Unsealing Emptiness

Chapter 472: Ground Rules.

Far from the influence of Phoenix City, there were mountain peaks with little to no life around them.

That outwardly unimpressive mountain range was chosen as the meeting place.

With Ember’s speed of an Empyrean, traversing hundreds of miles in the blink of an eye couldn’t even make her sweat.

She reached the peak’s summit only to see a round wooden table with three simple chairs placed around it. The gusts of the wind could have swept it all away, but the wood seemed to have somehow merged with the stone.

When she arrived, she wasn’t alone. The leader of Wilderness was already seated with a simple cup in his hands. Ember couldn’t tell whether it was alcohol or tea.

As she came down, the lingering emotions on her face disappeared.

"You are late. That’s unlike you," the Leader sipped on his cup and commented mildly.

"Do not lecture me, old man. You are in no position to do so."

Unlike when she was within her estate, Ember’s tone didn’t betray a hint of emotions.

"I’m still older than you," smiled the man who single handedly led countless Beastkin to break free from their chains and rise to resistance.

"And I still arrived before that bastard of the Sect," Ember retorted, pulling the wooden chair to sit down as well.

"Want tea?" The man gestured toward his own cup.

Although Ember called him an ’old man’, he barely looked the part. The only loose hint at him being any older than 30 would be how calmly he talked.

Though his way of speaking and the way he carried himself exuded a sense of comfort, one look in his slitted eyes would break anyone free from that illusion.

"Since when did you like tea so much?"

"I have taken up some hobbies since then," the Leader replied softly, reminiscing when he was giving pointers to the lady sitting across from him now.

It wasn’t known by many that Ember was once a disciple of the Leader of Wilderness. And that is why, to this day, he still faulted himself for her cultivation being sealed away.

Before Ember could say anything, another gust of wind blew, and there now stood another man, who also didn’t look a day older than 30.

"Kai, you are late."

That was the Sect Leader’s name.

"I only agreed to meet you here, Hakuja." Kai glanced at Ember, continuing, "I can tell only you had the leisure to come here at dawn."

He took a seat as well.

"You are one to talk, you sleep in your hut all day."

The three Empyreans of the Realm of Abezan now stood face to face, only a few feet apart.

Ember remained quiet, even though she had a lot to ask from Kai, the Sect Leader.

Although she hated him as well, her vengeance wasn’t against him.

As she was once the direct disciple of the Leader of Wilderness, she knew well that the Empyreans seldom interfered directly in the affairs of the world.

When she was targeted by the Immortal Sect, it was mostly the doing of the Elders.

The Leader of Wilderness and the Sect Leader of the Immortal Sect had this tacit understanding. If they started moving themselves, there wouldn’t be anything left to protect for either side. After all, in front of an Empyrean, even a hundred Sages would fall one by one.

Still, she hated him since those people were ultimately under him.

However, the source of her hatred remained the man who had robbed her of her cultivation. She could quench her anger with his blood alone.

"Leave your tea and start talking, will you?" Ember impatiently spoke as Hakuja kept sipping from his cup.

Without minding her tone, the Leader of Wilderness put away his teacup and began, "I called the meeting to discuss the fate of this Realm."

"Can you bear the weight of your words?" she spat.

"I can, and so should you now."

"Tch," she clicked her tongue.

"That is precisely why I called this meeting. Since you have ascended as an Empyrean, you too should abide by some rules."

"And what if I don’t?"

Kai was the one to answer her this time, "Don’t overestimate yourself. There is always a sky above the sky."

Ember hated his guts. He talked down to her as if she was his granddaughter.

Hakuja shook his head as well, "You can easily kill all of his people and be done with your revenge, but what happens when he comes after your people? Are you confident you will always be there to protect them?"

Although Ember already knew this, she was simply too irritated at this point to admit it verbally.

"You are an Empyrean, so it is a given that you will not let any insult slide. But at least do not personally seek them out."

Hakuja was only asking her not to personally go after the Sages and Transcendents in her pursuit of revenge. It would essentially destroy the power scale of this Realm, leaving no Sage alive.

But he added another rule, which she hadn’t heard before.

Hakuja stated that in case of a fight against Empyreans from other Realms, they would have to help each other protect the Realm of Abezan.

"And what about those above the ranks of Empyreans?" Ember finally added, glancing at Kai as well.

Hakuja paused for a few moments, before sighing audibly, "...*Hnn...* Are you talking about that man who sealed your cultivation?"

Feeling the burning gaze on him, he stated, "Well, it is time you learn of them as well."

"Them?"

"The 7 Heavenly Virtues."

Although it painfully reminded her of the time when he used to give her lectures on the path of cultivation, Ember still listened carefully.

"They are the absolute authority all over the Realms. Their individual strength is maybe even above the Celestial Beasts. The only being above them is the ’God’, who rules over the Land Above Realms."

Kai raised an eyebrow at her, "You don’t seem surprised about that part."

After all, not many believed in the existence of this God Emperor.

"I was astonished that you managed to make one of the Heavenly Virtues work as an Eldar of the Sect," Ember quipped, "Compared to that, this is nothing."

Kai narrowed his eyes at her, "How did you know?"

He was confident that even those pesky old Elders under him were unaware that one of them was a being even stronger than an Empyrean.

"How did I know?" Ember controlled her aura from leaking, "He visited not too long ago."

Meanwhile, Hakuja alternated between Ember and Kai. This was the first he was hearing of one of the Heavenly Virtues staying in this Realm.

"Is that true?" he asked Ember.

Ember had only made a random guess that Old Gu must then be one of those Heavenly Virtues, but his answer just confirmed her suspicion.

Now the only question was: why was such a being disguised as an Elder of the Immortal Sect?

Kai broke his silence, "I am not playing any schemes, if you assume as such."

"Then why?" Hakuja questioned.

The three of them spoke without revealing any strong emotions, and as such, one could even mistake them for friends.

"That old man does whatever he wants. I am aware of his plans just as much as you both."

Kai only spoke two sentences on the matter and shut his mouth. He refused to elaborate any further.

But it was already more than what Ember had expected him to say. Unlike how she had seen him previously, he didn’t seem so threatening while talking with them at all. Still, she knew better than to underestimate a fellow Empyrean.

And so, Kai took his leave, but not before grunting, "I wasn’t needed for this."

However, Hakuja didn’t pay heed to his words. He explained some more matters to Ember, even what they knew about the Heavenly Virtues and the God Emperor ruling above them all.

Just like the rest, they thought that the Heavenly Virtues were direct disciples of God, and were the strongest after him and the Demonic Emperor.

Before Ember could leave, the Leader of Wilderness sighed again, "I also heard that you have started targeting the Beastkin. I had hoped it wouldn’t come to that point."

She merely shrugged her shoulders, "If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t visit them personally."

Hakuja could only lament at her words. He had once groomed her to be his successor, and here she was, against her own kind now.

But he couldn’t say anything either, since they really were at fault. He knew well that those Elders of Wilderness had conspired to target Ember just like those from the Immortal Sect.

"You take care of yourself, old man. This peaceful life is not going to last very long now."

She left just a small hint for her old master before disappearing as well.

A little confused, Hakuja pondered on her words as he continued to sip at his tea again.

’Was it a threat? or...?’

. . .

While the Empyreans met to lay down the ground rules, Old Gu had already left the Realm of Abezan and was once again wandering across the Realms.

"My liege, I still do not understand what is so interesting about that boy," Minho could be seen voicing out his concerns as he carefully walked before the old man.

"Hmm?" Old Gu hummed, turning around as he tilted his face slightly, "Didn’t I already tell you that before?"

Minho shook his head, explaining, "I had asked, but before you could tell me, God’s Son had intervened."

"Ah, how could I forget that brat’s hateful face..."