In a few moments, they arrived at the cabins and entered. The others were waiting and cleared space for Li Yi to sit on the bed while they surrounded him. Li Yi didn't beat around the bush and spoke quickly:
"I have joined the First Martial Arts School; I am now an Honorary Elder there. Starting today, everyone is coming to live with me there."
Hearing this, everyone was stunned. Although they expected Li Yi to say something important, they never imagined it would be this. Seconds later, they looked at each other, thinking they were dreaming. Several pinched their cheeks to check if they were awake, but no matter how hard they did it, they did not wake from their astonishment. They realized it wasn't a dream and they had truly heard those words.
"There you will have enough supplies and resources, as well as cultivation manuals for your growth. Even those who have already started their base can improve it and become stronger," Li Yi said with a smile.
In that instant, everyone snapped out of their daze and began to scream and jump for joy. Xuhan Mo was shocked, as Zang Li. Shen Shinyu was the most relaxed, but even she felt very happy. She used to be the one who worried most about her siblings; her only thought was that now everyone would be better off and have a bright future.
"You can go prepare your belongings; we leave in a few minutes," Li Yi declared.
The younger ones ran off to get everything ready, leaving only the three older siblings.
"Don't worry, my brothers and sisters, from now on everything will be better. Only your effort and dedication will mark your destiny," Li Yi said, observing them.
Zang Li had tears sliding down his face. He approached Li Yi and hugged him. He was always depressed because life felt so hard and he saw no path forward, but now there was a light that allowed him to advance with more confidence. Xuhan Mo was also happy. He would no longer have to risk his life on guard duty and could dedicate himself to improving his strength and cultivation; one day he too would be a star that everyone would admire.
He and Shen Shinyu left the cabin to pack their luggage. Zang Li sat on the bed next to Li Yi, tears still running down his face.
"Thank you very much, brother. Because of you, I can have a better destiny, and so can all our siblings."
"Don't worry, this is simply a new chapter, like turning the page of a book. Now, simply direct your own story," Li Yi responded. "Go and fix your things. Don't tell me you don't want to go?" he joked with a smile.
Zang Li stood up and shot out of the cabin.
Almost an hour later, everyone was ready with their belongings. Li Yi left the cabin and began to guide them toward the First Martial Arts School. They passed through the center of town while people watched them with curiosity. Seeing Li Yi, people remembered the stories of how this young man defeated most of the beasts; then they understood and showed admiration. As they passed, everyone bowed; some even approached to offer various gifts that the siblings accepted.
Minutes later they arrived at the entrance of the school. The guards, seeing him arrive, grew tense and quickly opened the gates for them to enter. All the apprentices noted his arrival with gazes full of respect. Then they observed the youths following him; they saw that the few who had cultivation were barely in the Base Forging Realm and their bases were mediocre. They knew that none of them would even qualify to be cleaning staff, but they were the family of that powerful cultivator who had joined the school and had the privilege to enter.
Quickly, everyone bowed and greeted with a unison shout.
"Greetings to the Honorary Elder!"
Li Yi simply raised his hand and, with a gesture, indicated for them to continue with their duties. He called one of the school employees and asked him to guide the newcomers to the apprentice quarters.
The man led them quickly through long corridors where the bedrooms were distributed, assigning a room for each one. In total, there were fifteen, including children and adolescents. Once installed, Li Yi called two more employees and a student from the Martial Realm; he ordered them to show his siblings the accessible areas and explain in detail how the school worked.
After nodding with respect, the attendants set out to fulfill the order. Li Yi turned toward his siblings with a smile.
"If anyone needs anything, you can ask the employees for help. If you need to see me, tell the guards and they will bring you to me or pass the message. Remember that I am your brother and whenever you need me I will go to help you, but do not be the ones to look for trouble, because then I will not intervene in your punishment, understood?"
"Yes, Brother Li Yi!" they all responded in unison.
With a wide smile, Li Yi turned and flew away. His siblings watched as he disappeared into the distance; they knew that although they had this extraordinary opportunity, their progress depended on their own effort. Without wasting time, they followed the guides to see the facilities.
Li Yi headed to the place that interested him most: the library. He needed to better understand this world and, most importantly, develop his skills. Entering the pagoda, he first checked the shelves with general information. He looked for the names of the cultivation realms, their capabilities, and techniques. He was also intrigued by that strange power similar to telekinesis that Leng Lubai used, a skill that, apparently, only cultivators from the Master Realm and above possessed.
He spent the rest of the day and night immersed in reading. The next day he returned to his palace to sleep for a few hours and eat, resuming this routine for five consecutive days.
When he finished reading, he sat down to process the information. According to the books, nine cultivation realms were known: Base Forging Realm, Martial Realm, Warrior Realm, Master, King, Emperor, Sage, Saint, and the God Realm. Furthermore, it was said that many other worlds and planes existed where more cultivators lived. These "heavens" were separate, but sometimes their spaces collided, opening spatial rifts that allowed for resources non-existent in their current realm. Only the Gods, matchless beings, could travel freely between these worlds.
However, the Gods were treated as legends from which only stories were heard. The true current rulers were those of the Saint Realm, cultivators only one step away from divinity, capable of collapsing part of the sky with a single movement. Li Yi knew that, as imposing as those tales were, they would be nothing more than stories until he managed to meet and surpass them.
He also discovered the secret of the masters' power: "Mental Power." It was, as he suspected, a form of telekinesis that allowed launching attacks as potent as pure energy just with thought. Additionally, it functioned as a radar to see through objects and locate enemies, although it did not serve for telepathy.
With the theory clear, he decided to focus on techniques to control his energy and master the local martial arts. He would start with the basics, as he knew that true mastery lies in the foundations. During his confinement in the library, he had already identified the best techniques to start with.
He knew he needed a body refinement technique. He had never looked for one before because his own cultivation method and special constitution reinforced his muscles and bones automatically upon absorbing energy. However, he now understood that body refinement increased defense and boosted physical attacks exponentially. He needed an exceptional technique that would synergize with his current cultivation.
Finding or creating such a technique would take him time. Creating one was hundreds of times more difficult, as it required immense experience and rare elemental materials. For now, he would focus on mastering corporal arts, hand-to-hand combat, and basic swordsmanship, dedicating all his effort to perfecting them.