Book Two: Rise of the Knight Cultivator

“The path of Immortals is filled with unknown. The more one threads it, the more he is stricken with uncertainties.”

When Qai, with Elder Li and the rest of the sect disciples, came out of the Teleportation Array, what bared in front of them was a dark place with only a ray of little light that could be seen from a distance.

‘Are we in a cave!?’

Immediately, he made an assumption based on the character of the place alone.

Qai wanted to ask but Elder Li and the disciples didn't say or do anything other than rush towards the source of light.

So he simply followed their footsteps and eventually confirmed that they were indeed in a cave.

When everyone stepped out of the cave entrance, Elder Li suddenly tossed a few Array formation Flags together with a considerable amount of Spirit Stones around the crevice and began to perform an incantation.

In just a few breaths, the cave entrance was suddenly replaced by an incredible scenery. And if one would look at it carefully, he or she wouldn't notice that something was amiss.

An Illusion Array!

Qai was no longer shocked to see such a thing but he always felt his interest jolt every time he saw an Array formation at work.

‘One day, I’m gonna learn how to arrange restrictions myself.’

He had ever since admired the beauty and value of an Array formation’s efficiency.

The so-called ‘formations’ he once knew were army formations—and at one point, he imagined to integrate the two in a battle.

Qai thought about the Jade slip he acquired containing the preliminaries on Array formation as well as the pair of formation Flags. He felt a bit better that at least he got something to start with.

‘I wonder how Qi Condensation stage cultivators learn their techniques from Jade slips without Spiritual Sense?’

Qai was getting a bit deductive with his thoughts but little did he know that cultivation techniques and methods may technically be transferred into manuals.

At any rate, he put the question at the back of his mind. In his thoughts, he would figure the answer out himself someday anyway.

Since he wouldn't be able to read through Jade slips without Spiritual Sense, he could only wait.

For now, his thoughts were to focus on cultivation and settling first his footing on the sect—since aside from the fact that cultivating his ’Transcending Autumn Arts’ resulted in a slower pace, he also started cultivating late.

The last part was a fact that the inner disciples kept on reiterating to him previously. And there was nothing he could do about it than to catch up slowly.

At any rate, Qai now knew that the Teleportation Array going to Kamaria Island was kept hidden inside a cave.

And the cave, as Qai figured out, was just a few miles away from the rear of the mountain range belonging to the sect.

The territory was extensive.

The Purple Tree Sect, all in all, controlled an entire mountain range with 5 peaks.

Apart from that, the sect was also the overlord of an entire region consisting of a city and several other territories of cultivation clans and families—as a matter of fact, the Ao and Shu clans of Ao Tian and Shu Liang, respectively, were part of them.

Meanwhile, tallest peak in the mountain range—known as the ‘Ancestral Peak’—as if by design, was actually situated in the middle of the four other peaks while the rest were formed in a diamond shape. It was so uniquely formed that Qai thought that the arrangement was possibly manipulated and not a naturally formed.

Little did Qai know that it was indeed the case.

The Ancestral Peak was the sect’s holy ground.

It was where the precious Nine Spirit Leaf Tree was located and was enclosed by several top-grade Array formations. In fact, no one was allowed to enter it except for the Sect Master and Sect Elders.

On the other hand, the South mountain along the range had the lowest peak.

It was designated as the entrance to the Sect. At its foot, a huge passage arch with the name ‘Purple Tree Sect’ was massively constructed; while at its peak, a stone statue of the founder, the Regulations Hall, the Treasury Hall, the Contributions Hall, a 9-story Pagoda, an open space arena, and several other buildings could be seen.

And from the arch at the entrance to the stone statue of the founder, a stretch of stone steps numbering to a thousand was carefully laid down forming a massive stairway.

Aanyone could instantaneously tell that the South mountain peak was the center of all sect transactions.

The East mountain, moreover, had the second lowest peak.

Apparently, it was the designated residential mountain of outer disciples. Surrounding the mountain were fields, gardens, Spirit Beast breeding grounds and several storage buildings.

According to the sect traditions, the outer disciples were responsible for taking care of these things.

Meanwhile, the West mountain was the home of the Inner Disciples.

At its peak, several halls were constructed—most prominent were the different refining halls for Pill alchemy and treasure refinement. While around the mountain, the several caves of both inner disciples and sect officials were placed.

North mountain had the next highest peak—and had, therefore, the densest spiritual Qi energy.

It was where the immortal caves of the Sect Master and sect elders, as well as those of the few sect core disciples and elders’ personal disciples.

Covering the entire 5 peaks were two layers of extremely huge Array formations. One was a defensive restriction and the other was an aid for converging spiritual Qi energy.

Of course, there were other unactivated killing Array formations laid down for emergency situations.

When Qai saw everything for himself, his eyes and mind were in complete bewilderment. Back in his previous life, fiefs were built on flatlands. But here, sect territories were built on mountains.

‘So this is the Precious Tree Sect. What a grand sight!’

Qai previously learned from the inner disciples that the sect requirement for entry as an outer disciple was for one to have at least cultivated the fifth level of Qi Condensation stage before the age of 15.

Qai barely qualified.

But to become an inner disciple, an outer disciple only needed to achieve the Foundation Establishment stage.

Among the Foundation Establishment stage disciples, there were those inner disciples as mentioned, as well as core disciples and sect officials.

The core disciples, together with elders’ personal disciples, were those especially groomed by the sect. Most of the resources were basically poured in them—as they were deemed the future of the Sect.

The sect officials, on the other hand, were those Foundation Establishment stage cultivators who got passed by the best time to form their core. They were like Old Bu, who in reality had no more hope to become a Core Formation stage cultivator and were just given administrative responsibilities.

Once a disciple attained the Core Formation stage though, he or she will be given the choice to either become a sect elder or an honorary elder.

As a sect elder, a Core Formation stage cultivator would be able to enjoy the many benefits a sect could offer since such status was deemed an elite within the cultivation world.

Elder Li was one of them.

But as an honorary elder, a cultivator would have no responsibility other than to spread the name of the sect since he would be given the freedom to roam the vast cultivation world.

When the group of disciples who completed the ‘Trial by Fire’ arrived on the sect grounds, Elder Li commissioned one of the disciples to accompany Qai into the Regulations Hall.

Since they came from the rear, the first peak that appeared to them was the North mountain. But the disciples changed direction since it they were restricted to go there.

The disciples thus headed to the West Mountain, and from there, Qai saw multiple streaks of light beaming in the sky.

They were hundreds of Foundation Establishment stage cultivators on their flying swords, busily rushing back and forth within the sect.

When Qai saw this, his initial feeling of bewilderment turned into excitement.

‘Finally, I'm here. And one day, I’m gonna fly as well.’