CG C114: Fire Scrolls (Patreon)

"Enter.”

Kai pushed open the doors to the Sect Master’s quarters and stepped inside. He found his master stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing out of the window.

"Greetings, Master."

As Kai closed the door behind him, Luo Qiang turned around. "Ah, my disciple. What brings you here? Are you struggling with your cultivation?"

Kai shook his head. "No, Master. I've come with important information." He reached into his robes and pulled out the letter he'd obtained from Su Jie. With a bow, he handed it over to the Sect Master.

Luo Qiang's eyebrows rose slightly as he took the scroll. "And where did you acquire this?"

"One of my... associates obtained it from a Crimson Phoenix Sect disciple."

"Associates? I wasn't aware you had a network of spies."

Kai kept his face neutral, though inwardly he was skeptical. He doubted any action within the sect went unnoticed by the Sect Master. Still, he chose his words carefully. "Not spies, Master. Just a few resourceful individuals who keep their ears to the ground."

"I see." Luo Qiang unfurled the scroll and began to read. His expression remained impassive, but Kai noticed a slight tightening around his eyes.

For several long moments, there was only silence. Kai stood still, waiting for his master to finish reading. Finally, Luo Qiang set the scroll down and leaned back in his chair.

"You've done well to bring this to my attention," he said at last.

"Thank you, Master. I hope the information proves useful."

Luo Qiang nodded slowly. "Indeed it does, we were already aware of the Crimson Phoenix Sect's preparations for war. However, this information about the Boundless Earth Sect's involvement is new. And potentially very valuable. It could help us prevent significant losses on our side."

The Sect Master reached into robes and pulled out a small pouch. He tossed it to Kai, who caught it with his right hand. "A reward for your initiative. One thousand low-grade spirit stones."

Kai bowed deeply, hiding his slight disappointment. I was hoping for some magical artifact, but I suppose this is better than nothing.

"Thank you, Master. Your generosity is appreciated."

"My men will investigate further, to determine which specific areas the Boundless Earth Sect plans to target," Luo Qiang said. Then, his gaze sharpened as he looked directly at Kai. "And once we've confirmed their plans, you will be sent to deal with it."

"Me?” Kai blinked, taken aback. “But Master, surely this is too high-level for someone of my cultivation. Wouldn't a Nascent Soul elder be better suited for such a task?"

Luo Qiang waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry, you won't be going alone. A Nascent Soul elder will indeed be present, along with a group of Core Formation and Foundation Establishment cultivators. But it would be good for you to gain some experience outside the sect before the war truly begins."

Kai's mind raced, searching for a way out of this unexpected development. "Master, I appreciate the opportunity, but perhaps my time would be better spent focusing on my cultivation? Or my alchemy studies? There's still so much for me to learn here in the sect."

The Sect Master shook his head. "No. It has been decided. You will join this mission."

Kai opened his mouth to protest further, but the look in Luo Qiang's eyes made it clear that arguing would be pointless. With a sigh, he bowed his head. "As you wish, Master."

Inwardly, Kai was far from happy with this turn of events. Leaving the safety of the sect meant there was a real chance he might never return. Some might call him a coward for wanting to avoid the danger, but Kai knew the reality of his situation. He was like an ant compared to these cultivators, and ants got stepped on in wars between giants.

"Your Senior Brother will lead the mission," Luo Qiang added.

Kai looked up, surprised. "Shen Yu?"

While Shen Yu was chosen by the Sect Master first, making him technically Kai’s senior, Kai was older and didn't really see the other disciple as a true "Senior Brother."

"No, not Shen Yu. Wang Lin,” the Sect Master smiled.

Kai's eyes widened. He'd been in the sect for months now, but he had yet to meet the mysterious Wang Lin. He'd heard rumors, of course – whispers of a prodigy who had advanced faster than anyone in the sect's recent history. But Wang Lin was rarely seen around the sect, it was said that he was on a secret mission.

"Shen Yu will be joining the mission as well," Luo Qiang continued. "Both of you will be under the protection of your Senior Brother Wang Lin."

Kai nodded. A part of him was curious to finally meet the legendary Wang Lin, but another part was wary. What would this senior brother be like? Would he also be some protagonist-like figure?

"You have about a week to prepare," the Sect Master said, his tone making it clear that the conversation was coming to an end. "I suggest you use that time wisely. And Kai?"

"Yes, Master?"

Luo Qiang's eyes bore into him. "Stay alert. And don't die."

With those cheery parting words, Kai was dismissed.

***

Back in his own quarters, Kai took stock of his situation. He had about a week before he'd have to leave for the mission. That wasn't much time, but it would have to be enough. He had several things he needed to accomplish before then.

First on his list: learning the new skill scrolls he'd acquired. Kai pulled out the scrolls from his inventory, laying them out on his desk. There were three in total.

The first scroll was titled "Burning Sky Judgment." Kai unrolled it, his eyes scanning the description:

Burning Sky Judgment: Allows the user to summon a fiery sigil in the sky, which releases a rain of fire upon their enemies.

Kai's lips curved into a smile. This would give him another long-range attack option that was less qi exhaustive than the Lightning Hammer Strike. In a real battle, being able to strike from a distance could mean the difference between life and death.

The second scroll was titled "Fiery Lotus Bloom."

Fiery Lotus Bloom: Creates multiple flaming lotus petals that orbit the user, acting as both offense and defense. The petals can be launched at enemies or used to block incoming attacks.

"Now that's useful," Kai muttered to himself. The ability to attack multiple targets at once would be invaluable in the chaos of war. And the defensive capabilities were an added bonus.

The final scroll was called "Blaze of Renewal.”

Blaze of Renewal: The cultivator surrounds their body in a gentle, continuous flame that gradually heals wounds and burns away toxins.

Kai let out a low whistle. A healing technique was exactly what he'd been missing. While his system's respawn ability was a powerful safeguard, it would be far better if he could avoid dying in the first place. This technique could help with that.

"Alright. Time to get to work."

He picked up the "Burning Sky Judgment" scroll first. As he focused on it, a system message appeared in his vision:

Would you like to learn the skill "Burning Sky Judgment"?

Kai nodded, and suddenly, information began flooding into his mind. It was like watching a high-speed tutorial, complete with mental images of the technique in action. He saw the hand signs needed to activate it, felt the way the qi should flow, understood the intricacies of controlling the falling fire.

When the flood of information stopped, Kai blinked, feeling slightly dizzy. But the knowledge was there, settled into his mind as if he'd spent months practicing the technique.

Skill Learned: Burning Sky Judgment (Level 1)

Description: Summon a fiery sigil in the sky that rains fire upon enemies. Damage and area of effect increase with skill level.

"One down, two to go," Kai murmured, reaching for the next scroll.

He repeated the process with "Fiery Lotus Bloom" and "Blaze of Renewal," each time experiencing the rush of instantaneous learning. When he was done, two more system messages confirmed his new abilities:

Skill Learned: Fiery Lotus Bloom (Level 1)

Description: Create flaming lotus petals for offense and defense. Number of petals and damage increase with skill level.

Skill Learned: Blaze of Renewal (Level 1)

Description: Surround body with healing flames. Healing rate and toxin purification increase with skill level.

Kai leaned back in his chair with a smile on his face.

The Crimson Phoenix Sect... using their own skills against them will be deliciously ironic. And knowing their moves gives me an edge in defending against them too.

He'd need to practice them, of course, to get a feel for how they worked in real combat situations. But having them in his arsenal already made him feel more prepared for what lay ahead.

"Now," Kai said, standing up and stretching, "onto the next item on the list."

He turned his thoughts to the matter of a weapon. Up until now, he'd been relying solely on his cultivation techniques, hand-to-hand combat skills, and his basic sword. But in a real war, having a proper weapon could make all the difference.

Kai paced his room, considering his options. The typical xianxia protagonist usually went with a sword or some other kind of blade. They'd bond with their weapon, cultivating together until they became some sort of supreme sword emperor or whatever.

But Kai had never been one to follow the typical path. He wanted something different, something that would suit his style of combat and give him an edge others might not expect.

A bow? Great for long-range attacks, could be useful for sniping enemy cultivators from afar. But it's useless in close combat. And if I run out of arrows, I'm in trouble, unless I want to waste qi creating my own. Not to mention, it requires both hands, limiting my ability to use other techniques or items.

Daggers? Quick, easy to conceal. Good for surprise attacks. But they require getting in extremely close. Against higher-level cultivators, that's practically suicide. And I can always condense my own daggers if I’m planning an ambush.

A hammer or mace? Could be devastating but it is slow. Too slow. Too predictable. I need something that allows for quicker reactions.

A staff... no, a spear... wait, why not both? A staff-spear hybrid could work. It'd give me options - keep enemies at a distance or get in close if I need to. And with my lightning techniques...

Yes, I could channel my qi right through it. Turn the whole thing into a giant lightning rod. Now that would catch some cultivators off guard.

Kai nodded to himself, satisfied with the decision. Now he just needed to gather the materials and craft it. He still had the Thunder Tigress corpse and the Roach Carapace, both of which would make excellent components. But for a truly powerful weapon, he'd need more.

"Looks like a trip to the Sect Marketplace is in order.”

The higher the rank of the materials, the more potent the resulting weapon would be. And given the dangers he was about to face, Kai wanted the best weapon he could possibly create.

But before he could do that, there was one more thing he needed to take care of. His meeting with Su Fang.

Kai's expression hardened as he thought about the upcoming confrontation. Su Fang had asked for a meeting under the guise of cooperating, but Kai knew the Core Disciple was looking for ways to pressure him to hand over his alchemy business. But Kai had no intention of surrendering what he'd built.

It was time to make that crystal clear.

The sect may be heading off to war soon, but that's all the more reason to hold onto my alchemy business. Wars aren't just won on the battlefield. They're won in the workshops and laboratories too. Cultivators will need pills, elixirs, and talismans more than ever. If anything, this is when a business truly thrives. And I’m not just talking about alchemy but also formations.

Learning the basics of formations using skill scrolls could be incredibly useful. It would complement my alchemy skills nicely and make it less likely for the Sect Master to throw me on the frontlines to ‘gain experience’. I’m happy playing a supportive role.

Kai took a deep breath as he looked over his appearance, making sure his black legacy disciple robes were immaculate. Presentation mattered in these sorts of confrontations.

I should probably bring Lin Yue along with me. Both Lin Yue and Su Fang are Foundation Establishment cultivators, if things get ugly, having Lin Yue there could even the odds.

Not that I plan on letting it come to blows, but it never hurts to have a shield...