Transcending Dreams - D2 - Chapter 51

William frowned as he entered his private room. It didn’t feel right to split from Wang Xiaoling. However, she pushed him away, insisting she be alone with collecting the payment for the items she had put in the auction.

He hoped this was another one of her peculiar money-grubbing habits, not wanting him to see how many Spirit Stones she would receive. Unfortunately, he suspected that wasn’t the case, not with how honest she was when her business was the topic.

No, William was starting to think that Wang Xiaoling was trying to put distance between them. He wasn’t sure if it was over him finding out she was a living furnace or if she thought he was now suspect. She clearly disliked Elder Yu, and having that private talk couldn’t have helped his image in her eyes.

Whatever it was, he needed to avoid any misunderstanding before it was too late.

“Was there a problem, Junior Wei?”

William’s frown disappeared when he saw Lan Yang staring at him with a raised brow. “No, everything’s fine.”

“Is it?” Lan Yang walked closer. “Then why do you look like someone stole your martial skill? The one that you paid far too much for.”

William blinked in surprise at the jade token dangling between Lan Yang’s fingers. Then he realized what the older cultivator said.

“What do you mean by stolen?” The frown returned with a vengeance, now with a glare.

“The look on your face!” Lan Yang burst out laughing. “Here.”

His eyes widened in shock when the jade token was thrown at him. He instinctively caught it, getting system alerts that he hadn’t seen in what felt like ages.

[Martial Skill detected]

[Multiple tiers available. Accessing Human-Tier martial skill]

[Heavenly Thunder Infusion]

[Calculating compatibility]

[Displaying information]

Heavenly Thunder Infusion – (0% Compatibility)

Accumulate and infuse your body with Lightning Qi and Thunder Qi to prepare for the next tier of the martial skill. Additional effects include passive increases in the Strength, Stamina, and Agility attributes. The passive effect will vary based on the amount of Lightning Qi and Thunder Qi infused in your body.

William only gave the system alerts a short glance, but it wasn’t short enough to stop his face from showing too many emotions at what he read.

Not only was the name different from [Heavenly Thunder Scripture], but it also seemed to be a martial skill that focused on his physical attributes. It was as if the world was telling him to give up and be a body cultivator.

“Good comprehension skills, Junior Wei!” Lan Yang praised, seeing the realization of his face. “I didn’t expect you to understand the details of the martial skill so quickly.”

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

He chuckled awkwardly but accepted the praise as if that was what he did. He was used to it anyway. “Thank you, Senior Yang, but did you know about this? The name of the Human-Tier skill isn’t the same.”

“I knew about it once they delivered the token. It might be bad etiquette to take a peek, but it is necessary to guide you through the basics—” He paused. “You do want me to do that, right?”

William wasn’t bothered by Lan Yang’s assumption. “Yes, I do. But really, why is the name different?”

The immediate thought that his mind wanted to go to was a scam, but this was sold in the auction, known for its supposed fairness. Even if that wasn’t the case, Wang Xiaoling was the person who put it in the auction in the first place.

“It’s not common, but there are times that every tier on a martial skill could have its own name. Heavenly Thunder Scripture must be the overarching name of it.”

“I see,” William felt some amusement. “So Human-Tier is basically a movement skill.”

“That was my first thought, too,” Lan Yang laughed. “Seems like we both had a good auction.”

He had forgotten about the bracelets. “Congratulations, Senior Yang! So you won it easily, then? No trouble from the Wei Clan member?”

“I did!” Lan Yang patted the ring on his finger. “And no, I didn’t have much trouble at all. It also ended up selling for a slightly lower price than I expected. Don’t you love it when everything works as it should?”

Before William could extend their self-congratulation talk, the door to the Qi refining room opened.

“Oh, Senior Lan, Brother Wei,” Xu Feng greeted, looking slightly unhappy. “The room shut off and asked me to leave.”

“Hm,” Lan Yang nodded. “The auction is over.”

“I assumed so,” Xu Feng sighed, giving a longing look at the refining room before shutting the door. “I should leave immediately. My seniors at the sect will expect me to return in a week.”

“That doesn’t leave you with much time to waste,” Lan Yang commented. “They really gave you such a timeframe?”

“Yes, Senior Yan.”

“I see. You’re right. It’s best to start now. We won’t hold you.”

William felt a little ignored when Xu Feng bowed to Lan Yang, but that didn’t last long. He wasn’t going to be treated as invisible after all.

“Brother Wei, I invite you to visit my Heavenly Sword Sect,” Xu Feng said solemnly. “It’s the only way I can repay your generosity in picking me as your guest.”

“I would love to visit, Brother Xu,” William replied, primarily out of politeness. It was a shame he couldn’t get to know Xu Feng better, but he wasn’t about to travel to a remote sect to do so. “As for repaying me, what do you call that? You owe me nothing.”

He pointed at the Spirit Stones still piled up on the seat where Xu Feng originally left them.

“That is just material things,” Xu Feng backed away slowly. “That has nothing to do with what I truly owe you.”

William tilted his head in confusion, wondering why there was a need to exit the room in such a rush.

“I hope to see you soon, Brother Wei!” Xu Feng got in the last sentence before he escaped the room.

He had no idea what that was about, but one thing was confirmed by Xu Feng’s exit. The Spirit Stones could be stored in his spatial ring.

“You didn’t see me, Junior Wei?”

“What?” William looked at Lan Yang, alarmed at the amused expression he could see. “Did I get tricked into something?”

“I wouldn’t say tricked. After all, you did agree to it,” Lan Yang smiled. “So, when are you giving sword boy a visit?”

“A visit?” He repeated. “What do you mean? That was just an empty promise.”

“Not to a sword cultivator, it isn’t,” Lan Yang’s smile grew wider. “To them, a promise is an oath. If you break it, you can forget having a cordial relationship with the Heavenly Sword Sect, let alone sword boy.”

William blinked stupidly, realizing what he might have locked himself into. If it was just Xu Feng, it might have been acceptable to stomach a soured relationship, but he didn’t want to be on the wrong side of any sect, even if it was a minor one.

“You’re in luck, Junior Wei,” Lan Yang chuckled. “I will be going to the border near the Heavenly Sword Sect. If Elder Yu says you’re ready to leave the sect, I’ll take you with me.”

He pressed his lips together before nodding reluctantly. It would have been better to explore on his own to find a sorely missing main quest, but maybe it could be a boon to visit Xu Feng instead of a waste of time.

… William didn’t have many hopes for that.

“I’ll look forward to it.”