Journey Towards Dao

Auslen felt cool waves of air buffeting along his entire body, making him feel slightly ticklish in various areas. The constant sounds of rippling cloth were also quite difficult to ignore.

He quickly opened his eyes that he had unknowingly closed at some point, the first thing he noticed being the wide stretch of blue filling his visual perception. The only other thing within his sight was a set of wildly billowing yellow robes directly in front of him, which surely belonged to the Peak Master he had just met.

Where are we?

Auslen lowered his gaze in slight confusion, only to see the colorful scenery of mountainous terrain underneath the sparse clouds that they were traversing just above, finally realizing that they were soaring in the sky at a terrifying elevation!

He sucked in a breath of crisp air in nervousness and excitement as he glanced around himself to find Nathaniel and Vincent also opening their eyes in apparent shock.

Although Vincent held himself together surprisingly well, Nathaniel screamed in fright and immediately extended his trembling hands to grasp onto both Auslen and Vincent’s sleeves.

Kassandra's melodic laughter mixed with Nathaniel’s wails as she twisted her entire body to gaze back at the three children with a mischievous smile.

Amidst her laughter, her body suddenly dived down in steep acceleration, dragging the three children along for the ride. Nathaniel’s screeching voice somehow raised into another octave as they punctured straight through a refreshing cloud.

Trying his hardest to tune out his cousin’s nonsense, Auslen brushed his lively hair out of his face and turned his focus towards their destination to see an utterly ginormous mountain quickly enclosing upon them.

That must be one of the Outer Sect Mountains…

Its wide, towering peak was nearly extended into the nearby clouds, stretching many miles in every direction. Upon the peak were rows of magnificent palaces with ornate features that could be seen more and more clearly as they approached. Multicolored trees decorated the entire mountain, and hidden within, Auslen could see countless other smaller buildings and caves lining the mountainsides.

In the skies surrounding the mountain, several other figures were flying by means of various flying-type Mystic Artifacts. And on the imminently arriving mountain peak, Auslen could now make out the bustling figures walking here and there on green limestone-tiled pathways and carefully maintained lawns, all of which seeming to be dressed in the same navy-blue robes.

...

Peak Master Kassandra controlled the wind currents and brought Auslen and co. to gently descend in front of a massive ivory-white palace. It seemed quite busy, with hoards of young and old Outer Sect Disciples constantly entering and exiting with endless chatter. However, Kassandra’s descent drew a considerable amount of attention as the vast amount of surrounding noise ceased entirely.

She ignored the nearby Outer Sect Disciples that were either gawking or bowing towards her in surprise as she began walking into the Palace of Outer Sect Affairs, pulling the three children floating behind her along.

The Palace of Outer Sect Affairs was perhaps the most well known building throughout each of the Outer Sect Mountains, carrying the most authority as they oversaw the largest number of tasks among the Outer Sect Disciples. These tasks included the allocation of Outer Sect Appointments, resources, mission deployment, and other miscellaneous tasks.

Once she stepped foot inside after passing by numerous startled disciples, she was brought to a halt as a thin figure suddenly appeared in her way.

A truly ancient-looking man was standing there, his dwindling presence conveying fierce weariness. He was observing Kassandra silently with squinting eyes, his hands crossed in front of his torso in a neat clasp. Wrapped loosely around his body was a thin black robe, and his thinning white hair was tightly tied above his head into a small bun.

He appeared so frail that it looked as if he was barely holding his skinny body upright. However, Kassandra still slightly bowed her head towards the man in a show of respect.

The old man’s raspy voice escaped from his thin, wrinkled lips, “Why are you walking through the entrance at a turtle’s pace, girl. Your obnoxious presence is obstructing my Palace’s business.”

He raised a bony hand, and the marble floors beneath them began to shine. In the next moment, they left the growing crowd of curious disciples to arrive inside a vacant, completely bare office space. Only a singular, stately black desk sat in the center of the white room.

Kassandra smiled at the old man before waving her hand behind her, finally allowing the children’s feet to touch solid ground.

...

Once he stood up straight, Auslen glanced at his companions. Although Vincent seemed to be invigorated, Nathaniel’s little body was still trembling and eyes a bit teary from the earlier excitement.

He shook his head to himself in slight sympathy and stepped forward to help Nathaniel maintain his wobbly footing.

Meanwhile, the old man carefully sat down behind his black desk and scrutinized the group of children behind Kassandra.

“Cedrick’s relatives?”

Kassandra nodded, the tips of her light-blonde hair brushing against the white marble floors as she bent down to guide the boys closer to the old man’s desk.

“His son and nephew, to be precise. They also brought along a servant boy, as we discussed previously, Old Lu.”

She then handed him a jade slip containing Auslen and Nathaniel’s talent evaluation results.

“Hmm.”

After receiving the information contained on the slip, Old Lu nodded before reaching into one of the many drawers underneath his desk. His slightly shaky hands pulled out three sets of robes, two blue and one dark gray.

He reached down again into another drawer to pull out two small booklets and 22 small clear bottles, 10 of which containing sloshing blue liquid, another 10 containing green liquid, and the last two containing multiple small blue pills.

He looked down towards Auslen and Nathaniel as he said, “Due to your Grade 2 Dao Roots, both of you boys shall each receive five Qi Refinement Elixirs, five Bone Mending Elixirs, and one bottle full of ten Qi Refinement Pills every month.

“This is the allowance the Sect will be providing for you both each month for the next 12 years. Alongside your Outer Sect robe, you will also be given a handbook, containing protocols and procedures that all Outer Sect Disciples must abide by. The Sect rules are very strict, and those who break them will be punished severely. Finally, unless your servant remains within your residence, he is required to stay by your side at all times. If he is caught roaming the mountain alone, he will also be punished severely!”

After seeing that the old man had finished his speech, Auslen stepped forward to receive their items, eyes glancing at the two legendary bottles of Qi Refinement Pills.

His small face was smiling with gratitude as he said, “Thanks, Old Lu!”

Failing to notice both the old man’s frown and Kassandra’s amused expression, he turned to his cousin, only to see Nathaniel’s eyes suddenly sparkling as he gazed at all his seemingly free stuff. Auslen chuckled as he handed him his things before putting both his items and Vincent’s new robe into his spatial ring.

Glancing at Old Lu’s still frowning face, Kassandra giggled while transmitting: “Cedrick has asked for you to assign them both to the Elixir Refinement Hall as Refining Assistants.”

Old Lu glared at her before clarifying: “Fine! Will they require a chaperone? Their cave residence is a considerable distance from the peak.”

Kassandra replied: “Cedrick has already prepared a flying-type Mystic Artifact for them.”

Shrugging his bony shoulders, he pulled out a couple of blue jade medallions. He slid his index finger across both of them, causing faint luminescence to emerge from within, before sending them floating in front of Auslen and Nathaniel.

“These are your Identity Medallions. They are used for a variety of purposes, including monitoring your location and safety, as well as providing you access to your residence. They can also be used like jade slips, allowing you to store the Martial Techniques that you may purchase from the Sect in the future. Do not lose them, as the price for locating them is quite expensive.”

The old man’s squinted eyes fully closed after he gave his last instruction.

“That’s everything, Kassandra. Feel free to quickly make your departure. But you had better not cause another commotion in front of my Palace of Outer Sect Affairs. Otherwise…”

But before he could open one of his eyes to glare at her one last time, she and the boys had already disappeared from the nearly empty office, leaving behind only the echoes of soft laughter.

…

With Kassandra’s assistance, Auslen and the others slowly descended onto the secluded, yet beautifully vibrant mountainside.

Sparse rays of afternoon sunlight broke through the dense leafy branches above, landing on the various wildflowers peppered throughout the grassy field.

Faint sounds of cicadas could be heard from the surrounding tree trunks, accompanied by the sounds of flapping wings and canorous chirps as small birds soared expertly around the continuously falling leaves.

After taking in the calming scenery, Auslen retracted his surveying gaze to see a huge, moss covered cave mouth looming in front of their group. Blocking the entire 30-meter-tall entrance to the cave was a circular, solid stone wall that was inscribed distinctly with a large, but inactive Spell Formation.

Kassandra reached out her hand towards Auslen, asking politely, “Please hand me your Identity Medallion.”

Auslen quickly retrieved the jade medallion from his spatial ring and placed it into the Peak Master’s outstretched palm.

Kassandra stepped forward until she was standing directly in front of the wall. As she raised the medallion in her hand towards the wall, the dense spell formation faintly lit up, covering each of the group in a soft blue hue.

Suddenly, a blue, twinkling image of a smaller circle, with a diameter of 3 meters, quickly outlined itself in front of Kassandra. Then with a puff of earthen dust, the circle split in two equal sections before shooting sideways, revealing a newly formed entryway into the cave. Kassandra’s long hair and loose robes rippled as the air from the cave rushed out to greet her from the inside.

Turning her beautiful face towards Auslen and the rest, she said, “Follow me.”

Nathaniel seemed quite excited for the adventure, being the first of the three children to run after the Peak Master into the cave entrance.

Auslen chuckled at the boy’s eagerness before he and Vincent made their way inside as well.

Light from the thoughtfully placed illumination crystals lit up the incredibly spacious cave. However, instead of the dank cave Auslen was expecting, the interior was much more akin to an exquisite palace! From the expensive looking art on the limestone walls to the luxurious furniture spaced around the open hall, it did not look in any way like a residence meant for newly arrived Outer Sect Disciples.

Kassandra could clearly see Auslen’s astonishment, explaining, “You can thank your father for the privilege of living here. This cave originally belonged to an Elder of the Outer Sect. However, he recently condensed his True Core, leaving this place empty. Usually, no Outer Sect disciple could snatch such a place, so count yourselves lucky that you three can enjoy yourselves here.

“There are many specialized rooms and appliances contained inside, but I will leave those for you all to peruse at your leisure. However, if you break anything here, do not expect the Sect to replace it for free!”

She elegantly leaned on the edge of a soft leather couch as she continued, “Now, I have a few important things to explain to you boys before I leave.”

Auslen flicked his distracted cousin’s head to bring back his attention, and Kassandra’s face lit up with a satisfied smile.

“As you both are already practitioners, you will not be required to attend Qi Refinement classes.

“However, each of you will be appointed to the Elixir Refinement Hall located on the peak of this Outer Sect mountain. Auslen, your father specified that you both would not need a regular escort, so it will be your responsibility to get yourself and your cousin there on time. You all are separated quite a distance from the peak, so in case you find yourselves lost, there is a map inside your Outer Sect handbook that will help you find your way.

“The information you need detailing your appointment is contained within your Identity Medallion. The instructions regarding its usage are also outlined within your handbook. Do you both understand everything that I've told you thus far?”

Auslen and Nathaniel nodded quickly, and Kassandra continued.

“You are to wear your Outer Sect robes every day from now on! Do not worry about cleaning them by hand, as there is a self cleaning Spell Formation layered into its stitching. As long as you circulate a strand of Profound Qi within your fingertip and touch your collar, the Spell Formation will activate at the cost of that strand’s energy. However!”

Nathaniel’s raised finger was startled to a halt at the Peak Master’s sudden shout, and he looked up guiltily at Kassandra’s pointed gaze.

“Do not overuse them, as Spell Formations are not permanent. You can only redeem a new set of robes once every half-year. If you abuse your clothing, you will have to pay for a new set yourself.”

Hearing this, Nathaniel quickly put his finger back to his side with an obedient smile.

Kassandra shook her head and laughed softly at his foolishness before standing back up.

"Finally, there are large numbers of Outer Sect Lectures covering numerous topics occurring in frequent rotation. They are not mandatory, however you both would gain much if you attended some on occasion. The schedule of lectures is located in the handbook as well, along with everything else you need to know. Is there anything else any of you three kids need from me?”

After witnessing their heads shaking sideways in denial, she smiled before transmitting her voice directly to Auslen.

“As of now, I’ve done everything your father has asked of me. However, if you wish to speak with me about a particularly important matter, just seek out Old Lu. I’ll come by if it’s worth my time.”

With a graceful wave and a smile, her yellow robes shook slightly before her figure suddenly vanished from the cave abode.