PtM Book 17 - Chapter 25: The True Blood Monastery

2 Chapters this week. The second one is a bit longer than normal.

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Without their leaders, the remaining cultivators from the three blood sects put up little resistance. Cha Ming and his allies captured them before moving in on the sects themselves.

Though they tried their best to take prisoners, it was inevitable that many innocents were swept up in the conflict. A sect’s leadership might be evil, but human nature was variable.

Time was limited, so they killed any devilish cultivators they found, destroyed all sin items discovered, and confiscated all tainted blood pools. As for the rest, they could only rely on quick questioning and non-intrusive soul-scrying methods to find the worst culprits and kill them as an example, which amounted to giving a second chance to many guilty individuals so that they could continue fighting back the fiends that were devouring their reality.

Three days later, no evil blood sects remained in the region. Individual evils remained, but they were marked for capture; an extensive list of bounties was distributed throughout the region.

It took a month to complete a preliminary clean-up of the Blood God Region with the exception of a few stragglers. No clans or sects dared cause trouble in that period of time, lest they get swept up in the storm of blood. And strangely enough, the Azure Tempest Region also remained quiet during this time.

Once Cha Ming was satisfied with the situation, he took the War Blood Alliance and the Puppet Lighting Sect to visit the True Blood Sect, which had stayed out of the conflict and continued to remain a neutral, isolated party. If not for the constant alerts Cha Ming received through his mission jade alerting him of new fiends spawned and dispatched in the south, Cha Ming would have doubted their existence.

No one greeted Cha Ming when he arrived in the barren mountains where the monks of True Blood Monastery made their home. Hundreds of law stitching cultivators showing up on one’s doorstep would alarm most sects, but the monastery hardly stirred.

“Maybe we should fire a warning shot?” Elder Winter suggested.

“This is the True Blood Sect, not the Blood Demon Sect,” snapped Elder Winter. “There’s no need to be unfriendly. They’re insular, not evil.”

Insular was an understatement. The monastery was built on three mountains, which were only connected by a rickety bridge that was on the verge of collapse. The single flight of stone stairs that meandered up the mountain was in such poor repair that mortals would find it impossible to ascend.

Not that any mortals would dare wander in this area – the lands were heavily blighted, and even the cliffs that supported the True Blood Monastery were cracked and tainted. If not for the vibrant aura of vitality and blood pushing back against the taint, the three mountains would have crumbled to nothing years ago.

“I’ll go on ahead,” Cha Ming said. “You all wait here.”

“Why don’t you take us to the peak in your pocket realm,” a sect master suggested. “Just in case?”

“There is no need,” Cha Ming said. “I don’t sense any hostility from the monastery. Only iron blooded determination.”

The land was harsh and desolate. On his way to the monastery, he saw many groups of monks patrolling withered woods and broken valleys. They weren’t peaceful monks, but battle-hardened warriors that fought with blade just as often as they did with fists and staves.

A few of the stronger groups spotted Cha Ming as he walked, but upon seeing that he was not a fiend, they did not question his presence. The True Blood Sect did not care for regional politics. If he did not interfere with their fight against the fiends, he could come and go as he pleased.

It took Cha Ming three full days to reach the base of the mountain, which was covered in pits and craters and sword scars and claw marks. A solemn battle intent radiated from the peak.

Cha Ming could have flown directly up the sect, but a feeling in his blood told him that climbing the mountain would not just be appropriate, but beneficial as well. He had also seen monks come and go from the mountain, and without exception, every monk used the broken stairway.

A warm feeling seeped through Cha Ming’s body through the soles of his feet as he made his way up. Every step caused his heart to thrum and his mind to focus.

The first third of the mountain took him a day to climb, and in that time, he underwent a spiritual transformation. All the killing, the fighting, and the decisions he’d made were squeezed out of his spirit, where a combination of introspection and his Heartforge Spirit Flames wore them down. The fusion of his auras, which had long hit a bottleneck, grew more pronounced.

It was the same for the energy in his body. The steps of the True Blood Monastery did not just temper his blood, but his spirit as well. Every time he climbed, he saw a flash of another life, and in turn, he painted that new life into himself.

In this life, he was a villain, a terrible cultivator that had done terrible things. But one day, his sect was eradicated, and he saw the error in his sinful ways.

Blood was the source of vitality, and he discovered a hidden talent for healing. He became known as the blood doctor, who famously came and went without a word, treating the sick and the dying without asking for anything in return.

Cha Ming’s energy pools had reached 60% fusion long ago. Thanks to the lightning dragons and azure tempests constantly breaking up and agitating his original energy pools, a constant stream of ten-colored energy was produced.

As he painted his new self, 108 blood crystals now joined these lightning dragons and wind eddies. These blood crystals were made of golden righteous blood. They used the powers of blood and righteousness to increase the integration in his three energies as opposed to mixing and breaking.

The painting of Cha Ming’s third persona and the integration of blood into his cultivation caused the sealed blood pool in the Clear Sky World. Cha Ming released the tainted righteous blood onto the mountain, where it took the shape of his painted self.

It ascended the mountain side by side with Cha Ming. Whereas Cha Ming harmonized his mixed energies and auras, his blood clone experienced a baptism that washed away the impurities that had built up inside it.

Some of these impurities were alchemical in nature. Others were elements of sin that had worked their way into the righteous blood. Corruption and karma evaporated, leaving behind only the purest righteous blood.

When Cha Ming reached the halfway point, the blood crystals in his energy pool reached a limit, and so did his righteous blood clone. There was no way for these energies to grow any further – fusion was the only way forward.

Cha Ming’s lightning clone and wind clone flew out of his body to accompany the blood clone. The lightning and wind clones had already achieved partial fusion, but a three-fold fusion was complex. He took elements from both lightning and wind and painted their details into his righteous blood clone.

Azure and violet runes imprinted themselves into its painted bones, flesh, and blood. Elements of their stories merged, creating a fourth persona. A bloodstorm persona.

Two thirds of the way up the mountain, Cha Ming’s internal energy reached seventy-percent fusion, as did his auras. At the ninety percent mark, the fusion of his auras and blood reached eighty percent. But then, his ascent slowed, and Cha Ming spent a whole three days without moving.

The last tenth of the mountain, he realized, would be transformational. For his auras, it was necessary to achieve an optimal rotation between the three.  His Heartforge Aura is not about exerting force, but about alternating polarities.

His aura, just like his heart, could never be perfect. He would stumble from time to time. He would make mistakes. He would do things that he regretted.

Likewise, a fusion of wind, blood, and lightning could not be perfect. Blood was a perfectly good medium to fuse wind and lightning, but righteous blood was, by nature, unaccommodating. To fully fuse all three energies, he would need to further purify his blood clone until it was free of righteousness and sin.

With this in mind, Cha Ming continued his ascent. He gave up on fusing passion and heartlessness and took both into his soul. His aura became violent and unpredictable.

Similarly, he gave up on the righteous aspect of his blood. He forcefully took lightning and wind into his blood clone and used the violence of their merger to wash away its merit.

Gold bled out from the blood clone and onto the mountain, staining it with virtue and fulfilled regrets. And with it went the remnants of sin that it had covered up, and all the filth and taint that had supposedly been purified.

The clone’s golden ink turned bright red. It was a pure red, untainted, and brimming with vitality. It had no sins. It had no debts. It had no regret.

Righteous blood had become true blood. And unlike the former, it was very accommodating. It took in the strength of wind and lightning to temporarily form a bloodstorm clone, which then fed back its merged essence into Cha Ming, who used it as a catalyst to fuse his own energies.

Cha Ming’s three energies transformed under the dual influence of the bloodstorm clone and Heartforge Spirit Flames. His body harmonized and his energy pool fusion shot up to 90%, where it reached yet another bottleneck.

The greatest impact was not on his body and energy stores, however, but his spirit. The last of his memories and emotions were unlocked, and for the first time since his arrival in the Heartforge Realm, he wept.

Cha Ming remembered the events that led him to leaving the Inkwell Plane. He remembered the atrocities of war, the shocking theft, and the battle against Artemis in which Yu Wen had perished.

At the time, it had felt like the end, but now, after healing, he saw it for what it was. The events he had lived through had changed him. For him, it was not the end, but a beginning.

His life was far from over. He had much to look forward to, despite all the loss and suffering. He could not stay forever trapped in a prison of his own making.

Alongside the healing of his soul came the healing of his wings. His second pair of wings, which had long lain dormant, regained their luster. His soul’s aura rose until it hit a plateau. His third pair of wings also teetered on the edge of completion. It wouldn’t be long until they took form.

When the transformation ended, Cha Ming realized that he had already reached the top of the staircase. His blood clone had vanished, and in its place sat a blood red egg, connected to him by a single blood-red karmic thread.

Cha Ming bent over and blew a breath full of life force at it. The egg began to shake and crack. He wondered what would emerge. Would it be a stork? A phoenix? A dragon?

All of these options were good, but in his heart, he already knew what it would be.  “Meow?!” It was a cat. Of course it was a cat.

Luther jumped out from the Clear Sky World and eyed the creature dubiously. “Master, I believe that I should eat this delicious creature. Its life force is powerful enough to let me evolve.” It smacked its lips and began making its way towards the newborn creature.

“I forbid it, Luther,” Cha Ming said. Luther looked aggrieved, but did as it was told, stopping just short of the blood kitten, who began pawing the lighting cat playfully.

“Get away,” Luther sat, kicking the blood kitten away. But the blood kitten was determined. It continued attacking the lazy cat playfully. “Back off, welp. Learn to respect your seniors!”

“It needs a name,” Cha Ming said.

Luther’s face fell. “You must be joking.”

“Let’s call it Coral,” Cha Ming said. The kitten meowed joyfully before hopping onto Luther. The lightning cat retreated to the Clear Sky World, and the kitten, unsure of what to do next, perched itself atop Cha Ming’s shoulder.

Having scaled the flight of stairs leading up to it, Cha Ming had earned the right to enter the True Blood Monastery. From below, it looked much smaller than it was. Having arrived in person, Cha Ming saw that the monastery was not just three buildings – it was more like three cities.

Monks, young and old, went about their daily tasks and training. The True Blood Monastery was not a place for the lazy and undedicated. There were very few younger monks, Cha Ming noticed, and most of the monks he saw bore signs of injury and old age.

The True Blood Monastery had always remained detached from regional politics in favor of fighting fiends to the south, so Cha Ming had expected an army of saints guarding the border. But what he saw was much different than expected. There were righteous men and women here, to be sure, but there were also many vicious characters. This monastery was not just their home or sect, but their second chance.

“Our forefathers were once evil men,” a voice said softly from the rooftop of one of the monastery buildings. Cha Ming teleported to the same rooftop to find a bald man in blood red robes. “They enslaved the people and forced them give their blood and souls to their sect. They fed the blood to demons and changed their nature. They also took that blood into their bodies to remake themselves as monsters or use their newly empowered blood to produce dreadful weapons.”

The man was a middle of law-stitching cultivator. His body weas slightly lacking, but his soul more than made up for it. In terms of soul alone, he was far beyond the level of Sect Master Azure Tempest.

“What happened to these evil ancestors?” Cha Ming asked the monk.

“Their children rebelled,” the monk replied. “Or at least some of them did. They created their own sect and named it the Righteous Blood Sect. It fought against the Blood God Sect of the day and purged all its unsavory elements.”

“Well, they obviously failed in their purge,” Cha Ming said. “The Blood God Sect was rotten to the core, last I checked.”

“This happened thousands of years ago, Daoist Clear Sky,” said the monk. “The Blood God Sect was actually a righteous sect for many centuries. A few people survived, however. They returned to the sect a thousand years later and pushed out the righteous faction. The Blood God Sect changed its name to the Blood Demon Sect.

“A thousand years later, more of the same happened. It is a cycle, you see, a wheel that turns over and over. It is the same in Heaven and Hell, I am told. The dominance of angels and devils comes in waves. Every change in the status quo is accompanied by a storm of blood.

“The Blood God Sect you eliminated this time was considered a neutral sect a few decades back. It was that runt from the Heartforge Realm who came in and tipped the scales. “

“And what of the True Blood Monastery?” Cha Ming asked. “Is it neutral, or just detached?”

“The True Blood Monastery was originally formed by a coalition of dissatisfied sect members,” said the monk. “They realized that karmic fetters were the problem. All the good lands were already taken, so they came south to a place that nobody wanted and few mortals lived. Only in such a remote location could they abandon the fetters of right and wrong and pursue personal perfection instead.

“Climbing those steps isn’t easy. The only way to do so is to cultivate true blood. This requires one to realize that blood is a tool that is not inherently good or evil. And by completing the journey, one is able to transform one’s blood and draw on the power of the monastery to form a True Blood Avatar.

“Your avatar’s form is interesting. I have never seen a kitten avatar. But rest assured that it will serve you well. It is a part of you, and as such, is completely compatible with all your arts and elements. And unlike other companions, such as the Puppet Lightning Soul in your company, it will never rebel. That is because true blood, by its very nature, is innocent.”

They remained silent for a time and watched the monks as they sparred and meditated and went about their daily lives. The monks were patient and determined. They trained with a purpose. Every time a group of monks ascended the mountain to cleanse their bodies of fiendish energies, a group descended the mountain to join the many war bands that kept the fiendish blight from spilling northward.

“Abbot True Blood, were you aware of the atrocities committed by the Blood God Sect and the Blood Demon Sect in your absence?” Cha Ming finally asked.

“How could I not be?” said the abbot. “Despite our seclusion, I am part of the regional leadership. It is my duty to remain informed.”

“And you never sought to correct the imbalance?” Cha Ming asked.

“And what is balance, Daoist Clear Sky?” Abbot True Blood asked. “The temporary dominance of one ideal over another? A single slice of an endless cycle? Good and evil are not destinations, but crossroads. Morality is not a set of rules, but a process. Without good, there can be no evil. Without contradiction, both sides lose their meaning.”

“Many people perished, Abbot True Blood,” said Cha Ming. “Tens of millions of innocents suffered.”

“That is the cost of morality, Daoist Clear Sky,” replied the abbot. “It is a process that affects cultivators and non-cultivators alike. We will not interfere easily. But… I admit that the losses were far too great this time around. The Righteous Blood Sect was all but destroyed, and in retaliation, the War Blood Alliance and the survivors of the Righteous Blood Sect all but destroyed the Blood God Sect and the Blood Demon Sect. Only the Blood Sword Sect’s inheritance remains intact.”

“They deserved what they got,” said Cha Ming.

“I didn’t say they didn’t,” said the abbot. “And you must admit that the region is weaker without these two powerful sects. This new War Blood Alliance that you nurtured only makes up a small portion of what was lost. The fledgling Righteous Blood Sect can barely be considered a sect, and we will need to send a few monks to help them rebuild their heritage.”

Cha Ming could understand his position. As a regional leader, his primary duty was to protect the region. “Will the Puppet Lightning Region and the Azure Tempest Region take advantage of your situation?”

“Most assuredly,” said the abbot.

“Must there be fighting?” asked Cha Ming. “Can these differences be resolved?”

“It is not a matter of differences or grudges, but benefits,” said Abbot True Blood. “Not everyone is so blessed as to have a realm treasure with ten-fold time acceleration. Not everyone has contacts on other planes.

“We live in a world with scarce and diminishing resources. There’s not enough to go around. To make matters worse, the regions are specialized. Other regions will naturally possess resources we lack. Trade exists, but it is limited due to grudges that have built up over time.”

There was only so long Cha Ming could watch monks train, so he let his vision wander past the three True Blood Monasteries and towards the blighted lands from whence fiends came. Cha Ming had never wandered deep into the blight, but he’d been told that the fiends there were not only more numerous, but more intelligent.

“So that’s it then?” Cha Ming said. “I get a short history lesson, and everyone just moves on?”

“Unless you have a better idea, yes,” Abbot True Blood said. “I have heard of your reputation. It is said that you only have the best interests of the regions you manage in mind. I hope that you can send over reinforcements and supplies on a regular basis just like the Blood God Sect did. Just like the Blood Demon Sect did.

“Our monks need food and weapons and medicine. They will fight without if need be, but then we will need to concentrate our forces over a smaller portion of the southern border.”

Cha Ming coughed lightly. “I came here to ask for an explanation, not give handouts.”

“And I didn’t realize you were the petty type,” Abbot True Blood replied. “This is the fate of the realm we’re talking about! Also, we just helped you condense a True Blood Avatar. And it’s a higher tier one as well! Anyone with such a powerful avatar can be considered a guest elder of our sect.” He threw a jade at Cha Ming, who caught it. “Have a look at the sect rules.”

Cha Ming’s eye twitched as he inspected the jade. “You’ve assigned me a personal fiend kill quota.”

“Yes, a very reasonable one,” Abbot True Blood said.

“You’re asking me to kill one Rank 12 fiend a month?” Cha Ming asked. “How is this fair?”

“What, can’t do it?” asked Abbot True Blood. “I thought you were tougher than that. There I go again, judging a man by his reputation.”

“You’re awfully manipulative for a monk,” Cha Ming said.

“And you’re awfully whiny for an angel,” the abbot replied. “No wait, that’s par for the course. All the angels I’ve met are annoyingly judgemental and unhelpful.”

Cha Ming threw his hands up in the air. “I’m leaving. Here’s a communication jade. I’m going to be calling a meeting soon. I hope you can take the time to attend.”

“Ten initial law stitching swords or blades, and I’ll attend,” the abbot said.

Cha Ming turned around glared at him. “You’re asking me to bribe you to attend a simple meeting?”

“That’s just to attend,” Abbot True Blood said. “But for triple, I’ll support any measures you propose. Unconditionally.”

Cha Ming grumbled inwardly. “A lot of people will die if we don’t get our act together. You wouldn’t reject helpful proposals out of spite, would you?”

“I find principled opposition to be a constant source of leverage,” said the abbot. “Particularly when dealing with absurdly wealthy individuals.”

“This has to be against your oaths” Cha Ming said.

“It’s not,” the abbot answered. “But I’m sure not acting for the good of the people is definitely against yours.”

“You’re insufferable,” Cha Ming said.

“And you’re a cheapskate,” the abbot said. “Well? Are you going to pay up or not?”

Cha Ming thought for a moment and ultimately decided to just pay the man. It wasn’t often that you could find political support that made themselves amenable to direct bribery.

He tossed the abbot a storage ring. “Here’s a half payment. Be there, and I’ll hand the other half over.” He took off before the man could say anything further.

This time, Cha Ming directly flew off the mountain. It only took a few minutes to descend the mountain that had taken days to ascend.

Unfortunately, he did not find his troops waiting patiently when he returned. Instead, he was forced to collect them in batches on the way back. Aggressive monks had conned them and guilted them into joining their war bands and had aggressively pushed southward the entire time.

“You’re finally here,” Grand Artificer Chi said when Cha Ming rescued his group “Take us away, please. We’re begging you! They’re merciless!”

“Who, the fiends?” Cha Ming asked.

“The monks!”  Elder Winter exclaimed. “Quickly, before the monks return!”

Cha Ming did not have to be told twice. He took the last of the law stitching cultivators into the Clear Sky World and left the blight as soon as possible.