Growing with my age… erm, cultivation realm, seeing the world is just as "fun" as cultivating. Karma connects everything in the world—even I am not an exception. Lines get entangled onto each other, forming brand new futures yet to be seen.
So yes, having fun seeing Pardofelis' panicked look is one of the fun things.
After leaving her hideout, I teleported her to the skies. My [Beginningless Sword] carried her up above. She looked shocked at first and instinctively hugged the flying sword. She adapted to it until we arrived at Fire MOTH's base in Central City.
Things aren't that difficult with my spiritual consciousness. I scanned the Fire MOTH base and found the command room with the highest ranking officers.
When Pardofelis heard of my intention to break inside, she was startled for the second time.
"Boss, shouldn't we hide somewhere?"
"Like in a box?"
"Um!"
"No need."
All I can say is, there's no need to become Solid Snake.
I hid our existence using spiritual consciousness and 'induced' some people to spill Seele's and Kiana's general locations. I used this to find out why Pardofelis' home got wrecked.
An affluent drug dealer is connected with a squad captain that caught Aponia and Kalpas. He led his dozen men, plus fifty or so normal soldiers, to raid Pardofelis' hideout.
Of course, all of the parties are wiped off this planet now.
"Hm?"
A peering gaze came from behind us. Everyone else inside this bridge head did not notice our existence.
Kevin…
What I didn't expect was for him to notice our existence. He broke through the concealment of a peak Purple Mansion Realm cultivator.
As expected of the protagonist-level Kaslana ancestor.
"Please, don't mind me. Treat me like an invisible man."
"..."
"..."
I did not wait for his reaction. I can already foresee his bafflement.
Buzz-!
With Pardofelis in tow, I teleported out of the Fire MOTH base. She readied herself and stabilized her feet on the flying sword.
"Pardo. Can you manage a business?"
"Nya?"
Her surprise got her tongue tied.
This cute sound…
"O-of course! Isn't it just buying and selling? Scamming too…"
I am definitely sure the last one's not a legitimate business tactic.
"Which industry do you want to delve in?"
"Ah… can I choose three of them?"
Along the way, we talked about managing some businesses. It is an easy thing with a cultivator's capabilities. I can pass on the management and properties of top companies on this Earth for her to manage.
It is not really a necessity. It is more of a side quest. I want to see Pardofelis experience a different future than her… death. I can tell she will be great friends with Senti who is still trapped inside Fu Hua's Stigma Space. One is a stingy businesswoman while the other is a scammer.
These interactions that are never seen before and letting them experience a good end… perhaps it is what I want to see the most—my self-satisfaction, to speak.
By the time I reach a higher realm, I can pick up people on the long river of time and revive them. It is not like Otto's creation of a new branch or the Sea of Quanta's restructuring of past events.
It is acting upon the real world and going against time itself. The people brought back are real.
That has to wait until I have cut off my karma and reached the proper Void Refinement Realm. Only karma-less beings can go through the river of time and affect the past without any backlash.
Soon, my spiritual consciousness caught something. It is located in one of the Far East's mountains, the equivalent of Mount Fuji.
At the bottom of it is a place surging with spiritual qi. Its concentration shockingly reached the peak of fifth grade. Its radius of 2,000 kilometers are invisibly affected by it. That was despite being outside the [Two Phase Art]'s range. No spirit veins can be formed outside of it, lest a bunch of lower grade spirit veins have already sprung up.
The spiritual qi outside this radius also dissipates fast.
Even so, it is enough to thoroughly change the lives of the people in nearby cities. Those suffering from honkai corruption experienced improvements.
No wonder Fire MOTH did a blanket search around the Far East.
Tap.
Flutter-!
My feet stepped on the ground. The concealment formation in front of me is made with talismans.
Talisman formations…
Seele and Kiana did well.
I presented my hand to the confused Pardofelis.
"Hold my hand. You'll get lost if you don't."
"Ah..?!"
She swiftly placed hers atop mine. Her palm is filled with some calluses, though it remains smooth.
In an instant, a drop of [Life Extending Heavy Water] seeped through her body.Her calluses healed as the dead skin got pushed out. It was so fast she did not have any time to react. Her eyes looked at me in confusion.
"That's medicine. I can tell you broke your bones before…"
"Boss is amazing!"
My ears never got tired of her praises. I am slowly catching up to Madam Herta's ability bit-by-bit.
Soon, we arrived at our destination. A lone girl sat crossed-legged mid-air. Her dark blue hair reached the level of her waist. Sacredness and tranquility could be felt from her sleeping face.
Her dantian steadily sucked in spiritual qi.
I withdrew my hand from Pardofelis' grasp and looked at Seele.
{Seele}
Age: 27
Qi: Peak Foundation Establishment
Body: Middle Purple Mansion
Mind: Early Purple Mansion
Traits: Affected by the Sea of Quanta's power; in a state of enlightenment and epiphany; adapted to the Sea of Quanta's nature…
The first three traits explained many things.
Seele encountered a "fortuitous encounter", causing her cultivation to advance leaps and bounds.
I thought of her experience potions I withheld since a month ago. I planned to give it to her when she completed the qi cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Realm. I can use it to let her mental cultivation catch up, allowing her three cultivation realms to enter the Purple Mansion Realm in one fell swoop.
Breaking through with qi alone is possible, but having all three happen simultaneously increases one's success rate.
Now that her qi realm fell behind, it is time to give it to her. This is an experience potion made by my breakthrough to the peak stage of mental cultivation.
As for her age, it explained the nature of her "opportunity". Her time is accelerated. I don't know what kind of things she encountered over the past thirty-five days. In her case, it is fifteen years.
I felt guilty inwardly.
I called out for the other Seele.
To my surprise, she initiated the contact.
{"You caused this."}
"...Yes."
…
This escapade happened because of Seele's abnormalities—something that occurred when she saw me.
I am not as spineless as to deny it.
I thought of the things behind Seele's disappearance. That happened when Kiana and I almost did it. I didn't clean out the traces she left on my shoulder.
{"She will confess to you. What will your answer be?"}
Her words sent my mind to a halt.