An eternity and a second seemed to pass at the same time, as I made the link that closed the gap between the Tortoise King and myself. He wanted nothing more than to control and absorb all the qi that he could. Whereas I accepted that I’m just a part of qi, and the power it gives me is merely borrowed. Perhaps elsewhere, that wouldn’t have triggered a breakthrough. Or if I hadn’t already advanced my cultivation well above a normal Master’s grasp.

But here, in the ruins of the Black Fortress, on the nexus the Tortoise King had gorged himself upon for centuries as he grew fat and complacent… I found the key.

I’d be told later that there was a bright flash, and a small shockwave from the surrounding qi instantly entering my body, enhancing and empowering it with the will of the world. I’d find out later that having breakthroughs while pregnant tends to leave the child you’re carrying… changed, a little. Really, she’s a sweet girl, but some have argued that spirits replaced her at some point in that frantic month.

Regardless, I advanced my cultivation. All at once, I was an Elder Bun, on par with the Four Heavenly Kings in terms of power.

Though really, compared to the Tortoise King? That pathetic worm couldn’t have taken me on in his prime. Not alone, anyway.

Now, he was just a bouncy ball to play with, and the shocked look on his face told me he knew it. I grinned, knowing I would enjoy every second of this.

In the fishing villages Li and I travelled through, there was an interesting game. Men would take a leather ball, and use their hands to volley it over a net they had hanging up to mend. It was quite fun, but Li and I were quickly banned from playing as soon as it was clear we were the only ones who could keep up with each other.

The floating Tortoise King would make for an excellent volleyball.

Bump, set. Bounce him off a ruined wall, shattering it as he tried to right himself and charge back at me. But I was already bumping him again, playing a five versus five match by myself, with him as the ball. It was so fun I couldn’t help but laugh.

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“Ooh, that looks so fun,” Kaoru pouted. “I wish I could play.”

Li smiled. “Xiang’s brutal when she gets a chance at the game. But at this point, you’ll have to reach Elder before it would be a fair match. Spike him, dear. You’ve had your fun.”

I smiled, pounding the “ball” high into the air before slamming him as hard as I could into the floor, breaking his defenses like they’d been made of tissue paper and air.

The shape his remains made looked oddly familiar, laying half-curled in the crater he’d made upon landing. Well, the bony parts. A lot of the fleshier bits kinda… exploded.

Not my fault he didn’t want to stay in shape.

Mistress Fu arrived, staring at the remains of the Tortoise King… and promptly vomited. Ah. Yeah… that’d be the normal reaction. I’d have looked for the “Trophy Room” so I could give the remains of those displayed there a proper internment… but the ground started shaking.

Ah. Right.

“Best run now. Without the Tortoise King controlling the qi in this nexus… well… it’s going wild. We don’t want to be here when the tree sprouts.”

Kaoru was about to ask what I meant, I’m sure. But I’d already swept her and Li up, and was dashing away as fast at I could go. Fu was behind me, and organized the rebellion to follow… but even then, I think the last of the stragglers only barely made it out of range.

Where the Black Fortress once stood, there was now a massive tree reaching far into the heavens, its trunk three times the diameter of the fortress it now replaced.

I was only grateful the thing would only live for a century or two, as it slowly dispersed power back through the leylines and returned life to the world.

Dusting off and looking around, I got the attention of everyone there.

“This… might be a subtle hint to the other three that someone’s gotten uppity. We did well enough taking down one Heavenly King, but the remaining three won’t be caught off guard, and might start working together. Go back to your homes, and gather everything you can. We retreat into the mountains to cultivate further, and to organize into a true army. The second phase of this war has just begun.”

A chorus of cheers came with my order, and we set to work.