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The early morning mist still clung to the peaks as the Leoying – the massive beast crouched on the sect’s stone landing platform. It look very intimidating with its part-lion, part-eagle body. Its muscles rippling beneath fur and feathers, wings spanning wide and powerful. Its sharp, intelligent eyes gleamed like polished amber. A beast worthy of the skies. Luban stood beside it, his long mantle fluttering lightly in the wind, a scar cutting across his left cheek like a faded lightning bolt. “Are you ready, student Eshmund?” he asked, voice low, steady. “Yes, senior, we’re set to go,” he said, then hesitated with a half-smile. “Also, it’s okay to call me Eshmund without the ‘student’ bit.” Luban gave a brief nod, not saying more. The beast let out a low grunt. Luban turned, placing a hand on its shoulder and climbing up with practiced ease. Eshmund followed, a bit more awkwardly, settling behind him on the saddle. The leather was thick, engraved with faint runes that pulsed dimly. “Need to stop on the way?” Luban asked without looking back. “No, let’s just go directly. You know where Glassy Rock Mountain is? Glassy Rock Village – Our village is right at its foot,” Eshmund said. “I know.” That was all. Luban tapped the reins and the beast crouched, muscles coiling. A moment later, it launched into the sky with a thunderous beat of wings. The wind howled briefly – then, like a dome had dropped around them, it quieted. The sect below shrank rapidly, the rooftops and courtyards becoming tiny patterns on the earth.

Eshmund blinked. “Oh, it can create a force field?” “It is an option on the saddle.” Luban replied “Huh. Teacher didn’t turn it on before, so I didn’t know.” Eshmund said “Maybe he forgot.” Eshmund chuckled. “Is it better to turn it on? I mean, it’s safer – like, if a bird jumps in my face, at least my face won’t get splattered.” “It’s better,” Luban said. “So I can hear you better, or if there’s trouble.” Luban replied “I see. Do you travel with this kind of beast a lot?” Eshmund asked, watching the clouds drift past like silent ghosts. “No. It’s expensive.” “What do you use then?” “Flying Sword Talisman.” Eshmund blinked again. “But you do have a magic beast, right? I mean, you’re a cultivator.” “Yes.” Luban’s replies came like stones dropped in a still pond – brief, clear, and leaving ripples behind. The silence stretched again, only the soft whoosh of wings beneath them. Eshmund hesitated, then asked, “Senior, I’m sorry but do you find talking to me annoying?” “No.” That reply held the same tone as all the others – but this time, it was followed by a pause, and then something more. “I don’t know how to chat with people,” Luban admitted. Eshmund smiled to himself. “I’m like that too. I usually work in silence. It’s just we’ve been together for quite some time. I thought I should at least try. Otherwise, I feel like I’m being rude.” “I understand” Luban said quietly. “Not at all,” Eshmund said. “Your job probably needs silence most of the time.” “Yes,” Luban replied. Then after another pause, he added, “I think you’re an amazing kid.” Eshmund blinked, surprised. The wind passed softly around the shield, and for a while, neither of them spoke. The great beast soared on, a silent shadow gliding across the clouds – carrying two figures in quiet understanding. As they soared above the trees, the wind brushing past them gently, Eshmund turned to Luban, curiosity tugging at him. “When we’re at the herb garden… where you protect me – where do you even sleep and eat?” he asked, genuinely intrigued. “Food from the storage pouch,” Luban replied simply. “And I usually sleep on top of the trees.” Eshmund blinked. “Huh. Makes sense, I guess.” Then, lowering his voice, “There’s at least two other people with you, right? I can feel their auras.” “Four,” Luban said calmly. Eshmund raised an eyebrow, pretending to be surprised. “Really? Oh man, I thought it was just four of you guys” In truth, he already knew there were five guards, including Luban. Sage had long shown him their positions via the minimap – green rectangular markers constantly shifting across the terrain. But this was a test. He wanted to see if Luban would be upfront with him. He didn’t know the names of the others, just that one of them was a woman. “But I don’t see them now. Are they coming with us?” Eshmund asked. “Protocol,” Luban said. “Two take the land route. Two are already stationed near your house, in case of danger when we arrive.”

No wonder I can’t see them on the map, Eshmund muttered to himself, narrowing his eyes. He zoomed out the minimap interface. Two small green triangle icons were racing across the landscape below them. The sect was definitely putting effort into protecting him. That brought mixed feelings. On one hand, he felt safe… on the other, exposed. He had secrets. Secrets he didn’t want discovered. “Are they all at your level too? Qi Condensation Level 7?” he asked. Luban shook his head. “The leader – Mite – is stronger. Early Foundation Establishment.” “Ohh, is that the woman? I saw her once,” Eshmund said casually. Luban turned sharply, his expression momentarily shifting to one of surprise. “You saw the leader?” “She is your leader? Yeah. Just from a distance. Why? What’s up?” “You’re… quite perceptive,” Luban said after a pause. “Leader doesn’t show herself often. She’s not careless either.” “Well,” Eshmund exhaled, “it’s a strange feeling. Safer, yeah… but also like my freedom’s slipping away.” “Our task is only to protect you – and your herbs,” Luban said with a tone of finality. Eshmund fell quiet, his thoughts swirling. After a while, Luban broke the silence again. “We know about your underground lab.” “What!?” Eshmund almost fell off the bird. He grabbed tighter, heart racing. “Elder Qiyang knows too,” Luban added calmly. “What the hell!?” “Don’t worry,” Luban said, unfazed. “Elder Qiyang gave strict orders. We’re not to enter the lab. He said every genius needs a place of their own. We’re only to go in if you’re in danger. ” “I am only telling you this so we can have some trust, it will make our task and your life easier” Luban continued. Eshmund stared at him, stunned. His mind raced. They know? They all know? The silence stretched out as he tried to process it all. “What the hell!” .. he thought, completely dumbfounded, staring down at the landscape below them. His heart was racing. He can’t think of anything to say for a long time. After the initial shock began to fade, Eshmund exhaled and rubbed his temple. “So when did you guys find out about it? And how?” Luban looked ahead, voice calm. “About a week ago. You hadn’t come out for a long time. We got worried. Came to check on you. The leader checked with her spiritual sense, and that’s when we found the entrance – behind the cupboard. “Damn, I was working late and fell asleep in the lab” Eshmund muttered, frustration leaking into his voice. “So much for being secretive” “They acted like they didn’t see anything at all so I didn’t report it. I was completely deceived. I’m sorry,” Sage said. “It’s alright,” Eshmund replied. “Next time, if anyone even gets close to our perimeter, I need to know – whether they notice anything or not. Spiritual sense isn’t your specialty after all. That’s on me. I should’ve set up at least a basic detection formation.” They both sighed. The lab had taken Eshmund a considerable amount of time and effort to build. It was meant to be his private sanctuary – a place for experiments, crafting, and quiet solitude. He’d deliberately avoided using flashy magical protections on the entrance, figuring that staying under the radar was safer than drawing attention with elaborate wards. And honestly, it had worked. The only reason it got discovered was because he forgot to return to the house to sleep. If he’d kept up the routine, the guards wouldn’t have had a reason to check on him. It wasn’t really their fault – they hadn’t gone snooping. They were just doing their job. Still, after all the digging and the planning, the secrets being found out, stung more than he wanted to admit. “Don’t worry,” Luban said, as if reading his thoughts. “Only we and Elder Qiyang know about it. But you should come clean with him. Sooner rather than later. Avoid trouble later on.” Eshmund nodded slowly. Luban wasn’t usually this chatty, which meant he was probably trying to calm him down – and it was working. Good thing he’d cleaned up the lab recently, too. Most of his notes and delicate items were safely tucked away in his growing collection of storage pouches. “That’s why we find it amazing,” Luban continued, “a kid like you could actually think and make something like that. An underground lab? That’s not normal.” “Actually I’ve met a kid like you before, he is certainly a genius and definitely not normal.” Luban said Eshmund blinked. “A kid like me? ” he echoed, curious. “Yes, it turned out, he inherited some legacy from an ancient cultivator. What are you even doing down there?” Luban asked. “You looked kinda panicked earlier.” Eshmund paused, then let out a slow sigh. Since his secret was out – well, partially – this was probably Luban’s way of probing for more. Might as well control the narrative, Eshmund thought. Give him the parts that don’t matter. “I research all kinds of stuff there,” Eshmund admitted. “Besides herbs, I’ve been learning how to craft enchanted armor. Stuff to protect myself since, well I’m not exactly a combat powerhouse. I also train martial arts, etch runes anything I can get my hands on. I just don’t want anyone stealing my hard work or encounter a situation where I die without even fighting. I understand that I’ll definitely be targeted once I revealed those herbs. That’s why” Luban gave a single approving nod. “Nothing wrong with that. Elder Qiyang’s only concern is one thing – demonic cultivation.” Eshmund stiffened. “That’s the line no one can cross,” Luban said firmly. “If you’re caught practicing or even being involved with demonic arts, not only there’s a possibility of you getting expelled from the sect, you might not even make it out alive. No one would be able to protect you – not even Elder Qiyang.” Eshmund swallowed. “I’m not – ” “We know,” Luban cut in. “If you were, the sect’s protective formation would’ve picked it up already. It’s very sensitive to demonic energy. You’d already be under investigation if there was even a whiff of it. So don’t worry too much.” Eshmund nodded, tension easing from his shoulders. “So it’s like that.” Just then, Sage’s voice echoed in his mind. “We need to be more careful about the things that do matter. In fact we can take this as another blessing, now, there’s no longer a need to hide the lab’s existence. You will have more freedom. We are ready for the next stage anyway.. ” “It seems we don’t have much of a choice but to push things forward,” Eshmund said with a sigh. “We still need the sect’s protection – especially for our family and friends.” He fell silent again, lost in thought. He had hoped for more time, just a little longer to prepare. If anyone else had discovered the lab, it might’ve spiraled into a disaster. But Elder Qiyang, he was different. He already knew about Eshmund’s special body constitution – and he had kept that knowledge to himself without question or suspicion. It reminded Eshmund of another moment from the past – when his secret herb garden at the top of the mountain was discovered by Teacher Muhsan. He had been terrified back then too. But nothing had happened. He had been lucky… because Muhsan wasn’t someone with a malicious heart. “I’ll talk to Elder Qiyang after we come back,” Eshmund finally said, steadying himself. “I need to clear things up with him.” “You must,” Luban agreed. “Because if the wrong people learn about the lab, they could use it against you.” Eshmund nodded again, jaw tightening with resolve. One secret was out. Now he needed to make sure the rest stayed buried. Eshmund stayed quiet for the rest of the journey. Luban probably assumed he was deep in thought, silently contemplating something. In truth, Eshmund had been engaged in a mental conversation with Sage.

“All Scavenger Robot groups have reached their destinations,” Sage reported. “Sariwei Marsh, the Wilderness of Torms, the Lightning Dragon Desert, Armable Kingdom, and the Serpentine Empire. Each group consists of a Crab, a Scorpion, and a Dragonfly. They’re currently scouting for suitable base locations. You’ll need to decide on them soon.” These robots weren’t just sent out to gather materials – they were part of a long-term plan. Eshmund had accepted that he wouldn’t be able to keep his underground lab hidden forever, long ago – even before it was built. When the guards were actively monitoring him, the risk of discovery had grown. Cultivators weren’t fools; with all their mystical techniques and detection methods, it was only a matter of time. The smartest move was to build his real base far away from prying eyes. “Since each Scavenger Robots are now connected to our new communication hub and the Shared Storage, it should be good to start making more scavengers,” Eshmund said. “The more we have, the faster we can gather resources. Prioritize flying models – we need wider coverage. ” “What about the Crayfish?” Sage asked. “Hmm let that guy explore the sea,” Eshmund replied. “There’s bound to be untouched materials underwater, more than what we’ve found on land. Plus, we will need more materials like the Giant Turtle carapaces for the Dimensional Door’s construction right? Makes sense to look for them in the ocean.” He paused, then added, “Send it toward the sea region near the Liyu Cetus Kingdom. Once we expand and build more units, we can network the entire continent through our dimensional doors. And once we deploy enough nanobots, we’ll start scanning the libraries in those regions too – see what knowledge they’ve got stored.” There was a moment of silence between them, then Eshmund muttered under his breath, “I really underestimated this world… probably because I haven’t seen what people are truly capable of. I thank God for the peaceful life I’ve had so far – but that complacency ends here.” “Yes,” Sage agreed. “We should prepare for the worst. Our luck will not last forever. We also need to setup the fully EE-Circuits system. This can’t wait anymore” As the internal conversation faded, Eshmund looked up. Their destination was drawing closer. In the distance, a mountain came into view – its peak bare, with jagged black rocks glinting like glass in the sunlight. Home. His emotions tangled together – part excitement, part worry. He was eager to see his family again but in the back of his mind, concern for their safety weighed heavy.