The 4th layer was different in many ways from the lower layers of the Celestial Fields. Unlike the previous layers, there was no pre-existing known landmass. Supposedly, a storm of elental Qi had raged where even Elentals could not survive.
The first Sovereign Tiers tad the storm and ford places to live not only for them but for those they wished to bring up to serve them.
Legends and myths abound about that ti epochs ago but the nature of the created landmass proved more fragile than the powerful Sovereign Tiers intended.
As Sovereign Tiers died or ascended and others replaced them, the lost territories were reshaped by new owners. So areas that produced natural treasures were preserved but the new cultivators changed everything drastically not only on ascension but during battle as well.
It was only several epochs later that several stable areas finally ford and beca the basis of the 3 main lands.
It was only after a rather vicious set of wars, the official designations were made.
The Under Lands beca a cursed land to banish criminals or unwanted cultivators to be held. It had so issues when it was discovered ascending Sovereign Tiers could be trapped there so the 10,000 year cycle of tournants were created since arbitrarily pulling cultivators out of the Under Lands caused battles as well.
The Hollow Lands beca ho to those that mostly enjoyed living as subterranean life forms. It was a dangerous place to try and mine any treasures or ore veins, but the resources of the beasts could be very valuable as well.
The area that imposed the current situation beca called the Sovereign Lands as an unapologetic declaration of superiority over the others. The various Thrones were actually older than all of that as they were the original creations of the respective races or groups that held them.
Successors were chosen to hold most of those but when a Throne opened up it was not so easy to change the nature of it like other areas.
Day to day, small skirmishes happened but Crystal Tier and above generally focused on their cultivation. They would use proxies if they wanted to lay claim to a contested area and keep the disturbance to the established lands to a minimum.
Crystal Tier Immortals were just strong enough to cause issues in weak areas, thus they were restricted to battle near or under the observation of Radiant Tiers and above.
Stable areas slowly conford to how normal continents did as the power structure was kept stable as ti passed. Cities finally ca to exist and while so were built around sects or other groups, a set of cities represented the major professions.
They were literally Alchemy City, Elixir City, and so forth. Given the malleable nature of the 4th layer, it made far more sense to specialize them since the Sovereign Tiers could enforce an ideal environnt without clashing for resources of other cities.
One would assu they live in relative peace but the resources they held were vital to Sovereign Tier cultivators. Unlike any other Tier or realm, the final step in Immortality was the most sparse when it ca to resources. Since there was no natural land, treasures had to be nurtured until they were either born on their own or carefully harvested.
So got lucky in the latter regard and that caused trade wars, espionage, and other typical battles.
The Sovereign Tiers would act in their interests but not to the extent of destroying what they needed, yet it was not usual for them to move what seed like literal Heaven and Earth to gain what they needed to survive.
Auctions were strictly controlled to prevent fights due to that very fact.
As such, it was normal for the population to normally be unaware of the background tension as the stability of areas was paramount to keep resources flowing.
That all changed when Dao descended a few days ago.
Even the dullest Immortal felt their Qi and Laws flow like a storm in their ridians. It had been an invigorating experience but for Forging City, it had been a revelation!
The plus of smoke rising from various vents or chimneys ca from simple 1 storey shops to ornate castles set on small mountains. The feeling of fire and earth was so strong that many cultivators could not withstand it unless they had primary elents aligned with both.
The cheaper places resounded with the clang of tal on tal and the scents of ash and searing heat were turned silent as the most profoundly warded complex for those few days.
Refining City was not as affected but the 2 were close enough in profession that still felt a benefit from the Dao as well.
The various spies and visitors could not miss the strange atmosphere after the Dao phenonon. It did not take experts long to start scouring the Sovereign Lands for any further signs of the place it descended but nothing was found.
Contact to the Hollow Lands quickly affird nothing happened there. Experts then carefully probed the Thrones but were shocked at the ease of responses as they as well wanted to know who had invoked the Dao!
Entire teams were sent out but eventually they all reached the sa conclusion after nearly half a year. The Under Lands was the source of the phenonon but it was impossible.
The state of the Under Lands would not allow such an expert to even endure let alone thrive enough to cause such an event.
It made requests go out to various contacts but what they got back was not what they expected.
The forests were spreading! There was tension between the leaders it seed but that was not the most worrying.
Weapons and artifacts had begun to appear under a certain faction that far exceeded what should have been possible.
Only 1 newer power was left partially in the dark but had no less of a reaction.
The Frey Clan.
Fey was cultivating in a room that left many on edge. It was glowing with energies that kept a delicate balance.
She was in a lotus position as her dark and green hair had been done up into braids. It was less troubleso as each ti she cut it, it grew right back out to backlength again.
It seed she had to master the Daos of Life and Death better as it seed the state she was in was being maintained in all aspects so long as she was at peak health.
Her pale skin was darker than it once was but she frowned as she turned to a sealed door. She waved her hand and dark arrays flared to life before a loud crack was heard and the pair of doors swung inward.
A young man froze in mid stride as if he was about to knock. His hair was not quite normal as it was seeming to move on its own. She looked at him harshly but the flicker of his eyelids revealed he truly was a beast.
It was vertical, not horizontal like most people. Even beasts that transford usually mimicked humans in all regards. However, so features were either too strong or they simply chose not to go that far.
The young man was a Shard Tier but he had been brought up by his Master to continue his cultivation.
"Lady Fey, we have received confirmation the Under Lands are changing as we already knew. Lord Founder seems to have been busy as well for so reason." Fey frowned at the disrespect in his voice but dismissed it.
Lind, himself, knew the longer cultivators lived the less connection they felt to family and friends unless they associated for a very long ti. The young man in front of her had never seen him let alone t him.
"And the reason you are bothering
during my cultivation?" He flinched and paled but quickly produced a jade slip.
"A ssage was sent and once the elders read it, they sent
to contact you. They feel we may need to act sooner than expected." Fey just barely suppressed a sigh but space was casually torn open by her and the slip appeared in her hand.
It was actually very well made but before she put her aura into it, she checked it for any traps. She was not suspicious of the Elders of the Frey Clan but of the owner. They constantly tried to pry into their secrets and to bring them under their fold.
While space was at a premium, she had taken a more practical approach. Location did not matter so long as enough Sovereign Tiers worked together to create new land. There was no formal treaty stopping it as the effort alone was enough to curtail it.
So she had created a foothold and the others that followed joined her to expand it.
She found no traps but there was an array set to react to sothing as a notice to the owner. Her eyes narrowed as she destroyed the slip.
The young man jumped and began to go pale. He probably thought she was angry at him.
"Relay the ssage to ." He was confused but quickly bowed low and answered her.
"I do not have all the specifics but given the rise in 6 elentals and clear signs of a Maester, the other powers suspect Lord Founder is in the Under Lands and preparing for war." Fey's aura shot up for a mont but it was enough to send the Shard Tier Immortal beast flying backward like a ragdoll.
The formations reacted to save him but blood flowed from his orifices as if he had been physically struck!
She felt a twinge of guilt but he would be fine. She stood up and summoned a dark violet jade slip.
[Evie, I have erged. Send
an update and then reach out to my Father. He likely already knows, but idiots are coming his way.] She almost felt sorry for them. They were making assumptions and they would pay a steep price for their mistakes.
Almost sorry, a little bit, but not really after the arrogant way they treated them all. The shock of so many Sovereign Tiers rising up so quickly also irritated the other powers but no one could stop them.
War was indeed coming but only fools would think it was to the Under Lands alone.
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