The Pathway - Chapter 65

Emerging into his small storage chamber, Ju Feng quickly look around in order to confirm his location. After a moment of observation, he nodded his head in confirmation as he regained his familiarity with the place. Most importantly, the storage chamber of his hillock was still in the same way he had left it. Which meant that nobody had been inside his storage chamber, the most important part of his hillock.

First time entering his hillock, the attention of an outsider would be focused on the living chamber rather than the storage chamber. He just had to pack the storage room full of farm products in order for him to mask the location of the portal door. Although it’s appearance was just like the storage wall when inactive, a much more powerful cultivator could easily detect strings of energy coming from its direction. But for disciples and anyone less than the Jindan stage, it wouldn’t be possible for them to detect.

It was definitely a good thinking on his part in placing the portal door seal on the wall of the storage chamber.

He made his way to the living chamber where everything was also the way he had left it. He checked the lock behind the entrance door and found it still securely locked. Unless an elder or a savant had invisibly entered, this surely meant that nobody had been inside his hillock. Or, a disciple who was strong enough to enter without touching the lock and was careful enough to leave everything the way they were? He didn’t think so.

He quickly opened his spatial sac and removed the sect’s disciples blue robe. Checking himself after donning the robe, he nodded in satisfaction. With a heave of soothing relief, Ju Feng unlocked the stone door.

Stepping outside, Ju Feng raised his head and with his eyes closed, took in a lungful of fresh air. Circulating the air in his lungs, he slowly exhaled and opened his eyes. Being able to take-in fresh air while staring at the beautiful sky in another world, was an evidence of the importance of being alive. No life in death, only reincarnation. His mind wandered off for a second before he recollected himself.

“Ah, planet Charat!”

The soul refreshing air of this world felt like that of his home planet. This place was beginning to feel like home too. Opening his eyes, he lowered his head and observed his surroundings. The chains of hillocks which served as their homes as disciples, was a welcomed sight to him.

“The Flowing-Sanctum!”

Standing transfixed outside his hillock, Ju Feng continued to revel in the fact that he could travel between the two places he could relate to. His parents would have loved to see this one day. Oh, the surprise looks that would be displayed on their faces. He still remembered how utterly shocked he was when he first came here through the door. Ah, he never imagined he would have experienced such in this life when his own mother and grandparents had never left planet Lorra before and after he was born. Yet, here he was.

But for now, he had to survive in this world and be able to stand on his own. Well, if he lived long enough. He shrugged his shoulders and turned towards the direction of the Lightning-Reach’s hall. He had come to accept his fate but the good thing was that this fate was still far away. As long as he would die quietly…

While examining his immediate environment more keenly, he slowly made his way to the hall of the Lightning-Reach. He was now seeing the area in a different light which manifested the massiveness of the sect as a whole. Reaching the outskirts of the area, he stopped as he saw the lightning disciples training fervently in two groups under the supervision of the assistant masters. First assistant master was in charge of Yan Zhihao’s group and the second assistant master was supervising the second group.

The level of the disciples’ strength was indeed incredible to behold. Despite his own strong nature from birth, he would have to use a high amount of Chi energy to get closer to matching his fellow disciples in strength. Even then, the outcome would be a far cry. He recalled the strength level of the outer disciples which he could barely match. Mighty strength. Indeed remarkable or perhaps, ridiculous?

He was still thinking of how he was ever going to relate to them in strength when he suddenly remembered his talisman. The Mountain-Bark talisman. He almost forgot about it again. He quickly reached into his spatial sac and removed the talisman, putting it on himself. Would this be enough? He could only hope so.

Still looking at the training disciples, he contemplated whether to join them or wait this one out. He decided not to disturb their training and wait it out. He would stay in one corner and watch their practise. Maybe he would see how he could fit into their midst.

But his presence was already caught by the assistant masters who directed the two groups of disciples to stop their training. The assistant masters waited silently for couple of seconds for him to join them, but to no avail. Then, the second assistant master slowly turned towards Ju Feng’s direction and calmly asked.

“Are you not joining the rest, young one?”

Ah, spiritual sense! Realizing the assistant master was addressing him, he quickly came forward in a pretended eagerness and bowed deeply to the two assistant masters. They should not see his apprehension in a bad light.

“Assistant masters.”

“Hm.”

“Hm.”

The two assistant masters acknowledged him with nods of approval in return. The second assistant master, stared at Ju Feng before smiling.

“We were wondering when you’ll eventually show up, young one. And here you are. In a good mood. That’s the spirit of advancement. Isn’t that wonderful?”

“Yes it is, assistant master.”

Ju Feng smilingly bowed as he answered but his heart was already accelerating. So, there was no way he was going to watch the day’s training without participating in it. He had planned to see how he could learn from their ways before he would join them. But now, he would put in the centre of it as the newest disciple.

“Why don’t you take a moment with other disciples first. We’ll continue after that.”

The first assistant master quipped in after a moment of silently observing Ju Feng.

Ju Feng happily exchanged greetings with other disciples. It seemed like many years ago he had seen them last. They were his immediate martial brothers and sisters in this sect. Basically, they were his first family in here. While he greeted Yan Zhihao, Ju Feng noticed the worried look on his face. What could be the problem with him? As he was about to ask Yan Zhihao what the worried look was about, Yan Zhihao quickly uttered to him.

“Be ready.”

“Uh?”

Ju Feng exclaimed quietly. What should he be ready for? He was about to ask Yan Zhihao what he meant about that when he heard the voice of the first assistant master.

“Come forward, Ju Feng.”

Ju Feng slowly approached the assistant masters and was directed to the centre of the training ground.

“Today is your first day in training. As a new disciple, you’ll be having your group foundational training, now. It’s a very important training that all new disciples must undergo. This is the tradition.”

The first assistant master made a series of hand seals and a large circle of symbols formed around Ju Feng. As he stood there, at the centre of the training ground, the words of Yan Zhihao came rushing back to him. Was this what ha had to be prepared for? He didn’t know the type of training that was awaiting him but he sensed it must be more than a common one. He couldn’t leave anything to chance, especially after being tipped.

Promptly, he pushed a high amount of Chi energy into his body from his dantian through his meridians. The Chi was making his meridians to throb greatly which made his body veins to vibrate endlessly. With all his effort, he was holding the Chi energy inside his body while staring at the first assistant master.

“The Sattaghar Circle-Of-One.”

Said the first assistant master as he signalled the ten core disciples who rapidly surrounded the circle. After confirming their positions around the circle, the first assistant master continued.

“Around the circle are your enemies and your allies. You can call on your friends to help you out by touching them or other discreet means. If you touch your enemy, you could be dead. If you shout, you could also attract the interest of your enemies. Which ones are your friends and which ones are your foes is for you to differentiate. Don’t forget, you call on your friends, you could be saved. But if you call on your enemies, you could be dead. This will be your first training and a very important one for what it takes. Watch out and be careful. Commence!”

Immediately after those words, a large phantom clawed hand appeared before Ju Feng who quickly raised his own palms as his Chi energy bust forth from his palm and managed to block it on time before it could reach his chest cavity. The blow seemed light but the impact was heavy on him. It was as if he was hit with a titan’s hammer. He wasn’t like the disciples of this world. His body wasn’t on their level of strength. If not for the talisman and him fortifying his own body with great amount of Chi, he could have been gravely injured.

The phantom claw retracted into an invisible space on the right hand side of the circle causing energy flickering around the area. The invisibility mirage slowly faded away, to reveal a Scavenlike creature but with bigger claws and incredible body strength. Large yellow eyes on a flickering black body that was sparsely dotted in yellow colour. A Tinogoth Feral. He had only heard of them but never faced one before. Harbingers of death, they were called. Its large yellow eyes were still fixed on Ju Feng when its body suddenly burst into dark flame. Shadow flame.

He knew they wouldn’t allow him to be permanently injured or die, nonetheless, this would be a terrible experience for him. Especially, if they had to see him as a weakling.

He quickly pushed more chi energy into his body and his palms as he initiated the The Shifting-Heavens hand technique. His palms started to flutter silently in many afterimages as the Chi essence complemented the hand combat technique. He watched in utter shock as the Tinogoth feral made its move while it was dangerously covered in Shadowflame. It was as if the feral was using the Heavenly-Mirage movement as its speed was lightning fast.

Ju Feng hurriedly used the Swift-Spine technique to move out of the way of a diagonal claw swipe that could have cut him half. Although he was still practising this second level of the movement technique, it was the fastest for any cultivator of his stage as far as he knew. Unless, the crazily powerful demigods.

He thrust his shifting palm towards the ribcage of the feral but its direction rapidly changed to swiftly block the feral’s lightning fast tail that was aimed at his chest. The benefits of the Shifting-Heavens technique. They continued to exchange deadly strikes as the two of them moved in fast speed that soon turned to blur. However, the speed and strength of the feral was increasing as the fight progressed. This was beginning to give him serious concern as he was already at his maximum speed and strength.

The assistant masters and the disciples were now watching in silent wonder of the scene they were witnessing. Never had they all seen a new inner disciple that almost matched a Tinogoth Feral in both strength and speed. The strength they could believe, but the speed? The two assistant masters glanced at each other before turning back to unfolding scene. There was no way an inner disciple could move like that. No way. The disciples couldn’t help but focused unwaveringly on Ju Feng and the Feral who continued to do battle inside the circle.

Suddenly, just as the Feral’s body was covered in a dark bright glow, it delivered a mighty blow to Ju Feng who was knocked flying despite his best attempt to block it. After he managed to scramble to his feet, he noticed that the Feral’s body had transformed into a mortal giant. Its energy emission had also changed and was now giving off a glowing black flame.

Death flame.

Only a shadow beast of the Jindan level stage at the least, could manifest a body transformation. And deathflame? He couldn’t even bring himself to think about the stage it had to be. This was death. It was as simple as that.

He quickly looked around the faces of the core disciples standing around the circle but didn’t know which one to call. Seeing Yan Zhihao close by his left, Ju Feng quickly swift-stepped to him and was about to touch him when everything froze in place for a second. When everything returned to normal, the Tinogoth Feral had disappeared and the circle too had vanished. But at Ju Feng’s neck was the tip of a long sword that was in the hand of Yan Zhihao.

“Trust is the foundation of any group of existence. While an individual trust is built on trustworthiness and honesty, a group trust is warranted. In a deadly battle, where your life is on the line, trust will make you rely on others to survive.”

The first assistant stood in front of Ju Feng and looked deep into his eyes with all seriousness.

“As a member of the Lightning Reach, you will be making a number of journey outside the sect’s premises in hunts. Your fellow disciples will be relying on you and you will be relying on them too. Without trust, your group will simply collapse on itself and lives could be lost. Yet, trust can also make you vulnerable to unsuspected attacks. So, how do you call your friends who are not immediately around you when your life is in danger? Remember, you may be surrounded by both friends and enemies who you couldn’t differentiate due to the situation at hand. Of which, any wrong turn can be your death. In this particular situation, Yan Zhihao was your enemy.”

He sighed while continuing to stare softly at Ju Feng. Then, touching Ju Feng slightly on the chest, he continued.

“The answer is the Heartpulse. Every heartpulse has a recognition imprint to determine the sender. The heartpulse lets your friend know your need for help or your location. This is very difficult for your enemies to intercept and may allow your survival. This is a warranted trust that must be honoured. Although the vulnerability risk was there, a heartpulse must be honoured. That is why here in the Flying-Stars sect, all must swear the oath of One-Soul to make it easier to honour a heartpulse.”

The first assistant reached into his spatial sac and produced a glowing ruby oath stone. An Eternal flame stone.

“Now repeat after me.”