‘The fact that he’s just a Neophyte makes this even more significant.’

Xiao Lee, as it turned out, had greatly underestimated the amount of attention a Neophyte bringing justice for an even weaker woman would generate.

It was surreal in some ways. Back on Xenus, even righteous sects like his former sect rarely cared for any issues that involved anyone below the Nascent realm. Something he knew Li would try his best to change. His friend had a righteous streak. Not that he disagreed with the man.

After Bonnie had gladly shown him how to browse through the social media feeds. He found it hard to resist checking it every few minutes. It was, like most things in Lasvania, a wonderful and revolutionary system that everyone took for granted.

Even now, people from different parts of Lasvania and even other parts of the heavens talked about a Neophyte few had even heard of yesterday.

Apparently, the combination of his status as an Ascendant and the news of his actions caught people’s interest very quickly. The first Ascendant in a millennium dishing out justice as a Neophyte was on everyone’s lips.

His newly created account already had over a million followers even though he hadn’t posted anything.

“Lee,” Lisa called from the living room downstairs causing him to pause his scrolling.

Before they could leave the party the previous night, a woman named Jessica who claimed to be friends with Lisa and Bornie loudly complained that the party was boring and proceeded to take them to a ‘real’ party that, to his dismay, lasted for hours.

What little cultivation he could get was interrupted by all the people who kept asking him to dance or wanted to take him to a room. Lisa had said they wished to bed him, a prospect that frightened him. He stayed by her side for the rest of the party. It was much better to reject a woman much more powerful than him when he was backed up by Lisa.

They’d only managed to escape a few minutes ago, barely beating daybreak.

As he went down to meet Lisa, he suspected he knew what she wanted to talk to him about. His suspicions rose when he saw the look on her face. She looked uncharacteristically grim.

“There are levels to High Cultivators,” she said with a start. “Though the High Minister of Foreign Affairs is powerful, he’s still a long way from the highest levels. In fact, he only recently moved above the bare minimum for being a High Cultivator.”

“Oh,” was all he could say. At this point, he was getting numb to the scale of power in Lasvania.

“Most High Cultivators are actually close to the bottom. And for all their power, they pose little threat to the true juggernauts,” she continued. “High Senator Saurabh and her husband are about as close to the top as you can get. Both in political capital and actual power. They also love their daughter dearly, so they’ll intervene on your behalf.”

“That is great,” he said, though his heart wasn’t in it. He knew there was a ‘but’ somewhere. There always was.

“It is, and we normally would have no need to worry. Unfortunately, the Saurabhs are only so close to being true Peak High Cultivators. The Madam is a true Peak High Cultivator. One that doesn’t lack political capital.“

He resisted the urge to groan at that. Of course, it was a Peak High Cultivator that somehow took interest in him.

“That’s not the only problem. It gets worse,” she said grimly. “The Madam is an Ascendant. She’s very old, and from a world even more brutal than yours. She has also made it a habit of sorts to take any Ascendant she finds under her care. She isn’t without benefits, but she restricts their freedoms. There’ve been scandals about her exploitative and restrictive contracts.”

“So is Bornie’s parents' protection worthless?” he asked. “How worried do I have to be?”

“Well, no it's not. Unfortunately, Bornie believes in the power of the law restricting The Madam,” she sighed at that. “It's a little more complex than that. There are measures in place to restrict even people like her, but they have much more leeway. They’re too important and powerful for it to work otherwise.”

“I see,” he said thoughtfully. “So, is there anything I can do about it at all?”

“Well, she can’t act openly or actually hurt you. What she can do is try to starve you of resources. You’re an Ascendant, everyone knows Ascendants always aim to get to the top as fast as possible. She’ll try to make it as slow as she can. It’ll also be difficult to get a licence to advance to Master. You could renounce Lasvania and move to another country, but you’ll be free game outside Lasvania.

“Your biggest hope is the Lasvanian state. You’ll need to join the military or any similar government agency. No one will touch you if you work for the state.”

He considered that for a moment. He detested being a soldier and generally liked to avoid working for the government if he could. Though he didn’t know if he had a choice.

“How restrictive will working with the government be? I’d rather not exchange one bondage for another.”

“Outside the customary two-year training and probation period, you’ll be mostly free to do your own thing,” she said. “The military actually gets called upon rarely nowadays. Plus, they make sure you progress as fast as possible and getting a licence for Master is easy.”

That didn’t seem bad. He’d have to think more about it and look deeper into military service.

“I will think about it,” he said finally. “Military service is not something I am fond of, but it doesn’t seem like there are any other options.”

“Yeah, do that,” she agreed, then added. “Before you go, you need to post stuff on your social media. Ride your fame while it's still high. The more popular you are, the less likely it will be for anyone to easily antagonise you.”

He paused on that, memories of strange dances flashing in his head. He’d scrolled through videos earlier and still couldn’t understand the obsession with dancing.

“You want me to dance,” he asked, a little incredulous.

“Oh, no. Of course not,” she said with a chuckle. “You can talk about Xenus, and how it contrasts with Lasvania. Whatever you want really. Though if you really want to dance, I guess you could.”

“I’ll do something else, thanks. My gratitude for your assistance. It means much to me.”

“Think nothing of it. I’m simply doing my due diligence?”

He nodded at that, then took his leave and went back to his room. Future plans and social media aside, he had cultivation to do.

Lightning qi, of more potency and purity than most cultivators ever felt, rushed out in waves as Xiao Lee’s meridians were bathed in the qi of a High Beast. He was not sure whether it was on purpose or if he was just very lucky, but the qi was almost a perfect match for him.

The thunder chicken also saw lightning as power, a concept that was embedded in its qi. It was a High Concept, according to Bornie, and definitely much more than he could actually comprehend. The fundamentals, however, were still the same.

As he directed qi in the complex patterns of his cycling technique, he felt it visibly strengthening every part of him. Though the potency of the power was not something he was used to, he was quickly getting addicted to the feeling.

A small part of him worried about the potential for addiction. Though he had cultivated qi that far outstripped his level many times, none even came close to the intensity of High Qi.

He brushed such worries away, of course. He would deal with any potential issues later; besides the power he would gain was worth more than any addiction.

He cycled for a long time, getting lost in the familiar process of cycling without complications, before he came across his first bottleneck as a Neophyte.

His qi started slowing as the space in his core became too small for it to flow freely. It was a minor bottleneck he was very familiar with. One he could easily solve by having enough power.

Fortunately for him, power was something he had in abundance. He smashed through the bottleneck with practised ease, expanding his core and increasing the quality of his qi.

After a few minutes of cycling to settle his advancement, he very reluctantly brought his qi to rest. Though the chicken’s qi remained, and he wanted nothing more than to keep cycling till it was exhausted, one of his master's most central teachings was never to deny his core some rest after an advancement.

So, against his wishes, he left his core to settle and stopped his cycling. There was still a reasonable amount of qi leftover from the thunder chicken, enough for him to make a decent amount of progress into the mid Neophyte realm if he cycled it properly. Leaving it dormant in his core would still strengthen his spirit and push him a little further, but it would be at a mere fraction of the efficiency. Most of the qi would be wasted.

Still annoyed at the loss, he decided to take Lisa’s advice and try out social media, hoping it would lift his mood. After tinkering with it earlier, he’d mostly gotten the basics down.

He briefly thought about what his first post would be before deciding to simply introduce himself. He mentally selected the video option and felt a formation expand around him.

He wasn’t sure how it worked, except that the tiny processor in his head sent out a formation that recorded his actions and recreated them in his head. The accuracy of the video was almost disturbing. The ones he had watched made it seem like he was standing directly inside the recording. Everything from the environment, sounds, and even the qi felt real.

He composed himself mentally and directed the formation to start recording.

“This Xiao Lee greets the Heavens,” he greeted, bowing to his waist.

Both Lisa and Bornie had told him people would be fascinated by traditional Xenus mannerisms. He didn't consider himself traditional and often flouted proper etiquette on Xenus, but he was willing to put his master’s lessons to use if it meant he would gain more recognition. Even if he didn’t particularly care about it, the fact that it could help his fight for freedom made it important.

“This junior is glad he ascended to this wonderful land filled with things he could not dream of. Ever since he arrived, he has been treated well by all his seniors and has not been blamed for his weakness.

“When this one simply did his job and struck down foulness as any righteous cultivator would, he was praised and rewarded by his seniors. This one is grateful he has the chance to be among such kind seniors. He hopes he can serve this land and make his Seniors proud, especially the Seniors at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who have given this one more than he deserves. “

He ended the video and played it to himself, resisting the urge to grimace before posting it. It was over dramatic and leaned into the self-depreciating junior role a little too much, but he was satisfied with it. That was the role he settled on. Seeming like a naive junior who was ready to please would win people’s hearts and make them more likely to support him in his freedom goal.

He posted it to his social media account, waited for a few minutes, then watched the comments flow in.

* * *

Lisa Feltham stretched her senses over the entirety of her house, making sure there were no anomalies before she left. She felt Lee deep in cultivation and smiled slightly to herself. He was even more obsessed with advancement than her.

At least he’ll be happy about something, she thought to herself as she felt the amount of qi he was cycling. It was definitely enough to push him into the middle of the Neophyte stage.

As much as she wished to also cultivate the potent High QI that rested in her absorber, she had pushed her cores to the maximum already. Anymore would require an advancement to Master.

She took a step through space, her view changing from the white walls of her meditation room to the smooth brown walls of a building she refused to get familiar with.

Doctor Rhea’s Mind Palace was not an imposing space, anyone who saw it might think it was just a cosy vacation cottage. Of course that would be a very wrong assumption to make. Most people wouldn’t even know what she did, after all, the plethora of artificial intelligence therapy tools were more than enough for most people.

For those few people who wanted more and had the money and connections to matter, the High Cultivator that specialised in matters of the mind was the absolute best they could get.

She knew from the one session Bornie had forced her to have that the woman was as good as her reputation suggested. Still, that wasn’t enough to get her to continue, and not even the famed Mind Witch herself could erase the effects of a Lone Power in an hour’s time.

Still, she did good work, which was why Lisa had trusted her with what she considered a delicate case.

“Welcome back, Miss Feltham.”

Doctor Ilea, the therapist handling Helena’s case, opened the door the moment she arrived. Rhea’s refusal to employ artificial intelligence transcended just her therapists. She didn’t even have an automated reception system.

“Doctor Ilea,” she greeted with a polite smile. “How is Helena?”

“Her recovery has been surprisingly fast, considering the severity of what was done to her,” she curled her lips in disgust. “I do hope that woman gets a life sentence. What she did to that child was horrendous. Still, you can come and check her now. I think she’ll be glad to see you. She’s been quite interested in you and Xiao Lee after what happened.”

“That's great to hear, Doctor,” her smile was genuine this time. She’d been worried about the young woman. “I’d like to see her now.”

She was led inside through a very cosy living area that was buzzing with activity and into a hallway with multiple doors on opposing sides.

“She’s still quite isolated right now,” the doctor admitted when they got to one of the doors. “We’ll remove the soundproofing in her room tomorrow. Hopefully hearing people will make her want to come out more.

She knocked on the door and waited briefly before it swung open to reveal a woman with very messy hair. The wide-eyed Helena, who was obviously not expecting any visitors, took a look at who was at the door before letting out a shriek and shutting the door.

Lisa raised an eyebrow at Ilea who shook her head and smiled.

“She was embarrassed,” she explained. “Considering the kind of hero worship, she has for you, the thought of being seen in that state was unacceptable to her.”

“That’s understandable. She’s young.”

“Not much younger than you,” Ilea said.

“You know what I mean, Doctor,” she said pointedly.

“Of course.”

The door swung open again, this time, to reveal a Helena that was dressed more presentably with her blue sundress, jacket and weirdly, knee high heels.

She wasn’t sure she’d wear that at home though. Then again, she avoided dressing up unless she absolutely needed to. Jessica often wore even fancier clothes at home.

“Good day Miss Feltham,” the girl greeted with nervous excitement.

“Helena. How are you doing?”

“I’m doing great,” she cried. “I thought I was going to kill myself before I came but now, I don’t even flinch when I think of her.”

She sounded genuinely happy, something that actually warmed her heart a little.

“That’s good to hear,” she nodded. And though she would have loved to do nothing more than continue on her way and make this a quick step, she continued on. “Come let’s go somewhere so you can tell me more about how your treatment went. Doctor Ilea said you were a good patient.”

And so, the two girls, one polite and one enthusiastic, chatted by the curtains for nearly two hours. Of health and cultivation, of life and its motivations. And when it inevitably came to an end, the two women left with warmth in their hearts and a smile on their faces.

Albeit, for two very different reasons.

* * *

Lisa Feltham was happy.

Against her expectations, she had actually left a conversation feeling happy.

A truly strange day it was.

She tried to prevent her mood from turning sour as she stepped into the familiar hallways of her childhood, a futile endeavour, as always.

She stood in front of the pretentious throne room in seconds. A throne room that was missing its owner, because of course it was.

She rolled her eyes as she turned to the small lounge at the corner of the room, where she knew her, Mother waited.

How she wished the woman would simply not bother.

A girl could dream.

“Lisa! Come eat with your mother so her old heart can be glad,” her mother’s unrestrained voice hit her with enough force to cripple most Students.

Lisa Feltham was no ordinary Student.

She took a step and with a sigh, arrived at the seat next to her mother.

“Not a single speck of spatial qi. Impressive,” the petite redhead complemented. “Not even Mother was constantly running Symphony at your age.”

“She had not started cultivation at my age,” she pointed out. “And talented as she was, any record she set would have been easily broken by your average cultivator today.”

“Yes, yes. The benefits of technology. I think I hear enough about that when the Young Master Saurabh and I cross paths. Regardless, I don’t see many twenty-five year olds achieving your level. Take the compliment for what it is.”

“Thank you, Mother,” she said with forced politeness. “I’m sure you could have complimented me through the network.”

“The impatience of youth. Ever present to spoil an old woman’s fun,” Mother shook her head in mock sadness. “Still, I shall humour you. What do you think your purpose here is?”

“How could I possibly think to know the mystery of your thoughts,” Lisa deadpanned.

“Spoiling the fun again,” she shook her head before getting serious. “You did not intend to ask for my help with the Ascendant, did you?”

“No, I did not.”

“You believe it’ll be enough to stop the old hag?”

“No. I believe that you and the rest of your peers will stop her from getting any significant amount of control over the Ascendant.”

“You put a dangerous amount of faith in our willingness to act, Lisa. We are old monsters after all,” she warned, her tone turning sly at the end.

“I think Xiao Lee is interesting enough to hold your interest. Besides, grandmother hates that kind of coercion. The Madam is ambitious, not stupid.”

“More faith in another old monster. Your grandmother is better than most, but she ignores a lot of things.”

“You know she has a soft spot for Ascendants. And Xiao Lee is exceptional even among them.”

“Hmm,” she said with mock thoughtfulness. “Suppose you are indeed correct, and the boy is safe. Why did you tell him otherwise? I would think you’d be the last person to build a relationship on deceit.”

“Even with certainty, any kind of preparation counts,”

“Perhaps. Though I wouldn’t have expected you to suggest influencing. That said, what do you think about going off world.”

“Off world,” she asked in confusion. Where had that come from?

“Yes. Your grandmother suggested it for when you reach Master. It will go a long way helping you get your High Permit.”

Lisa frowned at that.

“It’s not really a choice,” she deadpanned.

“No, it is not. Think on this. It will be good for you.”

“What’s there to think about,” she asked with a touch of bitterness. “I’m going to have to go either way.”

“Just think on it, Lisa. I believe that will be all.”

Before Lisa could come up with a reply, she found herself staring at the familiar white walls of her meditation room.

It took an embarrassing amount of willpower to stop herself from letting out a scream of rage.