Desertion

I was always looking for a chance to bolt, chewing over my hatred for the Golden Sand Sect's monstrous old codgers in the back of my mind.

Still, credit where credit was due — the sect's arts and training methods genuinely suited me.

"Now, this is the Golden Sand Sect's secret art: the Ten Thousand Golden Sand Flow Technique."

The technique handed down exclusively to the sect's Zhenshan Disciples was, even by objective measure, an exceptional art. It was essentially an extension of the Gold Sand Art, allowing its wielder to transmute the surrounding sand into golden sand and command it at will.

It was said to be an ascension art worthy of the Grand Perfection cultivator who had founded the sect itself.

"The foundation of the Ten Thousand Golden Sand Flow Technique begins with controlling golden sand."

It boasted absolute control over sand and sand alone. But sand was never guaranteed to be lying around.

Which was why, according to rumor, disciples who mastered the technique carried pre-processed golden sand in their storage bags.

"You cannot always expect the ideal environment."

My master, Geum Myeongjin, taught that it was better to pulverize rock and earth yourself. Crush the surrounding terrain into fine sand, then grow accustomed to manipulating it — that, he said, was the fastest road to true mastery.

Considering that Geum Myeongjin, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, was one of the sect's most accomplished masters of the technique, he was probably right.

"Yes, Master."

And so I began by following his instruction, shattering rock and soil with my Qi and refining them into golden sand.

"Compress it. Bind it into a single flow. It will not be easy at first."

The Ten Thousand Golden Sand Flow Technique was an ascension art so demanding that those without a metallic Spiritual Root could hardly even attempt it. That made metallic affinity, without question, the ideal talent for a Zhenshan Disciple — and while an earth attribute was welcome for the sect's other arts, metal was the core of it all.

...So was that why Dang Sam became a pill?

By this point, I had already accepted the fact that Dang Sam had been rendered down into an elixir. Could anyone blame me? The elders were suspiciously quiet about it. His name rose and fell among the disciples' gossip, but the sect elders treated the mere mention of Dang Sam as taboo, as if he'd become some forbidden word.

For the record, Dang Sam had possessed dual Fire and Earth Spiritual Roots.

Still, by my own reckoning, he'd probably learned the Ten Thousand Golden Sand Flow Technique well enough anyway. He'd been a man beloved by Qi itself — he would have gotten along fine with a technique that governed the flow of Qi.

But whatever.

"Set aside the miscellaneous arts for now. Focus on the sect's main technique."

"Yes, Master."

And so the Ten Thousand Golden Sand Flow Technique became the art I practiced most, second only to the Aura Concealment Art. Geum Myeongjin kept giving me meaningful looks, so skipping training wasn't exactly an option.

That said, once I got into it, there was plenty to enjoy about it.

Isn't this just telekinesis?

It used sand, sure, but once I grew skilled, it was like gaining a third and fourth pair of hands.

And my constitution was even closer to Qi than Dang Sam's had ever been. For me, the Ten Thousand Golden Sand Flow Technique fit like a glove tailored to my hand.

Mmm.

With just a few adjustments, it looked like it could become the art of my lifetime.

It was genuinely good — there were just a few parts that didn't sit right with me.

Because the technique had been designed to be taught universally, portions of it simply didn't match my constitution or my approach. The normal thing to do would be to bend yourself to fit this ascension art, but...

Would this work?

Why should I be the one adjusting? A few tweaks and it would be far easier to use.

The path was plainly visible, and there was no reason not to take it — so one day, as I threw myself into improving the Ten Thousand Golden Sand Flow Technique...

KWAAAANG!!!

A colossal impact ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠struck, and voices echoed from every direction at once.

An attack? An attack?

The Golden Sand Sect had always been the sect that ruled this region by the throat. On top of that, word had it that they'd finally produced a Grand Perfection elder and were riding an unstoppable winning streak... So what in the world was this?

-Move, quickly!

-Out, now!

Outside, the frantic sounds of evacuation rang out. I'd been training in the disciples' training hall, so all I had to do was step out and join them.

...Do I really have to, though?

It was sudden, yes.

But didn't that make this the perfect chance to desert?

Granted, it would be inconvenient if the attack fizzled out, but...

KWAAAANG!!! BOOM!!!

Judging by the sheer scale of those impacts, this wasn't going to end quickly or cleanly.

Still, to get a better read on the situation, I studied the sky beyond the window with care. The entirety of Geumsa Peak, home of the Golden Sand Sect, was wrapped in an enormous barrier — a colossal formation that enveloped the whole sect, dense and unyielding...

KUUUUNG...! THUD!!

And that massive formation was visibly shaking, minute by minute.

Crack! Crumble-crumble!

Sand was flaking off the formation fast enough to see with the naked eye. It was going to breach — only a matter of time.

Once a hole opened in that barrier, the attacking cultivators would come pouring in.

...But the Golden Sand Sect falling? Here?

The sect made mercenary work its bread and butter, so it fielded far more powerful cultivators than any sect of comparable standing. Geum Myeongjin was right here, and the Grand Supreme Elder was supposed to be in residence as well.

So rather than moving rashly, I ground my thoughts and cautiously tested the waters —

BOOM!!!!

The formation heaved with a violence that made everything before it look like child's play.

"Hahk!"

The shock seemed to pass straight through the barrier and shudder through my entire body.

This was insane — what in the world had they cast...!

The voice — colossal, seething with fury — spread across the entire Golden Sand Sect while I was still steadying myself from the internal shock.

...Grand Perfection?

The Qi was even denser than what I'd sensed from the Grand Supreme Elder. A matured early stage — no, possibly middle stage. A full step above the Grand Supreme Elder, who had only just reached Grand Perfection.

Okay. The Golden Sand Sect is royally screwed.

The moment conviction hit, I snatched up my storage bag and kicked out of the training hall. This was it — the perfect opportunity. My chance to desert a mad sect with a man-eating monster perched at its very peak!

"Where do you think you're going!"

"On Master's orders!"

And so, running against the stream of everyone else fleeing past, I made for the spot ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I'd scouted long ago.

The peaks that housed the Golden Sand Sect were collectively called Geumsa Peak, and naturally — since everyone normally came and went by flying artifact — there were no roads at all.

But weren't cultivators meant to be the ones who forge paths where none exist?

I had already prepared a way down, and I intended to run without so much as a glance back.

THUD-!!!

Feeling the barrier shudder without restraint, I left the building behind and reached the place I'd marked beforehand. Calling it "scouted" was generous — it was just a patch of brush behind the training hall.

Still, it was secluded, a spot rarely visited from anywhere nearby, and above all, this was the direction I needed to go.

TUNG!

When I drew near the brush and pressed my palm forward, the barrier flashed and repelled my hand. This was the very formation currently taking its merciless beating — and beyond keeping outsiders out, it demanded a special token from anyone trying to leave from within.

That was why I'd planned to desert during some outside mission. But with things as they were, I would simply use the method I'd only ever imagined.

VWOOOM-!

Drawing in the surrounding spiritual power with my hand, I fixed both eyes intently on the formation.

Incredible as ever — how tightly it was woven. Tiny grains of sand clustered together like a single scale, and those scales interlocked to enclose everything on all sides.

I brought my hand up again and interfered with the formation's Qi. The Golden Sand Sect had occupied this mountain range for generations, so the formation was of remarkably high caliber —

Sssshh...

But when I moved my spiritual power and slipped between the scales, sand cascaded down around the barrier and the formation slowly parted.

A trick only I could perform.

Because I could see Qi with my own eyes, I could parse the structure of any formation or spell — and reverse-engineer it. Of course, a formation this dense couldn't be broken the moment I laid eyes on it. It was only possible because I'd spent years studying its structure. Asked to do it on the spot, even a formation built by a Qi Condensation cultivator would take me time to dismantle.

But it just needed to work right now.

"Hoo!"

It stung a little, deserting mid-crisis without looting anything — but how often did a chance like this come along?

And so, just as I was about to hurl myself into the brush without a moment's hesitation —

THUD.

Heavy footsteps sounded behind me.

"Where are you rushing off to in such a hurry?"

"...!"

A familiar voice.

...Run? No — if he's already spotted me, he'll catch me in an instant.

"What brings you here, Master?"

Turning slowly, I bowed my head toward the familiar voice. There stood an old man with long white hair and a neatly trimmed beard, his expression composed and serene.

The familiar face, as expected.

"Shouldn't you be guarding the Scripture Pavilion?"

In this world, spells and cultivation arts were treated as strategic assets wherever you went. The Scripture Pavilion was, if anything, the most important place in the entire sect — ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠which was why defense of it normally fell to a trusted, capable elder, and in the Golden Sand Sect's case, to the second-strongest elder after the Sect Master himself.

"My disciple was rushing about, so I followed."

Yes — my master, Geum Myeongjin.

"You could have called out to stop me. Why were you using the Aura Concealment Art?"

I hadn't imagined Geum Myeongjin was so fluent with the very technique he normally sneered at as a trifling trick. That was why I'd noticed his approach too late.

"Haha."

He didn't answer my question. Instead he swept his gaze over our surroundings — and in the same instant, an intangible current of Qi that only I could see brushed past me. He'd spun up a wide-area detection art.

"Alone, then. How did you breach the formation?"

"By your orders, Master."

I bowed politely to my master, fist wrapped in palm.

"What orders?"

"The Grand Supreme Elder told me to secure an escape route in advance..."

"Hmm, is that so? Well, good for you."

It was a flimsy lie I'd spun on the spot, but Geum Myeongjin showed no interest whatsoever. Instead, he stirred his hand through the air around us — and the nearby rock and soil, even the grass and trees, crumbled away, transmuted into golden sand.

"...Master?"

"I was reluctant to leave you behind."

As he said it, Geum Myeongjin licked his lips. His eyes held none of a master's pride in a gifted disciple — they gleamed like a butcher's eyeing a plump, appetizing chicken.

Fuck... So it was the pill-making all along. Thank god I decided to run.

"Was I not the future of the Golden Sand Sect?"

"Not the future of mine."

"...I served you as my master."

"Would you understand? The despair of watching your path to longevity close before your eyes."

And then — the sight of someone I'd believed shared my fate leaping over the wall that held me in—!

Having spoken with a thin, twisted smile, Geum Myeongjin could restrain himself no longer.

FWOOSH!!

The golden sand that had been swirling around us rose into a massive hand and reached for me. I stared that sand dead in the face — and released the Qi I'd sealed within.

You know what?

Since the day Dang Sam died, I had not slept soundly for a single night. I had always believed the day might come when a sect elder reached out to claim me.

Which was why, pushing myself to the limit, I had prepared a fifty-percent dose of a Foundation Establishment Pill.

CRUNCH!!

The instant the giant hand seized me, the hidden power of the Foundation Establishment Pill broke free within my body.

KUUNG!!

"HURGHK!"

The vast, suppressed power exploded outward, hammering everything around me.

Breaking through a realm was never simple for a cultivator. The lower boundary was already like tearing down a wall to force the room wider — but crossing a greater boundary meant demolishing the house itself and rebuilding it from scratch. That was why most cultivators relied on spirit pills or the aid of a spirit vein: you needed a monumental surge of power to bring down the old house.

And the Foundation Establishment Pill was the elixir most perfectly specialized in demolishing the house of a Qi Condensation cultivator.

That power was now detonating inside me, burrowing into every meridian and vessel I had.

"What have you done!"

Geum Myeongjin's eyes went wide, and he loosened the crushing grip of the sand hand. No matter how rushed he was, no one wants to eat spoiled chicken.

But I wasn't a chicken. And I had no intention of spoiling.

"Hrrgh!"

Eyes bulging, I forced my will down upon the power inside me. Naturally, no Qi Condensation cultivator could command the might of a Foundation Establishment Pill.

But I was the man who had kept that power suppressed within my body all this time — a contradiction beyond any sane cultivator's imagination.

The impossible art of sealing a lake inside a pipe.

Wielding that art once more, I tore down the house of my inner self in a single stroke. The process did some damage to my meridians, but that was all. A ordinary cultivator attempting it would have exploded from head to toe and still had energy to spare for a second blast.

And then—

The world turned over.

The spiritual Qi of heaven and earth came into sharper focus, my Divine Sense expanded, and I could feel the control that had always been my strength growing stronger still.

"No... what is this...!"

Yes — in a single instant, I had crossed the great boundary and become a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"You...! You've been deceiving us all!"

Certain I had merely hidden my realm, Geum Myeongjin poured strength into the giant hand, and a crushing pressure clamped down across my whole body.

"I shall break your limbs and carry you back!"

If this went on, my limbs would genuinely shatter. I had become a Foundation Establishment cultivator in one heartbeat — but Geum Myeongjin was a seasoned late-stage Foundation Establishment master. He was a grandmaster of the Ten Thousand Golden Sand Flow Technique, a man who had survived long enough to become an elder of this sect. For me, freshly ascended, to face him head-on was as good as impossible.

And yet.

SSSSHH-!!

There was still Foundation Establishment Pill power left in me. In the normal course of things, the leftover energy from a breakthrough scatters to the four winds — but I had held mine fast, every last wisp of it.

Grind... creeeak.

Under the pressure closing in from all sides, I compressed that hoarded power into a single point. There was no spell suited for this. Genius or not, when exactly was I supposed to convert raw power into a technique and launch it?

So forget all of that. I simply fired the compressed point of pure power straight at my master.

Geum Myeongjin's sand was as solid as bedrock — but it was, at the end of the day, sand pressed into shape. However firmly you raise the walls, the fate of a sandcastle is to fall to a single branch.

"HURGHK!!"

A needle of pure, unconverted spiritual power punched through that single point — and drove straight through my master's chest.

It carried no physical force; it had never been converted into a technique. But for a cultivator, there is no greater shock than having one's body pierced.

KUUUNG!!

The giant hand dissolved in an instant and the pressure slackened. Channeling the far mightier control of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, I unfurled the Ten Thousand Golden Sand Flow Technique.

The technique begins with making golden sand. But all around me right now was sand my master had so thoughtfully ground up and served to me himself.

"Do you think that will avail you!"

"Sand doesn't have yours and mine, old man!"

Granted, Geum Myeongjin's mastery of the technique outstripped mine. Between a late-stage Foundation Establishment master and a newcomer who'd crossed the threshold moments ago, the difference in raw force was normally beyond comparison.

But two things separated Geum Myeongjin from me.

First: his focus was reeling badly from the ambush. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠And second—

SSSSHH!!

Geum Myeongjin was a mediocrity who'd struggled his whole long life just to reach Foundation Establishment. And I was the greatest genius under heaven!

"You wretch—!"

I ripped the flow of the Ten Thousand Golden Sand Flow Technique out of his grasp and into mine. There was no time to bid my master a proper farewell. I'd raised this much of a racket — the hyenas would come running soon enough.

I clenched both fists, and the wild sand of the Ten Thousand Golden Sand Flow Technique closed around Geum Myeongjin.

"You weren't a chicken after all! A p-pillar, you were a—"

If his Ten Thousand Golden Sand Flow Technique was a fist, mine was spikes.

KRAK!!

Hundreds — thousands — of spikes tore my former master apart without mercy, and blood sprayed through the gaps in the sand.