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

[Quest]

Had most of this already written out back when turn 6 was actually happening. Thought I might as well spruce it up and post it. Most of it was just fixing stuff related to character development. Yahwen was way to enthusiastic about the duel in the original but noodle making isn't as huge a part of her character anymore and she just lost a pretty bad duel.

Antonius Emmanuel Eleanora 50
[Turn 6]
[The Airship Base]
​

The journey to the Sect Airship Fleet Base had been fairly simple as the Shimmering Soup Sect kept that route especially clear. The Snail-back Caravan dropped them there after several days in Mogui City to rest and recover from their journey before heading into the Divided Kingdom.

"So what did you think?" Antonius asked, turning to his companions. "Snails, yay or nay?"

"Yay." Yahwen answered, smiling. "I enjoyed riding them. I'll miss them I think."

"They'll never catch on." Corvina replied, shaking her head. "They aren't too bad overall I think but scorpions can already fit the same role and the clan has a far greater experience with them than snails."

Xiao Yingzi nodded in agreement at that. "You're probably right." Antonius agreed with a sigh. He'd grown attached to the snails however. "Do you think we might be able to buy one for ourselves?"

Corvina raised an eyebrow. "Will you be binding their Alpha then?" She asked. "The alpha requires a beast-master of Foundation Establishment."

"Oh, never mind then." Antonius replied, instead taking a look at the Airship Base. It was surprisingly barren for such an important resource. There was a man he recognised with the aura of someone in Core Formation - most probably a Soup Lord here for protecting and running the place.

There were several Soup Masters coordinating the ships leaving and returning, as well as loading them with goods from surrounding warehouses but besides that, there were no other facilities of any kind that he could recognise. Even the ships were barely anchored to the ground through a cable bridge they were expected to climb up.

"Most repair facilities are based on the ship itself," Corvina explained when he asked. "Any damages that can't be fixed like that either have the ships brought to the Demonic Soup Pot for repair or simply destroyed if such a thing isn't possible."

"They take their secrets very seriously, don't they?" Yahwen asked thoughtfully.

"Their secrets are what give them value," Corvina replied. "If they didn't take it seriously, then they would rapidly lose their influence. I'm sure your dukedom had secret techniques they didn't want anyone else to learn?"

Yahwen nodded. "They did." Then she smirked mischievously. "Then I copied them." Corvina looked at her in exasperation while Yahwen just smiled back cheekily.

"There." Xiao Yingzi interrupted, pointing towards one of the five to six ships floating in the sky. Antonius followed her gaze and glanced at the tickets before nodding in confirmation. Yahwen went first, as technically the tickets were hers.

The soup master standing at the bottom end of the cable bridge looked at them and then nodded, letting them pass. As they reached the top of the ship, a couple members of the Soup Sect stopped them on the way up. The strongest of them - a kitchenhand in the sixth heavenstage - blocked the way and looked at her from the prow of the ship.

"You weren't the one who defeated my master," He said, sneering down at her. "Who are you to take the tickets that would go to us?"

"My… senior defeated yours," Yahwen replied, frowning. "And he gave what he won to me because it wouldn't be of any use to him. Please let me enter."

"I'm sorry, but I can't allow a stranger to board the airship," He replied with a grin. "You might be spies or saboteurs for all I know."

Antonius frowned and glanced at the soup master below who should have clearly heard everything but seemed to be purposefully ignoring them. Corvina stepped forward. "She's with us." She said, gesturing to draw attention to her bronze skin. "I'll vouch for her."

The Soup Master turned to her to say something but paused when he realised that she was a member of the Golden Devil Clan. He frowned at him and glanced at Antonius who looked like a living bronze statue and Xiao Yingzi who also had the look of the bloodline.

Antonius tried not to tense as he frowned. Whether they were in the right or not, he was still in his home territory. There was no telling how things would go. "One second," He said, holding up a finger and turning to friends to talk.

As they conversed in whispers, some of the kitchenhands turned to look at him and before quickly looking away when they caught his eye.. Every now and then their voices rose beyond a whisper and Antonius could catch words like 'duel', 'battle', and 'proving worthiness'.

He turned to Yahwen who looked uncomfortable and then at Xiao Yingzi and Corvina. Xiao Yingzi had a frown on her face at the conversation and her shadow was becoming unruly. Corvina just looked at the altercation in bemusement and just shook her head when she saw him looking at her.

Antonius pressed his hand to his head and turned to Corvina. "Can they do that?" He asked her. "Just challenge us randomly?"

She frowned. "I don't really know their customs but..." She glanced at the soup master again who was still purposely ignoring them. She turned to him and shrugged.
Antonius sighed and looked at Yahwen. "Do you know their dueling customs?" He asked her. "Your master had a duel against one of their Core Formation, right?"

"It's a cooking duel," She replied, thinking back. "As the challenged, my senior got to choose the ingredients and both participants have to make something from it."

"Do any of us actually know how to cook?" He asked, looking around. He knew how to cook for himself thanks to both his parents enjoying food of different types but he was hardly a chef.

Yahwen frowned and shook her head. "I don't know anything… yet." She replied, looking down again one more time.

Corvina shrugged. "I know how to make pills?" She replied with a shrug. "Give me the right ingredients and I can make something edible at least."

Antonius sighed at that and turned to Xiao Yingzi. "I can cook all the traditional dishes of the clan,' She replied with a shrug, as if everyone should know that. "I just need the right ingredients as well."

Antonius blinked. "Does that include soup?" He asked curiously. She nodded her head and he considered it. "Can we only make soup?"

"My senior brother made noodles so I don't think so," Yahwen replied. "It depends on the ingredients I think."

"Right," Antonius said, nodding to himself. "So we'll put letting Xiao Yingzi legitimately compete be a Plan B then. Plan A is 'How do we cheat?'"

"Can we pick ingredients that can't be made into a soup?" Corvina asked.

"Do we know any ingredients that can't be made into soup?" He wondered, glancing at Xiao Yingzi who just shrugged.

"I know nothing of the capabilities of the soup sect," Xiao Yingzi told him. "My skills were only born from researching clan culture not any other."

"Right." Antonius replied before considering something. "Wait. Do we have to accept the duel?"

Yahwen blinked. "I guess… not?" She replied, frowning. The concept seemed strangely hard to grasp for her. "They have to offer something of worth for the tickets. If we don't want whatever they offer, we should theoretically be able to reject it."

"So wait, if they don't have a ticket how are they on the ship before us?" Antonius asked with a frown.
"They are a soup sect, so maybe they are working or someone pulled a string to get them on board?" Corvina guessed. "I imagine they want our tickets because they can't stay for the actual trip."

Antonius nodded. "That makes sense." He replied. "So we don't accept their duel and… then what?"

"Wouldn't they be harassing people who should be there?" Corvina mused. "People who happen to be part of the clan that rules them."

"So we should be able to deal with them right?" Antonius asked out loud, pitching his voice to carry to the soup master still pretending to ignore them. When the man didn't respond, he tried again. "As long as we don't hurt them too badly?" Almost imperceptibly, the man nodded.

Antonius grinned. By the time the kitchenhands had turned back around to talk to them, Antonius had already made up his mind and stood at them front. The kitchenhand who had been happily talking down to Yahwen found himself looking up to Antonius' face.

"Um..." He glanced back to friends and when they encouraged him, he turned back with a grin. "We challenge you to a duel." He declared. "If we defeat you, you give up your seats and instead let them use them. If you win, we will teach each of you a recipe from our Recipe Book."

Antonius raised an eyebrow. "Why would we want to know your recipes?" He asked. "We can just buy the soups that your seniors make."

"Um… isn't she a cook?" He stammered out, pointing at Yahwen. Antonius found himself enjoying the intimidating effect his size could have. He'd known that of course, but this was the first time he'd actually used it.

"Why does that matter?" He rumbled, stepping forward and causing the man to take a step back. "We aren't accepting your duel, so move out of the way."

"Ah..." He looked back again and noticed his friends suddenly having eyes elsewhere and he looked back nervously. Then he took a deep breath and found the courage to stand up for himself. Without a warning, his hands flashed forward into a push before they met the resistance of his body. He looked up at Antonius' unimpressed look. "Ah."

Without any fanfare, Antonius picked up him and tossed him out into the waiting arms of the Soup Master below. He glanced at the others on the ship, some of them looking at him wide-eyed.

"Anyone else?" He said, trying to keep his expression stiff but couldn't help the grin forming. Something about the whole affair made everyone remember having business elsewhere.

"The grin was too much." Corvina told him quietly.

"Oh. Was it that bad?" He asked sheepishly.

"You went from intimidating to demented." She replied.

"Oh." Antonius said. "I'll work on that."

 

[Quest]

Antonius Emmanuel Eleanora 51
[Turn 6]
[Qiguai 1: Disaster]​

Xiao Yingzi pressed down on the pedal and forced the stone wheel to turn. She held the bronze blade of her bamboo spear down to it, in order to sharpen it. It was a special type of spear that was used often by centurions. One she had to be depend upon Senior Corvina to acquire. It was a strong weapon, likely to serve her through Foundation Establishment and highly symbolic besides.

It matched the bamboo staff Senior Yahwen had wielded once and where she gained the thought to acquire it. It was a reminder of a journey that she wasn't likely to forget and a promise to herself to reach the same level of power as her seniors… and not be lost along the way. A journey that was far from over and of which she had only just reached the most difficult step - the Qiguai Clan Doorway.

She lifted the spear as she stopped putting pressure on the pedal and brought it's tip near her face to examine. A prick caused her hand to bleed. It didn't mean anything if it could pierce the skin of one in the third heavenstage, even one enhanced by the blood of bronze. The bamboo it originally came from could theoretically pierce even Core Formation. Still, it did give her a sense of its sharpness and she felt like it was ready.

She took a moment to glance around the smithy she had reserved, considering whether she needed anything else. She had sharpened her spear, polished her armor, she had a decent number of knives and her treasure designed to temporarily empower her shadow in times of danger was within easy reach. Though the smithy available in the Qiguai Inn had several esoteric devices she had hoped would be useful, there wasn't anything that could yield further benefit.

She heard a knock on the door.

Though she couldn't sense who it was due to the smithy's specially treated walls, she recognized the steady inquiring knock as that of Brother Antonius. With an application of will, she absorbed the spear into her storage ring - another object that she had only acquired because of Senior Corvina's connections.

She opened the door to see the brother's large form waiting. The glimmer of bronze on his skin inspired emotion in her - one she now recognized as envy after her experience at the Imperial Soup. She felt it flow through her before shoving it into her shadow. "Xiao Yingzi," He greeted her, looking over her polished armor with approval. "I hope your preparations are done? It's time to go."

She nodded in reply. "Have the seniors finished their preparations?"

"Corvina is waiting, though I don't think she'll ever finish preparing," He replied, giving her a slight smile. Then it turned into a grin. "Yahwen is there too. Don't think she's the type to prepare at all."

"I am certain the senior sisters can take care of themselves," She answered, to which he nodded in acceptance. He turned and Xiao Yingi followed him to the lobby where both her seniors were waiting, allowing her to see their condition for herself.

"Greetings, Senior Sisters." She said, with a slight bow.

"Xiao Yingzi," Senior Corvina looked up from her hand or more specifically from several storage rings on her hands. By now, Xiao Yingzi knew they contained an expansive set of items that could be useful for every possible dilemma they might face. Senior Yahwen had already made use of it to acquire a replacement spear for herself. "The smithy was useful?"

"Yes, Senior Sister. Thank you for allowing me use of it."

She waved her off. "It's no problem, we need to help each other when we can." Her senior used it far more than she had of course, for the bow that was strung behind her back and the arrows of bronze. For even the spool of metallic thread at her hip that she needed for her clan techniques. She also had a sword by her side, but it was likely to be a last resort.

"Greetings, Senior Yahwen." Xiao Yingzi repeated slightly louder while walking closer to the former swordswoman. She hadn't responded to her earlier greeting and had been leaning on her new staff with her gaze towards the door. Her aura was hard to read, at just the edge of static.

Her senior blinked upon hearing her, her aura clearing with a start before she turned to her with her usual cheer. "Xiao Yingzi, ready to face the Qiguai Secret Realm?"

"Yes, senior sister." She replied. "Are you prepared as well?"

Senior Yahwen grinned and flexed her right arm. "I am always ready." Xiao Yingzi considered that reply and nodded. It wasn't something she subscribed to but a broad class of warriors apparently operated well in that manner.

"Glad to hear it," Brother Antonius cut in. "We should start moving out. A few of the other golden devils are entering about now and it'll be better if we all go in together."

Yahwen picked up her staff and spun it before putting in back on the ground. "Then what are we waiting for?" She asked, grinning back. "Let's head out."

Brother Antonius grinned back and walked out, bantering with the Senior Sister and patting Xiao Yingzi on the shoulder as he walked past her. Senior Corvina walked up beside her. "Stay close to me in case someone attacks." She said, causing Xiao Yingzi to nod back.

"How high would you consider the chances of someone attacking us?" She asked, curious about her Senior's input.

Corvina considered it as she led them out the door. "Low, as long as we stay together." She replied. "If it were one of us alone, it would be one thing but gathering enough individuals to fight all of us would be something our hosts couldn't ignore."

Xiao Yingzi considered that and nodded. It made sense and she trusted her Senior's judgement in these matters. Corvina raised an eyebrow at her and then followed after the others with Xiao Yingzi right behind her. As they left the Inn, she took the few moments of relative safety to think back to their journey here in order to review everything that had occurred.

The journey to Qiguai had been a long one. They had to travel deeper into Clan Territories on a caravan before they swung back towards the Shimmering Soup Sect's Lands. They even had a bandit attack on the way though it was quickly taken care of. The only real danger in that part of the journey was boredom which she believed she had grown particularly skilled at banishing. She had even created a game that had met her senior's approval.

After that, they entered those lands through Mogui City and took one of the sect's airships to the Qiguai Lands. It was there in Mogui City where Xiao Yingzi had sensed a change in her seniors' attitude. Perhaps, it was the Duel at Mogui City where they met one of Senior Yahwen's former challengers? He had been incensed at her abandoning the way of the sword and had challenged the senior to a duel, leaving her emotionally compromised. While she wasn't completely certain of what followed after, the former swordswoman had recovered admirably and Xiao Yingzi suspected that the incident had also helped solidify their bonds.

It was something to keep a note of in the future, she decided. She would be leading her own troops at one point and as Andromeda's The Legion had said, strong bonds were an important factor in formation success. Perhaps the source of her improved bonds between her seniors was due to overcoming a challenge together? Senior Yahwen had been vulnerable and the use of vulnerabilities as a method of creating bonds was covered in The Spider though there it was more in the context of spycraft. It was something to think about in the future.

As they began to move out of the immediate area of the Inn, Xiao Yingzi turned her thoughts to the present.

Now of course, she had to focus on the Qiguai Clan Doorway. She had her own hurdles to worry about. In a place as dangerous as Qiguai, it wouldn't do to have her shadow trigger some strange trap or enrage some elder. She didn't think that there would be an issue of course, as the shadow clearly demonstrated a degree of self-preservation but it had been gaining strength as she had and evolving as it did. There were too many variables in the secret realm to predict how it would react and she had to be ready to force it back under control.

She considered the Soulfang Pills that would grant her the will to suppress the shadow but decided to wait until taking it. She glanced around as they walked, watching many of the other cultivators who were there taking note of them. They weren't glances of respect or wariness. It was more like one would eye a particularly profitable group of spirit beasts.

A group of golden devils would be considered prey by many of them due to some old rumors of karmic blessings granted to their slayers making them quite attractive. Then there were those who would consider it their duty to fight them for imagined villainies. Elsewhere, others might hesitate to engage but for those who were already willing to risk their lives in a secret realm, golden devils like herself would only be further opportunity.

Though her seniors seemed oblivious to the scene around her, she was certain that they had noticed them too. As they neared the Doorway, she noticed other members of the clan join them. She recognized one of the Outi orphans and even Lady Ferenike of the Indomitable Thirteen. As the members of the clan gathered together, she felt the presences of those eying them retreat.

Perhaps they were dissuaded by the presence of so many powerful clan experts? Or perhaps simply the idea of facing the same experts when in a group. Rumors of the clan formations must be fairly intimidating to outsiders and certainly had more truth to them than karmic blessings. She would have to make sure that they don't ambush them within the realm or on the way back, as most of group that had gathered here would separate after that point.

She nodded at the Outi as another orphan, though she wasn't sure if he recognized her. He would have no reason to, but it would be a useful callback in the future. Similarly, Senior Corvina greeted a few that she might know. She noticed Brother Antonius give Lady Ferenike a careful nod which she returned. She wondered if they knew each other. The Lady had a reputation for speaking with all those who worked with her.

There weren't many words exchanged beyond simple greetings as they walked towards the hallway that contained the Qiguai Clan Doorway. They were stopped there by the members of that clan who explained the rules and how they had to give them some percentage of their earnings when they came back out. They all listened carefully but there were no questions. No one would have made it this far without clearly knowing all of these things already.

After the Qiguai Clan representatives stepped back, the crowd of golden devils entered the massive hall that contained the entrance to the Secret Realm. It was clearly meant for much larger numbers but besides the Qiguai Clan, the Optimatoi and those who stood with them, there wasn't anyone else here. Away from prying eyes, the members of her clan began to settle into their own groups - the clan no longer needed to stand together as a deterrent. With their own group standing apart, Brother Antonius turned towards them and took a moment to look them over before he spoke.

"So.. we're finally here..." He said, before trailing off. He took a deep breath. "Best of luck out there in case we get seperated."

Corvina held up the spool of bronze. "I was thinking about that." She replied, using qi to stretch a string out. "We can tie each other together, the bronze strings are bound to each other and shouldn't interfere with our fighting tactics."

"I'm fine with it," Antonius remarked, glancing at Yahwen and Xiao Yingzi for their opinions. Xiao Yingzi considered that for a moment. Both Senior Antonius and Senior Corvina didn't need to move much, so it was ideal for them but for Xiao Yingzi and Yahwen who were both fairly active in the battlefield, it could theoretically be used against them.

"I'm okay with it as well." Senior Yahwen replied causing Xiao Yingzi to frown. Normally, the disadvantages of staying together would be negated by the ability to deploy formations but Yahwen lacked the Blood of Bronze. Was this for her benefit?

Though she was curious, Xiao Yingzi nodded as well. This was far more advantageous for her than for them. At the third heavenstage, the disadvantages of being bound to them was far less compared to the protection she gained from being near them. As the bronze wrapped around her, Xiao Yingzi tested it by pulling on it. It was surprisingly easy to move with it. "Thank you," She told Senior Corvina who nodded and smiled back.

"Okay," Antonius said. "It's time to go."

Xiao Yingzi nodded and they moved towards the portal.

Senior Corvina was in the back as the archer and non-combatant. Xiao Yingzi was next as the weakest in power and Senior Yahwen was second as the most-skilled. As the strongest of them, Antonius entered first. He was the strongest and most durable of them with his wave-summoning being eminently suitable for use in the watery Qiguai Realm. As he stepped over the Qiguai Clan Doorway, Xiao Yingzi got her first look at the realm itself.

As she had read about in The Sea in the Sky, she could see warped oceans in it's skies. Space like waves and currents alongside the water with thousands upon thousands of strange worlds hidden within them. She could see poisonous serpents, humongous fish and crabs with shells that shone like steel. For a moment, she even thought she glimpsed an island up in the sky with humanoid fish looking up at her and waving. Then it was gone and other images replaced it.

She turned away and focused on Senior Antonius in the front, knowing that the waters could be as distracting as the threats themselves. She watched as he tested the doorway by extending a hand through. He looked back and nodded before stepping off, and all of them followed.

Then everything went wrong.

In the first moment everything was calm, as if they had caught the realm in a moment of laziness where it had forgotten to be dangerous. Then Brother Antonius moved as if to prepare for landing and he was torn apart in a storm of rending space.

Senior Corvina gave a scream of frustration behind her and Xiao Yingzi turned to see her pull as if to retrieve Brother Antonius before he fell. Xiao Yingzi tried to move towards the Doorway but the ground gave away under her feet and suddenly she was falling down from the sky. A look towards the doorway saw it wash away in the twisting storm as if it was a painting exposed to water.

She looked at the shifting, twisting space around her and felt the pull of the world below.

 

[Quest]

Antonius Emmanuel Eleanora 52
[Turn 6]
[Qiguai 2: Opportunity]​

They entered with strings of bronze connecting their arms. The realm beyond the doorway was one of shifting space and twisting seas. Like the fabled String of Ariadne herself, it would bind them together and let them find each other should they get lost in this foreign world.

Senior Corvina was in the back as the archer and non-combatant. Xiao Yingzi was next as the weakest in power and Senior Yahwen was second as the most-skilled. As the strongest of them, Antonius entered first.

That's when everything went wrong.

In the first moment everything was calm, as if they had caught the realm in a moment of laziness where it had forgotten to be dangerous. Then Brother Antonius took a step and he was torn apart in a storm of rending space.

Senior Corvina screamed behind her and Xiao Yingzi turned to see her pull as if to retrieve Brother Antonius before he fell. Xiao Yingzi stepped towards the Doorway but the ground gave away under her feet and suddenly she was falling down from the sky. A look towards the target saw it wash away in the twisting storm as if it was a painting exposed to water.

Something pulled on her arm and she felt Senior Corvina reeling her in with an expression of absolute focus. Senior Yahwen was pulled along with her, her face green from what she had just witnessed in front of her. Xiao Yingzi felt the pull of earth as the storm that had deposited them here disappeared, letting them fall to the ground as if it was never there.

Senior Corvina opened her mouth to scream something but the wind was blowing strongly and her words were undecipherable. Xiao Yingzi shook her head in response and she pointed to the ground. Ah. Xiao Yingzi turned towards Senior Yahwen who took a deep breath and readied her staff. She nodded at her, likely having thought of some way to survive the fall.

Xiao Yingzi's mind raced. First priority was survival. They hadn't built up much speed and while she had experimented with using her shadow for limited flight, the experiments weren't very promising. In this position, she would have to depend on Senior Yahwen to assist. She held up her hands towards her seniors and felt both of them grab her hand.

Senior Corvina tightened the hold of her string and locked her shoulder with Xiao Yingzi's. Senior Yahwen on the other hand, pulled them up to her back and Xiao Yingzi held on to her waist with one hand. She felt Yahwen's muscles shift and she brought her staff up before smashing it towards the ground.

A blast of air travelled to the ground and disrupted the wind beneath them, causing it to spin into a hurricane that pushed back upwards and softened their landing. Xiao Yingzi held on tight as they began to spin wildly before she sensed the ground beneath them and let go, materialising her shadow to soften the landing enough to survive now that her senior had slowed them.

Senior Corvina stumbled next to her and Xiao Yingzi heard a thump as Senior Yahwen's staff landed on the ground. She looked up in time to see her spin thrice on the grounded staff to bleed off her remaining velocity before she landed gracefully on the ground and turned to them. "What happened to Antonius?" She asked, addressing the senior next to her.

"I - I -" Senior Corvina stopped and took a deep breath, wordlessly held up her hand. In it was a large bronzed arm that was recognizably that of Brother Antonius. Senior Yahwen began to pale. Xiao Yingzi felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach and she forced it into her shadow, deciding that she needed her wits about her. "I'm using my strings to keep the blood and qi within it from fading, but we'll need to find him quickly. I don't know how long I can keep it up."

Senior Yahwen took a deep breath and settled herself. "We will find him then," Senior Yahwen swore with a determined expression. She looked around and then suddenly shivered all over. "Where… where are we exactly?"

Xiao Yingzi followed her gaze and let her own expression curl into a frown. Now that she had a chance to focus.... The qi around them was unfathomable. It felt like the power around them had no limits. Xiao Yingzi breathed in and felt her cultivation surge. She could reach the fourth heavenstage within hours. "Senior Sisters, is the Qiguai Secret Realm usually filled with the auras of Nascent Souls?" She asked, unsure of her conclusion.

Senior Corvina looked at her and then slowly looked around, her eyes wide. As she realised where they were, her breath hitched. "I think…. I think that we're in the Nascent Soul part of the Qiguai Sacred Realm."

"Is that even possible?" Senior Yahwen asked, looking around warily.

"Anything is possible here," Senior Corvina replied, looking shaken. "But this… this was unexpected even taking that into account."

Xiao Yingzi thought for a moment and considered their first priority. "Is there any way out?" She asked her, unsure when the Nascent Soul section of the Realm even opened. It had not been a factor in any of her plans.

Senior Yahwen looked at her and frowned. Then she looked back at Senior Corvina questioningly. "Is there a way out?"

Senior Corvina looked between the two of them. "I… I don't know."

Xiao Yingzi frowned, her thoughts swirling as she looked around for any solution. How would they survive? The mere attention of any being here could kill them. She felt her shadow react to the fear within her and she ate a Soulfang Pill in an effort to suppress it. She fed her emotions into the shadow freely as her bolstered will held her shadow in an iron grip. She looked around again and noticed that Senior Corvina had fallen to her knees and Senior Yahwen was looking around with wide, panicking eyes. She didn't have much time, she realised. The shock of the Nascent Soul auras was reaching her seniors.

Xiao Yingzi scanned the shifting and twisting seas, letting her shadow bloom with all the feelings welling up within her. She ignored the strange forest of giant weeds in the color of pink and red in the distance, she ignored the coral mountains and hurricanes of frozen water reaching up to the oceans in the skies. Then in the distance, on a stone hill - not coral, not ice but a proper hill small enough to easily overlook but also close enough to reach. At the top of it, jutted out a simple bronze pole with a red flag waving at its end. She recognised it from the clan's tongue.

MCLXXVIII​

A grin forced itself on Xiao Yingzi's mouth but she didn't suppress it. If there was ever a moment where an expression of joy was not out of place, it was this one. "Look there." She said, pointing at the spear. "That is a legion standard."

"Holy Shit." Senior Yahwen exclaimed, a fierce grin splitting her face. The effect of even the slightest bit of hope was enough to bolster her spirits. Senior Corvina just looked at it with wide, disbelieving eyes.

Then a gasp escaped her lips. "It's real," She exclaimed. "Oh, by the Imperator. It's real." A chill ran through Xiao Yingzi's spine as the possibility of a trap entered her mind. But she dismissed it just as quickly. If it was a trap then it was one they had to spring. They hardly had any choice of ignoring something that looked too good to be true.

"The heavens have indeed overlooked our misfortune." Xiao Yingzi agreed. "Let us depart before we attract any attention." The first priority was moving somewhere safe and that was the closest they had. With an agreeing nod, both her seniors moved alongside her, both walking quickly but without the use of qi in the hopes of not attracting any attention.

As they came closer, they began to make out craters around the banner-pole and the sight inside those craters made them freeze. Two corpses lay next to the pole, long dead but still emanating incredible power. One corpse was that of an incredibly handsome man with a skin of bronze who even laying on the ground seemed… Xiao Yingzi frowned as a word forced itself out of her mind, even if she would never normally use it here.

The corpse seemed perfect.

She averted her eyes from it but still couldn't get the image of the corpse out of her mind. She shook her head and tried to ignore it. She didn't dare look at the other corpse, despite a desire to do so. She could feel it even as far as they were, like a hot flame that emanated bloodthirst instead of heat and a faint buzzing sound just at the edge of her hearing. When neither corpse reacted to their presence, they carefully made their way to the banner pole.

Senior Yahwen reached the pole first and though she hesitated at first, she reached out to grab it after nothing happened. As soon as her hands came close to it, the pole began to vibrate angrily like the buzz of a saw - as if it would take her fingers off if she dared to touch it. She froze at that and hastily stepped back, glancing at her and Senior Corvina.

"Yeah, that thing doesn't like me at all." She said, holding her hand as if it were burnt. "It's something related to your clan, isn't it? Try touching it, maybe it'll work."

Xiao Yingzi glanced at Senior Corvina and inclined her head. As the scion of the ancient Taurus family, she was far more likely to be recognised by an lost clan Artifact than Xiao Yingzi was. Senior Corvina nodded and gingerly reached towards the banner-pole. As before, nothing happened immediately but as soon as she got close enough to touch it, the spear began to vibrate far more vehemently than before.

Senior Corvina withdrew her hand in a flash. She stepped back and frowned at it for a moment before glancing at Xiao Yingzi. "You should try it." When she saw her unconvinced look, she continued. "It might be looking for some specific characteristic. You should try it."

Xiao Yingzi nodded and reluctantly reached for it. She paused just before touching it, expecting it to act the same as before but when it didn't react she carefully placed a finger on it. Nothing happened. She grasped it with her fist.

"Through Innumerable Deaths, Unshaken"​

The words went through her mind like a lightning bolt and when she tried to move her hand, she found it stuck. Instead, a spark of qi rushed from her to it and like a flame burning away parchment, the spark spread through the pole revealing the same words written in the Old Tongue and many names carved into the bronze of the pole.

Senior Corvina leaned in to read the names. "Ignatius, Aeneas, Jove, Nicholaa, Ligea… these are all traditional names of the clan." She replied, eyes widening. Xiao Yingzi felt the touch of a foriegn mind. No, of hundreds upon thousands of minds, fragmented beyond recognition. Fragments of elder wills infused into a single banner standard in order to aid the next generation of the clan.

"I can feel the infused wills of elders within this spear," Xiao Yingzi said, as she felt them behind to whisper inside her mind. "I believe those names may belong to them."

Senior Corvina frowned at that and then glanced at the spear, her face twisted from extreme concentration. "The one thousand, one hundred and seventy eighth legion." She whispered. "I have heard of a legion whose elders infused their wills into their banner, granting the wielder and all those in a formation with them incredible coordination and battle prowess much like the Taurus clan's Labyrinthian Thread technique."

Xiao Yingzi frowned and lifted it off the ground. It came out easily and when she saw the edge of the pole, she realised it had been carved into the edge of a spear. The Banner-Pole Spear, some part of her mind whispered to her. She felt something change in the way the voices spoke to her and she found herself adjusting her stance with their advice. "I think… I can feel their advice and their insight for battle," She said out loud. "But I don't think I would be able to extend it to a whole formation."

Senior Corvina nodded, her stance loose. She wasn't a strong fighter, Xiao Yingzi realised but her form was still present more out of experience than any talent or training. Still, the way she twitched every few moments showed how sharp her perception was. "You probably need time to understand how to use it or just more power." Xiao Yingzi nodded, noticing how the act of explaining seemed to centre her.

"Now what?" Senior Yahwen asked, adjusting her grip on her staff as she glanced around nervously and very carefully not at the bonfire of bloodlust behind them. The staff wasn't the weapon she wanted, Xiao Yinzi could now notice. Her hands ached to hold a sword even if she would not dare do so. Even without that, her stance was excellent, perhaps the closest one could come to the insight granted by the spear.

She glanced at the corpse of the fallen clan member, knowing intuitively that he had once been the wielder of her spear. Whatever influence it once had on her mind was gone, the spear shielding her from it. "We should search through the corpse for items that may be of use." She explained. "I will not be affected by the lingering influence of it's dao."

At Senior Corvina's cautious nod, she knelt down and looked at the corpse properly. It was dressed in bronze armor of the sort that Ciao Yingzi was certain could beggar the clan as it was. In fact, she was certain if she could bring the corpse back she would have done more for the clan than any save the Archigetes himself.

She ignored most of the things that would have otherwise drawn her attention. She knew from the whispers in her mind that most of them were designed only for the person before her and that any attempt to remove them would be dangerous for her.

Instead, she reached for a pouch at the corpse's side. It was filled with various trinkets the Nascent Soul didn't particularly care for. She carefully retrieved it and opened it, revealing several items that were worth much but practically useless. After a moment's scrutiny, she retrieved the items that seemed to have any worth.

The first was a telescope carved from high-grade spirit. It was carved in the manner of an artist who needed something to keep their hands busy during their spare time. To a Nascent Soul, it may have been useless but by looking through and seeing how her Senior's auras shone she was certain she could find some use for it. A Soul Farseer, the voice in the back of her mind once more whispered.

She retrieved a delicate compass constructed of complex gears. A Taurus Divination Compass, she realised and the voice had a note of disgust as it recited the information. The compass pointed directly at Senior Corvina, who accepted it with an awed expression. A sense of disdain came over her and she sent it into her shadow, though the source of it concerned her.

When Senior Yahwen looked at her expectantly, making Xiao Yingzi frown. After a moment's thought, the girl retrieved a small bronze carving knife that she took hold of with a strange reverence. "It's… perfect." Yahwen said, seeming incredibly moved by the gift. "It's so sharp, I'm certain it could even pierce Core Formation."

Xiao Yingzi frowned and considered the sense of disdain she was feeling. She glanced at the tip of the spear, which had similar capabilities but some part of her considered it shoddy and hastily carved. Some remnant will of the elder who had wielded this spear? She shook her head, trying to clear the feeling when the sense of oppression in the air suddenly increased.

All three flinched at the sudden presence behind them and turned towards the corpse they had all been avoiding looking at. Though dead, a blood red spectre rose from the corpse and as hundreds of bees manifested around them, Xiao Yingzi recognised the techniques of the Devil Bees that harassed the clan for generations.

Neither she or any of her seniors could move, frozen by its sheer presence. The whispers in Xiao Yingzi's mind guided her to bite her tongue in hopes that the pain would free them of the influence of it's killing intent and activating her lifesaving treasure in the hopes that she might flee but before she could, a second aura bloomed as if in response.

Perfection.

That was his Dao. She knew it, dancing as it was in the back of her head but it was undeniable as the corpse stood again bound together by a remnant will choosing this moment to expend itself to save them. "Have no fear," The voice exclaimed, more thoughts in their mind and words in the air.

Their auras struggled, thousands of intricate bronze contraptions all linked in a web of incredible complexity faced millions and millions of blood-drinking bees moving with the primal strength of a single nascent will. She felt the blows and buffets of the fight as the man moved, striking many blows and she felt their conflicting auras snake into her flesh.

She heard a scream as Senior Yahwen crumbled like a marionette whose strings had been cut. Senior Corvina, shielded by the blood of bronze fared better but even she was on her knees blood streaming out of her eyes as she Saw far deeper into the auras of the Nascent Souls than Xiao Yingzi ever could.

Xiao Yingzi grit her own teeth as their power tore through her meridians, causing injuries that would take decades to recover from and likely stall her cultivation completely until they healed. She fed all of her fear and frustration into her shadow, then reached into the bag at her side for her life saving treasure in the hopes that she could escape.

Then the elder pushed the spectre away and their battle continued elsewhere, allowing Xiao Yingzi to collapse on to the ground unsure of what to do next. All she could do was listen to the whispers in her mind as they taught her the breathing techniques and meditation to slow the damage to her body and hope that the Elder returned to aid her.

She could hear and feel the battle that occurred, it's shockwave clear despite the distance and she extended her perception to her Senior Sisters, noting them injured but still clearly alive. Finally, after an unknown amount of time, she felt the battle cease and one of the fighters made their way back, their aura clear bronze. It was the elder.

He stepped down casually, as if the battle had barely been a struggle and turned his perfect bronze face towards her with a smile. "Greetings, junior sister." He said, kneeling down next to her. She struggled upright and he placed a hand on her, stopping her. The next moment, his qi flowed into her, the perfect emotionless qi she cultivated and brought her closer to perfection.

It healed most of her wounds and in the process, it greatly sped up her cultivation allowing her to quickly breach up to the sixth heavenstage. She breathed heavily from the change inside and stood up carefully, examining the changes to her physiology. Her physical motion was unimpaired but her meridians were still damaged, allowing her the use of qi but slowing her cultivation until they recovered.

She glanced at the Nascent Soul Elder in curiosity and he nodded in acknowledgement. "It irks me to leave a job half done," He replied. "But I only have so much power and I must help your friends as well. I prioritised your capability to move and the cultivation you gained as a side-effect should be adequate compensation for the meridian damage."

She nodded and bowed. "I am grateful for your help, Elder." Was he a Legate, she wondered? Or did he hold some other lofty title? Elder seemed the least likely to offend. "If I may ask,is it possible for us to leave this place?"

As the elder moved over Senior Yahwen, he nodded at her question. "For a Nascent Soul to leave themselves is impossible, but to push a tiny power like a Qi Condensation cultivator out the exit is quite possible indeed." He explained. "Once your allies recover, I shall expend the last of my will to send you out of this realm."

She nodded gratefully and as he healed her, he looked at Senior Yahwen curiously. "This auxiliary has such a peculiar bloodline." He said, turning to Xiao Yingzi. "Their entire bloodline is connected and the lowest empower the cultivation of the highest of their blood. Where did we find such vassals?"

Xiao Yingzi bowed. "In the Organ Meat Desert," She explained. "There is an entire minor power with nearly eight different bloodlines with a similar effect."

"Fascinating." He replied, before finishing his work. Senior Yahwen stood carefully, before jumping into a battle stance. The elder ignored her, moving on to Senior Corvina. Senior Yahwen looked to Xiao Yingzi and then relaxed, quickly moving towards her.

As the Elder stood over Senior Corvina, his lips twisted into disdain. "Of course one of that damned Ariadne's spawn survived." He said to himself. "And I see that she has re-acquired the compass I was studying. Well, no matter." As he healed her, the elder turned to Xiao Yingzi once more. "Tell me, girl. Have you heard tales of the great inventor Teleos who invented the Bronze Horse Formation? The Heaven-Deceiving Island? The great automaton Nemo?"

Xiao Yingzi frowned and shook her head. "Bah." He cursed, shaking his head. "No matter." As he finished healing her, Senior Corvina stood up shakily and he quickly gestured for her to move to where both Xiao Yingzi and Senior Yahwen stood. "Quickly now, before anything else notices the battle and appears."

At that, Senior Corvina moved quickly and stood beside them before she turned to the Nascent Soul Elder and bowed. "Thank you for all of your aid, Elder." She quickly said and both Xiao Yingzi and Yahwen followed suit.

The elder looked at them and nodded. Then his eyes landed on the Banner-Pole Spear. He sighed. "It is a shame I had to deface that banner with my quick and shoddy work and even the weapon I created wasn't enough to help me survive." He raised a hand towards them and nodded. "It will do however. Good luck, my juniors."

With that he pushed his aura into them and Xiao Yingzi felt space twist around them, as it had once before. Then she felt the senior's will bear down upon the world around, forcing them out of the Realm entirely. Then, almost effortlessly the world around them faded and they reappeared in the hall of the Qiguai Clan.

Xiao Yingzi heard a clatter as a Qiguai clan member jumped back, dropping what seemed like a book on the ground. Many of the other visitors looked at them curiously and then, noticing that they were Golden Devils almost hungrily. Guided by the Banner-Pole Spear, she hit it's butt on the ground and looked back at them with a steady look.

Seeing them return unhurt and clearly having gained much from the realm, many averted their eyes and the remainder seemed content to try and meddle with them at a later date. The Qiguai Clan members quickly recovered and made their way to them, both to question the and likely to attempt to extract a portion of their earnings.

 

[Quest]

Antonius Emmanuel Eleanora 53
[Turn 6]
[Qiguai 3: Division]​

As can be expected, slipping into the Nascent Soul part of the Qiguai Clan Secret Realm was something that got greater scrutiny than simply braving the Qi Condensation part of it. It certainly gained the three of them attention from the upper ranks of that clan. Within minutes of their appearance, Xiao Yingzi and her seniors found themselves escorted to a private room away from the Doorway Hall.

They were summoned before a Doorway Supervisor in the Great Circle of Foundation Establishment so that the Qiguai Clan could gain information on their experience. It was a tremendous opportunity - a chance to negotiate to keep more of the items they had collected from the Nascent Soul Teleos' corpse or simply gather advantages for a future trip to the Secret Realm. Things like knowledge or limited special treatment may well have been on the table.

Unfortunately, her seniors were not cooperating.

"I apologise Senior, but we don't really have the time to sit and talk." Senior Corvina explained as soon as she got a chance to speak. She did not take the seat offered to them by the Senior Cultivator, instead just fidgeting in impatience. Xiao Yingzi wanted to frown, but the whispers from her new spear convinced her otherwise. They needed to present a united front, even if she wasn't quite sure what her senior sister was planning.

The supervisor raised an eyebrow. "Are you certain?" He asked, looking them over carefully. "While we will not force you to, it will be advantageous for you if you cooperate. We are even willing to waive a significant percentage of the tax if the information you provide has enough detail."

Senior Corvina considered it for a moment before glancing at Senior Yahwen and Xiao Yingzi for support. The former swordswoman gave her a thumbs up and Xiao Yingzi gave her an encouraging nod. Senior Corvina turned back towards the supervisor and took in a deep breath. "I am willing to provide you with my memory of the event in a jade slip," She replied and Xiao Yingzi found herself unconsciously taking in a breath. "However, I don't need the fee waived. Instead, we'd like a favor."

The supervisor leaned forward with interest. Memory recordings were detailed of course, but Xiao Yingzi knew that they were also not given out for a reason. They could be easily used against the creator by providing an insight into their thought process. For a golden devil like her or Senior Corvina, that was a lot of risk. "And what favor do you hope to gain from us?" He asked, his tone deliberately casual.

"I want to go back inside and I want you to have a medical team standing by." She answered, causing the Foundation Establishment Elder to pause. Xiao Yingzi frowned as she began to get an inkling of her senior's goal. The supervisor's eyes flickered to her expression, causing her to freeze.

"Well," The supervisor said, giving her a wide smile. "That can certainly be arranged."

| | | | | | | | | |​

The process took ten minutes over all, barely requiring a moment's concentration for Senior Corvina to hand over a fragment of her memory to a Righteous Sect. They were quickly led into the Qiguai Clan Doorway, the hall of which had been quickly emptied as part of the deal. As the supervisor retreated, Senior Corvina and Senior Yahwen began to prepare - testing weapons and armor and ensuring that they weren't damaged.

Xiao Yingzi stood a distance away, unmoving and simply considering her move. "Senior Sister, may I ask why we are venturing back inside the Secret Realm after the harrowing encounter we have just been through?"

Senior Corvina didn't look at her, instead simply inspecting an arrow and making sure that it was still functional. "Antonius is alive." She explained, gazing at the tip of the arrow. "I can feel it. With his arm with me, I should have a good chance of tracking him down and bringing him back to safety."

Xiao Yingzi considered that. It made sense and seemed to have a large chance of success. "I see," She replied with a nod. "I wish you success on your journey."

Senior Corvina paused and then turned to look at her in full. "You aren't coming?" She asked, looking at her carefully. Senior Yahwen paused and turned to her as well.

"Wait, what's this about you not coming?" Yahwen asked her with a frown.

Xiao Yingzi turned to her and gave her a slight nod. "I don't believe I should go."

Yahwen tilted her head in confusion. "You should be more than strong enough now to make it through and all of our injuries are pretty minor. Why aren't you coming?"

Xiao Yingzi held up her spear and planted it to the ground, hearing the whispers in her mind fill her with their wisdom. "I have gained what I came for," She answered. "While the loss of Senior Antonius is regrettable, I don't believe trying to retrieve him is worth the risk of losing my life."

Senior Yahwen's face turned blank and her stance shifted subtly, in a way that the voices told her indicated rising anger. "Are you saying that Antonius… isn't worth the risk?" She asked, voice dangerously low.

Xiao Yingzi tensed in preparation for a battle. She was certain that as she was now, she would be a match for even Senior Yahwen now but things devolving into combat was hardly ideal. "I apologise for my careless words," She said quickly. "But we all signed up for this with personal goals in mind and we all accepted the risk of death and injury. I have achieved my goals and I do not wish to take the same risks again."

Unfortunately, those words only seemed to incense her further. For a moment, Xiao Yingzi considered fleeing when Senior Corvina placed a hand on Senior Yahwen's shoulder. "She's right." She replied with a sigh. "It's her choice."

Yahwen looked at Xiao Yingzi for a moment before turning away in disgust. "Fine, Whatever." She went to sit, some distance away and began to re-adjust her armor with quick, forceful movements.

Senior Corvina gave her an apologetic nod. "Are you sure you don't want to come? It would be nice to have you and you'd also get a chance to test out your new spear."

Her presence would certainly increase the odds of success, however… Xiao Yingzi shook her head. "Tell Senior Antonius thank you for all of his help." She said instead. "If you find him at least. I do hope you do."

Senior Corvina sighed. "I'm honestly not sure when or if we'll make it back…" She replied, shaking her head in bemusement. "But I have to do this or I won't be true to the kind of person I want to be."

She wouldn't be perfect. A suspicion rose inside her mind but Xiao Yingzi pushed it aside. It wasn't her business anymore. "I wish you the best of luck, Senior Sister." She said with a bow. "Thank you for all the aid you have given me."

Senior Corvina nodded, and Xiao Yingzi could sense the movement in her aura, sharpened from simply touching her new Soul Farseer. "You are very welcome." She replied, before pausing. "Oh and since it's a bit difficult to know when we will return, it's best if you return on your own." She glanced at Senior Yahwen who seemed to be trying to strangle her armor with it's lace. "Best for various reasons."

Xiao Yingzi raised her head and glanced at Senior Yahwen for a moment. It probably wasn't ideal to linger longer. She looked at Senior Corvina for a final moment, and took in the complicated smile she was giving her.

She felt a weight in the pit of her stomach. With a thought, she shoved it into her shadow and suppressed it's reactions easily with the strength of the Banner-Pole Spear in her hands. With that done, she took a deep breath.

Xiao Yingzi then nodded, turned and left.

 

[Quest]

Just one more with Yahwen's POV and maybe another aftermath, then I'm done with turn 6! This was interesting to write. I'd first written these scenes from Xiao Yingzi's POV and since I decided she'd probably leave, I re-wrote it from Corvina's. Then I considered Yahwen's POV and it was fun to think how different the same event was when seen through a different character.

Antonius Emmanuel Eleanora 55
[Turn 6]
[Qiguai 4: Rescue]​

Entering the Qiguai Secret Realm for the second time was far simpler than the first time. There was no storm of ripping and tearing space, no forces of nascent strength. Still, Corvina found it terrifying in it's own right. The Nascent Soul Realm was utterly horrifying because there was absolutely nothing she could have done about it. Some ill curse had gotten them in and an unreliable stroke of luck had gotten them out.

It was the kind of thing that was a nightmare for her - the edges of possibility that were impossible to account for. The dangers of the Qi Condensation Realm were closer to her conception, dangers she could understand, dangers that she had read about and the anxiety that came from the thought of whether she was prepared enough… she wasn't certain which was worse after experiencing both. She needed to be perfect, or they could all die.

As they walked through the world of twisting oceans for a second time, Corvina tracked Antonius using the arm she had managed to save. Her wires of bronze wrapped around it, forming a pouch that kept both blood and qi inside it and hid its presence from others. It had been in her hands for nearly an hour now but those of their bloodline were sturdy and Antonius especially so. All she could do was hope that he'd survived and that he hadn't lost his hand due to some flaw in her treatment.

She could almost feel the shadow of a pulse through her strings and she dearly wished that it was her intuition and not just wishful thinking. At the very least, she knew that his body still existed and wasn't devoured by some realm beast or otherwise transformed beyond recognition. She could feel the sympathetic link between the two and that was what they followed.

Yahwen walked behind her with light steps, staff in hand gripped tightly. Corvina wondered what she was going through. She had taken Xiao Yingzi leaving very badly and that made sense given her culture. While the seer wasn't happy about the girl leaving, she understood why. The clan would greatly look down on one who abandoned their comrade, but at the same time there were limits to that.

Those limits were risks like that of Old Alexios dying in a futile attempt to protect his grandson. Xiao Yingzi was well within her rights to step back but whether Corvina was wrong to choose to go back in was yet to be decided. If she succeeded, she would be an insightful woman who had recovered a comrade where others could not. If she failed, she would be a fool who couldn't see the bigger picture.

Corvina dearly hoped she was the former.

As they walked, the ground gave way to shallow water that rose up to their knees and small coral mounds began to rise as well, creating a watery maze they had to traverse. Some mounds were chest height and others went above their heads and blocked their view. They were small enough and close enough together that they formed thin paths where every turn led only to several other turns.

Corvina had to make the choice of which paths to take. Certainly, she had a sense of where Antonius lay but they couldn't move in a straight line, having to avoid the creatures of the realm as well as the cultivators who had invaded it. She had hoped that the Way-finding Compass of her ancestor would be some help but she had too little experience with it. Though the needle pointed out a path to her, a slightest doubt in her mind would cause it to change target. She was beginning to understand that it depended upon her own abilities somehow and it wouldn't magically solve their problems.

They walked carefully, suppressing their auras. Some aura-dulling pills she had prepared helped them hide better and some will-sharpening pills helped them sense their surroundings better. Several times they passed by beasts or other cultivators, only saved because they could sense them first and hide behind one of the coral mounds. The closest they came to discovery was when they hid from a shimmer-bug.

It was a thin, stretched stick like insect that used it's long legs to walk on water. It's body glittered as it turned in the light, likely capable of entrancing creatures with weak minds long enough that it could leap towards them and slay them. It was not what discovered them. As they hid, a pink tongue struck like lightning and grabbed the insect, pulling it into the mouth of a Giant Horned Toad. It sat on a coral mound, nearly the same color and released it's aura showing the incredible power of one in Foundation Establishment.

That gave Corvina pause. She considered whether to wait it out or to try to run from it as it chewed it's meal, when it casually turned an eye towards her and Yahwen. A chill ran down her spine and she felt Yahwen tense, ready to run. Corvina gently pulled the bronze string between them to get her attention and slowly, very slowly so as to not startle the toad, she shook her head.

Then as the toad chewed and stared, Corvina held both hands to show that she wasn't armed and began to walk away. Then as the toad stared at them, they slowly moved out of its field of vision. It's eyes followed them the entire time and she couldn't for the life of her tell what it was thinking. Despite that, she felt like the only reason it hadn't eaten them too was because it was already preoccupied in eating a meal. Once they moved out of direct line of sight, they picked up speed until she was confident they were out of the way.

As soon as they were a good distance away, they slowed down and looked around warily for anything else that might approach them. When no one appeared, they began to move again hoping to avoid any more notice. They ran into a group of cultivators as well but they were embroiled in a battle with a beast allowing Yahwen and Corvina to walk past before they could finish.

As they headed deeper into the realm, almost everyone else they encountered were otherwise involved until the cultivators abruptly stopped and there were only the beasts and spirits about. This was likely due to them heading deeper into the realm and it made the journey incredibly tense. It took them several hours to see the first signs of Antonius' presence. Though he wasn't there, a pool of blood had formed on the water and it was undeniably Antonius'.

The pool hadn't been pulled by the current, though the water pushed against it. Instead it calcified into bronze, taking root into the ground beneath the waves. "Why did that happen?" Yahwen whispered quietly, trying not to attract the attention of the powerful spotted vole feasting on water worms that had been attracted by the blood. "I've seen him spill blood before, but I've never seen his blood change like that."

"It's not something we hadn't expected possible," Corvina replied equally quietly. "It could be because of the quantity, because of something in this Realm's environment or… it could be because he's close to death."

Yahwen took in a slow breath. "He's not here at least." She said, causing Corvina to think of all the reasons that might be why. "So that means he's strong enough to move."

Corvina nodded in reply and focused on the hand she had close to her. She could still sense the telltale pulse and she could sense the sympathetic connection pointing somewhere else. She took a deep breath and let it out. "This way, come on."

They skirted around the whole area, trying to avoid anything else that might have shown up and then they moved towards the direction Corvina could feel they needed to go. There were no other signs of Antonius on the way, the flow of the water likely wiping away any lesser amount of blood and any lingering qi.

They moved until the coral gave way to islands connected by bridges of stone and the water began to smell of salt and sea. Slowly the water began to rise and they began to see various creatures moving under the water. They continued in the same manner until they found themselves in front of a cave with sea-water rising to chest height. Only the top of the cave opening was above the water.

"Are we sure that he's in there?" Yahwen asked, her voice grim. "Most people wouldn't retreat to a cave this deep. There is no telling what might be in there."

"Antonius has a degree of familiarity with seawater and caves," Corvina replied, recalling his experiences in Yuan. "It's not too far-fetched for him to retreat here if he was hurt and possibly half-conscious. He could even conceivable be safer here with his ability to sense and manipulate water."

She focused and extended her senses through the water, trying to feel what was inside of the cave. To her surprise, she almost immediately encountered a mass of some sort - many small things gathering in a swarm inside it. "Some creatures in the water there - small but many," She whispered urgently and Yahwen leapt to the rocks above the cave, gripping it with qi. Then she pulled Corvina up.

As she was pulled up, Corvina saw a star-shaped eel biting into her lower leg and already beginning to draw blood. "Yahwen, don't move." Corvina whispered, causing the former swordswoman to freeze. She slowly extended her wires around the creature and wrapped it in a pouch before it could even begin to struggle.

"Ugh! I don't even feel it on my skin. Take it off!" Yahwen cursed and Corvina nodded, slowly cut it with a knife finally forcing it to let go. The wound wasn't very deep but as she studied the struggling eel, she couldn't help but frown.

She handed Yahwen a bandage to tie around the wound and stuck to the rock with her own strings. "It's teeth are like saws." She said, grimacing. "They could even chew through Antonius' bronze skin I'd bet if they had enough time.. What did you mean when you said you didn't feel it?"

"I don't know." Yahwen replied, as she struggled to lean in and tie the bleeding wound while trying not to drop her staff. "It's still numb?"

Corvina's eyes widened. "Do you feel woozy? Losing consciousness or concentration?" She asked quietly and urgently.

Yahwen shook her head. "No, just the wound." She replied, then her eyes widened as she realised what Corvina was getting at.

"A local anesthetic agent." Corvina concluded with a grimace. "They might be eating him alive and he'd thank them for it, since they'd be eating away his pain too."

Yahwen flinched and her head immediately turned to the cave mouth. "We have to get him out," She said, her voice filled with horror.

Corvina nodded and extended her bronze threads through the water, relying upon her senses to feel inside. "I sense him," She said, but her voice wasn't filled with joy. His spirit was incredibly dim. She summoned her threads and focused on them completely, leaving Corvina to hold her body and prevent it from falling.

Then she slowly began wrapping her threads around him, ignoring the feedback of the eels trying to bite into his body and reinforcing the threads the few times the eels eyed them as a new meal. The base threads weren't strong enough and she needed to wrap a few of them together to bear their teeth.

Antonius wasn't very deep inside. The mouth of the cave continued and quickly ended at an angled wall where Antonius was leaning. The eels were likely attracted there by his presence here. She took a moment to chart the way he would move, and then she opened her eyes and pulled.

All of the eels went into a frenzy as Antonius was pulled out and then with Yahwen's help, she pulled his body up. Two star-eels had gripped his left foot and she quickly removed as she had with Corvina. She winced as she realised they had eaten away half his foot from the heel and even chewed two of his toes.

Then she saw the rest of the body and shuddered. He was dying. His wounds were horrific. She knew that he should have already been dead. That he was still breathing and only his arm was torn off by shearing space instead of his whole body was another unreliable twist of fate. But saving his life well to her.

Corvina steeled herself.

Yahwen's urgent voice interrupted her thoughts. "Corvina, the eels are starting to attack us. Any plans?" She asked, her aura controlled but on the edge of panic. This must have been the first time she had seen such injury, Corvina realised distantly. Yahwen was older than her and certainly more skilled at combat but she hadn't fought the blood path. She'd never been in a war.

She glanced at her. Yahwen wasn't looking at her, focused on hitting away the eels as they jumped from the water. Corvina could see the tension in the way she held herself and she could sense the rest of eels gathering underneath the surface of the water as they collectively began to realise they were on the rock. When did I take command? She wondered to herself.

"I need to heal him," She said, looking down at Antonius' beeding form. He only had so long to live if he kept losing blood like that. It was up to her. She wasn't even sure she could move him without patching up first. "Guard me?"

For a moment, there wasn't any reply. Then Yahwen's voice came filled with steel. "I'll need a weapon," Yahwen said to her. It didn't click at first. "Something sharp." Corvina resisted looking up at her, instead pulling out her sword from her side and then throwing it up to her. She heard Yahwen catch it.

Corvina took a deep breath and focused upon Antonius. Yahwen was doing her job to the best of her ability and Corvina had no choice to reciprocate. With her protection secured, she turned to Antonius' body which she only knew was still alive because of his still-present and rapidly deteriorating qi.

She took a deep breath and nodded to herself. First, she needed to stop the bleeding. She looked over his injuries. There were several that were several rips and cuts that were dangerous but not life-threatening. The first thing she had to look at was his torn left arm. She then opened her equipment pouch in search of what she needed.

She had the emergency healing pills that she had rationed. A blood pill, a qi-restoration pill and a basic recovery pill should be able to replenish his blood and restore his body to some semblance of its former self. As he was in no shape to take them normally, she crushed them together and mixed it with water to pour it down his throat. He gave a cough and some of it spilled out, but she could already see him beginning to heal.

A bandage on the foot to stop it from bleeding out. It wouldn't heal with those basic pills and Antonius needed professional help as soon as he could get it, not just what she had learned on the battlefield. But it would do for now. Then she turned to his hand, which needed the most work.

She had his hand close by and she took out the other items she needed from her storage ring. A sewing needle for the body and a bronze thread made from Antonius' own body as part of his bloodline testing. The last thing she needed was for his body to reject her qi or any thread she used when it was already so heavily damaged. This would let her work without any issues.

She took a deep breath and began to sew.

 

[Quest]

Antonius Emmanuel Eleanora 56
[Turn 6]
[Qiguai 5: Blademaster]​

His body lay sprawled on the cart behind her, his sharp eyes white and glassy, his strong limbs limp and sprawling. Though his axe lay by his side, he had no strength to use it. No strength because of scorpion venom, still running through his veins. It was all her fault. If only she hadn't challenged the Turquoise Scorpion Clan….

Antonius lay on the angled rock face above her, tied to the stone with wires of bronze as Corvina clung next to him and secured him. His left foot was half-eaten, his left hand had been ripped off and so many wounds covered his body - it made her sick. Could she have ever saved him? Could she have even made a difference here?

It had been a scorpion clan assassin who snuck into their camp at night. Somehow, the assassin had burrowed into the ground and the first sign they had was a scorpion tail rising from beneath them and striking him with it's poison sting. She had slain the man instantly, but the damage was done. The large axe-wielder who had been her companion for much of her journey had fallen. Why couldn't she have kept an eye out? Sensed their foe before he struck?

It was the same with Antonius. He'd reached such a state but there was nothing she could do. If she had been faster, could she have saved him from the storm of space that ripped him away from them? Once more, there was nothing she could do. She was just a swordswoman. No, she wasn't even that. She looked at the star-eels swirling in the water under them, ready to attack at any moment.

She had left everything behind to rush the man to the border. The green dragon empire was her Duke's liege and her name had some weight there. If she could just reach it, she might be able to find a healer who might have an antidote. But the scorpion clan barred her path, surrounding them mid-way there and threatening to kill both of them in vengeance for their fallen brother. Even though he had been the one using dishonorable techniques….

"Corvina, the eels are starting to attack us." She said urgently. Could she hear the panic in her voice? "Any plans?" She continued, hoping there was something, anything. For a moment, there was no reply but when it came it was firm.

"I need to heal him," Corvina said, as she began to lay things out from her storage ring. Medicine, needles, threads… things Yahwen wasn't even sure how she'd use. "Guard me?" It was a question, not a statement. They were both unsure, Yahwen realised with a start. An eel jumped from the water and she smacked it aside, wincing as she felt the staff slip on it's skin.

They surrounded them, nearly fifteen of the scorpion clan and she was alone with someone she needed to defend. They were in their home territory and she was in unfamiliar territory. She grit her teeth and raised her sword. Her friend depended on her and she had no choice but to fight them. The first scorpion advanced upon her and her blade struck him like lightning...

Blunt damage wouldn't be enough to kill them, she realised. She needed something more. Yahwen swallowed. "I'll need a weapon," It felt like another person who replied, not Yahwen the Bladeless who feared even the touch of a sword. "Something sharp."

Corvina hesitated, for the slightest moment before she took out her side weapon and threw it at her. Yahwen caught it with her right hand. She felt the weight before she saw the glint of light. As her left hand still held the staff, her right hand tested the motion of the sword, trying to get used to it before the next attack.

Even in this hopeless situation, her blood sang with Sword Qi. Her blade was rain and lightning, Her feet were the wind. All around her was the storm and her mind was it's Eye. She was stung of course, but she cut the poison out. She adapted her arts to better fight and protect. At the end, she was reduced to her last legs but they were reduced to blood and guts.

Yahwen shook her head, bringing her mind to the present. How long had it been? Twenty years? Thirty? It felt like another life. Yahwen had considered how it would feel like to wield a blade again after so many years. Would the sword qi in her body sing in response? Would she be afraid of it and drop it as if it had burnt her? It really felt just like a lump of steel in her hands and holding it just made her feel strangely awkward.

Yahwen had favored the Jian before she had given up her sword. This was a gladius, favored by golden devils as their side-arm. Hers was longer and curved, built for slicing versus the gladius which was short and straight meant more to be paired with a shield than to be used on it's own. It was nothing like she was used to.

It wouldn't have made a difference to the version of her that died so long ago. She'd probably have gone 'But it was still a sword' and somehow made it work. Where did she get that boundless surety? Had it just been because she didn't know how to look back? After a thought, she smashed her staff into the rock face, lodging it firmly and then settled into a low stance.

Corvina twitched at the sound but didn't look up from her work. Yahwen took a moment to study the eels. They were causing the water to roil with their frenzy. Stealing Antonius had really seemed to set them off. It was hard to say if they had sensed them and were preparing to attack or if most of them were still just looking for them.

Another jumped out of the water and though she wasn't sure, Yahwen wondered if it was the same one as before. They were both tough, slippery and their star shaped heads somehow gave them a degree of control in the air. She shifted the weight of her lower body and used it to generate a slicing blow.

It was a form from the Fourth Kata: Lightning of her Storm Cloud Style. The fourth kata was composed entirely of strong, fast finishing blows and in a moment, the sword penetrated it's body and cut it into two. As the eel's two halves fell into the water, Yahwen winced at her motions. It was a simple technique, barely utilising sword qi and it had been terrible.

She took a moment to observe the waters where the star-eels seemingly avoided their fallen kin. She had hoped that they might eat each other, but it seemed like she wasn't that lucky. She sighed and her mind went back to her rusty fighting style.

The more powerful techniques were inspired by tribulation lightning hence the name and many said that she had come close to the real thing. If she used that, she was certain she could have slain a number of eels with just the aftershock. Unfortunately, most of those techniques were currently beyond her. Not when she lacked the focus needed to use her Blade Will.

Her mind went back to the meditations and focus techniques that she utilized so long ago. She let her qi extend from her skin like a warm shroud around her body and with a breath, she took all of her feelings - her fears, her worries, her anger and her annoyances and she pushed them out of her. They went into her aura, causing it to toil and twist as it filled with her emotion.

The storm is unreadable and unrelenting, a discordance of only emotion and power. However, at its heart is always the eye.

The First Kata: Storm Cloud supposedly made it hard to read her and let her trick her enemy into making a false move by misreading the chaotic shroud formed from her every urge and emotion. Truly, it had been born from a meditation technique and learning to hold in battle had been what had inspired her 'Eye of the Storm' fighting style.

Against the star-eels, the technique itself wouldn't be helpful. They were far too mindless to trick with fients and it wasn't as if she could move out of the way with Corvina and Antonius behind her. However, as the fish below her began to move even faster from her technique she realised that it still distracted them. She forced the shroud wider in the hopes that it might hide those behind her.

The movement in the waters changed as every eel was suddenly aware of her presence. An enterprising eel leapt out to attack her and she intercepted it with her sword. Rather than cut it, she let it hit the flat of the blade and then let it slip back into the water, using its own advantages against it

The wind flows in many forms, sometimes a caressing breeze and other times a punishing gale. It forms the path the cloud will follow.

The Second Kata: Gale emphasized manipulating her weight and combining that with step techniques to be able to move blindingly fast. It let her move in any position and gave her incredible mastery over her body. But weight manipulation was tricky after so long and as she couldn't move, the vast majority of the forms of this kata was useless. These skills were made for duels and were never designed with anyone in mind but herself.

But this wasn't the first time she had faced this situation. Many Axe Breaker required her to stand and protect him too. She had adapted the technique of another then. The Wood Style of the one who defeated her, had been the Cerulean Duke's son. In their first duel, he had planted his feet and weathered her storm at times like a powerful oak and at others like a weed that could bend. It was optimal for a duel where your opponent had to engage you, but in hindsight it was also meant to defend others.

She planted her feet and gripped the rock with her qi. The mastery of motion that let her move so swiftly and the step techniques that improved her grip could also be used to modify the trajectory of others. Almost immediately, the rest of the eels began to attack. Rather than cut them, again she drew upon the movement she had perfected bare moments ago and began to use her sword to manipulate their trajectory.

Slicing them would take too long at her current level of strength and trying to keep up with all of the eels would drive her to exhaustion. The same movements with a touch more control would ensure that she preserved her energy and that the only thing they could get their teeth into was each other.

That was in the end, the numerous blows of her Third Kata: Rainfall. It was a flurry of blows emphasizing speed and control over the raw blinding power of lightning. It took only a minor adaptation to transform it from slicing blows to deflecting ones. It reminded her of the Fifth Kata: Thunder - a set for feints and parries. But that was designed for duels and weapons, not the many creatures she currently faced.

The Sixth Kata: Sunbeam was similarly designed to distract a single opponent and ambush them from their blindspot. But there was another technique, developed after a situation just like this one where she had to face multiple opponents to protect a friend, that slowly came to her mind.

The Seventh Kata: Hail was only theoretical. It was an absurd technique that combined the power and speed of Lightning with the control and dexterity of Rain. She'd used it once, when she faced the scorpions to protect her friend but that had been on instinct. She had never managed to perform it again. If she could have them both, then she wouldn't have created separate techniques for them.

It was meant to be used when her back was to the wall and there was no choice but to hit with everything she had. She needed to push herself beyond her ability but she'd never really developed the ability after she'd given up her sword and she certainly didn't know a technique designed to push her limits like it'd require. Except….

"Bamboo Cutting Blade." One swing, with death-defying strength and speed. Enough to cut a spear sprouting from the ground.

And the staff was cut.

The Spirit Bamboo in the lands of the Shimmering Soup Sect grew so fast and strong, they could spear even a Core Formation Elder. To cut it in Qi Condensation, required one to be able to predict their growth correctly and even then one needed incredible focus sharpened by risking death to bring out all of one's strength in a single strike - That was the Bamboo Cutting Sword that Tan Huo had demonstrated in their second duel.

A giggle bubbled out of her as her mind composed a form of the Seventh Kata that may well be usable here and now. The sword in her hand suddenly felt familiar to her, not like just another staff that just happened to be made by metal. She suddenly realised what was wrong with her - a sword was meant to cut, not to simply deflect like she had been doing with her staff.

And yet.

She hesitated.

"Corvina," She said, carefully between blows. "Kill all. But tired. Worth?"

She felt the seer spare her a moment's attention. "I have spirit stones and recovery pills." She paused and then when she spoke, it sounded like she had something in her mouth. A thread or a needle? "We'll have to run back anyway, so attention doesn't matter. Do it."

It was good enough.

The best idea was one that led to all their enemies being gone. Because a single slip meant they'd get her and then Antonius and Corvina were next.

Her body went slack.

A star-eel jumped to her throat and in the moment before she would have died, her instincts took over. Her blade sliced through the air with all of her strength and the moment the sword penetrated it's body, the shroud of qi building around her discharged outwards, charring it even as she sliced it in two and the sheer force sent all of the eels in the air flying away from her.

The wrath of heaven made manifest.

She felt the exhaustion that came from using Lightning at close to full power. The earth pulled on her, it made her body heavy and chilled her muscles as she forced herself to move. And then an eel jumped from the water, it's long body moving not towards her but the ones behind her, now not shielded by her shroud.

An urgency gripped her, and then she moved and then did it again.

The raindrops drizzle down like so many blades.

And then again. And then again. And then again. She felt a grin on her face as she moved again and again and again, a long-forgotten routine coming up back up inside of her as she moved with a strength and speed that surpassed anything that she had ever produced before.

Heavy and unending, the hail falls. They will break upon its endless barrage.

A violent downpour of power and perfection - that was the Sixth Kata: Hail. It was perfect. Perfect. Something she had never achieved before on demand. She gloried in the skills it allowed her, despite the exhaustion that clawed at her. Her barrage continued until her body began to ache and finally her flow of qi faltered.

Her grip on the side of the rock was suddenly gone as she remembered it was angled. As she fell, her hand went up and she grabbed the staff that was still embedded in the rock. If the staff hadn't been there, she'd have fallen into the waters below. Did I know I was going to do this from the very beginning? The thought somehow unsettled her.

With the last of her strength, she pulled herself up and plopped herself on it, barely able to move.

"Yahwen?" Corvina asked cautiously. Yahwen looked up at her and gave her a smile. Without looking up from Antonius, Corvina tossed her a pouch. It landed on her staff and she rushed to catch it before it fell into the water. She carefully opened it to find the pill and a spirit stone she had mentioned. "It won't fix you completely, but they should fix you enough to keep up."

Yahwen looked them over carefully before eating the pill and then slowly began to draw the energy from the spirit stone. She felt power return to her limbs and the pain slowly began to fall away. "How long do we have?" She asked, looking at the water, now red with blood.

"Minutes." Corvina replied, as she finished the final stitches.

"Right." She thought for a second before hefting her sword up. "Corvina, here."

Corvina paused in her work and turned to her for a moment. "Are you sure you don't want it? It's not like I'm going to be using it." She said with forced cheer.

"I don't think I want it anymore." Yahwen said, trying to put into words why she didn't want it. "It came back too easily. It... it unnerves me."

Corvina thought for a moment and then nodded. "We won't need to fight much on the way back anyway." She replied, taking a hold of the blade. It didn't budge. "Yahwen? You want to let it go?" Corvina pulled and Yahwen didn't have the strength to resist as she took it away. "Yahwen, are you alright?"

"I am," Yahwen replied, forcing herself to her feet. She took a deep breath and slapped herself in the face. Then she tried to move her tired muscles. Not the best, but good enough. "I can carry him if you want?" She offered, nodding at Antonius.

Corvina looked at her for a moment before nodding. "Don't worry, I've got this." Corvina said, removing a marble from her storage and pressed to Antonius' body. It expanded until it enveloped Antonius before it shrunk back down, causing Yahwen to widen her eyes. "We should move now."

"Right." Yahwen said, reaching out to her staff. She took a deep breath and pulled it out. Just like that it was back in her hand. It wasn't the staff she had fought with so long, but it still shouldn't feel so wrong in her hands. "Let's go."

Corvina nodded slowly and then they took off.

Out of this place and back home.

 

[Quest]

Mostly just wrote this because I felt like writing something. Hopefully, it was nice.

Antonius Emmanuel Eleanora 57
[Turn 6]
[Qiguai 6: Fight Scene]​

Rushing through the Qiguai Secret Realm, their presence wasn't subtle at all. Qi surged out of their bodies as they freely burned spirit stones in order to jump past the islands into the coral mounds. Corvina could sense attention upon them and the presences of many others around them take notice and begin to move towards the two of them.

She focused on the path, remembering the places they passed by and the many hazards they encountered. Many of the creatures were territorial and for those that weren't… her eyes went to a giant seagull diving towards them. It was at Foundation Establishment and if it reached them, they would be no match for it.

She signalled to Yahwen and they both ducked as the tongue of a toad shot out and intercepted the gull mid-dive. The Gull flared it's wings in order to stop it's fall but the tongue continued to try and pull it down. Neither saw the struggle, instead rushing past it into safer territories. Into territories that were likely filled with Righteous Cultivators who would be happy to kill a lone golden devil.

"Look at that skin!" A sound came besides from them, startling them both. "She's a golden devil!" Corvina turned to see a man running beside her, holding a large sword across his shoulders and giving her a grin. His aura flared at the seventh heavenstage in challenge.

"Wasn't there some secret realm where if you presented their body, you would gain a blessing of karma?" A girl's voice came. Corvina's voice whipped to the side to see a girl with white make-up and a long sleeved formal dress running next to Yahwen. Both her arms were tucked in her sleeves, as hidden as her aura and she nocked her head at Yahwen curiously. "What's up with her? She doesn't have devilskin."

Yahwen tensed as their attention fell upon her. Before either of them could react, there was a smashing sound in front of them as a third cultivator wearing two stone gauntlets landed in front of them, smashing the wet ground and forming a crater. The aura of one in the ninth heavenstage surged out of him as he smirked at them confidently, forcing them to stop.

"Who cares?" The swordsman replied, jumping over to another mound to their left and spreading out, trying to cut off their routes of escape. "If she associates with devils, then she's probably a devil herself. Maybe if we got her too we'd get some extra blessings?"

Corvina looked at them carefully and then just activated a talisman hidden in her person. Wind Qi surged through her body and she felt a gust form at her back. Before any of them could react, she jumped past a small opening between them and ran through.

For a moment, shock ran through the three righteous cultivators as they saw the space the golden devil stood in and then at the opening she had taken to run past. Then the gauntleted man laughed. "Heavens, you really can't trust a devil can you?" He said, looking at Yawhen and smashed his gauntleted arms together. "She just left you here with us."

Yahwen tightened her fist for a second, feeling the soreness of her body. "No," She replied, holding her staff with both hands. It's strangeness in her arms still annoyed her. "She left you here with me."

Before they could react, Yahwen moved. "What-?" Both girl and swordsman reacted, the girl removed her hands from sleeves while retrieving paper talismans that burst into flames while the swordsman simply held up his sword. Yahwen however went straight towards the cocky brawler who was right in front of her. Before he could react, Yahwen stabbed his throat with the butt of her staff and let him crumble to the ground.

She felt heat on her back and quickly turned, spinning her staff to make the flames disperse. The swordsman took that moment and jumped at her, drawing his sword up high to give an overhead slice, thinking that she was distracted.

"You dare!?" He shouted, eyes hot with fury but Yahwen just grimaced at his sword. She leaned forward and shifted the angle of her staff, letting it hit his hand as he sliced down and forced him to drop his sword. Before he could react, Yahwen punched him directly in the kidney, causing him to double over and fall into the ground.

As he forced himself to rise, Yahwen picked up his sword and looked at it with a frown. Then with all of her strength, she stabbed it next to him causing it to shatter. The swordsman froze, shivered and fell unconscious. She then turned on the woman who looked at her with wide eyes.

"Forgive me," She exclaimed, dropping to the ground and bowing. "I had eyes, but I-" A smack on her head with the staff left her sprawling on the ground. She considered the woman - based upon the intensity of the flames and overall strength, she was fifth heavenstage at most though incredibly good at hiding her power.

She looked them over and sighed. That hadn't been nearly as cathartic as she'd hoped. She turned in the direction of Corvina, clearly visible by the amount of qi she was using. The Wind-Swept Charm apparently gave a powerful initial burst of speed but quickly slowed down afterwards. She was still running twice as fast as normal.

Well, she was a golden devil. Yahwen was certain she could catch up fairly quickly despite their differences in distance. That's why she'd been left behind, after all. After a last look at their bodies for anything worthwhile to pick up, which was nothing, she turned and ran.

They'd be at the Doorway soon.

 

[Quest]

This is pretty much just an excuse to do a pseudo-good seed report. Still, it serves as an adequate ending for the Turn 6 omakes and I'll probably continue with Turn 7/8 stuff next turn.

Antonius Emmanuel Eleanora 58
[Turn 6]
[After-action Report]​

Acting Legate Ariadne,

As you asked, I have collected the information on the party of four that included Corvina Taurus and Antonius Ambrosius. The journey was something unique and I could perhaps fill a hundred thousand words with what happened but in the interest of time, I have summarised the final fate of each of their individual journeys below.

Antonius Ambrosius

Fate - Antonius Ambrosius, last name after his grandfather over the common convention of taking the father's name among legionnaires without a dynasty, had the worst fate among the four. Upon entering the Qiguai Secret Realm, the four encountered a sea of warped space that nearly killed him. He was barely saved by Corvina Taurus who had tied the four together with bronze threads who pulled him back, turning death into simply horrific wounds. Unfortunately, Corvina simply got his arm and the rest of his body was lost in the secret realm.

Based upon the report by others, he seems to have regained a sliver of consciousness while bleeding in the Qiguai Waters. He seems to have used his treasures to seal his wounds and then travel to safety. In his injured state he went towards the feeling of sea caves which he had grown accustomed to in the Yuan Secret Realm. In the Qiguai Secret Realm, this unfortunately meant danger and he was swarmed by a school of Star-Eels that chewed away part of his left foot and two toes.

He was rescued by Legionnaire Corvina Taurus and the Auxiliary Yahwen who ventured back into the Secret Realm after their own harrowing experience and sought his body out. They performed first aid on his body, likely only successful due to Legionnaire Corvina's expensive pills and familiarity with his body while the Auxiliary slew the Star-Eels. He is currently under the care of Legate Seneca who we have asked to get him to aid his healing. Unfortunately, barring incredible luck he is likely to require decades before he is fully healed.

Corvina Taurus

Fate - The sea of warped space was seemingly caused by the barriers within the secret realm shifting. Instead of being torn apart, dying, and the like, they found the sort of luck that hasn't been seen since Rina Callista had met a Spirit Severing fragment there. This was more than that. They found herself torn into a whorl of space, into a part of the Realm she should have not been able to reach at all. The Nascent Soul Qiguai Secret Realm. There, rather than encounter death and disaster, they encountered a legion standard - the former banner of the 1178th Legion, named "Through Innumerable Deaths, Unshaken".

That Legion was in fact during our inception, incorporated into our own 96th legion after it's leaders were lost in the Qiguai Secret Realm. The Nascent Soul who owned the banner seemed to have carved it into a spear in order to fight a Devil Bee Nascent Soul. The three witnessed both Nascent Souls rise again and fight before the Golden Devil Nascent Soul sent them back out. Though it is sad that Corvina could not claim the banner-pole for herself, it was unlikely due to the rivalry between our ancestor Ariadne, your namesake and Teleos who owned the banner. He is technically also one of our ancestors though he would not likely know it as Corvina Taurus is not descended from his branch of our family.

She did however gain a Navigation Compass created by Ariadne, reportedly lost but now known to be simply stolen by her rival. It is designed to amplify one's esoteric senses, increasing the sensory capability of those who use it while being especially effective for Seers. Examination has revealed that it is infused with our Ancestor's Dao - The Ties That Bind All Creation. As you cultivate her dao, we have temporarily taken custody of it, with the legionnaire's permission of course in the hopes that it will aid your coming tribulation. We will divert an increased number of resources in her direction in exchange.

After leaving the Qiguai Secret Realm, she negotiated passage into it once more and travelled through in order to rescue Legionnaire Antonius. It should be noted that in order to do so, she traded a Jade Slip of her memories in the Nascent Soul Secret Realm which should be noted as a potential vulnerability in her file. Psychological examination has also shown an increased perfectionist streak likely caused due to exposure to Teleos and his Dao of Perfection. It is recommended she be kept back from combat roles and focused on support such as array-engineering or divination for a few decades under supervision in order to ensure she learns how to channel this in a healthy manner.

Xiao Yingzi

Fate - Xiao Yingzi is the one who claimed what she is calling The Legion-Banner Spear. In her report, it is described as having the legion motto written across it along with the name of every single elder who stood as Legate for the Legion is inscribed on the spear. Interestingly, much like our own Labyrinth Spool it has fragments of thousands of Core Formation elders wills suffusing it - with a single Nascent Soul will binding them together. It seems to have functioned as an enhancer for formations but that function has been damaged after Elder Teleos carved it's end into a spear to use in battle.

It offers great power indeed, granting the legionnaire dramatically increased skill and insight. Infused with the Dao of Perfection, the spear edge can shatter barriers and pierce enemies even in Core Formation. It remains to be seen what it's full abilities will be as Xiao Yingzi is too weak to use it at its full potential but none other than Xiao Yingzi can seem to use it. She also discovered the Soul Farseer - a telescope carved from high-grade Spirit Stones. It has similar abilities to the Navigation Compass, likely a prototype of the Elder Teleo's own take on it. It allows her to see the strength of enemies even in Foundation Establishment from far away.

She chose not to enter the Qiguai Secret Realm a second time, which is understandable given her fortune. However, it should still be noted in her file just in case it may be a part of a larger trend. As part of her journey there, she was also pushed to the sixth heavenstage though her meridians were damaged and while they heal, she seems to be collecting the resources needed to quickly cultivate to the Ninth Heavenstage. Even if things do not go as she plans, she would still be a tremendous asset to our Taurus Family. It is recommended she be reached out to in order to recruit her as an asset.

Yahwen

Fate - The auxiliary showed great loyalty in accompanying Legionnaire Corvina Taurus in order to rescue Legionnaire Antonius Ambrosius. When travelling through the Nascent Soul Realm, she gained the Perfect Carving Knife - a bronze knife infused with the Dao of Perfection and capable of carving anything below a certain level of toughness. It is what was likely used to create the Soul Farseer and while useful in combat, it is primarily used for crafting.

Auxiliary Corvina seems to also have been affected by the Dao of Elder Teleos and is cognizant of that fact. She seems to have retired - hopefully temporarily - to a small village within our territory where she has built her own home with the aid of the locals and makes her living selling wooden carvings to those who live there. The wooden carvings seem to be an adequate channel for the effects of the dao and it is likely she will master it before long.

As a reward for her loyalty, we have arranged for deliveries of enough spirit stone to maintain her cultivation. After reviewing her history, it is likely that this is not simple retirement and may even serve as preparation for her breakthrough in which case light contact should be maintained in order to ensure she will be an asset once she does so. Should she not show major progress in a few decades, we can review her fate and decide if we must begin cutting resources allotted to her.

 

[Quest]

The prompt for this was 'what if the technique palace sings like the hogwarts sorting hat'? Well, the sorting hat sings the history of hogwarts but Gemstone Justice had a fairly different fate then hogwarts.

Antonius Emmanuel Eleanora 59
[Poetry]
[The Technique Palace Sings]

Five thousand years ago this story starts
There were four nascent souls with strong and wise hearts
There was lovely Pearl from the wide sea
Mighty Garnet from mountains tall
Cunning Amethyst from desert set free
All came heeding the Diamond's call
They each had their trades, all that they knew
They spread across the plains and grew, and grew
'Til Gemstone Justice were merchants for all
Alas, five thousand years later nothing remains

O devil, o devil please hear my plea
O devil, o devil I just want to be free
I am broken and alone, why don't you see?
Nothing remains of what I used to be

No more will Pearl tell me of islands small
Where you work together, or where you fall
No more will Garnet tell me of beasts
Enough to fill a hundred thousand feasts
No more will Amethyst sing of barren earth
And how with love and care, you can make it give birth
No more will Diamond speak to me of trade
Fill me with techniques, ones bought and ones made

No more little Pebbles to fill with wonder
No more tall Mountains to hide under
I am a broken palace with it's roof torn asunder
I have no shelter from the rumbling thunder

O devil, o devil please hear my plea
O devil, o devil I just want to be free
I am broken and alone, why don't you see?
Nothing remains of what I used to be​

 

[Quest]

Let me know if images can't be seen.

Antonius Emmanuel Eleanora 60
[Heroforge]
[Friends]

Spoiler: Antonius

In the image above, you see Antonius as he was during most of Turn 6. He is like a living bronze statue because of his bloodline and thanks to his father's influence sports simple military cut. While he's half-heartedly wearing simple armor, it barely provides any real defense as his body is tougher than any armor he can afford. At his side is the Fishbone Flute that lets him shake the dao-heart of all who hear him play and around his neck is the Wave-Summoning Silver Fin. He has stopped carrying weapons outside of his spatial ring as the waters he summons tend to be more than enough.

Spoiler: Xiao Yingzi

In the image above, you see Xiao Yingzi as she was during most of Turn 6. She has the barest touch of the blood of bronze, but she has still refined it as much as she could gaining the signature skin as she reached the first heavenstage. Dressed in bronze armor that has been covered with dark cloth, she can easily fade from view by drawing her shadow over her body. It also fills the ground as she touches it and reaches outwards with black tentacles, her spear stands ready to strike any who are near or to jab forward if she leaps towards enemies further away. If all else fails or if a quieter, more close quarters kill is required, she draws the dagger at her side.

Spoiler: Yahwen

In the image above, you see Yahwen as she was during most of Turn 6. A strange sight among these four, she is the only one with the looks of a turtle-world native, bereft as she is of the blood of bronze. The auxiliary currently wields the staff at her back, but her hands lie empty. Her sword lays discarded in the earth. Unlike the others who at least have the blood of bronze, she lives and dies by her speed and skill. Wearing nothing but light but hardened cloth and wrappings around her hand and legs, she challenges the world to come at her and fail.

Spoiler: Corvina

In the image above, you can see Corvina as she was during most of Turn 6. The talented descendant of an ancient clan bloodline, she is rich and blessed with many minor items of power. Inherited talismans of green Grave-bronze provide her with several useful tricks in a pinch. She brandishes her spatial ring, holding dozens of contingencies that allow her to prepare for any situation and leverage her insight as a seer. She has her bow at her back, in order to attack from a distance. She's dressed in two layers of clothing with the outer layer woven entirely from bronze threads. As a bronze thread user, even if a inexperienced one she can manipulate it well enough to make her clothes act as armor, quieten her movements or increase her physical capabilities. can make it a strong armor or to move freely. It can also be unraveled as a weapon or for use in arrays, but this is a last resort as the clothes are designed by a master for easy use. Outside of emergencies, the bundle of thread at her side is used for that though she cannot use it freely.​