The Science of Cultivation [Xianxia]

After having spent five years in the pocket realm, it could be said that every returning disciple was almost unrecognizable. They had grown up quickly into young adults. The features of some had changed while others became more pronounced. Wei Ping and Long Yi were part of the latter, while Li Lang was the former.

Wei Ping grew taller, even though he was still shorter than average, standing around five-two. As he had grown up, the mask he always wore had to be replaced. Thankfully, as he studied woodsmithing, he had crafted a new one for himself at some point.

Long Yi had continued to grow over the years. He was a giant, especially when he stood next to Wei Ping. His muscles became more defined over years of training, but he never lost his childish facial features. There wasn’t even a hint of facial hair.

As for Li Lang, his body had finally caught up to the size of his head. It was still slightly larger than average, but could now be considered normal! While this meant he wasn’t as unique anymore, the person himself didn’t mind. He preferred to go unnoticed.

The trio emerged from the pocket realm, standing alongside many others. They included the twins from the Eternal Wave Sect, Huang Si from the Bloodwave Conclave, and more. Li Lang had specifically orchestrated this so they could blend in with the others.

Their group didn’t even manage to take a dozen steps before a crowd quickly formed around them. The experts with higher cultivation moved faster than they could perceive. None of them complained as they reunited with the members of their organization.

From the corner of Li Lang’s eye, he noted the position of Tai Xilin and slowly steered away from that direction. He felt he was someone that knew them enough to see through their lies. Whether that was true or not, he didn’t want to put it to the test.

His worries had been misplaced, as someone else called out to him.

“You three, over here.”

They found the speaker to be Sheng Zhaoming, one of the leading figures within The Orchid Covenant. Standing beside him was Sheng Haoran, the boy who had once ambushed them. He was now a man, towering over his grandfather by an entire head.

The three were swiftly brought away to be questioned. While they weren’t suspects, it couldn’t be helped that their organization was hungry for information. Every other organization was doing the same with their disciples.

It was something they expected, so the trio had previously talked over what to reveal and what not to reveal. Even so, the questioning took up the entire day before they were let out.

However, the moment they set foot out of the tent, a piercing gaze washed over them. They found an old man with bulging muscles, staring them down. He had a serene expression, but that didn’t ease the pressure he gave off. It wasn’t Qi pressure or anything, but simply from the eyes of a hunter.

The trio were frozen under his gaze. It was only when the old man spoke that they relaxed a bit.

“I believe you three are Li Lang, Wei Ping, and Long Yi, correct?”

The three nodded like baby chicks.

“Good, good. You youngsters have decent cultivation for your bone age. Make sure you don’t waste your potential by rushing into the next major realm.”

With those words, the man vanished, as if he had never been there. The three young men didn't even dare to say a word, fearing he may be nearby.

While Li Lang and his companions recollected themselves as they prepared their return to Emberglow, the old man reappeared inside a tent a distance away, located within Nightmoon Valley’s encampment.

“How did it go, Master?” Jian Beiyun asked.

“Hm, their bone age should be correct. But they are still one of the more likely suspects among all the participants who entered the pocket realm this year.”

“Master—”

“Stop. It is not solely because they are from the righteous sect’s territories. Our agents dug deep. Two of them had just begun cultivating shortly before coming over to our domain,both with only grade one aptitude. How in the world did they make so much progress, even if they switched to demonic cultivation techniques when they had no guidance?”

“Just as there is aptitude for the orthodox sects, there is something similar for us as well, but it’s just not measured. It could simply mean they’re talented in demonic cultivation, right?”

“Beiyun, don’t blindly trust others just because you have interacted with them before. Especially if you know they have a relationship with little Xue. Trust, but verify.”

Just as Jian Beiyun had this conversation with his master, several similar discussions were taking place all over the area. Everyone’s logical conclusion was that Li Lang’s party was among the most suspicious, despite their efforts to blend into the background. However, they all adopted a wait-and-see approach.

The next day, in The Orchid Covenant’s area, every member gathered within the main tent. There weren’t many people as the youngsters who had previously been ejected had already been sent home. Only a select few chose to stay.

“On behalf of Head Councilman Liu, I commend these three individuals before me for having lasted the longest among our members,” Sheng Zhaoming proclaimed. “While this may normally mean we would all be returning right away, due to this year’s unusual circumstances, we will be staying until the pocket realm is closed. All of you may leave ahead of time if you would like, but you’ll have to wait if you would like to travel back with us.”

Upon hearing the offer, Li Lang instantly wanted to agree. But he then remembered how the Skyrunner they had was much slower than the Skyvessel they took to get here. In fact, they hadn’t even brought their Skyrunner here. It was still back in Emberglow City. Even if they did have it, Li Lang calculated that it would be faster if he simply ejected the last five remaining cultivators from the pocket realm within the next week.

Waiting was usually dreaded when one didn’t know how long they had to endure. Having complete control, it was a piece of cake for Li Lang to wait a week.

The only downside of their situation was that they would often come face-to-face with one of their former enemies, Sheng Haoran. Having their tents nearby, they ran into each other first thing in the morning.

“Stop blocking the way. Who do you guys think you are after lasting in the pocket realm due to external factors? You only got lucky!”

“I’m sorry, were you in the pocket realm at all? Because I didn’t see you,” Long Yi taunted.

This sparked a verbal spar between the two. The conflict ended as quickly as it started. Both sides found their argument to be pointless. There were even signs that Sheng Haoran didn’t want to escalate their animosity further.

“Enough! I may have misspoken, but I don’t have time for this. There’s money to be made!”

With a flick of his sleeve, Sheng Haoran stormed off. His words piqued the trio’s interest.

“What do you think he’s talking about?” Long Yi inquired.

“M-maybe he’s assisting a s-senior with some matters for p-pay?”

“Well, that doesn’t seem like a bad idea to pass the time,” Li Lang paused, catching on to his own words. “I can’t believe we’ve trained so much that we’re considering helping someone with their work being a good way to pass the time.”

Long Yi then drew their attention by pointing toward the fading back of Sheng Haoran.

“So, are we going or not? We’re going to lose him if we don’t decide now.”

It only took Li Lang a split second to decide. He knew his plans after returning to society would require quite a sum to fund his research. Any money made was another step forward for his cause.

“Yeah, sure.”

The trio proceeded to tail their fellow disciple and soon departed from the area allocated to The Orchid Covenant. He didn’t stray far, heading straight to an odd-looking wooden building at the center of all the encampments.

“This… is a teahouse?” Long Yi muttered.

Seeing how no one had stopped Sheng Haoran from entering, the three of them continued onward. They entered into the lobby of the first floor unhindered.

Immediately, they could overhear several ongoing conversations overlapping just off to the side. It was there they found a few dozen cultivators sitting around, sipping from their cups. The noise was especially loud from one corner of the establishment. The table was surrounded by several people, with Sheng Haoran among them.

“A gambling stall? With all these cultivators?” Li Lang immediately recognized the scene before him.

The three stared, frozen in place.

Li Lang experienced it himself when he participated in the annual competition hosted by his organization. He had even bet on himself and his companions, earning him a hefty sum. This meant it wasn’t a surprising sight, definitely not enough to take the winds out of their sails. The thing that had stunned the trio was the person standing behind the table.

They had seen him briefly before they entered the pocket realm. He was also someone who had helped them reach Emberglow City back when they were like lost chicks loitering around Polarity City. They had thought he was a respectable person of status, which was why they were so lost upon seeing him working the gambling table like a mortal.

None of them tried to hide their gaze, so it was inevitable Jian Beiyun, the man in question, would notice them. From reading their expression, he instantly knew what they were thinking about. He could only give them an embarrassed smile as he gestured for them to approach.