On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

Four Hundred And Ninety-Three

Tribulation? I’d read about them of course. When breaking through to certain higher Cultivation Realms, the Heavens would challenge them, angry at their actions towards immortality. There were many types, but most involved lightning, while some also involved creatures from other realms appearing to try and kill the Cultivator, or at least test their will. Are you sure?

Daiyu shook her head, even as her damaged and frozen body was healing she was using her Spirit Water to attack, as well as countering the poison gas. Chen Na’s shield bubbles were repelling it, but how long that would last was uncertain. It is merely a guess, but… the way this space is created and sealed… things can come in, but not get out… Her mental voice was filled with static, fading, but I concentrated on the fading overlap of her Silver Cord and my Connection, pouring in aether, trying to feel it with Chirurgery, and suddenly her voice snapped back into focus, even as amber letters blazed in my vision.

Your Skill, Silver Connection has advanced from Rank 5 to Rank 6, breaking through the first bottleneck. Connection between your Material and Astral forms is strengthened, and the damage taken from having either destroyed is less reflected on the other. All abilities involving connections and bonds you possess are further strengthened. You are better able to overlap the Silver Cords of others who consent with your Connection, allowing you to function as a beacon, allowing spiritual data to flow between the Material and the Astral. [Class: Imperious] [Type: Artifice]

In addition, as I broke another bottleneck, I gained yet another Level in Prodigy Of The Lower Worlds, which made me smile wryly. I wonder if there’s an upgrade for mastering the Class at such a rapid pace? Maybe I’ll find out in a few Levels. The more important thing though was the surge of strength I felt as Silver Connection upgraded. It seemed the two biggest factors in one’s Statistics were firstly and most importantly the Chakra network, but after that, the Silver Cord or equivalent played a big role, and my power bloomed.

I am willing to gamble he will not wish the space destroyed. Daiyu’s thoughts were clear to me now. Looking at her with my Eye, I could see her Rank of Lovers’ Link had risen, and rose again even as I watched. I could feel all of her, more clearly than ever, all her hopes, dreams, emotions…

Don’t forget about me, bro! Aiko’s connection also sprang back into focus. If you’ve already ruined me, what’s it matter if it happens again? I mean, a girl only has one first…

Aiko! I thought her name back at her loudly, showing my displeasure at her joke, but she merely replied to me with her mind, her spirit, not hesitating to fire arrows at the monk, her Golden Sisters back and attacking him, though the monk called out the name of another Frozen Naraka, and a great fan made of translucent ice formed, the gradients going from red to purple with each section. Feeling danger from that, I let out a warning shout. Mere moments had passed, thought communication nigh instantaneous, but the monk was also swift, and it took him little time to prepare his next move.

Just help those pair of foolish foxes, bro! My sis stopped her jokes, but her face was flushed, and a glance at her status surprised me. Daiyu and I came for a reason!

“Insolence! Destroying the craft of a master of the Formation Arts is a sin, the karma heavy!” The monk swung his fan, and the nearest two golden statues were sliced in two, the shields of Chen Na penetrated, spatial element surging purple, showing how it was done. “This transcendent monk is furious! Break!” Space fluctuated, and the remaining golden warriors lost their defensive shields, the barriers popping like soap bubbles. The ripples spread out, and my sis darted backwards, knowing without the protection the poisonous fog would quickly kill her painfully.

Indeed. The monk surpasses me in every way, I am dust in front of him… but he is mistaken if he believes that the power he has stolen is his own. The Heavens have not yet judged him worthy, I am certain. Besides… Chang’e has granted me this Favour, and I shall use it, and one day it shall be mine, not hers. You will see it so, correct? Daiyu turned her head, giving me a brilliant smile, her dark eyes seeming deeper than ever, before she rushed to my sis, throwing out a volley of water bullets, which the fan deflected, fragments of ice chipping off.

“Forgetting me-me are you?” Shaeula unleashed light and wind together, creating a vivid flashbang effect. The monk, surprised by such a blow, was dazed for a merest fraction of a second, but Shaeula’s pinwheels sought his neck once more, and blood bloomed. “That-that is three…” she crowed, as the monk swept his fan. One Pinwheel was severed, the spinning head careening forwards, but Shaeula was waiting for such. Wind surged, and the pinwheel spun backwards. The monk sensed it with his Qi, but thought it no danger, and was surprised as it slammed into his arm, hidden sharp wires within spinning free, slicing into his skin.

“You dare?” the monk roared, and I moved, darting to Nebisuki, who was crawling towards Tamamo-no-Mae, who was dangling on the ground, half held up by the remaining chains. Nebisuki’s flesh was corroding, and blood was fountaining from her severed stumps. I quickly pulled her up, and she looked at me, the light fading from her eyes.

“It seems that Uranai was mistaken…” She coughed, venomous essence spilling from her onto my armour. “…Unless I needed my fifth tail long… before this…” She glanced at Tamamo-no-Mae, an inscrutable expression on her face. “Grandmother… greatest of us all. To meet such a fate… I feel sorry for you, despite everything.”

“Don’t worry.” I pressed the Bezoar back into her trembling hand, and poured out my Spirit Water and Ether Healing into the surprised Yōkai. “You won’t die yet. Nor will she.” I nodded at Tamamo-no-Mae. “As for your missing tails…” My Eye flared, and I could see it had done tremendous damage to her spiritual body, the essence of a Kitsune’s power being in her tails, and the backlash was terrible. “…it so happens Shaeula and I are quite the Chirurgeons. Hold out a little longer, and watch me fulfil my promise, okay? After all… you contributed to our coffers in exchange for shares in our business, right? If you die, then that Fae Princess Ffionnan will just get everything. You don’t want that, do you?”

As Nebisuki laughed disbelievingly, Shaeula, Daiyu and my sis were all distracting the monk, though they were on the defensive, and the whole space quaked, sparks scattering. Cracks spread across the ceiling, and the floor distorted. Runes winked out of existence, and the monk roared in rage. Back in the Material, I was pouring out all my earth element, tearing the Sessho-seki apart, and using Daiyu’s birthday present as a place to store chunks of the rock, as well as the destroyed and also intact Formation Plates I found within. Not sure it counts as a birthday present, second-hand jewellery, but having a few treasures within might be nice.

My Eye was instrumental in figuring out what each Plate did, and while I wasn’t able to understand everything, or even the majority of the complicated artistry that went into the Plates, I was able to work out which ones to break, and which ones to steal.

“You wretched, impulsive fools! This old monk warned you!” He waved his fan, only for Shaeula to make a gesture with her hands towards me. I rushed towards Tamamo-no-Mae, but as I did so, I unleashed Foehn, only for Shaeula to call upon her Wind-Eating Breath. The brilliant jade glow surged, and the monk snorted, Qi surging, his fan of ice scattering it, purple spatial elements flashing.

“Too bad, you are not-not so calm, monk. I can tell-tell you are a crafter, not-not a fighter!” The scattered Foehn that Shaeula cast struck the fan, and immediately began to devour the wind aspect of the elemental ice the fan was made of. It wasn’t strong enough, but as my own Foehn, guided by my aether, slammed into the fan as well, the two aspects of the Foehn Shaeula and I had discovered long ago combined. Flame fed on wind, and the icy fan collapsed, melting away, and droplets fell on the monk, searing through his robes.

The expected eruption of anger did not come though. The monk called upon his hands of Qi, tearing off his robes and trying to remove the Foehn. Doing so was futile, however, as the boosted flames clung tenaciously. With an expression of bitter enlightenment, the monk severed his own flesh, allowing the Foehn to fall away. “Amitabha. You are certainly worthy of some respect. I, the Saint of Swallowed Sorrows, being pushed so far… but it ends now. This surprised old monk will not allow his efforts to go to waste. Kunlun must pay. You forced me to this. Better you all perish here, than suffer the consequences of your actions. Return to the Wheel of Reincarnation and try again!” He slammed his palms together, his Qi hands multiplying and also clasping in prayer. “I did not defeat the famed Tamamo-no-Mae by being naïve, I may be a specialist in the Six Noble Pursuits, but make no mistake, I am a Saint, and no vegetarian! I have spilled blood for longer than you brats have been living!”

Ignoring him, trusting Shaeula to hold her own, at least for a while, I shattered the chains holding Tamamo-no-Mae. The fox fell on her face, only for the monk to trigger something. The space around us began to distort, squeezing in towards me, only for a sudden explosion of ghostly blue lights to surround me, shattering the Qi. I expanded my vision, to see Nebisuki collapsing onto her back, tongue hanging out, her last strength spent on her foxfires. “Akio… grandmother…” she gasped, losing consciousness, only the glow of the Bezoar in her hands showing she was still alive.

The mist has stopped… Daiyu observed, sharing her thoughts with me. Indeed, it seemed that with Tamamo-no-Mae disconnected, the poisonous karma toxin was no longer being generated. I believe we can win this, so long as whatever Formation he activates here can be managed…

Oh, it can be… I responded, picking up the limp Tamamo-no-Mae. Her ample chest pushed against me, only in rags, but I had no time for embarrassment now, and I was a different man to who I used to be. This is no time for that. The ancient fox was alive, though she gave no reaction. It was as if her mind was gone, or at least dormant.

“It is useless. She was stripped of all her karma, leaving nothing left. All that remains is her hollow shell and a few fragments of life. But in the end, it is for the best. With her sins, the Wheel of Reincarnation will not be kind to her. Paying before death is simply a blessing for her. Though hollow vessels can always be filled anew.” the monk declared boldly. He was still attacking with his Qi hands, and the walls were sprouting icy hands and faces, but with the diminishing poison their threat was also diminished, though again that worried me. Where’s the inevitable death? I honestly don’t see it…

“Not for you to decide, old man.” I shook my head. “Especially when it’s so self-serving. All you did was harvest her, like some crop. And you betrayed those that aided you.” I nodded to the corpses of the Yōkai and mortals who lay broken and corroded. “But who am I to judge? I’ve killed, and I’ve decided who should live and who should die. So if you let us take her away, then we can call this even. You want revenge on Kunlun, well, that’s your business. We won’t interfere.”

The Saint of Swallowed Sorrows seemed perplexed by that. “You would end this battle now?”

“Of course. I value the lives of my comrades far more than ending yours. While we are at odds over Tamamo-no-Mae, you’ve had what you wanted from her, and yes, we damaged your Formation here, but we were fighting for our lives.”

Daiyu agreed. “It has been an honour meeting a wise senior, one who has climbed to the pinnacle, Sainthood. If we met in better circumstances, I would have greatly desired to learn your wisdom. Do not let your light go out here, senior.”

My sis couldn’t follow the Chinese, so I filled her in with her link to me, and then translated her response. “A monk should be able to let go of grudges, right? Aren’t you afraid of bad karma yourself?”

“What I fear?” The monk laughed. “You cannot fathom what I fear. But your words have a certain wisdom to them. However…” He looked up at the cracked ceiling of this separate dungeon space, then down at Tamamo-no-Mae in my arms. “…preparations have been made. One last gamble. I was not prepared, but to face what I have delayed so long…” He looked at Daiyu then, shaking his head. “Let this senior give you one last piece of wisdom. This world disconnected from the Heavenly Realm many, many years ago. And in that was both trial and opportunity. Those cowards from Kunlun stole what they could, keeping it for themselves, and others likely made similar choices. Bereft of the Qi of Heaven and Earth to Cultivate, even those whose spirits reached Nascency would wither and die, unable to reach the Sainted realm and free themselves of physical limitations. I was not alone. Others perished, but I… I am a planner. Through guile, I accomplished what greater Cultivators with all their vaunted might could not.” He glowed with pride, especially as Daiyu hung on his every word, like a good student. This is good, buy me just a little more time…

“You must hone your body, your Qi, your skills, but never neglect the Six Noble Pursuits. For they are the foundation of true Cultivation. A weapon forged by a master Smith can give one wings. A Talisman, used properly, can turn the tide of any battle. Refining can create medicines and pills that can produce miracles. Taming…” he snorted, eyeing the fallen Kitsune, as well as Shaeula. “…putting such worthless spirits to use has many possibilities.”

“How-how rude. I am no mere spirit, I am as much a person as you are.” Shaeula scoffed, but she too was listening to the lecture, while ready to strike at any moment.

“Divination… those that know the path of the future are able to mould it to their will. And lastly… Formations… used properly, they can make the battlefield one you cannot lose in. They can even trick the Heavens themselves, though my skills pale before the heights. But in a barren world, so far from them… yes, here I made my nest, and broke through the limits Kunlun shackled me with. And I kept Tamamo-no-Mae alive. For she still had a use. If you did not come here, provide me fresh karma, then I would have had to use her one final time. But since you did…”

He activated his Qi, and the space surged with violet energies. A great runic Formation lit up, no, two paired formations, and a subordinate child formation, which nobody but I could see, as it was on the Material, the Sessho-seki standing at the centre of it. The lava-strewn ground boiled, and for a moment the ether density matched the deepest lower Astral, stored Qi gathered over many hundreds of years blooming. Quickly…

My Eye was working overtime, seeing into the Sessho-seki, searching for a Formation. Back in the dungeon in the Boundary, the Saint finished his speech triumphantly. “…you all shall take the trial, the approbation of the Heavens in my stead. Karmic Infusion Formation, Stage One. Blank Slate.”

The monk was lit up with light, his Qi sucked out of him, leaving him empty.

Daiyu launched an attack, and Shaeula, her hidden cards prepared, tried to interrupt the workings, but hands of Qi that had already been set up blocked the torrent of attacks effortlessly. My sis had no more luck, her arrows scattering off his defences, and Chen Na was cowering, unable to mount an attack, while Nebisuki was unconscious.

I’m the one who can do it… Prominence Dawn had been prepared, and I had used light element to try and mask the brilliant glow, though I suspected that the monk could see through that easily enough with his Qi Perception, but he didn’t take it seriously. Which might be a mistake…

“This would never have worked in the era of Kunlun, but… Karmic Infusion Formation, Stage Two. Second Self!” The Formations blazed with violet light, and stored, different Qi poured into the monk, increasing his power, while his drained Qi was drawn into the Formation. “Those that cheat the Heavens never come to good ends, and my strength will never match a true Saint, but… so long as I have the will and the patience, I will have my revenge! Karmic Infusion Formation, Stage Three, Destiny Adjudication!”

A brilliant light surged, his stored Qi radiating out, along with a significant amount of spatial element. At that moment, Shaeula, Daiyu and my sis retreated behind me, and I unleashed Prominence Dawn, fuelled by my remaining Foehn. The monk smiled slightly, as if my efforts were useless, but at that moment my Material form finally retrieved what I was looking for.

Spatial Expansion And Control Formation Plate [Item Class: Imperious] [Item Type: Artifice]

A Formation plate, one of many combined to create a Legendary Formation that spins together a number of different, complimentary runic Formations, a labour of many long years and immense dedication and Qi, that touches the Laws of Space, Ice and the Dao of Karmic Retribution. Each component works as part of a greater whole, and this plate draws on the insufficient aether of the fragile Boundary, converting it to usable Qi and expanding the space within the Sessho-seki to accommodate the other Formations.

Got you. Even as this was happening, the volcanos erupted fiercely, blowing ash high into the atmosphere, the ground trembling. Lightning began to flicker in the clouds, but not the usual static discharges caused by ash particles rubbing together. No, this was different, and very ominous. The ether density was rapidly scaling up, and the sky itself seemed riven with cracks into deep violet darkness…

Within the Sessho-seki, the monk laughed. “It begins… the Sessho-seki, this prison and sanctuary, will momentarily collapse. I intended to pass on the karmic fate to the drained Tamamo-no-Mae, a fitting punishment for her many crimes, or if that failed, wait for a foolish visitor to this rock who is suitable. I have great patience, but now…” he smiled at us. Here it comes. If my death is almost certain, it can’t be anything but this. What would be different after the Quest, other than me being stronger? That’s the clue to surviving this…

“Karmic Infusion Final Stage, Destiny Transference!” he roared, and the space shook, the Formation arrays shuddering. The rock began to crack, fissuring irregularly, and a faint, almost beautiful series of singing voices could be heard. The monk laughed. “I see, I see. The Earthly world I have not seen in so long must be drifting closer to the Heavens once more. I guessed as much when I saw you with power not your own…” He nodded at my wary sis and Daiyu. “…but to think the Heavenly Tribulation of Purifying Lightning has drawn some of them…”

“Prepare to get out. Shaeula, carry Nebisuki…” I shouted, simultaneously pulling the Formation Plate into Daiyu’s ring, while unleashing the fires of Prominence Dawn. The monk snorted, space twisting around him, protecting him, although Foehn quickly ate away at his defences, just as it had against the golden-eyed devourer. But I wasn’t aiming at him, but all in my sight.

Akio, do you need help? Daiyu’s thoughts rang out but I bade her ready herself to return to the Material. The Destiny Transference was surging, the Qi and the imprint it carried surging, but the monk suddenly frowned, his expression grave.

“How… at the very last…” His Formations shattered, the Sessho-Seki, without the push of the Spatial Expansion Formation, breaking down, the space itself collapsing prematurely. “But I still control the Karmic Infusion Formation. What I make is not so easily broken!” He roared, all of his Qi and hoarded strength boiling out. It left him vulnerable, and the Prominence Dawn of Radiance, containing my Foehn, seared his flesh down to the bone, burning his insides. Above, in the Material, the lightning flared down, and I knew this was the moment.

“Prominence… Dusk!” I cried out, and the ring of brilliant light fringed with darkness inverted, dark to light, Yin to Yang, as it were. The greedy halo of darkness pulled in the Qi, the karma the old monk was trying to infuse into us all. Then space shattered, and the brilliant, incandescent golden lightning surged through the shattered Boundary, space crumbling away, and the monk roared in panic, but mocking laughter and beautiful singing could be heard over the sudden blinding flash as my Prominence Dusk drew the lightning my way.

“No, no, at the last hurdle… it is Kunlun all over again…” The wounded monk was unable to shed his burden in time, the collapsing space revealing his location to the distant, unreachable Heavens, and he was struck by the first bolt. Unfortunately, several bolts forked my way, striking me and the nine-tailed fox in my arms, and the agonising surge of energy blasted out, blinding me, robbing me of my senses. I guess this is it. The moment… is it death, and failure and the loss of everything, or victory snatched from the jaws of defeat?