A Friendly First Meeting

With 360 million citizens and 385 million soldier units remaining, the Crimsonbreaking Faction's occupation was achieved. The losses were many, to the point it left the Captains feeling apprehensive after it ended. Let alone the soldier units themselves, who fought those battles from beginning to end. They were the principal factor in the occupation of the Turtle Hiding Region's south.

Since the moment the citizen army moved towards the second enemy organization’s individual territory, 7 months have passed. The land that once reigned with a grayish hue and was unique to the border Kingdoms’ Regions was erased. Although it gained color, it was also bathed in the flames of war, leaving quite a few desolate images here and there.

The sight of the inhabitants’ cultivators, rogue or those who deserted their organizations, was detrimental and fearful. But the Crimsonbreaking Faction soldier units left behind didn’t pursue them, letting them live in the new settlements the auxiliary units rapidly built.

Moreover, everyone could see the materials transported from the outside to the settlements, and those villagers who were demanded to move out of their homes to join other places, at least temporarily, saw it first-handed. The finished streets but unfinished buildings and establishments in the towns the auxiliary units were still building were traversed by Blue Drakes carrying those items on the ground like horses or mules.

But the Fauna wasn’t complaining or rude. They complied and were often caressed or spoken to dearly by what seemed to be their owners. The civilians were startled, but they tried to become used to it a few days later. Through time, the news of their people’s defeat after defeat left the villagers and other inhabitants from other settlements feeling more hopeless.

But, at the same time, the town they were in was finished rapidly, and a small auxiliary unit’s military unit was left behind to safeguard it. The inhabitants suddenly realized that they were living in a supreme-sized town, and one with several establishments belonging to the cultivation world finished. What’s more, there were letters before those establishments.

They read it was from the Crimsonbreaking Faction, and after washing them with cold water over their heads by reminding them they were in a border Kingdom and now belonged to the Faction, and had to obey. They read the ‘good’ piece.

Everyone would be allowed a chance to cultivate. Those that are incapable or aren’t good enough but still wish to ‘participate’ can become citizens. Of course, in a border, Upper Kingdom, nobody was stupid enough to chase cultivation with a potential of only reaching the first 3 or 4 realms in the First Step. They’d rather gain income as a citizen and die for their families, receiving a last bonus for their service. So, they were used to it.

Thus, the rumors spread from one finished settlement to the still unfinished settlements. At first, once the inhabitants were sober, they frowned and doubted the veracity of those letters. But the Crimsons never asked them for anything, only to keep quiet and live peaceful so as to not be bothered. Thus, the inhabitants slowly grew to the idea…

When the 6th month went by since the news of the citizen army shockingly devastating an individual territory, the southernmost center, east, and west, were quite a little different from the rest of the newly occupied settlements further up north.

The inhabitants commenced a movement to aid in the reconstruction. Although they couldn’t help in constructing the new towns or their military arsenal, they could move the resources in the auxiliary units and their mounts’ stead. This allowed for the flow of resources Heian Ciemnosc brought after the center was destroyed to travel faster and more smoothly through the south.

Although the inhabitants still wouldn’t be allowed entry to the military zones where the auxiliary units were garrisoned, nor go near where the arsenal was installed, or move the materials for military equipment, they could help with anything else.

By the time that the 4th month arrived, in the west, the slightly over 19 million auxiliary units who weren’t in settlements began moving to the rest of the south’s west. They scrapped the stuff and debris left behind while the resources for the rest were brought. The inhabitants there were already waiting for them, helping move the resources by land to the designated zones.

It took a little less time thanks to their help, and the west was rapidly reconstructed as 3 months went by. However, one thing was clear, the Crimsonbreaking Faction wasn’t building near the shore. They left about more than a 200,000 kilometers width empty while building what was easily discerned as a brand-new infrastructure in a border Kingdom’s Region.

Many spaces were left here and there, with seemingly awkward future blueprints for paths that led in a strange arc, as if hills were in the middle of a direct road. But those were for the zones where the future villages would be built.

Meanwhile, the towns were the first thing the auxiliary units worked on. Even with their supreme size, they were too few and small for the billions living in a section if the south was to be divided in 12 to 15 small sections. However, after building those towns, where people became too crowded and started living in the streets with high-quality tents and outside of it, the cities were next.

Immediately, the inhabitants flocked to help. They wanted to have their cities back, and to help them be rebuilt so they could live comfortably. Of course, they weren’t aware they had already taken a massive liking to the hard work the auxiliary units first showed, and now were growing used to like dogs becoming slightly more intelligent.

They quickly realized that they wouldn’t live in the same zones as before, but entirely different ones, unlike what they had hoped after seeing the quality life that cultivators were making for their livelihoods. Even then, after a little depression, the civilians got to work with the auxiliary units.

With the millions of auxiliary units spread throughout the west, rebuilding other towns and planning for the second phase of the south’s reconstruction and fortifying, unlike simply building the people’s settlements amidst the war. Each supreme-sized town needed 4 to 5 days to finish.

But when the cities started, with all towns rebuilt in the west, these required at least 2 weeks, and for more auxiliary units congregated for each city project in construction to complete. The inhabitants were also worked harsher and had to receive treatment after a few days, while some after a few hours.

On the other hand, the east had barely been taken under the citizen army’s advances. The auxiliary units had been waiting for a few weeks, waiting for the citizen army to accomplish their objective. When it finally happened, there was no impatience. The auxiliary units knew how difficult a task like theirs could be.

The inhabitants, on the other hand, were indeed a little impatient as the news traveled from the west, and it filled them with envy. They were here waiting while their con-inhabitants in the west were already amidst building their cities!

Nevertheless, when the time finally came, and the supreme-sized towns were finished a month later, the inhabitants finally caught sight of the citizens they grew curious to meet. It was a bit of a culture shock thingy. The citizens they wanted to meet weren’t in rags and mentally drained for years to come.

Instead, when they caught sight of them for the first time, they thought they had seen a similar appearance to cultivators. However, these citizens didn’t have that ‘natural’ aura pressuring over them. Instead, they simply… looked like gods among the common folk. They walked, ate, chatted, and even flirted like them. But when they saw them in guarding posts, or reporting to their superior and delegating orders to their subordinates, they were like a rock suddenly becoming stainless steel.

After the cities, the next in line were the Small Cities, but Heian Ciemnosc didn’t give the armies and auxiliary units enough time to work on them. Because, after 2 months, they would march to the north and make a quick rebuilding in the north. The people there were completely unaffected by the war, after all. But they were still from the south, the Faction’s people.

***

Turtle Hiding Region’s center, Mountain Pass. 2 months after the south’s war.

In the middle where the mountain pass allows for a small gap of plains with grass from both sides, the north and the south. A tower was erected. It was nearly 2 kilometers tall. For the cultivation world, this wasn’t an exaggerated size for an Upper Kingdom, but in this case, it was. It wouldn’t have been if it wasn’t because of the lack of people around and within the tower.

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This wasn’t designed to be a defensive structure, as it was practically unnecessary. They weren’t civilians who could take advantage of a battle in such a small place. Even though the mountains were only less tall than the distance to reach space, namely around dozens of thousands of kilometers, well above the 100,000th kilometer.

At this very moment, at the highest floor in the tower, where a vast yet enclosed meeting room was built for the highest ranks in the Region. 2 people stood in it, waiting for the 3rd person to show up.

A man and a woman. They were in different places of the room, and were from clearly different Races, not only from their aesthetics. The woman had fluffy, long white ears, whose bum erected a thick, fluffier white tail. She stood before a window and looked at the southern lands, where footsteps sounded from tens of thousands of kilometers away.

“Man, what a parade,” the woman critiqued, yet praised, before turning around. She looked at the man whom her Dynasty divided her territory with, this man’s Empire.

The man was seated at the small, round table. The only one in the high-end meeting room, which had obscure brown walls, ceiling, and black steel floor. Torches illuminated the place warmly and had a humble tone to it. The man, however, seemed out of this place’s ambiance.

He had a transparent, light blue-cyan body and wore no clothes, but his groin had no sexual organs whatsoever. Yet, it was known that the Soul Race could ‘build’ their phalli and vaginal entrances to practice sexual activities within another Race’s mind if they so wished to have a lover from another Race.

Although the Soul Race wasn’t an alienating Race, or self-isolating civilization as a whole, they couldn’t procreate with other Races and put babies in bellies unless the female separated from their bodies for 10 years and began coitus afterwards. The process was slow, but the Soul Race people would show them their world while they attempt to have their child.

It usually takes from a century to a millennium. Once they have children, they will be born with a tremendous Soul potential, but their cultivation base would remain as natural as it would’ve been if it was with anyone else as the father, or mother. Since their Souls could be manipulated, lesbian couples could have penetration and insemination. The Soul Race is as old as it is mysterious.

While the other Races’ males couldn’t have children, since it was going against nature because they had no womb and subsequent systems to feed a baby, they couldn’t become pregnant. But even those with a female partner could accomplish their darkest secrets.

The Soul Race is the only Race that can make a penis pop out of nowhere. But this was allowed by nature due to their Soul bodies not affecting anything or anyone in the real world. The sexual practice between Races’ mind is only achievable through either a Soul Race member, or high cultivation of the Soul from the Goldshine level forwards.

However, it didn’t bring fruits to one’s cultivation, only seamless, natural pleasure. However, the Soul Race was better off copulating within their Race. It wouldn’t even take a minute for them to share a bit of their Soul bodies to form a seed and leave the female partner pregnant. It was a costly, outer incubation period if between male Soul Race members. Yet, it is always extensive.

Their low birth rate but very long lifespans brings them far away from any other Races. Yet, they cannot even contact with the ghosts, recently known as that. Thus, their ‘utility’ in the world of cultivation was nill, excluding their sheer power.

“He’ll be here, that’s what matters,” the man sitting at the small, round table said. He seemed bored, and a bit bothered, but he remained polite and servile to his cause. The woman looked at him, and she was simply beautiful. It was a ‘rudimentary’ feature for all Flora-Sweet White-Heavens Dynasty Xue family members.

“How’s your people doing, lately?” The woman walked to the man and said, taking her Universal Conveyance out. The Soul Race member looked elsewhere and casually replied, “As always. Hmm… It’s a refreshing sight to see this chance in the Heraxle Clan.”

“Huff,” the woman lightly scoffed. She didn’t say anything else and looked at her Universal Conveyance. The man looked over and watched the projected holographic screen of the Crimson armies passing by the Turtle Hiding Region’s south with the woman’s fully opened eyes and slightly knitted eyebrows.

“He ordered these powerful armies to force the inhabitants to face a peak Third Step organization’s force. Anyone who fought them understood their differences, and those grand battle array formations were the top of the pie, huh?” The woman commented, not looking away from her Universal Conveyance hologram, knowing well the Soul beside her was watching.

She sat 2 chairs away from the man and continued watching before the man replied, “The inhabitants were prepared, and they fought well, but their underestimation of the citizen army let their south mentally vulnerable. The cultivators who used their Soul Arts to attempt sneak-killing citizens amidst battle were met with failure and a ghastly death at the end of each battle.”

“The Crimsonbreaking Faction didn’t come here to stabilize the situation, but to control it. Yet, there’s no problem for us. He can do as he wishes there. The black monster is starting to be recognized higher than even a Chosen, after all.” The man concluded, swinging his left hand in the air while his right fist supported his chin and mouth.

“Huh,” the woman dryly exclaimed. She put her Universal Conveyance down and frowned slightly. She seemed unwilling but still spoke about what was in her mind, “It’s too fast, still. And he’s now meddling with the villages near the center. He’s clearly going above all the pre-recorded rules we set.”

“He’s going to improve the south’s livelihood and planning to fortify it, what about it? We already dealt with those matters, and the inhabitants on our south are pretty content with their livelihood. But they just came barging in and killing anything that moved. Anyone who didn’t comply was executed. Even if they don’t feel sorry, nature demands balance.”

“Sigh,” the woman stared away and crossed her arms, resting on her chair’s backrest as a few minutes went by. However, they felt both their Spirit Sense in the same direction. They couldn’t help themselves but look at the more than 740 million soldier units and 30 million auxiliary units marching on foot from the south’s center to the Mountain Pass.

That was quite the parade, alright.

They could hear the roars from the incoming soldier units, stomping their feet while showing their coordination. An unimportant trait in the cultivation world, but their discipline still caused them to feel nothing but praise and… a little respect.

Cwuank~.

“!” - “!” Suddenly, the door to the only entrance and exit was flung open. They looked at the door, where Heian Ciemnosc suddenly appeared, wearing a scarf with 2 Fairies entangled their bodies around his arms, 2 heads shorter than him, and another hanging from his neck.

The Fairy on his back rested with her eyelids down, but her nostrils sniffed many times, clearly having the best doze off one could imagine. Heian Ciemnosc grinned a little, but his calm expression returned as soon as it was broken, “Greetings. I apologize for the tardiness.”

“…” The woman was the first to scrutinize Heian Ciemnosc, who stepped in and let the Fairies behind him outside, reeking of him, to wait for him. The other man looked with calmness as the Fairies played naughty and didn’t let go of Heian Ciemnosc so easily. After giggles and pinches, Heian Ciemnosc closed the door, and the Fairies walked off elsewhere.

Heian Ciemnosc bid them farewell with his darkest eyes. From the dozens of Fairies he kidnapped, those 3 were just a shy half a step before the Central Formation. The others were spread throughout the Mythical realm later stages.

When Heian Ciemnosc turned around and faced the Snow Fox and male Soul Race member, he wore a casual expression. He nodded once before walking towards them. They kept the silence, and so did he.

Screech, thud.

Heian Ciemnosc dragged a chair and sat 2 chairs beside the Soul member on the opposite side from the Snow Fox. He extended his right hand and introduced himself, “Heian Ciemnosc, a Security Elder from the Crimsonbreaking Faction. Black monster, if you will it.”

“Heheh, ‘a’ Security Elder? It would be more fitting if it’s the Security Elder. What other Security Elder dares to do a play like this in public?” The woman spoke candidly. Her tail swung behind her, seemingly waving and not at the same time, towards Heian Ciemnosc. Her left hand formed a paw stance, and she pressed her left cheek on it, looking mighty cute.

But before Heian Ciemnosc could say something in return, she extended that left hand and sat straight on her chair, “Miss Yoler. This one here is my cousin, Ogork. As you can tell, I’m the Dynasty’s representative, and he’s the Est Soul Empire’s. Nice to meet you, sir black monster.”

“Mn, nice to meet you, too.” Heian Ciemnosc took the woman’s hand and shook it before letting go of it. Xue Yoler’s eyes narrowed slightly at not being touched more than a few seconds, but that was just a thing for Snow Foxes, whom others kill just to see their bare hands and faces.

‘…’ On the other hand, the Snow Fox didn’t know the sudden, thumping beat in Heian Ciemnosc’s heart. He looked at the table before facing Ogork, who didn’t notice his inner reaction. Ogork nodded towards Heian Ciemnosc, and the latter returned the gesture after a couple of seconds, scrutinizing the Soul Race man.

“It’s been a little while since I saw someone from the Soul Race. And one with a high cultivation base at that,” Heian Ciemnosc looked at the hairless man and commented. Ogork nodded politely and conveyed, “It’s not worth being of your notice. I’m a few hundred thousand years old. Yet, sir black monster isn’t even in his 90s, but is close to the Silhouette realm 8th stage.”

“Mn, mn,” Heian Ciemnosc casually nodded a few times, his darkest eyes going upturned. “At least, not having met one without looking extremely saddened, afflicted, and then lifeless in an unknown land they didn’t imagine they’d fall. Mister Ogork, although your noble Race has remained at the top for…”

Heian Ciemnosc formed a snarky grin when he dragged his words. He just couldn’t help himself. The notion made Ogork feel a primitive sense of shame, and a little bit of fear from the same. Heian Ciemnosc concluded, “Who knows how long. Yet, you still have such tragic stories run amok outside your borders. It makes me wonder if your anti-population disciplines outside the Est Soul Empire are directed to your nobility and pride, or lack of values.”

“…!” Ogork was still feeling those primitive feelings when he processed Heian Ciemnosc’s words. He became insulted, of course he would. But he simply breathed in as his Soul body inflated a bit. Xue Yoler took this interaction to start their meeting. “Sir black monster, your occupation’s speed was commendable, but that is where your projects stop. Right?”

…