Gifts and Preparation

Hong Zhao propelled from rooftop to rooftop with little effort using his Vortex Thrust. Since entering into the seventh star student rank, it felt like just a trickle of Qi was necessary to keep the movement ability on without need of conservation. When used before, he noticed that after a while, he would have to stop and cultivate to replenish his Qi. Somehow he could feel that his body was bringing in Qi just slightly even while he was running. As long as he used Vortex Thrust at its lowest level, it would match with the inflow of Qi.

"I'll have to ask Lan later about the changes this level of power has awakened within me." Hong Zhao smiled from under his mask.

He had decided to change into his Qi shadow gear before making his way to the Li family estate, that way he wouldn't have many onlookers as he ran. He didn't know how many supporters Huang Yi had within the village, and he didn't want to find out. He was in too much of a hurry.

Hong Zhao jumped from the last rooftop onto the balcony of his own room within the estate and opened the door. Without changing, he took off his mask and put it in his storage ring. Making his way through the estate, he stopped at Li Wuhan's room first. Opening the door, he saw the young boy cultivating. Instead of disturbing him, Hong Zhao instead sat in the lotus position and joined his friend in cultivation. He needed it to be night before they left anyway.

As he sat there with Li Wuhan, Hong Zhao could sense the light cloud of Qi begin to form over his head. He could also sense that his friend's cloud was much denser. He knew that he must have been cultivating for some time. Possibly since Hong Zhao had gone to take care of Huang Yi.

Hong Zhao noticed that Li Wuhan had grown another level in strength and was sitting at the Sixth Star Student Rank.

As they were cultivating, Hong Zhao remembered a small passage within the Alchemist's book that Lan had given him. It had said that only one with the fire and wood elemental Qi would be able to become an alchemist. Without both, one would not be able to create a pill flame. If one had only the fire element, they would be able to become a smith, and if one only had wood, they could become a healer.

Hong Zhao inserted a small amount of Qi into Li Wuhan and traveled down to the young boy's dantian. Within was a cave with seven pillars. A pillar for each element. Wood, Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, Spirit and a center pillar of gold. Hong Zhao noticed the wood and fire pillars were ten feet tall, while the other pillers were still low to the ground. 'I'm going to have to check my dantian to see what changes have happened within myself.' Hong Zhao thought as he left his friend's body.

"Brother Zhao!" a small voice rang out, interrupting his cultivation. Hong Zhao's eyes unclouded and beamed when they laid themselves on the young Li Wei.

"I am glad you are feeling well, Sister Wei." Hong Zhao had never felt familiar enough with the Li family to address them this way, yet since she called him brother, it only felt right to respond in kind. He had grown very fond of this family over the last three years he had spent with them. His eyes then turned to Li Wuhan who had come out of his cultivation and was sizing him up.

"What are you wearing?" Li Wuhan asked without welcoming Hong Zhao.

Smiling, Hong Zhao took his mask from his storage ring and put it on. He then activated a formation from inside the mask, allowing him to see through the dark material.

"I had this outfit on under my robe during our two week training session in the Jade Forest." he said from under the mask. "Try to sense my cultivation level."

Li Wuhan did what he was told and tried to sense the Qi within the room. He could sense the level of a Sixth Star Student Rank from behind him, which he knew belonged to his sister, but when he looked to Hong Zhao, he saw the ambient Qi swirling around an empty space instead of the Qi residing in his body.

Hong Zhao deactivated the formation and took of hos mask. "This outfit can mask the wearer's cultivation level, making them invisible to the eyes of other cultivators." he said with a smirk.

The Li Siblings eyes were already the size of gold coins when Hong Zhao took out two identical uniforms and passed them out. He then waved his hand in the air and caught a book as it exited his storage ring. "This is yours." He said as he handed the book to Li Wuhan who opened it.

"Alchemist's Notes?" He read the inside cover and then noticed the two recipes. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"I thought it was kind of obvious." Hong Zhao said through a large grin. "I need an alchemist." He then waved his hand once more, and a huge pile of materials completely filled the room. "Sorry," he said with a sheepish grin. "The piles looked smaller within the ring."

The Li Siblings were dumbfounded as the eight year old child was laughing while sitting atop a large pile of materials that reached the ceiling. Hen looked to have remembered something, and a cauldron appeared near Li Wuhan's feet.

"All of the instructions are in the book. How to activate a pill flame, how to process the ingredients, how to find more when you run out, and ranks of pills, as well as pill flames." Hong Zhao pointed at the book. "It's all in there."

Li Wuhan waved his hand over the pile of materials and the cauldron. It all disappeared within his own storage ring, then he looked at Hong Zhao at eye level. "Why now?"

"Because we are going back to the Jade Forest for a year and a half of training." Hong Zhao's smile vanished and a look of determination set in its place. "We have that long at most before the Yuan City Lord sends someone to investigate the disappearance of Huang Yi."

He then put a hand on Li Wuhan's shoulder. "It's time to embrace freedom." He then opened the door and stepped out.

He still had a few things he had to do before he brought the siblings to train. Opening the door, Hong Zhao stepped into the study where he knew he would find Li Wen.

The man was deep in concentration while looking at a book, while his hand moved furiously at a blank page below.

"How goes the copying?" Hong Zhao cleared his throat and waited for Li Wen to finish the page.

"Do you even know what you have given me?" Li Wen gazed at the young boy with a look of fire in his eyes. He picked up one book. "Cultivation techniques that are centered around the different elements of Qi!" he exclaimed as he slammed the book down and raised another one. "Smithing with beast cores to make Qi Forged Weapons!"

Hong Zhao raised a hand to silence the older man before he could recite the name of other books he had on his desk. "Have you given any of the books to Huang Ji yet?"

"I have only finished a few copies so far." Li Wen said as he put a hand on three books at the edge of the table. Two books were the ones he had already mentioned.

"Good." Hong Zhao sighed in relief as he waved his hand over the three. "Instead of sending the books to Yuan City, I have a better idea."