My companions and I spent the first couple of days in North King City wandering around and exploring everything it had to offer. Sometimes we went with other disciples and formed large groups. However, most of the time it was just the five of us.

  North King City had plenty of shops, auction houses, and venues that offered all sorts of precious materials, rare herbs, and other goods that cultivators needed. There were also plenty of plazas where cultivators could set up trade meets, to buy and sell from each other directly. I was also happy to see that there were plenty of tea houses and restaurants. The scents of delicious foods and fragrant teas often enticed me, to the amusement of my companions.

  The Rising Heroes Tournament was a major event in the Northern Region, so countless cultivators flocked to North King City as a result. Most came to either watch or participate in the tournament. However, some came because they needed a certain material, spirit herb, or magic treasure and coming to North King City during the Rising Heroes Tournament was their best chance at acquiring what they needed.

  The streets were crowded with all kinds of people. Most walked on foot, others rode atop spirit beast mounts or in carriages drawn by spirit beasts, and a few used the licensed ferry services to fly around. Some cultivators belonged to a sect or clan, and thus wore uniforms to declare their allegiance. Rogue cultivators, on the other hand, were more varied and eccentric in appearance.

  Soldiers of the Black Iron Guard patrolled the streets and kept the peace. Their mere presence was enough to stop most troublemakers in their tracks. As for the few foolish enough to keep going, the Black Iron Guard dealt with them with swift efficiency.

  Altogether, the sound of laughter, bargaining, and arguing formed a lively cacophony. I took it all in, reveling in the vibrancy and vitality of the seething masses. While I preferred the quiet and peace of my home back in the Needlespire Peaks, I saw the appeal of living in a city.

  During one of our outings, I managed to sell the stone spear magic treasure that I looted off of Cultivator Relentless Flame back in the Violet Desert hidden realm. It was only a mid-grade magic treasure, but it fetched a decent price of seven hundred spirit stones. I also took this opportunity to buy precious materials and spirit herbs, which I needed in order to practice refining magic treasures and concocting pills.

  During those few days, countless clans and sects arrived in North King City by teleportation array in order to participate in the Rising Heroes Tournament. However, the Seven Great Northern Sects flew into North King City instead, riding in all sorts of strange vehicles and/or spirit beasts, showing off their power and status.

  The Thousand Blade Sect arrived before we had, so I didn’t get to witness what they rode in on, but I heard it was a famous bladeship called Mountain Cleaver. I had no idea what a bladeship was, but it didn’t surprise me to hear that the Thousand Blade Sect chose one as their mode of transportation.

  When I first learned this, I considered sending a message to my cousin, Lucius. However, I hesitated. He hadn’t responded to the last message I sent him. At the time, I thought it was because he couldn’t. What if that wasn’t the case? What if Lucius no longer considered me his kin? We hadn’t seen each other in years. What if he had changed during that time, to the point that he was a stranger to me now? These thoughts plagued me, and I decided to hold off before contacting my cousin.

  When the Ancient Blood Sect arrived, they rode atop a massive bird spirit beast called a Blood Phoenix. Like Azure Dragons and Fire Dragons, which weren’t quite on par with True Dragons but were still considered sacred beings, the Ancient Blood Sect worshiped Blood Phoenixes as holy. Its appearance resembled the legendary True Phoenix, but its feathers were various shades of red.

  The Blood Phoenix landed in a part of North King City some distance away from where the Dawn and Dusk Sect stayed. I believed this was intentional on Clan Black Iron’s part. Each of the Seven Great Northern Sects were hostile to one another, so keeping them apart helped maintain the peace.

  The other four sects of the Seven Great Northern Sects arrived after the Ancient Blood Sect. They were based in the Northern Region’s western and eastern continents, so it took them longer to reach North King City. I was excited for their arrival, since this would be my first time seeing them.

  The Divine Talisman Sect and the Devilish Beauty Sect both hailed from the western continent. The former arrived in a massive black talisman folded into the shape of a ship. At first I thought it was one solid color. However, when I took a closer look, I realized that there were countless tiny and intricate arcane runes drawn over the entire talisman.

  The Devilish Beauty Sect arrived in a flying palace so gaudy and ostentatious that it hurt my eyes to look at it. However, I couldn’t turn away. I derived a certain perverse pleasure from it, the same way a child might by watching a disgusting bug move around. A bright pink mist hovered at the bottom of the flying palace, as if the latter were flying atop a pink cloud.

  From the eastern continent came the Myriad Poison Sect and the Heavenly Tree Sect. The former arrived in a black and green cloud. All sorts of figures writhed inside the cloud, letting out screeches, chitters, and hisses. It gave anyone watching it the impression that the cloud contained countless poisonous and venomous creatures. However, none of those creatures revealed themselves. All I saw were shadows and shapes.

  The Heavenly Tree Sect arrived in a massive tree that floated atop a rainbow colored cloud. It looked tall and mighty, as if it were capable of holding up the sky. The sight of it filled me with a sense of life and vitality. A part of me wondered what it would be like to cultivate in that tree. As a Fire cultivator, a place replete with Wood qi would be ideal for me. Perhaps I could acquire a cutting of this tree, or even a sapling.

  Like the Ancient Blood Sect, the other sects of the Seven Great Northern Sects settled in areas far from the others. This all but confirmed my suspicion that Clan Black Iron wanted to keep us all separate, to avoid any unnecessary conflicts. It wouldn’t stop someone determined to cause trouble, but it would prevent minor disturbances from breaking out.

  Watching the rest of the Seven Great Northern Sects arrive in North King City illustrated to me why they stood at the apex within the Northern Region. They commanded vast armies of disciples, had deep reserves, and wielded powerful magic treasures or mighty spirit beasts. Of course, the Dawn and Dusk Sect was no different.

  While this display might have intimidated other cultivators. It filled me with anticipation and excitement. I looked forward to facing the disciples from the other Seven Great Northern Sects and seeing what challenges they had to offer. They would become stepping stones to help me reach greater heights, and I would become a stepping stone in turn. This didn’t bother me in the slightest.

  We were all walking our own path to immortality, we were all seeking our own Dao. There was nothing wrong with helping another, even if it was in an adversarial role. As long as they weren’t a malicious enemy, like Cultivator Blood Leaf for example, I didn’t mind playing this role. The relationship between Cultivator Vivian and I was a great example of that. By facing and challenging each other, we would both become stronger for it.

  I also kept in mind that there were other clans and sects participating in the Rising Heroes Tournament, as well as rogue cultivators. While the Seven Great Northern Sects were powerful, talented and skilled cultivators came from all walks of life. Only a fool would discount those from more humble backgrounds. The prospect of facing an underdog, a dark horse, filled me with excitement.

  More than ever, I looked forward to the start of the Rising Heroes Tournament.

  A few days before the start of the tournament, Willow approached me while I was studying the jade slip I received from my mother, the one containing information about intent. I sat in the middle of my courtyard, out in the open, atop a comfortable cushion. The walls of the courtyard surrounded me on all sides. It was morning, early enough that the light of the pale winter sun barely illuminated the area around me. It was also quite cold out. I breathed out white mist every time I exhaled.

  Unlike the Dawnfire, the restrictions that protected North King City didn’t keep out the chill or any inclement weather. When I asked one of Liaison Luella’s subordinates about this, they said that Clan Black Iron believed too many cultivators cut themselves off from nature for the sake of comfort and convenience. Experiencing the weather, both good and ill, kept one attuned to the natural cycles of the world.

  As someone who knew the Breath of the World technique, I agreed with this philosophy. Besides, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, this level of cold wasn’t enough to distract me. In fact, it felt somewhat nice and helped me focus on the contents of the jade slip.

  Now that I had attained the One With The Fist(Body) state, I could now read the second section of the jade slip. It was a painful experience, since the sliver of my mother’s intent imbued in the jade slip kept punching my spirit sense. However, I persevered.

  After reaching the “One With The…” state, be it fist or body or sword, it became possible to empower one’s attacks with one’s spirit sense. After all, intent was a manifestation of one’s will and the power of one’s soul, and spirit sense was an aspect of one’s soul. Achieving this required one to go beyond the “One With The…” state and reach greater heights, which was easier said than done. Hard work alone wasn’t enough. One needed a certain degree of enlightenment to manifest one’s intent.

  That was why enduring the sliver of my mothers intent within the jade slip was beneficial, if painful. Experiencing others’ intent gave one insight, while also tempering one’s own intent. The rock imbued with Big Sis Estelle’s intent, which she gave to me when I reached Foundation Establishment, helped as well.

  However, the chances of me manifesting fist intent as an early Foundation Establishment cultivator were almost non-existent. My enlightenment was too low and my spirit sense wasn’t strong enough, even though I practiced the Song of Dawn and Dusk mental refinement technique. Achieving the One With The Fist(Body) state as an early Foundation Establishment cultivator was an accomplishment in and of itself.

  At a minimum, one needed to be at mid Foundation Establishment to manifest intent. Even then, only a rare few geniuses could pull it off. Most succeeded after reaching late or peak Foundation Establishment.

  Back in East Mesa City, I encountered a disciple of the Thousand Blade Sect known as Cultivator Evette. She manifested sword intent as a mid Foundation Establishment cultivator. Due to my ignorance, I hadn’t appreciated it at the time. However, now that I knew better, I realized that she must have been a genius and a prodigy.

  A part of me cursed myself for not taking the opportunity to talk with her about intent. That said, I doubted she would have agreed. Not only was she a disciple of the Thousand Blade Sect, but she also held a grudge against Ellen. Besides, I defeated her young brother, a scoundrel called Cultivator Galen, in battle.

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  I heard a knock, which pulled me out of my thoughts. I opened my eyes to find Willow standing at the entrance to our shared courtyard. She wore a nervous expression on her face.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked her, frowning with concern.

  “I received word from my grandmother.” She said. “She arrived in North King City last night, along with the rest of my kin.”

  A smile spread across my face.

  “That’s wonderful news!” I said.

  Back at the Dawn and Dusk Sect, in the week before we departed for North King City, Willow and I made plans regarding her family. While we considered ourselves married, that didn’t mean her kin would accept our marriage. This was because of the agreement between Clan Stone Pillar, Willow’s kin, and Clan Wind Dance.

  Centuries ago, long before Willow and I were born, our two clans came into conflict with one another. They were fierce rivals and clashed with each other often. It grew to the point where war seemed inevitable. However, Willow’s grandmother and my grandfather, the heads of our respective clans, didn’t want a war. Doing so would only weaken both clans, allowing the other powers in the Myriad Rivers province to take advantage of the situation.

  To avoid a war, Willow’s grandmother and my grandfather came to an agreement. Their grandchildren would wed one another, uniting the two clans through marriage. They decided to skip a generation, since the members of both clans still held grudges. This worked, since the younger generation didn’t feel the same level of hate and anger. I’m sure there were some, it took a while for generational grudges to die out, but it wasn’t as strong.

  The problem was, some of Willow’s kin might object to her marriage with me even though I was a direct descendant of Clan Wind Dance and the son of its current head, Connor Wind Dance. This was because my father was in seclusion, and likely dead, leaving my uncle in charge of the clan. My uncle suppressed me when I lived on Mt. Wind Dance, and kept me out of clan affairs. For some in Clan Stone Pillar, my cousin Lucius was a better prospect than me.

  Not only that, but I couldn’t prove that I was Connor Wind Dance’s son. Even Willow found it difficult to believe that I was a Wind Dance, due to my ignorance of Clan Wind Dance’s affairs and my appearance.

  However, if Willow’s grandmother approved of me, the rest of Clan Stone Pillar would fall into line. Thus Willow and I wanted to convince her grandmother to accept our marriage, even if doing so risked breaking the agreement with Clan Wind Dance.

  I was confident in our chances. By several metrics, I was a good prospect. I was a core disciple and divine demon of the Dawn and Dusk Sect. My mother was a Domain Creation cultivator, my eldest sister was a Nascent Soul cultivator, and my other two sisters were both at peak Golden Core. All in all, I was far more appealing as a member of my maternal family than I was as a member of Clan Wind Dance.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, taking in Willow’s expression.

  She looked away from me and shrugged.

  “I’m worried.” She said. “I love my family and want to help my clan, but I also don’t want to give you up. What if we fail and I have to choose between you and my kin? I don’t want that to happen.”

  I stood up and walked over to Willow. She continued to look away from me. I took her hands, which dwarfed my own, before kissing both her palms.

  “We won’t fail.” I said.

  Willow looked me in the eyes, torn between amusement and worry.

  “How can you be so confident?” She asked.

  I grinned at her.

  “Simple,” I said, “I refuse to accept any other outcome. If your grandmother doesn’t approve of our marriage, then we’ll just have to change her mind.” My grin widened. “Besides, my mother wants you as a daughter-in-law. If you don’t believe in me, then believe in her.”

  Willow’s eyes widened.

  “Mother-In-Law said that?” She asked.

  “Yes.” I said. “I heard it from her mouth myself. Do you remember that day when I fell from my mother’s palace above Flame Fiend Peak? Just after I reached Foundation Establishment?”

  Willow nodded.

  “She told me not to fuck things up with you and that she wanted you as a daughter-in-law.” I said. “Just before she threw me off.”

  Willow burst into laughter at that.

  “That explains so much.” She said after she calmed herself down. “Thank you, Darian. I feel much better about our chances.” She shook her head and sighed. “Shall I contact my grandmother and arrange a meeting?”

  “Yes,” I said, “The sooner we get this over with, the better.” I frowned. “While you do that, I’ll meet with my mother. Words are good and all, but I’d like to offer your clan some material benefits.” I slumped my shoulders. “Unfortunately, I’m too poor to offer your clan a good bride price. I have to rely on my mother for one.”

  Willow snorted.

  “You know that’s normal, right?” She asked. “As the head of your family, she’s responsible for this sort of thing. You don’t have to do everything yourself.”

  I grimaced.

  “The problem is that I don’t know when I can rely on her,” I said, “And when she wants me to work things out for myself. This makes it difficult to ask her for help with anything.”

  Willow gave me a sympathetic look.

  “Good luck.” She said.

  With that, we went our separate ways to talk with our families.

  After my mother emerged from her seclusion, it took me little time to find out that she handled almost none of the administrative affairs for Flame Fiend Hall and the Dawn and Dusk Sect. Big Sis Sidra took care of all that in her stead. When I asked my mother about it, she gave me a derisive look.

  “What do you think vice hall masters are for?” She asked. “I have better things to do than fiddle around with paperwork. Besides, Sidra likes it. The girl was born to be a leader. Me? I prefer my freedom.”

  That… was a fair point. From what I saw, my eldest sister enjoyed the work of a vice hall master, as well as the perks.

  In short, my mother had a lot of free time on her hands. She spent it doing whatever she wanted. After I parted from Willow, I sent my mother a message using my transmission talisman. She replied right away, telling me to come to her courtyard in the Dragon Palace.

  When I arrived, I found my mother lounging atop a comfortable looking couch with red upholstery with her eyes closed. She drank from a bottle of spirit wine. It wasn’t her first one. Over a dozen empty bottles littered the ground nearby. The smell of alcohol filled the air in a thick, but invisible, miasma. I looked up at the sky. It wasn’t even noon yet.

  My mother’s courtyard was more magnificent and more spacious than mine, yet to her it was nothing more than a place for her to drink. I found this both amusing, and a little disheartening. The gap between us was like the difference between the heavens and the earth. I wondered how long it would take me before I regarded an opulent and luxurious palace as little better than a street side tavern?

  “You know,” I said, crossing my arms, “You are the complete opposite of what most people imagine when they think of cultivators.”

  “Oh?” My mother said in an amused tone, keeping her eyes closed. “What do most people imagine when they think of cultivators?”

  “Distant and lofty figures,” I said, “Detached from worldly affairs and material needs.” I snorted. “In short, the opposite of you.”

  My mother barked out a laugh and opened her eyes, grinning at me.

  “Cultivators are human, too.” She said, her golden eyes twinkling with amusement. “No matter how powerful they become, or how much they cut themselves off from the mortal world, that will never change. Nor should it. Those who deny their fundamental nature can never achieve immortality.” She shrugged. “Besides, I’m a demon, a creature of baser urges and instincts.” She took a pull from the bottle of spirit wine. “Now, my youngest child, why did you wish to see me?”

  I hesitated before answering.

  “Mom,” I said, letting her know that I was here as her son and not her disciple. “I need your help with something.”

  “You mean with my second daughter-in-law’s family?” my mother asked.

  I blinked at her in surprise.

  “You already knew about that?” I asked.

  My mother took another pull of her wine.

  “I predicted something like this might happen.” She said. “Plus, I witnessed your conversation with Willow just now.”

  I gave her a horrified look.

  “You spied on us?” I asked.

  My mother chuckled.

  “I’m spying on everyone in this city.” She said. “It’s not like I have much else to do at the moment.” She grimaced. “I can’t fight anyone while we’re here and I haven’t found anyone good to fuck. That leaves drinking and voyeurism. It’s quite entertaining, watching all the little dramas play out. You should give it a try some time.”

  I shook my head.

  “No, thank you.” I said. “I don’t want to offend someone who could destroy me without even lifting a finger.”

  My mother mulled it over for a moment.

  “Fair enough.” She said, before drinking from the bottle of spirit wine again.

  She emptied it and tossed it aside, before taking another bottle out of her storage ring.

  “Take this.” My mother said.

  She pulled a storage ring out of her…storage ring, and tossed it to me. I caught it and frowned.

  “What’s this?” I asked.

  “Enough spirit stones to pay for a feast for three people,” my mother said. “And a low-grade spirit well.”

  I frowned.

  “What’s a spirit well?” I asked.

  The spirit stones I could understand. This was my mother’s way of telling me to treat Willow’s grandmother to a feast. However, I had never heard of a spirit well before.

  “I’m not surprised,” my mother said. “Spirit wells are a rare kind of natural treasure. Similar to sacred mountains, they often become the foundation of a clan or sect. However, they’re difficult to find. When they are found, most keep it secret to prevent others from stealing it from them.” She raised an eyebrow at me. “They’re also called spirit springs, since they produce spirit water.”

  My eyes widened at that. While I had never heard of spirit wells, I had heard of spirit water, which was a precious resource. Drinking some could advance one’s cultivation, similar to pills and spirit stones. However, unlike pills which often contained impurities, spirit water contained pure qi. In fact, it could even cleanse one’s body and meridians of impurities. Best of all, anyone benefited from drinking spirit water, regardless of elemental affinity.

  “You… You’re giving away something as precious as this?” I asked, a little stunned. “Just like that?”

  My mother snorted.

  “It’s not that precious,” she said. “It’s just a low-grade spirit well. However, it should suffice as a bride price for Clan Stone Pillar.”

  I stared at her, flabbergasted. Once again, I was reminded of the gap between us. To most, a spirit well was a rare and valuable natural treasure. However, to my mother, it was nothing important. I both admired and resented her for this.

  “Also,” my mother said, a serious expression on her face, “Tell Willow’s grandmother that she has the backing of Flame Fiend Hall as well as Five Divine Pillars Hall. That should be more than enough to convince her, even if it means breaking her agreement with Clan Wind Dance.”

  A warm feeling filled my chest, one that overshadowed the admiration and envy I felt towards my mother.

  “Thank you.” I said. “You have no idea how much I appreciate this.”

  My mother gave me a soft smile.

  “You deserve nothing less.” She said. “You are my child and I love you. While I may not be the best mother…” She paused. “… or even a good one, that will never change.”

  Tears pricked my eyes. That might have been the first time my mother ever told me that she loved me and my emotions overwhelmed me for a moment.

  “Now shoo and stop distracting me.” She said, dismissing me with a gesture. “A wife caught her husband with another man and I’m looking forward to what happens next.”

  My warm feelings evaporated and I stared my mother in disbelief. However, despite her words, she still wore that soft smile on her face.

  “You are a terrible mother,” I said, chuckling. “I love you too.”

  My mother grinned at me.

  With that, I left my mother’s courtyard and contacted Willow through my transmission talisman.

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  This chapter was edited by Radriel7