Dao of the World Walker (Xianxia) Book 2

”Tell me everything. Leave nothing out.”

Yang took a breath and began, “Master, I also visited the Spirit Herb Peak, where I encountered some unusually large bees that seemed inexplicably drawn to me. There was an elder around their hive, a rather grouchy one who told me that the bees wanted me to feed on my qi, and taught me how to let them do it. The bees gave me their spirit honey in exchange.”

“A grouchy elder on Spirit Herb Peak, you say,” remarked Senior Brother Xiao Zhan , his tone carrying a note of recognition.

“Leave it. I’ll handle it,” Master said, his gaze fixed on Yang without so much as a glance at Senior Brother Xiao Zhan .

“I also attempted cultivating with spirit stones, but found myself absorbing them in minutes. I wasn’t certain if there was something wrong with my spirit stones or the way I was absorbing them. But I did inform one of the Senior Brothers in the outer sect who had another Senior check the spirit stones for me. That was where I first heard the possibility of my having a special physique.”

Master and Senior Brother Xiao Zhan listened without interrupting, their expressions unreadable.

“Beyond that, I have been crafting talismans using some of my off-world knowledge and selling them in exchange for contribution points. I am not sure if those talismans also carry traces of my strange energy.”

“No,” Master said firmly. “You haven’t been putting any significant amount of qi in your talismans, and even if you’re adapting knowledge from another world into talisman inscriptions, the result would not read as foreign energy to someone looking at the talisman itself.”

Master paused and looked a bit thoughtful before adding, “At least with your current strength and the types of talismans you are creating. Your talismans were passed around among the present elders when you robbed the True Talisman Peak clean of its qi reserves. You have no need to worry for now; none of us could trace any foreign energy in those talismans. As for the bees and your Spirit Spiral Plants, both of those are things that feed solely on qi, but with the ring, even they will be unable to perceive anything about your qi, of course, as long as you aren’t letting them sip it like seasonal fruit juice. Even the dullest beings will feel a difference if it’s being shoved down their throat.” 

“But it’s not a permanent solution.” Senior Brother Xiao Zhan added in a neutral tone, looking at Master.

“Indeed, it isn’t,” Master said, looking into Yang’s eyes. “You are currently of low realm. But inevitably, there will come a time when you will be producing objects, whether talismans, pills, tools, or anything else, with considerably more potent qi. That is when such traces have a chance of being noticed.”

Yang looked worriedly at Master, who, upon seeing his worried expression, assured him. “You don’t have to worry too much. There is me, your Master, and many Senior Brothers above you. If we are unable to find a solution, then there are even people above us in the sect. We will figure out a way.”

Yang could only bow his head and say, “Thank you, Master.” He hesitated, then added, “I also mentioned to my brother that I could gain strength by eating beast cores”

“Did others in your family know?” It was Senior Brother Xiao Zhan who asked.

Yang turned to him, “I don’t have any family. I am an orphan, and the brother I mentioned isn’t actually my blood brother, but he is closer than one. He joined the Azure Sword Sect”

“That is a respectable Sword Sect,” noted Senior Brother Xiao Zhan , though Yang caught a faint scoff from Master.

It was Master who steered them back on topic. “At least you haven’t been entirely reckless with this, Chen Yang.” He thought for a moment before adding. “Let’s go with the story that you have a special physique. It’s easier to go along with a half-truth than a complete fabrication. It will also offer a reasonable explanation for your rather unreasonable qi consumption.”

Yang frowned, “Master, would the Elders of True Talisman Peak accept that?”

Master gave him an exasperated look, ”Disciple, you sucked out a whole spirit stone mine’s worth of qi and only advanced two minor realms. Of course, they already know something is different about you, but they will believe it if we give a special physique as an explanation.” His Master looked thoughtful before adding. “Even if they have doubts, they will not look further into it. They didn’t survive this long by poking their noses into other cultivators’ private matters.”

“Even with the trouble?” Yang asked.

“The incident was investigated, and you were found fault-free. Chen Yang, do not think yourself too important. The elders have better things to do than waste their time plotting revenge against some imagined offence from an infant cultivator.”

His master’s expression grew serious, “Take this as the first lesson from your Master. As a cultivator, you must choose your battles. Poking your nose in every big and small matter without invitation is not a good habit to have.”

“I will keep this in mind, Master,” Yang said obediently, and he meant it. It was sound advice.

“Good. It has become a chronic condition amongst the cultivators of this world recently. It would lessen my worry if my own disciples weren’t afflicted with such ailments.” Master mentioned in a derisive tone.

It was Senior Brother Xiao Zhan who posed the more practical question, “What will be Junior Brother Yang’s special physique?”

“Hmm.” His master looked at him like a bug under a microscope. “How many worlds have you been to?” 

“Only one so far, but I can see the connection to another one in my sea of consciousness. I have a feeling I will be sent there sooner rather than later.” Yang explained.

“What was the world like?” Master asked, curious.

“Master, there were no cultivators there. At least none that I heard of in the two decades I was there. They used a crystal similar to spirit stones to create cards. A kind of reusable talismans built using their own inscription system”

“Hence your mastery of the inscription craft,” Master noted, and Yang inclines his head in agreement.

“How did you come back? Was it a conscious decision?”

Yang took a deep breath and explained everything. The progress bar in his sea of consciousness. The incremental increase in it through learning new card inscriptions. The burden of Lucien’s depression on his own psyche. Political entanglements. Lord Ardeth. What he tried to get out of Yang. How the crystal source allowed him to directly absorb and complete the progress bar. How he killed himself.

As he finished giving a detailed overview. Both Master and Senior Brother Xiao Zhan sat in contemplative silence.

“I think some kind of energy-absorbing physique would be the most defensible explanation for Junior Brother. It would also account for and explain when his qi inevitably shows even more anomalies once he has acquired energies of additional types,” Senior Brother Xiao Zhan said.

“Disciple, you are right,” Master agreed with a satisfied glance at Senior Brother Xiao Zhan. “It’s flexible enough to cover any future changes and specific enough to satisfy curiosity without inviting further scrutiny.” 

“Is there a name for this physique, Master?” Yang asked.

“Of course not; it’s a made-up physique. We don’t want to name an actual one, it will make it difficult to explain away any differences you show.“ His Master looks at him as if worried about his intelligence. “You can give it a name if it’s important to you,” Master added with an insincere smile.

“That’s not what he meant, Master,” Senior Brother Xiao Zhan said with a slightly exasperated expression to Master, clearly used to serving as an interpreter between their Master and the rest of the world, and turned to Yang, “Junior Brother, there are an infinite number of physiques in existence, and it is impossible to catalogue them all. Many cultivators go their entire existence without even realising they have one. Presenting one with no established name will arouse no suspicions.”

Yang looked surprised at the information he had just received, but was glad that he could run with the special physique excuse without raising too many eyebrows.

It was Master who continued next, “There will be some special techniques I will be needing you to learn. It will help you with these multiple kinds of energy issues you are going to inevitably have.” He gave Yang an unconcerned look. “It’s a good thing you already informed me. It will be easier to train you since you are still predominantly using qi.”

Yang felt a flicker of excitement at the prospect of getting another technique before a concern surfaced, and he turned to Master, anxious. “But Master, I am already cultivating the Heaven Refining Soul Sutra.”

Master waved a dismissive hand, “You can keep it. Soul cultivation, with your little parasite, is clearly the right path. I will give you the Seven Elements Technique, so you can learn to categorise and eventually convert one kind of energy into another inside yourself. It will not hinder you, but of course you will have to commit time to it.”

“I wasn’t aware that the Seven Element Technique could do that,” commented Senior Brother Xiao Zhan casually with a raised eyebrow.

Master scoffed, “Of course it can’t. I will be making some alterations to it.”

“Ah, of course,” Senior Brother Xiao Zhan said with a small knowing smirk and then turned to Yang. “Junior Brother, at least time isn’t the pressing concern it might be for others. You’ve already spent two decades mastering a craft in another world with no time passing here.”

Before Yang could respond, Master interjected. “Not necessarily”

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