Chapter 574
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Chapter 574
Having obtained the qualifications to go on the special excursion with the Harmonious Citadel, Vari found several features that worried her even more than her normal negative interactions with her old sect. Like having to give up all communication devices. The old Vari would have accepted it without question- it was a good way to prevent spies from leaking information, after all. And also a good way to isolate people and a clear sign of lack of trust in their disciples, for all their harmony.
It was a good thing some form of this had been anticipated. Vari gave up all her forms of active communication- there was little of interest among them. After all, if she had been captured, revealing anything from Xankeshan would not only make things worse for them but also herself. Though if her own position were compromised Vari understood there wasnt really any chance of survival- it was simply best if they thought she was unimportant and quickly finished her off.
The only thing she retained was an inconspicuous token, the formations woven into it using very little energy and only transmitting a small amount of very important information- her location. More than that, she could infuse some of her own energy into it to provide a signal- though that was only for emergencies. To keep the device simple, there were only two options depending on how she did it- one to warn people to stay away, and another to ask for a group to come aid her. The former basically meant resigning herself to death, and the latter she only hoped to use to disrupt whatever the special excursion was.
Vari was packed in with all of the others on ships that had just enough space for a short time of travel, maybe a few days between systems or a couple weeks if they were going further. But after two weeks, they had not heard any further news of their progress, nobody getting off at the stops to refuel and resupply.
If it had not been a rapid form of suicide, Vari would have sought out those who seemed discontent with the Harmonious Citadel among those on board and trying to turn them to her side. However, not only was this particular group selected for those with greater devotion to the cause- Vari had to do a lot of pretending to still believe everything was fine and normal- there was nowhere for her to go if something backfired. Even so, she still kept track of potential individuals. Those with bruises and cuts from sparring and individuals who suffered from less physical forms of abuse. It seemed to be always those who practiced the subordinate Holy Harmony Technique. That was the way of things.
Vari did her best to remain unnoticed, to not stand out or appear weak. She kept her spear on her at all times, even though in truth she would be deadlier if she set aside that weapon and just chose to kick people with the fancy boots she got from Everhearts Tomb. Even on a ship with only allies, carrying a weapon at all times was seen as a reasonable act, proper wariness rather than paranoia.
When they finally arrived at their destination, it was entirely uninteresting. A barely livable planet with nothing going for it. Yet it was the same place every other ship destined for the special excursion arrived at, so it wasnt as if Vari in particular ended up with the worst location. This was just what it was. She had some suspicions- her contact with the others had been minimal since she began her operation, but she still knew about the invasions of the lower realms. She just couldnt verify anything right away.
-----
Life on the new planet was simple and boring. Training, either in groups or individually- but without the beneficial facilities that the major planets of the Harmonious Citadel provided. There were at least instructors of some talent- individuals in Integration, some more advanced than others. Vari felt she could really learn something about the spear from spearmaster Jafet, but she knew she wouldnt improve her actual strength training with them.
It took some time for their goal to be clearly stated, during which time Vari spent as much of her free time as possible low key spying. First she determined how many Integration cultivators were present- more than two dozen at first, increasing over time as new ships arrived. They had a real army present, which basically confirmed her suspicions before the actual revelation.This chapter was first shared on the Ñøv€lß1n platform.
Jafet was one of those with the greatest influence present, a man who clearly showed his age but had the strength to maintain a position. He had some potential to step into Augmentation- but clearly he was not a supreme talent, or he would have done so a century prior at least. Either way, he was respected enough to give the official announcement.
As Im sure most of you are aware, the man began slowly, There are many materials difficult to obtain in the upper realms that are quite prevalent in the lower realms. These can bestow certain properties on equipment or improve the training of cultivators, especially those below the Integration stage- but it is not exclusively limited to them. He looked over the gathered crowd, hundreds of Life Transformation cultivators gathered from many planets. Ascended individuals might bring some amount of those with them, but they are hardly selective. It is difficult to secure a consistent supply but word has reached the Harmonious Citadel of certain opportunities. A mere few decades from now one of those will arise. But this involves descending to the lower realms. Thus, from now on we will be acclimating ourselves to lower energy to fight at our optimum capacity.
There were many exclamations of surprise. Vari did her best to at least look pensive as if she didnt already know. She hadnt known that the Harmonious Citadel possessed this particular information, but it was not crazy that they would have it. There were many ways it could have come to them, between informants or lucky individuals who ascended from lower realms after their worlds had been invaded. Like Alva, but most would be properly swept up in the Harmonious Citadel. The truth was they were a strong sect with a powerful cultivation technique, so the loss of some autonomy would have been acceptable for many even if they knew everything.
Just wait for us, Vari, Alva said to a friend who could not hear her. Well be there.
-----
Theres no way this is a coincidence, Catarina said after she had double and triple checked the location information from Varis token. But even if it somehow isnt what it looks like, theres an isolated pocket of the Harmonious Citadel, some hundreds of Life Transformation cultivators and dozens of Integration cultivators- enough to deal a crippling blow to the Harmonious Citadel if they were lost.
Timothy sighed, Unfortunately, our allies might not believe us. If they think were making use of their forces for our own purposes
Then they can get the hell off our planet, Catarina folded her arms in front of her. If they dont trust us enough to follow through with a single assault at our direction, I dont trust them to remain on Xankeshan. We can just huddle up there forever while they fight the Harmonious Citadel on their own.
He has a point, Alva said hesitantly. I have no doubt some people will join us, but well still want to convince as many people as possible to participate. This isnt just something we can try to match the enemy forces and hope everything works out. At best, even if we came out slightly ahead on losses it wouldnt really be a victory. And we dont know if they had people there already.
Catarina nodded. I agree. We need to perform solidly. Once they arrive it will be clear the forces belong to the Harmonious Citadel, but we need enough for a decisive victory. I would prefer to solidify our position as more than just the people with control of Xankeshans formations. But Im not much of a leader. Or a negotiator.
Hoyts eyes turned to his grandfather, Prospero Vandale. What? Prospero raised an eyebrow, You think that just because I was the leader of a sect for a couple centuries that Im good for the job?
You were a good leader, Hoyt said. Even if I didnt want to rely on your influence.
Maybe I was, Prospero shrugged. But I know how cultivators work. Right now Im not even an Integration cultivator. Here, nobody will listen to me. So it will have to be someone else. The grandfather in a younger body than his grandson didnt waver in his gaze.
... Me? Hoyt asked.
What? Im not asking you to do anything apparently difficult like getting me great-grandchildren. Just rile up some cultivators to form an army and stomp their enemies into the dirt.
Timothy and Catarina exchanged a silent glance while Hoyt sighed. Fine. I suppose I might be the best for that particular task. Also you were definitely older than me when you married grandma.
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Chapter 574
Having obtained the qualifications to go on the special excursion with the Harmonious Citadel, Vari found several features that worried her even more than her normal negative interactions with her old sect. Like having to give up all communication devices. The old Vari would have accepted it without question- it was a good way to prevent spies from leaking information, after all. And also a good way to isolate people and a clear sign of lack of trust in their disciples, for all their harmony.
It was a good thing some form of this had been anticipated. Vari gave up all her forms of active communication- there was little of interest among them. After all, if she had been captured, revealing anything from Xankeshan would not only make things worse for them but also herself. Though if her own position were compromised Vari understood there wasnt really any chance of survival- it was simply best if they thought she was unimportant and quickly finished her off.
The only thing she retained was an inconspicuous token, the formations woven into it using very little energy and only transmitting a small amount of very important information- her location. More than that, she could infuse some of her own energy into it to provide a signal- though that was only for emergencies. To keep the device simple, there were only two options depending on how she did it- one to warn people to stay away, and another to ask for a group to come aid her. The former basically meant resigning herself to death, and the latter she only hoped to use to disrupt whatever the special excursion was.
Vari was packed in with all of the others on ships that had just enough space for a short time of travel, maybe a few days between systems or a couple weeks if they were going further. But after two weeks, they had not heard any further news of their progress, nobody getting off at the stops to refuel and resupply.
If it had not been a rapid form of suicide, Vari would have sought out those who seemed discontent with the Harmonious Citadel among those on board and trying to turn them to her side. However, not only was this particular group selected for those with greater devotion to the cause- Vari had to do a lot of pretending to still believe everything was fine and normal- there was nowhere for her to go if something backfired. Even so, she still kept track of potential individuals. Those with bruises and cuts from sparring and individuals who suffered from less physical forms of abuse. It seemed to be always those who practiced the subordinate Holy Harmony Technique. That was the way of things.
Vari did her best to remain unnoticed, to not stand out or appear weak. She kept her spear on her at all times, even though in truth she would be deadlier if she set aside that weapon and just chose to kick people with the fancy boots she got from Everhearts Tomb. Even on a ship with only allies, carrying a weapon at all times was seen as a reasonable act, proper wariness rather than paranoia.
When they finally arrived at their destination, it was entirely uninteresting. A barely livable planet with nothing going for it. Yet it was the same place every other ship destined for the special excursion arrived at, so it wasnt as if Vari in particular ended up with the worst location. This was just what it was. She had some suspicions- her contact with the others had been minimal since she began her operation, but she still knew about the invasions of the lower realms. She just couldnt verify anything right away.
-----
Life on the new planet was simple and boring. Training, either in groups or individually- but without the beneficial facilities that the major planets of the Harmonious Citadel provided. There were at least instructors of some talent- individuals in Integration, some more advanced than others. Vari felt she could really learn something about the spear from spearmaster Jafet, but she knew she wouldnt improve her actual strength training with them.
It took some time for their goal to be clearly stated, during which time Vari spent as much of her free time as possible low key spying. First she determined how many Integration cultivators were present- more than two dozen at first, increasing over time as new ships arrived. They had a real army present, which basically confirmed her suspicions before the actual revelation.This chapter was first shared on the Ñøv€lß1n platform.
Jafet was one of those with the greatest influence present, a man who clearly showed his age but had the strength to maintain a position. He had some potential to step into Augmentation- but clearly he was not a supreme talent, or he would have done so a century prior at least. Either way, he was respected enough to give the official announcement.
As Im sure most of you are aware, the man began slowly, There are many materials difficult to obtain in the upper realms that are quite prevalent in the lower realms. These can bestow certain properties on equipment or improve the training of cultivators, especially those below the Integration stage- but it is not exclusively limited to them. He looked over the gathered crowd, hundreds of Life Transformation cultivators gathered from many planets. Ascended individuals might bring some amount of those with them, but they are hardly selective. It is difficult to secure a consistent supply but word has reached the Harmonious Citadel of certain opportunities. A mere few decades from now one of those will arise. But this involves descending to the lower realms. Thus, from now on we will be acclimating ourselves to lower energy to fight at our optimum capacity.
There were many exclamations of surprise. Vari did her best to at least look pensive as if she didnt already know. She hadnt known that the Harmonious Citadel possessed this particular information, but it was not crazy that they would have it. There were many ways it could have come to them, between informants or lucky individuals who ascended from lower realms after their worlds had been invaded. Like Alva, but most would be properly swept up in the Harmonious Citadel. The truth was they were a strong sect with a powerful cultivation technique, so the loss of some autonomy would have been acceptable for many even if they knew everything.
Just wait for us, Vari, Alva said to a friend who could not hear her. Well be there.
-----
Theres no way this is a coincidence, Catarina said after she had double and triple checked the location information from Varis token. But even if it somehow isnt what it looks like, theres an isolated pocket of the Harmonious Citadel, some hundreds of Life Transformation cultivators and dozens of Integration cultivators- enough to deal a crippling blow to the Harmonious Citadel if they were lost.
Timothy sighed, Unfortunately, our allies might not believe us. If they think were making use of their forces for our own purposes
Then they can get the hell off our planet, Catarina folded her arms in front of her. If they dont trust us enough to follow through with a single assault at our direction, I dont trust them to remain on Xankeshan. We can just huddle up there forever while they fight the Harmonious Citadel on their own.
He has a point, Alva said hesitantly. I have no doubt some people will join us, but well still want to convince as many people as possible to participate. This isnt just something we can try to match the enemy forces and hope everything works out. At best, even if we came out slightly ahead on losses it wouldnt really be a victory. And we dont know if they had people there already.
Catarina nodded. I agree. We need to perform solidly. Once they arrive it will be clear the forces belong to the Harmonious Citadel, but we need enough for a decisive victory. I would prefer to solidify our position as more than just the people with control of Xankeshans formations. But Im not much of a leader. Or a negotiator.
Hoyts eyes turned to his grandfather, Prospero Vandale. What? Prospero raised an eyebrow, You think that just because I was the leader of a sect for a couple centuries that Im good for the job?
You were a good leader, Hoyt said. Even if I didnt want to rely on your influence.
Maybe I was, Prospero shrugged. But I know how cultivators work. Right now Im not even an Integration cultivator. Here, nobody will listen to me. So it will have to be someone else. The grandfather in a younger body than his grandson didnt waver in his gaze.
... Me? Hoyt asked.
What? Im not asking you to do anything apparently difficult like getting me great-grandchildren. Just rile up some cultivators to form an army and stomp their enemies into the dirt.
Timothy and Catarina exchanged a silent glance while Hoyt sighed. Fine. I suppose I might be the best for that particular task. Also you were definitely older than me when you married grandma.
Chapter 574Having obtained the qualifications to go on the special excursion with the Harmonious Citadel, Vari found several features that worried her even more than her normal negative interactions with her old sect. Like having to give up all communication devices. The old Vari would have accepted it without question- it was a good way to prevent spies from leaking information, after all. And also a good way to isolate people and a clear sign of lack of trust in their disciples, for all their harmony.It was a good thing some form of this had been anticipated. Vari gave up all her forms of active communication- there was little of interest among them. After all, if she had been captured, revealing anything from Xankeshan would not only make things worse for them but also herself. Though if her own position were compromised Vari understood there wasnt really any chance of survival- it was simply best if they thought she was unimportant and quickly finished her off.The only thing she retained was an inconspicuous token, the formations woven into it using very little energy and only transmitting a small amount of very important information- her location. More than that, she could infuse some of her own energy into it to provide a signal- though that was only for emergencies. To keep the device simple, there were only two options depending on how she did it- one to warn people to stay away, and another to ask for a group to come aid her. The former basically meant resigning herself to death, and the latter she only hoped to use to disrupt whatever the special excursion was.Vari was packed in with all of the others on ships that had just enough space for a short time of travel, maybe a few days between systems or a couple weeks if they were going further. But after two weeks, they had not heard any further news of their progress, nobody getting off at the stops to refuel and resupply.If it had not been a rapid form of suicide, Vari would have sought out those who seemed discontent with the Harmonious Citadel among those on board and trying to turn them to her side. However, not only was this particular group selected for those with greater devotion to the cause- Vari had to do a lot of pretending to still believe everything was fine and normal- there was nowhere for her to go if something backfired. Even so, she still kept track of potential individuals. Those with bruises and cuts from sparring and individuals who suffered from less physical forms of abuse. It seemed to be always those who practiced the subordinate Holy Harmony Technique. That was the way of things.Vari did her best to remain unnoticed, to not stand out or appear weak. She kept her spear on her at all times, even though in truth she would be deadlier if she set aside that weapon and just chose to kick people with the fancy boots she got from Everhearts Tomb. Even on a ship with only allies, carrying a weapon at all times was seen as a reasonable act, proper wariness rather than paranoia. When they finally arrived at their destination, it was entirely uninteresting. A barely livable planet with nothing going for it. Yet it was the same place every other ship destined for the special excursion arrived at, so it wasnt as if Vari in particular ended up with the worst location. This was just what it was. She had some suspicions- her contact with the others had been minimal since she began her operation, but she still knew about the invasions of the lower realms. She just couldnt verify anything right away.-----Life on the new planet was simple and boring. Training, either in groups or individually- but without the beneficial facilities that the major planets of the Harmonious Citadel provided. There were at least instructors of some talent- individuals in Integration, some more advanced than others. Vari felt she could really learn something about the spear from spearmaster Jafet, but she knew she wouldnt improve her actual strength training with them.It took some time for their goal to be clearly stated, during which time Vari spent as much of her free time as possible low key spying. First she determined how many Integration cultivators were present- more than two dozen at first, increasing over time as new ships arrived. They had a real army present, which basically confirmed her suspicions before the actual revelation.This chapter was first shared on the Nvl1n platform.Jafet was one of those with the greatest influence present, a man who clearly showed his age but had the strength to maintain a position. He had some potential to step into Augmentation- but clearly he was not a supreme talent, or he would have done so a century prior at least. Either way, he was respected enough to give the official announcement.As Im sure most of you are aware, the man began slowly, There are many materials difficult to obtain in the upper realms that are quite prevalent in the lower realms. These can bestow certain properties on equipment or improve the training of cultivators, especially those below the Integration stage- but it is not exclusively limited to them. He looked over the gathered crowd, hundreds of Life Transformation cultivators gathered from many planets. Ascended individuals might bring some amount of those with them, but they are hardly selective. It is difficult to secure a consistent supply but word has reached the Harmonious Citadel of certain opportunities. A mere few decades from now one of those will arise. But this involves descending to the lower realms. Thus, from now on we will be acclimating ourselves to lower energy to fight at our optimum capacity.There were many exclamations of surprise. Vari did her best to at least look pensive as if she didnt already know. She hadnt known that the Harmonious Citadel possessed this particular information, but it was not crazy that they would have it. There were many ways it could have come to them, between informants or lucky individuals who ascended from lower realms after their worlds had been invaded. Like Alva, but most would be properly swept up in the Harmonious Citadel. The truth was they were a strong sect with a powerful cultivation technique, so the loss of some autonomy would have been acceptable for many even if they knew everything.Just wait for us, Vari, Alva said to a friend who could not hear her. Well be there.-----Theres no way this is a coincidence, Catarina said after she had double and triple checked the location information from Varis token. But even if it somehow isnt what it looks like, theres an isolated pocket of the Harmonious Citadel, some hundreds of Life Transformation cultivators and dozens of Integration cultivators- enough to deal a crippling blow to the Harmonious Citadel if they were lost.Timothy sighed, Unfortunately, our allies might not believe us. If they think were making use of their forces for our own purposesThen they can get the hell off our planet, Catarina folded her arms in front of her. If they dont trust us enough to follow through with a single assault at our direction, I dont trust them to remain on Xankeshan. We can just huddle up there forever while they fight the Harmonious Citadel on their own.He has a point, Alva said hesitantly. I have no doubt some people will join us, but well still want to convince as many people as possible to participate. This isnt just something we can try to match the enemy forces and hope everything works out. At best, even if we came out slightly ahead on losses it wouldnt really be a victory. And we dont know if they had people there already.Catarina nodded. I agree. We need to perform solidly. Once they arrive it will be clear the forces belong to the Harmonious Citadel, but we need enough for a decisive victory. I would prefer to solidify our position as more than just the people with control of Xankeshans formations. But Im not much of a leader. Or a negotiator.Hoyts eyes turned to his grandfather, Prospero Vandale. What? Prospero raised an eyebrow, You think that just because I was the leader of a sect for a couple centuries that Im good for the job?You were a good leader, Hoyt said. Even if I didnt want to rely on your influence.Maybe I was, Prospero shrugged. But I know how cultivators work. Right now Im not even an Integration cultivator. Here, nobody will listen to me. So it will have to be someone else. The grandfather in a younger body than his grandson didnt waver in his gaze.... Me? Hoyt asked.What? Im not asking you to do anything apparently difficult like getting me great-grandchildren. Just rile up some cultivators to form an army and stomp their enemies into the dirt.Timothy and Catarina exchanged a silent glance while Hoyt sighed. Fine. I suppose I might be the best for that particular task. Also you were definitely older than me when you married grandma.
