C3: 9th Disciple

A/N: I just found the best mobile game ever. Endless Wander. It's a stylized, pixelated game with the same mechanics as Hades (2020), it is fucking awesome, try it out.

— [Log #3: Played…] —

I can scarcely recall the hours after the Yellow Thearch took me. One moment, we were standing outside the Immortal Court; the next, we had traveled an unimaginable distance.

Our destination wasn't a palace among clouds but a mountain teeming with life and chirping birds. I thought it a peculiar place for someone of his stature, but the strangest sight’s a straw hut that seemed likely to be blown away by a slightest gust of wind.

How wrong I was, but that’s a story for another time.

I wish I had more tales to recount, but the following days were rather uneventful.

The Yellow Thearch instructed me to build my own house, then retreated into his and didn’t emerge for months, leaving me to gather sticks and stones to construct a temporary shelter.

It shouldn’t have been hard work, especially since I’d witnessed maids perform wonders with Magic, but whatever I tried, the Qi just felt stagnant.

Needless to say, I was disappointed.

From everyone I asked, controlling Qi came naturally to most Cultivators, with or without a Technique. A specialized Cultivation Technique would, of course, improve efficiency, control, and results.

At least the physical boost was there, allowing me to build my first shelter in less than two days, though it kept collapsing without any cohesion.

I felt no hunger or thirst, which was useful.

Unfortunately, as if mocking my effort, a storm that night reduced my sticks, stones, and mud house to rubble.

I remember desperately knocking on my ‘teacher’s hut’ for assistance, but he never answered.

Helpless, I tried to find shelter, but by the time I did find an open cave, I was already drenched.

The next attempt was made of stones stacked at the perfect angle, but a hailstorm brought the structure down on top of me while I slept.

Annoyed but undaunted, I rebuilt everything, using makeshift mortar from scavenged ingredients to hold it all together.

Yet, the following night, an earthquake demolished it also.

The month after, a wildfire suddenly broke out and nearly took me with it.

I built and built and built tirelessly for twelve whole months, trying every trick in the book to improve my shelter’s structural integrity.

Yet, in spite of my efforts, a sudden natural disaster would destroy my hard work every time without fail.

Although I did enjoy the process, even my patience had been worn thin until I found myself screaming at the Heavens for the vendetta it had against me.

I cannot recall what I said, but it was undoubtedly the foulest string of curses ever to pass my lips.

— [Log #3: Paused…] —

“You goddamn—aargh!#$%^&*—!”

I bellow at the heavens, chest heaving, face a mask of pure fury while each stomp of my augmented legs craters the ground beneath me.

It’s childish, this rage, but there’s a limit to everything.

And that piece of shit of an Universal Force up there just trampled mine flat.

After letting loose all that pent-up frustration I’ve barely kept the lid on, I breath heavily, not even bothered by the roaring thunders echoing the Heavens’ anger at the obscenities I’ve just let loose from my lips. “You wanna kill me… Is that it? Well, c’mon then! Kill me, I’m here! Kill me! C’mon, do it, kill me!”

The lightning snakes through the clouds like giant serpents staring ravenously at me, but I am long past the point of fear.

Even a starving dog will bite when cornered.

Did it think I’d just endure all this bullshit?

If I were to die today, I’ll die on my feet and cursing the Heavens instead.

Worst case scenario, it kills me and everything fades to black.

In my previous life, the concept of a soul was nothing more than speculation, a comforting fable. So, I had made peace with the abyss, with oblivion. “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!”

I fling my arms wide, daring the very heavens to strike me down, another string of curses spilling from my lips.

On cue, the tempestuous sky parts abruptly, the receding storm an almost-forgotten illusion. My gaze sweeps across the newly revealed azure expanse, only to jolt as a hand settles atop my head.”

“There it is… There’s the fire—the fury… I was starting to worry my little Junior Brother was an useless pushover.” The speaker isn’t my Dao Master, but instead a man barely old enough to be called a man, draped in what seemed to be ostentatious scarlet robe threaded with gold.

“You are—”

“Your Senior Brother; the Vermillion Sparrow Immortal!” Cheering at his own Daoist Title, the strange man points his thumb at the graceful Cultivator behind him. “And over there is your Senior Sister.”

“What’s with that lackluster introduction?”

Snorting, the Vermillion Immortal(?) seizes me by the scruff of my neck, scrutinizing me with judging eyes as if I were an exhibit in a zoo, before muttering almost inaudibly.

“He’s not that talented, is he? I thought Master had brought back another prodigious oddity.”

The criticism, though severe, is justified.

Setting aside my inability to grasp the Dao, my innate aptitude isn’t impressive to begin with.

My Senior Sister chimes in.

“If Master chose to accept him, there must be a reason. Master usually has an eye for these sorts of things. After all, he did train us."

Humming thoughtfully, the Vermillion Immortal waves at us and then vanishes, leaving me to ask, “Miss, may I know your name?”

“I’m Lei Yuling, your 5th Senior Sister. Just call me Sister Lei.”

“Sister Lei, is this a…”

“It’s a test. Most of us experienced something similar when we were accepted by Master, although—” Her words suddenly trail off as she glances at me; thunder flashing in her purple eyes.

“It’s alright… You can say it.”

“The longest it took one of us Thirteen Immortals was a week.”

Thought so…

It’s quite jarring to go from one of the most talented scientist to some third-rate Cultivator who can’t even control Qi properly, but I’ll make do.

Where there’s life; there’s hope.

Science shall bridge the gap.

“Then this isn’t Master’s abode?”

“What do you think?” Lightning suddenly strikes where we stand, teleporting us instantly to a gigantic pagoda that rests atop a drifting cloud.

Why everything doesn’t feel wet and disgusting due to air moisture with all these clouds around has always baffled me, but if I were to hazard a guess, it’s probably Qi.

“If you don’t mind me asking—"

“Don’t be so overly polite. Don’t prostrate yourself… You’ve proven yourself to be hardworking, but without arrogance, you’ll not make it far up the ladder, Junior Brother.”

Little does she know, I’m probably the most prideful person on this mountain.

Politeness, when wielded adeptly, is a sharp weapon—a weapon I have repeatedly employed against the politicians in Humanity’s space who vehemently opposed my discoveries.

“Sister Lei, may I know how many disciples are in our Sect?”

“Only 9, including yourself… Each of us has a floor in that Pagoda. The weakest occupies the 1st floor, and naturally, the 10th floor belongs to Master.”

“Eh?” I exclaim, bewildered. “Seriously?”

From my understanding, the Yellow Thearch’s position and power should not be inferior to that of the Jade Emperor, yet the Immortal Court boasts millions of soldiers—90% are in the Heaven Immortal Stage, with the remaining 10%; the main force being Brocade Immortals, not to mention all the Heavenly Generals and Officials who are Golden Immortals and above.

Yet, the Thearch has only 9 disciples?

That’s it?

“Our Pure Heavens Sect descends from the Grand Pure One—‘Quality over quantity’ is our motto.”

“Which Stage is Senior Sister in, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Great Principle Golden Immortal.”

…

That’s higher than most Heavenly Generals and Officials.

“M- May I inquire to Sister Lei’s rank in our Sect?”

“I live in the 4th floor, but with you here, I guess I’m being bumped up to the 5th.”

Rendered speechless by her casual remark, I sweat profusely. “Then those above you…"

“Brother Yan Zhu’s right above me. The rest you will meet in due time… Come, Master’s probably waiting for us.”

And the Vermillion Immortal’s even stronger than her?

I thought First Brother was already monstrous, but he can’t hold a candle to these people.

What about the forces behind them?

“Sister Lei, how old are you?”

“519 and counting. Brother Vermillion’s more talented than I am, he’s only 441.”

Stumbling after my Senior, I curiously observe the structure suspended midair, skipping towards the pagoda while wondering why we’re not teleporting like usual.

“This is where you’ll be staying.”

She shows me my floor—the 1st floor, which is much larger than I anticipated. ‘They’ve mastered Pocket-Dimension as well?’ That’s by far the most impressive thing I’ve seen in this reality.

“Over there is the Heavens Ascending Formation—”

Gesturing at the squiggly runic carving on the floor that dimly; quietly hums. “Each floor’s a Subspace equipped with everything you may need. There are Qi Gathering Array as well…”

And just like that, my heart’s immediately stolen.

“Brother Huangtian?”

Fingers silently tracing the ethereal lines of the Heavens Ascending Array, I coo in fascination.

“What Runes are these?” I inquire, though I already suspect the answer.

“You can see them?”

“Naturally.” Is she blind?

The Runes are etched deeply, each major symbol a mosaic of smaller Runes, meticulously arranged to form the larger Glyph. “Wait, you can actually see it? Are the Runes not blurred out?”

“No… I can see them as clear as day.”

Astonishment colors her face as she muses. “You’re not lying to me, are you?”

I shake my head, which causes Yuling’s frown to deepen even more as she mutters under her breath.

Fingers grasping my chin, tilting my head to get a better look, she remarks. “It’s not the ‘Heaven-Discerning Eye’, there’s no indication of any special Constitution either. Strange… No wonder Master accepted you.”

With a light tap of her foot, the Array—excuse me, Magic Circle—under her boot illuminates, pulling us in. In less than a nanosecond, we find ourselves in a clearing with a serene sky, glittering grass beneath our feet, and a distant hill where our Master sits cross-legged, sipping fresh tea with his elbow resting on a modest table beside him.

“Master.”

Sister Lei greets curtly, which prompt me to bow as well, following her example.

“A year... Took you long enough...”

He slams shut the book in his palm, before facing us.

“Ling’er, give us some privacy.”

Leaving a reassuring squeeze on my shoulder that lingers even after she pulls her hand back, Lei Yuling vanishes from view.

“Master...”

“Do you blame this Emperor?” The Yellow Thearch questions, back straight like a bamboo stick.

“I dare not...”

Even if I were to hold a grudge, what could I possibly do to him in my current state? Besides, this is the Initiating Rite for the Pure Heavens Sect. If everyone else has endured it, “I see no reason I should be treated differently,” I reply sincerely.

“Oh? What if this Emperor tells you that your Trial was much harder than those of your fellow disciples? Would you still hold the same opinion? And be honest. What I despise most are silver-tongued, cowardly bastards who won’t even defend for themselves.”

“… If that’s the case, I’ll be annoyed, but that’s it. I’m here to learn, and if the person I’ve willingly agreed to apprentice under believes I need more training, who am I to complain?”

“Well-spoken!” My Master claps, cackling loudly.

I fail to see the humor, but I’ve long come to understand that people can be strange, and I’ve grown accustomed to it.

“Do you know what I was trying to teach you?”

“Patience, discipline, and… arrogance?”

“All virtues you’ll need for the path ahead—more so than any of my disciples.” Propelled by an invisible force, the Yellow Thearch rises to his feet. "You are different from others; I’m sure you’ve realized?”

“I cannot seem to… Comprehend anything. Not in the way ordinary people can, at least.”

“The Heavenly Will was trying to fix that, and you spurned it.”

“Not on purpose.” I admit sheepishly.

“Be that as it may, the Heavenly Will’s a prickly piece of shit. It will hold a grudge.”

Brows knitted, I hum to myself.

It’s not every day I get up and receive news I may have been blacklisted by the literal Power-That-Be.

“Is the Heavenly Will really that petty?”

“It has schemed against Humanity for three Great Tribulations now. It is absolutely that petty.”

That… “Doesn’t make much sense. It’s the Heavenly Will, if it wants to destroy Mankind, why’d it need to scheme?”

“You seem smart… Take a guess.”

“Because of its directives?” The Heavenly Will’s essentially an AI that governs the Laws of the Universe, its Creator—Pangu must have installed failsafe in case it ever goes rogue.

“That, and because the Heavenly Will’s scared of us.”

He’s basically saying the Universe’s afraid of Mankind? That’s a bold claim.

“Imagine the Universe’s the fetus; Lord Pangu our grandfather; Sage Nüwa and Emperor Fuxi our parents; the Heavenly Will’s our caretaker. Our caretaker does a good job, but it does not necessarily like us. It tolerates us to further its own means.”

“The Heavens are cruel.”

I repeat the pharse First Brother would mumble every now and then.

It’s not like I’m a stranger to the cruelty of the Most-Highs. I’ve seen firsthand the lengths Generals will go to for victory during the Extermination War between the Pleiguseans and Mankind, which ended in our favor only after we obliterated 20,000 of their colonies in response to their unprovoked attack on our prized Colonial Series—Eden, which consisted of 2000 planets.

But for the Universe itself to scheme against a single species?

That's fucking rough.

“But enough talks! As your Master, this Emperor cannot be too stingy,” Fingers clawing the air, the Yellow Thearch summons a book carved out of stones. While gaudy, it looks pretty inconspicuous. “It’s a Connate Spiritual Artifact at the Peak-Divine Realm. You do know what a Connate Artifact is, do you? Or has that jackass on the Heavenly Throne neglected to teach you that as well?”

“I do.”

Artifacts are divided into two categories: Ordinary Artifacts, which are crafted from materials, and Connate Artifacts, which are inherently-born Artifacts. Supposedly, the latter can be further refined to enhance their power, possess a higher potential for growth, and are just superior overall.

A typical Spiritual Artifact can double a Cultivator’s prowess, while a Connate Artifact can amplify their strength tenfold; higher if it’s further refined by a good Blacksmith.

This, of course, is a gross generalization, but attempting to upgrade or create a normal Artifact to match a Connate Artifact is highly inefficient.

The process, if handled improperly, can even turn the materials into a worthless pile of junk.

“This is known as the Celestial Diagrams Codex. It encompasses all the Immortal Runes ever uncovered; is updated every time a new Rune’s discovered and has the ability to absorb Formations and Arrays for future use. Although it has no defensive or offensive capability on its own, this Emperor believes it is to your liking?”

He's right.

It’s taking everything from me not to rip the Artifact from his hands.

“Disciple accepts Master’s kindness.”

Barely keeping the excitement from bleeding into my tone, I accept the Codex with reverrence. “Although you cannot use Qi the way normal Cultivators do, this Emperor will still give you a Cultivation Technique and Immortal Spells to aid you in your journey. Do not disappoint.”

Vanishing and appearing in front of me instantly, my Master presses his thumb on my forehead, and just like that, the Techniques are engraved in my Soul.

Empyrean Thunderstep transforms me into a bolt of lightning, significantly boosting my speed.

It serves as both an offensive and transformation Immortal Spell, divided into four levels of mastery like everything else: Small Success, Great Success, Mastered, and Perfected.

At the initial stage, it triples the user’s speed; Great Success enhances it sixfold; Mastered brings it to ninefold while Perfected allows the practitioner to split themselves into 9 Bolts that can go into separate direction and reforms on their every will and whim.

Heavens Punishing Spear is relatively straightforward. It enables the practitioner to generate and condense lightning into a makeshift spears, which discharge upon impact until the Qi within is entirely exhausted. Alternatively, the Spell can be used like a javelin that explodes on contact. Small, Great Success and Mastered supposedly mimics Heavenly Tribulation Thunder; allowing the user to create and control up to 12 of these Spears perfectly.

At Perfected, however, one can even use Punishment Lightning instead.

Tribulation Lightning, although admittedly harmful, is intended as a test, whereas Punishment Lightning is meant to obliterate an object completely.

Unlike the Heavenly Will, a practitioner does not possess a near infinite supply of Qi to empower their ‘Spears,’ so a stronger cultivator could potentially withstand the attack.

However, the Qi Lightning will linger in their wounds or enter through their orifices, feeding on their Qi to sustain itself until removed—a process that is extremely complicated on its own.

Last but not least is the Cultivation Technique itself: Empyrean Heavenly Expansion.

I can remember the katas and the mantra, but none of it makes any sense to me.

How the Hell do actions, Qi movement, and reciting a bunch of flowery words that double as a philosophical lesson result in Spells?!

“You may leave now…”

Still reeling from the flood of information, my eyes widen as the Heavens Ascending Formation appears beneath my feet, flashing erratically.

“This Emperor has one last advice—all things can gain Spirituality; even unthinking machine. Take it how you will.”

And then I’m teleported to the 1st floor again.

“Guess it’s just my floor now.”