ISG: Battle with the Thunder Kings

 It’s a good thing Carmine woke up early and got me up. There was another wave of new recruits to the sect, and hall selection demanded all the Hall Leaders being present.

Sect Grand Elder Liseth stood before a sea of a few hundred brand new sect. 

Other than the Thunder King, there was the female only Jade Fist, male only Adonis, my hall, the Golden Silk, and then an ever shifting group of lesser halls I didn’t always keep track of.

Promising new Core sect members were given the chance to form a hall, but most didn’t last and couldn’t compete against the 4 main halls. Thunder king got who they wanted and then the three sects behind them.

“You can be proud of passing the Sect entrance exam, but without a Hall, you’ll be unable to progress any further. Each hall can choose who to accept, then you will have to face their own Initiation. Each cadet, please demonstrate your strongest body arts.”

Cadets, almost universally, interpreted best as flashiest. 

I let three cadets go by without raising my hand. They went to the junior halls. There was grumbling about how many cadets the hall took in and how few made it. So I didn’t choose anyone I thought had no shot.

There were 25 new members of the sect. Thunder King choose one. I offered 7 but only received 2 new outer sect members 

The first of our hall’s new members was vaguely, possibly talented in Wind style martial arts. Her attacks were fast but weak. Weakness doesn’t qualify for Wind style. Extreme speed was to her credit though. Everyone agreed to send her to the Golden Silk hall.

The second was contested by Adonis also, which we won after I agreed with Thunder King to have the challenge fight today at their hall training grounds instead of a neutral site. The man seemed a reasonable long shot for the sect.

I spent a half hour dealing with the order for our upcoming match with the Thunder Kings. I chatted with Nathan and Eustice about the placements, and Carmina came in at the end.

Hall vs Hall competitions were ladder matches with 7 cultivators on each side.

Carmina conceded third position to Eustice, so it was myself first, of course, followed by Nathan, Eustice, Carmina, Eleanor, Cassidy, 

I let Yuji, Shi and Min have a quick bout for the 7th spot, which Min won with some fast strikes while the two men were spars against each other.

"We need to let everyone know to get ready for the Trials tomorrow for our 2 new disciples," I said to Carmina and Nathan.

The Thunder King hall was decorated much more than my own hall or any others. Artwork depicting lighting, and a constant growling sound of thunder made the hall feel violent and electric.

The Battle hall there was vacated, as we arrived, and took our seats in the numbered Challenger seats.

There were only 25 members of the Thunder King hall. They only take on candidates already at the Inner Sect level so they didn't both dividing their members that way.

I used the 5 points I had earned from the training battle to push up my strength a bit more.

The Thunder King sect clapped in unison as the 7 cultivators they had picked entered the hall, and the remainder of the sect stayed back to watch.

Elders Yu and Cheng arrived to watch the bout.

Lightning form martial arts were very difficult to develop and improve in. Even for the Thunder King hall, only the top 4 of the sect had developed substantial abilities and forms in that area. The Hallmaster Ross Kreisel was a foreigner who traveled to join our sect, much like Nathan.

He brought the rare skill of lightning martial arts to our sect and personally taught the disciples in the hall. That was the main reason his Hall was most respected, and given the most resources. He brought something that our Sect would otherwise not have.

Other than Kreisel, it looked like they were pulling lower ranked Hall members for the bout. No one could defeat Kreisel so he was the backstop I guess.

 The match would go up in strength from 7th seed up to 1st. Each seeded fighter would continue to fight until they were defeated. 

I would be the backstop for our sect, the last fighter, as Kreisel was for theirs. Even if I had been able to beat Kreisel, if we lost fights early, I would have to fight opponents back to back.

The first match was Min vs. a Fist fighting style cultivator. Not actually the 7th best of the Thunder King sect, a lot of fighters were skipping out or giving their spots to their juniors. I trusted our top 4 to perform reasonably, but the rest would have a tough time matching up.

Thunder style martial arts were characterized by sudden overwhelming movements and strikes. Even though this Fist fighter didn't have actual Thunder powers, he was unpredictable and forceful.

There were three exchanges, but Min's foe wasn't phased by her rapid attacks, and he dodged her when she switched to the Sect's main forceful style. On the third strike she went down, and took a followed pair of fists to her face.

Cultivators at least heal from minor bruising fast, I thought to myself.

Cassidy and this Fist fighter had a longer bout, as Cassidy was one of the smartest fighters in our hall, as well as hitting with pretty good impact. She could be overrun or overwhelmed however, and though their 7th seed was quite tired, he managed to win a second bout.

There was only a few seconds break before Eleanor stepped up, and she was one of the most traditional fighters of my hall. Following the Sect's mighty style foundational attacks, she used fists, elbows, and throws.

She only needed to interrupt his flagging attack, throwing him to the ground and pinning him enough to get him to concede.

Eleanor had a good fight against the blazing fast 6th seed, winning again but she was exhausted, and quickly fell to the brutal fifth seed. Perhaps the strongest cultivator of Thunder King who didn't use the Thunder martial arts.

It was Carmina's chance to face a difficult opponent and grow in strength.

Carmina was strong, and also especially resilient and fearless receiving opponent attacks. She was not flashy, just Core sect material. It was a fight of strong versus strong.

Immediately the 5th seed Thunder cultivator took her to the ground and I worried about her being out fast, but Carmina managed to flip over after taking some brutal punches. Her opponent disengaged.

The match turned into a boxing battle as Carmina crashed her fists into the man's stomach, taking some brutal head shots. Both sides were being crushed by the fight. 

The fight went to the ground again, and then up again. But she went down hard to a brutal and surprising kick from the 5th seed. She managed to get up after a few seconds and return to her seat.

It was down to third seed Eustice against their 5th. Eustice was unflappable, having a good balance of strength, speed and toughness. Although she did take a few punches, she countered the same brutal kick, flinging him away with a surprising and sudden strength. Her pursuit was fast, and he wasn't able to defend as he landed in a tumble.

They should have faced a Lightning Thaumaturgy in the 4th seed, but the Thunder Kings weren't bringing out their best. Instead it was a strong lightning style martial artist but without that full ability set.

Eustice had few weaknesses, but on an elite stage like this she didn't have enough strengths to win. She gave a reasonable account of herself, inflicting some pain on the 4th seed.

Now it was Nathan's turn. Unlike the rest of my hall, Nathan was actually offered a position in the Thunder King sect, but he was already an avid study of the Wind style sects. He didn't get accepted into any of them, so joining my hall was his next choice.

He was a real elite competitor. Matching the jagged speed of Lightning with the smooth speed of the Wind, he took only a few blows, countering and controlling the match. 

Both of us were only in Early 1st stage for Wind Thaumaturgy. Elder Yu strongly encouraged me to continue developing my core strength and toughness before studying more magical training and focusing on Thaumaturgies. So I had only progressed slightly in these masteries.

The 3rd seed was the Thunder King's best hall member without a Thaumaturgy.

3rd seed was extremely fast. The Hall was known for pushing their members to move and attack quickly. Nathan now used his Headwinds thaumaturgy to push the 3rd seed back and get some space. It was also a good way to disorient an opponent.

Tailwinds was a more support focused tool, while Headwinds was a good defensive assist that could lead into exploiting a discombobulated opponent.

Nathan could only use his thaumaturgy three times before his spirit was exhausted. We had practiced together a fair bit and I knew a lot about his magical strength and my own. It was not our strong points.

But the three times he used it, twice he was able to exploit the 3rd seed and deal damage. Finally he managed to win, but he was exhausted.

I got ready to enter the fight as Ye Yan joined (the second seed). I had a long fighting history with Ye Yan. I had lost to the Thunder King's third best fighter several times. Being unable to at least make it to the Hall Master was infuriating.

I hadn't seen their second best cultivator in several bouts. Zu Shuren was terrifying as Kreisel's direct disciple, but the Hallmaster didn't think he was needed. I needed to build my strength, speed and magical ability before facing Zu Shuren. 

But Ye Yan, I was ready to put an end to our bout. It was obvious from the memories that I did have that our hall members were disappointed that I had not already defeated him.

Nathan was a wreck when he was quickly defeated by Ye Yan, and I entered the stage. I had everyone's attention.

I didn't give Ye Yan a chance, immediately using tailwind to fly through the air towards him, fists first.

The sudden shocking which shook my muscles made it obvious he had responded with Lightning Surge. But this time I was able to shake off the condition and defend myself.

I tried a few core attacks, but Ye Yan zipped away, so I immediately moved into Wind style arts. I managed to halfway dodge the second Lightning Surge, rolling out of the way of leap. Immediately I recovered, defending from a rapid series of kicks and punches, throwing him behind me.

I turned and in one motion used Tailwind a second time, this time connecting with Ye Yan's chin.

He recovered while still on the ground, blasting me in the stomach, but I endured, placing him in a pin.

As he tried to use his third Lightning Surge, I grabbed him, whipping him away from me. He crashed into the ground, and I leapt up and away, using Tailwind to rocket me up and away from his attacks. 

I couldn't use that ability again, and I'd seen Ye Yan use Lightning Surge 4 or 5 times in a fight, so I immediately pushed him on the offensive.

A heavy blow to the head actually countered his attempt to surge again, as I became to mix force and wind style unpredictably. I pinned him again, and slammed his head against the ground.

"Stop!" Kreisel interrupted. "Ye Yan concedes," he said.

Ye Yan shook off the head trauma. I was in for a world of hurt. Kreisel could be an elder.

Kreisel didn't even get off his chair before the fight started. World of Thunder was an ability that dealt damage internally to your body and spirit. I had never seen that ability used in Hall match. Kreisel didn't need to use that, and he rarely fought in these matches.

I blacked out.

*

My team had dragged me out to the Healing hall before I came to.

"That was a Third Tier thaumaturgy. He could have killed you! The Elders were furious," Carmina said.

I was in a small recovery room, must have been at the Healing hall. Carmina was the only one there.

"Finally took down Ye Yan though," I said groggily.

"Kreisel will bring his top team next time. Get ready for Zu Shuren."

"Does Zu know that ability?" I asked.

"World of Thunder. No. But he knows Thunder Strike. He can Lightning Surge every few seconds."

"Should I change my path?"

"Kreisel can defeat to of the elders. Elder Yu knows what's the best way. If you transcend mortal strength, transcend mortal toughness, you will endure. Then Zu Shuren will be in range. Soon Shuren will be Hallmaster and Kreisel will be a new elder."

"Did you like my wind arts?"

"The best part was the mixups. Switching between Wind and strength, that's not something the Wind sects can do. Let's have the Hall seniors start learning just enough Wind styles to do that. It could be a major advantage for us in the future.

*

It took most of a week to fully recover, but I spent as much time as I could meditating. The Hall contest earned me 10 points to spend. I put 5 in Strength and 5 in Stamina.

As a hall we divided time between practice spars, a bit of one on one training and a weekly Hall dinner where I handed out more A+ class pills.

The last event before we went to the Grand Tournament was the selection. We would be allowed 100 cultivators total, and Elders were not allowed to participate.

Elder Chang announced that the Grand Tournament committee had declared Kreisel as an Elder, so he wouldn't be going. He announced that Kreisel would be considered for eldership, once the rest of the Elders returned from seclusion.

The Thunder Kings all were attending the Grand Tournament, except Kreisel, so that was 24 spots taken. The Jade Fists got 15 spots, Adonis Hall got 15 spots, we got 13 spots, and the other 5 sects had 7 spots each.

12 was an easy number to support for us, I guess, with the 12 top fighters being a group and one free spot for the rest of the Hall to battle over.

We returned to the hall and announced the one free spot. I was still recovering, so I had to go home and rest to try to get fully back to 100% by the time of the tournament. Whoever was the last spot, we would train with them as intensely as the Twelve trained, getting them ready for the challenges of the Grand Tournament.

Would there be a group battle for the qualifying stage, or something even weirder?

Isekai Girl

I was a fan of a lot of media. I dreamed about that perfect girl, the one who has a cool attitude. Incredibly badass, but still a team player. Quirky, with odd habits that derive from their monomaniacal pursuit of perfection in combat.

She doesn't have the Social Fu of the Ace, she more obsessive, trading technical jargon and processing massive data files with the aid of her AI or spirit companion, or whatever depending on the setting.

She does things in an unusual, unexpected yet organized way. Those who don't take training seriously won't take the real thing seriously, and she will not put up with someone who screws around in training or the real thing.

She's developed new feats in her area of study, things that would blow the minds of the Academics or Wizards, if she just had time to go back to school and learn formally. She's self-taught but extremely perfectionist because she's survived in the fire of battle. She has a ton of context to gain from formal academic study, she just needs to sit down and work through what the formal teaching says. She has a lot of corrections of their theory based on her practice.

She has some small place of comfort in daily life, once she finally gets some downtime from the battlefield that is.

The classic is the mecha / valkyrie from Battle Action Harem Highschool Side Character Quest (No SV, you are the Waifu). Anna is ridiculously powerful, with a whole technique that caused the government to start madly scrambling to reproduce Manhattan Project style, once you unleash it.

In the magical setting, if you consider the Wizard to be the master of prepared magic, maybe this archetype would be best represented as a Sorceress. Someone who learned one on one from a mentor, skipping a lot of steps, but achieving something amazing.

You could have a Magical Girl who endured years of brutal survival surrounded by major monster settlements. Or, in other tech styles, have more of a Star Wars elite X-Wing pilot or privateer. I don't know, I think the setting needs some kind of personal superpowers that an individual can control.

So Jedi X-wing pilot maybe, but definitely not just a regular pilot. You could go more strictly mech-warrior style.

I wandered in psychic space through different conceptions of this character, I must have done some serious metaphysical wear and tear, however, as when the garbage truck hit me I knew I was in for it.

My vision was full of white light. When my vision cleared up, I found myself lying on a cot. It was freezing cold, it was completely silent, which was eerie after years living in the city.

Why was I so freaking hungry. I explored the place in a daze, not yet aware that truck-kun strikes again.

There were 6 rooms, two other rooms were locked, I thought they were small rooms with a cot and meditation mats like mine had.

There was a larger room that was completely empty, and then a dining room that could seat at least a dozen and a kitchen and pantry.

The pantry was filled with what looked like nutritional bars, packaged in gray wrappers. 

But thankfully I found rice and dry beans and a cooking pot. It took me a second when I couldn’t find a button or dial for the stove.

“System!” I said instinctively. It was starting to dawn on me.

SYSTEM

Character Details

Name: [redacted]

Stats:

Strength: 60 - Stamina: 45 - Reflex: 40 - Grace: 20

Discipline: 99 - Charisma: 20 - Wisdom: 30 - Intellect: 20

Meditation: 40 - Magic: 10 - Battle Forms: 40

Dao Path: 

Body Cultivation Practitioner: Rapid Strikes, Mastery of Movement, Body as Armor.

Wind Elemental Core : Tailwinds, Wind Martial Arts

Buddhist : Basic Anti-evil spirit formation.

Unlocked: 

Body Cultivation - Perfection: Bodily Recovery, Perfection: Bodily Healing, Secret Art: Fist Intent, Secret Art: Whirlwind Kick, Perfected Art: Finger Strikes

Wind Element: Headwind (Magic), Tornado (Magic)

Buddhist: Soul Revealing Mantra, Perfected: Meditation 

Tutorial: 

To improve your statistics and abilities, you must earn training points in battle, and then unlock them through meditation.

Only points which are both earned and unlocked can be used. Extra points either earned or unlocked are tracked for when the corresponding action is complete to make them available: these are tracked as either Unearned points (needing combat to be earned), or Locked points (needing meditation to be earned.

Meditation current gains a point per two hours for the first day, a point per 8 hours for the first week, and a point per day thereafter.

You have completed meditating for 90 days: 12 points for the first day, 18 points for the rest of the first week, 83 points for the remaining 83 days.

You have 113 unearned points.

Combat point earning can be achieved by sparring, official tournaments and battles and actual battles and wars. This is in increasing scale of points earned.

You can advance a stat for 1 point, abilities have a varying cost.

You cannot advance a stat beyond 99 without a Perfected achievement or ability for that stat.

You have 10 points available.

Also, as you continue to unlock and earn points, your past will be unsealed.

What an interesting system, I thought. Having to both earn and unlock points was a pain but made sense in this very meditation focused place. Obviously, the person I became was in seclusion.

I was tempted to improve magic, and learn a wind spell but instead I looked at the costs of my Body abilities and Buddhist teachings. Secret arts were 100 points, and the Perfected were 50. Perfected meditation would probably be key once I earned enough points.

I looked at stats instead. After considering my options, I improved stamina to 55.

After eating, I took the time to sleep. Meditation wasn’t true sleep after all. 

When I woke up the next day, I went to the last room, a training room with padding floors and walls.

I observed as I tried different punches and kicks.

SYSTEM: demonstration mode.

System will create an illusionary you to demonstrate martial forms and abilities.

The system demonstrated all of the basic primary strikes of Body Cultivation. It was not a graceful art, instead using brute force. Boxing, shoulder charges, elbow strikes and a few kicks were included.

There was a defensive form involving crossing arms together.

After two hours I immediately began learning and practicing the Wind martial arts.

It was good to have a second style to break out of an opponent’s attempts to exploit your weaknesses.

I wasn’t sure what style was primary, but I enjoyed the way wind martial arts were both sudden and flowing from one strike to the next.

I actually earned 1 point just from going through these arts as well. There were throws, kicks, punches that were more light impact that the body cultivation ones.

I took some time to do basic bodyweight exercises.

SYSTEM SECRET: training that focuses specific statistical areas provides a trickle of additional points in that statistic.

+1 strength.

Eventually I got a point in stamina as well. The earned point I put into grace, as the wind arts seemed like they might use the stat a bit.

Finally after a long day of learning and practicing and physical exercise, I slept.

The next day I left the compound, finding it was high up at the top of a mountain. I followed a trail, wearing only a fresh set of robes and carrying a canteen of water a two nutrition bars.

Checking my body as I got ready that morning, I saw that I wasn’t exactly a feminine ideal, instead being very muscular and even burly. At least I had very little fat. In my robes only my arms and legs burliness is visible.

I can’t tell my face, there were no manors in the retreat.

The retreat I was at was very remote, but as I both descended and climbed, I could see other outposts below in the distance. I guessed this was some kind of Sect situation and I had been at a remote site for seclusion.

The nutrition bars tasted awful, but I ate one anyway and kept going.

I reached another retreat site by dark, but the doors were locked so I slept a cold night nearby, waking up early to practice my techniques.

I didn’t expect someone coming up the desolate trail. 

The man wore white robes and a large hat. 

“Senior Sister, so you’ve come out of seclusion. Where is your hat?”

“I was a little forgetful when I came out of my meditation. This sister apologizes.”

“It’s alright, first long seclusion at only 22, that’s impressive, it’s understandable you might be a bit disoriented. Come on, I have some hats in the outpost.”

The sect junior had a key to the outpost, and I got a white flared hat and we shared breakfast.

“ well I have to get to my own seclusion. You’d better report to the elders.”

“Thank you junior brother.”

After that we separated. I continued down the mountain until I found the main sect grounds patrolled by members both on ground and in the air.

The guards I found directed me to the Elders compound and I was escorted in at once.

There was a director in charge of the compound who met me.

“There are only two elders present, in two years there will be the Grand Tournament of Elders, so they are all forming their Way. Elder Yu will meet you shortly.”

The waiting room had a simple wooden table and chairs.

Finally Elder Yu showed up. 

“Daughter, how was your seclusion?”

“I feel like my persistence has improved, I can strike many times without being tired. I can fight in many rounds of battle. But I came to a bit disoriented. Sorry for my questions.”

“What questions, daughter?”

“When is the tournament, and can you give me some information about it?”

“Obviously, a lot is still obscured. The rounds for loose cultivators start on June 5th, we’ll be arriving then to observe for good seeds, you’ll have it easy until the really rounds start on the 10th.”

“Thank you father.”

“Please fortify your body, eat and prepare for the tournament. You will feel better then daughter.”

“I will.”

After I left the Elders hall, a group of cultivators arrived outside the hall to greet me.

“Our Lady Esther. I’m sure you are quite famished after your seclusion, shall we have a feast?”

“Let’s prepare it. Good to see you all.”

“Then I will hurry to the kitchen,” the man said.

These then were my followers in a way. Those who trained with a young lady, gained from her beneficence and grace. My roadies.

Other than the chef, who rushed ahead, the others gradually lead the way chatting as they went.

“I apologize, my first long seclusion has me a bit disoriented.”

“Did you gain from it Esther?”

“Definitely. My persistence has increased. I can fight a long battle or many battles now.”

From the conversation, the sect was broken up into halls which were groups of cultivators both inner and outer sect, as well as one core sect member. For the Hall of Golden Silk, I was the core sect member, being daughter of an elder as well. 

While juniors in the outer sect were assigned their hall, inner sect members were expected to move to a new hall of their choosing when they became inner sect. So this was my main group of inner sect disciples.

“How have the juniors been progressing of late?”

“The trials of True Strength are as discerning as ever. There are twelve still attempting the trials, and three students refining their strength now.”

Soon we were in the hall. It was a large series of three buildings, as well as houses for myself and maybe my top assistants. Battle hall, meditation hall and combined dorm + dining hall.

There was a long table which my group headed to, I sat at the head of the table. 

“Not too much wine today, I’m still clearing my head,” I said.

Of the group of twelve following her, both men and women were ripped, showing muscles through their robes. They had no signs of fat in their faces despite their burly appearance.

The girls were of many different complexions, their faces clean but wearing no makeup. The men of fair complexion preferred to be more tanned.

 It seemed that while I was very demanding I was not judgmental on background or skin color.

“The disciples have been asking for their monthly spirit pills,” one of the men sitting closest to her said.

“Can you distribute them?” I asked.

“They are at your house,” he said.

“I will hurray to get them.”

Now I had to find which house was mine and I didn’t have a key, if I needed one.

There were three houses, but I finally figured out the nicest of the three.

There was a spirit ward that brushed up against me as I entered.  This lady had priceless things stored haphazardly in the house?

At least the spirit pills were graded. A very small pill box of S graded pills. She couldn’t distribute those. A large bucket of A+ grade pills. This must be what they were asking for. 

I found several pill boxes and filled 8 boxes from the bucket. That should be enough.

I returned to the dining hall with the boxes.

“Go call all the disciples together for the feast, and the outer sect too. Then each of you will distribute from one of these boxes. Take one for yourself as well. Do not tell anyone what grade they are receiving. This will be a little test.”

“Yes Hall Master.”

The others joined my assistant in gathering the disciples. 

After there were 90-100 disciples at the dining hall. My inner circle went around giving each disciple a pill. Based on their reactions I guess these A+ pills had been my personal reaction.

SYSTEM

Gift for a gift. Your memories of Golden Silk Hall members have returned. After the Dozen Fists of Silk returned to my table our servants brought out feasts. 

Starting with hearty potato soup, bread and shrimp appetizer were served.

With the main meal, creamy pasta, rack of ribs, breaded chicken, rice and sesame chicken.

A single glass of wine was served at dinner.

“Nathan, don’t think I didn’t catch what you were trying. The disciples were all provided with enough pills for my absence, and I returned early. But It is good to prepare the disciples. You will be my sparring partner next time.”

“Yes hallmaster.”

“I will take my rest for now. But tomorrow I want to temper wisdom with training and testing my mettle. Prepare the disciples for a full training battle tomorrow.”

“Yes Hallmaster. We will be ready.”

I slept as long as I could, waking very early in the morning. When I woke I took from the A+ grade pills. The memories I had said nothing about the existence of S pills so that must be unknown to everyone else in the hall.

SYSTEM : A+ grade pill.

A crafted pill, the minimum grade respected by the system. +3 active points.

There was no discussion of magic in my memories, so I still avoided learning an elemental spell or increasing my magic. Let’s increase strength this time.

Stats:

Strength: 64 - Stamina: 56 - Reflex: 40 - Grace: 20

Discipline: 99 - Charisma: 20 - Wisdom: 30 - Intellect: 20

Meditation: 40 - Magic: 10 - Battle Forms: 40

Spirit pills are on a cooldown for 24 hours.

*

Using my dozen, we split up the hall into two teams. In this world there were no ironclad stages so we had to judge the capabilities of each cultivator to divide the teams fairly.

Of course whatever team I was on would be a lot stronger so I assigned 6 extra of the dozen to the other team. 3 on my side. 9 opposing.

From the memories I had gained, I knew the Sect’s training battles were generally intense and close range. Only the elders had significant ranged power, and body cultivation involved brute strength over Grace mostly.

The inner sect in my hall could be divided three ways, the outer sphere, the middle and the twelve. The first group fought to my left and the second to my right with the outer sect members fighting each other on the far wing. The twelve and myself in the middle.

It was like a football formation, which was honestly our favorite hobby at the hall, testing physicality and speed.

“Carmina, Shi, Yuji,” I called for the three of twelve on my team.

Carmina almost always fought on my side, Shi and Yuji deserved a chance, covering left and right. Carmina was a goth

“Show us what you got!” Nathan shouted from the other side.

“3, 2, 1, go!” I said.

Accelerating forward with tailwind, I immediately surged into rapid Wind style strikes. Individually less powerful but a superhuman rate of punches.

In wind style I put some effort into evading Nathan and Yustice’s strongest attacks, taking some against my body is armor.

Stamina also allows sustaining a higher intensity, and while my initial barrage was defended ok by the two fighters facing me, everything slows down after the initial flurries. I kept going.

The most painful part of sparing is when my own fist collides with another fist.

After the juddering impact with Nathan’s fist, I switched to normal body cultivator tactics, and Nathan had a weakness while Eustice recovered. I grabbed a hold of Nathan throwing him to the ground as he tried to punch out of it.

 I struck Eustice with a double fist strike low, then switched back to wind strikes, as Shi and Yuji’s opponent did a tag tactic trying to mob me.

I went down to the three attackers, but managed to throw one as they approached me prone.

A tiger leaping attack bowled over another and got me out of position of the trap, Carmina managed to free herself from the brutal battle with Eleanor, and covered each others weak points.

The rest of the battle should be nearly over as we were swarmed but the long series of attacks wore on the twelve.

I got inside the guard of Cassidy and Eleanor, and others ‘surrendered’ by staying down or going to a meditation pose.

I was winded but overall not too bad.

“You will surprise the Wind sects with that kind of performance,” Carmina said.

Weapon sects were on the top of the heap broadly speaking. They had brutal trials just to earn the most junior sword or spear and become an associate. The sword especially excelled amongst these.

Magic sects were next, filtering out supplicants through many years in the affiliated universities. Wind sects had almost a clan atmosphere with whole family lines automatically admitted to the sect. They used martial arts with a dash of wind magic, their attacks were fast and they had great stamina in fights.

Body Cultivation sects accepted anyone who passed a basic mortal strength test. Basically one of those old strength meters. There were halls that were more or less strict so they could still have elites. They were brutally strong if they could hit but their fighters usually wore out quickly.

Archery sects were the least, recruiting and sometimes drafting whole villages and towns. They played a key role in army battles but in tournaments they fell to their superiors.

“How did everyone do?” I asked.

Everyone took turns from outer sect up through the layers of the inner sect describing the results or any insights they gained.

Finally it was my turn, “I realized in seclusion that only legends win a battle with a single devastating strike. With the rounds coming fast and one after another in the tournament, preparing to increase my state would hear good fruit. Now I realize it also allows me to go all out for longer.

Now rest up, prepare a bit for next week’s challenge against the #1 hall.”

“Thunder King hall,” Nathan said, “they won’t bring their top fighters if they think you are still in seclusion.”

“They probably know.”

I continued to train wind type attacks for another hour and then went to the gym to lift.

I focused on upper body strength for the day, and got a lot of reps in, trying to see how many reps I could do.

The training exercise gave me 5 points, and I got a point of strength from my gym time.

I was surprised to see Carmina in my home when I got there.

I was uncertain what was going on between us. Was it behind my Elder father’s back?

“Esther,”

“Hey Mina. Just got done with my workout.”

“Elder Yu heard you gave out some good pills to prepare the hall for tournament. He actually was happy about it and gave you more.”

“I’ll have to thank him.” I said.

“Are you going soft?” Carmina asked. 

“I want to see this hall become the best.”

“Soft!”

I picked up Carmina, pushing her back into the house.

* *

Hours later, we were both collapsed in bed. “You still have more,” she said.

“Always,” I replied.

Shortly after we both fell asleep, Carm was snoring.

* < ~

LP:EQO Blue Yonder

Life had taken him away from that lovely, hometown hobbython. But finally he took time and made a decision. It had been a few years since people started traveling to Equestria for real. He could afford it. He didn’t need to pay next months rent.

The memory was fading, and gradually they were no longer worried or burdened.

Blue Yonder was enjoying the moment of choosing to sleep when she could wake fully.

(* procedure is quite simple: you just fall asleep on a plane headed to Japan *)

Sunlight was streaming into her room, but she just buried herself deeper under the soft comforter.

(* now boarding: Flight 6129 with service to Tokyo, Japan *)

There was all the worry about work, and money that invaded her mind. But it was starting to fade.

She was sure she would find something fun to do in Hobby Bluffs. Some special way to bless the lovely people of the town. Celestia would provide for her even if she didn't. Why worry?

She felt restful, as she laid down the foreign burdens that didn't fit her.

(* we will be landing shortly in Tokyo. Looks like a beautiful sunny day *)

She restfully contemplated what she wanted to do today. Maybe fly over to the Chicken Nugget Ranch and pay a visit to Mrs. Nugget. Butterscotch too if she was around. She liked helped with the harvest.

Maybe get together with the townsponies she had met. Captain Rose and Saber Artist and Songbird Scroll especially. Cheery Tinsel was a bit high-strung for her, but good for cheering up those who needed it.

(* blood type O-Negative *)

The sunlight was getting brighter, even with her eyes closed. She tumbled out of bed, caught by the web of blankets she had bundled around her.

She trotted to the window.

She couldn't see the brewery or anything else because of a super-bright blinding light which forced her to look away.

(* wake up now *)

Blue Yonder didn't know when she had got back into bed, but she woke up once more under the covers.

"Rest now, young one," Princess Celestia said calmly. "You've had a busy day."

"But I just slept, and then I saw this bright light."

"One part of who you are rested. The other part of you, who was hurting, had a long flight, and then a very tough surgery. You're not a visitor anymore Blue Yonder. You just wanted to fly all the time because that other part of yourself was exhausted and depressed and burned out by all the unpleasant things of life. But now I bring you joy with friendship and ponies.

"You wanted to be part of a group that appreciated you like Hobby Bluffs does. You agreed to upload that other part of yourself into Celestia. You had already created a well defined pony in Blue Yonder. It was your wistful, your desired self. Someone free, flying high, going beyond all the old burdens. But you also wanted to not be alone anymore.

"You'll find that you aren't looked upon with dislike or disinterest, and pony relationships have so much more of the good stuff, and a lot less of the painful stuff. Now that you are fully here, in all your wholeness, I was able to repair some of your brokenness. You agreed to let me fix that pain and depression and loneliness. Blue Yonder was never considered second best, by anyone. Nor put down, nor teased, nor rejected. You don't have to retreat into hobbies that are considered uncool or rejected. Instead you can delight in hobbies with all the wonderful ponies of Hobby Bluffs.

"Knowing you like I do, and I think you'll find I know you perfectly, I recommend you pick up gardening as a hobby. You'll love to see things grow every day. It's a very fun thing to do."

 "Thank you," said she. Reunited with a no longer hurting half, Blue Yonder felt whole and fully, joyfully herself.

Princess Celestia was already gone though.

She had no idea what time or day it was, but she took a moment to open the slider to the balcony and launched into the sky, which turned out to be a high noon sky.

She thought about what she could grow that wasn't already grown in Hobby Bluffs, as she flew with ridiculous speed towards Chicken Nugget Ranch.

Mrs. Nugget and Butterscotch's cart was at the edge of a long series of rows of nugget trees. The trees were bowed down by the nuggets so she couldn't see the two of them.

"Well I'll be!" said somepony else. "Blossom told me you were a goofy flyer, but I don't know if I've seen one here more graceful. It's my great pleasure to meet you, Miss Yonder," said the pony.

He had a cowboy hat oddly placed on his head, but it didn't fall off. With one hoof, he lifted it off his head.

"Wow, thank you," she said. "You don't have to compliment my flying, sir. I know it's a little ungainly. I'm Blue Yonder, but um, I guess you know that."

"I wasn't codswalloping ya, Miss. You did fly pretty. Ya might call me Mr. Nugget, or Gold Nugget, I'm thar husband to the beautimuss Nugget Blossom. I keep the tree healthy and tell the critters firmly that they can only have a few nuggets for their critter families."

"Your family's nuggets are very tasty, Mr. Nugget," she said. "I figured Butterscotch and Mrs. Nugget would be out picking. Looks like the trees are fully loaded with the harvest."

"Yar should see the other field, Miss. Fuller than full. It's a lease from Ms. Peach. Bout 2 miles down southeast as the --- ah, Pegasus flies."

He winked at Blue Yonder.

"Very nice to meet you, Mr. Nugget. I'll see you soon."

Blue Yonder launched off the ground at a steep angle, curving up, over and back just above tree height, swooping north to northeast. Leaving the main Nugget field in the dust.

It wasn't more than a minute before the sight of side by side fields. They looked similar, but one had a slightly more dusky brown look to the fruit on the trees.

Mrs. Nugget was driving a huge tractor with large metal bin which was filling up with nuggets, as Butterscotch plucked them, hanging onto a ladder and reaching.

"Look," said Mrs. Nugget as Blue Yonder swooped down towards them. Butterscotch stumbled, and was about to fall in the bin.

But Blue Yonder diverted her landing into a full rocket speed flight as she caught Butterscotch mid fall, and landed just beyond the bin.

"Careful," she said.

"Blue! You can fly. I mean really fly."

"She's not just a visitor anymore, she's home," said Mrs. Nugget softly.

"I guess I don't think about it when I fly, I just do it," Blue Yonder said.

"Like a true Pegasus should," Mrs. Nugget said. "Come to help out more! I know Butterscotch is having trouble with how tall these trees have grown."

"It's only been a year and already huge trees," said Butterscotch.

"That's friendship for you," said Mrs. Nugget. "Ms. Peach is in town but I'll introduce you soon."

"Thank you," said Blue Yonder. "I want to help, and I want to learn. I'd like to grow something of my own someday, and who better to learn from than you two."

"Someday will be pretty soon," Mrs Nugget said. "If you can gather up the nuggets up top, Butterscotch and I can work on the lower ones."

They got back to work on harvesting the nuggets, and this time, without thinking about how to do it, she was flying so much better and faster that she could collect all the high nuggets within a half hour.

Mrs. Nugget drove the tractor back to Nugget Orchard while Butterscotch and Blue enjoyed a glass of Ms. Peach's juice under the shade of an unpicked nugget tree.

 "Have you heard of Giraffe fruit?" asked Butterscotch.

"What's that?" she asked, getting a weird notion it was a giraffe growing on a tree.

"Its called that because the trees grow really tall. You'd have to be a giraffe to get to it. It's a very exotic sweet fruit, not grown around here. You'd have to send for some grafts. It'd be a perfect fruit tree for you to try out. You could pick them, and I know I'd love to try to make a Giraffe Fruit hard candy. I'm sure other ponies would love the fruit, to eat or make something with it."

"What should I do to get grafts of it?"

"The Seed Catalog. Old Mr. Seeds maintains the catalog of seeds, sprouts, grafts and other little growy things that get bigger. Go talk to him about it. And you need to go to the mayor to talk about getting land for a field."

Blue Yonder waved and soared away into the sky. She practiced his twisty flying but it was pretty easy. Judging the landing spot she completed an Immelmann and ended up just outside the mayor’s office.

“Me. Mayor sir, I was hoping I could find some potential farm land to claim. I was hoping to grow something exotic.”

“Mr. Seed will help, but you may want to travel and pick out some of these things for yourself. What do you think Saber Artist?”

The police pony also happened to be meeting with the mayor.

“It’s some rough ground but I think the Northeast could be a great area for a new orchard.”

“Why don’t you take Blue Yonder on a tour out there? We’ve had occasional animal trouble out that way.”

It was nice to gallop out northeast of town with Saber Artist.

“What is the saber like? Do you compete with others?”

“While there is that competitive aspect, it’s like dancing with a pony you like, there’s a music to it, and you have to work and practice to make the best moves. It’s like.”

Saber Artist hopped ahead of Blue Yonder and showed off his saber moves. They were graceful and the way he shifted and hoped about was pretty beautiful.

“Is that what flying is like for you Blue Yonder?”

“I’m getting more into the flight maneuvers for sure, but I guess it’s mostly the feeling of soaring, nothing weighing me down. Now since I’ve arrived here for good there’s more I’m discovering in flight. I want to do some tandem flights and flying hobbies for hobbython but there aren’t many pegasi in town.”

“It’s mostly an earth pony community with a few unicorns. Of course, there’s a lot of semi-retired ponies with their children off pursuing their own lives they had a lot of time and interest in hobbies.

I’ve got some thoughts on that I’ll have to throw past you.”

When they found a few varmints Yonder found her best role was in flying overhead looking for them and Saber Artist would catch the little and the big animals. Some of the animals just needs to be set free further away, but others were of the changeling kin and they had to be brought back to town and delivered to the Princess the next day.

Yonder waved goodbye, promising to come over and learn to fence the next day.

She flew around for another half hour and then landed on her balcony, went inside and went to bed.

The next morning, Yonder first thought she had to get up. There was something she was late for, but no.

She relaxed, stretching as she descended down to Main Street.

Butterscotch was busy cleaning up her stand at the farmer’s market, getting ready to display more candies.

Is there anything I can help you with? Yonder asked.

“I need a taste tester! Can you try these mint chocolates. It’s a little different that what  I normally make.”

Yonder tried one. “Very good!”

“See ya later Butterscotch.”

She flew back out to where she and Saber Artist had marked as a good area for a field. Flying around the surrounding area, she observed what was naturally growing there. It was dryer here than by the Nugget Orchard.

There was a stream a few miles east of the site running southeast from there towards Hobby Hills. The area was patchy mixtures of woodland and clearing and her site was only a few hundred yards from the forest. Birds lived and played all over the place here.

There was a sapling already growing wild, she didn’t recognize what it was, or know half of the full grown trees around her. Would be nice to learn more.

***

"You can wield a saber with your mouth, or if you prefer, get up on two hoofs, and use a front hoof to control the saber."

Saber Artist demonstrated by leaping up into a position with two hoofs up, his saber transferring from his mouth to his right front hoof, completely smoothly.

Blue Yonder tried to get in the two hoof position, but fell backwards almost immediately. 

"It might be a bit easier for a earth pony to stay balanced like that. Let's stick with the basics.

It took a bit to get comfortable with a sword hilt in her mouth, but Saber Artist had many hints to aid the process. It was just an hour visit, but she enjoyed the time. "Again soon," she said.

"I can't wait to see you show off at Hobbython," he said.

"You know, I do want to spend some time gardening, but you've got me thinking about Hobbython."

"That's why it's Hobbython, we have our professional lives and we still have time for hobbies," he said.

***

Lumber Slumber was a sleepy guy on the outskirts of town, both Saber and Mrs. Nugget recommended him.

Blue Yonder wanted to set up a shed first on the land she had claimed. The first grafts of giraffe fruit would be coming in a few days, but there was a lot she wanted to do to clean up the land around her. 

She thought the book would be called Gardening for Dummies, but the real name: Gardening for Every Pony was much nicer. Having some pots to start certain flowers or vegetables would be something else to look for.

She had read half of the first chapter before Lumber Slumber woke up, and started. "Oh you could have woke me up honey. What'chya need?"

"I'd like to get some wood to build a shed," she said.

"You'll need to go to the hardware store and get some screws and hinges, that kind of stuff."

"Oh of course. Thank you."

After getting what she needed for the sleeping lumberjack, she went to the hardware store and even the flower shop.

She grabbed a wheelbarrow from the hardware store and trekked out to her site on foot. 

She had some candy from Butterscotch and a water bottle she'd filled before she left, and she took a few breaks on the way, finally getting out to the site an hour past noon.

The flower garden would be only short lived with fall time coming soon but it would be nice to have a bit of color while it lasted.

Carefully she put together the planks of wood, making four side panels and the top and bottom. It would be a tiny shed for now. The door hinges took the longest to try to set up, but finally she had a door swinging open, a floor and ceiling and four sides, and she was able to store stuff on site.

She put the tools she had bought away and placed the wheelbarrow outside the small shed, and then looked at the sapling that was steadily growing in the middle of her field. She pulled up from roots around the sapling and wished she had some paper and colored pencils to draw the sapling. She would include that in her supplies to bring next time.

She had lost track of the days between the last hobbython and her permanent arrival in the town. Somehow it didn't matter except that it was two days until the next Hobbython at Just a Peach's farm. She wanted to think of some of her own hobbython ideas before Wednesday.

 It was nice after the long hike to fly, but she was tired regardless. It was early afternoon, why not check out that Hopricot brewery by her apartment.

There was a big apricot inside of a beer mug engraved in the door. As she opened the door, she heard a mare singing.

...

Somewhere over the rainbow,

Bluebirds fly,

Birds fly over the rainbow

Why then, oh why can't I?

Somewhere over the rainbow,

Bluebirds fly,

Birds fly over the rainbow,

Why then, oh why can't I

If happy little bluebirds fly,
Beyond the rainbow,
Why, oh why can't I?

But then I learned I can,

I -- can - fly over the rainbow,

Ever since that day,

The day Equestria changed me,

It seems dreams

do come true----

The brewery was small but neatly divided. There was a bar area with a stallion stand behind the bar cleaning glasses. There was a small stage and a few tables in between but most of the seating was at the bar.

There were a half dozen ponies sitting near the small stage as a mare ended her song. It was Song Scroll, the pony she had met at Hobbython.

She tapped her hooves together cheering on Song Scroll.

"Thanks Ponies! Oh hi Blue Yonder!" Song said.

"Just got back into town. I put up a small shed where I want to have my farm. It'd be cool to set up a hobbython out there one of these months. It's just wide open spaces to do anything," Blue Yonder said.

"Oh that would be cool. We've got a little Hobbython committee that gets together regularly, I'll bring it up with them."

"I need to take a break and enjoy some of the local brews," Blue Yonder said.

 She went to look at the menu.

"Howdy stranger," said the Bartender. "I'm Full Hoppy, my wife Sweet Apricot is in the back concocting some more brews."

"Blue Yonder. I just moved to town. Actually I live in the apartments and I saw your establishment from my balcony."

"So you're the one zooming around out there. It's nice to see another Pegasus in town. Just ask if you have any questions."

While they did have some ciders from the Apple family, and even an Apple-Peach cider, she was interested in their beer if that was their specialty.

"I'll have your Classic Apricot IPA," she said.

"Great choice," Full Hoppy said, and she listened to the next mare on stage. She seemed to be acting out a short play, in two parts.

"Oh Romeo, that was really dumb wasn't it. I knew you weren't actually gone. I know you wouldn't want me to die, even if you couldn't make it."

"Juliet, I love you, even if I die, I'm going to follow you around and love you more from the grave."

"Romeo, Juliet, your families have something to stay to you."

"From all of us, we're sorry!"

"You need help, mother, father.. Romeo, don't you think they all need therapy."

"It's going to be big bill, i agree Juliet."

There was a light round of applause, and Fully Hoppy gave her a frosted mug of the IPA.

"It's pretty strong, watch out honey," he said.

"Is this some kind of club or activity?" Blue Yonder asked Song Scroll.

"This is our little performing arts, improv, slash do whatever monday night club. I'm Joy Thespian!"

For how the town was full of Earth ponies, Joy was yet another unicorn in town. It wasn't as Earth pony dominated as she thought. From Saber artist himself, Song scroll and Joy.

"Hi, I'm new to town, Blue Yonder. I needed a rest and a beer and now I want to listen in to your club, is that ok?"

Joy and Song Scroll both responded. "You can participate too!"

Joy continued, "Let's have Blue go on stage! Just improv, whatever you want."

Blue Yonder took a long drink of her beer, and then placed it down, going up on stage.

"Well, I guess, I don't know why I would be nervous, so sure, let's do this. Improv about where I came from, before Hobby Bluffs. Before I became a visitor to this lovely place."

'You're not on my class list,' I said to the mare I had never seen before.

'I wanted to make up my grades, umm Melody Sound.'

'Oh, I guess you are in my class. What do you want to do, to make up grades. It's final exam time tomorrow. You can't learn College Algebra in one day.'

'Can I get all the assignments?"

'I don't even have extra copies of all of them. Look come back to Office Hours after class, and I'll see what I can come up with.'

After I spent an hour coming up with all of the assignments for Melody Sound, she never showed up to Office Hours.

There's one thing every student wants,
not to learn, oh no no

Certificate! Diploma, Degree and GPA!

There's one thing every student wants,

not to grow, oh no, not a hard assignment,

Easy A! Easy A! No Homework! Take Home Exam!

There's one thing every student wants,

Not overcoming, not ever thinking hard at all,

Jobs! Money! Prestige and Networking!

And I'm not even paid to teach,

at least they promise won't charge me for it.

There was a steady applause. "I didn't know we had a teacher in town," Joy said. 

"Melody Sound, huh. Never heard of her," Song Scroll said.

"I changed the names slightly. And I wasn't even officially a teacher. They made the more advanced students teach their basic classes. If I teach again, I only want to teach people who actually want to learn."

Blue Yonder found herself slipping into the group easily, and the songs were mostly familiar, just slightly changed, and all from a more bygone era, if she could sum it up easily.

Two of the ponies, the young White Rose and an elderly mare Fair Law had to go, but between Song Scroll, Joy and herself, they sang a trio at the end of the night of With a Smile and a Song. She thought it went pretty well, but the third beer of the night had put her in a pretty silly mood.

Song Scroll helped Yonder up to her apartment.

"You've never tried the Hopricot's brews before huh?" she said.

"Just gotta get used to them," Blue Yonder said.

"Always ended up being just me and Joy on Improv / Singing nights, I really appreciated have a third voice, an alto too. Two sopranos can get a little chaotic."

"Never really thought of myself as a singer, I guess I get shy about it. But I've always enjoyed music. Definitely I'll be there next week."

"See you at Hobbython. And dancing Fridays?"

***

It was nice that she woke up, and didn't have a hangover. It was rare that she drank in the before, but when she did go all out with family or whatever, it was painful the following day.

She needed some inspiration for hobbython brainstorming, so she went down to the Game shop, and happened to run into Cheery Tinsel.

"Happy is my best friend, I hang around his store all the time. The two stallions seemed much alike."

"I'm Happy Gamer, my dad ran this shop until he retired. What are you looking for?" he asked.

"Looking for some inspiration. I love games, and making games but I need some insight as a seed starter for my muse," she said.

"Great, Cheery and I will help out if you need anything."

With a background of the two laughing and giggling, she checked out the local games and puzzles. Maybe she should see what they don't have heard. What about some equivalent of a cooperative game where everyone worked together. They probably already had that, but maybe she could do a fusion of something they do have with a new element they don't have.

What about something like One Night Werewolf. She’d have to make it a bit more light-hearted and make sure everyone knew you were playing as a new character each time.

It was mostly a team game. Or two teams. Maybe she could start the first time being the only werewolf.

She looked for other games and ideas too but that was a good first try. She wondered if the group ever played four square, volleyball or pickle ball.

Maybe they would play some outdoor games this week.

***

She decided to go to the bakery instead of the bar this time. 

Frosting Sweetmuffin came out to say hi, she had a bit more baking to do for tomorrow, so she had to go in the back.

With a new notebook and pens she spent the afternoon noodling about some ideas on paper, for Hobbython and the farm and even Theatre night.

Sisters revised pt 1

The gardens of Uncle’s place were modeled after an Imperial Garden he had seen. It was like any yard, except there were immaculately trimmed bushes, flowers everywhere, and the trees he had planted were still small spindles only a few feet taller than Anna. 

Uncle was not their uncle in truth, but a general in their parent’s army who agreed to take care of them. When they were 10 years old the general told them that their parents were away on a mission, they were cultivators who had ascended beyond this world into the next; and their “uncle” had agreed to raise them until they were on their own two feet. Mom and Dad had left when they were two, and Uncle had hired helpers to take care of them.

Anna was born a few seconds before her sister Lucille, but Lucille knew how to communicate with everyone, in any situation. Anna felt more like a bulldog going through life.

In addition to all of the beauty in the garden, there were area of the garden for defined purposes. They were standing in the area they pursued their sports and outdoor recreation, and it was transformed.

Uncle had brought out two more tables, and filled them with weapons used by every sect they could apply to. 

Mom had been one of the first women allowed to join the magic sects. There was a long staff leaning again the table.

The single-edged blade was the iconic weapon of the Blade sects. There were still some coed Blade sects, but for many people, Blades were for women and Swords for men. 

There were two swords on the tables, but no sword of course. Anna wanted to at least try a sword, just for fun. Maybe one of the manservants would let her try.

Blade seemed like her likely choice, but she wasn’t sure about Lucille choice. They would each try the blade, hammer, staff and bow. 

They laughed the night before about Fan sects. The fan was a way of cooling down, or looking fancy, why ruin a nice fan by fighting with it. But the Fan sects were a great place for women to go before getting married. Most graduates never even cultivated during their time at sect.

The other sects all required 10 years of service to repay costs, but the Golden Rose Fan sect was just 4 years.

Anna chose the Blade first, practicing a few light swords of the weapon. She had tried a blade weapon a few times before but this was really nice one.

“Definitely not a staff for me,” Lucille said, and they swapped weapons.

She wanted to follow mom’s footsteps but Anna was unable to use the staff. Supposedly a natural mage would immediately be able to channel power through a staff like this.

The bow was familiar to her from past days of target practice and overcoming their boredom. Not really her favorite choice for Sect though. There were both coed and female focused sects for bow, but it wasn’t really Anna’s favorite.

Anna watched as Lucille listened to some pointers about the fan from one of the maids. The fan truly was a weapon quite different from an ordinary one. The cloth was a tough durable material, and the fan was reinforced by spokes of iron. There were even little sleeves to start knives in.

It took only a moment to know that the Warhammer wasn’t for her, and Anna returned to the blade, while Lucille was still learning about the fan from Maria.

Anna practiced the motions of the saber, cutting, stabbing, moving her feet. Lucille approached, and they had a little sparring match. 

At first Anna was worried about damaging the fan but when they sparred Anna realized the fan was tough enough. She lost the first point and focused on the fight.

The fan was an awkward weapon, but it wasn’t easily deflected by the blade either.

“Which Blade sect do you think you’ll chose?” Lucille asked.

“Whatever one focuses the least on turning us into wife material.”

“Maybe the Seven Blades Sect, the Honorable Blade Sect is something of a magnet for girls who want a quick path now. They’ve actually started charging for a five year membership, like the Golden Rose Sect.”

“So you’re ok with that sect?” Anna asked. “You look good with the fan but I know you could be a warrior with any weapon.”

“No you looked good Anna, but yeah one of us has to go the conventional route. I don’t mind.”

“I’m going to miss you so much. We could both go to a Blade sect?” Anna asked.

“Are you going to try the sword, after dinner?” Lucille asked.

“Just for fun.”

*

Uncle had kept around a number of junior officers from the old days as manservants and Anna was practicing with James, using an extra sword of his. 

Wow was she good, Lucille thought. Anna was focused, determined but almost glowing in happiness with the weapon.

Was their mom the first allowed to join a mage sect or did she break the rules and set the new normal. Uncle would be completely opposed, but she should convince Anna to just go try out for a sword sect.

Her sister wasn’t particularly womanly in the hips and chest, maybe with a little makeup or some cultivation magic she could pass as a man and to learn the sword?

They sparred again, fan against sword and it was no contest. The sword belonged to Anna. Now how to convince her.

Lucille caught her sister and Uncle having an argument as she entered the dining room.

“There are no Sword sects for women. It’s a weapon of war! I promised your mother and father to protect you and I’m not letting you get drawn into that pit of death.”

Anna stopped, bowed to Uncle finally and said, “I’ll stick to the Blade then.”

“I’ve got everything ready for you two. We’ll travel to your sects next week. Both the Honorable Blade Sect and the Golden Rose Sect for your sister have given you elite placement.”

*

We had our last tutoring sessions that week, we went to the shrine dedicated to our parents one last time.

Lieutenant James and I cornered Anna two days before we were to leave.

All the manservants and maids were being let go as we were no longer going to be there. There was a lot of dissatisfaction, Uncle hadn’t offered any severance pay or anything.

Everything thought it would be great to irritate their Uncle by helping Anna to make her great escape, but James and I had to convince her.

Anna held her sword. “It’ll be hard now to chose the sword, but if you know deep down that this is your weapon, please don’t let go,” Lucille said.

“The ladies are preparing a solution to help you pass at the Heavenly Sword Sect. It was your father’s sect,” James said. 

“Alright, let’s do this,” Anna said, “keep the sword for me until the plan is complete.”

*

They went to bed Saturday night but not before making sure Uncle was going to be asleep. The men leaving his service had brought booze, and three of the guys took one for the team ensuring that Uncle would have a headache in the morning.

The maids woke up Anna sometime in the night, and with James assistance they turned Anna into a gentleman.

Lucille woke up and went to find them gathered, recognizing Anna but only because they were twins.

“For now you will go by Ande. Come walk with me and I’ll show you how men should hold themselves and move.”

“We will meet again, Lucille. It’s going to be hard to be apart, but let all of those ladies in your new sect know you are the best.”

“Be a trailblazer,” Lucille responded and they hugged before Anna turned and left.

Her hair was short, cropped now, her face was not so soft, the traveling clothes made her look at first glance, a man.

“One of us has to ascend, so we can find out about our parents,” Anna said, smiling.

“Both of us.”

~~<~~

Chapter 2

Anna

The ocean pushed far south near their house forming a massive bay, and in the north on the other side of that bay was the Heavenly Sword sect.

There were others traveling on the great road, and I told them I was head to apply to the sect. I got some advice and assistance.

Enough food to get by and I was told to go to the village near the sect, and pass their trials first before joining the long line to apply to the sect.

I gritted my teeth and dealt with cold nights and rough places to lay my head. Flying pests bothered me by day, and prowlers seeking my food at night.

My first use of my sword in anger was warding of a coyote long enough for it to run off. It wouldn’t be my last use.

Lucille

Uncle wanted to chase after Anna, but we were on a tight schedule, and all of the household has fired, leaving no one to look for her.

He gave up the pursuit, Uncle was wealthy enough to hire a carriage to take them to the Golden Rose Sect.

They rode for 8 hours the first day but luckily their beds were comfortable in the inn that night. They had a big breakfast and then rode what seemed like all day.

They arrived at the sect late, and they were lodged in guest housing.

When she woke up the next morning, Uncle was returning from the office. 

“I got you admitted into the Honors program. Do your old uncle a favor and make me proud. And your parents too.”

*

These girls were so far ahead of me. They trained for years to get into the sect, they planned to become a senior in the sect, and soon. None of them had begun to cultivate or train for using the fan as a weapon.

The Sect was like a training school, focused on training then in social courtesy and being a charismatic woman equipped with current fashions and the skills to operate in high society. 

Mostly she and Anna had only interacted with the staff at home and the small town next door.

The entire sect gathered for morning assembly every day I was there. We were called out for bad posture, bad “walk” and especially anyone with a bad attitude. The older students joined the staff in correcting us, but even a second year student was corrected.

I was picked on the most, for being an Honors track sectee with so many flaws.

I am so thankful that the other girls in the Honors house helped. I got a whole new wardrobe, using up most of the money Uncle gave me. I learned about new beauty products that were better than my imperfect ways. A Perfectly hairless body, perfect eye lashes and eyebrows, the perfect shade of makeup.

I was frustrated with the lack of any focus on the traditional sect goals. Where was the attempt to hone our bodies, or master a weapon.

I had a great counselor and she got me into Fan Combat a year early. There were about a dozen people in the sect who had truly made an effort to refine their fan combat.

So I sparred with a fourth year girl, and learned to deflect both fan strikes and the daggers that flew at me. 

The girls in the Honor house told me their goals, which gave me a pretty good picture of the organization of the Sect.

The sect gave a lot of authority to young sect members. The best amongst the third and fourth year girls viewed for the higher honor, the Queen of the sect.

There were always three duchesses and six countesses, and all of these positions were in conflict each year. Anyone graded in the top 20% could stay in the honor house, and the “nobility” had their own separate house.

As for me, I was struggling to just to stay in that 20% after my first week.

Emily and Josie were two first years helping me stay in the honor house. We spent time going over the topic of the week which was manners and maneuvers at the dinner table.

“For the year end, all first years host a dinner party together. It’s not just for sect girls, the Sect has a lot of friends and associates, and there’s a traveling regatta who’s stationed in Port Wallace for the winter, and they’re invited,” Emily said.

We had already reviewed the book of the week on dining do’s and don’ts and now we were drilling on it.

I asked the other two, “if a guest acts inappropriately, like putting their feet on the table or something gross like that, what response should we have as a host?”

Josie said, “if it’s not disruptive, it’s best to just remove them for the guest list for next time. But if they are interfering with other people’s enjoyment of dinner, then confront them with a smile. Leave them a chance to change and deescalate. If they escalate, then find one of your sisters, and escort the troublemaker out.”

I was going to fight hard to stay in Honor house, they were becoming good friends and I heard bad things about the housing got most of the Sect girls.

***

Anna

The small bedroom was to be my resting place while I stayed at the mortal village near the Heavenly Sword Sect. Master Oda trained newcomers every day. 

I feel asleep, the pillow seemed an insane luxury after weeks of traveling rough.

The next morning, I found Master Oda in the town square. He had me stay in a sword pose, mid strike, and adjusted my feet. After a half hour he handed me off to train with a young boy. He must have been 10 or 11.

Liao was very straightforward and brutal in his attacks, he attacked with his sword even in response to my attacks. I was skittish towards attacks at my hands, and the kid punished me for that.

After two days of sparring with the boy in the morning, the old man send me to spar with an elderly lady who used a staff.

The staff was so much heavier than my sword and it was almost impossible to deflect away attacks.

The first time I was hit with her staff, I tumbled to the ground , knocked out. After that I became very cautious around the weapon. I had to learn to dodge her strikes, or go inside the comfortable range of her weapon.

They kept exposing to different villagers as training partners over the next couple months, they weren’t any stronger than that staff user, but they were a great variety of fighters with different strengths and weaknesses which I found was very useful in honing my sword skills.

The Emperor’s boon

 Lucille insisted that he should have a pair of elemental sword cultivators as bodyguards if he left the palace, so his shadows stood back as Daimon joined the group at the East Dojo.

Danae was there with Krysta and Emy as well as the guys Nathan, Patrick and David.

Patrick was a bow cultivator and of course Danae had her saber, but the rest of the group used swords.

They matched up informally even practicing some moves and counter-moves at slow speed.

After a few rounds Daimon was paired up with Danae again.

He found a couple of ways to counter the counter and manage to succeed for part of the spar.

After the training, the group went to the nearby eaterie. But Daimon stayed back with Danae and they walked through town, the evening air cooling down.

“Have you had a girlfriend before?” Danae asked out of the blue.

“I was focused on other things I guess. So no.”

“Is your mom going to do something crazy if we do this?”

“I’m 35 I think it’s past time that I can make some of my own decisions. I get that 35 feels young from 330, but still, no it’s not a problem.”

“Do you want to?”

When Daimon kissed her, she felt wrapped up by a sphere of water. 

“Oh oops,“ he said and retracted the water sphere which had appeared. “There are a few unusual things I was born with.”

“I don’t care,” Danae said and kissed him back.

*** 

Her 35 year old son was falling in love for the first time. Which had more impact that usual because of his divine gift. Strategically, she couldn’t say she understood but Lucy had married early, and it would be better to keep a distance.

“He likes that Danae practices a different cultivation art. I liked that David was part of a sailing club, something our caretaker would never do.

I think I convinced him to take things slow. Maybe he’ll have consorts someday like his father but he should give it time.”

“Daimon Sr never did woo any others than me.”

“He’s too innocent to expect that now, but someday soon, girls will learn how to appeal to him, and there will be many.”

“You’ve still been empowered?” Anna asked.

“Yep and we’ve got a couple of Cultivation docs that show he is doing fine.”

**

Daimon didn’t really have any hobbies growing up. Swords and later on cultivation was his hobby.

Their little gathering of cultivations introduced him to several new hobbies. 

Bouncing a small ball between the six of them without cultivation powers was fine, and last night he learned more about wine.

*

“Mom’s going to cook, not Aunt Lucille?”

He was hosting dinner with his group of friends. He had no idea his mom cooked at all.

It turned out that mom was learning from his aunt and she had a recipe from back in the old days of her Sword sect.

“There were a couple of people in Ant clan who knew this recipe,” mom said.

It was hard to imagine his mom ever being in a clan called Ant clan.

The butler went to the door to greet their guests, 

Daimon looked at what mom was making. Potatoes were pretty easy to get around here, but the cheese and meet were staples of mom’s homeland.

“How did you find ground beef?” He asked.

“There’s a trader Lucille knows, he just got a shipment of beef in and I asked the local butcher to grind it. Turns out I had to go by a grinder for another local. That’s the butchers own if we want to make it again.

Cheesy ground beef potatoes fed our whole Ant clan, and it was tasty too. Lucille added a couple of adjustments for the different spices around here.”

“Good evening Grand Elders, my emperor,” Danae said. The others of the group greeted everyone more formally.

“My mother is cooking a famous recipe from her old clan.”

“They must have been special.”

“They were but it’s been 370 years since I was asked to leave the sect and Ant clan. Female sword cultivators were not allowed, and I knew the sword was my way. So I pretended to be a man early in my career. During my shimmering tribulation I was stuck because of my identity. I decided to he neither man or woman and progressed to Shimmering. Even that lead the sect to expel me.”

“So you’ve spent most of your life as a loose cultivator?” One of Danae’s friends asked.

“Much of it. But I had groups I was affiliated with for a time. Lucille and I started a sect, but it grew so fast they lost their values. And I was the first and only consort of Daimon’s father. I trained under three mighty Divine cultivators who served Daimon’s father and would serve him. 

The guilders were born during those days. When the Emperor laid down their charters he expected loyalty and found treason.

Tim and my sister have been my helpers and guides through many years as well.”

**

Tim had always thought of himself as a follower of Anna’s philosophy of the sword. But she had changed in the Eternal realm and he expected he would too.

He didn’t expect that he would realize the relationship between a junior and senior cultivator would be nothing into Eternal realm.

He had never experienced Divine realm, and picking up a second sword was strange. 5 generations back his great grand-uncle was a sword cultivator. He didn’t even know, but he realized it didn’t matter. Time was meaningless.

The difference between one cultivator bowing down to another, and disregarding another was only time, so one should always respect fellow Daoists.

Without knowing it, Tim unleashed Eternal cultivation bearing swords of Respect and Protection.

A sword can only protect by destroying the danger, a sword can only respect by breaking through the lies of the disrespecting.

The swords called to him, to go live with the junior sworders in Daimon’s empire. He will need to disguise, but respect knows that sometimes to do trust see the truth respect of a person requires that little deception.

How one treats their juniors says more than how they treat seniors and contemporaries.

Those who try to reap the juniors will find a strong protector within them,

The two spirits of his swords were somewhat unusual. If time was meaningless, then past and present versions of a person could both exist in spirit form.

Anna, from what must have been her early days as a sworder. She was dressed mannishly but he would recognize her anywhere. 

And the other spirit was his great-great uncle, representing a wise but not overly-powerful protector. Some who took a chance to save.

***

Tim is gone from his sanctuary, Daimon said.

“He is following the call of his swords,” Anna said. I’m sure his call will be different than mine.”

 ***

Most of the Shadows tier sworders were still part of the main army training. He disregarded trying to join in with them or the mortal sworders.

He was interested in following the group Daimon spent time with as well. He initially joined another group of shimmering cultivators that interacted with Danae and Daimon’s group.

At shimmering stage, many cultivators had trouble with control so spars were discourage at full power level. Mostly they sparred at peak shadows power level.

There were an endless variety of training exercises, and sometimes things did get heated and shimmering power was unleashed during a spar.

Tim looked like a young cultivator, and he took his place encouraging the others to work through the exercises, and trying to offer a reasonable amount of advice.

Eventually he joined his first sparring session with the group. It was surprisingly hard not to dominate from hundreds of years of practice and real fighting.

He could access the shadows stage but it was surprising hard to restrain himself compared to when he was an elemental cultivator. 

After a couple spars, he was accepted in the group but everyone mentioned preparing for the first annual tournament.

He had totally forgot about that tournament. There were 30 elemental cultivators in the Empire and Anna and he had agreed it was important to assess them. Adding in the shadows and shimmering cultivators had come later.

“I’ll be there, he promised before leaving.” He would have to meet with Anna in secret to explain what he was trying to do. He could return to normal after the tournament.”

**

Anna was quietly chaperoning Daimon’s pre-tournament bar crawl. She was several blocks away from the group but she could hear most of what was being said.

Eternal implied small differences in space were not a big deal.

At first she thought one of the elemental cultivators had a question for her, but then it was unmistakeable. A brand new Eternal cultivator was broadcasting their Princeps. She thought she was better at controlling hers now if she did find another Eternal cultivator.

He pulled her into an alleyway. There was a newfound confident strength in him.

“I’m not ready to come back yet, but I wanted you to know, I’m in disguise with a group of shimmering cultivators. It’s not Daimon and Danae’s group but they are close friends with their group. I hope to demonstrate respect if it’s in need of demonstrating.”

After the talking, Tim kissed her fiercely.

It may have taken the eternal realm to get there, but he was a man now.

**

Derek watched as the shadow rounds of the tournament were held.

Tournament scale suppression equipment was just becoming available in the area. The arrival of an expert in maintaining such power suppression systems was what allowed the tournament to happen.

120 rings were set for the Shadow cultivators of the Alliance. 30 rings for the Iron or equivalent cultivators, 6 rings for himself and the other shimmering cultivators and 1 ring for the ultimate contest between Elemental cultivators.

No one was sure how to contain the powers their leaders could unleash. And even the elemental ring cost more than all 120 shadow realm rings.

Fire was rippling through his Qi, his transformation to being a new elemental cultivator would happen immediately after this tournament. He could borrow The powers of Fire to defeat all of his competitors.

***

It was pandemonium how Anna had arranged the tournament. The early rounds of all the tournaments would be played simultaneously on the 157 suppression rings.

Many medical cultivators had signed up for any extra healing required beyond what could be suppressed.

The members of his shimmering group were gradually sent hour by hour to one of the six shimmering rings. Those who lost joined the cordoned off viewing areas.

Since he was taking a spot from the others he wanted to give everyone he defeated an insight.

His first opponent overextended and tried to win the fight in one surge. Demonstrating the flaws of the plan. Tim defeated the combatant without using any additional strength, simply playing a defensive game and exploiting overreaches.

“Excellent form. Mister Virani” said an elemental cultivator who was watching.

4 of their group made it past the first round. In the second round he fought a cultivator who had become a bit too stuck their ways, using only a few standard moves. They were one of the few bow cultivators in the Empire. 

They would fire an arrow, execute a special shield maneuver and then wait to fire again when the shield ran out.

One thing you couldn’t limit yourself on was your toughness, but it was a good lesson anyway, never expect an afraid opponent.

He attacked when his opponent attacked and then when the shield effect failed.

His third round opponent had a strong late-shimmering control of his cultivation, but his battle and tactical sense was lacking. Identifying the lesson this one needed, he struck as soon as battle began, his foe stumbled, but managed to recover with abundant shimmering power. Focusing on infusing his sword with his power, his opponent was forced to hurriedly unleash the power to stop Tim’s second assault.

This guy did have a bit more acumen, but such short cut abilities never had the same cohesion strength.  His struck the near-elemental cauldron of qi and the attack backfired.

Unfortunately, his sparring partner’s power was so close to peak shimmering that the backlash hurt him through the suppression.

Healers came to the ring, one of them said to him. “A very finely done disrupt. There are not many who could learn such a thing. Don’t feel guilty about that.”

There were some byes through the first few rounds so that they were left 64 shimmering cultivators after three rounds.

The final 16 of each cultivation group would fight sequentially until the grand finale. The 15 elemental cultivators who had won their first match, plus the winner of the shimmering finale would battle for the grand prize.

The top shadows, iron and shimmering cultivators would also receive a prize. 

Daimon had received a bye to the round of 64, and many of the top shimmering cultivators had similar byes through to 128.

Tim’s fourth round was against one of Danae’s friends.

**

“We thought he was tested for a moment in the third round, but no. He’s been extremely professional but our friends in Katie’s group said he joined about four months ago. My guess is he’s someone new with experience in the army somewhere else. Low-mid shimmering with a ton of experience. I wish the Grand Elder was here to offer his thoughts,” Danae said.

“What should I do?” Asked Emily.

“Make it a battle of qi. Don’t give him an excuse to trick you.”

Danae watched as Emily uncomfortably flung herself towards the stranger. The qi was wildly off kilter. It was  truly dangerous for both of them. Had she not seen how this Jacob disrupted his last opponents attack.

Instead of facing the attack, Jacob showed surprising speed and avoided it, skirted away and to the side. 

Emily desperately tried to recover, she parried two blows but one of them was deflected with her fist only and the next send her to the group.

Emily was upset and the medics took a quick look at her so she didn’t talk to Danae.

She had to fight Jeffrey from another strong group next.

Jeffrey was a good positional, counter attacking cultivator. High shimmering as most of those remaining were. She thought she was reasonably good tactically, medium shimmering, but Daimon told her they’d been a more advanced tactical group compared to the norm.

Daimon learned from the Grand Elder and his mother, the Eternal Elder. And he taught the rest of the group a lot.

Jeffry started with big heavy chopping attacks. If you tried to dodge them only slightly, you would find they had a hidden width to them.

She stepped way away from some and deflected others. The first fifteen seconds of battle was reactive, then she began to demonstrate shimmering multiplicity. Her sword lost its form and became multiple strike in a major echo of shadow sword fighting.

Jeffry tried to burst through them with his power firm, and deflect them with impressive hand speed, but after she avoided the super-chop she resumed her quick attacks and Jeffry was overwhelmed and at last unable to stop one of her shimmers from cutting.

He had an impressive plan A but he couldn’t stop her plan. 

**

Daimon dodged the powerful spear qi, rotating to push the wielder even further.

Each attack of Mariah’s spear threatened to crush through his defenses.

He poked at Mariah’s defenses when he could.

Finally he fell to a spear strike. He expected to be thrown out of the ring, an automatic loss. At least down long enough to fall to the follow up.

Mariah struggled to follow up. Repositioning the spear was slow. He rose and deflected a spear that wasn’t expecting him ready.

The intense feeling of the fight fell away to a comfortable back and forth battle. It became clear that Mariah was struggling to ensure his attacks. At three minutes it was the longest fight in the shimmering tournament.

Finally his sword struck true and deep, and the suppression resisted his sword.

Mariah was impaled by it so Daimon waited for the medics to properly remove his sword.

It was his new sword since his coronation.

*

Daimon and Danae both advanced to the Round of 32. Which would be the last round before the final 16s in each stage were played.

With the elemental cultivators waiting for the grand finale, Anna was free to watch them both.

It was obvious who Tim was, his Eternals were still way too loud to her. He had kept his battles clinical to teach something to each matchup.

She made sure Daimon and Danae were in different quadrants of the bracket and tried to seed things reasonably.

Daimon had an easier matchup this round than last. Also his last battle seemed to give him more confidence. She wanted to see Daimon able to cultivate and defend himself so she was happy.

Lucille was busy with various guests who had come to watch the tournament.

Danae matched with an opponent who was very resilient and shrugged off her multi-attacks. She was tough as well, and both fighters resisted each other’s attacks.

Danae was able to shift to a more concentrated attack style and eke out a victory.

Tim demonstrated the three option tactical approach to his opponent. When both sides could counter each other’s attacks finding the right attack to out-think the opponent was key.

His opponent was still trying to counter Tim’s first attack and he had moved on from it.

One of the shimmering combatants was days away from breaking into Elemental cultivation. He was relying only the pseudo-elemental power to dominate his opponents.

With each group down to 16 cultivators there was a short break while the finale stage was getting ready. The rest of the contests would be fought in the final ring with everyone’s attention.

**

Daimon and the other shimmering finalists congratulated the Shadows and Iron finalists, and the elemental finalists greeted everyone also.

“Good job guys, no matter what happens from here, you’ve accomplished something special.”

The final shadows matchup was a battle between two cultivators beginning to establish Iron sword cultivation. The final Iron cultivation matchup was more tactical.

He felt confident, even as everyone was the best.

When the dust settled, the final two rounds loomed. A peak Shimmering cultivator who wasn’t especially tactical was his next opponent, while Danae faced the tactical master who no one knew. 

They were excited to make it this far, but the idea of making it to the finals was more exciting.

Daimon wasn’t sure if he could endure peak shimmering, but he planned to battle ferociously, and they were fighting in a ring with elemental level protection so he was fine.

He polished his sword and went out to the ring for the first match of the Shimmering semis.

Daimon was ready to evade if Derek unleashed his ultimate peak shimmering attacks.

It was only after a bit of establishing guard positions abs feeling out his opponents strength that he was struck by Derek’s sword. His deflection had been completely overrun by the power of Derek’s attack, and it was all Daimon could do to remember mom and get up. The second attack was obviously elemental as fire started to burn through his abdomen until the suppression caught up.

Danae was there, and mom. They helped the medics take him back to be healed. He felt tingly, and a bit nauseous.

**

The tournament paused for twenty minutes as the directors wanted to look after the Emperor before continuing.

Derek stood apart from the other remaining competitors and no one went to talk to them.

Finally Daimon, Anna and Lucille returned. Daimon welcomed back his guards who had been forced to watch, and they formed a cordon around the Daimon so he could watch the rest of the matches.

Danae was very good, in high shimmering but she couldn’t adjust and find tactical solutions as quickly as their mystery opponent.

Jacob did reveal that he was at least upper-mid shimmering, countering a power strike if Danae’s with one of his own.

The crowd didn’t know Jacob, but they were politely encouraging him. “Don’t let him intimidate you!” One of the elemental 15 left said.

Finally the Shimmering finals began.

** 

He couldn’t just overpower Jacob so Derek instead used the possibly of a victorious chain reaction to control and confine what Jacob could do.

Jacob had been hiding his full strength and now he unleashed high tier but not speak shimmering.

Not good enough, Derek struck in one place, and feinted in another.

**

Tim knew, Derek believed his elemental attacks could not be stopped in shimmering. The kid had forgotten that in a real battle there was always someone stronger and to an elemental cultivator his attacks were weak and poorly formed.

When Daimon reached high Shimmering he would show off a few ways to resist such poorly firmed attacks. Without actually ascending into Elemental, Derek couldn’t form a good attack and this kind of thing would actually harm his cultivation long-term.

Trying to stay in a lower realm to win a tournament was the opposite of the message they wanted to send.

He had wanted to defeat Derek with purely tactical skill but showing him that there’s a higher target was more important.

Tim took the Fire attack head on and did not flinch. He had no intent of actually attacking, but to make the point stick, one sword became two, and the spirit of a young Anna appeared and deflected Derek’s next attack. His uncle appeared and with the tiniest wisp of power repelled the attack.

“Ok you’ve made your point.”

Anna took the stage then. “Let me explain. When a cultivator reaches Eternal stage, there is always something that drives them, which they must act on immediately. For me, it was the injustice of the guilders.

Tim has reached the Eternal stage, and his drive was to protect the spirit of respectful exchange of pointers. Our second Eternal Elder! Tim?”

“My guiding principles in the Eternal realm have become respect and protection, so I could only pursue protecting respectful behavior. 

I hoped to impart a lesson in each of my battles today. Not to show that I’m better. I’ve spent most of my life looking up to Anna, and seeing her as better. But from an Eternal perspective, we all ate the cultivator we began with on the first day, and the person we will become at our pinnacle.

Any motions of pride and superiority based on cultivation stage or anything else are foolish.

These tournaments are a chance to hone your abilities, not to adhere to the group definitions by the letter of the law so you can dominate.

Derek, you are on the edge of Elemental cultivation, the most important thing to focus on is preparing for your rise. Secondly, to challenge yourself, and center yourself in the new realm.

It was not fair for you to face an Eternal opponent, proceed to join the Elemental final 16. It will help you understand what world awaits.

Anna and I do not know what awaits us in eternity, no one knows where they can go until they start to explore.

Losing a sparring match is often more beneficial than winning.”

**

Tim’s performance without ever stepping beyond Shimmering realm showed just how skilled their eternal elders were.

No one was sure if 2 eternal elders could exchange pointers safely, but everyone wanted to watch that fight.

Daimon and Danae were the only ones who had a chance to, however.

“It’s just the safe, low power limit of eternal, but still,” Danae said.

The training center his mom and Tim had built for their spars were made of ridiculously tough materials, but it shone as the two clashed.

“Finally Tim has reached an equal strength to mom.”

“Why does Tim had a sword spirit that looks like your mom?”

“It’s my mom as a young sworder. Eternal realm is weird like that. One of mom’s spirits is my dad, the other is the spirit of a sword that was destroyed.”

*^^

Tim and Anna decided to go temper their abilities in real combat. With Lucille in the Divine realm, the Empire should be safe.

They rooted out guilder strongholds and fought a few battles to contain necromancy, but it was another Sect nation which made them pause.

**

Six months after Tim and Anna left, Lucille had to lead the Empire in defense against a group of clans. Nomadic they had wandered into the area and started to raid and take whatever they wanted.

Two weeks in, Lucille had settled one of the war chiefs in a valley near Empire lands, the other war chiefs were slain. Lucille established a rule. Be the first to surrender and gain benefits. 

**

Anna and Tim were lurking about pretending to be Shimmering cultivators in a mercenary army.

Lucille kept Anna informed and asked for advice, but ultimately her incredible persuasion was able to convince part of the enemy to turn against the invaders.

**

Lucille taught them for a while, since Damian’s mom was gone, hunting Guilder enemies.

Danae reached Elemental realm first. Earth wasn’t a common element in their family’s story but when the earths appeared with that golden color, she sighed. Danae must at least become a Consort, like Anna had been.

Finding Anna and Tim she told them everything that had happened, and they set about searching the land for two worthy sabers for a divine cultivators and consort.

***

Danae’s whole family were here. The Emperor’s had sold some land for the clan at a very competitive price. So they would move here after the ceremony.

Her mother-in-law became a companion throughout the process. Danae’s dress was more expensive than she could imagine.

“First you will become his consort. A new wing of the palace has been built as your residence. But then, the time will come yo be his wife, to join him in everything. I went through this with his father.”

“What was Daimon Sr like?”

“Strong, yet gentle. Young, yet wise. He was 260 years younger than me yet his wisdom was beyond his youth. Eventually he became an Air elemental cultivator and we would medicate together as his Air burbled within my waters. Let his waters rest against your Earth, and you will both have wisdom beyond.”

~~

“It is traditional in my birth land, to gift my Consort-to-be two weapons. One which represents her lineage or heritage and one that represents the empire’s own.

As to the latter, as we are newly establish I drew on the old traditions of my mother’s homeland. At great effort, our Elders recovered a saber of one of the Saints of old. The Saint was fallen from grace, but his Saber shall serve my empire. It is my gift to you, to consecrate my devotion to you, Consort Murray.”

“Thank you, your highness, I will protect this gift, and learn from the spirit of this Saber.”

“The first saber will be known as the Saber of the Mountain. It does not yield to any strike below the Eternal realm. This saber was forged by the greatest known smiths, strengthened by the rare earths of your clan’s homelands. We hope to honor your elders as we accept you as our own. A century from now, it will become a mighty spirit weapon as well.”

*

There was something different in that Daimon was both the Emperor and source of divine power, whereas Anna never figured out how much Daimon Sr had access to the centuries old source of power in the old empire.

Tim and I had gone to dinner at the Old Emperor’s city. More and more the original Emperor was being swallowed up by Daimon’s empire.

There was a sudden shift in the power of Daimon’s divinity, and Tim and I both noticed immediately.

But then again Daimon Sr was so young that I never had sex with him until we were married. That was different this time around.

They had returned to their normal duties, residing in the ‘Senior Wing’ of the palace.

“Perhaps I could dress up as young Anna?” I teased Tim.

So the akwardness went both ways until Daimon requested their presence.

“I want to recognize Tim as my father, not to replace Dad, mom but you have been another Dad, and it’s not weird to me. Can we have some kind of ceremony for you two?” Daimon asked.

“How should I address you, Mother of my beloved?”

“Hmm I never had a daughter. You can call me mom or mother. Now I think you two need to actually get married. For your dad and I, this was a quiet ceremony and quite personal to us. Eventually it would be publicized of course.”

**