Chapter 86: Chapter 86: A Glimpse of the Divine
The journey to the Crimson Mountain Sect passed in relative silence, the weight of what had just transpired settling over the group like a heavy shroud. Elder Wei led the way, stealing occasional glances back at the two strangers who had saved his disciples with such casual, terrifying efficiency. The sect members whispered among themselves in hushed tones, their voices barely audible above the crunch of leaves beneath their feet.
Elias walked with the same measured calm he had displayed during the battle, his expression unchanging as his quantum brain processed the combat data he had just witnessed. The way the demonic cultivator had channeled his Martial Intent through that devastating punch—the pure focus of destructive will made manifest—it was a crude but effective application of force enhancement that his own universal laws lacked.
Kaelen moved beside him, Lumie’s small form of light resting weakly on her shoulder. The tiny furball had stirred during the violence but remained in its diminished state, slowly recovering from whatever had damaged it during their transition to this universe.
"Fascinating," Elias murmured, low enough that only Kaelen could hear. "Did you observe the energy dynamics during the demonic cultivator’s attack?"
"The way he channeled his intent through physical force and will?" Kaelen nodded. "Crude, but effective. It bypassed traditional energy manipulation entirely by using willpower as a direct enhancement medium."
"Exactly. Their cultivation system is inferior in raw power and efficiency, but this Martial Intent component..." Elias paused, his analytical mind dissecting every aspect of what he’d witnessed. "It’s not just emotional investment in combat outcomes. It’s the weaponization of certainty itself—the absolute conviction that your will should overcome reality."
Elder Wei cleared his throat nervously, having caught fragments of their conversation. "Honored ones, if I may ask... that technique you used to defeat the demonic cultivators. I have never seen anything like it."
"Physics," Elias replied simply. "Compressed air moving at high velocity. Nothing more complex than applying force in the most efficient manner possible."
The elder’s face went pale. To speak of such devastating power as merely ’physics’ suggested a level of understanding and capability that defied comprehension. "You... you are not from this region, are you?"
"No," Elias confirmed. "We are not."
As they crested a hill, the town came into view—a sprawling settlement nestled in a valley, with the Crimson Mountain Sect visible on the terraced mountainsides beyond. Even from this distance, Elias could see the organized layout of cultivation gardens, training grounds, and residential complexes carved directly from the red stone.
But as they descended toward the town proper, something else became apparent. Every person they passed stopped what they were doing to stare. Merchants abandoned their wares, children peered from behind their parents, and even the animals seemed affected by their presence.
"This is problematic," Kaelen observed quietly, noting how conversations died wherever they walked.
"Unavoidable," Elias replied. "Our physical forms were engineered at a cosmic level. Suppressing our cultivation doesn’t alter our fundamental nature."
It was true. Even without their power cores active, even with their laws muted to whispers, their bodies remained perfect examples of divine engineering. Their beauty transcended mortal aesthetics—not mere physical attractiveness, but a harmonious perfection that suggested something beyond natural evolution. Their movements held a fluid grace that spoke of absolute bodily control, and their presence carried an indefinable weight that made observers instinctively recognize them as beings apart.
Elder Wei noticed the growing crowd following at a respectful distance and quickened his pace. "The sect is just ahead, honored ones. Our master will be most eager to meet you."
The Crimson Mountain Sect’s main entrance was an impressive gateway carved from living rock, flanked by statues of ancient martial masters. Disciples moved through the various levels in orderly formations, their training routines precise and disciplined. Gardens of spiritual herbs dotted the terraced slopes, their enhanced growth patterns visible even to untrained eyes.
Waiting at the entrance stood the sect master—an ancient figure whose extended lifespan was evident in every weathered line of his face, yet whose eyes held the sharp intelligence of someone who had survived centuries of cultivation politics and sect warfare.
The moment his gaze fell upon Elias and Kaelen, those ancient eyes widened in recognition of something unprecedented. His spiritual senses, honed by millennia of practice, immediately detected the fundamental wrongness in their energy signatures. These beings radiated a subtle but unmistakable otherness—they were not native to this planet, possibly this Universe.
(Note: The Sect Leader was a powerful old man in his final days. He became the sect leader of this average sect to pass time.)
More concerning was what lay beneath their apparent suppression. The sect master had felt the auras of gods before, during his youth when the Martial World Sovereigns had descended to resolve a crisis. This felt similar, but different. Older. Deeper. More absolute.
"Welcome, honored guests," Sect Master Chen said, offering a profound bow—not the perfunctory greeting given to visiting dignitaries, but the deep respect reserved for beings of genuine transcendent power. "I am Chen Wuming, master of this humble mountain. Your presence brings great honor to our sect."
His choice of words was deliberate. Not ’fellow cultivators’ or ’young masters,’ but ’honored guests’—acknowledgment that whatever they were, they existed outside this world’s normal hierarchies.
"We appreciate your hospitality," Elias replied, his tone neutral but not dismissive. "We find ourselves newly arrived in this region and would benefit from a place to rest and observe your cultivation methods."
"Of course! Our finest guest quarters are at your disposal." Sect Master Chen gestured toward an elegant complex higher up the mountain. "Whatever resources you require, please consider them freely given. May I ask what brings such distinguished beings to our humble sect?"
"Learning," Elias said simply. "Your universe’s cultivation system possesses certain aspects that we lack. We wish to understand how Martial Intent enhances the application of natural laws."
The sect master’s composure nearly cracked. For these beings to speak of lacking anything while radiating such overwhelming presence suggested their true capabilities were beyond imagination. And to frame their inquiry as studying rather than learning suggested they already understood principles that had taken his civilization millennia to develop.
"We would be honored to share our knowledge," he managed. "Though I fear our understanding may seem elementary to beings of your obvious advancement."
"Every perspective has value," Elias replied. "We prefer to observe before making judgments."
As disciples hurried to prepare accommodations, Elias and Kaelen were escorted through the sect grounds. Their passage created ripples of disruption—conversations halted mid-sentence, training exercises faltered as practitioners found their concentration shattered by proximity to such overwhelming presence, and even seasoned elders found excuses to catch glimpses of the mysterious visitors.
Their assigned quarters were magnificent—a self-contained complex with private cultivation chambers, a garden courtyard featuring rare spiritual plants, and rooms furnished with materials that represented fortunes in the outside world. More importantly, it offered the privacy they would need for what came next.
Once alone, Elias settled into meditation posture on a jade platform clearly designed for advanced cultivation. Kaelen chose a nearby chair, content to observe and wait, while Lumie’s small form pulsed weakly on her shoulder.
"So," Kaelen said, "the scan gave you everything you need?"
"Cultural norms, power structures, cultivation techniques, historical context—all of it," Elias confirmed. "The information is comprehensive. This universe operates under Martial Laws rather than Universal Laws, and their cultivators achieve power by fusing blood vitality, muscle will, and combat intent with ambient spiritual energy."
"And the problem?"
"The same as before. My blood cells are miniaturized power cores—using them for basic vitality cultivation is like using antimatter to light a candle. My body responds to quantum-level commands rather than willful effort. And most critically, I have no experience generating genuine combat intent."
Kaelen nodded thoughtfully. "But you have a plan."
"I do." Elias’s eyes held a flicker of anticipation. "Their cultivators mix crude versions of universal laws with Martial Intent to enhance combat effectiveness. I don’t need to learn their inferior laws—I already command the absolute versions. What I need is to understand the mechanism of Martial Intent itself, then overlay it onto my existing capabilities."
"And how do you plan to learn something that requires emotional investment and combat experience?"
"By creating the proper conditions." Elias closed his eyes, his consciousness already turning inward. "I’ll construct training scenarios within my spiritual sea, accelerate time to maximum ratios, and learn through repetition and analysis. My quantum brain can process combat data at rates that compress years of experience into hours of meditation."
"The gods’ approach to learning how to be human," Kaelen observed with amusement.
"Efficiency remains a virtue," Elias replied. "Though I suspect this particular lesson will require more... direct methods than I’m accustomed to."
Outside their quarters, the Crimson Mountain Sect continued its routines, but with an undercurrent of excitement and unease. Word spread quickly through the ranks that two beings of impossible power had taken residence among them. Some viewed it as a blessing that could elevate their sect’s status. Others worried about the attention such visitors might attract.
Sect Master Chen retired to his private study, immediately beginning correspondence with contacts throughout the cultivation world. He needed information about these strangers, their origins, and their intentions. In a realm where power determined survival, unexpected variables of this magnitude could reshape entire power structures.
But for now, Elias prepared to embark on perhaps his strangest learning experience yet—discovering how to fight not just with perfect technique, but with the raw, emotional intensity that gave technique meaning. The path to recovering their full power had begun, and it would start with a god learning to feel.