Superior mortal stage?

"Why did they not care about my presence there? And why would she tell me all about cultivation and how to cultivate, to just suddenly backstab her brother right in front of me. Especially when it seemed like she still thought I was a powerful person. It seemed like none of them even remembered I was supposed to be there. What is going on?" 

While he was thinking about this, he suddenly perceived something weird about the air and himself. Like there was something there, something curious around him. Something he couldn't see, but still knew was there.

"Is this spiritual qi? But Luisa said I would have to temper my body and then stay in a cocoon for a certain amount of time, before I could sense it. No way. Even if I was at the peak of the mortal stage for some reason, there is no way my talent is so poor it didn't even form a spiritual cocoon, right?"

His thoughts danced in the great abyss of denial, but before he could even attempt to make sense of the situation he ran headfirst into a wall. Well…not a wall, rather some sort of barrier.

"Ouch! What the hell!? Why is there an invisible wall here in the middle of nowhere? Was it set up by the masked figure?"

Samuel, forced awake from his stupor of sensing spiritual qi, realized the situation was not right. 

 "It is way too quiet here. No voices, no insects, no rustling of leaves, nothing. As well as a barrier. I am getting nervous here. Hell. What kind of situation is this to end up in anyway? When other people transmigrate, they end up in someone else's body, or are reborn. They get a period of free growth and no problems. Why do I end up in some apparently dangerous mountain, where the first people I encounter kill each other. I. Am. Exasperated" 

It seemed to Samuel that everything around him was dead. Obviously, this makes no sense, because the vegetation was intact. But the feeling it gave him was similar to that of a cemetery.

"Honestly, this area is giving me the creeps. I think it would be better to go back. Oh but Samuel, what if they kill you to silence you? Then they will kill me regardless. Yeah, i'll go back. There is strength in numbers"

Samuel has the habit of talking to himself when no one else is around. Something he developed due to his antisocial behavior in his previous life. It is a part of his behavior now, and it allows him to straighten out his thoughts. 

As dictated by his self dialog, he started running back to the clearing he emerged from. Yet there was no difference here. No sound at all, other than that of Samuel himself. 

"Have they left already? But in that case, why would they place a barrier here? Unless, it wasn't placed here by them. In that case this is even worse. Since i can sense spiritual qi, i should at least be a at peak mortal stage, meaning i should be stronger than that assassin guy. And because I am obviously a very, very experienced martial artist, who definitely didn't stay at home all day every day, doing nothing my whole life, I should be able to pretend to be strong in front of him. But, if it's not him, if it's someone stronger, then I am dead"

Wallowing in his complaints and thoughts of dying, he parted the twigs and saw something that left him stunned.