Wu Ying smiled in agreement, recalling the additional information Ru Ping had imparted to him. The flower had been first located over a decade ago. Soon after, Elder Li had traveled to the clearing to verify the find and ascertain when the kurinji would next blossom. Ever since then, this expedition had been in the making, though quietly. After all, no one in the sect wanted another cultivator or sect to learn of this fortuitous encounter.
“Congratulations on your breakthrough,” Wu Ying said to Li Yao. “It was good timing.”
“It was, wasn’t it?” Li Yao said with a smirk.
“You’re at Energy Storage 4?” Wu Ying said, recalling previous conversations.
“Yes! I’m much stronger now.”
“Of course you are,” Tou He said.
That should be obvious. A single increase in cultivation at the higher levels saw a significant increase in fighting strength, unlike when one was at Body Cleansing.
“What? You don’t believe me? Come, I’ll let you taste my stick!” Li Yao said, pulling her quarterstaff off her shoulder and shaking it at Tou He.
Her words made the group cough and look away, with Li Yao growing increasingly crabby as the group declined to fight her.
“Thank you all for coming,” Elder Li’s voice cut through the chatter, drawing everyone’s attention to the Elders.
Wu Ying was surprised to note a new Elder had joined them, one clad in the Elder’s traditional black robes but with a much more ornate headdress. Similar to the ones worn by the Hall Masters, but with gold and green trimmings.
“Elder Kim will be seeing us off and blessing this journey. Please.” At her last words, Elder Li gestured to the group.
The group, except for the Elders, dropped to their knees. Elder Kim pulled a small bamboo whisk from his storage ring, an urn of blessed water in his other hand. As Elder Kim walked around the group, he chanted, the words esoteric and confusing, a melodic susurration that enveloped and held the group still, its melody resonating with the Dao of the universe and drawing in chi from the surroundings. Each spray of water offered benediction and cleansing as chi wrapped around the expedition’s members’ bodies. As chi cloaked Wu Ying like water, it merged with his flesh, bones, and meridians.
Seconds turned into minutes, the power seeping into their bodies. When Elder Kim finished, he was back at the head of the group. Elder Li gestured, and the sect members stood. Wu Ying silently assessed himself, feeling the blessing that lay in his bones, the traces of heavenly chi that tilted luck in his favor. It was not much, a sliver of silver in his favor against the weights of fate. Then again, so much of this world existed and changed because of the smallest of things.
“Thank you, Elder Kim,” Elder Li said.
A chorus of thanks erupted from the group before Elder Wei gestured and the group took off down the hill. As Wu Ying joined the run, Xi Qi caught Wu Ying’s gaze. The gatekeeper flashed him a quick smile and nod, offering his own silent blessing before the pace of the expedition took them away.
They travelled down the mountain and around it, taking the first main branching road. The expedition could have left via another exit and cut their journey short by a few hours, but Elder Kim had recommended they leave by the main gate. It did not matter, not really, to the group of cultivators. Once they took the branch, the group sped up, easily outpacing the movements of any low-level cultivator. There were no horses this time—the creatures were too easily scared off by the monsters in the spirit lands. Better to move on sure feet.
As one of the lowest-level cultivators in the group, Wu Ying found himself running at nearly full speed to keep up with the light jaunt of the others. Clad in the light armor he had purchased for this trip, he found the increased weight mildly frustrating, the restrictions on his movement more so.
Once again, Wu Ying mentally cursed the fact that he knew no qinggong skills. Idly, Wu Ying wondered if the bracer he carried could perhaps be adjusted, even transformed, to store and expand chi to allow him to run lighter. An idle thought, since if it was possible, it would have to be done by a celestial designer and enchanter. And Wu Ying could not afford either.
All Wu Ying could do was run and cultivate, drawing in the chi from the surroundings to help refresh his body as he jogged behind the group. Beside Wu Ying, Tou He ran effortlessly, matching his friend’s pace as he looked about with a half-smile. Behind, a pair of porters, individuals tasked with carrying the sundry mundane items the Elders could not or would not carry in their storage rings, followed. They took the run with ease, long legs stretching into a li-eating lope. And right at the back, Chao Kun and a pair of other martial specialists watched the rear, wary of ambushes.
At first, Wu Ying just ran. The land around them was well-known and picked over, with little to interest a harvester or cultivator. Animals did make their way in occasionally, but for the most part, the land around them was well cared for in the way wilderness set next to civilization had a tendency to become. Still wild in some parts, but tended. Deer paths became well-worn trails, earth pounded down by the relentless trek of humanity. Occasionally Wu Ying caught glimpses of logging and harvesting, trees and vegetation taken when someone felt a particular need. If not for the sect’s desire to keep the land around them green, Wu Ying knew the forest here would have been bare.
For the first few hours, the world was normal and placid. At some point, as they made their way down the mountain and entered the valley in the mountain range, that changed. The first sign of the change was in the pathway they ran. The path, no longer ground under countless feet, became sparse, with newly broken vegetation by the the cultivators ahead of Wu Ying.
Next was the change in the vegetation. The vegetation grew greener, more bountiful. Fed by rain and untouched by man, more of the trees grew higher and taller. Below, the undergrowth grew thinner, if no less lush, feeding off the sparse sunlight that filtered through the leaves.
Lastly, Wu Ying felt the change in the chi. The environmental chi around the sect was dense and plentiful, drawn from the surroundings and the dragon line which ran under the mountain range. The chi in the surrounding forest was nearly as plentiful, if rawer, more untamed. It was also, unlike the chi in the sect, more heavily aspected to wood, earth, and water. As Wu Ying ran, he noted how certain members of the expedition grew stronger, more carefree, and others slowed as their natural aspects struggled against the environment.
After long hours of running, the expedition finally came to a clearing. The porters broke away to the clearing center to set up a cooking fire and begin meal preparations. The Elders took seats away from the others, quietly conversing or cultivating. As Wu Ying caught his breath, Ru Ping walked up to the cultivator with a smile. One which changed as he closed on Wu Ying.
“Cultivating?” Ru Ping said, wrinkling his nose.
“Only way to keep up.” Wu Ying exhaled noisily through his nose. “You’re fast.”
“Well, of course.” Ru Ping shook his head. “Make sure to bathe each day.”
“Of course, Senior,” Wu Ying said, eyes narrowing. What kind of statement was that?
“Come. Elder Li wants us to take a quick survey of the forest. There might be something worth harvesting,” Ru Ping said, gesturing around them.
Wu Ying frowned. “Already?”
“Yes. Don’t worry, we’ll have protection,” Ru Ping said, indicating Chao Kun, who stood nearby.
“Very well.” Wu Ying sighed but followed. This was the reason he had come along, after all.
Forty minutes later, the pair returned, a few plants and some cuttings in hand. Elder Li inspected the plants then waved over them, making the lot disappear. She proceeded to do the same with the cuttings before sending the pair off to eat.
“I thought it was not possible to store live plants in storage rings?” Wu Ying said to Ru Ping as they collected the toasted bread.