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"You can remain safe here in the Dark Star City. The city\'s rule stating every non-native must wear a mask is advantageous to you. Once I leave, leave this courtyard and find a quiet place to stay and cultivate," Duncan said looking at Leia seriously.

Leia had a downcast look on her face. Despite that, she seemed to be listening intently to Duncan\'s last-minute instructions.

"I will leave all the spirit stones I have in my possession with you. You don\'t need to be burned. This may look a lot, but in essence, you will realize that I am not leaving you much, as you progress in your cultivation," Duncan said handing a storage ring to her.

"In this ring, there are all the herbs that are not of use to me. I have also placed all the spirit stones I have in possession along with some martial arts manuals I have collected so far. The history of where it came from is not pleasant. They were collected from cultivators that I have killed, so be careful about their origins. If anyone asks, tell them you bought them from a loose cultivator," Duncan stressed looking at Leia, causing her to nod. 

"The spirit stones I have given you will be enough for you to get by for a year or so. Your cultivation has just reached the first stage of Qi Gathering. You can use these spirit stones to cultivate and progress faster. They aren\'t that useful to me due to my cultivation technique."

"On the other hand, you can use them to buy materials for your alchemy practice and also use them to cultivate. They can also be used for taking care of living expenses. With this, you won\'t have any need to go out and earn spirit stones for cultivation."

"Once you become stronger, by that I mean to be in at least the later stages of the Qi Gathering realm, you can head to the Alchemy Association and take their alchemy examination. Do not showcase your full talent. Just show them enough to pass the exam. You can reveal your talent in alchemy slowly."

"Once you start to reveal your talent, you will attract countless eyes. Alchemists are the most coveted type of cultivators for sects and clans to win over. Do not join any clan. The clans may offer higher joining conditions, but in reality, that will be just a dead end. No matter how talented you are, you can never become one of them. Thus, you will never have true power in the clans if you are an outsider," Duncan said looking at Leia.

"Can\'t I remain a loose cultivator?" Leia asked in doubt.

"You can, but only those who are talentless will remain so. Being a loose cultivator might look to be a very attractive option. You think you can roam around freely and do whatever you want, but the reality is far harsher than that," Duncan sighed. 

"As a loose cultivator, you will not have the necessary resources to progress in your cultivation. The cultivation technique I gave you is just a basic one. With that, you can enter the Spirit Sea realm at the most. What are you going to do after that? Can you obtain a cultivation technique that is compatible with alchemy cultivation on your own?"

"Moreover, larger sects contain inheritances from experts. If you can obtain an inheritance from an alchemy expert, you will be like a tiger with wings. With your talent in alchemy and passion, it will only be a matter of time before you soar. But, the prerequisite is that you have a compatible cultivation technique and wouldn\'t run out of resources," Duncan instructed carefully.

"You can\'t obtain them by being a loose cultivator. The difficulty of such a possibility to occur is incredibly low. However, clans and sects already have them in their scripture halls. By joining them, you can take advantage of their resources and become stronger with fewer detours."

"Why are you telling me not to join a clan? Apart from holding true power, I don\'t see any disadvantages there. I don\'t care much for power either. So, shouldn\'t I be considering them as well?" Leia asked curiously.

"Whether you care for power or not, you should not close down that road. In a sect, the background of everyone is different. People from all walks of life will be present. Your presence wouldn\'t make much of an impact there. However, it is different in a clan. You will stand out like a sore thumb. Moreover, the highest you can rise to within a clan is to be a Guest Elder. That is like a paper tiger in front of true descendants of the clan," Duncan shook his head.

"They will use you to their benefit and wouldn\'t care about your progress truly. They will also use you as a shield and cut you off when a situation turns dire. That\'s like sending yourself to the door of a butcher. In my opinion, such an act is incredibly foolish," Duncan said shooting a stern look at Leia.

"In a sect, you may not obtain more privileges in the start. But, the upside is that, as long as you are talented, you will rise up and occupy more resources as you progress in your cultivation. Your bloodline is unique and your talent in cultivation is not bad. So, a sect is the best destination for you. The higher the grade of the sect, the better it will be for you," Duncan explained his reasonings seriously causing Leia to nod contently.

"Do you have any other questions?" Duncan asked looking over.

"When will I meet you again?" Leia asked causing Duncan to pause and look at her scrutinizingly. 

Leia flushed involuntarily under his gaze. Duncan wasn\'t unaware that Leia was reluctant to part with him. But, he had his own things to do. Moreover, his presence would bring Leia into trouble as well. While he had enjoyed his time with her, Duncan knew that such leisurely days couldn\'t last long.

This was like the calm before the storm in his life. He knew what he was going to do would surely cause great hatred towards him amongst most sects in the continent. But, this was the path he had determined for himself. He had no one else to blame.

Once he stepped out of this city, his life would be filled with blood and death. He will be constantly hunted down by righteous cultivators after this. Unless he became truly powerful like his master, he could never relax his guard. 

As for obtaining sanctuary in his sect after completing his deed, Duncan felt uneasy even thinking about his sect. The events in the Greenwood Forest haven\'t been concluded yet. No one knew the perpetrator. But, Duncan felt in his gut that his sect was involved in some way.

Duncan didn\'t want to go back to the sect unless there was no other option. He thought it would be prudent to stay away from the sect for now and watch how the wind blew. If things turn sour for the sect, he can escape relatively unscathed. If the sect prevailed with their madness, he could always head back. 

It was better to avoid the chaos for now. 

But, no matter the end result, what it meant for him now was that he had nowhere else to go for sanctuary at least in the short term. He would need to live in the wild and act more or less like a loose cultivator while being hunted by the righteous sects.

He didn\'t want Leia to be involved in such a life. He wanted her to have a peaceful life unlike him. That\'s why he decisively left her behind. As for Leia\'s question on when they can meet next, Duncan didn\'t have a clear answer. 

"Cultivate well," Duncan patted her head and looked away. "If there is fate, we will definitely meet again."

Leia heard his words and felt heavy in her heart. But, before she could voice anything, Duncan took out the slave deed and sent a burst of qi into it. The deed was torn into shreds.

At that exact moment, the collar on her neck clicked and sprang open. The collar fell off Leia, causing her to stand there in a daze.

"Leia, you are free now," Duncan smiled at her and moved closer to kiss her one last time before his departure. "What you make of your life is now up to you."

With those words, Duncan decisively turned away and walked out of the courtyard without looking back at her. Leia stood there in a daze and watched him go without uttering any sound. She looked transfixed watching him walk away from her in the evening sun.

As Duncan walked out of the place he had rented his courtyard, he felt determined to do things his way. He knew Leia was reluctant to part with him. But, this was the path he had decided to walk on.

On his face was the same blank wooden mask he had entered the city with. In his hands was his trusty sword that was eager to drink more blood. In his heart, there was an intent to slaughter to his heart\'s content.

Even if the heavens fall tomorrow, they can only do so after he had bathed to his content in blood. No one and nothing could stop him from establishing the legendary foundation anymore.

*****

A/N: Check out my other stories and let me know your thoughts...

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