"Oh, no no, not even. It's too late for that, you've already created your own noble family and have your own power that surpassed the Devos Families several folds. I just hope to get to know my grandsons and great-granddaughters before I die."

Xasha let out a long sigh. "You were right. Your words are meaningless. But at least they are sincere. I will give you an opportunity to act on your words and see how long they hold true... I have seen your true colors, old man. Show me whether you have changed with your deeds."

"Thank you, my grandson, this conversation has given me hope." Lusha did not tarry. He left the room with a spark, leaving Xasha alone with his thoughts.

"If you let go of that blight on your heart, your future will be much brighter, it's the only thing that holds you back." Mylyn's seductive voice traveled over from the void.

"I rather like my blight. It keeps me motivated. Without it, I may become complacent," Xasha replied nonchalantly.

"Suit yourself," she spat out in an annoyed tone, and the room regained its silence.

After a long time, Xasha got up and walked towards the exit of the Assembly hall. He strolled through the front doors, down the stairs, and onto the streets. Xasha still had a lot on his mind and felt a walk would do him some good.

The streets of Cornerstone City were empty at night, with only a few stragglers here and there stumbling out of a bar or brothel. Nothing compared to the nightlife of Stardust City. It was peaceful and calming. He could see why Gin liked it so much here. There weren't a lot of guilds here, a few hunting guilds and few merchant guilds that mine the mana clay and other minerals found in the mountain range.

A few hours later, Xasha stood at the foot of an extravagant mansion several times larger than his own Von Creig Manor in Stardust City. The guards greeted him before opening the gates for him to pass through. He walked along the path to the front door. He entered, took off his shoes, unlocking his shirt, and undoing buttons as he made his way towards the sitting room where the stairway to the bedrooms was located.

"I've been waiting."

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Xasha froze. He had been absentmindedly going through the motions. Those words woke him up immediately. He looked over to see a pink-haired beauty lying lazily on the couch. She was scantily clad and had a glass of what he assumed to be wine between her fingertips.

"You bad girl, you snuck away from your post for a booty call?" Xasha approached with a mischievous smile.

"Yes, I've been here for hours, but you were not here. I even fell asleep here. I woke up when you came through the door, father loudly. Are you okay, you seem worried." She sat up and pulled him to sit beside her.

"It's nothing, I'm just overthinking as I always do. I've been going over the plan and all that I've learned so far, wondering if there was something I missed."

Megan scooted over, then brought Xasha's head into her lap. She used her fingertips to comb through his ear. "My poor baby. Let me put you at ease. Absolutely nothing will go as planned."

Xasha rose. "This is how you will put me at ease?"

"Yes." She pulled his head back to her lap and resumed playing with his hair. "Nothing ever goes as planned, so forget the plan. The only accurate plan is one planned for unforeseen circumstances to disrupt the plan. You just have to have faith in your cultivator's ability to adjust to new situations and think critically in life and death situations. If this holds true, the plan will succeed despite it failing."

"Thank you for that nugget of wisdom. It cleared everything right up for me," Xasha said sarcastically. But he had to admit that he was a lot less worried thanks to her.

"You're welcome," Megan said casually. "Now," her voice became seductive as she slid her hands from his face to his chest, across his abdomen, and down his pants. "It's time I get what I came for, don't you think?"

Xasha rose and kissed her plump pink lips and took one of her round breasts in his palm. "I couldn't agree more."

As the sun rose, so did the one hundred raid ships raise above the city to meet the City hidden behind the mountains. They all made formations of three and headed in different directions. The expectation in their eyes increased as they flew past the mountain range and entered the land they once knew only as the wilderness.

The other side of the mountain range looked just like it did inside Sutherland. The Imperium here was noticeably thicker but could not compare to the concentration they were all used to in the Stardust Province.

With their upgraded bodysuits, the impurity of the Imperium did not affect them in the slightest. They flew low and slow as they made their way forward. Flying Fantasma did not neglect the opportunity to attack the airships but was quickly dealt with by the forcefield.

Xasha stood on the deck of his airship, staring out at the wide-open world before him, and gripped his fists under his sleeves.

He sighed deeply and looked up once more with a renewed conviction under his brow. His tone was serious as he said, "okay Estia, show me how you plan on blocking my path towards my ambition. And I will show you how nothing can stop me, Xasha Von Crieg."