Chapter 292 The First Step
Chapter 292 The First Step
"So that's why they sent a Cultivation Lord to the Mortal Plane…." Kaze muttered pensively, "Is the base you're from at the Sanctuary in the Twin Rocks Wildlife Reserve?"
Calvin and Amy's hearts seized after hearing his perceptive words. They sensed that facing him was inevitable and were lucky it wasn't in battle. The thought made them shiver.
"Excellent." The emperor smiled strangely, "Amy, I'll need you to show me the location. No one will see you; I only need you to point it out."
She took a sharp breath, aware she was the weakest in the cultivator nest but nodded.
"Forgive me if I sound disrespectful." Calvin said tactfully, "However, if you plan on stealing the treasures, I'd advise against it.
As powerful as you are, you are still mortals new to cultivation. You're up against Heaven Realm cultivators with millennia of experience, not sick mortals and animals. Even scouting the area will be risky…."
"While I appreciate your courageous resolve to protect us, we'll be fine." Kaze smiled, "Crux will guard Immortal Skye with six lower-Heaven Realm cultivators, and you will aid Evalyn and another heaven-realm cultivator while I'm away. If there are only that many, I can handle them."
He tried to object but froze when the general smiled sinisterly.
"If you don't mind me asking, how do your cultivation grades work?" Evalyn smiled cutely, "I've been rather curious. For example: how strong is someone to become a Cultivation Lord?"
Calvin and Amy felt an icy serpent slither from their stomachs to their throats, stopping and wrapping its body around their hearts.
"I-I…." He swallowed nervously, "Cultivation Lord is a title, not a measure of power.
Every faction has leaders, traditionally chosen by strength. The most powerful is the Cultivation King or Queen; below them are two Dukes and ten Lords. Since every power is different, the power varies."
"Fascinating." She remarked adorably, "So how many heaven-realm cultivators would it take to kill a Killian faction Cultivation Lord?"
A wave of horrifying understanding crashed into the cultivators, sent to investigate the disappearance of Mary Emerson and the Silver Medallions.
"Fifty, maybe?" Calvin grimaced, "It's uncertain because no one fights them…. Are you implying that you defeated Mary Emerson in battle?"
"We killed her." Evalyn giggled playfully, "You should've seen the look on her face when earth-realm mortals killed her rowdy pack of Heaven Realm elites! Pure humiliation.
Even at the end, she couldn't believe their mundane, groundless massacre ended in shameful defeat!"
Calvin and Amy shivered, feeling icy waves breach their lungs. They couldn't believe her words, which seemed so surreal and unbelievable that they lacked meaning.
"Now that you have perspective, you can consider accordingly." General Skye continued, her expression abruptly bereft of playfulness, "You're here to help us achieve our objectives, not question them, so if you advise against something, present an alternative.
Regarding Emperor Lexicon, it's best to inform rather than suggest. If he refuses your concern, do not mention it again."
Kaze watched Evalyn train her recruit with a nostalgic smile. Sometimes, he felt like he was watching the Ice Phoenix, not the young woman he had re-fallen in love with.
CLAP!
"With that settled, let's get started." He clapped, standing up, "I'm taking Crux to Immortal Skye and bringing you reinforcements until I return tomorrow night or the day after."
"Why will it take so long?" Evalyn asked discerningly, ignoring the cultivators' exasperation.
"I plan to offer each a soul pact to build our forces. " Kaze explained, "I'll use the rest as training puppets for Kiera, Marilyn, Kylie, and Addison, who lack battle experience."
"Harem training." She asserted mockingly, "Kiera's the only person who hasn't seen battle and Kylie's doing combat training. So don't sugarcoat it."
"Your accusation is gracefully ironic." He declared with a mocking smirk, "For you, someone holding a flashy divine technique and political power, to accuse me of sugarcoating my favoritism."
Evalyn blushed involuntarily, looking at their relationship from a polygamist perspective for the first time. From a monogamist's perspective, his treatment of her was unsavory. However, from a polygamist's perspective, he treated her like a princess!
While Kaze was just now training Marilyn and Addison, he had given her power, training, and emotional support! The blonde was touched, embarrassed, and ashamed simultaneously.
"I was joking." Evalyn frowned, noticing the cultivators' bewildered expressions. They couldn't believe she could blush, let alone that they'd get to see it!
"I deserve this…." She muttered under her breath.
"Yes, you deserve political power, praise, and techniques." Kaze smiled charmingly, "Now I must go. Crux, please come in here as we're leaving."
Calvin and Amy were confused when he requested her, as they could sense her on the other side of the shipping yard. However, she arrived within 30 seconds.
"Sent to investigate Crux, forget about her ears; shameful." He chuckled snidely, "There's much to teach you. Amy, please follow me."
Amy's eyes widened in bewilderment when his ring glowed gold, and a wall of dimensional Qi appeared in the tent. "I-Is that a spatial ring?"
Sky Plane spatial rings had a two-foot square rift and couldn't handle more than an arm passing through it. If one tried, it would kill them. Otherwise, everyone would use spatial rings to travel!
"Not the type you're accustomed to." Kaze chuckled in amusement, "Now come."
The cultivators were stunned when he walked through the rift, disappearing into thin air!
"So that's how he appeared behind us suddenly…." Calvin said hazily, "But how…?"
"Emperor Lexicon's techniques transcend the Sky Plane, so asking that question is a fool's errand." Crux said coolly, "Now hurry up, you timid woman!"
"Y-Yes!" Amy cried, fearing for her life as she charged through the spatial rift.
THUD!
"Guh…." After sprinting through, the cultivator hit a wall, making her groan, "What on the Mortal Plane is this…. T-th-this… THIS!"
"This what?" Kaze smiled amusedly. She had run right into him and was now six inches away, staring at his face with a quivering mouth, blushing and feeling fearful simultaneously.
"Eek!" Amy cried, jumping back when she realized their closeness, "I was just saying hard! What in the Mortal Plane is so hard? Everything here is so flimsy… eek! I-I mean, I mean…."
The cultivator hid her face in shame, feeling mortified beyond description.
"I'm not sure if I should apologize for that." He chuckled charmingly, "Worry not; I felt you might run through to overcome your fear, so I came to catch you."
"N-No need to apologize!" Amy cried, "It's me that should—"
"You're so loud." Crux said coldly, walking through the rift, "Kaze adores women, no matter how weak or pathetic they may be. So quiet down, and rejoice that there's hope for you yet."
Kaze gave the sassy cat woman a mocking smile, then glanced at her waist. She blushed furiously after following his eyes, noting that she was playing with the onyx-studded ring he had given her.
"Now, let's go!" The princess yelled awkwardly, opening the door, "There's much to do in preparation for your confrontation with the Killians!"
SLAM!
Without thinking, she slammed the door, making her even more embarrassed. So she opened it and thrust her head in murderously. "NOW!"
"Yes, mam." Kaze chuckled amusedly, nudging his head to start Amy walking, "Let's go."
"O-Okay, as you wish." Amy blushed awkwardly, mortified and awkward, "Where are we going?"
"The first step is getting you out of that gaudy attire." He declared arrogantly, "Not only will people seek to kill you for it, but it's unbefitting of a beautiful woman like—"
-
"NOW!"
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"You heard the woman." Kaze chuckled amusedly, walking out the door and leaving the poor cultivator pleading for salvation, drowning gracelessly in a bowl of emotional soup.