As soon as we stepped out of the shack, my senses alerted me. There was definitely something strange going on in our vicinity! While I didn't hear or see anything worrying, the aura that lingered in the entire area was so infused with the negative thoughts and energy that it was nauseating!
"I know how you feel, and it will only turn worse when we get closer to the training yards. Just try to bear with it."
With my gift already hanging down from his side, Neterian wore a wide smile. I guess every man of our age and profession was a weapon freak! Thinking about it, didn't this world induce some sort of hidden chunni even from the adults?
"I heard a lot of warnings from the people around me when I brought up the topic of this sect. While I'm worried to see what made them so wary towards this place, there is a strange feeling of curiosity that forces me to sate my hunger of knowledge. Don't worry, I will bear with anything that we will see."
Maybe it was my inner pervert, but with all the assumptions that I had about this place, there was no way I would allow myself to skip confirming my doubts. Even if I were to be someone completely diffrent when exiting this place altogether, I believe that a man had to go through all sorts of experiences to truly grow!
It was insanely simple. How one can judge whether something is good or bad without experiencing it? If you created a society of men who never heard about sex and indoctrinated them how awful it is, you could get rid of their lust completely! While it's maybe not impossible but surely highly unprobable to rid someone of their innate sexual drive, it was actually an easy task to make them psychically too scared of it to ever try to explore this part of themselves!
"I remember someone telling me that you want to visit Nadia, am I right?"
Just as we stepped out of the small roads located in between many houses, I saw a vide, open plain, on which orderly rows of men were standing in just their undergarments. To put it into the perspective, they looked just like the Karrante Class training some basic moves, with the only difference laying in fact that instead of simple, white robes and belts of varying colours, they were only dressed in a loincloth!
Upon closer examination, I realised that my first impression was completely wrong. Instead of practising some moves, they were all standing completely still, but their faces were twisted in pain! Looking around I was unable to see anything that could cause them any sort of harm, but when I used my energetical vision, I stopped in my tracks and even whistled in amazement.
Not only did I assume but I also heard some rumours about the formation masters existing in this world, but this was my very first time seeing the real thing with my own eyes!
"Yes, I want to set a meeting outside with her. My fiancee owes her a lot, but considering all the bad rumours that I heard about this place, I decided to force her to stay back when I went to visit you. By the way, would you mind telling me what kind of formation it is?"
Recalling the question that Neterian asked, I used it to ask him something in return. While I hoped to achieve some sort of surprise, looking at his face I was unable to see even the tiniest sign of bewilderment. Instead of that, his lips twisted a bit as he avoided my eyes by escaping with his own pupils to the side.
"This is nothing more than a simple freezing formation. Everyone in this field is experiencing drastically low temperatures as to temper their bodies and get rid of the innate fear of the elements. As for the matter with Nadia… I want you to know that she is a rather… quirky woman. To put it in short words, she won't stop at anything if she will see a chance to grow her strength. If nothing changed with her usual daily routine, I will be able to guide you to her, but I can't say you will like what you will see."
Oh, come on! I know that you are trying to divert my attention from the formations! Seeing how even the simple outer disciples were tortured in the plain sight to the point where almost the entire area around them was filled with a negative aura, it was actually a proper way to further their potential growth!
If one wanted to have gains, one had to be prepared for a fair share of pain. Even by aligning one's cultivation with the will of the world, cultivator's body had to be reformed to the point where it would be able to house the spirit. As for the further steps, it was obvious that they weren't easy to achieve as well. Looking at how all the outer disciples that I could see on the field have yet to reach the soul hazard level, I could already imagine how swift their future cultivation would be!
Making them used to the pain from the very get-go, they wouldn't mind the hurdles that would break the spirit of the others further down the path of the cultivation! Additionally, considering how their bodies were artificially tempered, even if what they were trying to overcome right now was freezing cold, it was created with a cultivator's energy! This way, while they thought that they only had to warm themselves up, in reality, they were already letting their bodies to get used to the presence of energy!
"No matter what you meant by those words, she is a benefactor of my fiancee. I don't care what she is currently doing, I need to thank her first, before asking her for some time to let my beloved do the same in a private place. There is no need for her to rack her pretty head about the events taking place here."
Answering Neterian once more, I finally moved my legs forward, forcing him to do the same. While he wore a resigned look on his face, he still picked up his guide duty and gestured at me to follow him.
"If that's your wish, then so be it. Just remember, that I won't take responsibility for anything that happens in her chambers later on!"