The old man remained silent for a long time as Riven's question lingered in his mind.
How did cultivation come into existence?
He had never truly thought about it.
Then, slowly, fragments of memory surfaced.
There had once been a time, around a thousand years ago, when people believed that the Spirit Sovereign realm was nothing more than a myth. Back then, even reaching the Nascent Soul realm was considered the absolute peak.
Yet now, a thousand years later, there were already five Spirit Sovereigns in this plane.
If that was the case, then in an even earlier era, cultivators at the Core Formation realm must have once believed that they had reached the limit.
Even he himself had once held such thoughts before advancing further and reaching the Spirit Sovreign realm.
But a clear answer?
He never had one.
After thinking for a long time, he finally spoke.
"Immortal Master… cultivators have always sought to surpass their limits. They observed nature, created methods, and refined their understanding step by step."
"That is how we have reached this point."
Riven, who had already stepped into the Records Pavilion, nodded slightly.
"Yes… that is likely how it began."
He walked slowly through the ancient hall, his gaze sweeping across the shelves filled with countless records.
"Even before I began cultivating, before I was even born, cultivators already existed."
"And even before them… qi itself existed."
"It has always been there."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"But one thing is certain that there is no absolute peak."
"The world itself is constantly growing."
"What you discover today will be surpassed tomorrow, and the only meaningful path forward is to create something new to break your own limits and leave behind a path for those who come after you."
With those words, Riven walked deeper into the pavilion, heading directly toward the records of the inner sect disciples.
The old man remained standing at the entrance deep in thought.
For the first time in a long while, he began reflecting on his own journey and why he had started cultivating.
He remembered the day his spiritual roots were tested and he had been called a genius as he had entered the Drifting Mist Pavilion with pride.
He remembered the years he spent training, the battles he fought, and the achievements he earned.
Eventually he reached a realm that even his own master, the founding sect master, had never attained.
He had become the strongest in the sect's history.
Yet now… his master was gone, his parents were gone, his wife, his friends, all gone.
Time had taken everything from him, and what remained?
Only himself, standing at the peak alone.
He had a lifespan of nearly five hundred years, but three hundred had already passed.
Could he find a path forward in the remaining time, or would he die with unanswered questions?
He had once thought about passing on his legacy, but his two disciples had yet to reach the peak Nascent Soul realm.
The younger generation was even further behind. He had no one to inherit his path.
Which meant that he had no choice but to find the way forward himself.
But what lay beyond Spirit Sovereign?
And now standing before him was someone who had already gone further. Someone who had reached beyond the limits of this plane.
He wanted to ask.
He wanted guidance.
Meanwhile, inside the pavilion, Riven had already found what he was looking for.
A record with a familiar face.
He looked at the small portrait with a similar appearance to what he previously had, but now it would be difficult for anyone to recognize the connection.
He read through the details calmly.
All sects do such things as weekly or monthly updates on all the information regarding the disciples, like the missions they completed, their doings in the sect, etc.
Riven Millings (deceased) Age: 20 (died late 4099) Spiritual Roots: Entered Sect: Late 4096 Origin: Murong City, Thaloryn Continent Background: Son of a local noble
Progression after entering the sect:
Qi Sensing: 1 week, Qi Gathering: 5 months, Qi Condensation (Early): 3 months Qi Condensation (Mid): 5 months, Qi Condensation (Peak): 1 year 6 months, Core Formation (mortal core): 1 year
Further records detailed his missions, interactions, and eventual downfall.
Accused of crimes.
Claimed innocence.
Cultivation crippled.
Sent to the Mistbound Ruins.
Died of illness.
Riven closed the record.
His expression did not change.
Whether the man had been guilty or framed, it did not matter to him.
He had only needed two things: a name and a place of origin.
Riven suddenly thought of something and burned the record, because from now on there is not the person people knew as Riven.
When Riven stepped outside, the old man was still waiting. He saw what Riven had done, but he did not ask why, as he had long abandoned involvement in sect affairs.
His only duty was to protect the sect from external threats and nothing more.
As they walked away from the pavilion, the old man spoke.
"Immortal Master… what do you plan to do next?"
Riven glanced at him briefly. He understood the intent behind the question as the old man sought guidance.
Instead, Riven asked first, "Which continent is this?"
The old man was slightly surprised but answered immediately.
"This is the Solaryx Continent."
Riven nodded.
"I will be going to the Thaloryn Continent; if you wish, you may guide me there."
The old man's eyes lit up.
"Of course, Immortal Master, I will accompany you."
"I will inform the sect master first. Meanwhile, you may explore the sect. I will arrange someone to guide you."
With that, he disappeared, and a short while later, he returned along with a middle-aged man.
The man looked nervous.
He was the vice sect master and also the old man's second disciple. He had been shocked when summoned and even more when told to guide someone by the sect ancestor.
And when he learned that the person before him was far beyond his master's realm, he became even more cautious.
Looking at Riven, he was stunned, as the man looked so young.
As cultivators improve their realm, their skin aging slows down but is not completely stopped. So the higher the person reaches early, the younger the person looks.
And since he reached core formation when he was around his thirties, he still looks around in his fifties after a hundred years had passed.
Yet his master had warned him clearly not to offend him. The vice sect master bowed deeply.
"Immortal Master, I am the Vice Sect Master of the Drifting Mist Pavilion. I will guide you."
Riven nodded, and the old man left once again.
Riven asked calmly, "Are there any places worth seeing in this sect?"
The vice sect master thought briefly.
"There are several important places. I will take you one by one."
They began walking.
Along the way, disciples who noticed the vice sect master quickly came forward to greet him.
He dismissed them hurriedly, clearly uneasy.
After a while, he forced a smile.
He laughed and nervously said, "Immortal master... perhaps we should fly."
"Otherwise, the disciples will keep on disturbing you."
Riven waved his hand.
"It's fine."
In the next moment they vanished from sight. The nearby disciples were startled but quickly lost interest and returned to their tasks.
The vice sect master was surprised to see their actions as their disciples went back and no one was noticing them anymore as they had become invisible.
After some time, they arrived at a high platform; from there, the mist-covered mountains stretched endlessly.
Disciples leapt between peaks, practicing movement techniques.
"This is the Cloudstep Terrace," the vice sect master explained.
"Inner and core disciples train their movement techniques here. The qi is thin but refined, forcing precise control."
"Let's go."
Riven looked around briefly but found nothing special and told him to go to another place. With that, the vice sect master took him to another place.
They moved to another location.
A vast, perfectly still lake appeared before them, surrounded by dense forest.
"This is the Mirror Mist Lake," the vice sect master said with enthusiasm.
"One of our sect's greatest treasures."
"The water is rich in qi. It aids meditation and stabilizes cultivation below Core Formation."
Riven stepped closer and looked into the lake.
The water was so clear he could see the bottom, yet there was no one in this place, but it was guarded by a lot of people secretly.
"Why is no one here? Do you not let disciples enter this place?"
The vice sect master replied, "Immortal Master, this place is only available to disciples if they perform outstandingly in our sect-organized tournaments."
"The tournament will be organized in a month, and the top three will be given a chance to enter the lake."
After visiting the lake, other places looked lackluster.
They continued to other locations.
The Sky Mist Observatory, where elders secluded themselves to comprehend techniques. A towering mountain wrapped in clouds, filled with hidden caves.
Then the Veiled Duel Arena, shrouded in dense mist where disciples trained in real combat.
Here fights took place. Disciples used to train real combat instincts, and the fighters must rely on qi sensing instead of sight.