Old Stone Guardian Village, dusk.

With the village now in sight, Feng Yan could finally relax.

Despite the delays and their… extras, the remnants of the disciple team had arrived at Old Stone Guardian Village just as the sun began to set. He and his team could finally relax and hand over their problems to the waiting elders and seniors there.

Feng Yan glanced at one of those ‘problems’ sitting on one of the carts.

Throughout the journey, the stranger who called himself “Aryon” sat in silence behind a cart that carried his ‘coffin’, muttering to himself as he held a mystic treasure staff in his hands. He didn’t engage in conversation, nor did others try and approach this expressionless stranger who wielded great powers.

Time by time, he would say some weird words, which echoed and made little sense to their ears. With his earlier display of powerful mystic arts, the rest of the disciples would tense when they heard those words.

Still, the rest of the journey passed without incident. Even the bandits were well behaved, cowed by the stranger’s might. Any man who could deal with a Soul Core Realm practitioner so easily as he did was someone you didn’t want to offend.

But now that they were in sect territory, Feng Yan felt a burden on his shoulders disappear.

Old Stone Guardian Village was a large village within the forest, named after the carved stone statues in the shape of spirit beasts that stood at the place where the village bordered the trees. Facing outwards, these statues were said to ward off the monsters within Green Blade Forest and kept the village safe.

No spirit beast attacks had occured in Old Stone Guardian village for decades. But that was likely because of the practitioners in the village rather than the myth.

Because of its proximity to Green Blade Forest Sect’s grounds, the sect had great influence in the village, becoming its de facto owners. Even the local chief was a supporter of the sect and had sons in it as inner disciples.

Feng Yan entered a dormitory reserved for inner disciples and planned on meditating throughout the night when he heard a knock at the door.

“Disciple Yan?” said an old voice.

Feng Yan leapt up from a lotus position and immediately opened the door. There, he clasped his hands and bowed. “Disciple greets elder Kang.”

Elder Cheng Kang nodded and spoke: “It is said that you were the one who found the… coffin, was it.”

He could only nod. ‘And there goes my free time.’

“Good. Some of your seniors and elders are discussing things with this newcomer. They want you to come over to clarify things.”

Meeting Hall in Old Stone Guardian Village

Elder Kang nodded in understanding. As the cultivator with the highest level in the village, fifth in Soul Core Realm, he was given the duty of presiding over this meeting with the stranger Aryon.

Said stranger asked a question to the inner disciple, their storyteller.

“So you found the coffin grasped in the arms- no, tentacles of this... Three-Eyed Squid, you say?”

Feng Yan nodded. He was a bright boy with great potential, and was personally admitted into the inner sect by his old friend as his apprentice. Because of that friendship, he felt that he had the small responsibility of watching over him.

“Preposterous. What would my coffin be doing in the ocean of all places? Unless… Were there any shipwrecks found recently?

“Not any near the shore.” said one Soul Core elder. “And we cannot search the Endless Southern Ocean. There are too many aquatic spirit beasts.”

The armoured figure rubbed the back of his ‘head’. “I will have to trouble you for some lodgings, then, to plan my next steps.”

‘Here’s the opportunity.’

He stood up and spoke this time. “Green Blade Forest Sect thanks you for helping its disciples and bringing those unlawful bandits to justice. We would be happy to provide reverend Aryon with lodgings, but feel that this village is too unworthy for a personage such as yourself.”

He then cast the line out. “We cordially invite you to stay within our sect grounds, promising to give reverend Aryon the hospitality he deserves.”

With his words finished, Elder Kang smiled in his heart. ‘If we can befriend this stranger bearing such powerful items, our sect could only benefit!’

When they first saw him, many of his fellow Soul Core practitioners were so shocked that their jaws slackened. The Spirit Energy radiating from his items alone, especially from the staff, was enough to tell them that they were artifacts near, or even above, Earth-grade items.

Mystic artifacts, like cultivation, had realms to denote their power. Each realm was split up into ten smaller levels. There were three realms in total for grading mystic artifacts: Mortal, Earth and Heaven grade, with Heaven being the highest.

Green Blade Forest Sect’s grandmaster, the leader of the sect, possessed a second-level Earth grade sword. It was the heirloom weapon of their grandmasters and was coveted by practitioners within and beyond Dragon Border Gate Prefecture.

Cheng Kang knew the appeal, having seen the blade itself. Yet a metal boot on one foot of this Aryon fellow radiated nearly the same amount of Spirit Energy as the blade.

A strange man with powerful artifacts, who could hide his cultivation from even Soul Core practitioners and dispatch them with ease… he only knew that he must maintain a good relationship with Aryon.

‘I remember this old trick.’

Wine, dine and provide comforts for the guest. Then extort him for benefits.

A classic.

‘I wish I had the capacity for feeling all that. I could use a bit of spoiling.’

He needed a place of privacy to attempt some things. And he was awfully curious about these people and this foreign land. There was something strange about their bodies and their lifestyle that he just couldn’t puzzle out in a glance…

“Very well. I accept your invitation.” he said.

‘I just hope they accept Tarminian Gold here.’