1-3 The Heavens: [Cultivation Meets Basic Human Rights - A Western Cultivation Story]

Chapter 1 - I Ascend

The feeling of the wind rushing against his ears filled him with nostalgia. It was an unpleasant feeling, one he wouldn't normally indulge in, but few things ever made him think of the old days. He'd been craving every bit of those things lately. It was an escape, really, a way to stop his mind from pondering on what must come. It never worked for long, but it gave him a little respite.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he felt the familiar energy of the lightning peak. He hated sighing. It reminded him too much of the elders. Made him feel like he was getting old.

He reduced his speed as the peak itself came into view. How excited he was when he first arrived here, awed by the sheer magnificence of the sect headquarters. Looking down at the small city, it was easy to see why he had been impressed.

Sprawling edifices built in concentric rings formed the inner part of the city. The circular pattern continued outward to smaller residential buildings occupied by the less prosperous members of the sect. These buildings, mostly four stories tall, and fairly modest by the sect's standards, were still beautifully designed compared to the boring square houses most commonly seen in the empire. The outer edges of the sect were surrounded by eight towers with spires reaching towards the heavens. Buildings so tall they were impossible to scale without flight.

All these though, were nothing compared to the hulking beast the sect itself called home. The structure was larger than the entire inner circle.

Another bout of nostalgia hit him as he took in the building for what might be the last time in his existence.

The lightning peak in reality was a mountain whose upper layers had been removed to house the sect. The resulting piece of land, which was shaped like a volcano, was used to construct a "home worthy of demigods" as Li liked to put it, with its multiple spires jutting out at different points.

The entire building was a mix of colours, each of the sect hierarchies represented by its own pigment.

He touched down when he got to the gate. An unnecessary thing given his position, but one born out of sentiment and habit.

"Great Lord," the guards greeted, bowing in respect. Their badges were purple, which meant they were core disciples. Using core disciples as guards implied that the sect leader was taking no chances. No person in their right minds would try to attack a sect this powerful under normal situations, but this was hardly a normal situation.

"At ease cultivators. Have any elders asked for me already?"

"Great Lord Xiao, the third elder was inquiring about your arrival just a few hours ago." the first disciple answered with another bow.

"Alright then, thank you. I will be on my way to him then," he replied.

"That would be unnecessary Lee, the Dragon Lord is the one who requires your attention," interrupted a low voice from ahead.

Chen Li seemed less like an elder than even Xiao Lee himself did. Mainly because of how young he looked. And the fact that he still smiled. The first elder said time would change that, though it was difficult to imagine him without his smile.

"Chen Li. A pleasure to see you." Lee greeted, giving a nod in his direction.

"The pleasure is mine, Great Lord. Come, the Dragon Lord awaits," he replied, with a bow as stiff as it was shallow, and started flying towards the central spire.

Great, Lee thought, he's still angry.

"You know I must do this Li. It has been decided." he said, easily catching up to him.

"Has it really, Lee. I remember you telling me we would lead this place together. Or does your word mean nothing to you?" he asked accusingly."

"You know I value my word, but the high council made their decision, and I was the perfect candidate. I cannot refuse the High Council, Lee. Besides, I really was the best choice."

"You're making excuses. You're a Great Lord! The high council can't force you to do anything unless they want a war. You are simply trying to run away from responsibility. Leaving me stuck here as an elder while you go embrace divinity."

He wasn't exactly wrong and that twisted knots in Lee's stomach.

He decided to try another angle. "My greatest apologies, then. I believed I could control the urge when I became a Great Lord. I was wrong. My will was not great enough to resist." he said, a little desperate.

"Of course, it wasn't. You only think about yourself and your stupid cultivation. I thought you'd change. That you could be different. Turns out, you're not different at all. You're just as power hungry as every other member of the High Council. It's all right though. I'll take care of your mess. Just like I always do. Tell the Dragon Lord I send my regards and I'll see him later." He said before flying away.

Lee contemplated following him for a moment before giving up. He'd never been good at apologies. He felt his heart weighed heavily by guilt and a feeling of loneliness overcame him.

He was no stranger to loneliness. This time though, his pillar of support just turned his back on him.

Lee walked into the Dragon Lord's chambers with less apprehension than before. Surprisingly, the argument seemed to give him both relief and sadness. Relief, because he didn't have to think about Li worrying about him anymore and sadness, for he had none that would worry for him anymore.

There was nothing keeping him tied to this realm if he left.

He felt strangely comforted by this even as he scolded himself for viewing his only friend a burden.

The Dragon's Lord's throne room was as sparsely decorated as he remembered with only two chairs and a big throne in the middle. At the edge of the room was an open door leading to a balcony.

Standing on the edge of the balcony, his back towards the room, was a man of small stature. His robes spilled onto the ground in waves of red as if woven for one larger. On his head was flowing white hair that fell to his back, straight and properly groomed.

"Impeccable as always, teacher." Lee said, bowing at the waist.

"As is fitting for my station, student. And I've told you before, Great Lords do not bow low," he replied. "We give short bows to equals and none to lessers."

"Indeed teacher. I bow not as Great Lord, but as a student. To show gratitude for your teachings. Leave it to you to lecture me just minutes before my ascension. And on etiquette no less!"

"Ah," the Dragon Lord said, turning to face him. "It is a teacher's duty to lecture his student, is it not? Ascension or not."

"Indeed, teacher." Lee humoured him, taking in his features properly.

The Dragon Lord was as impressive from the front as he was from the back. He was very finely built – a requirement, given millennia of tempering. His chiselled frame was obvious even through his robes. Said robes came open at his chest, revealing it to all who looked.

The bane of women, that view was oft often called. His face, though harsh, was as smooth as jade, the wrinkles and sometimes scars that Great Lords liked to keep absent on his face. In that regard, they were both outliers.

The Dragon Lord, so old as to be called ageless, was the epitome of physical perfection, as always.

"It is a title I bear with honour, Lee, to be called your teacher. I am pleased with how you turned out. It is every teacher's dream to have a student that surpasses him." he said, his voice thick with pride.

"Is it? I would think the opposite given how many teachers kill their students to keep their supremacy and all the student-organised coups. I believe you are an exception to the norm, teacher. I know how many Great Lords would give anything to be in my position." Lee replied.

"There are many indeed. But I have been Dragon Lord for millennia. I could not imagine myself having to start at the bottom of any realm, even if it is the higher realms. I hope you are prepared for that Lee. You would not be Great Lord Lee anymore. You will be a no name weakling." He spoke the last word with a slight grimace, as if the concept of being a weakling was painful to him.

"I've been above the bottom of the chain for less than two decades. I don't think I'm that averse yet. It would be unpleasant though." Lee said, stomach turning at the thought. He'd been trying to avoid thinking about that.

"Alright. It is time, I think. Do you have any unfinished business?" His teacher asked, expression turning grave.

It would probably be prudent to see Liu, just to say goodbye. Their relationship had been strained for a while, but it wouldn't hurt to say goodbye, would it?

"No, teacher, I do not."

It was sad that he had to leave broken relationships behind, but he couldn't quite muster the emotional strength to fix anything.

Maybe it was for the best. They would think about him less when he was gone.

"Then we should go. Time is of the essence. The peak won't stay open forever." The Dragon Lord was already gone when the words reached his ears.

The Dragon Lord's residence had a spire that extended much higher than any other thing in the city. At the top of the spire was a cultivation pod.

Cultivation pods were common enough in the empire and were usually attuned to individual elements. While they were good for cultivation in general, they lost their effectiveness as cultivation levels increased. Even the most powerful versions couldn't do much after the core formation stage.

This one though, was the only one in the entire realm capable of assisting a Great Lord. It was in fact the true reason why the sect was called lightning peak. Wars had been fought over it in the past but while it was still much coveted by Great Lords, the Dragon Lord was a good enough deterrent.

"It really is more magnificent from up close. Especially when it's finally powered on." Lee commented.

"Indeed, it is," the Dragon Lord replied, his tone impatient. "And that power took millennia to gather. It would not do to waste it. Now get inside."

"Okay, I'm going in," Lee replied, taking a few steps before pausing. "And thank you master. For all your teachings. I will be forever grateful."

"Get inside, Lee," was the stern reply he got and then the Dragon Lord was gone.

Typical. His master had a habit of changing moods quickly when it came to his best prodigy.

Lee pushed the thought out of his mind as he walked towards the pod. It was a wonderful piece of engineering. Like regular pods, it was shaped like a cone and had glowing symbols and lines around it, a telltale sign of its empowered state. Unlike regular pods though, the energy released was unnerving.

Once he crossed the threshold of its influence, he felt waves of lightning qi so powerful that it formed ripples in the air. Sparks of lightning crackled all around it and his core felt invigorated even without cultivating.

It was no surprise that it needed millennia to recharge if it possessed this level of energy.

He took a little qi from his core and sent it to one of the symbols on the pod. He felt its qi pulse, recognizing a Great Lord of the lightning Dao, as it was built to, and opened up for him to enter.

The interior of the pod was completely dark, the entrance locked with an unfamiliar seal. The darkness was not a problem, any cultivator worth his qi was unaffected by it.

The seal, though, meant that he couldn't leave the pod until its energy was exhausted. It was disconcerting, to say the least. He might not have been planning to break out of it, but he was still a Great Lord, and the concept of being trapped had become foreign to him.

While it was spacious, the pod was not bigger on the inside. An expected choice, considering how well spatial manipulation worked with such large quantities of energy.

He sat cross legged in the centre of the pod, the sheer force of his qi keeping him afloat, and opened up his mind to cultivate.

The amount of lightning qi present in the pod was even more mind-blowing than he thought. Large particles of qi so pure that it baffled him, flowed into his core. He suspected this level of purity could only be found in the Greater realms.

As he fell deeper into cultivation, the speed of absorption increased to the point where he could barely keep up with it. He was absorbing more energy than he had in his entire life.

It wasn't enough, though. He knew all the energy in the realm would not help him ascend.

It was true comprehension of the Dao that would determine whether he was worthy of passing the tribulation. The runes on the pod thankfully, were built to give enlightenment on the Dao of lightning.

He expanded his senses to feel the runes, trying to comprehend them. He felt concepts of lightning so complex he couldn't have possibly figured them out on his own and yet he began to understand immediately he felt them.

To achieve perfection, his mastery and control of his path needed to be complete. And complete mastery only came with comprehension. That holy mantra given to him by his teacher was the guiding force that had directed his path to the peak of cultivation.

On this realm at least.

LIGHTNING WAS POWER.

That was the central truth upon which he had built his cultivation path. It was an undeniable truth without a doubt, but was it the whole truth?

He'd always known that the way he viewed lightning was very narrow and one-dimensional. Even acknowledging it's vastness, he had never bothered to expand the scope of his comprehension. Specialisation was the quickest way to get to the peak after all.

And he couldn't afford to slow down.

Now though, he had to expand his horizons. Lightning was power without a doubt, but it was also speed. He knew people whose paths were built around that.

He had also met lightning cultivators who used it to seize the muscles and lock enemies in place. Even stranger were stories he'd heard of cultivators who used lightning to control the brain and parse thoughts. He had not believed at first, but further research confirmed the possibility. The brain functioned using lightning qi after all.

Even with his comprehension of lightning enhanced as it was by the pod, to achieve complete mastery of lightning in its entirety was a task he was incapable of in less than a century.

Thankfully, he did not need complete mastery of lightning to break the mortal coil, only of his path. Though the pod's ability to provide prodigious amounts of energy and speed up comprehension were enough to make it a heavenly grade artefact, it was not the true reason for its incomparable value. It was the strands of intention, gathered from all the cultivators that ascended before him, that made it so valuable as to make Great Lords consider going to war.

Etched into the very fabric of the space around him, he felt the strands of ancient willpower suspended around him. The will of a Great Lord, condensed into intention and left for centuries in incredibly rich qi, could act as a repository for knowledge. And the many strands of intentionaround him, containing the experience of ascended Great Lords from the beginning to the end of ascension, were easily among the most valuable things in the entire sect.

Even as he was quickly gaining comprehension in the entirety of lightning, a part of his mind ran through the intention, gleaning hidden secrets and untold truths. While the ascension process was different for every cultivator, he quickly found patterns and similarities between each process.

He did not know how much time he spent there, the majority of his focus on comprehending the lightning. The small part of his mind that was free was making plans to deal with the actual tribulation that would determine his success.

The tribulation was close, he knew. He could feel echoes of the divine lightning that accompanied it at the edge of his mind.

Divine lightning was by far the most difficult form of lighting to comprehend. Not only had he never encountered it outside of tribulations and world rifts, even the strands of intention he parsed provided little help.

Even though he was not so foolhardy as to consider taming the divine lightning of tribulation, gaining comprehension of the most exotic form of lightning in the entire plane was an attractive thought. Such comprehension, no matter how little, could prove a boon when he ascended.

He felt the first strand of divine lightning less than a second before it manifested. Though it was a small strand, too weak to affect him physically, it was the single most distinctive strand of lightning on the mountain.

It was decades since he could not influence every spark of lightning around him. Even the strands that controlled thoughts, though he could not fully control, still fell under his general influence.

The divine lightning, no matter how hard he tried, was absolutely resistant to his influence. Even his sacred sphere, impervious to even another Great Lord's intrusion, posed no obstruction to its existence.

He felt more strands come into existence around him, defying planar laws and bypassing his sacred space as easily as the first had. The knowledge he gained from the intention had, thankfully, prepared him for the next step. The presence of the lightning meant he had sufficient comprehension of his primary element.

That, it turned out, was the easy part. He drew in a deep well of qi to ease the tension in his meridians as he mentally prepared for what came next.

CHILD OF HEAVEN

He felt a distant echo of a voice, as alien as it was powerful, reverberate the word until it sunk deep in his soul. The divine lightning around him, from those barely larger than a needle to strands as thick as his torso, turned towards him in an instant and struck him. Then his tribulation began.

He barely held back a scream as lightning he could not control ran through the length of his body, seizing up his muscles in pain. He struggled to gain control of the lightning and was surprised to feel his influence slowly extending towards the strands racking his body. The pod's runes must be working better than he thought. Even the pain was fading away as his body adapted to the lightning much faster than his mind.

He focused his senses on his body, observing as the lightning passed through and remade flesh. He saw the lightning tear apart his meridians and touch the edges of his soul, reforging every bit of him. Everything that was changed was filled to the brim with the raw and unrestrained power of lightning down to his very cells.

Understanding flowed into him as he realised what was happening. The divine lightning was not simply a different aspect of natural lightning. It was something entirely new. Lightning that did not exist naturally in this world. It was lightning formed as a manifestation of a path at the cusp of the divine. His divine lightning was unique to him.

That didn't mean it couldn't hurt him though.

He briefly wondered why he hadn't seen this in one of the strands of intention still floating above him— he definitely couldn't have been the only one to form unique lightning, considering the cultivators who'd ascended with the pods were all on lightning paths. Only briefly though.

He refocused on the lightning, finally pushing through and exerting his will enough to stop it from ravaging his body. He lost control immediately after, leaving the lightning to disperse harmlessly around him.

Though he'd been expecting it, he still felt a little disappointment at losing control so quickly. He brushed the feeling away. He had only attained the most basic understanding of the lightning. He'd have all the time to truly master it after his ascension.

He ran his perception through his body and found it completely changed. He'd hoped for more obvious effects, but he'd make do with what he had. Relief coursed through him as he felt some tension leave him.

He was done with his tribulation.

REFLECTION

When the voice boomed around him for the second time that day, Xiao Lee was ready.

While the actual details of the reflection always changed, the basic concept was always the same. So, when he found himself in an endless void, face to face with a mirror as tall as him, he was prepared

Even when he was assaulted with a stream of memories plucked from the dark recesses of his mind, dark things placed in hidden depths and left to fade away, he did not falter.

While the tribulation was completely unique and thus unpredictable, he'd gotten enough from the strands of intention to get a relatively accurate model of what to expect from the reflection.

The reflection was, at its core, a test of identity. It needed him to come to terms with the truth of his existence. The mirror variation was, in his opinion, by far the easiest variation of the test for any true cultivator with a proper foundation.

He stared at his reflection in the mirror for a moment. It was gaining depth. He knew instinctively that it would consume him if he failed.

Perhaps if he was a lesser cultivator, one who was not instructed by the Dragon Lord, he would be worried.

But he was a proper cultivator. And every proper cultivator had been taught to acknowledge their identity from the moment they could talk.

So, as he stared at his reflection in the mirror, a smile tugged at his lips. The reflection would fail to devour him as it had failed to devour those before him.

Because no true cultivator would be devoured by a mirror of themselves.

With his lips still stretched in a bitter smile, he spoke his core truth.

I ADVANCE

The space shook as memories flowed around him and replaced the darkness.

He saw himself as a child pushing beyond all his peers, enough to be accepted into the legendary Lightning Peak Sect.

He saw himself again, barely older, the only Core Formation cultivator in the midst of foundation disciples older than him. His name was called, and he was promoted to an inner disciple after only three months, a new record. Yet standing among the crowd looking at him in awe, he only wished to go back to cultivating.

More memories played out around him, each with the same story. He broke a new record and was celebrated, yet he only wished to keep cultivating.

Then the Dragon Lord found him. He watched as the talented but inexperienced young boy was moulded into a true cultivator under the guidance of a master

The Dragon Lord had other apprentices who he eventually formed friendships with and together they were the stars of the sect. Yet it soon became clear that even they could not keep up with him.

He did not wish to leave them on his path, so he made efforts to bring them along. It worked for a while, and they continued together. But even the greatest geniuses of his generation could not keep up with him. He left them on his path.

Then the memories shifted, and then there were three. Three friends who promised to reach the top of the world together. So, they did.

He watched as the whole sect held a welcoming ceremony for them. Great Lords before thirty, the first in history.

He watched as his friends settled into their new lives in the sect. They'd reached the top so there was no need to keep advancing. It broke his heart when he realised it.

He watched as he tried to explain why he couldn't stop, but they didn't understand. No one ever did.

He watched as he grew more distant from them, from all the world. But he drifted further and further till only one thing filled his life.

The memories cut off all of a sudden and he felt his spirit changing, advancing. He blinked and found himself back in the pod, his spirit transformed.

Tension drained from him as he reached into himself. He had advanced again.

* * *

The new god glanced around at his surroundings and spoke:

I ASCEND.

And the world listened.

And as he left the world of his birth, Xiao Lee, youngest ascendant in the history of Xenus, couldn't help but wonder why his ascension was so easy.

Chapter 2 - Welcome

Elize Ravi stepped through the portal with trepidation. It was the ministry's executive portal, so the waiting room was thankfully empty.

She walked through the door at the end of the room and stepped out into another reception, this one with a young woman sitting behind the desk at the end of the room. The woman was on her feet before Elize was through the door.

Elize walked into the large office connected to the waiting room, motioning to her secretary to follow. The door shut with a click as her secretary activated the privacy working embedded into the space in the room then went to stand in front of the large desk, waiting for her boss to address her.

"Everyl," Elize greeted after taking her seat behind the desk. While most people didn't bother with chairs, she'd always found sitting relaxing "Did anyone come looking for me while I was gone?"

"Yes, Lady Elize," she said. "The minister sent a letter."

Even now after so long, Everyl still refused to call her by her name. She hadn't believed when she was warned about it but a few years of having the girl serve as her secretary had thoroughly changed her opinion. She'd soon realised that the Children of the Five had manners as unchangeable as their ancestors and all efforts at change were simply pointless.

"I'd like to see the letter now please," she said, her heart filled with dread. "And check the point-of-arrival when you leave here. Just in case fate decides to smile on us."

The door clicked shut as her secretary left her to focus on the letter in front of her. She knew what it contained, of course. Even if she hadn't been expecting it for the past few months, she'd just returned from the meeting where the final decision was taken.

She still opened the physical letter —because the ministry was obsessed with being formal— and forced herself to read through it, if only to note the exact wording. She threw it back on the table just a second later.

She shouldn't have been surprised; she'd been expecting it for years now. She even understood the decision. Her department had been inactive for centuries after all. None of that mattered at the moment though.

At that moment, all that mattered was that Director Elize, head of the department of Extra-planar relations, was about to lose her job.

* * *

Everyl of the Fifth tried to compose herself as she walked towards the control room of the point-of-arrival. For what must have been the twentieth time that day, she gave a silent plea to her ancestor. If anyone could give them a miracle, it was the Fifth.

Her heart ached as she opened the door of the room. It was powered down, as she'd expected, and in that moment, she knew all hope was lost. The department would be dissolved, and her Lady would be sent out of the ministry.

After every scan she tried came up with nothing, she turned to leave the room. She was barely out when an alarm started ringing. An alarm that sent excitement tingling up her spine.

Everyl might not have been there at the last ascension, but she had done extensive tests to prepare for every possible scenario the point-of-arrival could require.

She knew a successful ascension when she saw one.

She suppressed the urge to jump in excitement. She had to tell her Lady.

As she sped through the halls of the ministry, too fast to even register as a blur, a part of her felt smug as she thought back to her pleas.

Even here, the Fifth still watched over her own.

Xiao Lee woke up in an unfamiliar room.

For a moment, during the journey through the void between realms, he had lost consciousness. He did not know how long he spent making the journey.

He put that thought out of his mind. It did not really matter how long he spent unconscious.

He looked around at his surroundings taking in the room around him. Seeing nothing of note, he extended his spiritual senses for a brief moment before freezing in shock.

It wasn't the fact that the entire room was made from heavenly grade materials, or that the formations worked into the room were far more complex than any he had ever seen that made him freeze.

It was the qi.

He'd thought the qi in the pod was plenty, perhaps even similar to what the heavens would have.

He just realised how wrong he was.

The air was packed with so much qi that it was a miracle it wasn't choking him. He tried to absorb some. Just a wisp for a test.

He gasped in shock.

It was the best thing he'd ever experienced.

Pure, unadulterated qi, multiple grades higher than any he'd ever felt before, rushed into his body at miraculous speeds. It flowed through him even without cycling actively and he could feel it slightly empowering his body.

He directed his senses inwards, scanning his spirit to see what had changed.

His core felt much bigger, like a typical advancement. The qi it contained, however, had changed. It was dense, unbelievably so. He couldn't provide an estimate, but he knew that it was by far the single biggest leap he had made at a time.

His spirit was vast and untouchable, with divine lightning running through it to strike any enemy spirits. Or at least that was how it felt to him. His body, reforged as it was, felt like an unshakeable mountain.

He felt powerful in a way that he had never felt before. Like there was nothing that could even hinder his path.

He basked in the sweet deception of absolute power for a few seconds before he remembered the formation around him, and reality came crashing down.

He truly was powerful and back home, he would be completely unstoppable.

He wasn't on Xenus though.

These were the higher realms and here he would likely be a small fish. Too weak to even matter.

It wouldn't stay that way for long, he knew. He would do what he always did.

He would advance.

Not even the heavens could hold him back.

He shook his head sardonically at the thought. He was a god for less than a day and he was already planning to defy the heavens again.

He knew himself. Truly acknowledged his strengths and weaknesses, the reflection had proven as much.

Knowing didn't mean he had to like it though.

Engrossed as he was in his thoughts, he was still divine, newly ascended or not. So, he felt it immediately when a formation at the edge of the room subtly activated seconds before a door-sized hole opened in the wall.

The urge to fall to his knees was overwhelming as a woman stepped into the room.

He had known there'd be people much more powerful than him when he ascended. He'd even thought himself prepared for it. He was at the bottom just two decades ago after all.

He could handle being weak again. It wouldn't even be too difficult.

Only now did he realise how wrong he was.

The woman who walked into the room was by far the most powerful being he had encountered.

It was obvious she was holding back her power. Yet even her restrained aura was enough to completely change his expectation of power.

His resolve to reach the top, unshakable as it usually was, wavered.

Just as he was trying to control himself, she spoke.

"Greetings ascendant".

And the world broke.

He barely had time to process what she said before he was falling into darkness.

When he came to a few seconds later, he was lying face first on the floor, a hand resting lightly on his shoulder. He startled as he rose to his feet in an instant, his body subconsciously taking a fighting stance before his mind caught up and immediately dispelled such a ridiculous notion.

His breath froze as he looked up and a pair of deep blue eyes stared into his own. The first woman terrified him without a doubt, yet he understood what he was dealing with. He was totally helpless to her, but he at least understood, if only a little, how vast the gap between them was.

The woman in front of him did not have a powerful aura. She did not have an aura at all and was completely invisible to his spiritual senses. That terrified him even more. She held his gaze for a long moment before moving to stand behind the first woman.

"My apologies, ascendant," the first woman spoke, her voice carrying an undertone of power that shook his spirit. It was a clear improvement though, considering he was still conscious. "It has been a long time since I last spoke to Neophytes. I forget how fragile you are."

He frowned at that. Why would she forget?

There was a pause, before Lee realised she was waiting for a reply from him.

"It is of no consequence, Honoured Mistress. This one cannot begrudge you for having power." He bowed deeply as he spoke, his rusty etiquette finally kicking in. It had been a while since he had to follow social conventions.

He was just considering whether he should have bowed from the beginning when she burst into laughter. It was a full blown, hearty laugh with a touch of what seemed like relief.

"It truly has been a while. Relax ascendant. There's no need for all the formality. We don't care much for it here. I am Elize Ravi, Director of the Department of Extra-planar Relations, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. With regards to you, I speak on behalf of His Excellency, President Liam Mason of the Federal Republic of Lasvania," she announced, then added after seeing his confusion. "I know that doesn't mean anything to you, but we'll bring you up to speed soon enough."

"I am called Xiao Lee, Lady Elize," he said in return, trying to make his speech more informal. Her introduction made it clear she was high ranking. He didn't know what the Republic of Lasvania was. It could have been a backwater in the middle of nowhere for all he knew. He couldn't complain though. Even if they were insignificant, they'd likely be much wealthier and far more powerful than any empire on Xenus if Lady Elize was an indicator.

"Please none of that. Call me Director Elize," she said, a hint of frustration in her voice. "Xiao Lee. Sounds like it's from one of the planets in the third sector of the second realm. Perhaps Xenus or Llea?"

"You know of Xenus?" Lee asked, surprise evident in his tone. The thought that someone as high ranking as her would be bothered to learn about lower realms was surprising.

"Well of course I do. I said I was the Director of the Department of Extra-planar relations. That comes with knowing the names of all the planets we might have contact with. Now come with me. We need to fill out some paperwork."

* * *

Xiao Lee often prided himself for his ability to succeed against all odds. Through trial, tribulation and even powerful enemies, he had always come out on top. Yet it seemed that the heavens had conspired to bring him down. With bureaucracy of all things.

They'd given him a tiny circular device to put in his ear that would help him overcome the language barrier. Apparently, the Director had been wearing one that worked for all documented languages. A list that thankfully included Caton.

After that came the paperwork. Lots and lots of paperwork. It ranged from questions like what his primary element was to things like the name of his village.

By the time he was done filling all the forms, he had developed a healthy respect for Lasvanian bureaucracy.

So, he now found himself standing in the director's office, as she pulled out a small black ball the size of a ring from what he assumed to be a spatial storage.

"Take it," she said, stretching it to him. "It's a neural processor. Everyl, my assistant, will show you your suite. Touch it to your forehead when you're alone in the room. You'll understand when you're done.

"Is it necessary?" he asked, narrowing his eyes slightly. He really didn't want to use something when he wasn't sure about its effects. Not like he had much of a choice if they really wanted him to.

"It is absolutely necessary, Xiao Lee," she said, dashing his hopes. "And no, I will not tell you what it does. I already said it before. You'll understand when you use it. Now go. Everyl is waiting."

He took the device from her and went into the reception where Everyl was indeed waiting for him. She gave him a nod then walked out of the office.

Everyl walked at what was likely a brisk pace to her, which meant of course that he had to jog to keep up with her. They got to the suite in a few seconds after which she simply stared at him for a moment then vanished. She hadn't actually spoken to him throughout the day.

The door, which had no handle, pushed open at his touch letting him step inside what he supposed was a luxurious living room.

The interior design was, like everything he'd come across so far, very different from what he was used to. It was minimalist and functional, with only necessary furniture in the room.

As he looked around and walked into the bedroom, he realised how much he was going to miss the architecture of his home world. He didn't know if the ministry's style was the general method of building, but he knew it would be different from what he was used to even if it wasn't.

The bedroom was as minimal as the living room, with only a bed in the centre of the room and a rug that covered the whole floor. There was no expression of art or flowery styling, just bland white paint.

He briefly wondered why the bed was even there. It wasn't like he needed to sleep.

Nevertheless, he sat down cross-legged on it and held the black neural processor in his hand. He ran his sense over it, trying to gleam even a whiff of its purpose.

He was met with disappointing but not surprising failure. He had been trying to sense the underlying formations behind all the strange devices he'd seen so far. Apart from the room he arrived in, he came up blank every time. It didn't matter how much he tried; their surfaces were simply opaque to his senses.

After giving up on trying to find out anything, he decided to simply follow instructions. It wasn't like he had much of a choice anyway.

The moment the device touched his forehead, a tide of information flooded his mind, turning his vision white for a second before his divine brain kicked in.

Even with his processing speed, he still struggled to process all the information that assaulted his mind. Everything from simple laws to complex geopolitics, from basic tools to high tech devices. Everything needed to know about the Lasvanian Republic, and the entirety of heaven flowed into his mind.

Ten long seconds that felt like hours later, the new ascendant opened his eyes. Unlike before he closed his eyes, he was no longer ignorant of the Republic.

He was now aware of the diversity of their architecture, and how different it was from what he was used to.

He knew that the reason why he couldn't sense the inner workings of their technology was because of their advanced manufacturing techniques.

He was amazed by the very existence of their society. Something he wouldn't have believed capable of existing if he didn't see it himself. Though some of their laws were annoying, it was a worthwhile trade since it allowed true justice.

Most of the time at least.

As fascinated as he was by everything, nothing interested as much as their cultivation. He felt like cursing bitterly when he found how they cultivated.

Though he knew he was weak, for some reason he expected that because of his talents, he wouldn't be too far behind his peers.

How deluded he had been.

To find out that his age mates were ahead of him was one thing. To find that not even children in their teens were his mates though, was something else entirely.

He wanted to immediately ask for an absorber. The magical tool that helped even babies surpass him but held himself back. It was supposed to be only available for citizens and he wouldn't be a citizen until he spent a year serving the nation.

And just like that national service became his dream job.

When he finally overcame his obstacles and became powerful enough, he supposedly couldn't advance until he got a licence.

A licence that was notoriously hard to get even for natural citizens. He wondered, for a brief moment, whether he would be better off in one of the settlements outside Lasvania. He immediately dismissed the notion though. It definitely wasn't worth it. Yet.

Even if he could complete his service right now, it would take some time to actually get his citizenship. Not to mention the infamous waiting times for the licence. Waiting times that could last for years.

Once again, he cursed the heavens for finding the perfect weapon against cultivators.

After all, why use force to stop someone from advancing when you could do it with bureaucracy!

Lisa Feltham felt her mind drifting as Jade continued to chatter excitedly. No doubt she was talking about some interesting boy she managed to conquer or something. That was all she got excited about of course. 

"Lisa," the sound of her name broke through the haze of concentration that filled her mind. She glared at the owner of the voice. She had almost achieved Symphony. It'll be a while till she could attempt it again.

"Tryna cultivate again," Louisa Walkins, daughter of High Executor Bolton Walkins, asked in her usual aloof tone. "Thought you were already at the bridge. You haven't got your licence, have you?"

"I haven't. I wasn't trying to absorb. I was trying to achieve Symphony." Lisa snapped, hoping her annoyance wasn't so obvious.

"Symphony? What's that," Jade asked. "And why were you cultivating during my story? That's rude, you know."

"It's true harmony with your element in its purest form. Seriously Jade, you'd know this if you ever downloaded a simple cultivation course." Bornie Saurabh, resident academic and host, chided, her voice filled with the frustration of someone tired of repeating herself. She wasn't a cultivation freak like Lisa, but she was passionate about cultivation theory.

Jade rolled her eyes at that, and Lisa quickly intervened before the situation devolved into an argument.

"Sorry Jade. Just got distracted. Guess I've been thinking about the licence too much," she lied. Mostly at least. The part about the licence was true.

She would have loved to come clean and say that she was absolutely bored by Jade and that the only one of them she could actually tolerate was Bornie, but she didn't. She needed friends if she wanted a licence, something her mum had made sure of, and she couldn't really do better than them.

The thought of her mother soured her mood further. Something that was apparently evident on her face because Bornie quickly interrupted.

"Alright girls, it was nice hanging out, but I think I need to start preparing. July's taking me out in two hours, and I think I should dress up a bit for once. Guess Jade's little talk last week made me want to try something new."

"Wait, are you for real?" Jade asked with obvious scepticism in her voice.

"I'm for real. In fact, I know I'll probably regret this, but would you like to help me pick a dress?" Bornie asked nervously.

"Of course, I'll help you," Jade squealed, then wiped away mock tears. "I've been waiting for this day since forever. Today is the day you finally become a woman."

Lisa rolled her eyes at their dramatics and stood up. "If you girls are finished, then I'd like to leave now, please. I have a meeting with my mother."

"Oh no problem then. You're free to leave," Bornie permitted. "And please tell your mother that High Senator Saurabh sends her greetings."

"Alright. I'll tell her."

* * *

Lisa walked through a large hallway in the extra dimensional space that was her mother's mansion. The walls were bland and imposing and the entire hallway felt more oppressive than the rest of the house.

She suspected her mum had light qi suppressors embedded into the wall to make it seem more daunting. She hadn't been able to prove that though.

She opened the large door at the end of the hallway and stepped inside a room she had become very familiar with over the years.

Her mother was a true minimalist. The room was completely bare except for a chair in the centre of the room.

It was on that chair that Joha Feltham lounged.

"Lisa," her mother called, voice almost melodic. "How was your day?"

"It was a slog. Again," Lisa deadpanned. "Senator Saurabh sends her greetings.

"Oh, that is wonderful," her mother cheered.

"Why did you call me mum," she asked, already losing patience.

"Well look who's impatient," Joha said, voice full of mirth. "There was an Ascendant today. First in over a thousand years, you know."

"That's wonderful," she said drily. "How exactly does that help me?"

"Well," her mother's smile was wide now. "The ascendant needs to spend a year in national service. During that time, he'll have a volunteer citizen assist him."

"Oh no. I'm not spending a year babysitting some old person." Lisa protested.

"Oh, but you've already volunteered," Joha said smugly. "Besides, I think you'd find him quite interesting."

Lisa mentally accepted the file her mother sent her and skimmed through it.

"He's good. Perfect attunement on such a poor world is impressive," she said, surprise evident in her voice. "But that doesn't tell me why I should volunteer."

"I thought it was obvious. You need a licence. Doing this will almost certainly guarantee you get one. And don't give me that look. You know I won't pull my influence to give you one. You'll have to earn it," her mother chided. "Besides, look at his age."

She grumbled half-heartedly but looked to the cultivation stats section and gasped when she saw it.

"I told you. I think you'll find this not so boring after all." The smile was back on her mother's face.

Lisa was indeed tempted to reflect her mother's smile because in the character trait section, there were two things that caught her eyes.

Things that should've been impossible in a lower world'

Core type: Perfect

Age: Twenty-six.

Chapter 3 - New Things

Xiao Lee spread out his spiritual sense as far as he could, which was quite a large area. Definitely much farther than the last time he tried. What he felt was the same thing his eyes told him.

He was surrounded by mountains.

He opened his eyes and took in his surroundings again, trying his best to capture as much detail as he could. Surely, he would pick out some hidden flaw.

Alas, it was not to be, for he harder he looked, the more fruitless it seemed. Everything he gleamed from all his senses told him that he was surrounded by a frozen wasteland with huge mountains touching the heavens.

He could even feel the cold on his skin. Though it couldn't cause him discomfort.

His senses picked up even tiniest motes of qi and the air was filled with ice qi. the

He tried to check for even a whiff of dream qi, or even space qi. Yet he found none. Nothing beyond the latter.

He'd briefly wondered whether he'd been teleported when he first arrived here. The idea, though tempting, was easy to dismiss.

The manual had been clear on what he was to expect, and everything lined up so far. Besides, from what he'd both seen personally and learnt from the processor, he'd have been disappointed if their illusions couldn't fool a "Neophyte" like him.

Since he'd concluded it was just a perfect illusion, it was time to do what he came here for.

He took a deep breath, drawing in qi from his core and circulating round his body. The process was instant and automatic now. With only a mental nudge to get it flowing.

As he circulated his qi, he couldn't help but be amazed again at the quality of qi, both in his core and in the air around him.

He gathered as much qi as he could into his right hand and channelled it into a technique. It was just a simple lightning bolt. Except that it was made from his "divine lightning".

He'd been disappointed but unsurprised to find out it was simply called attuned lightning. It was also so common that it was included in a basic introductory lesson.

He watched as the concentrated lightning bolt hit the mountain. And punched straight through. The bolt continued and punched through five more mountain ranges before it exhausted itself.

Well, that was definitely an improvement.

* * *

He surveyed the landscape, satisfied with the amount of destruction he had brought to bear.

The opportunity to stop holding back was a luxury on Xenus when he reached a certain amount of power. Finding barren lands that where outside of another power's jurisdiction was always difficult.

That he could unleash the full extent of his powers without worry was truly a feat worthy of the heavens.

He had improved greatly, even more than he expected. There was a brief moment where he wondered how accurate the simulation truly was.

He quickly waved away the thought though. He had no reason to doubt its accuracy given his knowledge of Lasvanian formations and technology.

Besides he couldn't exactly do anything even if he was being lied to.

There were more advanced versions of the simulation. Some manipulated up time so he didn't have to worry about wasting time as even days could pass in the simulation with only seconds in the real world.

There were options to meet other people and test himself against them. Those were particularly popular and were treated as games in many circles.

They were only available to citizens though. All the more reason to focus on his service then.

He rose from the bed where he'd been sitting and went to open the curtains. Blue rays shone through the now open windows and into the room. It was late in the morning, given the intensity of the rays.

As he stared outside the windows, he realized it was his first time he set eyes outside since he arrived.

The sun, blue light radiating from it, loomed large in the sky, its presence overshadowing all the clouds. It was noticeably bigger than what he was used to on Xenus.

The environment outside the ministry was bland, even compared to the uncreative interior design it employed. The entire floor was covered in pavement as far as the eyes could see. It was isolated, like most ministries, and if he stretched his senses far enough, he could feel faint spatial distortions in the air.

Satisfied with his observation, he looked at the ring on his finger and focused his senses on it. He felt his view shift and looked around to find the interior of his spatial ring the same way he left it.

His ring, a priceless artefact he paid for with half his fortune, was among the very best that could be found on Xenus. Instead of connecting it to a pocket world, the space inside the hollow piece of jade that adorned the ring was expanded till it had enough space to fit an entire sect.

The expanded space meant he could take the ring when he ascended.

As he scanned the ring filled with what would have been piles of treasure, priceless pills, weapons and talismans in Xenus, he pondered on how quickly his life had changed. Just a few days ago he considered these priceless and now he was contemplating donating them to children.

The department had taken an inventory of everything he had in his ring. It was standard protocol according to them and one of the many things he didn't have a choice in. For a society that valued freedom as much as the Lasvanians, they seemed to be forcing a lot of choices on him.

Though they claimed it was because he wasn't a citizen, he suspected it was mostly because he was too weak to matter. His resolve, shaky as it had been since he came here, started to harden again.

There were still a few seeds of doubts, and even his resolve was tainted with an uncertainty that was missing two days ago. One brought about by witnessing overwhelming power.

Yet even with everything, he was determined. He didn't know if he'd succeed for sure, but the heavens be damned if he didn't try his very best.

After a quick bath and change of clothes, Xiao Lee left the room and went to the office of director Elize. He tried to calm himself down as he thought about how the day might go.

He was excited, not just because he'd be getting his service goals today, but also because he would be introduced to the expert who would guide him for the duration of his service. Personal guidance from a master was always useful.

Constant guidance from someone considered talented in the higher realms was a blessing that someone who studied under the Dragon Lord himself understood acutely. The fact that the expert was his age did nothing to hinder his enthusiasm. He was not so proud as to refuse such a boon when it came his way.

He walked inside the familiar office after the door automatically opened for him.

Director Elize sat on her chair behind the monstrosity that was her desk, her eyes staring blankly into space. She smiled, her face lighting up as he walked in.

"Xiao Lee! What has my favourite Neophyte been up to in the past few hours," she asked brightly. "I was half expecting you to be here at the crack of dawn, given your obsession with cultivation."

"My apologies for being late, director. I was engrossed in some of the processor's more interesting capabilities," he answered cautiously, resisting the urge to bow. He contemplated dropping the question he was about to ask for a second before giving up on that.

"If I may, director, is there something I need to know about," he questioned. "You were not this familiar with me yesterday."

"Oh," she said, amusement clear in her voice. "Don't worry about that. Your arrival was very fortunate for me. So, I'm more inclined to be friendly. Don't think too much of it."

"Of course, director. My thanks for answering."

"Like I said, don't think about it," she deflected. "I think it's time to give your service overview. You'll only be given a broad description for now. The more detailed parts will only be made available to your guide."

He felt a stream of information suddenly flow into his brain from his processor. His service, which was supposed to start the next day, became clear to him. He'd been wandering what a nation as powerful as Lasvania could possibly need his help.

His service simply confirmed what he suspected. Thy didn't need him. Most of the tasks were joint tasks where his guide would do the serious work. They also didn't seem to be taking place in Lasvania proper. It was a just a few autonomous territories where the average people were much weaker.

There wasn't much information outside that. He tried not to feel bitter about that. It wasn't something he could do much about. Instead, he did the only thing he could.

He started cultivating.

Most people couldn't do much else while they were cultivating. It was understandable. Cultivation was taxing, increasingly so at the higher levels. Most people needed to mentally prepare and take and enter a state if extreme focus where they couldn't do anything else when they were cultivating.

Xiao Lee was not most people.

One did not become the youngest ascendant in the history of his planet without the ability to cultivate on the fly. Which was why even though he was deep in cultivation, he still felt the distortions in space when someone teleported into the director's reception.

"Oh, Lisa's here," the director said, likely for his benefit. "Hello Lisa."

"Good day aunty Elize," a voice that was perfect melody said. "Thank you for this opportunity."

"Oh, nonsense. After everything your mother has done for me, this is nothing." Director Elize waved off the thanks.

He put their conversation at the back of his mind, focusing most of his attention on his cultivation. He was interested in the new arrival of course, considering she would be his guide during his service. He, however, didn't want to seem too eager. He still had his pride as a cultivator after all. Besides, it would be rude to interrupt his seniors without permission.

The moment Lisa stepped into the room, though, he abandoned his cultivation. When he was around the director, he was hopelessly outmatched in a way he couldn't begin to comprehend. The difference between even the weakest mortal and the most powerful Great Lord was nothing compared to the gulf between them.

That was not the case with Senior Sister Lisa.

He saw himself as a child once again, a mere nascent realm standing awestruck in front of the Dragon Lord for the first time. The gap between them was vast, but it was not incomprehensible. He could see just how high these heavens were.

The thought of the power disparity between them left his mind the moment he laid his eyes on her.

Powerful cultivators were always beautiful. Years of tempering meant their physical bodies were vessels of perfection. Yet among the numerous beauties he'd met in his life, only few had managed to truly catch his eye. One of whom now stood before him.

She wasn't the most beautiful woman he had seen. What caught his attention was something beyond physical. Yet it was something he could recognise anywhere. Something that brought long suppressed memories rushing to the front of his mind.

She was a cultivation genius. Just like him.

It was only a small part of his mind that was controlling his body when he stood up and bowed deep in her direction. The rest of it was trying to understand the implications of what he just realized.

"Senior Sister," he greeted, eyes facing the ground.

She stared at him in silence for a long while, enough that he started questioning his decision. He knew, intellectually, that the people of Lasvania didn't bow to their seniors. Yet in the heat of the moment, he defaulted back to what he was familiar with.

When she finally replied, her words were slow and brimming with restrained anger.

"Xiao Lee," she spat. "Do not ever in your life make the mistake of bowing to me again. I don't care if it's your culture or what you're used to. And my name is Lisa not senior sister."

"Of course. Lisa," he said, keeping his face neutral as he spoke. Inside, he was panicking.

Not only was she vastly more powerful than him, but she was also obviously well connected. Though the law here supposedly protected people like her from bullying weaker cultivators, experience told him he couldn't depend on that. Especially not against someone with deep connections.

"Good," she said, then turned to the director. "Please could you send me the service plan. I'd like to start preparing for this as quickly as possible."

"Alright. I've sent it. You'll have to wait for a few minutes while I transfer Xiao Lee to your care."

Both women stayed in place for a few minutes, presumably using their neural processors. Lee ignored them and went back to his cultivation.

His improved speed of absorption, helped by both his advancement and the prodigious qi in the air, still amazed him. That said, his qi capacity was so much more than when before and it would still take a long time to reach saturation.

He was deep in cultivation, losing himself in the rhythmic flow of qi through his body when a voice interrupted his concentration.

"Alright Lee. It's time to leave," Lisa said. "If you have something you haven't taken, please get it now. You won't be coming back here for a while."

"No, I'm good to go."

"Before you go, I've created a bank account for you, Lee," the director said. "It's not a full account and it lacks some of the features citizens have access to. That being said, I think it should be enough for your needs. Especially given where you'll be going."

"My eternal gratitude for your hospitality, Director Elize." Lee replied, pressing a fist into his palm and giving her a shallow bow.

"It's time to go then," Lisa said, stretching her hand to him. "Take my hand. We're teleporting out now."

Lee took her hand, then felt the tingling sensation of spatial travel rum up his arm. As space qi gathered in one place and his vision turned white, he basked in the comforting feeling of spatial travel.

Xiao Lee, first ascendant in millennia, entered the next phase of his life.

* * *

When his vision returned, Xiao Lee was greeted by an open field stretching for miles around him. The sun shone brightly overhead with a glare that tinged his surroundings with a bluish hue.

He turned to Lisa and stared at her in question. His senses, even after he stretched them to their limit, detected nothing. Even the grass was mundane. Or as mundane as heavenly grass could be. Each stalk of grass would be priceless back on Xenus, going be what his senses told him.

He wasn't going to come to any conclusions though, just because he couldn't sense something didn't mean it wasn't there.

"Just wait and watch," she said, qi flowing out of her to form patterns in the air.

It formed a single pattern, then created a series of complex patterns that disappeared just after their creation.

He vaguely recognised some of the patterns as more complex versions of the inscription script he was familiar with. Just as he wanted to start studying them in detail, the entire formation flashed out of existence.

"I was simply making sure the security system recognizes you," she said to him the moment she finished the working. "It would be really unpleasant for you if it didn't. She stretched out her hand to him again.

In the nanoseconds it took to transport them, he sensed the most terrifying formation he'd ever encountered. The room he'd arrived in didn't come close.

Though he couldn't sense anything about its functionality, the way his senses screamed gave him no doubt that he'd be obliterated if Lisa hadn't done what she did.

Their destination was a simple barely furnished white room. It was large and empty, with a blue cultivation mat in the centre being both the only piece of furniture and the only colour in the room.

It was also packed with so much many that it was all he could do to stay upright. He felt like a boy again, trying to survive a qi garden.

What was most surprising, though, was the fact that there was only a single element in the room. His senses showed him the silver motes of space with a level of purity he didn't think possible.

A more detailed scan showed that not only was the spatial qi incredibly pure, but it was also the only qi in the room. He didn't notice at first, but they were in a vacuum, where only space existed.

A wave of confusion hit him as he pondered on what that meant. The room had no air, something he only realised after purposely trying to breathe. The mat on the floor was contained under a thin layer of space qi that prevented anything from leaking out.

What confused him, though, was the presence of light in the room. Light, like everything else, was made up of qi. For the room to be brightly lit but devoid of light qi was an affront to what he knew about how light worked.

His attention was pulled away Lisa spoke.

"My name is Lisa Feltham, and this is my house," she said. "Most of the house is like this. No point in adding unnecessary furniture. I'll show you your room in a minute. First of all, we need to talk about your service."

He stared at her briefly, unsure whether to introduce himself, when she continued.

"I can only reveal the full details of each service when you're done with the previous one. It's a stupid rule, I know, but it's a rule nonetheless. Now what exactly do you know about the Outlanders? Aunt Elize said it was covered in your orientation."

Information came to the front of his mind at the question.

"It was only touched upon once. A group of clans that live on the edge of the northern part of the border. I got the feeling it was a controversial topic."

"Indeed, it is. I'm going to be honest with you, Xiao Lee," she continued. "You're too weak to do anything that counts as service inside Lasvania. There are things that don't require physical strength of course but you don't have the knowledge for those either. Besides, you don't strike me as an academic."

"No, I am not. My only interest in theory is when it pertains to my cultivation."

"Just like I suspected. The Outlanders though are not inside Lasvania. With a few exceptions, the vast majority of the people in the clans are weak. There are clans that have a single Neophyte as their strongest member. Though we often want to help them, they tend to get tense when the government sends anyone above a certain level to aid them."

"Please excuse me, Lisa, but why haven't you guys simply conquered them," he asked in confusion. That had been on his mind since the moment he heard about the Outlanders. "It won't be difficult, given the power disparity. You'll also be giving them better lives."

"Well, that's exactly why it's controversial. Some people think like you do. Yet some believe we don't have any right to absorb them against their will. A few also believe we don't need to waste resources on people who don't want us," she said. "The last time a president tried to force the military to intervene, the Court stepped in and blocked him from acting. They said it was unconstitutional to invade a region that hadn't given us reason to."

He briefly imagined anybody trying to tell Emperor Wu to not invade a region for any reason and couldn't help but laugh. Yet here was a man vastly more powerful than Wu who supposedly couldn't do the same without a valid reason.

He wondered how many people would have been saved if the emperor couldn't just do whatever he wanted. He hadn't considered it a problem before, just how things were, yet he was now stuck thinking about how much better life could have been.

"So, what am I supposed to do," he asked. "The director's instructions only said it's a rescue."

"The destination is a place called Varaga. It's a small town a few thousand kilometres from the border city," she answered. "They're one of the towns registered under the Inclusion Act so they put up a request for help. There's been an unaffiliated cultivator harassing them when the Chief left the town for a meeting. She's supposedly a Neophyte and none of them was strong enough to stand up to him. The chief himself is also a Neophyte but his deputy's daughter was already captured by the time he returned. He's afraid to leave his town in case the kidnapper decides to strike while he's away. I'll send the rest of the details to your processor."

"You have my gratitude," he bowed slightly and pressed his fists together. He looked at the ground, trying to be hide his nerves before asking what was bothering him. "Apologies if I'm overstepping but will the room you asked me for be filled with space qi?"

He watched her eyes widen slightly in recognition before she burst into laughter.

"Oh... my... Love," she wheezed, trying to rein in her laughter. "Is that why you looked so nervous? Of course I'll replace the space with lightning in your room. You know I'm not going to eat you, right. I'm aware of how things are in your world, and I assure you it's not like that here. You don't have to be so respectful. We are almost the same age. I'm sure you'd be on my level if you were born in Lasvania. So, relax. I'm sure this was covered in your orientation. While some of it is definitely propaganda, most of it is true. You aren't going to be punished if you talk to me like a peer. In fact, you should do that from now on."

"Of course, Lisa. I'll do my best." It felt strange even calling someone so powerful by her name, but he'd get used to it. Besides he'd never been a fan of etiquette anyway.

"Well, do that. That's enough for now. Let me show you to your room. You can call my name if you have any issues. Call me only when absolutely necessary. I'll be cultivating and I'd hate to be disturbed for something trivial." With that, she turned and walked away.

As he followed after her, he already made up his mind not to call he at all. She might say he should treat her like a peer, but she was still powerful enough to end him faster than he could react. It was best not to take chances.