“How often does that happen?” I asked after we made some distance away from the three motherfuckers

  “Not often actually. It practically stops after the second sister killed their previous eldest brother.” Qingfeng answers matter of factly

  I observe first before continuing this line of conversation. There’s at least some form of discomfort when talking about the second sister which I haven’t met yet. Also, is killing allowed here? Or is it an accident? Hopefully not the former.

  “Second sister being your second disciple right? Do I need to meet her?” I try to probe the old man who silent for a while, thinking on how to answer this

  “I think it's better if you don’t meet her often.” The old man finally answers after an uncomfortable silence

  Which is surprising to me. He looks like he has a very good relationship with Zhaoxia and Qingfeng. What then could make him not want me to meet her often? Is she more nuts than the rest? Possibly. I made a telepathy link to Qingfeng.

  “No need to ask him, I will tell you everything once we get back.” The old man interrupts

  “Ok.” Seems like he already expect me to ask Qingfeng

  In the long walk back to our peak, I keep trying to take in my surroundings. As we left the central platform between the five peaks, only then did I notice that the place is quite peaceful. No sound of cars, of electronics, and the rest. Just the sound of our footsteps, the wind, and fresh air. Felt like my last camping trip in high school, but no random trash strewn about.

  “Hey hey, when I heard you said that your world has a different culture, what else other than that? Sounds like you came from a quite exciting place.” Qingfeng breaks the silence and asks

  “Other than what?” The old man asks, also interested

  “It’s after Elder Tianjiao taught Danxing how to properly offer greetings. Apparently he never did so.” Qingfeng adds, somewhat excitedly

  “Yea, we never do that cupping hands and bowing. If we greet each other by handshake.” Qingfeng already offered his hands and I shake it

  “Then how do you differentiate the greetings to someone from higher positions?” The old man continues

  “There isn’t. At least in America, my country.” Then I repeat what I told to Qingfeng to the old man about the kneeling and such

  The old man just hummed but I caught a very brief disappointment. Was he expecting me to do the kowtow thing? I know I am thankful for all he has done to me when he technically has no reason to. But hell no. Not unless I don’t have another choice.

  “So then, what else other than that?” Qingfeng asks again

  To this I fold my arms. Thinking on how exactly to explain civilization on earth looks like. It surely must feel like explaining a fantasy world to them. Then again, I am in a fantasy world myself, I’m just somewhat desensitized I guess. From all the latest VR games I manage to pirate. Let’s see.

  ‘Danxing, it would be better if you did not say that you come from a mortal civilization.’ The old man suddenly tell me through telepathy

  I tilt my head. Why, though? Maybe because of the expectations? Or because coming from mortal civilization is looked down upon in general? Or maybe some other thing? Sure then. It’s not like advanced technology will be much different than magic if advanced enough.

  “Hmmm, we are the people of the sun.” I start with that

  “So your people or nation cultivate sun techniques?” Qingfeng asks

  “Nononono. We turn rocks into suns.” I use the very simple explanation for nuclear power

  “For… cultivation?” He asks again, somewhat uncertain

  “Nononono. So that we can throw them at each other in wars. But mostly to power cities and such. We don’t need any more lanterns, candles, and fire based lighting. Then to power various household appliances and so on. But mostly for war.” I elaborate

  “Then, how do you cultivate?” He asks again, his earlier enthusiasm have died down somewhat. He’s going to keep asking this isn’t it?

  “We almost purely focus on artificing. So maybe there’s a way for that that I don’t know of. We can put suns in boxes, surely someone has figured out something.” I technically did not lie! But damn, it's quite a punch when a guy from a fantasy world considered my homeworld boring without this one specific aspect.

  “Hmmm. That’s a more reasonable explanation.” Even the old man butts in. Maybe he also can’t reconcile the fact that there is no cultivation on earth when I briefly explain to him where I’m from.

  “I see. Master also said that you don’t know anything about this.” Qingfeng then adds with a nod

  Well they bought it. No refunds.

  “So your people are focused entirely on something like forging and craftsmanship?” His earlier enthusiasm returns

  “Something like that. But currently we spend our entire focus on space, the void from what the old man calls it. We make void ships, we get to Mars, the nearest world of ours and begin settling there. But the most ambitious project currently active is the Sun Rings.”

  “The what?”

  I decided that it will be faster to just show them how a Dyson Swarm works. I once again opened the book and followed the instructions of the Celestial Projection. In my open hand, I then project a miniature sun. Remembering all I have learned about the sun and pushing it towards the projection. At first it was just a small fireball. Then to my surprise, the hand sized sun began to emit light and heat, then suddenly blinding in light, so much so that I needed to force it down. Goddamn. The book did say that the more lifelike and the more knowledge, the illusion can become more and more real. I tone the heat down to more like a stove and the light no brighter than 10 watt lamp.

  But the damage is already done. In the second that the miniature sun emits its heat and light, all the surroundings of around a hundred meters or so have been incinerated. The damage meanwhile is only on the steps and the surrounding terrains. The heat conveniently does not affect me and anything behind my body. Is it a perk of the illusion or am I unconsciously doing this. But now I am surrounded by molten rocks and the old man and Qingfeng are nowhere in sight. Then I felt a chill on my back.

  “I can explain.” I turn back

  Then a vertical chop is what I get from the old man, the pain blinds everything for a second. Fading slowly into dull pain. Eyes and ears reorient slowly. The chop, buries me until only the shoulder and above like a hammer to a nail. I looked up, and the old man, while his expression does not change, is clearly pissed. Qingfeng wrapped under his arm like a bag of sand, still rubbing his eyes. Fuck! I did not accidentally blind him him right? Then I saw various lines of Telepathy from the old man towards the central platform and other peaks, all the while his eyes were still locked to mine.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Let’s not use any more spells without supervision.” The Old man said once all the private conversations are over

  “Of course.” Fortunately for me, his anger gradually fades

  I lifted both of my arms, like a child asking for uppies. He took one of my arms and easily lifted me up. Then he swiftly flies back to the Healer’s peak.

  “Is it fine to leave it like that?” I saw the full extent of my miniature sun, the rocks molten and even farther incinerated. Also the part that is covered by my body remains intact. It's more like how a guy tanked a bomb like in those comic books.

  “It’s not the first time it has happened.” Qingfeng said then laughs

  I’m not surprised anymore.

  —

  The old man landed in the courtyard. The one where I take his drug and the rest happens. I see that Qingfeng is no longer rubbing his eyes. So I wave my hand in front of his eyes.

  “Your eyes alright now?”

  “Yes.”

  “Quick, how many fingers do I raise?” I raised two fingers

  “Four.”

  At his answer, I looked at the old man with concern. But the old man just looked away and went to sit on the pair of chairs on the porch. I point at Qingfeng, not knowing what to say. Surely there’s some magic boogaloo that can heal eyes right? This is the healer’s peak right? Then I looked back at Qingfeng, grinning ear to ear. I looked at the old man who nodded. Then I raised my fingers, Qingfeng immediately leapt back and covered his eyes as soon as I summoned another sun. This time, I already know the proper output. I grin back at him, but due to my lack of facial features and muscle, it thinks it just looks like a deer skull opening its jaw wide. Then I went to the old man. Leaving Qingfeng pointing and scandalized.

  “What you waiting for? Don’t you want to see the sun ring?” I said as I sat look at the chair beside the old man, clearly not my size, so I sit cross legged on the floor beside him

  Qingfeng comes then, to which I show him and the old man the current state of my sun. Countless solar mirrors, like small shining stars, form three dyson swarm rings surrounding the sun in three different orbits. Then I point at the ring at the highest orbit which makes it the largest one.

  “This one here belongs to America. My Country, the best in the world. Well, most of the ring anyway. At least a third belong to the Roman Empire, our long standing allies.” I declare with pride

  “How about this one?’” Qingfeng points at the second largest

  “That belongs to the Soviet Union and China. While the smallest one belongs to Europe and the rest of the smaller nations, also some parts belong to Rome.” I answer as I try to remember Dyson Swarm report

  Then I remember the not so good parts. These rings only solve power but nothing else. An amazing achievement yes, but gives no peace as advertised. Hell, we even embargo the entire South America of anything space related and in the process of annexing it. The communist keep winning elections in China against the conservative, backed by the Soviet no doubt. While Rome as usual, dipping their fingers in everything and preparing for war. While the rest of the world brace for the end.

  “Woah.” I smiled at Qingfeng’s reaction

  It is always the reaction of the kids when learning about this. Before the realization that the world can end anytime as soon as anyone on a spaceship decided to pull a trigger.

  “Qingfeng, go help Zhaoxia prepare.” The old man then said after letting him watch in awe, though I can see that he is also somewhat impressed

  Qingfeng bowed and left, leaving only both of us. I turned off the projection and looked at the old man beside me. He just looked forward, as if thinking on what to say.

  “Is this the part where you tell me that I cannot do this cultivation thingy? Or the history of the surname Xuan?” I immediately asks

  “Are you always this impatient?” The old man holds back a sigh and asks

  “Sorry.” Yea, I keep hearing from old men that our attention span and patience suck

  “Don’t do that next time. Enjoy the silence, it helps you think.” He lectures me with a sigh

  “So, how much did you hear”

  “Only that the Hall Master said that I cannot cultivate and nothing more. Is she correct then?”

  “Yes. and no.” He answers

  “How does that work?”

  “Fire, water, earth, metal, wood. All living beings have all these five spiritual roots inside them. One is able to cultivate when one or more spiritual roots are above regular mortal standards. Cultivation manual therefore, while focused towards specific spiritual roots, works on the assumption that the other spiritual roots still exist. You however, did not have water and wood spiritual roots at all. Making you unable to cultivate technically all manuals.” The old man began explaining

  “And then?”

  “Normal cultivation won't work. Even regular Body Tempering methods won’t work. This leaves demonic cultivation or the Arhat path.”

  “What’s the difference? Nevermind, I definitely won’t do the former. What’s the Arhat path?”

  “It is a cultivation path that depends entirely on your personal enlightenment, wisdom, detachment, and moral virtue. This path cannot be helped with pills and cultivation methods, making it significantly slower than normal cultivation as progress depends entirely on your own enlightenment. Which made it called the poor man’s path, however it gives one advantage above all else, ascension to the next stage of cultivation using this path does not invite heavenly tribulation.” The old man continues the lecture

  I nod along. Noting the method and its advantages and disadvantages. However,

  “It would seem like you have decided a way for me. What then, if I decided not to do this cultivation?” I dare myself to ask

  Immediately the old man’s mood darkens. Even the sky darkens, a spiral of storm gathers as if it reflect the old man’s temper

  “I will give you a chance to explain yourself.” The old man speak, bereft of his usual warmth

  “It is clear to me that this cultivation is some sort of an effort to attain immortality. However, it did not exactly fit my faith. In Christianity, we believe it is best to live a good life. It's normal to want to live longer, yes, but immortality seems a bit too far. Not directly against it mind you, it's just that in our faith, when we die, our soul will be called to face God. To face judgement and such. But that’s not why I am really against it. It’s just that, if my faith is true, then maybe, it's the only way for me to go home.” I explains the gist of Christian faith

  “If your faith is true” He asks somewhat confused

  “Well, if records are to be believed, our God’s last appearance is more than 2000 years ago and our scripture said that he will only return at the end of days.”

  “I don’t see why this is an issue.” The old man’s temper slowly fades in added confusion

  “Well, this is a sect right? So there must be a belief in something right? Unless- oh.” I pause my sentence and put a fist on my mouth

  “What? Finish your words.” The old man demands

  “So I don’t need to convert?” I ask the root of all this problem

  “No, there’s many interpretations of the Heavenly Dao.” The old man confirms that this is some kind of pluralistic belief

  “Well that’s alright then. Sorry.”

  The old man took a deep breath, both arms raised a bit forward, fists clenching. Holding back his temper and the temptation of lashing out. Then he breathed out through his mouth.

  “So? Will you cultivate? I ask this for your own best interest. When one has taken a step in cultivation, it is impossible to stop and various misfortunes may follow.” He asks again in calm and warm manner

  “I can only promise that I will try. To be honest, this can be considered a progress of the Hegelian Dialectic.” I said somewhat impressed by my own words, never thought what I learned in university might be used here

  “What is that?”

  “It’s a philosophical framework about the evolution of an idea. The initial idea, being me, was not exactly enthused about this cultivation. Then the conflict, as you say, once one starts this cultivation, you can’t exactly stop. Whatever that means. Both will clash and result in a synthesis of a new idea. Something like that.” The old man hums at my explanation

  “I think you may find that the result has happened multiple times and differs depending on multiple factors. But you are the reverse of a normal cultivator’s initial idea. As for the meaning that you can’t exactly stop, you will learn. You will learn.” He takes the idea quickly and emphasises the last three words

  “Well, for now, I can only surmise that I will try to see how far I can go.”

  “That will suffice. But you will need a much stronger foothold than that the further you go.” He then stands and I followed

  “Now come.”

  “We are not gonna talk about the Xuan?”

  “Let’s keep to one discussion per day. I might hit you for real if you say something thoughtless again.”

  “Fine by me. Where are we going?”

  “Your house.”

  …

  Huh?

  My fucking what!?