Elementary Development
“The matter of your family's struggles with the largest territory's lust for the Gori's assets, and their methods involving several parties, is something the Sect has to deal with. It isn't a matter of a few weeks to finish it. As for your 2 servants and their deaths. You know what comes to those who betray their people. They had a far too kind end,” voiced Heian Ciemnosc.
“…” Pretieta looked down, feeling ashamed. However, his words also gave her a little strength. Heian Ciemnosc then looked at both and said in a light tone. “Since the beginning, 34 years ago, the Sect has been peaceful and mostly empty. It is a blessing and comical that it has remained like this after so long.”
“But now, there is an honorable disciple who is ready to right her wrongs and wants more than just cultivate. Things you lacked aren’t things others can teach you, let alone experience to understand them. You can only personally learn them. It is the only way to understand them.” Heian Ciemnosc looked at Pretieta before staring at his Sect’s First Disciple.
“The Sect has also brought up an Imminent Wrath Special Body. How many have been born with it, but died and became a story never told? Today, Todoro Kalavera, you’ve demonstrated your every worth your Special Body is and has gained over the world’s history.” Heian Ciemnosc’s words made Todoro feel proud, although he tried hiding it with a strict expression.
“Mn, one is clever, and the other absurdly talented. You’ll make a good couple,” Heian Ciemnosc nudged his chin towards them before taking something out of his Covert Space bags. His hands flashed with Dark Energy before 2 books appeared in his hands. They were a single ring finger thick, and had an obscure, brown cover.
“These are the most precious things I’ve come across, created by me,” Heian Ciemnosc said as he threw the manuals to the sole disciples in the Sect. He finished his words in his mind, to only Sara’s knowledge, ‘With my special little wife.’
This was the cultivation Art he came up with the help of both Hongliang Shu and his recently acquired [Life Reinforcement & Creation] innate Divine Art. It also included his very own innate Divine Art. This result from both and Heian Ciemnosc and Hongliang Shu’s efforts was named the [Chronicles of Life and Death] Divine Art.
When the disciples looked at it, their hearts thumped at its name. If nature didn’t burn this to the ground by a lightning bolt or pure energy destruction, then it meant it was… accepted. After giving their Sect Master a glance, they exchanged eyes with each other before kneeling in front of him with utmost respect.
“This is the special ‘item’ anyone can obtain as long as they achieve one of many possible achievements. You haven’t proved yourselves, but you’re the first true disciples of my Sect. As for the Imminent Wrath body, this Art would’ve allowed you to cultivate like others. But without your Special Body awakening, you would’ve remained restricted by denying your nature.” Heian Ciemnosc looked at them again and offered them some words.
“Now, that’s no longer the case. But going down this Art’s path will start something new. From now on, the new disciples or members will be auxiliary units. Only those who practice this Art will become the Forbloffende Traes Sect’s soldier units. My troops won’t be cultivators without this Art, they will be the elite of all cultivators.”
“…!” The 2 disciples felt their hearts exhilarated as they gave the manual another look. Heian Ciemnosc slightly nodded at them and gestured for them to leave, flicking his left-handed fingers. “You may leave. This will take some time, so the recruiting area will be closed for a while. When it’s time, there’ll be a daily hour when we take people in. Prepare, First Disciple.”
“Yes, Sect Master!” Todoro knelt and nearly hammered his forehead. Pretieta remained kowtowed for a few seconds before standing up with him and walking away. When they were down the central cottage’s hill, they suddenly stopped and looked at each other. “Did the Sect Master say something about us?”
“Ah!” Pretieta exclaimed before blushing. She hurried away, leaving an also blushing Todoro behind. Then, he remembered Pretieta was just a few bedrooms away from his and smiled before rushing to his bedroom.
On the other hand, Heian Ciemnosc remained behind. The [Chronicles of Life and Death] Art was that, just an Art. However, this Art can evolve to even a Divine Art, it is possible. The only thing it needs to reach that level is Heian Ciemnosc’s continuous meditation.
It was just an Art now, but its requirements were already high to meet… and harsh. One can start it before or after cultivating. Those who did beforehand would have it easier, but those who did before were required to restart their cultivation path. It was crazily demanding. However, its results were… more than worth it.
When the disciples returned to their rooms, they immediately sat on their praying mat and began studying the manual. The first thing that appeared before them wasn’t an author, words explaining, or an introduction, but a phrase.
“To follow one’s nature. To understand it. To fear it and to grow with it.”
The [Chronicles of Life and Death] strengthens one’s 3 power sources. Their energy becomes more stable and stupidly solid, but they have to work hard for every little, baby step they make from the start to the unfinishing cultivation path.
Only those who have sworn to Heian Ciemnosc and the Forbloffende Traes Sect with their nature can learn this Art, which happened before they received their medallion and emblem.
It makes one’s Spirit Sense sharper, more efficient, and capable. According to the writing, and the brief descriptions beside the lengthy instructions, it could easily surpass one’s pears.
One’s bodily strength would be higher than those in the same realm, and their strength could continue to gradually increase depending on their compatibility with body tempering Arts. The [Chronicles of Life and Death] promised results greater than even body tempering-based Divine Arts from yore.
Lastly, their Soul would be formidable, unbreakable to enemy attacks of the same battle prowess, and would aid them in their path to find one’s nature.
This was but a brief explanation of the [Chronicles of Life and Death]. The manual also depicted several moves pertaining to simplicity, just like using one’s Power Energy to clean their bodies or pick things from afar. Of course, they were still far from sending their energy without motioning for a set move.
Furthermore, they still had to do one unthinkable thing. Destroy their current cultivation base and start from 0. After learning the manual, it turned into a poof of dark smoke. Todoro was left thinking deeply, meditating with his eyes open. On the other hand, Pretieta only thought for a few seconds before beginning her Dantian’s self-destruction.
She didn’t self-detonate, but the pain was the same as if she had. Her body crumbled on her praying mat, but she wasn’t done. Todoro followed Pretieta’s decision a few hours later. The pain he felt was only an incentive that he was following his heart… and destiny.
However, instead of waiting at least 2 weeks before their bodies could contact with pure energy, and essentially, with nature again. The next morning, they had instinctively formed their first strand of energy again!
They were absurdly flabbergasted. After a moment of shock, they followed the instruction etched into their minds and broke into the Spiritual Ligament realm 2nd stage a few hours later in the late morning. It was… magical.
Time passed, and Heian Ciemnosc continued meditating as his Dark Godly body continued to cultivate at his pace…
. . .
5 years passed by.
During this time, the Forbloffende Traes Sect received numerous visitors. Many wanted to know who would enter this Sect, either out of curiosity or because they wanted to target them when they came out. Things were brewing in silence, just like it did decades before Heian Ciemnosc arrived. Of course, many others wanted to enter it.
However, when the Forbloffende Traes Sect’s best moments to recruit people arrived, they instead threw a notice of entering an isolation period until new notice. The Region was slightly attracted, but because of this, their attention immediately turned to other things.
On the other hand, after Pretieta Gori remembered her family name, she contacted her people with a letter. Her letter was sent outside the Sect’s inner territory from her bedroom’s desk, taken by an array formation which she knew existed since her first day. It became an orange bird that flew with its beak holding the letter.
After doing that, she returned to completely engross herself in cultivation. She wanted to consider hinting at Todoro about one of the small benefits of cultivating with the [Chronicles of Life and Death] Art, where two with this Art could copulate and employ a harmless, slightly efficient dual cultivation method.
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However, she blushed too much and nearly fell dizzy on her bed. She simply gave her servant a notice before returning to cultivate. Meanwhile, Todoro had thought the same thing before the one and only Servant knocked on his door. He expressed his willingness to help keep things clean to let him and Pretieta have a more comfortable cultivation time.
This way, they won’t be discounted of their monthly pay. Thus, the two disciples lost themselves to cultivation.
On the other hand, the Servant continued working hard, becoming a man in his 30s after spending a few years in the Sect, but still far from refining his first strand of energy. The situation with the other servants left him slightly shaken.
But with Pretieta’s letter reaching her father, the Servant was tasked with bringing the Gori mansion’s head to the Sect. The Servant was excited. He didn’t know what happened after the miss and the First Disciple returned, but he knew that it must have been hella good for them to become this addicted to cultivation out of nowhere.
Within a year, the Servant returned with Pretieta’s father, who brought several servants, trying to introduce them into the Sect. Heian Ciemnosc didn’t accept, but made a deal with the middle-aged man. He was at the Spirit Birth realm, only 3 realms from the peak of the First Step.
Heian Ciemnosc required aid, and if he could bring many possibly talented fellows in the ‘aperture’ of his Sect’s gates for new people, then he wanted forest people the most. The risks were great, but Heian Ciemnosc used his natural charm to convince the middle-aged man, leaving him with no other choice but to aid Heian Ciemnosc. In return, he’ll accept as many servants he could send, but they must all go through the testing grounds.
The Gori family was known throughout the Vrida Region. They weren’t mighty, but their relationship with others was the strongest. They even befriended the anti-forest people organizations farthest away from them.
If Heian Ciemnosc must use a tactic to bring people to give his Sect a try, this person was the only one he could care about. Although it was a pure coincidence that Pretieta decided to come to the Forbloffende Traes Sect. Either way, time passed.
Despite their lost cultivation base, the two disciples recuperated quickly. Especially Todoro, who had already achieved the Ashes Apperception realm with his Special Body awakening. The Imminent Wrath Special Body was one that laid dormant until it was awakened. It was usually born from the descendants of the mightiest people in the world, as they know war, struggle, and emotion the most. But such is absoluteness.
After 5 years, enjoying what is the rewards for awakening his Imminent Wrath Special Body, Todoro Kalavera experienced what those with great potential did. He broke through stages smoothly after effortlessly stabilizing and solidifying his cultivation base and foundation. He achieved the Ashes Apperception realm 8th stage.
On the other hand, Pretieta Gori’s nature was simply unthinkable to the Pretieta from the past. After so many struggles and decisive moments in her cultivation after the [Chronicles of Life and Death], she achieved the Conflagrate realm 3rd stage. In just 5 years.
… Today was the 601st year, 1st month, 2nd week, and 1st day of the Change. The dusk would be accompanied by another lecture from Heian Ciemnosc. He had already taught them the elementary essentials of Craftsmaking. Every Inner Disciple had to become well-versed in their Craftsmaking profession to be promoted, beside their cultivation base at the Spirit Gathering realm. Naturally, the only two disciples in the Sect had achieved that before breaking into the Spirit Gathering realm.
In the Inner Disciples’ section at the Disciple Quarters’ training grounds, Todoro and Pretieta sparred under the setting sun, their bodies sweaty. Todoro had just caught her right leg kicking horizontally, when she threw her upper body backwards and kicked upwards with her left leg. Her body fully encompassed with Power Energy to enhance every aspect of her attack, defense, and agility.
Paaaaah… But Todoro caught it before forcibly moving forth. Even with his limited cultivation base, his Imminent Wrath body granted him more momentum beside a few hundreds of kilograms of bodily strength as an extra. Pretieta could only rival him at the same cultivation base if it was a life and death duel. But none wanted that.
“Sigh, I guess I lost again, hm?” Pretieta gave up when her back felt the wall. But then, she felt something as she felt her vulva poked by the head she’s been eating for 2 years. She blushed and looked up, meekly saying, “Hey, not in public, I… it’s against the rules…”
“Who will notice?” Todoro smiled before preparing his hips, but Pretieta’s hushed words made him stiff, and not in the pleasurable way. “I… got 2 Inferior Powerful Stones deducted from last month’s payment…”
“…” Todoro looked at his girlfriend, dumbfounded. Then, his mind clicked as he realized. “Ah! That’s why I also had less payment every month. I thought it was because I used to be bad at cultivation. Hm.”
“…” Pretieta looked at her idiotic man silently as he ignorantly entered her still. Before long, they went at it with their pants and lovely declarations bringing the other to utmost tension, releasing it on each other to thank them for the hard work.
“Anyways, now that we’re getting punished, and we’ll soon have juniors. Wanna another round?” Before Pretieta could take a proper breather from this monster whose stamina never ends, to her heart’s content and her body’s torment, he proposed. What could she say? The smitten younger woman coquettishly nodded and pre-moaned before his re-insertion into her naughty hole. The fact that they didn’t even employ the dual cultivation method only made her feel him more.
… After a while, the dumbasses left the training grounds and went to the Throne Halls’ Concourse Lesson, where they saw their Sect Master just waiting for them. This was rare, since it was always them waiting 1 or 2 hours beforehand. Not only that, their Sect Master was accompanied… by Pretieta’s father!
The little girl went to her big hero, leaving the boyfriend behind, as Heian Ciemnosc gave Todoro a boorish glance. Not even he exposed his women, only the whores of Arla and Grietta before Dinayid was born. He shook his head and presented the middle-aged man to the clueless son-in-law.
“Saon Gori, this is the young man who saved your daughter back then. They’ve finally become free to welcome you.” Heian Ciemnosc said before sitting in midair. Saon Gori looked at Todoro and they immediately started exchanging chatter.
After a few minutes, Saon walked to Heian Ciemnosc as the other 2 went to their spots and sat on the empty, black, smooth midnight bleachers. He bowed and clasped his hands at Heian Ciemnosc. “Senior, I’ve done my best. I can’t say for sure how many are moving, but I know a lot of them are. I only wish to do my best to aid you. But the risk from heron is… scary.”
“Your daughter will be protected, and the people of my Sect will be protected. Without servants and with your guards starting to doubt you, so much that you must be more confidential in our matters. Don’t you see it is you who is in more danger?” Heian Ciemnosc casually said and looked at the middle-aged fella with a few strands of white in his gray-blond hair.
“Even then, I must procure her safety. I feel at ease knowing what kind of man she has found, but one’s organization is one’s life. I respect this, but it pains me…” Saon Gori said. His eyes innocently pure and begging in near-tears to Heian Ciemnosc.
“No, what I’m saying is, you can join it, too.” Heian Ciemnosc shook his head and casually waved his right palm. The middle-aged man became confused, but Heian Ciemnosc continued with a slight smirk from the right corner of his mouth. “I can see your daughter is filial yet loyal. To you, and my Sect, respectively.”
“Anyone can join the Forbloffende Traes Sect. And you’re already a cultivator. It matters not that your remaining 2,000 years of lifespan can blow out of your hands at any given moment. As long as you follow the Sect’s rules, you're my people.” Heian Ciemnosc waited after speaking.
Saon Gori became silent, but his daughter and future son-in-law were unperturbed. He clasped his hands before thinking for a little time, then politely said, “I thank Senior for this grace. But my mansion can’t be abandoned like this. It’s my wife’s last memory. I deeply apologize for refusing you.”
“What does humiliation matters when one’s future is at stake? Even a woman knows they can only get revenge after their rapists lets them live. Even a young man without spirit can maintain himself without falling to debauchery, pettiness, and aberration.” Heian Ciemnosc slung his left arm. A parchment appeared, with the Gori name on it, and the Forbloffende Traes Sect with Heian Ciemnosc’s name on the other half of the parchment.
“Sign it, and from the moment you do, your town will become my Sect’s territory.” Heian Ciemnosc looked at the middle-aged man from above. His darkest eyes were thoroughly empty; without life, let alone emotions. To the middle-aged man, it felt like a warning. It is now or never.
“Gulp…” In the end, Saon Gori didn’t know if it was his wife working his strings from the dead, but he stepped forth and vowed with his blood essence as he signed the parchment. He lowered his head as soon as it happened. Heian Ciemnosc immediately echoed with a calm, ultimately cold, “Good.”
“You’re invited to watch the aperture tomorrow. I won’t hold you here any longer. Deal with the matters at your home and come here if you wish to take the testing grounds. Don’t mistake me. I’m not doing a favor to Pretieta. Who here can be worthy of my favor? No. But I’m also not only interested in repaying you for your help. Thank you for your efforts. Your future lies now on your hands.” Heian Ciemnosc waved his hand to gently push the middle-aged man out of the Concourse Lesson.
A few puppets guided the thoughtful father out of the Sect, who rapidly wanted to return to his town at the eastern extremity of the western forest. Meanwhile, after the lesson finished 8 hours later, morning threatened to come, and the 9th day of the year, 2nd day of the 2nd week, to bring about attention to themselves.
. . .
Early morning, when the first lights of the superficial sunlight began showering the Authoritarian Summit Divine Kingdom’s Regions and ocean.
Unlike before, the surroundings of the recruitment area, where the testing grounds’ screening would become crazily active in just a few minutes, wasn’t too crowded. There were only a few thousands present. Most of them were children whose parents traveled here with them after knowing an exact date. If cultivators did something right, always. It was being punctual. After all, they lived for so long…
Before, it had been a few tens of thousands. But now, merely a few thousands. However, this didn’t stop the people from making a wide line everywhere. After all, there were hundreds if not a couple of thousand kiosks to seemingly sign themselves up. As long as they walked semi-fast, they would rapidly enter the registration phase.
Of course, they didn’t know it took a few minutes to register. But because the disciples and Servants in the Sect were null, the array formations were still at work. When they were just waiting, they suddenly saw 2 people emerge from the hill. For cultivators, it was just a small hill. For civilians and citizens, an enormous hill that could be considered its own geological zone.
A slightly handsome, tall young man with unprecedented charisma and imposing aura wearing lavish and well-defined black clothing walked beside a female, young beauty with breathtaking, clear blue eyes. She wore the very same uniform, but it seemed wholly different on her. It didn’t give her charisma, it made her seem… elegantly decent.
When they appeared, some recognized who the gal was. “Look! It’s Miss Gori!” - “It was true… The rumors didn’t lie.” - “Mom, what is her cultivation base?” - “My… Lords!”
“Why aren’t you starting already? We’re already here,” a person from a faraway settlement in the north complained. Pretieta, having social skills for these matters of the two, looked at the civilian, tired man and spoke as calmly as she’s practiced for 5 years. “We’ll offer everyone free drinks and food in a while. Those whose family members, partners, or comrades are recruited into the Sect might reside there for a few days before departing. We’re still waiting for the rest before starting.”
“The rest? Huh?” - “Woah! Look! Behind us…”
…