep his mysterious origins, he had no choice but to follow the Emperor¡¯s will. As news would have it, the Empire was holding a trial that promised great rewards for the sect and the disciples taking part in this trial. And as news would have it, this trial happened every 10 years and it would happen in 3 months time. In this mysterious sect, with a mysterious sect master, a mysterious Transcendent Realm Cultivator, the mysterious senior brother was cultivating rice. This was just one of the many hobbies Tian Lu had started to take part in ever since he realized it took him a normal amount of time to cultivate qi. In this second-rate sect, the disciples were truly tigers and dragons. Their cultivation speed was much faster than even some disciples from first-rate sects. This is almost certainly due to the mysterious sect. To be at the Foundation Establishment Realm after spending 10 years in the sect, one would consider the person to be trash. But this trash had a secret of mysterious origins, and this secret had let him garner fear and respect among the tigers and dragons of this sect. Alas, he could no longer keep to himself in this mysterious cave, holed up in his many hobbies. The time to start unraveling mysteries had begun. Chapter 1: Ju Daiyu Nascent Soul In the Plum Tree sect, there were three people who could not be offended - Sect Master Huang Di, Sect Elder Zhao Fei, and Senior Disciple Tian Lu. Now there was one more, Ju Daiyu. Ju Daiyu had been the second disciple of Zhao Fei for almost 5 years. Today, she reached the Nascent Soul realm. A feat completely unheard of in the entire Empire. At just 18 years old, she was the youngest ever to reach this realm - in the Empire. The elders of the Plum Tree sect were congratulating her and whispering amongst each other about the strength of the other disciples of Elder Fei. Ju Daiyu, an 18 year old Nascent Soul. Legendary. Mi Rang, a 15 year old Core Formation. Incredible. And the mysterious senior brother who they haven¡¯t seen since 5 years ago when Tian Lu made an elder kneel in front of him with the entire sect watching. This elder left mysteriously and was never seen again. As the commotion died down, Mi Rang went up to his senior sister. Mi Rang was a tall 15 year old. He had medium black hair that came to eyes and a bulkier build. He had darker skin and brown eyes. He exuded confidence and perhaps arrogance. Ju Daiyu was in a purple robe. She had long black hair and jade skin. After achieving Nascent Soul, she had a glow about her. ¡°Senior Brother and master must still be cultivating, Senior Sister. Congratulations on your incredible achievement.¡± He said as he bowed with his hands clasped. Ju Daiyu opened her eyes. Breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm was surprisingly easy. It seemed she never faced any bottlenecks in her cultivation ever since she got to the Plum Tree Sect. She knew it was because her Senior Brother had carefully and meticulously guided her cultivation; although, her master said to never tell him or anyone of this information. She had only met this Senior Brother twice, once when she accepted Master Fei¡¯s discipleship and again when Mi Rang joined as well. He was clouded in secrecy and never really went outside his cultivation cave. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°It is enough that you are here. Junior brother.¡± She said with a smile. Her smile enraptured all the young disciples of the Plum Tree Sect who had watched to see their senior sister attempt a breakthrough that none of them have ever heard of - as they were all from the Empire. ¡°Truly an incredible moment for our sect, and for you as well. It came at an opportune time.¡± Huang Di relayed to all those present. Ju Daiyu looked up to see the sect master and the four Great Elders fly on their weapons. His voice was soft and yet everyone was able to hear it. She couldn¡¯t see the depths of his cultivation but Ju Daiyu knew the sect master was powerful. Not more powerful than her master, nonetheless powerful in the Empire. ¡°I have a gift for the young Nascent Soul cultivator and a message to all sect disciples. Ju Daiyu, Mi Rang, Gong Chang, Mei Ahn, and Tian Lu have been chosen to go to the Empire¡¯s secret realm. I believe none of you can protest our choices for most of them but Mei Ahn has been chosen for her ability to understand formations. In this secret realm, a formations expert is a must and to make sure we can ascertain the safety of our talented disciples, Elder Wei will be joining Elder Fang. The other three were chosen based on the previous tournament rankings. And Disciple Lu. I hope I do not need to say any more.¡± Chapter 2: Mi Rang Core Formation Mi Rang and Ju Daiyu were making their way up to their master¡¯s cultivation cave. Ju Daiyu was playing with the talisman the sect master gave her. In her eyes, it was not as good as the gifts her Senior Brother would leave but it was still acceptable. Mi Rang was carrying a heavy two-handed sword on his back. The handle was pure black and the blade was extremely thick. It didn¡¯t have a sharp edge. As he had only been Master Fei¡¯s disciple for two years, he was still considered new to the sect. There were disciples who had been here for decades and still only at the Foundation Establishment realm. They remained outer disciples. He had reached Core Formation incredibly quickly. Much faster than when he was hunting Demonic Beasts in the Beast Lands. It was truly fate that had let him meet Master Fei and Senior Brother Lu. Now he didn¡¯t have to survive in the wild, worry about food and shelter, and he could just focus on cultivation. The heavy blade he was carrying was one of Senior Brother¡¯s cultivation training methods and Mi Rang never doubted anything Senior Brother Lu recommended as he had just witnessed his Senior Sister reach Nascent Soul. He had reached Core Formation faster than many in the Empire, but he knew he had a worse foundation because of his time in the Beast Lands. Master Fei had said Senior Brother Lu could easily solve that and two years later, his foundation was much better. His body cultivation was also advancing rapidly. He was truly a fish going through the dragon¡¯s gate since he arrived at the sect. Mi Rang and Ju Daiyu were outside their master¡¯s cave. A big man with long wild hair, a scar on his face, and overwhelming qi stepped out. It was Zhao Fei. He looked at the two in front of him. He didn¡¯t spend much time with his disciples, giving them guidance and instructions every once in a while. Zhao Fei had actually left much of their cultivation to his senior disciple to handle. But his most senior disciple didn¡¯t like to leave his cave so he had to be the one to give his other disciples the information. Tian Lu did not want them to know it was him so he had asked Zhao Fei to keep his involvement a secret but the sword master didn¡¯t care. No, he didn¡¯t care for much. If the sect master hadn¡¯t forced him to get a disciple 10 years ago, he would have never even considered it. And if this disciple wasn¡¯t so strange, he wouldn¡¯t have had to get two more disciples. However, Zhao Fei realized it wasn¡¯t all bad as he felt himself getting stronger or recovering back to his original strength. He could still feel the heat of the scar, the memory. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. His disciples were truly talented, it was not a waste to train them, he thought. He looked at the sword on his youngest disciple¡¯s back. A strange forged weapon from his senior disciple. It seemed to get heavier every time Mi Rang couldn¡¯t keep his qi constant. His senior disciple had too many strange inventions, strange thoughts. Not suited for his swordsmanship and yet extremely adept at it. It was strange. Well, he didn¡¯t have to think too much about it. They would all be gone for a few months and maybe even years in the secret realm. He just had to give them some words of encouragement. ¡°Congratulations little Daiyu, you have achieved something great. Your cultivation looks solid and you have a great mastery of my swordsmanship. Keep developing your sword intent and you will be undefeatable under the heavens.¡± Ju Daiyu bowed and thanked her master for the kind encouragement. ¡°Mi Rang, you have witnessed your senior sister break through to Nascent Soul. Consolidate what you learned from her experience but do not ask anyone of the exact process. It must be yours and yours alone. And I have a gift for you. This is an enchanted bracelet. Put your qi into and find out how to make it work. Think of it as training and a gift, the ¡°two-for-one special¡± your Senior Brother so enjoys.¡± Zhao Fei said with a smirk. His senior disciple did have some fun inventions. Mi Rang accepted the gift and bowed. He was excited to try out another training gift from his senior brother. However, he realized his excitement disrupted the flow of his chi and the sword became heavier. Zhao Fei noticed the boy¡¯s struggle but didn¡¯t say anything about it. He looked through his spatial ring and pulled out his gift for his talented female disciple. ¡°As a gift from me, this is one of my swords I trained with when I was at your realm. An enchanted earth-grade sword. I call it Niehan, the Water Lotus. Bind it and it should serve you well through the Nascent Soul.¡± Ju Daiyu was known for not expressing too many emotions as she knew it could have unwanted effects on men. But she always felt safe with her master and fellow disciples. And her face had a sense of bewilderment as she stared longingly at this sword. An earth-grade weapon was rare, much less one enchanted for her affinity. She had Stellar-grade water affinity roots and she could feel a connection with this sword. She couldn¡¯t wait to bind it but she knew she had to. Her master still hadn¡¯t gone back to his cave to cultivate. ¡°Finally, some last minute advice. A secret realm is always dangerous. Anyway, listen to your Senior Brother and you should be fine.¡± Then, he left to his cave leaving the two disciples looking at each other with their head turned to the side. Chapter 3: Tian Lu Foundation Establishment Tian Lu was pacing in his cave. He heard the message the sect master sent to everyone. He had to go to a secret realm to compete for treasures and opportunities. ¡®No treasure is worth my life.¡¯ he thought. The senior disciple was panicking. He was forcefully dragged to this sect by a strange muscular man 10 years ago. Since then, he had only gone out of the sect a handful of times, they never ended well. Heck. even the times he went out in the sect hadn¡¯t gone well. He remembered a few years ago he went to the sect hall to get some materials for his soon-to-be junior sister, and a strange old man kept trying to instigate him. He wasn¡¯t sure what the strange old man wanted, but he was afraid and he accidentally unleashed the secret inside of him. Tian Lu had a secret, a big secret. A heaven-grade treasure was attached to his soul. A soul that didn¡¯t belong to this space and time. This treasure had the power to warp reality. Right now, he was only strong enough to activate a tiny portion of its powers. One of those was to disguise his qi completely. That meant he could exert the pressure of a Transcendent Realm expert and crush anyone who was within his qi¡¯s range. And if he activated the treasure, that could be the qi of a Transcendent Realm expert. Truly frightening. Now he didn¡¯t actually have the power or the ability of the Transcendent Realm, but just the pressure from the qi could force most cultivators to pass out. Tian Lu had spent years in the cave training how to use this treasure when he realized his body was talented in cultivation but not to the level of a second-rate sect. He reached a bottleneck fairly quickly and decided to use his intellect from another world and the incredible doping effects of the cultivation cave to achieve mastery in many different fields. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The otherworlder had tried to bring in knowledge from his previous life but realized he was a good-for-nothing. He only read trashy novels and lived a basic life. He had no love, no attachments, and only lived to read - waiting for a new release every two days. He was an addict who knew some things about his previous world, but not really. So he dove into this world¡¯s knowledge and tried to combine it with what he¡¯s read. And everything he read warned him he was in for a bad time. He was able to keep hidden by staying in the cave and learning about this world as much as he could but he knew this wasn¡¯t good for him. But by the time he realized that, he had gotten used to being thought of as an aloof, omnipotent senior disciple and senior brother. He had to keep up that act, because if anyone knew he was truly just a Foundation Establishment cultivator, things were not going to end well for him. He had to devise a plan to survive the secret realm, keep himself safe, and also look out for his junior disciples. Forcing his master to get other disciples was truly a genius move, he thought. ¡®I can have MC-level protectors and all I have to do is help them reach the peak of cultivation. I can be the ultimate support. This was definitely better than my plan to make my master the strongest. That guy is so unreliable. No, deep breaths. Don¡¯t think about your untrustworthy master who¡¯s never around when you need him.¡¯ That night the senior disciple and Senior Brother hatched a plan like no other. Chapter 4: Zhao Fei Transcendent Realm Huang Di read the message he received from Zhao Fei¡¯s senior disciple. It was his plan to change how they traveled to the secret realm. He sighed and put the message down. Tian Lu was smart, Huang Di thought this senior disciple was possibly the smartest mortal he had ever seen. In order to capitalize on that, the sect master had given Tian Lu unfettered access to all the information in the sect¡¯s library, the elders, and whatever else he needed. And any thoughts or insights he shared, he would be rewarded accordingly. The sect master¡¯s trust was rewarded as Tian Lu created potions that were more effective and easier to make, weapons and armor that were better than ones made even by the best craftsmen in the Empire, and strategies for picking and training sect members. He knew Tian Lu had kept some things from him and given them to his fellow disciples. He even knew that the senior disciple was keeping some information from everyone including his own master. But Huang Di knew eventually, he would find out. He always did. That was how he was able to get a powerhouse like Zhao Fei to come to his sect and be a protector. The heavens blessed him, he thought. And as he was thinking that. Zhao Fei appeared in front of him. ¡°Sect Master, why must all my disciples be part of this strange ritual the Empire and the sects play?¡± Although Zhao Fei offered words of encouragement to his disciples, he still didn¡¯t like being forced to do things. He had had this discussion multiple times with the sect master but he was never convinced. Huang Di knew this and knew he had to appease the sword master. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°The Empire is powerful, but it is afraid. Afraid of what the sects are becoming, especially my Plum Tree Sect. I¡¯m even sending my own disciple to this secret realm just to let them see a glimpse of our strength. And if they want to make a move, it will be justification for the sects to unite and force their hand.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re sending them to their deaths!?¡± Zhao Fei roared. But no one besides the two of them was able to hear it as Huang Di had been inside Zhao Fei¡¯s cultivation cave since the beginning. ¡°I came because I knew your disciple would have a plan and now that I have read it. I agree with his plan and will let him lead the expedition. No one can promise safety in the path of cultivation, Zhao Fei, you of all people should know that. And if their deaths could -¡± Before he could finish that sentence he crumpled and knelt to the ground. He could feel the sword master''s Transcendent Realm crashing down on him. He activated his treasure and he was barely able to keep standing. ¡°Just because I let you live and protect your sect doesn¡¯t mean you can keep taking advantage of my good will. Should my disciples come to harm, I don¡¯t care if you let out my secret, you will find your sect burned to the ground and then your soul tortured for eternity. Now GET OUT!¡± Huang Di left as fast as he could. Sweating all over, feeling fear he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. However, like always, he got what he wanted. And like always, he knew his smarts had ruffled someone he couldn¡¯t afford to offend. Chapter 5: Huang Di Unity Realm In the sect hall, the elders of the Plum Tree sect were gathered around a large table discussing the expedition. They received orders from the sect master to accommodate whatever Disciple Lu requested. Some were not pleased with the amount of attention and power the disciple was given, but they kept their mouths shut because they knew they would not get anywhere with their displeasure. They had discussions before and yet every time, they still enacted the disciple¡¯s wishes. And every time, the sect improved and became stronger. Now the Plum Tree sect was at the peak of second-rate sects and many believed after this expedition to the secret realm, they would be considered first rate. Elder Wei was among those chosen to protect the disciples and lead them to the secret realm. His strength was second to one - Elder Fei. Zhang Wei had the same Unity Realm cultivation as the sect master, but he was focused on speed first, second, and third. While the sect master was powerful and a close second to Elder Wei, he was often too busy with sect affairs. Zhang Wei could focus purely on combat and cultivation as he was the only elder to not have a disciple. His job was to protect sect disciples when they went out on missions, usually without them noticing, and to train inner disciples on movement techniques. But this time, the mission was too important. And it was this expedition where he would have to ensure the survival of one person: Disciple Lu. Sect master Di had given him an explicit order to make sure no harm came to this strange disciple. Even at the cost of the sect master¡¯s own disciple, the lives of Elder Fei¡¯s other disciples, and an elder. Zhang Wei turned to look at the elder responsible for understanding the formations necessary to open the secret realm - Chyou Fang. They were sharp contrasts. Where Zhang Wei was tall, elder Fang was short. He shaved his head bald and she had long black hair. Yes truly, the differences between man and woman made for sharp contrasts. Chyou Fang was a Nascent Soul elder with mastery over formations. She had joined the Plum Tree sect only 8 years ago as a personal disciple to the sect master, and she became an elder when she reached Nascent Soul which was only one year ago. She was the newest elder of this now 10 elders in the sect hall. When it came to strength, she was second to many. She practiced formations and was adept at spells and talismans. But combat was never her field. Sect master Di never saw her as less than the other elders though, and she respected him for that. The sect master was smart; he had used her knowledge of formations to strengthen the defenses of the sect and to obscure it from prying eyes. She knew she didn¡¯t have the combat ability to stand next to the other elders but she was sure she was second to one when it came to formations. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Sect disciple Lu was an enigma, she thought. Some of the formations covering the sect weren¡¯t just devised by her and the sect master. She knew someone else was behind them, making improvements and changes imperceptible to anyone but another formation master. She had suspected the sect master at first, but sect master Di had told her to keep Disciple Lu¡¯s involvement a secret when she found that it was not him. As it turned out, Disciple Lu¡¯s connection to the inner workings of the sect was kept secret from the other disciples but every elder had come into contact with him in their respective fields and was asked to keep it under wraps. She eyed the other elders wondering what secrets they¡¯ve kept about the strange disciple¡¯s involvement when the sect master walked into the hall. She could tell he was not his usual self but couldn¡¯t understand why. Huang Di had sent the elders a message about the expedition and was making his way towards his seat. He had to change some of his plans due to Disciple Lu¡¯s requests but he expected to receive a satisfying result from the secret realm. The reward offered by the Empire was enough to move him and force Zhao Fei into letting his disciples take part in the expedition. The winning sect would be rewarded with three potions of immortality. These potions would allow those in the Transcendent Realm an increased chance to breakthrough to Immortal Formation. Not only that, it would double the chances of breaking through from the Unity Realm to Transcendent. Sect Master Di knew he had to get those potions to ensure the growth of his sect and to stay on track with his plans. Additionally, the Empire promised that they would not collect taxes from the winning sect for a year. Qi crystals were the currency for cultivators and the Plum Tree sect, as well as all other sects within the Empire, had to give a portion to the Empire every year. The second and third prize would not receive any potions nor the tax incentive. However, they would receive two sky-grade weapons and one sky-grade armor, respectively, for their sects. Transcendent Realm experts rarely had earth-grade armor, much less weapons of the sky grade. The prizes this year were much better than the other times this secret realm was opened. Huang Di could see the conspiracy unfolding but he had to make do with what he currently had. And he smirked. He had a former immortal in his sect and the most talented mortal he had ever seen. Finally, he thought, a situation where he, Huang Di, was not outmatched. Chapter 6: Walking down the mountain Tian Lu looked at his reflection in the cultivation cave. He couldn¡¯t remember what he looked like before. He reincarnated over 20 years ago. It had taken almost no time to get used to this world; he suspected it was due to the heaven-grade treasure. Or it could be that in his past life, he was adaptable. He thought he was, maybe he wasn¡¯t. It could also be due to his addiction to reading novels with similar settings. Yea, that was probably it. His memory of his past life would fade in and out. And he suspected he wasn¡¯t always in control of his thoughts. Reality mixed with memories at times. But he no longer had the time to engage in those thoughts; starting today, he had to face the cultivation world. He couldn¡¯t just hole up in his cave and hide away from the dangerous world outside. He had to face it himself. He checked his figure one more time and stepped out. The sun was bright and his eyes had to adapt when he noticed two cultivators. His junior disciples were waiting outside for him. Ju Daiyu was the first to notice the tall, skinny man. She hadn¡¯t seen him since Mi Rang joined and she tried to connect the senior brother she remembered and the man in front of her. He had long black hair and a purple robe. His face was incredibly handsome and he too had jade skin.His eyebrows were sharp. Ju Daiyu thought if the man in front of her was a woman, no one could tell the difference. Even with her Nascent Soul cultivation, her heart was slightly stirred. Only slightly as she had seen many handsome men before. Though she would admit, maybe not as many as beautiful as her senior brother. Mi Rang was the second to notice as there were only two other people to notice him. So if he was not first, he must be the second. Mi Rang wasn¡¯t jealous of his senior brother¡¯s looks, he told himself. He told himself again when he saw his senior sister momentarily pause to take in the senior disciple¡¯s visage. Then Mi Rang saw the sword on his senior brother¡¯s side. It was pure black and the sheath looked unlike any he¡¯d seen before. This, he was jealous of. He had never seen his senior brother fight nor had he seen him unsheathe his sword. However, he knew he would get the opportunity in this expedition. Tian Lu¡¯s junior disciples bowed towards him as they started walking down the mountain. Tian Lu tried to keep his ¡°Unfathomable Senior Brother¡± look going while they chatted about the latest updates. What that entailed, he didn¡¯t know. He assumed it meant keeping his back straight and his hands behind that straight back. If it wasn¡¯t, then he would have been doing it wrong. He thought, ¡®surely, this is the look, right. It¡¯s definitely the look¡¯. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Senior Sister reached Nascent Soul the other day.¡± Mi Rang informed his Senior Brother, but he knew it was unnecessary. However, there was not much to talk about because all they did was cultivate. His Senior Brother never left his cave, and his Senior sister spent much of her time cultivating as well. He was looking forward to the expedition for this very reason. He was raised among the demonic beasts and never had such a safe, boring life before. Though his cultivation advanced leaps and bound, he knew he needed battle. He needed excitement. Tian Lu looked at his Junior Sister. He tried to remember her past and when she became master¡¯s disciple. Then he gave up because he realized he hadn¡¯t given her a gift and started thinking about what gift to give her. As he was thinking about these things, Ju Daiyu noticed that her Senior Brother was looking at her and not saying anything. Her cheeks blushed but it was not noticeable, almost as if she didn¡¯t blush. Nascent Soul cultivators had much better control of their bodies so some natural reactions were imperceptible to the naked eye. Though some cultivators did not have naked eyes. And those without naked eyes would most certainly notice. ¡°It was nothing.¡± Said she. It wasn¡¯t nothing. Tian Lu had been trying for 10 years to reach Core Formation and this junior sister of his had reached Nascent Soul in the five years she¡¯s been in the sect. This speed was equivalent to many of the talented cultivators in first-rate sects. The chosen scions of heaven. While Tian Lu was disappointed in his struggles, he was elated for his future. ¡°Junior sister is a talent even among the stars in the sky.¡± He said. Ju Daiyu blushed. Or did she. As they walked down from the mountain and his cultivation cave, Tian Lu took one last look at the place he¡¯d called home for the last 10 years. He thought he would get emotional, but alas, it seemed he wasn¡¯t the same as he was before. Chapter 7: A carriage Elder Wei and Elder Fang were waiting by the sect entrance. It was also an exit but for the purposes of the sect, they called it the sect entrance. It was a major debate among the elders on what to call this location. Only after a majority vote did they call it the sect entrance. Near the two sect elders, was a carriage. It was really a wagon with supplies in the back and enough space for two in the front and four in the back, including supplies. The wagon was attached to two powerful looking horses with great black manes. These horses were next to one other horse - an even bigger horse with reins. This horse was Elder Wei¡¯s. The sizes of the horses are mentioned only to illustrate that they could be threats and the size becomes a factor in the near future. Elder Wei looked at the horses and the absurd wagon that Tian Lu had requested. The wagon was plain and white, and it looked like something a merchant would use to carry goods. This journey would take much longer than their initial plan but he felt it would be a good experience for the disciples as they hadn¡¯t had too many life or death battles. If any. Those experiences were truly the best way to become stronger. He remembered fondly of the life and death battles he had. It was all life for him, and not a single one was death. Because if even one was death, he would not remember any fondly. Because he would be dead. Elder Fang was not used to riding in a wagon, much less horses. As a young girl, she thought cultivators would just fly to places and soar great heights. She later learned that much qi was wasted in flight and was really dangerous for many cultivators. It was not until the Unity Realm cultivators one even thought about flying across the continent. It took great skill to fly on a sword and only the powerful, or ones who wanted to show off, would be able to. So, she had expected the group would have to each ride a horse to their destination. When she discovered Tian Lu wanted to take a slow carriage and go through a longer route, she was sort of looking forward to it. She did not get to go out of the sect too much and this would let her see the sights. She was a fan of seeing. Speaking of which, she saw Zhao Fei¡¯s disciples walking towards her. The three disciples were truly outstanding individuals. Looks, strength, and demeanor, she was jealous. Though she was not much older than the senior disciple, she knew she had reached her limit. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Two other individuals were by the carriage but they were not mentioned yet because they were not important to the story at that time. Huang Di¡¯s personal disciple, Gong Chang, was dressed in light black leather. He had a bald head and a muscular frame. He looked very much like a monk because he was bald and in this world, people did not choose to look bald naturally if they were not monks. Elder Wei shaves his head bald for a mysterious reason as he is not a monk. Gong Chang had a bald head because he thought he looked more serious and tough. It would be easy to believe that there must be other individuals who choose to be bald and are not monks, but it is very unlikely. It just so happens that this mysterious sect has two such individuals. Gong Chang was 23 years old and the oldest among this group. He was ashamed he still cared what his fellow disciples thought of him. And this shame had led him to become the strongest man among his peers. ¡®Shame was the greatest motivator¡¯, he had read in a book. Tian Lu did not count as a peer because he was younger. As the sect master¡¯s personal disciple, it was not just this strength that led him to be chosen. Sect master Huang Di favored those with some kind of special skills or intelligence. Elder Fang was one such example. In reality, that was the only other example because Huang Di had only ever taken two personal disciples in the time he¡¯d been in the sect. Mei Ahn was 13, barely even a teen. But a teen because of thirteen, as twelve does not contain the word. She was the youngest disciple in this group and currently in the Foundation Establishment realm. But she was close to Core Formation. Her fiery personality would be her calling card if it wasn¡¯t for her frightening skills with formations. She was Elder Fang¡¯s personal disciple and had come to experience the formations within the secret realm. She had no doubt she was the weakest among them and in her heart, she was afraid. Afraid to embarrass these senior brothers and sisters due to her talent. Her master had praised her talent for formations and she could see that her cultivation speed was unrivaled. Meaning without rivals because she did not consider any of these three disciples coming up to the carriage her rivals. They were too old. Gong Chang was the only one among the disciples to wear clothing appropriate for a journey and for exploration of a secret realm. The other four disciples wore their sect robes. Some sects had enchanted robes that provided the same level of protection as light leather armor. These were not those robes. Elder Fang was dressed ready for battle as was Elder Wei. It would seem that these four talented disciples were not adequately prepared for the journey ahead. Chapter 8: Getting into the carriage Tian Lu had felt like only a few moments had passed since he left the mountain, because it had. However, he was already sick of being away from his cave. He was a shut in. He wasn¡¯t afraid to admit it. In his heart. Outwardly, he had the grace of a senior brother - someone who knew all the answers and tried to guide others to it. He couldn¡¯t let others know of his discomfort. So he glanced and nodded at the wagon he requested and of the people accompanying him on his junior disciples¡¯ quest. ¡®That¡¯s right¡¯, he thought. This wasn¡¯t his quest. He was just a side character soon to be a memory in these tigers and dragons. The most important thing to do on this journey was to corrupt his junior sister and brother into an unhealthy attachment to him. He knew that sounded evil, morally wrong, and maybe even a little crazy. But when his master could command lightning and Tian Lu transmigrated worlds, he felt he deserved to be a little crazy. And if he really thought about it, his plan wasn¡¯t evil because helping to save himself would in turn increase the strength and protection of his sect. That was why he worked so hard to increase the strength of his fellow disciples. The sect that could save others. Saving himself saved others. It was not confusing to him. ¡®Yea, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m the answer. I¡¯m right¡¯. The senior brother thought as he got onto the carriage. Gong Chang was aggrieved that this fellow disciple of his didn¡¯t greet his elders or give them the proper respect. He was disappointed the two most talented sect members were also not appropriately dressed for this long journey. However, he was the oldest so he still had to maintain decorum. He bowed to his junior disciples and moved to the front to steer the wagon, noticing the senior brother lying down in the back of the wagon. One eye twitched. His other eye did not, because if it did, it would look like he was trying to suppress a blink. Looking at the newly arrived disciples, Mei Ahn was in love. She had never seen such a pretty man as this senior disciple. If the rumors were true, senior brother Lu was also a genius. If the heavens sent him, Mei Ahn was there to receive. She knew of senior disciple¡¯s Daiyu¡¯s beauty, but in person, she was even more pretty. Mi Rang was also there. The talented formations enthusiast was, for the first time in her life, feeling slightly inadequate as she also hopped into the back of the wagon. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Mi Rang noticed Mei Ahn staring at his senior brother and sister. He also noticed her ignoring him. He looked at his senior brother and sister. He understood. It wasn¡¯t that he was unattractive, it was just that those two were too attractive. He was not jealous, as he also got onto the back of the wagon. Ju Daiyu noticed everyone¡¯s emotions because she was at the Nascent Soul. At this stage, she felt she could read people much better than before and that people¡¯s expressions were not entirely mysterious. Except for her senior brother. If her reading on her senior brother was correct, she would think he was nauseated but trying to look dignified. However, she knew that had to be the wrong impression. She doubted herself as she also got on the back of the wagon. Elder Fang moved to the front of the wagon to assist disciple Chang in driving the wagon. She wondered why these disciples did not converse and just went to their places almost as if they didn¡¯t necessarily like each other. Elder Fang was also at the Nascent Soul, so it would make sense that she would also be as good at understanding others'' emotions as Ju Daiyu. However, one person reaching the Nascent Soul isn¡¯t the same as another person reaching the Nascent Soul. Only true cultivators would know about the differences in the Nascent Soul. Elder Wei was a short man. He could not get onto his horse. Easily. Due to its size. He knew it would be a struggle but bought the horse anyway. His reason was not so mysterious, it was that he thought it would make him seem imposing. However, he did not think he would struggle with just getting on the horse. With his Unity Realm, physical movement and getting onto a horse should be easy. But for the purposes of this story, cultivators will sometimes fail at such mundane tasks because they must use the proper amount of strength. Not too strong and not too weak. An average human. And it was like this, that two elders, five disciples, three horses, and one carriage left the sect entrance. Chapter 9: Cliche ambush It wasn¡¯t long into their journey when the wagon was ambushed by a group of men covered in dark clothing. It was still midday and their clothing did nothing to camouflage them. If it was night and they did not have eyes that reflected light, they might have been able to blend into the darkness enough such that cultivators who literally train their whole lives could not see them. But it was not night and they did have eyes. And yet, those eyes could not recognize Mount Tai. ¡°Stop right there!¡± ¡°Hand over your goods¡± Two of the men shouted at the same time making it tough to understand. Mi Rang was itching for a fight. This was what he was looking for. Gong Chang was aggrieved that they had to stop on their journey, especially so close to their sect. Mei Ahn was reading a book on formations and did not care for grown men in black clothing. Ju Daiyu was meditating and did not care either. Unexpectedly, the senior brother, lying on the floor of the wagon, got out and looked at the men. And then everyone felt a Unity Realm aura press down on them. The disciples felt a calm pressure where it was not forceful but ever present. They could feel the power behind it though. This made them get off the wagon to better understand the situation. Ju Daiyu realized even she had underestimated the strength of this senior brother. She had thought he was in the Late stages of the Nascent Soul but it was clear he was in the Unity Realm. This was unheard of. In the Empire. To be more specific, she had never heard of someone reaching the Unity Realm at her senior brother¡¯s age.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Mi Rang was not surprised. He thought it was only right that his senior brother was this strong. It was just a shame that their attackers were not strong enough to force his senior brother to use his sword. It was also a shame he wouldn¡¯t get to use his own swords. Elder Fang and Elder Wei were both surprised by the aura released from Elder Fei¡¯s senior disciple. From what Elder Wei could remember, this disciple had released a Transcendent Realm aura in the past. And as a cultivator in the Unity Realm, something about this aura did not feel right. He did not know a better word for it but it lacked something. Elder Fang was dispirited that someone could be so handsome, so talented in many different fields, and also have reached the Unity Realm at such a young age. What she lacked, it seemed this senior disciple did not. Gong Chang was surprised this junior disciple was even more powerful than some of the elders. He was ashamed that he had thought his junior disciple was unprepared for this journey. With strength like this, there was no one who could match the Plum Tree Sect in the competition. But he was aggrieved that Tian Lu had hid his cultivation for so long in the mountains and never gave advice to his junior disciples. Mei Ahn noticed something was off but couldn¡¯t quite place it. The strength of heaven¡¯s chosen son made her feel much safer going into the competition with her Foundation Establishment cultivation. They looked at their ambushers. The dark-clothed men were kneeling on the ground in fear. Tian Lu put an arm behind his back and took out a fan. Where he hid the fan, no one but Tian Lu would know. The fan came to his face and stopped. He started waving his fan to look domineering. He had seen this before in his past life, and if he said he was second best at imitation, no one would dare say they were first. The ambushers numbered five and they were sweating, kneeling, and their uncovered eyes were red. The barely-a-man in front of them was waving a fan while they toiled under the pressure. It was like this that they waited for judgment. Chapter 10: Monologue ¡°What is the value of a human life?¡± Tian Lu asked his fellow sect mates. He looked each of them in the eye. But not the eyes, because Tian Lu thought he remembered taking a public speaking class. The time saved by only looking at one of his fellow disciples eyes could be used to add flourishes to his senior brother act. Another wave of his fan followed. He sighed. ¡°As humans, we are the deciders of life. As cultivators, we are often the harbingers of death. My fellow cultivators, I ask you this, how valuable is a man¡¯s life?¡± Tian Lu took a beat. ¡°Some men deserve to live and others deserve a fate worse than death.¡± His face became solemn. Forlorn, as if he had experiences in these matters. However, he did not. ¡°It is within our realms to bring about punishment and salvation. You may kill a man today and save a man the next. Does that make it equal?¡± He looked right at his two junior disciples as he said this. ¡°The man you killed today could have a wife. Children. He could have brought about goodness in the world. But you¡¯ve taken it away. The man you saved yesterday could be your enemy tomorrow. He could scheme and bring about your demise and the demise of all those around you. How do we know whose life is worth saving? How do YOU decide who lives and who dies?¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Tian Lu could hear a crescendo somewhere. It was inside of him. ¡°The life of a disciple from the Plum Tree Sect. The life of a senior brother. The life of a bandit. The life of a King! And the life of a little boy yet to experience the world. It is these lives we hold in our hands.¡± He put his fan away. And stared at his own hands. Then, he bought it behind his back like he didn¡¯t want to see them ever again. But he definitely would like to see them again, for the rest of his life, in fact. ¡°And in this moment, my fellow disciples, I ask you to hold each one of these ambushers'' lives in your hands.¡± The crowd gasped. They too looked at their hands and then at the five men, still kneeling. ¡°Junior Disciple Daiyu, Junior Disciple Rang, Fellow Disciple Chang. Each of you, take one of these men to a private location. You hold their life in your hands. You do not have to kill them. You do not have to save them. But no matter what you choose, as cultivators, we are given that freedom. The freedom to choose. And we are given that freedom often as you walk the cultivation path. The only thing you can do after, is to live with what you¡¯ve done. And I would ask you: will you be able to live with what you¡¯ve done?¡± Each of the three members of the Plum Tree Sect spread out and went to different locations. Each with a heavy face. They slipped into the vastness of the forest. His speech was finished. He thought it could use some work but he had gotten the message into his junior disciples¡¯ heads. Life was important. And really Tian Lu had meant, his life was important. However, for all his schemes, they didn¡¯t always work as intended. Chapter 11: Waiting for judgment Mei Ahn felt like she was being singled out. And she thought she did not like being single. However, she was too young to know for sure. She began to walk over to senior disciple Lu to ask him why she was not allowed to decide the life of a man like the others. However, unexpectedly, it was her master who told her to stay and cultivate. And wait. For the first time in her life, she felt aggrieved. But she did as she was told and cultivated. She was close to reaching the Core Formation stage and at her age she would be heaven-defying. If she could reach it within the year. So she cultivated, reluctantly. Elder Fang shook her head at her only disciple¡¯s attitude. Mei Ahn was as talented as the others in this group but she was still much too young. However, Chyou Fang wasn¡¯t sure if she had the aptitude. Sometimes talent wasn¡¯t all that was necessary to ascend, it required a certain mindset. She knew she didn¡¯t have it. But she was sure heaven¡¯s chosen sons and daughter definitely did. And if they didn¡¯t, Disciple Lu would make sure they would, especially after this trip. She waited for the others to come back as she contemplated what their future would look like. Tian Lu was meditating. Or it looked like he was meditating. He had gotten extremely good at faking much of the process in cultivating. His qi control was astounding and he could mimic the stillness of meditation as well as the rise and fall of cultivation. His talent for faking was truly unrivaled under the heavens. He too waited for his junior disciples to come back from the forest. He didn¡¯t wait long as he saw his junior disciple Mi Rang come out from the depths of the woods. The other two followed with solemn looks on their faces. And Tian Lu knew it was time. He looked at the remaining ambushers as they waited for judgment. Mi Rang came closer, and junior disciple Daiyu and Gong Chang also rejoined the others. Tian Lu sighed. He knew it was time. He knew it more now than he did before, a mere moment ago, that the time was now. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! He moved closer to the group and started kowtowing. The disciples were shocked. His junior disciples hurriedly tried to bring their senior brother to his feet. Gong Chang had an incredulous look on his face. He thought this seemingly haughty disciple would never bow, even to the heavens, but here he was, kowtowing to him. He kind of enjoyed it, even if he did not know why. ¡°I apologize for deceiving you all.¡± Tian Lu started as he still remained on his shins and knees. People often forget, the shins were very much involved in kowtowing, most literature only mention the knees. Even when kneeling, the shins were a part of it as were the toes, but these things are rarely mentioned. Never in fact. ¡°We are all in a formation. That I asked for.¡± Disciple Daiyu and Rang were making confused faces. Gong Chang was still enjoying seeing this disciple on his shins, knees, and toes. Mei Ahn started figuring out where the strange feeling she was feeling was coming from. The two ambushers were replaced by lights and disappeared. Elder Fang sighed and Elder Wei shook his head. ¡°I had asked Elder Fang and Sect Master De to create a formation in order to let you experience something that all cultivators must go through. Life and death is a part of cultivation. I wanted you to experience that before we entered the competition. I had hoped you would be able to make the decision, to decide the worth of a man, now, before you truly had to. I beg for your forgiveness.¡± Tian Lu remained with his head, another often important but left out part of kowtowing, on the ground. Like the ambushers before, he too waited for judgment. But unlike the ambushers, this was real. To him. Chapter 12: Storm Near the sect, Huang Di was making his way back from setting up the formations. He didn¡¯t have Elder Wei¡¯s speed and he didn¡¯t really cultivate in the body. His focus was more obscure, diversified. He thought the formation was an ingenious method, it was difficult to discern illusions from reality. It benefitted his cultivation as he delved into illusions. While this took up much of his time, he benefited greatly. The sect master had been neglecting his cultivation. But to gain insights like this was rare, fortuitous. He smirked, his immortal¡¯s disciple was truly a blessing. As he got closer to his Plum Tree Sect, he noticed a storm coming from the mountain peaks. He knew who it was. So he changed course from heading to the sect halls to the mountain peak of the former immortal. There, he saw storm clouds brewing as if a man was facing a tribulation. However, that couldn¡¯t be, as the man who would face a tribulation would not choose to face a tribulation yet, because this man wasn¡¯t done with what he needed to do which was in itself a tribulation. One of his own doing and not heaven¡¯s. He called out to the man in the cave. Sword master Zhao Fei was cultivating, he could feel himself reaching the pinnacle of the Transcendent Realm and very close to reclaiming his immortal status. The qi in his dantian was violent, unruly, and the storm outside was nothing comparatively. He stood up, took his sword, and went through what seemed like a single strike but was actually 10,000 strikes in the time it took to burn incense. He changed forms, his muscles bulging, radiating power. Then he went still, all that power disappeared and it seemed like he wasn¡¯t even there. But he was there! His cultivation might have been damaged but his skills were coming back, albeit slower than he would have liked but he didn¡¯t doubt that he could beat any Transcendent Realm cultivator in this mortal world. Maybe even two at the same time even without using his treasures inside his spatial ring, he was that much more powerful than anyone here. And he should be with what he was before his grievous mistake. He could feel the ring on his finger. Falling from heaven was his greatest failure but it was not without opportunity. As he was contemplating this, he heard the sect master. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Huang Di went inside to Elder Fei¡¯s cave, well it was technically the sect¡¯s cave that he let the sword master use. He sat on a rock as the once-immortal was undignified, uncultured and did not have any human necessities in the sect¡¯s cave. The man did not even serve tea. Zhao Fei looked at the man in front of him. He was prim and always proper. His beard was kempt, black, and his hair was long, black. His heart, also black. A strategist, a leader, he had great bearing and his history was a mystery. But that was none of the immortal¡¯s concern as he too had things he wanted to keep secret. The sect master¡¯s robe bore the mark of the Plum Tree Sect, a big tree with an abundance of plums. A plum tree. It was a common sight to see this tree in the sect but he knew there was something mysterious about the location of this sect and the plums that were grown in this mountain. They were filled with qi. How the man in front of him found this place, created a sect, and kept it secret from the mortal world was astounding. No, this sect master knew secrets. Huang Di opened his mouth to speak, as that was currently the only possible way for him to speak. There were some who could speak telepathically and others through gestures, but for one such as himself, opening his mouth and moving his tongue was the only way. ¡°The formation was a success, the mission completed, and I come back and I see a storm brewing.¡± Zhao Fei said nothing for a moment. He knew he wasn¡¯t good with words much less compared to the man in front of him. ¡°As a sect master, I have a duty to check out a situation that could endanger my sect. Are you facing a tribulation, Elder Fei?¡± The once-immortal did feel a bit guilty as he didn¡¯t realize the effect he was having on the outside as he was trying to repair his inside. By the time he noticed, he had already been too involved in the process of repairing his dantian that he couldn¡¯t stop. In the past, he didn¡¯t have to worry about anyone else but now, he was still using the sect to recover. And his disciples were part of this. He sighed, took out a treasure from his ring. The sect master¡¯s eye was always covetous of his ring, his other eye was pretending not to. ¡°For the storms ahead.¡± He said as he handed the treasure to the sect master. His sect master. Chapter 13: Their own thoughts Mi Rang and Ju Daiyu contemplated what this senior brother was telling them not even for a second. They knew he was always looking out for them. This event was just another one of his grand designs to increase their strength. Ju Daiyu knew, with her roots, she could have easily surpassed her current Nascent Soul cultivation. She only knew that due to her senior brother¡¯s meticulous notes for her cultivation. However, in his notes, were also other paths that she wouldn¡¯t have even known how to get started. And yet she did. Her foundations were incredibly sturdy: she had reached a high level of sword intent, her combat skills were high even without facing life or death situations, and she was on the path to becoming a swordmaster. She had absolute trust in her senior brother and thought nothing wrong of him giving them this opportunity. She even appreciated his thoughtfulness in providing this experience to their other sect member - Gong Chang. Gong Chang was aggrieved. He had to make such a painful decision. One that wracked every fiber of his being. A decision so monumental it could shake his path, his cultivation. And to find out, that decision, that momentary weakness, was not actually reality. Reality had never been so disappointing to Gong Chang. He couldn¡¯t even fully enjoy the haughty disciple kowtowing. Not only that, but he couldn¡¯t say anything because the other two were clearly in awe of him and were encouraging their senior disciple to stand and were actually thanking him. Gong Chang was aggrieved, but he held it in and went with the group. Mi Rang had no doubts about his senior brother. He also did not have many thoughts. He made a decision and he did what he was told. And he always came out stronger, as long as he followed his senior brother¡¯s instructions. Even now, he could feel his qi control becoming finer as he carried that giant 2-handed sword. Mi Rang had had many life and death experiences being raised in that forest. He mused that they should just be called life experiences because having death experiences would have been impossible because after death there were no more experiences. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Tian Lu was a man that already had a death experience, at least that¡¯s what he thought. And now he was currently having what he believed to be a near death experience. He didn¡¯t know if he transmigrated or if he died in his previous life. If he had died, then maybe death wasn¡¯t so bad. The past was murky and keeping reality and memory was getting tougher. However, he believed this was a near death experience because he wasn¡¯t sure how these protagonist characters would react. He remembered small moments that seemed unimportant could lead to immediate execution and deception was rewarded with a sword to the neck. Or worse, a sword to his whole body and only realizing he had been cut after he died. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was possible, but in this world, he had no doubt he would run into that situation. He was just hoping it wasn¡¯t going to be soon. He was worried. Elder Wei didn¡¯t believe in these fancy formations or these new-age teaching disciples how to cope with the outside world. No, he believed in going out there and working harder than anyone else and experiencing things. His incredible work ethic got him to the Unity Realm and he got there by facing real life and death situations. Obviously it was all life situations but he did it and so could everyone else. He disapproved of this tricky and fake method but could only bite his tongue. Not literally as that would have been extremely painful and really pointless at this time. Elder Fang was helping Mei Ahn understand the formations. She could see her talent but it still needed to be nurtured. These moments made becoming a master to her disciple worth it. Mei Ahn was absorbed in the formations. She had never seen something so intricate, so complicated. She asked questions, wrote notes, and reviewed her formations book. There was just so much information. She had never been more impressed by her master and the sect leader. Mei Ahn was happy. And with these thoughts, the group carried on their journey. Chapter 14: The beasts of the dark forest In the dark forest, beasts of all nature surrounded a wagon. There were giant snakes, small bears, and indescribable monsters. They were indescribable because language is sometimes limited. The beasts surrounding the wagons were all imposing and dangerous. To ordinary mortals. However, the wagon did not have any ordinary mortals. If it did, the mortals would all be dead. This wagon¡¯s inhabitants were cultivators from a sect up a mountain not too far from this dark forest. The Plum Tree Sect. And they were far from dead, they were alive - which might be the furthest thing from dead. One of the cultivators was a jade beauty. Her sword moved with grace and precision. She was like water flowing through the bodies of the fierce beasts surrounding the wagon. Every beast she flowed through did not live. They died. Even with all the beasts she flowed through, she did not have a drop of blood on her. Another cultivator was engaged with the same beasts but different animals. His methods were different. It was almost like they were vastly different people. His heavy giant sword would both crush and cut the beasts of the forest. He was not graceful, actually, he was very much bestial in his movement. It was almost like he had been waiting to finally unleash his true self. A bald-headed man, who was not a monk, was standing by watching in case anything happened to the other sect member - a girl. He would ward off beasts attempting to besiege the young sect sister. This girl was staring in awe and mimicking the fighting stances and sword work of her elder sister. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Another bald-headed man, who was not a monk, was standing by watching in case anything happened to the other sect member - a man. An older woman was sitting by the fire that illuminated the dark forest next to this man. The moon also gave its own light to the dark forest. In actuality, moonlight was mostly the sun reflecting off the moon and the moon did not have its own light. That is why those who cultivated in the power of moonlight do not go far in their cultivation. The light of the fire would provide glimpses of the beasts in the shadow of the dark forest. Glimpses of the battles between cultivators and beasts. Glimpses of the peril, danger, and reckoning. And yet the glimpses were not observed by the man by the fire. Those glimpses were not glimpsed by him. He kept his eyes on the pot in the middle of the fire, for the man in the middle was cooking. The battle raged between the inhabitants of the dark forest and the travelers of the Plum Tree Sect. Words would not, could not do it any justice. The beasts showed no signs of stopping. Until the man in the middle, near the fire, protected by two powerful elders, put something away. The beasts started retreating and hiding back to the place where they called home. The dark forest. Chapter 15: Tian Lu cooking Tian Lu had enough of the beasts coming in waves to besiege his traveling companions. He knew there were a lot of dangerous creatures in this dark forest. It was actually one of the reasons he decided on this course. It was also why he came prepared - with beast-attracting incense. He had dreams of an incense that could increase the rate of beasts appearing and with his intelligence and resources, he was able to make that a reality. He did notice that he was able to make a few things he had remembered from his past life into reality. One of those was eating beast meat. The cultivator known as Lu wanted to try the beast¡¯s meat and to increase his fellow disciple¡¯s power. Mostly the beast meat, because he had read so much about it. But with this path and incense, he knew he could accomplish both. As he cooked the meat with the spices he brought, an incredible aroma started assaulting the Plum Tree Sect travelers. After being formerly assaulted by beasts, the smell of their defeat was truly enticing. Gong Chang, who was not a monk, could eat the meat. Elder Wei, who was not a monk, could also eat the meat. Elder Fang, who was not a monk, did not particularly eat meat as she was a proponent of life being sacred. She was a sheltered cultivator as she had never killed a man nor had she killed a beast. The blood she saw just moments ago gave her glimpses of the cruel aspect of the cultivator¡¯s path. This journey would change her.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. However, as a cultivator, it was actually not that rare for cultivators to not eat, much less not eat meat, as the stronger the cultivation the less food was needed for consumption. Eating food could actually have a negative effect due to impurities found in much of qi-less nature. Disciple Daiyu, Rang, and Mei Ahn were very much looking forward to their senior brother¡¯s cooking. Mi Rang¡¯s mouth watered, Mei Ahn and Ju Daiyu¡¯s mouth will not be described because of people¡¯s impure hearts. After uncorking his beast repellent and then putting it away, Tian Lu asked his fellow Plum Tree sect members to clean up the beasts and to cut them cleanly. He wanted to preserve them and to eat them for later. The wagon had barrels prepared just for this occasion. Some of the beast¡¯s bodies were unrecognizable and could not be salvaged. However, there were enough that could be eaten and preserved. Additionally, the skin, bones, teeth, and various other beast parts were usable for so much more. Especially to a man as gifted in all other aspects of life except for cultivation. So he had them diligently work on those tasks while he finished cooking. The meal was incredible and it was the best meal any of the sect members had ever eaten. However, the actual meal, its taste and presentation, was indescribable. Words would not do it justice. Chapter 16: Bandits A bandit group in the area noticed a group of travelers while they were scouting their domain. The bandit group called themselves the Six Stars. They were feared in the Wulong Mountain. Nearby villages would cower at the sight of their rough exterior and the stories of their deeds. They didn¡¯t care. As loose cultivators, they did not adhere to any sect or clan. They weren¡¯t bound by rules. Rules were for the weak. They were strong. The leader of this bandit group, Nian Zhen, had been slowly building up his strength. His teeth were crooked, his eyes drooped, and he walked with a limp. He wore loose clothing which made him look extremely thin. It was difficult to imagine he was a Nascent Soul Cultivator. And one so brutal. His savage nature had instilled fear and respect in this group of bandits. The weakest of them being Foundation Establishment. He had heard that to truly conquer the mountain, he would have to face the Plum Tree Sect. However, the sect up in the mountains never deigned themselves to deal with a small bandit group like them. Just like Nian Zhen had hoped. He had planned to grow his bandit group into a small but formidable elite unit and take over the sect and all its resources. He may get his opportunity sooner than he thought. The Six Stars had only been around for a few years. Nian Zhen was a soldier. A runaway. The Six Stars were him and the brothers he made in the Empire¡¯s military. His five brothers were at the Core Formation stage, made possible through ill-gotten gains during their time in the military. They feared the repercussions of their actions and escaped the army. They were outlaws, wanted men. They hid away in this mountain range and recruited men to become bandits. To become brothers. They succeeded as their Six Stars became 20 and now 36 but they kept their name. Tao Sheng, an original Six Star, had noticed that beasts were congregating to a single location and then dispersing for the past few days. As he followed the beasts, he noticed the wagon pulled by two horses. He also noticed a much larger horse to the side carrying a bald man. However, the thing he paid most attention to was the robes the youths in the wagon were wearing. The symbol for the Plum Tree Sect. Tao Sheng motioned his scouting group to retreat and remain quiet as they went back to their camp. ¡°Brother Nian, the Plum Tree Sect were the ones dealing with the mountain beasts. There seems to be an Elder accompanying them. He is at least at Nascent Soul, we did not get much closer to find out. I count three women. Heh.¡± Tao Sheng had a weird smile on his face, his breathing got heavier. His wild, short hair matched his wild, unruly nature. He had small eyes. He was a big, tall man, but he wasn¡¯t fat. He wore brown leather armor, and his short-ax never left his side. Of the six original brothers, he was most known for his terrible nature with women. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s time to face them. We should gather more strength, wait for Brother Nian to reach the Unity Realm before we start something with the Plum Tree Sect. We¡¯ve seen what sects can do.¡± The one who spoke was Fan Liu-yuan. He was cautious by nature. Callous by nurture. He was an orphan, abandoned by the ones who were supposed to protect him. Now, the ones protecting him were these brothers. And those parents of his, he made sure they couldn¡¯t abandon anyone ever again. He looked very much like a scholar, with his long hair tied up and his thin but lithe frame. He was as smart as he was cruel. His hook swords did not let any one of his grudges go. And he was a man with many grudges. ¡°Hmmph.¡± A man of few words, Guo Daxian. He was a mountain with huge arms. His weapon was his hands as he had on a pair of strange metal gloves. The man with a limp walked slowly to his brothers. Nian Zhen was a man of action. Those actions led him to where he was now. The leader of a small bandit group with enough strength to pester a sect of some repute but not enough to defeat them in a head on clash. He weighed the pros and he weighed the cons. He liked the pros. However, he was a leader and a leader listened to his people. ¡°Brother Fan makes a good point, as he always does.¡± He said as he looked around at his brothers. He had five and that five became so much more. His eyes stopped at one of his original brothers, Cai Mingli. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Cai Mingli was a short man with medium hair that stopped right at his eyes. He was also the youngest of the brothers. His deed might have been the worst of them and it was the reason why Nian Zhen felt it was time to run away from the army. Cai Mingli had stolen an important artifact from a general in the Empire. And this artifact was important enough to have Unity Realm experts searching for them. It was how Nian Zhen had gotten that limp. But it was also why they were able to become much stronger. As the saying went, men died for treasures. ¡°However, we should see how strong the Plum Tree truly is. Brother Mingli is the fastest of us and can escape anyone. How would you like to see if we can cut that tree down?¡± Cai Mingli was sure of his speed and his hands. He was a thief, he couldn¡¯t help it. If he could take something, why shouldn¡¯t he? He deserved it, he achieved everything through his own means. After all, it was only fair. He grew up with nothing, while so many of these cultivators had sects, had resources, and even had special bloodlines that made them so much stronger. If he had those too, he knew he would be even stronger. That¡¯s why he took the artifact, it was his right. ¡°I¡¯ll rob them of all they have, and I¡¯ll come back richer. We shall feast on plums tonight.¡± He said. ¡°Good, go with brother Cheng. Come back soon.¡± Nian Zhen had lost brothers before. A bandit¡¯s life was one with peril and one with loss. He felt pain for each brother he lost and he had lost a few. However, these two brothers were survivors. If the worst came, he had no doubts they would survive. Cheng Xiaobo was a normal looking man. It was difficult to say he belonged with this group. The scholar-looking Fan Ling-yuan and Cheng Xiaobo were similar in that they didn¡¯t look like bandits. Cheng Xiaobo was a spearman. Besides his skill with the spear, everything about him was average. His hair length was short, his face was indistinguishable from the average man and he was of average height. He was also an original member of the Six Stars. His crime was that he was always at the wrong place at the wrong time. It was tough to believe. He guessed that he was just unlucky. However, he always survived. Even after being found sleeping with a daughter of a scion from the Empire. He didn¡¯t even remember it, but when he awoke, he was lying next to her. Her brother, a young master, came in, saw them and immediately tried to execute the average Cheng Xiaobo. He didn¡¯t know how any of it happened. He just attributed it to his poor luck. Now he hoped this wasn¡¯t one of those times. ¡°Of course.¡± Cheng bowed to his brothers and left with Cai Mingli. They took a few of the stronger bandits with them and went off to face off against the cultivators from the Plum Tree Sect. At the same time, the cultivators from the Plum Tree Sect were still traveling on the mountain¡¯s path. They would occasionally stop to battle beasts and eat and rest. Tian Lu would randomly pull out an instrument and play it on their journey. It was strangely appealing to some of them, this lifestyle. Mi Rang was raised in a forest among beasts. He only knew battle and survival. This was different; this was battle, with his family, and this was fun. ¡°I sense people. It must be the same ones who were watching us earlier.¡± Ju Daiyu said in a quiet voice. Tian Lu was asleep and strangely he had been sleeping for a while. Elder Zhang was surprised that this young disciple was able to sense someone so far away. Then he thought about his rival¡¯s disciples and thought it actually made sense. They were the elites of the sect and their strength could not be understood by normal cultivators. His only job was to protect the sleeping boy so he slowed his pace. ¡°Elder Chyou and I are not to interfere in your matters unless it is life threatening. Handle this matter yourself.¡± ¡°Get ready for battle, everyone.¡± Gong Chang said as he pulled out his Jian swords of different length. He was a dual wielder and a good one at that. Mei Ahn tried to take a sneak peek out of the wagon as Elder Chyou told her to stay with her sleeping senior brother. She had suspected this could be another illusion but the seriousness of her master¡¯s voice told her it was not. So, she stayed behind and prepared herself for what might follow. The bandits finally arrived in front of their wagon. Cai Mingli realized they had been noticed so he didn¡¯t even think about attempting to ambush them. It didn¡¯t matter, this was just to probe their enemy and return. ¡°Good to see some new faces on Wulong Mountain.¡± He said. ¡°This stranger¡¯s surname is Cai and might I ask if you are all members of the Plum Tree Sect?¡± As the oldest disciple, Gong Chang took the lead to respond. ¡°This one¡¯s name is Gong, and indeed, we are cultivators from the sect. Might I ask what this senior wants by stoppin us?¡± ¡°Hand over your goods. And your women. Oh, and your life!¡± The bandits attacked the Plum Tree Sect. Chapter 17: Waking up and choosing violence Tian Lu awoke with a start. Thankfully, he did not wake with a finish. He hadn¡¯t done that since he was in school. It was university, but at the time, he was a growing boy! As he looked around the wagon, he saw that only Mei Ahn was beside him. She looked focused on what was happening outside. He couldn''t really hear anything. Whenever he woke up after a long nap, his senses took a while to recover. He felt something wasn¡¯t right. His eye did recover and he noticed with the one eye that recovered, they were being attacked by highwaymen. He suspected he couldn¡¯t technically call them highwaymen because they were in the mountains, and he didn¡¯t think highways were a thing. Bandits, that¡¯s what they were called. He couldn¡¯t believe it and by that he meant, he could believe they would be attacked. What he couldn¡¯t believe was that they would be attacked. Tian Lu felt his senses were not being completely in sync yet. He knew there were bandits in the area. It was part of his plan to try to eradicate them and increase his junior siblings¡¯ worldly experience. He had hoped that they would run into them. However, he thought he would have to find them because there was no way someone would be stupid enough to attack cultivators from the Plum Tree Sect. And yet there they were, he couldn¡¯t believe it. He had to see them now that his senses had fully recovered. And he regretted it. All he could hear was screaming. And the sounds of bodies being cut and falling to the ground. The splurts of blood. He could see his sect members easily clearing away the bandits and the difference was alarming. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. He wasn¡¯t worried that his fellow sect members would have a problem. There was a clear difference between cultivators from sects and wherever these bandits came from. He heard a man yelling retreat and the remaining few bandits dispersed in completely different directions. But not just the four main cardinal directions, the other ones too. Two of them actually came his way. One was short and his hair covered his eyes, and the other was average, like a background character. The short one saw the book in Mei Ahn¡¯s hands and his eyes lit up. However, none of them could see it. Because his hair covered his eyes. The average looking one tried to go in a different direction but somehow he felt like he was frozen. He couldn¡¯t move. And neither could the short bandit. They both felt incredible fear, fear they had never felt. Even from their elder brother. And they froze. Tian Lu was startled. He questioned why these two would try to retreat through the space in the wagon. In his panic, he activated his heaven-grade treasure. Something he trained for. A pressure emanated around him, the pressure of a Unity Realm expert. The two bandits started sweating. They knew they messed up. The short one¡¯s greed got him into trouble and the average one was in the wrong place at the wrong time.