Chapter 3.

??? - Oh the new guy is awake.

Taeyang opened his eyes to a silhouette in front of him. From its tone he could decipher that it belonged to a man. It took a while for Taeyang’s blurry vision to clear up, he finally saw the person before him.

A young man with thick black hair, he looked athletic but not muscular. He had a handsome face that possessed brown colored eyes, a small nose and a mark that ran from below his lower lip to the tip of his chin.

??? - How are you feeling?

Taeyang frowned but responded anyway. “Fine, sorry who are you? And where am I?”

The young man smiled, yet frowned at him. Taeyang could only wonder what made him frown. However, the young man muttered. “No it can’t be, he is only at the eight stage of the Qi formation realm.”

Taeyang - Pardon?

??? - Don’t mind me. My name is Yang Li and you are in the Scarlet Wolf base of the Lost world, otherwise known as the land of the forgotten.

Taeyang - Lost world?

Yang Li - The outside world calls it the foggy south or something. It’s been a long time I came in hear, I can’t remember.

Taeyang sat up and looked around him. He found himself in a cave, and alongside him were Yang Li and two other young men. They wore thick black and white colored garment suited for cold weather and they seemed to be guarding a large black vortex.

??? - I thought someone worth mentioning had come this time, tch.

Taeyang heard one of the young men voiced in a despising tone. His expression showed his annoyance for Taeyang arrival.

??? - Well, at least he had lots of pills on him. Even though what we need now is manpower the pills are also needed.

At the words of the second young man Taeyang tapped his chest pocket and realized his pouch bag had disappeared.

Yang Li - Looking for your storage bag? Here you go. As per the rules here we took sixty percent of your stuff. If you don’t like that you are willing to refute but the consequences won’t be little.

Taeyang received his bag from Yang Li who had tossed it to him. Unlike the others Yang Li give him a look of disgust but gave him a mischievous smile.

Taeyang - The junior is happy to have even a little. Thank you.

Yang Li - Good, good. Come let me show you around. Here at the Scarlet Wolf base there is no idle moment. Everyone must be busy in other for all of us to survive.

Yang Li led the way and Taeyang got up and followed him. They stepped out of the cave together.

Taeyang - Snow?

A frown appeared on Taeyang’s face as he turned to the sky. Dark cloud prevented the sun rays from reaching them. Snow rained down from the sky at a moderate speed.

Yang Li - Forget about sunlight and rain here. It snows 24/7 here.

Taeyang - I see.

Taeyang stared at the sky for a while after which his gaze turned to his surroundings. Before him were countless huts, big and small, each with their roofs completely covered by snow.

Taeyang - Cold.

Taeyang rubbed his palm together as he followed Yang Li through the forest of huts. The people they came across were dressed well for the cold and paid Taeyang no attention despite his odd dressing. They glanced at him for a few seconds and continued their business.

After a few minutes of walking they arrived before a large hut, it was the largest among all the huts they passed. Before them stood an elderly looking man, and three men. The elderly gave out instructions to the three men who nodded to his words.

Yang Li - Fourth elder, we have a new guy.

Fourth elder - You three may leave.

??? - Yes fourth elder.

The trio chorused and left immediately. The fourth elder turned to Yang Li and Taeyang. His gaze landed on Taeyang and remained on him. Cold sweat broke out on Taeyang’s face, the pressure he received was nothing less of what he felt from deacon Liu.

Fourth elder - Yawn, what’s your name?

Taeyang - I am Taeyang, senior.

Fourth elder - Stretch out your hand let me check your aptitude.

The fourth elder brought out a flawless white orb. He stretched out his hand to Taeyang who had his right hand out. This wasn’t Taeyang first time, deacon Liu had done the same thing before.

The fourth elder placed Taeyang’s hand on the orb. No change happened at first but then the orb gave a faint purple light. A smile appeared on the fourth elder’s face and Taeyang heard Yang Li muttered. “I see, that’s why?”

Fourth elder - His aptitude is slightly better than yours Yang Li.

Yang Li - It’s our fortune to have him I guess. In a few decades he should attain a high realm.

The fourth elder gave Taeyang a big smile but that smile turned upside down as if he realized something.

Fourth elder - Sadly we don’t have any foundation establishment pills.

Yang Li - Reporting to fourth elder. He came with a storage bag filled with a few dozen pills. Among them are a few foundation establishment pills. We collected the usual sixty percent, this is it.

The fourth elder’s sad face changed as Yang Li handed him a pouch bag. He opened it and inspected the contents of the bag.

Fourth elder - Good, good. I’ll leave him in your care Yang Li. Take good care of him and teach him well.

Yang Li - Alright, I’ll take him away.

Fourth elder - You may go.

Yang Li turned to Taeyang, nodded at him and led him away. The fourth elder watched them leave and muttered. “I should inform the Base master.”

Yang Li - You are lucky your talent is good, if it wasn’t you would have been made into a worker.

Taeyang listened to Yang Li’s words as they made their way through the many huts. Compared to the number of hurts present the people they came across could not compare. Taeyang could only wonder why it was so.

Yang Li - You have to do well to cultivate. If there is no progress within a set time you’ll become a worker. Break into the Foundation establishment realm as soon as possible and no one will trouble you for the next ten to twenty years.

Taeyang - Junior understands. May I ask what realm are you on?

Yang Li - Hm? I’m at the top-tier foundation realm. You know how the realms are divided, right? After all you have a bit of cultivation.

Taeyang smiled and laughed wryly. Yang Li turned to him with a eye brow raised. He had not expected Taeyang not to know.

Taeyang - I don’t. I only know the Foundation realm is above the Qi formation realm and above it is the Core formation realm.

Yang Li - Hmm, the Qi formation is divided into nine stages every other realm is divided into three. Well four if you had the peak of the realm. Low-tier, mid-tier, top-tier and peak. When one reaches the peak they are on the verge off entering the next realm.

After he heard Yang Li’s words, Taeyang’s eyes went wide opened. Deacon Liu had not explained much to him and had intended to return to the sect first.

Yang Li - Well, you should reach the foundation realm in a few weeks. That’s if you cultivate hard.

Taeyang nodded with a ‘I will.’ Yang Li turned around and led the way. Taeyang robbed his elbows and his shoulders, the cold had gotten extreme and he could barely stand it. They walked for a while longer before they stopped in front of a small hut.

Yang Li - This is where you’ll live and cultivate. Please do not step out for any reason. You are new here, I don’t want you breaking any rules and getting in trouble.

Taeyang - Alright.

Yang Li - Take this and cultivate diligently. I’ll visit you in a week’s time.

Taeyang received the pouch bag Yang Li handed him. Like his own the pouch had a large space inside of it. Yang Li stepped out of the hut and Taeyang checked the contents of the bag.

Taeyang - Qi stones! I haven’t seen so many before.

The bag contained large amount of diamond shaped blue colored stone. Each of them about the size of a fist.

Taeyang - With so much Qi stones I would have enough Qi energy to break into the foundation realm in no time.

Qi energy, the foundation of every cultivator. By absorbing Qi into their body from nature, cultivators increase their strength and defy the heavens. When large amount of Qi gather together for far too long, they condense into Qi stones.

Taeyang - If these were available I would have reached the foundation realm a long time ago. Sigh, I can’t dwell on the past.

The thought of saving Su Yan crossed his mind, nevertheless, he pushed it aside and took in a deep breath. No benefit existed in bothering about what he could have done. Right now he knew what he had to do.

Taeyang turned the Qi stones and spread them around himself. The Qi energy in the hut rose several folds. He took a deep breath, sat in between the Qi stones, crossed his legs and closed his eyes.

*Nine Days Later*

Taeyang - I did it.

Taeyang opened his eyes, a large smile emerged on his face. Finally, he had entered the Foundation establishment realm. Joy filled his heart. It may be only a small step but he was a step closer to fulfilling his goal.

Taeyang - So this is the low-tier foundation realm. It’s a big leap from the Qi refinement realm. I can’t wait…

??? - There’s someone hiding here from their duties?

An angry roar interrupted Taeyang. It came from behind him and as soon as it sounded, something barged into the hut Taeyang’s rear.