Chương 165: Chapter 164: Crystal Cave

White light closed over him. He saw nothing but brightness, filling his vision from every direction at once. The white light fractured into an array of colors before condensing back into a blinding flash, and suddenly Yang felt solid ground beneath his feet. He had arrived at an identical formation in a new location. He looked back at Senior Brother Xiao Zhan. whom he found to be smiling.

"Welcome to your new home." Yang allowed his to gaze to wander as far as it could reach. He was inside a vast cave within a mountain. It was larger than the cave residence he had just spent the last few hours in, far grander than his previous residence. Trees grew here and there throughout the space with countless flowering plants clustered around their bases. In the center of the room was a perfectly square man made pool and floating on it was a round stone platform.

The platform floor had intricate patterns throughout. Arranged as in a formal hall, there was a primary seat placed higher than the rest, along with several seats on each side, lining up the path leading up to it. Each of the tables along the path to the primary seat could easily seat four to five but only single seats had been placed at them. The wood of the furniture retained its organic lines and shape as though the wood had been coaxed into the form required rather than cut and fitted together.

"This is your main hall," Senior Brother said, breaking the silence.

"For any guests you may have. The teleportation formation is placed here to keep your private quarters separate and out of view."

"There is more?" Yang asked, incredulous, looking at the sheer scale of the chamber he was already standing in.

"Of course there is more, Junior Brother. Most of us live up higher on the peak. Given what Zhen Hao told us about you, we felt this cave best suited for you." Senior Brother began walking towards the right side of the main chamber.

"Come. Let me show you the private areas." They walked across the main hall and turned towards the right, where a broad circular opening in the cave wall served as a doorway. A stone staircase carved roughly into the mountain itself led upwards. They climbed up and emerged into another chamber. At the left side a few meters away, Yang saw the sleeping area.

At its centre stood a massive circular platform, directly carved from the cave floor, served as a bed, draped in thick, luxurious bedding that made the bed look fit for royalty. Sheer white curtains hung from an intricately carved frame suspended above the center of the bed. Near the bed, stood a small seating area with large tufted chairs and a large carved wooden table on which Yang could already see his personal belongings from Senior Brother Zhen Hao's storage ring arranged.

As they drew near, he saw the painting, still wrapped in cloth, sitting on the bed.

"I am afraid we had to let Zhen Hao get his way when furnishing this part of the cave." Senior Brother said.

"The stone bed was carved out of the cave floor itself so I wouldn't let Junior Brother Zhen Hao replace it with a more comfortable bed." His expression turned amused as he added, "Zhen Hao was most wroth me for cruelly forcing you to sleep on a bed of stone. I am afraid the dozen or so layers of velvet and fur bedding were a compromise we reached to alleviate your 'pain'."

Yang let out a sound of understanding, realising why this area looked so over the top compared to the refined organic style of the rest of the cave. Yang walked further and found the bathing area featuring a large pool fed by a small waterfall that seemed to be working as a shower. There was also an area to relieve oneself and a large basin carved out of stone which also seemed to have a small carving of a bird acting as a tap. He left the area and beyond that was something that stopped him entirely.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Further ahead was a large, hundreds of meters tall tree trunk, set horizontally on the ground with the upper part sanded smooth. Yang realised it was supposed to be a large work table. A good portion of its surface was covered by reams of papers, bottles of inks, talisman supplies, and piles and piles of books. The cave was well lit and a bit further Yang saw the reason for it.

An opening in the ceiling, like a natural skylight. Big enough to fly an airbus through. On one side, a waterfall fell feeding the large lake glistening in the sunlight. The force of the waterfall was making the whole area filled with mist, giving the whole space a soft, ethereal quality. Trees and shrubs grew thicker in this section, drawing on the ample light and moisture. Yang was speechless. He walked the whole space before he could bring himself to say something.

"Senior Brother, this is too much. It looks to be larger than Master's own chambers."

"Junior Brother, this whole peak belongs to Master. His resident is however he wishes it to be. And yes, your residence is the largest single residence on the peak but it also sits closer to the base." Senior Brother looked at him warmly as he added.

"This will be your home for as long as you are in this world. And beyond the size, this cave would also be able to accommodate any craft you wish to take up." Yang went quiet, still reeling that this is where he will be living from now on. He cast a wide gaze over the whole area.

"Who lived here before, Senior Brother?" Yang asked"Most cultivators prefer living near the summit so this cave has remained unoccupied for a few thousand years. But once Zhen Hao mentioned your preferences, this cave came to mind immediately and Master said that you will like it, so we went ahead with making it habitable."

"I do like it," Yang said and he meant it. He wasn't too attached to living at the top of the peak, while the view was good. If he had to choose, he would choose this.

"I am glad." Senior Brother Xiao Zhan said, looking pleased.

"It had sat unused for a long time so we needed to add furnishings and standard formations for cave residence. The only way to enter your cave is through the formation above. The opening here—" he gestured towards the gap in the ceiling "—can only be used by you, me, and our Master. While the peak is secure, Master doesn't want others to be able to gain entrance to your residence from below."

"If you invite a guest, they will have to enter through the formation above." Yang gave a bow to Senior Brother.

"Thank you, this is far more than I ever expected." Senior Brother waved it off with a smile.

"No need to thank me, this is your right as a Core Disciple of the Soaring Cloud Peak." Senior Brother Xiao Zhan turned to practical matters.

"Now Junior Brother, before I leave you to rest. There are a few things left." With a movement of his right hand, several items flew out of his storage ring and arranged themselves on the large log table. Yang stepped closer and saw almost a dozen sets of inner sect robes neatly stacked. There were also inner robes and other garments along with two pairs of shoes.

"These are your inner sect robes. While we are all required to wear the outer robes, you can add a different inner robe." Yang thanked Senior Brother as he passed Yang a round jade token with a tassel.

"Your inner sect token, you must always have it on you." Looking at it Yang was reminded of something.

"Senior Brother, I had some points in my outer sect token. Can I transfer them to this token""The inner and outer sect manage their record separately. Give me your outer sect token and I'll have these points transferred." He held out his hand and Yang passed him his outer sect token.

"Senior Brother, will you not need the inner sect token to add points to it?"

"Junior Brother, it's better to call it the Soaring Cloud Peak token. I have direct authority over it. I don't need physical contact to transfer points to our own peak disciples. I wasn't speaking loosely when I said Master has delegated much of his duties to me." Senior Brother said with a smile.

"Now," he passed Yang a pouch.

"Take this." Yang looked inside to find it full of spirit stones.

"There are five thousand spirit stones here. This is your allowance. You'll keep receiving the same amount monthly as long as you are in Foundation Establishment." Yang blinked.

"But I am only in the Qi Condensation realm." Senior Brother Xiao Zhan just dismissed it with a slight movement of his hand.

"I saw no reason to reduce the base allowance simply because your foundation hasn't been established yet." Yang stared at him.

"Inner Sect disciples receive this much?"

"Of course not. Your allowance comes from the Soaring Cloud Peak directly. Each peak is its own authority within the inner sect." Xiao Zhan took a step back towards the doorway leading to the teleportation formation.

"Rest now, Junior Brother. It has been a tough couple of days for you, and there will be much to deal with soon enough."

"Senior Brother?" Senior Brother Xiao Zhan offered a smirk as he said, "Junior Brother, you have ten more Senior Brothers to meet."