Having received a summons to the Eternal Palace of the Highest Heavens, Zhao Gang did not dare to delay a moment. As the avatar of the Great Ancestor Denglong faded, he turned to Xinasa. “Continue as you have been. I shall return as soon as I am able,” he said succinctly before gathering up the girl and disappearing inside. Xinasa just stared at him in shock for a moment before turning to see the stunned and frightened faces of the children all staring wide-eyed. A heavy sigh passed her lips as she looked upon them. Just how am I to proceed normally?
Zhao Gang had naturally not given the issue of the school another thought as he returned to his chambers to prepare. In truth, there wasn’t much to be done. He had made many enemies in his time and had prepared all sorts of countermeasures, but the idea of using them against the Eternal Throne was laughable. His only choice, the only choice any being had when summoned before the Emperor of the High Heavens, was to appear to plead his case. No, his only true preparations had to do with the child. If she survived standing before the Eternal Throne, then she would need some basic supplies to look after her. After all, even the basest water of the Highest Heavens was filled so full of natural energy that it would overwhelm a mortal, ensuring their death in grisly fashion. This being the case, his preparations were naturally focused on gathering those things required for the child to be comfortable during their stay.
Barely a half-hour after he had returned to his quarters he picked the girl and the Denglong child and departed. He would have liked to proceed directly to the Eternal Palace, yet the Great Ancestor had ordered that he should bring the parents with him to the audience, necessitating a detour. He only hoped that the parents had not taken the opportunity to go walkabout while they were free from their child. Zhao Gang shivered at the possibility, unsure which was worse - the idea of failing to show up as summoned or showing up to his audience with his party short the required members. Either would likely mean death.
With no other option, he prepared himself, summoning his Qi and piercing the planar veil which separated the myriad layers of existence. Even with such weighty matters on his mind, he couldn’t help but marvel at the difference being an Immortal made. He had traveled between the planes many times. In the past, it had been a great undertaking. The planes were jealous of their children and fought to keep them from such travels. Now that he was a True Immortal, however, no plane would seek to bar his path, not even the Highest Heavens. He had transcended such shackles. It was a wondrous feeling, being so free. He wondered if he would ever grow accustomed to it.
Having pierced the planar veil, Zhao Gang wrapped his charges in his aura to protect them and took a single step forward, leaving his quarters behind and stepping into the city of Gulgarro once more. Unlike his previous visit, when he had respectfully traveled outside the city gates and walked to his destination, he stepped through the void and directly to Immortal Gian’s front door. It was frowned upon to travel so in populated areas, but his mission was urgent and the idea of delaying for such courtesies was simply unthinkable.
His knock upon the door was answered crisply by a servant. “Immortal Zhao,” he said simply, “Here with urgent business for Immortal Gian.” The servant, obviously well trained and intelligent, did not attempt to delay him, inviting him into a sitting room and offering tea while Gian Ting was alerted to his presence. The cup had yet to arrive when Immortal Gian stepped into the room.
“Brother Zhao, what is so urgent?” the Immortal Gian’s words were calm, but Zhao Gang could tell that he already had some inkling of the proceedings. Rather than focus on him, the immortal had his eyes trained on the girl.
“Your oath, Immortal Gian, before we proceed. This business is dire, but not so dire that I would let you walk away with my secrets unburdened.” There was no threat in his tone yet the other immortal could tell there was no room for negotiation.
“Very well, I’ll not protest,” said Immortal Gian and having said so immediately swore an oath to the heavens. Zhao Gang relaxed visibly. It had not been outside the realm of possibility that Immortal Gian would attempt to fish in troubled waters, hoping to get away with the benefits of their association without being bound to keep it confidential. After all, the method that Zhao Gang had developed, if indeed he had succeeded as Immortal Gian suspected, was of great value in general but had little personal value, save for enriching the prospects of a few favored descendants. No, he’d gained some fortune through this, but it would be at an entirely different level if he were allowed to share, to sell in other words, the technique. Thus Zhao Gang was greatly relieved that he swore without hesitation.
The formalities concluded, Zhao Gang explained what had happened in detail. Then they examined the girl together, Zhao Gang not yet having taken the time to do so. Previously, the word of the Great Ancestor Denglong had been enough, yet he had hardly conveyed the specifics of the girl’s condition. What they found was both fascinating and terrifying. Comparing the auras of the girl and the child Denglong, they found only very minor differences. The girl’s body had also found harmony, but not in a way that either immortal had suspected. Rather than establish some half-way state, as had been theorized would happen, the girl had fully incorporated the spiritual Qi of the Denglong, with only tiny traces of her original Qi to differentiate between the two. While her body remained that of a human, there was no doubt that it had undergone, was still undergoing, some dramatic shift as well. While it wasn’t any more refined than it had been previously, it was obviously in a much more malleable state. They both suspected that this girl would find refining her mortal vessel to be nearly effortless, at least as far as the purification steps were concerned. Beyond that, they could only guess. Even then they guessed that she would suffer very few setbacks in forging and refining a body worthy of legends.
“You truly have succeeded. This girl, looking at her now I would swear that she was born with a Denglong’s Innate Constitution, though such a thing has never even been hinted at in all my years.” Immortal Gian’s voice was one of awe as if he was looking upon a holy relic.
“The plane recognized her,” said Zhao Gang simply. “When she completed the process, the plane lifted her and filled her with its essence. It even made a show of gracing her with signs that none could deny. I believe that even if she did not have some extraordinary fortune before, she certainly does now. According to the Great Ancestor what resulted was no sham. He came directly upon the heels of the portents and said plainly that his blood recognizes her as one of his own.”
“A grave matter,” said Immortal Gian. “If you have come for the child’s parents have no fear. They received the Great Ancestor’s summons as well. They withheld departing only to wait for your arrival.” The words set Zhao Gang’s heart at ease.
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“Bring them in. They must at least wish their child returned. I see no point in delaying.” Indeed, he couldn’t return the child fast enough. Now that his business with it was done, the weight of the heavenly oath he’d sworn weighed on him. Seeing it discharged would greatly relieve him. Immortal Gian did not delay and the couple reclaimed their child with joy before speaking to Zhao Gang.
“You swore to us that you would not break the Great Ancestor’s edicts, yet when we were summoned he seemed quite cross. What, exactly, have you done?” Their tone was confrontational and, in truth, Zhao Gang could not blame them. It was likely that ‘cross’ was a gross understatement. Yet the couple seemed quite unharmed, meaning that despite the Great Ancestor’s anger, he had not seen fit to punish them. Not yet, at least.
“I have done as I said,” Zhao Gang said, not willing to divulge the specifics. “I swore a heavenly oath that I would not violate the Great Ancestor’s edicts. How would I be standing here, in one of the higher heavens, if I had violated such an oath?” While a lower plane would not have the power to exact retribution for the violation of an oath, one of the heavenly planes certainly would. Violators that survived one plane’s attempt at retribution for breaking a vow were not in the clear; every plane they traveled to would attempt to enforce the heaven’s justice. In such a case he would have been a fool to come here knowing that the heavens would tear apart his soul. Upon ascending, the Immortal had no hope of rebirth since if their soul persisted they could simply remake their physical form. Ascending meant closing the path to Samsara. But the Heavens would destroy even an Immortal's soul.
“Then we have nothing to fear,” said the male Denglong bluntly. “As for you, I have no advice save this - do not hide the truth, not a fleck or hair of it. The Great Ancestor will know and assume you attempt to deceive in earnest. Be candid and forthright. Since you have not broken an edict, you cannot be rightly punished. Beyond that, what happens is up to fate.”
The words weren’t exactly encouraging to Zhao Gang but they at least left some hope. There was nothing left to delay them, so they all paid their respects to Immortal Gian and took their leave. As they stopped in the doorway the male Denglong spoke up. “It would be best if we arrived together. I have travel privileges within the palace.”
Seeing that there was little point in arguing, Zhao Gang quickly conceded. The three adults linked hands, the male Denglong in the middle and the other who each carrying a child. Like that he quickly swirled his Qi and together they took a step, disappearing from the Gulgarro city.
From the outside, planes-walking in this matter seems to take no time or effort at all. Of course, it is a method reserved for True Immortals, at the very least, among humans and Divine Beasts and better among the beasts. And of course, it takes quite a bit of energy to pierce the planar veil, regardless of how it is done, so ‘easy’ is a poor description. In truth, the entire impression given by the process is a lie that primarily makes those of the highest tiers of power look suave and effortless.
As for the passage of time, well, time cannot pass where there is no space, but that does not mean that one does not experience its passage between the realms. One of the main reasons traveling thus is so hard is not piercing the veil, though that is by no means easy. No, it is the fact that for one endless-seeming moment, one must pass out of existence as it is known, falling through an endless void thinner than the breadth of a hair. At that moment, if one does not have the power to support a bubble of existence themselves, or come prepared with some sort of artifact to do so for them, then piercing the veil becomes an act of instant suicide as one passes from existence and simply ceases to be. Worse, supporting one is hard enough, but supporting more? Well, it truly does quickly become a trial for Gods and Buddhas.
All of this is to say that Zhao Gang, having traveled thus twice and carried a passenger both times, was quite at the end of his powers when he arrived in a quiet courtyard filled to bursting with the tranquility for which the Highest Heaven was so famed. After all, here even the bugs were immortal, requiring nothing of mortal sustenance, so why should they seek to injure? The plane provided all the energy they could want, so they spent their days flitting about making colorful displays. This went not only for the bugs but for the birds and the beasts, the trees and grass as well. Every living being here had reached some form of zenith and was thus content. Those beings, those foolish thinking beings who desired more were unwelcome in the Highest Heaven for any length of time; those who retained ambition were visitors in the Highest Heaven, not residents.
They all took a moment to regain their bearings, with the male taking their child from his wife so that she could straighten herself up. As if on cue a servant stepped out to greet them just as she was finishing up. The man, Zhao Gang assumed it was a man, though it was hard to be sure here, greeted the Denglong first. “Master, Mistress, the Ancestor has prepared rooms for you and awaits your arrival. If you will proceed inside someone will assist you.”
They all waited respectfully while the couple departed. Once they were gone the servant turned to Zhao Gang. “Immortal Zhao?” he asked as if he wasn’t sure if this character was truly who he was waiting for. If the servant had been any more obvious in his distaste he would have spit on Zhao Gang’s shoes. Yet, for all that his disapproval of Zhao Gang was obvious, he did his job with efficiency and grace, giving no obvious reason for Zhao Gang to take offense.
“I am he,” replied Zhao Gang.
“You will come with me. There are rooms prepared for you as well. You will stay in them until summoned. Do not wander about the palace. If you do you are likely to find yourself in much worse circumstances.” Zhao Gang almost winced. This servant truly was extraordinary, imprisoning Zhao Gang while making it sound like a favor and simultaneously threatening him as a friendly gesture. He had no desire to match wits with such a formidable opponent, so he simply nodded and followed along.
The palace truly was a place of splendor and tranquility. As the center of the universe, with its ruler the mightiest being in existence bar none, there was no fear of displaying the extravagance of wealth and prosperity which those of the palace accumulated. Priceless works of art from every era of history were displayed along the walk. It was, in fact, considered the highest honor to have one’s work displayed in the palace, and while this inner area of the palace was festooned with unique and amazing works of art of all sorts, there were areas of the palace that were barren of all such works, waiting patiently for works of appropriate quality to fill them.
Zhao Gang was starting to get mildly irritated at the walk through the palace. They had started in the inner palace, obviously somewhere near the Denglong Ancestor’s residence, and the servant was inexorably leading them away from the palace depths. To his dismay, he realized that it would have been quicker to arrive in the public area of the palace and walk to his cell that way.
Finally, they reached a door, one quite indistinguishable from all the others, and the servant stopped and opened it. “Your room,” he said simply. Zhao Gang thanked the servant, who probably had a higher status than he did even when he wasn’t a prisoner, and entered the room. Despite being used as a cell, the room was as lavish and comfortable as the rest of the palace. With a smile, Zhao Gang laid the girl down on the bed and went to the meditation mat in the corner. Since there was nothing else to do, he gladly lost himself in cultivation. After all, if one was to visit the Highest Heaven, the place in all existence with the highest density of natural energy, then one would be a fool to pass up the opportunity. Zhao Gang had heard stories of great fortunes changing hands for the opportunity of a brief stay.
Not normally being a fool, Zhao Gang wasted not a single second.