My eyes widen as I fully expect to see the thunderous booms of cultivators rushing over here.

But nothing happens.

The scan surrounding my body gives me an indication of why.

Another privacy field?

Somewhat, but it’s on a completely different level.

A look outside the field shows that while no one is near me, creatures outside the field are moving almost imperceptibly slow. It’s almost majestic in how the flying creatures hang in the air and their wings extended, prepared to flap. It’s quite reminiscent of a 3D artistic rendering of an urban environment.

Except that its real life.

My focus changes to the old man before me. This man is unmistakably ancient, and after his eyes shined into the sky, his clothes tore before my eyes, revealing the most ripped old man body I’ve ever seen.

Naked. But that’s not the craziest part.

Like how one would describe sound waves, I can now see and hear the air pulse in time with this heartbeat. The surrounding dirt forms waves centered on his position, rolling like they’ve been turned into liquid. As the waves reach my position, I can feel my entire being shaken in time with this.

Each roll of the air and dirt sends one message. That this is his space.

Strangely enough, this is unlike the spiritual pressure I had experienced from Senior Song. This hits on a different wavelength. From what I can tell, it weighs on the soul more than the body.

A normal person would be either dead or coughing blood right now.

And this is definitely unintentional, as there is no intent felt within the waves.

This is actually a great lesson, as it shows that I can still feel intent, even without cultivation. That will mean that others might be able to as well.

I’m wary for quite a while, my eyes locked onto the old man. But nothing happens, and I become used to the situation.

Keeping my scan on him, I change my eyes to the surrounding area. The edges of this contained area display the marks of an array, lined with countless markings and symbols of unknown meaning shining in blueish gray light.

My body turns naturally, to take a closer look and I’m tempted to use the scan to decipher these, but as soon as I moved a change occurs that brings my attention fully onto the man.

He’s looking at me.

I’m not sure when he arrived, but it’s like he has been this whole time. His piercing grey eyes and furrowed brows cause shivers to roll down my bag.

His piercing grey eyes and furrowed brow send waves of anxiety rolling down my back.

It makes me freeze in place and then dip my head low.

I’m not normally one to bow my head to others, but I feel that this is one situation I shouldn’t test.

I hear a humph from him.

He visibly looks around and his eyes sharpen. He’s looking for someone. I can sense his intent wash over this area.

It then focuses back on me.

“Boy.”

I feel a hit of nostalgia, whiplash, and also irritation from this term of address, as they said similarly it to a character from a game.

The irritation comes from the connotations it had for my people. This quickly dies down, as it clearly isn’t meant like that in this world.

I quickly raise my head to meet his eyes.

“How did you restore my cultivation?”

His voice, deep and sharp, comes out directly.

I can’t help but freeze in place.

Ah. I should have known they would ask this.

I have no idea how to answer this one.

I can hear him breath out, and I turn my head up to meet his again.

“My apologies. That is rude to ask of the person who saved me, regardless of your lack of cultivation. All that matters is that it was done.”

He turns to the side, but his eyes have never left me. Showing that he still really wants to know.

However, I take the opportunity like a thirsty man at a lake.

I say nothing.

He waits for a bit before posing another question.

“Why did you help me?”

He seems to be the straightforward type.

From what I can tell, he is still around Nascent soul. However, he’s not using his power to pull the answers from me. Whether it’s out of wariness or his normal personality, I don’t know.

I answer him soon after.

“I… I saw you were suffering and thought I could help.”

Even without using their spiritual sense, they can tell if a non-cultivator is lying. Their senses have been increased to that point. I have no chance of hiding it.

What I said was the truth, but my body will probably show that I am still anxious and holding things back.

His face is the picture of suspicion, but soon changes to one of confusion.

The hairs on my neck rise, as I can feel even the air shiver with tension.

“… You do know who I am, right?”

I quickly shake my head.

He stares.

And stares some more.

Then blinks, before covering his face.

And he begins to shake.

Suddenly, the space is filled with his laughter. Ground rolls in time with every bark. Where the intent I could feel was originally of suspicion, it now has changed to one of giant booming sounds of mirth.

He even starts coughing from how hard he laughs.

It takes quite a long time before it settles down.

For my part, I stay still and as quiet as possible. While I’m not feeling anxious anymore, I am still on guard. Even with such a change in atmosphere, I don’t let my guard down.

Every action of his screams of his power.

The little knowledge I have of Nascent Souls is that they are typically hidden masters, hiding away the fact they have such power or are overbearing in their strength, flaunting it in every situation. In contrast, this guy is neither hiding it nor flaunting it. It naturally rolls off his body.

It’s part of the reason that I’m able to stand without any trouble in his presence. He’s not doing anything with his pressure. It’s just there and uniform.

And regardless of the amount of power he shows, I’ve learned my lesson. At any moment, this could turn south. And while I would have no chance, I would still like to attempt to put up a fight.

He obviously senses this, as even with my relaxed stance and use of my scan to make me appear normal, my body still gives off scents, revealing my intent.

I hear the laughter die down and a long sigh emerge from him.

“I’m not going to forget favors and violate justice. You need not be wary of me.”

He looks off into the distance, like a protagonist. It actually looks majestic.

And then he snickers again.

“I bet those fucking bastards never thought I’d only be sealed for 2000 years and someone would actually have my cultivation restored afterwards.”

He tilts his head back in perverse happiness.

“Ahhhhh, it feels good.”

And then he turns to me.

“I can’t tell you my name, as you are much too weak to handle that burden. However, I can do a few things for you, as what you’ve done is more significant than you know.”

!!!

Maybe this is why it sent me to him? Perhaps I don’t need to join the sect and go through all those headaches. If I can set him as my master, I could learn direc…

It’s like he reads my mind, as he directly combats that thought.

“Ah, but I can’t be anyone’s master. I have too much to do to take on a disciple. Regardless of their talent and skill.”

I feel crestfallen, but he continues with something that sets off warning bells and major red flags.

“Not only that, but you’d likely be targeted within the hour, from whatever I could provide you.”

… Why did that give off the feeling that he’s the bad guy?

Almost as if confirming my fears, he says something else.

“Hmm… I might need to hurry with this, as dusting this country will take longer if those old farts catch wind of me.”

He says it like he’s talking about the weather or picking up the mail.

The countless people I’ve met flash through my mind. The people I care about.

Even a simpleton knows it is dangerous to make requests to Nascent Soul cultivators that goes against their interests.

But if I don’t…

I need to try.

“Would you… be able to spare this country?”

It feels like time stops for a moment, as his eyes, which were elsewhere, seem to have a newfound pressure on me. A tinge of anger is felt in his squinted gaze.

“You ask me to forgo my revenge?”

He speaks softly, but it rings like a gong.

It’s not the same as the physical pressure that came from Senior Song. This one is like a test. Weighing my commitment.

If I say yes to this, I’m dead. There’s no doubt in my mind.

I need to use my scan.

I change all of my scanning, including the ones that I placed for my tames onto this specific conversation. Even my defensive ones fall away, as I redirect everything to this specific type of scan.

Defense means nothing in the face of this much strength. Only negotiating.

With the amount of power I orient to it, my scan guides me to the best of my ability. Starting with a strong statement and a deep bow.

“No, I would never do that!”

And then silence. I don’t dare move, even a centimeter, as the slightest disrespect could lead me to doom.

The tension remains in the air as the threat of death lingers.

It is only until that abates, do I continue speaking.

“Forgive my impertinent request, but I only hope for you to limit your revenge to those who directly caused this. I have many people here that I deeply cherish.”

The air shifts and I hear a loud crack from his jaw, caused by the clenching of teeth. A long breath exhales from him.

“That is your request?”

I manage to bow even deeper.

“It is.”

He shifts his weight and the pressure from before is removed.

I do not move. My scan tells me it is not yet time. I hold it, as he is appearing to think.

“Okay. I grant this request. Though, you know not what you have asked for and what I’ve just given you, or you would not have requested it.”

He pauses and says nothing else.

A minute later and my scan lets me know it is safe to raise my head. As I do so, I see him still watching me.

The situation seems more stable now, and he appears to have mentally moved on. I can sense the change in the air. He’s in a good mood again.

I slowly change my scans back to normal, as I await his next words. They come faster than I anticipated.

“I shall give you one other thing. It will depend on your own ability whether you are able to make use of it. At the very least, no one will be able to tell from it that you had any connection to me.”

His hand opens and closes. His fingers alternate in different patterns as he does so. On the fifth open of his hand, a small book appears.

I can feel the excitement mount in my heart.

This is it!

However, the words on it are blurred and undecipherable, as if it had a censor placed on it. I set my scan to automatically work on translating it.

Surprisingly, it is decoding comparatively slowly to any other written language I’ve seen. It’s becoming clearer and clearer, as if it is being enhanced and sharpened.

He continues, unknowing of my effort.

“You will likely need some time to study it, as it came from a dimension that I had to fight out of. If you can do so, I’m sure it will bring dividends. All I could discern is that only certain people can grow to understand it.”

He shakes his head, while the translation gets faster, the more scan I pour into it.

“If we had more time, I’d let you study it in…”

He doesn’t finish his statement, as the world explodes into a world of color, once the cover of the book became clear to me.

It has only one word on it.

Cultivation.

Particles surge toward me from the book and I’m thrust into a world of darkness, yet again.