PtM Book 17 - Chapter 30: Friction

5 more chapters (After this one) before the end of the year. I'm going to go ahead and schedule two more in the coming days, then 3 on Christmas day. ^^ It's also a good breaking point in the story thus far. 

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The Heartforge Realm was a paradise for cultivators, and as such, it was easy to lose track of time. Cha Ming and Huxian trained for months at a time, only occasionally returning to the Chasewind Plane to fight major fiend outbreaks and make progress on their respective infrastructure projects.

Four years after Cha Ming’s return to the Heartforge Realm, Huxian completed the expansion of his teleportation network. A year after that, Cha Ming’s Clear Sky Conglomerate finished expanding in all regions under their joint control and was even considering expanding into other regions.

There was only one all-out fiend outbreak during that time, but now that they knew what to expect, there were far fewer losses and casualties. The Bloodstorm Region performed especially well. Now that the regional leadership no longer had to worry about their neighbors, they were able to focus on arming and mobilizing the growing population of painted Daoists to manage internal problems, then mobilize their more powerful cultivators southward.

Shortly after this outbreak, the entire southern hemisphere began pushing into the blighted lands. Even the reluctant Paper Tiger Clan and chaotic Crimson Lotus Alliance could only go along. It was that or lose out on points for clearing out the many fiends that had accumulated in the region over the centuries.

Waging war was difficult so far away from civilization. Fortresses were erected at key points along the way. Though they could not physically obstruct fiendish assaults for very long, they served as crucial anchors for sorties, patrols, and expeditions.

Though the people of the Chasewind Plane were united against the fiends, there wasn’t peace between the regions. The Paper Tiger Clan took advantage of their relatively obedient population to wage a war of attrition against the Hallowed Turtle Ox Region

Cha Ming was not surprised by the Paper Tiger Clan’s unreasonable behavior, but he thought it strange that they did not attack the neighboring Primordial Gloom Region where Baleful Vision resided. Huxian filled in Cha Ming on the complexity of the situation.

“Baleful Vision made a few smart moves early on,” Huxian explained. “He decided to focus on his own cultivation first. White Mirage also sold her region to Oster for points and a protection agreement, then joined Baleful Vision’s side to support him.

“But Oster is on the other side of the map,” Cha Ming said. “How is a protection contract with him remotely useful?”

“You’d be surprised,” Huxian said. “Oster made it clear to the Paper Tiger Clan that he’d be extremely annoyed if he had to make a trip there for no reason. Especially since he’d already been paid up front.”

“I can see how having a dissatisfied mercenary army near your borders would be a problem,” said Cha Ming.

“Baleful Vision wasn’t satisfied with just one deterrent,” Huxian continued. “He decided to do the smart thing and pay a tithe to Cao Wenluan in exchange for protection. Combine that with the fact that the Primordial Gloom Region is extremely difficult to invade, the Paper Tiger Clan had no choice but to back off.”

There was one other major war of note. The Light and Glass alliance and the Crimson Lotus Alliance were still at it, and things were not looking good for the Crimson Lotus Alliance. This was largely due to rebel forces that kept sprouting up. Xing Tianlong had taken sides against them and continuously put them down, thereby prolonging the conflict.

Cha Ming and Huxian did not concern themselves with this battle. It was up to Wei Longshen to reign his prince in. Their focus was on growing their population of Painted Daoists and Demons, refining teleportation portals and protocols, and promoting economic prosperity.

Despite their intentions, the problem showed up on their doorstep. It was late in the afternoon in the Heartforge Realm when two old acquaintances, Xing Tianlong and Wei Longshen, showed up uninvited. The former looked haggard and out of sorts, while the later just looked frustrated and sleep deprived.

“I hope we’re not interrupting anything,” Wei Longshen said.

“Not at all,” Cha Ming said, inviting them in. “It’s been so long I could hardly recognize you, Longshen. Would you like tea or coffee?”

“Wine,” said Xing Tianlong, attracting a scowl from Wei Longshen.

“Tea would be nice,” said Wei Longshen. “Ignore him.”

The changing dynamic between the prince and his helper was not lost on Cha Ming. It was an open secret that Xing Tianlong had gotten too involved in the Chasewind Plane’s politics and was taking a painful beating for this mistake. Add that to the fact that he’d lost two of his subordinates – one had been assassinated by Cao Wenluan, and another had been recruited by the same person – it was surprising that he could still function.

Cha Ming’s Heartforge Aura had developed to the point that he could ‘see’ the fractures in a cultivator’s spirit. A cultivator with a damaged spiritual foundation had a chaotic and uncertain aura.

“Take a seat, Tianlong. How have you been?” Cha Ming asked the prince. “And you too, Longshen. Huxian is in the kitchen preparing a few snacks for us. I remember the two of you being quite social, but I don’t believe you’ve accepted any of my invitations of late.”

“We’ve been a little busy,” Wei Longshen said. “Wars have a way of entangling people and draining their energy.”

“Especially when the wars are needless,” Cha Ming said pointedly.

“We would never wage a needless war,” Xing Tianlong said. “But I can see why an outsider would think this way.”

“I am but a spectator,” Cha Ming agreed. “But sometimes, the master is too entangled by his own thoughts to see the board clearly.”

Cha Ming began to prepare tea for himself, Huxian, and Wei Longshen, and took out a pot of wine for Xing Tianlong. Both the tea and the wine were best served chilled, something he accomplished by splitting away four flames, one for each teacup and one for Xing Tianlong’s thimble-sized wine glass.

Huxian appeared a short while later with fresh biscuits. “Long time no see, Longshen. I hope things are going well. By the way, Cha Ming’s tea has a bit of a bite these days. Watch out for it.” He took a sip from his own cup and grimaced.

Wei Longshen was the second to take a sip. He winced but did not complain. Xing Tianlong, on the other hand, immediately spat out his wine. “What is this swill?” he said. “Is this how you treat your guests?”

“It’s the best wine I have to offer,” Cha Ming replied evenly. “It’s called Heartforge Spirit Wine, and only I can serve it. The worse it tastes, the more the drinker needs it, and the better its effects.”

The prince’s eyes widened. “You’re trying to influence me with your aura!” He summoned his own aura, a violet-gold imperial aura with hidden veins of corruption, and used it to chase away the lingering flames working their way through his system.

“There’s no need to overreact,” Cha Ming said. “I did not attack you with my aura. Your aura is chaotic and in need of refinement. My wine has excellent medicinal properties. If you like, I can prepare several jugs of it for your consumption.”

His words mollified Xing Tianlong somewhat, but there was still a trace of bitterness in his eyes. “It’s rude to use your aura on others without asking permission.”

“Then I apologize for any disrespect I showed,” Cha Ming said. He summoned another jar of wine and placed it on the table. “This wine has calming alchemical effects, if you would like to sample it. It’s not bitter at all and contains no traces of my aura.”

“I’ll gladly accept this jar,” Xing Tianlong said. He took a drink straight from the jar and let out a satisfied sigh. “Good wine!”

“I made it myself. Many thanks for the compliment,” said Cha Ming. “Now, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit. The two of you have been extremely busy of late. What with the war with the Light and Glass Alliance, as well as the civil war in your own region.”

Xing Tianlong nodded. “Princess Gabriella of the Light and Glass Alliance has been at war with my Crimson Lotus Alliance for the past half decade. And before you label me as a warmonger, know that this is an extension of the war between the Crimson Lotus Empire and the Slovana Empire on the Inkwell Plane.”

“A proxy fight then,” Cha Ming said. “How… imperial.”

“Politics are complicated, and the actions of rulers affect billions,” Xing Tianlong said. “As a citizen of the Crimson Lotus Empire, it is my duty to safeguard the interests of my empire. And if I remember correctly, you are also a citizen of the Crimson Lotus Empire, are you not?”

“You would know better than anyone else, Captain Xing,” Cha Ming said. “I joined the Crimson Guard under your recommendation.”

“And it is in my capacity as captain that I came to visit,” Xing Tianlong said. “I have come to ask for your support, in any way you can give it.”

The request was not unexpected, but Cha Ming took his time to mull it over. He grabbed a biscuit and took a bite. No – calling it a biscuit would be doing it a disfavor. It was two biscuits sandwiching a flavorful and thick strawberry jam. He snapped his fingers. “I got it! I remember what the flavor is now. Huxian, this… is a jam-jam.”

“A jam-jam?” Huxian asked. “Is that what these things in your memories are called?”

“Indeed,” Cha Ming said. “My grandmother used to make jam-jams, so every time I eat them, I feel all warm and fuzzy.” He relished in the jam-jam’s sweetness for a moment longer before chasing it down with a sip of Heartforge Spirit Tea. His soul had been undergoing tempering for several time-accelerated decades now, so there was only a trace of bitterness to the beverage.

“No,” Cha Ming finally said, shaking his head. “I can’t do it, Tianlong. I just can’t.”

“Can’t or wont?” Xing Tianlong asked.

“I won’t do it,” Cha Ming clarified. He grabbed another jam-jam and took a large bite of it.

“Can you at least tell me why?” Xing Tianlong asked.

“I would have thought the answer was obvious,” Cha Ming said. “Your war is not a just one.”

“You don’t know anything about the conflict in my region,” Xing Tianlong said.

“Nor should I,” Cha Ming said. “All I need to know is that it’s a local affair, and none of us have any business getting involved in it. We’re here to fight fiends, Tianlong, not the Chasewind Plane’s inhabitants.”

“Then help me fight fiends,” Xing Tianlong said. “My southern border is overrun.”

Cha Ming shook his head. “If I did that, I’d only be freeing up your troops to continue fighting rebels. You’d send even more cultivators to your eastern border and double-down on your war with Princess Gabriella.”

“Surely you have somelingering attachments to the Crimson Lotus Empire?” Xing Tianlong said, changing his tack.

“In truth, I do have a few fond memories of the region, as well as a few fond friends,” Cha Ming said. “But overall? My experience has been dismal.

“The moment I arrived in Crimson Lotus Empire, I was categorized and tagged like livestock, then hunted down by a prefecture lord’s son for a technique I possessed. I was forced to flee across the ocean, only to have that same prefecture lord chase after me. He secured the aid of yet another prefecture lord to kill me. And when he failed, they went after my friends.

“I realize you weren’t directly involved at this point, but all of this was due to the mismanagement of the empire’s system and a lack of justice and good governance. And instead of granting me the justice I deserved, you used the situation to rope me into the Crimson Guard. I don’t begrudge you that, because it allowed me to save my friends, but don’t think it left a good impression on me. I still have a seal on my soul obligating me to perform tasks for the empire.

“Then there are other situations. Where was the Crimson Lotus Empire when Cao Wenluan committed genocide? Where was the Crimson Lotus Empire when the Burning Lake Prefecture oppressed the Clockwork Clan? Where was the Crimson Lotus Empire when the Mi Clan tried to marry off their daughter against her will? The way I see it, the Crimson Lotus Empire has let me down far more than it has helped me. I acknowledged that I owe the empire a debt, but don’t expect me to remember it fondly.”

“But you admit to your obligation to the Crimson Guard,” Xing Tianlong said. “I have the power to resolve these obligations. And naturally, I would reward you for your efforts.”

“No,” Cha Ming repeated. “I won’t do it, Tianlong.”

Xing Tianlong frowned. “This is an offer made in good faith. One might consider refusing me as a going against your oath to the Crimson Guard.”

Cha Ming had never forgotten the seal affixed to his soul the moment he’d joined the Crimson Guard. It had someone survived despite the heavy damage to his soul, and every once in a while, Cha Ming felt it tug at him, reminding him of his obligations to the empire.

“You’re stretching the truth, Tianlong,” Cha Ming said. “Your words only provoked a slight reaction from the seal. Moreover, I don’t appreciate coercion, much less people abusing a back door into my soul.”

Several tense moments passed as they stared eachother down. Cha Ming was a tranquil lake, and in the best mood he’d been in years. Xing Tianlong, on the other hand, was a mess. He broke eye contact after only ten seconds.

“I apologize, Clear Sky,” Xing Tianlong finally said. “I overstepped my boundaries.”

“I did the same earlier, so let’s call it even,” Cha Ming said. He held out a biscuit. “Jam-jam?”

“No thank you,” Xing Tianlong said, draining his wine jar. “Things are heating up, so I can’t stay any longer. Thank you for your time, Clear Sky.” Wei Longshen stood up to leave, but Xing Tianlong motioned for him to sit down. “Don’t worry, you can stay and chat. I’ll be fine holding down the fort for a day or two.” He left Cha Ming’s residence, leaving a tire-looking Wei Longshen to nurse a cup of Heartforge Spirit Tea.

“These jam-jams are quite good,” Wei Longshen said once the plate was empty. “Are there any more of them?”

“Fresh from the oven!” Huxian said, walking out of the kitchen with another plate. He hadn’t yet made to the table when a ball of lightning suddenly shot towards him.

“Seal.” Cha Ming said lazily. Luther tumbled out of the air, looking none too happy.

“Master, our agreement clearly stated that sustenance would be included, free of charge,” Luther said, licking his paw.

“What agreement?” Cha Ming asked. “We have a master-slave contract. Also – wait, are you distracting me?” A bloody blur and a gust of wind had weaseled their way over to the table. Three cookies vanished before Huxian managed to seal down space. Luther chuckled heartily before rushing off to meet his two accomplices, Coral and Disaster.

“Cats,” Cha Ming said to Wei Longshen. “Always trouble, wherever you go. They’re nigh-impossible to rid of, and never listen to instructions.”

Wei Longshen chuckled. “If cats are the worst of your problems, consider yourself lucky.” He sighed and bit into another jam-jam. “Tianlong didn’t used to be this way. He wasn’t always so…”

“Arrogant? Presumptuous?”

“Foolish, I was going to say,” said Wei Longshen. “He was alwaysarrogant, but he somehow managed to make it work. That was before he came to the Heartforge Realm, naturally. It’s hard to stay arrogant when everyone and their fox can put you in your place.”

“The Heartforge Realm certainly has a way with people,” Cha Ming said. “When good metal gets tossed in, you get a slightly smaller amount of better-quality metal. Bad metal, on the other hand…”

“He’s not bad metal, Cha Ming,” said Wei Longshen. “His motives are pure. He just has trouble keeping a distance from the Chasewind Plane’s politics. The way he see’s things, his wardenship over the Dragon Phoenix Region, and the Crimson Lotus Alliance by extension, makes it a part of the Crimson Lotus Empire. He’s nothing if not loyal to his home and country.”

“To me, it’s not the Crimson Lotus Empire he values but his own ego,” Cha Ming said. “If he truly cared about his homeland, he would be focusing on gathering resources and points. Geniuses who return from the Heartforge Realm can have a huge impact when returning to their homeland.

Wei Longshen nodded. “Instead, he got two of the empire’s geniuses killed, squandered time and resources, and still won’t change his ways. I understand your reluctance to help him, and if it were me, I would do the same.”

“Starting a fight with his neighbors over territory I can somewhat understand,” Cha Ming said. “But getting caught up in a civil war for no good reason? That’s just silly.”

“I know,” Wei Longshen said. “But I can only hope he’ll turn things around.”

Cha Ming shook his head. “You’re just as stubborn as he is. Even more so, in some ways.”

“It’s the way my father raised me,” Wei Longshen said. “He served the empire for centuries before retiring. I don’t know how long I will serve, but I will do my best. Only then will I have no regrets.”

“If that’s what you think is best, I won’t try to convince you otherwise,” Cha Ming said. “Just remember that there are other ways to serve. Xing Tianlong is a disaster waiting to happen. You deserve better.”

“Enough,” Wei Longshen said. “Enough. I came here to escape the drudgery of the Chasewind Plane, not get worked up about it.” He took another sip of Heartforge Spirit tea and grimaced only slightly this time. “It’s not as bitter as when I started drinking it. It seems the taste might even be improving.”

“The flames are very effective in purifying one’s heart and spirit,” Cha Ming said. “That you can drink more than a single cup is nothing short of impressive.” He took a sip from his own cup. “Speaking of hearts and spirits, I assume that you’ve noticed the corruption in Tianlong’s aura?”

“I have,” Wei Longshen said. “Though I’m not sure if this is due to his own state of heart, or the terrible state of the empire. I can’t say I blame Cao Wenluan for fomenting rebellion. He’s less of a cause and more of a symptom.”

“You don’t seem to resent him as much as you once did,” Cha Ming said.

“And neither do you,” Wei Longshen said.

Cha Ming sighed. “Cao Wenluan is evil and misguided. I still resent him for that business with the Mi Clan and his genocidal actions. But all that pales in comparison to what he’s done on the Chasewind Plane. The number of wars and rebellions he’s initiated is completely needless.

“Even so, the Monarch Alliance would be far worse off without him, so I’m not going to go out of my way to kill him. Better to leave him to his own devices on the Chasewind Plane. I’ll kill him on the Inkwell Plane if he survives.”

Cha Ming winced as a vase shattered and a wall collapsed atop Luther, who’d been minding his own business. An angry ball of lightning began chasing Disaster, and Coral joined in for the fun of it. “Anyway, I think that’s enough about Xing Tianlong and Cao Wenluan. What about you? How are you doing?”

“Me?” Wei Longshen said. “When has my happiness ever counted for anything?”

“My dear Wei Longshen, we’re in the Heartforge Realm,” Cha Ming said. “If you’re miserable, it’s because you’re letting yourself be miserable.”

“It’s difficult to be happy when your family is back on another plane, Cha Ming,” Wei Longshen said, and Cha Ming regretted his playful jibe.

“It was my mistake,” said Cha Ming. “Forget I said anything.”

“Ignoring the family issue, I have obligations,” Wei Longshen said. “I can’t just pick up my flute and do my own thing.”

“You’ll always have obligations,” Cha Ming said. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t take a little time for yourself.”

“My wife says the same thing, believe it or not,” Wei Longshen said.

“Then your wife is a wise woman,” said Cha Ming. “Speaking of which, how are the children doing?”

“They’re doing fine,” Wei Longshen said. “I talk to them sometimes through the Greenwind Pavilion in Heartforge City.”

“How old are they again?” Cha Ming said. “Twenty? Thirty?”

“Twenty-three and Twenty-Eight,” Wei Longshen replied. “One was born a cultivator and the other wasn’t, but in the end, it doesn’t really matter, because that one became a Painted Daoist, and all is well.”

“Are either of them musicians?” Cha Ming asked.

“The youngest,” Wei Longshen said with a grimace. “They’re a singer.”

“What’s wrong with singing?” Cha Ming asked.

“Nothing,” Wei Longshen said. “Nothing at all. I’m just partial to instruments.”

“I can empathize,” Cha Ming said. “I hate bagpipes.”

“Bagpipes?”

“It’s basically a bag with a bunch of flutes attached to it,” Cha Ming said. “You squeeze it instead of breathing into it or past it.”

“… that sounds horrifying,” said Wei Longshen.

“It is,” Cha Ming confirm. “Thus, my great dislike for them.” He sighed as another crash echoed throughout the house. This time, Luther started it. He used lightning to peel paintings off walls and used them to attack the two terrified blood and wind kittens. “I won’t help him, Longshen. Even for old time’s sake.”

“I never had any intention of convincing you otherwise,” Wei Longshen said. “Truth be told, I’m on the edge. Do I keep going, or do I split off and do my own thing? I’m the only one he has left.”

“He’d still have two healthy subordinates if he wasn’t so stubborn,” Cha Ming said. “He should have done the smart thing and recalled them. It was folly to have them stall for time with Cao Wenluan.”

“The betrayal hit him hard,” Wei Longshen said. “But I wonder who betrayed who first?”

Cha Ming shrugged. “I think you already know the answer to that question better than I do. In the end, it’s a choice only you can make. I just hope that you’ll consider other options. I could use a travelling bard in my region.”

“I’m afraid your demon companion has already offered me a position,” Wei Longshen said. “But I’ll consider negotiating with you as well. It never hurts to have competing offers.”

Wei Longshen left shortly after. He was still in bad spirits but looked much better than he had walking in. Huxian came in a few minutes later. He was carrying a small screen trying his best not to look suspicious.”

“Huxian?” Cha Ming said.

“Yeah?” Huxian asked.

“Are you spying on Wei Longshen?” Cha Ming asked.

“Maybe,” said the fox.

“Well stop that,” said Cha Ming. “It’s rude to spy on your friends.”

“If you want to get technical, I’m actually spying on Xing Tianlong,” Huxian said. “I can stop, but I want to finish this episode first. Wei Longshen just gave him an earful, and Xing Tianlong threatened his family.”

Cha Ming frowned. “Really?”

“It happened just now,” Huxian said. “Want me to rewind?”

“… no.”

“Xing Tianlong thinks he’s got things under control, but I talked to Longshen ages ago,” Huxian said. “He’s already evacuated his family and had them replaced with body doubles.”

“Just…” Cha Ming put his hand to his forehead. “Can you please not spy on them?”

“It’s not personal,” Huxian said. “It’s kind of my thing. I spy on everyone. They give me points for information. Besides, this is super important. If he snaps, there’s a good chance he’ll accept my job offer.”

That was when the third wall came down, and Cha Ming decided to put his foot down. He’d had enough cat shenanigans for the day. He pulled all three cats back into the Clear Sky World for a time out. “How long do you think he’ll last?” Cha Ming asked Huxian.

“I give him a year tops,” Huxian said. “But it could go as long as three years.”

“I’ll bet on five or more,” Cha Ming said. “Wei Longshen is many things, but a quitter isn’t one of them.”

“… stakes?”

“If I win, you’ll retract your job offer and give me the first crack at it,” Cha Ming said. “If I lose, I’ll back out.”

“Done and done,” Huxian said, sealing the deal.

***

Years came and went. Cha Ming and Huxian continued to train in the Heartforge realm, strengthening their fundamentals. Only Cha Ming advanced in his cultivation, but only to complete his fifth rune pair, Grafting and Amputation.

Even without increasing their cultivation realms, Cha Ming and Huxian had many ways to grow. Huxian busied himself creating increasingly complex traps and constructs out of spatial energy, while Cha Ming mostly worked on his spiritual paintings.

The newest development in Cha Ming’s painting arts was styles. He’d discovered over the course of the war that painting objects for future use was somewhat inefficient. With a large enough reservoir of ink, it was far better to use a painting style, which would allow him to paint whatever he needed to suit the situation.

The first painting style he formalized was Bloodstorm Style. He fused wind, lightning, and blood and used Luther, Coral, and Disaster as a medium to paint pure, unrefined devastation. If there was one shortcoming to Bloodstorm Style, it was its impermanence and lack of flexibility. Bloodstorm paintings did not like sticking around for long.

Conversely, River Lake Style excelled in this aspect. This style was creation-based and could be used to paint hordes out of the five elements. It could also be used to create landscapes, assuming the situation called for it.

Spirit Flame Style wasn’t especially destructive, but it had its advantages. Heartforge Spirit flames were very effective against soul entities. They could also harness yin and yang to attack susceptible enemies. By and large, however, it was better to rely on the first two painting styles to clinch a victory.

The most dangerous style was Erasure Style. By using fiend blood as a medium, Cha Ming could completely remove things from existence, be they material, spiritual, or raw energy. He was reluctant to use this style, however, as it attracted a lot of negative karma, and could even invoke heavenly tribulation. The universe didn’t like it when you erased even a small piece of it.

Cha Ming did not neglect his physical cultivation. He consulted with Godking Heavenbind to optimize his newest techniques, Bloodstorm Rush and Bloodstorm Crush. He still had no idea about how to modify Savage Deity Execution, but he was patient. There were decades left before the Heartforge Trials were over.

Nine years after his return to the Heartforge Realm, Cha Ming finally saved up enough points for the Awakening Sun Wukong had mentioned in his letter. It came in the form of a simple stone, which the Clear Sky Brush gobbled up greedily, only to enter a dormant state once again.

“This is clearly an anomaly,” the manager of Mission Hall said. “We can’t be held responsible for failed use of a such a powerful item. The fault clearly lies with your soul-bound treasure.”

“I exchanged fifty million points for this item, manager,” Cha Ming said. “I can accept that this is an anomaly, but I require an explanation on how to correct it.”

The manager was about to tell him off when the room suddenly darkened. The Heartforge Spirit, Patriarch Heartforge’s envoy, appeared in the room. The manager excused himself, leaving Cha Ming alone with the creature of alternating jade and ochre fire.

“My master bid me to come speak with you,” the Heartforge Spirit said.

“Your master is a very mysterious person,” Cha Ming said. “Will we ever get to meet him?”

“In time,” said the Heartforge Spirit said. “But for now, it is best if you do not meet. Please show me the brush you just tried to awaken.”

Cha Ming placed the Clear Sky Brush onto the stone examination desk in the consultation room. The Heartforge Spirit placed its two arms over the brush to sense its energies. Its brow furrowed as time passed. “It is as we suspected,” the Heartforge Spirit said. “The awakening is incomplete.”

“Isn’t an awakening supposed to wake up any soul-bound treasure beneath immortal grade?” Cha Ming asked.

“With all due respect, this bush isn’t just any item,” said the Heartforge Spirit. “Patriarch Heartforge is quite familiar with this brush. It has passed hands many times in the history of our universe and has even found its way to the Heartforge Realm multiple times. Only once did such an anomaly occur, and the painter of that generation was especially powerful.”

Cha Ming hadn’t expected to be able to hide the nature of the brush, but the candid nature of the Heartforge Spirit surprised him. “You know about this brush?”

“How could we not know about the Clear Sky Brush?” said the Heartforge Spirit. “It only ever choses future legendary heroes and villains as its wielders. The Heartforge Realm happens to specialize in training such individuals.”

“Then…”

“Worry not,” said the Heartforge Spirit. “We would never share this information with others. Your generation is an especially important one. We predict several of you will become immortal emperors, and even eternal emperors.

“Now let’s talk about the Clear Sky Brush. Judging by its energy fluctuations, it is in a state of energy deficiency. It is in the process of awakening and will function normally until the awakening process is complete. To finish the process, you will need to supply it with ample amounts of primal chaos energy.”

“Primal chaos energy again,” Cha Ming muttered. “It’s not exactly easy to travel the void.”

“There are alternative sources of primal chaos energy,” the Heartforge Spirit said. “For example, absorbing world fragments from slain demigods. Assimilating worlds crystals. The primal chaos crystals found in decaying worlds.”

“Are you saying that I could find crystals like these on the Chasewind Plane?” Cha Ming asked.

“Of course,” the Heartforge Spirit said. “The Chasewind Plane is currently in a state of interplanar flux. Primal chaos energy flows in but has no way to materialize properly. If you journey deep enough into ruined regions, you should be able to find adequate primal chaos crystals. Alternatively, it isn’t impossible to exchange merit points for either of these resources. Mission hall has a healthy stock of primal chaos crystals, if I recall correctly.”

“So… no refund?” Cha Ming asked.

“No refund,” the Heartforge Spirit confirmed. “The awakening stone fulfilled its function. It is your artifact spirit that is too demanding. Moreover, the problem is easily remedied. Simply provide it with enough energy, and the brush will awaken.

The Heartforge Spirit vanished, leaving Cha Ming many points poorer and a voracious artifact spirit to feed. Now that he was aware of the problem, he could feel Ninesky drawing on his inner world, sucking out as much primal chaos energy as she could manage.