The forest surrounding the city was unlike anything I'd seen near Azure Peak.

  Ancient trees with trunks wider than houses created a natural barrier, their branches interweaving so densely that barely any sunlight reached the forest floor.

  "This is perfect!" Liu Chen shouted, leading us to a hollow beneath a particularly massive tree. "Rocky will be safe here!"

  I watched as the boy hugged his stone friend's massive leg, his small arms not even reaching halfway around.

  "I'll be back soon, okay? Really soon! And I'll bring you the best stones I can find!"

  Rocky made a low, rumbling sound and carefully patted Liu Chen's head with one massive finger, showing surprising gentleness for something that could probably uproot the ancient tree we stood beneath.

  "You have to promise to stay hidden," Liu Chen whispered, his voice wavering slightly. "No matter what! Even if you hear something interesting, or smell some really nice stones, or if someone's being mean to a small animal, I know how you get about that, you have to stay right here!"

  “We won't even be gone that long,” Wei Lin whispered, leaning closer to me. “Isn't this a little... excessive?”

  "The kid clearly doesn't have anyone but Rocky," I replied quietly. "He's probably terrified something will happen while he's gone."

  Wei Lin replied with a slow nod, I could tell that he still thought it was excessive.

  And as the boy continued to list increasingly specific scenarios where Rocky wasn't allowed to intervene, I began to agree with him.

  Stopping bandits, helping lost travelers, or attempting to befriend any passing spirit beasts, were the more normal ones. The more the kid went on, the crazier the scenarios became.

  But I didn’t stop him.

  At the end of the day, an elemental guardian of Rocky's caliber would be quite valuable to the right person. The cultivation world wasn't always kind to powerful beings without strong backing. And if this was Lu Chen’s way of scaring Rocky so he didn’t wander off and get himself kidnapped, then I couldn’t blame him.

  "Rocky…promise," the stone giant rumbled in a voice like grinding stones, surprising all of us.

  It was the first time we'd heard him actually speak.

  "Wait, you can talk?" Lin Mei gasped.

  "Little... bit..." Rocky seemed to concentrate hard on each word. "Hard... to... talk... words..."

  "See? Rocky's super smart!” Liu Chen beamed proudly, patting the stone elemental’s leg. "He's been practicing every day!"

  Hearing the genuine pride in the boy's voice made me smile.

  It was always heartwarming when a fearsome giant bonded with a helpless kid.

  Beside me, Lin Mei practically began to vibrate, and her hands clasped together as she watched the two interact. She caught the amused look on my face and defended herself: "What? They're so cute! Look at how gentle Rocky is with him!"

  She wasn’t wrong.

  The stone giant was exceptionally careful not to accidentally injure the little guy.

  After all, one slightly aggressive pat from it would crush Liu Chen’s human head.

  When the two friends were finally done with their emotional goodbye, Liu Chen stepped back allowing Rocky to do something none of us expected.

  The stone giant began to shift, the massive body compressing and reshaping itself until all that remained was an ordinary-looking boulder.

  The transformation was perfect.

  I couldn't detect even a trace of spiritual energy from the six-feet-wide stone.

  "That's actually brilliant," I murmured.

  “The level of qi control required to suppress his signature so completely while maintaining consciousness...,” Azure sighed. “I wouldn't be able to detect him if I didn't know what to look for."

  "At least we don't have to worry about him being kidnapped," I replied. "But I’m now slightly concerned about him being used as impromptu training equipment by some cultivation-obsessed maniac."

  In every cultivation novel, there was always that young ambitious cultivator who would start his body-tempering by aggressively punching boulders. I would hate for poor Rocky to end up as someone’s practice target.

  "The statistical likelihood of someone choosing that specific boulder for training purposes is quite low," Azure assured me, though I detected a hint of amusement in his tone.

  I shrugged.

  I knew better than to trust statistics in a world where common sense was overpowered.

  But this was the best we could do for now.

  I just hoped it would be enough.

  ***

  The first thing that I thought when we arrived at Myriad Paths City was that it really did live up to its name.

  Dozens of major thoroughfares converged on its walls like spokes on a wheel, each one a vital artery connecting to some distant part of the cultivation world.

  Trade caravans and travelers flowed along these paths in a never-ending stream.

  This made the city look like a massive spider web with the urban center as its heart.

  Wei Lin must have noticed my wide-eyed expression because he immediately began explaining.

  “You know, every major road in the Eastern Continent passes through here," he smiled proudly. "The original city was built at the intersection of three ancient spirit veins. Over time, as cultivation sects established themselves across the continent, new roads were built to connect them all through this central point."

  "So, the spirit veins are the reason why the city became such an important hub?"

  "That’s part of it," Wei Lin nodded. “They maintain the massive formation arrays that protect the city.”

  He then gestured to the surroundings.

  “But it’s most just geography.”

  “Geography?”

  “Yes,” he smirked. “We're at the perfect midpoint between the major mountain ranges where most sects build their strongholds."

  His answer made me realise the importance of the layout of my inner world.

  Even the smallest decision I make could influence whether a family rises to prominence or remains in obscurity.

  My appreciation for the city only grew as we approached its gates.

  I could see why Wei Lin had insisted on bringing Liu Chen with us rather than allowing him to sneak in on his own.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  First of all, guards in the colors of the city’s ruling family, the Jin Clan, patrolled with cultivation-enhanced howls.

  And there was the over a hundred feet tall wall that was covered in protective formations.

  It would be extremely difficult for me to get past undetected, never mind an untrained boy like Liu Chen.

  “You there!” one of the guards at the gate suddenly pointed at Liu Chen. “Back again to cause trouble, are ya?”

  At the peak of Qi Condensation, the guard’s qi was sharp and controlled in a way that spoke of extensive combat experience that none of us could compare to. His partner had a similar cultivation level, but his energy was more defensive in nature.

  “We’ve had multiple reports about you terrorising travellers,” the second guard added. “And where’s that dumb monster of yours? The walking pile of rocks you use to handle your dirty work?”

  “Hey, Rocky’s not dumb and he’s no monster!” Liu Chen shouted back, shaking his small fist at them. “He’s my friend and he’s never hurt anyone.”

  Somehow, I found that difficult to believe.

  “Haha, never hurt anyone?” the first guard scoffed. “What about that merchant caravan last week? Or that bridge you rascals destroyed?”

  “Those merchants attacked us, they were trying to take Rocky away from me!” Liu Chen protested. “And that bridge was already falling apart. It’s not our fault it couldn’t handle Rocky!”

  The guards stepped forward and it looked like things were going to escalate, but then Wei Lin smoothly inserted himself between Liu Chen and the guards.

  “It’s been a while, Senior Brothers,” he put an arm around both of their shoulders. “The boy is with me, you don’t need to worry.”

  “Young Master Wei!” the guards’ demeanour changed immediately. “We didn’t realise he was under your protection, we thought he was trying to sneak in again.”

  “No harm done,” Wei Lin laughed, making a dismissive gesture with his hand. “You were just doing your job. So, I assume there won’t be any problems?”

  “Of course not, Young Master! Please, go right ahead.”

  As we passed through the gates without any further trouble, I noticed Liu Chen turn to look back at the forest one last time even though the stone giant’s hiding spot was long out of sight.

  The poor boy was clearly worried about his only friend.

  Without even thinking about it, I placed a hand on his shoulder, surprising both of us.

  “Hey, don’t worry about it,” I said softly. “You’ll see him again soon.”

  “I know,” the boy nodded, trying to look tough. “I just…I’ve never left him alone before.”

  “He’s smart enough to stay hidden and strong enough to protect himself if he needs to,” I assured him, gently squeezing his shoulder. “And who would even expect for a powerful guardian beast to be disguised as some random boulder in the first place?”

  “Yeah,” Liu Chen nodded, and even though he didn’t sound entirely convinced, he clenched his jaw and squared his shoulder, turning back to face the city. “So, where are we going first?”

  “The main marketplace,” Wei Lin answered. “It’s on the way to my family compound, and I can’t let you visit without seeing the real heart of Myriad Paths City.”

  He grinned at Liu Chen.

  “Just wait until you see the spirit beast tamers’ display!”

  “Spirit beast tamers?” the boy perked up immediately. “Do you think they know how to help Rocky get stronger?”

  “I think Stone Guardians are a little different to spirit beasts,” Lin Mei replied. “But it couldn’t hurt to check.”

  “My father won’t expect us for a few hours anyway,” Wei Lin added with a smile. “Which means I can show you the best part of the city first!”

  While the others were awed by the variety of market stalls, I looked up at the city’s skyline.

  It was there that several cultivators flew overhead on swords.

  The airspace was just as busy as the ground.

  A cacophony of different languages filled the streets – traders from the Southern Isles bargained in their flowing speech, cultivators from the Northern Continent spoke in their sharp, clipped tones, and even a few merchants from the Western Continent were present speaking in their distinctive accent.

  Thanks to Azure’s help, I could understand most of them.

  A particularly loud argument broke out between a shop owner and a foreign customer.

  “What are they saying?” Liu Chen whispered to Wei Lin.

  “I have no clue,” Wei Lin shrugged. “Sounds like one of the Western languages.”

  I almost jumped in to explain but quickly caught myself.

  It probably wouldn’t be wise to reveal that my inner world spirit was somehow advanced enough to deconstruct foreign languages.

  “Is this your first time seeing a real cultivation city?” Wei Lin asked, having noticed my wide-eyed expression.

  “Is it that obvious?” I smiled sheepishly, before nodding. “Yeah, everything is just so…alive?”

  I wasn’t sure how else to describe it.

  “Well, in that case, you should see it during the spring auction season,” he laughed. “This is actually pretty quiet.”

  As we made our way through the crowded streets, Wei Lin occasionally pointed out landmarks that he thought we would find interesting. And in typical xianxia style, they had over the top names.

  “That’s the Celestial Pavilion; it has the best spirit wine in the entire Eastern Continent.”

  “Over there is the Hall of Thousand Formations; they say the building itself is one massive formation array, but no one has ever proven it.”

  Liu Chen held onto Wei Lin’s every word, his neck craning to stare at one new marvel after another.

  Finally, we turned into a side street that led us to the mineral market.

  This market was notably quieter and easier to take in.

  It had fewer casual shoppers and more serious-looking cultivators that were busy examining goods through special viewing formations.

  At the sight of the various spirit stones on display, Liu Chen began to practically bounce with each step. As the boy pressed his face against another shop window, my thoughts to the other essence that my inner world required.

  “Do you know if any shops here sell earth essence?” I asked Wei Lin.

  “Yeah, quite a few shops should have it. Master Tao might even…” Wei Lin paused. “Actually, if you want pure earth essence, then we should try the Nine Elements Pavilion first. Elemental essence is their speciality.”

  “What’s earth essence?” Liu Chen asked, finally tearing himself away from the display of glowing crystals.

  “It’s a purified form of earth energy,” Lin Mei replied. “It’s needed for some cultivation methods.”

  As we made our way to the Nine Elements Pavilion, the boy continued to ask questions, and she did her best to answer as patiently as she could.

  The pavilion itself was larger than the other shops around it, it had nine different entrances each marked with a different elemental symbol. And since we wanted earth essence, we entered through the doorway marked with a mountain sigil.

  The interior was just as impressive as the exterior.

  Liu Chen actually gasped when we entered.

  Dozens of shelves were lined with crystal bottles containing essences of varying colors and consistencies surrounded us. Even Rocky would probably appreciate the pure earthen energy radiating from some of the containers.

  “Young Master Wei,” a young woman in earth-toned robes walked over to us. “How can we help you today?”

  “My friend here is looking for earth essence,” Wei Lin replied, nodding his head at me. “Give us the highest purity you have.”

  “You’re in luck,” the woman’s eyes brightened. “We just received a new shipment.”

  She led us over to a display case where a single crystal bottle sat on a cushion of brown spiritual light. The bottle contained what looked like liquid stone, it swirled around its mesmerizing patterns.

  “Wow,” Liu Chen breathed, pressing his face against the display. “It looks like what Rocky feels like inside, but liquid!”

  “Ninety-five percent purity,” the attendant replied proudly, subtly pulling the boy off the display case. “It was extracted from the heart of the Stone Dragon Mountains.”

  “The quality really is exceptional,” Lin Mei whispered in awe. “Our herb gardens can only get fifty percent purity for our best plants.”

  While the quality impressed the rest of us, Wei Lin seemed unfazed.

  “What’s the price?” he asked.

  "One thousand five hundred spirit stones per bottle."

  I tried not to visibly wince at the price.

  It was five hundred spirit stones more than what Senior Bu had offered to sell it to me for.

  “That’s a lot, right?” Liu Chen whispered, trying to better understand the cultivation world’s economy. “It’s more than the special stones for Rocky?”

  “A lot more,” Lin Mei confirmed quietly.

  Wei Lin caught my expression; I had the feeling that he would buy it for me if I simply asked.

  But he was already going out of his way to acquire the wind essence for me; I just didn’t feel comfortable asking him to do the same for the earth essence.

  So, I gave him the slightest shake of my head.

  He nodded back at me then turned to the attendant.

  “Thank you, but we’ll pass.”

  As we left the shop, I sighed, thinking about Senior Bu’s offer.

  “It seems that old man’s offer was more generous than we realised.”

  “There’s been an increase in demand for earth essence from major sects,” Wei Lin explained. “And the extraction process is not only time-consuming but dangerous.” He patted my shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, we’ll find another way.”

  I nodded. For now, it would be best to keep my sights on the wind essence, I could worry about earth essence later.

  “Maybe Rocky could help?” Liu Chen suggested, pulling me out of my thoughts. “He’s really good at finding special stones and earth stuff to eat!”

  “How about we focus on getting Rocky his own stones first,” Lin Mei suggested, her eyes then met mine. “But it’s not a bad idea, you should think about giving it a try.”

  They were right.

  Most cultivation sects had to rely on expensive formation arrays and specialized tools to find and extract earth essence, but a Stone Guardian like Rocky naturally had a powerful earth affinity that would allow it to find rich deposits that it needed for its own growth.

  At that moment, a dark thought crossed my mind.

  If I were a demonic cultivator, then I wouldn’t have any trouble finding resources for my cultivation.

  After all, the simplest solution was right in front of me.

  The stone giant itself was essentially a massive concentration of high-quality earth essence.

  All it would take was a few specialised techniques and…

  No!

  I immediately pushed that thought away, feeling slightly sick with myself.

  Rocky wasn’t a resource for cultivation.

  When he was hurt, he cried actual pebbles.

  There was no way I could actually hurt him, even if he was made of exactly what I needed.

  Instead, maybe I could take Liu Chen and Lin Mei’s suggestion.

  If Rocky really could help locate earth essence deposits, then it would save me a significant amount of spirit stones. Not only that, but it would be a much better use of his abilities than extracting tolls from travellers.

  In reality, whatever method I used to acquire the earth essence didn’t matter.

  What mattered was that I didn’t lose myself in the pursuit of power.

  The path to turning into a demonic cultivator was a slippery one, and not one I could afford to fall into.

  Patreon if you want THREE chapters daily, we're already 28 chapters ahead of RR!