The white-blue glowing apparition stood before Lao Chen, arms crossed, scrutinizing the old man.

Lao Chen’s breathing hitched. “Your sons?”

“Yes, my sons. I can feel the emanations of their Xian Dao within your right-most bag of holding. Release them for me.”

Lao Chen’s mind raced back to that fateful night ten years. The two heaven-defying experts that changed his life forever.

Seeing no sense in delaying their reunion, Lao Chen pulled out both corpses, a solemn expression on his face. Presenting the two tattered corpses, Lao Chen noted how impossibly heavy they were for people of their build.

“It is with great regret that I inform you of your sons’ passings.”

The giant apparition ignored him, willing their bodies to float in front of him.

With a breath from the apparition, the air seeped into the nose and mouth of both the deceased cultivators, shining a light on their inside which eventually gave them life.

They both stirred before their eyes shot open, gazing at their father reverently.

Both took control of their bodies again and bowed at him.

“Jin greets Ancestor!” The armoured cultivator roared.

“Kai greets Ancestor!” The robed cultivator echoed.

“Why are you here?” The Ancestor spoke. “After seventeen thousand years, you dare disrupt me so early?”

Jin stood tall. “I came to you to present a solution to your unjust imprisonment. A Heaven-Defying Spontaneity Ring was what I wished to show you!”

Kai sneered. “A Heaven-Defying Spontaneity Ring that the Immortal Doyen bequeathed upon my family! At any rate, the ring was a test, and I am certain that in the event of you trying to liberate Father, the Hellguard would appear.”

Ancestor wasn’t convinced. “A Heaven-Defying Ring? What is the function of this ring?”

Jin grinned smugly. “Forged from a fraction of the very Metal that the great Dao presented the universe as one of the five Qi Elements, powered by the Tribulation Lightning issued by the Dao, the Ring was designed to grant its wearer a single profound wish. If you had wished for your freedom, you would finally be free of this dreary duty!”

Ancestor shook his head sternly. “My duty is a punishment which I must serve out. Your presence is unwanted. Bring this ring with you and inter yourselves in Kunlun once again. I am quite displeased by both of you, showing up dead as corpses. What if you had not found your way here?”

Jin smirked. “I tied a Karmic Line such that we would reunite at least before a decade had passed.” Looking down at Lao Chen, Jin smiled. “And from the looks of it, our courier benefited greatly from our presence.”

Kai flew down at Lao Chen and looked at him intently. “Hmm… this one is quite strange.”

Ancestor huffed impatiently. “Leave. Now. And as punishment, you shall leave all of your possessions with the Dao Seeker. I will NOT repeat myself.”

Both Jin and Kai stiffened. Sighing, the robed cultivator opened a portal and walked into it, along with his brother.

Finally, the room contained only Lao Chen, Lin-Lin and the Ancestor.

“It would seem that your presence was not such a bad thing, Dao Seeker. And now that I have had a good view of you, killing someone of your Karmic value would be a grave mistake.”

The Ancestor touched both Lao Chen and Lin-Lin, poking both index fingers at them. “An external Nascent Soul of exceptional Qi purity, possessing its own Dao. Interesting.”

Lao Chen raised an eyebrow.

“What is more interesting, however, is your Dantian. It would seem that you aren’t quite human.”

Lao Chen didn’t find his voice.

“You’re a creation of the Shaolin. A human weapon that even the Xian Seal cannot confine. And from the looks of your Karma, you managed to inspire another Dao Seeker.”

Lao Chen had completely fallen off the conversation, not knowing anything about what was happening. After gathering his thoughts for a moment, he took a deep breath and spoke.

“Forgive my ignorance but I am unaware of certain terms which you were using. Among these are Shaolin and Xian Seal. And for the record, I am quite human. I can assure you of that.”

The Ancestor huffed. “You might think you are human, but your soul says it all. Instead of the seven traditional Soul Elements, you draw strength from the Wuji. A Shaolin experiment gone right for once, it would seem. The reason you might think you are human is because you have lived in a community of experiments. The only remaining community after all those years ago, it would seem. You are quite the specimen.”

Lao Chen’s eyes widened. “Was I… created?”

The Ancestor shook his head. “Inaccurate. After the fall of the Shaolin uprising, humans with modified souls were scattered across the Land of Mortals. Most of these were defects and unable to sustain life, but you were different. You are among the successes. Powerless with regular cultivation methods, but all you needed was a Primordial-Class scripture to awaken you. Heaven knows what the Shaolin would have done had they known you were alive.”

“So the Yin Phoenix and Yang Dragon scriptures are Primordial-Class?” Lao Chen asked.

“Yes.” Ancestor nodded. “As for the Xian Seal, it was ordained by the Immortal Doyen that the Immortal population had to be culled using indirect means. Kunlun is crowding and as long as the death-rate heavily outweighs the birth and ascension-rate of new Immortals, peace might become a feasible part of Kunlun’s future.”

Lao Chen nodded. “Does that make you an Immortal guarding this seal?”

Ancestor nodded. “The first thing a child like you should learn is that you will never be an immortal. Death always comes, no matter how much a Daoist would wish otherwise. You merely stop abiding time. That is all there is to Immortality.”

Lao Chen raised his eyebrow. “What about the power?”

“All superficial,” Ancestor waved his hand. “Spirit Realm, Soul Realm, Paragon Realm and then Golden Immortality. The Four Realms of cultivation. The Immortal’s Codex that descended ninety-nine million years ago that detailed the first method of cultivation was designed by a single cultivator who glimpsed a tiny pinhole into the Great Dao and gleaned such an amount of truth. Truly, what is it that you want as a cultivator? Speak.”

Lao Chen didn’t have to think for a while. “I wish to explore every corner of the world.”

Ancestor nodded. “As do many people. Adventurous minds like you are nothing special, but what is it that made you seek the pleasure of cultivation? A universal truth among cultivators is that might makes right. Is that what drove you?”

Lao Chen frowned. “Experiencing it firsthand, I have seen the tendency for powerful people to dictate others morals, and it is true that you are allowed freedom from earthly consequences, but Karma makes right.”

Ancestor nodded proudly. “It’s a logical fallacy that many cultivators fall into. While might may allow you to defeat anyone, Karma is formless and indomitable. Did you wish for power, however, so that you could explore?”

Lao Chen shook his head. “I cannot lie to you without lying to myself. I feared adventure, and it took me a decade until I worked up the courage to step out of my boundaries. It has been a rewarding journey so far, with my son who is not here and my daughter,” he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

Ancestor nodded. “You are wiser than most cultivators. Truly, what you did was not cultivate just Qi, but your mind. Is that not much more important?”

Lao Chen nodded. “I found myself defeated utterly in front of an assailant not too long ago. While power is not necessary, I would not wish for a repeat of the same circumstance.”

“You seek power?” He asked.

Lao Chen nodded.

“You will find it in your travels, explorer.” Ancestor nodded. “Do not treat the Immortal’s Codex like a guide, but rather anecdotal evidence of what the path truly is. Tread the path on your own and you will undoubtedly grow stronger.”

Both Lao Chen and Lin-Lin bowed. “Thank you for your wisdom,” Lao Chen smiled gratefully.

Ancestor nodded. “A Paragon Realm Expert like me should only know so much.”

Before Lao Chen could continue posing his questions, the Paragon Realm expert decided to silence him with a flick of his wrist. “The knowledge you have received is a courtesy of bringing my sons to me. Seventeen thousand years is a long time, and I am grateful to have seen them. Because our Karma has been rebalanced, I am no longer obligated to answer your questions. Begone.”

And like that, Lao Chen and Lin-Lin were warped at the foot of the insignificant mountain that housed a Paragon Realm Expert.

Lao Chen knew that although this experience was the biggest thing that could have happened to him, it was only the beginning of a new path where no Dao Seeker could destroy him arbitrarily. While might didn’t make right, he would use his power to fend off anyone willing to destroy his dreams.

“Hey, father,” Lin-Lin tugged at his robe. Lao Chen looked down with a raised eyebrow.

“What is it?” He asked.

“Where’s west?”

Lao Chen could only sigh. The sky was clouded and the sun was nowhere to be seen. They would have to fly through the thick, disappointing cloud to see the sun.

The first drop of rain hit him on his nose, and Lao Chen could only sigh once again. “Through the rain cloud it is.”