The Laws of Cultivation: Qi = MC^2

I stood in my chamber, watching the sect outside. From here, I could see the numerous cultivators moving about, making preparations and helping others. I watched mortals and cultivators alike working together to put up structures, carry things around and maintain order. There was an undercurrent of energy in the sect. Though the situation was grim, the people were working together and bolstering each other.

Watching all of that, all of what I’d managed to achieve, it filled me with a sense of accomplishment and I relished in that sensation for a few moments.

“What is Great Master looking at?” Labby asked, walking up to me.

I stayed silent for a moment, thinking over it. “What I need to protect,” I replied.

Labby heard my words and then looked outside as well, looking at the sect, and then the city beyond it, and all the people within.

“Labby will help,” she said with a determined expression.

“Of course,” I replied, smiling as I patted her head. “Let’s head inside for now. We need to meet everybody and make preparations for our journey,” I said, as the two of us walked back into the sect.

***

Labby and I arrived in a chamber, with the others already present there. Liuxiang and Yan Yun stood behind a map unfurled on the table, showing the way to the Cradle. Zhi Zhu moved across the map, little strings showing different paths on it. Zhang stood nearby as well, not paying much attention, while Ash leaned against the wall of the room, resting with his eyes closed.

“Ah, Lu Jie you’re here,” Yan Yun said, noticing my arrival.

“Sorry about the delay. What have you guys figured out so far?” I asked, walking up to the table with the map.

“We were discussing our route to the Cradle and how to traverse it,” Yan Yun said.

“Zhi Zhu has found a path to the Cradle. One that’d let you arrive swiftly. But this path only leads you out of the Cradle, not into it,” the spider said, scattering across the map as she highlighted the cradle itself. “The cradle is surrounded by jagged peaks and treacherous paths. It is not an easy journey, even for cultivators. Dragons will roam the area, young, arrogant dragons with a temper, and pride as great as the heavens. If you fly, they’ll spot you immediately. There are also the storms that often surround the Cradle, making flight unsafe,” Zhi Zhu said.

“We can take a carriage to the perimeter of the Cradle itself, but from there we will have to walk,” Liuxiang said.

“A path leads inwards, from here, through the peaks, heading inside and around. From here, you can head towards the center of the Cradle, in the valley surrounded by all the peaks. This is the place where the dragons reside,” Zhi Zhu said.

I hummed to myself, looking at the map. “Finding the Azure Dragon is going to be difficult in such a large area,” I said.

“The peaks provide many places to hide, that is one of the reasons why dragons rear their young here. They provide safety and the valley is dense with Qi and surrounded by storms,” Yan Yun said, looking at the map. She pointed at one of the peaks highlighted on it. “Grandfather had told me of his journey to the Cradle when he had been young. It’s something the Yan family has done as a rite of passage for generations, and it’s how the founder of the clan had created the cloudy peaks sect, supposedly he’d been taught by a dragon within the Cradle,” Yan Yun said. “In that story, he’d mentioned that, to seek out the dragons he’d gone to the tallest cliff within the Cradle and called them out. Even if the Azure Dragon does not simply appear here, we could head through the valley and then here to get a better look at the place and find out where the Azure Dragon might be,” Yan Yun said.

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That sounded like a solid plan.

“Also, the one thing he told me to always remember is… that no matter who entered the Cradle, those who left it always did so changed. I don’t know what is in there, but I think we should be ready for anything,” Yan Yun added.

“Good to know,” I replied, glancing towards the rest of them. “Have all of you made preparations to leave?”

Nods of agreement from all around.

“Brother Jie, I have been meaning to ask about the protection of the city and sect in our absence,” Zhang asked, looking at me hesitantly as if he didn’t want to question me but was clearly skeptical on how things would work.

“Lord Zhou is here for some time, making preparations to leave for the war front. Ideally, we will return from the Cradle before he does and be able to head out alongside him. But if not, then I’ve already tasked Sheldon and Twilight with the job. The spirit beasts follow Twilight and are keeping an eye out, patrolling the border and acting as Sheldon’s eyes and ears, and if anything suspicious or dangerous arrives, Sheldon can blast it away with a stream of water,” I said.

“Turtle is strong,” Ash said, as if to reassure Zhang.

“Understatement. I saw him toss a giant boulder like a pebble. Despite knowing that he is a powerful and old spirit, it is quite the sight to see such strength come from such a small creature,” Yan Yun said.

Zhang seemed mostly satisfied with that.

I glanced around the table. “If all is done then let us get everything we need and begin our journey. We’re on a timer, and I have no doubt that Yang Shen will be sending his demons in search of the Azure Dragon as well. So we need to be quick and get there before them.”

The group all nodded and we took our leave, making the final preparations before we left for the Cradle.

***

The final preparations went quickly. After taking out all the spirit jade inside of my ring, I didn’t have much of anything to bring with me, outside of some pills I’d stored in it. Just for safety’s sake, I’d grabbed a couple void bombs and a couple other explosives, before being ready to leave.

Qiao Ying had, as usual, taken over the management to get things ready for their leave to the war front, and the Lord was helping out as well. I found my mind drifting and racing to all sorts of things, constantly trying to think if there was something I could be doing or something I may have missed.

I took a deep breath and stepped out of the sect, heading towards the entrance where the carriage awaited me.

To my surprise, I saw Granny Lang standing there, alongside the others. It seems everyone else had also already gotten their preparations done as well. I wasn’t surprised, we’d just arrived back and had to leave immediately, there wasn’t much to take. We needed to move light and quick.

“Leaving already, are you?” Granny Lang asked me.

“Unfortunately, we have a dragon to catch,” I said with an amused smile and the old woman chuckled as well.

“The others were all busy but they wanted me to come see you children off, so you only get this old woman here,” Granny Lang said.

“That’s already more than enough,” I told Granny.

“I know you children have grown to be quite strong, but to my eyes you’re still children. And it is the job of old women like me to worry and fuss over children, so I have left something for all of you here,” the old granny said, handing me a bag. I could feel the spirit herb essence inside, refined and potent, clearly some kind of pill.

I accepted the bag, not looking inside as I simply smiled. “Thank you Granny.”

“Bah, no need to thank this old woman. Now off with you. Go on and be heroes, and bring back the Azure Dragon,” she said and I smiled, hanging the pouch at my waist.

I looked at the rest of them, meeting their gazes before taking one last look at the sect behind me.

“We’ll be back soon,” I told Granny Lang, as we stepped inside the carriage.

The mystical carriage crackled and then, just like that, we were off to the Cradle of Dragons.

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