1 A Morning in the Dream Gathering Sect

Secret realms, mysterious wonders that can contain items capable of shaking the heavens, such as heavenly treasures or ancient techniques. They were existences that can transform a mortal into an absolute genius. No cultivator, young or old, could resist the allure of the items hidden in these realms and because of that, they are highly coveted. The very mention of a new secret realm can get even the oldest and most powerful of cultivation geniuses to leap into action for a chance to reap the benefits. Basically every cultivator on the continent would yearn to find a secret realm.

***

The three disciples of the small Dream Gathering Sect were not an exception to this. Perhaps because they were from an extremely small sect, their wish to be able to find a secret realm was higher than most cultivators. The Dream Gathering Sect was one of many small sects within the Hanxiang Empire, which is most famous for its five grand sects. However, unlike other small sects, the Dream Gathering Sect was absurdly small... it only had three sect members, no elders and all three members were disciples of the Sect Master!

Although it may seem like in such a small sect, the three disciples and the Sect Master would have to suffer many terrible hardships to persist in cultivating and surviving every day, but that wasn't necessarily the case.

***

One morning, the eldest disciple, Yun Li, woke up from his sleep. Looking around, he noticed that his junior sister, Si Ya, and junior brother, Shan Tian were still fast asleep.

'It should be about time I tend the herbs', he thought to himself as he walked out of the disciple sleeping quarters. Taking a deep breath of the cool morning air, Yun Li began to walk to the back of the main pavilion. As the eldest disciple, Yun Li was originally exempted from the task of taking care of these herbs, however, because of his hardworking nature and the laziness of his junior brother and sister, it was soon his responsibility to tended the herbs every morning.

As Yun Li was making his way towards the herb garden, he made sure to bring the watering tool the Sect Master personally made. When Yun Li reached the gates of the herb garden, he went to dig in his pockets for a while until he managed to find a small talisman. *Ding* Using the talisman as if it were an identification card, Yun Li went and put the talisman onto the garden gate, causing the gate suddenly flashed green and then open. Retrieving the talisman, Yun Li continued his way towards the first batch of spirit herbs he saw with the gate closing behind him.

Using the watering tool, Yun Li began to water the first batch of herbs, which were called moonlit flowers. The watering tool was very convenient to use, all Yun Li had to do was inject spiritual energy into the handle and then it would be converted to water. While he was watering the last few flowers of the batch, a voice from behind suddenly greeted him, "Good morning Li'er, you're as diligent as always it seems."

Having finished watering the flowers, Yun Li turned around to meet voice that had greeted him. At first he didn't see anyone, however, after seeing a hand waving at him from below his eye level, Yun Li looked down and saw a small boy who looked like he was 14. The boy's body stature made him look like someone small and fail and his skin was so fair that he could even be mistaken as a woman! "Good morning to you too Sect Master. You praise me too much, I'm just fulfilling my role as a disciple", replied Yun Li.

Indeed, the boy who stood before him was the Sect Master of the Dream Gathering Sect, Yan San. Although he looked 14 years old, the Sect Master real age was 21. Yun Li remembered when he and his junior brother and sister asked him why he looked 7 years younger than his actual age. The Sect Master's response was that it was because when he was transferred to the world, he had the body of his 13 old self. At first, the three of them thought that their Sect Master was delusional, however, they soon began to believe what he had said to them after their Sect Master began to create spiritual tools that were never thought of before. The watering tool, garden gate, and identification talisman were only some of the tools he had created, there were many more inside the various facilities of the Dream Gathering Sect. In addition to the spiritual tools the Sect Master created, he had also built the entire sect grounds from scratch, concocted all the medicine in the sect, forged all the weapons in the sect and even sown all of his disciple's clothes! He was basically a one-man sect!

"Sect Master, what are our plans for today?", asked Yun Li. The Sect Master had special plans for his disciples each day and these plans ranged from learning cultivation techniques, pill concocting or weapon forging to fighting spiritual beasts. Every day was different in the Dream Gathering Sect and because of that, the three disciples were all exceptionally strong and have already broken through to the fourth realm, Nascent Soul!

"Hmm...I think today we should start off with practicing some sword techniques. Afterward, I'll bring you three to a secret realm I recently found to help you guys gain some combat experience" replied the Sect Master.

"Ah, I see, perhaps I should spar with Junior Brother Shan Tian today", responded Yun Li. It was only a few moments later that he noticed the second sentence his master said, "Wait what!? Sect Master did you just say a secret realm? And one you just found!?!"

"Yes? What about it?", was the response he got.

"..." What about it my ass, you're better off training a pig to fly than finding a secret realm!

"Well, it seems it's about time I go wake Shan Tian and Si Ya up. Finish watering the herbs and then come back for breakfast ok?", saying that the Sect Master walked away leaving Yun Li to daze off about what he had said about going to a secret realm.

'I wonder how Shan Tian and Si Ya would react once they find out as well...", he thought.