Chapter 59 – The Hollow Stream Sect

  The morning air was crisp as Jun De stood alongside Elder Shen and a dozen other Outer Sect Disciples on a platform just a short distance up the mountain from the Outer Sect.

  The Disciples all wore the distinctive blue robes of the Tranquil Mountain Sect’s Outer Sect, and their eyes would flick to the horizon in search of the flying ship that would carry them to their destination.

  The tension was thick, and no one spoke amongst them. Unlike the expedition into the Inheritance Zone, they knew that it wasn’t an opportunity waiting for them, or a chance to gain fame or fortune.

  It was war.

  Elder Shen stood next to Jun De with his arms folded behind his back, while his beard drifted in the breeze. He glanced sideways at Jun De and smiled.

  “You’ve done well. Reaching the 6th Level at your age is a sign of rare talent indeed.” Elder Shen said quietly.

  Jun De gave a humble bow before responding modestly.

  “Our discussion yesterday put my mind at ease, and I was lucky enough to break through.”

  Elder Shen nodded and ran his hand over his beard.

  “Good. Very good. Remaining calm and composed no matter what fate throws at us is a cultivator’s secret weapon.” Elder Shen advised.

  A large shadow passed over them only moments later. The hum of its arrival filled the sky as the flying ship of the Tranquil Mountain Sect drifted into view. It was a vast vessel hundreds of feet long, made of reddish-brown wood and reinforced with runes and wards that shimmered along its hull.

  White sails fluttered in the wind as it gracefully hovered above them. The emblem of the Tranquil Mountain Sect was prominently emblazoned on the sails, a single mountain wreathed in mist with the symbol of the Sect above it.

  Elder Mu stood at the prow, her blue robes billowing around her and her hair pinned up with jade hairpins. With a single, elegant motion, she raised her sleeve, and her Core Formation Qi surged around her like a gentle breeze.

  Pale blue Qi wrapped around the Outer Sect Disciples and lifted them effortlessly into the air.

  Jun De’s feet left the ground as if gravity had forgotten him. The wind rushed past his ears as he rose, but the Qi kept them steady as they floated toward the ship like dandelion seeds carried on a breeze.

  Jun De looked down and saw the Sect growing smaller beneath his feet.

  When they landed softly on the deck of the flying ship, Elder Mu turned to address them.

  Apart from Elder Shen, there were a number of other Elders from the Outer Sect, several more from the Inner Sect, and a large group of Inner Sect Disciples who wore blue robes trimmed in silver and had cultivation bases ranging from the 7th level of Qi Condensation to the late stage of Formation Establishment.

  “We are heading to the Hollow Stream Sect. It has gone silent, and we will learn why. Be prepared for battle when we arrive.” Elder Mu said calmly.

  Without another word, the ship rose higher into the sky and set off to the west. The mountains shrank beneath them, and the horizon stretched wide.

  The days passed in a steady, quiet rhythm aboard the Tranquil Mountain Sect’s flying ship. The vessel drifted through the air like a silent cloud far above the mountains and valleys of the region. The Disciples on board would cultivate to pass the time, or watch the terrain below.

  Jun De spent most of his time seated cross-legged near the rear of the top deck or in one of the passenger cabins below. Regardless of where he was, he would try to cultivate as much as he could before they arrived at the Hollow Stream Sect.

  The golden Qi swirled through his meridians and Dantian, stabilizing over time after his recent breakthrough. The Dawnheart Flame in his Dantian flickered with contentment, its golden fire pulsing in time with his breathing.

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  In the rare times when he wasn’t cultivating, he would sit and talk with Elder Shen. The older man had forgone cultivating on the journey and was meditating to calm his mind, or dispensing advice to the young Disciples around him.

  “Don’t be in a rush to reach the 7th level of Qi Condensation, Jun De. Breaking through quickly may make you stronger in the short term, but only with a solid foundation will you reach Foundation Establishment. Don’t be like me, a foolish old man who was in too much of a hurry to reach his limits.”

  Jun De looked over at him with curiosity.

  “Did you break through too quickly, Elder Shen?”

  A faint smile tugged at the corner of Elder Shen’s mouth, and he didn’t seem bothered by the question at all.

  “I was impatient. Everyone told me I was talented, so I chased power like I was owed something from the world. When the time came to reach Foundation Establishment, I took the pill and my Qi responded.”

  Elder Shen fell silent, reminiscing, before continuing.

  “But my Qi refused to solidify. I failed to achieve Foundation Establishment. You will learn more about what is expected to break through to the next stage, but for now, know that it is incredibly difficult.”

  “Have you never tried again?”

  “I tried several times. But the first attempt is always your strongest. Once your Qi fails to solidify, it resists harder. I’ve spent years preparing for my next attempt…my final attempt, I suppose.”

  Elder Shen looked over at him.

  “Do you know how many Outer Sect Disciples ever reach Foundation Establishment in our Sect?”

  Jun De shook his head to indicate that he didn’t.

  “One in ten thousand. And those that do succeed are those who spent their time ensuring their Qi was stable.”

  Jun De was silent for a moment, then nodded.

  “Thank you, Elder.”

  Elder Shen chuckled and shook his head.

  “No need to thank me, Jun De. Just don’t rush.

  The days blurred together, and the terrain below shifted from mountains and valleys to rolling hills and forested highlands to barren steppes. The ship would occasionally fly over a small village or even a city, but the skies around them would remain clear and the trip uneventful.

  That was until the sixth day.

  They were still a day’s travel from the Hollow Stream Sect when Jun De’s meditation faltered. A faint pressure crept along the edge of his senses, like a whisper of rot carried on the wind. He opened his eyes and stood up from the deck, gazing out over the horizon.

  The sky ahead had darkened, with grey clouds and a haze that made the air seem heavier than normal. The colours looked wrong, with a tinge of red and purple. Jun De took a breath and frowned. The spiritual energy had a weak taint of demonic Qi.

  A moment later, Elder Mu appeared on the deck in a swirl of blue robes. Her presence commanded attention from everyone around her. Her eyes narrowed as she stared into the distance. The Disciples began to gather, each sensing the shift in the atmosphere.

  “The Hollow Stream Sect may no longer be standing as we knew it. Be prepared for our arrival.”

  A day later, they arrived, and Jun De wished they hadn’t left the Sect at all.

  The skies above the Hollow Stream Sect were gray and heavy, with clouds thickened from the ash and smoke rising. It had begun to rain, a light drizzle that did nothing to stop the fires or wash away the smell of blood and death.

  As the Tranquil Mountain Sect’s flying ship descended, the full extent of the devastation became clear. What had once been a thriving Sect with tens of thousands of members was now in ruins. Its buildings were broken, and its Disciples were slaughtered.

  Pavilions had collapsed, the wood and stone scorched black by fire. Stone walkways were cracked and smeared with dark stains that hadn’t yet faded. The defensive formations were shattered, with only faint remnants of spiritual energy flickering like dying embers.

  Corpses lay everywhere. Disciples and Elders alike were twisted in agony, while their bodies were dried and withered as though their life force had been drained away. They had been picked clean, whoever killed them having taken their weapons and talismans, along with anything else of value.

  Jun De stood at the rail of the flying ship and stared out at the Sect in shock. He had seen death before, but this was something else. This was the harvesting of lives for demonic purposes on a scale he couldn’t imagine.

  “They were all refined for their Qi and blood essence.” Elder Mu said softly, but her voice had no trouble carrying over the distance between them.

  The ship touched down in what remained of the Hollow Stream Sect’s central plaza. This was once a gathering place for lectures and celebrations, but now it was a field of corpses. Several looked as if they were cut down trying to flee, while others had died fighting.

  The buildings that still stood had been stripped bare of anything of value, the spiritual arrays defaced and deliberately destroyed after having their spiritual stones taken. Even the herb gardens hadn’t been spared.

  “They picked it clean. They’ve taken every last spiritual root and talisman.” Elder Shen muttered grimly beside Jun De.

  Elder Mu stepped off the ship first, her eyes sweeping over the wreckage with razor-sharp intent.

  “Search for survivors, and anything that may indicate where the attackers have gone. They may have left tracks or markings behind.”

  Jun De leapt from the deck of the ship and landed on the ground below. His feet touched down on the cracked stone that was still faintly warm from the fire that had swept through the courtyard. He moved slowly, scanning the wreckage while extending his limited spirit sense as far as he could.

  But everywhere he looked was empty and silent. There weren’t even any birds or insects. Whoever had attacked the Hollow Stream Sect hadn’t left anyone alive behind.