... wow, that was a fat one.
For the most part, it turned out how I expected it to, with the unexpected mostly being for the better. The 'extras', though, was where the bulk of the changes came from.
Namely, everyone using this method will now be able to freely enter the state of Enlightenment every three months. Innately, I immediately realized I 'lost' the ability to do that, but with this... who the hell cares? I'm just worried how they'll react when they all collectively enter the state of Enlightenment the very first day they cultivate with the method...
Then there was the item.
I just got gifted a freakin' mountain.
A literal, full-scale, unapologetic goddamn mountain.
I flipped it out of the 'prison' and it landed squarely into the palm of my hand. So tiny, like a toy. If the toy had a magical cloud-like haze shrouding it from top to bottom, at least.
An intrusive thought wormed its way out of the depths of my consciousness like a devil's little whisper...
Use it. Enlarge it. Just to see what happens...
I quickly put the damn thing away as I didn't trust myself. Curiosity was a fire I was never quite able to tame throughout my life.
There was one more thing that I was kinda confused about--the system told me that my next method would contain 'Dao Trace', whatever that entailed, but of the many, many things that were written on that massive screen, that wasn't one. So... where was it? Did the system lie? Cheat? Deceive?
... maybe it doesn't consider Protean Song of Eternity as a valid candidate since it's an 'offshoot' of an existing method? No, it specifically mentioned that it only had to be a Cultivation Method type and nothing else.
I closed my eyes, set myself into a simple lotus position, and used my very minimal comprehension of the method to circulate Qi. I took it slow since it was my first time, but even in that I realized just how massive of an upgrade it was over Enduring Eternity. And I also realized where that Dao Trace was.
Every time I'd move Qi along the meridians using this method, there'd be a 'spark', a 'mote', something so infinitesimally small that I wouldn't notice it if I specifically wasn't driving it forward, at the head of it. It made circulation of Qi extremely easy, like the difference between the water running through a clogged drain and a freshly built one.
On top of that, by the time the sent Qi returned to dantian, I noticed there was... less of it. A very small amount, yes, but distinctly less of it. Inversely, its quality was slightly better. Doing a few more circulations made it quite evident that every circulation purified the Qi slightly.
In truth, I was a bit mad, actually. The method already, innately, purified Qi to a decent extent, and Dao Trace was massively battling the prospects of diminishing returns. Wouldn't it have been miles better if I could have chosen what 'kind' of a trace to add rather than the system assigning one on its own?
--no, wait. Pretty much every time the system 'recommended' something, it turned out to be one of the most batshit insane things that I could have never come up with. Maybe there's a reason why it still chose to go down this route? If my instincts are correct--and they hit at about a 50/50 rate--it probably has something to do with me, and one of my disciples, needing to achieve perfect breakthroughs in the future.
Or it could truly just be some RNG bullshit and I rolled the back draw.
Whatever.
Not like it changes much.
There were a few more things that were of note, but I'll settle them at some other point. For now... we need to leave this place. Not only can I not share the method with the kids here, even if I couldn't, I wouldn't let them cultivate it. Not to mention that we have a newcomer who will need to be brainwashed--I mean gently lured into hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil mantra that the rest of the kids follow when it comes to me pulling shit out of my ass.
Though I somewhat trust that Empress whose name I still haven't learned, I don't have nearly as much trust in the Sect Master. And, seeing as my rings were finally rattling with quite a few spirit stones, it meant that I had enough to not only use the Chariot, but also finally use some of the formations I had swimming about in my rings, just begging and waiting to be utilized.
None of which could be pulled out here, of course.
I looked into the corner and saw Eternity was posing as a literal pot of gold. Snickering to myself, I stood up and stretched lazily before going out. Despite there being nobody outside but the wind and clouds, I spoke.
"Gather the kids," I said. "We're leaving by nightfall."
Even though there was no response, I just shrugged and looked back inside to confirm we didn't leave anything behind before exiting the room and heading down to the ground floor where I saw one of the Elders of the Sect (the only reason I knew he was one was because of the uniform).
"Fellow Daoist," he greeted me with a nod and a faint (though extremely fake) smile.
"Hello," I greeted back. "Could you inform the Sect Master that we will be departing before the nightfall? If he is not too busy, I would like to express my gratitude once more and say goodbye; but if he is, then could you please pass it along?"
"Oh, of course, Fellow Daoist. Please wait a moment." he simply closed his eyes, though his lips would occasionally move in indecipherable ways, as though he were muttering something. "Apologies, Fellow Daoist. Sect Master has gone into secluded cultivation. He did leave a message that, if you were to depart before he comes out, we were to help you in any way we can. If you need anything, please let us know."
... secluded cultivation my ass. Though I kept the smile on, I also realized that if the Empress hadn't been 'on my side', as it were, that man would have unquestionably trapped me in the sect so I can't take the bird away. I'm pretty sure he's hiding away because he wouldn't be able to control himself otherwise.
"Ah, if that's the case, simply pass along I will be eternally grateful for your help, and I will do my best to repay it in the future."
"Of course, Fellow Daoist. Safe travels to you."
No love lost, ultimately. I don't even hate the guy for it; if some schmuck-looking thing like me crawled up to my house and then took away my treasured and legendary once-in-a-generation Divine Beast, I may have an issue or two with it it, too.
Alas, I can't help it if I'm the thief.
I went back outside on the street where the procession of kids were already waiting, with the newcomer awkwardly shuttled to the center.
"Alright, everyone is here. We are leaving," I said.
"Where are we going?" Lao Shun asked.
"If I say, you will try to stop me. So, uh, we're going camping in the friendly and danger-free forest."
"... one of these days, I'll add strong laxative properties to one of my pills."
"Hey, if you're struggling, laxatives aren't a solution. You have to alter your diet and try exercising first," I said, causing the kids to chuckle while he merely sighed and rolled his eyes. "Alright, let's go outside so we can board the chariot."
"Ah! We're using the chariot again?!"
"Yaaay! I've really missed it!"
"Ah, I can't wait..."
"What is a chariot?"
"The most magical thing in the world, little brother Yimu!" hey, why is Dai Xiu calling a guy twice her age 'little brother'? And why is he not protesting?!
... what the hell happened in the fucking hour they were away from me?!