'The universe array!' the glove reminded Pef, before he could strike again and destroy a precious cultivation resource.

'Oh. Must be nice, being so smart...' Pef complained in a childish manner, as he obeyed the advice of his orange glove.

The universe array began to contract around the decapitated Noble, while secondary Formations began collecting the Noble's portable Artifacts.

Pef held the glowing golden spear in one hand, and a turquoise jade bracelet in the other, while his eyes followed the battle between the named Noble, Arakasa and his fellow companions. Perhaps expectedly, the stronger Bronze Realm Noble proved much harder to injure, even by the formidable Taotie or the General's expert skills.

The Sacrifice Dagger failed to pierce through the armored aura of the Noble, while Kalima's Illusions didn't quite impede the Noble either.

'Vela, try something with the mind.' he asked his elf wife.

Appearing beside Pef, Vela stared at the battling Noble for a few seconds, until blood began to drip from her eyes and nose. "There is something...reflects my mind spikes." she murmured in a low voice, then vanished back in the Indigo Realm.

'It's not a Formation, I'm almost certain.' Pef mused inward, then called in the Mirror Goddess.

Reflections were something similar to mirrors.

Gena Feng glanced at the Violet Realm with curious eyes, while the Mirror of Samsara at her back began to glow, brighter and brighter.

"He has a Heart Mirror. It was good that you called me." The Mirror Goddess spoke with a nod towards Pef.

"Why the bright lights?" Pef asked, a bit concerned. He had never seen the Mirror act up, which didn't bode well.

"Your guest is transferring the damage into alternate worlds. We're closing the paths now." Gena explained with a rictus of pain on her face.

"I want that!" Pef exclaimed instantly. It was an amazing boon, to deflect damage away.

Gena smiled with bloodied lips, while the Mirror at her back glinted with a metal sheen. A sound of breaking glass followed, and the Noble Arasaka crashed on the floor, with his chest exploded. "You don't want that thing, Pef. You want the Creation Array to build a better Heart Mirror." she said in a soft voice and closed her eyes, falling asleep.

'Any idea what she means, my glove?' Pef wondered inward as he began divesting the former Noble of his valuables.

'Vaguely. Not in this Heaven, anyways. There are only morons here. Well, except the Sword guy at the door.' the glove pointed out.

Pef glanced outside, observing a new Bronze realm cultivator had arrived, and stood straight as sword at the Copper Entrance.

'We also need a Bronze Entrance.' he remarked with a sigh, then nodded at the Taotie. The beast pounced on the corpse and began to Devour him.

Pef held the Universe Array in hand, and took out the resulting compression pill. The distilled essence of the spear Noble could be felt emerging from the Pill, while a dozen eyes stared at it with gluttonous intentions.

Not even Lady Lia was spared of the temptation, although she somehow resolved herself and turned away. "I need a Bronze Realm Pill, hubby. I will survive whatever Tribulations it brings." she spoke in a clear voice, then stepped away from the Violet Realm.

Lady Yue was above the dispute anyways, as she managed to Ascend into Tier 10 by herself, much like Pef expected. He wasn't certain how her cultivation worked now, but he was sure it involved spending trillions of years on various topics, studying a Dao or skill at a time, in boring solitude.

He glanced between the General and the Taotie, then at the potential Ascension pill in his hand. Both would be phenomenal allies to have.

Then Pef smiled and closed his hand, storing the pill away. Spending the future for immediate gain wasn't wise.

"Why this guy, Mirror Goddess?" he asked instead.

Still feigning weakness, Gena Feng opened one eye, then looked around. "I only carry the Mirror of Samsara on my back, Lord Pef. But, I can guess at why the Mirror does things. Perhaps it was that Heart Mirror. Perhaps it was the uncountable deaths it caused, to trillions of alternate universes. Perhaps..."

"A competitor, I would say. Very well. The guy needed to die, plus he tried to steal my stuff. I don't mind when we are in agreement." Pef decided in a pleasant voice, and opened a portal for the Mirror Goddess to return to the command center.

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"I would like to stay. At least 6 months, with the Taotie." Gena spoke in a soft but compelling voice.

Pef measured the woman, noting her 7th Star of Tier 7 had formed during the struggle to break the Heart Mirror.

Ascension was a basic cultivator right, plus then benefits of a Companion Ring with a Spirit Taotie. The Mirror sure liked to plan things ahead.

'They are not an enemy, Soldier. Even less with our Taotie around their neck.' the glove urged Pef with a sneaky voice.

'You would think that, my glove. But in the Upper Heavens the games are played differently. I think they may control and direct Tribulations at will.' Pef thought inward, and formed another mind crystal in his gloved hand.

"The Ten Elements, if you dare!" Pef offered with an extended hand.

Gena stared at the mind crystal with glee, then fear and disgust as her Mirror possibly explained the consequences. "Why would you make it like that?"

"It is my right as the method's creator. Also, you are not of the Legion, nor my wife. Not even a worshipper. So?" Pef asked again, taking a small step towards the Mirror Goddess.

"I can give you the Icefire universe" she proposed while taking a step back.

"But I want my mother safe in the Mirror Realm. Both of them. You really think I wouldn't know my mother, even in a different body?" Pef said in a light voice then turned away.

The mind crystal flew towards the Taotie. The old badger didn't have a choice, and didn't mind Tribulations either. He found them quite nourishing and tasty.

The badger-shaped monster picked the crystal between two claws, like a master would grab a fly with his chopsticks.

"I might think this is an honor, but why do I sense a trap, Master?"

"It's only a cultivation method, old badger. Sadly, because it is too strong and brutal, it will break most beings, so only the strongest can use it. Me, the monk and you. You saw the Mirror Goddess back away in fear." Pef explained with a shrug.

"I see. Harsh but fair, Master. I will still follow you, to Heaven or Hell." the Taotie decided after a minute and ingested the crystal.

Beams of white and dark light emerged from his eyes a second later, then the Taotie Ascended into Bronze Realm, as Tribulations clouds began to gather and churn.

Pef took a step back, and brought the Alchemist Rejin into the Violet Realm.

"The Taotie is Ascending? The Lightning will be phenomenal..." the man observed with calculating eyes.

Pef took out the Bronze spear essence pill and flicked it towards the Ancient Cauldron. "Then we better get to work. The Silent Monk will provide some special herbs as well, the Taotie the lightning, and myself the Universe Array and the base ingredient. Today, we will write a new chapter for Alchemy!" Pef proclaimed in a mildly glorious voice, just as the first Lightning Tribulation fell on the Taotie, and burned his durable skin away.

The Mirror Goddess grimaced at the lost chance, then stepped through the Violet portal.

One by one, the General, the White Tiger, Kalima and Yue stepped away, leaving only the Silent Monk beside the alchemy team.

'Not the green peach!' a mild voice appeared in Pef's mind. He didn't need to guess the owner.

'A pair of peach flowers then.' Pef replied with a sad voice. An Immortal Peach would have guaranteed the success of the new pill, but the old monk had other ideas.

Beside the pair of peach flowers, the Silent Monk also produced a Bamboo sprout from somewhere, and threw them into the Ancient Cauldron, while diverting some lightning like a jet of liquid electricity.

Pef called the Icefire out to help, as the Green flames of Rejin were slightly outmatched by the higher realm ingredients.

Lightning strikes continued to fall, burning the Taotie into a black skeleton by the time 1008 strikes hit him. Even diverting some of the energy into the Cauldron, it seemed the Heavens really disliked the old monster. Possibly the beast had caused someone up there a lot of trouble.

"Hah! Now this was a proper Ascension!" A voice emerged from the pile of blackened bones on floor, seeming quite proud of his achievement, as anyone should be. Any human cultivator would have died 20 times over from the punishment, even Pef himself.

Pef nodded and drew back, and stepped away. He had another visitor to meet, in the restaurant.