PtM Book 17 - Chapter 28: Proving His Worth

2/3 this week. More to follow ^^. 

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Patriarch Blighted Heaven was an early law stitching cultivator, but unlike most cultivators in his sect, he’d cultivated both his qi and his body. Huxian had given Cha Ming an extensive portfolio on the major figures in his region. The Patriarch’s demigod bloodline was that of God-Emperor Blighted Heaven, who was famous in demonic circles for slaying the legendary Moongold Condor.

“Are you ready, Clear Sky?” the Patriarch asked Cha Ming. Storm clouds crackled around his body, filling the local area with an electric field that would make aerial combat difficult.

“I’m ready,” Cha Ming said. He barely had time to react before Blighted Heaven made his move. Cha Ming brought up his staff on instinct, mobilizing his 90% fused energy to block. Two pairs of wings burned brightly on his back as he activated Triune Soul Burn to boost his cultivation.

He barely caught Blighted Heaven’s fist as it came tearing out from one of his blind spots, faster than his eyes could see. The fist collided with his staff, and the impact sent them both flying back.

Cha Ming was the clear loser in the exchange. A burst of electrical energy had pounded through his body and damaged his internal organs. As for Blighted Heaven, he absorbed the blow by performing an artistic backflip.

“Not bad, Clear Sky,” Blighted Heaven said. “I specialize in assassination, and you were able to defend against a surprise attack. But let’s see how well you fare against brute force.”

A clone of wind appeared beside Blighted Heaven as he pulled his fist back a second time. The movements were fully telegraphed such that the entire audience could see what he was doing. He ran at Cha Ming full force, merging with his wind clone mid-charge.

Cha Ming countered like with like. A painted clone of wind appeared beside him and merged with his body. Wind clashed at their point of impact, though once again, Cha Ming lost out on the exchange. This time, his body’s composition was disrupted. “Again!” Cha Ming said, and Patriarch Blighted Heaven nodded.

“You can handle wind. But what of lightning?” said the Patriarch. A second clone appeared beside him, this one formed of bane lightning. Cha Ming’s painted lightning clone appeared to counter it and merged with his body. Wind and lightning collided, creating a unified storm energy that filled his staff with explosiveness.

This time, he did not fly so far back, and Blighted Heaven was less relaxed in absorbing the recoil. “Your wind and lightning aren’t fully reconciled,” Cha Ming said to Patriarch Blighted Heaven. “But I believe a few sessions of training in Bloodstorm Gorge will fix that weakness.”

“You talk too much,” said Blighted Heaven. A third clone appeared, this one made of sound. It merged with storm, creating a violent mixture that emphasized speed and explosiveness.

Cha Ming countered with his blood clone. It interred his body, creating a temporary mixture of bloodstorm energy. Unlike Blighted Heaven, his superimposition emphasized harmony, but this harmony was no less lethal.

Their three layers of superimposed energies met, and this time, Cha Ming’s energies tore through Blighted Heaven’s. He even managed to break through the Patriarch’s defense. Yet there was a clear difference in their cultivation levels, and Blighted Heaven’s much large energy stores allowed him to envelop and overwhelm Cha Ming.

“That’s an impressive technique,” Cha Ming said as his body reformed. “Is it your clan’s secret art?”

“I made up this technique myself, actually.” Blighted Heaven said. “I call it Storm God’s Wrath. But it’s clearly not up to part with your own energy fusion technique.”

“I call the three-layer integration Bloodstorm Crush,” said Cha Ming. “Why don’t we exchange blows a few more times? It’s a rare opportunity for the both of us to improve.”

Blighted Heaven did not refuse him. He appeared behind Cha Ming a split second later, using a non-telegraphed version of Storm God’s Wrath. Cha Ming responded with Bloodstorm Crush, using the external pressure provided by Blighted Heaven to force all three energies to align properly.

All-Heaven’s Eye was perfect for such situations. Not only was he able to spot the weaknesses in his own technique, he was also able to decipher the inner workings of Storm God’s Wrath and integrate its strong points into his technique.

Cha Ming and Blighted Heaven exchanged dozens of blows. Cha Ming made initial progress on Bloodstorm Crush and brought it to a level where he could double the strength of his staff strikes.

He was quite satisfied by such fast improvement, but Luther thought otherwise. Master, your control over lightning is simply… atrocious, said the lightning soul.

Come on, it can’t be that bad, said Cha Ming.

Miao! said the two other kittens, Coral and Disaster.

Seriously? You’re taking his side? Cha Ming said to them.

Master, you should incorporate us into your bloodstream to regulate these forces, as you clearly aren’t capable of doing it yourself, said Luther.

… Fine, said Cha Ming. Show me what you can do.

Three portals opened up from the Clear Sky World, releasing the three elementals. They shot into his body, filling Cha Ming’s blood, muscle, and bones with frightening potential.

The energy was far too violent for Cha Ming to handle, but under the influence of the three elementals, it was made docile. Cha Ming saw an immediate improvement in his technique. The three forces overlaid in such a way that he could exert three times his initial strength.

The change took Blighted Heaven by surprise. Cha Ming’s sudden burst of perfectly harmonized bloodstorm energy smashed through his defenses, tearing through his fist and tearing off his arm. As a demigod, he quickly regenerated the damage, but the healing was much slower than normal.

“Using elementals to aid in energy control,” Blighted Heaven said. “I’ve seen it done before, but never with three separate entities.”

“Do we continue, then?” Cha Ming asked.

“Your ability to adapt is too frightening,” Blighted Heaven said. “I am not your match in this regard. Since I am not threat to you, I will yield the field to your next opponent.”

Blighted Heaven flew back to his platform, and a man with dark skin, white hair and a moon-shaped brand appeared on the stage. This cultivator was called Patriarch Crescent Moon, and he was the leader of the Crescent Moon Clan.

“Well met, Clear Sky,” Patriarch Crescent Moon said.

“Well met, Patriarch Crescent Moon,” Cha Ming replied.

“I am the fastest among the Tier 2 sect masters, so I will be responsible for testing your speed,” Crescent Moon explained. “Let us see how you fair against my star-breaking assault.”

A spear pierced Cha Ming’s back faster than he could react. A gaping hole in Cha Ming’s torso, though thanks to his powerful inner world, it was already regenerating. As for Patriarch Crescent Moon, he had vanished. He moved so quickly that Cha Ming could only see after images.

Cha Ming had already assumed Clear Rune Transformation, but hadn’t yet sent out a Clear Rune Field. He did so now by spreading the blood he’d just shed, then used the field to execute Clear Rune Steps. Though it wasn’t strictly teleportation, Clear Rune Steps achieved the same effect, but did not release spatial fluctuations that would give away his location.

Step. A spear screamed past Cha Ming’s forehead, barely missing it as he vanished.

Step. Cha Ming’s staff rose to defend against a rapid downward slash, but he was too slow, and his head exploded.

Step. This time, the spear was sweeping at his legs. Cha Ming angled a kick sideways but was too slow. His leg blew apart, forcing him to retreat and relocate.

Cha Ming continued stepping away, but he could never do so quickly enough to avoid all damage. In fact, he was struggling to comprehend how exactly how this was happening.

It’s momentum, Cha Ming realized after a few exchanges. He has momentum, and I don’t. Clear Rune Steps is a very good movement technique, but it has a few major weaknesses. One of them is that I can’t conserve momentum.

Accelerating from zero velocity to fighting velocity was difficult to do, especially when the fight was a fast-paced one. Patriarch Crescent Moon knew this, and he refused to give Cha Ming any time to recover.

In the past, I would have tried using Savage Deity Rush in conjunction with Clear Rune Steps. But now that my energies have almost completely fused, that’s impossible. Like Savage Deity Crush, I don’t have anything explosive to rely on. Or do I? Memories of the last battle flashed through his mind. Bloodstorm energy was quite explosive and could be used to increase his offense. Couldn’t he do the same with his speed?

No, I can’t use the same approach, he concluded. But that doesn’t mean it’s hopeless. He stepped again, but before the spear could land a hit again, he used Seventy-Two Transformations to dematerialize. His body turned into lightning, wind, and blood simultaneously, which then fused into explosive bloodstorm energy.

The shift was too quick, however, and his three elementals failed to stabilize his body. He exploded as Crescent Moon’s spear blasted him with moonlight.

Demigods were hardy, so the evaluation wouldn’t stop after a single ‘death’. Chaw Ming reformed a short distance away, where he tried dematerializing again. This time, Luther was prepared. He rallied his two helpers, and together, they were able to pull off a preliminary combination.

“Training a new technique mid-battle is not wise,” said Patriarch Crescent Moon. “I am not Blighted Heaven. I will not give you time to succeed.” A beam of moonlight tore through Cha Ming’s incorporeal form, destroying yet another time.

“It’s a good thing I’m not training, but creating,” said Cha Ming.

“That is even more foolish,” said Crescent Moon. “Creation takes training and countless hours of repetition.”

“Perhaps for most,” said Cha Ming. “But not for me.”

Cha Ming had as few advantages this time. Firstly, he had Savage Deity Rush to draw reference from. Secondly, he had three elementals to assist him. Thirdly, he didn’t need to harmonize his bloodline, create a divine technique, or harmonize laws. He was a painter. All he needed was a painting. A story.

He painted with his body, first creating a smaller pair of wings, then shaping the bloodstorm energies into a rough form. Then he painted in the details, elements that couldn’t be conveyed using runes, but that he as a painter could see in his mind’s eye as he put them down on the sky, his canvas.

Bloodstorm Rush was not a new technique. It already existed, for Cha Ming had already imagined it. It belonged to a unique species of bird that existed in the immortal realms, the bloodstorm falcons.

Bloodstorm falcons were from a kingly bloodline, but their dream was to produce an emperor. They did not reproduce naturally but were born of the blood of deceased immortals and demigods and demons that failed their calamities.

He infused this story into his blood and the essence of his three elementals. Every attempt he made drew closer to the image in his mind, until finally, he successfully evaded. Just for a second, but that second meant everything.

Bloodstorm Rush had not yet reached its full potential, but it was now quick enough to maneuver between clashes. Cha Ming alternated between incorporeal and corporeal form, dissociating to evade, then shooting back towards Crescent Moon for another bout.

Soon, only have of Crescent Moon’s blows connected. Then a third. Then a quarter. Finally, Cha Ming was able to block nine tenths of his attacks, assuming that he was seeking to clash in the first place.

“We’ll stop here for today,” Patriarch Crescent Moon finally said. “In a prolonged battle, I would win a war of attrition. But according to my sources, you have a long-distance fleeing technique. I would never be able to catch up once you broke away.”

The Patriarch retired, and Grand Artificer Fei, having consulted with Patriarch Sacred Earth, called an end to their evaluation. “The Puppet Lighting Region has no qualms with Warden Clear Sky’s proposal,” she said. “I suggest we grant him some time to rest before continuing the assessment.”

“Approved,” said Abbot True Blood.

“I dissent, but I am outnumbered,” Azure Tempest said.

“Many thanks for allowing me time to recuperate,” Cha Ming said. “I won’t take long.” He flew back to his platform near a worried Huxian and started recovering using the Clear Sky World.

Are you alright? Huxian asked worriedly.

I’m fine, Cha Ming said. It’ll only take me a few hours to recover.

Don’t lie to me, said Huxian. You used Triune Soul Burn. That damage doesn’t just go away.

Cha Ming shook his head. It’ll take much less time than before. I won’t be doing much fighting for the next year or so if I can help it. I can afford this much.

Six hours later, Cha Ming flew off the platform to accept the next challenge. This time, it was Abbot True Blood who flew out to greet him. He did not attack as Blighted Heaven and Crescent Moon had, and even wore a smile on his face.

“Well done, Clear Sky,” Abbot True Blood said. “You’ve achieved far more than anyone ever imagined. I’ve been telling everyone that trade is far preferable to war for years now. Why fight when you can make money?”

“You’re a monk,” Cha Ming said. “Greed doesn’t become you.”

“Everyone needs to eat,” said the abbot. “As the leader of all the monks in the monastery, I can’t well let my people starve, can I?”

“Where I come from, monks live off charity,” said Cha Ming.

“Then I’m a hundred percent certain they’re peaceful monks that don’t shed blood,” said Abbot True Blood. “But enough of that. Let’s talk about your test. The first test is a test of endurance.” He tossed out a handful of blood-colored seeds, which immediately sprouted and transformed into soldier constructs.

“Pod soldiers?” Cha Ming asked. This was a very famous Buddhist path ability.

“A modified version,” Abbot True Blood said. “My seeds are practically limitless. Let’s see how long you can last.”

The blood soldiers charged at Cha Ming, who immediately destroyed them with precise staff strikes. Only to discover that their number had doubled. It only took a few rounds for Cha Ming to realize that he was surrounded by dozens of pods soldiers, and those dozens would soon become hundreds, then thousands.

Cha Ming’s skillset wasn’t exactly built for such battles, but he wasn’t helpless. He first sent out Luther, Coral, and Disaster to buy him time. All three of them were able to showcase early law-stitching strength, and they made short work of the pod soldiers using wind, blood, and lightning.

Abbot True Blood was unfazed by their participation. These were Cha Ming’s elemental companions, and part of his strength. “Not bad, but not enough if you’re surrounded by an army.” He threw out another handful of seeds to add to their number.

Tens of thousands of red pod soldiers appeared every second now. The three cats were having trouble keeping up.

But Cha Ming was a painter and had several works on hand. He sent out completed paintings from the Clear Sky World before drawing on his ample ink reserves and painting a fresh army.

Paintings needed a story. They needed a theme. Instead of painting individually, he painted tens of thousands of heads, devils made of blood and storm.

Cha Ming had already thought up Bloodstorm Falcons. They were the concentrated essence of immortals that fell to tribulations. What of the dregs? These, he called bloodstorm devils, and they were legion.

Tens of thousands poured out of the canvas, yet their numbers weren’t depleted in the slightest. Like the pod soldiers, they were endless.

“Enough!” said Abbot True Blood, pulling back his pod soldiers. “You clearly have the endurance to survive even if surrounded. All that remains for me is to test your soul.” He summoned a glob of blood that morphed into a lotus that made ripples on the pattern of reality. “Think not of this as a test, but an opportunity. Realize that despite your advantages, you are not strong. You are weak, and in need of improvement.”

The ripples intensified, and Cha Ming’s heart began to pump wildly. One moment, he was angry, and the next, he was said. He didn’t even know why he’d lost his temper, or why he was crying, or why his cultivation sped up one moment then slowed down the next.

It didn’t take long for Cha Ming to realize his aura was compromised. Abbot True Blood’s lotus had dominated him on a spiritual level without him even knowing it.

Cha Ming only had a single thing that could defend against such an attack: His Heartforge Spirit Flame. The three-colored flame shot out from the Clear Sky World, and the pressure Cha Ming felt lessened substantially.

“Your aura strength and quality aren’t bad, but your control is lacking,” Abbot True Blood said. “This flower is the manifestation of my True Blood Avatar. I fused it with my spirit and core to create this nascent soul. This aura technique is called Blood Heart Melody.”

The name prompted Cha Ming to check his heartbeat, and as expected, he noticed it was being manipulated. And not just his heart – the pulsing of his qi, of his mind, and of his emotions. Cha Ming’s Heartforge Spirit Flame naturally cycled through intense emotion, cold emotionlessness, and inspiration. Blood Heart Melody dealt with those same emotions, but it used his blood and soul to attack that cycle with music.

Sometimes, the melody was weak. At other times, it was powerful. It didn’t take long for Cha Ming to understand the Abbot’s meaning – his Heartforge Aura had a good framework, but it lacked rhythm. It lacked life.

Cha Ming began to vary the intensity of his flame. A person’s heart would be at a regular pace, but that pace varied depending on the circumstances. Whether it was strenuous exercise, a fateful encounter, or tense situation, a heartbeat would have its own music. Its own melody.

Youngsters had a quick heartbeat. As they grew older, their heartbeat slowed down. Falling in love was a sure way to get your heart moving. Cultivation, on the other hand, could stop one’s heart entirely.

It wasn’t long before Cha Ming gained preliminary control over this rhythm. He didn’t paint this time but listened for music. Perhaps it was due to his earlier bribery, but the abbot’s music was simple and easy to dissect. He came up with a counter-melody, which greatly enhanced his own aura and Heartforge Spirit Flame.

They fought back and forth for what seemed like hours until finally, the Abbot stopped. “Your spiritual energy has run dry,” said the abbot. “But your performance was acceptable. You get a pass.”

Cha Ming blinked and realized that it had only been ten minutes. “So little time?” he said. His energy stores were completely exhausted, and his robes were soaked through with blood. “How could this possibly count as a pass?”

“Well, I can’t expect you to be a match for a soul expert,” Abbot True Blood said. “Lasting ten minutes against me is already very good. Give yourself credit where it’s due.”

Cha Ming clasped his hands and bowed. “Many thanks for your instruction, Abbot True Blood.” His gains in this battle weren’t small.

“The True Blood Region finds no issue with Daoist Clear Sky’s proposal,” Abbot True Blood announced. “We suggest giving him time to rest.”

“Seconded,” Grand Artifier Fei said.

“I protest the decision but will abidef,” said Azure Tempest.

This time, Cha Ming rested for a whole day. “I’m ready,” he said to the sect master.

“Are you sure you rested enough?” Azure Tempest asked lazily. “If you like, we could find you a massage, and have the caterers prepare a special meal for you. The battlefield waits for everyone, or so I’m told.”

“My apologies for making your wait, Sect Master,” Cha Ming said drily. “Nearly dying twice over was a little too much for me. It would be a pity if I can’t withstand so much as a single sneeze from you.”

Sect Master Azure Tempest did not fly up above the amphitheatre like the others. Instead, she transformed into an azure blur that immediately shot towards his platform. Cha Ming was ready, however. He assumed Clear Rune Form, executed Triune Soul Burn, and then used Clear Rune Steps to get as far away from her as possible.

Sect Master Azure Tempest was hot on his heels, so Cha Ming used Bloodstorm Rush to open a gap. A spatial fissure appeared as twin tempests materialized where he’d been standing.

She just tried to kill me! Cha Ming thought. For real! She made no attempt to hide her killing intent. If not for his creation of Bloodstorm Rush he’d have been ground into meat paste.

There was reason Cha Ming had used Bloodstorm Rush and not another Clear Rune Step. Over the course of the sect master’s pursuit, he’d noticed that even while dodging, he was still taking damage. The sect master was perceptive and had keyed on one of the weaknesses of his Clear Rune Field: using the field required him spreading out his body, which made him susceptible to area of effect techniques.

“Tch. You found out already,” Azure Tempest said. “And here I thought I could teach you a lesson about covering up your weaknesses.” She attacked again, and this time, Cha Ming was as bit better prepared. He used Bloodstorm Rush to dodge an azure wind scar the size of a house - only to discover that Azure Tempest was right in front of him.

It was too late to dodge, so Cha Ming met her descending palm with his staff. The impact destroyed Cha Ming’s body, which immediately reformed not far away. He inspected his energy reserves and paled when he realized that a single attack had taken out twenty five percent of his reserves. “Your reputation as the sect master with the greatest offensive power isn’t undeserved,” Cha Ming said.

“Show me what you’ve got or die Clear Sky,” Azure tempest said.

Cha Ming didn’t hesitate. He sent out the Clear Sky Brush and began to paint. Flames erupted from the Clear Sky Brush. Yang flames filled the sky and yin flames filled the land. Beauty and death mixed for a precious instant before shattering. Cha Ming channeled the power of mental trauma and heartbreak into a painting made of soul fire, which he then sent crashing down onto Sect Master Azure Tempest.

To his dismay, Azure Tempest simply raised a hand and pushed. A blast of azure wind blew away both types of flames, scattering his attack. “This attack is useless against those with stronger souls,” she said. “Try something else.”

“Since my Spirit Flame Style is useless, have a taste of this,” Cha Ming said. He pulled Disaster into his brush and painted his own tempest filled with tiny azure claws. They cut the sky, filling it with tiny azure wind scars that filled the nearest five hundred meters.

“Interesting,” Azure Tempest said. Her eyes and her hair began to glow with the purest azure coloring as a howling wind picked up with her at the center. Her wind clashed with Cha Ming’s, creating a zone of shattered void between them. “You’ve combined Azure Tempest Descends and Azure Wind Scar and improved upon them. What do you call this technique?”

“It’s not a technique, it’s a painting,” Cha Ming said. “I call it Sky Tearing Wind. It’s part of a sequence, if you want to experience it.”

“If this is just the start, I’m looking forward to it,” Azure Tempest said. “But don’t think I’ll let you have it easy.” Her aura blasted out and combined with her azure tempest winds. The wind scars it produced were much larger than his. It wasn’t long before Disaster started losing ground.

Seeing that Sky Tearing Wind alone was not enough, Cha Ming drew Coral into the Clear Sky brush and painted a second layer. “This one is called Blood Calamity Hail.” Chips of icy blood that flew out of Cha Ming’s brush and combined with the Sky Tearing wind. The ice chips were tiny claws made entirely of crystalized true blood.

The combined power of both paintings fought back Azure Tempest’s storm. But not for long – the sect master coughed out a mouthful of blood that flew into the winds and strengthened the storm. The sky began to shatter from the conflicting laws, and Cha Ming’s painting began to destabilize.

Cha Ming drew Luther into the Clear Sky Brush and painted the third layer. “This is the third painting is called, Soul Lashing Rain,” he said. Drops of cat-shaped lighting drops splashed onto his composite storm, giving it life. Wind, blood, and lightning combined, immediately doubling the power of the storm.

“You might not know this, but Azure Tempest Descends is separated into four stages,” said Sect Master Azure Tempest. “You have experienced the first three, Winds Gather, Winds Shatter, and Sky Asunder. Let’s see how well your painting holds up Clear Sky. This is the fourth stage, Azure Tempest Descends!”

The storm winds intensified, but instead of growing, the storm compressed. Her five-hundred-meter tempest shrank down until it was only twenty meters in diameter before abruptly descending onto Cha Ming’s location.

By now, the winds were so powerful that even the strongest Daoist at his level would not be able to withstand it. Only with a Dao God’s constitution would one be able to endure them, unless one first broke through to the shell marking realm.

Using Clear Rune Steps to evade was out of the question, since fusing with the land would make him doubly vulnerable to the attack. Teleportation was impossible due to the storm’s spatial shattering effect. Using Bloodstorm Rush would also be suicidal. The technique enabled one to move quickly and evade a great amount of physical damage, but it left one susceptible to certain forms of attack, wind being one of them.

“If that’s all you have, then die!” Azure Tempest shouted. She stomped downwards, evoking a resonance with the local laws, shattering them, and sending the azure tempest crashing towards Cha Ming. There was nowhere to run. There was no way to defend. Cha Ming could only fight head on.

To date, Cha Ming had only partially fused bloodstorm energy. His bloodstorm wings, Bloodstorm Crush, and Bloodstorm Rush were good attempts, but they couldn’t be sustained for very long. He’d also fused these three same paintings together in his battle against Dao God Blood Seal.

The fusion of wind, blood, and lightning was apocalyptic. He’d learn that fighting blood seal, and had become very familiar with how the three energies could fight by witnessing dozens of squabbles between the three elemental cats that had devastated his residence.

It was these feelings he drew upon as he painted a large cat fighting two tiny but bold kittens. It was a strange thing to paint while fighting a sect master, but results couldn’t be argued with. The three paintings compressed together into a bloodstorm painting in the form of a cat’s paw that met the descending tempest and the sect master’s palm.

The paw print and the tempest smashed together, pitching fused bloodstorm energy and his three elementals, Luther, Coral, and Disaster against the laws of wind and shattered space. Cha Ming knew it was impossible to wind, but he knew that if he didn’t meet her minimum expectations, he would die. Also, barely holding on and embarrassing himself would allow the sect masters to save face.

Both his painting and Azure Tempest’s technique exploded. Wind and spatial energy crashed into Cha Ming’s body, destroying it again and again. He lost count of how many times he broke down and regenerated, and how many times his three helpers, Luther, Coral, and Disaster materialized as a shields of bloodstorm energy to mitigate the impact.

“I yield!” Cha Ming called out. “You win! It’s impossible for me to defeat you!”

The wind stopped almost immediately. “And here I thought you were lacking self awareness,” Sect Master Azure Tempest said. “Do you admit your mistakes?”

“I am no match for you all,” Cha Ming said. “I can only try my best.”

“In that case, you barely pass on power and law control,” said Azure Tempest. “Bonus points for innovation. You also pass my true test, knowing when to fight and when to yield. The Azure Tempest Sect see’s no issue with Clear Sky’s proposal.”

Cha Ming heaved a sigh of relief as he dragged himself back to the bloodstorm platform. He was battered an low on energy, but he would recover.

Good job out there, Abbot True Blood said to him as he Sr down to recuperate. She’s been unhappy all meeting long. Maybe she’ll start being reasonable now that she’s let off some steam.

How’s your soul?Huxian asked Cha Ming. He sent a wave of vitality over to enhance his recovery.

I’ll live, Cha Ming said. These sect masters were harsh on me, but they were careful not to harm my foundation.

That’s good, Huxian said. But remember your promise. You’ll rest for a year. Real time, not time accelerated.

I already promised, Cha Ming said. Now let’s see what they decided on in the end.

“With all three regions agreeing in principle to combine our regions, negotiations can now move forward,” Abbot True Blood said. “But we’ll need a name. What do you all think of using Bloodstorm Region as a working title?”

“It’s not a bad name,” Grand Artificer Fei agreed. “What do you think, Sect Master Azure Tempest?”

“It’s an acceptable name,” Azure Tempest said. “Not very original, but descriptive. Also, I feel we need to give Clear Sky a bit of face. We’re taking Bloodstorm Gorge, after all. Unless that’s changed?” Cha Ming shook his head. “Excellent.”

“I suggest we break up into smaller groups and discuss with each of our factions before voting on any major decisions,” Abbot True Blood said. “It occurs to me that this amphitheater and these mountains would be a fine location for this activity. Clear Sky, does this thing have a key or something? Or a command imprint to control the formation?”

Cha Ming’s eye twitched. “You’ve all agreed in principle, but I didn’t see any signed documents.”

“Come now, where’s all the hope and good faith you keep talking about?” Abbot True Blood said.

Cha Ming glared at him fiercely before tossing him the formation’s keystone. “Here’s the backup key. You’ll have the real one once I see a signed and certified agreement.”

Cha Ming was half-dead from exhaustion and would require an extended recovery. He and Huxian left after leaving instructions with the caterers. One week of catering tops. After that, the sect masters could take care of their own catering.

Cha Ming and Huxian returned to the Heartforge Realm, tired to the bone but quite satisfied with how things went. “About that trade deal…”

“I’ll swing it somehow,” Huxian said with a shrug. “I have a lot of pull. If Twisted Horn doesn’t agree, I’ll paint his furniture red and put an indelible target on his back.”

“What a year,” Cha Ming said.

“Tell me about it,” said Huxian. “You’d be amazed at how hard it is to buy high quality bath salts. I spent days on my communicator to figure it out, and it still took a year! All to kill a stupid leech!”

Cha Ming chuckled. “I wonder who else is back.”

“I think Petros’s lights are on,” Huxian said. “Want to invite him over?”

“Sure,” Cha Ming said. “And I’ve been thinking. Damage aside, my place is looking pretty good these days. I have paintings and furniture. I can make half-decent dishes. Do you mind if I host a small party in about a week?”

Huxian’s jaw dropped. “You? Host?”

“Is there a problem?” Cha Ming asked.

“Just… let me confirm,” Huxian said. “You. Are inviting people. That aren’t me. Into your house?”

“Only a few people,” Cha Ming said defensively. “I need to ease into it. I’ll ask Petros if he’s game. Invite your two girlfriends over if they’re up to it.”

“They’re not my girlfriends,” Huxian said.

“Sure they aren’t,” Cha Ming teased. “By the way, how are Miyue and Bifang doing?” A shoe came flying his way.