Hmmph... this junior is a good seed [Cultivation Management Quest]

[Quest]

[Yuan 3: Growth and Goodbyes]​

The next time he stood before Yixuan Shan, the pipe-fish had changed the world that he pulled Antonius into. Rather than being in the bottom of the ocean, this time he stood on top of an archipelago made not of earth and sand but from corals. Some of the islands had been shaped into walls and breakpoints that prevented easy access to the islands.

He looked around and noticed silvered fins reach out of the water every now and then as pipefishes came to the surface and then dived down below. Yixuan Shan himself had taken a more reasonable size and swam in the water in front of him.

Antonius walked over to the edge of the island and took a seat. "Greetings, great pipe-fish." He said respectfully. "I am here to start my training."

"Call me Shan," He rumbled, turning his face so that an eye was on you. "First, allow me to examine you. Then we can determine what would be the best way to train you."

Antonius nodded. "Would it be helpful if I spent the time cultivating?" He asked Shan hopefully. He hadn't actually had a chance to cultivate with the dense qi of the Yuan mountains yet and he was looking forward to the experience.

The pipe-fish tilted his head in acknowledgement. "You may do so if you wish." He replied as he continued observing him.

Antonius nodded and sat cross-legged as he had been taught. He remembered the instructions he had been given during general training and used breathing lull himself into a meditative mindset as he had been taught.

It was difficult in the desert but here… he almost gasped as the qi rushed in to fill him. He had to pause in his cultivation and check to see if the qi density in Yuan's realm was meaningfully different from the outside.

It wasn't. Was this what it felt like to cultivate in the plains? He'd felt the increased density when he'd first come here but it hadn't actually registered how much of a difference it could be in terms of cultivation. The desert where his clan had made its home had qi that was so much thinner.

He had trained to cultivate with atmospheric qi when he first began training and though it was useful in his first days as an aspirant, it quickly became impossible to make any progress until they had switched over to spirit stones. But with this, he could see himself cultivating until at least foundation establishment - it was hard to say.

He'd need to make adjustments to his cultivation strategy. His personal visualization for cultivation was always breathing. The basic idea was simple. Antonius breathed in good fresh qi from the outside, channeled it down his throat and to his lungs. From there, it flowed to his heart and through there to the rest of his body.

He imagined the bronze in his body absorbing the qi and getting, for the lack of a better word, shinier. Dirt would be released, akin to rust in iron and it would flow back to his lungs and then he'd breathe it out. In the desert air, he'd need to 'breathe in' several times before he could 'breathe out'. He needed to accumulate enough qi to dislodge the impurities in his body which made it possible to cultivate but incredibly slow and inefficient.

With spirit stones on the other hand, the qi rushed into his body as if it was pressurized and he had just provided a release. He needed to stop the flow periodically in order to allow him to pour the impurities out. Here, there was no need for such complicated steps. He just had to breathe and release. There was more than enough qi in the air.

He could have just settled with that, but with a portion of his attention now freed he could instead concentrate on guiding the qi to areas where it was needed more. He estimated that he had been focused on it for nearly an hour when Shan sought his attention.

He opened his eyes and turned to face the pipe-fish. "I believe that I have understood enough to propose a potential method of training." Shan said as his eyes focused on Antonius. "The Curse of Metal was designed to speed a creature's cultivation, but even so the level of talent varies between individuals."

"Where do I rank then?" Antonius asked him. He knew he was better than his peers in some respects, but no one had clearly said how much.

The pipe-fish paused before it answered. "Incredibly high," He replied, to Antonius' surprised delight. "Though I doubt you understood exactly why, I have just watched to actively optimise your cultivation art to fit your environment. How often do you cultivate using qi from the air?"

"Very rarely these days," Antonius admitted. "Mostly I focus on spirit stones because of living in the desert."

"I thought as much," Shan replied. "I had considered several methods of training for you but the one that seems the most effective will depend entirely on your talent."

Antonius closed his eyes, took a deep breath and nodded. "What do I have to do?"

"I will channel my own qi into you," Shan replied. "My Dao has a strong connection to your bloodline and it should be easily absorbed but it will still be a large amount of qi being infused into you. I'll adjust it as much as I can but you will need to manage it once it flows into your body."

Antonius considered that for a moment. "Can we try it without committing to it?" He asked. "I think that it will be easier to feel than to understand with words."

Yixuan Shan nodded and Antonius felt the water around him tense with anticipation. "I can begin whenever you are ready." He replied.

Antonius took a deep breath and settled himself. Then he looked at Shan and nodded. He felt the qi in the air concentrate and increase. For a moment he thought he couldn't breathe, but physical breaths were possible.

Tentatively, he opened himself to the qi and suddenly it was like he was inside a giant spirit stone. It tried to rush inside of him and he felt like he was drowning. It forced itself down his throat and it felt like it was trying to flood every part of his body.

Then it stopped and he realised that he had moved away from the water where Shan lay and had a hand on his throat. Though there wasn't anything physically entering his throat, he had to cough for a few moments before the image left him.

He considered the pain and the sensation that it brought. He could easily back away here. But then he remembered the coming trials and took a deep breath to centre himself. Then he moved back into position. "I think I have the feeling now." He told Shan. "Please continue."

"So be it." Shan replied. A moment later, the pressure increased again and Antonius took a tentative breath. Once more, it forced itself down his throat but this time he was ready. He imagined a pipe in his body, guiding the qi to only where it needed to go. Then he focused entirely on that image.

The pain decreased. Where before it was this sharp all-encompassing pain, now it was more akin to a scraping pain that had spread throughout his body. Whenever the sharp pain would erupt, he would stop absorbing qi and take a moment to centre himself before continuing. After that point, it was just a matter of bearing the pain.

As he began to get used to the pain and feel the flow of the qi, he began to be aware of the paths it used to flow through his body. Slowly but surely, he became aware of the points in his body where his own qi was released. What awareness he'd regained, was now focused on ensuring that the external qi didn't flow into them and harm them.

He didn't know how long he had been doing that for until Yixuan Shan called for a halt and told him to come back the next day. Antonius was too sore to argue and ended up moving to his parents who guided him back into his tent.

* * * * * * * * *​

The next day when he was more aware of himself, he realised how much he had truly managed to progress in that single day. Somehow he had managed to reach the fifth heavenstage and the increase in speed, strength and stamina… it was amazing. He could see how many considered cultivation worth it despite the struggles. Still, the progress to the sixth Heavenstage was much slower.

This time rather than just removing impurities, he needed to open his meridians. He had begun to be aware of them before when he'd begun to guide the flow of qi throughout his body but opening them was a more involved process. He had to focus on a single one at a time and slowly increase the qi flowing through it until it was large enough to be considered 'open'. As with all cultivation, it was a thoroughly unpleasant process.

Antonius had no idea how long this would have normally taken, but under Yixuan Shan's watchful eye it still progressed quickly. Still, it took him nearly a month to reach the point where the pipe-fish was willing to allow him to progress further.

It wasn't as painful as accelerated cultivation and now he was able to talk to his teacher. It gave him time to ask the questions that had been plaguing him.

* * * * * * * * *​

Every day, Yixuan Shan chose to show him a different view. Today, they floated over the Organ Meat Desert and Antonius sat on clouds as the pipe-fish swam next to him. During a break in their training, a thought occurred to Antonius as he looked down into the passing sands.

"Can you show me anything you want?" He asked, turning to Shan curiously. So far, everything he'd showed were things that he may have plausibly encountered in life.

"Anything that I have a strong image of, yes." The pipefish confirms. "I assume from your question that there is something in particular you had in mind?"

Antonius considered his question for a moment. He felt like it could be rude to point out what he'd noticed but the pipe-fish had been reasonable so far. "I was curious about Chang-e," He confessed. "You've shown me your kin several times but I've yet to see her. That feels strange."

The pipefish paused. This Antonius recognised was a sign that he was considering his words. "I would have enjoyed showing her to you," He told him. "However, I fear her beauty would be too much for one at your current level of existence."

Antonius frowned. "Your description of her was definitely a reason I wanted to see her," He admitted. "But I can't imagine how something can be too beautiful."

"Do you remember when I spoke of how she distracted the Jade Archer in that key moment in our battle?" The pipe-fish asked. Antonius nodded as he recalled it. "Even a Late Nascent Soul was distracted by her in the middle of battle as was I when I first encountered her. Her beauty was her weapon and it could cause more than distraction on a weaker mind."

Antonius' eyes widened. "Is that what happened to you?" He asked, the pipe-fish's story taking on a more sinister bent in his mind.

The cloud rumbled as his water used to and after a second, Antonius realised that he was laughing. "In a way, that is indeed what happened." Shan agreed. "However, it is difficult to complain when she has been nothing but kind to me and the only reason I can contemplate such a notion is due to the very resolve she granted me."

Antonius nodded, conceding the point but still finding himself unsure about his feelings on the issue. "How did she get so beautiful in the first place?" He asked instead. "Is it a form of an illusion?"

"Chang-e was born naturally beautiful and just as your bronze grants you strength and vitality in return for a lowered speed, the Jade Emperor granted her silver that made her more beautiful in return for increasing her fragility." The pipefish answered. "In that sense, her beauty was real. However, her dao itself was dedicated to beauty and the effects of that are more difficult to determine."

"Are effects like these common?" Antonius asked him apprehensively. He couldn't think of any way to really counter them.

Shan gave him another considering silence. "They are common enough," He finally told him. "There are arts that can defend against certain types of such effects, each with their own limitations. To a limited extent, the willpower necessary to progress to the later stages of cultivation can shield you from lesser illusions. But there is no perfect shield against it, not without shedding what makes you 'human' though that would simply open new vulnerabilities."

"Wouldn't the best defence simply be knowing oneself well enough to spot such extreme reactions?" Antonius pointed out.

"Another good defence would be to have an ally different enough that they don't fall prey to the same weaknesses," Shan pointed out in turn. "But that would bring the challenges common to interpersonal relations while your own solution requires the same level of dedication and challenges that a cultivator brings to their dao."

That would possibly require time that isn't being used for cultivation or perhaps, it would require a Dao about understanding the self? Was that even possible? He shelved that thought for later and returned to the original point of the conversation. "Could you at least describe her to me?" He asked curiously. "I would love to hear more about her."

Though the pipe-fish did not have a human face, Antonius thought that his current expression was close to a smile. "It would be my pleasure."

* * * * * * * * *​

Once Shan pronounced him ready, he returned to body purification and once more he applied himself to that difficult training that they had first started with. This time, it was much easier to deal with. To an extent, the pain had eased off even before meridian opening as his body became capable of handling higher levels of qi. However, opening his meridians gave him the most dramatic level of improvement when it came to the ability to channel more qi within him.

The rate at which he improved should have reduced as he grew in power and needed more resources, but with him needing to focus less on trying to draw Shan's qi through his meridians he could instead spend the time on improving the efficiency of the technique. The improvement was enough that he'd kept up a similar rate as before and reached the eighth heavenstage before Shan asked him to stop.

The next challenge was called Dantian Expansion. While Meridians were essentially the spiritual blood-vessels through which the qi flowed through the body, the dantian was where the qi was gathered and stored. The most important dantian was located in his belly marked by the navel that once connected him to his mother. He was curious about how that worked but Shan wasn't very knowledgeable about human reproduction.

The process itself was fairly similar to strengthening and expanding his meridians but where qi flowed through the meridians, it had to be held still in the dantian and then they had to be expanded slowly. Surprisingly, the first part of the process wasn't too difficult to grasp. I had already been doing it when I 'held my breath' while building up the external qi of the desert.

The major difficulty of the process was bearing the pain when expanding it. The feeling it gave him reminded him of the pain you felt in the lungs when you held your breath to your limits. Only much worse, because this was qi. Still, it went quickly under Shan's instructions. Like before, it also gave them a chance to talk and Antonius enjoyed asking Shan questions about his adventures.

* * * * * * * * *​

One day, Shan chose to have them train in front of the same salty lake where Antonius had originally found him. There were subtle differences like the silver-finned pipefish in the lake and the array of silver that was set up around it. Obviously, it only inspired one line of questioning.

"What can you tell me about the Jade Archer?" Antonius asked Shan curiously. "Was he one of the things the emperor kept like you or Chang-e?"

He had expected a moment of silence, but Shan replied surprisingly swiftly. "I'm not particularly aware of the man's history," The pipefish told him. "However, he was different from us. He was part of the Jade Court - people with skills or abilities that the emperor felt were indispensable to him."

"Do you know anyone else who was also part of the Jade Court?" Antonius asked him in interest. This was where another of his ancestors came from.

"Chang-e mentioned several," Yixuan Shan answered. "However, the only one that stuck in my mind was the Jade Rabbit. Like me, he was one of the king's beasts who grew both intelligent and powerful. Unlike me, the rabbit developed skills in alchemy and the emperor found his talent worth keeping around."

A thought occurred to Antonius and he smiled at Shan. "Was he and Chang-e close?" Antonius asked.

"...yes, they were." The pipefish replied after a pause. This time though, it wasn't due to him considering the answer. "He felt sorry for those like me and her. Though he would not openly defy the Emperor, he would often help us behind his back. I was never the beneficiary of his attention but he provided Chang-e occasional training in alchemy and several pills that helped her cultivate through bottlenecks that may have otherwise slowed her down."

Antonius nodded in understanding. "So did you remember him because of the help he gave her or because you were jealous?" He then asked in amusement.

"More the latter than the former," The pipe-fish admitted and Antonius realised that he was embarrassed at that. A moment later, the pipefish laughed and Antonius smiled back.

After a moment, Antonius continued more seriously. "So you showed me this place because you wanted me to ask you about the Jade Archer," He waited a moment and Shan gave a sound of agreement. "But I doubt you had this turn of conversation in mind. What did you want to talk about?"

"Once we are done with training, I intend to give you a treasure that will let you use my own techniques to a lesser extent." He explained. "I felt like it would be prudent to begin teaching you about my style of battle. How do you think I battled the Jade Archer?"

Antonius considered it for a moment. "Did you just call up a wall of water to block his arrows?" He asked curiously. The pipe-fish shook gave a sound of disagreement.

"Arrows and similar sharp weapons can easily pierce through walls of water," Shan explained. "You have to keep the water flowing and deflect them from a different angle. It was also far more efficient to adapt the flow according to his attacks rather than keep up constant walls all around me."

"Couldn't he get an attack through you if he struck a point of weakness then?" Antonius questioned back.

"This is where your sixth sense is incredibly important." The pipe-fish replied. "For a skilled user of that sense, an entire battlefield becomes visible and it allows you to gauge not only your opponent's skill and power but also the nature of their ability."

"What if you face someone who has ways of hiding from or even tricking the qi sense?" Antonius pointed out, as had become the pattern in these conversations.

"Of course, but there are ways of countering those as well." The pipefish replied. "One of the tactics I employed against the Jade Archer was to use thin waters as a method of sensing his arrows. Even if they were hidden from me, they still had to physically pass my waters and those I could sense and adjust as necessary."

Antonius nodded in acceptance. "What else do I have to keep in mind?"

"For manipulation of an element like this, you have to keep in mind both the amount of the element you can control and the speed of it's flow." The pipe-fish began and Antonius settled in to listen.

* * * * * * * * *​

Dantian Expansion took him over two months. Even under Shan's instructions this was a tedious process and it took him time to finish the whole thing. Once they did, they returned to cultivating and this time took much longer than before.

To a degree, it was because the effects of Shan's qi on me had decreased even if it was marginally but though I didn't realise it at first, the primary reason was that Yixuan Shan himself was weakening.

Once I realised that, the cultivation became a more somber experience and I found myself dreading the day when it would end. Finally, I reached the point where the bronze in my body sparkled and I had reached the end of my current method of cultivation. There were no more impurities in my body and I had reached the tenth heavenstage.

It was time for Shan to give me his final gifts.

* * * * * * * * *​

"Antonius, o inheritor of my power and precious friend." Yixuan Shan spoke and Antonius tried to hold back tears. He felt his father place a hand on his shoulders and he felt the presence of his mother beside him. They gave him some strength but even now, he could feel the pipe-fish's familiar presence beginning to fade.

"Firstly, take this Sand Spitting Marble." He had chosen the image around them to be in the coral reefs where they first began training. His kin swam in the sea and though he couldn't see her, Antonius knew Shan well enough now to know that Chang-e was hidden somewhere as well out of their view. "It is a tool my beloved created - a pearl formed around a grain of sand taken from the desert. Even now, it remembers it's home. Should you hold it in your mouth for eleven days, it will summon a sandstorm of some moderate size. Enough to escape pursuit or to hide from view of the enemy."

"Secondly, take this Fishbone Mourning Flute." This Antonius handled reverently. He knew its origin and history very well. "It is what my beloved once used to play her songs. It still carries an echo of her song of sorrow and should you play it, you will be able to employ the same power to deaden entire armies of your lessers by striking at their Dao."

"Thirdly, take the Silver Scale from my tail-fin that anchors my will." As he took it, he could feel the realm around them fade and it was only pushed back by Shan's own rapidly fading will. "It is time enough that I pass on from this world. This has contained my will for millenia and now it holds an echo of my own power. By using your own qi, you will be able to summon my waters to harm your foes and heal your allies."

Antonius bowed in gratitude and looked back up at the pipe-fish as he spoke his final words. "Finally, I wish to thank you Antonius. It was a pleasure to meet you and a greater pleasure still to have the chance to be your teacher. Thank you for making my final moments within this world worthy ones."

"I'll miss you," Antonius whispered, no grand words coming to his mind. "Thank you so much. For everything, Shan."

"I will miss you too Antonius," The pipe-fish replied, smiling lightly. "You will face much struggle in the future. Try to find your moments of happiness even in trying times, cling hard to those you love and live even in the face of death. Those are the final pieces of advice I have for you."

Antonius looked at him as he faded and replied as best as he could. "I promise you I will!" He swore. "I'll live my life to the fullest and make you proud! I'll burn so bright that even if you are dead, you will feel my heat!"

The last thing he saw as Yixuan Shan, the silver finned pipe-fish faded, was his peculiar smile of pride. Then he was gone and all that was left around him was the ancient cave and a lake that rapidly began to fill it in. He felt his father move to hold him but he didn't want to be held right now.

With his newfound strength and speed, he easily stepped past his father and bounded into the air leaving behind the cave the lake behind him. Then he just ran. A part of him reminded him to stay within clan territory but the other part felt his mother lightly keep pace with him. He knew she'd make sure he didn't get into trouble.

He didn't know how far or even where he ran. He just ran fast enough that for a moment all he could concentrate on was the speed and the exertion. After some time, he realized that he had no more energy to run anymore and he came to a stop and began to breathe hard as he recovered.

After he had a moment to catch his breath, he turned to his mother. "Is it difficult to reach the next stage?" He asked her.

"For me, it was easy." His mother replied. "I have been ready for years and I am not cursed by heaven. For you, it will be far more difficult."

Antonius considered that and nodded. "First, I'll survive the trials and then I'll reach Foundation Establishment." He promised. "Those are the next steps I need to take."

His mother nodded in agreement.

 

[Quest]

[The Curse of Metal: A Report]​

Contributors: Legionnaire Emmanuel Ambrosius of the 43rd Legion, Specialist Antonius Ambrosius of the 96th Legion, Specialist Eleanora Ambrosius of the 96th Legion
Subject: Specialist Antonius Ambrosius of the 96th Legion
Access Permissions: The 96th Legion, The 43rd Legion, the Taurus bloodline, the Ambrosius bloodline.

This document is meant to summarize what is currently known about the specific mutation of the blood of bronze discovered in Specialist Antonius of the 96th Legion. The references used will be marked in the standard manner however two new documents will be enclosed within. A list of experiments conducted by us in regards to the mutation and the testimony of a Nascent Soul Silver-finned Pipefish named Yixuan Shan who left behind a fragment of his will.

The father of the subject is Emmanuel Ambrosius, son of Centurion Ambrosius of the 43rd Legion(deceased) and Centurion Ellaria Taurus of the 96th Legion(deceased). Originally, the source of the mutation was suspected to be due to the family's cultivation art - the Body Sculpting Bronze Smith which incorporates bloodline modification into its growth process. This has been disproven in light of recent information but it is possible that some effects may have still been inherited.

The mother of the subject is Eleanora Ambrosius. Originally a righteous cultivator, she joined the clan as an auxiliary and has only recently joined properly through marriage. Though her parentage is largely unknown, she has been confirmed to be directly descended from cultivators of the Jade Emperor's Court. Something similar to Antonius' mutation was reportedly seen in her ancestor - Chang-e save with silver instead of bronze. Though Eleanora does not share the bloodline, it is speculated that it may have been present recessively and was activated when it was inherited by a bearer of the blood of bronze.

The name chosen for this mutation is the Curse of Metal based upon the name used by the original ancestor. The effects of the mutation besides standard enhancements are an increased cultivation speed though the degree of increase is unknown and a reduced lifespan which is thought to be approximately halved.

Tests of the mutated bloodline have revealed no major deviation in terms of material properties, physical enhancements and speed reduction when compared to recorded norms. However, the bloodline still remains inexplicably altered. Further testing revealed a strange foreign element in the bloodline that after receiving Yixuan Shan's testimony proved consistent with the few recorded examinations available to the clan of metal qi bloodlines common to the Third Sea.

The deviation is enough that the clan's standard cultivation arts become unusable however the metal's ability to undergo rapid growth when exposed to qi and the subject's own talent allowed them to easily work around that issue. The metal's innate growth maintains a consistent absorption efficiency regardless of source and shows no major deviation.

So far, tests have been performed with atmospheric qi absorption, spirit stone qi absorption, beast cultivation and the infusion of qi resulting from a nascent soul. Atmospheric qi absorption tests were performed in the open air, within an oasis and while surrounded by sand. Spirit stone qi absorption has been done with all standard clan sources. For beast cultivation, samples of soup from Mogui city were used.

The increased cultivation from the infusion of energy from a nascent soul is not necessarily considered repeatable as the nascent soul in question had intimate knowledge of the bloodline and a specific tie to it due to their dao. Effect of the Blood Path on his bloodline was not tested and is mentioned only for completion's sake. The increased cultivation was initially speculated to only last for the stage of qi condensation but the knowledge of the Curse of Metal seems to indicate that it will last at least until the stage of Nascent Soul, though the effect beyond that point is uncertain and will likely remain unknown barring incredible circumstances.

The increase in quality of the metal in his body seems to come from not only feeding upon qi absorbed during the process of cultivation but also through a passive drain that seems to strain the body enough to approximately half the total lifespan but still have no effect on day to day activity.

This aspect of his bloodline was first detected as a mortal. At that point in time, the reduction in lifespan was far greater in degree with death appearing in the early twenties. At the current point in time, this is speculated to be due to the natural frailty of the body and also due to lack of cultivation. The qi absorbed during cultivation can be regarded as a secondary source that allows the strain on the body itself to decrease. It is speculated that this can easily be reversed should the subject stop cultivating.

It should be noted that during much of this testing, the subject demonstrated a seemingly intuitive understanding of his bloodline. Foe example, while both of his parents were aware of the possibility of cultivation being able to increase his lifespan, the opposite possibility was also considered an equally probable outcome at the time. Despite knowing this, the subject correctly deduced that cultivation was necessary and moved to remedy that while understanding the art of breathing in a mere half an hour albeit under the tutelage of a legate.

The legate's own testimony confirms that he primarily created an environment where the boy could cultivate but the speed and surety of his mastery was his own. He also intuitively understood what the outcome of certain tests may have been before the tests were done. Generally, so long as they had to do with cultivation he was accurate beyond a point where it could be called coincidence.

This kind of understanding of their own cultivation is commonly seen among superior talents and while theoretically this may be seen in any who would possess this mutation, based upon the information gained of the original curse of metal not all afflicted possessed the same degree of increase.

As such, it must be concluded that much of Antonius Ambrosius' superior talent is innately his own. This would mean that should the bloodline pass on, though it would still likely allow an increased cultivation speed, it may not be to the same extent as Antonius Ambrosius himself while by all accounts the decrease in lifespan would remain constant.

As of now, no further testing has been done however further possibilities include: investigating Eleanora's bloodline and tests on the alchemical properties of Antonius' blood. These avenues will be pursued after the completion of the trials.

 

[Quest]

[Yuan 4: Eleanora's Story]​

After a long conversation with a Nascent Soul, Eleanora felt exhausted. Even if Yixuan Shan seemed friendly, he was an incredibly powerful being who had delivered a lot of information in a very short amount of time. At the end of it all, she and the rest of her family needed some time to process it all. Thankfully, the pipe-fish was accommodating enough to continue things after they had a chance to rest.

Unfortunately, while Antonius was able to go straight to the tent assigned to them at the camp, both she and Antonius had more work to do. First, they had to report their findings to their superiors. Emmanuel would have to report to Legate Alcaeus of the 43rd legion and would likely have to submit a written report on top of that. Luckily, her position in the 96th legion allowed her some informality.

"Hey, Ariadne." Eleanora called out as she entered their command tent. Her friend and superior was huddled over a map and what she recognised as scouting reports alongside other centurions as she entered.

"Eleanora!" Ariadne replied, looking up at her with a smile. "Please tell me you have something to distract us from all this." Everyone in the tent looked up at her hopefully and Eleanora sighed.

"What happened this time?" She asked as she walked towards the map. One of the centurions moved aside to give her some space.

"There were a few disputes between our specialists and Legate Alcaeus' legionnaires," She replied. "You know how it is." Eleanora nodded. Her legion and her husband's were both relatively militaristic so despite having completely different cultures and specialities, they worked together very well. The exception were Specialists like herself and Antonius.

"Give me a list," Eleanora offered. "I'll talk to them in the morning." The ninety-sixth's usual focus was arrays, divination and other forms of support. Specialists possessed skill-sets that didn't fit the rest of the 96th and so they were usually given free reign. When they needed to work with the 43rd who often possessed the same skills but were more organised, conflict was inevitable.

"That would be great, thanks." Ariadne said with some relief. Eleanora was respected by the specialists as a skilled specialist herself and by the 43rd through her husband. "I wish I could give you a command position and just let you handle this stuff. It comes up way too often."

Eleanora shrugged. "Maybe after the trails." She replied. Instead of saying anything more, she passed Ariadne a copy of her husband's report. It would be much faster than explaining everything that happened.

Ariadne picked it up curiously and her eyebrows rose as she began to read through everything that happened to them that day. Finally, she looked back at her. "That… actually happened?" She asked with a frown. "That's luckier than… well, I think we've had luckier in Qiguai but this is still up there."

Upon hearing her, the other centurions took a look at the report as well with similar reactions. Everyone heard of getting an inheritance from a nascent soul ancestor, but it rarely actually happened. "You can see why I felt the need to report it in," Eleanora commented. "That said, I was looking for a bit more help from you?"

"What do you need, Eleanora?" Ariadne asked curiously.

"I was hoping to borrow a good diviner," Eleanora answered. "There was something in the pipefish's story that I felt I needed to investigate further. Do you have anyone free?"

Ariadne considered that for a moment. "Normally, divining a nascent soul would be beyond anyone but great-grandmother. That said, if you are doing what I think you are then I think I might have someone available." She replied. Then she frowned and looked back at her. "You'll be good for it, Eleanora?"

Eleanora nodded. With all that they had been spending for Antonius, she might not have been but with their recent luck, it should be fine. "Who do you have in mind?"

Ariadne glanced at the rest of the tent. "I'll show you," She replied. "This is a good excuse to take a break. You guys will be fine?" She addressed the centurions who nodded in acceptance. In theory, as their heir Ariadne was the ranking centurion but in practise they had all been working for much longer.

* * * * * * * *​

Ariadne led her to another much larger tent with several legionnaires of various skill-level working on a large array. The array was a divination array that Eleanora didn't quite understand. Though she wasn't an array-engineer, she had still picked up a good understanding of the subject. The golden devil's divination style wasn't something she'd focused on as much. She couldn't use it and the clan had a particularly eccentric approach.

She could recognise the source at least. Folding a thousand cranes to beseech the heaven for luck was a common story among righteous cultivators and the array in front of her was clearly based upon that. For golden devils however, it was unlikely to work given how cursed they were.

Though their approach didn't seem like they were trying to earn heaven's favor. The opposite more likely given the paper they used was burnished with bronze and runed in the clan's native tongue. Both were things more likely to draw heaven's disfavor.

In fact, heavenly forces already caused the cranes to shudder and burn in the carefully decorated array that had been set up in front of her. However, they seemed to be held in place by wires and as soon as one crane was lost another was added in its place.

"You spotted the base array correctly," Ariadne explained upon asking. "Thousand Crane Folding is a bit like submitting a requisition form. Heaven looks at you and decides whether to grant you any good luck. And yeah, for us it would never work. All it does is get heaven's attention."

"Then what is the point of the array then?" She asked, as she looked at the strange sight of their juniors running around remaking and readjusting cranes that were moved or damaged by heaven's judgement. "Are you trying to annoy heaven?"

"Well, the basic idea is simple." She replied. "Heaven only has so much attention it can spare on us but it has to spare some of that attention on judging our request even if the answer would be a no. The Heavenly Disruption Array works by drawing so much of Heaven's attention in a single place so that other people performing riskier activities are shielded from it's disfavor."

Eleanora raised an eyebrow. That was the major difference between their philosophy and others. Most people didn't really try to work around heaven's processes. "Would that work for tribulations?" She asked curiously.

Ariadne shook her head. "This only works on relatively minor things," She told her. "Heaven has priorities and all we are really doing is manipulating them in our favor. Anything that involves a lot of heaven's power or even power in general easily bypasses this array."

"So it doesn't work then," Eleanora finished, feeling slightly disappointed. She doubted she'd find a way of getting around her son's curse just lying around in the clan. "What are it's limits exactly?"

Ariadne shrugged. "Like I said, it's a matter of power. Shielding the Archigetes is never going to work but one of the legates might be able to hide a game of chance without any major stakes. It is mostly useful for the Qi Condensation realm where it can even shield most of their actions. We used it here because even a small bit of luck makes a lot of difference in a place like Yuan."

Eleanora glanced over the rush of diviners and wondered if this had any affect on their own find. It might as well have had. "If this is so important, can you really spare someone for my request? It looks like you have your hands full here."

"We have someone who we can spare," She answered before raising her voice. "Corvina Taurus! I have some work for you." A black-haired girl with bronze eyes in the middle of folding a crane looked up from her work.

After acknowledging the call, the girl finished up and made her way towards them. Eleanora tried to recall what she knew of her. "Natural diviner and ninth heavenstage at seventy," She whispered, frowning."Shouldn't she be preparing for her breakthrough?"

"She should be, but she isn't completely ready." Ariadne whispered back. "Working with you will be better than working here or meditating. The girl needs to get some outside experience."

Eleanora just nodded. "Centurion Ariadne and Specialist Eleanora," The girl said, walking up to them and bowing her head. "How can I help?"

Eleanora glanced at Ariadne who just motioned for her to take over. She nodded and turned to Corvina. "I need your help tracking down an artifact," She began. "I believe it can be found in the mountains nearby."

The girl frowned and nodded. "Do you have any leads to where this artifact might be?"

"It's a jade arrow fired by my ancestor," Eleanora explained. "I don't know where it landed but I know how it looks and the general direction that it was fired in."

"How long ago was this?" Corvina asked her with a frown. "Divination can be a little tricky in the Yuan mountains."

"I'm not completely sure," She admitted. "At least a few millennia."

Corvina nodded. "I suppose I can use your blood as a focus to narrow down the location and make up for time if it was your ancestor's weapon," She replied. "Would you have anything else I can use?"

Eleanora nodded. This part of divination she was well acquainted with having gathered focuses for diviners in the field before. "I have three total," She replied, pulling out vials of the same number. "The first contains my blood and should give you a link to the shooter as well as one of his targets. The second is qi-infused water that belongs to the second of the targets. They are a water manipulator who deflected the arrow. The third is a jade sample from my own version of the arrow that should give you a good match. Would you need anything else?"

The girl looked at each of the vials and shook her head. "That should be more than enough," She replied, excitedly. Then she stopped herself and forcibly calmed herself before looking back at Eleanora. "I do need to tell you that if the arrow isn't there anymore or somehow hidden, there is still a chance that we won't find it."

Eleanora nodded. "That's fine." She said. "Could you also divine it's history should we find it? I'd like to confirm if our sources are accurate."

"I can't tell you how much I can do until I find it," She replied. "These things are incredibly finicky but I'll be willing to try?"

"That should be acceptable," She agreed. "How long would you need to prepare?"

"We were already prepared for similar requests," Corvina answered with a smile. "Please give me five minutes to collect my things."

Eleanora nodded and watched her go. Then she glanced at Ariadne. "Do you want to join us?" She asked her curiously. She would be useful to have around but also had a lot of work back at the command tent.

Ariadne considered her question and nodded. "I need to stretch my feet anyway." She replied with a grin. "I'm sure they won't miss me for too long."

* * * * * * * *​

Corvina reappeared with a set of dowsing rods which Eleanora looked at with interest. Rather than question her on her choice, she instead led them down to Yixuan Shan's pool and from there they went in the direction she was certain the arrow had flown towards.

The girl quickly became focused on her divination and when it was clear that she wouldn't overhear them, Eleanora walked in step with Ariadne and began to talk to her about more private doubts.

Still, to be safe she first asked about something else. "Do those dowsing rods actually work here?" She asked quietly. "I know that you use them a lot in the desert to find water and spirit stones but aren't they easily confused by strong sources of qi? That isn't uncommon in the Yuan mountains."

"It's not what I would have expected," Ariadne agreed thoughtfully, as they trailed behind the girl just slightly. Eleanora kept an eye on the girl's aura for any sense that she was eavesdropping. "She probably picked it because it was familiar to her and assumed she could use the strong sympathetic connections you handed her to keep out any outside interference."

Eleanora nodded. "She does seem talented." She added shortly after, glancing at Corvina who had begun to look at the stars in the darkening skies.

"I think she was nine or ten when she had the vision?" Ariadne replied, smiling. "Caught us all by surprise when she proclaimed us forsaken by heaven and the usual doom and gloom at such a young age."

Eleanora raised an eyebrow. "Does that happen often?" She inquired curiously. It seemed to fit the theme of the clan's divination so far.

"It usually marks the point when our style really clicks for someone," She confirmed. "Corvina hadn't even started cultivating and only been exposed to the style during our clan aptitude testing."

"No wonder she's already preparing for her breakthrough," Eleanora remarked. "It sounds like she's had a strong vision of what to pursue."

"Vision?" Ariadne interjected with a grin. Eleanora rolled her eyes. They both knew what she had meant. Then Araidne's grin disappeared as she became more serious. "Doesn't look like she's listening. So what did you want to talk about, Eleanora?"

"We just got a really good turn of luck," Eleanora replied. "Combined with his natural talent, I'm sure it changes things. How do you think the old lady would react?" The reason Antonius was in the 96th was because Matriarch Wilhelmina was willing to recruit him directly because of his blood relation to the Taurus and his obvious talent.

"It does change things," Ariadne agreed. "Do you know the history between your father-in-law Ambrosius and my great-grandmother?"

Eleanora nodded. "A little bit. My father-in-law married her grand-daughter but refused to take the Taurus name or join the 96th legion since he'd hoped to start his own legion and bloodline." She replied. Regaining a lost branch of the family was likely a strong reason the Matriarch was willing to sponsor him. At the time, it seemed better than letting Antonius go through general allotment and risk him being assigned to a legion where neither her or her husband could reach.

"Given Antonius' talent, he could gain the capability to do as your grandfather could soon enough." Ariadne replied. "Great-grandmother is likely to push for giving him stronger ties to the clan. She'll hold off till after the trials but I don't think I'd be able to convince her to wait more than that."

Eleanora sighed and massaged her forehead for a moment. Another issue to think about. "I was really hoping we had more time." She told her. "As it is, it seems like we'll go from one problem to another."

"You could just go along with it," Ariadne answered. "All of the people he'd be paired with are good people so it's hardly that bad."

"That's not the point, Ariadne." Eleanora replied. "You know that. "We're deciding a lot for him already. This one at least, I'd rather he be able to decide on his own."

"That… may be arranged," Ariadne said, looking away from her with a light smirk.

"What do you mean, Ariadne?" She turned to her in confusion.

"Well, what I'd do here is introduce him to people in my family he might get along with," Ariadne explained. "If they do get along, we can talk to them about taking it further."

Eleanora frowned. "Who do you have in mind?" She asked her.
"What do you think about Corvina?" Ariadne asked, nonchalantly. Eleanora looked at her and then at the girl walking in front of them.

"Antonius is barely in his fourth decade," Eleanora complained. "The girl is in her seventh. How would that even work?"

"Emmanuel is in his ninth and that certainly hasn't stopped you," Ariadne pointed out unhelpfully.

"Ous was hardly planned," She argued back. "Until we had Antonius, we weren't even officially together."

"Only because you disliked having any official connection to the clan," She said, rolling her eyes. "Everyone knew that you two were going to end up together. Didn't you notice all of those Taurus bachelors I surrounded you with suddenly disappearing?"

Eleanora blinked. "Wait, did you actually set me up with Emmanuel?" She asked with a frown. Now that she thought back, she did recall something of the sort. She wasn't sure what to think about that.

"You were talented and had an art that seemed compatible with our own. That was the whole reason why great-grandmother allowed you to study our family arts in the first place." Ariadne said with an amused expression. "Admittedly, I didn't expect you to get along with Emmanuel so well but you two are great together."

Eleanora sighed. "I'm still slightly uncomfortable with introducing him to people like that," She finally replied. "But I can't really object if that's all you're doing?"

"Hey, if he marries into the family it'd be good for both of us." Ariadne replied, grinning. "And I do think that the plan has a high degree of success so far."

"If it's just that, it's fine." Eleanora said, giving her friend a side-eye as they walked. "Still, that's more of a longshot. Do you have any other ideas we can use to delay things?"

"Well, if you finally ascended to Foundation Establishment it would definitely improve your bargaining position." Ariadne pointed out. "You are ready. You would have been ready even if you were clan by blood, but you don't even have to deal with heaven's curse."

Eleanora sighed and didn't meet her eyes. "I've had similar thoughts the past few days," She admitted. "I'm hoping a chance to study my ancestor's arrow would allow me to improve my chances."

Ariadne nodded. "Are you planning on doing it here?"

"It's high enough that the tribulation will be weaker," Eleanora explained. "Even a slight increase in my chances would be useful."

"True but it'll also increase the chances that you'd get killed by something attracted by your tribulation," Ariadne pointed out. "I'll serve as your Protector."

"Thank you," Eleanora told her seriously. "I know that I'm asking for a lot and I really appreciate it."

"That's what friends are for," Ariadne said, waving it off. "Besides, I'm itching for a fight. Haven't really had the chance to stretch since I've started handling more administrative duties."

Eleanora nodded and glanced over at Corvina. "I think she's stopped. Do you think she's found it?" The girl had put her dowsing rods away and was picking at a particular patch of the ground. Eleanora extended her senses through the earth. "Got it. I can feel the Jade underground."

Ariadne nodded and extended a hand. Eleanora could sense her strings of bronze unravel from around her and begin to extend invisibly through the air. "I think I should be able to extract it quickly," She replied. "Let's continue this discussion later?"

Eleanora nodded and put it out of her mind. With the arrow confirmed, she needed to start thinking about the now rather than the future.

* * * * * * * *​

After digging up her ancestor's arrow and confirming Yixuan Shan's words, Eleanor felt ready to attempt her tribulation.

However, Ariadne pointed out that it would be much more dangerous in the dark and convinced her to wait till the morning. That was the reason why Eleanora was back in her tent with her son and her husband while resting for the morning.

"This feels different from your arrow, mom." Antonius told her as he examined their ancestor's weapon. "I don't know what, but something about it feels off."'

"I don't feel it myself," Emmanuel added. "But there are many reasons why that might be. It was the trump card of a late nascent soul after all, even if it's completely drained of its power at this point."

"No, I feel it too." Eleanora confirmed. "It's more like a difference in intent. It's hard to explain."

"I guess it's just a bloodline thing," Antonius replied with a grin. "I wouldn't expect you to understand, dad."

Emmanuel grinned back. "So you don't want to learn about the blood of bronze later then?" He teased back. "Here I was thinking I'll let you help me with my research."

Eleanora smiled at their banter. She'd never been able to teach him her arts since it required training from a young age. At least one good thing came from her exploring her bloodline. "I need to talk to you guys about something," She said, interrupting them. "I think I'm going to take my tribulation."

To her regret, that caused the mood inside the tent to change completely as both father and son turned to look at her. Emmanuel just looked at her in worry but Antonius just looked confused. She sighed. "Eleanora," Emmanuel replied. "Is everything alright?"

She considered what to say. "Mostly, it is." She replied, looking at both of them. "I just think that I'm finally ready and it'll be an added advantage in the coming trials. I'll be able to take better-paying missions in preparation and power is always useful in this kind of situation."

Antonius frowned as he looked at her. "If you are sure about this," He told her carefully. "I think you should go for it. But I don't want you to rush this for me, mom."

Eleanora looked him in the eye and nodded. "I'm ready," She told him truthfully. "I was… honestly unsure for the past few years, but now I'm confident in my chances."

He nodded in understanding. "Please be careful, mom." He said, still clearly worried. She reached out and squeezed his shoulder.

"Eleanora," Emmanuel said, looking at her. "Do you need us to do anything?"

Antonius nodded in agreement to that statement. "Anything you need, mom."

"Thank you," She told them and then she pulled them into a hug with a smile. "But I'll be fine. I'll be doing it in the morning."

After a second of allowing the hug, Antonius ducked from under her hands and looked back at her. "I want to watch," He told her firmly.

She sighed. She should have expected that. "You are just in the first heavenstage right now, Antonius. It'll be dangerous for you to be there."

"Wouldn't it be dangerous for you there too?" He asked her with a frown. "The Yuan mountains are dangerous."

"I'm sure your mother has everything planned out," Emmanuel replied. "There are advantages to taking your tribulation here."

"I need to be high on a mountain," Eleanora explained. "The further we are from heaven, the stronger the tribulation gets. It'll be easier here and the qi in the air is necessary for my personal style of tribulation. The quiet peaks are perfect for this and I don't know when we'll get another chance."

"What about all the dangerous beasts and enemy cultivators?" Antonius replied. "I thought they could all sense your tribulation and come for you."

"Your Aunt Ariadne has already agreed to protect me," Eleanora confirmed. Antonius frowned and reluctantly nodded. He knew how strong Ariadne was.

"Next time I get to see it though," Antonius grumbled and Eleanora had to exchange a look with Emmanuel before nodding. She wondered if he was talking about her hitting Core or Emmanuel hitting Foundation. Either way, the confidence was heartening.

"Well, Antonius ended up asking all of my questions." Emmanuel added with a smile. "I suppose all I can say is that I'll trust that I'll see you again tomorrow. Go do what you need to do. I'll handle taking Antonius to the pipe-fish for his training."

She smiled in thanks and turned to Antonius. "What about you? You are doing something momentous too tomorrow." Eleanora pointed out. "Are you ready?"

Antonius nodded. "I think so." He replied. Then he frowned and shook his head. "I know so. You can focus on your own tribulation without worrying about me, mom."

She smiled at him. "If you say so," She said before looking at the two of them. "We all have a busy day tomorrow and it's late. Shall we get some rest?"

Antonius nodded. "Good night, mom." He replied with a smile. "You too, dad."

Emmanuel nodded and began to reply. As they began to settle in, Eleanora's mind turned to the next morning. She needed to do this perfectly, she decided. She couldn't do anything less.

* * * * * * * *​

Her tribulation took place at dawn, at a time when the sun was still rising. They'd managed to find a hill far from camp but still within their patrolled territory. She could feel Ariadne set up her bronze threads to ensure that should anyone attack, she would have the advantage.

Now, all she had to do was invite tribulation from the heavens but… was she ready? Her thoughts turned to her own preparations. Her Jade Bow was conjured in front of her, ready to shoot. Her own Jade Arrow was also prepared and kept alongside the Jade Arrow of her original ancestor.

For a moment she compared the two. Even Antonius had noticed the differences between her arrow and her ancestor's. Though they had joked, she wondered if it was a difference that she truly recognised from her bloodline. Though she hadn't thought about it in so long, her bloodline had meant a lot to her once.

Once upon a time, her clan had been everything to her as it had been for her mother before her. They had fled from their clan holdings after some disaster she couldn't even remember had caused them to flee. Though her mother had never mentioned what they had run from, she had taught her everything she could about their clan and it's skills.

Once her mother had passed on, the clan's teachings had been everything to her. It was what she had clinged to after her mother had passed on and she was left to fend for herself in the Organ Meat Desert and trying to keep to them was the only reason she had joined the Golden Devils in the first place, despite them being demonic in nature.

For a moment, Eleanora wondered what her mother would say to that decision. Would she approve of who she was now? It took her a moment to realise that she had no idea. The perfect mother in her mind would understand her perfectly and tell her that she did the right thing but how close was that to the reality?

It was only after becoming a mother herself that she began to have these thoughts. Eleanora had left so much behind after having Antonius. With Emmanuel, she could tell herself that it wasn't serious. She loved the man, she could admit it now but if it was only him could she perhaps have walked away from him? Once she was powerful enough, would she have returned to the plains in search of her own legacy?

But ever since Antonius had been born, all of it had been pushed to the side. She didn't really know who she was anymore and there had been a strange discord in her mind. It was easy to put aside at the time because Antonius was only mortal and what did spending a few decades with him matter when she was looking forward to immortality?

But then his mutation - the Curse of Metal happened. So quickly, her life was turned upside down. Then he became a cultivator and then came the trials - so much and so quickly. She'd been putting him first ever since because he might die and she never, ever wanted that.

She wondered if that was what her mother felt, when she took her away from her clan's lands. She wondered what her mother thought about and what she had left behind. Was the feelings that were so familiar to her now, the same feelings that her own mother felt? Her mother's words echoed in her mind, the ones that had guided her for so long.

Some arrows are more precious than others, but every arrow has it's worth.

Yes, that was what had been bothering her. It was what Antonius had realised as well though he lacked her knowledge and training to understand it. That was the proverb that lay at the heart of her clan's philosophy yet the arrow of her ancestor held none of that. Though powerful, it was the arrow of an assassin filled with the intent to kill their enemy.

This wasn't her art. This wasn't what was passed down to her. Her art was a crafter's art that understood the materials they used to build their arrows and who knew that every arrow had their own worth. Her art was a commander's art that could sense every being in the battlefield to help and hinder them as necessary, not one that tracked a single enemy.

Not for the first time, she wished she remembered her mother's stories more clearly. Something had happened. Something had changed. Yes, the Jade Archer was the Jade Emperor's assassin but the Jade Archer was also the man who slew the Jade Emperor. Why did he turn upon his master?

Eleanora held the Jade Archer's arrow and frowned as her senses flowed through it. Their jade was a part of them and this jade had been a part of a Late Nascent Soul, yet this was discarded and so very brittle after that many years. She could perhaps forge it into a weapon in time but now? It was useless to her.

It called to a part of her that was weak and alone who lived with two cultivators who might kill her in her sleep just to survive. That part of her coveted that strength… but she wasn't that person anymore. She put the arrow aside. Instead, she focused on the person she was now.

Still, she wanted to power. Not to survive but to protect. Still, she sought her legacy. Not to fill the loss of her mother but to protect her son. After all, wasn't Antonius' curse born of her own bloodline? What information could she glean if she was strong enough to visit her clan's lands and look into any information it may have had?

She needed to get stronger. She had languished long enough. She needed to build her foundation and gain the strength of a core. Only then could she risk the danger that journey would bring. She took a deep breath and extended her senses.

All around her, there were webs of bronze all under control of her closest friend as she defended her. The air shivered in anticipation as she drew the qi around her and put it under her control. In the distant sky, something rumbled and she felt the attention of something so much more than her.

For a moment, nothing happened as she picked up her own Jade Arrow and turned it towards the heavens. She felt the attention sharpen and lightning crashed down upon her for the affront of turning her weapons towards them. She wondered if she could truly bear that kind of power with her body? She wasn't as strong as her husband was.

But she didn't need to. Lightning always struck at the highest point and the first thing it faced was the Jade of her Arrow. Jade the Immortal Slayer that hungered for the qi of others. Jade that was a part of her and held a portion of her will.

For a second, her arrow threatened to shatter as the lightning attempted to break free but then she clamped it down and bound it within her bow and arrow. She felt the lightning struggle and stutter and try to break free but all it could do was struggle uselessly against her will as slowly but surely died.

Soon, the lightning was no more and Eleanora released her control. The qi that had come with the lightning flowed into her like warmth and she found her body transformed. Her senses exploded and the qi within her body surged. A new feeling of control filled her.

For a moment she admired the flow of qi around her. She could feel Ariadne's attention but she ignored it for a moment, just to admire the strength in her body. Then she opened her eyes and turned to her friend.

"I could have managed that a lot earlier, couldn't I have?" Eleanora said, turning to her friend sheepishly.

Ariadne just rolled her eyes. "I told you so."

 

[Quest]

No idea if this turned out well. I literally wrote it stream-of-conscious and am way too tired to read through it. Hopefully it turned out well.

[Yuan 5: Blood and Family]​

Even after Yixuan Shan was gone, it was some time until Antonius was able to leave Yuan. Though their gamble in coming to Yuan had paid off, many of the legionnaires that they came with were still looking for their own prizes. As the rest of the camp prepared for their final stretch of time there, Antonius found most of his time being spent in training.

His mother had just reached Foundation Establishment and needed to to get used to her newfound strength and speed. With so many years of experience behind her, she had things much easier than he did. Antonius had jumped from the first heavenstage to the tenth and he had only just learnt how to fight.

Trying to get used to his new abilities while trying to incorporate Yixuan Shan's treasures was really hard. Right from the start, he put aside the Sand-Spitting Marble and the Fish-bone Mourning Flute. Those would take time to master and that certainly wouldn't happen while they were still at Yuan.

Instead, he focused on combat skills and the use of what he had begun calling the Wave-summoning Silver Scale that allowed him to use Yixuan Shan's personal technique, albeit at a much reduced level of power.

Their training took place in the form of spars at a flat ground far enough from camp not to be a distraction but close enough to call for reinforcements in the case of enemies. His mother and father were always there but every now and then others joined them as well.

At this point, Antonius had spared against several legionnaires though only a few of them were specially memorable. He'd fought against Oriana from the 43rd legion who had long ago stopped him in front of their legion headquarters when he had hoped to join up. She was in the fifth heavenstage and it had been fun beating her - entirely because of that incident.

There was also Corvina Taurus from the 96th Legion. Primarily a diviner, Antonius had a feeling that Aunt Ariadne had put her up to it for whatever reason based on her smirk throughout the match. She wasn't any more skilled than he was and he won fairly easily with his greater speed and strength.

At one point, he'd also sparred with Aunt Ariadne herself. He'd tried to use wave-summoning to get the upper hand against her but she'd literally strung him up in the air and lectured him on everything he was doing wrong. She was in the Fifth Pillar so it made sense, but it was still slightly annoying to lose to her.

Most of his spars were against his parents. Against his father, he mostly lost at first. He was only at the seventh heaven-stage and was incredibly slow thanks to his personal arts but he was incredibly durable. He only had to catch Antonius in a lock once to render him unable to apply any force and escape.

However once he began to pick up on his father's tricks and how to counter them, the battles were more even. The difference just an increase in capabilities could make wasn''t enough to entirely invalidate skill. He wondered how powerful his battles against his father would go if Antonius completely mastered his fighting style?

Against his mother of course, he lost. She was faster than him and stronger than him by a large margin. She was mainly a ranged fighter so she didn't have a coherent style in close range but she seemed to have an endless bag of tricks. Antonius recognised locks from his father, what seemed like spear techniques from Aunt Ariadne and dozens of other tricks that he couldn't recognise.

Quite frankly, battle against her was a real lesson of humility. She was overwhelmingly powerful just like Aunt Ariadne was but she managed to hold back against him just enough that he felt like he might be able to fight her but then he'd be on the ground and realise that she had everything under control from the very start. Fighting against her taught him a lot, but for her own training she turned to other centurions.

The fights she had against Aunt Ariadne were incredible to watch but the fight that Antonius was looking forward to the most was against Auxiliary Nicomedes of the 96th Legion. He was recruited about half a decade ago and had very recently reached the first pillar himself. What Antonius was interested in however was his techniques.

Like Antonius' own new wave-summoning techniques, Nicomedes practiced the Flow-Freezing Art that allowed him to freeze and manipulate fluids as weapons. While they were quite different from his own arts - for one, Nicomedes had to rely on a storage ring to summon water that he would then freeze - there were still enough similarities that he might be able to learn a thing or two.

"Are you ready to begin?" The auxiliary called as he created a large ice shuriken in each hand. His mother drew three arrows and prepared her bow. They were close enough to reach the other within moments which was a disadvantage for his mother but Antonius had seen how little that slowed her down.

"I'm ready," She replied. As soon as the words left her mouth, the ice shuriken left Nicomedes' hand and flew in an arc towards her. Antonius turned to look towards him but he was gone and there was a clang as the shuriken were intercepted with arrows. He then realised that his mother had moved as well.

They were both incredibly fast. Enough that Antonius could only follow them because he sat at a distance with his father and could see the whole battleground at once. Nicomedes had tried to move closer to his mother and had conjured frozen swords. She had elected to move away by jumping into the air and firing more arrows at him in answer.

He deflected the arrows with his blades and then transformed them into disks. Both of them flew towards her position but from different directions. They seemed to be drawn towards her slightly and Antonius realised that they would cut her whether she dodged up or down.

Instead, she deflected them with arrows and fired an answering arrow back. The fight continued like this with both fighters trying to gain an advantage until the ground was littered with both arrows and weapons of ice.

Finally, his mother took to the air once more but rather than strike at her with weapons like before, Nicomedes just grinned and pointed a hand at her in an exaggerated motion. As if pushed up by his movement, Antonius saw all the ice scattered in the field suddenly take to the sky.

His eyes widened and he turned to his father who didn't seem concerned. Then his mother just curled up in a ball while still in the air to protect her face and body. Bronze threads from her clothing elongated and wrapped around her like a cocoon.

Then the ice shards hit her. Most of them deflected off of her but a few managed to penetrate her armor enough to cut. Antonius winced at every hit. Then the barrage ended and his mother pulled out of the cocoon, with cuts all over her but otherwise unhurt.

Then she disappeared and then reappeared right in front of Nicomedes. Having focused on the attack, the man had no time to conjure a weapon to defend himself. Even as he did, she held an arrow to his head and he froze. He smiled and dropped the half-conjured weapon, raising his hands in defeat.

As Antonius rushed to the battle site and his father came back behind him, he saw his mother gesture with the arrow and the smile turned into a smirk as the frozen weapons that were even now falling down, avoided the two fighters where it could have easily targeted them.

"Are you two okay?" He asked with concern as we arrived. Though he addressed the remark to both of them, his eyes were on his mother. This battle was much more real than the spars he was used to seeing.

"I'm fine, Antonius." Eleanora replied with a smile. "Just a few cuts and bruises."

"Don't worry kid," Nicomedes said, grinning at his mother. "I was sure to hold back."

His mother rolled her eyes. "Yes, we all held back." She said to him before smiling at Antonius in reassurance. He felt his father land next to them who then proceeded to look over both participants with a critical eye.

"Doesn't seem too bad," He noted finally. "I think you weren't trying to win, Nicodemes. Did I catch that wrong?"

"You aren't wrong," He agreed, sheepishly. "It's more that I didn't want to throw around too many ice weapons. I'll need to collect them again which is a pain."

Antonius looked across the field and looked at the large number of arrows and ice weapons in the field. "Do we have to pick all of that up?" He asked with a frown.

His mother sighed. "That's one issue with using projectiles." She said, looking around at the arrows that she used. Then she brightened as something occurred to her. "Still, I'm a centurion now. I can just get one of the newbies to pick them up for me in return for contribution points."

"I don't think I can order people around," Nicomedes pointed out. "One of the many restrictions of being an auxiliary."

Antonius' father coughed. "Well, we do have a newbie right here with who would be happy to help in exchange for a few pointers." His father glanced towards him with a smirk.

Though he very much didn't like the direction this conversation was going, Antonius nodded with a smile. "I don't mind helping out." He replied, while hoping his father was bluffing.

"I can just handle the collection for you, Nicomedes." His mother interrupted, holding a hand to her head. "All banter aside, it's been a late day and I think I'm figuring out the limits of my new stamina. Shall we just head back?"

Nicomedes smile and nods. "That's a great idea," He replies cheerfully. "Still, I caught that bit about advice. Was it related to your wave-summoning silver scale?"

Antonius nodded. "Yeah, that's what gives me access to my water abilities." He glanced at his mother in worry. He hadn't seen her tired very often.

His father walked over to his mother and placed a hand on her forehead and frowned. "I think you're burning up." He said with a frown. "We need to get you looked at."

"That sounds like such a useful technique," Nicomedes continued. "I have to carry liquids with me but you can just summon it out of thin air right? Plus there are healing aspects to it as well."

Antonius frowned at him and glanced at his mother. "Can we have this discussion some other time? I think my mom is in trouble."

His mother frowned and stepped forwards, then she stumbled. His father caught her and steadied her. She looked up with an intense expression of hate that caused Antonius to flinch. "You poisoned me," She growled at Nicomedes but she could do nothing but scowl.

Antonius' felt a chill go down his spine. His father picked up his mother and turned to rush towards the camp but a knife of ice pierced his feet and he stumbled with his mother. "No, no, none of that." Nicomedes said. "Can't have you raising the alarm now, can we? I guess it's about time to use this."

He held his hand forward to summon something from his storage ring, but Antonius didn't wait to see what it was. He summoned all of Yixuan Shan's power and struck Nicomedes with a wave of water.

"I'm Foundation Establishment," Nicomedes commented idly as he froze the very water that Antonius had summoned and caused it to crash to the ground. "There is literally nothing you can do to me. Your mother was the only threat here and I've neutralised her."

Antonius turned and ran. He grabbed his mother and father while trying to use water to push himself forward even faster. If he could just get close enough to the camp, they could get help-

The water that should have been pushing him forward froze and he crashed on the ground as a frozen weight kept him in place. His parents landed in front of him and all he could do was look at them in front of him. He struggled to get up but he couldn't. The ice on his back weighed so much...

A shiver ran through him as the very qi in the air froze and he couldn't sense any qi whether in the air or anyone in camp. He could still feel Nicomedes clearly as he walked over to him, taking his time. Somehow, he had managed to cut them off from outside qi and he could feel whatever caused it in his hand. It was an intense source of qi with a sense of ice and blood.

Antonius stopped struggling, realising that there was no way he could escape the way he was now. The man had to be actively keeping him on the ground somehow since the amount of ice on his back shouldn't weigh as much as seemed to. He couldn't use his wave-summoning carelessly either, since that seemed to just give him more ammunition.

He took a deep breath and checked on his parents. His mother was unconscious on the ground, turning paler by the second. His father was right next to her and with the ice dagger in his foot, he was quickly turning pale too. Antonius grimaced. So he'd have to find a way out somehow and quickly.

"What do you want from me?" Antonius called out, trying to keep his voice steady. He saw Nicomedes' boots stop in front of his face and then he knelt down. As he did, Antonius saw whatever he was holding in his hand. A frozen rose seemingly made of red ice - blood, he realised.

"Oh good, you are safe." The man answered instead. "This kind of thing isn't as fun when you are dead." He placed a hand on the ground, close enough to Antonius that could almost touch him. Then he summoned water from his storage ring and though Antonius tried to move, he couldn't stop the water from expanding into ice and freezing his hands in place.

"What are you doing to me?" Antonius asked as he struggled to move. The man ignored him as he reached toward Antonius' neck. A feeling of understanding filled him as he realised that the man was trying to reach for the wave-summoning silver fin that he kept around his neck.

Rather than wait for the man to reply or worse just take his only weapon, Antonius drew upon his qi and summoned the biggest wave he could - right between his neck and the man's outstretched arm.

Instinctively, Nicomedes froze the wave and now the only part of Antonius' body that wasn't frozen was his head. But the silver scale was trapped within the ice and Nicomedes would probably have to move the ice to get to it.

"You are going to keep doing that, aren't you?" Nicomedes asked with a frown, confirming Antonius' suspicions. He then just shrugged and created a frozen dagger. "Well, I guess I'm just going to have to kill you then."

Antonius blinked. "Wait, wait!" He called out and the man paused. "You want the scale right? If you leave us alone, you can just take it! Just let us go!"

Nicomedes frowned. "You realise that all of you are part of my prize, right?" He asked him. "The only reason I blew my cover was because I figured I could get you, your mother and your artifacts at the same time."

Antonius grimaced. He was blood path then. The aura of his artifact had put that in his mind already, but he was really hoping that it wasn't true. "Cover? Who are you working for?" He asked.

Nicomedes rolled his eyes. "The blood cannibals of course," He replied. "What other blood path group would join you?"

"I thought you guys couldn't eat our bodies," Antonius quickly pointed out. "Isn't our bronze terrible for you?"

"Your mother isn't of your clan," He said, shrugging. "And there were several poisons I've been hoping that might be able to break down your bronze blood. Who knows, I might make a breakthrough."

Antonius' eyes brightened. "Wait, wait!" He called out to him. "Let me join you. If you leave us alive, I'll join the blood path and you'll gain an ally!"

Nicomedes raised an eyebrow. "I was wondering if you had a plan or if you were just stalling for time," He replied, sighing. "If the best you could come up with was that…" He shook his head and raised the ice dagger.

"I have a reasoning you'll want to hear." Antonius replied. "Even if you decide to kill me, at least you'll be entertained. You want that, don't you?"

Nicomedes paused and considered. "Okay, sure. Let's hear it then." He finally said. "Let's see what you come up with."

"Well, it's simple. You see..." As he spoke, Antonius summoned a wave of water and aimed it straight at the frozen rose in his hand. At this distance, he might just be able to hit it and remove the barrier that kept the camp from sensing their qi.

It froze in the air and then was casually pushed aside by Nicomedes. Before Antonius could react any more, he sent the frozen dagger in his hand straight towards Antonius and nicked his head. Immediately, a strong sense of weakness spread throughout him.

"I'll admit, I didn't think you could use that scale while your arms were bound but did you really think I would have stepped near you if I wasn't confident in my chances to escape?" He heard Nicomedes say as his vision blurred. "Hello? Hello? Hmm. I thought someone at tenth heavenstage would last longer. Note to self-"

Then his hearing stopped working and he felt himself drift into darkness. It wasn't painful really. It just felt like this cloud of weariness that crushed you so completely that you might even forget to breathe.

Antonius could see how this poison could work on his mother.

Poison?

Wait.

No.

No.

I need to wake up.

No.

N-

….
….

….

….

….

No.

Power surged within Antonius and it grew and grew and grew. In a moment, he was as strong as he was in the morning fresh before any spars. Then he grew past his mother's power and then he surged so high that even Alcaeus the Strong seemed to be weak before him.

Then he turned his focus outwards, feeling the ice spread throughout the field with poisons flowing inside of them and drops of water that flowed with the wind. He could feel the flow of blood within his mother and father. He could feel how the poison inside them damaged them, making them weaker and easier to digest.

He could feel the blood struggle the same way within his own body and how his bloodline tried to break it down futilely. Just outside, Nicomedes had shattered the ice around him and even now reached towards his neck to grab the scale for his own. Still, he seemed frozen as the moment moved on.

Antonius could feel the flow of his blood too. As it flowed through a cursed and twisted body unable to draw power from anything other than the blood of other humans. He could sense the poison within him as well, but his body was adapted to it and resisted the poison effortlessly.

Perhaps, he could replicate that into his parent's bodies-

Antonius, my power is already fading as I stretch the moment. I only have a single action. It needs to be enough to save you and summon aid. That action will not truly save their lives.

Yixuan Shan's voice flowed through his mind and he reluctantly focused his mind. There was the barrier that Nicomedes had set up that Antonius was certain would be enough to draw others to his aid, especially if he could do so with a display of power.

That will do nicely.

Yixuan Shan drew upon his power and summoned a spout of water infused with incredible healing capabilities. He felt Nicomedes react to it but there was nothing he could do. For a second, a healing technique worthy of a Nascent Soul filled up the barrier and it popped like a bubble.
For a second his senses expanded.

He felt the water fall and get absorbed by his body, rapidly healing to a state where he could if not move then at least survive.

He felt Nicomedes run away from the power, deciding that what he might gain there wasn't worth the risk of facing the source of the power and whoever it might attract.

Far away in the camp, he felt the powerful presence of Legate Alcaeus as he drew upon all of his famous strength to reach their training ground as soon as he could.

Then the awareness shrunk to his body and he felt his mind fading into unconsciousness.

I had hoped to watch over you longer, but so soon I must depart. Live well Antonius and this time truly - goodbye.

* * * * * * ​

When Antonius next awoke, his body ached all over and he felt like he barely had the energy to stand. Moving around, he realised that he was on a bed somewhere but that was strange. Where would they find a bed in Yuan-

His eyes opened as he remembered what had happened. He struggled to get up but a sharp pain accompanied the movement and he fell back down. "Don't move too much," A strong voice interrupted him. "You are still wounded."

Antonius ignored it and forced himself to turn until he came face to face with the large form Legate Alcaeus who looked down at him with a frown. "My mom? My dad?" He asked, his thoughts tumbling out. He took a deep breath and asked a proper question. "Are they okay?"

Legate Alcaeus grimaced. "They are alive," He told him and Antonius nodded. "But they are still unconscious. Though they were also healed by your Life-Saving Treasure, the poison damaged them far more than it did you. I don't know if or when they will wake up."

Antonius closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he turned his face towards the bed. He thought of his mother and his father. He thought about how suddenly an ally had turned against them and he thought about Yixuan Shan's final gift.

Then he screamed into the bed. He didn't know how long he did it. It probably wasn't that long, but he just knew that it was long enough that all of the emotions he was feeling was wrung out. Then after he quieted down and was too exhausted to even think of what to do next, he felt one of Alcaeus' strong hands on his back.

"Are you feeling better now, young man?" The legate asked him carefully. "Let us speak of what will come next."

Antonius turned back towards him. "What happens next?" He asked him, his voice strained. He wasn't sure whether that was because he just screamed so hard or because it was already damaged from the poison. "How long will I be this weak?"

"Most of your weakness will fade quickly." He answered, looking at you gravely. "You should be up and moving within the week, however you will still be weak for at least a few years. Almost certainly until the trials."

Antonius grimaced. "The trails. What will happen to my parents then? Will they still be hunted after then?"

Alcaeus nodded sadly. "The Fifth Sea hunters will hunt the hurt and healthy both equally," He replied. "However, this happened under my watch. It wasn't an enemy or a danger that hurt you, it was someone who should have been your ally and I will take responsibility for it."
A part of Antonius really wanted to blame him after he made that admission but instead he just nodded back. "I would be grateful for any aid you could give me, Legate Alcaeus." He told him. Blaming people would help no one. He needed to focus on making sure both he and his parents made it through the battle alive.

Upon hearing his reply, the Legate gave him a look he couldn't entirely read. Then the look was gone as he continued. "For the return trip to the clan's lands, I will give both you and your parents my personal attention." He said. "After returning, my attention will be spent on preparations for the coming trials but after them, I swear that I will aid you in healing your mother and father."

Antonius inclined his head in gratitude. It was more than he expected. "Thank you, Legate Alcaeus." He replied. "I will ensure that all of us will survive the trails so that your promise will not be in vain."

Legate Alcaeus nodded. "What are your plans for the trials?"

Antonius frowned. "I was hoping I would be permitted to stay behind the ninety sixth legion's arrays. I believe I may qualify for protection with my new-found cultivation level."

"You quite likely do," The Legate agreed. "I will speak to Wilhemina to ensure it and I will make sure that your father is allowed behind them as well. That should give you reasonable chances of survival. What of your mother?"

"She shouldn't be a target for the trials," Antonius replied, thinking it over. "I assume it would be possible to leave her in a secure location with a mortal trusted mortal attendant?"

"The Dawn Fortress will have none of the clan save the Archigetes and is unlikely to be targeted by the hunters. I have a room with it's own defences and a trusted staff that I will make available to you for the duration." The Legate offered and Antonius nodded quickly in acceptance.

"Thank you for everything, Legate Alcaeus." Antonius replied. This was beyond what he expected. At this point, he was likely better off than before in his chances of survival.

"If you wish to convey your gratitude, then survive and give back to the clan." Alcaeus told him and Antonius nodded in acceptance of that. "I will give you the details of a foundation establishment healer who once took care of me long ago. Speak to him about your parent's current medical needs. We will speak of full treatment once the trials are over."

Antonius nodded and for a moment he looked at the Legate's face as he studied him in turn. So much had happened so suddenly, but there was still hope in the horizon. As his head fell back on the bed and he began to drift into unconsciousness, only one thought crossed his mind.

His parents had protected him for so long. Now it would be his turn to protect them and ensure that they get better.

He wouldn't fail.

He'd have his family back.

 

[Quest]

@ReaderOfFate threadmark please when you have the time!

Legion Reports:
This document contains a review of the 43rd and 96th Legions as well as their upcoming strategies for before and after the Trials. This document is only available to the council and those authorised by them. If you have accessed this in error, please inform your nearest commander.​

The 43rd Legion

Legate Information:

Title: Legate
Name: Alcaeus the Strong
Dao: Self-mastery
Primary Style: Body-cultivation
Skill-set: Combat, Survival, Tactics and Strategy

History:

Alcaeus was born six hundred years ago. He was an ordinary villager born with a powerful physique and a strong manifestation of the clan bloodline. He was recruited by a now deceased foundation establishment expert of the clan twenty years before his first trials.

He faced two trials as Qi Condensation and his performance during them was exemplary. He was known to throw himself at the enemy in order to defend his companions and was hailed as a hero by those who worked alongside him. Through a degree of luck and natural talent, Alcaeus managed to survive his misadventures without major harm.

He was by his own admission quite proud of his feats and gave himself the moniker that he is currently so well known by. Despite his heroic ambitions, as a cultivator he was relatively average at the time. It was only at the age of 162 that he was able to achieve the ninth heaven-stage primarily due to time spent in the bottlenecks of meridian opening and dantian expansion.

His tribulation was uneventful and the first pillar he erected has been registered as Body in his own writings. The Dao he pursued was the mastery of the self and at the time, he considered the body an aspect of himself that he had mastered.

In his third trial, he once more attempted to save his fellows but stood against hunters that he had evidently faced before. They were knowledgeable of his skills and aimed to specifically cripple his body. Though he was rescued by a senior centurion, he was reduced to the body of a mortal and confined to bed-rest for over a decade before he regained mobility.

Even after regaining mobility, he was still unable to use qi. While the clan had covered his expenses, Alcaeus still sought to repay the clan and those that aided him. He began to work for the healer who had helped him regain his movement and performed odd jobs as a way of earning his keep.

In time, he managed to learn enough medical training to become an asset in more difficult operations and for a time, it seemed like he may remain as such but a junior he protected - Wilhelmina Taurus - wished to return the favor and acquired a phoenix tear that restored his body. His physique had still atrophied in the years without activity and it took him some time to regain his youthful vigour.

In the process of that, he developed the knowledge that would lead to the nutritionists line of medics who specialised in aiding body cultivation. It is known that he spent a large amount of time with Wilhelmina Taurus during this time and developed the philosophy of his second and third pillar - Mind and Spirit.

His philosophy was noted in several articles of his own publication where he discussed his exploration of the concepts. He was considered widely popular at the time and was offered a marriage contract with Wilhelmina Taurus who herself had become the new heir of the family.

Inspired by his work with healers, he worked with the Taurus metalsmiths in order to understand the Blood of Bronze and its effect on body cultivation. While much of the information is classified as Taurus secrets, parts of it are available in nutritionist literature and the philosophical musings that went into Alcaeus' fourth pillar of Bronze are recorded by the 43rd legion.

Despite a late breakthrough and decades spent in a crippled state, he had managed to reach the fourth pillar at 300. At the time, he was married into the Taurus clan properly and stalled in his growth. At the age of 350, he left the clan to explore his dao and was not seen again until one hundred years later when he returned as a Core Formation cultivator.

His final three pillars are unknown but are speculated to cover some form of external mastery rather than internal.

Philosophies:

"A strong body requires a strong mind to maintain it and a strong spirit to push it beyond its limits."

"Bronze is a metal - an alloy of copper and tin. The two metals are rarely found together. You require trade and reach to gather the materials and then skill is required to forge it. Still, it was chosen to arm our blood and bodies. What more do we need to prove that we are the best men?"

"It is well and good to know your enemy, but the enemy is always changing. First, know yourself for you are the only constant in every battle and then you must know the world for though the world changes, it is far more predictable than the enemy."

Legion Information:

Specialities: Body Cultivation. Military Strategy.

Structure: His legion has no recent history until he took control of it. Originally, it was a legion of body cultivators which is the reason it was given to Alcaeus the Strong. The legion he created was a reflection of his personal philosophy and all that served under him sought personal perfection in all aspects of their lives.

At their heart, they are body cultivators but they also have nutritionists and smiths of living bronze. All of that was focused towards ensuring that the 43rd legion ran smoothly. Every smith and healer is expected to maintain enough fitness to participate in battle and every combatant is expected to know enough to take care of their own bodies.

The members of this legion generally lack any distinctive arts instead focusing entirely on the clan formations and when alone their own personal strength. This along with their focus on discipline and self-mastery has led to a culture that favors soldiers over warriors. They are highly militarised in battle and even during training, disputes tend to follow a well-established pattern of debate and formal duels.

Alcaeus has sought to create legionnaires who are strategists, philosophers and soldiers equally. He has encouraged a feeling of brotherhood within his legion and treated them as his own children. They were both his army and his family, and Alcaeus had shown a tendency to spend a large amount of his time in cultivating his legion.

Many of the less spectacular graduates of general training are often sent here in the hopes that they may flourish under his instruction. In general, he attempts to ensure that those under him at least reach a level of competence. He has largely succeeded in this endeavour and his legion is considered one of the most reliable in the clan.

Trial Strategies:

The 43rd Legion is the most active at the start of the trials in an attempt to hunt down the fifth sea hunters while they remain scattered. They deploy alongside the Shattering Glass Array and have perfected the use of the Two-Headed Eagle Formation to quickly close in on their targets and to escape if the enemy proves too powerful.

This generally takes place over the first week of the trials where only Qi Condensation level experts appear. This strategy is employed in an attempt to overwhelm individual enemies by using the Hoplite Formation to summon a Foundation Establishment level offence. This allows other legions the time needed to prepare and gives the clan access to information on their enemies based upon the records of the 43rd legion's clashes.

This information is invaluable in order to aim our kill teams formed from our best and brightest to ensure that they do not face enemies that are too powerful for them. Once this strategy is deemed too risky, the 43rd legion retreats behind our forts and other fixed defences in order to survive the rest of the trials.

* * * * * *​

The 96th Legion

Legate Information:

Title: Matriarch
Name: Wilhelmina Taurus
Dao: Family
Primary Style: Divination
Skill-set: Combat, Formations, Arrays, Curses.

History:

Wilhelmina Taurus was born five hundred years ago. She was once a young prodigy of the Taurus clan with a talent in both divination and curses. She was adored by her grandfather, the then head of the clan. In a combination of both lavish investment and natural talent, she was able to reach foundation establishment at ninety.

With her talent, she was quickly installed as the heir to the Taurus clan - a position that falls to whichever member of the clan is judged most capable of reaching Core Formation and is considered Acting Legate of the 96th Legion in the death or absence of their current Legate - known as Patriarch or Matriarch depending on their preference.

She faced her first Hundred Year Trial as a newly ascended Centurion with a large amount of responsibility. At the time, she proved unequal to her role and would have likely died if not for the intervention of a young Alcaeus the strong who was able to buy her enough time to escape. He was crippled for his feat and she blamed herself for his maiming.

She spent much of her time and influence in procuring a cure for his condition. She acquired a phoenix tear from the treasury of a golden-shelled crawfish living within the Qiguai Secret Realm that allowed her to heal his body. In the time spent in achieving this, she gained her first pillar though the exact identity of the pillar is not recorded.

It is known that during this time Alcaeus the Strong and Wilhelmina Taurus developed a strong friendship. They discussed much of their personal philosophy and though Wilhelmina's own philosophy is unknown, what is known is that she forged both her second and her third pillars at this time. It is speculated that some of her own leanings may be gleaned from Alcaeus' own influence.

It is known that for his fourth pillar, Alcaeus needed an expertise in bronze and he turned to her for help. Wilhelmina beseeched her grandfather on his behalf and her grandfather made a proposal: They would marry and Alcaeus would gain their family's knowledge while the Taurus family would gain a capable cultivator.

As Alcaeus' popularity among the common legionnaire had grown with his constant publication of philosophies, he became a worthy candidate for marriage into the Taurus clan. Records of the old Taurus Patriarch's personality indicates that his grand-daughters happiness would have also played a part in this.

In the wake of this, Wilhelmina forged her fourth pillar. Much of her focus went towards tending her caln's needs at this time but this did not seem to slow her down. At 250, she had forged her fifth pillar while her would-be husband had stagnated on his own. It is during this period of time when Alcaeus began to seek out sources of inspiration from outside of the clan.

Whatever went on between them is unknown, but at some point they formally severed their marriage contract as Alcaeus set off to travel. Wilhelmina spent the next fifty years in a state of seeming depression where she spent much of the influence she had accrued with her legion into vices such as drink, food and the company of others.

Her cultivation had stalled as Alcaeus left. There was talk during this time of removing her from her position as heir and only her grandfather's affection let her keep it. It came to a head in the trials where her grandfather was slain and she was thrust into a position of leadership. It was expected that her grief would destroy her but this time she was able to rally and achieve Core Formation with a Dao of Family.

She has since seen her family and legion through three trials. Though she has not taken any husbands even after Alcaeus returned, she has had many children whom she tends to favor as her own grandfather had once done for her. The nuances of her Dao are unknown but it has a predictably nepotistic approach to governance though with a surprising acceptance of the idea of adding people to her family outside of blood relations.

She also seems to have an ability to shift her age to three distinct states - an aged Crone which grants her a weakened form but heightens her curse and divinations, a mature Mother form that improves the effects of her abilities on her family and a young Maiden form which grants her strength and durability in return for weakening her divination abilities.

Philosophies:

"Blood above heart, but none above bronze."

"When I look at you, I see a web of life. There are the bonds of the heart that are so ephemeral and yet surprisingly strong. There are bonds of bronze that are so weak but surprisingly common but the ones I find most useful are ones in between. The bonds of blood and family that has both strength and number."

"What we seek is not destruction and separation. Those have their place in the world but the ideal world requires something different. Building and binding- that is what we seek. Fix what is broken, build what is needed and above all we prize the bonds between us. Never forget that the one who stands beside you is family."

Legion Information:

Specialities: Esoteric Arrays - Divination, Illusion, Manipulation of the Blood of Bronze

Structure: The 96th legion has been under the control of the Taurus family for millenia and its traditions reflect that. The legion maintains a fund that is added to by each member that allows them to ensure that any member who finished basic training is added to the legion.

They are assigned to one of smaller cohorts within the legion - each dedicated to a specific speciality of the family. Members work here and are taught the advanced skill-sets necessary for their art. Legion members are assigned their speciality during an aptitude test before general training and upon graduating are allowed to take a second name that better reflects their ideals.

Much of this is tolerated due to the family's traditional devotion to the clan as a whole and the usefulness of their family techniques. As long as it's led by an elder in Core Formation, the Labyrinthine Thread technique practised by the Taurus family can create a metaphysical web of qi that allows sharing of power akin to the clan formations.

Though it is famous for use in battle, it is highly vulnerable to the slightest tremor in the dao heart in comparison to standard formations that make it difficult to use in those circumstances. Primarily, its use is outside of battle during array creation and maintenance where it allows incredible feats of productivity that are often crucial in the wake of a trial.

Outsiders are generally recruited based upon talent and potential. They are then added to an appropriate cohort in return for loyalty and often further ties to the family through adoption or marriage. In its modern form, Matriarch Wilhemina has also incorporated a Specialist system. This system expands the legion's previous tendency to recruit individuals with talent in the clan's specialities into recruiting those that she considered promising but who didn't fit with her family's arts.

Specialists are kept separate from the legion's traditional cohorts and allowed to operate freely. In a large operation, they are attached to where would be considered the most useful and outside of it, they were also given a large degree of freedom. So long as they tithed a degree of contribution points to the legion funds, they were free to take any work they wished.

Trial Strategies:

The 96th Legion is the most active before a trial begins and in its aftermath of the trials. Before the trial begins, they spend their time creating protective charms or building powerful arrays for both their own defence and for any others who can afford their services. In a usual Trial, many of the resources that go to protect the cultivators of the clan are created by them and much of the clan's own defensive infrastructure is looked over by this legion.

In the aftermath of the Trials, their skills are called upon to repair our defences. Their arts are relied upon in order to ensure that our enemies in the Third Sea do that take advantage of our weakness. The Labyrinthine Thread allows them to work together and excels in making many items of the same type or a single item that incorporates all of their skills. The former is helpful before the trials and the latter is helpful after.

Many of the diviners of the clan volunteer to track hunter movements and are often the ones who collate any collected information into a more usable form. Barring specific members of the clan who specialise in it, the 96th Legion are not combatants and members of the clan tend to hide behind defences of their own making for the duration of the trials.

* * * * * *​

Ties between the two legions:

Perhaps elsewhere in the third sea, the meritocratic and militaristic 43rd legion would not be able to work with the nepotistic and traditional 96th legion. However in the Golden Devil Clan, the military is a traditional calling. They work together well due to the strange but strong friendship between their legates and the philosophies that those Legates shared in their youth.

On an organisational level, the 46th's more combat-based approach synergies well with the 96th's support capabilities which often allows them to cover each other's blindspots in normal operations.

Though the clan is the one who pays for them, it is the 96th legion that creates many of the items that keeps combatants alive during the trials. It is also the 43rd legion who thin out the enemies so that the 96th legion defences aren't overrun by sheer numbers. Finally, the information collected by the 43rd legion during the battles against the Fifth Sea Hunters is put to use by 96th Legion diviners.

Over the years, both legions have worked together long enough to have strong histories of support and should they be deployed during any military action, pairing them together should be strongly considered.

 

[Quest]

Part of this may not strictly work with canon, but I had fun with it. Enjoy. Not to readers - all POV characters are Core Formation members.

[Interlude: Legatus]

"My skin has borne heaven's thunder
My fists tear the earth asunder
My steps traverse a thousand li
My will defies reality."
​

POV: Hemish of the Prithviraj Dynasty

It was a normal day in the Organ Meat Desert. The air was hot and dry. The sun was bright and draining. The qi in the air was so very thin. The earth had cracked from the heat and wasn't sand but just hard, hot earth. Truly the heavens had abandoned this sea of barbarians.

Yet, perhaps even such as them did not deserve to live under the threat of these demons of bronze. The cracks on the earth parted and he stretched his hands out after a night of rest. Then Hemish pulled himself out of the ground. He stretched as he stepped into the hard ground of the Third Sea and got ready for another day of hunting.

He remembered the first few times he came here. It was very easy in the beginning. Those monsters were still young and hadn't really understood how to survive. They had that strange inhuman discipline of course, but once you figured out the trick to break them it was pretty easy.

He'd heard that the devils who had reached Dharma Shaping were a more wily sort. They'd survived the hunt of his fellows for centuries and each had their own method of hiding. Hemish was looking forward to the hunt this time. It would be a true test of his newfound skills.

He grimaced as he walked. The ground was so hard and dry. Nothing like the qi-infused mud of his home. He put his hand on the ground and let his senses flow through it, trying to find something to put him in a good mood again.

Ahhhhh. Even in this forsaken land, the earth was still a source of comfort.

He didn't know how his fellows could bear it but he at least could draw comfort from the mines filled with spirit stones deep beneath the embrace of the earth. For a moment he reveled in that sense. He'd need to dig up more for the next night. He just couldn't rest without the qi being around him.

After a moment, he shook his head to clear his thoughts. That was enough time wasted. He needed to focus on the hunt. He'd already bet that he'd get at least three of his targets and at this point he'd found basically none. He'd have to work harder.

Once more, he let his senses flow through the earth. This time, rather than look deep he tried to focus as far as he could trying to find even a glimpse of a suitable target. He could sense a few of his juniors and a fair number of the lesser demons. No one that he was allowed to hunt unfortunately.

Hmmm. Wait, something felt off over there. It wasn't anything really, just another patch of the earth but his instincts drew him to it regardless. He'd long since learnt to heed heaven's whispers when they spoke into his ears. Perhaps it was nothing, but he'd have to take a closer look.

He took in a breath, out of habit rather than any real need and then he stamped on the ground in front of him. His strength rippled through it and turned it malleable. Then he began to rock his arms back and forth, pushing and pulling the earth to carry him to his destination.

Travelling atop a wave of earth wasn't very subtle but if it attracted enemy attention, that would only be a plus. He enjoyed the feeling of the wind on his face as he rushed towards his target. It would be nice to take to the air but dangerous here.

His feeling of contentment was replaced with annoyance as instead of wind, something else crashed into his face. It was solid but flimsy and he stopped his motion, realising that he'd also reached his target.

He looked around and frowned. It looked like a mortal village. A quick check didn't reveal any enemy qi so he turned to look at what had hit him. Oh, he'd smashed into some houses on the way. That was… bad.

He glanced around at the barbarian villagers who seemed to be keeping a good distance from him. One of them even had a glimmer of bronze to him which Hemish felt was such as waste. Perhaps he could train him for one of his juniors? He remembered doing that during his… second time, was it?

He shook his head and turned his attention away from that. The men and women were already looking at him warily and holding their children close but none of them were looking at him with horror or trying to attack him with vengeance. Good, that increased the chances that nobody had died in his previous blunder.

He quickly spared some attention to the wreckage to make sure that there weren't any bodies. Okay, that was good. One of the proctors was a rival of his father's and he really didn't want to give them an excuse to send him back this early.

Then he glanced at the other mortals around him. Well, it would have been a nuisance if he'd actually hurt those mortals, even if they had the blood of demons. He considered how best to deal with them. He needed something non-lethal to move them out of the way. Ah, that would work.

He flared his presence just enough that they couldn't bear it. There were a few tears and screams but it wasn't anything that they couldn't live through. Within moments, all the villagers had dropped to the ground. He took a moment to check over them. He didn't really deal with mortals very often so this trick didn't see much use.

Okay. None of them were hurt, just various levels of incapacitated. They should mostly be fine but he'd have enough time to finish up his investigations here. Ignoring the few low moans around him, he closed his eyes once more and touched the earth with his hands. The first thing he did was check for any enemies but he couldn't sense any within range.

Feeling slightly disappointed, he decided to address that nagging feeling in the back of his mind. There it was. This close, he could see it much more clearly. There was something blocking his senses and making it seem like there was nothing out of the ordinary. Luckily, he was familiar with the soil here and specially attuned to the earth.

Hemish tried to keep a grin off of his face. He was actually excited here. This kind of defense wasn't something an ordinary expert could set up. It would have to be at least an incredibly talented devil of Chakra Opening or if he was lucky, one of Dharma Shaping.

He needed to be sure. He took a deep breath and raised his hands up, pulling the earth up along with him. Then he pushed his hands back down and the soil rippled as the raised earth slammed back into it. "O earth, reveal your secrets."

The ground trembled beneath him and he could read those trembles to make out what had been hidden from him. As the image formed in his mind, he realised that he had found a hidden bunker. Further, he began to place pinpricks of qi hidden within that bunker. Excitedly, he began searching for a worthy opponent. No. No. No. No. Oh yes.

Among the scurrying of their least, there was an unmistakable bronze presence with power comparable to his own. He grinned fully as the presence reacted to his probe and began to move straight up towards him. They were passing through the earth not by manipulating it but what felt like built in arrays.

Hemish looked around and grimaced. This wasn't any place for a battle. He spread his arms out and pushed the houses away to make space, taking care to carry the mortals away without harming them. He looked around at the open field he had created. A bit small but it was still much better.

At its current pace, the bronze demon would still take a second or two to reach him. He considered what to do that time. He couldn't think of any other preparations to make and he hurt the other ones down there but he could certainly blow open the bunker for his juniors.

Normally, he would feel like he was taking away his junior's glory but his own target was down there as well, even if they were moving up to face him. He brought his hands back to his sides and then pushed them upwards. "O earth, unearth your treasures!" The qi he had infused to the earth surged upwards and as it did, the earth was pushed up with it.

It exploded outwards and into the air. Before he could finish the job, a bony hand burst out of the ground and wrapped around his leg. He slipped out of the hold and slipped back a short distance away with a grimace.

He'd just been interrupted. The job wasn't finished and he likely wouldn't be able to finish it before the battle was over. He thought that he would be able to sense his enemy but she was hard to read. He couldn't sense her movements as well as he should be able to through the earth. Relying on his eyesight, he focused on his attack.

He brought his fists together into the ground in an attempt to crush her before she stepped out, but as he watched his enemy - an old woman with wrinkled greenish-bronze skin pulled herself up and took to the air, not only protecting herself from the earth reaching high enough to evade the earth spike that followed after. Hemish frowned. She looked like she was about to fall dead but she'd still dodged his attacks.

Was this going to be one of those old but skilled types? Deciding not to take any chances, he smashed his fists towards her as she and sent a wave of earth towards her. As he had half-expected, the woman quickly vaulted over his attack and to his surprise, her age seemed to melt off of her as she soared towards him.

Her bronze took a gleaming shine and her body regained its youthful vigour. She screamed a battlecry while raising a fist to attack him. He moved to stop her but a sense of doom filled his body and froze him to the spot.

What? He just stood there, struggling to breathe and shake off the feeling of death upon him as the woman approached. A curse! He gritted his teeth and strengthened his Dao-heart to shake it off.

Shaken he raised a fist to defend as the woman closed in.

* * * * * * * * * * * *​

POV: Wilhelmina Taurus

Wilhemina scowled as she felt the fool narrow in on her defences. Of course, she'd have the rotten luck of having an earth-controller with just enough experience in the trials to spot her camouflage somehow end up in the exact patch of earth where he could.

No, this wasn't bad luck. This had the touch of heaven's curse all over it, but it was sloppy like heaven didn't care if she actually survived or not. What was going on? She shook her head and focused on the moment.

Even if her opponent was a fool who she could sense coming a mile away, he was still a powerful enemy that she needed to survive somehow. As he arrived above her, she switched to the guise of the Mother and used her bloodline as a focus to tap into the senses of the few mortals related to her in the village above.

Truly, he was a bumbling buffoon who couldn't even see where he was going. What kind of a Core Formation expert crashed into a house? Luckily, he didn't hurt anyone though she did catch how he eyed her great-great-grandson. Even a touch of bronze was enough to tempt him. That would be useful.

He even helpfully flared his aura and let her get a proper read of it. Definitely earth though that was obvious but more interestingly, the image of the ground that came to mind oddly reminded her of musculature and the movement of the body. So he controlled the earth with his physical motions at least to some extent. That might be useful.

She winced as she felt his full aura and felt all of the mortals above collapse. That… she'd get him for that and maybe arrange a reward for the villagers going through all of that. At least, she confirmed that he wasn't willing to hurt mortals.

Taking a breath, she switched to the Crone. She felt her physical strength lessened and winced. She never liked taking this form but the insight it granted her was necessary for moments like these. She analysed the information that she had.

He was familiar enough with the third sea environment to see through her arrays which implied that he had come here multiple times. He wasn't taking things seriously, which meant that despite his strength he was new to his power.

Something told her that she wouldn't be able to face him in a head on assault and there were still some tricks that he hadn't revealed. She'd need a probing strike to tease out his secrets and then try and finish him off in a single attack. Just in case, she needed to-

She felt the earth shake and she felt the hunter's attention on her. She grimaced and looked around to the other members of her clan. There was Antonius and his injured father. Defenseless Corvina and so many others who weren't able to fight. Usually, her shelter was a safe haven for the talented of her family.

Given what he'd shown so far, he should be able to break through her arrays. If he revealed them to others, she wasn't sure if they could survive and she couldn't afford to let them die. She stepped up and activated the arrays designed to take her to the top. She would have to fight him and lead him away.

As she moved, she could feel him ready an attack. Was he attempting to slay her while she was still within his element or was he trying to reveal her shelter? Either way, she couldn't let him succeed. She moved in right below him and grabbed his leg. If she could touch his skin then some of her more powerful curses became viable.

Her hand wrapped around his leg and then she frowned. It had the shape of a heel but it felt more akin to pottery than skin. Whatever she was holding transformed into mud, allowing him to slip out of her hold. A sense of doom filled the earth around her and she realised that he was about to crush her.

Using all the strength of the crone's frame, she jumped up into the sky and managed to reach just high enough that a spike of earth just missed her. She breathed out as she landed, thanking the Imperator for the boost to insight the Crone afforded her. Then she took a moment to think over her opponent.

Now that she looked at him, he looked completely normal. But she remembered what she had felt before. An earthen armor? Likely capable of shifting its nature to best protect him. She wasn't sure that she could get past it with her combat strength.

Within moments, she formulated a plan. The fool in front of her was drawing up another earthen atack. Did he not have any variations? She analysed the flow of his qi and figured the height she'd need to be to dodge the attack. Then she cursed him.

The curse of death could stop a heart but it required a strong connection to the target and a strong emotion against them. She drew upon the outrage she felt from him attacking her family and though she lacked a connection, she used the Gift of the Crone to force it anyway.

It wouldn't be enough to hurt him, she thought but it might scare him enough to retreat and if not, it'd be one hell of a distraction. The moment she activated her curse, a wave of earth flowed towards her and she jumped over it, moving to attack him.

As she flew, she dropped the guise of the Crone and took upon the Mantle of the Maiden. She wouldn't last a second against this one with the crone's weakened body and she wouldn't have time to analyse his attack. The maiden had incredible strength and youthful vigour but it left her vulnerable mentally.

She doubted that would be a problem with the idiot in front of her. She raised a fist and feigned a warcry, hoping to make it seem like a physical assault. Then she changed her attack as the man faltered.

The curse of death had bypassed his physical armor and was already trying to halt his heart. In that moment of distraction, she stepped in with her thumbs extended aiming straight towards his eyes.

That would be the obvious weakpoint wouldn't it? She grinned in relish. Unfortunately, the boy recovered just enough to block his face with a hand. She turned the attack into an underhanded strike to his unprotected stomach instead.

Despite the strength of the Maiden, she was only able to crack his armor. If it wasn't for the bronze of her body also increasing with her strength, she would have hurt herself. As it is, she just barely jumped back as the armor became fluid like mud to manifest a spike to bind and hurt her.

When she had a moment to look back, the crack had sealed itself. The hunter's expression had turned furious in the aftermath of the exchange and she realised that he wasn't going to flee. The curse was still affecting him emotionally and he was clearly expecting more of the same but without the crone's boost and the advantage of surprise it wasn't going to be nearly as effective.

She jumped forward to attack and to her surprise, she narrowly avoided an earthen hand forming underneath her feet in an attempt to crush her. She grimaced at the loss of the Crone's insight and held up her arms to let several earthen spikes break against the rejuvenated bronze of her body.

He recovered enough to face her and while he could weather his weaker blows, he still clearly needed only one strong strike to end her. As he pulled back his fist to punch her, she decided not to face him head on and moved to the next part of her plan.

She simply changed her course entirely, instead of following through. She darted past his side and ran past him, hoping that in his current state he'd choose to follow rather than focus on her juniors. She grinned as he howled and stepped behind her.

She darted side to side, dodging disks of stone shot towards her and kept ahead of his waves of earth using her the speed granted to her by the Maiden. As she did so, she tried to recall the next step of her plan.

She'd expended her sneak attack and it wasn't likely to work now that he was wary of it. She couldn't think of any easy way to crack his armor so she needed to go to someone who actually could. She had run through what she remembered of the legion deployment patterns and the only ally who would both be a good match and was likely to help her was… she grimaced. It was Alcaeus.

He would have to do then.

* * * * * * * * * * * *​

POV: Alcaeus the Strong

Despite the many atrocities taking place across the desert, it was a relatively good day to be out in the Organ Meat Desert. Alcaeus sighed and took to the air, swinging off of a tree to reach a raised hill he had identified many centuries ago.

It was a good spot where all of the local winds flowed. They brought him many of the smells and sounds in the area and let him identify any enemy presence nearby. He'd felt a battle heading towards him and he needed to be sure about what was coming towards him.

He knew many of his peers chose to fight with their legion, defend forts or just hide from the hunters but Alcaeus had preferred to strike out on his own ever since he was a youngster of the first heavenstage. His sharp senses let him keep a track of everyone around him and with his speed he could choose to engage as he wished.
There it was. He could feel the trembling of the earth. It was the movement of someone who was unmistakably an equal with a mastery of earth that far surpassed him. Still, he'd felt that already and it was actually easier to read that lower to the ground. Instead he focused on his ears.

There it was. To the north-east and several thousand li away, though closing quickly. The loudest sound was the shifting of the earth and the man who controlled it. His body moved strangely, like part of his strength came from something external. Some form of strength enhancement?

There was another sound hidden just under the man's. It was a simple runner's pace that conjured up old memories of a young woman he hadn't really spoken freely to in many centuries. He sighed and focused in the moment. It was Wilhelmina then.

Judging by how she was coming straight for him, she was purposely leading a hunter to him. Someone she couldn't handle? In any case, he couldn't ignore her plight. He took in a breath and smelt the scents from their battle.

The hunter stank of the fifth sea and had this particular image of mud and pottery. He also seemed to be filled with rage and had a sense of lingering dread. So he'd survived a curse from her then? That would make it easier to scare him away.

Wilhelmina had that familiar feeling of focus and annoyance. Alcaeus smiled at that. Right, then. He needed to move fast. He considered and discarded a few plans before deciding to attack him head on. If Wilhelmina had brought him here then she'd almost certainly tried the more obvious ploys.

Alcaeus jumped, taking to the air then he smashed his fists back to throw himself in the direction of the battle. For a moment, the wind surged in the air and then he smashed into the ground. As soon as he landed, he grasped the earth with his feet and used strength and qi to push him forward.

Thump.

The sound of his motion carried, clear to any who would care to listen.

Thump.

He earth cratered as he landed with his whole weight and he pushed himself back into the air without paying it any mind.

Thump.

The battle was in view. Both participants had stopped as they heard and felt his arrival. Wilhelmina gave him a look of annoyance that told him exactly what she thought of his arrival while the Fifth Sea Hunter looked at him warily.

As he came into view, the hunter smashed a fist into the ground and the earth rippled like water before extending into a stone spike that aimed straight towards him. Alcaeus smashed the air with his fists to change his trajectory and turned all of his force into a kick towards the hunter's belly.

The hunter twisted his heels and the earth rose to secure his feet. Then he bent down and dipped both of his hands into the earth and made a motion akin to splashing water in a pool. Instead of water however, two waves of earth rose to intercept Alcaeus' attack.

They met in the middle and the earth shattered into gravel. Alcaeus used the backward force to spin in the air and grab two fistfuls of them which he crushed into rocks. Then he kicked the air to speed through another rotation before the hunter could react and threw the rocks in his hands with all the force he could muster.

The hunter grabbed both rocks out the air and spun with the force while the earth binding his feet moved with him. He threw the stones back but Alcaeus was already gone. He smashed the air to move to another angle and then just as the hunter was distracted with his throws, he kicked off of the air into a punch before he could intercept with an earthen attack.

Rather than attack, the hunter held up his hands to protect his face and Alcaeus heard the whisper of a mantra as he flew close. "O earth, become my body." In the minute span of time before he made contact, an armor of mud was revealed on his body which expanded into thick plates.

Then Alcaeus' attack struck him straight in his crossed hands and the plates upon them shattered and then began to regrow before the attack was even over. Before he could take advantage of the weakness, the hunter countered with a spiked knee strike that he shattered when Alcaeus clocked it with his own knee strike.

The armor began to regrow there as well and attempted to bind Alcaeus while healing. Seeing that he was disadvantaged there, Alcaeus chose to retreat. He kicks the hunter's belly, not expecting it to do any damage but using it as a springboard to escape back into the air. As he flipped and moved to land, the hunter began to laugh out loud.

As soon as the legate touched the earth, the hunter twitched his foot forward and Alcaeus felt the ground under him turn to slippery mud that rendered him unbalanced. Then the hunter turned the twitch into a full kick and an entire set of spikes rose from the earth mirroring that motion.

Alcaeus grimaced as the attack came towards him. Rather than use his unbalanced feet, he punched the air and escaped to air once more. It took him a moment to readjust after which he had to narrowly dodge a few disks of stone that curved towards him.

Though they seemed to adjust in the air and were accompanied by spikes by the hunter on the ground, Alcaeus found it simple to smash them out of the sky and keep to the air while away from the hunter's reach.

Once the hunter realised that he wasn't coming down soon and that he couldn't hit Alcaeus while he was in the air, he paused in his attack and just frowned warily. Alcaeus also took the moment to consider his own options.

While the exchange had been taking place, Wilhelmina had switched back to her Crone guise and was analysing the fight. For a moment, Alcaeus considered if he could come up with a way to win without relying on her insight.

He could use the air to attack but the force wouldn't be enough to hurt the hunter. He also couldn't stay up in the air forever, he'd tire eventually. Barring a change in the environment or a lucky break, there wasn't much he could do. Holds meant that the hunter could trap with the armor and hits meant that he'd just regenerate.

He could either rely on catching the enemy off guard or he'd have to fall back on that technique. For a moment, he considered his own weaknesses and his eyes widened. The hunter must have had the same thought because his head immediately snapped towards Wilhelmina.

Alcaeus grimaced as the hunter grinned and angled his body just so to show where he was targeting. Then he pushed, shoving the biggest wave of seismic force he'd generated so far right towards his fellow legate. Wilhelmina didn't bother to dodge, she just looked at him with annoyance despite the attack rippling towards her.

Alcaeus moved, reaching Wilhelmina's side before the attack could. He hammered into the ground and didn't hold back any force as it cratered, pushing back both the seismic wave and any other attack that the hunter might employ.

Then he extended his hands outwards and Wilhelmina landed lightly into them, having already jumped just high enough to be safe from his force. Before the hunter could do something else, he held her tight and took to the air while carrying her in his arms.

"Need any help?" She asked casually, as Alcaeus focused on dodging or deflecting all of the hunter's frustrated strikes.

"I thought-" He paused to grab a stone disk with his toes to throw back. "-you came-" He kicked higher to dodge a stone spear. "-all this way-" He kicked the air to create a pressure wave that deflected a series of attacks. "-to ask for my help?" He rushed to finish before any other attacks could interrupt him.

Wilhelmina raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, this isn't going to work." She replied, extending her hand towards his. "Connect with me?"

Alcaeus nodded, being familiar with the Labyrinthian connection arts. She put her hand close to his wrist and a thread of bronze that had been wrapped into a band extended outwards. It wrapped around his hand instead and he felt a mental connection extend between them.

If you had mastered more than the bare minimum of the Labyrinthian Thread, He remarked, you wouldn't have so much trouble with him. His thoughts travelled to her instantly and he was glad that he had mastered at least the basics himself when he studied with their clan.

Shush. She replied. Tactical assessment. What did you see?

Combat-oriented Earth User. He began, which filled her with annoyance. He grinned at her. I need to mention even the obvious, don't I? Anyway, he has sensory advantages on the ground which is why he was so effective when I first landed. He also has two layers of armor, if I'm not mistaken?

An armor akin to porcelain that mimics his skin and a secondary mud armor he uses to soften blows. She replied. The mud can regenerate as long as he's touching the ground and I suspect the porcelain can as well, just more slowly.

Alcaeus nodded as he dodged a stone spear. That's why he's rooted himself to the ground. He noticed. It was something that had stood out to him. Right now, it's a stalemate but I suspect he has the advantage.

The earth rejuvenates him. She agreed. While you keep getting tired. We need to end this quickly.

Why can't we just escape? Alcaeus asked. She'd gone to the trouble of leading the hunter to him which implied that she couldn't have just ditched him.

He knows the location of my hiding spot. It has many of mine and a few of yours too. She answered. We can't afford him returning there.

Yes, I don't think they would be able to retreat properly. He said, frowning as he recalled the ones he had placed there. You know the only way I have to decisively end the fight.

I'd rather you not use that technique. She replied. It's not something you can use freely and this seems like it's purpose-built to get you to use it.

What are you talking about? He asked curiously. Have you Seen something?

Maybe. We'll talk after the fight. She said quickly. Can you win without using your technique?

If I can get him off the ground. He answered. If not, it's either my technique or a retreat and attacking when he's vulnerable.

How long do you need to prepare your technique?

At least three free seconds, He said. Longer if I have to activate it while dodging. You can hold him off for that long?

If you give me a second to prepare I can, She confirmed. This was too risky to try by myself but if I do well, you might not even need to use your technique.

Alcaeus considered what her options were. Ah. I see what you are planning. You do that, it'll give me time to try some other tactics I had in mind.

Wait, what- Alcaeus didn't wait for her to finish as he tossed her into the air and away from any of the hunter's strikes. Then he looked down at the enemy and considered what strategies he could try. He still had a few more tricks up his sleeves.

* * * * * * * * * * * *​

POV: Hemish of the Prithviraj Dynasty

Hemish scowled with frustration as the two demons continued to dodge his strikes. Two of his prey were just out of reach and he couldn't get at them. He'd hoped to get vengeance on the female demon for giving him almost literally a heart attack and then she had led him to her ally.

He'd cheered up then, thinking that the heavens were finally on his side but after a few exchanges it had simply resulted in this stalemate. He couldn't think of any way to fight them and looking at the male's speed, they could escape anytime they wanted.

Suddenly, the male demon tossed the female into the air beyond his reach. As the female screamed something vulgar in their barbarian tongue, the male turned his attention towards him. Hemish frowned but prepared himself. What were they plotting?

Before he could react, the male demon moved to attack as he had done the first time. The air burst as it struggled to contain his speed and the demon surged towards him with an extended foot.

Hemish summoned a wall of earth to block it and there was a boom in response as the demon changed it's direction, crashing next to the wall and then rushing towards him directly. As soon as he touched the ground however, Hemish became aware of his every movement. He wasn't like the female who had methods to obscure herself. Everything he did was open to Hemish.

The demon was going to rush him, he realised. It took him a moment to raise a blade of earth in his path not only to hurt him but to slow him down. The demon reoriented once more, sliding past his spike and getting close enough that Hemish couldn't resort to earthen barriers.

He summoned his secondary armor, drawing strength from the earth to directly bear the hit. Any attack only damaged his armor and any damage on the armor healed as long as he touched the earth. He grunted as a strike hit his arm directly but he bore it.

Then before he could do anything else, his foe jumped back from the hit and suddenly, he flipped back and targeted his hands again. Hemish froze not expecting the sudden assault and raised his hands to defend realising only too late that the armor in his hand was still too weak.

His foe was trying to target the same spots in his armor, hoping to depend on pure strength and speed to breakthrough. Hemish softened part of the earth at his feet, letting the assault push him down rather than damage his inner armor. There were several assaults but his enemy couldn't do anything as he redirected the force into the earth.

Suddenly, the demon wrapped its hands around his stomach and planted his feet on the ground. Hemish realised that it was attempting to uproot him from the earth. He growled and strengthened his connection to the ground. Then he wrapped his hands around him in turn and tried to trap him into the earth.

Before he could accomplish much, the demon shattered the binds he had created around him and retreated. Hemish grimaced. So it had some ability to affect the earth in the same way it affected the air.

He raised his hand to grasp for the demon as he took to the sky and the earth extended as well, forming hands to grab him. Though they touched him, by the time they did so they were too far from the ground for him to gather much strength and they shattered with a single motion.

Hemish growled in frustration but before he could send out a follow-up strike as useless as that might be, his attention was drawn to a powerful force from above. He looked up to see the female demon, strong in the form of youth. Black cursed lines extended across her body and her power… it was overwhelming.

He knew he couldn't win and for a moment, he considered retreating. It was obvious what was happening here. The woman had already demonstrated a skilled but weak old form and an unskilled but strong young form. This must be what happened when she combined the two. He didn't know what risks the form had, but he knew that he wasn't powerful enough to defeat it.

It was so strong… so strong… How strong was it? He frowned as he realised that he couldn't estimate her strength more than 'much stronger than him'. He growled at that and the ready explanation that his mind had presented to him. There was only one explanation: Maya - illusion.

He fired a disk of stone at her and the woman dodged, her power and shape returning to that of the old woman he had seen before. As she landed on the ground, he summoned a wave of earth towards her to end her before she could interfere even more.

The she-demon just grinned at him and then he felt another surge of power. Suddenly, the male demon crashed in front of her as he had done before but rather than dodge, he smashed his fist on the earth and the force of the blow cancelled out his own wave of earth. What? Was this another illusion?

His senses told him the answer. He could feel a rapidly mounting power rise within the male. He was holding a spirit stone - far more powerful than either of them should be able to use - likely summoned from a storage ring. Despite that, he was using it and absorbing all of the power into his chakra system.

If his power kept increasing… Hemish moved, stamping his leg forward and riding forth on a wave of earth. The demon just grinned and jumped, taking to the sky with his ally. The demon stamped the air and in a burst of air and flames, disappeared into the distance. Within moments, he returned with a crash and Hemish could see the qi being infused into his body release in sparks of lightning, unable to be contained within the body.

Hemish realised he had no response to the increase in his power. He needed to retreat or at least change his tactics. "O earth, protect me." He punched the earth and let a dome of stone rise to protect him. Then he punched into them and twisted, letting them draw from the strength of his armor and recover from damage.

Just in time, he felt the entire dome tremble as the demon made its first attack. Then another, and another and another and another. Hemish trembled as he felt the demon not hit the dome but crush through it, taking up any space the earth could fill. Then once he had a strong grip, he ripped it apart.

Hemish looked into the eyes of the demon, blood-shot with power. As his hands reached towards him, his thoughts still considered tactics. How this must be a sacrificial technique that would damage his body, how he just had to survive long enough…

As the asura finally reached towards him, Hemish broke his token with a thought. There was no way he was going to risk facing that he realised. He felt the familiar pull of being drawn towards his home and he gladly escaped into the Fifth Sea and to safety.

* * * * * * * * * * * *​

POV: Wilhelmina Taurus

It took Wilhelmina several minutes to return to the site of the battle. She had to choose between the Crone's insight to understand what she sensed better or the Maiden's strength in order to actually reach faster. In the end, she chose speed but that still gave her enough time to think about the battle as she rushed towards the battle.

Already, the chase and the battle itself was taking a toll. Her illusion had been sloppy - that was the most obvious result. She was far too heavy-handed with it and that ended up tipping off the enemy. If she had more time to work on it… but there was no point in making excuses now.

She had hoped to get rid of him without sacrificing something permanent but that didn't work out. As it was, Alcaeus' technique would be rendered unusable for the duration of the trials which was dangerous especially with this sense of doom that she was sensing in the air.

She grimaced as she came upon Alcaeus' collapsed form. His body was damaged from taking in qi. As she had expected. The Inversion of World and Body was a technique that only worked due to his Dao of Self-Mastery. The concept was simple - draw in immense amounts of qi during battle and use it to gain incredible but temporary power.

With his Dao, he could keep his body working despite the damage done by the technique making it practical if also dangerous. They had never really tested how far it could go - especially if he was willing to give his life. She stopped and knelt before him, switching to the Crone to examine him.

Weak but conscious. "How are you doing, Alcaeus?" She asked, frowning.

He laughed and that laughter turned into a cough as he turned to look at her. "I've had worse," He replied matter-of-factly. "As you very well know."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. If he could make jokes then he would be fine. "What is your plan now? With that hunter gone, it should be safe for you to hide out at my shelter." She offered though she knew very well that he wouldn't take it.

"There is a cache nearby," He explained, forcing himself up. She knelt down and offered him her shoulder. "Set up by the Archigetes before. It should have something for me to recover."

"And he told you about it?" She asked with a frown. She hadn't even known there were caches. She shifted to the Maiden to better hold him up.

"He didn't tell me personally, but it was made known to a few legates." Alcaeus replied, smiling at her annoyance. That only annoyed her more. "If you were in charge of the clan, would you give yourself that information?"

She didn't answer the question. She knew she'd be tempted to use some of them for her family. "I'll take you to it," She said instead, before moving on to the topic that had been on her mind.

He smiled and gave her the directions. For easy travel, she picked him up on her back and began to run. "Thanks, Wilhelmina." He whispered to her as they travelled, in a way that she remembered from so long ago. She was glad that he couldn't see the slight blush on her cheeks. Damn the maiden's mental weakness.

As they ran, her thoughts returned to the sense of doom that she had been feeling hanging about in the air. Originally, she had thought that it was just the lack of preparation this time around but now it began to fill her with suspicion. "How powerful do you think you could get with your technique if you were allowed to get as strong as you wanted?" She asked him as they ran.

"It's hard to say," He replied, his tone curious. "I might even be able to make a difference in a battle of nascent souls if I had a Supreme Grade Spirit Stone and was willing to die in the attempt."

That phrasing… it couldn't be.

"What's wrong?" He asked her, seeming to sense the shift in her demeanour.

"It's nothing," She replied quickly. "Just a thought that's unlikely to-"

That's when it happened, as if in answer. A bell. A fourth bell.

"Oh." She realised that her realisation was out loud. She realised that she had stopped in her tracks as a fourth bell - an unknown pattern - shrieked in her blood. She felt Alcaeus react behind her.

"Oh." He reacted, his voice holding the same sense of realisation that she might have had. She moved, rushing towards the cache hoping it had what they needed and that they found it fast enough to make a difference.

Was this the source of the doom? Was this what heaven planned? It was too much. They weren't ready to lose another Nascent Soul. Not so soon. She needed to do something. Her family would be slaughtered.

"Wilhelmina." She ignored him, switching to crone to sharpen her senses. There needed to be a way out of this somehow. There had to be! She stumbled, unable to carry the weight on her back with her now frail from.

"Wilhelmina." She felt Alcaeus on top of her, forcing himself to move despite the damage to his body. He kept her pinned down in order to make sure that she couldn't move. "You need to calm down and stop panicking."

"How can I stop panicking?" She asked him, hoping he would have a solution when she didn't. "We just survived a battle and now this? How will we manage to survive this or what comes after?"

"I don't know," He replied after a moment. "But panicking won't help. The only way to get through this is if we stay calm and work together."

Together… together… "Alcaeus, that's brilliant." She told him, shifting to her Maiden guise and struggling to push him off. "We need something that can make a difference in a fight between nascent souls and I've just figured out how we can do that."

He must have heard the change in her tone, because he let her get up and then they were seated across each other under the desert sun. "What do you mean?" He asked with a frown.

"You of all people should get this," She replied, rolling her eyes. "Isn't this basically your thing now?"

Alcaeus frowned, thinking over her words and then his expression sharpened. "You are thinking of getting the other Legates together and using formations?" He realised.

Wilhelmina nodded. "Several of the current batch of legates trace a relation to me," She told him with a grin she hadn't had since the first realm." I should be able to get a message to them and with a little bit of luck, it might even be feasible."

Alcaeus nodded grimly. "Then we have a glimmer of hope," He replied. "Take me to the caches. The Archigetes may well come for them and if we can find what we need for me to help as well, we might actually have a glimmer of hope."

Wilhelmina paused. A part of her didn't want him to use a technique that might risk his life but no. There was no place for such sentimentality. She just nodded in agreement.

With newfound determination, they took off at a steady pace.

 

[Quest]

@ReaderOfFate hey, can I get this and the post above it threadmarked? Thanks! Oh and @Mochinator finally finished Antonius' side of things from the omake of yours where you mentioned him though I don't think it's 100% the same.

[Aftermath]​

The trials were over.

These were the worst trials in millennia with the clan teetering on the brink of collapse with so many dead and most of the legions left leaderless.

The 43rd Legion had lost their father and near half of their brothers and sisters. Without the strength of Alcaeus the Strong, they were like a sail without any wind behind it. They were a body without a soul. If his father was here, how would he react to this?

The 96th Legion had lost their mother and their family had been dismembered. Without the wisdom of Wilhelmina Taurus, they were lost and alone. So many families had lost their loved ones. Antonius knew that pain. So did his mother. Could she have said something to console them?

The trials were over.

All around Antonius were various expressions of grief. Some sat in isolation, speaking to no one and choosing to remain alone in their grief. Antonius wondered what went through their minds. Were they lost and afraid or angry or were they attempting to deny reality?

Others huddled together, seating away from all but those close to them and whispering so many things to each other while dealing with their loss. Some consoled each other. Others planned for the future. Others still whispered angrily, trying to find someone to blame.

Finally, there were those who moved with purpose. Perhaps they had lost no one or perhaps they had already moved on. Perhaps they simply held the grief in their hearts but moved because they had to. These were the ones that had brought them all to regroup in Pleuron in the final days of the trial.

These were the ones who did the jobs that needed doing. Who tallied the dead and ensured that the legions would continue despite the loss. They were the ones who went around and consoled the ones who grieved. They quieted the whispers and made sure that everyone was alright.

Like Aunt Ariadne who had come to check up on him and make sure that he was alright. She knelt down and spoke to him while he sat, leaning against a wall, away from all the people and their different griefs and their emotions.

"How are you doing?" She asked him, kneeling down right next to him. She had a smile on her face that wasn't happy but wasn't fully forced either. Like so much going on, it wasn't an emotion that he felt he really understood.

"I'm alright," He told her simply. When she remained kneeling in front of him, he felt he needed to continue. "Really, I'm alright. My mother and father are fine or at least, no worse than before. For me at least, the trials weren't especially good or bad."

She nodded quietly. "You were with my great-grandmother's group, weren't you?" She asked him after a moment.

Antonius looked down at the ground. They had a close call with a Core Formation cultivator, but Matriarch Wilhelmina had led him away from them. That was the last anyone had seen her. "Yes, I was." He told her. What else could he say to her? Any sympathy felt hollow.

She just nodded at that. For a moment, there was just silence between them. "Take care of yourself," She said, finally. She placed a hand on his and squeezed. "I know you're going through a rough time as well. Speak to me if you need anything. My door is always open to you."

Antonius nodded back. "Thank you," He replied. This at least he could say as if he meant it. "I'll come and talk to you whenever I can."

She smiled at him before moving on. He saw her stop and speak to other legionnaires as she moved, giving some silent support and making others smile. He sat there for some time after she left, mulling over his own thoughts.

Others came to speak to him too.

There was Oriana. She was quiet now, greatly changed from what he remembered of her. She moved around a lot like Aunt Ariadne had and tried to help where she could. When she came to him, he didn't notice her until she spoke.

"Hey Antonius," She said, kneeling next to him. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," I replied. "How are you doing?" It occured to Antonius that perhaps he should have asked that question to Aunt Ariadne as well. She had lost his mother and then much of her family. He resolved to speak to her properly when he met her next.

"I'm fine too," She said. After a moment, she sat down completely. "You didn't lose anyone either, did you?"

He looked at her and shook his head. "Do you get that same feeling?" He asked her. "Like you are disconnected from everything."

She looked around to see if anyone was listening and when no one seemed to be, she nodded. "It's kind of bad. I do feel bad," She told him. "But a part of me is also wondering - what do I do tomorrow? What exactly does this change about my life?"

"Legate Alcaeus promised to help me with finding a cure for my parents," He said, then paused to look around. "I was… counting on that. I'm really worried about what I'm going to do next."

She grimaced. "I heard about what happened to your parents. Hell of a thing, man." She hesitated for a moment and then she placed a hand on his shoulder. "If you need anything, ask me. I can't make promises right now but I'll do whatever I can."

Antonius put his hand on hers and nodded. "Thank you," He told her. She squeezed his shoulder and then she walked away with a nod.

A lot of people from both the 43rd and 96th Legion were like that. Some of them recognised him, some of them knew his parents and some of them were just checking up on him. After a certain point, it all became a blur.

And then there was Corvina.

She wasn't really talking to people like Aunt Ariadne or Oriana, she was just walking past them thinking her own thoughts. They had come to Pleuron together, led by one of their seniors who had decided to lead them out of their shelter after the Matriarch hadn't returned.

She had a smile on her lips as she walked past him and it seemed like she might even be skipping if that wasn't incredibly inappropriate. Then she spotted him and immediately came by to sit down. "Hey, Antonius." She said, smiling. "How are you?"

"Hi, Corvina." He replied hesitantly. "I'm good. You seem… very cheerful. What happened?"

Corvina paused and frowned. "Yeah, I am." She said, shaking her head. "I can't help it. It's just… in the air, you know? It's all cleared up."

Antonius looked at her in confusion. "What's cleared up?" He asked her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded and waved off his concern. "Sorry, sorry. I can't help it." She replied, trying to keep from smiling. "It's hard to explain."

Antonius leaned towards her, perplexed. "I have time," He told her. "Try?"

"Imagine… you're blind," She began, pausing to look at him to see if he followed. He motioned for her to continue. "Then suddenly, after your whole life you get the ability to see. Wouldn't you feel happy about that?"

Antonius nodded. "I would, but what does that have to do with what you are feeling?"

"I'm a Seer," She replied. "A really good one. But my vision has always been clouded. There is a curse that hangs over the clan that tries to make things go horribly for us. Heaven's Curse."

"And that curse is gone?" Antonius asked, following the analogy. "That's good? It sounds like something people in charge should know."

"I think they already know," She answered, smiling. "Great-grandmother knew and I think the Archigetes baited it out specifically to expend itself during these trials."

Antonius frowned. "All of this?" He gestured at the people grieving around them. "This was on purpose? Your great-grandmother - Matriarch Wilhelmina - died too."

"If she could see it now, she would have gladly given her life for this." She looked at him with such certainty that he couldn't disagree with her.

"But why?" He finally asked her. "What was the point?"

She looked at him in thought. "There is loss and grief," She replied finally. "This is a dark and difficult time, but this time there is a light at the end of the darkness. There is a way we - our clan, our families - can survive. Isn't that worth a little bit of happiness?"

Antonius tried to follow her logic, not even sure if he completely believed her at the moment. Then he thought about how he felt after Legate Alcaeus asked to help him. "I guess I can see where you are coming from." He told her with a frown. "But I don't know if I can see a path ahead anymore."

She looked at him curiously. He told her about his parents and then the Legate's death and how that affected him. She nodded and listened attentively. "Did you know that Legate Alcaeus was crippled in early Foundation Establishment?" She asked him thoughtfully after listening.

Antonius shook his head. "How did he get better?"

"Great Grand-mother travelled to the Qiguai Secret Realm and procured a phoenix tear to heal him," She told him. "Perhaps, you could search there too?"

He blinked and considered that. "You know that might actually be helpful," He replied. "Thanks, Corvina."

She nodded and smiled. "Incidentally, if you do decide to go let me know." She replied. "I'm considering going there myself and I wouldn't mind some help."

He nodded. "Why are you going?" He asked her. "I thought you were preparing for your breakthrough."

"That's part of the problem," She replied with a frown. "As nice as the lifting of the clan's curse is, I based a lot of my divination around it. Now that it's gone, I'll need to rethink my dao. I was hoping I could get some insight there."

"I'll have to think about that too," He said, sighing. "But later. After I've fixed my parents."

Corvina nodded and smiled at him. "Good luck, Antonius."

"Good luck to you as well, Corvina." He replied. "Take care of yourself."

She smiled as she got up. "You too, Antonius."

As she left, he returned to his thoughts. The Qiguai Secret Realm. Should he go there? There would be guaranteed fighting not like the Yuan where he had powerful allies nearby and even there they hit disaster. But there would be no telling what he could achieve if he was lucky.

He needed to move, he realised. He couldn't think while seated.

He pushed off the wall and got to his feet. He walked out, mostly keeping to himself but occasionally greeting people who greeted him first.

Oriana nodded as he walked past her talking to a senior.

Corvina just waved at him, having found another diviner who she could actually talk to about what she was feeling.

He took a moment to stop to talk to Aunt Ariadne to ask her how she was doing. She gave him a genuine smile at his question and told him she was doing fine.

That cheered him up for a bit but after some time, he returned to his previous thoughts.

He walked out of the area being used by his legions and at some point, he reached the general area. His mind slowly turned to Pleuron and what happened here.

Thirteen people of foundation establishment and qi condensation held back an army. They even slew a Core Formation expert. They did all that to protect the people of the clan and he was fairly sure he could already match some of them, if not in skill but in potential and power.

They had performed a miracle and they weren't even that much stronger than him. Why couldn't he go to Qiguai and pull a lesser miracle of his own? He found himself in front of the Muyi tree and just looked at the remains of one of those thirteen.

These were the remains of Xiao Yi - a great hero and a reminder that even miracles didn't come without a price. This was what he would face if he headed to Qiguai. It'd be Yuan all over again. It'd be the trials all over again.

This time, there would be no one there to protect him. He would be facing the danger alone. His mother had protected him and was crippled for it - lost in a coma with no idea when she'd wake up. His father had faced the same fate when he'd tried to protect her.

Even the powerful and indomitable Alcaeus had perished right after promising to aid him and didn't the harsh but caring Wilhemina also die to protect him? It was a reminder that even if he succeeded in saving his parents and got lucky enough to find something to heal them, he could still very well die there before he could ever bring the cure home.

It was hard to describe the emotions going through him as he wrestled with his thoughts. Then there was a sound of rustling and he looked up to see the Muyi Tree become more agitated. He frowned, wondering what caused it. It was only supposed to target Fifth Sea Hunters, right?

Then a creature flew down to him and he took a step back as it flew around him. After a moment, he remembered the Qilin companion of Xiao Yi named Qing Yun. He had heard that it - he - had taken to resting beside the tree that it's partner left behind.

Qing Yun spun around him and Antonius admired his movements. It was beautiful and familiar. It reminded him of Yixuan Shan and the way he swam through the air. He frowned as he thought of the silver-finned pipefish's story.

He had to risk death to protect his loved ones as well, didn't he? He'd escaped the Jade Emperor's palace with Chang-e and survived the Jade Archer as well. His story was sad, but hadn't he succeeded in a way? Even if he never saw Chang-e again, Antonius knew that she had lived well enough to sire children that resulted in his mother and then resulted in him.

He bowed at the Qilin and turned to leave. Yes, he had to try despite the risks. The Indomitable Thirteen had managed to create a miracle despite their deaths. Though his mother and father had gotten hurt, he had still managed to ensure that they survived.

Even Matriarch Wilhelmina had protected him with her death and he was certain that Legate Alcaeus had given his life to perform a deed of equal worth. In fact, if Corvina was to be believed they even managed to secure the clan's future even in death.

He needed to accept that risk. He might die in this and he might just fail. In that case, to increase the chances of success he needed to follow his seniors. Chang-e and Shan had succeeded together. Shan would never have been able to attack the Jade Archer or hold off the Emperor's army on his own. Even the Miracle of Pleuron was a lesson in the possibilities that came from working with others.

If he died, he needed someone to carry what he found home for him. If he failed, he needed someone who might have succeeded in his place. He needed someone to watch his back in case of another Nicomedes.

He frowned at the thought of that traitor. He needed people he could trust. Corvina was already going and she would be a great start. She was skilled and possessed many skills that would help them get by traps but he needed more.

Maybe Oriana? He wasn't sure if the help she offered would extend all the way to going to a secret realm but you never knew. Aunt Ariadne would be too busy with the aftermath of the trials, but she might know someone who could accompany him.

He needed to make a group - a party? People who could go with him to Qiguai. He had time to think and plan. While he did that, he could look at other possibilities for his parents but a team would probably be useful even for that.

He found himself at the gates and turned back to look at the Muyi tree. Qing Yun was looking at him cautiously and for a moment, Antonius wondered if it had been worried about him.

He bowed in thanks. The world hadn't changed from before he had this realisation but he thought that now he could handle it. Now he'd be alright.

 

[Quest]

Antonius Emmanuel Eleanora 18
[The Curse of Metal: An Alchemical Study]​

Contributors: Physician Seneca [Unattached], Specialist Antonius Ambrosius of the 96th Legion
Subject: Specialist Antonius Ambrosius of the 96th Legion
Scribe: Mneme Corculum of the Seventh Legion [Medical Apprentice]
Access Permissions: The Ambrosius Bloodline, Physician Seneca

Note: Physician Seneca has belonged to the twenty-third medical legion and the thirty-seventh alchemical legion. As a foundation establishment expert of 931, he has outlived both of his legates and the disbanding of their legion. He currently has chosen to remain unattached.

This document is a summary of an alchemical study done of the unique bloodline mutation known as the Curse of Metal. Appearing within the body of Specialist Antonius Ambrosius of the ninety-sixth legion, it has the ability to increase his rate of cultivation in return for reduced lifespan. See original report marked in the references.

It should be noted that this study was done at the request of the subject and though a thorough study has been done, the focus of the study is on finding a practical use for the bloodline in alchemy to aid the subject's finances.

Various parts of the body were tested including but not limited to blood, sweat, tears, saliva, skin, hair and nails. The exact details of these tests and other bodily reagents are given in the full report attached. None of them show a major variance from standard except in a consistent manner indicating the presence of a unique qi.

The strength of this presence also varies in strength between reagent to reagent. The effect seems to be strongest in the blood though it is also strong anywhere the Blood of Bronze itself is present. It is speculated that the source or at least the favored medium of the 'Curse' is tied to the blood itself.

This unique qi has been isolated and concentrated as a separate resource using the Bronze Ravager Process, created by the alchemist of the same name. It should be noted that this resource is not the resource present in Legionnaire Antonius Ambrosius the manipulation of which seems to require mastery of both metal and the Blood of Bronze beyond what is available to the clan.

This isolated resource - called Essence for ease of referral - seems to primarily be whatever factor causes the curse of metal though it retains an affinity for bronze. The natural properties of Essence outside of any deliberate manipulation seem to manifest with the absorption of qi from any source and the integration of that qi through metallic growth resulting in eventual petrification.

Exposure of Essence to a colony of One Day Iron Flies caused the flies to die within half a day having turned into iron statues. Testing of the iron showed that the iron had been infused with the Flies' Dao of Mortality. Tests with creatures of earth and stone confirmed that this is replicable to all solid materials.

The ease of transfer of the curse's effect and the outstanding materials created in its wake leads to the speculation that the Curse was deliberately designed to gain this exact result and though the materials produced are relatively simple to understand, the complexity of the curse itself given its adaptability seems to equal the complexity of the Blood of Bronze.

The effects of the metal produced by Antonius' body is unknown. It seems to have the same effect as the standard Blood of Bronze but this may change if he reaches the higher realms. Notably, it is incredibly difficult to piece together what occurs within the subject's body as the complexity of the two bloodlines seem to compound.

It is also speculated that the reagent may allow for bloodline creation and indeed that many of the Third Sea's metal bloodlines may derive from it though confirmation of the former requires more long-term testing and the latter requires more metal qi bloodline samples.

Beyond basic research and discovery, the reagent was also tested in other more practical uses. It was first tested as a poison, in keeping with Benzelmer's Third Principle which states that the best method of discovering the risks of a reagent is by deliberately aiming for those risks in the form of poisons.

It was possible to use the reagent to create a qi starvation and petrification poison that drains the target's qi and uses it to further damage them through metallic petrification. This poison proved surprisingly ineffective however as it can be easily shaken off by any trained expert without deliberate and invasive applications.

Based upon the previous studies of short-lived creatures, it is likely that was only possible due to exposure over lifetimes and generations which leads to the conclusion that in individual organisms it can only be applied to a willing subject or one over whom you have power - speculated to be at least a three great realm difference.

This does mean that the subject does not have to worry about affecting others through accidental exposure. In the use of poisons however, it may still prove useful provided the right catalysts and reagents are paired with it though that is not the subject of this study.

It was then tested as a cultivation booster. This proved incredibly effective especially for metal affinity experts, provided it is paired with the right reagents to curb its metalification and lifespan reduction. The additional reagents make it as effective and expensive as standard products. It can also be turned into a cheaper cultivation booster but the user will suffer side-effects that may vary based upon physiology.

It was also tested as a medicine that can improve the generation of the Blood of Bronze in the body. It has similar requirements as before and it proves just as effective. It is speculated that it may be useful in granting the blood of bronze as well, especially a version similar to the subject's but that project would be a major undertaking that would require a large investment from the clan.

It has no properties of healing or lifespan extension, though it may be used in rare cases where restoration of the bloodline itself is a requirement. As the latter is Physician Seneca's speciality, extensive testing was done there which revealed that the subject and others affected by the bloodline can use lifespan boosts as normal though they only seem to be half as effective.

At Physician Seneca's personal expense the use of the Essence as a tribulation aid was also tested. Testing has shown that it may act as an effective meditation aid for firming up dao related to metal or materials though it does not aid the tribulation itself.

An attempt to recreate the clan's few bloodline-obscuring pills were ineffective though they did result in the creation of the Bronze Metal Pill that can disguise the blood of bronze as a third sea bronze-based metal bloodline for a day. The effect is only superficial and will fail against heaven's tribulations or invasive testing but may disguise a clan cultivator from casual scrutiny if travelling into Righteous Territory.

After the research and tests, this report concludes that there are several areas of use for the Curse of Metal bloodline in alchemy. However due to the scarcity of the reagent due to a single source, it is suggested that besides that it's use should be focused on catering to individuals with metal dao or alchemists working with metallic creatures for best return.

 

[Quest]

Antonius Emmanuel Eleanora 19
[Preparation]​

Antonius looked through the report that the good Physician Seneca had presented to him. It gave him a lot of good insight on his bloodline but more importantly, it told him that selling his blood as an alchemical reagent was a valid avenue for money.

He had to make up for the income lost from his mother and father somehow. He had no idea how much they were working to support him and now that they were in a coma, he needed some way to make up for that in order to take care of them properly.

He spared a moment to glance at their sleeping bodies. "Will this be enough to cover the fees for my parents, Physician Seneca?" He asked, turning to the deceptively youthful Seventh Pillar who had been patiently watching him go through the report.

The Physician nodded cheerfully. "And then some." He replied. "Even after you deduct my personal share, you should have enough to fuel your cultivation."

Antonius smiled back in relief. "Thank you for everything, Physician Seneca." He said. The Physician who had been introduced to him by the late Alcaeus had been willing to take care of his parents in exchange for being paid later. He wasn't sure what he would have done if he hadn't offered that.

"I am hardly coming out of this at a loss." He replied. "You are at the tenth heavenstage. Once you got your feet under you, you would have been able to afford it. This just makes it even better."

Antonius nodded. "Out of curiosity, who are you selling to?" He asked curiously. It probably wasn't too important but it was best to know these things.

"I'm retaining some for a personal project which I am paying full price for," He replied, adding the last bit at your curious look. "But the rest I'm using to sell the Bronze Metal Pill to the clan."

Antonius glanced at the report with a frown. "'It only works for a day, and disguises the imbiber as a bronze-based metal qi bloodline against non-invasive testing.'" He read out loud. "I'm not sure there are many bronze-based bloodlines in the third sea. Couldn't someone deduce that the user is a clan?"

"Actually, there is one such bloodline in our records." The physician explained. "However, you are right about the limitations. However, I intend to sell it to the array-engineers traveling to the Strength Purity Sect who put about as much effort in disguising the deal as the pill does. It may prove useful to them in an emergency."

Antonious nodded. He knew some people from his legion might be sent there. He'd need to ask them if it was any use later. "What about after the deal with the Sect is over?" He asked curiously. "It isn't going to last forever I think."

"I have a few other interested alchemists," He replied. "We are currently discussing terms. I'll let you know the details when I have something solid set up."

Antonius looked over the report. What else did he have to ask? He was curious about the physician's personal project but he wasn't sure he should ask about that. The only thing left was… ah. "I saw you mentioning tribulation aids," He said, looking up at Physician Seneca. "How common is something like that?"

"Not very," He answered with a sigh. "Or rather theoretically anything can be a cultivation aid. The problem is that more often than not, they are highly specific to a dao. That your blood can create boosters for metal-based dao in general is actually incredible."

Antonius nodded with a frown. "I was hoping to get something for myself," He admitted. "What about these bloodline obscuring pills that you mentioned in the report?"

"Those hide the bloodline well enough that even heaven is tricked and weakens our tribulation," He answered, smiling wryly. "Those are universal to the clan, but they are incredibly precious. I don't see the clan giving it to a Qi Condensation cultivator, no matter how lucky or talented."

Antonius sighed but nodded. "I suppose that's all the questions I have," He said, before pulling out a vial of his blood and passing it on towards the physician. "Here's what I have today. Do we have anything else to discuss?"

Seneca took a moment to examine it before putting it aside. Then he looked towards Antonius. "There are a few other things I was hoping to discuss with you," He replied causing Antonius to look at thim curiously. "Firstly, while I will look out for useful cultivation aids for you, it might be worth looking into lifespan extension."

Antonius blinked. "I know you sell that to people willing to cover your expenses," He said carefully. "But would I be able to afford that?"

Physician Seneca nodded. "You are getting to the point thwere you could," He answered. "There is a limit to how far that extension can go, but unlike me you are far from that limit."

Antonius considered that and smiled. "Thank you," He replied to the physician. "That would be very helpful."

"And the other matter is that I hear you intend to go to the Qiguai Secret Realm?" The physician asked, with a raised eyebrow.

Antonius frowned. "Yes, to find a cure for my parents." He replied. "Would that be a problem?"

Physician Seneca sighed. "Quite honestly, I'd rather that you not go." He admitted. "You represent a unique resource and are a skilled cultivator besides. However, I doubt I can convince you otherwise."

Antonius nodded cautiously. "I can't really think of anywhere to get a cure for my parents." He answered. "I have to go."

The physician nodded in acceptance. "Well, be careful then and make sure that you don't take any unnecessary risks."

"I won't." He agreed with a smile. "I've already planned on going with others that I can trust to be there for me. I'm actually heading to Pleuron later this week to meet them."

The physician raised an eyebrow. "Why Pleuron?" He asked curiously.

Antonius considered that. "I'm not entirely sure why," He answered. "But all of the members seem to coincidentally have a connection with Pleuron."

The physician smiled. "How so?"

"Well, originally I was going to go there because Corvina - the only one confirmed to come - was working to fix the arrays there." He continued. "The others either grew up there or were assigned there. It seemed like an ideal place to rendezvous."

The physician nodded. "Good luck then. I hope you do find what you are looking for."

"Thank you, Physician Seneca." Antonius replied then he glanced at his parent's faces again. "Can I stay here for a bit longer?"

The Physician followed his gaze and nodded. "Stay as long as you like."

As he left, Antonius took a moment to examine his parent's sleeping faces.

His father's bronze skin glistened like it had been polished. It was honestly brighter than it ever was when he was up and about. His strength hadn't deteriorated and his body was methodically maintained.

His mother's skin was healthy and without blemish. He didn't remember if that mattered to her but he wondered if she would be happy for it when she woke up. Her cultivation hadn't fallen, something which he hadn't known to be worried about before.

They were so perfectly preserved, he felt like they could get up at any moment and surprise him. It was only in Physician Seneca's care that they could be so healthy despite their internal damage.

His mind wandered once more to Yixuan Shan's story where Chang-e had lived on happily, despite Yixuan Shan's almost certain demise. He knew Corvina at least would carry any cure they found back for him but he didn't like the idea that his parents would know that he died for them.

After seeing his parent's reduced to such a state, he knew how that felt. How much worse would it be for a parent to know that their child died to heal them? It wasn't a bad outcome if they lived and he didn't. It was an okay outcome.

But hadn't he sworn that he'd burn the brightest of them all? Even if it was okay, it still wasn't acceptable. He had power now, small as it was in the grand scheme of things. What was the point of power if you couldn't have everything you ever wanted?

As Antonius walked out of the room, he was determined to bring about a singular result. He'd live. They'd live. They would all live happily again together. That was what he wanted. Nothing less than a perfect outcome.

 

[Quest]

Antonius Emmanuel Eleanora 20
[Meeting the Team: Corvina Taurus]
​

Upon reaching Pleuron, the first thing Antonius had to think about was a place to stay and a place to work. He was still able to send his blood to Physician Seneca by mail which gave him a good amount of funds available but he still didn't feel happy freely spending them.

It might have been because he still wasn't completely used to spending the amount of resources he suddenly had on hand, but there was also a remote possibility that a healing reagent would become available or a cultivator with the necessary skill to heal them would appear. He didn't want to miss that opportunity because he'd spent his resources somewhere else.

It was why he was careful when looking for a place to stay. As an aspirant, he never had to look into housing as he was allowed to stay in the aspirant dormitories for his first year. After that, his mother had found and paid for a house for him on her own. Once he became a cultivator, he simply lived in his family home.

It had never been a worry for him before and the attempt in procuring his own home… wasn't the best start. Normally, the clan territories offered a range of accommodations for any member who could afford them. Pleuron specifically was the gateway into the wider clan territories and hosted many foreign merchants and cultivators, so it had an even greater offering.

Unfortunately, most of those offerings were not as good as they were said to be. Many of the places that jumped out at him turned out to be scams often perpetrated by travelling merchants. It wasn't until he reached out to Corvina Taurus who had a place there for some time that he was led past them into the actual good accommodations available for legionnaires.

Eventually, they both found a place for two that they could cheaply afford together. It was a nice place with a full restroom, kitchen, living room and two private rooms for the both of them. It was very good for a place he only had to stay in for a few more months before heading to Qiguai and he got to know his travelling companion at the same time.

As he entered the house after leaving there for a week, Antonius had to admit it was hard to get used to. He had lived with his parents his whole life but that hadn't prepared him for the quirks every cultivator seemed to develop. With Corvina Taurus he had expected something but her persona after the trials hadn't suggested anything about her paranoia. Though in hindsight, it made sense for a diviner of the clan.

First, there were several arrays that got deactivated when he used his key to open the lock. She had refused to tell him what they were as a 'sensible precaution'. Then he had to remember several traps lined throughout the house and avoid tripping wires of invisible bronze that would trip them if he touched them.

After passing through curtains of woven bronze that he was certain was a weapon of some sort he had finally come to the living room that they shared. There were still traps inside, but they had to be activated by her first. It was... heartening to know that this would be guarding their camp as well but it was so tedious to live through.

"Hey, Antonius." Corvina greeted him, not looking up from some kind of divination device. "How was your day?"

"It was alright," He replied, moving over to take a seat next to her. "Oriana got me a job working with the guards. What about you?"

"Still working on fixing the wall arrays," She said, frowning but not looking up. "One of the Thirteen really did a number on the outer wards which was certainly helpful in the battle but is tough to fix after the fact."

Antonius nodded, knowing what she referred to. They all knew what happened there. "What are working on?" He leaned in to get a closer look. It was a board with a clock on it? The bronze hands moved freely like a compass and rather than numbers, at the end of each hand were various symbols that he didn't recognise.

"Trying to re-calibrate my divination board," She replied, as she tried to read the board. "It worked by using heaven's curse as a guiding force which really doesn't work when it's gone."

"Oh, I remember you mention how much that affected your style." Antonius said, wondering how much it affected her capabilities. "Can you get it working by the time we leave?"

She shrugged. "It's not like my divination is useless now," She continued. "I can still do dowsing and a few other things. I'm also brushing up on my arrays and combat thread usage. It's just that this was my speciality."

Antonius patted her back sympathetically. "How is it going then?" He asked instead. "Made any progress?"

"Some," She replied. "So you know when I said the curse is gone?" Antonius nodded and she continued. "Well, strictly speaking heaven has several curses on us. For divination, there are two that are important. One that just generally makes our life worse and the other that specifically affects the clan's ability to gather resources for their cultivators."

Antonius blinked. "So we're actually cultivating slower than we should?" He asked her, thinking of the good luck he had so far.

"Probably not you specifically," She explained. "It's more of a large statistical thing and that's the curse that's still there."

"So you are trying to use that curse instead of the one you usually use?" He guessed. "It's not working out as intended, I assume?"

"Actually, that works fine." She replied. "It's just tied to the territories we use, so it's not really useful for our personal use especially once we leave for Qiguai."
"So no progress on that front then?" He finished for her.

She sighed and sat back from the board. "No, not really." She answered, as she leaned back and massaged her forehead. "

I knew I needed something drastic like heading to Qiguai to find a permanent solution, but it's still frustrating me."

"Maybe you need a break," Antonius suggested. "A fresh perspective might help."

"Maybe," She agreed. "How are the preparations for our journey going then?"

"Nothing yet on the actual journey," He replied with a sigh. "I've looked at the routes we can take though. We can get to the Yuan clan by Scorpion Road or Shimmering Soup Sect Airship. After that, we need to get to Qiguai on foot, or spend more for a spirit beast or airship."

Corvina nodded in thought. "Airship sounds best if it can get us all the way, though the cost is a factor as always."

"The reason I'm waiting on deciding is because one of the people we might travel with said she'd secured a few seats in the airships," Antonius said. "So I'm waiting to talk to her first."

She raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "That sounds very convenient. Who is this person?"

"Her name is Yahwen," He replied, taking a moment to recall what he'd heard of her. "First Heavenstage with a lot of combat experience. Formerly of the Viridescent Blade Duchy and currently an aspiring noodle cultivator. Her master is one of the mercenaries hired by the clan and she was vouched for by Au- Centurion Ariadne."

Corvina nods slowly. "If Lady Ariadne vouches for her, then I guess we have to trust the information but I'm certain there are some complications there."

Antonius nodded. "I'll keep that in mind when I talk to her."

"Who else is coming?" She asked him.

"There is Xiao Yingzi, newly minted Legionnaire." He told her. "This one was recommended by Orianna."

"First heavenstage?" She asked, sighing.

"First heavenstage," Antonius agreed, feeling somewhat similar. "But she's supposedly quite skilled and talented."

"If you say so," She replied with a shrug. "What about Oriana herself?"

"She's too busy with making sure the legion worked," He explained. "Though she did help find this Xiao Yingzi."

"That's too bad," Corvina said. "She's fairly reliable."

Antonius nodded. "That's it so far, I think."

"It might be helpful for all of us to meet up," She suggested. "Look into that if you can?"

"I'll bring it up when I meet them," He agreed. He paused for a second. "Any ideas for improving your divination?"

She shook her head. "Nothing yet unfortunately." She replied with a frown. "Anyway, I should probably get back to work. Keep me updated on your progress."

Antonius nodded. "I will." He got up to head to his room, before turning back to Corvina. "Did you add any new traps in front of our rooms?"

She looked back at him and thought for a moment, before nodding. "Stick to your side of the corridor."

Antonius sighed and nodded. It was strange what you could get used to.