The Boundary

After a short while, the alarms settled down. No longer flashing red all over the ship, Cedric parted ways with Siegward and Dhan, who had now calmed down from their rush of adrenaline.

Cedric headed towards the place he agreed to meet Meifeng at, thinking about what he had just witnessed, his eyes twinkling in excitement. "Who would have thought that people could achieve such an immense level of power? That is what I strive towards one day. And then, once I reach immortality, I'll have all the time in the world to perfect my skills. After that, I'll become an Archon stronger than any the world has ever seen." Reminded of his dream, Cedric refused to believe he knew that person. Yet the image remained stuck in his mind, those golden eyes looking right through him, straight at his soul.

Standing at the agreed-upon spot, he spotted Meifeng's arrival.

As she bowed lightly to greet him, she said, "Quite an event just happened. I hope the ship hasn't taken any structural damage. I would hate to arrive late to The Forge. We're already taking way too long on this trip as it is."

Hearing her nonchalant tone, Cedric decided to voice his thoughts. "You don't sound particularly surprised at seeing an immortal's power."

"Yeah, I come from a prestigious clan of smiths, and we have quite a few members of the clan already at the Immortal level. Some decided they were strong enough to ascend and left us, but we still have around a dozen remaining in the clan. As the clan rules state, 'There shall be no more nor any less than a dozen immortals staying in the clan. You never know when calamity might strike.'"

Cedric, hearing an absolute bombshell being dropped onto him, was taken aback. He had never thought there were so many immortals just running about in the lower realms. Even his father thought they all ascended to the other plane. But if that were the case, where do Archons come from? Deciding to ask while he still had a person with what looked to be plentiful knowledge on the matter, he said, "And how do Archons come into play? My father told me about the higher realms, yet from what I know, Archons don't tread the higher planes. They can appear in our world, unlike those who have ascended."

Furrowing her brows, Meifeng tries to remember her clan's teachings. She recalls some of it: "Well, from what I remember, Archons inhabit the plane in between planes, which our clan calls 'The Boundary'. They are a select few among the sea of ascenders. Most ascend directly towards the higher realm, but Archons are a small group of cultivators who've managed to distinguish themselves in their paths. Rumors have it that they can train in a separate dimension where time flows hundreds of times faster, helping them reach the pinnacle before they ascend to the upper realm, where they may rule. To be honest, all of this sounds like speculation on my part. However, some Archons shared their knowledge, which is now stored in the Federation's secret repository. Some of my clan's cultivators were able to glean some information. But the requirements to enter and read the information are way too strict, and you have to sign a system-enforced contract stating that you are not allowed to share any information."

After digesting the information he has received, Cedric is struck by a confusing thought. Why share all of this information with him in the first place? He was prepared to hear a refusal following his request for information. Cedric was never one to owe a debt. His father taught him to always be honest and straightforward. A particular saying his father liked to quote was famous in the world of cultivation. It was a small piece of information deemed so important that it was allowed to reach the ears of the common folk. The saying went: "Be honest with others just as with yourself, for you shall find truth easily revealed upon searching inside yourself. Our path is one that is most true to ourselves."

Taking a moment to gaze upon the girl's face, Cedric was surprised by her beauty, realizing he had not noticed it before. While he had considered finding a partner in the past, those thoughts had been pushed aside as he focused on his training and honing his blade skills. Now, faced with such a stunning woman, he felt the need to get to know her better. However, he had a more pressing matter to address first.

"I am in your debt. Such knowledge is not easily acquired. How may I repay this debt?" Cedric asked, acknowledging the value of the information she had shared.

Chuckling, she replied, "I don't need your repayment. I believe you will survive the Forge. It's not too early to start getting to know a potential up-and-comer. With the way my uncle praised you, you might even catch the attention of an Archon."

Cedric chuckled nervously, hiding the fact that he had already met an Archon. He heeded his father's warnings about trusting strangers with sensitive information that could have consequences in the future.

Wait, her uncle? Cedric's mind momentarily short-circuited as he asked, "Your uncle? Do I know him?"

"Yes, Uncle Chang-Yun. He was the one who created the Roaming-Cloud style that I saw you using. How did you manage to attain such a high level of mastery? I've been studying his techniques and incorporating them into my own sword fighting style since I began training. But first, I want to know how you even came to meet Uncle Changyun," she inquired with curiosity.

Happy to learn the name of the nondescript old man who showed him this incredible style, Cedric decides to share his knowledge.

"Thank you very much for telling me Mr. Chang-Yun's name. I am forever in his debt. He showed me the light on my path. I remember that day as if it were yesterday. My father always used to find his army buddies who were willing to train me and share their knowledge about the sword. But one day, out of the blue, he showed up with a letter in his hand. I was immediately interested because no one sends out letters during these days. And the one he sent was to a well-known master, as he called him. So he took me to this master, and that's when I met Mr. Chang-Yun. I am eternally grateful to him and would like to show him my own moveset derived from his Roaming-Cloud martial art one day."