Chapter 161

  Eternal Range (III)

  Long Tao paused, his brows furrowing into a point.

  Something felt... off.

  He was extremely familiar with every aspect of his own cultivation--down to the last tiny mote of Qi he absorbed. As such, he knew perfectly well how quick (or, rather, slow per his own standards) his cultivation was.

  Suddenly, however, it was faster.

  And not by a small amount that could be waved off by natural fluctuations of Qi, no. It was by an extremely noticeable amount, the kind that would require an extremely high-grade array to replicate. Even if he wanted to create such an array, he actually couldn't; the materials required were so beyond this corner of the world that there was a chance people here didn't even hear of any of them.

  All the same, he tried again--and it persisted. The increased speed was about a quarter more than his usual one.

  "Eh? Why am I cultivating faster than usual?" Dai Xiu's voice startled him as he left his small 'room' in the tent and found other kids already standing there, discussing it.

  "You too, Senior Sister?" Xi Zhao said.

  "What about you, Junior Sister?"

  "Same," Wan Lan replied, seeming confused as well.

  "Senior Brother Tao, do you know what's happening?" His eyebrows twitched for a moment as he found himself stumped.

  He prided himself on always having an answer--yet, now, he... didn't.

  And... well, Dai Xiu, Xi Zhao, and even Light gasped in shock at his silence, as though his not knowing was otherworldly. Which, in their defense, it was, in a way. He who had experienced every storm of the cosmos now couldn't explain why everyone suddenly started cultivating faster.

  That was when the tent flaps parted and a tired-seeming figure walked in.

  ... that was the only explanation. But... how?

  Just how?

  Though Long Tao was very much aware by now that this strange Master of his had the ability to manufacture arts (within some constraints that he was yet to fully comprehend) and that he even hid a few strange artifacts that could not be explained simply, this went... well beyond all of that.

  This was altering the very nature itself, something only those at the cusps of becoming Emperors could just faintly do. Even Emperors and Empresses had finite restrictions on their ability to alter the laws of nature, as 'playing' too much with them always resulted in a massive, and oftentimes deadly, backlash.

  "What's wrong, everyone?"

  "Ah, Master! We're all suddenly cultivating faster and trying to figure out why!" Dai Xiu replied.

  "Oh, that. Don't worry about it."

  "Eh? Master, is it your doing?"

  "Ah, of course! Of course it was Master!"

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Hm, it makes sense." No, no, it doesn't! Long Tao screamed inwardly, feeling his heart thump just a decibel louder than usual. "Of course the Master has the means to do this."

  ... Long Tao watched in abject defeat how everyone just accepted it nonchalantly--even Wan Lan, to a degree--that this aged, bearded figure smiling faintly can alter the laws of nature for their benefit.

  No, no, no.

  It was one thing to create arts, entirely another to do... this.

  No, wait, maybe it is an art? Long Tao mused inwardly, figuring that it would probably last for a little while and eventually disperse.

  Twelve hours later, the night had fallen, everyone was either meditating or sleeping, and Long Tao was on the verge of ripping out his hair.

  It was still there.

  Twelve hours.

  There was no way that it was some random art. The man did, indeed, somehow manage to alter the laws of nature, but also to such a focused spot that, even as they moved, the effect persisted.

  None of the other kids seemed to find anything untoward about it, but Long Tao...

  He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He'd already decided, a long while back, to take this strange Master of his to the Haven and find him an Immortal Seed. But... he now began to dream and harbor thoughts that he had otherwise buried, even in his past life.

  It was still too early, of course, but if the man continued procuring miracles like this... it might just be possible, against all odds.

  **

  I'm scared.

  No, seriously, I'm freakin' terrified.

  All day long, Long Tao kept staring at me--and it wasn't a bemused stare or anything of the sort; no, it was this burning glare that had my guts twist unto themselves with worry. While the other kids readily accepted that I somehow made their cultivation faster, Long Tao just kept staring.

  And the worst part?

  He never said anything.

  He didn't pull me to the side and say something like, 'Hey, dude, cool it with these weird things', or even something like, 'Hey, you freak of nature, I'm going to dissect you now and see exactly what your brain is made of'.

  Nothing.

  Just silence and stares.

  And now the night had fallen, and everyone was in their 'rooms,' as I was in mine, and though I'd usually just sleep and snore rather happily, I'm too on edge. What if he comes and slits my throat?! I mean, he could do it regardless of whether I'm awake or not, and I would probably be better off just sleeping, but, you know, maybe I can talk him out of it?

  Aah.

  Maybe I should have just taken the first reward? No, no, this is for the good of everyone. He'll probably see that, too, and back off.

  I didn't get a wink of sleep.

  Well, that's not true--somewhere around 4A.M. (I'm guessing), I conked out for like one and a half hours, which just made me feel worse. It would have been better had I just not slept at all.

  The good news is that there were no assassination attempts.

  The bad news is that Long Tao still didn't say anything the next day, either. At least, however, he did stop staring at me.

  We left the forest yet again, trekking along the main road northward for about six more days before we had to rapidly retreat for about half a day so we could hide in the forest yet again: Xi Zhao was having his breakthrough. Apparently, my little trait saved him at least five or six days, which, well...

  "It's unfair, unfair!!" Dai Xiu cried out, stomping with her feet. At first I thought she was playing a joke, but no, I'm pretty sure this is a legitimate tantrum. "Master, it's unfair! I worked so hard, and he gets to skip and catch up!"

  ... yeah. I forget far too often that they really are just kids. Well, most of them.

  I crouched and gently patted her head, smiling.

  "Do you hate your Junior Brother?"

  "H-hate? I... I don't hate him..." she mumbled, lowering her head.

  "Do you hate me?"

  "W-what?! No, no way!" Okay, yes, I am being a bit evil and manipulative, but this is the best I've got, I'm afraid... "I would never hate Master, never!"

  "Your Junior Brother becoming stronger is a happy thing," I said. "Or do you think he's more talented than you and will easily surpass you?"

  "Hah, as if! I will never let him!"

  "Then it's only fair that you keep competing," I said. "Prove to him that, no matter what boons he gets, he'll never surpass you." Xi Zhao was fourteen--no, wait, he's actually fifteen. Everyone aged up a year in the meantime, but we never celebrated birthdays because literally nobody except for Wan Lan knew their birthdays. So, I just assigned them random days and promised we'd celebrate them starting with the next year.

  "Humph, fine! I will break through to the Spirit Manifestation first! Master... can, can I ask, ask for a reward, then?"

  "Of course," I mean, she could ask me anything at any time, and I'd probably do it if I could, but it's also probably best if I don't let her know that. Her zealotry, as it is, is... scary.

  So freakin' scary.

  "He he, fine. Being a proper Senior Sister, I will watch over you and protect you, Junior Brother! Light, come on, let's protect him!"

  "... from you?"

  "Hey!"

  Light ran away, Dai Xiu chased, Xi Zhao and Wan Lan laughed, and Long Tao stared at me...

  Yeah.

  I don't even know what we are anymore, to be honest.