[RSM] Chapter 100. Tests (Patreon)

The meeting was over, and as everyone else left, Lord Gurdra Black called him to stay back. 

"Lord Fox, would you mind staying back for a moment?" 

Tundra turned, and had no choice but to agree. The large meeting room now felt too large for them. Sect Master Tugra sat on his throne, and his spear seemed especially prominent, now that he was much closer to him. 

There was something strange about that spear since he first laid eyes on it. Something familiar, and yet different. 

"I was told you have great contributions to the discovery beneath our city." The Sect Master began.

Tundra played it cool. "It was nothing much, merely a deduction after some thought."

"Inspired thinking." Master Tugra of the White Striped Tiger answered. "And exceptionally suspicious. I heard the full details from Lord Black, and I cannot help but think you seem to know exactly what you were looking for. So, one cannot help but wonder whether we are dealing with a double agent. Or perhaps, even the mastermind. After all, it is the first time we've invited you to this tournament, and this happens."

Tundra decided not to answer that question. The more he tried to explain, the more suspicious it would all seem. Instead, he merely stood his ground, and felt the 9th realm master's aura weigh on him. 

It was as if ten gigantic tigers were now around his soul, waiting to feast on his moment of weakness. Such weight and presence was truly one of the 9th realm, and it was nostalgic.

If only it was not pointed at him.

It was heavy, and his 7th realm couldn't resist. His soul tried its best to protect himself.

He felt his entire body weigh heavily, and his knees buckled. A spiritual tiger's claws and palm were on his head. It pressed.

His body strained to withstand its weight. 

"You seem certain of your innocence." Tugra said.

It was hard for Tundra to even talk, but he forced himself to answer anyway. "Truth is the truth. It needs no explanation. I did nothing, so I have nothing to fear." 

The weight of the Sect Master intensified, and now, Tundra's knees were on the floor. 

He strained to lift his head, but he forced himself anyway. He is a sect master of the Verdant Snow, and he would not cower. 

His spiritual energies flowed through his body, and by sheer will, he forced himself to stand up. 

"Many others are defiant, even at this point." Master Tugra said. 

"As they should." Tundra answered, as a bit of blood flowed out of the side of his lips. "What cultivators would we be if we are not defiant? Especially against those who seek to hold us down."

"What I have to do next, if you are truly innocent, then I must apologize. But for the safety of the White Striped Tiger, I must know the truth." Tugra smiled, and Tundra braced for what was to come. It was obvious when they singled him out. "[Ancient Sunbreaker], judge this man's soul and reveal his worth." 

The strange spear in Lord Tugra's left hand glowed with a surreal orange light, and it pierced Tundra with an intense, powerful orange beam. The beam did not hurt the flesh, but Tundra felt it cut right through it and touched his soul.

He squirmed. 

It was as if his soul was on fire. 

But this was not the first time his soul was burned by other cultivators. The fires of the Ancient Sunbreaker were energy. Hostile, but energy nonetheless. 

Stripped of that hostility, that energy could be used positively, and so, by sheer will, he forced his own soul outwards to consume the fires of the Ancient Sunbreaker. 

"I am impressed, Lord Fox." Lord Tugra still sat, but now he leaned forward to observe the situation with full intent. "I would say not one cultivator in my entire sect would have known to do what you just tried to do."

Tundra was in no position to respond. There were cracks throughout his flesh as his soul fought to fight and consume the hostile energies of the Ancient Sunbreaker. His spirit rushed into the various blots of hostile energies, and reached deep within those blots to wrestle and pull out that remnant hostile intent. 

Without intent, the blots of energy would not do anything. It is transformed into power without purpose. Power, floating about, could then be absorbed by his soul to fight against the other fires. 

Bit by bit, he won over the Sunbreaker's fires burning within his soul. He stood, covered in cracks and cuts. There were parts that already started to bleed. But there was no more fire burning in his soul, and he felt himself actually grow a little bit stronger.

A small minor realm. 7th realm, 4th stage. 

Yet at the same time, he was certain that the Sunbreaker's Fires have already done what they were meant to do. A strange fire churned in his soul.

Lord Tugra clapped. "And I am relieved that you are not one of these conniving plotters. Lord Black, please get some refreshments and an elixir for our guest." 

Lord Black seemed to have prepared beforehand, as he presented a box to Tundra, with an elixir and a cup of pure heavenly water. 

He drank the water first, and first the remnant fires fully extinguished by the pure heavenly water. Smoke and mist emerged from his body for a few breaths, and then they stopped. He took the [Illustrious Herbal Elixir] next, and felt an immense healing energy pour through his flesh. His soul then extracted that healing energies and channeled it through the wounds he felt. 

"Well, we appreciate the truth, Lord Fox." Master Tugra admitted.

The remnant fire was like a truth elixir, and he could only subtly suppress its effects.

"I had experience." Tundra answered, as a strange heat continued to linger in his soul. The Ancient Sunbreaker's effects were not so easily extinguished. "I fought these things once, and I remember they have a penchant for swamps and subterranean caves. So, I suspected that they might have found some cavity deep beneath to serve as their home."

There are cavities everywhere. Most of these underground cavities are small, caused by the flow of water through soil and differential layers of rock, sediments and different types of earth. But in these rocky lands that form the foundations of the White Striped Tiger's home city, there were many more such caves. 

"I see. I would want to push you to elaborate, but I can see it is something you won't say, and given your innocence, it is not appropriate to force more." Sect Master Tugra stood, and walked closer. His voice was almost a whisper. "You're flying a little too close to the sun, Lord Fox. You should focus on your strength."

Tundra cannot help but sigh. He still felt the effects of the Ancient Sunbreaker in his heart, and at that question, it felt like the Sect Master was provoking him. Tundra answered, perhaps uncharacteristically. "Such is fate, is it not? I see that these dark forces are out to sow discord amongst the greater sects! They want to cause us to turn our immense powers against each other! How can I not step in and help, even if I am not fit for the task? It would take years for me to reach the 8th, and decades if not centuries for the 9th! Is that an excuse? If I can do what is right, even if I have to step into the sun, so be it."

Sect Master Tugra smiled. A warm, understanding, and incredibly proud smile.

"No." Yet it did not stop the words in his mind. Tundra continued. "I cannot. I cannot let the Great Sects tear at each other, especially when we need them the most."

The White Striped Tiger's master walked, and picked up a cup of blue tea. "The effects of the Ancient Sunbreaker are a little strong, here, some tea to wash it off."

The regressor finished the cup in a blink, and felt much better. He also quickly realized that he had just been manipulated. 

"It is a relief, Lord Fox, that we can be sure of your innocence." Sect Master Tugra answered. "Hearing your passionate plea, I cannot help but reassess my own thoughts about the threat these folks pose to us all."

Lord Gurdra Black conceded. "We've taken too much of your time, Lord Fox. Come, let me lead you out."

***

"I did not appreciate that." Tundra said as the two walked out. He felt set up, bullied, and it went pretty much according to how Sect Master Tugra wanted it. But he wasn't strong enough to resist the effects of such a treasure.

"I understand, and my apologies. My master will arrange for reparations, and the words you've said are a secret." Lord Black was surprisingly pleasant, and not his usual arrogant self. 

"Such promises are worthless." Tundra vented his frustrations. He was not prepared and not aware of the full capabilities of the Ancient Sunbreaker. It was certainly a tool he heard before, but clearly there are secrets he did not know about. 

"I too, understand that. The world needs men like you. Men who still hold to the ancient codes are rare and hard to find. Us Tigers are not so honorable. Our reputation in the world is not great, and we have no choice. We are scavengers. We are opportunists, and we use our strength to press our advantage. Some even say we are scum, for bullying the weak. But if you are one of us, as a whole, we look after our own." 

"Really? I hear different things from the disciples. And seeing how you treat suspects, I am more inclined to believe your disciples." 

"It does not seem that way to the low level disciples. But the elders of the three families look out for each other, even if we tolerate, accept and even encourage quite a bit of roughness amongst our cubs. Tigers are not soft. We are never meant to be. Those who aspire to be tigers must have the fangs and claws to bear our stripes, the will to defend what is ours, and the steel and strength to claim our territory. The pursuit of our goals often requires us to step on some rocks and stones, and harm some innocents."

"I see." Tundra sat, and knew that the context of the term 'innocents' only meant other cultivators who they considered peers. Mortals were not even innocents. In the Tiger's eyes, they are but ants that get caught in the wrong place. 

"Rest well. It is a shame that the tournament is cancelled, but there will be other opportunities to meet again."

Tundra, on the other hand, did not want to meet them again. 

***

Celestia didn't particularly like being under 'house arrest', and the hosts clearly said they should try to remain indoors for their own safety during this period, but everyone knew what it was. No one was supposed to go anywhere until the matter was resolved, since it involved a potential conflict between the Great Pretender Sects. 

"You're very relaxed." Celestia said, as she noticed Yavin sitting comfortably on one of the daybeds. The view of their guesthouse was fantastic, it overlooked a small lake, and then there were city streets in the distance. It is not hard for cultivators to just idly spy on the mortals on the other side. 

"We are as safe as we can be, Lady Gale." Yavin answered, as he flipped the page on a fairly freshly written scroll. It was likely a dossier on the recent events, something that came from the various informant networks. "The news is already out, and I hear the Bearmound Peak's Sect Master already sent a letter."

"Oh." Celestia thought there would be a bigger response. A letter sounded almost normal. She forgot how little lives matter in the eyes of powerful cultivators. Their sorrow comes mainly from the lost potential, lost resources, and all the previously sunk inheritances and treasures now gone. 

"I believe we will be allowed to leave within a few days." 

"How do you know?"

Yavin thought for a moment, and then elaborated. "The investigation was over three days ago, and now all that's left is haggling between the representatives of the various sects. As only one great challenger sect lost the lives of disciples, even then, it is only one of their ten competitors, it isn't that much of a disaster. Such incidents happen in battle, tournaments all the time. So, if I am right, they will allow the Great Challenger Sects to leave first, and then it will be the mid tier sect's turn."

They were both about to say something, but both stopped at the same time. They felt Tundra's return to the guesthouse. 

Her husband looked exhausted, as if he had been through much. He merely answered. 

"We will be allowed to leave in three days, and the house arrest will be lifted this evening." Tundra declared. "Make the most of it, and take this chance to see the city. For me, I will be going to get some rest."

***

Celestia found her husband meditating quietly. His spiritual energies were unusually calm, but her instincts spoke of something else. 

"Is everything alright?" She asked.

"Yavin will lead the party home. I'll be joining the Hundred Wings Sect on a trip to visit an elder." 

"You're evading." Celestia blurted.

Tundra and Celestia's eyes met, and then he sighed. "Sect Master Tugra used an artifact on me to force me to speak my mind. I'm nursing my dissatisfaction at how poorly it went for me."

Celestia wasn't sure how to respond to that. So she didn't. Instead, she sat next to him, and waited.

After a few moments, she finally confessed. "It's rare that you let me know your frustrations. Sometimes, it feels to the rest of us as if you have no challenges in the matters of combat and cultivation."

Tundra paused and smiled. "The gap in our cultivation realms is too large, and that power is far, far too powerful for even me to overcome." 

"Sounds like a matter of time."

"A long, long time." 

"I thought it would feel less long." Celestia waited a bit. "For you."

The guestroom was clearly too large for two of them, but it is the standard design for guestrooms. Cultivators are treated like kings, especially sect masters. Tundra watched as Celestia looked through a drawer filled with many small glass containers, each with a different type and flavor of tea leaves. They were marked and written by hand, their handwriting exquisite. 

"It's rare to see you stumble." Celestia admitted. 

Tundra looked wistful. "It is not the first, nor will it be the last."

"Is it? What's the worst one?" The sixth wife was genuinely curious, and wondered what are the sort of things that made it so.

The regressor waited, and swirled the tea in his cup. It took a lot of thought, and though it almost seemed as if he was looking for an answer from the swirling patterns of tea leaves. 

He took a sip, and sighed. 

"Where do I start?"

Celestia smiled gently, she wanted to understand the kind of pain that made someone so confident and headstrong like Tundra realize the errors of his ways. 

"There was a battle against another sect that went wrong. I split up the elders in order to mount a pincer attack. The battle was a victory, but hard fought. I lost Severian in that battle, and that was painful. Though we got a victory, the prize that we sought was long gone. Our target managed to move it away before we did." 

"That is bad." She answered, but truthfully, she didn't understand the context of that death. Was it significant to the sect at that time?

"Then, much later on, there was a war between the Great Challengers, and around this time we were seen as a Great Challenger as well, though it is much debated whether we deserved it. We fought against the Enduring Depths, in the far south for territory. We walked right into a spiritual formation, and I lost a third of my junior disciples and five of my elders. I was in the 9th realm then, and somehow, a little overconfident in my strength. I still reflect on that sometimes, wondering what made me decide to do so. I began heavily studying formations after that battle."

Tundra waited and poured himself a second cup. 

"But perhaps, the biggest stumble is my failure to cure your Zuja parasite. You, and the many descendants that came after me. All because I was too proud, chasing after a goal that was meaningless in the end. A Great Sect means nothing if its disciples and elders have no reason to stay together and genuinely want to be in a sect together." 

Celestia blushed slightly at the mention of her supposed infection. Tundra explained it to her once, but she didn't quite understand. Not until the recent Zuja mutant's appearance. It was honestly her first time encountering the mutants at such strength. 

So, she latched on to Tundra's words and decided to deflect the conversation to talk about how he felt the goal was meaningless. "Is the 10th realm meaningless?" 

"Power and conceptual understandings are different from purpose. Power without a principle is perhaps nothing more than a natural disaster, or wasted energy." As he finished his second cup, for a brief moment, she felt as if her husband was thousands of years older. The way he looked somewhere, or perhaps nowhere, with a million things on his mind that wore him down. "Power for power's sake is quite like chasing an illusion. Once you catch it, you find that the illusion vanishes." 

"But the power is real."

"Hollow." Tundra said. "And reactionary. I was in a loop of constantly reacting to crises after crises, chasing and defending a pride that wasn't mine to defend, fighting in the name of family, for a family that exists only in name." 

"Was the family really that bad?"

"I do not speak to them beyond problems. Or what conflicts they had. There was no affection, only obligation and greed. I did my duty as a provider and a guardian, but I left their hearts unguided, lost and confused. To fill the emptiness in my soul I chased after power, and that only added to the neglect. It is when I woke up and looked at all of you once more, I realized I could undo all of that." 

Celestia waited for a moment, and asked. She thought about the words carefully. "Was there really a point when it all changed? Where do you think it all went astray?"

The regressor didn't have an immediate answer. He had to think, and recalling those thoughts and memories caused him great pain.

The two sat in silence as both their minds churned. 

"It came as a trickle. A bunch of little cuts. Your disappearance. The deaths of Elly and Marin, and Anna. But I think it was the loss of my fellow elders that truly set me on that path of pointless destruction and war. Severian, Jon and Jashen, they were my closest confidantes and people I truly considered friends. They kept our Sect's focus, even as they were lagging behind the new elders that joined and merged with the Verdant Snow. Jon, in hindsight, was the closest I had to a friend with a strong moral compass guided by the old ways. When I lost all three of them, I believe that was when I became no more than a powerful but blind fool. I became absorbed in alchemy and war, and growth at all cost. The Sect ballooned in size as I merged and added more into the fray. I pitched factions within the sect against each other, and rewarded competence generously. I had good, strong elders. Competent leaders who carried out my ambition. But in the end, it truly felt lonely at the top."

"You never tried to change it?"

"I did. I tried to nurture these good elders, and hoped they'd stand by my side at the top. Then the Zuja plague exploded into the world and we were trying to protect ourselves. I also  underestimated them, just like how the Great Sects today underestimated them. I did not know their reach was so far, I did not know their support went so deep and strong, and I did not comprehend how powerful their true master was. I thought of them like the demonic cultivators, a dangerous threat, an irritation, a powerful and pesky pest, but not one that would end the world as we know it." 

"Well, hindsight is often clearer than foresight." Celestia smiled. "Many oracles and soothsayers sacrificed spiritual turtles to know what you already know for certain."

"It does not work like that, my dear wife." Tundra clarified. "Time has never been a straight line. I am proof of that. However, thinking that way is unhelpful. For me, I view this as the present, with that 'future' now all in the past. It is as if the world's starting point was duplicated, and I experienced them in succession."

"Eh?"

"In order for me to change the future, it must not be certain. So, the past version of me, that alternate version is no more than a duplicate. That past is unchangeable, but this life, this future is its own set of time."

"I must admit I do not quite grasp it." Celestia admitted. The thoughts made her head spin.

[ AN: CHAPTER 100! Wow. I can't believe I made it here. With about 20k written for book 3 so far, I'm quite happy haha. Another 100-120k to go to end book 3, so that's another 30-40 chapters. Thanks so much for supporting this story. Thanks so much for giving me monies. ]