Next Day. Green Blade Forest Sect, main courtyard.

Aryon expected a welcoming party, but he underestimated the size of this so-called ‘sect’.

There were hundreds of them waiting there!

A sea of green-robed foreigners crowded the spacious courtyard beyond Green Blade Forest Sect’s gate. As soon as they stepped through the archway, that sea of people parted in half to form a path.

Ensuring that he had the correct posture, Aryon moved forward, followed by his escort of ‘elders’ and ‘seniors’.

Green Blade Forest Sect’s grounds were centered around a large hill deep within the forest. Its main structure was a towering pagoda, with lesser residences and storehouses atop many smaller hills surrounding it.

Their party was making for that center hill, where the elders of the sect were supposed to welcome him to the grounds.

From the gate to the lesser hills on their path he crossed bridges and well-paved roads, passed large training grounds and small man-made pools as well as beautiful trees, gazebos and pavillions.

“A beautiful home you have here.” he complimented.

“Many thanks, reverend.” said his guide, the one who called himself Cheng Kang. “Our Green Blade Forest Sect has lived on these hills for generations. All that you see has been a cumulative effort of our outstanding ancestors.”

“I see.”

As they approached the area around the main hill the crowds of disciples grew smaller, yet the quality of these ones became higher: their green robes were embroidered, and each had some sort of fine weapon, ornament or accessory.

“These…” asked Aryon, “...Are your inner disciples, yes?”

“Yes. We are in the inner sect now. You can see our destination there.”

He could already see the structure and the hill from a distance, but it was much, much bigger up close. A towering and lavishly decorated pagoda ten floors high, with each floor tall and wide enough to house dozens of people. It could very well be described as a tower.

“Let us enter, reverend. The sect elders have all received the summons and should be waiting within.”

“Very well.”

The bottom floor of the Sacred Ancestral tower was used for meetings and debates. It was a spacious square room, with stone steps facing inwards to serve as seats for the sect’s important people.

Only the Soul Core Realm practitioners of the sect could participate in the meetings. Cheng Kang took his seat beside several other Soul Core elders, ready to watch the procession.

In the center of the room on a stone platform stood the stranger Aryon. Opposite him were three personages, seated on thrones just on the platform’s side.

These three were the mightiest cultivators in the sect; Nascent Soul cultivators, one realm above Cheng Kang’s own Soul Core cultivation. They commanded both the respect and fear of not just the sect, but all of Dragon Border Gate Prefecture.

The strongest of the three stepped forward. This was none other than their grandmaster and the sect’s patriarch, Yang Kai.

“Greetings to fellow Dao brother.” said the patriarch, clasping his hands and bowing in greeting.

“I greet you, lord of Green Blade Forest Sect.” replied the armoured stranger, placing his free hand on his chest and returning.

He watched the patriarch size up the stranger, taking explicit glances at his crown and the staff on his other hand. “I have received the message about your request, and have allocated a cave residence befitting an honored elder of our sect to you.”

“Many thanks, lord.”

“If there is something else you require from us, now would be a good time to ask. Green Blade Forest Sect will try to fulfill Dao brother’s request as best as they can.”

Cheng Kang saw the stranger rub his ‘beard’ in thought. “There are some… materials that I need for a personal task of mine, yes. Might I trouble you to find these for me? I’m afraid I don’t know the locale very well. Rest assured, I shall pay for these reagents with my own money.”

“By all means.”

“Good.” said the stranger. “Do you accept gold coins here?”

A round of murmuring fills the the room, silencing when the patriarch cleared his throat.

“Dao brother, gold is only used by mortals to buy their needs.” explained the patriarch. “To gain the best materials, you need to pay with spirit stones.”

“Oh.”

Aryon took a second to think. “Then I could use some of these… spirit stones. Perhaps I can trade some of my things for some starting capital?”

Another round of murmuring fills the room. Cheng Kang’s own eyes lit up at the prospect of receiving one of this stranger’s items.

The patriarch wasted no time in pouncing at this opportunity. “We would be happy to trade with Dao brother. What item will you exchange?”

'That's our patriarch. Always quick to seize the moment.' he thought

The stranger nodded, and asked for his coffin to be brought to the room. When he cast his strange mystic art and unsealed it, a few elders stood up to try and see what was inside. Setting the staff down, Aryon used both hands to take out two items from the chest.

The room fell silent.

Grasped in one hand was a jeweled shortsword with a bar crossguard rather than the usual circular shape. Subtle, esoteric markings adorned the flat of the blade, and the hilt was richly decorated in gold filigree. The other hand held a baton less than a meter in length, made of polished, dark wood with silver etchings and blue gems.

There was no doubting the beauty of these mastercrafted things, but what made the elders in the room salivate was their aura of Spirit Energy.

Earth-grade weapons!

Earth-grade weapons could be considered heirlooms that could never be given away for mere spirit stones. Yet this stranger was willing to trade two of them.

A tide of murmuring and gasps swept through the room. Even the other two Nascent Soul elders were whispering to each other fiercely. The patriarch himself maintained his composure, but it took him a few seconds to break away from staring at the offered weapons to stop the noise.

“Impressed?” said Aryon. “These are my old weapons. I hope I can fetch a good price for these?”

“Of course, of course, Dao brother.” said Yang Kai hurriedly. “Rest assured that we will heavily compensate you for this trade. If it is not enough, consider our treasury doors opened to your requests.”

Green Blade Forest Sect had accumulated many treasures over the generations it has existed. But even Cheng Kang knew that all of it wouldn’t be enough to buy just one of these weapons. Emptying their vaults, comparably, was an acceptable loss.

“Again, many thanks lord.” bowed Aryon as he handed them his weapons. “I do have a few more small requests…”

_____

With his requests done, Aryon was led away to his cave residence, taking his coffin with him.

After yet another round of murmuring, Cheng Kang rose up to ask the first question. “Revered grandmaster, what was his cultivation?”

None of the elders who had seen Aryon could discern his cultivation realm. They had hoped that their Nascent Soul masters could see through it.

“Can’t tell.”

Grandmaster Yang Kai shook his head. “I tried to probe him with my spiritual sense, but it was blocked by his armour.”

The hall erupted into murmurs once more. “And his weapon? What grade was it?” asked one Soul Core elder.

The grandmaster paused for a moment before saying. “...Heaven grade.”

Silence.

“Do not offend this man.” said the grandmaster after giving enough seconds to let the implication settle in. After that, he turned away and began ascending to the top of the pagoda.