After traveling for two weeks, the three siblings finally manage to enter Song Village
Nika looked around, his eyes wide with wonder. Song Village was alive with a chaotic energy. Stalls crowded the streets, each packed with goods—ripe fruits that glistened under the sun, jars of vibrant spices, and rare artifacts that glittered like treasures. Vendors shouted over the noise, their voices competing with the calls of hawkers and the chatter of villagers. The air was thick with the sweet, smoky scent of grilled meat, mixed with the tang of fresh herbs. Nika marveled, "The Song Clan is indeed one of the biggest in our Windy Mountains Domain. There are so many people here, more than in Osier Village."
Ilargia looked at the many stalls on the street and all the people coming and going "The Song Clan is a merchant clan, that's why there are a lot of people, they come to Song Village to trade"
Nika's eyes sparkled with a mix of curiosity and ambition. "Do you think the Song Clan stands a chance against the clans from the other domains?" His voice carried a hopeful edge, but beneath it was a trace of nervousness, as if he was already imagining the challenges ahead.
Asier glanced at the towering gates of the Song Clan's compound, his gaze lingering on the intricate carvings of beasts and warriors that seemed to watch over the village. "The Song Clan has ten Semi Elementals," he said, his voice low and filled with respect. "They're a force to be reckoned with in the Outer Region. You can feel their presence everywhere, even the wind seems to bow to their power." The weight of his words hung in the air, adding a subtle layer of tension to their surroundings.
Ilargia thought for a moment "The Elemental World is divided in four domains, our Windy Mountains Domain is said to be the weakest, along with the Volcanic Domain, that's because these two Domains don't have as many resources as the Nature Domain and Aqua Domain"
Asier rubbed his chin "That may not be the case, even if the Windy Mountains Domain and the Volcanic Domain don't have as many resources, the competition and environment is harsher, so normal cultivators may be stronger than in the other too Domains"
Nika´s expression changed hearing this "that may be the case, but the domains are separated by the Bi Elemental Barriers, so it's almost impossible to cross from one domain to another"
Ilargia said "that's true, also, the Song Clan is just a clan of the Outer layer, they are incomparable to the clans of the middle and inner layers"
Asier said "Ilargia is right… How strong are the clans of the Inner layer? especially the Three Great Clans and the Eight Great Sects"
At the mention of the Three Great Clans and the Eight Great Sects, the siblings eyes burned with excitement, the old couple that adopted them used to tell them the legends about the Three Great Clans and the Eight Great Sects, they wanted to know if they were real
Soon, the sibling arrived at the register house of the Song Clan
"What can I do for these three friends" said the clerk with a friendly smile
He was an old man with a short beard and a friendly face and surprisingly he was a cultivator in the Meat Training Stage, this showed that the Song clan had a deep background, if not how could they afford to have a cultivator in the Meat Training Stage be a simple clerk?.
"We are planning on staying in the outskirts of Song Village for the next few years" said Asier with politeness
The clerk looked them up and down and said "for 20 Elemental Stones per year you can have a residence token, with this token you can enter the village without paying the entrance fee and it also gives you a discount in the shops run by the clan"
Elemental Stones were the tool used to trade goods, they were precious minerals extracted from mines, they could also help cultivators absorb Elemental energy, the entrance fee of Song Village was one Elemental stone per person.
After saying this, the clerk unfurled an animal skin with a flourish, revealing shifting images of three houses, each one so vivid it felt almost alive. The siblings started, captivated.
Nika's breath hitched, and his fingers twitched, aching to touch the artifact. Ilargia exchanged a quick, wide-eyed glance with Asier, her mind racing.
[It's an Elemental Artifact!] The realization hit them all at once, a mix of awe and disbelief flashing across their faces.
Elemental artifacts were special objects made using Elemental Energy, since Elemental Energy was needed to make them, only a Semi Elemental expert or above could craft an Elemental Artifact.
[Only a clan like the Song Clan could afford to use an Elemental Artifact this way] thought Nika
"We won't be renting a house" said Asier while throwing a pouch to the clerk "there are 60 Elemental Stones in the pouch, we will need three tokens for this year"
When Ilargia stole the cultivation book from the Oier clan, she also took the opportunity to steal some Elemental Stones…
"That is indeed so, here are the tokens" said the clerk after checking the pouch
Tokens in hand, the siblings made their way through the winding alleys of the village outskirts, the fading daylight casting long shadows that danced like specters. The inn they found was modest, its walls worn from years of weathering the mountain winds. Inside, the air was thick with the smell of damp wood and old sweat, a far cry from the luxury of clan residences. They rented a single room, its cracked windows offering a bleak view of the darkening sky. As they settled in, a sense of urgency hung over them, the ticking clock of their journey ever-present in the background.
"Let's continue reading the book, I want to start training as soon as possible " said Nika with excitement
Ilargia took out the book and started reading…
"So… to start cultivating we need to strengthen our skin" said Ilargia with a thoughtful expression
Asier thought for a moment "To strengthen our skin we can use two methods, the first and easiest one is to use an Iron Skin elemental pill"
Nika said with determination "the second method gives a better foundation but it takes longer and its harder, to accomplish it we have to cut our skin countless times and when our body repairs the wounds, the new skin would be tougher"
Iron Skin was one of the easiest elemental pills to make, every clan had some of them, but they would not sell them to outsiders, in this world if you were not part of a clan or sect, starting to cultivate was almost impossible, that is why the number of lose cultivators was extremely small.
"Slash Mountain," Nika said, pointing toward the distant, jagged peaks that loomed like ancient sentinels. "It's said that the wind up there can cut like blades, one of the fiercest in the Outer Region."
The mountain's silhouette against the setting sun was forbidding, its sharp edges tinged with a blood-red glow. The wind howled from its summit, a mournful, ghostly sound that sent a shiver down Ilargia's spine. She could almost feel the sting of the razor-like gales, as if the mountain itself was warning them of the pain to come.
"if we go there to train, our bodies will get cut countless times and our training will go faster" said Nika with a burning gaze
"Slash Mountain's winds aren't just strong—they're ruthless," Asier said, his voice dropping as if sharing a dark secret. "I've heard stories… of men climbing up there, only to be flayed alive by the winds before they even reached halfway. We're talking skin stripped in seconds, bones laid bare." He paused, letting the horror of the image sink in. "This isn't just a training spot—it's a battlefield. And the enemy is the mountain itself."
Nika waved off Asier's caution, his determination unshaken. "We don't need to rely on pills like some pampered clan kids. The second method—it's harder, but it's worth it. It's our chance to prove we can do this on our own terms." His voice hardened with a mix of defiance and pride, echoing the years of struggle they'd endured. This wasn't just about cultivation—it was about showing the world they could survive, even against the odds.
Ilargia scoffed, crossing her arms defiantly. "You always worry too much, Asier," she shot back, her tone half-teasing, half-frustrated. "We're not fragile. We can handle a little wind." But the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes betrayed her bravado, a silent acknowledgment of the danger they were willingly walking into.
Asier ran a hand through his hair, his eyes darting between his eager siblings. He could see the fire in their gazes, but also the recklessness. "Alright," he relented, though his tone carried a hint of worry. "But we're not just walking into this blind. We need medical supplies, we need to prepare for the worst. The mountain isn't just going to cut us; it's going to test us. We can't afford mistakes."
NIka and Ilargia looked at each other, seeing each others excitement
Asier looked at them with an odd expression "It's late already, let's go to sleep, we can get the supplies tomorrow"