"My Lord, we have isolated the forest for miles, not even beasts are in our presence."
"What time is it?" Kayce Albert summons a scroll from his ring, a scroll six feet tall cusps all the sunlight in his eyes. The scroll unwinding itself like a dragons wing, cast a deep shadow on the party of northerners, to reveal drawings and symbols etched on its body.
"It is 6am here, already 7am back home."
"Alright, you know the drill. Proceed."
Kayce standing in the middle of the scroll throws spirit stones in the four corners of the drawings. All in place, two northern warriors stand behind each spirit stone. Four people using their left hand, and four using their right, come together to weave signs. The signs summon purple light that visibly tears the space surrounding them.
WHHHIP
Kayce Albert vanishes from sight, and his warriors summon the spirit stones left behind and fly away from the crater left in their wake
BOOM
[He is back] Master Hao who is playing chess by himself feels the shaking of trees inside of the Sacred Forest. "Boy prepare the tea." engraving words into three jade slips destined south
Edward back inside of his own bed chamber is training. Not physically, internally, or reflecting on the dao, but mentally. Imagining his self using thousands of different techniques, a dozen different weapons, and fighting cultivators of strength greater than his. He gets snapped back to reality sensing Master Hao's Chi approaching
"Slaying the past
The dye is passed
Tonight, we recast"
[This vessels father is already returned. I estimated it would at least be two days. Kayce Albert is only in the latter half of Grand Unity, with three cores fully in sync flying back sooner could possible I guess]
Back into Edwards training grounds, Liam is diligently compressing his Chi
"Master had built me a new body, and showed me how to truly cultivate. I was always taught to walk through my objectives, because of that I never learned how to properly use and nurture my Chi. Maybe this was by design ensuring we don't become too powerful, teaching us just enough to meet expectation. Yet I feel no sorrow any longer, I feel light and have my own self expectations for the future."
Thinking back on the last thing Edward said before leaving. "Liam you haven't used the Roaring Dragons tempering art yet, all that was, was my Chi breaking your body. Further temper yourself during this time while compressing your Chi." He stops compressing his Chi and rotates it.
Inside of Steward Pikes office at the top of Ambassadors Keep, he brings a glass together in toast with the First Elder
"Haha. Dame my friend thank you for coming."
"Gregor, my friend thank you the invite. I needed a drink." Elder Dame feeling better than he has in years
"You seem sharp my friend. Keep doing what you are doing." Lord Gregor smiling happy that Dame is loosening the knot
"Dont tease me Gregor. Why are we here?" Dame snaps back with a serious tone
"That is what I mean, sharp. Your sword is no longer dull. Anyways I called you to inform you of what to expect at court."
-
"My Lord. Stop grimacing. Come and sit."
Kayce Albert flying over Beast Pavillon staring down with heavy eyes remains in the air "You and Gregor support my son. Why?"
"You have read my jade slip. What more is there to say." Master Hao pouring two teacups
"Gregor is my friend, Edward proved his pride and earned his favor. I won't hold that against either of them. What of you, what could he say for you to support him?"
"The young lord is kingly. The young lady is not."
[kingly?] "If this is true, then Edward would have risen regardless. I will ask again. Why do you support my son?" Kayce Albert who has sought the sages wisdom and restraint before knew he wouldn't act on just anything
"Your son is not content with just The North. He wants things that are far reached. Edward is a fully grown ruler, if he is not given authority he will take it."
"You think he could take my position from me, so you make him young lord?"
"If he were so capable I would have loved to watch you two fight. Edward wouldnt fight you honorably, he would burn the family down to sit atop its ashes."
"So you support him because he is capable." Kayce finally descends to his seat and drinks his cup dry. In a way he is saying sorry to someone he respects by taking the fluid whole.
"Correct my Lord. Edward is much like you, might and intellect." [however not even you can compare to him] Master Hao pours Kayce another cup
"Hm. You mean to say he is ruthless. The four of us saw it that day in the garden. He enjoyed breaking that man."
"Enjoyment or displeasure so what. Edward took care of matters cleanly, and he still is. At court this time try to play along with as much as you can bear."
Still early in the morning five people come together in plot. Plot that is Edwards steppingstone towards a new life. As the winds become cooler time passes by and Rhea Albert finds herself in her personal training ground, working towards a free life.
[I haven't been here in forever. I haven't felt this pressure in my body from training in a long time either. Putting off my own progress just to kill my own brother. What kind of person am I? Plotting to kill one of my two full blooded realities I have left. Why has it come to this, Mother? I dont even wish to be matriarch, I just want to live a life under my own govern. Forced to marry a boy so undeserving, why would I not act in such a way? Yes that's right, as long I can escape this hell, even elder brother can consider his death as virtuous.]
COUGH KA KA
Spitting blood from her mouth and gasping for air Rhea hunches over falling to one knee, she plants her sword in the floor like an anchor to catch herself
"Why now of all times. That could have caused my Chi to run wild and cripple myself."
standing and wiping herself clean [Ever since this has begun, I get caught up in emotion when I think of him. Could this be a spirit demon?] Rhea falls over again, this time with tears her emotions towards her brother wash over and stab her. She realized that she never truly wanted to kill Edward, but was lost in her pursuit of freedom. Crying thinking about how her Mother and brother are watching over her in disgust.
"Grand Elder, it is too hard to believe what you say of my son. Though if what you say is true... my direct descendant will be sole king of our world." Kayce looks upon Master Hao who has blood coming from his mouth in disbelief of his revelations told
-
With a single use of his divine art Edward was standing outside his training ground door, not entering he starts to sense the inside of the room.
[Liam hasn't had much time to practice, he might not have even tempered once. In two days he would of been born again, but court is tonight]
Edward folding the chamber with his Chi, not wanting to summon his soul and distract Liam
"AHHH.... AHHH.. AH"
Liam who was on the ground, legs twisted, and arms bent in multiple directions. Coughing blood and screaming as he tries to rebuild his body, how Edward did.
[This kid is no fool. He understands that each time you shock your veins with Chi, you need to rest. Yet he kept shocking them, trying to recreate what we did prior.]
Edward smiling deviously [Very good. Being ruthless like this to yourself, worthy of my teachings]
Liam had taken risk like he never had before. In his chase he made a decision on no impulse, but cold logic. Knowing he might not repair his body completely stronger than before, or even confident he could rebuild all of it. Only confident he would survive and gain all he could
Edward witnesses his subordinates resolve whole, stepping in right after Liam ran out of Chi, but mended his vitals.
"Very Impressive. You pass, rest while you can" Liam hears as something warm inside of him, soothes him asleep
-
"My Lord. We said tonight but it might as well be this evening. The sun is setting let's call it, you haven't spoken in hours. Clearly you can't wait for the kids show."
Kayce Albert had tried to shake off Master Hao's joke but couldn't. Still too shocked and lost in thought about the prior conversation
"Grand "Priest", we will wait a little longer." Kayce demands with authority. Master Hao recognizes he wants silence drinks his tea in patience.
Rhea who had swung her sword in the same motion, thousands of times was long drained of Chi. Swinging the sword with her physical ability, she is not lost. What a started as crude outburst of the sword, had become sharp and accurate. Rhea was in trance, feeling the way every muscle In her body stretches with each move, noticing that despite swinging her sword her arms were still full of might.
KNOCK KNOCK
Rhea had gotten pulled from her mental training, something she has never done, by the knock of her servant
Gasping for air under extreme vertigo [Where am I? Where is my sword?]
Mental training happens when someone has mastered a martial art, or becomes greatly intent on a single technique. For either reason it is a reward for your effort, most cultivators that have earned the right to pass its gate don't realize the first time. In such trance nothing indicated the shift in setting for them, as everything was solely on their marital arts. The knock on her door distracted and ripped her from her mind, without having the time to adjust her brain experienced shock that could have been lethal.
On instinct Rhea circulates her Chi to calm herself down "WHO IS IT? Who disturbed my cultivation?" Rhea roars, but the maid at the door was not intimidated
"Its me, young lady!" A mortal woman with not a long life a head, coming too her age
"Grandma?" Rhea calms down instantly for the woman who despite being a servant, raised her
"Young lady court is being held soon, and you must go. It was urgent please forgive me"
-
Tap Tap Tap the sound of Edwards favorite feet
[Liam is patched up good as new and rested. You couldn't have arrived at a better moment]
Stepping and opening the door before Lord Gregor could knock. "Lets, talk in the hallway my Lord"
Grabbing Lord Gregors shoulder Edward guides him away from the training room
"My Lord, I know it all. You probably have heard I arranged tonight as well." Edward now face to face with Gregor emitting bloodlust and anger.
[The young lord has every right to be angered. He knows we would have watched him die if it came to that. Honestly no body assumed he could break his chains, it was a myth to break them. People with damaged spirit veins are born genius, their aliment a curse to hinder such talent, by the gods themselves.]
Falling to his hands and knees "Young Lord, please pardon my transgressions. We watched and did nothing, until you started to win. BUT, that is how you can trust us, we have all witnessed your providence, Young Lord!"
"My friend told me tonight is about recasting. I assumed this meant something darker, but now I see he meant forgiveness. Rise my Lord. I will tell you what needs to be done before court."
Edward felt his body slightly shift, like his soul was falling deeper into his body and withstanding its presence. He felt powerful for a moment, then realized he was still weak. After walking back to his chamber and not using his divine art because he was in a good mood, he stands in his bed chamber angered. Angered at the fact he could fight only fight up to Heavenly core tier 3 [I tested it in my mind, only way to kill someone above tier 3 is with the use of divine art. I had to use everything I had to threaten Lord Gregor, and he probably didn't feel like his life was in danger]
"That matters not, he is not my target. My target can be slaughtered whenever." Dressing him self with confidence, he gathers all the hard gold accessories in the chambers. Melting them in his palm and reshaping the liquid into a crown hairpin.
"Looking at it this thing just reminds me how odd this culture is. Wearing such mortal things to show status, Lord Gregor is playing a joke on me who would wear this? Only a persons Chi signifies status."
Moving the crown into his ring Edward steps directly outside of the Southern tower. Unlike the West tower where the servants live and work, The South had much more status, housing the seven elders, and the place of court for The Norths capital.
[My ancestor really conquered half a continent, and named it "The North"]
"HAHAHAH"
[What a fool!]
Edward even leading up to the moment he steps into Lions Hall was feeling his emotions. But upon his entry he becomes cold, having emptied himself he strides past the gaze of onlookers. Stepping past all seven elders who were seated below Kayce Albert. Past the Grand Elder who is seated on the second story as usual. Past Rhea who is seated opposite the hole in the floor from Master Hao. Walking up the short flight of stairs slowly, demanding as much attention as possible. Edward stares his vessels father in the eyes, showing no hostility or affection toward the White Lion, only pity thinking himself so far above Kayce.
[Now lets play along kids. This is a trial after all!] Master Hao carries his words directly into the pairs ears. Unheard by anyone else in the room, Edward was intrigued.
[That wasn't a secrets whisper, it was pure Chi. A martial art.]
Turning Edward standing Infront of his father, casting him in the shadow
"It seems we are short one person, Steward Pike. Steward Pike is actually caught up in work at the moment, he will be with us when he can!"
Stepping past his father he takes a throne half a step below him. Sitting in the Young Lords throne, something he has not been named
"Therefore I call this court into action!" Edward crossing his legs announces arrogantly, flashing his ruby
[The games have begun. Haha] Master Hao releases his Chi towards three people