718 Belong
"What's next?" Shen Jing asked Alex to go through the rest of the insecurities he had.
Alex read the next one.
"I worry about my father," Alex said.
"Your father? Where is he?" Shen Jing asked.
Alex shook his head. "I don't know. That's why I worry. He was teleported to a random location along with my mom. While I think he's in the Southern continent because he said he ended up in a place with Desert, I can't be sure," Alex said.
"Well, Southern Continent is the only place that's mostly desert," Shen Jing said. "Is that the only information you have?"
"Well," Alex thought for a second. "He couldn't cultivate either."
"Yeah, that's definitely Southern Continent," Shen Jing said.
Alex couldn't believe that. "The northern section of the Western Continent is also a desert," he said.
"I know," Shen Jing said. "I went there in the last few years. Trust me, that is not where your father went to."
"How do you know?" Alex asked.
"Because Senior used the teleportation formation that was already in place," Shen Jing said. "He made sure to send people to places where they could survive."
"You ever wonder why you didn't appear inside a lake, or in the middle of a pack of beasts? That's because he made sure to put some safeguard when teleporting you all."
"Besides, it is unlikely all 3 of you ended up in the Western Continent. After all, the teleportation formation here is considerably much worse than the other continents, so fewer people got sent here anyway," Shen Jing said.
"Eh? That's the reason why Western Continent didn't get many players?" Alex asked.
"Yes. Either way, your father should be in the southern continent," Shen Jing said.
"That doesn't make me feel very good though," Alex said. "He's still in a new place and probably didn't know what to do. I worry."
"It's just the southern continent, you know," Shen Jing said. "It's not like he was sent to the ocean. Also, hasn't it been 7 or 8 years since he went there? He's probably living a good life right now. You needn't worry at all."
Alex nodded, but he couldn't get rid of the worry.
"Next up," Shen Jing said.
Alex looked at the next one. "I worry that someone will find out about my talent and try to take advantage of me while I'm still weak, maybe even kill me," he said.
"Why do I feel like this is directed at me?" Shen Jing asked.
"What? No, I'm talking about in general," Alex hurriedly explained.
"I'm joking, chill," Shen Jing said with a chuckle. "You don't need to worry about that. After all, who dares do anything to you while I'm around. Besides, I even got the Emperor to be in your favor. Do you still think you have something to worry about?"
"I guess not," Alex said.
"Any more?" Shen Jing asked.
"Well, there is a big one," Alex said as he deliberated a bit.
"What is it?" Shen Jing asked.
"You see, as soon as I became a cultivator, my masters took me in and trained me in the sect. While I was there, I thought of the sects as my home. However, after my master who taught me alchemy passed away, I realized there really isn't anything keeping me tethered to the sect."
"After I came here, I was going to roam around too. I found my mother, but while I like living with her here, I still don't see this place as my home."
Shen Jing listened. "What place do you see as your home then?" he asked.
"The Central continent. Back where my actual home is," Alex said.
"So, what's the problem? What's troubling you?" Shen Jing asked.
"I… I think of it as my home, but none of my parents are there, and everyone I cared about is scattered throughout the world. Even if I manage to go back there… do I still count it as my home?" Alex asked.
"Not only that. Ever since I became a cultivator, I feel like I was destined to cultivate and become someone big."
"If that is the case then, can I still go back to my home? Do I even belong there anymore?" Alex asked. He had been wanting to go back to the Central continent for a long time, back to his home.
However, now that no one lived there, was it still his home?
Shen Jing sighed. "That's one thing I can't help you with. You will have to figure that out yourself," he said.
Alex nodded.
"However, there is something I can tell you. It is fine not feeling like you belong somewhere but still finding happiness there," Shen Jing said.
"Besides, it's not the place you really belong to, it's the people. You don't feel like you belong to your home now because deep inside you can tell that it's no longer your home."
"Your home was a place where your father and mother lived. As soon as they moved to a different location, that location became your new home," Shen Jing said.
Alex fell into thought. Shen Jing was right. He didn't feel like he belonged there because he really didn't belong there anymore.
But that didn't matter. He didn't have to care for something just because he belonged to it, or it belonged to him. There was nothing wrong with wanting to go back to see the Central continent.
After all, it had once been his home. It wasn't anymore, but who cared? He would go because he wanted to, not because he felt like he belonged there.
Alex felt his heart grow significantly lighter after the talk.
"Thank you, brother Shen," Alex said.
"It's okay," Shen Jing said. "Are you done?"
Alex looked at the list and saw that he could figure out the rest on his own. "I'm done," he said.
"Alright, my time to ask questions then," Shen Jing said. "Tell me everything that happened back in the Demon Realm."
Alex nodded and told everything.
"Wait, you were the one that killed the girl?" Shen Jing raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," Alex said. "Why?"
Shen Jing smirked and sent his spiritual sense to thoroughly check Alex. When he reached a certain point, he couldn't help but show a shocked expression.
"What? What's wrong?" Alex asked. He hadn't sensed Shen Jing's sensing, so he didn't know what he was reacting to.
"Well, aren't you full of surprises?" Shen Jing said with a bit of chuckle in his voice.
"What? What surprise?" Alex asked.
"You will find out later on your own," Shen Jing said.
"What? No! Come on, you have to tell me," Alex said.
"Well, you did something that you weren't supposed to until you reached the immortal realm. I don't think I've ever heard of any case where someone did it even in Saint realm, and yet you've done it in True realm," Shen Jing said.
"I wonder though how this could possibly be related to how you killed that girl," Shen Jing thought to himself. "I don't see any connection, but maybe I'm just stupid."
Alex wasn't understanding anything that came out of Shen Jing's mouth. "What are you talking about?" he asked.
"Do you like a mystery?" Shen Jing asked.
"Yes?" Alex said.
"Great. There's a mystery for you to solve once you reach a higher realm," Shen Jing said as he giggled. "I can't wait for you to find out on your own."
"What are you even talking about?" Alex asked. "What did I do?"
"Never mind it now, let's change topics. You learned Sword Qi?" he asked.
Alex nodded.
"Good, so you need to improve your sword intent more if you want to get better. If you do so, you should be able to create your own Sword Aura in a few dozen years," Shen Jing said.
"Sword Aura? That's the next stage?" Alex asked.
"Yes," Shen Jing said. "You're still way far away though. You still need to perfect your Sword Qi. For that, you need to perfect your intent."
"My Intent? Not my Sword Qi?" Alex asked. "I thought I would have to improve my Sword Qi to reach the next level."
"You do, but you also need to improve your Intent. Only when both your Sword Intent and Sword Qi are at the peak level will you form your Sword Aura."
"Then, for the next one, you elevate all three of them, and so on and so on," Shen Jing explained.
"I see. Thank you for explaining that," Alex said.
The two of them talked for the entire night and Alex learned a lot of things. When the sun came up, Alex went to speak to Qin Shan.
"Sect master Qin, thank you for everything you've done to me for the last 2 years," Alex said.
"Sigh, so you're really leaving, huh?" he asked.
"Mother told you?" Alex asked.
"Yes," Qin Shan said. "Well, where are you going?"
"I'm going to be an alchemist for the royal Wei Family. I'm going to be working under the princess," Alex said.
"Wait, wait, wait, what?" Qin Shan couldn't believe what he heard. "How did this happen? I thought you were going to become a Lightsworn."
"Well, things happened and I ended up becoming the person Alchemist for the princess," Alex said. He too couldn't believe how it had happened.
"Here," Alex said as he handed back his Guest Elder badge.
"No, keep it," Qin Shan said. "Use that to remind yourself while you are with the princess that this sect will forever open for you."
"Thank you, Sect Master Qin," Alex said. "And goodbye."
