A good first Impression

Qing Yun opened his eyes to the familiar sight of his personal mediation room, and let out a sigh to signify his displeasure. He was of three Nascent souls that led the Qinglong clan, and unfortunately it was his duty to lead an expedition from their home to the nothern border. It was once again time for his clan to venture into the wilderness north of the wall to capture wild spiritual beasts for the clan's youngest generation, a journey taken every ten years.

Qing Yun stood up and exited his chamber, much to the surprise of the clan servants who were working. They quickly knelt and offered a formal greeting.

Qing Yun motioned his hand and said, "Continue with your tasks, I'm passing through."

He quickly made his way through the huge building, giving short responses to every greeting before exiting to the lower courtyard. Outside stood two men and two women in front of almost forty children ages 12 to 22.

"Elders", Qing Yun called out to them, "Does this mean we are ready to travel?"

"Yes, father", a man responded.

"Very good", Qing Yun ignored his son's casual reply before turning towards the small crowd, "Descendants of the Great Qinglong clan, it is once again time to head north. I'm sure many of you wonder why this journey must be taken, so I'll satisfy your curiosity. If you weren't aware, we are an anomaly on this continent. Not only are we a family instead of being a sect, but we are one of the very few to cultivate the taming of beast. Our founder, Ancestor Qing Yu developed our cultivation method from ancient ruins and was able to establish our home. He believed in two ideals: One must travel to seek the strongest beasts, and never let the blood of the beast stagnate. This journey we are about to embark on is in the spirit of his words. You will seek to form a partnership with the strongest beast you can, and bring them back here so their strength can be contributed to the new generation. Now, it's time to depart."

Qing Yun heard the small group acknowledged him, but he was already reaching for a strange bag tied to his waist. He opened the bag and the somewhat empty courtyard suddenly became crowded as several large winged spiritual beasts were summoned to the open space. All the spiritual beasts resembled large eagles with the exception of the one in front of him.

"You all should been assigned to a travel team already", Qing Xuan, son of Qing Yun announced, "Mount the Eagle assigned to your team, and wait for the signal.

As the elders and guests elders started to guide the children, Qing Yun looked at the beast in front of him. This was a Sky Serpent he had raised from an egg he found during his initial journey. He gave the command, and once the Sky serpent was in position he sat in the same spot as always. Looking around, he saw that everyone was safely seated on their mount so he gave his a command.

"Depart", Qing Yun's voice was heard by all.

Qing Yun felt the familiar feeling as the Sky serpent used its eight wings to lift off the ground, and adjust its direction towards the north. Behind him, all the eagles had also taken off and he could the flying formation starting to take form.

Qing Yun was in front as the combined force of his aura with his mount's aura would dissuade most people and beast from attacking them. The four elders surrounded the children to keep an eye out for rare occasion where some foolish man or creature might still attack. If he was taking this trip alone, it would take around thirty days to complete. This was not possible with this group for a couple reasons: they still required sleep, and they would have to stop at certain towns to gather reconnaissance about the surrounding area. This would at least double to the time it would take to arrive at the fortress city. Just to prepare for this trip, the Qing clan had to sent letters to each city to inform them so no embarrassing surprises happened as they traveled.

As Qing Yun witnessed the Qing clan lands disappear behind him, he mentally prepared himself for the next two months.

The first rays of light could be seen as sunrise lit the landscape. The last two months were mostly uneventful as Qing Yun recognized the city walls of Tianbao. There were a few instances of territorial spiritual beasts who had felt challenged, but he had handled them without issue. Also Qing Zhao, who was the great grandson of Qing Feng, another one of the Nascent souls, had a somewhat spoiled temperament and had caused a few situations for the elders to handle. Qing Yun wasn't to bothered by it as it was expected that young men had a period in life where they would act reckless and proud. Qing Zhao had been determined to have the potential to reach Nascent Soul, so it was fair to say that many of his antics were ignored.

As Qing Yun saw the fortress city coming closer, he decided it was time to remind his charges of a few things. He slowed his flight speed, and motioned to the elders to start their descent. After twenty minutes, everyone had landed and was looking for him.

"I want to remind everyone of a few things before we enter the city", Qing Yun said to the small group, "First, remember this is not our clan's lands. While I can handle many problems, this place is guarded by five cultivators of my realm and your actions will reflect on the reputation of the clan. Second, I expect everyone to treat the citizens of the city with respect. They stand here guarding the border from the invasion of crazed beast, and we are a guest visiting. Third, because of their life here, not everyone will speak in a manner you are used to hearing. Even if it's extremely disrespectful, hold your tongue and come to me to handle the situation. It's important for our clan to be able to come here to carry out the founder's will, and small fry like you will be expelled if you damage our relationship with this city. Lastly, do not exit the walls until told it is safe to do so. I don't wish to lose any of you, but if you invite danger on your own, you will suffer the consequences."

With a few hand signs, Qing Yun collected the birds and his serpent into the spiritual beasts bags while releasing others.

"Lets go greet our hosts", Qing Yun stated as he spurred his horse into action.

Leading the group, Qing Yun had provided horses for everyone though had a much stronger presence than the rest. The group rode for several minutes, and saw the high walls grow closer.

"Ol' Qing, it was your turn to come this time?", a shout on top of the walls was heard.

"We sent a message like always", Qing Yun quipped, "Did your cultivation suffer from a backlash and now you're unable to read?"

"Why learn to read when I can have someone do it for me?", the man laughed.

Qing Yun chuckled as well, "Protector Jin, these are the members of the Qinglong I have guided this time. They are lacking, but your city should set them on the right track."

Turning around, Qing Yun spoke to the Qinglong's children, "This is Protector Jin of the Heavenly Forge sect, one of the five guardians of the city. This should be the first and last time you see him during our stay here."

"Why don't you come inside", Jin Tianxuan invited Qing Yun in, "There has been a very recent development in the last few months, and it would be to your benefit to hear about the changes."

"Yes, very well", Qing Yun replied before facing the group of his clan mates, "Qing Xuan, get everyone settled in and makes sure they have a firm understanding of the rules here. Exploring the city is fine, but leaving for the wilderness is not allowed until I've finished speaking with the protectors."

"Of course, father", Qing Xuan answered before he faced the group, "Let's go, our residences have already been arranged for us."

Qing Yun watched the them leave then returned his attention to Protector Jin.

"This way", Jin Tianxuan drew his sword.

Qing Yun was alarmed by the action at first, but when he saw Jin Tianxuan throw the sword to the ground and hop onto it, he grew curious.

"Sorry, I recently learned a new technique as you can see", Jin Tianxuan realized his actions had surprised Qing Yun.

Qing Yun watched as the city protector rose into the air on his sword, and started to fly away when it stopped.

"Qing Yun, aren't you also coming?", Jin Tianxuan smiled.

Qing Yun snapped out of the daze he was in and summoned his Sky serpent, "Yes, my apologies. Did you recently comprehend sword intent? I thought your sect promoted artifact refinement."

"It still does, but this is not the place to talk about this", Jin Tianxuan said as he urged the sword to move again.

Qing Yun did the same with his mount, and soon the pair arrived at the Jin Tianxuan's courtyard. Upon landing, Qing Yun stored his serpent and walked in with the city protector. Servants led both men into a room with exquisite furniture including a small table that had a bowl of fruit on top.

"Azure Starfruit, Golden Sunfruit, Dragon blood fruit, Protector Jin, have you found a secret grove of fruit trees? These are of very high quality", Qing Yun immediately asked despite the rudeness of the inquiry.

Jin Tianxuan laughed, "No, actually these came from the place I need to inform you about."

Over the next few hours, Jin Tianxuan narrated the events of the last season to include the appearance of the shop, the battle against the spiritual beast, and the current situation afterwards. He continued to speak about what the pavilion sold, the services offered, and the rules of the store.

Qing Yun grew concerned the more he heard, "So you're saying that a Soul Transformation senior opened a shop out in the wilderness? And also the five protectors of the city and the ancestral spirit beasts have formed an agreement of peace?"

"I'm not sure if the senior of the shop is a Soul Transformation expert, but if you set foot on the land claimed by the pavilion, your life is already in his hands", Jin Tianxuan explained, "The five of us have already reported to our sect naturally, but it's best to tell you now before you head that way. Minor infractions will be punished by expulsion from the store, and that person will be banned from entering again for a set amount of time. It happened to one of the Protector Lei's subordinates, and no matter how much he tried, he couldn't break through the array formation ms that protect the shop. Something else I should mention is that many cultivator here have taken to raising spirit beasts."

"What?", Qing Yun responded in a surprised tone.

"As I've previously mentioned", Jin Tianxuan continued, "The shop has a very unusual training artifact. The Senior there must have some accomplishments in beast taming, because one can learn such methods by using the artifact and it has become a trend for cultivators here to raise a spirit beast. So far we have been able to do this peacefully for two reasons: the store also has spirit beasts for sale, and our agreement with the spirit beast of the Evernight wilds. As long as we capture beasts with no spirit consciousness, they will bear no ill will against us."

Qing Yun was drinking the spirit tea that had been served with relish before he replied, "What's the point of taming a normal beasts? If I'm not allowed to capture spirit beasts what was the purpose of my trip?"

Seeing Qing Yun getting upset, Jin Tianxuan hand the latter a dragon blood fruit.

"This might be better if you see it yourself", Jin Tianxuan said, "The others should return tonight so we will need to discuss things with them. In the meantime, the courtyard for you and your golden core elders should be ready by now. It would be best to guide you beyond the wall in the morning tomorrow. For tonight, I'll have my best meal served for your welcome. We won't stop until we're drunk."

"Fine, I have little choice in the matter", Qing Yun smiled, "Let me settle into the residence you've prepared and sent word to the others first. I'll return once that's complete, and we can go all out."

Qing Yun awoke the next morning feeling the effects from the night before. It had been a long time since spirit wine had affected him that much, but he couldn't deny how good it was. The flavor of the wine and food was the best he had ever tasted and before he realized it, he had gotten both physically and spiritually drunk.

Qing Yun took a few minutes to clear his body of the alcohol when he remembered he had been told this residence had a new bath recently built. It had been a long time since he last took a bath since he could simply cast a cleaning spell, so he decided to switch things up and go to the bathroom. After a refreshing bath, he wore new robes and made his way to the gates that separated the fortress from the wilderness.

All the elders and younger generations were present as Qing Yun landed, and he quickly responded to the greeting they gave him.

"Everyone, we just have to wait for our host to arrive…", Qing Yun was about to explain the plan for today when he felt the arrival of the city protectors and a large number of cultivators, "Nevermind, Good morning to the Protectors of Tianbao City."

Qing Yun waited for all the new arrivals to land before walking over to the five city lords he had conversed with last night.

"How are this morning, Daoist Qing?", Shui Yan inquired.

"The place given to me to stay is much better than my own home, Protector Shui", Qing Yun replied, "If it were possible, I would propose that the Qinglong clan enter the alliance here that guards the wall just so I could continue to stay there."

"We don't have many resources here, and we have to share", Protector Lei smirked, "But you want to ask us to split it even more? The Qinglong clan doesn't have a small appetite."

"Excuse me", Jin Tianxuan interrupted, "While this is fun, we can do this as we travel. Let's address the crowd and get moving."

Protector Mei nodded and walked to the front of the gathered crowd causing them to fall into silence.

Qing Yan laughed to himself when he saw the younger generation of his clan look at the city protector. Even he had to admit that Mei Lihua was lovely, but he had seen many lovely women over his life. Unfortunately for the Qinglong youth, they lacked the same experience, and many looked like they were stuck in a dream.

"Attention", Mei Lihua's voice seem to snap most of the lower level realm cultivator out of their haze, "Since we have guests today, I'll remind everyone of the rules. No fighting until you've entered the artifact. Only capture beast that are unawakened. Follow the rules of the store. For those who are visiting for the first time, read the store rules before you enter. That is easy enough to understand, so please prepare to depart."

The cultivators that lived in the city pulled out their weapons, and soon they were all floating above the ground awaiting the word to move out. The elders and youth of the Qinglong summoned their mounts while staring at first group in wonder.

"Let's go", Mei Lihua spoke as she, Protectors Jin and Shui, and Qing Yun took off. The rest of the group followed after and soon they arrived at the edge of the woods. Qing Yun's senses immediately identified four spiritual beasts, and when they landed he saw another large group of humans and beasts grouped together.

"Why is he here?", a loud voice caused the group of humans to quiet and stop in place.

"Daoist Qing is here as part of the Qinglong tradition", Jin Tianxuan explained, "We thought it would be best to introduce him to the new ways."

"His presence is not welcome here", a woman with a fiery temper said with gritted teeth, "Every decade, his family comes here to capture defenseless spirit beasts who had just awakened and forces slave imprints on them. I can see it on all the mounts they brought here. He was no part of the treaty we made with you, so he must leave if he doesn't wish to die."

"Feng Lei Yu, the agreement we made only stated that if a human entered the pavilion, a spirit beast of the same rank must enter at the same time", Jin Tianxuan countered, "You have no authority to alter the contract, so if you brought a guest we couldn't object either."

An extremely hateful look appeared on Feng Lei Yu's face, "You humans always do your best to tricks us. Fine, he can enter as per the agreement but if I see him or his kin try to capture a spirit beast, they will die!"

Qing Yun listened as Feng Lei Yu opened her mouth, and hawk noises were heard afterwards.

"Keep a close eye on your juniors, tamer", Feng Lei Yu, "You've been warned, so you don't have to guess what happened if one of them go missing."

Qing Yun kept his composure but internally sighed knowing this trip was more complicated now. The other Nascent souls started to walking into the forest so Qing Yun did the same. After a short walk, an incredible scene appeared before him as the walls of the pavilion came into view. The snow had melted in the area not long ago, and Qing Yun saw trees in full bloom displaying beautiful colors of pink and white. Qing Yun could tell the other cultivators were used to this view, but to him and the Qinglong clan, it was amazing. As the group passed through the front gate, the Nascent souls and Ancestral beasts started their duty ensuring an even number of visitors entered.

When Qing Yun finally entered, the voice of his great grand nephew entered his ear, "Hey lowly clerk, what's so good about this place? Hurry up and guide me around!"

Qing Yun closed his eyes in irritation, and was about to move forward to stop the foolish boy.

"Don't bother me", the young man sitting under the cherry blossoms replied, "You have eyes and legs, walk around on your own."

Qing Yun watched as Qing Zhao went to throw a punch at the young man, and quickly rushed to stop him. Just as the fist of Qing Zhao was about to hit, he suddenly disappeared, leaving Qing Yun to stare at the young man in shock.