Chapter 833

Chapter 833

To cultivate is to nurture the truth.

What truth? The Truth of the Heavens, the Truth of the World, and the Truth of the Self.

Two statements and a question this Sovereign had replayed in mind countless times, ones he still did not dare to claim he wholly understood. These words belonged to Fifth Brother Di Zi, spoken countless times over the years they spent together, but this Sovereign remembered two occasions in particular. The first being the day they met, shortly after this Sovereigns Ascension to Nascent Immortality which brought them together for the first time, and the second during their final exchange just moments before Fifth Brother Di Zis consciousness retreated inwards into his soul in order to conserve what little Prana he still had left. The same words used as both introduction and warning, and though nothing had come of it in the millennia since, this Sovereign was loathe to let his guard down against his enigmatic fifth Brother just yet. Not without reason, for though the foreign outlander was a man of peace who abhorred bloodshed and never joined in their sparring matches, this Sovereign suspected the portly man capable of far more than he ever let on.

Even when it came time for their final battle, it always felt like fifth brother Di Zi was holding something back, though it would have done nothing to change his inevitable fate. Were he to somehow have miraculously struck this Sovereign down, then Fifth Brother would not have been long for this world either, his soul cast into the cycle of reincarnation to be born anew again.

Unfounded suspicions aside, Fifth Brother Di Zi possessed a unique role within their brotherhood, one not of rival written friend, but that of a teacher and mentor. This was only possible due to his high affinity and control over the Energy of the Heavens, skills which enabled him to carry out all manner of complex experiments and exercises the others could only dream about. Then there was his gifted mind, one capable of making the complex seem simple and the simple complex as needed, a brilliant Cultivator who bestowed logic to the Dao in a way none could ever match. It was Fifth Brother who took this Sovereigns words regarding his experiences along his Path and translated them into something the others could use to Ascend in turn, and he who designed the Royal Colleges curriculum which taught mortals how to become Cultivators and guided them to the Dao. During the Warring States Era, an army would be considered blessed to contain more than one Cultivator, and most had none to their name, for experts of such calibre were as rare as qilin horns and phoenix feathers. Hence why this Sovereign was able to dominate his opponents on the battlefield with relative ease, though as time passed, even the armies with multiple Cultivators were unable to prove much of a challenge. Upon founding the Empire, there were perhaps two dozen Cultivators this Sovereign could call upon, a number which dwindled after a hundred years of peace and prosperity, yet fifty years after the first outlanders invaded and the founding of the Royal College, this Sovereign had an army of ten-thousand Cultivators at his beck and call.

All of which was made possible by Fifth Brothers shining brilliance, a rare genius of the Dao who found his own Path without relying on guidance from the Heavens above.

Even though the foundations laid by Fifth Brothers teachings were inherently flawed, it was not because hed erred in his interpretation of the Dao. No, the error lay in the fact that his teachings were based on this Sovereigns perspective of the Dao, and therefore unsuitable for the masses. To follow in his footsteps was akin to asking a fish to fly using wings they did not possess, an impossible feat to accomplish without undergoing a staggering and impossible transformation. Though a fish was capable of flapping its fins in close approximation of a bird, there were fundamental differences between the two that would prevent any further progress, an issue which remained hidden until the first batch of new-age Cultivators reached the pinnacle of their flawed Path and were unable to Ascend to Nascent Immortality.

This Sovereign remembered those days well, of sitting in on the lessons with Fifth Brothers students in hopes of uncovering a method to help these Cultivators Ascend. Every spoken word made perfect sense and adhered to his Dao, so he knew not why the others could not find the Path forward. Alas, several centuries passed before this Sovereign realized the error of Fifth Brothers ways, and by then, the outland threat had long since resolved itself and hed fallen out with his sworn brothers to boot. Despite all this, Fifth Brothers teachings were only flawed when viewed from a perspective that was not this Sovereigns, and thus were still wholly applicable to his Dao, so he often referred to those lessons rather than his own memories and testimonials because Fifth Brother often said it better.

The Truth of the Heavens was the first step, an ineffable Truth words could never do justice. It was a Truth one had to discover for oneself, else you would forever be denied the chance to Ascend to Nascent Immortality. Once you stumbled across the Truth however, then it was possible to become One with the Heavens and discover the Truth of the World, at which point a Cultivator would open themselves up to Heavens and harmonize their breathing with the World in order to lay the groundwork necessary to become a Cultivator. At first glance, these two steps appeared to take place simultaneously, or at worst in quick succession, but this was not the case. The Truth of the Heavens could simply be distilled down to the awareness of Heavenly Energy, the ability to perceive this power and affect its flow with your Will alone, yet this alone was not enough, for ones perception of their personal Dao played a large role in what would come next.

Once you uncovered the Truth of the Heavens and the Truth of the World, you could then become One with the Heavens and One with the World, beginning the long and arduous process of Cleansing ones physique. This was a crucial step, and a different step from Refining the body, mind, and soul, which was akin to gathering all the required materials and building a seven-story pagoda, while Cleansing ones physique comparable to redecorating and realigning said pagoda in accordance with the Heavens and the World. Fifth Brother Di Zi called this Cleansing step Foundation Establishing, for it was here one would establish the foundation upon which one would build their Inner Core during their Ascension to Nascent Immortality, but much like ears or fingerprints, there were no two foundations which were wholly alike. The Cultivators who took up Fifth Brothers teachings possessed only a superficial understanding of the Truth of the Heavens, and thus were destined to fail from the very first step, as they went on to Refine their bodies, minds, and souls and Cleanse their physiques in accordance with this Sovereigns Path rather than their own, resulting in a flawed foundation incompatible with their personal perspectives of the Dao. This differed from the error this Sovereigns sworn brothers made, wherein they erred in the step thereafter, Forming their Cores based on information gleaned from this Sovereigns foundation rather than matching it to their own. Though the flaws were not obvious at first glance, there would eventually come a time when their mismatched Cores would prove more hindrance than boon as the misalignment caused impurities to build up within their Cleansed physiques creating blockages and interfering with the flow of Heavenly Energy through them. For this reason alone, this Sovereign had long since considered himself the only True Nascent Immortal in all of history, while his five sworn brothers were False Core Immortals at best, ones who would eventually have been forced to remake their Cores and start anew in order to progress any further, had they not fallen in battle first.

But from the looks of things, the world would welcome in a second True Nascent Immortal today, albeit a short-lived one if this Sovereign had anything to say about Falling Rains success.

Third, came the internal retort, a stubborn and subdued reminder of his Natal Souls success, but this Sovereign would remain skeptical until he had time enough to review those memories. It wasnt that he was looking down on his Natal Soul, for even a cursory study of the scattered memories available showed that there was much to be gleaned from his Natal Souls experiences, but it also revealed a plethora of pitfalls to avoid. Whats more, this Sovereigns Natal Soul had clearly embarked along a different Path, meaning its chances of successfully Ascending to become a True Nascent Immortal were miniscule at best, given how it had forced itself to pursue a different Dao in order to experience a different perspective. Lastly, the results spoke for themselves, and they were not promising, for how could a True Nascent Immortal have fallen to the machinations of one Falling Rain who had yet to even Ascend himself?

These thoughts stirred up a storm of bitter resentment and contrary belligerence, but with no logical argument to counter it, this Sovereigns Natal Soul could only keep silent and accept the Truth.

Falling Rain however was a man wholly in accordance with the Truth of the Heavens, one unique to him and him alone. An impossible accomplishment, given what this Sovereign knew of the transmigrators Dao of Freedom and the inherent paradox ingrained within, but there was no denying the veracity of Falling Rains Ascension. The inviolability of space was merely the beginning, and not indicative of the legitimacy of his Ascension at all, for even the birth of a Transcendent could accomplish as much, since this was merely a side effect of merging ones body, mind, and soul with the Heavens. According to the memories of this Sovereigns Natal Soul, Falling Rain had begun this process in Meng Sha, only to stop before proceeding down the dead-end path all the so-called Divinities stumbled across, a sign that the transmigrator understood the fallacies of the Martial Path and had since made the proper adjustments. What those adjustments might be was impossible for this Sovereign to glean, nor could he even begin to guess at how the transmigrator had known to stop himself before making his mistake, but his competence made him all the more dangerous and reassured this Sovereign of his decision to eliminate the threat before he grew too strong to easily manage.

For despite having only just achieved One with the Heavens and One with the World in their entirety, Falling Rain started and finished establishing his foundation in less time than it took to blink an eye.

An unprecedented achievement for a human cultivator, and something this Sovereign would have believed impossible had he not witnessed the birth of an Ancestral Beast first-hand. Since that fateful day amidst the rivers and hills of his birthplace, this Sovereign had spent the better part of eight decades slowly establishing his foundation, allowing the Energy of the Heavens to surge through him and seep into every last crook and crevice of his very being to temper his body, mind, and soul while widening his meridians and acupoints. This was akin to smelting iron to remove the impurities before refining it into steel, except rather than an ingot, you were working with an iron sword that had already been forged and needed to keep in working order. Thus the need for painstaking care and effort, a slow and gradual process that improved ones physique bit by bit, like removing one plank from a ship and replacing it before removing the next plank, until all the original planks had been replaced.

This was not the case with Falling Rains Refinement, if it could even be called such a thing. Rather than improve upon what was there, this was analogous to a rebirth as the Energy of the Heavens surged through and around the transmigrator until it thickened like molasses, a womb within which he would be reborn anew. The Energy of the Heavens was still formless and colourless, but this Sovereigns Spiritual Senses were no longer able to pierce through the solid curtain, leaving him with only his physical senses to parse through what came next. A cycle of Destruction and Creation, one in which every fibre of Falling Rains body was destroyed and formed anew in the blink of an eye, so fast that it appeared as if nothing had happened save for a healthy sheen cast over his closed-eyed expression, yet so complete there could be no other way to describe it. The solid curtain of Heavenly Energy dissipated into nothingness, consumed in the process of nourishing his Refined physique, which was then Cleansed of impurities by the first revolution of Heavenly Energy surging through him.

Which was exactly how Ancestral Beasts were born, albeit as False Core Immortals who had yet to determine their Dao, and never would due to the conflict between their human and bestial instincts.

Physically, Falling Rains appearance had not changed from the diminutive, unremarkable youth whose only saving grace was his distinctive amber eyes. His hair was half-brushed and in disarray, a half-bun coming apart at the seams, while his plain black robes hung loosely from his gaunt, angular frame, largely due to the poor tailoring and his refusal to tighten his sash as decorum demanded. Add in his slack expression, eyes closed and mouth half open in complete relaxation, and he possessed the air of a disgraceful young noble returning from an exhausting visit to the local brothel, half-drunk with no regard for face whatsoever. This Sovereigns Spiritual Senses told an entirely different story however, determining that Falling Rains physical form had been improved in a myriad of subtle and not so subtle ways. His pale, unmarked skin was still soft and supple, yet tougher than even the thickest of bestial hides without affecting his sensation of touch. Steel swords would find it difficult to break skin, and impossible to cleave through his solid, sturdy bones, assuming they could even carve through his dense yet surprisingly elastic muscles, but this was merely scratching the surface. He wasnt just stronger and more durable, but he would have more stamina as well, his blood and lungs so efficient that he could likely run for hours before breaking a sweat or losing his breath, and poisons might as well be water where he was concerned, broken down by his organs before they would have a chance to act.

It had been quite some time since this Sovereign had possessed a wholly Refined Physique, as there was no point putting in all the effort to lead a borrowed body to the Peak of the Dao, but as far as he could tell, even his original body might not be a match for Falling Rains, which hid a myriad of improvements that were not obvious at first, second, or even third glance. First Brothers physique was the strongest out of all six sworn brothers, as befitting of the Martial God of the Warring States Era. His comprehension of the hidden complexities of the human body surpassed even that of Fifth Brother Di Zis, even if his understanding fell far short, yet Falling Rains wholly Refined Physique seemed every bit as flawless, if not superior to First Brother Wushens, though this Sovereign lacked the ability to tell which one was truly better.

What that price might be, whether it was Prana, emotion, soul, or whatnot, even this Sovereign was unable to determine, not beyond the shadow of a doubt at least. However, this water barrier before him was so in accordance with Natural Law that the Heavens and the World itself mistook the water as part and parcel of their own. This was more than just Manifestation, the Water melding seamlessly with reality and the Void both by mimicking a natural force with near flawless perfection, and the price required to circumvent Natural Law and bring this barrier into existence was likely as close to negligible as one could get. This lent the barrier more presence and mass, made it more real and substantial to the point where this Sovereign suspected a third party could sustain themselves by drinking this Water, a feat so infinitely close to an act of pure Creation, a genesis and inception of matter out of nothingness, an act which stood in stark defiance of Natural Law as this Sovereign understood it. The only way this could even theoretically be possible was if one had Ascended beyond the limits of Nascent Immortality and become something akin to a True Deity, a Transcendent being capable of breaking free from the shackles of this world to soar into the next.

And this was merely scratching the surface, for there was so much hidden within this demonstration of what this Sovereign considered the basic concept of Water, so much to study and glean, it opened up a whole host of new possibilities which hed never considered before today.

And yet this depth and profundity of attainment was utterly inconsistent with Falling Rains martial abilities, his Sword Intent so shallow and basic it was surpassed by this Sovereigns latest addition to his court of souls. Solitary Sword Zhang Jun Baos Sword Intent was fierce and unyielding, a deadly blade scintillating with lethal threat and hostility, whereas Falling Rains Sword Intent was calm and serene, which amounted to the difference between a swordsman chopping off heads and a chef slicing onions. Technically the same general principle, yet wholly different in almost every conceivable way, a disparity that only grew as Falling Rains offensive faltered for lack of momentum and harmony.

Talented? Undoubtedly so. Dangerous? Absolutely. Capable of enacting this deeply profound impenetrable defense? Impossible.

A fact further supported by Falling Rains lackluster and uninspired attempts to utilize Materialized currents and tendrils of Water to limit this Sovereigns movements. The transmigrators attainments in the Dao of Water were so pitifully shallow that this Sovereign barely had to exert any effort to counter them, meaning there was no possible way Falling Rain possessed the ability to Manifest this Water Barrier protecting him. The boy was formidable, but he needed time to acclimate to his new physique and assimilate his attainments before he could grow into a real threat, which was the only reason this Sovereign had yet to take injury in his confused distraction.

Once again in accordance with his Dao, he held firm to unfailing logic and extricated himself from the pits of despair, the result of a subtle and pervasive Aura that he only now just noticed. This combined with the boys words meant there was another combatant present here, a powerful presence this Sovereign had overlooked all this time and even now was unable to uncover, for his suspicions had yet to be proven. Unnerving as the prospect of a hidden third party might be, this Sovereign was able to regain his composure now that hed made sense of the madness, even going so far as to comb through his memories to find even more evidence of this interlopers ingenious intervention. The billowing barrier of Water was the easiest clue to seize upon, one which had defended Falling Rain before, but had not been so complete so as to make it seem as if the boy had enacted it himself. The pervasive Aura was another thing, for Falling Rain was incapable of such subtlety, his every attempt to use Aura akin to hammering this Sovereign with emotion, which made it all the easier to guard against it. What other strengths had this Sovereign attributed to Falling Rain but in truth belonged to this third individual? Difficult to say, but this Sovereign was much relieved to know that he had not been surpassed by another in a mere two decades.

There was a weight of accomplishment and attainment to these subtle Aural attacks and forthright Water defenses that made it obvious this was a seasoned foe, but there was no need to fear an opponent so cowardly that they refused to even reveal their own presence and make a move themselves. Since he was unable to directly break through the defenses, this Sovereign set his mind to seeking out his true opponent in this battle to put an end to this once and for all, but despite possessing the knowledge of Fourth Brother Tian Yis unparalleled comprehension of Concealment, he was still unable to find this hidden foe. This Sovereigns Spiritual Senses swept across all of Shi Bei and its surroundings, searching through every shadow and crevice someone could conceivably hide in, yet no matter how many times he checked and rechecked, he found no hidden expert lying in wait. Frustrated by his lack of success, this Sovereign tried a different tack and offered Falling Rain a smirk instead. Your cowardly ally will not save you here today, he began, and the boys obvious surprise and chagrin all but confirmed this Sovereigns suspicions. Not while hiding in the shadows, too afraid to show themselves. Come, let this Sovereign gaze upon the face of the consummate expert standing behind you, and perhaps an accord can be made.

You want to meet him? The boys lips quirked in a smile, amused by the demand for some inconceivable reason. Sit down, have a nice talk, and maybe come terms?

There are no eternal allies or perpetual enemies, this Sovereign replied, Only eternal and perpetual interests. You yourself are unworthy to stand with this Sovereign as equals, but your hidden ally might well possess qualifications enough. We Nascent Immortals are a rare breed, three when this morning, this Sovereign believed he stood alone, so why not see if we can come to an accord, one that will benefit us all in the end?

An offer made in genuine honesty, one this Sovereign only belatedly realized, for he had stood alone for far too long and truly desired a peer to discuss the Dao with. Falling Rain was unworthy, a fool who refused to divest himself of the red dust of the mortal world, but the Nascent Immortal protecting him was undoubtedly someone worth befriending. Perhaps this mysterious expert was only aiding Falling Rain in hopes of obtaining a peer as well, so why go to all that effort if this Sovereign was already available?

No eternal allies or perpetual enemies, the boy repeated, still grinning like the fool he was. Only eternal and perpetual interests. Well said, but alas, I dont think you have the capacity to provide my hidden ally with what he desires.

This Sovereign is Emperor of the Azure Sea, the ultimate authority under Heaven. Bristling with indignation at Falling Rains implication, this Sovereign drew himself up to full height whilst still avoiding the boys flying sword and shield. With one wave of this hand, this Sovereign can call the winds and summon the rain. With one finger, the entire Empire will kneel before me, one command and they will strive to meet my demands. What have you to offer that this Sovereign is lacking?

In a word? The hateful sneer showed itself once more as the boy looked down his nose at this Sovereign, so full of disdain for the power and authority hed amassed in all his years of existence. Friendship. Bitch.

The fact that he answered with two words notwithstanding, Falling Rains tone was one of complete contempt and condescension. When was the last time this Sovereign had been disrespected so? Even in his bid to seize the throne, Liang Wu Di knew to give face to one such as he, for he was the Eternal Emperor whod united the Warring States and held the ultimate Authority under Heaven. In this moment of rage and indignation, this Sovereigns Natal Soul rose up to seize control, and in a most calamitous twist of fate, Falling Rain chose this moment to act, raising his rifle to his shoulder to deliver yet another Chi projectile. A single moment of hesitation, that was all it took, as this Sovereign wavered between suppressing his Natal Soul or avoiding the boys attack, and in the end, he made the wrong decision. His Natal Soul was the more dangerous threat, this he wholeheartedly believed, until Falling Rains projectile emerged from the tip of the hollow shaft and exploded with power and deadly Intent. There was nothing calm and serene about this, so utterly unlike his Sword Intent, for this was a projectile crafted with the express purpose of claiming this Sovereigns life and nothing else. The Destructive properties of this unnamed Intent surpassed even this Sovereigns merged Weapon Intents, an Intent that came infinitely close to becoming pure Destruction and Death while falling just slightly short in both realms.

The projectile pulsed with lethal purpose as it passed through the Water barrier, so antithetical to life and nature that it disrupted the flow of the hidden experts efforts to bring down the Water barrier in an instant, a portent which boded poorly for this Sovereigns hastily raised defenses. The projectile arrived before his Domain could even Materialize, much less become Plated to offer any protection, whereupon it passed through the barrier encasing this Sovereigns entire body by Unravelling the Runes of his Robes of Office without even touching them. Pain was too simplistic a word to describe the sensation as the projectile pulped flesh, fractured bone, and left a crater the size of fist on this Sovereigns face, but the physical damage was merely the least of it. The agony this projectile delivered radiated through his mind and soul both, ravaging the landscape within the Natal Palace of his hosts soul, and in doing so rending apart the vast majority of this Sovereigns soul contained within. Only his vast accumulations and willingness to bear the brunt of this damage at all costs kept his court of souls untouched, for they represented countless lifetimes of achievements and a vast range of perceptions he required to maintain and advance along his Path.

But through the agony of this attack, this Sovereign saw an opportunity and seized it in hand, launching a counterattack infused with all the combined Intents he could muster. A force erupted from his closed fist and slipped through the opening created by Falling Rains projectile to land home against his chest, and this Sovereign was rewarded with the sensation of broken bone and punctured flesh. An eye for an eye, and if the boy survived, then his hidden ally would be hard pressed to keep him alive, buying this Sovereign the precious moments needed to curb the destructive energies running rampant through his body, mind, and soul before putting an end to this conflict once and for all.

No matter the odds against him, this Sovereign would emerge victorious, for Falling Rain was a foreign interloper and his ally a coward to boot, while this Sovereign was the Chosen of Heaven, whom would not allow him to fall. If the Heavens should abandon him, then in his rage, he would destroy the Heavens, one final act of defiance which no one would survive, which was why they would not allow him to die.

Such was life, trials and tribulations, but for better or worse, this trial would soon come to an end.

Chapter Meme 1

Chapter Meme 2

Chapter Meme 3