novelraw Chapter 163 - 162 - Challenge
Chapter 163 - 162 - Challenge
Lind was in fresh robes and relaxed as he sat in his meeting room. It was once used for various meetings, but it had become his personal meeting room since the auction. It was flatly impossible to host all the petitions in his quarters as he wanted to have a personal space that would not be visited at all hours.
He was currently brewing tea despite many acolytes volunteering to do so. He simply enjoyed the process and it reminded him of home when he made tea for his mother while she worked on her alchemical pills.
He still allowed them to serve food as often he met World Realms he could not prepare proper food for. Today was different as he was meeting a Soul Realm as that was as far as he could go in Forging.
Even so, he let the acolytes serve food as he felt guilty by their looks of frustration if he tried to also serve food. Lind took a seat and waited for his appointment to arrive. He had yet to know who he was dealing with as they had not come forward until now to announce their claim of the plate.
He wondered why the wait but it allowed the storm of requests to settle a great deal. Lind also had time to begin teaching the 1st generation of Mortal Grade elixir masters. He had heard there were some at higher realms but not willing to make lower grade elixirs at all anymore. He found that odd but perhaps it was a question of time.
If Lind was a Sky Realm, even with the full potential lifespan, it could take days to make a single set of elixirs where now he can still finish it in less than a quarter of a day. He had heard similar stories from production masters and saw how long grade 4 and 5 could take when pushing themselves live in the competition. His own experience, however, showed this process could be sped up but he doubted if he could replicate that speed consistently to get the same quality.
He had made several attempts but he could only reach low grade 4 and even that was not at the best quality of the low grade. Lind suspected the tribulation he suffered during the auction was in part due to exceeding his realm by such a degree the Heavens were warning him to not try again.
Lind had been severely weakened but he had been able to recover with his own elixirs. Was there something he missed? He had been looked over but no one found any issue so perhaps he had dodged a bullet but did not know a gun was waiting to hit him if tried again.
He had thus focused on digesting and comprehending what he could safely and had not incited a tribulation since. He was still musing when a knock came at the wooden door to the meeting room.
Lind glanced at the white stone walls and golden curtains on the windows looking out onto a courtyard garden. It was a pleasant evening and Lind nodded as the acolyte moved to open the door. A fairly beautiful woman entered.
She wore pale blue and gold robes of fine make but Lind's Eyes reacted to the profound formations woven into them. They were peak grade 3 refined items but Lind's mind quickly lined up the colors with the sitting council of the Stardust Emporium.
The merchants that ran the Emporium designated representatives to speak for them if they were not the head of their mercantile power. Those designated people were essentially a council that met and regulated the various issues of Cimmeria to the borders of their power, which was considerable.
There was some fluctuation of the border but the vast holdings essentially all extended to the western coastline facing the other 2 continents. The Rakathi Wastes to the north and east were not under their direct protection but then again, no power ruled out there.
The eastern powers were a collection of sects and small kingdoms that still paid dues to the Stardust Emporium but maintained relative freedom. Lind felt like it was likely a beneficial setup that kept good flowing at a better rate without having to invest their own man power to do so.
Lind recalled that the families of those representatives wore the very colors of the young woman in front of him. It showed she was a direct descendent of the current representative as well as the fact she was a prospective replacement when the time came.
Cultivators were practical creatures. Their long lives meant they could really train successors extensively if they wished to and thus the council generally adopted the same policy as royalty with one difference. A successor could be challenged by their business acumen as well as their strength. There were World Realms on the leading council that were relatively weak but had fierce business minds.
Midnight was an excellent example of such a cultivator. His power was more in his relationships and how much he knew than his direct cultivation.
The curled raven colored hair looked very good in contrast to her pale skin. The violet eyes jolted Lind slightly but her face had no resemblance to Jia Teng. He often forgot that traits were widespread in the circles of the upper echelons as they associated with each other often.
It was possible that one of the ancient ancestors of the Lotus Empire's royal family had made their way to the Stardust Emporium and made a name for themselves. It was the only place in the cultivation world that Lind had seen those viewed as weak in other powers could rise like a phoenix to rule over millions of people.
"Welcome to the Heavenly Maiden Sect, Miss?" Lind had not been informed beforehand but the swift nod of the elder guiding her affirmed they did not have her specific name. Her smile widened as she extended her hand. Lind was surprised as most cultivators he had met treated bowing as a handshake and polite greeting, but he quickly noted her hand was flat.
Lind smirked as he took her hand and bowed his forehead onto it. A look of surprise crossed her features but then a true warm smile spread on her face.
"You are well educated, Master Frey. Not many recognize that greeting, nor how to politely receive it. I am Delia." Lind nodded and led her to one of the couches in front of the conference table. As this was a Forging meeting, there was no need for the Heavenly Maidens to be involved. It was only Lind, himself.
"I have had more time to study than most. I also look for information, no matter how remote, to the breaking through to World Realm. At times it has led to some fanciful details being woven into a story rather than technique scrolls." It was not a lie. Lind had scoured libraries at the Lotus Academy, the Heavenly Maiden Sect, and more recently Starfire House for any leads.
He had expected to be forced to the World Realm once he reached the peak of Soul Realm but he had been stunned when the constant feeling of breaking through suddenly vanished when he reached the peak during the Merrick incident.
He no longer felt compelled to break through at all. He realized his Innate Cultivation talent had indeed progressed, or maybe it was misunderstood. Breaking through was not an automatic process. He had realized he must have been at the peak of the Body Refining Realm for years yet he never woke up suddenly in the Soul Realm. He had studied, comprehended, and then one day he initiated it himself.
It was only at that point that he broke through. He realized he was missing something and thus his talent could no longer push him. It was a refreshing feeling.
She nodded as she brightened at the tea and cake that was served.
"The Maidens make excellent tea and treats. I have had the fortune to sample many from confectioners in Cimmeria to even Darkmoor Kingdom but these are very good. This tea is unique." Lind saw a glint of interest in her eyes and was glad he had experienced so much in Cimmeria. Merchants could be frightening when they smelled profit.
"The cakes are solely the gift of the acolytes. They guard that recipe like grim death, but the tea is mine." Lind then intentionally took a drink as he saw shock form on her face. He had thrown her off but it was not malicious. He was simply gauging her true face and he found it pleasant.
"I am unsure how to respond in kind except to say it is exceptional tea." Lind smiled as he waved it off but he then grew serious as he sat up and assumed his mantle of expert.
"Now, you have the plate?" She smirked as he changed topic but did not call him out. She produced the plate and he confirmed it was indeed the formation plate he infused with his Qi. He nodded and looked up at her expectantly.
"Um, I understand you have the Soul Eyes, so surely you see part of my problem?" Lind had waited for her permission as he knew it was rude to look. Enemies or bad situations he would excuse himself always, but a formal meeting was different.
He looked at her dantain and was surprised. She was a peak tier 5 Soul Realm with dual elements so light and earth. It was probably one of the worst combinations next to fire and water. Light was flexible and could be used with most elements easily, but earth was sturdy and unchanging to most people's minds.
Lind had changed that a bit with his education on the relationship between the 6 elements but even he would have trouble if he only had those 2 all his life. Further, because of how people perceived earth and light, Soul Arts were few and far between. Even so, she had risen to her current rank and was not abandoned. It spoke of perseverance and perhaps imagination.
"Light and earth mortal cores with peak tier 5 foundation. You have tempered your cores well and given your age, you are prodigious about your cultivation." Her smile widened at his evaluation although she frowned at the rating of her cores. Most were not aware of the division of core quality but he was. She also seemed to know.
"My useless brother was blessed with Heaven Cores but wastes his time with debauchery and being worshiped by his followers." Lind felt Delia was being a bit harsh but the description matched someone in his memories. He had made a point of checking for anyone troublesome from Valery House that could come calling and one matched what she just said.
"Surely, you are not the sister of Sebastian Polare?" Delia smirked at him as she nodded but he noticed she seemed disappointed in him. "I had the misfortune of being forced to meet senior Midnight, you may have heard of his ambush of me?"
Delia tilted her head cutely but then a smile returned to her eyes.
"Ah yes, I forgot! Your impression was so strong that most of the competition left my head! I apologize if I made any wrong assumptions." Lind waved it off as it was understandable. Cimmeria had a troubling number of currents politically that he would be glad to leave far behind him.
"It is of no matter, now, what can I make for you?" Lind felt they had been through the polite chit chat so it was time to come to the meat of the meeting. Delia then blushed a bit as she seemed at a loss. Lind was confused until she used a Soul Art.
Earth flowed in her body as light began to emit sparks around her fingertips. He was stunned! He had been looking at various Soul Arts but none had ever grasped what he had done at the Lotus Academy.
It was believed, not without reason, that only World Realms could affect the forces of the world itself rather than just channeling Qi to replicate it from one's own dantian, but he recognized what Delia was trying to do.
She did not quite grasp it and it was limited to static discharge, but she was close. The earth was making her negatively charged while the light was making a positive charge on her finger tips. It was pretty but unless she touched someone, it was basically useless.
"I have mastered what Soul Arts there are, but I discovered that earth can manipulate far more and then I tried experiments. I found a kind of lightning that does not need fire. I heard you did this as well but on a scale I cannot replicate. How?" There was desperation in her voice. Lind recognized it. Frustration and failure had weighed her down but she had never stopped.
Lind frowned but then he stood up and moved over to her. He grasped her robe sleeve and examined it with fresh eyes. He now understood it. It was so strong not only to defend her but to protect her from this half formed skill.
"You are almost there, but not quite. It will be interesting but I need to study this more. I have an assistant that has fairly good Soul Eyes but she will need to follow the Qi–" Lind was about to summon another acolyte but was stopped by Delia. She looked at him in earnest.
"Please, no one else can know about this. I know the Maidens are trustworthy but the less people know, the less that can reach my brother." Lind did not understand. His confusion was clear and she sighed before continuing. "He will be disinherited next month. I have no fear of reprisals from him directly but there are those invested in his rise that may try to make an 'accident' occur."
Understanding came over Lind but he looked sternly at her.
"I am an unmarried man but I am spoken for. I will not be killed when I have people I trust. This is not some random acolyte of Heavenly Maiden Sect, but one of my students. She can be trusted." Lind knew it to be true more than most. Sabrina was clumsy with essence but unlike the other 2, she had Soul Eyes. The other 2 had Soul Touch.
Delia looked concerned but nodded finally and Lind let out a breath. He did not want to even imagine what Shoti alone would do to him let alone Qing and Annabelle. A sting in his right cheek made him add one more name, Cyntilla would flay him alive. He wondered what the sting meant but it was too quick to grasp.
He sent for Sabrina and began to look at the challenge in front of him. He had wanted something difficult to test himself and Delia more than delivered. He summoned a blank scroll and a pen to begin some designs while asking questions. The testing would come after but he could begin to brainstorm while Sabrina examined her.