199. The Clear Water Sect

Alistair’s idea was using his power as an Adept to gather the zombies for his sister. As expected, it worked like a charm.

His speed was something else. [Mindshift] carried him over two miles in a single second. Kadeus’s bullets that he could barely perceive before would be a walk in the park for him now.

Evangeline broke through to Adept with five days to spare. Like her younger brother, she had a perfect idea of what her Domain would be.

“Really?” Alistair had asked.

“Yes, really,” Evangeline had replied. “There’s nothing wrong with having a moving spaceship as my Domain.”

“But the shape,” Alistair had interjected. “Why like that?”

“I follow the Daos of Juxtaposition and Spirituality. Don’t dare question my methods.”

With their five days left, the Tan siblings realized that they actually didn’t know how they were going to get to the sect. To their total detriment as cultivators and intelligent human beings in general, they had forgotten to ask when on the Grand Imperator’s ship.

Thankfully, their panic didn’t build up to full-on terror as three days before the six months deadline, a spaceship appeared above Nuevo Invierno.

It was the smallest spaceship that Alistair had ever seen—a little bigger than a F-22. It was silver and sleek, shaped like a triangle with a huge circular ring at the back.

Mo Duan—also known by his Dao name, the Lazarene Minister, opened an impossibly black square in front of the two siblings. He stepped out of the void between worlds with a casualness befitting both his cultivation status as a Profound and his obvious old age.

At least he didn’t grab us this time.

“I apologize children,” Elder Mo said. “I realize now that we should have been in contact with you more to explain the entire process. Or perhaps you’ve done some self-initiated research.”

The sheepish look on both Tan siblings’ faces disabused him of that notion. “It is fine. We can talk as we fly.”

Elder Mo raised his hands. Despite his recent power-up, Alistair knew there was not a thing he could do to prevent the elder of the Clear Water Sect from telekinetically lifting him and throwing him through the void between worlds.

Alistair was wise to the treacherous nature of the void, closing off his senses. A tenth of a second passed and they were in Elder Mo’s spaceship.

The inside was exactly what he expected out of a small, sleek ship out of science fiction. There were holographic displays near the front glass panel, and everything was smooth and white and silver.

The spaceship wasn’t larger on the inside, to his surprise. Whoever had designed the ship had made sure it was business only, the passenger space being only as large as a decent-sized dining room. Two hovering spherical seats with a cutout for a person emerged from the floor.

Elder Mo pressed some buttons and the back end of the spaceship whirred with an immense amount of Mana and the Dao of Space. Alistair was more familiar with it now that Dev’rox’s Domain was incorporated in his own.

An orange circle of Dao energy and Mana slowly rolled forward from the back until it passed the front of the ship and went past by half a ship length. They existed inside this orange cylinder of energy, which began to rotate rapidly.

“The Clear Water Sect’s base world is at the triple border of the Disputed Shard, Mai Atal, and the Emerald Coast. Nuevo Invierno happens to be only 200 million light-years away. This is a Quicksilver-class Courier, one of the fastest ships in the Empire. We can make that in two days via the wormholes. You’ll have a one day berth to get settled before the yearly round of testing.”

“Aren’t we near Chaos?” Alistair asked. “I thought that a sect would be in the Imperial Heartlands where the Mana is more concentrated.”

“Well thought out,” Elder Mo said. “Your homeworld is near Chaos, and by a definition of ‘near’ taking into account the size of the entire Empire, the Clear Water Sect is near Chaos as well. However, the Imperial Heartlands are not the only place where there is concentrated Mana. Our sect’s world, Selvitari, is a true Heavenly quality continent just like those in the Heartlands.”

“And all thirteen fiefs have at least some part in the Heartlands,” Evangeline added, always the teacher’s pet.

“Correct. Some more than others. Obviously Imperial Consecration is entirely within the Heartlands, but some fiefs are comprise more than others. It is no wonder that Mai Atal, Sanctuary, and Klei Utom have increased signifance when together they are more than a third of the territory.”

The orange cylinder exploded forward in length. The space in the cylinder crunched together and the cruiser accelerated to near the speed of light. The spatial compression made it in effect, 25 million times the speed of light.

That was the fastest speed that Final Frontier Empire ships could achieve. A ridiculously absurd number, but their Empire had a diameter of 100 billion light years. It would take a ship of their speed nearly four thousand years to cross from end-to-end.

That was why the millions of wormholes situated at strategic locations all across the FFE along with the Visionaries who followed the Dao of Space were so important. Spacesworn Visionaries were almost always extremely wealthy, since they were the ones who created the wormholes.

Wormholes could be worth hundreds of Orichalcum drachma a piece. If you owned one, you controlled all long and medium-distance travel and trade with in a region. That was a power everyone wanted.

The only ones who could travel without wormholes were those spacesworn and the Emperor himself. An Exalted realm could travel 10 billion light years a day if he so chose, solely via his own power.

“You’ve both made it,” Elder Mo commented. “I did not doubt you.”

“Thank you,” Evangeline said. “At times, I was worried for myself. But my brother was never in doubt.”

“You know,” Elder Mo said, swiveling his pilot’s chair around now that the courier was in cruise control. “Originally, we were focused on you, Evangeline. Your brother was caught up in your thread of Fate. You were the one that piqued our mechanisms for detecting talent.”

“He might have exceeded your expectations, but not mine. I knew where my brother was going to be. He’s nearly as smart as me, after all.” Evangeline smiled widely.

Alistair felt his face grow red. He always hated it when Angie bragged about him.

Elder Mo’s wizened face didn’t move an inch. “Do not underestimate your own potential. It is not always the strongest who goes the furthest. Now, let me explain what will happen when we arrive.

“The Clear Water Sect, a premier institution and one of the twenty strongest sects in the Empire, has hundreds of satellite locations across the universe. Our main stronghold is located on the water world I mentioned before, Selvitari, from whose pristine waters come our name, the Clear Water. While it is our home, we share it with billions of normal citizens of the Empire. It was our founder’s wish that we provide for the local community.”

Gideon the Golemmaker, Alistair remembered. The founder of the Clear Water Sect was banished from the universe and his name was cursed. He imagined that the casual respect for Gideon like Elder Mo implied was part of the reason that the Clear Water lacked allies.

“The Clear Water Sect has produced thousands of Visionaries over its 47 million years of existence. Era-defining geniuses that have made the Final Frontier Empire into the powerhouse that it is today. The current sect leader, the Perfect, is one of those. Despite being less than 150 thousand years old, she has reached Peak Visionary. The amount in the Empire that would be her match is less than fifty.”

Alistair calmly noted the implications of that statement. Presuming that the Emperor’s family, the Laketor Clan, had several big guns, then accounting for the Grand Imperators, the Progenitor Clans and other nobles, the corporations, and unattached cultivators, having a top fifty cultivator in the entire Empire probably should have elevated the Clear Water to higher heights than merely a top twenty sect. That could only mean the elders of the Clear Water couldn’t hold up to their fellow sects.

“Each year, the sects have a yearly testing period for new recruits. No matter your status, whether your be a peasant from the most backwater planet or a direct descendant of the Laketor Clan, all new sect members begin as an outer disciple. Disciples are split between outer, inner, and core. Disciples are divided by level of cultivation and also potential. Our outer disciples are mostly Early, Middle, and Late Adepts, while our inner disciples are mostly Peak Adepts and Profounds, however, those with impressive growth and talent can be promoted earlier. Core disciples are almost always Profound, though it is possible a Peak Adept of unusual potential can be promoted beforehand. Those who reach Peak Profound are usually promoted to sect elder quickly. There are many rules and regulations regarding the types of disciples and your keeping your status within the Clear Water Sect that you will learn soon enough.

“There are exactly ten thousand outer disciples, one thousand inner disciples, three hundred core disciples, and twenty-seven elders. We’ll be testing nearly a million applicants, but we’ll only be accepting five hundred to the outer disciple ranks. Our strict training results in between 400-500 deaths and dropouts that the new recruits replace.”

“What is the testing like?” Alistair asked.

Elder Mo tapped the arm of his chair. “I cannot be showing any favoritism. You will see with the rest. I would bet my life that you will be accepted. While we hunt talents from across the universe, you two are evidently more impressive than most. Be forewarned; Prime Initiates are the primary targets of hazing by those with more lofty backgrounds. You will have to prove yourselves.”

“I was expecting that anyway.”

---------

The two days journey passed by in the blink of an eye. There wasn’t much to do or sightsee since the orange chamber blocked out any cool cosmic phenomena. Alistair and Evangeline spent their time cultivating or playing games.

He had outwitted William St. James and the others during the The Commons of Peace and War, but his sister was another case entirely. They played twelve games of Go and he lost every single time.

Elder Mo had his eyes closed as he floated above his seat, drawing the meager ambient Mana to his body. The Mana requirement to level up as an Early Adept was five times that of the jump from level 98 to 99. Alistair could see why cultivation grounds were so important for higher realms.

They arrived above Selvitari in 47 hours according to Alistair’s internal clock. The use of the Dao of Space eliminated time dilation, which was useful for standardizing interstellar travel.

“Woah,” Evangeline said as they exited the space compression tunnel.

“Woah indeed,” Dev’rox chuckled. “This is a true Heavenly quality world. The natural Mana concentration would be enough to sustain a Profound realm’s growth. They’ve concentrated it in certain regions so that average people can live on it. That means even Visionaries can progress in the regions of highest concentration.”

Alistair peered out of the glass panel at the front of the spaceship at the water planet.

The sight took his breath away—instead of a sphere, the world was a circular disc. Alistair had heard that many Heavenly quality and better worlds were like thick, flat continents rather than spheroids, but this was his first time seeing on in person.

The size of the disc was incomprehensible. He had seen Earth from space many times, whether from Sharizak, the Grand Imperator’s ship, or his brief stint on the moon, and he immediately knew Selvitari was dozens if not hundreds of times larger.

Like the name implied, the water world’s oceans were so transparent he could make out massive underwater mountain ranges and the sprawling luminescent networks of aquatic cities, even from the upper atmosphere. Streams of glowing blue-white energy visibly coursed through the oceans like living veins, creating awe-inspiring patterns that shifted and danced across the surface of the seas.

As the Quicksilver-class Courier descended through wispy clouds, Alistair spotted what had to be the Clear Water compound.

Though figuring out size was difficult when there was little to compare to, he believed the whole compound was the size of a small country pre-initiation. There were dozens of different buildings connected with bridges of solid water, some withsoaring spires over the surface and others with palatial structures extending deep below, glittering with concentrated Mana that made the surrounding waters shimmer like liquid diamonds.

The ship’s descent continued as Elder Mo guided his speedy courier toward a massive floating structure that seemed to be one of many docking platforms extending from the Clear Water Sect compound.

As they drew closer, Alistair could see hundreds of vessels of various designs and sizes arranged in a neat grid pattern around a central crystalline spire that pulsed with concentrated Mana, making sure the ships were completely locked in place so that no enterprising disciple could steal one for a joyride.

“Clear Water Sect Docking Authority requests identification and purpose,” announced a serene voice that seemed to emerge from the very air inside their cabin. Elder Mo placed his palm against a shimmering holographic panel. “Elder Mo Duan returning with two Prime Initiate candidates from Nuevo Invierno, as authorized by the Perfect,” he stated calmly.

Invisible Mana pulled the courier into a designated docking cradle with barely a tremor. Elder Mo got up from his seat with impeccable grace despite his decrepit looking appearance.

Just how old is he? Alistair thought.

A Visionary without a special lineage or lifespan treasure could live to a million years, and they visibly aged from twenty to forty-five for the first 900 thousand years, and then from forty-five to ninety in the last hundred thousand.

Elder Mo was a Profound realm, almost certainly at the peak of that realm, where lifespans could reach 50 thousand years. Yet while reading up on sects, it said that he was almost three million years old.

A 60x increase in lifespan did not compute. Whatever the Lazarene Minister’s secret was, it had to be pretty powerful. He could see why the Perfect kept him around as a close confidant. A man with nearly three times the max lifespan of a Visionary was bound to have learned some wisdom along the way.

“Welcome to your new home,” Elder Mo said.

Stepping onto the docking platform, Alistair felt an immediate difference in the ambient Mana. Even the Grand Imperator’s ship couldn’t compare. It was thick enough to taste, cool and refreshing as it flowed into his meridians with each breath. His skin naturally absorbed the Mana into his meridians, where he cycled it right away.

The platform itself appeared to be made of solidified water, yet was perfectly stable underfoot. Not ice, since it wasn’t cold, but a weird impossibility. There was a slight splash and parting with each step that let him feel it was still a liquid.

A procession of disciples in flowing azure robes with silver trim approached.

“Elder Mo,” the lead disciple bowed respectfully, her eyes reflecting the clear waters surrounding them. “The Perfect has been notified of your return. The testing for new disciples begins at dawn tomorrow.” Her gaze shifted to Alistair and Evangeline with undisguised curiosity. “These are the Prime Initiates you mentioned in your communication?”

“They are,” Elder Mo confirmed. “See them to the unaffiliated candidate quarters and ensure they understand the protocols for tomorrow’s testing.”

The old man gave them a final smile, and disappeared into the void between worlds.

The guides took them across across a bridge that seemed to form itself from the water beneath their feet with each step. Alistair took in the full majesty of the Clear Water Sect compound.

The massive structures he had glimpsed from above were even more impressive up close—impossible architectures of flowing water frozen in mid-motion, transparent in some places and opaque in others, all pulsing with Mana currents that made the entire complex seem alive.

The disciples continued down the self-forming bridge, picking up their pace. Alistair and Evangeline jogged to keep up with them. Even a casual jogging speed was hundreds of miles of hour for an Adept realm of any type, let alone one that focused on Agility.

They took the siblings through the vast compound. They were led past training grounds where liquid affinity Mana users manipulated massive waves and intricate water sculptures, underwater meditation domes surrounded by swirling Mana currents, and floating sparring platforms that sent ripples through the waters below. The occasional explanation from their guide was brief and disinterested, making it clear that unaffiliated candidates were of the lowest priority.

After about ten minutes of swift travel across the compound, they arrived at two crystalline buildings constructed from what appeared to be compressed water droplets frozen in time. They were separate by a thick stillwater bridge, which was the name the disciples gave to the solid, non-ice water that splashed and moved a small amount with every step.

“The unaffiliated candidate quarters,” their guide announced without ceremony. “Males to the right, females to the left. Testing begins at dawn. You’ll see.” With barely a bow, the disciples departed, leaving Alistair and Evangeline to exchange brief wishes of luck before entering their separate quarters to rest and prepare for whatever challenges awaited them at dawn.