Elder Cultivation: Water Battle City

 The last time he’d left Sect lands was as a Nascent Elder intervening in a dispute between sect juniors and outsiders. His days as a journeyman wandering the world were distant memories. Would the old trading centers and secret civilizations still be where he had remembered them?

He would start his new life by measuring the height of the greatest cultivators in this Outer world. He would wander, helping others where paths crossed but not staying long.

He started with the city closest to the Elders Waterfall: Water Crossing City. It was a vital trading city with several water sects in the area, and many loose cultivators lived there.

He soared away from his old home. It was only a few minutes before he landed west of the Crossing city, approaching on foot. With a thought, he took on the appearance of an elderly yet low level cultivator, wearing fraying grey robes and using a cane.

What surprised him wasn’t the demeanor of the people, they were much the same as before, but they were in a long line leading to the city, and when he passed by the line, He was yelled at and cursed.

It was out of mild amusement that he went back to the start of the line. As a Doctor, a Judge and Instructor of Juniors, Yong was habitually used to concealing his cultivation. No drop of power emanated from his Divine Tyrant's Spirit World. However, he decided to open the Justice Eye to observe what was happening with these lines.

He observed the situation for just a moment, and then he knew. The City government was forcing anyone who wanted to enter the city to fight in a group battle against three other teams. There were similar lines south, east and north of the city. In fact, a battle was happening at the moment between these four groups of juniors.

Replacing his Justice perception with Lifegiving Eye, he perceived the Life of those fighting. He could actively heal them, and immediately disturb the city's ways. But instead, he planted a rebirth seed in all the fighters, and in everyone who was waiting in all four lines.

They would be able to wake up within a few hours as long as their attackers used less than Divine Captain power levels.

Yong continued waiting. While he stood there, his Eyes perceived many different aspects of the city and it's people.

It was now known as the Water Battle City, and it was organized around fighting and tournaments, rather than being a place for shops and trade. The Black Blood Water sect was one of three Water sects who competed to recruit juniors that won the local tournaments and competitions. Had his own sect agreed with this?

Yong shook his head at the folly of the young.

The lines of people willing to risk their life to get into the city were so long that he was still waiting when it became nightfall. His patience was reaching it's limits. He was unable to cultivate anywhere but the deepest ocean. He had observed the City until he couldn't stand observing it anymore.

Why had no one awakened him when all of this was happening? Who had been grandmaster during his later years of seclusion?

It was the unmistakeable arrival of a Divine King level cultivator in the city which lead Yongnian to wait overnight. The overseer of the city was only at the Divine Legion level, and the rest of the residents had not even become Divine yet.

Some of the other people left the line during the night, but over half stayed, and just before sunrise, the lines started moving again, and the battles resumed. Young took the time to plant more Rebirth seeds in people joining the line.

A lot of people had fallen during battle the day before, and then came back in the middle of being burnt in a great pyre. The Fire was not powerful enough to stop the Rebirth seed, and the people tending the fire were shocked to see bodies returning to life and walking away.

These reborn individuals were in the city then, but the tenders of the Fire likely thought that they were undead, and a few of them were killed once again, if they were spotted before blending into the crowds. But the Rebirth seeds would allow these people to once again come back, as long as the killing force was below Divine Captain.

This circumstance must have lead to the Divine King cultivator's arrival. It was a couple hours after sunrise when Yong and a dozen others in his line were instructed to battle the other three lines.

The open field where they were supposed to fight was marred by endless blood and the scarring of endless junior's battle powers. Yong decided he would once again act low key. He would watch the Divine King's every move once he got in.

He didn't pursue any of his "enemies", but merely tapped the cane against the head of those who attacked him and put them into a deep sleep. His team was about to lose, and he didn't want to be surrounded and have to reveal himself, so he hurried up, and used the cane rapidly to put the odds in his team's favor. In the end Yong and three others were allowed into the city with their victory.

The two guys of their team immediately split up to head wherever their youthful lusts took them, and Yong was about to wander away and find a good strategy to track his target. This city wasn't not his goal, but it would be useful to learn the secret places where powerful people gathered in this generation.

The woman on their team interrupted him in his contemplation.

"Grandpa," the woman said. "What assignment do you want to try for? I know the Sects are looking for a lot of craftspeople but I really want to learn about swords! We should work together."

Yong winced. He had first pursued Life and Healing, it was only the horrors of the Cultivation world that shifted his dao to Life and Judgment, and he added the saber to his diagnostic tools.

As Judge, he could project an emotional memory to other people, and receive them as well. Often he would show the accused the memory of the victims, but in this case, he showed the young woman a few experiences he had when wielding the sabre in his earlier days.

Since achieving full Elder status, Yong hadn't fought an even fight where life was on the line for both parties. But before that time, he had been in several battles where his life was almost taken.

"There may come a time where you must pick up your sword, young one. Do not rush towards that time, but protect those you love, and learn a useful skill that will help your future sect in times of peace," he told her.

"Lord Elder, why didn't you present yourself to the City authorities and avoid the line?" she said.

That's right, his memories would give her a massive clue as to their relative standing.

"The last time I was here, there were no lines nor mandatory battles," he told her. "Now I have noticed someone extremely powerful has arrived. I must discover what his purpose is in being here. If you have need of me, just speak my name."

She shivered. "Master Hao Yongnian?"

"Back then I was," he confirmed. "Call me Ancestor Hao, and I'll come, if I'm not too far away."

In those intense battles, long ago, he had fought with both his sabre and the ability to rejuvenate his wounds very quickly. He had used several Judgment attacks which were very powerful as well, but none of those he faced were lacking in their own tricks.

The girl had seen his life power restoring him from every horrifying blow inflicted by gruesome weapons, and now it seemed she was enthralled with the feeling. Perhaps she would pursue the Life path.

Following his target's palpable aura, he was lead to the pyres which he had contemplated before. The King level cultivator was slaying every person who came out of the fires because of Yong's rebirth seed. The Elder had to use a lot of his power, to overcome the Rebirth seed.

Sure, Yong could have made even more durable Rebirth seeds, but with the quantity needed and lack of preparation, that would have required slightly exposing his true cultivation level, and he didn't expect anyone powerful enough to be on the other end.

The Divine King was wearing jewels and golden rings, and even his robes were shimmering with the man's desire to appear as a venerable figure.

"They are not Undead!" Yong appeared between the man and another reborn person, his cane deflecting the sword.

"Die fiend, your unnatural life has no place here!"

The King probed Yong's strength. The sword reshaping art causing Yong to be pierced completely through. But Yong's Life force inside his own body was stronger than any Life force he could apply outside, and that mighty force expelled the sword, blasting the King cultivator backwards. He didn't suffer the slightest injury as a result.

"Who are you?" the King asked.

"An ancestor, who should not have been woken."

His saber turned into a Gavel, and in a moment, the Judgment of Inquisition took form. A witness stand surrounded the King, and the Judging force imposed itself against any escape.

The King couldn't even talk until Yong asked a question.

With a supreme force which resonated across the city, the King broke free, Divine power streaming from him. He rose high above the city, planning to fight Yong in the distant sky to save the city.

Matching the King's movements with his own ascent into the upper sky, Yong unleashed greater powers. His Judgment eye flared brightly, and now saw with Divine strength. Locking on to the escaping King, Yong let his spiritual pressure go out.

The King immediately lost flight, tumbling rapidly towards the ground.

Once again, the Judgment of Inquisition wrapped around him, and far outsideq Water Battle City, the witness stand and king landed, and moments later Yong arrived.

The Judgment hadn't bothered to be stopped by trees, instead pushing them to the sides. The Judgment had deposited the witness in the middle of a large forest.

"Please state your name, sect and rank."

Yong had his gavel ready if the King tried to escape again.

"Yu Zihao, Bronze Water Sword Sect, Grandmaster."

"Why did you come to the city?"

"They were highly disturbed out about all of these undead climbing out of the pyres. This has happened once before. I was available, and I responded. While you may think yourself clever, I see through you Demon!"

"Do I look like a Demonic Cultivator to you?" Yong said, lowering his voice.

"We've fought the dark path for endless days. Appearance doesn't matter. They would pretend to be your mother if they thought you would be fooled," Yu Zihao said.

"I was just forced from seclusion by the destruction of my sect. Pardon me if I didn't stop and identify myself! I am a Lifegiver, not a lifetaker. Do none still mention the name of Hao Yongtian?"

"I only visit the city occasionally, but my sect knows nothing of that name."

Yong held his gavel high, yet let the Judgment effect dissipate.

"If there is somewhere more full of powerful and dangerous cultivators than here, where would that place be?"

"Ice Crystal Lake. One of my Elders died there last year."

Yong decided, "Well, I hope you wouldn't kill those who have been brought back to life by my Rebirth seed. It is a Lifegiving art, not demonic. Junior Yu Zihao, be wise and be well."

"I do not know you. If you are Righteous be well, if you are Demonic be destroyed!"

Yu Zihao's divining art was rejected by Yong's superior power before he could even explain. He let the matter go, and he flew off towards Ice Crystal Lake. A nice restful place during his youth, it must have become something far worse for the Grandmaster to speak of it.