Chapter 166
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Chapter 166
The first thing everyone did was to descend back down the tower. Unlike previous times where they had pushed themselves and then had to retreat, reaching the top of the tower had not only been beneficial for improving their cultivation, it had allowed them a chance to rest. They were fresh as they headed back down, and though they had to face the worst pressure at the beginning they were adept enough it was little more than a minor inconvenience. Not that they would be running up and down the tower- especially since a fall could still be a real danger- but they progressed downward to where it was simple to walk in a handful of minutes. Chikere remained near the group from the Order, though she relied on her own energy instead of attempting to synchronize with them.
They received various looks from people as they descended- friendly, unfriendly, indifferent, curious- but nobody seemed to have realized that they actually made it to the top. They likely just thought they were done for the day. And they were, but only because they anticipated that the next section would be harder. They each had little beads that Catarina predicted would let them head down from the tower entrance, and they wanted to do more than just take a break to refresh before attempting that. If nothing else, they had to spend some time stabilizing their cultivation from their breakthroughs- and a good sleep would do them wonders.
On their way down they passed by Anish, of the Glorious Flame Palace. Though Chikere greeted him and the others from the sect politely, Anton saw she was displeased about something. His prime tempering of Earthly Connection allowed him to make those judgements more easily, but he also thought shed somewhat let her guard down around them. Do you have a problem with them? he asked when they were a safe distance away.
Not with those people in particular. Anish is fine, she shook her head. Its the Elders of the Glorious Flame Palace that are the problem. They several times suggested I marry into the sect. As if that wouldnt doubly ruin the point of being an independent cultivator. Im not like this because I didnt have the talent to join up anywhere else, you know. Chikere shrugged, Anish is just the one that is brought up when they broach the subject. After all, you must join with someone equally talented. She rolled her eyes, Perhaps he has that talent and anything else a woman might want but thats only if she wants anything to begin with.
Anton nodded, Marriage can be quite nice, but its not all positives.
Youre married? she asked. Is your wife not a cultivator?
She wasnt, Anton confirmed. Before you ask, yes, shes passed away. At a ripe old age, I might add. That was before all the troubles.
... should I ask? Chikere questioned.
Its related to those enemies I spoke about, Anton said. With that, he gave her a quick summary of what happened in Dungannon, and his journey of cultivation.
Wow, Chikere said, You got a lot of enemies real fast. Maybe even close to as fast as I did! she said enthusiastically. And now youve been cultivating three and a half years? Thats amazing for an old guy.
When Anton didnt broach a response, Timothy interjected, I remember when you used to complain about people referencing your age.
Anton shrugged, Ive come to terms that people will see me as an old man before they see me as a growing cultivator. Besides, Ive had to accept it for other reasons.
Velvet spoke up next, Im having trouble sensing things. Beyond the seven of us, I can vaguely sense the people in the tower above- but even less than before. As for the walls and floors. She kicked her foot at one of the stairs. Theyre nearly invisible.
Thats the challenge, then, Catarina confirmed. Sustaining a light source or sensing the area, while at the same time resisting energy pressing down on you. I imagine there are worse problems ahead than just the stairs turning.
Hmm, Chikere swung her sword, which flashed briefly, leaving behind a transient trail of light. This also has the danger that you fall towards more difficult areas. I guess that means if I go tumbling I want to be above you all. It was hard to sense if she was smiling or not, but at least there was mirth in her voice. Ill go first, though I think Ill not go far for now.
Everyone proceeded slowly. They could barely sense the steps under their feet, but at least they could hear well enough. No one was so skilled in creating light that they were willing to split their focus for that task, so for the moment they were navigating in the darkness.
Something about the way their steps echoed tipped Anton off. Hold on. We need some light. Chikere slashed her sword around the area. The light lingered for only a second, but it illuminated enough. Aha. A pit. No, in fact its just an open stairway. He crouched down. If we went too far to the left here and fell off, wed go down two or three stories. The good news is, theres a landing there- nice and wide- to catch us. The bad news is with this force pressing on us, we could easily break a leg or worse. It wouldn't be the same as an ordinary fall.
The group continued onward. With all of them sensing they could each notice different things, so they called out different things. A wall on one side. Straight stairway, curved, a full spiral for a while, and of course any ledges. Those always seemed to lead down to more of the descent and survivable falls, but nobody was much interested in testing that at the moment.
I know I still feel capable of going further, Anton commented, But dont forget that we have to climb up to get out. Even if the pressure lessens as we climb, we need to head back with enough energy to do so. Im not confident in resisting this pressure with just my body.
Maybe I should try that, Chikere said. Anton wasnt sure if she was joking, but she didnt withdraw her energy.
They all returned to the surface, and though the sunlight briefly hurt, it was a welcome relief. Everything they could see stood out so much more once they actually could, and having their senses unrestricted was like suddenly receiving a new pair of eyes.
-----
As it turned out, there werent just seven beads available. Over the next few days others managed to reach the top of the tower. Zvonko was one of them, but there were also a few others from different sects. Soon enough Anish would reach the top as well, but hed arrived later and was still getting used to how the tower worked.
Along with new arrivals and people passing through the area came information about other islands. Most of the ones mentioned were already cleared out- thus the reason people continued to travel about. The new arrivals also brought other information, about the Secret Realm in particular. Though they doubtless had tidbits they were keeping hidden, a number of individuals agreed on at least the name of the group that set up the Secret Realm. The Luminous Ocean Society. As for what it was, nobody knew. Perhaps their sects had record of their existence, but nobody remembered reading about it. That was true of even the more powerful sects and some knowledgeable elders. Thus, the Luminous Ocean Society had to have been extremely secretive or very old. Perhaps both. If nothing else, they hadnt been active in a good five centuries. But being entirely unknown when they had the power to create a realm of the size people were in brought up many questions. Just like the ones Everheart had left. Anton wondered if he left notes elsewhere, but nobody had mentioned them. But why would they, if they thought it would provide them some advantage?The origin of this chapter's debut can be traced to N0v3l--B1n.
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Chapter 166
The first thing everyone did was to descend back down the tower. Unlike previous times where they had pushed themselves and then had to retreat, reaching the top of the tower had not only been beneficial for improving their cultivation, it had allowed them a chance to rest. They were fresh as they headed back down, and though they had to face the worst pressure at the beginning they were adept enough it was little more than a minor inconvenience. Not that they would be running up and down the tower- especially since a fall could still be a real danger- but they progressed downward to where it was simple to walk in a handful of minutes. Chikere remained near the group from the Order, though she relied on her own energy instead of attempting to synchronize with them.
They received various looks from people as they descended- friendly, unfriendly, indifferent, curious- but nobody seemed to have realized that they actually made it to the top. They likely just thought they were done for the day. And they were, but only because they anticipated that the next section would be harder. They each had little beads that Catarina predicted would let them head down from the tower entrance, and they wanted to do more than just take a break to refresh before attempting that. If nothing else, they had to spend some time stabilizing their cultivation from their breakthroughs- and a good sleep would do them wonders.
On their way down they passed by Anish, of the Glorious Flame Palace. Though Chikere greeted him and the others from the sect politely, Anton saw she was displeased about something. His prime tempering of Earthly Connection allowed him to make those judgements more easily, but he also thought shed somewhat let her guard down around them. Do you have a problem with them? he asked when they were a safe distance away.
Not with those people in particular. Anish is fine, she shook her head. Its the Elders of the Glorious Flame Palace that are the problem. They several times suggested I marry into the sect. As if that wouldnt doubly ruin the point of being an independent cultivator. Im not like this because I didnt have the talent to join up anywhere else, you know. Chikere shrugged, Anish is just the one that is brought up when they broach the subject. After all, you must join with someone equally talented. She rolled her eyes, Perhaps he has that talent and anything else a woman might want but thats only if she wants anything to begin with.
Anton nodded, Marriage can be quite nice, but its not all positives.
Youre married? she asked. Is your wife not a cultivator?
She wasnt, Anton confirmed. Before you ask, yes, shes passed away. At a ripe old age, I might add. That was before all the troubles.
... should I ask? Chikere questioned.
Its related to those enemies I spoke about, Anton said. With that, he gave her a quick summary of what happened in Dungannon, and his journey of cultivation.
Wow, Chikere said, You got a lot of enemies real fast. Maybe even close to as fast as I did! she said enthusiastically. And now youve been cultivating three and a half years? Thats amazing for an old guy.
When Anton didnt broach a response, Timothy interjected, I remember when you used to complain about people referencing your age.
Anton shrugged, Ive come to terms that people will see me as an old man before they see me as a growing cultivator. Besides, Ive had to accept it for other reasons.
Velvet spoke up next, Im having trouble sensing things. Beyond the seven of us, I can vaguely sense the people in the tower above- but even less than before. As for the walls and floors. She kicked her foot at one of the stairs. Theyre nearly invisible.
Thats the challenge, then, Catarina confirmed. Sustaining a light source or sensing the area, while at the same time resisting energy pressing down on you. I imagine there are worse problems ahead than just the stairs turning.
Hmm, Chikere swung her sword, which flashed briefly, leaving behind a transient trail of light. This also has the danger that you fall towards more difficult areas. I guess that means if I go tumbling I want to be above you all. It was hard to sense if she was smiling or not, but at least there was mirth in her voice. Ill go first, though I think Ill not go far for now.
Everyone proceeded slowly. They could barely sense the steps under their feet, but at least they could hear well enough. No one was so skilled in creating light that they were willing to split their focus for that task, so for the moment they were navigating in the darkness.
Something about the way their steps echoed tipped Anton off. Hold on. We need some light. Chikere slashed her sword around the area. The light lingered for only a second, but it illuminated enough. Aha. A pit. No, in fact its just an open stairway. He crouched down. If we went too far to the left here and fell off, wed go down two or three stories. The good news is, theres a landing there- nice and wide- to catch us. The bad news is with this force pressing on us, we could easily break a leg or worse. It wouldn't be the same as an ordinary fall.
The group continued onward. With all of them sensing they could each notice different things, so they called out different things. A wall on one side. Straight stairway, curved, a full spiral for a while, and of course any ledges. Those always seemed to lead down to more of the descent and survivable falls, but nobody was much interested in testing that at the moment.
I know I still feel capable of going further, Anton commented, But dont forget that we have to climb up to get out. Even if the pressure lessens as we climb, we need to head back with enough energy to do so. Im not confident in resisting this pressure with just my body.
Maybe I should try that, Chikere said. Anton wasnt sure if she was joking, but she didnt withdraw her energy.
They all returned to the surface, and though the sunlight briefly hurt, it was a welcome relief. Everything they could see stood out so much more once they actually could, and having their senses unrestricted was like suddenly receiving a new pair of eyes.
-----
As it turned out, there werent just seven beads available. Over the next few days others managed to reach the top of the tower. Zvonko was one of them, but there were also a few others from different sects. Soon enough Anish would reach the top as well, but hed arrived later and was still getting used to how the tower worked.
Along with new arrivals and people passing through the area came information about other islands. Most of the ones mentioned were already cleared out- thus the reason people continued to travel about. The new arrivals also brought other information, about the Secret Realm in particular. Though they doubtless had tidbits they were keeping hidden, a number of individuals agreed on at least the name of the group that set up the Secret Realm. The Luminous Ocean Society. As for what it was, nobody knew. Perhaps their sects had record of their existence, but nobody remembered reading about it. That was true of even the more powerful sects and some knowledgeable elders. Thus, the Luminous Ocean Society had to have been extremely secretive or very old. Perhaps both. If nothing else, they hadnt been active in a good five centuries. But being entirely unknown when they had the power to create a realm of the size people were in brought up many questions. Just like the ones Everheart had left. Anton wondered if he left notes elsewhere, but nobody had mentioned them. But why would they, if they thought it would provide them some advantage?The origin of this chapter's debut can be traced to N0v3l--B1n.
Chapter 166The first thing everyone did was to descend back down the tower. Unlike previous times where they had pushed themselves and then had to retreat, reaching the top of the tower had not only been beneficial for improving their cultivation, it had allowed them a chance to rest. They were fresh as they headed back down, and though they had to face the worst pressure at the beginning they were adept enough it was little more than a minor inconvenience. Not that they would be running up and down the tower- especially since a fall could still be a real danger- but they progressed downward to where it was simple to walk in a handful of minutes. Chikere remained near the group from the Order, though she relied on her own energy instead of attempting to synchronize with them.They received various looks from people as they descended- friendly, unfriendly, indifferent, curious- but nobody seemed to have realized that they actually made it to the top. They likely just thought they were done for the day. And they were, but only because they anticipated that the next section would be harder. They each had little beads that Catarina predicted would let them head down from the tower entrance, and they wanted to do more than just take a break to refresh before attempting that. If nothing else, they had to spend some time stabilizing their cultivation from their breakthroughs- and a good sleep would do them wonders.On their way down they passed by Anish, of the Glorious Flame Palace. Though Chikere greeted him and the others from the sect politely, Anton saw she was displeased about something. His prime tempering of Earthly Connection allowed him to make those judgements more easily, but he also thought shed somewhat let her guard down around them. Do you have a problem with them? he asked when they were a safe distance away.Not with those people in particular. Anish is fine, she shook her head. Its the Elders of the Glorious Flame Palace that are the problem. They several times suggested I marry into the sect. As if that wouldnt doubly ruin the point of being an independent cultivator. Im not like this because I didnt have the talent to join up anywhere else, you know. Chikere shrugged, Anish is just the one that is brought up when they broach the subject. After all, you must join with someone equally talented. She rolled her eyes, Perhaps he has that talent and anything else a woman might want but thats only if she wants anything to begin with. Anton nodded, Marriage can be quite nice, but its not all positives.Youre married? she asked. Is your wife not a cultivator?She wasnt, Anton confirmed. Before you ask, yes, shes passed away. At a ripe old age, I might add. That was before all the troubles.... should I ask? Chikere questioned.Its related to those enemies I spoke about, Anton said. With that, he gave her a quick summary of what happened in Dungannon, and his journey of cultivation.Wow, Chikere said, You got a lot of enemies real fast. Maybe even close to as fast as I did! she said enthusiastically. And now youve been cultivating three and a half years? Thats amazing for an old guy.When Anton didnt broach a response, Timothy interjected, I remember when you used to complain about people referencing your age.Anton shrugged, Ive come to terms that people will see me as an old man before they see me as a growing cultivator. Besides, Ive had to accept it for other reasons.Velvet spoke up next, Im having trouble sensing things. Beyond the seven of us, I can vaguely sense the people in the tower above- but even less than before. As for the walls and floors. She kicked her foot at one of the stairs. Theyre nearly invisible.Thats the challenge, then, Catarina confirmed. Sustaining a light source or sensing the area, while at the same time resisting energy pressing down on you. I imagine there are worse problems ahead than just the stairs turning.Hmm, Chikere swung her sword, which flashed briefly, leaving behind a transient trail of light. This also has the danger that you fall towards more difficult areas. I guess that means if I go tumbling I want to be above you all. It was hard to sense if she was smiling or not, but at least there was mirth in her voice. Ill go first, though I think Ill not go far for now.Everyone proceeded slowly. They could barely sense the steps under their feet, but at least they could hear well enough. No one was so skilled in creating light that they were willing to split their focus for that task, so for the moment they were navigating in the darkness.Something about the way their steps echoed tipped Anton off. Hold on. We need some light. Chikere slashed her sword around the area. The light lingered for only a second, but it illuminated enough. Aha. A pit. No, in fact its just an open stairway. He crouched down. If we went too far to the left here and fell off, wed go down two or three stories. The good news is, theres a landing there- nice and wide- to catch us. The bad news is with this force pressing on us, we could easily break a leg or worse. It wouldn't be the same as an ordinary fall.The group continued onward. With all of them sensing they could each notice different things, so they called out different things. A wall on one side. Straight stairway, curved, a full spiral for a while, and of course any ledges. Those always seemed to lead down to more of the descent and survivable falls, but nobody was much interested in testing that at the moment. I know I still feel capable of going further, Anton commented, But dont forget that we have to climb up to get out. Even if the pressure lessens as we climb, we need to head back with enough energy to do so. Im not confident in resisting this pressure with just my body.Maybe I should try that, Chikere said. Anton wasnt sure if she was joking, but she didnt withdraw her energy.They all returned to the surface, and though the sunlight briefly hurt, it was a welcome relief. Everything they could see stood out so much more once they actually could, and having their senses unrestricted was like suddenly receiving a new pair of eyes.-----As it turned out, there werent just seven beads available. Over the next few days others managed to reach the top of the tower. Zvonko was one of them, but there were also a few others from different sects. Soon enough Anish would reach the top as well, but hed arrived later and was still getting used to how the tower worked.Along with new arrivals and people passing through the area came information about other islands. Most of the ones mentioned were already cleared out- thus the reason people continued to travel about. The new arrivals also brought other information, about the Secret Realm in particular. Though they doubtless had tidbits they were keeping hidden, a number of individuals agreed on at least the name of the group that set up the Secret Realm. The Luminous Ocean Society. As for what it was, nobody knew. Perhaps their sects had record of their existence, but nobody remembered reading about it. That was true of even the more powerful sects and some knowledgeable elders. Thus, the Luminous Ocean Society had to have been extremely secretive or very old. Perhaps both. If nothing else, they hadnt been active in a good five centuries. But being entirely unknown when they had the power to create a realm of the size people were in brought up many questions. Just like the ones Everheart had left. Anton wondered if he left notes elsewhere, but nobody had mentioned them. But why would they, if they thought it would provide them some advantage?The origin of this chapter's debut can be traced to N0v3l--B1n.
