Chapter 3

"She just fell asleep," The immortal took a step back, creating a distance between the woman in green and himself. "Don't disturb her."

Surprised flashed through Luo Huifang's face, it was quickly replaced with a knowing smile.

The immortal changed the subject, he knew what this woman was capable of and made his escape. "Have you learned anything?"

"We're going to have to visit some Da dynasty's secret realms three times!" Jiang Xiaotong supplied.

The Immortal frowned, sending a glare at Jiang Xiaotong. The other sheepishly scratched his head. Then Ming Yongnian asked, "Was this the result of your calculations Liwei?"

Being called out, Jin Liwei stopped his bickering with Li Jiayi, and answered, "Yes, eldest brother. This Barren realm is so dry, there's barely anything alive here. Corps could barely grow. Even beasts aren't born here, we'll have to—"

"We'll have to breathe life into nature itself. So that the environment may circulate spiritual energy." Li Jiayi interrupted, to Jin Liwei's displeasure.

Feng Delun finally could hold his tongue no further. "Eldest brother, it's best if we build our sect in the Eastern realm. At the very least that realm's conditions are far desirable to build a sect."

"Elder brother!" Lan Jianhong protested.

"No, you be silent." Feng Delun pointed his fingers at Lan Jianhong, a sliver of his spiritual power hit Lan Jianhong's lips.

Eyes blown wide, Lan Jianhong struggled to speak. But no sound came out of his mouth. This was Feng Delun's disciplinary technique, the "silencer". The person hit by this technique could not be able to speak until the caster lifted the spell. The annoying thing about this technique was that it had no eyes nor limit, and would easily silence someone of a high cultivation base.

"Eldest brother whatever this fool, Jianhong, had told you. Please do not be blinded, there's nothing worthy of praise to build a sect in this desolate land." Feng Delun pleaded his case. He was about to plead some more but the movements from the bundle the immortal was holding made the man in silver stop.

Ming Yongnian, the Immortal, began to sway the bundle, calming the baby down. "Lower all your voices, and Delun, release your spell." He jerked his chin at Lan Jianhong.

Reluctantly Feng Delun lifted the spell. Lan Jianhong looked smug.

Lai Meihui fished for answers, "May we know your reasoning to entertain Jianhong's… 'brilliant' idea eldest brother?"

Lan Jianhong's ego grew larger, if only the man knew that Lai Meihui was not praising him.

The immortal shifted the bundle in his hands. "All of you should realise that with our backgrounds the world at large will be against our will and wishes to establish a sect. I choose this Barren realm in accordance with Jianhong's sound idea. There is no established sect, the land has extremely thin spiritual energy, it's an unwanted place."

The words "unwanted" resonate with all of them. They were after all the outliers of society. The ones odd in the world of cultivation. And neither of them bend to the norms. Even standing at the top they preserve that part of themselves the whole world found unbecoming.

Sensing that his brothers and sisters had caught on with Lan Jianhong and his own idea, the corners of Ming Yongnian's lips slightly raised. "So why don't we take this entire realm for ourselves?"

Feng Delun sputtered, "The, the heavens won't—"

"Technically speaking elder brother, the Barren realm is under no one's influence." Jie Qiqiang who had been silent spoke up.

Jiang Xiaotong agreed, a smirk split his face. "Hearing Jinjing's conversation with the old man, it's obviously a free land. A free for all! The heavens had no hands or feet in this place, they could do nothing to influence the people."

"And we could influence this land first." Lai Meihui moved her hips in a suggestive way.

"Before any Gods could, good thinking little sister." Luo Huifang praised.

"Why thank you elder sister." The two women shared a lovely smile.

Feng Delun looked at his brothers and sisters in exasperation. His shoulder slumped, giving into the idea of creating a sect in the Barren realm. "We still need to raid and clean a Da dynasty secret realm, three of them!" He held up three of his fingers.

Li Jiayi also reminded them, "We also need to find a way to turn this whole place green."

Jie Qiqiang threw both of his arms up. "I know nothing about plants, if it's stones and rocks that I can tell you."

"I suppose, Delun, you'll have to start planning the steps we'll need to take." Luo Huifang pointed.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Feng Delun had already compiled the tasks they needed to solve before they could build a sect. "Jianhong, Jiayi, Liwei, and Huifang, the four of you find out what you can about turning this desolate land into a green one."

The four cultivators sounded their agreements.

Feng Delun continued, "Me, Xiaotong, Qiqiang, and Meihui will head out and tackle the Da dynasty secret realms."

The three cultivators didn't sound as enthusiastic as the research group.

Feng Delun observed Wu Jinjing who was still chatting with the old man, seeing this woman interact with a person normally made him a little worried, no he's very worried. "Jinjing, I know that you can hear me, you find everything you can about the people living in this realm."

Wu Jinjing didn't stop her conversation and waved her hand. Signalling that she had listened to his instruction.

"I'll watch over them." Ming Yongnian stated.

Seeing no problem in Ming Yongnian's decision, Feng Delun nodded his head. "We'll go now." He crouched down fingers drawing black lines onto the ground

"We just arrived here." Jiang Xiaotong complained.

Jie Qiqiang clapped Jiang Xiaotong's shoulders. "Beggars can't be chooser." He approached the magical array Feng Delun had halfway drawn and waited on the side.

"Tch, I'm not a beggar anymore." Jiang Xiaotong caught on with Jie Qiqiang.

When the magical array was fully drawn Feng Delun stepped into the magical array, the other three followed his steps, and bidded their goodbye. "We'll be back as fast as we can."

"If we don't, that means one of these men got killed." Lai Meihui joked.

The spiritual energy condensed around the four figures standing in the magical array, no flash of light, no sound, they were gone.