The great power released by a geyser brought with it mixed fire and water spiritual energy. The closer the pair could get to the event, the more spiritual energy they would have access to. The only issue was that such spiritual energy was volatile, and thus not trivial to use. Even if Tirto and Verusha could convert the spiritual energy to their own control, they had to protect themselves against the power of the burst of steam.
Despite the difficulty involved… it also wasn’t enough. Being buried in the Molten Sea itself was a relatively constant difficulty that had just about the same amount of power they could absorb. The inconsistent patterns of steam wouldn’t be sufficient for their advancement, and it was clear to them that they wouldn’t find a better result with different geysers. Larger or smaller would both have their own issues.
That left the two of them with no reasonable options. Verusha looked over at Tirto. “So I was thinking maybe we should consider-”
“Dropping into one of the geysers?” Tirto asked.
“Well, yeah,” Verusha shrugged. “I know it’s a bit extreme but…”
“It’s not like we’re trying to make a simple advancement. Doing something that extreme is probably necessary. If not, why did we even come here?”
Verusha bit her lip. “I honestly thought this would be harder.”
“If you suggested doing it for fun? Absolutely,” Tirto agreed. “But there’s a purpose behind this. We can explore other options, but I certainly haven’t heard of any.” Tirto paused for a few moments. “What do you think of Nitza’s ability to lead the clan?”
Verusha made a face. “Nitza is still… immature. Not like you were at that age. But you know, I’d rather not go into this believing we’re going to die. You’ve gotta have confidence in yourself. In us.”
“I do,” Tirto said. “But it doesn’t hurt to have a little more motivation to succeed.”
-----
Having made their decision, it seemed like all they had to do was find the right geyser and jump in. But there was at least one more step on the way that seemed important.
“Can you watch to make sure we don’t get attacked by lava sharks or something?” Tirto asked his father.
John smiled. “Absolutely. We’ll keep a few ships on standby if you need them.”
“Thank you, we appreciate it,” Tirto said.
It would be a shame to have assistance available and not ask for it. It wasn’t necessarily possible for anyone to aid them with their breakthrough directly, but they could at least help ward off unnecessary dangers.
With the rest of their preparations complete and their plans accounted for, there was nothing for them to do but get to it. Hesitating would only affect their mental state. Tirto knew that, and merely the thought of it brought to mind Verusha pushing him forward. That was something she’d already done best. Meanwhile, if they needed caution it was Tirto’s job to push for that. But caution didn’t get people to the Ascending Soul Phase.
Contrary to what might have seemed likely, they did not pick the largest geyser. Some were extremely expansive, gaping maws in the structure of the molten sea. Water fell into the gaps along with molten rock, the chamber walls solidifying from the relatively lower temperatures the water carried with it. Sometimes said walls were punctured, dropping lava below and releasing a geyser early.
But the largest geysers were not always the most powerful. Having spend some days scouring the area, Tirto and Verusha had picked out one that was on the smaller side, at least as far as the tunnel that led to the underground chamber. But beneath it was quite a sizable lake. It would build a significant amount of pressure before releasing superheated steam. Their choice was perhaps the most dangerous, as water carried heat extremely well. But that same power was why they needed it.
The Burning Delta brought them close to their chosen geyser, anchoring their movements near to the geyser’s entrance. It didn’t look like much, being just a few meters across. It seemed like very little compared to others.
However, in just a few short minutes the pressure in the underground chamber built up and a geyser of steam and boiling water sprayed out the top. The cultivators shielded themselves from the incidental splatter. The moment things were clear, Tirto and Verusha leapt forward, catching themselves in the flow of the falling river.
Over the course of just a handful of seconds they fell into a chamber like hell itself, bright and burning, full of toxic gasses. As they fell, the walls melted in around them, sealing all but a small portion of the opening where water fell through.
They landed in water at or even above its normal boiling point, but they were already prepared for their landing and the moments after. It had already decided that their ascension would not be a lengthy process. They had to leap into it just as they did the geyser.
The two combined their energies, protecting themselves from the superheated water. Simultaneously, they dropped as much of their consciousnesses as they could afford into the sea of spiritual totems.
Tirto knew the totem he sought. Verusha had described it in vivid detail. Frankly, Tirto couldn’t think of anything better for her. It was straightforward and simple. Heat washed over Tirto- from both outside and inside- as he rushed towards a totem he would have never chosen for himself. A volcano totem with no other notable qualities besides its sheer size and power. This was the core of fire element that Verusha had grown up with, but until the current moment she had only been able to take on small aspects of it.
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He briefly wondered if such a totem might count as the water element, considering his insights about lava… but he didn’t let that thought linger. He had to reach out and bond with the totem.
From the first instant, Tirto knew it was impossible for him. Fire raced into him, and all his dual cultivation with Verusha could not prepare him for it. He burned, from both the inside and the outside.
He tore his consciousness away- but did not release his hold on the totem. His awareness of his body strengthened as he felt the resonant energy of Verusha. Her face was pure focus as she wrestled the rushing waterfall inside of her. Around them, spiritual energy built up.
Tirto drew upon all of it, making little distinction between water and fire elements. He let everything flow between himself and Verusha. He could barely hold the volcano inside of him in check… so he didn’t even bother. He just shoved Verusha away from the waterfall, putting himself in her place.
He didn’t even fight it, letting the rushing water carry him away. As intended. Meanwhile, Verusha focused on the volcano inside him, and while wrestling a volcano also seemed like a terrible idea at least she knew what she was doing.
Another distraction. Tirto realized that if they died, it would be his fault. This was his idea. And then he let that thought slip away. He had things to do.
Their connections to their totems weren’t quite complete. They could still let them fall away, as their spiritual energy hadn’t yet broken through to the Ascending Soul Phase. They would suffer heavy consequences, but they could avoid death.
Tirto wanted to. He understood how crazy things were. But he also knew that having come this far, it was actually riskier to withdraw. Giving up might involve less risk… but it might not.
They sat at the border of boiling water over a thin shell of solid rock before magma beneath heated the chamber they were in. Not quite the normal setup for a geyser, but nothing about the Molten Sea was normal. Spiritual energy was required for its very existence.
Fire and water seemed endless, trying to kill the two cultivators from the inside and the outside. Tirto let himself be swept away with the spiritual energy. Verusha was desperately clawing for something to hold onto… and Tirto was certain she’d catch something eventually. But until then, he kept them in the middle of the flow to avoid crashing into anything.
A sudden movement tossed them upward, cracking against the temporary roof above them. They were shot up into the air, but even that release of power wasn’t enough. Spiritual energy built up in the two of them, but the geyser had erupted too early. On their way back down, Tirto caught them at the mouth. He fortified the plug on the chamber, forcing the geyser to grow hotter and stronger.
Pressure built up around them as water went beyond its boiling point, but with nowhere to go it could only increase in pressure. The heat around them was being rapidly converted into usable energy by Verusha as the two totems found their peace with the spiritual energy flowing between the pair.
This time, it was enough. Tirto felt his cultivation advancing along with Verusha’s, breaking through to the thirty-seventh rank. Power surged through them, though they needed it to protect themselves from the environment.
When the geyser broke through, they found themselves battered by rocks and lava. The superheated water became steam that threatened to slip through their defenses, but they held together in their own little bubble.
The two of them flew high into the air. Far higher than anticipated. And the two of them had used up all the energy they could get their hands on for the breakthrough, the surge of power protecting them at the last moments.
Tirto clutched Verusha’s hands as they looked down on the Molten Sea from half a kilometer above. Could they cushion themselves from the fall? What about the heat afterwards?
Verusha seemed to not share his concerns, laughing all the way down. “This is great! Maybe I should have been an air cultivator!”
“I’m sure that would have worked out fine,” Tirto said. As he was still puzzling out how they were going to survive… they landed on a cushion of air.
“Congratulations. Now you can brag to Melanthina. Unless she found her own way to breakthrough while we’ve been on this journey.”
Tirto’s eyes took a moment to focus on his father. His spiritual energy senses were shot, his body and mind overloaded by the fire flowing through him. Verusha had somehow passed out in the last few moments, though not without wrapping her arms around Tirto. Even unconscious, she was smiling.
“... Was this a stupid idea?” Tirto asked.
“It’s only stupid if it doesn’t work. Or if you don’t at least consider the risks.” John smiled, “Since you thought, acted, and succeeded it would be hard for anyone to say anything bad.”
Tirto vaguely registered being set down upon one of the ships, covered in his father’s comforting aura. He almost felt like a little kid again, even though he had an adult child of his own. But there was nothing so bad about family taking care of each other.
-----
“Thank you for your hospitality,” John said, addressing Sect Head Zdislava. “If the Burning Delta finds itself in need of any favors from our alliance, we will be happy to reciprocate.”
The old woman nodded. “We appreciate your offer. The exchange of insights has been beneficial to our sect… and witnessing a paired advancement to the Ascending Soul Phase is likely a boon more than equal to our hospitality. But we will gladly remain in communication with your alliance.” She turned to Presha. “The Silver Breeze Gorge will be easiest for us to contact.”
Presha nodded. “We can pass along any messages you require. And you are welcome to visit and train among us, even if our elements do not match.”
“I appreciate that. Perhaps someday, one of our own will reach the Ascending Soul Phase, claiming a place among the great sects of the Molten Sea.” Zdislava was at the peak of the Consolidated Soul Phase, but it was clear she had given up on achieving that level herself. However, a trade of knowledge and resources with the sect might allow some of their disciples to do so.
Though there was a surge in spiritual energy and higher cultivations throughout the continent, the fact that so many all in the same wider generation could reach the Ascending Soul Phase was due to cooperation between them. John especially believed that exchanges between different elements and styles were important for people to understand their own functioning. And that wasn’t just because of the rare style he’d founded himself.