The Stubborn Skill-Grinder In A Time Loop

Ahram-Taj, the capital city of the Kingdom of Ravastaran, of the Eastern Kingdoms.

He had seen Eastern Kingdom-style architecture already, during the two times he’d been at the Inter-Academy Tournament at Marasthus. But that was a border city ruled by one of the smaller kingdoms.

Ahram-Taj, however, was the capital city of the Kingdom of Ravastaran. A nation whose rulers had held the position of King of the East since the confederation of the Eastern Kingdoms. It was the capital of the oldest and strongest of the Eastern Kingdoms, and it was the second-oldest human city on Inuan.

History, heritage and tradition. These things could palpably be felt as Orodan stood above the city and gazed upon its aged architecture. A brief look through the river of time for even the smallest of bricks told him that these buildings had been around for a while. Unlike the gaudy and opulent tourist-bait that Marasthus was, this was a city not meant to impress visitors, but where the locals lived.

A small part of him wished he could visit alongside Mahari, but the version of Mahari that was his friend no longer existed.

And the view from atop the flying sword was quite nice.

“Is the flying sword not the pinnacle of transportation? The epitome of grace and beauty?” Jian Song asked as he stood in front of Orodan. The sword was long enough to accommodate them both standing upon it.

“I still think I’d prefer a flying shield,” Orodan replied. “More space to stand on, and you can use the shield straps to secure additional cargo during flight.”

“Ridiculous! How can a clumsy and inelegant shield compare to the masterwork of all weaponry that is a sword?” Jian Song said. “This blade is designed with aerodynamics and swiftness in mind. A shield would travel far slower!”

“I’ll have you know, I use a sword as well,” Orodan replied. “But your argument makes no sense. First of all, I’m sure I can find some method of making a flying shield go faster through feeding it more power. The top speed shouldn’t be limited whether I use a sword or a shield.”

“Yet, the sword will go faster for the same amount of energy,” Jian Song fired back.

“Fair point, but energy isn’t an issue for me. And if you’re assaulted mid-flight, can you defend yourself as easily with a sword? If I rode a flying shield, I could simply turn it towards the attack,” Orodan argued. “Hells, I could simply charge through enemy fire if I had a second shield to cover myself with. Like a flying turtle.”

“Bah…! You would get along well with the Xuanwu sects…” Jian Song muttered as the sword Transcendent didn’t argue the point any further.

A peaceful sigh left the lips of Jian Yixia who was riding alongside them on a flying sword of her own.

“Come now, don’t you think the argument is a pointless one? Your sword elitism is showing. Little Song… were you not defeated in a duel against the Thousand Broom Sovereign ten-thousand years ago?” Jian Yixia asked, and Jian Song’s redness could be seen from behind on the man’s neck.

“Big sister…!” the Sword Transcendent protested. “Must you reveal such things openly?”

An innocent smile on her serene face was the only answer she gave.

Jian Song cleared his throat.

“Is this where the reincarnator is?” Jian Song asked.

“Well, this is his city at least,” Orodan answered. “From what I recall, he should be at Rubywater Academy.”

“And you don’t know where he is?” Jian Song asked.

“I’ve never been to this city before,” Orodan said.

“But you’re the Sovereign of this world!”

“Have you been everywhere on your world?”

“Of course!”

“Oh… well I haven’t gotten around to doing that,” Orodan replied. “Anyways, we can just summon him.”

“And how do you plan on-”

A massive Flare shot out into the sky.

“Akelrim Vedharna! Come out! We wish to meet with you!” Orodan roared. “Your cultivator friends are here to see you!”

No answer was forthcoming. Or rather, no answer came from Akelrim at least.

The ground lit up in a flash of violet, and the very clouds began swirling around the city like a vortex; it was a pretty sight. From below, from the King’s palace, came a golden figure flying towards them.

A pegasus the color of gold, lustrous wings radiating a brilliant light with a majestic mane of white fire. And atop it, a dark-skinned man with curly hair, incomparably ancient, wearing humble robes. But the man’s unassuming outfit belied the prowess he held. In his hands, a shield.

This, was the man who’d fought alongside the World Guardian Sarastuga in his first battle against the Eldritch Avatar. The ancestor of Mahari’s house.

A quadruple-Grandmaster. Orodan had a feeling the man was perhaps a half-step below the strength of Balastion Novar. In other words, not a threat to him. Once upon a time, this man would’ve been an epic foe. Not to be approached lightly, to be challenged over the course of many loops. Now, however, he had faced far greater foes. His battles were against Transcendents and Gods. A quadruple-Grandmaster was lacking.

“The Kingdom of Ravastaran greets you,” the man said respectfully. “From the descriptions I’ve read and seen, you must be Orodan Wainwright, correct?”

“That would be me, you are?”

“Balaji Vedharna, founder of the Eastern Kingdoms. My companion here is Alsatrar, the oldest living pegasus in the world and Sarastuga the Blazing Light, our noble World Guardian is nearby as well,” the man replied, warning at the same time. “Yet, before you, World-King, our pedigree means little. I hope you’ve come in peace today.”

Of course they’d heard of him. It was hard not to when the approaching Eldritch threat had been defeated, and all of Alastaia irrevocably changed. And placed under the rule of a joint council of powers across Guzuhar, Inuan and Eldiron. Orodan didn’t intervene overly much in worldly affairs aside from ensuring the destruction of the raider tribes of Guzuhar and threatening the dwarves into ceasing certain practices. Still, he was known among the truly powerful.

“Of course. I’ve merely come seeking Akelrim Vedharna,” Orodan replied. “I’m here to invite him back to his home world if he so desires.”

“That is… not ideal. Akelrim is the most talented youth our nation has ever produced. And whether he’s a reincarnator or not, he’s still a significant part of our combat prowess” the man said. “But, rejecting you would bring ruin upon my lands and people.”

Orodan raised his hands placatingly.

“Look, I’m not here to strongarm anyone. We merely wish to speak with Akelrim,” Orodan said. “If he decides he doesn’t want to return, we’ll leave with not a whit of complaint. And if he does come with us, I’ll have the council ensure you’re fairly compensated.”

Of course, he disagreed with the implication that this man had any right to refuse Akelrim’s return to his home world.

“Truly? That sounds quite reasonable. Lady Zaessythra is an excellent steward of your will, I can accept these terms,” Balaji said. “I see the rumors of your battle-lust being tempered by a sense of restraint weren’t false.”

Balaji then gestured to someone on the ground, and soon, another pegasus sallied upwards from the ground. Upon it… was a youthful man, perhaps twenty years of age. Just as Orodan remembered him from the last long loop.

Akelrim Vedharna.

And the man’s eyes were wide as saucers as he looked upon Jian Yixia and Jian Song, who had been content to sit back and let Orodan handle the diplomacy of their meeting thus far.

“R-revered elder…!” Akelrim exclaimed. “How? How have you come here?! This world is so far from the nexus, the distance an impossible one with plenty of horrid beasts in-between. I’d almost given up hope of seeing Xian again…”

“Now hold on a moment… who were you in your past life?” Jian Song asked.

“Ah… I apologize,” Akelrim said. “You might not have known me very well. But I was the prince’s loyal blade. I reached the semi-finals during the most recent grand inter-sect tournament, losing only to Prince Zhou Shan himself. And then… that dreadful assassination attempt on his life occurred, and I fell defending him.”

“Oh? You’re that chief bodyguard of his! Qing Luo, wasn’t it?” Jian Song asked in recognition. “The prince was insensate with rage when he learned your soul couldn’t be found in the nexus. Your body was rather unrecognizable from that molten hellfire acid the assassin struck you with. Good thing you stepped in to take that attack, could’ve been dangerous for the prince.”

Akelrim’s face twisted in shame and embarrassment at the comment, and Jian Yixia waved her brother back.

“Song, mind your words,” she spoke. “Giving one’s life in defense of others is no trivial matter and being melted alive is a painful way to go.”

He agreed. Orodan recalled facing a similar death at the hands of an assassin on Alastaia once. It was one of his earliest deaths too.

“Thank you, elder…” Akelrim spoke. “Might I ask what happened to the prince? How has he been since then?”

“Zhou Shan yet lives,” Jian Yixia answered, causing Akelrim to exhale in relief. “He now fights in the dimensional divide. Commanding the third army of the Celestial Court in battle against the puppet sovereign.”

Akelrim’s hands clenched into fists as he heard this.

“Elder… I must return and fight alongside my prince then!” Akelrim declared. “Let me fight at his side once more as his loyal protector!”

“Junior, do not act rashly. The reincarnation process has undoubtedly weakened you and thrown your soul into flux. It will take time for you to recover,” Jian Song stated. “Even at full power you would be slaughtered like a chicken upon the battlefields that now rage. Why not live life and enjoy yourself upon this peaceful world? Unlike our Ascendent Sword Cluster, there is but one world here, a Sovereign who is benevolent, and no concerns of higher-order politics.”

“Elder… I understand, but my entire life was in service to the Prince,” Akelrim, or Qing Luo said with insistence. “Ever since I took over this young man’s body during the moment of his death, I haven’t stopped thinking about Prince Zhou Shan and my duty to the Celestial Court.”

Jian Song could only shake his head, and Orodan merely looked on as this was a discussion that didn’t involve him.

Jian Yixia stepped forth and laid a hand on Qing Luo’s shoulder.

“Qing Luo… you’ve already done much for the Prince by giving your life for him,” she spoke calmly in a tone which had even Orodan relaxing. “Consider however, that aside from being his sworn blade, you also meant much to him as a friend. With your death, your oath to the Celestial Court to protect him has also been fulfilled. Would the Prince want you to dive headfirst into battle on his behalf again?”

“That is…”

“Besides, if you need to fight…”

Orodan interjected.

“…I can do it in your stead,” he said. “I quite enjoy the thought of engaging in a good battle in another world.”

Suddenly, everything went silent. Jian Song and Jian Yixia were staring at him.

“What? Did I say something silly?” Orodan asked.

“No! Not at all. Just, really?” Jian Song asked. “You’ll just fight for us? For the cause of restoring the soul nexus to the rightful hands of the Celestial Court? Why?”

“Why not? If I see scum-like behavior I might change my mind, but you lot seem like decent folk so far,” Orodan said and then clenched his fist as a bloodthirsty smile appeared on his face. “And really, I just want to test myself against the mightiest foes you cultivators have to offer.”

“That is… certainly straightforward of you, Orodan Wainwright,” Jian Yixia muttered. “Here we had numerous arguments prepared, gifts in reserve and lavish accommodations and courtesans to bribe you with. Are you really so willing to just fight for us?”

“Of course! Point me at the foe and let me get to work,” Orodan declared.

In response, even Jian Song who seemed a more straightforward man could only stare at Orodan, jaw agape. And Jian Yixia could only bring her hand to her face.

“This is a bit much… I was expecting to have this discussion over time on our world, hoping to win you to our side,” she said actually losing a touch of calmness in a rare show. “Yet here you are, just happy to do battle.”

“I do love battle,” Orodan replied with a smile.

“Are you sure? This is a conflict which doesn’t involve you, and we aren’t so brutish as to expect an honored guest to fight for us immediately,” Jian Song replied.

“I insist. I haven’t had a good fight in two months,” Orodan complained. “The Avatars of the raider God on my world were pitiful, and I’ve been spoiling for a proper fight ever since.”

“Your thirst for conflict is truly something else… I do not know what to even say,” Jian Yixia replied.

“I know what I’ll say,” Jian Song interjected with an out-of-place grin on his face and then clapped Orodan on the back. “Welcome to the Celestial Court, Orodan Wainwright!”

To the side, Akelrim Vedharna, or Qing Luo, could only stare as well.

“Elder… who is this man? Is he the reason for your arrival to this small corner of the universe?” Akelrim, or Qing Luo, asked.

“Indeed, he is,” Jian Yixia answered.

“The only way any sort of detectable signal would reach is if-”

“Yes, precisely so,” she interjected. “He is a bearer of a Celestial skill.”

Akelrim’s eyes widened like saucers.

“…incredible! In a time of such strife the heavens have granted us a golden goose! Destiny favors us! With him on our side, we now have three bearers of the Celestial,” the lost cultivator spoke. “Perhaps in a few centuries we can train him to a requisite level of strength?”

“He is already capable of surviving against a Devil King,” Jian Yixia clarified. “With Orodan Wainwright on our side, your concerns about Zhou Shan’s safety can be eased.”

“Truly? You survived the wrath of a Devil King itself? Prodigious…” Akelrim muttered.

They spoke for a few moments more as Akelrim asked questions about the particulars of that battle, his time on Alastaia, and how he had gotten so strong.

And of course… as Orodan’s answer always was.

“Ah, I’m in a time loop.”

***

Akelrim had of course listened with rapt attention as Orodan spoke. The man had asked many questions, all of which Orodan had answered.

“So, the reason I couldn’t learn the Dao…”

“Is because worlds have their own sets of skills,” Jian Song explained. “The reason we don’t worry about enemies learning the secrets of cultivation, is because of this. On our world, you’ll find the ability to learn certain skills possible at last.”

“But from what you told me, the Ascendent Sword Cluster, ruled by the Celestial Court, isn’t just comprised of one world,” Orodan said. “Does that mean this skill-restriction applies to more than just Xian? How can a world restrict a skill?

“Worlds that are the birthplace of a skill can choose to restrict access to it,” Jian Song explained. “Or in the case of a conquered world, the Sovereign who rules it. And in our case, the Celestial Emperor determines which skills are allowed to spread as the Celestial Court holds the loyalty of many Sovereigns.”

“That’s incredible, to prevent the learning of a skill anywhere else but on certain worlds…” Orodan muttered. “That must imply a measure of control over the System itself. Are universal powers truly so profound?”

“Considering that my access to the System itself was cut off and damaged by the foul powers of the Hegemony, I would not underestimate this Celestial Court, Orodan,” Zaessythra chimed in, her pages jostling as the group flew for a nearby wormhole. “Universal powers, particularly at the highest levels, have the capabilities of influencing the System in some way.”

The group consisting of Orodan, Zaessythra, the Jian siblings and Akelrim, were hurtling through space upon flying swords piloted by Jian Song. It was Orodan’s first time engaging in long-distance travel through the void between stars, and it was an eye-opening experience. He’d been to the void before, but for brief moments and in his latest fight against the Eldritch Avatar.

Travelling through it, however, was a different matter.

For starters, monsters of the void. A majority were rather weak, being merely at the Elite and Master-levels. Likely due to the almost non-existent world energy which didn’t allow them to passively grow stronger with age. However, the ones that were strong, were quite powerful. Jian Song had said that sometimes powerful monsters or beings would be exiled from their home worlds, and this led to them floating about the void, waiting for something to latch onto.

Nearer to Alastaia, the monsters were quite weak. Supposedly the Hegemony itself kept the void between worlds relatively safe, at least, in the close vicinity of a world. Farther out however, it wasn’t so.

Nearby asteroids or debris in their travel path sometimes had powerful entities who eyed their party with covetous eyes, a mad hunger in them. They still had a sense of self-preservation, and upon looking at Orodan or the Jian siblings, would stay quiet and avert their eyes. Still, he sensed more than a few quadruple-Grandmasters in the deeper reaches of the void as they approached the wormhole which would take them to their destination.

He understood now how a world core might ‘recruit’ defenders and servants of its will from among these disenfranchised creatures. And from what he’d been told, there existed certain dangerous pockets of the void where even Transcendents dared not tread lightly. Transcendent-level monsters existed in certain corners of the void, and near cosmic phenomena such as dying stars and black holes. And even the powerful factions felt it a waste of manpower and resources to try and exterminate them all.

Jian Yixia’s voice brought him back to the conversation.

“Your companion speaks true,” Jian Yixia said. “Unless the Ascendent Sword Cluster were to be destroyed and the Celestial Court overthrown, this restriction cannot be overcome. We guard the ability to learn cultivation through the System ruthlessly and enjoy the advantage this gives us during inter-faction conflicts. Of course, restricting an entire category of skills in such a manner comes at a steep price. You’ve seen some of this already with the unique functions a World Core gives you. It all comes with a price.”

“And this System restriction, it can’t be bypassed at all?” Orodan asked.

“Correct. Nobody I’ve met or heard of has defied the System-restriction on locked skills,” Jian Song answered. “I have never met someone capable of learning the strange and monstrous skills of the devils. And neither have I met any capable of learning the weird holy magics of the Conclave’s worlds. Although, your cleaning abilities may very well draw their interest.”

His talk with the Transcendent Jian siblings had opened his eyes to the greater universe. They’d told him much of how the universe functioned.

For starters, being the ruler of a World Core was quite high on the cosmic hierarchy but by no means the apex. Universal powers such as the Hegemony, the hells and the Celestial Court ruled not just one, but multiple worlds. Orodan, the World-King of Alastaia, would be a Sovereign within the social structure of the Celestial Court. And while it was impressive and gave one much power, the Celestial Court had many Sovereigns who swore fealty to the Celestial Emperor.

Furthermore, universal factions held dominion over not just the material plane, but the divine realm and places beyond the dimensional divide. The Celestial Court itself had not just Transcendents serving it, but Gods of varying levels of power. Cosmic society extended to not just the material world he could see with his eyes, but dimensions beyond his sight, such as the divine realm and afterlife.

Which, consequently, was where the crux of the matter was with the current war being fought upon Xian and the Ascendent Sword Cluster.

“Restricted skills aside, what exactly is this soul nexus you lot are fighting over?” Orodan asked. “I have a hard time comprehending how a battle can occur not only in the material plane but also the dimensional divide.”

“It’s not so complex a picture as you’d think,” Jian Song said. “Once one has a requisite level of ability in manipulating the dimensional fabrics, you’ll realize that the universe is a lot bigger than you think. Did you not speak about how one of the Hegemony’s Gods tore their way into the material plane to slay you? Whether through Dimensionalism or deep understanding of a concept which allows one to manipulate the dimensional fabric, it’s possible to make your way into places not apparent to the eye.”

Orodan thought about it for a moment. His understanding of Dimensionalism had shot up just from seeing and feeling the ripples caused by that God of the Hegemony in his last long loop. He wasn’t sure how long it would take him to access other dimensions, but it would take a while, especially if his talent in it wasn’t the greatest.

“Fair enough. Back to the question though, what is the soul nexus?” Orodan asked. “You’ve told me that there’s a war occurring for control over it. Yet, I don’t think my world had anything of the sort.”

“I assure you, it does. All souls within System space are drawn to the nearest soul nexus upon death. Only reason you never heard about it is because nobody on your world had anything to do with it. Certain Gods or Transcendents can see souls going to and from a soul nexus, but having actual control of it is a different matter. Which coincidentally is what the war is being fought over,” Jian Song answered. “We of the Celestial Court are a powerful faction, and until recently we had uncontested control over the soul nexus of the Ascendent Sword Cluster.”

“And I take it that you currently don’t,” Orodan said, and Jian Song nodded. “Just how did this puppet Sovereign you speak of take it over? There’s no way he just waltzed in and won through force, did he?”

“Feh… that bastard is backed by the hells and their foul Devil Kings. Even killing a hundred generations of that vermin’s family won’t be enough to atone for what he’s done,” Jian Song spat with venom. “Jian Shao, the great betrayer. The disgraced brother of the Celestial Emperor. A devious schemer and backstabbing cretin who managed to seduce many to turn traitor alongside him. Multiple worlds and Sovereigns openly turned on the Celestial Court during his coup and it was only with our bravery and skill of arms that the rebellion failed in the material plane and the betrayer’s forces were pushed back to the dimensional divide. Unfortunately, the traitor’s secondary ploy was using the majority of his forces to rush and capture the soul nexus, which is where the fighting is occurring now.”

“Of course, this was all thanks to the intervention of Prince Zhou Shan and the third court army,” Qing Luo declared, and Orodan could swear he saw a sneer appear on Jian Song’s face at the mention. “Without my prince’s intervention during the initial coup, the tyrant would have control of both the soul nexus and the palace by now. Even now, it’s the third army of the Celestial Court under the Prince that does battle in the dimensional divide, is it not?”

“Of course, Qing Luo, none would think to minimize the heroic contributions of the Prince,” Jian Yixia gently said. “After all, we’re in this together against the puppet, and the Devil Kings who back him.”

“The Devil Kings of the hells are also fighting in this war?” Orodan asked.

“Not directly, lest the puppet’s true face be exposed among his supporters and the common populace,” Jian Song said. “Indirectly however… when the traitor and his inner circle of commanders have access to unique Devil skills, it’s akin to publicly kowtowing and kissing devil feet.”

“The hells lifted the restrictions on their skills for the rebels then?” Orodan asked, and the Jian siblings nodded. “Your conflict against them must go far back then, for them to happily empower a rebellious faction against you.”

“The devils have always been our enemy. Most beings in the galaxy hate them. Alongside our allies in the Conclave and other factions, we’ve laid siege for over half a million years and brought them down from nine hells to six,” Jian Song explained. “Just recently, perhaps five-thousand years ago, we managed to completely destroy and turn barren the seventh hell. Multiple worlds and alliances participated in the battles, and the war was fought on numerous fronts as the Arch-Devils were exterminated and the Devil Kings slain. Still, there are six more layers of hell to go, which will all be eliminated in time.”

Five-thousand years ago? That lined up rather accurately with what he knew of Inuan’s history as well! The Cathedral and the powers of other continents had gotten together to launch a raid into the hells, and officially, the story was that the hells had been scoured clean. But Orodan now knew that the mere destruction of the seventh hell and its Arch-Devils wasn’t equivalent to destroying it all. Whether the participants of that venture had lied to make themselves seem big, or whether they’d genuinely thought it a victory due to only engaging on a smaller battlefront, he didn’t know. But the timing lined up, and Orodan had to wonder who or what organized a simultaneous invasion of the hells across multiple worlds five-thousand years ago.

“Alright, so the hells are indirectly assisting and empowering the rebels,” Orodan said, “But, why exactly are the rebels fighting? Surely, they couldn’t maintain popular support without some real cause for concern.”

“Those rebellious lords have always coveted the soul nexus and the power which comes with it,” Jian Song said. “Anyhow, we’re approaching the wormhole, so this conversation will have to wait. Big sister, can you stabilize space for us?”

The wormhole was an odd sight. A gaping hole in space, folding inwards, which looked artificially created. It was also naturally decaying.

From the explanation he’d gotten, the ability to create wormholes in the void between stars wasn’t too difficult. However, it required a Sovereign to call upon the energy of a world core. The vast energy of a world core, something Orodan had yet to properly draw upon, was then directed to create a wormhole that could cross countless solar systems. This was the primary method of travel across massive distances in the wider galaxy.

The only concern was triggering any alarms or detection methods for wormholes, particularly if they were created in the vicinity of a world. As a result, wormholes leading into enemy territory typically had their exit point far from any solar systems; the parties travelling through would then manually travel the rest of the way. Given that the Celestial Court and the Hegemony weren’t on the best of terms, Jian Song had explained that this was necessary lest the cultivators be drawn into a pitched battle against the forces of the local cosmic faction.

Naturally, Orodan’s Space Mastery and experience allowed him to note that the wormhole was really just a staggeringly powerful Spatial Fold. And while the quantity of his power wasn’t an issue, channelling enough power within a single instant would be. He’d need to bolster his body before he could replicate the feat.

However, mad as it would sound to anyone else, Orodan Wainwright held faith in himself that he could eventually replicate a wormhole with his own power.

A singular melodious note from Jian Yixia’s lute echoed out, and the edges of the wormhole immediately stabilized.

“In we go! Try not to stick your hand into the walls of the wormhole’s tunnel lest you be slingshotted somewhere else in the galaxy,” Jian Song warned.

The flying swords shot through the warped tunnel. Space looked incredibly compressed, as though it wanted to explode outwards and return to normal. However, a titanic source of energy from the other side was keeping the wormhole functional. Even more evidence that this was just a very powerful Spatial Fold.

The trip took a few seconds, which was quite long by Spatial Fold standards. Signifying the extreme distances involved.

And then, it was over.

Orodan was still standing on Jian Song’s flying sword, however the surroundings were no longer the void between stars. Rather, they were surrounded by walls.

At first, Orodan would’ve said it was similar to the architecture of the Eastern Kingdoms he was familiar with. But that would be an unfair comparison. After all…

…could a candle be similar to the glorious luminosity of the sun? Could a mere puddle be compared to the ocean?

His eyes could hardly look away from the incredible beauty of each and every stone tile. Arranged so perfectly, so profoundly, that someone had to have used a skill related to organizing things. Hells, his Vision Of Purity allowed him to truly appreciate each and every facet of the building he was in.

From the potted ornamental plants which were finely sculpted to look as though they were miniature trees, to the beautiful wood which looked as though each grain was in perfect harmony. The two open windows through which gentle beams of sunlight entered provided a view of azure skies and clouds which were far higher than they would be on Alastaia. And an open door leading to a massive courtyard, paved of ornate stone and intricate markings, almost took his breath away. Beyond the courtyard, were enormous buildings the likes of which he’d never seen even in the Time Wind dragon flight’s settlement. This was a city that had existed for longer than anything he’d ever known. And it was utterly massive, with buildings nearly reaching the cloud layer.

On the courtyard itself, formations of armed and armored Grandmaster-level soldiers could be seen drilling some sort of strange combination attack, and in the skies, gigantic, scaled serpents without wings were flying about. The flying snakes looked rather majestic, and Orodan wasn’t sure how they remained airborne.

This, Orodan decided, was beautiful.

Near his head, Zaessythra fluttered about, her pages rapidly shuffling as she too could only absorb the sights. Knowing that the former World-Queen of Vylrystia was also awestruck made him feel like less of a country bumpkin himself.

In the center of the room was a robed man who emanated raw power, in his hands a staff with an almost crown-like ornament at the top. He had flowing black hair tied into a ponytail, and his face looked utterly youthful. Yet Orodan immediately felt an aura of ancient wisdom, and the instinctive feeling that the man was as strong as Jian Yixia. Someone who had sent a Devil King fleeing with a single note of her lute.

“You were going at a leisurely pace, Yixia. The pathway was decaying, and I was beginning to run out of reading material,” the man said as he vanished an ornate looking scroll into his soul. These cultivators all seemingly had soul storage. “Now then, I see you have guests with you, which means you’ve succeeded in your Quest.”

“We have, brother,” Jian Yixia calmly replied with a smile. “Might I present to you, Orodan Wainwright. The bearer of a Celestial skill, a Sovereign of a world and… the time looper.”

The man looked at Orodan closely and after a few seconds, nodded at Yixia.

“Yes, we’d received the regular communications from your soul clone, yet I still have a difficult time believing it. Good thing Song called for reinforcements, else with his penchant for acting rashly, this might’ve gone awry and caused us irreparable harm,” the man said and then stepped towards Orodan. “Orodan Wainwright, given how you took in the sights, is this our first time meeting?”

“Yes, it truly is,” Orodan said. “You are?”

“Ah, my apologies, where have my manners gone?” the man asked himself, and then continued. “I am Jian Ren, and it’s good to meet a fellow Sovereign. Welcome to the capital world of the Ascendent Sword Cluster, the base of power for the Celestial Court. Welcome… to Xian.”

Orodan nodded and extended his hand in greeting, and the man hesitated for a moment before taking it.

“Ah, that’s right, I forget you otherworlders sometimes clasp hands together,” Jian Ren said as he awkwardly reciprocated the handshake. “I haven’t left Xian in a very long time, so you’ll have to pardon my ignorance on galactic social customs. Yixia and Song are usually the ones we send out when matters of import must be seen to outside of the Ascendent Sword Cluster.”

“No need to apologize. If anything, coming here, it should be I who learns the customs of your people,” Orodan replied. “You’re a Sovereign as well? Are you the leader of the Celestial Court?”

“Not quite, that would be the Celestial Emperor himself. Who you’ll meet soon enough,” Jian Ren replied. “I am however, the oldest and strongest of all Sovereigns who swear fealty to the Emperor. And in return, I’ve been granted dominion over the world core of Xian and serve as chief minister to my liege.”

“That sounds like a position of great honor,” Orodan replied. “Although, I’d get far too bored without the prospect of an actual battle.”

Jian Ren took a moment, and then the Sovereign of Xian laughed.

“Truly, it seems the communications I received weren’t false,” the man said. “You really do love fighting, don’t you?”

“It’s as Yixia said brother. The first time we met him, he was in the middle of gladly taking on all comers,” Jian Song added. “Even exchanged blows with me for a while and his shield actually held against my attacks. It’s utter lunacy, that a Master-level warrior can block the sword light of a Transcendent.”

“That it is,” Jian Ren said. “Song here is the fourth-strongest swordsman in the Celestial Court. And yet, at just the Master-level you can hold against his mightiest attack. And survive even the might of Devil King Gutriyaz’s hellfire from what I’m told. With you being in a time loop however, it all makes sense.”

“I wouldn’t have gotten to this point without a love for battle, and I came along on the promise that I’d get to see plenty of it here,” Orodan said. “As hasty as this might sound, when will I get to fight?”

“Soon, quite soon as a matter of fact,” Jian Ren proclaimed. “However, you must at least meet the Emperor first. As a welcoming gift, we’ve raised certain skill restrictions on yourself, you’ll find that you can train in the unique skills of our world moving forward.”

That was nice. He felt the strange System energies he could sense thanks to his own world crown flutter about him and then shift about strangely. Orodan had waited two whole months. He could wait until a meeting with the head of the Celestial Court to do battle.

In truth, he had no idea how this meeting would go. This Celestial Court, it was a faction on par with the Hegemony, one of whom had torn through the dimensional divide and killed Orodan in a single blow. In all likelihood, he stood an excellent chance of dying here if he played his cards incorrectly.

Therefore…

…it was a good moment to utilize something he’d acquired not too long ago.

[C#he*ck&po%in$t S@et]

“Come then, Orodan Wainwright, let us walk through Swordmist City and make way for the Celestial Palace,” Jian Ren offered.

Orodan followed, Zaessythra fluttering behind him.

Akelrim, or Qing Luo, also seemed quite happy to be back home. Orodan hadn’t been sure how the otherworlder would react to the offer of returning to Xian, but the man seemed happy to be back home.

And even though he called Akelrim an otherworlder, here, Orodan was the man from another world.

The building their party had stepped out into from the wormhole was some sort of specialized building used for transportation. It had numerous tough-looking guards who wore armor that would make anyone on Alastaia look like paupers. And the building itself had a gigantic plaque which read ‘The Spatial Embassy’, written in a different language than Inuanan, but the System immediately helped translate in his head as he skimmed the words.

The courtyard was massive, but it led out into the streets of the city, and it was among the hustle and bustle of these streets that Orodan got to properly see how this other world functioned.

Couples walked hand in hand, families were enjoying the day and children were playing. Foot traffic was composed less of tradespeople and commoners and more of merchants, leisurely visitors or the occasional guard. The entirety of this main street Jian Ren was leading their party down, was gorgeous beyond compare. Each and every building meant to impress and catch the eye with its magnificence and how it fit into the overall picture of harmony.

Luxurious shops offered the most extravagant sorts of goods. From restaurants which offered exquisite meats which Orodan made a note of trying eventually, to jewellers and tailors who offered prohibitively expensive products. Weapon and armor shops without visible blacksmiths at work offered some excellent gear, and he even saw a general goods store much like Fodgarton’s in Ogdenborough, except even a basic cleaning cloth on the shelf looked utterly exquisite.

“This is the area meant for the wealthy, isn’t it?” Orodan asked.

“Indeed. Some of the goods displayed by the shops would be expensive even for visiting Sovereigns from other worlds,” Jian Song explained. “Then again, this street’s entire purpose is to draw the eye of any visiting dignitaries and guests.”

“What about the poorer parts of the city? Or the smaller towns?” Orodan asked.

“Poor? This is Swordmist City, we don’t really have any such areas in town, or in the greater area surrounding the capital in general,” Jian Ren answered. “In fact, poverty on Xian is different to the poverty many of our visitors from smaller worlds are used to. Beggars, urchins and orphans are a thing of fiction upon this world. All our people are well-fed, educated and have access to much opportunity. The ‘poorest’ you’ll see someone is them lacking access to certain magic treasures or amenities which are nice to have. Otherwise, everyone eats and has a roof over their head.”

To Orodan who’d grown up struggling on the streets, the thought was unfathomable. A world where there were no street rats or hunger? No need to defend himself against another desperate urchin in a desperate bid for survival? What if he’d been born upon Xian?

“That is… quite the foreign concept to me, I must admit,” Orodan said. “I was orphaned at a young age and forced to fend for myself a lot of the time as the system for sheltering the parent-less was less than ideal. My town was the poorest in all the Republic back home.”

“Oh? The thought of someone being raised in such barbaric conditions fascinates me,” Jian Ren said. “How did you turn out so well despite all that? I’ve met some savage dignitaries here and there, and they often have odd quirks.”

“Well, we weren’t completely savage. We still had the matrons of the orphanage teach us how to read and write,” Orodan said with some annoyance at the man’s elitism. “And once I came of age, at fourteen years, I began working odd jobs until I tested for and joined the county militia at sixteen. A good career which set me onto the path of being a proper warrior.”

“A guardsman then? That I can respect,” Jian Ren said. “Some of our mightiest generals have come from such backgrounds, and we even have a Sovereign in our ranks who began as naught but a humble guard standing watch over the mercantile district.”

“Watch duty does tend to instil the concepts of discipline and patience into someone,” Orodan said as he looked upon the guards who were standing like statues and monitoring everything around them with hawk-eyed zeal. Not very long ago, he was also a guard, a militia man in Volarbury county. Maintaining order on the streets of Ogdenborough, keeping rowdy drunks and petty criminals in line, slaying wolves and other trivial monsters which threatened the borders of the town. Yet, even in his guard days he still had the ever-present drive to work hard and better himself. If anything, the time loops had merely amplified what was already there. “Sometimes, coming from a low background can teach the value of hard work. It’s not all bad.”

“You might get along well with the Prince,” Qing Luo, or Akelrim, interjected. “He too has had a troubled background and faced much adversity to get to where he is.”

“Qing Luo, now is not the time for such talk,” Jian Ren gently reprimanded. “All will be said in time.”

Akelrim had a look of frustration upon his face and looked as though he wanted to say more, but he bit his tongue.

The party progressed onwards until a booming gong echoed all throughout the city, and the citizenry all stopped what they were doing to clasp their hands and look downwards in silent prayer.

In the distance, atop the peak of the celestial palace in the distance, Orodan could see a woman lazily sitting near the gigantic gong she’d just rung.

“We have bell towers in my world which fulfil the same purpose, crewed by wind mages,” Orodan said.

“On Xian, we have no need for multiple people doing one thing when an expert will suffice,” Jian Ren said. “Up there, ancient Duan He has enough comprehension into the Dao of Sound that her ringing of the palace gong can be heard across all Xian. A Sound Transcendent, who has served the Celestial Court since its inception.”

“Impressive… and what does the gong signify?”

“Prayer time. It rings three times a day, and when it does, all of our citizenry are expected to give a minute of devoted prayer to the divinities of the Celestial Court,” Jian Ren explained, and Orodan raised his eyebrow. “While I’ve heard of your conflict against the Gods of your world, allow me to assure you that here, we live in harmony with those of us who’ve ascended past the Grandmaster-level and failed the trial. The strength of the Celestial Court’s divinities are our strength, and consequently all citizens must do their part to contribute to their reserves of divine energy.”

This really was a different world. On Alastaia, the Gods were involved in the lives of mortals, yes. But it was from a distance, through Blessings and Avatars and the Cathedral which strongly encouraged the worship of the Prime Five. He hadn’t explored Eldiron thoroughly but heard nothing to indicate it was radically different on the elven continent of his world either.

Yet here the Celestial Court organized three daily prayer times for its citizenry, all dedicated towards ensuring that the divinities affiliated with them were kept at suitable strength. This was the power of a faction that had been around for a very long time.

Finally, prayer ended, and they continued down the street. And Orodan began to notice a trend of people staring at him as though he was a freak, almost agape.

“Are otherworlder visits rare?” Orodan asked.

“Yes and no. Officially, we rarely bring guests through the Spatial Embassy nowadays. Most of our friends and allies from other factions are allowed to directly teleport into the palace,” Jian Ren said. “The common folk rarely get to see an otherworlder walking the streets, so you’ll have to excuse their shameless staring. It also doesn’t help that you’re a foot taller than everyone else and look like a body cultivator, which has become something of a minority in our way of life.”

“Your people don’t have access to skills which allow for honing the physical form?” Orodan asked, shocked.

“No, or rather… the Hegemony has restricted access to those skills,” the Sovereign said. “What? You didn’t think we cultivators were the only ones with unique skills which we restrict access to, did you?”

“Couldn’t you simply abduct someone from another faction and raise them into a powerhouse trained in both skill types?”

“What do you think you’re here for?” Jian Ren asked. “Besides, we have such people who’ve willingly joined us as allies, but it doesn’t help the rest of our people. The visiting ally who has access to the restricted skills of another faction still cannot teach them to us. And we can only coerce so many people without raising diplomatic tensions and prompting them to do the same. The operation to reach you for example, was only successful because your world is but a mere footnote, in a forgotten corner of the Hegemony’s territories. If you were on a world of any importance to them, we wouldn’t have dared try. That world the vampire and werewolf came from, is one of them, and we were fortunate they kept the knowledge of you being a Celestial skill bearer secret lest the Hegemony themselves descended upon you.”

“It also helped that I placed multiple obscuring formations around Alastaia immediately after our first meeting,” Jian Yixia interjected. “I’m sure that werewolf spread word about you upon his retreat, but the formations I placed will obscure your world’s location in the material plane for at least a year.”

Orodan nodded with gratitude. He wouldn’t have to worry about his world coming under assault for a while at least. Although perhaps ‘formation’ was their term for wards?

“Anyhow, we are almost at the sanctioned teleporter leading to the palace, come,” Jian Ren said.

“Can’t we just teleport ourselves?”

“I’d say overpowering the space-lock formations powered by a world core itself is a fool’s endeavor. But I’ve heard of your unique ability to generate endless amounts of power,” Jian Ren said. “Still, even if you could, I would rather not have everyone in the castle scrambling in panic.”

Fair enough.

They walked down the wide street until they reached another building with a teleporter inside. It was heavily guarded, and the soldiers had mean looks upon their faces, as though daring anyone to try making an attempt at forced entry.

They of course parted to allow Jian Ren and the rest of the party to pass, and with a step through another spatial fold, the scenery suddenly changed.

The trip through folded space lasted but an instant, signifying that the distance crossed wasn’t much. However, seeing a gigantic imperial palace nearly touching the cloud layer from a distance was one thing. Viewing it up close from near the front doors, was another.

It took up almost the entirety of Orodan’s vision, and he could barely see the sky with this enormous building right in front of him. Gilded walls, sloping roofs which put the Eastern Kingdom’s vaguely similar architecture to shame, and numerous people dressed in fine silken robes going in and out of the main gate.

This was the palace of the Celestial Court.

As they walked through the halls, attendants and courtiers looked at Orodan with interest, and even the guards allowed their gazes to linger for a bit. Down the grand hall they went, at the end an open doorway where space looked to be rather incredibly warped.

As they drew closer and closer, Orodan got an unexpected message.

[Dimensionalism 8 → Dimensionalism 9]

He immediately felt the familiar sensation of the dimensional boundary being different, altered, as he approached the grand double door through which he could see nothing.

And as Jian Ren stepped through, so did he.

[Dimensionalism 9 → Dimensionalism 10]

It made no sense.

That was the first thing his brain told him as he looked upon impossible shapes which made no sense despite how gorgeous they were. The very ground and air consisted of strange patterns which couldn’t exist in the physical world, as though they were more than just three-dimensional.

To the left and right, were partitions made of ethereal clouds, almost like a fence keeping spectators walled off. And the spectators themselves, well… Orodan had seen a God in the material plane once, and yet there was nothing similar to the one he’d seen affiliated with the Hegemony.

The human-looking ones were normal enough, save for the brilliant lights which emanated from them and the torrents of divine energy in their surroundings. One woman had a bow on her back which looked as though it could shoot down a planet. Another man wore elaborate armor and held a spear which gave Orodan a vague feeling that he wanted to tell everyone the truth, and another held a bowl of rice in his hands and was feasting while offering the spear-God a snack every once in a while, which the God continually refused with an irritated look upon his face.

The spectators - courtiers, now that Orodan had a better understanding that this was a court - also had numerous monster-like Gods among them.

An incredibly long snake, much like those he saw flying above the skies although its tail led outside of the palace. Who knew how large it was? It had small, clawed legs, comically tiny compared to its body, and it had a ferocious beard upon its face.

Next to it was an enormous turtle, looking utterly ancient, with a shell that looked as though it could bear the weight of multiple worlds and take not a scratch.

He also saw a divine tiger, a fluffy rabbit which gave him an exceedingly dangerous feeling, and some sort of scaly, bearded horse with flames emanating from its body.

“This many Gods in one place, how can they all exist so freely? Where are we?” Orodan asked.

“This is the court of the Celestial Emperor. A place that exists in the divine realm, yet where mortals of sufficient power and Transcendents can also set foot. A permanent dimensional opening allows for free travel,” Jian Ren introduced. “The Celestial Court is a powerful faction, and not only Transcendents swear fealty to the Emperor. Work with us, Orodan Wainwright, and you too may grow powerful and acquire great riches. Or… the battles you so crave.”

“Indeed! That bearded flying snake God looks tough, I wonder if I’ll get a chance to spar it,” Orodan said with a smile on his face.

Jian Ren’s face turned ashen and said flying snake immediately turned to glare at Orodan with a look of pure death.

“You dare?! To call Enlao, God of all dragons of the Celestial Court, a snake! You court death, mortal!” the God roared, and its bearded face immediately swooped down to float directly before Orodan. “You… you are the otherworlder, aren’t you?”

Orodan nodded.

“Hmph! Ignorant, but an understandable slight,” Enlao the dragon God spoke. “Have you ever seen a dragon before, otherworlder?”

“Yes, but I’m used to wings and four legs, with not as long of a body,” he replied.

“Pah! The dragons of the Hegemony and the Conclave are different to us dragons of Xian,” Enlao spoke. “Yet, we are possessed of the ancient draconic blood all the same.”

“Old Enlao, might I draw attention to the fact that the Emperor is still holding court?” Jian Ren said, and the dragon looked almost embarrassed for a moment before regally snorting and returning to its position.

And before Orodan, at the forefront and center of the Celestial Court, was a throne. It wasn’t particularly big, like a mere chair, yet it glowed with a radiance that was undeniable. And upon it… a man who was Transcendent yet gave Orodan a feeling of pure dread which none of the Gods and other Transcendents in the court had.

The God that had slain Orodan in the last long loop? He had a feeling this man could swat that God like a fly.

He looked simple, wearing robes which looked akin to that of a commoner, yet the devious and calculating smile he wore upon his face spoke of a man that was exceedingly brutal. Like a wolf, dressed in sheep’s clothing.

And he was looking at an envoy before him.

“My liege, Prince Zhou Shan requests additional support in the dimensional divide,” the messenger said. “The forces of the betrayer press harder and grow bolder by the day. Soon, the third army will be pushed out entirely and we shall be forced to completely cede control of the soul nexus to the enemy. Additionally, the enemy have begun spawning devils in combat. We humbly request aid.”

The emperor laughed softly to himself and waved his hand towards Jian Song who’d just arrived.

“Song, see to it that the third army receives an allotment of troops and treasures,” the emperor spoke. Jian Ren, the Sovereign of Xian and the nominal chief minister of the Celestial Court looked more than a bit rankled by this proclamation but held his tongue. Although he did shoot Jian Song a look of suspicion and dissatisfaction.

His gaze then turned towards Orodan, and for a moment he could swear the force of a mountain came crashing down upon his mind yet was retracted at the last second.

Dangerous. It made Orodan’s blood boil for battle.

“And you must be Orodan Wainwright, the bearer of a Celestial skill… the time looper,” the emperor proclaimed with a calculated smile on his face. “What brings you to my court? To swear fealty perhaps?”

Fealty? What sort of farce was this? He was invited to Xian by the Jian siblings, and now this man was playing a game that implied Orodan had come before him to swear homage?

He shot Yixia a look, yet the woman could only shamefully look downwards, as though she could do nothing about this strange manner of diplomacy.

“First of all-”

The mountain crashed into his mind, bearing down on his will, daring him to say anything that contradicted the emperor or made the man look bad. The man, who previously had looked unassuming, now looked like a titan in his eyes.

He was but a servant, a humble subject of the rightful ruler, Jian Huangdi, Celestial Emperor.

Dominance and absolute supremacy. The Celestial Emperor demanded fealty and was almighty. He had no choice but to obey.

His eyes were cast downwards, and he could only look down in loyal submission, to the rightful liege and lord of the Ascendent Sword Cluster.

Yet, the loyal subject’s hands trembled in sheer rage. He tried his best to quell the mutinous thoughts, to prevent the shame and embarrassment that would come from defying the Celestial Emperor’s absolute authority. Yet, the servant could not hold a candle to the raging and burning willpower within.

To the iron will of Orodan Wainwright. His mind, strong to begin with from the beginning of the loops, had grown stronger still against attempts to subvert his will. Yet, this foe was multiple times more powerful in a battle of wills than any opponent he'd ever faced.

Orodan felt there was something oddly familiar about this assault, but this was no time to investigate the matter.

He'd now regained control of his mind.

This Dao of Dominance and Supremacy was insanely dangerous. It would be best to revert to a checkpoint or perhaps even end the loop.

Yet, Orodan’s eyes rose, and he directly made eye contact with the Celestial Emperor, causing many of the Gods present to gasp and the emperor himself to tremble in rage.

Orodan’s hands went to his weapons, and they were drawn.

“I must admit; even though I’ve gained no skill, I feel as though this is excellent tempering for my mind,” Orodan said, and then, a feral grin appeared on his face. “Let’s skip this social dance, just hit me with that Dao of yours again. I want to see how well it holds up against the will of a warrior. And then, perhaps we can even fight.”

“Orodan, you’re mad! This is the ruler of a faction on par with the Hegemony, what are you doing?!” Zaessythra shouted.

“Don’t worry,” Orodan said. “Even if I fall, I have something to rely on.”

The emperor’s eyes took on a look of utter rage, and the Dao of Dominance and Supremacy crashed onto Orodan’s mind once more.

No skills were gained. Either the System had no skill for it, or the skill was restricted in some way. Yet, even without a skill, even without messages from the System which denoted his progress and helped him get stronger… Orodan Wainwright refused to back down before this challenge.

All other spectators bowed their heads before this almighty Dao of the Celestial Emperor, yet Orodan did not. His flesh began to incinerate, and his eyes melted. His very body began slowly falling apart from the inside out, and despite his monstrous ability to heal himself, the darkness of death took him. And it was a mere byproduct of the full power of the Celestial Emperor’s Dao…

…how monstrous.

[C$h@ec(kp*oi#nt R#es%to&red]

[U@ses Re^ma#in@ing - 2221]

“Come then, Orodan Wainwright, let us walk through Swordmist City and make way for the Celestial Palace,” Jian Ren offered.

His eyes widened.

He wasn’t back in Ogdenborough! It had worked! And most importantly… a reset only cost him one Rune.

A mad grin appeared on the face of Orodan Wainwright.

Peaceful cultivation? Going along with the tyrannical Celestial Emperor? No wonder there was a rebellion against the Celestial Court. Orodan’s warrior spirit roared, and the city of Swordmist was his canvas.

He had 2221 tries to make the most of this Checkpoint before he was sent back to Ogdenborough when it ran out.

To his left were various shops, one of them dabbling in strange alchemical techniques, the other peddling strange, inscribed flags which looked quite powerful and arranged in formation. To his right, a weapon and armor shop. And behind him, the Spatial Embassy from where he might even be able to go to different areas within the Ascendent Sword Cluster. And in the distance, dwellings upon the mountains which the Jian siblings had said were sects where one learned cultivation.

A war for the soul nexus where a tyrannical Celestial Emperor and the Prince fought against a rebel faction backed by the hells? An entire city full of cultivators, strange alchemists and formation masters, and in the court itself… Gods in the flesh, ruled by an almighty emperor who subverted his people with an iron fist.

Fleeing and cultivating peacefully would’ve been the smart thing to do. Perhaps even fleeing and seeking out other worlds.

But since when did he do things like that?

Cultivation and the secrets of Xian awaited.