"A full exploration of the valley must be postponed," the black-robed elder stated.
"Why? Only we are here now. What if other cultivators discover this place later? Won't our efforts be in vain?" The green-skirted woman was the first to voice her displeasure, her face falling.
The black-robed elder snorted coldly. "My medicinal pills are also nearly exhausted. If you are confident enough to probe to the end on your own, by all means. I must first refine some pills for healing and replenishing spiritual power. Feel free to proceed."
"Oh, that's the reason. In that case, let's do this: Elder Ragnar, you focus on alchemy. The rest of us will search the canyon for spiritual materials to serve as your ingredients. Once we are well-prepared, we'll act together. How does that sound, Elder Ragnar?" The bearded man clapped his thigh, his tone excited.
The black-robed elder hesitated briefly under the combined gazes of the bearded man, the Blood Dwarf, and the green-skirted woman, then nodded. "That works. Let's proceed accordingly."
"I will first carve out a cave at the canyon entrance. You may proceed with your tasks. If you find any spiritual materials, you can bring them to me." With that, the black-robed elder flew into the misty fog shrouding the canyon.
Leo groggily regained consciousness. Finding himself held in the giant bear's jaws like a cub, he broke into a cold sweat, not even daring to breathe heavily. If he startled the bear, one snap of its powerful jaws could easily bite him in half.
The black bear followed closely behind the black-robed elder into the canyon. After advancing roughly three hundred yards, the surrounding mist grew denser. Leo could only see objects within several dozen yards; beyond that was an impenetrable blanket of white.
The black-robed elder stopped at a relatively flat area. With a sweep of his wide sleeve and a sharp shout of "Grow!"
A small, pale golden sword shot out from his sleeve. In an instant, it expanded from its original length of two inches to several feet long.
Th-This… this is a flying sword! Witnessing this scene, Leo was so stunned he momentarily forgot his fear. He stared, wide-eyed and utterly dumbfounded, as the golden sword shot towards the opposite cliff face. It sliced through the incredibly hard rock as if it were soft tofu.
Crash! Clatter! A large quantity of stone chunks rained down from the cliff face onto the ground.
"That old eccentric Ragnar's flying sword is truly formidable, to carve a cave dwelling so effortlessly from the mountain," the green-skirted woman whispered, her expression shifting slightly as she and the others entered the canyon behind them and saw the spectacle.
"It's merely sharp. It's useless if it can't pierce a person," the Blood Dwarf retorted, his tone laced with envy.
Grrr! The black bear growled lowly, set Leo down on the ground, and then strode forward. It began scraping away the scattered rubble, assisting the black-robed elder in expanding the cave.
Sitting on the hard ground, Leo's bottom ached, but he didn't dare make a sound, fearing it might displease the black-robed elder who was currently wielding the flying sword. This was a legendary ability possessed only by immortals, and he had actually encountered it! Back when he was a laborer, passing by the Thunder Blade Sect's training grounds, he'd seen powerful martial masters cleave massive boulders with a single saber strike. But after a few such strikes, their internal energy would be exhausted. Yet here, this black-robed elder was using a flying sword, carving out a spacious cave dwelling from the mountain with mere gestures. Such a bizarre encounter had actually happened to him!
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In reality, carving the cave wasn't as easy as Leo imagined. Midway through, a bead of sweat trickled down the black-robed elder's face, and he had to sit down to meditate and recover once. Even so, the elder's prowess far exceeded Leo's wildest imaginings.
"Training room, alchemy room, spirit beast room, secret chamber, resting chamber… that should suffice." The black-robed elder muttered to himself. With a beckoning gesture, the golden flying sword shrank in size and flew back into his wide sleeve.
"Follow me inside."
The elder shot Leo a glance, his tone brooking no argument. Leo had no doubt that if he uttered a single 'no,' the giant black bear would likely swallow him whole. Moreover, the awe-inspiring presence of this 'immortal' left him without any thought of resistance. He simply felt the elder's attitude was extremely aloof and distant, as if he kept everyone at arm's length.
"What is your name?" the black-robed elder asked hoarsely after leading Leo into the cave.
"My name is Leo."
"Hmph. From now on, you will follow me and learn the arts of immortal cultivation. You will do whatever I tell you to do, without asking unnecessary questions. Otherwise, I will throw you out and let that black bear eat you, bite by bite."
"I… I can learn immortal cultivation techniques?" Leo, being young at heart, couldn't help but feel a surge of joy upon hearing the elder's words. However, meeting the elder's icy, penetrating gaze made his heart tremble. He instantly remembered the instruction not to ask questions and hurriedly nodded. "Yes, yes."
Seeing Leo's reasonably decent reaction, the elder gave a slight nod. For a child so young to still be able to speak coherently under his scrutiny indicated a reasonably strong mind. However, being so young, he would later need to handle a great deal of miscellaneous tasks. Without any strength at all, not even a child—let alone a robust adult—could withstand the labor.
The elder rummaged through his storage pouch, which contained a few cultivation manuals. He frowned. He couldn't yet determine the boy's aptitude, but it was likely not great. He couldn't even ascertain which spiritual root affinity Leo possessed. If he weren't currently so lacking in options, he wouldn't have brought Leo here at all.
After a moment of contemplation, the elder pulled out a manual titled "The Primordial Chaos Scripture." He had seized it from a disciple of the Palace of the Heavenly Apex. It had no specific requirements regarding spiritual root affinities. As for whether cultivating it would have any adverse effects… that was naturally unknown. He could only try it and see.
This copy of "The Primordial Chaos Scripture" in his possession was incomplete, only reaching the mid-stage of Qi Refining. He himself had already reached the Great Perfection stage of Qi Refining. Although the scripture originated from the Palace of the Heavenly Apex, it was utterly useless to him now. It might as well benefit this kid.
"This is your cultivation manual. Guard it well. Starting tomorrow, I will begin teaching you how to cultivate."
"Yes, yes!" Leo initially wanted to say thank you, but the words caught in his throat when he met the elder's eyes. It seemed the other party did not intend to take him on as a formal disciple.
The black-robed elder assigned Leo to an extremely small stone chamber, furnished only with an animal skin spread on the floor for a bed and a few ordinary utensils for daily life. After dismissing Leo to his chamber, the elder sat down cross-legged. Carving the cave had consumed not only his spiritual power but also a significant amount of his spiritual sense from prolonged use of the flying sword. He needed proper recovery.
In his cramped stone chamber, however, Leo couldn't suppress a wave of excitement. He held "The Primordial Chaos Scripture" to his chest as if it were the greatest treasure. At the Thunder Blade Sect, he had been nothing but a lowly laborer, his days filled with chopping wood, feeding horses, cleaning, and boiling water.
Now, even though this black-robed elder was difficult to approach, he could learn the spells known only to immortals. In the future, he too might be able to wield a flying sword like the elder, carving mountains and splitting rocks with ease. Even though his chamber contained only an unidentified spotted animal skin on the floor for a bed, Leo felt utterly content.
