Chapter 6: Stratagem
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
Chapter 6: Stratagem
Yao Shen effortlessly flew through the sky, his speed purposely limited to allow Elder Han to keep pace with himself. His mood was complex— five parts ponderous, three parts melancholic and two parts uncertain. The path he had set the Heavenly Sky Sect on could not be reversed, or his weight as the leader, the Patriarch, would no longer have any meaning. Edicts once issued, could no longer be reversed nearly as easily. It was not a matter of martial strength, but of prestige, of face— even a cultivator as powerful as himself could not repress the entirety of the Azlak Plains by himself.
Still, he was now a Soul Emperor, a fact that he still found hard to believe. The stages of cultivation in Eliria were divided into five major tiers, of which he was currently at the second tier.
The first tier was the ‘Physical’, also commonly known as the ‘Mortal’ tier. There were three stages in the Physical tier, namely, ‘Qi Refinement’, ‘Foundation Building, and finally ‘Core Formation’. All three stages focused on refining the physical body, remodeling the body as a vessel to bear the pressure of qi, expanding the meridians, and finally, evolving the ‘Dantian’, which was the metaphysical center of a cultivator’s qi reserve and the organ that partly determined a cultivator’s talent.
Each stage had benefits or boons, that a cultivator unlocked, as well as certain objectives they had to achieve to have a good chance at ascension:
The first stage of cultivation, namely the Qi Refinement stage gives a mortal the ability to channel Qi both internally and externally. To progress, the cultivator had to attune Qi to at least one natural element.
The second stage of cultivation, namely the foundation establishment stage gave a cultivator the ability to fly, albeit only for a limited time with the help of a flying artifact. To progress, one had to establish a ‘foundation platform’ based upon the element the cultivator had attuned.
The third stage of cultivation, namely the core formation stage gives a cultivator flexibility, since guarding the dantian, which governs the flow of Qi within the body, is no longer a consideration— the cultivator’s core, which is created through melding the foundational platform into a perfect core, can be shifted throughout the body. To evolve to the next stage, at least one minor dao must be comprehended.
Of course, there were a lot more benefits, but Yao Shen mentally highlighted some points in his mind as he tried to look at it from his unique perspective, as a denizen of Earth. The next tier was the ‘Soul’ tier, which focused on refining the soul, to allow it to bear the growing burden of the power the refined body now possessed. The ‘Soul’ tier again had three stages, ‘Nascent Soul’, ‘Soul Emperor’, ‘Soul Paragon’.
The fourth stage of cultivation, namely Nascent Soul Stage removed the largest vulnerability a core formation cultivator possessed— detonating the perfect core to create a Nascent Soul. To evolve to the next stage, the cultivator must fuse minor daos with at least one major dao and form a ‘Domain’— an imposition on one’s will over the heavenly law.
The fifth stage of cultivation, namely Soul Emperor, imparted the cultivator ‘heavenly guidance’ upon ascension and evolved three Minor Dao’s to the Major Dao threshold as a reward for success. Ñøv€l-B1n was the first platform to present this chapter.
As for the sixth unfathomable level of cultivation, namely Soul Paragon, was something Yao Shen possessed no knowledge about— except two words, ‘Dao Path’.
Of course, the East did not belong to the Azlak Plains alone. There were a total of five major righteous territories in the East, that inadvertently acted as a shield for the Azlak Plains from the Demonic Sects. That did not preclude them from sending cultivators for regional defense, but the pact that had been formed after the Era of Turmoil by the major powers of Ionea was not easily broken.
After all, both sides had lost simply too much due to the conflict, their inheritances were incomplete, and legacies shattered. Each of the major powers in the East had one peak second tier cultivator, at the very least. Azlak Plains did not count as a major power of the East, but with multiple early second-tier cultivators, it was not a negligible one either. Their position might seem quite comfortable on paper, but the reality was seldom reflective of theory.
The Elves had a symbiotic relationship with them, but they would never break their neutrality treaty for them unless half of Azlak Plains was reduced to charred ash.
On the other hand, the Demonic Sects were many things, but united was not one of them— not only the Azlak Plains, but the Elves themselves were continuously tested. Each year, they would kill a few young elves, only to have thousands of undead destroyed in vicious retribution. But the Demonic Path did not care about such trivial losses, continually testing their response time, power, and growth.
Elvenhold was a very isolated territory that was very difficult to spy upon, thus the need to continually probe for weakness— the demonic sect did not lack in shrewdness or cunning, their schemes running deep in both cruelty and corruption.
Azlak Plains was used as both a training ground and a place to conduct heinous rituals that involved mortals. Their countermeasures had improved over the years, but the fact was that it was simply too easy for a cultivator with the intent to destroy mortal holdings. Villages and mortal holdings had continuously moved closer to one of the sects, but some were stubborn in their ways or simply refused to believe the claims of cultivators even when recording stones were used to show them the aftermath of the devastation.
The Elves in reality were more a deterrent than an ally, and Azlak Plains simply did not have enough resources for any of the major eastern sects to risk angering their silent wrath. It was as much a prison as it was a shield, which is why the Eastern Sects pitied them rather than look onward in jealousy— for, in the world of cultivation, opportunity was everything.
Each hegemon, namely the True Elves, the Dwarves, the Righteous Path of the West, and the Demonic Sect Alliance had at least one third tier cultivator. The East had no third tier cultivator, but the Pact and the legacy constructs inherited from the Era of Turmoil and their alliance with the Western Righteous Path Alliance prevented the demonic sect from overstepping their boundaries.
The continent of Ionea was a powder keg that could be lit afire at any moment, but it had attained balance in its own twisted way.
And that was without factoring in the three mysterious races into the equation— The Ancient Dragons, The Fae-Blessed and..... the third unknown race, all records of their existence had been purged from their Sect Records, but their existence itself not forgotten.
In this chaotic landscape, would his new approach be able to sway the reclusive true elves, known for their love for the arts and refinement? It was an alliance that would align with his valu-
“Grand Patriarch?” Elder Han’s voice cut off his train of thought abruptly, but he did not blame him. For they had arrived at their destination.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Chapter 6: Stratagem
Yao Shen effortlessly flew through the sky, his speed purposely limited to allow Elder Han to keep pace with himself. His mood was complex— five parts ponderous, three parts melancholic and two parts uncertain. The path he had set the Heavenly Sky Sect on could not be reversed, or his weight as the leader, the Patriarch, would no longer have any meaning. Edicts once issued, could no longer be reversed nearly as easily. It was not a matter of martial strength, but of prestige, of face— even a cultivator as powerful as himself could not repress the entirety of the Azlak Plains by himself.
Still, he was now a Soul Emperor, a fact that he still found hard to believe. The stages of cultivation in Eliria were divided into five major tiers, of which he was currently at the second tier.
The first tier was the ‘Physical’, also commonly known as the ‘Mortal’ tier. There were three stages in the Physical tier, namely, ‘Qi Refinement’, ‘Foundation Building, and finally ‘Core Formation’. All three stages focused on refining the physical body, remodeling the body as a vessel to bear the pressure of qi, expanding the meridians, and finally, evolving the ‘Dantian’, which was the metaphysical center of a cultivator’s qi reserve and the organ that partly determined a cultivator’s talent.
Each stage had benefits or boons, that a cultivator unlocked, as well as certain objectives they had to achieve to have a good chance at ascension:
The first stage of cultivation, namely the Qi Refinement stage gives a mortal the ability to channel Qi both internally and externally. To progress, the cultivator had to attune Qi to at least one natural element.
The second stage of cultivation, namely the foundation establishment stage gave a cultivator the ability to fly, albeit only for a limited time with the help of a flying artifact. To progress, one had to establish a ‘foundation platform’ based upon the element the cultivator had attuned.
The third stage of cultivation, namely the core formation stage gives a cultivator flexibility, since guarding the dantian, which governs the flow of Qi within the body, is no longer a consideration— the cultivator’s core, which is created through melding the foundational platform into a perfect core, can be shifted throughout the body. To evolve to the next stage, at least one minor dao must be comprehended.
Of course, there were a lot more benefits, but Yao Shen mentally highlighted some points in his mind as he tried to look at it from his unique perspective, as a denizen of Earth. The next tier was the ‘Soul’ tier, which focused on refining the soul, to allow it to bear the growing burden of the power the refined body now possessed. The ‘Soul’ tier again had three stages, ‘Nascent Soul’, ‘Soul Emperor’, ‘Soul Paragon’.
The fourth stage of cultivation, namely Nascent Soul Stage removed the largest vulnerability a core formation cultivator possessed— detonating the perfect core to create a Nascent Soul. To evolve to the next stage, the cultivator must fuse minor daos with at least one major dao and form a ‘Domain’— an imposition on one’s will over the heavenly law.
The fifth stage of cultivation, namely Soul Emperor, imparted the cultivator ‘heavenly guidance’ upon ascension and evolved three Minor Dao’s to the Major Dao threshold as a reward for success. Ñøv€l-B1n was the first platform to present this chapter.
As for the sixth unfathomable level of cultivation, namely Soul Paragon, was something Yao Shen possessed no knowledge about— except two words, ‘Dao Path’.
Of course, the East did not belong to the Azlak Plains alone. There were a total of five major righteous territories in the East, that inadvertently acted as a shield for the Azlak Plains from the Demonic Sects. That did not preclude them from sending cultivators for regional defense, but the pact that had been formed after the Era of Turmoil by the major powers of Ionea was not easily broken.
After all, both sides had lost simply too much due to the conflict, their inheritances were incomplete, and legacies shattered. Each of the major powers in the East had one peak second tier cultivator, at the very least. Azlak Plains did not count as a major power of the East, but with multiple early second-tier cultivators, it was not a negligible one either. Their position might seem quite comfortable on paper, but the reality was seldom reflective of theory.
The Elves had a symbiotic relationship with them, but they would never break their neutrality treaty for them unless half of Azlak Plains was reduced to charred ash.
On the other hand, the Demonic Sects were many things, but united was not one of them— not only the Azlak Plains, but the Elves themselves were continuously tested. Each year, they would kill a few young elves, only to have thousands of undead destroyed in vicious retribution. But the Demonic Path did not care about such trivial losses, continually testing their response time, power, and growth.
Elvenhold was a very isolated territory that was very difficult to spy upon, thus the need to continually probe for weakness— the demonic sect did not lack in shrewdness or cunning, their schemes running deep in both cruelty and corruption.
Azlak Plains was used as both a training ground and a place to conduct heinous rituals that involved mortals. Their countermeasures had improved over the years, but the fact was that it was simply too easy for a cultivator with the intent to destroy mortal holdings. Villages and mortal holdings had continuously moved closer to one of the sects, but some were stubborn in their ways or simply refused to believe the claims of cultivators even when recording stones were used to show them the aftermath of the devastation.
The Elves in reality were more a deterrent than an ally, and Azlak Plains simply did not have enough resources for any of the major eastern sects to risk angering their silent wrath. It was as much a prison as it was a shield, which is why the Eastern Sects pitied them rather than look onward in jealousy— for, in the world of cultivation, opportunity was everything.
Each hegemon, namely the True Elves, the Dwarves, the Righteous Path of the West, and the Demonic Sect Alliance had at least one third tier cultivator. The East had no third tier cultivator, but the Pact and the legacy constructs inherited from the Era of Turmoil and their alliance with the Western Righteous Path Alliance prevented the demonic sect from overstepping their boundaries.
The continent of Ionea was a powder keg that could be lit afire at any moment, but it had attained balance in its own twisted way.
And that was without factoring in the three mysterious races into the equation— The Ancient Dragons, The Fae-Blessed and..... the third unknown race, all records of their existence had been purged from their Sect Records, but their existence itself not forgotten.
In this chaotic landscape, would his new approach be able to sway the reclusive true elves, known for their love for the arts and refinement? It was an alliance that would align with his valu-
“Grand Patriarch?” Elder Han’s voice cut off his train of thought abruptly, but he did not blame him. For they had arrived at their destination.
Chapter 6: StratagemYao Shen effortlessly flew through the sky, his speed purposely limited to allow Elder Han to keep pace with himself. His mood was complex five parts ponderous, three parts melancholic and two parts uncertain. The path he had set the Heavenly Sky Sect on could not be reversed, or his weight as the leader, the Patriarch, would no longer have any meaning. Edicts once issued, could no longer be reversed nearly as easily. It was not a matter of martial strength, but of prestige, of face even a cultivator as powerful as himself could not repress the entirety of the Azlak Plains by himself. Still, he was now a Soul Emperor, a fact that he still found hard to believe. The stages of cultivation in Eliria were divided into five major tiers, of which he was currently at the second tier. The first tier was the Physical', also commonly known as the Mortal' tier. There were three stages in the Physical tier, namely, Qi Refinement', Foundation Building, and finally Core Formation'. All three stages focused on refining the physical body, remodeling the body as a vessel to bear the pressure of qi, expanding the meridians, and finally, evolving the Dantian', which was the metaphysical center of a cultivator's qi reserve and the organ that partly determined a cultivator's talent. Each stage had benefits or boons, that a cultivator unlocked, as well as certain objectives they had to achieve to have a good chance at ascension:The first stage of cultivation, namely the Qi Refinement stage gives a mortal the ability to channel Qi both internally and externally. To progress, the cultivator had to attune Qi to at least one natural element. The second stage of cultivation, namely the foundation establishment stage gave a cultivator the ability to fly, albeit only for a limited time with the help of a flying artifact. To progress, one had to establish a foundation platform' based upon the element the cultivator had attuned.The third stage of cultivation, namely the core formation stage gives a cultivator flexibility, since guarding the dantian, which governs the flow of Qi within the body, is no longer a consideration the cultivator's core, which is created through melding the foundational platform into a perfect core, can be shifted throughout the body. To evolve to the next stage, at least one minor dao must be comprehended.Of course, there were a lot more benefits, but Yao Shen mentally highlighted some points in his mind as he tried to look at it from his unique perspective, as a denizen of Earth. The next tier was the Soul' tier, which focused on refining the soul, to allow it to bear the growing burden of the power the refined body now possessed. The Soul' tier again had three stages, Nascent Soul', Soul Emperor', Soul Paragon'.The fourth stage of cultivation, namely Nascent Soul Stage removed the largest vulnerability a core formation cultivator possessed detonating the perfect core to create a Nascent Soul. To evolve to the next stage, the cultivator must fuse minor daos with at least one major dao and form a Domain' an imposition on one's will over the heavenly law. The fifth stage of cultivation, namely Soul Emperor, imparted the cultivator heavenly guidance' upon ascension and evolved three Minor Dao's to the Major Dao threshold as a reward for success. Nvl-B1n was the first platform to present this chapter.As for the sixth unfathomable level of cultivation, namely Soul Paragon, was something Yao Shen possessed no knowledge about except two words, Dao Path'.Of course, the East did not belong to the Azlak Plains alone. There were a total of five major righteous territories in the East, that inadvertently acted as a shield for the Azlak Plains from the Demonic Sects. That did not preclude them from sending cultivators for regional defense, but the pact that had been formed after the Era of Turmoil by the major powers of Ionea was not easily broken. After all, both sides had lost simply too much due to the conflict, their inheritances were incomplete, and legacies shattered. Each of the major powers in the East had one peak second tier cultivator, at the very least. Azlak Plains did not count as a major power of the East, but with multiple early second-tier cultivators, it was not a negligible one either. Their position might seem quite comfortable on paper, but the reality was seldom reflective of theory. The Elves had a symbiotic relationship with them, but they would never break their neutrality treaty for them unless half of Azlak Plains was reduced to charred ash. On the other hand, the Demonic Sects were many things, but united was not one of them not only the Azlak Plains, but the Elves themselves were continuously tested. Each year, they would kill a few young elves, only to have thousands of undead destroyed in vicious retribution. But the Demonic Path did not care about such trivial losses, continually testing their response time, power, and growth. Elvenhold was a very isolated territory that was very difficult to spy upon, thus the need to continually probe for weakness the demonic sect did not lack in shrewdness or cunning, their schemes running deep in both cruelty and corruption.Azlak Plains was used as both a training ground and a place to conduct heinous rituals that involved mortals. Their countermeasures had improved over the years, but the fact was that it was simply too easy for a cultivator with the intent to destroy mortal holdings. Villages and mortal holdings had continuously moved closer to one of the sects, but some were stubborn in their ways or simply refused to believe the claims of cultivators even when recording stones were used to show them the aftermath of the devastation. The Elves in reality were more a deterrent than an ally, and Azlak Plains simply did not have enough resources for any of the major eastern sects to risk angering their silent wrath. It was as much a prison as it was a shield, which is why the Eastern Sects pitied them rather than look onward in jealousy for, in the world of cultivation, opportunity was everything. Each hegemon, namely the True Elves, the Dwarves, the Righteous Path of the West, and the Demonic Sect Alliance had at least one third tier cultivator. The East had no third tier cultivator, but the Pact and the legacy constructs inherited from the Era of Turmoil and their alliance with the Western Righteous Path Alliance prevented the demonic sect from overstepping their boundaries. The continent of Ionea was a powder keg that could be lit afire at any moment, but it had attained balance in its own twisted way.And that was without factoring in the three mysterious races into the equation The Ancient Dragons, The Fae-Blessed and..... the third unknown race, all records of their existence had been purged from their Sect Records, but their existence itself not forgotten. In this chaotic landscape, would his new approach be able to sway the reclusive true elves, known for their love for the arts and refinement? It was an alliance that would align with his valu-Grand Patriarch? Elder Han's voice cut off his train of thought abruptly, but he did not blame him. For they had arrived at their destination.
