All around Elder Margret was a sea of Qi-dense lava. Even with her fire affinity, the heat was nearly intolerable, and exhaustion wracked every inch of her body, even down to her bones. But she had no choice but to press on.
"Keep going! You can't stop for more than a minute," Elder Brent called out from behind her. "I refuse to forfeit my shoes!"
"This is so monotonous," Elder Margret lamented as she jumped from the small mound of rock to the next one a few meters away while keeping her head low to avoid being impaled by the many stalactites. Upon her landing, she almost slipped back and fell into the lava, which wouldn't be a death sentence but would certainly scorch her clothes.
Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Elder Brent jump to the stone she had just been standing on and watched it slowly sink into the lava. Ever since they came down the stairs that the fire titan had been guarding, they had delved deeper and deeper through catacombs of molten rock. The caverns had started off small, but as they ventured deeper, they became more extensive and treacherous.
"Do you really think all this lava came from the body of a single dead fire titan?" Elder Margret asked Elder Brent as he used his sword to slice clean a stalactite of solidified fire Qi connected to the ceiling way overhead.
"I would assume so," Elder Brent replied nonchalantly as he stowed the red rock away in his spatial ring. "This place is a graveyard for those giant bastards, after all."
Although the exploration had been dangerous, all their spatial rings were filled to the brim with strange fire Qi flowers and figurative mountains of fire spirit stones. Of course, the hope for some kind of inheritance was at the back of Elder Margret's mind, but they had gotten quite the haul already.
"There's a wisp near you," Elder Brent pointed behind her.
Elder Margret turned to see the fire wisp floating by. It was a small gas ball of pure fire Qi. Reaching out, she grabbed it and pulled the wisp into her soul. "My soul feels bloated with fire Qi." Elder Margret said as she ignited her sword with crimson flames. She then cut down a stalactite from overhead by lazily waving her sword.
"If your soul is nearing the point of forming a Star Core, do you want me to call the Grand Elder down here to pick us up?" Elder Brent asked, and honestly, Elder Margret couldn't think of anything better. Even if she wasn't quite ready to form her Star Core, she was both mentally and physically exhausted from being in these life-threatening caverns for the last two weeks.
It was a little selfish of her as she should press on and gather more resources for the sect, but she didn't mind the idea of being whisked away back to the surface and not having to mine fire Qi rock or collect flowers and wisps anymore.
"Yes, please," Elder Margret said as she stowed away the rock. It was just her and Elder Brent down here. The Grand Elder was cultivating and guarding Elder Mo as he went through his Star Core ascension, which had started a few days ago, and Amber could not handle the heat down here.
It's rather unfair that Elder Brent and I have been stuck down here... although the fire wisps that float by more than makeup for being unable to sit in one place and cultivate. These things are like even better versions of that fire fruit the Patriarch grows from that tree.
A few more floated by, drawing Elder Margret's attention. She debated trying to absorb them but was somewhat worried about going over the edge and suddenly forming her Star Core right here deep underground and stuck in the middle of a sea of fire birthed from the death of a titan.
"Okay, he is on his way—ouch," Elder Brent cried out, "Quick jump, jump!"
Elder Margret didn't think twice and lept to the next floating rock with more grace this time. "Are you alright, Elder Brent?" She asked with concern and saw the enraged man looking down at his bare feet. The lava had claimed his shoes...
"Curse the nine heavens! That was my third pair!" Elder Brent pointed his index finger at his feet and in a flash of silver light shoes identical to the last ones appeared.
How does a man with such terrible taste in footwear have so many pairs of the exact same shoe? Elder Margret thought as she rolled her eyes. Did some fool compliment him on them, so he went out and bought as many pairs as possible?
Elder Margret has seen many things throughout her long life, but Elder Brent's obsession with stupidly pointy shoes was something she would never understand.
"Let's keep jumping forward until the Grand Elder gets here." Elder Brent suggested, and Elder Margret agreed. The two then spent the next five or so hours endlessly leaping forward.
I hope he gets here soon. Elder Margret thought as she felt her Soul Core overflowing. She had consumed one too many wisps and could probably start the process of forming her Star Core at any moment.
Her prayers were answered as she saw a distinguished man on a sword of crimson flame effortlessly gliding over the lava with his hands clasped behind his back. Coming to a stop beside her, he gave her a smile, "Elder Margret."
"Grand Elder." She returned the smile.
"Is it time?" The Grand Elder asked.
"I believe so." Elder Margret gulped. Something she had been working toward for centuries was about to come to fruition. She would finally step out of the Soul Fire Realm and become a person with a Star Core.
"Seeing all my closest family members reaching new heights... I never thought I would see the day." The Grand Elder sighed as he gestured to the back of his sword, "Come, let me take you up so we may go through this process together."
"Hey!" Elder Brent called out as Elder Margret stepped onto the floating sword. "What about me?"
"Elder Brent, you have been slacking off in your cultivation, and I only have room for one." The Grand Elder said nonchalantly as he directed the sword to float away, "I believe staying down here would do you and your cultivation some good. Don't disappoint me!"
"You old dog, get back here!" Elder Brent shouted, "How will I get home?"
"In two weeks, when the mystic realm ends, you will be pulled from here... I think." The Grand Elder waved behind him, "See you then!"
"Is it really alright to leave him down here?" Elder Margret asked over the distant shouts from Elder Brent.
The Grand Elder turned to face her over his shoulder, and he was no longer smiling. His eyes were cold and distant.
"Grand Elder?" Elder Margret asked with a hint of concern, "Is something the matter?"
The Grand Elder turned back to face the front. "Elder Brent is falling behind. His talent and desire for cultivation were always lower than the rest of us, and I fear the Ashfallen sect will only remain gracious to him for so long. Once they fail to see any results..."
Elder Margret furrowed her brows, "What are you suggesting?"
"It's a known fact that the immortal recovers his strength by consuming corpses. He has asked for monster corpses from us and even goes so far as to provide those fire Qi fruit in exchange. The immortal entrusted Elder Brent to lead that expedition into the wilderness and returned with subpar results." The Grand Elder's shoulders slumped, "The Ashfallen Sect may have acted nonchalant about it, but if Elder Brent also returns from this round in the Mystic Realm without progressing a single stage, I wouldn't be surprised if the immortal started raising questions to his purpose."
"His purpose?" Elder Margret had an inkling of what the Grand Elder suggested, but she didn't want to believe it.
"Resources don't grow on trees... alright, maybe they sort of do in this case, but you get the point. If Elder Brent continues to lack results, they will stop investing in him at best and at worst..."
"What will they do?" Elder Margret pressed since the Grand Elder trailed off.
"Well, the immortal has also consumed the flesh of cultivators many times. I'm not saying he would do this, but what if he wanted to call back his investment?" The Grand Elder shuddered, "He may be a lazy bastard, but Elder Brent is still my brother. I don't want such a terrible end for a lifelong friend, so a bit of tough love is what he needs."
A cold silence that starkly contrasted the bubbling hot environment grew between the two. Elder Margret's thoughts drifted elsewhere as the dark molten caverns illuminated only by the veins of lava blurred past as they rocketed to the surface.
What the Grand Elder said was a very usual outcome in other demonic sects and families. Survival of the fittest was a known way of life, and with limited cultivation resources, it makes sense for a family or sect to focus on raising up those that show the best results.
But to Elder Margret, the Ashfallen Sect seemed different. Stella put on a hard act, but behind that facade, she knew Stella was a kind person trying her best in a role that didn't suit her. That demon girl Diana was a bit of an enigma, though.
"Would the immortal really eat him for power?" Elder Margret eventually murmured as she could see the darkened sky of the pocket realm at the end of the tunnel.
"When I first encountered the Ashfallen Sect, I was almost eaten alive by their guardian beast and his thousands of spiders. If I didn't concede my soul to them and agree to the enslavement of my whole family, I would have been eaten under the cold gaze of Stella." The Grand Elder explained, "To someone who can give access to endless pocket realms, grow fruit that can alter someone's birth-given spirit roots, and is even acquaintances with someone that could seemingly pause time at the snap of a finger... we are nothing. Our family only lives on because we provide some value to the immortal."
Upon him finishing his musing, the duo reached the final cavern, and Elder Margret could feel the whole world shaking as flashes of light illuminated the cave, followed by roaring thunder.
Deciding to put the thoughts of Elder Brent being eaten alive by the immortal aside for now, Elder Margret chose to ask, "How is Elder Mo doing?"
"I think he will form his Star Core just fine," The Grand Elder replied as they exited the cavern and floated for a moment in the sky.
Elder Margret looked down and saw Elder Mo sitting in a circle of fire stones forming some sort of barrier. But even more impressive was a giant man made of spirit flames with Elder Mo's features lording over Elder Mo and taking the brunt of the lightning.
"What is that?" Elder Margret asked while pointing at the ghostly flames.
"That's the manifestation of his spirit," the Grand Elder said as he lowered the floating sword far away from Elder Mo. "Spirit fire may look like some offshoot affinity of our fire Qi, but it's something totally different. It's closer to a spirit affinity. Hence, he can manifest his soul like that."
"I can't do that... I will be fine, though, right?" Elder Margret asked as she jumped from the floating sword onto the molten ground. "And wouldn't it be better to do this underground? That way, I can hide from the lightning?"
"Stop worrying so much. You will be fine," the Grand Elder said as he stored his giant sword away and began walking around in a circle and placing heaps of fire spirit stones. "You could form your Star Core underground and behind a hundred formations, but it means the formed Star Core will be far weaker than one tempered by the wrath of the heavens. With the immortal's help, the Star Core realm is simply another step for us. This is only the beginning, not the finish line."
"I see." Elder Margret mumbled over the roaring thunder and constant flashing from the lightning in the distance, striking down Elder Mo.
"Now come and sit here," The Grand Elder gestured to the circle, and Elder Margret complied by sitting down on the hot rock and crossing her legs.
My heart is pounding. Am I really about to form a Star Core? How painful is this going to be?
"There's no easy way to say this, but being struck by lightning for one to two weeks straight is not a pleasant experience," The Grand Elder placed a fruit in her hand, "This is a lightning resistance fruit courtesy of the immortal. It will help lessen the suffering."
Elder Margret bit into the tangy fruit, feeling even more worried.
The Grand Elder must have seen her face because he crouched and looked straight into her eyes. "Stop overanalyzing everything and just go with the flow. I believe you won't fail; have some faith in yourself." His intense gaze inspired belief in Elder Margret, so she nodded.
"Good," He stood up and clicked his fingers, causing all the fire spirit stones encircling her to ignite. "I will be waiting for your success, and if you do reach the Star Core Realm, feel free to fly down into the caverns and save Elder Brent."
With a chuckle, the Grand Elder vanished through the wall of flames, and Elder Margret was left alone.
Save Elder Brent? What a joke. Elder Margret looked to the skies overhead, and as she flexed her Soul Core, she felt a sudden, intense gaze on her. How can I save him when I'm unsure if I can save myself...
"As a cultivator, I live to defy the heavens," Elder Margret gritted her teeth, and she saw a dark cloud rapidly form overhead and flashes of lightning, "So bring it on."
***
Douglas strode through a grand tunnel built into the top of a mountain. A gem-encrusted crown weighed down on his head as he straightened out his spotless tailor-fit beige suit jacket.
Surrounding him on all sides was an entourage of monsters. Yet rather than being hostile, they all gazed upon him with awe as they led him through his castle.
He had been crowned their king a few hours ago after helping them defeat a tribe of vicious kobolds. It was clear from a glance these monsters were the prey in this pocket realm as they were far weaker on average compared to all the monsters he encountered while wandering the Dragonite Mines for a week or so.
These monsters didn't know human speech but seemed to understand him somewhat. They were these spindly things with big glowing blue eyes but wore black cloaks to hide their hideous and weak forms. Since they had a strong affinity with the earth and could not tell him their names, Douglas had decided to call them Mudcloaks.
He was broken from inspecting his suit when one of the Mudcloaks grabbed his finger with its three fingers ending in claws.
"What is it?" He asked the Mudcloak that hardly reached his knee.
It made a happy shriek noise as it pointed out of a nook in the rock. Douglas crouched down as all the nooks were at Mudcloak height. Through the hole, he saw a canyon far down below. They were surprisingly high up.
In the distance, he saw the setting sun, making Douglas realize this was his last night in the pocket realm. It had been a wild month. His cultivation had skyrocketed. He had mined a fair amount of minerals, gotten some corpses for Ashlock, and ended up king of the Mudcloaks.
The Mudcloak pointed down, and following its finger, he saw a giant turtle making its way along the winding pathway of the canyon.
Why is it always a darn turtle?
"What about the turtle?" He asked the Mudcloak.
"Turtle!" The Mudcloak croaked out and clapped its hands.
"Yes... what about it?"
"Give! You!" The Mudcloak replied in its terribly broken speech. This was currently Douglas's best student. A disappointment.
"You want to give me the turtle as a pet?" Douglas asked, "I will have to decline... I have a bad history with turtles."
The Mudcloak cackled as it pointed at the turtle again and shrieked, "Kill, kill, kill!"
A sudden explosion went off, and the entire mountain shook. Douglas's eyes widened as something whizzed past the nook and smashed into the turtle far below. Once the dust settled, Douglas saw the massive turtle had been impaled by a giant crystal shard, and Mudcloaks were emerging from holes in the rock face and dashing toward the corpse with axes thrice their size.
The Mudcloak turned to face him with its giant glowing eyes, "Turtle tasty."
Douglas just put his head in his hands and sighed. Why did this always happen when turtles were involved?
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