Night had fallen, with the moon illuminating the Azure Sword Mountain.
Only the Enforcement Teams were patrolling the city and sect’s perimeter.
But it had nothing to do with Lucian, who at this moment was lying on the bed with Isabella.
The soft glow of the luminous stones cast a gentle light over their sweaty bodies. Lucian’s fingers caressed Isabella’s soft skin as she lay against his chest. The cave was silent except for their constant breathing.
Lucien, not wanting to wake up his sister who was fast asleep, carefully got out of the bed. He then put on his underwear and tiptoed his way to the door.
With soft steps, he then made his way to the Array Formation room.
In the center, a circular pattern was etched into the ground – the Spiritual Energy Gathering Array.
The Azure Sword Mountain possessed a Second Rank Low-grade Spirit Vein, and with this array formation, Inner Disciples, Core Disciples, and Elders could absorb greater amounts of Spiritual Energy in their training.
The Outer Disciple did not need it because the majority of them were in the Body Strengthening Realm. However, those who were ready to break through and required a location with a higher Spiritual Energy concentration could always pay some Spirit Stones to rent Cultivation Rooms in the Inner City.
However, in order to activate it, they needed to use their own precious Spirit Stones.
…
Closing the door, Lucian took out his jade token, reviewing the information stored within. According to the instructions, he needed four Spirit stones.
He pulled them out of his space ring, feeling their cool smoothness.
One by one, he placed the Spirit stones at the four corners of the array.
North, South, East, West — each stone pulsed faintly as it touched the Eye of the Formation.
As Lucian placed the final Spirit Stone, the formation pattern glowed with a soft blue light, and Lucian felt the Spiritual Energy slowly thickening around him. It was as if a gentle mist had filled the room.
Lucian sat down on the cushion in the center of the array, crossing his legs and straightening his back.
He closed his eyes and began to regulate his breathing, feeling the Spiritual Energy seeping into his pores.
With a deep breath, he started to circulate the [Celestial Flame Lotus] cultivation technique.
As the inflow of the Spritual Energy accelerated, he started to run his Cultivation Technique with all his might, and the Spritual Energy in his body rushed and flowed like rivers and seas.
And in his mind’s eye, he visualized a golden lotus, its petals aflame with fire…
…
Outside the first ray of sun peeked over the horizon, painting the sky in soft hues of pink and gold.
But Lucian noticed none of this. He was so engrossed in his cultivation that he didn’t feel the passing of time.
His consciousness was fully immersed in comprehending the Dao Lotus.
As the energy flowed, it scoured away impurities, leaving his channels cleaner and more refined.
The Spirit Stones gradually dimmed as their energy was consumed, the Formation had already stopped working. So Lucian didn’t have any other choice but to refine a pill.
Previously in the Techniques Hall, he had learned that all pills contained 5-15% impurities.
Therefore, it was best to avoid taking them regularly, as to let the body naturally expel them slowly. As acccumulating too many impurities could hinder future breakthroughs and damage one’s foundation.
This was the reason why Higher Realm Cultivators refrained from using excessive amounts of pills and instead focused on cultivating with natural Spiritual Energy.
By doing so, they could let their bodies expel impurities and also avoid developing resistance to certain types of pills.
But Lucian didn’t have such problems with his Gluttonous Innate Fate.
But that did not mean he would eat them like candy; his body, while strong, could not handle such a large amount of energy all at once.
As he circulated his Qi, he could feel it flowing through his meridians, cleansing and strengthening them.
The Spiritual Energy from the array swirled around him, seeping into his pores and nourishing his body.
Hours passed, and Lucian remained motionless, his breath steady and slow.
As the impurities of 40th Meridian completely burnt out, a crisp crackling sound came from within his body, as if some barrier had shattered.
His aure surged tremendously, as Lucian’s eyes snapped open.
Feeling the Spiritual Energy inside his body which had nearly doubled, filling him with great joy.
“I’ve finally made the break through to the Second stage of the Qi Gathering Realm!”
At this moment, one of the petals was fully developed and blazing like the Sun!
Although overjoyed, he did not immediately rise to his feet. Instead, he focused on cultivating and consolidation his breakthrough.
This was also an aspect that he had previously been unaware of!
After an hour, he felt his cultivation base stabilize and he got up, stretching his limbs, making him feel light as a feather.
He made his way silently to the bedroom, his footsteps barely making a sound on the rocky floor.
The soft glow of the luminous stones cast a gentle light over Isabella’s naked body. Her blue hair was spread out on the pillow like a fan, and her chest rose and fell with each breath.
Lucian’s eyes roamed over her body, admiring her curves.
But seeing that Isabella was still asleep, Lucian didn’t wake her up. He must have been very rough with her yesterday in order to celebrate.
And due to the difference in their Cultivation, if it weren’t for her unique constitution, she might not be able to last so long.
Instead, he went back to the cultivation room and brought back the cushion. On it, he placed a variety of fruits and pastries, their sweet aroma filling the air.
Next to the food, he left a small note written on paper. In elegant calligraphy, it read: “Gone to bring mother. Don’t worry. I’ll return soon.”
For Isabella’s convenience, Lucian took out five Spirit Stones from his spatial ring. He placed them on the cushion.
Wearing his Disciple’s robe, Lucian turned and slipped out of the cave after taking one last glance at Isabella’s beautiful sleeping face.
The stone door closed behind him with a thud.
…
Outside, the morning sun had fully risen. It took a few moments for Lucian’s eyes to adjust to the bright light.
The morning mountain air was crisp and invigorating.
He didn’t immediately head down the mountain. Instead, he made his way to the Registration and Mission Hall.
The paths were already bustling with disciples hurrying to their morning tasks.
After a quarter hour of walking, he arrived at a grand building. A constant stream of disciples flowed in and out.
Once inside, Lucian went directly to the mission board. Rows of missions hung there, each detailing a different task.
Lucian hadn’t come here without reason. He wanted to check if the sect had posted a mission to find Xander.
After all, it had been nearly 2 days. He simply wanted to confirm whether the sect had released a missing mission or something related to murder.
His eyes scanned the board, looking for anything related to Xander. But he saw nothing.
Perhaps the sect didn’t know about Xander’s disappearance yet.
With this confirmation, he released a sigh of relief.
Satisfied that there was no mention of Xander, Lucian turned away from the mission board. He made his way out of the bustling hall and headed towards the sect’s main gate at the foot of the mountain.
The journey down the mountain was uneventful.
As he reached the base of the mountain, the bustling inner city spread out before him. The streets were already alive with activity — merchants setting up their stalls, cultivators haggling over spirit herbs and weapons…
***
At this moment,
Inside a cave abode, more spacious and with a higher concentration of Spiritual Energy than Lucian’s abode, a middle-aged man with blonde hair was frowning as his communication Talisman glowed.
From it, a male voice emerged: “Senior Brother, we couldn’t find any traces of Xander. According to the guards at the border between inner and outer city, they didn’t see him going out. But…”
The blonde man’s frown deepened. His eyes narrowed, “But what? Speak clearly.”
There was a moment of hesitation before the voice continued, “But one of my friends accidentally saw him walking with a white-haired young man.”
Could that white-haired youth be Lucian? Is he the reason behind Xander’s disappearance? But how? How can it possibly be him who yet to become a Qi Gathering Realm Cultivator?
His mind immediately thought of numerous possibilities!
The blonde man’s fingers tightened around the talisman as he asked again, “Did that young man have red eyes?”
“He’s saying he’s not sure, Senior Brother.”
Marcus’s fists clenched, and his expression darkened.
But the he shook his head, forcing himself to remain calm. Jumping to conclusions without evidence would only lead to mistakes. For now, he needed more information.
He stroked his chin thoughtfully before responding, “Keep searching discreetly. Don’t alert the sect yet. I want to know exactly what happened before we make any moves.”
“Understood, Senior Brother,” the voice replied before the communication talisman went off.