The Geared Immortal

Chapter 25

A young woman stood rooted on the ground and was unable to react immediately. Even though there are some people who inquired some herbs on the display stand, she just treated them as air. Behind that white veil covering her face, a shock expression can be seen.

"He… he can feel my spiritual sense," she muttered to herself.

Now her head is buzzing in confusion unable to get a clue of the situation. Even though she already saw a lot of strange things that the mortal Shin Jiao has done. But now she had her suspicion in her mind that Shin Jiao is a powerful cultivator trying to hide from someone or something. She is not sure if her conjecture is right though because of his mortal condition, and he seems to have stayed in the forest for a long time, judging from his clothing and actions.

After a while, her mind clears up and was diverted to what Shin Jiao had crafted. When she remembered the object in his hand, her eyes gleamed with excitement. Her old master can also craft things, and he had given her a lot of those things to help her in life and death battles. So, her interest was piqued as she wanted to know what kind of artifact Shin Jiao just made. Then at this time, she decided to go inside the small room and ask. But before she could move Shin Jiao parted the cloth dividing the front stall and went out of the small room.

"Oh, hey. Thank you for the book. Here it is I'll give it back…" Shin Jiao handed the basic list of medicinal herbs back to Qin Lou who subconsciously accepted it.

Qin Lou didn't react after that and just stood there, Shin Jiao didn't know what her expression is as he could not see her face even her eyes. After a while, his curiosity gets the better of him and he unknowingly let out his spiritual sense and scanned her face. Then he almost showed a shocked expression that he immediately covered by smiling. Shin Jiao actually saw her face and was a little taken aback at the wounds which seems to be inborn. He actually thought judging from her body and temperament that Qin Lou is already in her 30's. But seeing her face from under the veil, he realized that she is only a young woman at around 19 years old. But his heart was touched at her perseverance and will to continue and push through.

If Qin Lou knew that Shin Jiao's spiritual sense was able to penetrate her veil she would be shocked, as this veil of hers has a special concealment spell that prevents others from seeing her true face behind it.

"Ah… right I can try to use the glasses I made to test its functions." Shin Jiao thought to himself and immediately put on the glasses.

When Qin Lou saw his action, she regained her senses and observed him putting something on his eyes, by using a thin strand of spiritual sense which she is already proficient in controlling to the extent that others won't be able to detect normally. Then upon observing she saw something which is a crystal-like glass thingy which covers his eyes.

Since in the cultivation land, no one has problems with their eyes as most spiritual pill or medicine can make their bodies healthy and function normally, even mortals. So the glasses Shin Jiao have on him is an unfamiliar object to her, hence Qin Lou became curious about the thing on his eyes. What amazed her most was the fine craftsmanship of the frame as she knows that the only way to make that, is through the use of spiritual sense control.

Contrary to Qin Lou's curiosity, Shin Jiao was excited to test out the glasses simple A.I. function. As he made it by combining his knowledge on runes from Earth, because of the rock he found there has more advance runic pattern than what he learned from Gubu, to make a simple computer A.I. system. This and the things he learned in making the goggles which is Gubu's idea. If Shin Jiao has not gained spiritual sense it would be impossible for him to craft the eyeglasses. But because of him gaining his spiritual sense coupled with his experience in crafting things, he was able to craft the glasses in just a short time. Plus the glasses didn't require complex structuring of arrays, he just needed to refine a viewing crystal, a tiny array container which is located behind the head strap, and spiritual Qi absorber pattern for energy.

After putting the glasses on, he can actually see some information coming from Qin Lou, as the A.I. automatically showed her basic condition. Then he tested it by looking at the plants, and it gives out the information of each plant where his eyes focus on. The function of the glasses is incomparable to the goggles but it has a basic A.I. assistance. With this Shin Jiao felt a little proud of his accomplishment and new creation. Before his mind could wander and think of other things, he heard Qin Lou's voice.

"What it that…. that thing?" she said while pointing at the glasses on him.

Shin Jiao was shaken, he forgot that he has to hide this skill of his. He cursed himself for being muddle-headed. He realized that his muddle-headedness came from thinking too much on dulling his heartache and combined with the excitement he felt upon learning something new. But then, he realized that didn't mind it that much with regards to Qin Lou. He didn't know why but he felt that he could trust her. And she is very quiet and seems to have developed an introverted personality because of her looks. So he decided to show her just a glimpse of what he can do, and follow it from there.

"This is something that took me almost my whole life to plan and at last make. It's an Eyewear to get a piece of information on plants and beast and record them if they are still unknown." Shin Jiao lied without batting an eye.

"Really? How… how long did it take you to make it?" Qin Lou probed still doubtful of his answer.

"Well, let me see… around 10 years I think." Shin Jiao thought and tried to estimate the current technology and how long this eyewear would be made judging from it.

"Umn… I guess it's your life's work…" she muttered seemly to think about something.

"Yes, and it took me a long time to craft this thing. And because you gave me the compendium of basic medicinal herbs, I was able to at last finish it. So I wanted to thank you for your help." Shin Jiao said without a hint of falsehood in his tone and actions.

Qin Lou stayed quiet and just nods her head, but she seems to hesitate and wanted to ask something. Deep inside her mind, she really wanted to ask the question that truly baffled her.

"Umn… Can… can I ask you something?" she asked with a little hesitation.

"Sure, what is it?"

Qin Lou was a little uncertain to ask this question as she didn't know if Shin Jiao would answer or not, but her interest was already piqued. So whether Shin Jiao answered or not, she didn't mind and just asked.

"You… you're a cultivator right?... How… how did you hide your core forming stage aura?"

This questions baffled Shin Jiao, especially when she revealed that his aura is that of a core forming realm cultivator. This only means one thing, she had seen his aura, and although she said that he is hiding it, he didn't know how to answer this question as his meridian is truly unable to hold any power as he doesn't have any spiritual roots. Everything is in a sphere like a thingy inside his dantian. Then his eyes lit up in realization, how and when did she saw his aura? This is the crucial point in all of this? So, he looks at her and asked.

"How and when did you saw my aura?" Shin Jiao asked with an inquisitive tone instead of answering.

Qin Lou seems to think for a while as she didn't expect Shin Jiao ask this question. But then she replied.

"I think it's when you were holding the jade slip and trying to record something in it."

"Record something?... Wait a minute, when I was recording the things I learned from the book, I was exerting my spiritual sense and was sending information. Could it be that… Ah… right… Now I know, let me try this..." Shin Jiao said to himself.

Then he closed his eyes and tried to feel the spiritual Qi inside the spheres in his dantian. He tried to circulate them out into his body, at first he failed as he is unable to feel the jest of things, but then after trying a couple more times, he was able to control the flow of the Qi and natural energy coming in and going out of the spheres. By doing so, he realized that his body became clearer and the refreshing feeling overcame him. After a while, a sudden epiphany struck him.

"This… this is cultivating right?" He suddenly said to himself.

This is too familiar to him as he always saw Cherry Lao having this kind of circulation in her dantian before. It's just that, at that time all he can think of is how to increase the spheres in his dantian and didn't think of circulating them in his body.

Unknown to Shin Jiao, Qin Lou had been observing him for a long time now. Since he is not aware that he is standing there for a couple of hours already. Then she was truly stupefied by what she saw, the changing of Shin Jiao's aura from body refining, spiritual refining, then to core forming stages and vice versa. It's like he is wielding different power aura in his body and was unstable. Not only her, but some of the people passing through also saw this and was shaking their head. Because this is symptoms of having a Qi deviation, the rapid changing of aura which would cause irreparable damage to one's own dantian.

It was already night time when Shin Jiao opened his eyes. He is now able to fully control the circulation of the spiritual Qi in his body. And he decided to circulate just a small amount making his aura turn out as a body refining cultivator. This way he could slowly refine his body to be stronger and be familiar with spiritual Qi. His body is already used to the feeling of natural energy, now it's time for them to get the feel of spiritual Qi.

Upon opening his eyes he found that Qin Lou is sitting behind the counter as if waiting for him and all her medicinal herbs are already inside the straw woven basket. She seems to notice his gaze and turn her head towards him.

"You're awake at last. We need to go now. Tomorrow would be the start of the martial arts and cultivators match. I need to be there to facilitate with other seniors of the school." Qin Lou said as she stood up while grabbing the basket and started to walk back towards the pond.

"Thank you." Shin Jiao upon seeing her walking suddenly said.

Qin Lou stopped and nods her head then continue walking which Shin Jiao followed suit. The two walked quietly towards the pond, and upon reaching it Qin Lou quietly entered the small hut. Shin Jiao had no other choice but to find a place where he could sit down and cultivate, as he found that cultivating is very relaxing and helps him feel his whole body to feel great more than sleeping, so he decided to just cultivate for the whole night.

The next day…

Shin Jiao woke up feeling refreshed, but then he suddenly felt that something is amiss. There is a stinky black sludge covering his body and even on his clothes. This made him dumbfounded, as he never thought that his body would undergo cleansing after cultivating for just one night. Then he curiously feels his body and was dumbstruck by what he discovered. His life-force is now strong and steady, if before it's like small candlelight that can be extinguished with just a strong wind, now it's still like a candle but the flame is a little bigger and brighter. Which means that his life-span is now a lot longer than that of a mortal. With this discovery, he felt really happy and forgot the stink emanating from his body.

He got up and carefully check his surroundings, then he discovered that Qin Lou is not in the hut. So he quickly went to the pond and took a bath. The cool water refreshes him and cleaned his body, he also washed his clothes along with him. Then after cleaning himself up, he plans to take off his clothes to dry them off, but as soon as he took off his upper robe.

"Gasp!"

He suddenly heard a woman's voice gasping behind him, as not far from him, stood a woman. It is Qin Lou, and judging from the place where she came from it was behind a large boulder. Shin Jiao was shaken at this discovery, instead of being shy, he instead became curious of the stone. As he had already scanned his perimeter using his goggles, and he still didn't find her at that time. So he thinks that the stone is able to block his goggles. So he intends to investigate this later.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to…" Qin Lou said shyly while dropping her gaze.

"It's okay… I didn't mean to take my clothes off. It's just everything is wet so I need to dry them off." Shin Jiao explained.

"You… you don't know any Dao spells?" she asked in doubt.

"Ah, yes… You see it's my… Umn… I have been staying in this forest for a long time as I was born with a great physique. I tend to hide from others, so I don't have much contact with other people." Shin Jiao remember the story he told Cherry Lao and stick with it.

"Hmmm… Let me help you then." Qin Lou said as she waves her hand and a warm air envelops Shin Jiao's upper robe and after a few minutes, it was already dry. She also repeated the same spell on him and the wet clothes on his body became dry too.

"Wow, that is truly very convenient magic… Umn… Can you teach me?" Shin Jiao asked.

Although Qin Lou is a little hesitant, she still gave Shin Jiao the basic spells: fire, wind, water, and earth. All of these basic spells are learned by middle-stage body refining cultivators. So it's not a big deal for her, but for Shin Jiao who is not familiar with the incantations for spells became really excited. He would learn and decipher these incantations and then make his own spells so that in the future he didn't have to run all over the place just to find some specific spells. But before Shin Jiao could read the book, Qin Lou walks towards her hut and reminded him.

"I need to go back and do my duty as a facilitator today. If you wanted to learn about martial arts and cultivation you can come with me."

Upon hearing this Shin Jiao felt a little expectant, as so far the cultivators he had seen and faced in this world are a little lacking when it comes to fighting skills. They are almost too flashy, lacking the sharpness and refined feature of the modern martial techniques that he had learned.

So that morning, they once again went back to the small village camp to enter and watch the martial arts and cultivators tournament.