The time passes quickly, as I keep my eyes open and aware of any issues. Even more so, since the fiasco from earlier.

But nothing occurs and the light peeks around the horizon soon enough.

Throughout the night, the flying creatures circled our little encampment, acting as instructed. Normally, not all of them could fly for this long, but my healing made up the gap.

But they weren’t the only ones hovering around. That feeling from earlier of someone powerful watching remains from my scan. It looks like they haven’t used their spiritual sense to read me, but are keeping an eye on the situation and just gathering information.

I can mostly tell its information gathering, as its focus changes depending on key statements said by different parties.

What this means is that I’ll need to wait until we get into the towers to do anything healing-wise with them. While it will spread some more aspects of my abilities around, because of my recent actions with the elders, I need to reduce as much as I can until then.

I won’t be able to avoid it for much longer, though. I’m expecting requests/orders soon.

Here’s to hoping that my being under Sister Nuan and the others pays off. Making sure that I can be safe after revealing my abilities was a major reason I joined the sect.

… I might need to buy a favor from Senior Tian to set up concealing formations around the towers. I’m sure I’ll have to help him with one of his projects for it.

 Either way, we will need to get moving soon. We’ve spent enough time on this road and have far too much to do.

As I see the sun rising over the horizon, I move around and setting things up. As I do so, others do the same, waking others up who aren’t early risers. Unsurprisingly, that’s only a small amount of people, as those on the path of cultivation are expected to be constantly striving as hard as possible to further themselves.

Soon enough, we are continuing on the path to the tower.

On the way there, I find out the name of the Foundation Establishment ex-Yellow Sashes member is Xu Ah.

After getting to know her, some things become quite apparent.

“I-I-I am glad to see you are well, Master! L-let me know if you need me to fight anything that comes up, and I’ll do my best to take it down.”

The whole time she says this, she is practically shivering from the thought. From fear, not anticipation.

But she still says it and I can see the conviction in her eyes.

… This is exactly the type of person I was looking to have in my group. While normal groups like the gang wouldn’t want someone who shows their fear, thus lowering their prestige, I truly don’t mind.

She has true courage. Acting despite her fear.

I calm her down and welcome her to the group, while thinking of plans on how to support people like her better in the group.

It takes another day before we can see the outline of the tower in the distance. As we get close, I am shocked to see the bright red hair of someone that I was already planning on reaching out to later regarding the towers.

Senior Tian.

Even as we continue towards it, he appears focused in on some formations he’s building around, on, and apparently inside the tower, if the information from my scan is correct.

He appears to be worn out from the exertion, so I immediately begin healing him to full. A full-mouthed grin appears on his face as he pauses from his work and turns towards us.

He comes to straight over to me to speak.

Normally, people of his standing and strength would have others come to them instead. While we have a great relationship, he appears to be treating me more as an equal or slightly superior.

“Young Master James, I see you’ve finally arrived. I’ve already placed your new items and artifacts in your tower, as we discussed. I’ve been working on the formations, but I’ve only been able to get a small way through it without your help.

Ugh. I can still feel the eyes on us from earlier. This will definitely cause more issues.

With him being a core formation cultivator, he can easily see my micro expressions, despite my attempt to hide them.

“You do not need to worry, Young Master. Those watching will stop now. Isn’t that right?”

He flashes his cultivation.

The area around all of us seems to dim, as a myriad of glowing ruins, symbols, and waves of pressure comes out of him like the pounding seas. Like the beating of a drum, it pulses constantly outward. The weight of it is far more than what I had experienced with Sister Nuan during her test.

It’s the first display I’ve seen yet of a cultivator truly threatening someone with their cultivation. 

But even with me understanding all that, we’re not feeling any of the threat or the pressure. It’s as if it washes around us. Even the panther trailing behind is spared, as it seems Senior Tian’s eyes have caught it.

The eyes that were watching, however, have quickly withdrawn.

Angering a core formation expert is no joke. Even for other core formation or nascent soul experts. While a Nascent Soul might be strong enough to easily defeat a Core Formation… why create enemies because of a curiosity? There are other ways to gather this type of information than using direct confrontation.

Not only that, but their cover is blown. So, there’s no reason to stay.

After the watcher’s presence leaves, Senior Tian quickly pulls back his aura.

Everyone around is obviously shocked at how such a powerful cultivator is bringing themselves down to speak to us.

“Now… back to what I was saying. I could use your help in getting this up and running. Even at my previous best, I couldn’t get this far, but it looks like you got here right on time. Could you… you know?”

He seems excited to push himself and his cultivation further.

Ah, I forgot about this little fact. When you push your cultivation abilities farther, you achieve a bit more mastery with them. This can come at the cost of injuries and possibly sacrificing a bit of his cultivation base. Having the healing on him while he does a massive project alone allows him to try different things and see what works best, with only benefits involved.

I’m not only helping him refine his techniques, while maintaining his cultivation base, but allowing him to become stronger in a very real sense.

I give a brief nod before heading with him back to the tower. I turn back to the group before doing so, though.

“Oh, go ahead inside first. We’ll be heading inside right after.”

 

Despite their movements as a whole, many of them enter slowly, hoping to see more of what we are doing.

I don’t mind too much, as they already signed the contract and I don’t feel anyone else watching, so I get back to work on healing him. As I’ve become accustomed to doing when I know people are watching, I let my hands glow and hover over him as he works.

He seems twice as invigorated with me doing so, moving from place to place, with me close behind.

Streams of blue light flows from his hands to each of the towers, moving like adjustable streams to the different parts of each. At every point that it touches, there’s a slight glow, and only my scan can pick up that there is a rune or symbol that is drawn there.

What I find most interesting is that each tower has a massive invisible circle surrounding them and overlapping in areas with the others. They actually seem to be growingly reinforcing each other as they individually grow stronger.

As could be expected, there’s no way that one person should be able to do all of this. But, it appears he set a template in place and was waiting for me to get here to actually start the real work. Even just that much is an incredible feat.

No wonder he looked so haggard when we came by. I’m surprised he didn’t look worse than that, to be honest.

As he flits from one portion of the tower we are at, to another, it is honestly tough keeping up with him like this, since he moves so quickly.

I can even tell that he’s struggling to move slower, while changing the formations at the right timing. By this time, all the group members are inside and exploring the first floor.

Since no one is around, I decide on a not exactly respectable way to keep up with him.

“… this may sound weird, but if it makes it easier, I can hop on your back to make this easier for us both.”

He practically stumbles into place before catching himself. I’m pretty sure I almost caused him to ruin the whole project as well.

But that was only a microsecond of time, before I see him squat down a little in affirmation.

 I immediately hop onto his back before he takes off to make even more sub-formations. Funnily enough, the closer contact allows me to heal him even more efficiently and hide some of the more intense healings.

We become a whirlwind pair, with him now moving to jump off the air and building in bursts, while also using his cultivation techniques to penetrate the towers.

From what I can tell, the formations are improving the integrity of the building, preventing scrying inside, and several other effects that I can’t figure out. With this level of the scan, at least.

This is practically a fortress.

… So, what would a fortress cost me? Surely, helping him with his cultivation won’t be enough.

 

But that’s when I realize his eyes have glazed over. He’s getting in a flow.

This is getting good. An opportunity to learn from the best out there.