Dao of the World Walker (Xianxia) Book 2

They ate their fill, working through the dishes alongside the variety of wines Senior Brother Jiang Zhen Hao had ordered.

"Junior Brother Yang, I must thank you for giving us the opportunity to celebrate at Sister Xing Fei's expense," Senior Brother Jiang Zhen Hao said, raising his cup in Yang's direction while shooting a smirk at Senior Sister Xing Fei.

She rolled her eyes. "Zhen Hao, we hardly need an excuse to eat out. We eat out more than most other disciples as it is."

"Eating and drinking is the joy of life. What is the use of living beyond mortal years if we cannot enjoy the delights the world has to offer?" Senior Brother Jiang Zhen Hao said, and the others made sounds of agreement.

Ye Xuan nodded along enthusiastically. "I am glad I ended up at White Cloud Sect. The cultivators in my family have mostly given up food entirely. Even among the other cultivators out there, I have noticed many who forgo eating. I cannot imagine spending my life on pills alone." He shook his head at the thought.

"Exactly," Senior Brother Jiang Zhen Hao said, pointing at Ye Xuan approvingly. "Even during long periods of closed-door cultivation, I make sure to keep a large stock of non-perishable food in my storage. Though of course sometimes there is no avoiding the fasting pills."

"It is inevitable," Senior Sister Shen Yue said with a sigh. "The higher we cultivate, the longer the closed-door sessions will become. You simply cannot carry enough food to last through all of them."

Yang gave it a moment for someone else to say anything before he changed the subject. "I have been wondering, Seniors, how often do you go on missions?"

"Looking to earn points, Junior Brother?" Senior Sister Xing Fei asked with a teasing note.

"I doubt that," Senior Brother Lin Yi said before Yang could answer. "Yang's talisman skills are more than enough to keep him comfortable at his current realm."

"Senior Brother Lin Yi is right," Yang admitted. "I have enough for my needs. I was just curious how it works for Inner Sect disciples. I have not seen any of you taking missions recently."

"Not seeing it does not mean it is not happening," Senior Brother Jiang Zhen Hao said. "It is always a good idea to stay involved in some mission when you are not in closed door cultivation or learning a new craft or technique."

"Liu Te and I mostly sell our alchemy work and only leave the sect for missions if we want to travel or are going somewhere with these four," Senior Brother Lin Yi said, gesturing at the others.

"I am currently helping an elder tend to his spiders," Senior Sister Xing Fei said, giving a slight shudder. "Awful to look at, but the work is interesting."

"You remember—" Senior Brother Liu Te began.

"Yes, yes, you will have the venom when harvest time comes," Senior Sister Xing Fei said, cutting him off.

Senior Brother Lin Yi opened his mouth.

"And you will get a share as well," she said, not looking at him.

Yang watched this with amusement. Senior Sister Xing Fei now turned to him.

"We have been in the sect idle for longer than usual because of the competition. Once it ends, there will be a flood of missions and a good portion of the inner sect will leave, especially with the new secret realm the sect recently acquired."

"This one spends more time outside the sect than inside it," Senior Sister Shen Yue said, gesturing toward Senior Brother Jiang Zhen Hao.

Senior Brother Liu Te turned to him. "Zhen Hao, are you planning to go to the secret realm?"

"I am not certain yet. My shixiongs are planning a trip outside so I can put my Golden Core to the test. It will depend on where they decide to take me."

"I will go to the secret realm if the sect allows it," Senior Brother Xu Kai said.

"We will join you," Senior Sister Shen Yue said, with a glance at Senior Sister Xing Fei, who nodded.

"I would like to be part of the team researching new plants," Senior Brother Liu Te added. "If I do not earn a slot through the rankings, I will join whatever mission is available."

"Is a secret realm such a big opportunity?" Yang asked.

"Not always," Senior Brother Xu Kai said.

"Secret realms are often independent worlds of different sizes contained in a pocket of space," Senior Brother Lin Yi explained. "The flora and fauna there, sometimes from the beginning or sometimes when given sufficient time, can develop quite differently from what exists here or in other known realms. When a new secret realm is found, it is always a time of discovery, not to mention things left behind by other cultivators. It attracts all kinds of cultivators."

"Alchemists and herbologists are especially important in such ventures," Senior Brother Liu Te added. "Once a new plant is found the next two questions are if it can be used, and if the answer is yes, then whether it can be cultivated in sufficient quantities."

Yang nodded.

"Formation experts are always needed as well," Senior Sister Shen Yue said, "since they are the first ones to assess whether the realm is stable, or to stabilise it if it is not."

"Some of these pocket spaces drift," Senior Sister Xing Fei added, with a look that suggested this was not merely theoretical knowledge. "A few decades back, an inner sect disciple came back after being stuck in one for centuries."

Yang was caught off guard by this. "Centuries? How?"

"His soul lamp never went out, and the sect was aware of his presence at the secret realm, so his master brought in an expert in spatial techniques to trace the movement of the realm. Even then, it took more than a century to recover him," Senior Sister Xing Fei said.

"Are all secret realms that dangerous?" Ye Xuan asked, with a concerned look.

Yang had an idea of the dangers of other cultivators, beasts, and traps, but the idea of the realm itself simply moving never came to his mind.

"Cultivation is dangerous, Junior Brother Xuan," Senior Brother Lin Yi said patiently. "We are safe within the sect. But opportunities and resources are found outside it, and you need both if you want to advance."

"You need to experience life with all its difficulties if you want to cultivate," Senior Brother Jiang Zhen Hao said with a serious expression on his face. "That is what pushes you forward and don't look so worried, Junior Brother,” He said with a smile. “The sect will give you an orientation before you are allowed to venture outside so you can be as safe as possible."

Yang went quiet.

It was easy to forget, amongst the friendly banter, that every one of these seniors had a life that extended far beyond the sect walls. They were generous and kind to him. But they were also people who went out into a world that could trap you in a pocket of space for a century, who came back from missions changed, who had seen things Yang had not.

Senior Brother Jiang Zhen Hao's serious expression in particular reminded Yang that there were more faces to these people than the ones he usually saw.

It's natural that the seniors will have gone out to gain treasures and opportunities.

He thought of all the spirit fruits and unusual ingredients that appeared in the food hall, brought back by some returning disciples choosing to share some of what they had found.

He hoped that one day it would be him doing the same for those who came after.

And bringing along resources for his own cultivation.

He had gone a little too deep into this thought when he heard his name.

"Yang. Junior Brother Yang."

Senior Sister Xing Fei was looking at him with a patient expression.

"My apologies, Senior Sister. I was lost in thought."

"I understand. Listening to Zhen Hao sometimes has the same effect on me," she said, with a smirk in Senior Brother Jiang Zhen Hao's direction. Yang smiled back and asked what she had been saying.

"I was wondering what is in the chest they gave you," she said, a slightly sheepish note in her voice. "I do not know many talisman crafters, and I was curious what kind of manual they would consider a prize, since most inscriptions are freely available in the library anyway."

"Of course, Senior Sister," Yang said, then looked over at Senior Brother Lin Yi. "Senior Brother, could you take out the chest?"

"She means after you had seen it yourself, Junior Brother," Senior Brother Lin Yi said.

"It is no trouble. It is just some manuals. I do not mind us looking at it together," Yang said.

Senior Brother Lin Yi reached into his storage ring and took out the jade chest, placing it on the table in front of Yang.

Yang flipped open the lid and peered inside.