The territory of the Illusion sect was even better developed than the Valley of Fallen Blossom's sect. One could see the level of the sect based on the technological progress their territory had. The city under the administration of the Illusion sect was flourishing and was twice larger. And grander!

Herman and Feng Qian walked among the bustling crowds as people kept talking about an ongoing festival. Judging by the time and realizing that he didn't even get the chance to take a look at a calendar, he realized that it must be the Spring festival that these people were celebrating.

"It's quite unfortunate... If I would've been already ascended there would've been an event based on this festival. Usually, the type of event that rewards Servant Tokens."

Turning around and seeing the smiling sect master that was taking in the surroundings with much happiness, Herman realized just how busy she must've been recently and in the past decades. Having to build her sect from scratch and then the administration of her territory while dealing with monster attacks and evil cultivators kidnapping youngsters with high potential, she probably didn't even have time for a relaxing walk.

Smiling and realizing how much she was sacrificing for her future and this time, his, he boldly grabbed her hand. After flinching for a second, Feng Qian's body stiffened.

"Loosen up sect master! We have enough time and you look like you could use some relaxation."

[...](Feng Qian)

Seeing her shocked expression still, Herman didn't bother relaxing his grip on her hand and instead interlocked fingers. Seeing the mighty Feng Qian receiving the old 404 error, he could barely stop himself from laughing at her.

Remembering how she was the Nascent Soul realm cultivator among the two of them, he kept mum and dragged her around the entire festival grounds. Such celebrations in the Immortal World had everything and more.

Three hours later, the two of them were casually talking and laughing at kids losing at cultivation-based games. Going the extra corny mile, Herman participated in one of the said contests and won a plushie that he presented it to the sect master. He had no romantic interest in her and she was aware of it as well, it's just that... these three hours were by far the best time she had since she broke through the Nascent Soul realm.

[Thank you for the reminder, Herman.](Feng Qian)

"What reminder, miss Qian?"

[That there's more to life than just endless cultivation. There's no point in being immortal, if you are unable to enjoy the pleasantries of life.](Feng Qian)

"I would like to take credit for that realization, however, I simply wanted to enjoy the company of a beauty such as yourself."

[If you say so... Come on, philanderer! We don't want to be late for our meeting with uncle Pu.](Feng Qian)

"Is that sect master Chun Pu you're talking about?"

[Yup. I've known him since I was little and he helped a lot after I established my own sect. I only had a dream and no experience and he guided me through it. Thanks to him, we managed to weather some really bad situations.](Feng Qian)

After entering through the gates of the Illusion sect, he was reminded why it held that name. It felt like passing through a thin film, or a soap bubble, and once on the other side all he could see were floating islands, similar to the ones in his Dwelling, except more luxurious and imposing.

[Little Qian, you're here!](Chun Pu)

[Uncle Pu! Sorry if we're late. We stopped to enjoy the festival. I really need to borrow your organizer for my next festival.](Feng Qian)

[So, this is the guy you've wanted to introduce to us? Young man, my name is Chun Pu.](Chun Pu)

"An honor to meet you sect master Pu. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."

[You got little girl Qian to thank for that, not me. I have a soft spot for her. Come, let's go inside!](Chun Pu)

Both guests followed the sect master inside the biggest building, where four others were waiting for them. There were three men and a young woman around a table in the far corner of the room, while in the middle there was an arena-type ring surrounded by many types of weapons.

[Little Qian, you remember everyone. Everyone, this is Herman Roy, the person little Qian wanted us to meet.](Chun Pu)

[Uncle Pu!!! *Ahem* Sect master Pu, please conduct yourself accordingly!](Feng Qian)

[Come on Qian! We grew up together. You know everyone in this room for hundreds of years. Maybe not little Yan, but you do everyone else.](?)

[Ziyu, are you itching for a beating?](Feng Qian)

[Hehe! If you are still capable...](Zhang Ziyu)

[Okay, okay. Enough from both of you. You are acting unbecoming of your status. Sect master Qian, it's a pleasure to see you again. I hope you've been well.](?)

[You too, big brother Xuan!](Feng Qian)

[Huh!? How come you call him big brother and not me!?](Zhang Ziyu)

[Because, unlike me, you can barely hold a candle to sect master Qian.](Yu Xuan)

[Funny to see you three as lively as ever...](?)

[Big brother Yinjie! Sorry for not seeing you guys in a while. I have been buried in paperwork and administration for a while now...](Feng Qian)

[Not exactly what you were expecting Qian, is it? For the little brat that was adventurous enough to sneak in old man's Pu room and steal his most beloved wine, thinking how much responsibility is on your shoulders now...](Hu Yinjie)

[...](Feng Qian)

Seeing the bitter smile on her face, the elder Hu Yinjie seemed to have realized something which prompted him to look at Herman with a curious look on his face. The only two quiet people in the room after sect master Pu joined the conversation as well, were Herman and the young lady looking curiously at him.

He somehow realized that among the five people that held administration positions in the sect, this young lady might be the only one he could form a companionship relation with. The others were worth a shot, but it would be a futile and shallow relationship due to their respect and connections with Feng Qian. He would always be the third party in their bond.

The young lady Yan, as named by the Custodian Ziyu, seemed to have something special about her. Unknowing to the two youngsters exchanging looks, the other five continued their own conversations while keeping an eye on how things progressed.

Herman himself wasn't surprised when the System announced a chance at companionship with her.

Congratulations!

Cultivator Yu Yan has recognized you as a possible companion!

Warning!

Cultivator Yu Yan requires proof of your strength before agreeing to a conversation.

Seeing the lady get up from her chair and heading towards the arena in the middle of the room, the five executives stopped their chatter and smiled at the scene. They all knew of how competitive this young lady was and once sect master Pu passed onto her the words of Feng Qian, she grew both interested and competitive.

Young geniuses wanted nothing more than other geniuses they could compete with. Such was their nature.

Herman didn't tarry either and started walking at the same time as she did while maintaining eye contact. Everyone watching couldn't help but click their tongues at how dramatic these two were, one walking from a point of the room and the other from the opposite side, only to meet in the middle and fight.

[*Chuckle* It's good to be young.](Chun Pu)

[And reckless. Sis Qian mentioned that the boy is only at the Qi Gathering realm, right? Even if only recently, little Yan already broke into the Nascent Soul realm. She's a prodigy, no doubt! The boy is kind of arrogant in thinking he can actually spar with her.](Zhang Ziyu)

[Hmm... I wonder about that.](Feng Qian)

[Come on sis! It's good that you're confident in his skills and I can see that you hope he does well in the race so that you can follow him. We all know how much you would like that. But let's be realistic here. You really think he can fight four realms above and hold his own against a prodigy such as yourself?](Zhang Ziyu)

[I guess we're about to see.](Feng Qian)

[???](Zhang Ziyu)

Just like the Custodian of the Illusion sect, the other three were similarly interested in the prowess of this young man. They all heard how he found even with an avatar that had early Golden Core strength, however, that sort of avatar is weak, and almost any regular genius could replicate that action.

They didn't understand the reason behind Feng Qian's blind optimism.

[Oh, right. I almost forgot. He just broke through and he's at Foundation II now...](Feng Qian)

[What!?](Zhang Ziyu)

[Little Qian, didn't he enter the world of cultivation barely three weeks ago?](Chun Pu)

[Something like that. He was actually able to perform a cultivation covenant with Yi Xuan and then about two weeks later, another one with little Yue. Both are Nascent Soul cultivators, even if at different realms.](Feng Qian)

[Interesting. Little sis, do you think he might have a special constitution that allows him to do that with no damage to his meridians? Even if it's many realms higher than his own?](Hu Yinjie)

[Honestly... I don't know. He did say that due to the damage he took, his cultivation efficiency was dropped by a half and it would be a month before he can attempt something like that again.](Feng Qian)

[...that's still ridiculous no matter how you look at it. But if he does have a constitution that allows him to do that, imagine what results dual cultivation would have. Hmm... Little sis, are you interested in him? Do you want big brother to act as a matchmaker?](Hu Yinjie)

[Pfft! As if she would need your help.](Zhang Ziyu)

While the five of them were laughing, the remaining two made it into the small arena. There were no words spoken between them, as each ran their hands over the weapons present. Seeing the girl pick up a lance and then exchanging it for a spear, Herman fell in a temporary daze.

Remembering his past life and how much he relied on his spear to carve a path for himself and those that mattered to him, he extended his right and emitted a mixture of Spiritual Qi and Primordial Qi. Under the effect of the ripples he caused, the weapons on the racks began trembling themselves, issuing almost humane cries.

[Oh wow... Isn't that weapon resonance? This brat knows how to do that!?](Zhang Ziyu)

[Releasing pure Qi and allowing the weapon to select the user... But why does it look to me as if every weapon already made that choice? You know what, little Qian? I think both you and your fellow ladies made an excellent choice.](Chun Pu)

[I am starting to believe the same thing uncle Pu...](Feng Qian)

[Heh! 'Uncle' Pu, huh?](Zhang Ziyu)

[Shove it!](Feng Qian)

While the bickering continued for the spectators, Yu Yan was watching Herman's demonstration with much curiosity. He heard of this phenomenon before, but it was the first time actually seeing it. To receive the acknowledgment of a weapon was not an easy thing, but this man that was much younger and much weaker than she was, already received it from all the weapons present, the one in her hand included.

Receiving a weapon's acknowledgment meant that he could appeal to the spiritual part of the casted metal and influence it with his soul. To do that, he had to have sufficient experience in handling weapons before. And just one or two wouldn't do...

"Come over."

Saying that in a gentle, almost whispered tone, a medium length spear flew across the room and snuggled in his hands. Seeing the weapon's actions, Yu Yan failed to contain her surprise.

Seeing how he managed to impress the girl and probably everyone in the room, Herman couldn't help but reminisce about when he saw this technique for the first time. It was actually D00R who showed it to him.

"That foolish bastard was loved by everyone and everything. Weapons included. If we're up to this point, I might as well use that flashy technique..."

Not wanting to wait any longer, Yu Yan moved into an attacking stance and waited for Herman to do the same. To her surprise, he didn't. He was just standing there, while the spear appeared to be pulsating, distracting the young lady.

Paying it no mind and deciding not to hold back, she moved at a speed almost imperceptible to Herman and directed the attack at his left shoulder. The blunt spearhead was close to touching his clothes before another spearhead moved it to intercept it.

[Oh!? His initial acceleration is that fast? His attributes must be quite good.](Zhang Ziyu)

[Not just that. His control of Primordial Qi is close to perfection. The way his body moved before the weapon was adjusted through Primordial Qi. Otherwise, his muscle fiber would've snapped.](Chun Pu)

[I'm just curious about how he blocked it though. Like usual little Yan doesn't know how to hold back, but he didn't move even one single step back.](Zhang Ziyu)

There wasn't a person more surprised by this than Yu Yan. She tried to attack again, but the previous strike messed up her balance and Herman didn't plan to give her another chance. The technique he learned from D00R was a simple one based on observation and anticipated reaction. It only works against noobs since a veteran fighter wouldn't give away cues such as eye movement, shoulder movement, or even the foot that steps first when attacking.

As for Yu Yan... she had given away plenty of those cues, enough for Herman to have only one thing to do: time his parry. As soon as that was done, he loosened the grip on the spear and pushed the but it towards the enemy's hand. Since Yu Yan's arm was still extended, he managed to sneak-in the end of the spear inside her palm and detonate a small amount of Primordial Qi, forcing her to drop the weapon to the ground.

With another sharp movement, the spearhead of Herman's wooden practice weapon was placed at her neck, drawing attention to her beautiful pale-complexion skin.

Withdrawing his spear, he bowed to the opponent and received a bow back, after which a round of applause ensued.

"My name is Herman Roy. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance miss."

[The pleasure is mine, mister Herman. My name is Yu Yan.](Yu Yan)

"Miss Yue, did you hear the reason behind me coming to your sect to meet you and spar with you?"

[It should be the race for Heavens. How certain are you?](Yu Yan)

"Very."

[In that case, I look forward to getting better acquainted with you in the future, mister Herman.](Yu Yan)

"Likewise, miss Yan."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Following the same pattern, Herman and Feng Qian visited the remaining sects one after another, allowing him to find another four possible companions. The only sect they didn't visit just yet, for obvious reasons, was the Altar of Heaven and Earth.

He did have plans to visit it nevertheless...

[You guys are finally back! You know how grumpy sis Xuan was because you didn't take her with you!? She made my life a living hell...](Wu Xinyan)

[XINYAN!!!](Yi Xuan)

[Ugh... I meant! Welcome back! I need to... go do something!](Wu Xinyan)

[You...](Yi Xuan)

"Don't worry miss Xuan. I have one more visit to make that would require all the help I can get. If you don't mind, of course."

[Hmm? Do you plan to go to the Altar sect? That might not be a good idea.](Feng Qian)

[Hmpf! You'll be dead not even five minutes after walking through their front gates.](Yi Xuan)

"And that's why I need all the help I can get."

[And die with you? Do you think I was hit in the head by a donkey?](Yi Xuan)

"Don't tell me you are afraid of an elder that even I can defeat."

[You don't need to coax me in joining you. I won't! There's no point in doing so and I don't plan on entertaining such futile and dangerous endeavors.](Yi Xuan)

"What if I told you that there would be a good show to watch and you would certainly hate to miss it?"

[Again with this petty attempt to convince me.](Yi Xuan)

"Then, what if I told you that both Tianxia Xue and Xu Wen'an will be joining me. Celeste might come as well to watch the show..."

[What? Big sis Celeste will?](Yi Xuan)

"..."

At this point, Herman wasn't even surprised anymore. The impact of having Celeste around was so big, that he started to feel slightly unimportant. And then again, if she was the swinging voice he needed, then he would gladly have her by his side at all times. Who knows? Maybe he could even convince her to join him as a companion...

"Well... one can only dream."

[Herman! You're back! Thank the Heavens! If you wouldn't have returned today, I would've made a move myself.](Tianxia Xue)

"Why? What happened?"

[Those bastards made a move first. They are speeding things along. I think they plan to attack your sect after the 'ceremony' tonight.](Tianxia Xue)

[What? Do they plan to attack my Fallen Blossoms sect? Why? Just because we kicked them out of a meeting?](Feng Qian)

"Something tells me that this was their plan all along. See, miss Xuan? I told you that it would be interesting."