Calculating Cultivation

Chapter 21: The Astral Plane

Elder Li Fu and Elder Healer Meihui both fixed their intense gazes on me. The second stage of my cultivation would progress too slowly without an astral shard to construct an Astral Soul Stabilizer. Astral shards could only be found on the dangerous astral plane, which even posed a threat to elders.

"The cost to enter the astral plane is not insignificant for a person's physical body. Your soul, your astral soul, exists on a single point in that plane. The fifth stage is about expanding that limit against the pressure of the astral plane," Elder Li Fu explained.

I nodded, trying to understand. "The cost to enter would be four level 4 spirit stones to form a portal for your physical body to pass through. Elder Healer Meihui has generously offered to cover this cost," he added. She wanted me to either succeed or die, and I only favored one of those outcomes. Clearly, healers in cultivation land didn't adhere to the Hippocratic Oath.

"Once inside, you would have to survive encounters with astral beasts and traverse the treacherous astral plane until you found an astral shard. The true challenge would be returning. Things shift, so even if we wanted to keep a portal open, we couldn't."

"You also lack the ability to use techniques to exit the astral plane. That means you would have to find a natural emergence point to the physical world, evade the astral beasts, and then make your way back to the sect with the astral shard," Elder Li Fu continued.

"Additionally, the astral winds will damage your astral soul, so you must hurry. It's a difficult task, but you might have a chance. I would estimate a ten-day limit before there is crippling soul damage, wouldn't you agree, Elder Healer Meihui?" She nodded in agreement.

"Yes, ten days would be the maximum before the damage became too severe. That's about as many supplies as you could carry anyway."

"It isn't impossible, and you might die, but an Astral Soul Stabilizer would solve your problems. If you managed to return, I would persuade the Sect Master to make one for you at no cost, with Elder Healer Meihui's support, of course."

"Indeed, it would be valuable research to observe such a device in action against twelve-mote alignment cultivation. To counteract that many vibrations of ones astral soul would be quite impressive," she added. These people were mad scientists. I knew that before, but now I truly grasped it. They wouldn't care if I died, but they were eager to see if I could accomplish this challenge.

"Alright, but no sect fees until I return, and no back charges either," I said, ensuring I wouldn't be burdened with a huge bill upon my return.

"Of course, that's a minor issue," Elder Li Fu agreed with a smile, and Elder Healer Meihui nodded. They likely thought I was going to meet a gruesome end and were happy to be rid of me and the headache I represented. I noted that no one was volunteering to go with me.

Easily handled for a case such as this under my authority. Hmm, your astral soul needs to recover a bit, so lets say ten days from now. That should be more than enough after your session in the Soul Stabilization chamber.

It will take that long to prepare a portal site, also you should use this time to read up on the astral plane. You wont be able to do anything to the creatures there, but you might come up with something clever, you will be given access to the astral section of the elders library during these next ten days, Elder Li Fu said.

Also, no more cultivation for those ten days and come back after three days so I can check you, Elder Healer Meihui said. After that I was sent on my way trying to process everything. It was almost dawn. I made my way to the assignment hall and sat outside, waiting for Fan to show up.

Yuan Zhou, what are you waiting out here for? he asked while stuffing his face with an egg wrap of some kind.

I will need to cancel both my jobs for the foreseeable future. I dont know when I will return, I said.

Leaving the sect? Fan asked and I shook my head.

No, I am being sent on a journey to fix my cultivation, I replied.

Hmm, well that sounds dangerous. Thanks for letting me know. Good luck and remember the most important thing of any journey is good food, he said and I nodded at that.

Thanks Fan, I told him and left. I got some breakfast and then went to my room. I screamed into my pillow in frustration. The astral plane? Neither of them thought I would make it. They were just using this as an excuse to get rid of the headache I represented. If I did return, then they could just say that they believed the Heavens would protect me or some other nonsense like that.

One of them could come with me, but neither of them offered. That was how I knew this was complete and utter garbage, but I couldnt refuse. They were both right. I needed to fix this issue so I could cultivate quickly, and an Astral Soul Stabilizer appeared to be the only realistic option.

I could pay for time in the Soul Stabilization chamber, but it would be slower, and deplete the resources I was hoping to build up for the third stage. I wanted the best possible option possible, that meant getting an Astral Soul Stabilizer.

After I was done screaming into my pillow, I decided that I needed something positive to boost my mood. I had been holding off since entering the second stage, but now seemed like the right time. I brought out the low rank spatial ring. I focused on the motes already aligned and then on the ring.

The energy moved and an image snapped into my mind. There was a sheathed sword, two bound tomes, and a letter. Focusing, I reached out and grabbed the items as the spaces overlapped in front of me and set the objects on my bed. The space was fairly long and narrow, to accommodate a weapon.

The sword was a double-sided blade, which was way too big for my small stature. I looked at the letter and it was addressed to me.

Personal Disciple Yuan Zhou,

I am not good at writing things. But I have written this to let you know my thoughts. You are a genius. Do not be daunted by the impossible. I can see aspects of your cultivation plan that make me sigh and call you foolish. But I am a failure.

There are only a handful of immortals and one thing I have heard about all of them is that they laughed when people called them foolish. You must defy the heavens themselves to grasp immortality. I entrust you my personal notes on my cultivation.

They are most likely useless, and I already shared my insights, but I would have you submit them to the sect on my behalf as a personal disciple whose master has passed should. I was too cautious, too timid, and too weak to attempt anything you are trying. And now I am dead.

The second tome is the instruction manual on the Parting Cloud Sword Style. It was developed by Elder Yi Meifeng, an ancestor of mine. She taught it to me and entrusted me with this knowledge and the blade. In time I hope she will look as fondly on you as she did me.

Regardless, that is a rank 5 blade. My greatest treasure besides my spatial ring. On the blade itself was etched my favorite saying, One Swing To Sperate Heaven And Earth. The instruction manual will explain more. It will not be much use to you until the fourth rank, but the blade itself is mighty. To strike with it, would cut through almost anything, even the defenses of an elder.

That is all, my foolish disciple blessed by the Heavens, but I was a foolish master.

Cultivator Yi Rong

I set the letter down and sighed. I picked the sword up and carefully unsheathed it by pulling it out of its sheathe while it was resting on my bed. It was heavy, very heavy, but I could lift it barely. Even with my cultivation. It was about 2.5 feet long or just under 0.8 of a meter. That was just the blade. The hilt was a bit more.

I was about 4.5 feet tall or 1.3 meters. I could see the characters etched into the blade. The hilt had a large cloudy gem partially covered up with metal to look like the Cloudy Moon Sect symbol. I carefully put the sword back into its sheath.

I carefully put the sword, instruction manual, all 165 of my spirit stones, and a money pouch of 100 tael into the spatial ring. I hung the ring back under my sect robes. I left and got some food before going to the center of the sect where the Sect Leaders home was and the attached second library only available to elders.

I went up to the doors of the library and they opened automatically. I entered and a core disciple paused mid-bow. This area is for elders only, he said.

Junior greets senior. I have permission to look in the astral section by Elder Li Fu, I replied. I could see that the disciple was a core disciple by the three clouds covering the moon on his robes.

Name? he asked.

Inner Disciple Yuan Zhou, I replied. He nodded at that.

Wait here, do not move or leave or you will be punished. If anyone enters do not speak to them. Do you understand? he asked me.

Yes senior, I said, and he left. I waited there and he returned after a couple of minutes. Nothing had happened.

I have spoken with Elder Li Fu and you have permission for the next ten days for that section. I will leave a note in case any other core disciple is managing this post. Now follow me. There are a few rules you must follow on top of the rules the regular library has.

First, dont speak to anyone except me or the attendant on duty. It is a great privilege you are here. Second, do not make noise. The elders studying are quite focused and will be upset at any disturbance. There are none here presently so I may speak. I will assign you a reading room. You may only take one scroll or tome at a time. You will treat them carefully and I will be personally inspecting the section once you are done.

If there is the slightest damage, drop of sweat, breath, hair, cough, thought, or other contamination left on the reading material, you will be punished. I gulped at that. I hoped he was exaggerating.

You may take anything from these two shelves. Your reading room is through that door. Now I must return to my post. I didnt even get the disciples name and he was already gone. I took a steadying breath and checked the reading room. It was like the one in the other library but far nicer. They had two chairs, a regular one and a rocking chair.

I smiled at that. I returned to the shelves and picked the book that looked like it had been read the most. Astral Beasts, Instant Death, Or Lingering Death. That was a terrible title but time to learn what horrors awaited me in the astral plane.

Over the next nine days, I carefully read through the material as quickly as possible, and things were quickly clarified. While a persons soul intersected the astral plane, it was a point at first. That was why astral beasts didnt bother to go after it. They couldnt target lower level cultivators and mortals.

As for the higher level cultivators who had expanded their astral soul into a true soul, an elder had to learn to conceal their true souls presence or it would be attacked. While very tough, such attacks tended to happen at the worst times, since that was when defenses lapsed, and astral beasts nibbled away.

A true soul was also bound to a point in the astral plane. That was why elders couldnt just use it to run around for them. A person could cross a portal and would enter at the point their astral soul or true soul existed and it would merge with them.

That was how people could move about. They would think and their soul would propel them through the astral plane. When they left their soul would be stuck at that point. There was a warning that one should never leave at a bad spot, otherwise their true soul would be constantly attacked.

If I even found an exit, I would no choice where my astral soul was left. Which would create a problem down the line if it needed to be moved in the astral plane. But that was a future headache for fourth or fifth stage me.

The astral beasts came in many shapes and sizes. The most common was an eel type creature that liked to clamp on and not let go. Normally a person would use their true soul to empower themselves to strike at these creatures, but that wasnt an option for me.

In terms of hiding, it was questionable. Some astral beasts had set territory, others roamed, while a few prayed on other astral beasts. They all desired matter and flesh. The one thing I had going for me was that without a true soul, it should be very hard to sense me, but once they locked on, it would be hard to lose them. That was an inference I made since almost no one below the fifth rank went into the astral plane.

The astral rocks were not truly real and if brought back through a portal, they would disperse into energy of the heavens and the earth. There were no major landmarks in the astral plane either, or at least none that were known.

Also, astral winds which would do nothing to an elder with a true soul, would corrode my astral soul, since it would be expanded to the size of my body instead of a single point once I entered. As for an astral shard, it was considered a high rank 6 treasure.

A physical piece of astral energy that had turned solid. Most things couldnt leave the astral plane like the astral beasts and the debris there, but an astral shard could leave through a portal while still being tied to the astral plane.

The important part for me was that it wouldnt explode once taken out and a simple artifact carrying case would be enough to contain it. I had requested one from the supply hall and one was given to me free of charge. Apparently, they were made of rank 3 spirit metal and cost 5,000 sect points normally.

I almost choked on air when I heard that. Elder Li Fu had already given permission. With that I would be able to carry an astral shard out of the astral plane. I was also given a breathing mask. It would require I put in one rank 1 spirit stone per day, and I was given ten, and it would allow me to breathe on the astral plane. That only cost 200 sect points normally.

Other than that, the main piece of advice was to avoid any large dark spots or areas since something was draining the astral energy and probably wasnt friendly, since they were concealing themselves.

In my pack I put food and water, along with a change of clothing. I had a letter sent to my sister, letting her know I was going into seclusion for a while and didnt know when I would visit again. With my preparations done, I spent the last day walking around the perimeter of the sect plateau to calm my nerves.

When the appointed time came, Elder Li Fu picked me up from my room and brought me to a place down the mountain and an hour travel away by carriage.

One I arrived, I saw that there was a platform set up with numerous symbols etched onto it and four level 4 spirit stones had been set around it. I waited next to Elder Li Fu as several elders fussed about the platform with my pack on my back and the carrying case in my hands.

Elder Healer Meihui came over. Well everything is ready, let me check you, she said and I nodded. She placed a hand on my head and another on my chest and then let go. Your condition is stable, so you will have ten days. Any longer and you will begin incurring permanent damage. You wont survive long once that happens, she said.

Good luck, we will hold your room for ten years, before declaring you dead. Try to get back in that time, Elder Li Fu said with a small smile. That wasnt reassuring! I made sure the breathing mask was secured tightly on my face and activated by pushing energy into the array etched inside of it. The mask covered my nose and mouth, was made of metal, but had padding, and also came with two leather straps that went around the back of my head.

He led me up to the center of the platform and one elder took a position near each crystal including Elder Li Fu and Elder Healer Meihui. They all raised their hands, and I felt a massive pressure come over me. A multi-colored orb appeared right in front of me and suddenly expanded.

One moment I was on a platform and in a forest near the Cloudy Moon Sect and the next moment I was in a rainbow hellscape. I had to steady my breathing, so I didnt panic as I clutched the carrying case in my arms. Looking down, there was the occasional rock floating around, but the background was a swirling rainbow collage that was constantly shifting.

I felt an itch all over my skin, but that was from the astral wind. I looked around and looked for a glowing white shard. Nothing, but I did notice some larger rocks in the distance. The books had indicated that larger clumps of rocks had a higher chance of astral shards, but also a higher chance of astral beasts. I focused on the rocks and my body began flying in that direction.

There was no wind, and I mentally thought I was standing still while everything shifted around me. That could very well be happening for all I knew. A lot of the more technical explanations had gone over my head while reading and it seemed as if the authors were unsure themselves.

As the rocks grew larger, I didnt see any astral beasts. I willed myself to a stop and carefully checked my surroundings again. Nothing, I went for the rocks directly. I then paused when I saw a large translucent eel drifting through them. An astral beast. I maneuvered myself out of the way and behind a rock. I carefully looked around but didnt find an astral shard. I left the batch of rocks and the astral beast behind as I continued my exploration into the astral plane.

I checked various rocks, but no glowing shards and I spotted the occasional astral beast in the distance and made sure to steer clear. There was no sense of direction in this place as I moved about randomly in three dimensions.

After about a day of looking I found a small cave in a larger rock and stopped there. The lack of swirling colors was nice. I took off my pack and drank and ate. I couldnt breathe while my mask was off. Once I had eaten, I popped a Digestive Cleansing Pill so I wouldnt have to use the bathroom.

They cost 10 sect points each and werent recommended to use long term or there might be health complications. But it was speculated that astral beasts would track down a person by the waste they left behind, which is why one book recommended the pills.

I also removed my masters sword and strapped it to my back, on top of my pack. I had turned in his personal notes before I was sent on this journey and there was nothing interesting there. His cultivation was fairly standard and there were no new insights I could gain from what he had written.

Next, I put the carrying case inside the spatial ring. That was much better than before. I slept uneasily after that. I woke up feeling off slightly and the itch had gotten worse. I left my hiding spot carefully and continued to explore the astral plane for an astral shard and an exit.

Rock after rock was checked. I kept clear of the astral beasts floating about but wasnt making progress. Or maybe I was, but there was no way to tell. That was the big risk to elders, finding their way through the astral plane once they entered.

Astral souls werent visible to me either. Even with my special sight, I did not see any. If there were any, they were probably using concealing techniques to avoid astral beasts.

You could wander about completely clueless for a long time with nothing to show for your attempt. I saw another large clump of rocks. I had been finding that the clumps of rocks tended to around the size of a house. I hadnt seen a rock larger than a mansion yet. This rock had to be the size of a large estate with several house sized rocks around it.

I approached carefully, keeping a look out for astral beasts. I slowly orbited the large rock at a distance first. There were multiple tunnels leading into the interior. No astral beasts nearby. I drew forth the overly large blade and held it both hands and approached one of the tunnels. Since there was no gravity, it was easy to carry in my hands.

Entering, I slowly floated forwards, the sword held in front of me like a spear. If anything came at me, it would impale itself first. I was hoping a blade of this caliber could kill astral beasts or make them think twice.

I arrived at a dimly lit cavern in the center of the large rock. There was always a little light everywhere no matter what. There was a large astral beast, which looked like tentacle type, curled up around a glowing white shard.

While they couldnt consume them, astral beasts were known to like astral shards.

Free me.

I blinked as I heard a voice echo in my head. The astral beast didnt twitch. The astral shard had spoken to me. It was unknown what they were originally from, but they were quite valuable as high rank sixth material.

A thousand thousand. Power untold.

Thank you shard, but shut up, I was trying to focus. I brought up my blade and looked carefully at the astral beast. Tentacle beasts were tough, since their main body was buried under all those tentacles. I looked around at the nearby terrain. The astral beast was like two squids that had been merged together with tentacles coming off in every direction.

I took aim and then shot forward. The sword plunged through a tentacle and then into the astral beasts main body. I didnt hesitate and visualized myself instantly moving back while I gripped my blade. The beast began to twist as I pulled the blade free.

While it hadnt bothered me too much since there was always the slight sound of static in my ears in the astral plane, the astral beast did not make a noise as it trashed about. I retreated to one of the smaller tunnels. The astral beast spun and rushed at me. I kept retreating up the tunnel as it raced after me.

After clearing the tunnel, I rushed over to another one and back inside the large rock, the astral beast right on my heels. I focused and pulled out a spirit stone from my spatial ring. Once inside the main chamber, I tossed the stone to the side slightly.

I kept flying towards the astral shard and visualized the carrying case in front of me, while putting the unsheathed sword in the spatial ring. The carrying case was already unlatched and I quickly moved the case around the floating shard and snapped the case shut. I took off again, the astral beast right behind me after having overcome the distraction of the spirit stone.

After leaving the rock I picked a direct and kept flying. The astral beast was matching my speed. That was another thing, everything moved at the same speed regardless of power. Only direction changed here. Astral beasts didnt need to rest and were relentless, which was the real problem. I tossed out ten spirit stones from my spatial ring.

The astral beast paused, confused as it lashed out and consumed the spirit stones. I got a lot more distance on the tentacled astral beast. It didnt pursue me any more thankfully. I then made sure the carrying case was secure and put it in my ring and took my sword back out.

I flew forward, sword in hand. I had spent six days finding the astral shard, but there was no sign of a natural portal to the regular world. Also, that voice was concerning. I found a rock to hunker down in to rest one last time before I spent the last few days constantly looking before I died. The itch was a lot worse, which would make sleep impractical after this.

After getting some rest, I pulled out the carrying case and opened it up. The glowing white shard floated inside the carrying case. Are you aware? I asked.

Join me.

You need to user proper sentences, what are you? I asked.

A thousand thousand.

Can you help me find an exit? I asked.

Power untold.

It was a mentally ill astral shard. I snapped the case shut and put it away. I had been hoping for some help here, but it could only whisper things to me. Touching it was a big no. But there hadnt been anything about an astral shard communicating.

Well time to get looking again. I set out once more into the astral plane hoping I would get lucky again and find a natural exit portal.

On the ninth day I was starting to get really worried when I saw a large black spot in the distance. Well might as well see what super beast was there before I died. I was resigned to my fate at this point. A quick death was better than having my soul erode. I flew in the direction of the black spot. I couldnt see any astral beasts and I could only tell I entered the black region as it quickly grew to encompass my flanks and then the rainbow technicolor hell was a blob behind me.

The itching died down. Oh, maybe there was no astral wind here. But what was causing this? I looked around but there was just utter blackness in front of me. I backed up and circled the blackness along the outer edge. I kept the rainbow hell behind me as I orbited whatever was hiding in the center.

Either come in or leave! a deep male voice called out and I froze. I could hear that with my ears. Well, if it was an invitation, I wouldnt be rude. I might just find a way out of here. I floated towards the center of the darkness and put away my sword. I didnt want to start a fight I had no chance of winning. Anything that lived out here and could speak was completely out of my league.

That was when a massive golden eye opened up in front of me. I felt like I was going to get crushed. So, what is a humanoid doing out here. Come to fight? This thing asked. I couldnt see a mouth and its eye was about my height.

Junior greets senior, I was looking for an astral shard to fix my cultivation and found one, now I am trying to leave, I replied.

Oh, a cultivator, your kind dont like coming out here. And when they do, they like to fight. No one talks. Show me this astral shard, it said. I didnt dare refuse and pulled out the carrying case from my spatial ring and opened it.

The eye peered into the case and I heard a snort. An astral shard, well the shard part is right at least, and it is probably what you want, put it away. I closed up the case and put it back into my spatial ring. Hmm, well I could help you leave, but that would mean moving and I am quite comfortable. Tell me about yourself, the thing said. The only thing I knew about it was its large yellow eye and silted pupil staring at me.

My name is Yuan Zhou. I am an inner disciple of the Cloudy Moon Sect in the Soaring Peak Province. I grew up in Half Moon City and from a young age I was aware. I continued narrating my story leaving out my reincarnated nature. Once I got to the present time and finished the thing spoke again. I had even presented it with a spirit stone which had disappeared the moment I had held it up. It hadnt interrupted the entire time.

Interesting. Very interesting. To grab particles of energy to gain power and to forcibly alter oneself in this way. I always wondered about this cultivation, but it is nothing impressive. Well, you entertained me despite disturbing my nap little cultivator. Also, that spirit stone you gave me is amusing. To concentrate energy into a core, those beasts truly are idiots.

Well, I will give you two boons. You can ask me a single question and I will send you back to your little portion of the Firmament.

My mind raced. The creature clearly had no knowledge of cultivation, and it didnt use a human system. Whatever it used to gain strength was probably incompatible with me. I didnt dare ask it anything personal since it might offend the creature. I couldnt not ask a question or the same reason. If that astral shard was going to be made into something that would be placed inside of me, I wanted to know what it was exactly.

What is an astral shard, it spoke in my head and said a thousand thousand and asked to be free? I asked this thing. For all I knew it could just be a floating eye watching me, but I felt there was a lot more behind that eye staring at me.

It is a thought made manifest. A seed of a Great Devourer that has been split and broken. Its words are remnants of the being that spawned it. There are a thousand multiplied by a thousand of them spawned and spread across the Firmament per batch. Each looking to consume. Many are broken during this process and you are left with a shard. It merely remembers that primal memory when it was formed as it seeks to complete is purpose of becoming a new Great Devourer.

As for its current state, I would not worry. It is just a small fraction of a seed. Your elders as you call them will not even hear the voice and it has no intelligence. It is just lashing out. A larger shard would be much more dangerous and a whole seed would force even me to rouse to crush it. That meant that whatever the Great Devourer was, it was probably at or maybe even beyond immortal level. This thing had fought elder cultivators, since he knew about cultivators, and only elder cultivators came into the astral plane. The seed matched this being, which meant a seed was elder level and the Great Devourer was immortal level or higher.

The Great Devourer was not a nice sounding name for something pleasant either. Now relax. I am going to propel to the nearest portal to your home.

Thank you senior for your help and kind words, I replied to this thing.

Well you amused me and crushing you would not have been worth the effort of moving. Come back in the future so we can battle to the death to see who is stronger. Goodbye, the eye shut, and I was suddenly out of the blackness which grew to a tiny speck hurtling away through the Astral Plane. I never wanted to come back to this psychedelic rainbow hellscape.

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