《Tales of Cultivation》 Cultivation Realms Qi Cultivation: Qi Gathering: Lives 100 years. Cultivators gather the Energy of the World into their dantian and turn it into Qi Qi Condensing: Lives 120 years. Cultivators use the Energy of the World to condense that Qi into liquid form Core Formation: Lives 150 years. Cultivators compress their core, a spherical organ that sits in their dantian and produces liquid Qi. Getting past this realm is the first major bottleneckDid you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Nascent Soul: Body lives 250 years, soul lives 500 years. Cultivators use the Energy of the World to create a Nascent Soul, an extension to their soul that allows them to live on should their body die. Body Cultivation: Body Tempering: Lives 100 years. Cultivators use the Energy of the World to temper their body beyond mortal limits. Body Reinforcement: Lives 150 years. Cultivators binds Energy of the World of a chosen type into their body, bringing it more aligned to that type of energy. Essence Refining: Lives 250 years. Cultivators mould their bodies into vessels that store Essence, refined Energy of the World that is a lot more potent than Qi but also less flexible in its use. It is almost unheard of for someone from the outskirts of the Qin Empire to surpass this Realm, and if they do they are recruited by a larger Clan or a Sect. Chapter 1 - Passing the Torch ¡°It is time for you to lead my son. There is only so much strength left in this old man¡¯s body.¡± ¡°Father no, you still have some time left. We can fight them back, raise up some more talented disciples from the branch families and upgrade the Clan Treasure to extend your life.¡± ¡°That is wishful thinking my son, those Zhao dogs will not stop until our Wu family is wiped out and our clan destroyed. You must take the Clan Treasure from me and use its power to break through to the next stage; only then shall our Legacy survive.¡± ¡°Father...¡± ¡°This is an order from your Patriarch. You will do everything in your power to make sure our Wu Clan survives. Long have I prepared for my body to enter the sacred halls of our ancestors, and my soul to enter Samsara; do not let my life be the downfall of our ancestor¡¯s work.¡± ¡°Yes father.¡± Deep within the Wu family¡¯s compound, at the peak of Mt. Serenity, an emaciated elderly man held one hand on his sons shoulder comfortingly. Their ocean-blue eyes met, the father¡¯s as calm as a tranquil lake and the son¡¯s in turmoil like a stormy sea. ¡°I know I have been harsh upon you and your brother, but I have always been proud of you both. I know you will continue to make me even prouder my son, and if you ever see your brother again, tell him...¡± The older man¡¯s facade of composure broke for a second before he got it under control. ¡°Tell him that I love you both very much.¡± A tear fell down the patriarch¡¯s face, rolling down his cheek and dripping onto his son¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m ready. Take our Clan¡¯s Treasure and make the world fear our Wu Clan¡¯s name!¡± In a flash of milky white light, a small golden bell emerged from between the clan leader¡¯s eyes. It trembled, as if aware of the situation, and let out a long, mournful chime. It stayed there for a few moments, hesitant to leave the man who had carried it for the last century, before finally resigning itself to its fate and gently floating down towards its successor. The younger man barely even registered the new presence within his soul sea, his entire focus directed towards the man who had raised him all his life, the man who had borne the weight of his clan upon his back for a century and was sacrificing his chance at a longer life so that it could live on. Right now, despite the emaciated state that he was in, his father was the largest figure he had ever seen, and he immortalised this image forever within his memory. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Make me even prouder my son. I can only hope that if you don¡¯t reach immortality, you will be born again as my son many a life from now. Now I am off to experience Samsara, and find my wife again in our next lives.¡± In an uncharacteristic display of emotion, the older man embraced the younger, holding him with all the strength he had left. ¡°Father I... I love you too.¡± The son whispered as he felt the former patriarch¡¯s life fade. ¡°I know my son. May you find Longevity and the Dao, in this life or the next.¡± ¡°May you find Longevity and the Dao, father, in your next life.¡± And with that, the last of his strength gave way, causing his body to slump into his son¡¯s embrace. Wu Jian stood there for a while, as if not moving would stop his father¡¯s life from slipping away, but at last he managing to lower the corpse and lay it gently upon the ground. A cold light flashed within his eyes, the tumultuous waters within them turning furious in their thrashing, and he called out for a servant. ¡°Yes Patriarch Wu.¡± ¡°Go tell the Zhao Clan that we will meet with them tomorrow at dawn to discuss the terms of surrender.¡± ¡°My lord...¡± ¡°Do it.¡± ¡°Yes my lord.¡± The servant left to convey the message and Wu Jian looked down upon his father¡¯s body. ¡°Don¡¯t worry father, they shall pay for what they¡¯ve done. But one must first play the sheep to catch the tiger.¡± He took out an array disk from his storage ring and placed it in the air above the body, injecting it with Qi. A shimmering dome extended underneath it, covering the corpse and shielding it from the surroundings in a bubble of frozen space. ¡°I will be back father. Your funeral will be held after hundreds of their own.¡± And with a flourish of his cape, he descended further into the mountain compound, down into the room which gave the mountain its name. Chapter 2 - Terms of Surrender Dawn came quickly, with both sides taking a welcome respite from the fighting. Although they were still on guard, the cultivators that had previously been giving it their all to attack or defend the Wu Clan had taken the night to rest, recuperate, and prepare for the meeting set to take place this morning. Now, both sides faced each other outside of the clan walls, the Wu Clan''s fighters with their backs to the river that served as a natural moat for their clan grounds, whilst the Zhao Clan''s stood cockily out in the open. After all, why wouldn''t they be cocky? Their Earth element cultivation method directly countered the Wu Clan''s Water element cultivation method, they had a greater number of Core Formation experts, and the surroundings were more suited for them than their opponents. Not to mention what the topic of the meeting was. "Patriarch Wu. We have waited long enough for you. Show yourself now or we will be forced to take drastic action." A sinister looking man dressed in the customary earthen coloured robes of his clan and sporting the badge and embellishments of an elder shouted out. Behind him stood a bald, monk like man that looked like a boulder, and a short, stocky woman that lent upon a stone war hammer that was almost the same size as her, both dressed in the same,traditional clan elder garb. If you counted these three and the elegant looking clan leader who sat upon an engraved stone throne watching all of this, there were 4 core formation experts upon the side of the Zhao Clan, outnumbering the Wu Clan''s now 2. Seeing that the Wu Patriarch did not step forwards, the sinister looking man''s mouth curled up in a sneer. "Don''t say I didn''t warn you." He chuckled darkly to himself as he stepped forwards, raising his hand as he did so. A large hand, made out of the earth in front of the Wu Clan''s cultivators, lifted from the ground and mimicked his actions so that when he made a fist and punched forwards, the giant hand copied his motions to do the same. "Treacherous Zhao dogs." Wu Chi, the only other surviving Core Cultivation expert besides Wu Jian, leapt in the path of the attack to protect her people. The water from the river behind her rose up and surged forwards to meet the hand, seeping into it and softening the dirt into mud. Seeing this, the sinister looking man changed his posture, incanting something under his breath as both his hands set to work making complex hand signals. His giant fist fell apart but it''s components stayed under his control so he directed the mud to swarm Wu Chi''s feet and then solidify. The woman tried to force her feet from the mud''s grasp, but she had not progressed her body cultivation enough to have the strength to do so, instead only succeeding in loosening its grip upon her. River water flew to her, following her command as she directed it towards breaking off the mud that rooted her to the ground but the sinister looking man once again had a counter. The earth in contact with the mud rose up to fend off the liquid attack, being battered and broken by the torrent of water but managing to keep the entangling substance safe for long enough that it started spreading up Wu Chi''s legs. She poured her Qi into the attacks, infusing them further with her Dao Shard of Curren to increase the momentum behind the downpour. Finally, she broke through the layers of defence, distance meaning that the sinister looking man could not reinforce his own efforts as much as his opponent could, and managed to destroy the substance binding her. The earth cultivator stepped forth to attack again but a booming voice cut him off and stopped him in his tracks. "Enough!" The Zhao Clan Patriarch had stood up from his throne and projected his voice towards the Wu Clan. "Either your Patriarch steps out to discuss the terms of his surrender or we shall wipe you out where you stand." A crushing aura spread from his body, weighing down upon everyone present. His peak Core Formation Stage cultivation being backed up by a Clan Treasure of equal strength. The Wu family cultivators felt the worst of it, the local hegemon''s killing intent directed towards them. All of a sudden, the pressure was pushed back to halfway between the two groups, an equivalent aura fighting back against it. "You dare attack my people during a ceasefire? The Zhao Clan clearly has no honour." A voice boomed across the plains in front and mountains behind as Wu Jian stepped off from his clan''s defensive wall onto a large sword of water that he floated up from the river to meet him. His robes fluttered in the wind as he descended towards the assembled cultivators. "Careful not to insult us Wu boy, the terms of your surrender may become more unfavourable if you do." The Zhao Patriarch responded as the Wu Patriarch stopped above the defending clansmen. "And who said this was a meeting to discuss my surrender? It should be you who is careful not to offend." "HAHAHAHA! How amusing. The boy has eyes but cannot see Mt. Tai. I was just going to have you shatter your Clan Treasure but now you can surrender your mountain to us as well." "I''d like to see you try and take it from us." "Then you shall. ATTACK!" As the last word was spoken, both sides jumped into action. The Wu Clan cultivators got into a formation, summoning a huge water dragon that flew overhead, whilst the Zhao Clan did the same to summon a giant earthen snake. Wu Chi looked across at her new clan leader from within the dragon''s head, apprehension filling her as she believed he acted rashly out of anger at his father''s death. She knew the old patriarch had died the second she sensed the power of the Clan Treasure behind Wu Jian''s aura and although this saddened her, she froze her grief to deal with the matter at hand.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. The sinister looking man had been absorbed into the earthen snake, disappearing from sight as he took control of it. The summoned creature opened its mouth and his voice came out, taunting Wu Chi. "Come on, let''s finish what we started. The Wu brat won''t save you this time." With those words, it slithered forwards and she responded in kind, swooping down towards it and beginning a fierce battle of elemental beasts. The other 3 Core Formation Stage experts rushed towards the hovering Wu Jian, who stood aloof with his hands behind his back above the battlefield, as if nothing that was going on bellow mattered to him. Pillars shot up from the ground, creating steps for the Zhao cultivators to propel themselves up and approach their enemy. They drew close but Wu Jian''s expression remained neutral as he passively observed them. His blue eyes were as still as a lake on a sunny day but his hands moved from behind his back as he got ready to fight. Seeing this, the Zhao Patriarch gave a signal and the three launched a joint attack. The Clan Head himself lifted his hands above his head and, in a flash of milky white light, summoned a mountain shaped object the size of a wine gourd. "Suppress!" He yelled, and Wu Jian felt a great weight settle upon his body as if the mountain was sitting upon his shoulders and exerting pressure on all of him. The monk like man''s attack was the next to reach the Wu Patriarch. He punched the air in front of him and at the at the point where his arms were fully extended during the punch, a stone the size of a coconut shot out. The monk like man had managed to fire 4 of these stones in the short period of time that had passed and each swerved towards Wu Jian like they could home in on him. Each of the stones targeted a different limb, hitting the wrists and ankles of the unmoving Wu Jianwho was still being weighed down by the mountain''s strange properties. When they hit, they encapsulated his wrists and ankles, forming stone manacles that weighed down each of his limbs and further restrained his movement. Last was the short lady, who had continued to dash towards their victim. She ran along earthen pillars that sprang up wherever she stepped until she reached right in front of the young Wu Clan Head. Then, with a gigantic leap born of her high body cultivation realm, she swung her stone hammer down towards his head. In the three seconds it had taken them to do all this, Wu Jian had not moved an inch but, now that his head was about to be crushed by their combined attack, he raised his gaze to meet the Zhao Patriarch''s. A bloodthirsty grin appeared on his face and a hunger revealed itself in his eyes, throwing the tranquil lakes within them into chaos. Killing intent exploded from his body, and he released the cultivation base that he had been suppressing all this time. The Zhao cultivators froze, held in place by Wu Jian''s invisible pressure. Not only had the wave of power caught them by surprise, it also carried with it a mysterious power born of Wu Jian''s Dao. "N-Nascent soul..." The Zhao Patriarch stuttered under his breath, fear and awe taking over his mind. Hearing the terror in the other man''s voice, Wu Jian''s smile became wider and more monstrous even as he spoke in a sweet voice. "Since you have been so kind as to come all this way, why don''t you stay here forever?" And the sword beneath him exploded into a hundred water blades that lashed out at the three frozen cultivators. The woman, being the closest, was shredded by the blades before she had chance to react, he body cultivation only holding up for a brief moment before she was torn asunder by the power of a superior realm. The monk like man was better off, having time to form a cross in front of his upper body and construct a stone shield in front of him. This barely saved him but his shield was shattered by the water blades, causing stone shards to pelt him and leave him gravely injured. The Zhao Patriarch fared the best out of them as, being furthest away, he had time to redirect his mountain''s weight onto the attacks that targeted him, slowing them significantly so that he could reposition himself to take the hits on his non vital areas and reduce the power behind the attacks at the same time. Left over streams of water twisted around Wu Jian''s body like tamed snakes, wrapping around and crushing the stone shackles when they passed them, freeing his movement completely. "Retreat!" The Zhou Patriarch shouted, jumping down from his pillar and increasing his own weight so that he crashed towards the ground away from Wu Jian. The monk like man was not lucky enough to be able to escape at the same speed. As soon as the man moved to follow his leader, the Wu Clan Head had caught up to him, the water snakes jumping off of him and onto his victim. They crawled up his body as Wu Jian left him to his fate, eventually finding their way to his neck through his swatting hands and materialising stone defences. There, any of the snakes that made it detonated themselves into tiny blades of water that ripped the poor man''s throat out. He promptly died. Meanwhile, Wu Jian caught up with the fleeing group of cultivators from the Zhao Clan and flew above them like a vengeful god. The enemy patriarch had hit the ground hard and broken one of his legs, and so was being carried away on the back of the summoned earthen snake that even now was still being maintained, the lower level cultivators having been absorbed into its body to keep them safe and travel with them. The Wu Clan''s water dragon was harrying the snake, but it was unable to do more than harass it and leave scratches along its defences. Fortunately, that stopped it from being able to burrow underground and escape that way so Wu Jian was able to catch up. "Judgement is upon you Zhao dogs. Prepare yourselves to join my father in death!" He announced. A milky white light appeared between his eyes and the small golden bell flew out from between his eyes. It trembled in anger at those who had killed its former master and sounded out once, as if announcing their end. Across so many targets, the effect of the bell was weakened, causing it to have no effect upon the 2 remaining Core Formation Stage experts. But for the weaker cultivators, it managed to take full effect. This Clan Treasure, like all others, had been imbued with the Shard of a Greater Dao at the moment of its creation, and the particular Dao Shard that the bell possessed was one of Calm. Each and every Zhao Cultivator under the Core Formation stage was forcefully put into a state of pure calm, where nothing effected them and they could just relax. Of course, relaxing completely meant that their concentration was no longer upon supplying Qi to the formation and therefore, it collapsed. The aggressing clan members were thrown unceremoniously to the floor, the calming effect breaking for many but not all of them. Whilst the bell was doing this, Wu Jian had utilised his own Dao Fragment of the Clouds and Dao Shard of Rapids to gather a storm on top of his foes. Once they were defenceless, he directed his Qi to attack them and spears of turbulent water rained down upon them, slaughtering them to the man. Or at least, to all but one man. There, clinging onto life and clutching his crumbling Clan Treasure was the Zhao Patriarch. Anger threatened to overwhelm Wu Jian''s reason, having already paid back his father''s death manifold by killing the core of the Zhao Clan and destroying their Clan Treasure, guaranteeing their downfall. But he knew there was a use for the man in front of him. He knew it, but at the same time he felt the need to exact more vengeance. Sensing his distress, the tiny bell flew back over to him and chimed softly, bringing him back to his senses. Sure killing the man would avenge and honour his father more, but keeping him alive would be of more use to the clan that his father had sacrificed his life to save. "Wu Chi, seal this man''s cultivation and lock him in the dungeon. We have use for him yet." He spoke, carefully sticking to the words he planned out in his head in case he accidentally flew off the rails and ordered his new asset''s death. "Yes Patriarch." Wu Chi replied, looking at her Clan Head with newfound respect. "Good. I will be going into secluded meditation for a while to consolidate my cultivation. Make sure to seize all the Zhao Clan''s territory and assets whilst I''m in there. Only disturb me if there''s a problem with doing that." And with his final orders, he turned and flew back towards Mt. Serenity. Chapter 3 - Meeting of Clan Heads Wu Jian exited his meditation room and was greeted by a bowing messenger who awaited permission to speak. He took a moment to stretch before giving it, having spent the last two days sitting in one unmoving position. "Patriarch, the Clan Heads from our subservient Ye, Dai, and Wang families have come to pay their respects to you whilst the Clan Heads for two of the Zhao family''s subservient Clans are here to pledge loyalty to you." The servant recited, cultivation and practice giving them a near perfect memory. "Good, I will see them in the main hall." Wu Jian replied, cleansing himself by summoning water around his entire body and then repelling it from his skin to dry off completely. The servant ran off to relay his message, and the Wu Patriarch took a moment to collect himself. The bell within his soul chimed, helping him calm his turbulent mind and push down his grief once again. This was no time to mourn, he had to be strong for the Clan and seize the opportunities that presented themselves to him, and once he was done he would take the time to process his emotions. A cold glint flashed in his eye, reminiscent of the one he had before the slaughter of the Zhao Clan but lacking the anger that burned at that time. Instead, the frozen lakes of his irises promised a cold, calculated demise for all that stood in his way. Making his way to the main hall, a Wu Jian seated himself upon the golden throne at the head of the room. Ornate patterns adorned his chair and sea blue gems, containing water aligned Qi, were embedded along its frame. He straightened his back, sitting ramrod straight, and rested his arms along the arm rests, allowing his baggy sleeves to drape over them and cover the surface. He gave a gesture, and the large double doors to the hall, similarly engraved with patterns, were opened to reveal a congregation of 5 people. The visitors stood in two groups, a trio and a duo. The three at the front were the Clan Heads who already paid tribute forthe Wu Clan''s protection and the two at the back were the Clan Heads who had just lost the protection of the Zhao Clan and were looking for a new canopy to shelter under. The closer group approached first, reaching half way through the hall before they hit an invisible wall of pressure that the seated man exuded. All three have a deep bow towards him as one of the attendants standing along the side of the room announced. "Presenting Ye Daiyu, Dai Xue, and Wang Kueng." The cultivators'' faces scrunched at the disrespect but quickly schooled their expressions as they kept their heads bowed towards Wu Jian. The man in question stared down at them imperiously, letting them stay in position for a long few moments to show his displeasure, before gesturing for them to rise. Ye Daiyu was the first to rise, speaking as she did so. Her voice sounded out as if she was singing a beautiful song which, combined with her elegant, jade like beauty and tall, slim figure, caused an ethereal feeling to radiate off her. "Congratulations to Patriarch Wu for breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm. My humble Ye Clan has prepared a gift to celebrate the occasion." A spatial ring upon her one of her fingers, flashed with pale yellow light and an elaborately crafted silver sword appeared upon her dainty hands. Blue formations were penned onto the flat of the blade, each flowing on to another like a meandering stream, whilst the edge glinted with a wicked sharpness.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Wu Jian raised a hand a beckoned for her to come closer, to which she slowly made her way towards the foot of the throne, passing by rows of lapis pillars that lined either side of the room and depicted the Wu Clan''s ancestors during various battles and challenges, but was stopped by his pressure when she made it within 5 steps. She lifted the sword once again, bowing her head and lowering her gaze as she did so, and it floated out of her hands towards him. "A fine gift indeed." The Wu Patriarch remarked, inspecting the weapon in his grasp. "I shall use it well." "I would ask nothing more, Patriarch Wu." He nodded towards her once before turning his gaze to the next in line; Dai Xue. The Clan Head of the Dai Clan was a petite woman, with a complexion as pale as snow. She looked unhealthy but was far from it as her silver eyes brimmed with life. She shrunk a little at his stony stare but mustered the courage to speak. "The Dai Clan would also like to express its congratulations to Patriarch Wu. Please accept this small offering." In another flash of light, a square, purple cushion appeared upon the Dai Matriarch''s hands. Resting atop it was a tiny, perfectly spherical pill as transparent as morning dew. A faint medicinal scent wafted off it, only detectable by the Clan Heads'' cultivation enhanced senses. Wu Jian beckoned her forwards, her steps only halting 10 steps away from his throne. A faint tendril of water Qi extended from the seated man, wrapping around the proffered object and carrying it back to him. His divine sense, a new, spiritual sense that he awakened upon reaching the Nascent Soul Realm, scanned the pill in it''s entirety. His eyebrow raised as he felt the energies contained within the tiny sphere and Dai Xue found herself able to take another 3 steps towards the throne, which she did. "Quite a useful, if unusual, pill." He observed. "Should the need arrive to use this, I will be very grateful to have received it." "You honour my clan Patriarch Wu." He inclined his head towards her before his eyes slid to the last Clan Head in the first group. Wang Kueng met his stare with one of his own, speaking whilst holding eye contact. "Congratulations on your breakthrough Master Wu. It is only a matter of time before your Clan follows and joins the ranks of the mid sized Clans." He let his words hang in the air for a few moments before continuing. "Of course the Wang Clan has prepared a gift for the occasion, I hope Master Wu will be kind and accept it." A rich yellow light flashed, much more colourful than any of the previous lights from the others'' spatial storage rings, and a smooth piece of jade appeared within the Wang Patriarch''s hands. A chilly look crossed Wu Jian''s face as he regarded the item, the disrespect that his subordinate was showing him indicating that nothing good was contained within. A tendril of water picked it up and brought it to the Wu Patriarch, who brought it to his forehead and pushed his divine sense into it. He had heard about jade being used to contain information in place of scrolls, due to its ability to hold said information for eternity without any of it being lost. The only issue with this, besides it''s price, was that it required one to have divine sense, and thus be of the Nascent Soul Realm of Qi Cultivation, to read the contents within. Therefore, whoever sent this had to be both wealthy and possess someone of at least the Nascent Soul Realm to be able to acquire this item and inscribe the contents within. This pointed to the Wang Clan having received it from an outside source, a foreign faction that was trying to send a message. The ice caps within Wu Jian''s eyes melted from his fury as he sifted through the jade''s contents and his aura flared, falling heavy upon Wang Kueng''s shoulders and forcing him to his knees. "It seems like a big fish has taken an interest in our Wu Clan." His hand griped his newly acquired sword and his cultivation base stirred. "I guess we''ll have to show them we''re not an easy bite to swallow." Chapter 4 - The Price of Betrayal "Not a word of this leaves this room." Wu Jian declared. "I require you all to swear oaths to the Dao that your lips will be sealed on this matter." Shocked looks appeared on the faces of the gathered Clan Heads, wondering what could be so important as to make the Wu Patriarch throw out all etiquette like this. "As for the Wang traitor here, throw him in the dungeons where he belongs." The pressure of Wu Jian''s cultivation restrained the man as cold iron manacles were attached to his wrists and ankles, the material''s special properties beginning to drain the cultivator''s Qi faster than it regenerated. The chained man laughed as he was dragged away, taunting them as soon as he grew accustomed enough to the pressure to do so. "Do what you will, you shall learn what it''s like to serve another, just as my Clan has been subservient to yours for generations." ''He must know that he would not be killed in the current situation.'' Thought Wu Jian. ''Or else he would not be so fearless.'' He turned to the gathered Clan Heads, his face a perfect mask of cold indifference. "The Wu Clan thanks the Ye and Dai Clans for their gifts. After your Dao Oaths, you may leave." He inclined his head slightly towards them, to which they responded with deep bows. "I swear upon the Dao that I will not reveal anything that happened here today to anyone. Should I break my word, may the heavens strike me down." They each recited, and a grand, powerful presence filled the room. Chains forged from the laws of the universe itself bound the Wu Patriarch with his guests, only to be broken should they surpass him in cultivation. The chains faded to invisibility, hidden to all except those skilled in the Grand Dao of Karma, and the Ye and Dai Matriarchs bowed and left.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Seeing that it was now their turn, one of the foreign Clan Heads, a sharp featured man with a sword at his waist and green robes adorning his person, stepped forward and proactively made the oath, the other one, a muscled woman wearing robes made from the hides and pelts of animals, following just a few moments later. "Good. It seems like you aren''t the rulers of your clan for nothing." "We thank the Wu Patriarch for his kind words." They said, together this time. "It is my understanding that you have come to pledge loyalty to my clan. Is this true?" The muscled woman was the first to respond to his question, bowing her head further as she did so. "You are correct Patriarch Wu. My humble Rong wishes to shelter under the great Wu Clan''s wing. We do not have much to offer besides our might in battle, but we hope that the Wu Patriarch sees value in our warriors and accepts." Wu Jian''s brow furrowed, as if he were in thought, before he spoke in response. "If you offer only your aid in battle, why did the Zhao Clan not make use of you?" He asked. "They wished to claim the honour of defeating your Wu Clan alone, though they were foolish to have thoughts of doing so to begin with." "I see, then the Wu Clan accepts. Bring half of your warriors here for inspection 5 dawns from now, I wish to see the might of your Rong Clan." "You honour us Patriarch Wu. I hope you will be impressed by our offering." "Go then, I shall send someone to receive you at the gate 5 sunrises from now." "Yes Patriarch Wu." And with a bow, the Rong Matriarch left the hall, leaving the sharp featured man alone with the Wu Clan cultivators. "In response to your earlier question, my Hu Clan also wishes to be protected by the Wu Clan''s mighty sword." Seeing Wu Jian''s nod, the man continued. "We may not be warriors like the Rong Clan, but my Hu Clan are skilled at tending to spiritual herbs. We offer a tribute of our highest quality herbs at the end of each season as well as the customary tenth of our fighters should you come under attack." With the man done, Wu Jian considered it for a moment before nodding his head in assent. "Very well, the Hu Clan shall henceforth be protected by the Wu Clan as long as your tributes are paid in full." The green robed man hastily bowed deeper at this response, professing his gratitude. "Thank you Patriarch Wu." "There is no need for thanks. Go now, I will send the Wu Clan''s head alchemist with you to inspect your herb gardens." The seated man lifted his hand and gestured at one of his attendants to do so before watching the Hu Clan Head leave the hall. Once the other man was out of earshot, he spoke aloud to the room. "I do not need to remind you that today''s matters fall under your oath to the clan." He let the words hang there for a minute until he too left the hall. Chapter 5 - A Bigger Fish "Lord Patriarch, the Wang Clan has been put under house arrest and is being monitored closely, as you ordered." "Good, inform me should the situation develop." "Yes Lord Patriarch!" Wu Jian continued reading the documents in front of him as the servant scampered away, never having looked up from them in the first place. His eyes read and reread the words on the page, his mind working furiously to try and glean any bit of useful information from them that he hadn''t already over the past few days. The documents contained details and reports on the Gao Clan, a mid sized clan that occupied the neighbouring territory that was closer to the centre of the Qin Dynasty, the Empire that both clans resided in. Apparently they had taken an interest in the Wu Clan''s future and had decided to make them into subordinates before they too reached the rank of a mid sized clan and joined the political stage of the empire''s outskirts. They used a light element cultivation technique and were known for delivering swift and precise attacks through beams of light that they could generate. But aside from that, there was no information on their Clan Treasure or whatever other Daos the clan pursued, at least none that was available to him, so he was going half blind into the situation. In Wu Jian''s mind, there were 3 potential path that he could take. First was fortifying his clan''s defences and raising its overall strength to try and make it so that the resources the Gao Clan would have to commit to take over his Wu Clan be too much for them to commit to. Of course, this was a generally unfeasible plan due to the sheer might that the Gao Clan possessed, having multiple Nascent Soul masters and dozens of Core Formation experts before you counted any that they kept hidden to shroud their strength. The second path he could take was giving in and submitting to the Gao Clan. This would forever put his Wu Clan in the position of a vassal to a force they could never hope to overcome, since the majority of their rare and powerful cultivation resources would be going to their overlords. That, and Wu Jian refused to surrender the clan his father had entrusted to him. He could put aside his pride for the greater good of the clan, but he could not put aside his father''s memory.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. The third and final plan he had in mind was to find an ally or benefactor that would scare off the Gao Clan from attacking. Doing this without becoming subservient to another power would be tricky, but it was by far the best of the three options in his mind. As part of the order to gather information on the Gao Clan, he had also bid his information to bring him knowledge of the other mid sized clans nearby. He hoped he could find one that needed something he could offer and he could strike a bargain with them for protection. Unfortunately, the clans guarded their inner workings jealously and his search had not turned over much, so all he could do was attempt to delay the Gao Clan''s takeover until a solution presented itself, and that meant he had to be ready to bleed. "Lord Patriarch, two of our trading caravans were accosted by the local authorities of where they were passing through and are being held under suspicion of transporting illegal goods." A servant entered, bowed and reported. "It looks like they''ve begun to make their moves. Make an offer to the offending city''s lords, they may keep the goods in the caravans as long as they return our people to us. And send squads of our clan members to meet the returning caravans at our border, any cultivator who sets foot on our land without permission is to be be apprehended." "Understood lord Patriarch, by your command." The servant vanished to complete their tasks. Wu Jian suppressed his anger at the blatant move against his clan, the bell in his soul sea chiming in assistance. For now his rage would be set aside so that he could focus upon the task at hand, but later it would be unleashed upon those who attempted to bring down his father''s legacy. He got up from his seat and made his way towards the meditation chambers reserved for main family members, finding himself alone in there as the only other direct relative of his was off travelling and exploring the world. His progress had stagnated since he reached the Nascent Soul Realm, but he kept trying to inch forward on his path through the habit of cultivating each night instead of sleeping that he had built up over the years. The process was relaxing to him, the gentle waves of energy that he circulated within himself lulling him into a meditative state where he could almost feel his father''s arms wrapped around him like he had during their final embrace. He preferred the task now that he could feel his father''s presence, though he did half miss the state of absolute peace he would cultivate in before. It was like the former patriarch''s soul had stayed behind to comfort him instead of moving straight to the cycle of Samsara. "It won''t be long father." He whispered. "I have avenged you and once I have dealt with those Gao dogs your body will be enshrined with the ancestors''." Chapter 6 - Unwelcome Guests "Lord Patriarch. The Gentle Wind City Lord has accepted our offer but the Raging Fire City Lord turned away our messenger at the gate." As soon as he left his meditation chambers, he was approached with the news. Anger showed clearly on his subordinate''s face, but they kept to their role of messenger, and their station of servant, and abstained from adding the suggestion of swift vengeance that they clearly wanted to say. "It is good that some of our clansmen are being returned to us. We shall make sure to retrieve the others once matters have been dealt with." The Wu Patriarch spoke to assuage the servant''s fears. He knew that the messengers gossiped among each other, as their oaths only prevented them from sharing with those outside the clan, and if he appeared to be in control of the situation, then that perception would spread to the rest of his clan. A second servant stepped forward, seeing nothing else forthcoming from their Clan Head, and spoke. "Lord Patriarch, a delegation from the Gao Clan has arrived and are demanding they speak with you." "Very well, bring them to the main hall, I will be there shortly." Both servants ran off to carry out their duties whilst Wu Jian made his way to his office. There, new reports and documents awaited him and he made a point of reading every single one before eventually standing up and going to meet his new guests. Plans were spun and plots weaved in his head throughout his journey to the main hall but once those grand double doors opened to grant him entry, he became solely focused on the task at hand. "Finally, do you know how long we''ve been waiting? This is an insult to the Gao Clan and I will not let it stand!" Within the hall 2 Core Formation cultivators stood, flanked by 4 guards of the same Realm but a lesser Stage. Each guard carried a sword at their hip and a reflective shield upon their back whilst the 2 envoys stood unarmed. The one who spoke up, a tall, hook nosed man with blond hair, was glaring at the arriving Patriarch whilst his counterpart, an icy expressioned woman with the same hair colour, whispered something to him. He seemed to calm down at whatever she said but still looked at Wu Jian expectantly. In response to this, the Wu Patriarch disregarded them completely, walking towards his throne with slow, measured steps and making sure to take his time. The visiting man turned red and looked like he was about to burst until the woman lifted her hand and placed it upon her fellow envoy''s shoulder firmly. The two then stayed silent until Wu Jian finished the ascent to his throne. "What business does the great Gao Clan have with my humble Wu Clan?" He spoke, taking the opportunity to look over the delegation in more detail. The two blondes were in the Late Stage of the Core Formation Realm whilst their guards were in the Early Stage. Even before his divine sense picked up on the faint connection between their souls and the distant Clan Treasure, the Wu Patriarch knew that the two were blood members of the Gao Clan. They were home grown experts, cultivators who had been raised almost entirely on the clan''s resources, and it showed through their cultivation bases. The each had a firm, solid foundation that was a lot more refined than any that he saw in his own clan members, but they lacked the aura of true warriors that was present in any who had to struggle on the line between life and death to further their cultivation. Perhaps in the future they would earn such an aura, but until then they lacked an edge that made the dangerous against those in the same Stage of cultivation. The guards had impure cultivation bases, likely having formed their core by swallowing a pill instead of creating it themselves. This meant they would never reach the Nascent Soul Realm and their progress throughout the stages of the Core Formation Realm would be painstakingly slow and taxing upon them. Unfortunately, this was probably the best case scenario for them as it was rare to have the talent to make it to the Core Formation Realm without using an external aidand these cultivators were not truly part of the Gao Clan, being hired by or contracted to them instead, and so could not rely on the power granted by a Clan Treasure to advance. These guards had effectively crippled themselves but in returnreached a Realm that they would be unlikely to reach through their own efforts, gaining the extra life span that came with entering that Realm, greater power than they had ever had before, and a greater ability to support their descendants in their own cultivation.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "We had come to check upon the state of our Wang Clan allies." The woman was the one to reply, her chilly voice cutting short Wu Jian''s quiet contemplation. "But unfortunately it seems that they have been deprived of their freedoms. Now we are here to see what explanation you have for this, Wu Patriarch?" For his part, the male envoy stood to the side looking smug. After all, why shouldn''t he? He came from a larger, much more established clan that could crush the one he was visiting by sending just 2 of their Nascent Soul Realm cultivators. On top of that, the Wu Clan''s actions had handed them the Casus Beli, a just reason to go to war, that they needed to do so. Now, as long as Wu Jian could not give them a proper explanation, the Gao Clan could send their armies to seize control of the smaller clan without loosing face and suffering the repercussions that came with that. "I was under the impression that the Gao Clan did not need such weak allies." Wu Jian spoke, succeeding in riling up the man once again. "But I suppose an explanation is in order." He waved his hand and a servant rushed out a side entrance, returning shortly with a leather bound and chained up manual held at arms length away from them. "With my breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Realm, I gained a certain sense for people''s souls and, when the Wang Patriarch visited our clan, I was able to sense something off about his." The servant had reached his throne and offered the book to him, which he took and withdrew a key from within his storage ring. "So, when I investigated further, I found that he was using a demonic technique that stole the souls of other cultivators and merged them with his own in a desperate bid to break through his bottlenecks and ascend to the same Realm as I." By now, the chains binding the manual had been unlocked and the book was floating towards the visiting envoys under the guidance of Wu Jian''s Qi. "Tell me, does the Gao Clan make a habit of allying with Demonic Cultivators?" "We did no such thing!" The woman waved a hand for the man to stop and bowed her head slightly towards the Wu Patriarch. "The Gao Clan apologises for any inconvenience caused to your Wu Clan." "Sister what..." The woman shot her brother a glare and he quieted. "We would also request that we take the Wang Patriarch back to the Gao Clan for punishment. After all, the Wang Clan has greater involvement with our Gao Clan than it does your Wu Clan." She clasped her hands in front of her. "Grant us this face." The room stilled at the mention of respect. Wu Jian had piled up insult against insult against the Gao Clan but, at the end of the day, they were just words. Their request had merit and to deny it would be a direct slap to the Gao Clan''s face, itmay even merit a public retaliation. "Unfortunately, I have to keep custody of the Wang Patriarch." Wu Jian started and, before the envoys had chance to reply, continued. "This is due to his soul''s abnormal state. His soul has taken half a step towards the Nascent Soul Realm, despite low cultivation. I am afraid that anyone below the Peak Stage of the Core Formation Realm''s soul will be injured by the soul attacks that he is now able to perform, and I cannot in good conscience allow him to be escorted by anyone less and risk their harm and his escape." If the woman was fazed by his answer she didn''t show it. Instead, her head raised from its inclined position and her eyes scanned the manual that floated open in front of her and the light of calculation flashed within them. "Very well." She spoke after a long stretch of silence. "The Gao Clan will send an escort of sufficient strength to retrieve the Wang Patriarch 12 dawns from now. I trust this arrangement will be fine with the Wu Patriarch." The enthroned cultivator nodded his head. "Then we must bid you goodbye." She continued, clasping her hands towards Wu Jian once more. "May you find Longevity and the Dao." She intoned, the rest of her delegation giving respectful bows after she spoke. "May you find Longevity and the Dao." The Wu Patriarch repeated, clasping his hands back. And with that, servants opened the large doors of the main hall and the Gao delegation left. Chapter 7 - Taboo Initiate a clan wide search. Find any and all methods being used and capture the perpetrators. We must be perfectly before the Gao Clan''s escorts " "Yes, Lord Patriarch." The servant bowed before walking into the clan''s right next to Wu Jian''s own destination, the prison. Upon entering, the Wu Patriarch was immediately greeted by the guards on duty, who snapped to attention from their seated positions. He cast his gaze over the coins and cards scattered across the table they had been sitting at, and gave them a reprimanding look, but didn''t take it further. Instead, he pointed to the most senior of the guards and bid that she gather the Zhao Clan prisoners that they had in the deepest cell of the prison before heading there himself. Along the way there, every prisoner lowered their gaze so as not to meet his as he passed, most of them sitting so as not to pull on the chains that attached them to the wall. However, one prisoner in particular caught Wu Jian''s eye. A young man in the Qi Gathering Realm who moved throughout his cell training a martial technique. With his divine sense, the Wu Patriarch could sense the of the around the teen and aid him in tempering his body. Using that same sense, Wu Jian sent a mental to the head guard that she bring that young man to his office instead of the cell where he was heading before continuing on. Come to release me? A mocking voice greeted him as he entered the deepest room in the prison. There, chained to the floor such that he could not move, was the Wang Patriarch. The man had been deemed more dangerous than the severely injured Zhao Patriarch by of his retaining his Clan Treasure, the power within it being usable even in his Qi deprived state. It was also that power which allowed the Wang Patriarch to remain unfazed by the situation as it sustained him and prevented any damage to his dantian from the constant draining. "The mighty Wu Jian, shining talent of the region, forced to release a lowly prisoner like me." Seeing the Wu Patriarch''s silence, the chained man continued his goading. In response, the Wu Clan Head only glared at his former subordinate before moving to carve a circle into the ground around the seated man with his new sword, Qi being injected into its inscriptions, which glowed and protected the blade from damage. "What are you doing?" The Wang Patriarch demandedLove what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. "Aren''t you here to set me free?" He , a hint of panic seeping into his voice. Wu Jian did not reply, wordlessly completing his task. Once he was done, he stepped back and observed the drawn formation for flaws, only finding a which he quickly corrected, and nodded to himself. This would do nicely. The shackled man was interrupted by the cell door opening and two dozen Zhao Clansmen being ushered inside. He went to speak again but was stopped by the Wu his own piece. "You are dismissed." The guards who had brought the prisoners bowed to him and exited the room, abandoning the prisoners to their fates.They knew well enough not to question the situation or stick around for too long. A Zhao cultivator opened their to speak, but the second they Wu Jian''s Nascent Soul aura blasted out from him and smothered the occupants of the room with its power. "Each and every one of you in this room has tried to the downfall of my clan." He So it''s fitting, really, that you will aid me in ensuring that it lives on. The building energy rushed out of him, pooling in the circle where Wang Kueng was sitting and sending out strings of Qi only visible to him and Wu Jian that wrapped around each of the Zhao Clansmen. The earth surrounding the room trembled, as if the world itself rejected what was going on, but that did nothing to stop the ritual from taking place. With a tug, the strings of Qi tugged at the prisoners but did not move them. Instead, the strings passed through their bodies, struggling as if they were being pulled through quick sand. The Zhao began screaming, crying out in agony and lashing out at the others around them, as if they were in their death throes. The strings continued their journeys through the clansmen''s bodies, eventually dragging out a small orb of glowing silver light from each, and the cultivators went limp as life left them, screams dying on their lips. Wu Jian smiled as the orbs shifted and struggled, trying to break free of their bindings and answer the call that was beckoning them, but they were unable to do so and were instead dragged towards the stunned Wang Patriarch. As they neared him, the chained man seemed to come to his senses and began to beg. "Please, you would''ve done the same." He pleaded. "I swear I will serve you faithfully forever if you stop this." But his cries fell on deaf ears. The Wu Patriarch that the threat of corrupting his soul would break the man, but he had never tried to interrogate or coerce him. He would be used for a different purpose, one that forced the Gao Clan to act in the shadows when dealing with his Wu Clan. Even if he had to condemn his enemies to a fate worse than removal from the cycle of Samsara, he would do it for the sake of his . So he was, using the original version of the technique he had shown the Gao delegates. A technique from an era long that had been used to mass produce Nascent Soul masters during times of desperation and had only since been modified into a selfish cultivation technique to promote oneself. Wang Kueng." Wu Jian''s words echoed through the room as the silver lights merged with the one deep inside the Wang Patriarch. "May you never find the Dao." Chapter 8 - Gathering Storm "The warriors you''ve brought are quite ferocious." Standing next to the Rong Matriarch, whom he had come to know as Rong Hu, Wu Jian paid her a compliment. "The Wu Patriarch''s words bring honour to my clan." Below them, 3 dozen Rong Clan Cultivators stood for inspection within the Wu Clan''s training grounds. Each of them was in the second stage of Body Cultivation, the Body Reinforcement Stage, and carried a large greatsword upon their back. They wore spirit beast hides and furs and had tattoos inked with their prey''s blood covering their torsos; their journey as warriors carried upon their own flesh. Each would make an outstanding fighter in a duel. However, one of the weaknesses of body cultivators was that they could not create a formation with the strength of their bodies, that was something that could only be done with Qi. As such, they would best be used as shock troops to disrupt the enemies'' lines and fight one on one with their captains whilst the Wu Clan cultivators fought against any formations of enemy cultivators with their own formation. "How about a demonstration?" He proposed. "You point and we shall follow." Was her response. "Very well, then follow me." He had prepared a small challenge for his vassals in order to test their mettle and coordination, so he led the procession out of the clan compound and out into the wilderness. Rong Hu followed at his heels, eyes scanning him all the while, as if she were trying to uncover everything about him. Eventually, they arrived at their destination, a large clearing populated by a massive pack of wolves. Most of the beasts were mortal, but the distinct aura of spiritual beasts emanated from within the sea of fur. Rong Hu''s eyes went wide when she saw the sheer number of beasts, realising the implications of a small army of them gathering. "Beast horde." She whispered. "Yes, though this is one of the weaker groups that are forming along the fringes of our territory as it is only led by a Late Body Reinforcement Stage direwolf." Wu Jian replied. "Your warriors'' task is to slaughter this pack whilst we pick off any that try to run away, we cannot let wild animals loose so close to civilisation. At least not until the settlements in the horde''s path have been evacuated." He explained. Of course, he had a different reason for doing this that he did not explain to the Rong Matriarch. The ritual he had performed a few days ago had shown bad karma for his Clan, and this beast horde was the manifestation of that. But as much as it was a punishment sent from the heavens, it was also an opportunity to get back into their good graces. By acting to save the mortals of his territory, the negative karma he had accumulated for his Clan would be gradually washed away by his good deeds. He was just glad that karma, at least in this sort of situation, only took into account your impact on the world and not the intentions behind your actions. He watched as Rong Hu turned to her Clansmen and started giving out orders, if you could call her simple instructions ''orders''. Once done, she let them walk forwards, making their presence known to the milling animals. "ARGH!" It was unknown who started the screaming, but soon every Rong warrior was yelling out a barbaric battle cry, putting the wolves'' howls of alert to shame. They sprinted forwards, greatswords drawn from backs, and fell upon the pack with bestial fury. If one side did not walk upright and carry weapons, it would be hard to tell who the animals were! The Dao stirred, wrapping around the barbarians'' weapons as they descended and imbuing the sharpened steel with a weight many times its own. Wu Jian''s eyebrow quirked as he recognised the Dao as the same one the Zhao Patriarch had used, the Dao Shard of Heavy. It was, of course, weaker as it was powered by a lesser cultivation and shallower understanding, but it was unmistakably the same. He bit back a comment and let the scene in front of him unfold. The greatswords, backed by the weight of their wielder''s Dao, split their targets in two and splattered the remains across the grass, dying it red with blood. But the charge of the warriors did not end there. Using the rebounding force from when they hit the ground, they launched themselves up into the air and hefted their momentarily lighter weapons above their heads to bring down once more. 3 dozen steel grey arcs flashed through the air, resulting in an equal number of resounding booms as they hit the earth and eviscerated anything in their way. Cracks formed, pointing towards the centre of the clearing, and unsteading the feet of the wolves in tandem with the mini shockwaves that blasted out from the points of impact. The slaughter continued, each of the cultivators bringing to bear a fighting style mastered through a lifetime of practiceand sheer, unadulterated strength. Just as the warriors were settling into a steady rhythm, grey blurs shot out from the massed beasts. Utilising their natural speed, several wolves at the Body Tempering Realm surrounded each barbarian and within seconds, hundreds of attacks had been unleashed upon the savage humans.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The Rong Clansmen endured, their bodies possessing tremendous endurance well beyond that of other cultivators at their stage, and retaliated. Qi hummed as they used their meagre Qi Cultivation Bases to add to their already devastating attacks and enhancing the sharpness of the wicked looking blades even further. The surrounded beasts were showered with gore, their elite dismembered in a mere moment. With the blood dying their furs, they came down from their frenzy, only to be stirred up into another one by a powerful howl that came from the back of the pack. The wolves parted like the red sea, a hulking monster of an animal striding down the created aisle. It''s aura blared out, Peak Body Reinforcement Stage paired with the Early Qi Condensing Realm and the natural strength of a direwolf. This beast would be a threat to cultivators in the Early Essence Refining Realm, and worse, it showed complete and utter dominance over the actions of its pack members. "Patriarch Wu, don''t you think this is a bit much?'' Rong Hu asked with worry as she gazed upon the creature that would leave her injured should she attempt to kill it. "Relax." Wu Jian''s voice sounded in her head. "They are in no danger." Being unable to go against the Wu Patriarch''s words, she had no choice but to stand by and watch as the direwolf approached her clansmen. It towered above them, even on four legs, and had a nasty snarl that revealed rows of pointed teeth. It''s matte black fur seemed to absorb the light of the area, casting a shadow over the Rong cultivators as its emerald green eyes looked down on them like a predator looking at prey. The barbarians froze at its presence, their animalistic instincts telling them to run, but with their clan''s honour on the linethey stood their ground. Gradually, they got movement back in their bodies, starting at their fingertips and ending at their chest where they slowed their rapidly beating hearts. The direwolf''s gaze flicked to behind the Rong cultivators, as if worried that the 2 Clan Heada standing silently behind them would act. Tentatively, it took a step forward and then, seeing that they had not moved to stop it, took another. Remaining unchallenged, the beast took the opportunity to leap towards its delectable meals, their cultivation enhanced bodies looking to be the perfect resource to progress its own cultivation. As it moved, the warriors'' shadows did too, standing up behind them and swinging down their phantom greatswords. Without time to spin and deal with their own would-be assassin, the group communicated with each other through their eyes, body language, and years of familiarity with each other, pairing up and lunging towards their partner''s shadow. Thirty-five blades hit their mark perfectly, taking the head off their targets and dissolving them into a black, viscous substance that oozed to the floor. The final blade still found its opponent, cleaving them horizontally through the chest, but the extra second it took to force the shadow creature to melt left it''s wielder vulnerable to the direwolf''s bite. Jaws clamped down around the cultivator''s torso as the beast tried to bite right through him, but his cultivation allowed him to hang onto life by a thread. Thankfully, his allies were quick to react and rained blows down upon the pack leader''s exposed head, forcing it to release its snack and retreat slightly. Anger flashed within its eyes, the colour within them deepening to the dark yet vibrant green of a deadly plant. Its Qi shifted, and the shadowy substance left by its summoned creatures exploded into entangling vines that exploded outwards. Just over half of the Rong cultivators were caught out by this surprise attack and became restrained, beginning to thrash in pain when their bindings grew thorns which pierced their skin and dug into their flesh. The remaining warriors were forced to split into two groups: one to fend off the rapidly approaching direwolf and keep it away from their defenceless clansmen, and the second to cut those entrapped by the vines free. Watching the battle with anxious eyes, Rong Hu''s fingers continuously twitched towards her greatsword, fighting the urge to interfere in his subordinates'' battle. On one hand, she could not afford to disrespect the Wang Patriarch lest his wrath be taken out on her clan, but, on the other hand, she could not bear to let any of her sworn brothers and sisters die when she could do something to prevent it. Still, as their matriarch was paralysed by indecision, the Rong warriors battled on. Sporting many wounds now, they faced off against the beast that had driven them to this state, the creature that could probably wipe a tiny clan like theirs off the map should it show choose. But their will held strong! After all, the man who had sworn to protect their clan in return for their might stood behind them, and they needed to prove their worth so that he would continue to provide safety to their families. They roared as one, strength filling them and their wounds healing rapidly as Wu Jian decided to help them, and charged the mighty direwolf, oblivious to the aid bestowed upon them. Their thoughts synced, joined by the Wu Patriarch''s divine sense, and their swords fell as one. The Dao Shard of Heavy made its presence known and all the mortal beasts present were forced onto their knees. BOOM! A shockwave ripped through the pack''s ranks, utterly obliterating most of the suppressed animals, and a dust cloud exploded out from the point of impact of the Rong Clan''s strikes, obscuring the final result. Slowly, the dust cleared, and the panicked Rong Hu could finally see her clansmen again, but she was shocked by what she saw. Her people were completely fine! But not only that, the direwolf lay at their feet, dead. She let herself celebrate mentally for a moment before she realised the weird positions her subordinates were in. They stood in two layers, the first layer containing a dozen cultivators and the second, two dozen, and those layers were in the shapes of two many pointed stars. Above them, the spectre of a giant greatsword faded away, but even now, a great heaviness settled upon the shoulders of anyone who gazed upon it and made even the Rong Matriarch''s body begin to buckle under the weight. "You..." She turned to the Wu Patriarch, who had hidden his victorious smile behind his mask of cold indifference, and spoke. "You created a formation using body cultivators as the base." Her tone was shocked and her mind incredulous. This was something that only large clans and above had the ability to do, yet here a man, barely into the Nascent Soul Realm, had succeeded in doing. Not addressing this, the man in question turned on his heel and began to walk away. "Your demonstration has been satisfactory." His voice echoed through her head. "Now clean up the stragglers and return to the Wu Clan''s compound. I will be going ahead." And with that, he floated up into the sky and began to fly back home, robes flowing in the wind. Chapter 9 - Surrounded "Lord Patriarch, the surrounding clans have all denounced us for our actions against the Zhao Clan. They show signs of banding together in an alliance against us, supported by some unknown force." A servant reported. "Double the amount of resources we are giving out to each clan member and open the main family¡¯s meditation room to those at the very Peak of Qi Condensing." He replied. "Yes Lord Patriarch." The servant scurried off to relay their orders. "It looks like they¡¯re on the attack again." Wu Jian muttered to himself. Now was the worst possible time to move against him, the impending declaration of war put him on a time limit to clear his clan¡¯s negative karma before it affected them in battle. As long as the heavens disliked them, unfortunate events would keep befalling them until their deeds were considered atoned for or their punishment served. It worked the same way as positive karma, those favourable sons and daughters of the Dao constantly running into beneficial encounters until whatever good deeds they had accomplished, in this life or the last, were considered repaid or they committed enough evil acts to cancel it out. Still, he wouldn¡¯t take back what he had done as it was the only way for him to have prevented a direct attack from the Gao Clan and certain vasalisation. He was just going to have to live with the consequences of it and try not to end up in a similar situation ever again. Putting those thoughts out of his head, Wu Jian looked up as he sensed someone approach his office and hesitate at the entrance. "You may come in." He spoke into Rong Hu¡¯s head through the door. She jumped at the sudden noise but quickly composed herself and pushed open the door. "I greet the Wu Patriarch." She bowed, voice steady despite her nerves. She had just seen part of what the man in front of her was capable of and was frightened by what she saw. "No need for formalities here." He waved for her to sit down, and she did, taking up the edge of her seat. "It has come to my attention that you have a Dao Shrine." Wu Jian said, and his guest visibly stiffened at its mention. "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about Patriarch Wu." Rong Hu replied mechanically, forcing her voice to be steady a little too well.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t take it from you. It¡¯s not suited for my clan anyway." His guest relaxed a little, but still stayed a little tightly wound at her clan¡¯s secret being revealed so casually. "I thank the Wu Patriarch for his generosity." She lowered her head to him as she thanked him. "Now now, what did I say about formalities?" He questioned rhetorically, leaning forwards. "After all, we¡¯re friends, and friends do favours for each other." He looked her in the eyes as he spoke. "What does the Wu Patriarch desire?" She caught onto what Wu Jian was suggesting quickly. "Well, a body cultivation training site may not be suited to my clan, but that doesn¡¯t mean we don¡¯t have talented juniors that are that way inclined." He stated. "Then you may send those juniors to my clan and we will make sure to give them the best accommodations available." Was her response. "Thank you, Matriarch Rong, that would be most beneficial for us. You are a good friend." He sat back in his seat. "It is no trouble, Wu Patriarch. It is what friends do." She had composed herself by now, having found out what Wu Jian wanted instead of being left in the dark. Giving up a few spots in her clan¡¯s main training ground would slow the development of their cultivators, but it was way better than losing it all together or, worse, being annihilated to prevent its existence from getting out. "Wu Patriarch... since we are friends, there¡¯s something I would like to ask." She said, tentatively. "Ask and I shall answer to the best of my ability." He promised, curious as to her thoughts. "How did you come to know this information? If it¡¯s okay to ask that." She questioned, hoping to figure out where she had gone wrong in concealing its existence and thus patch up the information leak. "I worked it out." He smiled. "You see, the Zhao Clan¡¯s Clan Treasure had a certain Dao Shard within it, a Dao Shard that all your warriors seem to have some understanding of as they have incorporated it into their cultivation method." He elaborated, pride getting the better of him. "And Clan Treasures must be forged at a Dao Shrine, a place where a particular Dao is present above all others and the energy concentration is high." He continued to explain his thought process. "So naturally, I followed that thought to its logical conclusion, and decided that their origins must be the same as the chances of two Dao Shrines being so close to each other, let alone ones of the same Dao, is astronomically slim." His smile grew wider as he realised he could flaunt his intelligence to the Clan Head in front of him as she had already seen his mind at work when he created the body cultivator powered formation. "As for it being in your possession. Well, the Rong Clan seems to have many members with insights into the Dao of Heavy, whereas the Zhao Clan barely had one. It¡¯s clear to see who has more access to it if you already know it¡¯s there." He finished, relishing the stunned expression on Rong Hu¡¯s face. "Now it¡¯s my turn to ask a question, friend." He grinned, immediately pressing the advantage Rong Hu¡¯s unstable emotions gave him, "How did your clan manage to hide it from the Zhaos? Surely they should¡¯ve known at least the general location of the Dao Shrine used to forge their Clan Treasure." This brought the dazed Rong Matriarch back to her senses. "We didn¡¯t." She answered. Now it was Wu Jian¡¯s turn to be shocked. "Our founding ancestor was the one who forged both our clan¡¯s treasures, taking an oath from the Zhao Clan¡¯s founding ancestor as payment." The pieces clicked in the Wu Patriarch¡¯s mind, and suddenly a few more things made sense. "So during our first meeting, where you pledged your clan¡¯s allegiance to mine, you lied." He reasoned, not asking his guest but telling her what happened. She nodded. "The Zhaos did not refuse to call your warriors to arms, but they couldn¡¯t. Your servitude to them was merely a facade to hide your weakness and their inability to do anything to you behind." Another nod answered him. He smiled, a genuine, warm smile this time. "It seems I have underestimated you and your ancestors. I believe our friendship will last a long time." He stood and gave the Rong Matriarch a slight bow. "May you find Longevity and the Dao, in this life or the next." He spoke. "May you find Longevity and the Dao, in this life or the next." She echoed, standing as well and smiling nervously back at him. Then she departed the room, being dismissed by the farewell saying from the Wu Patriarch. As soon as the door closed, Wu Jian¡¯s expression dropped. It seemed he would have to make a few moves to further suppress the Rong Clan to make sure they didn¡¯t surpass or threaten his. They only needed a couple more Essence Refining Realm cultivators before they could enter the world of small-sized clans and make waves in it if they so desired. He sighed, it was a shame really. Were it not for both of their responsibilities, they would¡¯ve made such great friends. He had truly enjoyed talking to the Rong Matriarch, even if he had let his tongue run away with him. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. "May you find Longevity and the Dao, in your next life Rong Hu." He whispered to himself, alone in his office once again. Interlude 1 - Opportunities Wu Tiantang, formerly Zhao Tiantang, exited the main Wu family¡¯s private meditation room and saw his adopted father waiting for him. "I see you have made some my son." Wu Jian spoke. father." He replied, still uncomfortable with the man who had wiped out his clan. Not that he had much attachment to them, being an orphan from a branch family that was used as a training dummy by the young lords and ladies of the main clan. "Well, I have secured an opportunity for you to progress on your other path." The Wu Patriarch informed him. Wu Tiantang looked incredulously at his adoptive father, shocked and confused as to why the man was supporting him so. First, he had opened his family''s private cultivation chambers to him, a Dao Shrine at that, and now he was utilising his connections to provide him with more opportunities. He wanted to question it, but didn''t dare look a gift horse in the mouth lest it run away. "You are going to the Rong Clan to use the Dao Shrine there." Wu Jian continued. Wu Tiantang''s shock only deepened. He had no idea the Rong Clan possessed such a treasured location and had managed to keep it secret from his former clan. The fact that his old clan had ruled over them for hundreds of years without finding out, whilst his new one had found out in a matter of days, caused him to raise the already high and unreachable pedestal he had put them on after they had not only repelled but annihilated the Zhao offensive against them. "Thank father." He bowed deeply before thinking better of it and instead kneeling before him. "There is no need to my son." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The Wu Patriarch smiled down at the boy. But one should only kneel to the heavens, the earth, and one''s father. You are my father, so I kneel " Wu Tiantang explained. "Very well thenYou may " Wu Jian and his son did so. Go take your pick of martial arts manuals from the repository and be ready to leave by dawn tomorrow. You will depart with the others that are going must disguise your special physique by making you seem like one of " The Wu Patriarch ordered father." ... The Wu Clan''s repository was large, if nothing else, and contained a staggering number of techniques. In their long history, they found, written, and traded for numerous manuals and stored them all here. There were so many, in fact, that they were not all properly logged. Wu Tiantang stood in the centre of the repository, looking up. Shelves stretched up towards the sky behind the wooden walkways that cultivators walked across to browse the books. The Wu Clan was very open with its techniques, with only a few being reserved for the elders and main family, but that was more the requirements said manuals had rather than to withhold them, so there were no restrictions upon one''s movements within the repository and anyone baring the power of the Wu Clan''s Clan Treasure was allowed in. He had received the power himself when his new father had performed the ceremonial adoption ritual, which imbued someone with the bloodline of a clan. The little power left from the Zhao Clan''s Clan Treasure had tried to fight it, but ultimately failed and was dispersed into nothingness. That new bloodline had allowed him access to the repository without having to use his newfound status as part of the main family, and it boiled within him, pulling him towards the far wall. Looking around, he saw no one else experiencing this but decided that it was probably the Patriarch''s doing considering how much favouritism he had shown. Following his instincts, Wu Tiantang ended up in a darkened corner of the repository, where two of the walls met and the walkway overhead cast shadows over the area. There, the bookshelves were covered in dust and cobwebs as if they had not been touched in a long time, and the books were tattered and old. He skimmed over the titles. Incomplete Windwing Evasion Incomplete Starseizing Hand Incomplete Qiankun Arrow But there was one technique that caught his eye. Incomplete Adaptive Body title lacked the flowery language that the rest did, instead plainly describing its effect. He picked it up and skimmed through it, becoming amazed by what he saw. This technique is perfect for me! He thought, and hurried to put the manual away. His own physique allowed him to progress through body cultivation like spiritual beasts did, naturally growing stronger and stronger as he trained and endured hardships. This technique, incomplete, would boost his tolerance to every kind of environment, element, and attack by an amount based on his natural resistance to it. It would be next to useless the average body cultivator, who only had a good resistance to onemaybe two elements based on their cultivation technique. It would be even less useful to spiritual beasts because the techniques described within could only be performed by humans.So he, who had the physique of a spiritual beast but the anatomy of a human, was the perfect practitioner for the manual. And who knows, with the aid of the Wu Clan''s aligned Dao Shrine, he may even be able to complete the technique himself later down his cultivation path. He quickly grabbed a few useful martial arts that he would train, including a claw art and a Qi-claw manifestation technique, and exited the hall, eager to begin forging his body according to the Incomplete Adaptive Body manual. A smile lit up his face for the first time in his life, Wu Tiantang looked to something. Chapter 10 - Responding in Kind Wu Jian''s divine sense felt the shift in karma as it happened. He had no insights into the Dao of Karma, yet the size of the change brought about by his actions meant anyone nearby in the Nascent Soul Realm would be able to tell that the Wu Clan had accomplished an extremely good deed. He had no idea that helping the Zhao boy would bring about such a massive amount of good karma, but he guessed the heavens truly favoured his adopted son, enough that he was born with a special physique and still merited extra fortuitous encounters. The Wu Patriarch had just stepped in to help the boy receive one of those fortuitous encounters, and for that he was rewarded. The sensation faded, and he turned back to the matter at hand. A letter from the so called ''Zhao Alliance'', a name they had only taken up after checking that the Zhao Clan had been entirely wiped out, sat in his hands. It said the expected things: we denounce you for your evil acts; surrender now or face our wrath; cede your lands and resources to us or else. But one part near the bottom caught his eye. Upon your surrender, an overseer shall be appointed to watch over your clan and ensure that it does not stray from the Righteous Path again. That such a term was included made him seethe with anger. If such a thing came to pass, his clan''s head would always be on the figurative chopping block. All that would be needed for the Wu Clan to cease to exist would be the overseer inventing a series of wicked acts to pin upon the innocent Wu cultivators and get them exterminated by any ''Righteous'' clan that had an eye upon their land, resources, or people. It made him all the more determined to fight back against the Gao Clan, even if it would cost him his life should he fail. They would not make a mockery of his father''s legacy. Sensing his heightened emotion, the bell in his soul sea gave a soft chime and a wave of calm rolled over him. He took a moment to collect himself before writing his reply. To the Zhao Alliance, I find it concerning that you would name yourselves after an Unothodox Clan that was wiped out for doing harm. I strongly suggest that you disband your alliance and submit to an overseer from our Wu Clan so that you don''t accidentally step off the Righteous Path. From the Wu Clan With the letter penned, he imbued it with a portion of his Nascent Soul Realm aura and sealed it within an envelope. When the Zhao Alliance leaders opened it, they would be in for a surprise. "Lord Patriarch, the beast horde is getting closer." A servant entered the room, bowing as they spoke. "Send the Rong Clan warriors on some ''training exercises'' in the areas where the horde is active. Try and keep its existence under wraps for now but prepare to evacuate the mortals should it draw too close."Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Wu Jian responded. "Yes Lord Patriarch." The servant bowed again and left. The Wu Patriarch called for another and handed them the letter when they arrived, sending them to deliver it. Once he was alone again, he sank back into his chair and sighed. It was exhausting keeping up the image that he was in control, his emotions constantly kept in check by the bell in his soul sea. It wore him down day after day and he wondered how his father had managed to do it for over a century. Thinking of his father made the bell chime again, calming the anger that was threatening to build. His enemies had named their group the Zhao Alliance, after the clan that forced the old patriarch to give up his life. It just filled him with so much rage seeing them touted as martyrs when they were murderers, scum who had deserved what was coming to them. Only two Zhao cultivators were left alive, one bearing the greatest sin and the other bearing the least. Both were alive because they were useful to him, though only one would remain that way for long. The mutation of the Zhao''s souls had brought him some catharsis, enough to spare their patriarch for a while longer, but once he got his hands on the materials he needed, that man would be joining his subordinates in their removal from Samsara, though in a different way. Another servant approached his office and his back immediately straightened, returning him to the picture of elegance. "Lord Patriarch, the Gao Clan''s prisoner escort is at the gates." They reported. "Good, keep them there. I will saddle them with the prisoner myself." Wu Jian replied, standing up from his seat. He strode out of the room, overtaking the servant despite his leisurely pace, and towards the prison. ... "You dare keep us here!?" A Gao Clan cultivator, in the Peak Core Formation stage, yelled in the face of a Wu Clan guard. Wu Jian, who had just arrived, hid his aura and watched the scene unfold. "Do you know who we are?" The screaming continued, the guard managing to stand their ground despite their fearful expression. "We are from the mighty Gao Clan! Show us the proper respect." By now, the visiting cultivator was right up in the guard''s face. Sensing an opportunity, Wu Jian cast his divine sense out and used some masked qi to stimulate the guard''s voice box into making sound. "Fellow Daoist Gao, I''m afraid I cannot let you past." He forced the guard to say. The foreign cultivator went red with fury at being called a ''fellow Daoist'' by the lesser cultivator, someone who was from a less established clan and only mid way through the Qi Gathering Realm. "What did you call me!?" The Gao cultivator''s arm flew through the air, Qi condensing onto their palm until it glowed with light. The slap shot forwards, hitting flesh with a dull thud. The attacker was confused both by the sound their hit made and how nothing gave from the force of it. That was, until they saw what they had actually hit. Their, standing in front of the escort, was the Wu Patriarch, arm lifted casually to block the blow that would''ve impacted his subordinate. Behind him floated the Wang Patriarch, chained by Wu Jian''s water Qi. "Surely the Gao Clan has taught you better manners than this." He spoke, giving them a cold smile. "After all, assaulting another clan''s members, especially with enough force to kill them, is considered the height of rudeness." He said slowly. The Gao Cultivator who had been yelling''s face went pale as they realised just what they had done. They tried to back up away from the Nascent Soul Realm Patriarch, but they were held in place by his aura. "Now, none of you would defend the actions I just described, would you?" Wu Jian asked rhetorically. Hearing nothing in reply, he continued. "Good, then you won''t object to me taking this one into custody then." A second set of water chains materialised and wrapped around the offending cultivator, thoroughly restraining them as he spoke. Before they could object, he floated over the Wang Patriarch and released him in the middle of the group. "And here is the prisoner, as promised." He steered the conversation. "Though our interrogation methods to try and find his conspirators were a little, shall we say... forceful, and may have left him a bit mad." He turned on one heel as he said this and started walking off, captured Gao Cultivator in tow. "It was a pleasure having you visit. Please do come again." And with those words hanging in the air, he left, leaving seven stunned cultivators in his wake. Chapter 11 - Show of Force "And so we request that the Wu Patriarch hand over our Clansman to us. We will make sure they are adequately punished." Within the Wu Clan''s main hall, a middle-aged man at the Mid Nascent Soul Realm addressed Wu Jian. His short blonde hair and close shaven beard gave him a refined look, but his yellow eyes contained a boundless arrogance as he looked at the throne. However, he did not dare pick a fight in the Wu Patriarch''s seat of power, especially not since they were both at the Nascent Soul Realm of cultivation as that was where one could begin drawing on their connection with the area and people around them, reaching great heights of power and being able to transend stages when they fought on their home turf. Still, his higher cultivation was enough to send a message that the Gao Clan could crush the Wu Clan should it so choose, reminding Wu Jian that his enemies could mobilise forces that were stronger than him when he was away from this mountain and in great enough numbers that it wouldn''t matter if he was in his home or not. "I cannot do that. At least not until my subordinate is adequately compensated for the ordeal that he went through and I am compensated for the time and energy I had to put in to stop something disastrous from happening." The enthroned man replied, slapping the face of the Gao Clan by insinuating that the suffering of his own Qi Gathering cultivator was more important than the suffering of their Core Formation one. The guest grit his teeth, holding back what he was about to say. He struggled for a few moments before getting control of himself. "I believe you¡¯ll find sufficient compensation in here."This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. He said as he tossed one of his special rings towards the Wu Patriarch. Wu Jian grabbed it out of the air and scanned its contents with his divine sense, the other man having removed his imprint from it. The bell in his soul sea had to chime to prevent his expression from changing into one of shock. "Yes, I believe it is." He replied, waving a hand for a servant to bring the Gao prisoner in from the side hall where they were being kept. The cultivator looked no worse for wear, the only injury being to their pride. The elder grabbed his clansmen and started to walk out of the hall before he stopped for a moment with his back turned to the throne. "Fight with everything you¡¯ve got against the Zhao Alliance. It will be more entertaining if you struggle before your death." He sent through divine sense, his mental voice dripping with ire. He then continued out of the hall and compound, taking off flying with his subordinate in tow as soon as there was no ceiling above his head. Wu Jian watched him go before calling over another servant and handing them the storage ring. "Sort through this and set aside the items that will be useful to the cultivators our vassal clans owe us for our defence. Sell the rest quickly to any force unallied with the Zhao Alliance or Gao Clan, for below market price if you need to. Have the funds prepared for me in a week." He ordered. The Gao elder had given him a storage ring full of weapons and armour of varying alignments, everything from fire aligned swords to lightning aligned breastplates. However, there was a lack of light aligned items, those being taken for the Gao Clan¡¯s own use, and water aligned items, as they, understandably, did not want to strengthen their enemies too much. Still, it was worth it for them as the cultivator represented the future of their clan, being only a step away from Nascent Soul, and they did not want to risk them being killed or crippled when their was a chance that their talent could bring another Nascent Soul master into the clan. Under circumstances where he was not desperate for the funds that selling these items would bring, Wu Jian would not have accepted this deal and the Gao Clan knew it, underselling him but not taking it so far as to risk him refusing the deal. "Yes Lord Patriarch." The servant left to carry out their task, leaving Wu Jian alone in the hall. At least, he seemed to be until he spoke. "You see now what we are facing. Will you act?" His words hung in the air for a few moments before a collection of voices spoke in his head at once. "Should their elders come, we will act. But we will not leave the mountain¡¯s range." The harmony quieted and Wu Jian addressed them once more. "That is all I can ask." He said, before he too left the hall. Chapter 12 - Forming Bonds A second letter from the Zhao Alliance, giving him one last chance to surrender with even more outrageous terms, sat in Wu Jian¡¯s hands. He committed their words to memory, so he knew exactly why he wouldn¡¯t be showing mercy to any of them before summoning water to his palms and drenching the parchment until it was nothing more than sludge. He then looked up at the servant who had brought him the letter and extended his hand. A second letter was deposited within it, and he opened it up to . To Patriarch Wu, It has come to our attention that you possess a significant of arms and armour that you wish to sell. Our Feng Clan need such items but does not have the liquid funds available to purchase them. However, we have noticed that your clan is under threat by a force significantly stronger than your own and aid instead. Of course, to prove that we don¡¯t just speak empty words or take without giving back, we propose a marriage alliance between our two clans, binding us together by blood. We offer Feng Lin¡¯s hand in marriage to you, Patriarch Wu Jian, and have sent her to deliver this letter so that should you give her your response, we will be informed of it immediately. She has also brought with her her dowry, so should you you may wed within the week. From the Feng Clan Wu Jian raised an eyebrow at the servant as soon as he was finished reading. a woman waiting for me? He asked. Lord Patriarch. She is in the waiting room outside of the main " the servant''s reply. Have her sent here, to my office. I wish to speak with her in " Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. He ordered Lord Patriarch." And the servant moved to carry out his will. minutes later, a knock came from his office door, but his attempts to use his divine sense to see who it was were rebuffed by another¡¯s. "You may enter." He spoke, prompting the door to open and reveal the person who stood behind it. The first thing he was drawn to were her eyes, smouldering red embers surrounded by the halo of the setting sun. They seemed to sear themselves into his as he was sure he would never forget them. As he watched, the embers in her pupils danced, subdued currently but threatening to burst into a wildfire at any moment. Rosy, warm cheeks and a small nose sat under her eyes, unblemished like the rest of her skin. Her mouth was formed into a frown, her delicate lips seemingly unable to frown any deeper. Flowing, gold-trimmed, red robes adorned her person, hugging close to her body, the bottom of floating above the ground. She looked at the room¡¯s only occupant and spoke. "Are you the one I marry?" She voice sweet bird song but filled with resentment. Her fiery eyes flicked up and down Wu Jian¡¯s body as her divine sense probed at his own. "I suppose I am." He replied, inspecting her in turn. "Are you going to accept the alliance?" She questioned Maybe if I find the terms favourable. His guest raised an eyebrow as he responded. "Do you not find me favourable already?" She twirled once, her dress spinning with her and making her look like a fire descended from above. She stopped when her turn was complete and glared at eyes daring him to say anything to the contrary. "I find one of the terms most beneficial." Wu Jian let out a chuckle. But what military aid can your clan provide? He pressed. Feng Lin looked a little taken aback by his question, as if she ¡¯t it, before she regarded him with a new light in her eyes. "Two elders, one in the Late Nascent Soul Stage and the other in the Mid Stage, as well as myself." She informed him. "Then I accept the alliance." He held out his hand for her to but, instead of taking it, she took a spatial ring off her finger and placed it in his palm. My dowry. She explained. "I will go and inform my clan of your decision." She then left the room, leaving a stunned Wu Jian behind. He did not need calming, so his bell did not ring, but his mind wondered if he had made the right decision in agreeing to marry someone who he had just met, especially since that person didn¡¯t seem to have the highest opinion of him. Still, he would do what he had to do for the sake of his clan, and it wasn¡¯t like he was losing out on much. On the contrary, it would be hard to find another woman of such pedigree who would marry him, so he thanked the Dao for the opportunity to wed a talented cultivator who would bring much to the clan. His divine sense picked up the transmission of a long distance message from outside his office before Feng Lin stomped back into the room. "So where am I staying?" She demandedWu Jian called a servant over and bid that they escort the lady to her room, a well furnished cottage usually reserved for of the clan, before heading towards his cultivation chambers. Chapter 13 - Echoes of the Past Wu Jian felt the Qi stir in the room even before he entered it. A breakthrough was happening. He lingered just outside the entrance, unwilling to enter and risk disrupting the moment. After minutes that felt like an eternity, the Qi calmed, going back to its original flow, and the Wu Patriarch pushed into the room. Congratulations are in order, Wu Bingwen. Or should I say, Elder " He greeted the grinning cultivator who sat in lotus position at the centre of the chamber. "Thank Lord Patriarch. It is all thanks to " The young man quickly stood and bowed to his , cupping his fists as he did so. "I merely provided the catalyst is your talent that has pushed you this far." Wu Jian replied. "Now come here so I may inspect your core." He addedThe young Wu clansmen did as instructed and approached Wu Jian, stopping in front of him and bowing once again. The Wu Patriarch put his hand on the boy¡¯s shoulder and sent his divine sense into the very depths of the younger cultivator¡¯s body. He found the newly formed core, small as it was, and gently enveloped it. Holding it with his mind as he scanned it, Wu Jian realised how easy it would be to crush the core and cripple the boy now that Wu Bingwen had let his divine sense in. Core Formation Realm cultivators had a natural resistance to the Nascent Soul Realm¡¯s divine sense, allowing them to block it from entering within their body but not affect it in any way if it was scanning their items or what they wore. They could, however, drop this resistance consciously if they wanted to, giving a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator access to their cultivation base. Of course, they would only do this with those that they trusted absolutely, which why Qi doctors and other medical cultivators valued their reputations immensely. "It a strong, solid core." Wu Jian commented. will bring you up to the of . Anything after that relies upon your " He continued. "Thank Lord Patriarch." The Wu Clan¡¯s newest elder expressed his gratitude with a deep bow. "Gratitude is not necessary. Just continue to serve the clan with all you "A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The Wu Patriarch stated "I will!" Wu Bingwen replied enthusiastically. "Good. Now go and consolidate your breakthrough. You may use the cultivation room in your new " Wu Jian advised as he moved to sit where the young cultivator had formerly been . Lord Patriarch." The Clan Elder said before running off to do just that, almost tripping in his excitement as he got used to moving his new of cultivation. With his company gone, Wu Jian slipped into meditation, cycling his Qi in a way that brought him to a relaxed state of mind. The aligned Qi around him was drawn into him and further amplified this state. The feeling of being embraced by his father returned, and he to ask him for advice. tell me, how do I be fearless in the face of death like you? I am prepared to die for the clan like you but the thought of it still makes me " He spoke the air. "Courage comes with my son. The more dangerous situations you find yourself in, the less you fear " A voice, no, a memory surfaced in Wu Jian¡¯s mind, reminding him of his father¡¯s words. That had been the first day he faced danger, even though, in retrospect, he knew he was in none. His father had brought him out into the wilderness and dropped him there with nothing but the clothes on his back and a compass that pointed towards home before disappearing and leaving him to find his way back. When he did eventually make his way home, clothes and body in tatters, he had been wrapped up in a hug by his sobbing older who apologised for not being able to tell him about their father¡¯s training. He pushed away the memory, focusing only the words his father had spoken. But what happens to the clan if I die facing one of these dangerous situations? We are beset on all and I am the best hope that the clan " He asked. No matter what happens, the clan will always endure. No matter how dire the circumstances, we will find a way to " A second memory played. One of him and his father stood at the peak of Mt. Serenity, overlooking the Wu compound and its territories. It was here, after the long, hard climb up the mountainside, that his father had first taught him how to manipulate his Qi. He had managed to do as instructed and push it into his eyes, allowing him uncontested vision of the surrounding landscape, but he had soon gone temporarily blind for the next few days as his young body not yet adapted Qi infused into it. Wu Jian again pushed away the memory, responding only to the words. What if this time we don¡¯t? What if this is the end of it? Everything our ancestors worked for, everything you worked all gone because I was unable to " He , his voice trembling. "I have always been proud of you both. I know you will continue to make me even my " The words of his father, more recent, sprang to mind. The memory of that day and what he did in his father¡¯s name filled him with a cocktail of feelings: loss, pride, anger, sorrow, and that empty feeling he felt after realising that nothing he could do would bring his father back. He almost shut down at that, but more words came and pulled him out of his spiral. "I love you both very much." A warmth filled him, those words finally having been spoken to him by his father again, years after he had last heard them. Ever since his mother¡¯s death, his father had become closed off and cold, even towards his children, putting them through painful training in the name of raising a successor. In a way, it had worked, as Wu Jian¡¯s brother ran away from home to be a rogue cultivator, adventuring far out of his father¡¯s reach. As a result, the burden of becoming the next Clan Head had fallen on Wu Jian, a role he seemed naturally suited for and was motivated to learn by necessity. Up until his brother left, he had only been trained as a cultivator, to give him the smoothest possible progress along his path and ensure that he walked far on it, but afterwards, his mind would also be stuffed full of knowledge on how to run a clan. Leadership, management, economics, speech craft, military strategy, to name a few, and the young Wu Jian had been taught them all, drilled until he could perform the duties patriarch in his sleep. "I know I have been harsh you." His ghost spoke. "I know you will continue to make me even my son." The past echoed, making him remember the good and the bad. "I love you both very much." The words repeated. Wu Jian said, drifting off into the blissful oblivion of cultivation. "I loved you too." He mumbled, and his cultivation base, which had stagnated ever since he had broken through to his current realm, progressed ever so slightly . Chapter 14 - A Moment of Peace "Disguise our mortal evacuations as preparation for the coming Zhao Alliance attack." Wu Jian ordered, and the servant scurried off to relay the command. "Call on the forces that our subordinate clans owe us." A second servant ran off to write and send the calls to arms. "Distribute equipment from the clan treasury and have everyone get used to their new items." A third scampered away to enact his commands. "No further orders." And the rest dispersed, going off to receive new tasks from the groundskeeper. The Wu Patriarch stepped up to the cottage door alone and gave a brisk but powerful knock, mimicking the one Feng Lin had used on their first meeting. Qi moved and the door was swung open by an unseen force, inviting him in. He took a step into the house and was immediately hit with the mouthwatering smell of baking. He followed the scent to the kitchen, where he found Feng Lin floating a bowl over a flame that sat upon her palm whilst her other hand stirred at the mixture that was within. "Sit." She said and her Qi moved again, pulling out a chair at the table for him. He took the offered seat and looked towards his future wife, unable to stop himself getting enchanted by the sight in front of him. They stayed like that until the Feng clanswoman finished her stirring and detached the flame from her hand, leaving both the bowl and the fire floating there in a feat of Qi control that left Wu Jian astounded. "So, I assume you came for more than to just gawk at me baking." If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. She spoke, taking a seat opposite him. "Um, yes." The Wu Clan Head took a moment to clear his throat and get his thoughts in order before he addressed her. "How quickly can I expect those elders I¡¯ve been promised to come in the event of an attack?" He asked, his tactical mindset back in place. "It should take them about 4 days to get here if they travel together." She answered. "Good, because the Zhao Alliance¡¯s army has been spotted marching towards us." He told her. "They are expected to arrive in 6 days if they wait for all of their forces to gather before launching their attack." He elaborated. "I shall inform the clan then." Feng Lin said, making a mental note. "But first, would you care to try some Osmanthus Cake?" She inquired, suffocating the flame by cutting off its Qi supply and floating the bowl over to her so she could grab it. She then flipped the bowl so that it¡¯s contents fell down onto the plate she had positioned below it. "I would love to." Wu Jian replied. Wordlessly, Feng Lin took out a knife and cut a slice from the cake, floating it onto a side plate that she also summoned with a fork atop it. His Qi gently caressed hers, and she gave control over the objects to the Wu Patriarch, allowing him to call the plate, fork, and cake slice over to him. He grabbed the fork and, with the manners of a refined gentleman, cut off a small piece, which he stabbed and put in his mouth. Flavour exploded along his tastebuds, a refreshing taste that seemed to set his mind at ease. His future wife looked expectantly at him and he nodded enthusiastically to her, manners going out the window as he cut himself a large piece. "This is amazing." He spoke in her mind, glad for divine sense or else he would¡¯ve spewed crumbs everywhere. "I¡¯m glad you like it." She smiled as she replied out loud, only now cutting herself a piece. "My grandmother taught me how to make it." She continued, using divine sense as well this time as she took a bite. "She must be an amazing woman. May I have another?" Wu Jian¡¯s Qi reached out to the knife in preparation to cut another slice. "Yes you may. And yes she was." Feng Lin replied, eyes unfocusing for a few moments before they snapped back to the present. "She practically raised me since my parents were too busy running the clan." She continued, eyes tearing up for a second before she blinked the water away. "What about you?" She asked, redirecting the conversation. "Any Wu family secret recipes I should know about?" "Now that you mention it, there is one." Wu Jian sent as he took another big bite, addicted to how it seemed to make his burdens feel just that tiny bit lighter. "Water Chestnut Cake. It¡¯s something my grandfather used to make when he had the time." It was his turn to have his eyes unfocus for a bit before he went back to looking at Feng Lin. "But you¡¯d have to find his recipe written down somewhere because he sure didn¡¯t share it with any of us." He chuckled. "I¡¯ll see if I can¡¯t find it then." She laughed along with him. "You are surprisingly..." She never got to finish that sentence as she was interrupted by a large explosion that occurred in one of the Wu Clan¡¯s storage locations, the power so forceful that it shook some boulders loose from the mountain. Both cultivators immediately leapt into action, bursting out of the cottage and flying full speed towards the explosion site. "You save as many as you can, I¡¯ll go after the culprit." Wu Jian spoke in her mind. She nodded back at him and his chase began. Chapter 15 - Seat of Power His quarry fled into the wilderness, leading Wu Jian on a high speed chase until he finally caught up with them in a forest clearing. The hooded figure turned back to face him as he drew near, withdrawing an array disk from within the folds of their robes. The air hummed with power as Qi was injected into it, causing the array disk to tremble with barely contained might. It built up for a moment, before bursting out from the disk in a pulse that passed through everything. When the invisible wall of energy reached the edges of the clearing, it froze and solidified, sealing them in. The disk turned to dust as three more hooded figures entered the clearing, auras so restrained that Wu Jian could barely sense their presence, let alone cultivation base. However, they had to be extremely strong for their cultivation stage to have such a level of control over their Qi. "You should''ve just accepted our offer." The first of the figures said, pulling back their hood to reveal the Nascent Soul elder who had retrieved the Core Formation Stage cultivator. "But unfortunately, you have forced us to act." The second figure said, shaking off their outer robes to reveal a tall, lithe woman in battle robes. She flicked her blonde hair over her shoulders and regarded the Wu Patriarch with cold, yellow eyes. The third figure remained silent, choosing to keep their appearance covered, whilst the one who had pulled out the sealing array disk shook of their outer robes and revealed themselves to be a petite, doll like woman. She stared at him with an impassive expression, seemingly holding no malice towards him. "Are you not worried about losing face? Showing up to attack a small sized clan unprovoked, and bringing along four Nascent Soul elders no less." Wu Jian asked, his enemies'' auras blaring out as soon as he mentioned their realm. It was suffocating being under the pressure of so much power, over 2000 years of accumulated cultivation and insights all pressing down on him at once. A lesser man would''ve felt his knees buckle there and then, but the Wu Patriarch stood strong and concentrated his own aura in a protective shield around him. His Qi moved and, as it did, so did the world around him. He drew upon his connection with the area, the mountain where he had lived most of his life not far away, the wilderness where he was forged into a warrior by his father all around him, and used it to aid his actions. At least during this fight, the world was on his side.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Dozens of beams of light shot out from each of the Gao elders, coming into contact with a sphere of water that Wu Jian formed around himself. The beams refracted as they passed through the liquid barrier, missing their intended target but scorching the earth wherever they landed. Their attacks had seemed sluggish, almost like they were moving through mud instead of air, and this gave the Wu Patriarch time to defend against their superior cultivation bases: 2 Mid Nascent Soul and 2 Late. He went on the counter offensive, utilising the already created water to shoot blasts of water powered by the Dao Shard of Rapids. 3 of the 4 dodged whilst the middle aged, refined man created a square of solid light in front of him to absorb the blow. Then, copying the Wu Clan Head''s technique, he formed the solid light into arrows which whistled through the air towards his adversary. The other three were not idle during this time, the tall woman creating bindings of light to root the Wu Clansmen to the ground, and the doll like woman blanketed him with a wide ranged, glass like light that seemed to weaken him and his Qi. The hooded figure leapt backwards into the trees, disappearing from everybody''s senses entirely. Wu Jian made a mental note to be wary of his immediate surroundings, fearing a sneak attack by the hooded elder. He found himself unable to create water, the glass like light making his Qi shatter every time he did, so instead he ripped the water from the nearby trees and plant life, managing to form a sizeable whirlpool around himself that caught all of the arrows within its current. They were them broken down, dissipating into motes of light as they were destroyed. His Dao Shard of Clouds then began to pull water from the air above them, growing the whirlpool bit by bit as his connection with the area aided him. The Gao cultivators threw out attack after attack at the whirlpool, their whittling down of it only just beating its rate of growth. The glass like light continued to shatter any Qi he attempted to create water with so instead he reached below as well, pulling water up from the ground like a tree''s roots. The shackles binding his feet had been destroyed but he chose to remain still anyways, his entire concentration focused upon maintaining the growing mass of water flowing around him. Then, when it reached the maximum volume that he could control, he exerted his willpower and Qi in one final heave. The whole whirlpool was drawn towards him, condensing into an inch thick membranes over his robes and skin. So much was it, that he could only direct its force outwards when it exploded from his loss of control. Sharp needles of water burst outwards, with him at the centre, piercing through several locations on each of his ambushers. He was just about to follow up his attack and capitalise on their moment of weakness, when he felt a terrifying omen of death and a presence loom at his side. He barely had time to shift his body before the assassin''s dagger pierced his chest, cutting open his right lung. In response, he drew his words and struck in one smooth motion, scoring a shallow gash in the robed figure''s side before they retreated back to the shadows. ''What are they waiting for?'' Wu Jian thought to himself. ''I can''t sustain fighting like this for much longer, sooner or later they will wear me down or get a lucky strike against me.'' His train of thought continued as he reached out to the minds watching his battle with his divine sense. "Aid me, as per your contract to the clan." He spoke to them telepathically. "We shall if there is an opportunity." They replied, causing Wu Jian to sight. "Then I guess that is all I can ask." Chapter 16 - Nascent Soul A membrane of water covered Wu Jian''s wounds, stopping them from bleeding as his Qi moved to fix his lung. As an element, water wasn''t the best at healing, but it would serve as a stop gap until he had time to rest and focus on fixing his injuries. Beams of light shot towards him by the hundreds, but water now covered the ground with a thin layer left over from his previous attack. He lifted an equal number of large droplets up to meet each beam and made the Gao elders'' attacks redirect themselves as they passed through them. The mental strain was greater when using this method to block them, but it saved on Qi so he was forced to overclock his brain. His enemies seemed content with wearing him down as they let loose volley after volley of the beams, making him defend against them in the same way each time. Eventually, it started to get too much. A beam slipped through his wall of droplets and pierced through his arm, making him grit his teeth in pain, which caused him to let a few more through the net. His Qi flared at his torment, once again covering him in a cocoon of water that redirected the rest of the Gao''s attacks, and he used this moment of respite to recover. "Give up now and we''ll grant you a swift death." The refined man sneered at the Wu Patriarch. The rain of light intensified, evaporating some of his cocoon. He was still being bathed in the glass-like light from the Gao cultivator who he had chased here, so every loss in the water reserves under his control was permanent as he had almost drained the area dry. With every moment that passed, the situation was looking more and more dire. Still, he kept his calm and continued to stall, a plan forming in his mind and being adjusted as the combat went on. "I would if I was a cowards like you Gao dogs. Four Nascent Soul elders sent to deal with one small patriarch. Have you no shame?" Wu Jian taunted, the enemies'' torrent intensifying once again in response. "Hah, history will paint you as the coward. Running away from your clan at the moment where it needs you most? Truly, you are the one with no shame." The Gao man threatened. Using his anger, the Wu Patriarch gathered his barrier together into one large sword, which he shot towards the offending cultivator. Squares of water leapt up to defend him from the others'' attacks temporarily whilst he launched himself forwards along with his conjured weapon. The middle aged man tried to get out of the way, but the branches of the trees always seemed to be where he didn''t want them, causing him to stumble and start flying instead of running, a slower method of evasion at their realm of cultivation. All too soon, the Wu Patriarch was upon him, swinging his real and created blades towards him from opposite sides. An armour of solid light appeared on the man, just in time, shattering the blade of water but being cut straight through by the Qi infused metal one.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. The sword glowed blue as it dug into its victim''s side, cutting through skin and bone like butter until it lodged itself within him. Water flowed down Wu Jian''s arm and onto the blade, gathering along the edge where it exploded outwards in blades of water. The Gao elder''s organs were shredded as his near mortal body failed to withstand the onslaught, leaving him barely clinging onto life. His face contorted in pain and rage as he lashed out in front of him, the whole of his remaining Qi reserves being drained to fuel this single attack. An armour of light, thicker than the one he had used to defend himself, formed around Wu Jian''s body, crushing inwards as the patriarch struggled to break free. Luckily, the glass like light had to stop being directed towards him lest it make their ally''s attack brittle, so Wu Jian was able to create a barrier of water along his kin that covered him like a tight body suit. His Qi depleted rapidly, leaving him feeling dizzy at using so much at once, and his bones creaked under the force. Seeing no other option, his bell exited his soul sea, chiming to bring the crushing armour to a state of calm, halting its motion. With an exertion of his will, he destroyed the armour and created as much water as he could before the glass like light fell upon him again. His divine sense detected the dead man''s Nascent Soul still within his body, but he was unable to truly finish him off as an onslaught of beams rained back down on him. His bell chimed but it did nothing, the beams having no substance to affect, unlike the solid light of the armour. So, he formed a partial shield in a curve in front of his body. Suddenly, alarm bells blared in his head as his divine sense picked up a presence right next to him. The hooded figure appeared with dagger in hand, aiming for Wu Jian''s heart once again. The target in question just grinned as this happened, half of the water he had just created being left as a trap behind him for this exact reason. Snakes of water curled up the assailant''s body, constricting them and restraining the arm holding the dagger so that it could not pierce its victim. "We shall now act." A collection of voices spoke into the Wu Patriarch''s head, and five wills descended onto the battlefield. Each bared the aura of a half-step Nascent Soul master but were bolstered by an extremely intimate connection to the surrounding area. The world bent at their whims as they locked onto the hooded cultivator, trees leaning over to cut him with their branches and the ground giving way beneath their feet to entrap them. Then, the assassin''s soul came under attack. With the added strength from their connections, the wills'' soul attacks reached the Mid Nascent Soul Stage, so they overwhelmed the figure''s same stage cultivation base with quantity and the element of surprise. The attacked person let out a cry as they felt something give, becoming panicked when they realised what that something was. Their Nascent Soul, the thing that powered their cultivation and gave them a second chance at life, crumbled under the assault. They wailed, a deep, long, mournful wail as their cultivation dropped to the early stage of the Nascent Soul Realm and continued to fall further by the second. Their colleagues retreated in terror as they fell to the Peak of Core Formation and finally managed to stabilise it so that it wouldn''t drop even further. With the assailant''s new strength, the water snakes quickly crushed the life out of them. The wills then locked onto the Nascent Soul of the first dead Gao elder that was hiding within his own corpse. Seeing the danger, he quickly fled, turning into streak of light and retreating to behind his fellow clansmen. His appearance was different to when he was alive, looking more like his own son and being translucent in consistency. Wu Jian quickly ignored him as a threat, Nascent Souls becoming closer with their Dao but loosing access to their Qi and Body cultivations. The wills materialised into ethereal figures behind him, faceless and without any defining features. "Do you still wish to fight?" He questioned the Gao elders. Seeing the opportunity, they banded together to launch a large, sustained beam of light. The Wu Patriarch went to defend himself but then realised that he was not the target, the barrier sealing them all in the area was. A gap was forced open in it and his enemies fled, flying away as fast as they could, but not without leaving a few parting words. "You have cost the Gao Clan dearly this day. Be prepared for the consequences." The lithe woman said, and then they were gone. Chapter 17 - Aftermath After watching his ambushers leave, the Wu Patriarch turned and bowed towards the 5 manifested wills behind him. "Wu Jian greets honoured ancestors." He communicated through divine sense. They did not return the gesture, instead staring at the assassin''s corpse beside him. "The soul." They spoke in unison in his mind. "Of course." Wu Jian replied, taking out a bird cage from his spatial ring and infusing his Qi into it. The cage shook and it opened up, creating a suction force within it. The translucent form of the assassin''s soul appeared above him, swimming upwards towards Samsara, but destined to never reach it as it was dragged back down and into the cage. It put up a valiant fight, almost breaking free, but eventually it was pulled into the cage, which slammed shut, a floating ethereal light now glowing within it. "You know what to do, descent." The voices spoke again. "I do, honoured ancestors. Return to your rest knowing that it shall be done." He responded as he bowed again. They inclined their heads towards him slightly before dissipating into motes of ghostly light. With the projections of his ancestors gone, Wu Jian focused on the more material spoils of the battle. The spatial rings of the two dead elders contained a portion of their wealth, a substantial amount considering they were the highest echelon of a mid sized clan. His divine sense scanned the contents of the assassin''s, finding a massive amount of shadow related resources and manuals, but he was unable to access the storage ring of the other elder as his soul imprint remained. It would take an extremely long time to remove it, so he tucked it into the folds of his robes for later. Next, he retrieved the weapons and robes of the deceased elders, each being inscribed with various formations that made them very powerful in the hands of the right people. Unfortunately for them, inscribers were extremely rare so most cultivators from outside the large clans had to rely upon whatever items they came across or could get their hands on, like these Gao cultivators had to, and were unable to bring out their full strength. After storing everything away in his ring and placing the assassin''s on another of his fingers, he lifted up off the ground and flee back towards the clan. He was met part way by a panicked Feng Lin, who had been worried upon sensing the fluctuations from the fleeing Gao elders and rushed to see if he was okay. Firey wings extended from her back, the Feng cultivator having employed a movement technique to reach him faster.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "What happened?" She gasped upon seeing his injuries. "Here, let me help." She moved to use her healing techniques upon him, but he waved her away. Her fire element techniques were antithetical to his own cultivation, meaning they would cause more problems than they solved if used upon him. "I will be fine. I just need some time to recover." He assured her. "As for what happened, those Gao dogs laid an ambush for me, but they paid the price of dishonour in blood." He explained, showing her the spatial rings. Feng Lin looked taken aback by the revelation, shock filling her face as she looked upon his spoils. "That is... very impressive." She commended, searching for the right words. "Thank you." He flashed her a smile as they landed in the Wu compound, a servant running up to them to ask what to do. "Follow Feng Lin''s commands. There is something I must do." Wu Jian commanded, deciding to test his betrothed''s competence. "Yes Lord Patriarch." Was the response. They had seen the Feng woman swoop in to rescue their clansmen and already held her in high esteem. "See to what must be done." The Wu Patriarch said to his future wife before heading deeper into the compound towards his meditation room. "Everybody out." He ordered when he got there, sensing no one on the verge of a breakthrough. Once the room was clear, he moved to the centre of the ring and infused his qi into the hidden formation there. It glowed to life, its invisibility peeling back to reveal the entire floor of the room being webbed with complex inscriptions. Once active, it thrummed with building power, filling up with more and more Qi until it seemed ready to burst. it was only when an explosion seemed imminent that it used its energy, filling the room with a blinding white light that, when it faded, left the room empty. ... Wu Jian stood in a hall much larger than his own main hall, a cavern that stretched up so far he could not even see the ceiling, and so wide that he could fit his entire clan''s compound in here. The air here was thick with Qi, and its connection to the Dao Fragment of Tranquillity, what one comprehended when they combined the Dao Shard of Calm with other similar Dao Shards, was so much that he felt his body start to stiffen up and his mind turn sluggish just from arriving here. He stood in the centre of the cavern, surrounded by 8 pedestals around him and a fading formation under his feet. On 5 of the pedestals, statues of men and women sat in lotus position, each with a plaque detailing their name and which generation Clan Head they were. "Wu Jian greets honoured ancestors." He said once again with a bow. They did not reply but the Wu Patriarch was not expecting one, having been brought before them before by his father. He took the bird cage out of his storage ring and opened it, allowing the soul trapped within to go free. It quickly escaped, not knowing when it would get another chance, and attempted to flee to the cycle of Samsara. Unfortunately for it, the Tranquillity aligned Qi in the surroundings affected it too, slowing it to a snails pace as it swam through the air. Five hungry wills converged on the struggling soul, leaping to tear a chunk of it for themselves.They tussled and fought with each other as much as it, trying to secure as much of the deceased assassin''s soul as possible. He may not have been in the Nascent Soul Realm when he died, but having reached it and progressed through it when he was alive, he had grown his soul to the point where he could put up a decent fight against the Wu Clan''s ancestors. Eventually though, he fell under the combined might of 5, being torn asunder and devoured by the wills. Satisfied with their meal, they wordlessly sent their approval to the patiently waiting Wu Patriarch before returning to their respective statues. "I wish you luck in your advancement, honoured ancestors." Wu Jian said as he charged up the formation again. "May you find Longevity and the Dao. In this life, or the next." He bowed towards them one last time before disappearing in another flash of bright light. Chapter 18 - The Feng Clan A recovered Wu Jian sat upon his throne, staring down at the two Feng Clan elders that stood in his meeting hall with an imperious gaze. They had been introduced by one of his servants, but neither side spoke, for to do so was to be portrayed as the weaker side. Usually, the Wu Patriarch would''ve initiated the conversation, being that there was only one Nascent Soul Realm cultivator in his clan. However, after his recent exploits in battle, it would be inappropriate him to concede the first words in his own clan, a place even more closely connected with him than the area where he had fought. The Feng elders knew of his feat, Feng Lin having been asked to tell them by her future husband in order to raise his standing in their eyes. She was, surprisingly, on board with this, despite them being her clansmen. But it seemed that Wu Jian''s goodwill was more important to her than the inconvenience she would cause her family. Eventually, perhaps sensing that the Wu Patriarch was not going to budge on this, the mid stage elder broke the silence. "We have arrived, as per our agreement." She was amiable looking woman Feng An, whose face was creased with smile lines. Now, though, her mouth was curled in a frown as she looked her clan''s newest ally up and down, judging him and apparently finding him unworthy. "I am grateful for your assistance." Wu Jian replied, not willing to strain their relationship by using more power plays. In the end, his being more friendly would be better than whatever small benefits raising his position any further in the alliance would grant him. Our enemies are set to be upon us in 2 days. We have reason to believe that the Gao Clan is aiding them in their crusade and that they have recently gained a lot more motivation to lend more of their strength towards suppressing us. He continued. "We will support your forces as best we can. But we will retreat upon any true threat to our, or the Young Miss'', " The second elder, a hawk like woman called Feng Chen, who had a permanently aggressive look in her eyes, spoke up.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. "I would ask no more of you." his response, knowing full well that they would not hesitate to abandon him should the going get tough. This was part of the reason he had to project strength at the start of the meeting, as looking weak would cause them to leave the upcoming battle much sooner. "Would you like a demonstration of our power?" The amiable woman asked. "There is no need." Wu Jian answered, having already got the measure of their strength from their auras. Surprisingly, it was Feng An whose aura was the bloodiest of the two, her skills seemingly honed on the edge between life and death despite her friendly appearance. That wasn''t to say that Feng Chen hadn''t seen her fair share of deadly battles she most certainly had, but her lower stage compatriot had been dancing on that fine line for almost her entire path of cultivation. "Very well then." The Feng elder said, her eyes gleaming with interest as she adjusted her evaluation of him. Feng Chen''s facial expression changed slightly, letting the Wu Patriarch know that his guests were communicating through divine sense. He patiently waited for them to finish, and when they did, Feng An turned to him. "Then we would like a demonstration of yours." She spoke, and as soon as the words left her the room turned chilly and vicious shadows started to dance on the walls. rage flickered on Wu Jian''s face, storms brewing within his eyes. He let his aura leak, laced with the same killing intent that had led him to destroy the souls of the Zhao clansmen, the killing intent that had been forged through brutal training throughout his childhood and the battles since. He could take being battered, beaten, and pierced through, but anyone who had disrespected him or his clan now lay dead, imprisoned and awaiting execution, or had their souls removed from the cycle of Samsara was something he could not accept. These guests, his so called allies, sought to test him. Not only that, but they did it in his home. Anger clouded his but he knew he couldn''t strike them down, and that only served to make it worse. He stared them down, the Feng elders viably cowed by his furious gaze. But then, in the red fog, he saw images of his clan under the thumb of another, images that would come to pass should he act on his impulses. He reached into his soul sea, straining to beat back the overwhelming emotion, and rung his bell of calm. The room returned to normal suffocating pressure that he released died down. He had no idea what had come over him, and he resolved to find out later, but right now he was going to take advantage of it. He smiled, a cold smile devoid of any warmth, and spoke slowly, in a steady tone. "Is that sufficient?" He smile widening as they cringed away from his voice. "Y-yes." muted , Feng An having resisted just a bit better than her fellow elder. Then that will be all. My clansmen will see that you are suitably looked after. I hope the rooms are to your " He got control of his expression, changing it to be more neutral. "You are dismissed." He waved them away, servants coming to lead them out when they turned and left, shocked to the point of instantly obeying his words. Once they were gone, Wu Jian looked down, closed his eyes, and began to search himself and his cultivation base with his divine sense. "What is wrong with me?" He whispered as his search continued. Announcement Hi everyone! Those of you returning to the story may have noticed that I''ve not uploaded over the past few days, and those of you who are new, welcome! Exam stress has been getting to me, and my sleep schedule is a mess, so I''m going to be dropping out of the writathon to focus on my studies. That''s not to say I''m dropping the book, uploads will just slow down considerably until my exams are done in a month and a bit.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Thank you everyone who has read so far, I hope you will stick around and continue to enjoy the read! Best of luck to everyone in whatever you may do! Chapter 19 - Heart Demon He found it, a Qi up where his meridians crossed his heart. He hadn''t noticed it before because it didn''t actually block any of his Qi from being channelled through his body instead it just corrupted itwith minute negative energies caused by his emotions disrupted his technique, since it relied on absolute calm for him to progress, and him act more extreme than he normally would, as his Qi and soul were now closely intertwined. He had heard of what this was before, since his father had suffered from one as well, a heart demon. When a cultivator had a lingering obsession, like revenge, they were prone to forming a heart demon if they could not resolve whatever was causing such a thing. This led to the widespread of duels and deathmatches within the Qin Empire, since a cultivator who held a deep resentment of another may not be able to progress or fall insanity in their pursuit of vengeance. Wu Jian had expected to form a heart demon ever since he let the Zhao Patriarch live, but the attack of the Gao Clan and the formation of the Zhao Alliance had caused it to appear much sooner than he expected. He was going to have to move up his timeline or dispose of the Zhao Patriarch, giving up on his plans regarding him. "Update me on our progress towards obtaining the Spirit Jade and Starmetal that I require." He to a servant, who scrambled to go and find out. They returned not long after with Wu Bi, the Wu Clan''s head of merchants. She was only at the Peak Qi Gathering Stage, but her talent in business far exceeded her talent in cultivation. "Lord Patriarch." She knelt deferentially towards him, placing her forehead on the ground as she did so. All her privileges and responsibilities came from the man in front of her. She may earned her position through merit, but the Wu Patriarch had the power to strip all her achievements away from her with but a word. The branch family she was a part of would not, could not, protest it because their strongest cultivator was only a Late Qi Condensing Stage cultivator with little say in clan matters. "You may rise." Wu Jian and Wu Bi stood, taking out a parchment from her spatial ring and unfurling it in front of her.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "We have yet to find any for sale, nor have we found any hints on where to acquire it." This was only natural, as the metal''s Qi-blocking properties were greatly sought after for the creation of rooms that blocked scrying techniques and defences. And, because its only source was from meteorites, it was both rare and coveted, making it extremely expensive and hard to buy. "We do, however, have a bead on a possible source of Spirit Jade." She and Wu Jian leaned forwards in interest. "We are in negotiations to try and lower the price now, but will take a while." Wu Patriarch''s raised in . "How much are they asking?" He questioned "8,000 Spirit Stones. But we''ve managed to negotiate down to 7,000, and given enough time, we''ll be able to get it down to just over " the answer, and Wu Jian sucked in a breath of air. He knew Spirit Jade was pricey, but none had ever been sold on the outskirts of the Qin Empire in his entire lifetime clan that was offering this amount been trying to sell it for the past two decades. It was valuable as it had similar properties to regular . Whilst could store information perfectly for an unlimited amount of time, , its name suggests, could store spirits and souls in it without them decaying. Of course, it was incredibly hard to get your hands on a spirit or a Nascent Soul Realm Cultivator who had shed their mortal body willing to be bound to whatever item the Spirit Jade was forged into, so it hardly ever saw any use. Still, 8,000 Spirit Stones was almost the total assets of a new -sized : Spirit Stones, property, and resources included. Wu Jian would have to empty his entire clan''s treasury to be able to afford that price. He wouldn''t even be able to tax any those that lived in his lands, as most of the mystical stones already flowed into his or his clan members'' where they were either used or stored in the treasury. After all, mortals did not have a use for them and would instead instantly spend them if they were ever so lucky as to come across one, to live a life of indulgence for the next few years if they did. Cultivators, however, would be able to absorb the of the stored within the stones, furthering their cultivation, or store them somewhere and let the energy that they gave off increase the density of it in their surroundings. Hence, most clans situated their treasuries near their cultivation rooms, the Wu Clan''s being inside the mountain just the regular cultivation chambers. "Offer them 6,700 if they now and deliver it themselves." Wu Jian said. Wu Bi realised that her was desperate for the Spirit Jade and nodded her head, making a note at the bottom of the parchment. "What''s the highest price we can ?" business instincts her of the Wu Patriarch''s intentions. "6,900 is the most I can part with for it." The merchant made another note before bowing. "Then if it lord Patriarch, I will go and commence negotiations." She spoke whilst holding the bow. "It does. You may " He dismissed Wu shot out of the room as fast as she could whilst maintaining respect, obviously excited to be handling a transaction of this magnitude. Once she was gone, Wu Jian took out the he had not yet been able to get inside. "Looks like I will have to brute force it." He whispered to himself, not looking to the consequences of doing so.