The next month was dedicated to indoctrinating the new recruits into the Legion method, while those with higher willpower that managed to stand on their own also received Sword Dao instructions, plus a minimal introduction to the higher class of abilities possible for cultivators.
And while the lower ranks stayed with Rejin beside their families in the inner universe, enjoying the peace and comfort of a safe universe, most of the imported Monarchs and Saints were moved into Pef's inner world to be lectured on command courses and the three main Daos that Pef had already completed.
Of course, everything was done via the Avatars, which were a convenient method of multipresence, along side various type of clones and golems imbued with a divine messenger.
As time passed, the other members of the Legion began to arrive at the Tzi Space Station, former Autumn sect members who had achieved their Sky rank or higher, and then the rest of the Shin cultivators below Tier 5.
Eventually, the preparation were complete, with a billion human cultivators and a thousand times more Shin hexapods ready to descend on the Mausoleum and loot it of everything of value, from pure combat experience to valuable minerals, herbs and crystals, beast corpses and their horns, claws and simple bones, then other artifacts lost or abandoned by the previous explorers.
Split up into companies and squads, based on their cultivation realm, the Legion recruits entered the Mausoleum portals like an unending tide of voracious ants, eager to strip and despoil the vast locked universe disguised as a tall pagoda.
Pef and Rejin stood on the observation deck of the space station, sipping Godwine and exchanging stories, each competing to sound more outrageous to the other.
So far, Rejin won easily, mostly because his much longer life and wealth of experiences. He also had died dozens of times in outrageous ways, so Pef couldn't compete with that.
Then one day, the Army Commander of the Imperial station teleported beside them, and bowed respectfully. "Lord Pef Xi, there has been an event at the quarantine gate. Multiple emergences, all asking for you."
Pef stood up in excitement. "Really? Other people have come out?"
"Yes. Some of them have quite colorful words, and also strange hair shades. Green, blue, red and platinum, I've been told. Others look normal, but wield Word Guns." the Tier 5 Commander added with a hesitant voice. He didn't sound pleased with the news, it seemed.
Pef grinned widely. "Come Rejin, take us to the nearest gate. These people sound like my family."
"Really? I am so surprised." The Alchemist muttered rather ironically, then stepped over the intervening space and reaching the nearest Imperial gate, while also dragging Pef along.
Pef rushed to press his hand onto the giant crystal and vanished.
He arrived again in the white fog he had visited before, and a white cloud figure sprang into existence just in front of him. "I hope you will take charge of the other arrivals, and take care not to blow up my universe, Legion Soldier." the figure warned him as a cloud channel formed to the side.
"Of course, Lord Mu Feng. I intend to station my Legion at the Mausoleum for some time, at least til we train the troops to a sensible standard. I fought the goliths and I know what strength and skills they will need." Pef answered in a relaxed voice.
"So I've heard, Pef Xi. Your exploits in the Fay realm have reached me as well. Even the two weakest golith ranks are quite an achievement, for someone so young. Also, I am interested in your personal cultivation method, the Taichi?" the Tier 7 god asked sounding a bit curious.
"You are? Ah, you also have an army to train. Sure, we can trade. I do need more advanced cultivation methods for Monarchs and Saints." Pef declared while taking out a green jade tablet with his Taichi method inscribed on it.
The cloud figure hesitated for a moment. "No. I do have 31 methods I've collected from different places, but only for Monarchs. Saints are not that easy to mass-produce." the man claimed and offered a metal tablet in exchange.
Pef casually grabbed the tablet and ran ahead, coming to a stop right before the fog ended. "Perhaps a Universe Ascension Pill may interest you? Make me an offer." he asked then stepped out into the quarantine verse, right in front of his wives and an Elder Goddess he remembered from his own escape.
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"Hey guys! I heard you're making trouble." he quipped towards his wives, especially Lin who already had Faith in her hand.
The Elder Goddess didn't seem to pleased being held at gunpoint. "Your people are rude and acting unlawful, Pef Xi. Not to mention attacking a Grand Alliance member is cause for erasure." she complained and pointed in turn at Lin, Lia and Aria.
Pef shrugged and went to hug his wives one after another, then hugged Cellia as well, then shook hands with Lord Yamon and his father. "Nobody seems hurt, my lady. If an attack really happened, you wouldn't be alive to complain either."
The Tier 6 goddess frowned and measured Pef with cautious eyes. "You're already an Elder God. You should know by now not to disparage the Grand Alliance and the rules."
Pef nodded unconcerned. "Yes, of course. Please keep an eye out for the rest of my family, and I'll make sure nothing happens to your universe. And here, a gift for your kind service." he continued while offering the woman a Godbeast feather and a bottle of Godwine. They were rare items even for a Tier 7, so they should motivate the woman to keep watch over his remaining friends locked inside the Mirror Universe.
The Elder Goddess measured the gifts with some suspicion, before waving a hand and storing them into a ring. "I'll hold you to that, Pef Xi. My father likes you, and says you can stop a golith wave by yourself. Make sure you do, if they come."
Pef smiled and knocked on the gate crystal, pretty sure that the Tier 7 god kept his eye out for his daughter and the potential trouble at the gate. And indeed, a white portal appeared on the surface. "Step inside, guys. I found a great place to visit on the other side." he invited the escapees and he waited until they all filed up inside the gate.
Then he turned towards the Elder Goddess, and raised an eyebrow. "You must be pretty lonely, here by yourself."
The woman stood still, waiting for the catch.
"See if your father lets you join my task force, when we go after the Desolate Beast. The participants will get a share of the loot, including what pills and wine we can make from the corpse, and perhaps weapons made of the bones. It will be fun!" Pef enticed her with a grin, then jumped inside the portal and vanished.
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The Elder Goddess took out the Godwine bottle and took a small sip, admiring the effects on her body and soul, even if the ingredients were from a Tier 5 Godbeast.
Then she extracted the red feather and waved it around, eyes gleaming with childish joy. She tested the resistance and durability, finding it nigh-unbreakable, despite its thin and light appearance. "A Dian Godbeast? He must be insane..."
A man stepped out of the void beside her, and patted her head in a fatherly manner. "If there was anyone else...but Pef did chase a golith away just after he reached Universe Realm.
The Fairy Godmother seemed quite enthralled by him. She never praised anyone...til now."
The woman blushed slightly, then stored the red feather away. "Was than an endorsement? From you?" she asked quite surprised.
"I do worry about you, little Gena. And the boy is right, you're too lonely here. I can send someone else to sit on the Mirror throne, if you want to adventure for a while." Lord Mu Feng offered in a kinder tone.
"You don't have anyone else for this task. They need at least a Universe Realm to withstand the throne. Even Ming Feng is only at Galaxy God realm." Gena Feng muttered and shook her head in denial.
"Let me worry about that. You just think about what you want, my girl. Plus, a Dian Ascension Pill has no price. There won't be another chance, little Gena." the Tier 7 god whispered and vanished without a ripple.
The woman sighed and stepped into the void, then emerged above the gas giant masking the Mirror and the throne.
As she sat down and melded her mind with the throne, a single Avatar stood back and meditated on her father's words. Like any father, he wished the best for a child, and what could be better than true immortality. She just now felt death stepping on her grave, when faced with a Legion Word Gun. A single Word and she'd be gone forever.
Gena has never felt so weak and powerless before, and didn't want to feel that again. Dian Realms could still die, but she had just seen them get reborn and five of them emerge alive again from the Mirror universe. It wouldn't take them long to recover now, especially if they roamed the Mausoleum and fought the beasts inside.
Although she kept meditating and going over the potential problems, she already knew her decision.