Yan Yun walked silently, following behind the other three as they made their way out of the sect. Her Qi was suppressed to appear to be at the peak of the third realm, and she’d changed the form of her robes to fit that of an outer disciple. The clothes oddly pleased her in their simplistic nature and fitting. She felt as if she was someone else, just another outer disciple out with her Sect brothers and sisters to the city. Even if it was just a lie, the thought soothed her.

“Leiyu prefers the resplendent robes of the inner sect.”

Leiyu sent the thought to Yan Yun, as her spirit imagined himself in a regal gown with enough jewelry on it to shy some lords.

“Don’t you hate to take on a human form? Say the clumsy limbs are annoying?” she asked him, watching as the city began to appear in the distance. Idle conversations had been occurring among the three walking ahead of her, and even though she walked alongside them, she still felt like an outsider intruding.

“It isn’t too displeasing,” Leiyu replied, pausing. “Yan Yun doesn’t need these children as companions. She has both Zu Ri and Leiyu with her. Their fates are different than hers, and she will surpass them soon. Yan Yun should look for companions among peers.”

Yan Yun walked quietly, not replying to his words. Her peers were people who refused to look beyond her status and rank, or those trying to use her for their own gains. There were no companions to be found there.

She slowed down a bit, when she noticed Lu Jie stepping back to walk next to her. Her senses sharpened as she watched the boy intently. There was something strange about him, in the way he seemed so free of the little norms of civil society she’d been raised on. Yet, it wasn’t just his weird attitude that intrigued her. From the spirit turtle of such strength, to having a spirit rat as his bonded spirit, and his odd Qi. There was a lot to uncover within the boy, and Yan Yun found herself curious the more she looked.

“So… hey. I never thanked you properly for helping me out with Labby’s bond and with the thugs and I just thought I’d do that now when I had the chance,” Lu Jie spoke, and Yan Yun watched the boy, trying to gauge his intent.

“So, I’m grateful that… well. You didn’t get us expelled and everything. But, I wanted to ask. Why us? I don’t mind participating in the tournament, as long as it’s not the fighting section. Herb gathering is right up my alley but- why us? I can’t believe we are anywhere near the best choice for whatever it is you want to do. And I guess, I just don’t understand why you would want us.”

Yan Yun looked at the boy, staring into his eyes intently for a moment. “Let me ask you this, Lu Jie. How many disciples in the outer sect do you think are at the peak of the third realm?”

The boy gave it some thought. “At least a dozen?” he replied a moment later.

“Less,” Yan Yun said. “Besides you there is another, who has recently reached the peak of the third realm and will be going into secluded meditation to break into the second circle. Most disciples from the outer sect that participate in this tournament do so, to gain a chance to enter the inner sect, and for a chance to gain whatever prizes may be there. If one can do so on their own strength, by entering the fourth realm, why would any disciple participate in what would look to be a squabble among young children? The oldest participant besides you is still a year younger than you are.”

Lu Jie listened quietly, thinking about it.

“There is no honour to be gained, by defeating disciples younger than you. Many in your position chose to take up roles around the sect, admitting the end of their path, as the will of the heavens. Only a few fools keep knocking at heaven’s door, refusing to give up,” Yan Yun said, as she felt her Qi flaring.

“I need those fools Lu Jie. A disciple who couldn’t beat peers younger than him, and couldn’t reach the second circle in all these years. I need someone like that to beat Lei and Li. It would be a disgrace for the two, and a minor inconvenience for the family, but it should serve my purposes well enough,” Yan Yun said. She noticed the Yi girl listening to her words. Su Lin seemed content to ignore the two of them.

“It would be a chance to get back at the two of them. And a chance to redeem your name. It would bring you no honor, but if you break through within the tournament, and manage to win during the hunt, it would be enough to let you into the inner sect,” Yan Yun said, turning towards Lu Jie, as she watched his frown deepen.

She’d had the opportunity to look into Lu Jie’s background. There was little of note to him, before his path as an Alchemist had begun. But from what she found, the boy had been desperate to break through and defy the heavens to chase his dream. She would be surprised if he refused her.

“Well. I’m not really interested? I don’t really want to fight those two either. It went pretty bad the last time I did that. I’d be happy to take the spirit herb and win the competition, but I don’t plan to join the inner sect. My path is Alchemy now, and to uncover the mysteries of cultivation,” Lu Jie replied, turning to look at her with a quiet gaze. He had a well shaped build, but his demeanor had always made Yan Yun feel he was shorter than her.

Yet as he stated his Path, just for a moment, she felt an odd change within the boy’s expression. There was more life to him, as he stood with his back straight, and eyes turned at her. She felt his Qi, filled with a deep yearning to grow and found her core shudder in response. An emotion she’d long forgotten under the desperate desire to excel and please her grandfather.

“The inner sect guides Alchemists as well. There are few alchemists around, and the sect is always looking for disciples willing to take the path.”

“Nah, with no disrespect. It’s just not that fun when I’m told to explode things. I’d rather do that on my own,” Lu Jie replied, a grin spreading on his face and Yan Yun heard a crackle as his spirit rat squeaked in response.

“You’re… strange,” Yan Yun said and the boy sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

“Yup, sure am,” he said, walking ahead towards Liuxiang, where he began to poke the Yi girl about her bloodline, while muttering to himself on occasion. Yan Yun watched Lu Jie as a smile curved her lips upwards.

She envied his freedom.

***

The walls of Seventh Peak city loomed ahead of us as we entered the city gates. I’d been impressed the last time I had visited, and I was impressed yet again by the construction feat, especially given the lack of apparent technology.

I continued to poke Liuxiang about her unique snake features. It wasn’t everyday that I met a snake-person after all. At first I’d been concerned I was being insensitive but he certainly didn’t seem to mind, so I wasn’t going to let go of an opportunity to what was essentially a descendant of a spirit.

The talks so far with Liuxiang had led to a few very interesting insights. The Yi clan’s shedding continued till the Sixth realm, upon reaching which the cultivators, before they could take their positions as an Elder had to solidify their core and identity. This would be the identity that would stick with them till the end, and at this stage, the body would morph, to follow the spirit.

But that wasn’t the end of it, not even close. Liuxiang’s clan had spirits of serpents, born within the family. Not animals who gained sentience and weird knowledge from Qi, but born spirits from the non-human descendants of their ancestors. And these spirits often had the same process as the human members, but their identity and forms, sometimes solidified as a human, turning them into a human permanently.

There was a treasure trove of information here, as information on noble clans was something far out of what Lu Jie’s memories contained. He knew about the city lord Zhou but not much more.

I continued to make mental notes, as I followed alongside Liuxiang and soon we stood in front of Granny Lang’s shop. I frowned when I noticed the signs of damage from what looked like bladed weapons on some of the wood signs.

The scent of herbs touched my nose, as I sensed the swirling Qi as the old woman continued to refine her pills. I glanced for a moment at Yan Yun to see her reaction, before heading inside.

I followed Su Lin as we headed into the inside room, where Zhang lay nearby. I grimaced at this state once more, feeling the odd lack of Qi in his body. I noticed Liuxiang freeze for a moment, alongside Yan Yun as their gaze fell upon the boy.

“Brother Zhang, I’ve got some folks I know here. They might be able to help,” Su Lin spoke, walking closer to the boy and I noticed him opening his eyes, as he turned to look at me. A strange weight descended on my chest as I realised what it meant if I gave hope to someone like him only to fail, and I felt my hands clench.

“I’ll try. I can’t guarantee anything, but… I think his Qi deficiency can be fixed,” I said out loud, more to convince myself than anyone else.

The theory was simple. Form a source of Qi that could directly circulate it through his channels in place of his dantian. Somewhat like a dialysis machine for kidney failure. I’d be making a purification system for Qi, to be supplied into his body.

“Liuxiang, can you tell me anything about his core?” I asked, stepping closer to the boy. I noted the symptoms I’d read of Qi deficiency, and noted the atrophied limbs and pale skin. The thin hair. Alongside the little threads of Qi still leaking out of his body, from whatever spirit herbs he may have consumed.

“This one can see…” Liuxiang muttered, crouching as he took a pulse. I saw a dark green aura spread from him, as it covered the boy. “The core is shattered. The first circle misses pieces and it has been stitched badly back together. He- this is hopeless,” Liuxiang muttered, as his eyes turned towards me.

“What does Senior intend to do?” Liuxiang asked.

I turned to take out the pill I’d made from my pouch, rubbing Sheldon’s shell gently in the process. Sheldon crawled his way out as well, landing with a thud.

“Can you help me buddy?” I asked Sheldon.

“Chirp!”

I turned back towards Liuxiang. “I plan to feed him this pill, and then enter his core with my spirit and fix it from the inside.”

I heard a sharp intake of breath from Yan Yun, and I ignored the reaction as I continued to look at Liuxiang. “Can you make sure his vitals remain stable while I’m in there?” I asked.

“Yes, this one can do it,” Liuxiang replied and I nodded.

I turned towards the boy, who continued to look at me, his eyes sunken into his sockets. I wasn’t sure what I’d been hoping to find. Some desire to live, to fight. All I saw was a pained gaze that dared not hope.

I didn’t know if I could do it. I had never had the chance to try and enter Sheldon’s inner world, or core again. I knew the turtle could guide me through the process, something about my cultivation technique had been adapted by the turtle, and I had felt the tug on my spirit as he’d invited me into his inner world a few times. But whether it would work on someone else? I had no idea.

A smile covered my face as I extended the pill towards the boy putting it in his mouth. With some help, he swallowed, and I sensed the pill dissolve into Qi within his body.

I sat crossed legged and closed my eyes. Putting one hand on the boy’s abdomen, where I sensed the shattered remains of his dantian. I began to circulate my Qi.

Sheldon soon joined alongside me. I felt my spirit stretch, pulled alongside the flow of Qi as darkness covered my eyes.