Leaving the restaurant and walking towards the right end of the courtyard, Elder Chen seemingly located what he was searching. Surprisingly it was a small and hidden resting place, where he proceeded to sit on a bench hidden between the fruit trees. Wu Guang had been following him closely, so as he approached, Elder Chen began to speak

"Did Xiao Feng explain to you about the sect?"

"Yes Elder. I have learned from him about the tests and the circles" Wu Guang confirmed with a nod.

"Hmm, I see" Taking a long pause, Elder Chen expression turned serious as he resumed

"No doubt that he explained you well about the inner and outer circles, but he did not explain about the real Sect" Noting the surprise on Wu Guang's face, Elder Chen did not stop, but changed his tone slightly

"No need to be surprised, he could not explain what he does not know. As any information about the sects states, the real reason for a sect is to preserve and protect its inheritance. But the Three Hills Sect that you have heard until now does not really do that, does it?"

Wu Guang only shook his head, indicating that the Elder was right.

"See, the founder did not really try to make an orthodox sect, but something new. He took ideas from both secluded sects and open martial academies, thus making what we have now. The things that Xiao Feng has learned, are basic techniques that we share with every disciple, even the ones that graduate and leave the sect without any ties. This is made for both strengthening the island and spread the cultivation path amongst the common people, as the founder's first goal was" Elder chen paused, allowing the Wu Guang to digest what he was saying.

"But we also have the real sect part and such, there exists another circle, the core disciples. They are not called such in public and except for some that are at the top of the rankings as the goal for everyone else, they remain hidden from the outer world, traveling with the identity of the common inner circle or sometimes elite palace disciples. The same applies to the elders as well, so even Xiao Feng's uncle is not privy to this information" Elder Chen lowered his voice before continuing.

"Every core member is under a solemn oath and cuts all ties with his previous life, thus even geniuses like Xiao Feng are not considered, as he will need to return to the city and become the next City Lord.

You may ask yourself why I am telling you this, so before I tell you, answer me, do you intend to stay on Half's Island in the future? Or worded differently, if you have the opportunity to leave the island, or even the plane itself, would you deny the fact that you will?"

"I ask for the Palace Master to excuse my honesty. I indeed hope to travel all around the plane, and if there exists a way to leave, I would" To say that Wu Guang was surprised to find that Elder Chen had guessed his goals without giving him any clues would be to say nothing. But after some consideration, he decided that it would be the correct thing to answer honestly.

"I see" Here Elder Chen took a long breath and said in a low voice

"I don't really know why, but when I found you lying there, I sensed something. This feeling told me that you will be destined for things beyond my comprehension, and was the main reason for me taking you along during all the incidents in Boundary Hill City. Seemingly I wasn't mistaken, your behavior during them and the quick advancements you made in cultivation showed me that" He paused for a bit, as if recalling the things he spoke about.

"I will not stop you from advancing to something that I feel is your destiny, even help you with what I may. As I said before I don't need any repayment for saving you or anything else that I may do, but I hope that when you reach the advanced Spirit realm, you will do me one favor" Elder Chen finished while motioning with his hand for Wu Guang to take his time before answering.

"Elder, I swear by heaven's law that I will do whatever you ask me of when the time arrives" Wu Guang swore one of the most dangerous oaths for a cultivator without any hesitation, especially as he felt that somehow part of himself was sensed by the Elder. This fact could be something dangerous, but the Elder simply was absolutely honest, so Wu Guang felt no need to deny or mislead, at least for now.

"There was no need for the oath, but I am happy to see that I was not mistaken about your character. Now, the only thing that I should add would be the fact that you have a drop of wood essence in your body. I used the latter to cure you, but the essence does not disperse, it can only be assimilated or expelled from one's body. If you manage to assimilate the essence, I will give you several drops more. This is all in preparation for the favor that I will ask you"

Wu Guang only nodded. Again, for who knows how many times Elder Chen had surprised him today. Several drops of wood essence! Most probably that was the vial the elder had, what favor would ask for such a preparation? As for absorbing the drop inside his body, Wu Guang already thought of it but decided to leave it for breaking into the 9th level of the Body realm.

"Now, I would like to give you a task. Let's hope I am right about you being able to complete it. This is not a favor, but a real task with rewards expecting you if you finish it.

Claim both the first place in the entrance tests and the first place between the outer disciples during the 'Nascent Pride'. You will need to reach the 6th level of the Body to qualify for the latter, so it will be a good test for you"

Finishing this, the Elder stood up and returned to the inn, while Wu Guang stood there and slowly ordered the thoughts in his mind "What did exactly the Elder sense? And what did he guess? My consciousness is severely weakened when passive, so most probably it could be sensed that my body is circulating qi on its own. If he guessed that I am already at the peak of the 4th level, then reaching the 6th level in a week does not seem very extreme. Well, no use in thinking about it. The task is in front, so I will complete it. A reward from the Elder would be of no use for me in my previous life, but right now anything will be useful". With this materialistic conclusion, Wu Guang slightly shook his head and entered the inn

.

The dinner was eaten quickly, and indeed Zhen Mang had treated them well. In the end, he even bought pastries to accompany the tea.

When everything was finished Lang Zheng took his group away. Xiao Feng and Wu Guang accompanied the Elder and his group outside, and after a quick farewell between the youngsters, they left.

After this, Xiao Feng pulled Wu Guang's sleeve and motioned towards the Lord's Manor.

They only had to cross the central plaza, so they arrived almost instantly. The gates of the manor were already closed, but after Xiao Feng knocked several times a side door opened and a guard appeared. Xiao Feng was instantly recognized and they were led inside.

An old steward met them in the main outer courtyard and informed Xiao Feng that the Lord was in a meeting, but the Young Lord courtyard was already prepared.

The manor occupied about a territory of thousands of square feet, with the main building being a two-storied gold lacquered palace towering in the distance. Inside the main inner courtyard, an enormous tree was growing, seemingly being the reason for the city name. It was several dozens of feet tall and its strange blue trunk was at least twice a man width. It did not have even a single leaf but did not look dead, on the contrary, one could feel vitality emanating from it.

The smaller courtyard where the steward brought them was brightly illuminated and several servants were waiting at the entrance of it. Xiao Feng asked one of them to show Wu Guang towards the guest chambers and wishing him a good rest remained behind.

Wu Guang did not really pay attention to the chambers he was brought in, but judging that several doors were passed, it was comprised of several rooms. The servant brought him into a richly furnished bedroom and before excusing himself informed that the bath would be prepared shortly and a servant will come to show him the way.

Indeed after a short wait, a servant gently knocked and Wu Guang was escorted into the bathroom. An enormous oak cask full of steaming water was seen right after a small lodge. Several aromatic and medicinal herbs were floating in the water, so Wu Guang enjoyed the bath for far more time than he normally used. After changing into clean clothes, he left the travel clothes in one of the baskets that the servant had indicated to him before and returned to his room.

After a quick run of his Tai Chi routine, which he has been practicing almost daily, he meditated for a while sensing his body and slowly circulating his qi. Then he climbed into the enormous triple bed that occupied half of the room and fell asleep.