The Undying Immortal System

The Righteous Defenders of the Twin Mountain, or the Eyes as I called it, was the faction controlled by the Sect Master. Jiao was a member of this faction, so I had assumed that her influence had something to do with the reason I had been recruited, but when I met with Elder Tao the day after the competition, he made everything clear.

"Elder Mu has made significant contributions to the sect over recent years, so he has been recruited for a position within the Flowing Mountain Sect. As he was leaving, he discussed your future with me, and we decided it would be best if you stayed within the sect to further develop your talents. So, he has transferred you into my care."

I parsed the message behind his words. Elder Mu's 'significant contributions' likely involved all the pills I had provided him over the years, and once he accumulated enough to advance, he discarded me. Likely, he believed that the cost of teaching me Rank 3 alchemy wasn't worth the eventual return he would receive whenever I was able to start producing pills for him again. He had sold me for a quick buck and was willing to let others deal with my further education.

It was a cold calculation, but I understood and accepted it. I wouldn't begrudge him following his own path of advancement. 'Everyone has their own dreams.' Besides, in recent years, Elder Mu had done little more than provide me with countless herbs. I was somewhat hopeful that a true faction would be able to do more.

Still, I couldn't deny that I had gained a lot from my time with the elder. While I likely could have found a different path and arrived at this same place, and while that other potential path might have even been superior, the fact was that I had chosen to learn from Elder Mu, and I was where I was at this moment because of his help. If this were my only life, I would consider the debt between us square, but the assistance he provided me would have ramifications through many future lives, and I had only helped him in this one.

I didn't know where that left us. I didn't know if I could or should help him in the future, but I would remember him. He helped me learn Rank 2 alchemy, and he helped me reach Martial Grandmaster for the first time. In my soul, I knew that there was still a debt here that needed to be repaid.

I returned my thoughts to the elder in front of me and gave a slight bow. "Thank you, Elder Tao. I will do my best to contribute to my new faction."

This made him laugh. "I'm sure you will, but before we discuss how you will contribute, we should talk about your current situation. I believe that only a better understanding of the position you are now in will ensure that you do your utmost to improve upon it."

His words felt slightly ominous, but I didn't feel he was directly threatening me.

"You are now a Martial Grandmaster. This is the final realm of what is commonly referred to as the 'Warrior Tier' which includes Disciple, Master, and Grandmaster. This tier of cultivation is all about self-improvement. For advancement, you only need to rely on yourself."

Something had been slightly bothering me for a while, and after hearing the name 'Warrior Tier,' I wanted to know more. Thankfully, there was someone here who might be able to tell me what I wanted to know.

"Elder Tao, why Warrior? Why Martial? I never understood this. We aren't fighters, so why are we referred to as Martial Disciples and so on?"

He sighed. "Others will tell you that it is because we are all 'fighting against the Heavens,' and that even alchemists join in on this fight. I believe that this is just a rationalization. Cultivation began as an extension of the Martial Dao. Since the earliest and most powerful cultivators followed that Dao, they were the ones who got to choose the names."

I nodded.

"Returning to the topic, while you still have a long way to go within the Grandmaster realm, this is the final step of the Warrior Tier. Martial Grandmaster Peak is the end of cultivation for nearly everyone. Only a small percentage are able to advance further." He gave me a penetrating look. "Are you familiar with the realms above Grandmaster?"

"No, elder. I only know that after Martial Grandmaster is Martial Lord."

He folded his hands, thinking before speaking. "Disciple, Master, and Grandmaster form the Warrior Tier. After that is the Ruler Tier. The realms are Lord, King, and Emperor." He turned and looked off into the distance. "These are not just names. To become a Martial Lord, you must become a city lord and infuse karmic energy generated from your city into your cultivation. As the city prospers, so will its Lord. To become a Martial King, you must rule a kingdom, and Martial Emperors must rule an empire. It is possible to advance to False Lord, where your cultivation base lacks this karmic energy, but while this will give you a modicum of additional power, it will not extend your lifespan, and you will never be able to progress any further."

This, I realized, was Chen WuJing's and Elder Mu's goal. They were aiming to take control of a city. They had said that it was impossible to advance to Martial Lord in the Wastes and that they needed to find a way to leave, but they could have left at any time. Their goal wasn't just to leave, it was to leave in such a way that they would gain control of a city. I was still confident that my pills had something to do with Elder Mu's 'contribution,' but there was no way any number of Rank 2 pills would be able to buy an advancement to Martial Lord on their own.

After a moment of internal musing, I looked back at Elder Tao. "So, when you said that Elder Mu had been promoted to a position in the Flowing Mountain Sect, you meant that he had become a city lord, right?"

"Yes. His contributions reached the level where he was granted control of one of their minor cities. If he rules well, he may be able to advance to Martial Lord one day. His cultivation has already calcified, so it will be extremely difficult to do so, but it is possible."

"When you say you are certain that I will contribute to the sect, do you also mean that if I contribute enough, I will be granted a city?"

Elder Tao hesitated only slightly. "It is possible, but that takes time. The Flowing Mountain Sect doesn't have an unlimited number of cities to send people to, but when there is an opening, if your contributions are substantial enough, then yes, you will be able to apply for a position as a city lord."

I wasn't sure if False Lord would get me the same credits that a proper ascension would, but I doubted it. If necessary, I could leave the Wastes and make a false ascension near the end of my life, but there was no reason to do that until I knew for certain that achieving a true ascension was impossible.

"What do I need to do?"

The elder folded his hands in front of him. "Make pills. I will ask for nothing more from you than Elder Mu did. We will train you in alchemy, and you will use what we teach you to provide the sect with pills."

I nodded.

How many pills did an average Grandmaster make? I needed to figure out what production numbers I could hit without appearing suspicious.

As I was thinking this, Elder Tao dumped a bucket of cold water on me. "Elder Mu has told us about your fire seed and how it allows you to produce pills at higher-than-normal rates."

I froze and a hint of worry crept into my eyes.

The elder smiled and patted my shoulder. "Don't worry. Yes, possessing treasure is the worst crime a person can commit, and any fire seed is enough to cause a war between kingdoms. I'm also certain that nearly anyone in this sect would kill you if it meant they could extract your fire seed for themselves. The thing is, they can't. Only a Martial King or higher can safely bond with a fire seed, and they can't come here."

I hesitated, but I spoke my thoughts aloud for him. "You can't bond with it, but you can use it to give more people spirit fires."

While I didn't want him to attack me, I needed to understand where he, and by extension the Sect Master, stood.

"That would allow us to create a few more people capable of making Rank 2 pills every year. I won't say it isn't an attractive option, but it is the inferior one. Our best disciples already receive spirit fires, so any extras would only go to subpar alchemists who will never advance far enough to make anything of any real value. You, however, will potentially be able to produce several times as many Rank 3 pills as the best inner sect disciple we have. This is clearly our better option."

Again, this appeared to be an exchange of benefits. They use me, I use them. Elder Mu had used me, but I had profited greatly from my time under him. The same would hold true for the Sect Master.

However, one worrying detail was left unsaid. Why bring up both the need to leave the Wastes to ascend and my fire seed in the same conversation? Because while I would be relatively safe as long as I remained in the sect, if I decided to leave, then I would be attacked and killed for my 'treasure.'

There was a warning buried in the subtext of this conversation, and I would have to be wary of it.

The truth was that they were paying me in fairy dust. If I helped them, if I contributed enough, I might get a chance to ascend to Lord, but if I left the Wastes to pursue that dream, I would almost certainly be killed for my fire seed. It was an option to consider later in life, something I could try just to see if it would work, but until I had wrested everything I could from this place, I would be a good and proper member of the Righteous Defenders of the Twin Mountains.

I bowed to the elder. "I can do that, but I need someone to teach me."

Again, he pulled me up straight. "Of course, you are already familiar with Grandmaster Jiao. She will take care of the basics and get you settled. I understand that you have been living in a rented apartment in the village. You may stay there if you wish, but we will provide you with a proper abode within the Righteous Defenders' Enclave. It would be best if you stayed there for the time being as it will make it easier to provide you with the support needed to learn Rank 3 alchemy."

"Thank you, elder. I will follow your advice."

When I reached the foot of the path leading up the mountain, Jiao ran forward and gave me a big hug.

"Welcome to the Defenders! Let's go, I've got to show you around."

She led me up to a small enclave near the very top of the mountain. There were only a few cave openings here, and she took me to one that looked to be in need of serious repair.

"We need to get your badge updated first."

We passed inside and found a tidy, well-maintained office space within. While the furniture and decorations were nice, I couldn't help but focus on the light pouring in through open windows and making everything bright and lively. Where had the windows come from? This was supposed to be a cave inside a mountain.

Jiao approached an open counter where a young woman was busy with paperwork.

"Sister Lu, Brother Su was just promoted to the inner sect as a new member of the Defenders. He needs his new jade."

'Sister Lu' flashed me a bright smile. "Congratulations! Just give me one second."

After a bit of rummaging around, she produced a new jade with 內, the character for inner, carved into it. I handed her my old jade and attached this new one to a loop on my waist.

Sister Lu clapped her hands together. "You're all set! Do you need anything else?"

Jiao stepped in with the answer. "No, Elder Tao has already arranged everything for us."

With that, we left the office and stepped back out onto the side of the mountain.

Everything had changed. Instead of being a barren mountain with only a few visible caves, the area around me had turned into a small settlement carved deep into a massive cavern with one side entirely open to the sky beyond.

I couldn't help but mutter in a mix of annoyance and wonder. "It's the same as last time. Was Elder Mu's place like this too? Was everything there just an illusion?"

Jiao giggled. "No. What you saw there was all real. Only the factions have a place like this. The independent elders don't have the resources for it."

As she spoke, I looked around and then out across the open vista.

My eyes were drawn to the mountain where the Martial Peak was located. Instead of just seeing the same wooded mountain I had seen in the past, I saw a complex, walled fortress. A tall wall wrapped around the middle of the mountain, and another wrapped around its base. Then, two more rings circled the mountain from further out. The total encircled area was massive, but only small pockets showed any signs of habitation. Most of it was a blasted wasteland where only scrub bushes were growing.

Jiao turned solemn when she saw where I was looking. "That's the Martial Peak. People from the inner sect can go there, but you have to be careful. If someone doesn't realize you're an alchemist, or they just don't care, you can be attacked at any time. We are supposed to be protected from their internal conflicts, and since you are with the Defenders it will be even safer for you, but safer doesn't mean safe, you know?"

"We can go there? Can we visit their technique halls?"

Jiao hesitated. "Sure, but they don't have much that will help you. Everything they have is focused on the Martial Dao. Even their cultivation techniques aren't of any use to us. The elements they use are no good for alchemy. Well, I mean, they might have some fire techniques, but we have all those over here already."

"But I can study them?"

"Yeah… sure… Both peaks use the same contribution point system. Again, just be careful. Some of the disciples might not like you poking around in their techniques. Mostly, the only reason to go over there is if you want to specially recruit people to go out on a mission for you. Like, if you need a rare ingredient. You can request it from the pill hall, and they will issue a mission to the Martial Peak, but if you want to personally choose someone for the mission, you will have to go there yourself."

"Missions to gather rare ingredients? Can I leave the sect to do something like that too?"

Jiao snorted. "If you want to, I guess you could, but you would probably die out there. There's always a lot of competition for anything of importance. It's not just our sect that's out there searching for valuables, after all. The powers surrounding the Wastes also send their youths here to hunt for resources. Besides, what's the point? Just stay in the sect, earn contribution points, and send others out to do your dirty work. Alchemy will earn you points far faster than any gathering mission will."

I wasn't in any hurry to leave the sect, but I was happy that it seemed like a lot of my restrictions had been removed.

The elders and Sect Master expected me to be pumping out pills for them, so I doubted I truly had the freedom to go wherever I wished, but they were at least providing me with the illusion of freedom.