Ryu gasped for breath, unable to mind the terrible smell that assaulted his senses. The illusory formation that protected the Natural Order Sect was of the Middle Earth Grade. Unless one was a Divine Vessel realm expert capable of forcibly breaking the formation, or a Spiritual Severing expert recognized by the formation, you could only use the method Ryu just did. Unfortunately, such a method was very taxing on Ryu's body even after a half year of cultivating. He feared that if the formation was one grade higher, he would have met his death within it.
It was to be expected that Ryu underestimated these formations. He was so used to cracking Ancestral and Origin Grade ones that he looked down on those of the mortal Plane. But, he needed to realize that he no longer had Nuri by his side to help him nor did he have his normal tools.
After collecting himself, Ryu began to walk around the sect, covering his mouth and nose with the sleeve of his cloak.
It was a sad sight to see. Sects like this one and the Tor Clan's Heavenly Body Sect weren't only made up of cultivators, but also their families. While there were plenty of adult bodies, there were plenty of the elderly and children strewn around as well. Ryu's gaze couldn't help but turn cold.
The Ryu without much knowledge of the martial world already understood how arrogant this Sect's name was, so it was obvious that the current Ryu understood even more so.
The Natural Order was arguably the more important aspect of cultivation. While there were three paths to increase one's strength, the Mental Realm, the Qi Realm, and the Body Realm, the Natural Order encompassed all three of them and referred to a study of Heavenly Laws.
As far as Ryu was aware, the Natural Order came in two forms. The first was Mortal Endowment, split into Elements and Birthed Phenomena. Elements referred to matters relating to fire, water, lightning and the like. On the other hand, Birthed Phenomena were teachings created by humans that the Heavens have recognized as on par with its own mysteries. These could include the Way of the Sword or Spear, etc.
The second form was far more enigmatic – Natural Enlightenment. This form referred to abstract concepts such as the gentleness of a spring's water, or the softness of a cloud. These inexplicable aspects of nature could be incorporated into one's martial understanding, bringing the power of their techniques to another level by relying on Heavenly Essence.
While cultivating the so-called Three Realms – Mental, Qi, and Body – was important, what separated cultivators of the same realm was often this understanding of the Natural Order. This was what decided who were the strong and weak, and who were the mundane and talented.
To make matters more pressing, such comprehensions were often what barred individuals from reaching higher realms. Once one entered the upper echelons of Immortals, it was no longer about absorbing more energy. Cultivation evolved to become a matter of comprehending the Mysteries of Heaven and Earth. It was for this reason that Ryu's Heavenly Pupils were ranked first.
So, one could imagine why an Immortal Cultivator would think a mere Mortal Plane Sect arrogant for daring to take such a namesake for themselves. Still… One would have to be quite the eccentric to go so far.
"Why would an Immortal Cultivator come here…" Ryu mumbled to himself.
Soon, Ryu had made his way all around the Sect and had gained a firm grasp of what it had to offer.
The first and maybe most important part were the Seven Peaks. At the top of each of its mountains, there lay a Martial Pavilion. Respectively, they were known as the Fire, Earth, Wind, Water, Lightning, Weapons, and Human Pavilions.
While the first six are self-explanatory in their specialties, the Human Pavilion was more nuanced. This was where Ryu assumed the healers, refiners and Formation Masters of the Sect came together.
Each Martial Pavilion was separated into hierarchies with higher levels corresponding to a higher ranks. Eventually, the very top of the Peak would be reserved for the Pavilion Master, of which, the Human Pavilion had three.
Obviously, the Human Pavilion was the largest of the seven peaks, not only because it had more disciples and Masters, but also because it was the hub of the Sect. Unfortunately, this also meant that this place had the most dead bodies and the worst stench.
Although Ryu had expected it, he was surprised to find that the Immortal Cultivator really hadn't taken anything. He knew that an Immortal would likely look down on the things that were here, but this was still equivalent to a quarter of the wealth of the Highest Mortal Plane! That was definitely worth something… Even if a Sect or Clan had more capital on the Immortal Plane, the individuals who could boast having this amount of wealth were very few. One had to understand that a Sect's wealth and a person's wealth were completely separate!
After taking a deep breath he immediately regretted, Ryu decided on where he'd head to first and systematically visited every Pavilions' technique vault. Of course, he had to deal with many more protective formations, so it wasn't until another week had passed that Ryu collected every cultivation and martial technique the Sect had to offer.
Soon after, Ryu found a secluded place away from the stench. He assumed that this hidden Peak was the personal residence of the Sect Master and Elders. Because of the height their cultivation had reached, their corpses didn't give off the same stench.
Ryu fell into a deep state of meditation as he sat before a beautiful scene. The qi here was far denser than his 'father's' King's Garden by at least ten times. The small lake of water spanning just about two hundred meters in every direction gave off a heavenly and relaxing fragrance. Finally, the various colored Memory Jades that lay on the green grass reflected the orange and red hues of the slowly setting sun. The ambience was quite comforting.
The path a cultivator starts with was highly important. However, where Ryu's issue laid was in the fact that he was too talented. With four Ancestral Bloodlines within him, he was capable of following paths of Fire, Ice, and Lightning to their absolute extremes. This didn't even mention the abilities of his meridians and bone structure that laid even outside these aptitudes.
Even still, there was another matter Ryu was still considering… Just what were the abilities of his Second Awakened Spiritual Foundation?