Chapter 687: Pursuit of Eternity (1/2)
Exquisite chimes danced in the air and echoed with the hints of the grand Dao as Va Tapek walked into the vast hall that doubled as an observation deck. He was met with a refreshing gust medicinal aroma after taking just one step inside. Va briefly scanned the hall, seeing there were four Perennial Braziers burning, each of them releasing smoke of a different color.
Va Tapek took a deep breath, and felt his cells opening, greedily swallowing the dense medicinal and spiritual energy that suffused the air. Ylavian Bloodroot, Gelosan, dried bones of Abyssal Dominators. And those were just a few of the dozens of valuable materials that had been turned into incense for an empty hall.
Of course, materials like these wouldn’t be enough to improve the cultivation of an advanced Monarch such as himself, but most E-Grade warriors would explode after just taking a whiff of this mist. Even if they survived, they would probably become lunatics, their minds broken by the extremely dense Dao markings hidden in the scent.
“I’m jealous. I knew that becoming an Earl was a lucrative venture, but I didn’t expect it to be at this level,” Va snorted as he looked at the closest brazier. “Burning a mountain of Nexus Coins every second even when you’re just here as a spectral projection. Don’t you have some disciples or descendants to waste all these treasures on?”
“Well, I have to maintain appearances,” a masculine laugh echoed through the hall as the form of a cultivator congealed on top of a mat close to the enormous floor-to-ceiling window on the opposite side of the hall. “Besides, it is not like the Sharva’Zi Clan has been mistreating you these years. Come, sit.”
Va Tapek only rolled his eyes as he teleported over to the other side of the hall, his movement causing a series of abstruse runes to appear among the medicinal clouds. He looked over to his benefactor, or rather the projection of him. Whether his real body still existed, not even Va Tapek knew.
The projection looked a lot like how Va Tapek remembered his old friend though. Chiseled features that spoke of indomitability and conviction. His robes hung loose and exposed a densely muscled torso covered in scars, and he sat in an unrestrained manner as usual. He still radiated that same haughty yet slightly lonely aura of a peak wandering cultivator who had emerged at the top after innumerable bloody encounters.
But there were some differences as well.
Most notably, his skin had taken on a slight greenish tint, like gold mixed with black. A second look proved that it was actually two sets of extremely minute runes that covered his skin, each of them smaller than a dot. One of the patterns held the secrets of Death, and the other seemed to be speaking to the heart of Life.
Va Tapek’s aquamarine eyes turned to the star that took up most of the vision of the enormous windows in front of them; the Twilight Ocean. They were slowly becoming one.
“If you wanted to discard your Human ancestry, why not just come over to our side? I’m sure we’d be able to find a Blessed Land for you to awaken without giving up on your past,” Va Tapek said as he sat down.
“Bah, what’s so good about being undead?” the man snorted. “Besides, if I did that, how would I be able to complete my plan? Speaking of, how did things go?”
“It took me some time, but I found it. The Zecia sector has changed a bit since you hid this thing,” Va Tapek said as he took out a box from his spatial ring.
”Great!” the man said, his eyes lighting up. ”I was afraid it would have managed to break out after all these years. You didn't get spotted, did you?”
”Shouldn't have,” Va Tapek said with a shake of his head. ”I was required to check in with the local Province, but I pretended to have an epiphany to not get entangled. I left a clone there in seclusion while my main body searched for the item. By the way, things are getting a bit heated over there.”
“I heard. Who would have thought that someone would conjure the Stele of Conflict in a frontier sector?” the man laughed. “It’s fine. Some bloodshed will cut the chaff and help purify the heritages. Did you arrange someone to assist me in marking the leyline?”
“Hm,” Va Tapek just said as he took out a bottle of liquor. “It is done.”
“Oh? How certain are you? Where did you find the helper?” the man asked with interest.
“It’s my disciple. She already has two passable followers, and she is currently in the process of hiring a few more,” Va Tapek said as an indulgent smile spread across his face.
“Your disciple? Isn’t she an Imperial? Will she really complete the task?” the man asked with a frown as the huge anomaly outside shuddered.
“She doesn’t know the purpose of why I sent her. She thinks she is fulfilling a task for the undead factions. You just need to provide the path she has to follow,” Va Tapek explained. “I’d appreciate it if you gave her one of the less precipitous paths though.”
“Of course. But even then, there will be dangers, and not just from the natives,” the man said with a pointed look. “You know my situation, I can’t intervene as I wish. Just creating these paths and divulging the treasures is pushing it.”
Know your situation? Va Tapek thought with some exasperation. How is that possible? I’ve never heard of anyone doing what you've done, what you're about to do.
“It's fine. Little Catheya has been a bit too carefree lately. She needs to take some risks if she wants to reach the next step,” Va Tapek said with a sigh. “Besides, you’re the one who’s truly in Danger. Your plan is crazy, even for you. Both the local clans and the empires will try to stop you. Others will try to seize the opportunity for themselves.”
“That’s what makes things so exciting,” the man laughed before he gave Va Tapek an inscrutable look. “What about you? Having last-minute doubts?”
“Always,” Va Tapek snorted as he got back on his feet. “But it’s worth it. Where else will an outsider such as myself be able to witness someone defending their Dao while building the first step to eternity?”
He looked at the celestial anomaly in the distance once more and he couldn’t help but smile with excitement. These kinds of chaotic events were rare. Those who survived would definitely have gained something.
“Besides, the frontier is growing a bit boring. Perhaps the reemergence of the Eveningtide Asura will shake things up a bit.”
A boisterous laugh echoed through the hall as Va Tapek left.
“Can we trust him?” Qirai asked with a frown as they entered the private areas of the Eldritch Archivals. “There’s something off about him.”
“What do you think, Varo?” Catheya smiled as she turned to her assistant.
“He’s dangerous… Very dangerous,” Varo said after some thought. “But as long as our interests align, it should be fine. If we want to kill him… All-out and without hesitation.”
“That guy? Dangerous?” Qirai snorted. “He is a pureblood, but his aura wasn’t anything special. One smash and he’s done for.”
“Hopefully it won’t come to that. The Twilight Ocean is big enough for everyone to drink their fill,” Catheya laughed, but she inwardly felt that Varo’s estimate was more incisive.
The group soon entered her private courtyard, and Varo activated a series of protective measures. Her branch might be the ones in control of the interests in Twilight Harbor, but there were definitely spies in the mix. No one would have expected that a place in a frontier sector would be so lucrative, rivaling even some of the core businesses back home.
Greedy eyes were definitely eyeing their wealth, and Catheya couldn’t let anything happen. Her performance in the Tower of Eternity should elevate her status from a second-seed to first seed talent within the clan, perhaps even as soon as she returned.
But she was still lacking the accomplishments to cement her status as a talent to nurture. She believed that her performance in the Twilight Ascent could be the ticket to gain the top treatment among the Draugr youth.
And this mysterious Draugr might even be the key to becoming a Heaven’s Chosen, someone wholeheartedly nurtured by the Empire. She couldn’t explain why, but she trusted her instincts.
“It’s odd,” Catheya muttered.
“He felt like Zac Piker, yet not,” Varo said, understanding his mistress’ thoughts all too well.
“Exactly,” Catheya agreed.