Unmoved Spirit Sect

Tripping, Cain fell to the ground, dropping Zoe and the supplies.

"Damn it! I sprained my ankle again! How long will it take to heal this time?"

It had only been a few hours since Cain descended from the mountain, but he had already lost all his energy. He was tired and injured. So much so that his body had given up on him. 

Remaining on the ground, he sat up and leaned Zoe next to a tree.

"Hah... I wasn't prepared to become so weak. It's truly hard getting used to this."

Resting, Cain ate some of the supplies while Zoe woke up slowly. When she finally opened her eyes, she was greeted by the sight of Cain chowing down on jerky.

"What happened?! What were those... things in the sky?"

Cain continued to gnaw on his jerky while speaking with his mouth full, "That's the first thing you ask? Here, have some jerky at least, you crazy woman."

Not allowing Cain to agitate her, Zoe took the jerky and ate it. She was just as, if not more hungry than Cain at the moment.

As they ate, Cain finished his meal. He then watched Zoe eat and suddenly smirked.

"So... why did you follow me?"

Before Zoe could speak, Cain continued, "From my point of view, you had no reason to. With your status, you could have easily entered the upper echelons of the new order in the Complex. So why didn't you? Why follow someone you call a World Bane who caused so much damage and killed so many?"

Zoe stared at Cain for a little while after he finished speaking. Seeing as he had nothing to add, she swallowed her food and responded.

"I do blame you, but I also understand it wasn't entirely your fault. I saw that man you fought; he was killing the innocent throughout your fight. I can only suspect that person was what was leading the Family, and even if not, to purify something, things need to be burned away.

"The family needed to be purified from the Complex; in doing so, we also lost people. It was expected; it was also regretful. By now, the city is doing fine; "that guy" is most likely leading everyone. Finally, the city can be ruled rightfully."

Cain continued to gaze at Zoe with a smirk. "But you didn't answer my question, why follow me?"

She scoffed. "Believe it or not, you didn't fulfill what a World Bane does. After killing that man, you spared the city. Yet, I still can't help but hate you, for how you act carelessly. Call it a gut feeling. Not to mention a higher position, I've seen what that kind of power and superiority does to people. I want no part of it. So instead, I followed you, to get answers for myself."

Balancing a rock, Cain was no longer looking at Zoe. His curiosity was answered, and in turn, he lost interest.

Even so, it was proper to finish the conversation.

"So you followed me because of a gut feeling? I must say that is somewhat impressive, having the courage to act even while having mixed emotions."

Zoe clicked her tongue. She didn't make any comments; she too was done with this conversation.

How funny, two people journeying together, yet they are intolerant of one another.

...

Making good time, Cain watched the daylight drape over the world. Slowly, in the distance, it covered a massive walled city. Immediately, Cain saw an ancient-looking metropolis in the distance.

Everything was intricately designed, and ceramic roofs lined the horizon. Everything was grand and beautiful; such architecture was far above its time! Columns of wood and stone proved to be decorative and aesthetically pleasing. 

"Good, we finally found civilization. We only had about a day left of food." Cain gazed at the city, his interest rising. 

Zoe raised a brow, "Why do you need food anyway? I never saw you eat before we got here."

Under her scrutinizing gaze, Cain almost let the sweat in his pores cover his head. But his cunningness was only second to his other self; he quickly came up with a reason on the fly!

"I get nutrition from my mist. You haven't seen me kill anything as of late with it, right?"

Remembering the silky red waves that trapped her like a doll on display, Zoe gave a slight nod and returned to silence.

The best way to lie is to mix truth! Cain did, in fact, get nutrition from his mist, but his body had long ascended to another level. He would only need to eat every few years! However now it was different. 

'Speaking of the mist, do you think it's upset we sealed ourselves?'

To Cain's question, a tired voice woke up and responded.

(Most definitely, we have to plan for the worst if we can't feed it upon unsealing it. Now, if you would excuse me, I need to focus; don't bother me.)

'Someone's grouchy.'

Cain and Zoe made it to the city gates. Guards stood stationed and became agitated upon seeing the two approaches.

"Stop! Who are you?!"

Another guard gasped and yelled, "Why are slaves wandering around?"

"Slaves? We're not slaves," Cain replied, aggrieved.

"Not a slave? Then where are your freedom documents and identification? Hurry up and present them!"

Both sides became silent.

"I knew it! You must be escapees!"

With no way to turn this abrupt situation around, Cain whispered to Zoe.

"Hey, go along with it. This is the only way we can enter the city peacefully."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine..."

The two slaves were quickly bound and brought past the gate.

Watching his surroundings, Cain could catch different people similar to him, only they didn't have the exact features as him. They all had the same feature though, there was a chain around their neck.

Some had darker skin, others had distinct features. But the majority of people he saw had black hair and dark brown eyes, with their skin being slightly darker than Zoe's. 

'Hmm, it appears those who are not natives are slaves? Or are we considered half-breeds and therefore slaves?'

In the Spirit Lands, slaves were those considered people who were different than the majority. The majority were the original natives, yes, but the slaves were natives too. Their ancestors simply congregated with outsiders early in this territory's history. From there, these mixed descendants were eventually turned into slaves.

The mixed race wasn't just one race, but simply what those who were half native and half foreign were called. In the current era, "foreigners" weren't a thing, so Cain and Zoe were simply thought of as slaves who escaped.

Probing the guard hauling him around, Cain also came to a similar conclusion.

'With this place being utterly unknown and well hidden, me and Zoe were misidentified as mixed people. I suppose were remnants of foreigners from the past, perhaps only from the first hundred years of history. To persevere so long... are mixed people not allowed to breed with pure blood? What kind of laws are in place here?'

Wanting more knowledge, Cain changed the direction of his questions, "Uh, sir, what country is this?"

"You mixed slaves can never shut your mouths! Hah... do you not know how far you've run? We are in the Sun Dynasty, Soul Province. Honestly, I have no idea how you made it this far south. Did the slave hunters slack off?"

It was obviously a rhetorical question, so Cain didn't answer.

"Could you explain provinces more? I was never allowed to leave the house." Cain asked. 

Using context clues, Cain figured some slaves must have never left the lands they were born. They had tight leashes.

"Damn ignorant dog, let me enlighten you before your death! We are in the Sun Dynasty, ruler of two of the seven provinces! You are the property of someone and have broken the law upon trying to escape. The punishment is death! Once we get your master's permission, we shall kill you!"

"Thank you for enlightening me!" Cain beamed a smile and continued to walk through the busy streets.

Suddenly, a boy cried out. "The Unmoved Spirit Sect's recruitment event is going on in the city square! Hurry!"

Voices erupted into a commotion as the people shifted to head toward the location the boy stated.

Cain didn't know what was going on, but it was the prime opportunity to escape! He grabbed Zoe by the arm and kicked the guard holding his bindings, causing him to let go of them.

"Run!"

The two quickly mixed with the crowd, escaping.

"Damn it! Stop! The slaves are escaping!"

Zoe and Cain were like snakes, moving through the crowd unhindered. They quickly followed the flow of traffic to the square where the so-called recruitment was going on.

"Single file! To join our sect you must be in optimal health and pass our test! We will give you a technique to harness spiritual energy, and depending on the outcome, we shall see if you have the talent to become an immortal!"

The crowd flew into a rage, becoming immortal! That is the wish of any living being!

Cain immediately had his suspicions hearing such a declaration. He was intrigued nonetheless.

'I have a feeling this guy isn't telling the whole truth. How could immortality be so easy to achieve? Even I haven't wholly achieved it.'

A slave ran up to the stage; Cain could tell due to his dark bronze skin. Plus the slave was like a giant, towering over the native people.

'Selective breeding? How did they create such a fine specimen?'

The slave fell at the feet of the disciple, "Lord Immortal, is it true if I pass you will grant me freedom?"

Smiling, the Disciple nodded, "Yes! If any slave is found to be exceptional, we will pay their master for their freedom!"

The crowd became even more intense; even if they could not become an immortal, they could still get money if their slaves had the talent. What a good deal!

Greed flooding their minds, not many realized the problem with letting a slave cultivate immortality. But in these Lands, who would dare go against the many sects who held absolute power?

Cain was even more excited than the rest.

'This is perfect! My luck knows no bounds! Haha! My ticket out of here is at hand!'