With the way that Wei Yi acted, one might assume that she had accomplished the Full Success stage of the Dao of Law, and could now manipulate the very laws that bound people in order to do as she liked with the world, but this was not the case.
The Dao of Law still presented the same obstacle to the higher stage, but with the combination of a set of Dao that could be unified along the lines of Law, the usage of the God Burial Sea and its effect upon the weaker individuals amongst the people of the world – which included the Daoists from the east, even if they were a realm higher than her – and all of the other methods that she possessed, she could act upon the world and forcefully enforce her will. The chains were there, and she did manipulate them, but it was still far from being a single step process like she would have wanted and would have had in the ideal scenario.
Still, it was better than the fifty steps that people usually required to achieve the same kinds of results. It meant that she could skip over a number of steps and thus receive results that are diminished less by the restrictions of the world. Overall, this was more efficient, effective, and generally more difficult to see through, since it was simply her current resonance with the world that caused the chains to be visible.
“I do know what you usually mean by demonic cultivator, easterner. The only ones that definitely fit that label are… well, you can hear their names being spoken right now.”
Wei Yi glanced to the people behind the easterners, to the population of the Bai District, all of whom were sharing the same titles with one another right now.
The Great Families were, after all, an enticing subject to discuss, and now that both the Patriarch and someone that he apparently trusted to lead the district had encouraged them to discuss it, how could they not? It was yet another law of reality, of people and their behaviour, and thus the air was filled with the repeated mentions of their names.
“Demonic? Hah, the Great Families… I do not know of them, but they are not your biggest problem!”
With that exclamation, the Daoist suddenly spat out something that turned into a bright golden light and impacted against Wei Yi’s body so quickly that nobody could act to stop it.
The light hit her and quickly burst out, expanding into numerous golden chains that wrapped around her and tightened, passing through her clothing and flesh and falling onto something that nobody could truly see or observe. Even Wei Yi herself could barely tell that it was latching onto something that she had sensed only a brief while before.
From the outside, it easily stopped her movements as completely as the invisible chains around the others, and their constriction seemed to grow further and further, tightening more and more on her figure until there shouldn’t have been any room for her to move or breathe.
“We are Daoists, of the Soul Sealing Sect! We will not be-”
“Fucking idiot,” Wei Yi suddenly said, cutting him off as she slightly shifted her arm and then brought it straight out of the golden chains, followed by her other arm and both of her legs as she stepped out.
As she got out of the restriction of the chains, all of them collapsed upon one another. They hovered in the air for a few moments, still attempting to tighten further, chains colliding with chains and screeching as they did so, then unceremoniously vanished into nothing. All that remained was a talisman that appeared to be half burned, with a third completely turned to ash while the rest of the burnt portion was blackened but still present on the talisman paper itself. Judging by the faint golden energy around it, as well as it forming into the vague shape of chains, most were able to tell that it had to be the object that had conjured the chains in the first place.
“Out of all of the things that you could have done in this situation, using a soul-based method against someone who had just stabilised and reinforced their soul was incredibly moronic,” Wei Yi commented, reaching out and grasping the chains that linked to the easterners, “If that is all that you can manage, I highly doubt that even your entire sect would be able to cause us problems. Tell me, what is your stance on the Greats?”
“We… we have no connection with them at all… but they are Great! How could they not be the greatest and most righteous?” the Daoist said, a grin appearing on his face as he began to laugh. He looked like an absolute fool as his fellow easterners joined in.
They seemed to be acting without the proper understanding of the situation, and she didn’t wish to give them the chance to make fools of themselves elsewhere. To guarantee that they would not have the ability to mess up again, she tightened her grip on the chains that connected to them and then pulled with a great deal of her strength.
All of them were instantly freed from the chains, but they did not stand tall as before. Instead, all of them fell to the ground without a trace of strength within their bodies. Their breathing stopped.
“There. I am sure your sect will appreciate my effort in improving its reputation,” Wei Yi said to their bodies, releasing the chains and turning back to the people that had crowded around the Ancestral Hall, the state of which she had observed after emerging from it.
She wasn’t aware of the exact steps that the hall had taken to change from what it had been to what she found it to be, but she could guess what had led to the statues shifting, and the intricate displays all changing to what was effectively one image from several angles and with several details tossed in for no good reason. Her accidental intrusion into some ancient legacy of the Bai District must have changed the Ancestral Hall, which meant that it had been built with the legacy in mind, to some extent.
That left quite a few possibilities, but none of them answered the oddity of the faceless figure in the last scene, which also raised its hands and head to look up into the sky.
Still, that was something to be considered later, while at the moment, she was still in a highly powerful state as a result of her active resonance with the world. It would pass eventually, and while she could return into a state like this, it would need a lot of focus to regain it. In a spontaneous, unexpected battle, it wasn’t something that she could reliably use, nor would the effects of her techniques be as powerful against someone in the sixth realm and above, or one of the Greats due to the simple difference in their power.
That was one of the flaws of the God Burial Sea, and something that Wei Yi intended to improve at a later time to transform the law of ‘restricting the weak’ to simple ‘restriction’. In theory, such an absolute wasn’t impossible, and all that she needed to do was find a way to accomplish it.
“Anyhow… People of the Bai District, and everyone who wishes to combat the Great Families, to free your district, to bring the seventh realm and above into reach of all of you – by the way, the sudden increase in planar energy quantity was also me, in case anyone was curious – we will come to the Chao District to free it as well. We will do so this very moment, although all of you may return soon.”
Yet again, the people of the Bai District were met with a sudden and unexpected condition, but the fact that they would be able to return soon and, seemingly, without any casualties amongst them was rather encouraging. She hadn’t said so explicitly, but they couldn’t help but rush to assumptions when considering the fact that they had to leave at this very moment. This would hardly give them time to prepare, regardless of who they were, so they could hardly spend all that much time out there in such a state.
Those who had begun to think this were not surprised when they heard her continue after only a brief pause, “Yes, you will only need to be out for a little while, so you only need the bare essentials. Then, you can return to the District, and most of you can remain there and simply benefit from our growth.”
The next question was also obvious, and so Wei Yi answered it quickly.
“We will arrive at the Chao District far more quickly than you might assume, so I am not attempting to trick you with my description of the duration of our departure. You will not even need to participate in much combat, if any. All that my Ascendant’s Arbiters and I wish to see is unity and peace. So long as the other districts are not forced by the Great Families into acting against us, we will not need to disturb a single thing within your territory,” she added even more incentives for them all to act.
Of course, she wasn’t entirely truthful in her words. Some would need to change, and there was one district in particular that she couldn’t wait to get to.
“The sparks just keep increasing… That Rebel…” one of the Greats couldn’t find any words to express the sheer irritation that they felt at what they saw. Their Death of Words had been functional and effective for so long, but now, right before their eyes, the entire district lit up, again and again.
Had it been just once, then there may have been some hope for that district, but when it occurred repeatedly and irregularly, it meant that the people weren’t being forced to speak – or that the person forcing them to do so wasn’t particularly good at their job. Even then, once a word, a term, or even a concept is repeated sufficiently, it will settle in the minds of the people.
It could be anything, no matter how insignificant, but once it has settled in the mind of one, they would share it with their acquaintances, friends, and family. Once they did that, some of those groups would also speak with their circle of friends, and so the word would spread. Nobody needs to know what the Great Families truly are, what they do, what they look like, how many there are, nor anything else of the sort. The mere words and potential implications alone were enough to capture the minds of all that weren’t meant to hear of them.
“We cannot even guarantee that she hasn’t shared anything… No, it is far more likely that she had said everything she could.”
“… She does not seem to realise that you do not attempt to rouse the dragon in its den.”
“Is that what we are? The dragon? No, we are the humans that enact heaven’s will! If some rebel attempts to act against it, whether or not she supports the primordial entities, or if she is one of those foul invaders, we will put them down and return the world to its rightful state!” the other voice said, showing a rare display of passion.
The two of them looked back down upon the Death of Words and knew that they needed to act fast if they were to maintain any kind of grip over the world.
If they were to just sit still and fail to act, then their name would spread to all corners of the Western Continent, and then not only would they be well known, but there would also be a number of groups interested in acting against them just like the fools that the Greats saw them as. There was only one significant enough rebel at the moment, but if all of the world was tempted to act against the group that had taken away their resources and techniques, the Great Families might not be able to endure fully.
To prevent any chance of that, they needed to end the War of Ascendancy before it can begin.
“What will those resources that you have taken go towards?” the Bai Patriarch asked her.
“Me and my Arbiters. Do not worry, we have a source of production for nearly everything, so if given enough time, we will replenish everything taken, and reinvigorate trade throughout the districts,” Wei Yi promised, smiling, “After all, I want Yi City to be rebuilt and reborn. Wouldn’t you appreciate the trade routes between every single district to be rebuilt, and the roads to be built up beyond the state that they had been in at the peak? I know I would.”
“You need benefits in the short-term, right?” the Bai Patriarch understood, having calmed himself since the time that he had gotten to witness the sheer power that she had been able to concentrate within herself, “What is it that our district will need to do?”
“Nothing much. In the best-case scenario, intimidation. In the worst, a wall to stop them fleeing.”
“The Chao District and fleeing do not usually go together… Have you any objections with me commanding my own district in either case?”
“Of course not. Go ahead, just remember that I and my Arbiters fight to free the land. Let the people know that as well. I do not want to rule Yi City, even with what I have said, because I do not believe that it was what Kong Shi Meng Had done – and yes, I mentioned that name on purpose. Even if you cannot confirm it with whatever knowledge you do possess, it should be enough for you to know that I have some kind of information,” she said, glancing out into the distance, “Regardless of his thoughts, I merely wish to ensure that the law can be reborn within the Western Continent, and I do not mind if the districts retain autonomy.”
She paused, looking down at her left hand which was currently in its regular state.
“Actually, I am not sure that I would make for a particularly good ruler. I can be rather selfish at times, which is not a good quality to have in such a position,” she looked at the Patriarch, who frowned at her comments.
He didn’t know whether she was trying to say something about him, his predecessors, the Greats, or if she was just being straightforward, but he doubted the last option the most. It didn’t seem reasonable to give away one’s faults, even when it was just one that was so prevalent throughout the world. Most were selfish to some extent, but some didn’t believe in their own fallibility and chose to instead mask it with other ideas.
The Bai Patriarch was a firm believer that they were all ultimately liars, but in the case such as this one, he wasn’t too sure what to think.
“Don’t think too much about this, not when I said something casually. The Bai District will retain the same degree of freedom that it had under Kong Shi Meng, and it will be free to retake some of the territory that had once belonged to it. That is what the growth of the city requires,” Wei Yi stopped his hesitant contemplation, “You won’t be able to war against the other district, but that changes nothing.”
Indeed, he and his predecessors might have had the desire to capture another district and make it their own, fusing them together and adding the name of the district and family to that of the Kong in the list of extinguished names, as most Patriarchs of most districts likely had contemplated. However, it was simply not viable with their power. If they went all out, taking every resident of their district, perfecting some group combat technique to unify their power, then tried to take on the Chao, Ping or Luo Districts, they would merely go against the same kinds of forces.
Furthermore, the place where a family was usually strongest was their home district. The Ning relished being in a district surrounded by metal walls that gave them inspiration for their Divine Blacksmiths, the Chu lived in something that was essentially equivalent to a huge man-made forest where they could put their techniques into practise most easily, and the Bai had naturally designed their district to permit for the optimal use of their own techniques, while covering themselves from the bright sun.
The Patriarch even thought that the reason that the district was built in a place where sheets were needed to obscure the sun all throughout the day might have been due to some specific advantage.
He naturally couldn’t confirm it, not just because there had been no real reason to dig up ancient defensive measures, but also due the immense amount of history that had been lost over the years. Amongst everything that had disappeared at one point or another, nothing was as clearly drastic as the name of the Master of Yi City, for he had been a figure that had bound the Western Continent together.
If he was to be forgotten, then how could some basic defensive measure endure?
“I’ll travel at the side, just in case I explode while breaking through, so just follow the lead of me or any bright, exploding fireballs of madness and cacophonous energies all rampaging throughout the sands.”
“That is a… specific description. You intend to attempt a breakthrough while on the move, with less than a day before we apparently reach out destination? As someone in the seventh realm, I should remind you that cultivation is not something to be taken lightly regardless of the resources you have obtained,” the Bai Patriarch said, “Nothing there was even suitable for your realm… not that it affects you, I suppose.”
While the Patriarch didn’t know exactly what techniques she was cultivating, nor what kinds of feats she was able to achieve beyond the vast aura she could manifest, he had no doubts whatsoever that the level of power she displayed would require far, far more planar energy to maintain than any other. In a way, that kind of thing was a method of balancing the odds by the heavens, for they allowed those with weak techniques and insignificant talent to need little energy to break through, while those that were considered geniuses and had nearly perfect techniques needed far more to reach the same level, even if that level hardly meant anything on its own.
Once, a legend of a technique that required one wisp of energy that had been common throughout the world at that time to break through any realm and stage. Whether one was to be ascending to the first stage of the first realm, or the last stage of the ninth realm, all that would be needed was one single drop of planar energy.
Some had desired to obtain it immensely, but someone weak and simple had managed to obtain it by sheer luck, quickly using the power that it offered to ascend to the sixth realm just like that. It seemed insane, impossible, and certainly heaven defying, but the moment that a first realm cultivator clashed with that person, it turned out that everyone else had been the fortunate ones instead when they failed to obtain this seeming treasure.
It turned out that while the realm was reached, nothing about it was truly acquired. The energy of the unfortunate soul had only been equivalent to a few drops of gaseous planar energy, and his anchor, core, searing marks and linked channels all fell with a single blow from someone who merely had a few hundred drops of energy to work with.
Naturally, this tale was one told often to remind children of many things, and some adults also reminded themselves with it, for it had several important messages to those that heard it. The first was that fortunate encounters may not always be what they seem, and that missing out on them may not always be detrimental or even a loss. That, in particular, needed to be said to younger adventurous spirits, for they were prone to going out and seeking fortunate encounters in the hopes that they become the hero of one of the more simplistic tales of heroism and power that the world enjoyed.
Then, there was the matter of a solid foundation. A district such as the Bai District highly prided themselves on training their troops with this principle in mind, ensuring that every single member of a legion is at their peak before bringing them all to break through together.
Often, it was possible to break through earlier and more easily, but all that offered was the heightened chance of weakness, although not to the extent that the One Drop Storm technique would impose on the cultivator. In fact, to remind the Patriarch’s family in particular, the actual technique from the story was kept on display in a part of the Ancestral Hall, allowing them to go through it carefully and see just how it was able to achieve what it did, and why it was dangerous.
Every now and then, some would attempt to use it nonetheless, but that essentially confirmed that those people weren’t suited for cultivation.
“Do not try to lecture me on things like that. You may have the seventh realm of planar cultivation, but I have the fourth realm in planar and physique cultivation, the second in bloodline cultivation, and the sixth in killing will cultivation. Combined with my perfected stages, I have broken through more times than you have, that’s for sure,” Wei Yi pointed out, “I know what I’m doing.”
Since she said that, the Bai Patriarch essentially had to let go. If she did something stupid and killed herself, he wouldn’t mind turning the Bai District’s people around and just returning to the district with the resources that she had somehow managed to stash away without him noticing. The people might be confused, but he would allow them to continue spreading the word of the Greats simply due to the impracticality of doing anything else. The Great Families already knew about them, that was almost guaranteed, so it was best to shove the blame onto the rest of the world as well, as soon as possible.
“In that case, I shall get going. Lead us to the Chao District the moment that you can.”
Wei Yi nodded, then waited for him to leave before she popped one of the many pills stored inside of the House of Gold into her mouth.
She may have intended to break through on the road, since that would be most practical in arriving to the Chao District as early as possible, but that didn’t stop her from building up her energy while she had the opportunity to do so. As fast as the organised Bai District could be, it was still difficult to gather everyone on such short notice, regardless of their cooperation.
‘I’ll just get started now and eat the rest up later. I’ve spend enough time near the Bai Patriarch to fully perceive his spiritual perception, make some interesting observations about it, and find a way to, hopefully, conceal the spatial connection,’ Wei Yi thought, ‘Yi Shi Ming, how are things over there?’
The spatial spirit appeared beside the centre of her consciousness within the spatial realm, and carefully examined it before replying.
“The warriors have left, so I am ensuring that Paragon endures in their absence. Have your attempts gone on successfully, or will my assistance be needed for something?” the mother of the Master of Yi City asked, glancing down at the Kong Prison Realm as she did so, “I could share any successes with the realm and the fortress, as that might boost the morale of those that remain – if it is something that you believe to be significant or necessary.”
Most of the people that had lived in the prison realm had left alongside those of Paragon to participate in the diplomatic mission to the Chao District, as they had spent a long time practising and strengthening themselves in order to be able to go out into the world and truly make an impact upon it, but some did remain. Those who were old, or too young, or that had some particular attachment to their land and wished to keep an eye on it while everyone else was out of the spatial realm and travelling in the Planar Continents.
Their morale and mood might not seem particularly significant seeing as they weren’t going to be participating in most battles directly, but it actually mattered just as much. When the people that had left were going to return, they would come back to find those people and their activities, and if they came back to joy and excitement, it would be far better than the opposite.
Everyone would likely still be keen to participate in combat and generally seek to continue the war against the Great Families, but if they regularly returned and found those left behind suffering and feeling miserable, that desire might slowly wane. It would be ideal to avoid anything of the sort occurring, especially if the War of Ascendancy might carry on for quite some time, as it would be detrimental when combined with other potential losses that the Arbiters might suffer.
Wei Yi would have liked to achieve a perfect record without a single failure throughout the war, but she suspected that this would never happen.
There would be losses, that much she knew. If she had attempted to lead every single battle herself, the Greats would be able to target her allies and forces while she was away from their territory. On the other hand, if she was to allow them full autonomy and took care of matters that only she could handle, then the same would occur but at different times and different places.
‘You can do so. I have managed to obtain the support of the Bai District through their four ancestors, and some ancient trial that they must have left behind. It was a very odd situation, and not one I expected, but… What is it?’ Wei Yi asked, noticing a strange expression on the spatial spirit’s face.
“I… There is a possibility that this is one of the things that have passed from my memory, but I do not recall there being four notable ancestors of the Bai District. There was one figure that had allied with Ah Shi Meng, and he had led the Bai District to a significant position while taking on a number of wives from some of the slaves that had been present in the area. Both of them shared the blood that allowed for all of the Bai to share the same characteristics, and in my lifetime, one of the branches of the family had essentially become the primary one. I do not know what happened later.”
“… What?”
With the way that Wei Yi acted, one might assume that she had accomplished the Full Success stage of the Dao of Law, and could now manipulate the very laws that bound people in order to do as she liked with the world, but this was not the case.
The Dao of Law still presented the same obstacle to the higher stage, but with the combination of a set of Dao that could be unified along the lines of Law, the usage of the God Burial Sea and its effect upon the weaker individuals amongst the people of the world – which included the Daoists from the east, even if they were a realm higher than her – and all of the other methods that she possessed, she could act upon the world and forcefully enforce her will. The chains were there, and she did manipulate them, but it was still far from being a single step process like she would have wanted and would have had in the ideal scenario.
Still, it was better than the fifty steps that people usually required to achieve the same kinds of results. It meant that she could skip over a number of steps and thus receive results that are diminished less by the restrictions of the world. Overall, this was more efficient, effective, and generally more difficult to see through, since it was simply her current resonance with the world that caused the chains to be visible.
“I do know what you usually mean by demonic cultivator, easterner. The only ones that definitely fit that label are… well, you can hear their names being spoken right now.”
Wei Yi glanced to the people behind the easterners, to the population of the Bai District, all of whom were sharing the same titles with one another right now.
The Great Families were, after all, an enticing subject to discuss, and now that both the Patriarch and someone that he apparently trusted to lead the district had encouraged them to discuss it, how could they not? It was yet another law of reality, of people and their behaviour, and thus the air was filled with the repeated mentions of their names.
“Demonic? Hah, the Great Families… I do not know of them, but they are not your biggest problem!”
With that exclamation, the Daoist suddenly spat out something that turned into a bright golden light and impacted against Wei Yi’s body so quickly that nobody could act to stop it.
The light hit her and quickly burst out, expanding into numerous golden chains that wrapped around her and tightened, passing through her clothing and flesh and falling onto something that nobody could truly see or observe. Even Wei Yi herself could barely tell that it was latching onto something that she had sensed only a brief while before.
From the outside, it easily stopped her movements as completely as the invisible chains around the others, and their constriction seemed to grow further and further, tightening more and more on her figure until there shouldn’t have been any room for her to move or breathe.
“We are Daoists, of the Soul Sealing Sect! We will not be-”
“Fucking idiot,” Wei Yi suddenly said, cutting him off as she slightly shifted her arm and then brought it straight out of the golden chains, followed by her other arm and both of her legs as she stepped out.
As she got out of the restriction of the chains, all of them collapsed upon one another. They hovered in the air for a few moments, still attempting to tighten further, chains colliding with chains and screeching as they did so, then unceremoniously vanished into nothing. All that remained was a talisman that appeared to be half burned, with a third completely turned to ash while the rest of the burnt portion was blackened but still present on the talisman paper itself. Judging by the faint golden energy around it, as well as it forming into the vague shape of chains, most were able to tell that it had to be the object that had conjured the chains in the first place.
“Out of all of the things that you could have done in this situation, using a soul-based method against someone who had just stabilised and reinforced their soul was incredibly moronic,” Wei Yi commented, reaching out and grasping the chains that linked to the easterners, “If that is all that you can manage, I highly doubt that even your entire sect would be able to cause us problems. Tell me, what is your stance on the Greats?”
“We… we have no connection with them at all… but they are Great! How could they not be the greatest and most righteous?” the Daoist said, a grin appearing on his face as he began to laugh. He looked like an absolute fool as his fellow easterners joined in.
They seemed to be acting without the proper understanding of the situation, and she didn’t wish to give them the chance to make fools of themselves elsewhere. To guarantee that they would not have the ability to mess up again, she tightened her grip on the chains that connected to them and then pulled with a great deal of her strength.
All of them were instantly freed from the chains, but they did not stand tall as before. Instead, all of them fell to the ground without a trace of strength within their bodies. Their breathing stopped.
“There. I am sure your sect will appreciate my effort in improving its reputation,” Wei Yi said to their bodies, releasing the chains and turning back to the people that had crowded around the Ancestral Hall, the state of which she had observed after emerging from it.
She wasn’t aware of the exact steps that the hall had taken to change from what it had been to what she found it to be, but she could guess what had led to the statues shifting, and the intricate displays all changing to what was effectively one image from several angles and with several details tossed in for no good reason. Her accidental intrusion into some ancient legacy of the Bai District must have changed the Ancestral Hall, which meant that it had been built with the legacy in mind, to some extent.
That left quite a few possibilities, but none of them answered the oddity of the faceless figure in the last scene, which also raised its hands and head to look up into the sky.
Still, that was something to be considered later, while at the moment, she was still in a highly powerful state as a result of her active resonance with the world. It would pass eventually, and while she could return into a state like this, it would need a lot of focus to regain it. In a spontaneous, unexpected battle, it wasn’t something that she could reliably use, nor would the effects of her techniques be as powerful against someone in the sixth realm and above, or one of the Greats due to the simple difference in their power.
That was one of the flaws of the God Burial Sea, and something that Wei Yi intended to improve at a later time to transform the law of ‘restricting the weak’ to simple ‘restriction’. In theory, such an absolute wasn’t impossible, and all that she needed to do was find a way to accomplish it.
“Anyhow… People of the Bai District, and everyone who wishes to combat the Great Families, to free your district, to bring the seventh realm and above into reach of all of you – by the way, the sudden increase in planar energy quantity was also me, in case anyone was curious – we will come to the Chao District to free it as well. We will do so this very moment, although all of you may return soon.”
Yet again, the people of the Bai District were met with a sudden and unexpected condition, but the fact that they would be able to return soon and, seemingly, without any casualties amongst them was rather encouraging. She hadn’t said so explicitly, but they couldn’t help but rush to assumptions when considering the fact that they had to leave at this very moment. This would hardly give them time to prepare, regardless of who they were, so they could hardly spend all that much time out there in such a state.
Those who had begun to think this were not surprised when they heard her continue after only a brief pause, “Yes, you will only need to be out for a little while, so you only need the bare essentials. Then, you can return to the District, and most of you can remain there and simply benefit from our growth.”
The next question was also obvious, and so Wei Yi answered it quickly.
“We will arrive at the Chao District far more quickly than you might assume, so I am not attempting to trick you with my description of the duration of our departure. You will not even need to participate in much combat, if any. All that my Ascendant’s Arbiters and I wish to see is unity and peace. So long as the other districts are not forced by the Great Families into acting against us, we will not need to disturb a single thing within your territory,” she added even more incentives for them all to act.
Of course, she wasn’t entirely truthful in her words. Some would need to change, and there was one district in particular that she couldn’t wait to get to.
“The sparks just keep increasing… That Rebel…” one of the Greats couldn’t find any words to express the sheer irritation that they felt at what they saw. Their Death of Words had been functional and effective for so long, but now, right before their eyes, the entire district lit up, again and again.
Had it been just once, then there may have been some hope for that district, but when it occurred repeatedly and irregularly, it meant that the people weren’t being forced to speak – or that the person forcing them to do so wasn’t particularly good at their job. Even then, once a word, a term, or even a concept is repeated sufficiently, it will settle in the minds of the people.
It could be anything, no matter how insignificant, but once it has settled in the mind of one, they would share it with their acquaintances, friends, and family. Once they did that, some of those groups would also speak with their circle of friends, and so the word would spread. Nobody needs to know what the Great Families truly are, what they do, what they look like, how many there are, nor anything else of the sort. The mere words and potential implications alone were enough to capture the minds of all that weren’t meant to hear of them.
“We cannot even guarantee that she hasn’t shared anything… No, it is far more likely that she had said everything she could.”
“… She does not seem to realise that you do not attempt to rouse the dragon in its den.”
“Is that what we are? The dragon? No, we are the humans that enact heaven’s will! If some rebel attempts to act against it, whether or not she supports the primordial entities, or if she is one of those foul invaders, we will put them down and return the world to its rightful state!” the other voice said, showing a rare display of passion.
The two of them looked back down upon the Death of Words and knew that they needed to act fast if they were to maintain any kind of grip over the world.
If they were to just sit still and fail to act, then their name would spread to all corners of the Western Continent, and then not only would they be well known, but there would also be a number of groups interested in acting against them just like the fools that the Greats saw them as. There was only one significant enough rebel at the moment, but if all of the world was tempted to act against the group that had taken away their resources and techniques, the Great Families might not be able to endure fully.
To prevent any chance of that, they needed to end the War of Ascendancy before it can begin.
“What will those resources that you have taken go towards?” the Bai Patriarch asked her.
“Me and my Arbiters. Do not worry, we have a source of production for nearly everything, so if given enough time, we will replenish everything taken, and reinvigorate trade throughout the districts,” Wei Yi promised, smiling, “After all, I want Yi City to be rebuilt and reborn. Wouldn’t you appreciate the trade routes between every single district to be rebuilt, and the roads to be built up beyond the state that they had been in at the peak? I know I would.”
“You need benefits in the short-term, right?” the Bai Patriarch understood, having calmed himself since the time that he had gotten to witness the sheer power that she had been able to concentrate within herself, “What is it that our district will need to do?”
“Nothing much. In the best-case scenario, intimidation. In the worst, a wall to stop them fleeing.”
“The Chao District and fleeing do not usually go together… Have you any objections with me commanding my own district in either case?”
“Of course not. Go ahead, just remember that I and my Arbiters fight to free the land. Let the people know that as well. I do not want to rule Yi City, even with what I have said, because I do not believe that it was what Kong Shi Meng Had done – and yes, I mentioned that name on purpose. Even if you cannot confirm it with whatever knowledge you do possess, it should be enough for you to know that I have some kind of information,” she said, glancing out into the distance, “Regardless of his thoughts, I merely wish to ensure that the law can be reborn within the Western Continent, and I do not mind if the districts retain autonomy.”
She paused, looking down at her left hand which was currently in its regular state.
“Actually, I am not sure that I would make for a particularly good ruler. I can be rather selfish at times, which is not a good quality to have in such a position,” she looked at the Patriarch, who frowned at her comments.
He didn’t know whether she was trying to say something about him, his predecessors, the Greats, or if she was just being straightforward, but he doubted the last option the most. It didn’t seem reasonable to give away one’s faults, even when it was just one that was so prevalent throughout the world. Most were selfish to some extent, but some didn’t believe in their own fallibility and chose to instead mask it with other ideas.
The Bai Patriarch was a firm believer that they were all ultimately liars, but in the case such as this one, he wasn’t too sure what to think.
“Don’t think too much about this, not when I said something casually. The Bai District will retain the same degree of freedom that it had under Kong Shi Meng, and it will be free to retake some of the territory that had once belonged to it. That is what the growth of the city requires,” Wei Yi stopped his hesitant contemplation, “You won’t be able to war against the other district, but that changes nothing.”
Indeed, he and his predecessors might have had the desire to capture another district and make it their own, fusing them together and adding the name of the district and family to that of the Kong in the list of extinguished names, as most Patriarchs of most districts likely had contemplated. However, it was simply not viable with their power. If they went all out, taking every resident of their district, perfecting some group combat technique to unify their power, then tried to take on the Chao, Ping or Luo Districts, they would merely go against the same kinds of forces.
Furthermore, the place where a family was usually strongest was their home district. The Ning relished being in a district surrounded by metal walls that gave them inspiration for their Divine Blacksmiths, the Chu lived in something that was essentially equivalent to a huge man-made forest where they could put their techniques into practise most easily, and the Bai had naturally designed their district to permit for the optimal use of their own techniques, while covering themselves from the bright sun.
The Patriarch even thought that the reason that the district was built in a place where sheets were needed to obscure the sun all throughout the day might have been due to some specific advantage.
He naturally couldn’t confirm it, not just because there had been no real reason to dig up ancient defensive measures, but also due the immense amount of history that had been lost over the years. Amongst everything that had disappeared at one point or another, nothing was as clearly drastic as the name of the Master of Yi City, for he had been a figure that had bound the Western Continent together.
If he was to be forgotten, then how could some basic defensive measure endure?
“I’ll travel at the side, just in case I explode while breaking through, so just follow the lead of me or any bright, exploding fireballs of madness and cacophonous energies all rampaging throughout the sands.”
“That is a… specific description. You intend to attempt a breakthrough while on the move, with less than a day before we apparently reach out destination? As someone in the seventh realm, I should remind you that cultivation is not something to be taken lightly regardless of the resources you have obtained,” the Bai Patriarch said, “Nothing there was even suitable for your realm… not that it affects you, I suppose.”
While the Patriarch didn’t know exactly what techniques she was cultivating, nor what kinds of feats she was able to achieve beyond the vast aura she could manifest, he had no doubts whatsoever that the level of power she displayed would require far, far more planar energy to maintain than any other. In a way, that kind of thing was a method of balancing the odds by the heavens, for they allowed those with weak techniques and insignificant talent to need little energy to break through, while those that were considered geniuses and had nearly perfect techniques needed far more to reach the same level, even if that level hardly meant anything on its own.
Once, a legend of a technique that required one wisp of energy that had been common throughout the world at that time to break through any realm and stage. Whether one was to be ascending to the first stage of the first realm, or the last stage of the ninth realm, all that would be needed was one single drop of planar energy.
Some had desired to obtain it immensely, but someone weak and simple had managed to obtain it by sheer luck, quickly using the power that it offered to ascend to the sixth realm just like that. It seemed insane, impossible, and certainly heaven defying, but the moment that a first realm cultivator clashed with that person, it turned out that everyone else had been the fortunate ones instead when they failed to obtain this seeming treasure.
It turned out that while the realm was reached, nothing about it was truly acquired. The energy of the unfortunate soul had only been equivalent to a few drops of gaseous planar energy, and his anchor, core, searing marks and linked channels all fell with a single blow from someone who merely had a few hundred drops of energy to work with.
Naturally, this tale was one told often to remind children of many things, and some adults also reminded themselves with it, for it had several important messages to those that heard it. The first was that fortunate encounters may not always be what they seem, and that missing out on them may not always be detrimental or even a loss. That, in particular, needed to be said to younger adventurous spirits, for they were prone to going out and seeking fortunate encounters in the hopes that they become the hero of one of the more simplistic tales of heroism and power that the world enjoyed.
Then, there was the matter of a solid foundation. A district such as the Bai District highly prided themselves on training their troops with this principle in mind, ensuring that every single member of a legion is at their peak before bringing them all to break through together.
Often, it was possible to break through earlier and more easily, but all that offered was the heightened chance of weakness, although not to the extent that the One Drop Storm technique would impose on the cultivator. In fact, to remind the Patriarch’s family in particular, the actual technique from the story was kept on display in a part of the Ancestral Hall, allowing them to go through it carefully and see just how it was able to achieve what it did, and why it was dangerous.
Every now and then, some would attempt to use it nonetheless, but that essentially confirmed that those people weren’t suited for cultivation.
“Do not try to lecture me on things like that. You may have the seventh realm of planar cultivation, but I have the fourth realm in planar and physique cultivation, the second in bloodline cultivation, and the sixth in killing will cultivation. Combined with my perfected stages, I have broken through more times than you have, that’s for sure,” Wei Yi pointed out, “I know what I’m doing.”
Since she said that, the Bai Patriarch essentially had to let go. If she did something stupid and killed herself, he wouldn’t mind turning the Bai District’s people around and just returning to the district with the resources that she had somehow managed to stash away without him noticing. The people might be confused, but he would allow them to continue spreading the word of the Greats simply due to the impracticality of doing anything else. The Great Families already knew about them, that was almost guaranteed, so it was best to shove the blame onto the rest of the world as well, as soon as possible.
“In that case, I shall get going. Lead us to the Chao District the moment that you can.”
Wei Yi nodded, then waited for him to leave before she popped one of the many pills stored inside of the House of Gold into her mouth.
She may have intended to break through on the road, since that would be most practical in arriving to the Chao District as early as possible, but that didn’t stop her from building up her energy while she had the opportunity to do so. As fast as the organised Bai District could be, it was still difficult to gather everyone on such short notice, regardless of their cooperation.
‘I’ll just get started now and eat the rest up later. I’ve spend enough time near the Bai Patriarch to fully perceive his spiritual perception, make some interesting observations about it, and find a way to, hopefully, conceal the spatial connection,’ Wei Yi thought, ‘Yi Shi Ming, how are things over there?’
The spatial spirit appeared beside the centre of her consciousness within the spatial realm, and carefully examined it before replying.
“The warriors have left, so I am ensuring that Paragon endures in their absence. Have your attempts gone on successfully, or will my assistance be needed for something?” the mother of the Master of Yi City asked, glancing down at the Kong Prison Realm as she did so, “I could share any successes with the realm and the fortress, as that might boost the morale of those that remain – if it is something that you believe to be significant or necessary.”
Most of the people that had lived in the prison realm had left alongside those of Paragon to participate in the diplomatic mission to the Chao District, as they had spent a long time practising and strengthening themselves in order to be able to go out into the world and truly make an impact upon it, but some did remain. Those who were old, or too young, or that had some particular attachment to their land and wished to keep an eye on it while everyone else was out of the spatial realm and travelling in the Planar Continents.
Their morale and mood might not seem particularly significant seeing as they weren’t going to be participating in most battles directly, but it actually mattered just as much. When the people that had left were going to return, they would come back to find those people and their activities, and if they came back to joy and excitement, it would be far better than the opposite.
Everyone would likely still be keen to participate in combat and generally seek to continue the war against the Great Families, but if they regularly returned and found those left behind suffering and feeling miserable, that desire might slowly wane. It would be ideal to avoid anything of the sort occurring, especially if the War of Ascendancy might carry on for quite some time, as it would be detrimental when combined with other potential losses that the Arbiters might suffer.
Wei Yi would have liked to achieve a perfect record without a single failure throughout the war, but she suspected that this would never happen.
There would be losses, that much she knew. If she had attempted to lead every single battle herself, the Greats would be able to target her allies and forces while she was away from their territory. On the other hand, if she was to allow them full autonomy and took care of matters that only she could handle, then the same would occur but at different times and different places.
‘You can do so. I have managed to obtain the support of the Bai District through their four ancestors, and some ancient trial that they must have left behind. It was a very odd situation, and not one I expected, but… What is it?’ Wei Yi asked, noticing a strange expression on the spatial spirit’s face.
“I… There is a possibility that this is one of the things that have passed from my memory, but I do not recall there being four notable ancestors of the Bai District. There was one figure that had allied with Ah Shi Meng, and he had led the Bai District to a significant position while taking on a number of wives from some of the slaves that had been present in the area. Both of them shared the blood that allowed for all of the Bai to share the same characteristics, and in my lifetime, one of the branches of the family had essentially become the primary one. I do not know what happened later.”
“… What?”
