7 C7 - Setting off

Two weeks later Maren called Mark and Tori into his courtyard. After cultivating with the Qi technique he got from the system, his cultivation reached the official Reality's Fabric-Divinity, and the disciples he took in both reached the Understanding-Mortal realm.

Just calling it a technique would maybe not be fair towards 'Mantled in Night Skies', as it was actually a compendium of cultivation methods, sword stances, martial art techniques, footwork skills, array collections, alchemy recipes and forgery blueprints, all able to be cultivated until the Divinity-Realm by Cultivators.

Entering the courtyard, both disciples immediately knelt down.

"We greet master!"

"Rise up both of you."

After living together with a being that reached Following-Ascension relying only on hard work and sweat, he now knew that aptitude for the Ascension-Realm was, in fact, quite rare. Having been told that the two ruffians, he only took in as lowly minions, were actually hidden gems, he suddenly found them more pleasing to the eye, and started to impart them the simplified cultivation method of 'Mantled in Night Skies', allowing both of them to advance their cultivation very quickly. At the start, he wasn't really interested in teaching them personally but found it quite enjoyable after a few days. That enthusiasm quickly calmed down though, as he started to get bored again. Remembering that he still had an island to explore he quickly made up his mind to roam around again, searching for excitement. He only fetched his disciples today to tell them he'd not be in the sect for the next while.

"I'll leave the sect headquarters for a while, roaming around the island."

He looked at them with a cold face.

"I allow you to leave the sect grounds during my absence, but the same rules from before; you are only allowed to take off the masks here."

Keeping on the masks while going outside would create the impression of a mysterious force existing in this part of the mountain. It would keep them both safe and allow his sect to build up some kind of reputation.

"Ato, come here for a moment!"

With a swoosh sound, Ato's figure appeared in the courtyard. Mark and Tori both had a shiver running down their backs, partly because of fear towards the snakeman, but more because of their excitement, as in the future, they too would reach that kind of level!

"Look at this, Ato."

Maren planned to let Ato teach his disciples during his travels, and answer any questions they would have. But knowing that an expert of his level wouldn't easily agree to teach puny Mortal-Realm Cultivators, he took out a dazzling, golden scroll.

"This is my personal Cultivation method, 'Mantled in Night Skies."

Seeing Ato wasn't really interested again, he followed up with the punchline;

"It's Divinity-ranked."

He amusedly watched Ato nearly stumbling and falling.

"A-are you serious, sect leader?"

He almost had drool leaking out his mouth.

"Of course."

Maren answered him in an alluring tone.

"But there's a catch. You'll teach my disciples in my stead, while I roam around the island."

"NO PROBLEM!"

Ato obviously didn't care about a minor detail like that. His reaction made Maren chuckle slightly.

"Also there's this:"

Taking out 3 of the Butterfly knives he got before, he let his glance drift across the people before him. His disciples' reaction was obviously underwhelming, as they couldn't even feel anything from normal weapons, much less a Divinity-Tier one like the knives. But Ato instantly stiffened up, warily looking at the weapons, not because their aura was suffocating, no, the opposite: He, a FollowingAscension expert, couldn't sense the slightest bit of their aura!

"Sect leader, may I ask..."

Maren waved his hand to cut him off.

"These weapons are called 'Butterfly knives'. It's a weapon from my... it's a weapon I created. I also inscribed it with a 'Clouded Night' array from 'Mantled in Night Skies', making the presence of the knife invisible for ordinary Cultivators, and boosting up stealth for the wielder."

Every single one of his subordinates had gleaming eyes after hearing the knives description. Didn't that mean those tiny blocks would be an assassination weapon? Then why wasn't there a blade, or at least a sharp tip on it?

Guessing the questions appearing in their minds, Maren took up one of the knives and flicked his hand. The next moment he was holding a sharp dagger. With another flick, the dagger transformed into a block again, at least in the eyes of the spectators. Remembering his training, and all the skills he picked up during his life on earth, he started waving the blade around, performing a variety of advanced tricks.

Mark and Tori just looked at him with awe in their eyes, and even Ato was shocked by the amount of skill Maren displayed.

After a few minutes, a smile started to form on his face. He remembered the times when he competed in doing tricks with his father during his childhood.

Suddenly he stopped, and with a clink, the knife's blade disappeared again. Seeing the curious and awestruck faces before him, he couldn't help but feel a little bit proud.

"I'll show you some tricks during the next week before my leave. They won't look as fancy, but will be more practical, than this."

He truly felt great when seeing their appreciation of his skills.

"You can compete in knife skills in the arena during my absence. It'll limit your cultivation base, and provide a lifesaving array."

Mark and Tori started to feel quite uncomfortable thinking about sparring with an expert on Ato's level, and the latter was obviously already immersed in fantasies, in which he beat up the two youngsters.

"You are dismissed for today."

Maren turned around and left speedily. Running into the mountains he asked his system,

'System, can you open my contact list and call my father?'

-Affirmative

After a brief moment of continuous ringing tones, he saw the face of his father smiling at him.

"Hahaha, hey Maren, how are you doing?"

Karlo's cheerful voice filled his ears.

"I'm great father! Thank you so much!"

Maren's yell startled some birds in a nearby tree. Seeing his son's eagerness, Karlo's grin became even wider.

"Hehehe, so tell me, what have you been up to?"

Maren instantly started to describe everything he saw, and his voice just kept going and going like a waterfall. It took him nearly 10 minutes to tell his father every event that took place since his transmigration.

"...and in a few days I'll go explore the island a little bit more!"

Finishing his story, Maren asked his father about things on earth. Their conversation kept going for a few hours, and when he finally got back to his courtyard the sun already left the sky, and a bright moon illuminated the valley.

After talking to his father he couldn't help but feel even more energetic than before, so he spent the rest of the night meditating and training 'Mantled in Night Skies'.

...

A week passed by in a flash.

He just finished passing down some knife techniques from earth to his disciples and Ato. While letting them train in the arena, he packed his things, cleaned the sword which he bought at the beginning of his journey, donned his cloak and put on his mask. Confirming in the mirror, that he looked like a mysterious expert again, he called Ato, Mark and Tori to the sect's entrance.

"I'll leave now, you two know what I expect of you."

He looked at his disciples. Both of them bowed and then nodded without saying anything. Ato gave a respectful salute to his sect leader while maintaining the silence.

"All of you can use every facility of the sect in whichever way you like. I left an original copy of 'Mantled in Night Skies' with you, so you can learn some advanced forgery techniques if you want to."

All of them nodded again. They then bowed in unison, even Ato. It wasn't acting, everybody was impressed by their young sect leader. Even if you ignored his incredibly high cultivation, the 'Mantled in Night Skies' compendium he left them was enough to earn their respect.

"Then I bid all of you farewell for now."

He waved his hand lazily and turned around. After letting out a refreshed breath he started to sprint away without looking back. He soon arrived at Sea's village, where he disguised himself as an ordinary Cultivator to meet the village head, who gave him the directions to Koda city, the place he wanted to go, to continue his adventure. Having the fortune of a Cultivator visiting them, the village held a big feast. Although they didn't to that for Maren when he first appeared, it wasn't because of their disrespect towards him, rather they felt not worthy enough to sit on the same table as an Immortal. Now Maren's cultivation seemed to be only at the Execution-Mortal realm, so the villagers got along with him rather nicely. When the feast finished he started to be the crush of many young girls in the village, and since he wasn't exactly a decent man he took the chance that life presented him, resulting in staying in the village for a few days, forming 'close' relationships with some pretty women.

After fooling around with some of the village's girls for a few days, he went on his travel again, this time lazily following the general direction the village head had given him. Leaving behind some broken hearts, unfulfilled dreams and useless hopes, he traversed mountains, lakes and plains, making his way towards the unknown but certainly exciting future.