Preparing for the journey

Damian could see doubt in Cedric's eyes. He didn't know if he felt Damian was untrustworthy. After all, he knew enough about people that he guessed Cedric was perhaps thinking he wanted to get rid of him. Ensuring no one else knew of this opportunity or other's opportunities.

Damian was thinking about what to say to reassure Cedric it really was not a trap of some sort, but that would only end up being even more suspicious.

As Damian was lost in his thoughts Cedric said: "We should indeed go. We should bring some guards with us to make the journey somewhat safer. For now, please let's continue our tea." he then motioned for Damian to return to his seat.

Relieved, Cedric had accepted. Damian returned to his seat. As he waited for Cedric to serve him a cup of tea, Damian felt his dantian and was amazed he had advanced quite a bit. Before the tea ceremony, he was around twenty percent completion of the fifth layer. Now he was around eighty percent through to the sixth layer. Just a single cup of tea had saved him weeks of cultivation. Not only that, but he also knew he had entered a state of enlightenment. No doubt Damian had been saved of weeks, if not months, of training these techniques.

Once Damian received the cup of tea, he stood and bowed to Cedric in gratitude; he knew his gift was truly lacking when compared to the two gifts he had received. He didn't know how to repay Cedric but he definitely will ensure to do so in the future.

Damian and Cedric got to know each other better. Cedric had told him about how he had been a psychotherapist before the arrival of Tian Long. Damian, in turn, told him he had been a tax accountant. They shared stories about what each of them liked or disliked, and about how they would plan their trip in the coming weeks.

Cedric also explained that it wasn't good to rely too much on the effects of the tea. Its effects decreased with time. Unless one used greater spirit herbs, and that was because this was the first time Damian had consumed spirit tea brewed by an artisan tea master. The effect was of nearly one layer of cultivation, but if he continued to drink spirit tea daily, before long, a whole pot with the same grade of tea would at most save him a few days, and that was considering the tea was brewed by at least an artisan tea master. Cedric told him that the increase in comprehension was an effect to the brewing technique he practised, as well as his realm of attainment in both the technique itself and the path of a tea master.

Their talk continued, as they both enjoyed talking with each other. When they finished, night had fallen.

Damian once again thanked Cedric. He then excused himself for the night. They would meet in four weeks' time to embark on their journey. Enough time for Damian to break through to the sixth layer. The tea had saved him several months of cultivation. He was almost at the point of breakthrough. In the future, he definitely had to obtain good spirit herbs for Cedric, for them to share some tea. He also needed to craft something for Cedric. He would have to think about what to craft him.

Damian went to his house and called a clansman that served as a guard. He was in the middle stages of the Foundation Establishment realm. He informed him that he requested Nathan and Christine's presence at the first sun ray. He also told the guard to inform the council he would be entering secluded cultivation to break through to the sixth layer.

The guard, awed by the talent of the council members, quickly went to comply with his duty. After all, that they would have one more clansman at the sixth layer of the Golden Core realm. This was good new to the clan.

Damian arrived at his house and began to cultivate. When morning came, Christine and Nathan had arrived. He informed them that he planned to have an excursion deeper into the forest, and that they would be joined by the Lambert clan. They were to secure ropes, tents, some dried meat, some formations and a few other items. He told them they would depart in four weeks' time. Damian then gave them five hundred white spirit stones from his bag of holding and excused them.

After they left, Damian headed towards Jack's house. There he saw his sister-in-law. Lydia, she was pregnant. She received him and guided him towards Jack as they made some small talk. Once they reached the courtyard, Jack was executing a set of movements from the [Ten Thousand Jade Swords Make One Copper Sword art]. After a few breaths, Jack sheathed his sword and came towards Damian and Lydia. They all shared some small talk, then Lydia excused herself and went away.

Jack guided Damian towards a small studio room, where he asked, "It is rare for you to seek me out this early in the morning. What's the matter?"

Damian replied, "I'm thinking of making a little trip to seek opportunities. For that purpose I want to obtain some sustainment pills, as well as some Qi replenishment pills, Qi gathering pills, and a few healing pills, they should be enough for a party of six members all in the Golden Core realm, I expect the journey to take under a year."

Jack was taken aback. After all, they had gained knowledge from Tian Long that when one's cultivation became stagnant, one should seek adventure and opportunity to advance. But he didn't think Damian was in such a situation. Therefore, he inquired, "I'm certain you have yet to reach a bottleneck that requires adventuring, especially for so long. What are you planning?"

Damian just replied, "Unfortunately. I'm not sure yet. I have a gut feeling that I should embark on this journey," Damian trusted his brother. However, he had promised to keep Cedric's abilities a secret. As such, he could not reveal much.

Jack just shook his head, knowing his brother was hard-headed when he wished to be. Then he said: "Very well, I will provide the pills, but they won't be cheap. I will charge you one yellow and forty red spirit stones for what you are asking. It will take me one week to complete. "

Damian replied with a grin on his face, "Of course brother, here is the money" as he did so, he took twenty red spirit stones and handed them to jack.

They exchanged some more small talk before Damian left Jack's house. Then he went to visit his brothers, Rodrick, Jurgen, and Caleb. As well as his nephew and niece Ian and Xiali, both offspring of Caleb and his wife Diane.

The children returned to earth two weeks after they arrived. The city had erected an academy where children from the age of five would attend and gain general knowledge, such as language, mathematics, and Cultivation. there they would provide guidance to cultivation to the students and they had a variety of manuals to choose from the library. Most manuals had been provided by the Violet Sky clan, both of them were attending the academy as they had seven and five years, respectively.