Everyone entered the spatial channel and emerged outside the city formation. As they arrived in the sacred forest, the whale waved, and all the Onis emerged from the world within the chaos gem.
This time, they would be allowed to explore the place. So far, the families had respected the people of the city and had not invaded the formation. Coupled with the fact that the four young ones had become extremely important to them, the families would not actively seek trouble. It seemed safe, and the Onis wouldn’t be discovered if they were careful.
Bruno and Alm had completely changed the life of this race. They had now learned the value of unity. Their own bloodline favored it, and they had become incredibly powerful in battle, as well as cultivating rapidly. But still, Alm and Bruno were having trouble completing the optional mission: the Onis refused to be fully conquered by them.
’The tactic has to change. Use your fanciful talk and the power of faith to convert them, or it will take too long to complete this,’ Alm lightly said to Bruno in his mind.
Bruno sighed as the whale observed all the Onis, completely ecstatic to see the lush and sacred forest. Suddenly, his gaze fixed on a distant figure: it was Oni Coha, alongside Ondar. They clearly saw a large protrusion on the woman’s belly; she was obviously pregnant, and it seemed that the birth was imminent.
’Hmm... they don’t fully accept us because we’re not of their race... I got it! Maybe this will solve it,’ Bruno commented thoughtfully, having an idea.
They had promised the immortal Oni that they would personally teach an Oni; they wouldn’t accept him as a disciple, but they would give him the opportunity. In the current situation, becoming kings of the Onis didn’t seem acceptable to the race; so the best option would be to conquer them in another way.
The whale moved slowly and arrived in the midst of the Onis; they all immediately noticed his rare approach and focused on him. To everyone of this race, the whale was someone who would help them rise to the top again. He was appointed by the immortal Oni, and they were grateful for his help; they would fight and die for him to repay this debt.
But the Onis had their own way of seeing the world and living; there was always a certain distance because he was a human. Internally, none of them fully trusted this human. The elder leader of the Onis anticipated this problem; she had tried to make the whale accept some women of their race; through marriage, this could be resolved over time. But the whale seemed to have no interest at all, which disappointed her.
Seeing all eyes on him, the whale spoke calmly to everyone: "As of today, the Oni race has passed the test by me. I promised your ancestor this opportunity, but the promise I made was not to protect you or lead you. I only promised to give you the opportunity; you must dig your own path."
All the Onis became serious upon hearing this. What they hated most was being protected. Already being led by a human... they could only accept because he was a Celestial Guardian.
"Today, I will name the one who will truly command the race," the whale said, and immediately all the Onis felt their hearts pounding. "He has not yet been born, but the new king of the Onis will arrive soon. The immortal Oni himself told me another premonition..."
Bruno began an epic tale of a sacred Oni warrior who would be reborn in times of need. He clearly observed the reactions of the Onis and directed the story where they would be most enthusiastic. Quickly, the story escalated, and this figure was someone who would lead them again. The immortal Oni himself told him where he would be born.
In the end, he made a spectacle and pointed to Coha, making clear the deep origin of her son. Immediately, Bruno realized that his move had hit the mark. Naming a baby as a future king symbolized hope, renewal, and the promise of a new beginning for these Onis.
"This child will lead you. I will personally mentor him and assist him. But he and none of you will need me for long. An Oni’s path is guided only by an Oni’s desire," the whale spoke softly, then turned and pointed to the nearby city.
"I brought you to my home. Observe everything and everyone; there are many weak and defenseless residents, but look carefully. In this place, you will find only my faithful ones, and my faithful ones receive what they desire; if they want power, they just accept me as their guide, and I give them the opportunity. If they just want to live in peace, I have given them the same treatment. Observe carefully... see in your hearts if you are not living according to your desires."
The whale opened the city gates, and all the Onis swallowed hard, looking solemnly inside. Bruno had transferred things perfectly: the Onis would be ruled by one of their own, and the perspective on the whale had changed.
The Onis were supposed to worship him as a deity, not as a king. A king was someone admired who needed to be compatible and accepted by his people; whereas a deity was something distant that was internally conquered through will and faith.
For this proud race, being conquered by faith seemed to be a quicker approach. Not everything could be resolved with power and actions; it’s necessary to deeply understand others to truly conquer them or gain their respect. Simply changing the viewpoint and approach is a solid choice. If even among humans thoughts and desires aren’t alike, imagine among different races.
The whale watched as all the Onis walked eagerly into the city. Shortly after, Alm spoke emotionlessly, ’Great, now it’s just waiting...’
[Congratulations, Optional Mission completed!]
[Do you want to receive rewards?] [Yes / No]
’We’ve gained their acceptance without needing to demean them. Their respect wasn’t gained through fear, so conversion to our religion will be smooth and natural. My conversion techniques are becoming more refined and supreme, hahaha,’ said Bruno, laughing excitedly.
They entered the city with just over a day remaining before the mission departure. They immediately headed to the Nine Stars Tree and deposited a quantity of bodies three times larger than before. Then, the tree pulsed, multiplying the power of its laws, though it didn’t grow much more.
Almin gathered everything needed to make the pills and secluded himself with Daora; it would take days to cook all the pills. Meanwhile, Thea received half of the herbs and other natural materials collected, her eyes shining; she planned to consume everything and it would also take time.
Alm and Bruno borrowed Rehvka’s dagger and headed to the forge. In a few hours, they incorporated the saint immortal core of the sword into the dagger. Once they finished, Rehvka took the weapon and activated a bit of its Qi.
At that moment, an oppressive darkness took over the city. Rehvka and the whale quickly removed the effect, but Rehvka’s smile was radiant. The whale explained that the soul would be transferred to other weapons in the future, and she would need to train and instruct that weapon’s soul properly. It was much better to do this than to deal with another soul every time.
"Now I have another companion to take care of... her name will be Syra," exclaimed Rehvka excitedly, then hugged the whale in gratitude. They instructed her to leave the city formation and get used to her weapon from a distance during this period to avoid problems.
Loeus was back in the city, and the whale sent the spear through him to be delivered to Corin. They decided not to put the immortal core in Ruri’s katana or do something for Loeus; Vuard still didn’t have the capacity to do something similar with a high chance of success, which would raise many suspicions. On the other hand, Corin’s spear was already known to everyone.
Loeus received a saint immortal saber as a reward, and according to him, Corin received another spear with wind laws as a prize from the competition. With these two spears, his power would rise very quickly because of his bloodline.
Ruri would receive hers when she returned. However, they knew she would prefer to use her katana made by them, even though the new weapon with the saint core was superior in capability; she was irrational to that extent sometimes.
Thus, the three days of preparation given by the families had ended. Kaiyka was still in isolated cultivation and wouldn’t leave anytime soon. Soon, Ruri appeared alongside Liumi in the castle, and the two joined the whale in leaving the formation to meet with an elder who was waiting for them.
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