Chương 12: Phantom State

Daily watering ended.

"Finally!" Ren collapsed just like a salted fish. His pride at reaching the first step of Body Tempering had already shattered under the harsh reality. I shouldn't have spent so much effort cleaning, he thought, though feeling no regret. Doing chores had already become a daily routine for him, and a way to escape the day's worries. A little weariness was something he could easily ignore. But having a weary mind that can think continuously? Thanks, but no thanks.

To be honest, why the hell am I even trying this hard? Yet as if it saw him unguarded, a question he hadn't thought of and always threw aside surfaced, but he quickly stifled the thought. Not now. Ren felt a tingling sensation in his skin, a sign that moon energy had started to work. Finding a great distraction, he sat upright.

"Just as I expected, moon energy has a great healing effect. Though I wonder if I can use it on others?" he muttered, grabbing a gourd of water. He poured it over his head, the cold rush instantly washed away his exhaustion and cooled his boiling muscles while tendrils of steam curled up from his shoulders and chest. At the same time, Madam Zhang approached carrying a tray.

"Great timing as always, Madam Zhang." Ren shot a grateful look, ready to dive into the feast.

"Of course, young master," she smiled, and pulled out a make-shift table from her ring.

"You're lucky, Master Lei had nothing to do, so he personally prepared everything. The egg salad you requested, made with Goldenwinged Hen's eggs, Slimvine leaves, and shredded crimson radish with some light salt and oil." She pointed at the first plate.

"Have a taste."

"Goldenwinged Hen egg? Master Lei has a lot of goodies nowadays," he muttered, chewing the creamy egg. And yeah, he had to admit that it was delicious but also too… eggy? He must've boiled it too much, or maybe the base ingredient is like this. Moving it aside, he stared at her with glimmering eyes.

"Its taste might be too intense," Madam Zhang chuckled.

"But please eat it, young master. It can replenish vitality after physical training and help you continue training until you collapse. I think you will like its effects."

"Do I look like such a training maniac?"

"Of course you do." Ren fell speechless. Madam Zhang didn't let the silence linger. She pushed the second plate.

"And this," she said with a strange pride, "is the Snowmelon Summer Salad. A seasonal favorite among the alchemists— made with chilled Snowmelon cubes, Starleaf Mint, and a drizzle of Frost-date vinegar. Finished with crumbled Cloudgoat Cheese and a pinch of salt.

"…Did you just say Snowmelon?" he blinked.

"Yes."

"We have Snowmelon? And the Alchemy Peak didn't get wind of it?"

"Let's just say Master Lei made it very clear I should keep my mouth sealed. He said he wouldn't be willing to use it if anybody other than you asked."

"Then I need to visit him sometime," he muttered, already reaching for a piece. The Snowmelon glistened like a carved jade, soft white with a faint blush. One bite, and— He froze. Cold sweetness burst across his tongue, chased by a delicate tart flavor from the cheese, then a refreshing chill slipped into his chest. The mint wasn't overpowering, yet clearly present.

"…This," Ren muttered, barely above a whisper, "is a sin." Madam Zhang raised an eyebrow.

"I assume that means you approve?" He shoved another cube into his mouth.

"Anything else would be a lie." She laughed lightly as he finished the plate with concerning speed. Then she pushed the last plate, a fine-looking steak lying charmingly on it.

"Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to prepare another delicacy, but I think you can make do with it. Common-grade Bristlegrass Elk meat." Ren arched a brow.

"Even common-grade, spiritual beasts are spiritual beasts. I am not that arrogant to say I need to 'make do'." Instead of refuting, she just glanced at him in amusement.

"I need to visit Elder Qian and collect your monthly resources. Do you need anything, young master?"

"Hmm, a little bit more Bluerbly Leaves wouldn't be bad." She nodded and left after he finished. Hopefully, she can get it. …

"I think it's time," Ren muttered, then made sure Madam Zhang left. He activated the manor's barrier for full enclosure, too. [Phantom State - lvl 1]: As the host of the Nascent-Moonfly Tree, you gained its partial state of Dimensional Disappearance. Using moonlight energy, you can turn into a phantom state for a limited time. This time, he had another goal before starting cultivation. After all, having a skill he hadn't even tried was no different than an insult to any cultivator.

Furthermore, unlike the Moon-Devourer, which was kind of passive, Phantom State should be an active skill. No, it must be. I can't handle another passive skill; give me something to play around with at least. Gritting his teeth, Ren felt a weird excitement deep inside before trying to activate it. And… nothing happened. Wait, no… From the outside, nothing had changed in his body. He hadn't turned invisible or anything like he expected, still sitting on the ground. But he felt a weird sense of not belonging there.

As if he had zoned out of his body… No, no, I am still in my body, but it's like my surroundings disappeared… what a weird sensation… Ren touched the ground. It was there, alright, but it also wasn't there as his hand passed through it when he— willed. However, before he could test it further, the feeling suddenly disappeared, and his hand rebounded. He felt a slight weakness in his stomach. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"What in the actual hell happened?" he wondered aloud, his brain couldn't grasp the weird sensation.

"Again!" Without waiting, he activated Phantom State once more, but this time he focused on his senses rather than his body. He even closed his eyes. Right then, Ren 'saw' the moonlight energy coating around his body churning, and it created another skin-like layer between the outside world and him. Racking his brain, he pondered over the explanation, and especially the Dimensional Disappearance part. So I delved into a deeper layer of dimension, space, or whatever the hell it is. Is that right?

He thought as his hand passed through the ground once again. Strange, why am I not sinking comple— woah! As soon as he thought this, his body sank into the ground to his waist as if he fell into a viscous type of water. However, the skill's duration ended before he could test solidifying himself or his ability to breathe underneath, throwing him back to the ground. This thing is truly phantastic! Again!

But the slight weakness intensifying didn't think so as he felt a dull, twisting pressure coiled in his stomach, tightening with each breath. It left him feeling hollow inside, only leaving a nauseating emptiness. Ren swallowed hard, hoping the feeling would pass, but the uncomfortable knot refused to loosen its grip. His stomach churned violently, and he leaned forward, nearly throwing up everything he had eaten.

Thankfully, the moon energy covering his body acted at that moment, slightly numbing the hollow feeling inside. He could finally let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding and spat out a few curses.

"Alright, this sucks," he murmured, only after a few minutes.

"I have the skill, but I can't use it for more than a few seconds. Amazing thought process there, system." He glanced at the lingering sun above, feeling betrayed.

"Well, the mistake is mine. Why do I still have expectations from you, huh?" His stomach had settled a bit, but the dull ache lingered, a reminder of weakness he didn't like. No, he hated it with passion. Do I need to have more moonlight energy? How much energy does it even consume? Or is it limited by time? And it's also level one. But how the hell do I level it up? Fucking hell, the list is getting longer, again… He made a mental note to get a notebook.

Ren wiped a bit of sweat from his brow and stared at his hands, still trembling slightly.

"Me and my obsessions…" he grumbled. He let out a long sigh and closed his eyes, feeling the moonlight energy slowly wandering inside his body. He focused on watching it rather than immediately starting, and couldn't help but feel a tiny bit proud of himself despite the failed attempt. Baby steps, don't forget. Let's learn walking before running. Leaving aside his 'great' expectations, even managing to get started on cultivation with his broken foundation should be a miracle.

This is a cultivation world where dog eats dog, right, but as long as I stay here, I'm safe. Mostly, at least. The memories he searched through approved this fact, as his soul brother had murdered a lot of people and endured more than a hundred assassination attempts at his tender age. Quite a chaotic life he had, truly. But the sect had a good reputation for fiercely protecting its disciples. Other than covert attempts on his life, nobody could touch him.

Letting out a deep breath, his regular at this point, Ren forced himself to calm down. His sight turned to his core, at the tiny sapling that might be his only 'salvation'. That huge, majestic tree he saw… It could be the greatest thing I've ever seen. So you need to grow big and mighty, you little brat. Don't disappoint me, he murmured to the tree, not knowing if it could even understand him. Though it looked like it cheered by waving its… pitifully few leaves.

"Am I getting delirious? Probably. Talking to a damn tree, after all." Ren let out a chuckle, then jumped to his feet and started with the Heavenly Call. Though he quickly went past all its steps and opted for the Heavenly Ritual, as he had wasted a lot of time. Sunset was close. And the rest is better under the moon. … Fine, showers aren't bad, either. Ren thought while he rubbed the towel over his hair, his arms shaking slightly. He had overestimated his body's endurance and had to stop before the sun even set.

But turning on the positive side: [Growth: 42/10000] He felt like he was getting closer to the second step of Body Tempering. Heavenly Ritual was an absolute beast in converging spiritual energy, much more efficient than basic Heavenly Call, but also more destructive. The cracks over his skin hadn't even faded despite the long shower. He threw on a black pair of training clothes and boiled tea as he felt like he could drink again. Just then, his token flashed.

The barrier opened, and Madam Zhang appeared in the kitchen not long after, her expression carefully masked behind a slight smile. Ren arched a brow.

"That bad, huh?" She didn't reply immediately, putting out a few snacks and ingredients from her ring. Though her lack of answer was enough.

"Elder Qian sends his regards," she uttered, her voice shimmering with rage.

"And his apologies for 'inventory shortages'." He scoffed.

"Shortages. Right. Did he also ask for donations?" A silence stretched between them. He paced, rubbing his chin.

"He wouldn't dare to do such a thing without some orders from other elders. No, other elders can't do that. Only the four Great Elders can hold back my resources, but two of them already support me. Their interruption would alert Master as well. Then is he ignoring them?" A bitter laugh escaped.

"What an amazing solution to shut me down. One month. They couldn't even keep their ambitions in check for a month." He flopped into a chair, rubbing his temples. The dull ache behind his eyes throbbed as if waiting just for this moment. For heaven's sake, just when I learned things like Bluerbly Tea can help. If I can't even get my normal resources, then how can I touch the sacred soil? Madam Zhang remained silent, taking the hissing teapot off the glowing runes.

The bright blue tea flowed its way to his cup, and then to another cup for herself at his gesture. Ren let out a sigh.

"You've seen this glorious song and dance before, haven't you?" he asked, sipping his tea and ignoring the slight burning in his mouth.

"All these bullshit sect politics, resource shifting, and the like." Her lips twitched, but she said nothing. He tapped his fingers against the cup, his rhythm uneven.

"It's quite funny, actually. I refused help, even going as far as to dismiss all of you. Then why am I feeling so frustrated over some resources I didn't personally fight for? Because of their insolence? Or their greed?" He gave a hollow chuckle.

"They want me to teach disciples, too. Can you believe it? Me. The man barely holding his ass together will be playing teacher for some brats and make them strong enough to see the daylight after the Trials." The steam curled around his face, twisting past the tired smirk he wore too often lately.

"I can't guide them. That place isn't for the sane ones." He took another sip, the tea's warmth slightly soothing his stiff shoulders.

"Heck, I'm not even a good example. I left my team behind when the most important thing is teamwork." A moment passed. And then, almost reluctantly, he asked, "What am I gonna do? I can't refuse, nor am I willing to accept. What would you do, Madam Zhang? If you were in my shoes?" He wasn't even sure if he was asking for advice or just desperate to hear someone else say something that made sense. Apparently, some good sense is low on supply lately. Only then did Madam Zhang move.

She set her cup down, delicately, slowly, as if considering the weight of the question.

"First of all, you say you didn't personally fight for those resources?" she snickered.

"Heh, don't make me laugh, Young Master. Everyone knows you only take the most common resources. And even when you take rare ones, you choose things nobody cares about, like this tea." Her gaze actually said it all, yet he waited for her to continue.

"I can't understand the weight you carry, young master," she said.

"But I know you always walked further. Not away." Ren blinked, not expecting that. He then let out another sigh. The one you knew isn't me. Sorry. Madam Zhang stared at him, but seeing that he remained silent, she opened her mouth again.

"I'm in no position to advise about teaching. My brats? Can't say I learned much teaching them. They were, and still are, too frustrating." She leaned back, rubbing the golden ring on her finger. Her piercing gaze softened.

"Only thanks to that old fool of mine, may he rest easy, they learned things and grew up finely."

"How?" he couldn't help but cut in. He wondered how a father figure could change someone's life.

"He always said that teaching is rarely about knowing everything yourself, especially when it comes to a bunch of little devils. Even if you know everything, they wouldn't accept it without experiencing it firsthand. And yeah, they were truly stubborn, but not as much as my stubborn mule till the end. No matter what they did, they couldn't overthrow his authority or escape his so-called naggy advice." She burst into laughter, as if remembering something.

"Don't underestimate those nagging advices, young master. It might seem too careful, perhaps even outdated. But if you find yourself stumbling in one day, they may be the ones reaching for you first. Then, those words can be the anchor you hold on to, the stepping stones for you to rise from the hole called your mind." She gave him a look— not sharp, but proud.

"You've walked through more thorns than most have. You've fallen into the abyss. But I don't see someone who's given up. And that, Young Master, is enough to start with." He didn't respond immediately. Not considering his soul brother's memories, even his past life was a thorny one. Yet he had managed to claw his way to an acceptable point, despite the mistakes and regrets he had. He couldn't refuse this fact. If I combine both, then maybe… maybe it would work.

He leaned back, staring at the ceiling, exhaling a breath he hadn't noticed holding.

"Thank you, Madam," he murmured.

"The rest is up to you, young master," she said, smiling faintly, already rising to leave.

"Now, if you'll excuse this old lady, these weary bones are begging for a good night's rest." He just nodded, then stared at the quiet ripples in his cup. Guess it's time to see if I can pay back my debt— both to the sect and my dear soul brother.