Journey Towards Dao

Auslen passed these few days quietly and rather blissfully, fussing around with plants and refining Elixirs, whilst attending to his regular duties as a Refining Assistant.

And soon, the Tri-Annual Qi Refinement Tournament was about to begin.

Early in the morning, countless disciples were already making their way down the Outer Sect mountain to gather in front of the mountain’s main gate.

Outside of the crowd, Nathaniel was sitting high up on Vincent’s shoulders, head swiveling here and there. Vincent was trying to be helpful, standing on his tiptoes in an attempt to give Nathaniel more of a view, but even with their combined heights, they were only about as tall as a normal adult, which wasn’t too helpful for their current venture.

“I don’t see them, Auslen!”

“We can all meet up once we arrive at the Tournament Stadium. There’s too many people standing around.” Auslen didn’t even bother trying. “Come down, Nathan. It’s almost time to go.”

Grumbling to himself, Nathaniel unwillingly climbed down from Vincent’s shoulders.

Hands suddenly free, Vincent glanced up into the sky before removing a paper umbrella from his spatial ring, covering Auslen with protection from the piercing morning sun.

Auslen closed his eyes with a smile, peacefully enjoying the convenient shelter. That is, until Nathaniel abruptly launched himself underneath the shade with a bear hug from Auslen’s back, nearly tackling Auslen to the ground in his surprise.

Rejecting Auslen’s efforts to detach his arms from around his neck, Nathaniel hung on with stubbornness and chuckled cheekily. “Thanks, Vincent!”

…

A short while later, wind and clouds began to churn in the sky above the heads of the disciples. Suddenly, a massive airship descended, seemingly growing in size until it landed on a huge, square-shaped platform not too far off, floating stably just above the platform’s marble surface.

The large body of the ship was made entirely of dark silver metal, and at times, light danced around the inscriptions on its surface, giving the airship an grandiose and powerful aura.

“Come on board!” An elderly woman’s voice thundered from the docked airship, drawing all of the disciples’ eyes to the old Elder standing at the bow of the ship with the help of a wooden cane.

Auslen held both Nathaniel and Vincent’s hands as they consolidated back into the moving hoard of disciples, once again feeling like a single father trying to keep track of his kids at an amusement park.

Tens of thousands of disciples walked over to board the airship as three separate gangways extended from the side of the ship in preparation for their ascension. Elders were on the sides of each gangway, guiding the many Outer Sect Disciples to board the airship in succession. And only after a full hour did the gangways retract.

The elderly woman standing on top of the airship nodded before lifting her cane slightly, only to bring it back down to loudly tap the ship's metal exterior.

Light fulminated on the airship for a sharp moment before the metallic monstrosity slowly floated upwards into the bright morning sky, heading back through the still-revolving vortex of clouds towards the Outer Sect Stadium.

…

Deeper into the Outer Sect, a lone, but vibrant mountain could be seen with a height of 1,000 meters. From a certain angle, the peak looked to be shaved off completely, appearing incomplete. However, when viewed from above, an impressive feat of architectural ingenuity could be witnessed.

Carved directly into the mountain’s peak, the Outer Sect Stadium was a sunken structure boasting a scale of over 500,000 square meters, like a hidden treasure only viewable by the likes of cultivators. It was constructed entirely out of the mountainous rocks. Varying shades of grays washed over the stands, which were divided into five levels, allowing for a huge amount of spectator seating. The lowest and highest levels were provided with shade by means of neutral-colored canvas awnings, while the middle level contained fully enclosed VIP rooms, reserved for Elders, important disciples, and guests of appropriate status.

Currently, rivers of disciples from all five Outer Sect mountains were funneling into these stands, excitement bubbling for the imminent Qi Refinement Tournament to get underway!

The Qi Refinement Tournament could be said to be the most important event within the Outer Sect, as it involved the distribution of incredible sums of resources that were normally impossible for most disciples to obtain within the span of a decade. This was especially true, considering that nearly all Outer Sect Disciples dawdled around within the Outer Sect, refusing to choose the most lucrative of Sect Missions that required them to leave the mountain.

Spirit Elixirs, Spirit Pills, Earthly Treasures, Weapons, Demon flesh, Merit Points…

Basically, there was no small amount of desire for the rewards obtainable here.

In addition, competing in this venue was the sole method for Outer Sect Disciples to attain a rank on the Qi Refinement Battle-Roll! Organized and deliberated on by Sect Elders, the Qi Refinement Battle-Roll was a highly regarded catalog of names in the Outer Sect that was reset every three years, listing the top 500 Qi Refinement disciples under the age of 30 by their combat ability.

The Battle-Roll was not merely a chance to bring fame to the disciples that managed to rank within this bracket. Those listed within the Battle-Roll received a monthly stipend of Merit-Points, the amount dependent on their ranking.

Another thing worth mentioning was that this Tournament allowed for the opportunity to receive sponsorships directly from the Inner Sect! Typically, several Inner Sect Disciples from each of the five Inner Sect Peaks would attend the Tournament as spectators. And the lucky few that caught the eye of an Inner Sect Disciple would be given enough Merit Points to directly purchase a Cultivation Method within a specialized list, along with the stipulation of committing to that Inner Sect Peak once they built their Profound Foundation.

With all of these benefits, it was a given that the competition was intense. Although killing fellow disciples was not permitted, every Qi Refinement Tournament brought serious injuries. Fortunately, there were plenty of Elders on stand by, ensuring the safety of the participants and maintaining order within the stands.

Upon ten raised arenas, 500 of the Outer Sect’s strongest combatants would be competing here today.

…

“There they are!” Underneath the vaulted corridors, Nathaniel pointed towards Irene and Mia, who were standing amongst a small crowd aside from the flowing traffic of disciples just exiting from the airship.

Auslen frowned slightly once he glanced in the direction Nathaniel was striding towards.

“She looks even worse than before, doesn't she?” Tarek, who had met up with the cousins earlier on the airship, quietly asked Auslen as they watched Nathaniel run off ahead of them.

“She told Nathan she hasn’t been sleeping well recently,” Auslen whispered in reply. “I guess it hasn’t gotten better yet.”

As Auslen, Tarek, and Vincent neared, they could more clearly hear Nathaniel speaking to Mia.

“Are you feeling any better, Mia? You look a little pale.”

Mia’s sigh carried signs of depression. Her brown eyes lowered slightly, a bit downcast. “I wasn’t able to get much sleep last night.”

Tarek spoke up with some concern. “Have you gone to the Health and Wellness Center?”

“Yes, but they only confirmed. I’m just… sleepy,” She replied while at the same time trying to stifle a yawn.

As Mia was speaking, Nathaniel stealthily turned his gaze back to Auslen, who gave him a meaningful smile in return.

Turning back around with renewed vigor, his spatial ring shined before he proffered a long jade box in Mia’s direction.

“I umm… I heard that... uh lavender is really good for sleeping.” Nathaniel’s voice grew quieter the longer he spoke. “I bought the Pseudo Spirit Plant a long time ago, but I don’t need it anymore. You can take it.”

In truth, this lavender plant was one of the Pseudo Spirit Plants that Auslen had been raising in private. He had slipped it to Nathaniel earlier for this very purpose. He had even coached the boy on what to say, but it seemed like Nathaniel had already stumbled before completely abandoning his script.

Mia, despite being bombarded with exhaustion, found herself stunned. Her slender hand absentmindedly brushed aside her auburn hair, tucking it behind her small ear. And for a reason she failed to place, her fair cheeks felt a little like they were burning.

Hurriedly putting aside her awkward reaction, she wanted to shake her head to politely refuse the expensive offering, but the promise of rest had her gaze transfixed on the jade box.

A moment of silence fell between them, Nathaniel frozen in his outstretched stance and Mia caught in her internal struggle.

Noticing the events from a higher view point, Irene chuckled at the display. Even though she had been talking to others, she didn’t miss Nathaniel’s clumsy attempt at expressing his juvenile affection.

With quick movements, Irene snatched the box from Nathaniel’s hands before placing it firmly into Mia’s surprised embrace.

“Take the lavender, Mia,” Irene smilingly ordered, shaking her head with artificial envy. “To brats like him, giving away a few Merit Points requires nothing more than a quick call home.”

Thankful that the decision was made for her, Mia secretly sighed in relief before smiling gratefully at Nathaniel, causing the boy’s expression to light up with felicity.

“Your Highness!”

Auslen’s eyebrows raised at the sudden wave of formal greetings originating from his backside. Turning around, he saw Vincent stepping aside before he was met with the familiar view of four Bright Forest Guards bowing in his direction, their flashy and foreign appearance provoking disturbance among the flow of disciples passing by.

The Bright Forest Guard standing at the head of their diamond formation lifted himself to an impeccably erect posture before continuing.

“We’re here to escort you to your room.”

Auslen understood the reason for their presence within the Outer Sect without needing to ask.

“Are you coming along, or are you staying?” Auslen glanced to Nathaniel and asked.

Nathaniel shook his head with a smile. “I’ll stay here. Tell cousin I said hi!”

Auslen nodded. Casually pointing towards the muscular Bright Forest Guard standing at the right corner of their formation, he spoke. “Stay with Nathaniel, please.”

“Understood!” He placed his gauntlet-covered hand on his breast plate in a respectful salute before stepping away from the other guards to stand behind the boy, gaining the appraising glance of Nathaniel, who nodded as though satisfied that he had a guard of his own.

Irene, in particular, looked very intrigued by the Bright Forest Guards, a radiant light shining in her blue eyes.

After waving goodbye to the rest, Auslen allowed the remaining Bright Forest Guards to surround him and Vincent, escorting them as they advanced further into the Stadium.

…

Auslen and Vincent were ushered into a private VIP room on the third level. The soles of Auslen’s black boots stepped onto plush carpets crafted from expensive furs, giving him immediate feelings of comfort and relaxation.

Walking into the spacious enclosure, Auslen took in his surroundings.

The interior of this luxurious VIP room was dozens of square meters in size. All kinds of elegant furniture were placed within. Along the walls, many additional Bright Forest Guards were standing silently, their eyes lowered and presence subdued.

At the front of the room, a one-way barrier of transparent, full-length crystal could be seen. And through the crystal window, the vast Outer Sect Stadium was clearly visible, making the difference in treatment between valued persons and ordinary disciples starkly apparent.

And sitting calmly on the center couch with the best view in the room was a young royal, dressed in a pure black robe with golden trimmings.

After the youth turned his head towards Auslen, who was slowly walking towards him, his calm expression quickly filled with joyful vitality.

Taking in the familiar light green hair and gleaming blue eyes, Auslen’s lips quirked up into a bright smile in return.

“Hi, Aiden.”

Aiden stood, not waiting for Auslen to approach before wrapping his younger brother in a warm embrace, which Auslen quickly reciprocated.

Vincent tactfully retreated backwards, expeditiously stepping back into his habit of waiting near the walls, next to the good looking young man who seemed to be Aiden's manservant.

Only after several long moments did Aiden pull away, grinning as he examined Auslen closely.

“Hello, Auslen,” Aiden replied before patting Auslen’s head teasingly. “You’ve grown taller.”

Auslen swiped the fussy hand away exasperatingly, golden irises lifting as he gave Aiden his own appraising gaze.

“So have you, big brother.”