10. Dark Petal Valley

Faust dragged Foria back to her own residence on Jade Road Mountain.

The moment the door closed behind them…

“Why did you stop me!—” Foria immediately shouted, she raised her fists, ready to fight back.

Slap!

The sound rang out throughout the room.

“…”

Foria looked at Faust, stunned.

For Foria, this was a far cry from the older brother who spoiled her whenever he was able to make it home once or twice a year, buying her whatever she wanted and gently guiding her into cultivation until she entered the early Qi Refining realm.

Faust exhaled heavily. “Do you understand what you were about to commit to?” He asked.

Foria looked down as Faust gaze settled on her. She held her slapped cheek, but ultimately, she said nothing.

“Haaah. I didn’t think so.” Faust covered his face with his hands, dragging them down before he looked at Foria, he raised his hand and Foria flinched back another step.

“Haaah… I’m sorry.” Faust said. “I shouldn’t have hurt you.” He bowed to her.

“Why…” Foria began, tears at the corner of her eyes. “Do you hate Tao that much?” She asked.

Faust stood back up, looking at Foria, then, slowly, deliberately, he shook his head.

“I’m sorry for how I’ve been acting.” He said, before sitting down on one of the old wooden chairs, probably inherited from the previous resident.

Faust gestured for Foria to sit down as well. She looked at him cautiously, then took a deep breath.

Foria sat down and Faust took out a simple tea set from his spatial pouch, beginning to brew tea.

“Have you received the Clear Mirror Pupil technique?” Faust asked.

Foria nodded.

“Good. If you want to know why I’m acting so strange, then train it until you reach some proficiency with it. Then, when you’re with Long Tao, look up.” Faust instructed.

“…Why?” Foria asked again.

“…Heaven’s Gaze.” Faust responded, the sound of water boiling as Spirit Qi abruptly turned into Fire Qi that heated up the tea pot in Faust’s hands.

“Heaven’s Gaze?” Foria repeated.

“Normally… You can’t sense Heaven’s Gaze until the Deity Transformation realm.”

“What… But you said—”

“I know what I said.”

“…”

“The fact that anyone can sense Heaven’s Gaze with some ordinary pupil or sensing techniques… Only happens during ages of chaos.”

“Age of chaos?” Foria repeated again. Almost everything she knew was about how she could cultivate and what she needed to do. She had never learned of anything outside of that.

“There have been fourteen recorded ages of chaos.” Faust began, adding herbs and leaves to the tea. “Do you know how many times the hegemony sects have changed? Do you know how many times the dynasty has changed?”

Faust didn’t wait for Foria to answer. “Fourteen times.”

“Each time,” Faust continued, “The era was preceded by a supposed son of heaven. Or a daughter of heaven, heavens favoured, protagonist of heaven… It doesn’t really matter what they’re called.” He explained.

Foria nodded slowly. “But… How is that related to Tao?”

“You still don’t see where I’m going with this?” Faust asked.

Foria looked down, fiddling with her hands on her knees.

“Long Tao is almost certainly this era’s chosen son of heaven.” Faust said it blankly.

“I’m scared.” Faust admitted. “I’m scared of the disasters the protagonist of heaven brings. Of the changes they bring… Of the strength they wield.”

Faust poured tea into two cups, pushing one towards Foria, who remained silent. “I’m scared that you, who doesn’t hold the heaven’s blessing, is going to be harmed by the trials and tribulation Long Tao will go through.”

Faust looked at Foria, then stayed silent, sipping his tea to let her think.

“What about saying you won’t interfere if he succeeds…” Foria asked.

“A moment of emotion. Besides, I suspect he will break into the Qi Refining realm soon. I specified he had to use his first realm Body Tempering.” Faust responded, sipping his tea before pulling out several thick books.

Foria looked at the books. “These are?”

“Three Qi Transforms Technique, my notes on it and my modified Three Qi Transforms Technique, which the Technique Hall Overseer insists should be called the Twelve Qi Transforms Technique.” Faust answered, taking another sip of his tea.

“Before you even think of going on a sect mission. Learn at least the Three Qi Transforms Technique.” Faust ordered.

“…Why?”

“Turn Spirit Qi into Fire Qi to cook food and boil water. Turn Spirit Qi into Wood Qi to heal wounds and mend broken bones. Turn Spirit Qi into Water Qi to summon water to drink.” Faust explained simply.

Foria’s eyes widened. She immediately understood the usefulness of the art.

“Also, the technique fundamentally allows you to control Qi better. Controlling Qi better is the basics of the Qi Refining realm.” Faust added.

Foria nodded slowly.

Faust stood up. “I’ll be going on a mission for a few days or a week. Stay inside the sect for now and practice that technique. Don’t forget to work on your body tempering as well. The Qi in the sect is better than outside so you should reach the first realm of body tempering soon.”

Faust opened the door, then paused.

“Also. Don’t worry about Long Tao.” Faust comforted Foria. “He’s the protagonist of heaven. He won’t die so easily even if one of the hegemony sects abruptly decided to hunt him down.”

Faust stepped outside and closed the door. He guessed Foria would need time to think. He realised he had forgotten to warn her of the dangers of the specific mission she was trying to join, but he hoped she would learn to do her own research.

 

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“Huuu…” Faust ended his meditation as the first beams of sunlight made it over the courtyard walls. Since he had been purging hidden toxins and waste Qi, he had chosen to meditate outside, at some random point on the edge of Purple Gem mountain, away from any of the Inner Disciple residencies.

Checking his channels, nodes and spirit body for the umpteenth time, Faust relaxed. There didn’t seem to be anything that would disrupt his cultivation anymore. He could earn more merit to have an elder or overseer double check with divine sense— If he needed it. Afterwards, he could begin gathering materials and merit to form the next two layers of his Inner Palace foundation.

Faust stopped by his residence and checked his spatial bag contents. After changing into the Inner Sect robes, Faust walked out, confident in his current preparations, heading to the Inner Sect Courtyard.

 

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“Senior Brother Faust!” Sirius shouted, bouncing over to Faust from chatting with Satheon under one of the stone pavilions scattered on the edges of the Inner Sect Courtyard.

“Good morning junior sister, senior brother.” Faust greeted back.

“Just waiting on junior sister Phalecia now.” Satheon commented, walking over as well, a warm smile as he held a halberd against his shoulder.

Before Faust could say anything, the group heard the zing of a flying sword and looked up to see Phalecia rushing over on a flying sword. Probably from her master’s— the previous Overseer of the Alchemy Hall— peak.

“Here.” Phalecia said as she touched down, stowing away her flying sword.

“We’re all here!” Sirius declared, grabbing everyone and pulling them closer into a tight circle.

“Indeed.” Satheon smiled, patting everyone on the shoulders.

“Has everyone made preparations for a black serpent?” Faust confirmed.

Satheon tapped his halberd against his shoulder in response. “Brought this specially for the occasion.” He stepped back and spun it around rapidly before stopping it in an instant and smashing the halberd’s handle against the ground.

Faust assessed the halberd critically as an artifact refiner himself. It was tough and well forged, but that was where the quality ended. It was ultimately still made of mortal steel and was only held together by the reinforcing array engraved across it that had probably been fighting for its life in every Open Palace realm battle.

“I see.” Faust prevented himself from commenting, simply acknowledging before turning to Sirius and Phalecia.

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“Poison.” Phalecia said, showing several pills in one hand while flipping her palm to reveal poisoned daggers.

“For defence?” Faust asked, eyeing the items.

Phalecia looked unblinkingly at Faust, completely silent.

“I thought so.” Faust drew a small buckler shield from his spatial pouch. “This is an old shield I refined as an experiment. It’s a bit outclassed as a 2nd level treasure meant for Meridian Opening, but its reinforcement array is still among my masterpieces. Load it up with enough Spirit Qi and it can still take a few solid attacks from others at the Open Palace realm.”

Phalecia accepted the shield with a small bow.

Faust turned to Sirius, “You?” He asked.

Sirius grinned, pulling out her wide, double edged sword. Unlike the rest of the group’s equipment, she was the only one who had a 3rd level artifact suitable for Open Palace realm combat, with two arrays engraved across the wide blade, one on each side.”

“I keep forgetting I need to upgrade Orion.” Faust mumbled before speaking, “My understanding of techniques and spells was only limited by my realm before so, I already have techniques and spells suitable for the Open Palace realm.”

“Impressive.” Satheon nodded.

“As expected.” Phalecia agreed.

“Then, let’s get going!” Satheon roared, turning around, before ascending on his flying sword, closely followed by Phalecia.

“One thing!” Sirius said before picking up a large sack and then bounding to Faust’s side to shove it into his spatial bag.

“…” Faust didn’t resist.

Sirius then ran off and jumped atop her flying sword, joining the other two.

Faust also boarded his flying sword, but then paused as he felt a gaze on his back.

Persius and Mue Dian were walking down the stairs and had caught sight of the 4 leaving.

“Ah.” Faust had almost forgotten, he still needed to resolve the relationship between them…

Later…

Faust turned forward and shot into the sky with his flying sword, swiftly catching up to the rest of the group.

 

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