There wasn't anything exciting about flight when you had been able to do it for years and you were just going in a straight line. There wasn't even any scenery passing by. Everything stayed the sa, except for the extrely slight extension of the horizon and the approaching earthen surfaces of the Sky Islands.
John wanted to study them more carefully at so point. Was there no erosion? Perhaps the earth elent held everything together… but it was important to consider. He was well aware of the crystals that allowed them to fly, even if he didn't understand everything about them. Did they produce spiritual energy, or rely on the surroundings?
He had many questions that the Sky Islands probably didn't want him to know the answer to. Especially if they were enemies. John hoped they weren't- as a whole. Unless all of the reports were false, however, Abritt was.
Nobody expected to find her, and as they got closer John beca more certain of her absence. Ascending Soul Phase cultivators could be felt from a long way off- even him, if people knew how to look.
"I thought this would be more exciting," Renato comnted as they landed near the base of the Peaks without anyone throwing anything at them.
"Don't complain," Anna comnted. "I'm sure there will be plenty of conflict soon."
At their current distance, John could feel a number of familiar energies. However, he also noticed a number missing. Sitora was present, but… faint.
Their group flew up to the Fifth Peak. With the links between islands, it was far easier than the initial climb. Nobody ca to greet them, but nobody ca to stop them either. They marched down the center of the island towards the far side where the link to the Fourth Peak carried them higher.
Mirka was waiting. Over the years, she had reached the early Ascending Soul Phase, though her promotion to Fourth Peak master was more due to Morana's death than her own rit.
"Abritt is not here," she said.
"I know," John replied. "Did you support her?" He looked around, taking things in.
"I had to," she countered.
"No. You didn't. Renato, if you would."
Renato hefted his club. "Are we keeping her around?"
"What's the point? If she supports enemies of the continent, she is one of them."
Any Ascending Soul Phase cultivator was a great boon to the continent… or a threat.
Mirka understood their conversation in ti to try to flee- but as she leaped into the air, calling upon the winds, the island pulled her back down at Renato's direction. "No, wait! She threatened to kill !"
"I'm not threatening," Renato said. "Defend yourself… or accept your death."
A blast of wind did nothing to push him back. Even if she had been of the sa rank as Renato, Mirka wouldn't have been successful. Then again, part of the reason for her lower rank was the difference in talent, so it wasn't quite correct to say that.
What earth elent she had didn't matter as Renato's club overpowered her defenses. Her skull was crushed in a single move… and then they were continuing onward almost as if nothing had happened. The few supporters she had brought with her weren't able to make a move against Renato, and they certainly didn't want to draw in the rest of those involved.
Astrid slipped up next to John. "You and your friends are scary when you're angry."
"You think we're angry?"
She shook her head. "I know you're angry."
"I gave Abritt too many chances."
"And she's not even here…" Astrid pointed out.
John shrugged. "Her supporters are. So of them, securing her position."
That was all there was to say, at the mont.
Venera, now of the third peak, had actually been an ally instead of rely an acquaintance. John imdiately saw the difference, with a significant portion of the Third Peak's buildings scarred from battle. Venera ca to et John with several others by her side- none in the Ascending Soul Phase just yet.
"She didn't wipe you out," John comnted.
"Her position is too weak to be so domineering," Venera explained. "She did cause quite a bit of damage, however."
"Will you join us?" John asked.
She looked around, focusing her senses on the lower peaks. "There are no longer threats from below. My people will survive without . Unfortunately, I must leave these lieutenants for safety," she gestured to those who had co with her.
"We will be glad to have you."
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The Second Peak… Sitora didn't co to greet John. However, given the circumstances he found that appropriate. The damage to the Second Peak was more significant, and his senses found her in bed- injured.
The man who ca to greet them was the sa who had been chosen to battle Viriato upon their first visit. Ognian's cultivation had been quite prosperous, it seed. He had gone from the peak of the Consolidated Soul Phase to the thirty-eighth rank, the second rank of the Ascending Soul Phase.
"An Island Master position has opened up," John comnted.
"If I wished to be the Island Master of the fourth or fifth peak, I would have done so long ago. I choose to serve the honorable Sitora."
John smiled. "Good. We are not planning to stay long, but I would visit with her… if she is feeling up to it."
"She did ask to speak to you."
John nodded. "The rest of you wait for , please."
He did keep his guard up, not being as familiar with Ognian personally. Sitora trusted him enough, but it would be embarrassing to die to a cultivator three ranks below him. Besides, it wouldn't take long for soone to fly in from the First Peak, if they wished to cause trouble.
Seeing Sitora, John was glad he was the only one. A proud woman like herself should not be easily seen in such a weakened state. Her wounds were more obvious up close, even if John didn't pry. "How bad is it?" he asked.
"My wounds? You might say they are not so bad… in so ways. They won't kill , at least."
"And yet…" John said, looking over the old woman- who had visibly gained in years far beyond what a cultivator should.
"I may not make a full recovery," she admitted. "I may not retain my position as Island Master of the Second Peak for long."
"Who would take it from you?" John asked. "Ognian doesn't seem interested."
"Venera. We wouldn't even need to battle."
"You could still control the Second Peak. The first one is going to be vacant."
Sitora chuckled, coughing slightly. For wounds that were weeks old, John was worried at how slow they were healing. Then again, for a woman multiple centuries old perhaps she was healing at blinding speed. It was all a matter of perspective, and John didn't know quite how bad they had been. "I sense your daughter down below. You didn't bring her to the peaks? I wouldn't have been upset."
"She's heavy," John said.
That got Sitora cackling, during which she actively used her energy to aid her breathing. Her assessnt seed accurate enough- even if her cultivation was as strong as ever, her body wouldn't be able to handle the power of the Ascending Soul Phase, at least not as easily as before. "You're not going to let Abritt go this ti, are you?"
"The continent needs every Ascending Soul Phase cultivator we can get. I'd be quite glad to include the Sky Islands among our numbers. Conversely, we don't need people like Abritt. Enemies won't be tolerated."
"Crush her."
"I intend to," John said. "Or maybe I'll let Ursel do it. Do you think Abritt has trauma from that ti?"
"I know she trained to fight against specific techniques. You should be cautious."
"If you thought Ursel didn't learn anything from that battle, you would be wrong," John said. "And her growth afterwards has been quite significant."
That was all they had to say. John didn't want to force Sitora to talk any more than she had to. He trusted she would keep her word and still be there when he returned. Alive, if not quite as prominent as she had been.
The flight from the Second Peak to the first required John to support the extra air cultivators of their group, as he had done on the ascent. Even with the link, it was not that easy. Thinner air, perhaps, or the path was intentionally more difficult.
Before they even arrived, they were under attack by a hail of arrows. Most stemd from a single cultivator- Noemi. One of the First Peak's Ascending Soul Phase cultivators, she had advanced to that level shortly before the first tournant attended by the Sky Islands ca about.
John had so trouble rerouting the winds around their entire party, but he was in the best position to do so. He glanced over at Renato. "Ready to repeat a victory?" John held out his hand.
Renato grinned, grasping it. "As you please." In response to John's own earth elent building up, he gathered his own. Then John tossed him the remaining several hundred ters- Renato's force pushing against all of the rest of them.
However, even if they were montarily set back, the remaining flight was easier to do at speed- because the individuals trying to kill them were quite distracted. John wasn't sure if Renato was actually trying to kill Noemi, but he definitely cracked one of the pillars supporting the gates on purpose and he couldn't have accidentally slamd his club into all of those buildings as he chased her around.
As John and the others set feet on the First Peak, people sprang into action- except for John himself. He was filled with a sudden inspiration. Astrid glanced back as he walked to the edge… and severed the path linking the peak to the others.
"From today on, the First Peak of the Sky Islands will be no more!" John shouted, spreading his voice to the peaks below. It was an appropriately dramatic declaration that he didn't follow up on imdiately… because along with Noemi there were a significant number of Consolidated Soul Phase cultivators defending the island.
However, it was clear that Abritt had taken the majority of her forces off to war- and most likely lost so number of individuals trying to force the other peaks to comply with her will. It was difficult for John to say, as he could only see who was still present.
John kept a half eye on Renato's battle, mostly to make sure he didn't get overwheld by extraneous additions. An enemy he had already defeated wouldn't be a challenge for John's friend, not if she hadn't undergone any fundantal changes. But no, it appeared that she'd only continued to advance forward in ranks… but not any faster than Renato.
"This attack is pointless!" Noemi shouted at so point. "You will find no treasures here!"
Oh right. So cultivators cared about such things. Though actually, Noemi was wrong. Because the island itself was quite valuable. Her words were true enough, however. When the battle ended the sa way as in the tournant- except without the benefit of powerful arena formations protecting her. There had been so local defenses that augnted the First Peak cultivators, but Renato had been smashing them- and John had disrupted a few as well.
The vaults were actually empty, the squad determined. At best, there were a few extra weapons- but no cultivation resources. Not an expected position for the First Peak, but it appeared that Abritt had drained everything they had before she began the war. Further proof she was pushing for the Exalted Soul Phase.
"I guess we sail to the shores now?" Astrid asked as John looked towards the horizon, standing at the edge of the island.
"No."
"No?" Astrid tilted her head. "Are we not going to go to the aid of our allies?"
"We will. But this thing doesn't have any sails."
Astrid only understood what he was talking about when his mixed air and earth elent finished infiltrating the island, accelerating it in a certain direction. He hadn't severed the connection for no reason at all.
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