…and thus, conclusion.
Forget not the purpose of this to, for it is integral to the very craft we seek to improve.
It is equilibrium through normality.
Function and form that disregard the marvels of the Heavens.
Only when one’s talent sunders the myriad gifts they bestow can one claim any asure of proficiency in carpentry.
So this daoist says, go forth, and do not forget to asure twice.
“Observation of Heavenward Properties,” by Daoist [Ponderous Carpenter]
[Prowess] ca in a thousand forms.
Fu pondered on the line between talent and capability, for these companions of the Warriors Association could well match his forr Wayward Winds in traversal. Even a fool could see that combat lood, and if these warriors held equal rit in the martial path it would swiftly be discovered.
Entrenched below the poisonous depths lay this central tower’s roots, obscured and unreachable by both form and function, ensuring that no entry could be had if one could not walk upon the wind.
Tu, Sikou and their partners possessed no such talents save for that which ca intrinsically to late [Core Formation] cultivators.
Not so many monts passed before their arrival as Fu suspected might, and all landed effortlessly upon the skyside dock where he waited.
In place of words, Sikou and his hounds began a march. “Foreign cousins of [Spring], the Warriors Association bids you welco. I am Sikou Pangu, the Disgruntled Edge, first-rate warrior, and I request a eting with those in authority!”
The Fatherly [Asura] did not know whether to laugh or cry.
Fu decided an affable, righteous cultivator might choose the forr. “They say a plum falls, but not in one’s mouth. Friend Sikou, do you intend to bring the whole harvest?”
Motion whisked through the tower’s interior, where ornate, blue bridges and ascending stairs led to the moorings of these myriad Warships. The entirety of this rising dock was exposed not only to elents, but to the many bodies Fu could sense among them.
[Poison Qi] flared in cyan energy upon the appearing jian of several hundred blades, strewn in alcoves, vantages, railings and upon the paper-thin threads of descending [Spirit Spiders].
“Black-hearted bastards,” huffed Tu, drawing her chui. “This realm plays these moon-chasing curs. Assassins. Their mystique plays better in fiction.”
Sikou patted his sheathe. “We have no quarrel here. All beneath the [Boundless Dao] are as children, so let us speak plain and openly.”
Imperials of the Blue Marches. Second only to the True Imperials. Their [Qi Suppression] is admirable, no? But few are the force that can rival our Clouded Courts. Were our disciples here, Hushi, this encounter would be opportunity manifest.
Be it through his own [Clouded Ghost Arts], [Shrine of Final Skies] or [Dao of Conquest’s Exhalation], their presence was clear as limpid water. Another feat sure to spread his fledgling reputation once these assassins’ throats lay spilled.
The Imperial ghosts spared no words, blurring with-
Wells of vermillion [Force Qi] erupted Tu’s chui into one, two and three of the approaching assassins as she devastated another with an overhead kick, propelling her foe through the very dockside.
Sikou and his pack prevailed in elegance where Tu applied force, for their bladework ca as one.
A graceful slash, disseminating into one hundred cuts. Be it his [Spirit Wolves’] fangs, claw or [Intent], each extension held the essence of their [Prowess] with a jian, severing wrists, lacerating guts and blocking blades as though these four were tenfold their number.
“[Approaching the Sword Saint]. How novel.”
Fu held the query for calr tis, adopting the first posture from his [Stifling Stream Revolutions] as an orchestra of assassins darkened the air above.
[Half Cloud Step].
Thunder unleashed at the first kick.
A simple snap that simultaneously shattered the first foe’s ribcage and saturated their concealing fabrics in warm blood.
Amidst this Fu saw how geriatric [Spring’s] movents had beco. How telegraphed the mass-produced techniques of Blue truly were, despite the bolstering attributes of their advanced realms.
Shaful.
His thoughts touched not upon a vanity of pride, but that of plain realisation, recalling an echo of his Sect’s sentints.
“The Empire of Abundant [Spring] is of no concern,” Bingbai had said.
As his kicks graduated from these advancing foes and into the higher perches of walkways above, this beca violently clear. Fu’s guard would never drop, for underestimating any cultivator was a ruinous path, and yet now he wove his practice into these strikes.
[Intent] flowed along the circulating currents of air his technique brought forth, though no embellishnt was needed.
Hushi and Fu drew back their physical [Might] as they ascended the tiers, increasing the flow of [Intent] so these Imperials might put their lives to use.
Chitin flew. Legs shrouded in silken webs. Malefic, nourishing, poison sprayed.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
A talented pair ca, holding higher [Prowess] than their fellows. Perhaps seeing the folly of their comrades they conjured a sudden burst of [Dao], manifesting a carpet of necrotic poppies across walkway, warship and wall.
Both assassins were swift.
Fu backpedalled against a stream of floating pollen that thickened the very air, as though the world where they clashed was ready to slumber. It did not slow their jian, which blurred as he sidestepped slash after slash.
I foresee difficulty.
The response of his limbs grew sluggish as this pollen sward his [Spirit], bypassing the physical.
Myriad steps followed.
Myriad dodges, deflections and repositions,
At his north and south these assassins blurred for a final blow, moving almost beyond his capability to track.
There is nothing else for it.
He did not move, not parry, and the [Heavenly Spectre’s Shroud] was pierced deep on opposing sides.
Frustration and intent proved these assassins’ folly, for the zealous fools impaled their counterparts through the spectral wisps of his form. Then swiftly, Fu grasped at their throats to break the crucial bone behind.
The [Dao] dissipated alongside their [Spirit Spiders], bursting into constellations of gold and truest blue.
Wise are the n that do not show their hand. Let us hope this fray gives enough impression to the Warriors Association of mystery and peerlessness.
Stripes of vibrant blue cloth served as the masks of this recently felled pair, marking them as seniors to this cabal, from his lengthy experience. As such he felt at their wrists, withdrawing two spatial bands sure to contain worthier resources than the rest.
[Shrine of Final Skies[.
The bands vanished into his [Constellation Seed] without shattering, having him internally grin.
Storage within storage. Old master, I hope this does not give you trouble.
A lengthy wait saw Tu and Sikou approach, unbloodied but clearly put out from the recent exertion. The forr’s chui was slung behind her neck, and only now did Fu sense the [Force Qi] that held it elevated.
“Master Gao Fu,” Sikou flatly greeted. “I did not see you advance so far. Our eting was indeed fateful if we have one of such talent accompanying us.”
Tu’s grin revealed all of her teeth. “My, there’s a growing allure to you.”
“Tu.”
“Sikou.”
“Too kind,” smiled Fu. “Though we are but a half-step up this tower. Nothing prevents these shade-lingering villains from escaping through the village’s [Paifang]. Let us move swiftly, comrades, for if there is one thing I cannot abide, it is assassins.”
🀦
These three, righteous cultivators trailed a vast blue carpet in their wake, though if Fu was ever to feel frustration then the mont was truly ripe. For all their [Prowess], the ti taken to advance higher had painted their party as plain targets welcoming wave after wave of Imperial cultivators to their fore.
They conflate prudence with effectiveness. A better course would be to rid our foes of their leadership in a single strike.
Shuidi fed constant impressions of the multiple [Arrays] above, reasoning than the grim effect they were ford to deliver would soon be unleashed. A use for the tide of vibrant [Poison Qi]-saturated waters, most logically prid for use against the [Paifang].
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And yet…
Tu battered down the Warship’s external screen, showering it upon those within. But her chui swung no further.
Sat shackles within myriad tethers of Qi were a kaleidoscope of disparate cultivator. Those of Yellow, Green, Orange and Blue. With sallow skin and pained expression, they hung limp in their lotus positions, drained as their [Inner Qi] was sapped to grant additional power to the [Arrays] above.
“Villainy,” spat Sikou, rushing to the first. “Sect cruelty does not compare to this. Tu.”
Golden characters flew from Tu’s lips as her [Dao] beca manifest, encircling the many Imperials before swiftly returning to form a long scroll before her. “A [Blue Imperial Qi Transmutation Array],” she read. “I’d wondered on its use. Oh? It’s similar to the plot of Mistress [Aphrodesiac in Phoenix Wing’s] latest work, save that what fills these cultivators is…”
“Compose yourself Tu. Lives are at stake,” her martial partner warned.
“[Soul Qi] and [Poison Qi]. The [Array] attempts to rupture their [Cores], forcing a change of [Affinity] for so villainous purpose. We are paid no more to think, Sikou, only prevent. However, these formations… they’re beyond my understanding.”
“An admirable guess. But that [Dao Principle] is a crutch, blocking her way to true understanding! Bah, the youth of today. To dip one’s toe in many pools will leave no foot wet!”
With grace, Fu set his palm on a cultivator so strides away.
Entranced, or enchanted by the [Array] at work upon them, this was one that enraged even his frozen heart.
“Children,” he raged, under no falsehood. “Youths too young to Bond their first partner. This one is no older than seven moons. The impressions alone will erase both child and beast if the Qi does not shatter their immature bodies. Such an act was forced, for no parent beneath the Heavens would allow this fate for their young.”
Sikou plunged his jian into the Warship, seething. “This cannot stand. Of the myriad Warships here, my hope is that not all are filled with such victims. Tu, investigate the other vessels,” he ordered, eting Fu with unmatched intensity. “Gao Fu, let us et our villain. With a blade to their neck they will surely redy this!”
The situation was not so simple.
Here alone sat so hundred enemies of the Sect. Even the blind might see these Imperial warrior’s armor, or the worn handles of their blades used to cut down those of the Clear Sky.
What fate would befall the Heavenly Roaming Prefecture should these early, middle, and late [Core Formation] cultivators be rescued and allowed to roam?
Not one of Clouded Court interest.
“Hushi holds talent with formations, friend Tu. He will see these victims free.”
His words were taken at face value, only prompting Tu and her [Spirit Ostrich] to nod as they parted once more.
🀦
Orchid banners clapped at the tower’s peak, exposed to Heaven’s tepid gale until the [Dao of Conquest’s Exhalation] bid them quiet.
“Villain,” announced Sikou, his jian steeped in Imperial blood. The singular sheen of red within this True Imperial’s orchid hued den. “Rennounce these unjust practices and surrender. The Warriors Association is here to set you on the righteous path.”
Fu waited to his rear, projecting the essence of an untroubled master. His douli was low, but he needed no eyes to sense the four [Spirit Serpents] at rest in this villain’s lair.
Fallen cousins. A sha removing this Imperial’s head will not free them.
A languid Vajra was poised by the furthest balustrade, turning to set the trails of her orchid robes a-flow. Circlets of her prodigious [Plague Qi] orbited her with the likeness of decorative bows and cruelty had sculpted her face into a thing of sharp beauty.
Her voice held a promise of sweet violence, like that of a drunkard’s final trill before fatal misstep.
“It is most like your kind. Daring to tread where they should not,” she said. “The unenlightened. The ravagers of order. Uncoloured filth.”
Sikou’s wolves gained a step, intent on the serpents as they slowly wound about the tower’s edges.
“Forget these hateful words and speak plainly, Imperial.”
Yet she seed caught in a dream, addressing the distant skies. “My Emperor’s roots collapse. His eternal will, broken by those that know not the imnsity of his Heavens! Through his vision alone there stood here a paradise. An order. Where the pure geniuses of his flock might be nourished and where all lesser fools might remain. You. You are of this ilk. You are those that would force his hand!”
In a blur, Sikou’s jian was t by a serpent’s oozing fangs.
Only to vanish a heartbeat later.
“A serenity to escape samsara. Each domain within his hegemony, a trove for those that prove themselves of benefit. Our [Spring] everlasting. Tainted by the snow-kissed, sun-scorched and dead-scented!”
The next serpent erupted through Fu’s center, unable to disturb a single hair upon his [Heavenly Spectre’s Shroud].
At this her fury grew, trailing caustic tears across her cheeks. The floor violently hissed where they fell.
“By mandate of the Warriors Association, surrender. I will ask no more,” clenched Sikou. “[Spring’s] order is defied. All beneath Heaven should know that to challenge the Five Pillars’ authority is to court death. Put in your eyes, Imperial, to lay down your arms is the path that avoids ruin. The strong need not always prey on the weak! Let us show you the better way.”
This is the righteous man, no? Those that put aside their greed for another’s good. His passion is palpable.
Her serpents struck again, but Sikou proved no fool. Glinting, silver [Sword Qi] broke from his stroke to sever the beast’s center.
But this rely oozed.
Morphed.
Split.
These enemies held a [Constitution] not unlike Fu’s own, comprised of frothing, acidic [Plague Qi] where his own was spectral. Great necrotic puddles ford wherever this once-one-now-two [Spirit Serpent] appeared, blackening the very wood where they clashed.
“Feast, my poisoned hearts. Feast,” the Imperial intoned. “They have not the will to stop our beloved Emperor’s designs! For all their pitiful struggles, they will serve only as another blade to cleanse our now-tainted paradise.”
Violence erupted through myriad snakes.
Sikou wove a peerless trail about his three [Spirit Wolves], countering with a thousand strokes of his jian technique. Indeed, Fu had not the words to do it justice, for his dley of cuts struck with preternatural aim.
Serpents spilled by the dozens in re monts, cut and reconstituted into numbers that defied reality. This swarm consud the floor in monts, leaving Sikou and his wolves to spring between pillar, shrapnel and eroded edge as his onslaught continued.
Fu remained upon air, inserting his pipe.
[Dao of the Epheral Cascade].
Rain began to fall, garnering the Imperial’s full ire.
“Even now you defy his will! Submit, and serve your purpose as fuel.”
He shook. “Allow to know your na, honoured Imperial. If I am to et my end, then [Spring] could show this one rcy.”
“You dare!”
Mist plud downwards from his pipe, blotting out Sikou and his pack as they continually struggled beneath the rising tide of serpents. His winds saw to all else, keeping the righteous warrior distant and at bay.
Then he went low, kowtowing upon the air.
“What trickery is this?” she fud.
“None, tallest blade,” he said, using [Spring’s] honorifics. “This fresh shoot only wishes to know whom he might serve.”
Confusion evident, the Imperial’s jaw tightened. “Orchid Afflictions Dragon! And she will suffer no-”
Shuidi detonated the convergence of [Arrays] and inscribed circuitry so many li beneath them, disrupting the formation in entirety. The once-restrained [Plague Qi] within the surrounding waters rumbled, no longer contained within the wellspring crater by its effects.
It surged.
As did the Fatherly [Asura].
Rain fell.
[Demonic Art: Spectre Steals the Stars].
Neither this Imperial nor her [Spirit Serpents] held [Constellation Seeds] to reap, and yet their very existence was a benefit. With his surge, Fu interred himself in the tidal, multiplying serpents and violently jerked their Qi for his own.
One, then ten, then one hundred, all sharing the sa [Core]. He ensnared the mass with the deftness of a fisher’s hook, devouring many, many moons worth of refined [Poison Qi] from within these composite beasts.
Blood coughed from the Imperial as the first of her beasts shattered, and she tumbled from her pristine perch.
Fu’s kick erupted her into a skyward pillar, where her [Constitution] oozed on impact.
“My [Array] is flawless,” she rasped, bloody and dazed. “My intent is pure. The filthy flesh of lower Marches were to spread his will among these Clear Sky [Demons]! My… My Emperor! Am I below your notice?”
A palm went to her brow, siphoning the last drops of purified Qi. The destruction of her [Core] followed swiftly, though not as swift as the [Shrine of Final Skies] reaping of her possessions, stowing them as the realm’s turbulent Qi surged once more.
He had witnessed the backlash of a [Mystic Realm’s] restrained Qi once before, when Bingbai had loosed his hold on the [Twilight Lotus Abyss].
The effect was mirrored.
[Plague Qi] burst forth as if the lid of an untended pot had fallen wayward. Geysers, fonts, tides- entire ocean’s worths of the liquid malady rushed to the Heavens, growing to blot out the sky.
Swiftly infusing [Half Cloud Step], Fu arrived before Tu, Hushi, and a ceaseless stream of rushing Imperials. Their maddened stampede shook the tower’s foundations, for it was untold thousands that stread downward.
“A sight I’d rather experience on page,” Tu said, studying the climbing tide. “These civilians won’t survive.”
Sikou broke from above, landing to show a cruelty of missing flesh upon his arms. “Gao Fu, is the villain ended?”
“She is, friend Sikou. No longer will she harm these innocents. The shattering of her [Array], that is another matter entirely,” he said, tilting upward. “I must apologize for my defensive technique, but, perhaps at a later date?”
If offended, the warrior did not reveal it.
“The cart is before the ox, no? I sense its descent,” said Tu, wrinkling her nose. “A pity. My preferred death ideally involves more silken sheets and sweat.”
Fu gave a reassuring smile. “That fate may yet co. Hushi and I can hold back this tide, for a short while. Tu, Sikou, I would ask for your aid. The weakest among these Imperials will not make it to the [Paifang] before my strength collapses.”
He gave his silent thanks to the Heavens, for among the stampede children did not number as many as he had feared.
Lesser thousands beneath his manifested, ever cascading rain.
But was that to a cultivator?
“We will strive to do what we can,” said Sikou.
Both warriors started as Fu nigh pressed his head to the floor, lacing [Profundity] over his words. “Beneath the [Boundless Dao] there are few things I treasure more than the young. The Jianghu’s future talents that might carry our hopes forward. Whatever aid you might offer them will be repaid tenfold.”
Tu’s cheeks reddened. “Sikou. You’ve misspoken. The Warriors Association will give flesh and blood for their safety. This we swear on the [Dao].”
Her rallying call began in tandem with the wave’s first and final descent.
Shuidi returned to nestle in tight as vivid, vermillion auras of [Force Qi] hoisted scores of juvenile cultivators and beasts from the fleeing masses, negotiating them to the tower’s lowest walkways.
Myriad edges of [Sword Qi] shattered the surrounding Warships, slowly but surely raining a bridge of shattered debris across the crater’s frothing surface.
Fu blurred to open air as the descending wave arrived but so few strides away.
[Dao of the Epheral Cascade].
Stasis gripped the surrounding elents.
No longer was rain in motion, nor the cataclysm descending. His [Insight] had grown vastly since last he conjured this [Dao].
And yet he flared dramatically, nonetheless, seizing the benefits of such a unique opportunity. With a backstep, he grunted, allowing one portion of his [Dao] to subside.
The [Plague Qi] fell.
The [Plague Qi] consud.
[Dao of the Epheral Cascade].
Screams of the Sect’s enemies scarcely escaped their armor. This peerless liquid stripped bare both flesh and coloration, decaying life and armor until the disparity between Blue, Green and Yellow could no longer be told.
He descended another strata, and another, repeating his pageantry. Inspiring hope when long minutes passed without a break, and then the imdiate dread as the mysterious, righteous Gao Fu suffered setbacks against the [Mystic Realm’s] immortal strength.
[Dao]. Strata. [Dao]. Strata.
Then a call ca as his ntal reserves neared the point that a swift night’s sleep might redy.
“Gao Fu! The children have crossed!” shouted Sikou’s full command.
“Aid them across the threshold, friend. I stay to the last!” returned Fu.
Monts passed.
“This Gao Shuidi no longer senses his presence.”
So saying, the Fatherly [Asura] collapsed his [Dao of the Epheral Cascade] that he might better welco this tide of incoming, beneficial Qi.
Only slightly marred by the Imperials that yet lingered within.
On contact, [Ink] burned.
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