Chapter 17 – Just Wait Until I Get Back to the Sect!

  Jun De sprinted through the undergrowth while the world was a blur of trees and thunderous sounds of destruction. His feet barely touched the ground as he pushed the Luminous Step to its limit. Golden light trailed behind him with every step he took.

  The massive serpent crashed through the brush behind him, its forked tongue tasting the air and its scaled body moving with terrifying grace and speed. Each time it twisted its body, the earth vibrated and sent a jolt of panic through Jun De’s bones.

  ‘Useless, all of them!’ Jun De cursed in his mind as he gritted his teeth and ran harder.

  He could still see the wide-eyed expressions on their faces and the way they turned around and fled the moment the snake attacked.

  ‘Oh, they’re going to pay when I get back!’ Jun De threatened.

  The Luminous Step was fast, but it was Qi-hungry, and Jun De, despite his body’s talents, was only a 1st Level Qi Condensation Cultivator. Each burst of speed burned away the precious reserves of Qi from his Dantian.

  The golden glow that surrounded him was already flickering and dimming. He had only sustained it for less than a minute, and he was already at his limit.

  Jun De stumbled slightly, gasping for breath as sweat trickled down his face. The serpent was still close behind him, smashing its way through the trees, its hissing following him like a nightmare.

  He was desperate, and his eyes looked everywhere for a way to escape or a place to hide, when he found it.

  There was a cave, a dark break in a small ridge, half-concealed by thick vines.

  Jun De didn’t hesitate; he threw himself inside the cave. He had barely squeezed himself through the narrow entrance when the snake arrived and lunged at the cave. The serpent slammed into the stone opening with a deep, cracking impact.

  Its head was unable to squeeze through, but its body coiled and writhed as it made its intent clear. It was twisting aggressively, each movement forcing its head a little deeper into the dark cave.

  Jun De spun around and judged that the snake would eventually carve its way through the rock and earth. Seeing that the cave went deeper, Jun De made his decision.

  “Fine! I’m in it now, you stupid snake!” Jun De shouted at the beast as he raised his right palm and gathered what little Qi he had left. The golden energy flared, and he placed his palm flat against the wall.

  “Falling Star Palm!” Jun De yelled as he struck the edge of the cave mouth.

  The released energy erupted from his palm, lighting the darkness like a miniature sun. Unlike what had happened to the peach tree in his courtyard, there wasn’t a tremendous explosion.

  Instead, the energy streaked through the stone and formed cracks. Jun De backed away quickly as the entrance began to collapse, and dust filled the air. The snake, seeing what was about to happen, recoiled with a furious hiss as the opening sealed with rubble.

  Jun De stood there, panting in the darkness, his limbs trembling and his Qi completely drained. Mindless of the dust and the dirt, he sat down and leaned against the wall to rest.

  “I’m going to kill them all when I get back.” Jun De muttered to himself as he closed his eyes and meditated to regain his Qi.

  Exhausted, he had only cycled the energy a few times before he drifted off to sleep.

  When he eventually woke up, Jun De sat up in alarm as he had forgotten where he was. He couldn’t see anything, and the muscles in his legs and arms were painful and stiff. He felt like he had tumbled down a hill and hit every rock along the way.

  With a hiss, Jun De slowly climbed to his feet, using his hand on the wall for support.

  Memories came flooding back of the chase with the serpent, of being abandoned by the others and the dire situation he now found himself in. Jun De couldn’t see, and his eyes couldn’t adjust to the complete darkness of the cave.

  With a deep, steadying breath, he closed his eyes and focused on his Dantian. Within it, the mist of golden Qi that had been brilliant and bright, contained only a sliver that flickered sadly.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Jun De raised his hand, palm upwards, and willed a thread of Qi into it. Warmth spread through his fingers as a soft, golden glow bloomed in his hand. The light flickered as it cast long, wavering shadows against the walls.

  “It’s better than nothing.” Jun De muttered as he pushed himself upright with a wince. His blue robes were torn and dirty, covered in dust and dirt, and his hands and arms were scratched and bloody from the chase through the forest.

  Jun De saw that the tunnel twisted ahead, narrowing and growing uneven, but at least it continued. The air was damp, but he felt a breeze against his sweaty face, alerting him that there was probably another exit.

  Resigning himself to walking through the cave, Jun De started walking while trying to ignore the pain in his aching muscles.

  Jun De promised himself that, when he got back to the Sect, the second thing he would do after murdering the traitors who left him, would be to stay in his courtyard and never leave again.

  Time stretched, and Jun De only knew of its passing when his stomach would growl. He would take one of his few remaining fasting pills from his storage bag and let it dissolve on his tongue, banishing hunger and thirst once more.

  Jun De would rest when he couldn’t go on, or meditate to regain some Qi when the light of his palm failed.

  Eventually, after what felt like days, Jun De saw a faint light ahead that was different and more natural than his own. It was pale and steady, seeping in through the cave with enough brightness that he didn’t need to rely on his Qi anymore to see.

  Jun De quickened his pace as he chased the light. Thinking it was the exit, he was surprised when the tunnel opened into a vast cavern, and he stopped in awe at the entrance.

  The light was coming from a jagged crack in the ceiling that allowed beams of natural sunlight to spill down onto a serene grotto, filled with lush spiritual herbs and plants that shimmered faintly with condensed Qi. Silver and jade coloured vines coiled up natural stone pillars, and glowing fungi nestled among moss-covered rocks.

  At the heart of the cavern was a pond with crystal clear waters that glowed with a soft, bluish light. Ripples of spiritual energy radiated from it, and the air was thick with vitality and Qi, richer than anything Jun De had ever felt in the Outer Sect.

  Just breathing here made his Qi stir and pulse, replenishing his Dantian.

  “It’s a hidden paradise!” Jun De exclaimed.

  Jun De stepped to the edge of the crystalline pond and looked down through the clear waters that looked like glass. He didn’t hesitate to strip off his tattered robes, placing them in his storage bag, before wading into the water.

  The moment his skin touched the pond, a soothing warmth surged through him. The aches and pains that had been with him since the chase melted away. His muscles relaxed, his bruises faded, and the shallow cuts on his skin vanished without a trace.

  The spiritual energy in the water was so pure and dense that Jun De could feel it seeping into his Dantian and joining with the golden Qi already there.

  He sank into the water with a contented sigh and let the water rise past his shoulders. With his eyes closed and his body content, the exhausted Jun De once again fell asleep. The golden Qi inside him stirred and drew on the energy from the pond.

  Unnoticed by Jun De, the water began to glow with a soft, golden light that was tinged with the same violet hue that marked his own Qi. The energy of the pond harmonized with his body, and, as Jun De’s breathing slowed in sleep, the energy flooded his meridians.

  His Dantian pulsed and eagerly devoured the energy. The golden Qi flowed faster and stronger until, with a quiet internal crack, the barrier preventing Jun De from reaching the 2nd Level of Qi Condensation cracked.

  When Jun De’s eyes eventually opened, he felt refreshed and well-rested. Stretching contentedly, he noticed the changes to his body. His Dantian was filled with more Qi, and his body felt stronger.

  The pond, which had been radiant and alive with Qi, had grown still and colourless. Its light had faded and turned mundane once more.

  “Breaking through while sleeping, this body is amazing!” Jun De whispered in happiness. His understanding and comprehension of cultivation were terrible, but at least his body knew what to do.

  ‘Maybe all my other breakthroughs will happen while I’m napping!’ Jun De thought in delight. He had worried it would take months, or even years, to progress if he relied on his own talents. Luckily, he had encountered this paradise!

  Jun De slowly rose from the now lifeless water and saw that his skin was unblemished, glowing with a faint, golden vitality. His features had grown slightly more refined, and his presence was a little more intense in the reflection from the pond.

  He reached into his storage bag and pulled out a fresh set of blue Outer Sect Disciple robes. He got dressed before turning his attention to the herbs and plants around him. Many of them shimmered in the light or glowed with spiritual energy.

  Jun De retrieved the herb guide that Lin Yue had given him and flipped through its pages to compare the sketches and descriptions inside with what he was seeing in the cave.

  He could only identify about a third of what he saw, and he assumed that Lin Yue didn’t expect to find any of the plants here when she did her research.

  Using his Qi, Jun De gently harvested the plants and herbs while carefully ensuring that he didn’t harm their roots or stems. He placed each in his storage bag, where they would be preserved until he returned to the Sect to deposit them in return for Contribution Points.

  When the grotto was clear of plants, Jun De turned to look at a narrow side tunnel that he had noticed during his work. This path wound its way upward, and, after a long climb, he emerged beneath the open sky again.

  He was standing in another forest clearing, this one filled with dense spiritual Qi and the strange bird calls that he didn’t recognize.

  Jun De took a moment to let the sun warm his face, something that he hadn’t felt in an eternity, before judging where he thought the Sect would be based on the position of the sun in the sky.

  “Time to return!” Jun De said happily and set out through the trees.