You can ignore the following rant. This has been the most annoying chapter to edit. It was nearly 5,000 words long when I started, but the changes I made during earlier chapter edits cut it down to less than 1,000. There were so many pieces of information scattered across different places that I had to go back and double-check them over and over again. And now I'm pretty sure I'll cut it during my next editing pass, but this version won't make sense without it. It's literally been two days of work for something I'll probably remove from the final version, but that's the life of a writer, and the book will be better because of it. For now, I rant. Later, I'll be happy I put in the work.End of rant.
Chapter 94
Garden Thoughts
Praying to the immortal ancestors no longer caused you to contract the plague. Everyone already infected was still trapped, but the general population didn't live in fear of a plague victim beating down their door and transforming their family into monsters. The Senate tried to keep the news quiet so they could confirm the plague was gone, but by the time they were ready to announce the news, everyone was already celebrating.
As the celebration continued throughout the Three Step Hills, Tobias sat alone in his personal garden, calculating how much miasma they would need to remove from the immortal realm to set his family free. Releasing his clan from their prison was his highest priority. And with the plague over, there was nothing left to distract him.
Spirit stones provided gentle light he didn't need as his brush moved across the page, accounting for every variable. The liveliness that had once infused his family's home was but a faded memory. Over the years, the younger generations finished raising their children and went into seclusion. Their children were raised on stories of immortality. They chose not to find a partner like those of the generations before them, preferring immortality to life. In another decade, none of his clan would be outside their hidden realm, and the tea plantations and spirit gardens would be managed solely by their servants.
Tobias finished his calculations and didn't like the results.
He was working under the assumption that the plague lasted only so long as the miasma in the immortal realm was lethal. From the outside, the sudden appearance and disappearance of the plague gave the impression of some sort of automated purge process. And if miasma lethality was similar to chi toxicity, then this purge process likely only lasted long enough to reduce the miasma by 0.8%.
Reducing the immortal realm's miasma by 0.8% had taken a decade. At this rate, it would be three centuries before anyone could safely leave their prison, even with more cultivators entering seclusion.
Tobias wasn't a fool, but their immortal ancestors were, so he knew they would begin cultivating the moment they could. Just like they had in the past. This would slow everyone's efforts to a crawl. His clan would have to earn their freedom through a literal cultivation battle against the heavens, which was not a pleasant thought. Too many things could go wrong.
Servant Ho entered the pavilion, a tray of tea and snacks steadily floating behind him. Dropping the plate in front of his parents had made him take his cultivation far more seriously. "You seem troubled, Patriarch."
Tobias put down his brush and sighed. "My calculations suggest that our clan could be trapped much longer than I expected."
The forces Tobias found himself working against were utterly ridiculous in his mind.
Servant Ho floated the tray to the table and began preparing the tea. "You are thinking like a mortal again. And you underestimate how content your clan is to keep their own company. Were some to stay behind, I believe they might consider their imprisonment a burden. However, they have all chosen to remain together and join the others in seclusion at the soonest opportunity. I see nothing but smiling faces when I go to deliver meals and see to their needs. They barely cared when you announced that the Cultivation Academy had discovered that the sage realm spirit herbs were drastically reducing how quickly they were ageing."
The spirit willows Peace Master So had gifted them, had turned his family's hidden realm into a peaceful place to live, one without bickering or conflict. It was a place unlike anything the mortal world could offer.
Tobias paused. "You're suggesting I continue to treat this like an opportunity rather than a burden."
"I'm suggesting that you see if your clan wishes to continue to treat it like an opportunity rather than a burden. A few centuries is considered a stepping stone on the path to immortality, and I do believe that you have the potential to create the first immortal family here."
Tobias absently nodded, still considering how he could free his family faster.
Servant Ho seemed to take this to mean he was upset by his suggestion. "Patriarch, you have achieved more success than any cultivator before you. Your understanding of how to progress cultivation is second to none. If anyone could do as this one suggested, it would be you. The only part I do not understand is why you have never allowed yourself to be infected. You are one who should be destined for immortality."
Tobias glanced at his faithful servant and softened his expression. "The Divine Council chose to chase a slightly higher chance of reaching immortality over protecting the lives of the people they wished to rule. Such self-centred actions hold no appeal to me, so it was never an option."
"This one misspoke. What this one meant was, why have you not gone to join your clan now that the threat is gone?"
Tobias softened his gaze further with a gentle smile. "If one wishes to build an immortal clan, one must make sure they have a strong foundation. My clan lacks too many skills for us to thrive in the heavens. I do not wish to repeat our immortal ancestors' mistakes, which is why I do not intend to enter our realm until we are prepared for what comes next."
Servant Ho's eyes widened. "You were planning to create an immortal clan from the beginning."
Tobias nodded. "I have spent enough time around powerful cultivators to know that the path to immortality is a lonely road. I saw the absent friends and loved ones in their gazes and knew that few are truly happy. It made me view immortality as a curse rather than a blessing. Peace Master So's offered of our own hidden realm changed my views of immortality. It holds no fear for me now, but that does not mean it holds strong appeal. This plague has taught me that we must be prepared for what comes next."
Servant Ho smiled as he heated the water in the teapot. "It is every servant's dream to serve a great man, to lessen their burden as they perform great acts, and it has been this servant's greatest honour to serve you in this life. Please remember me fondly when you reach immortality, Patriarch."
Tobias almost rolled his eyes. They were past these indirect requests. "You are my most loyal servant. If you wish to follow me into the next life, then you need only ask."
Servant Ho's lips twisted up, showing his hesitancy was all an act. He cupped his hands and bowed. "This one would never be so bold."
Tobias did roll his eyes this time. "And if I were to order you to join me instead?"
"Then this one would do as his master orders, for he could do no less."
"Then make arrangements for joining me in seclusion so you can continue to serve me in the realm."
"This one hears and obeys."
Servant Ho quickly bowed and left, forgetting to finish preparing the tea in his excitement. Tobias didn't bother to call him back, absently prepared his drink through his aura while thinking about the future.
The number of sage realm spirit herbs his clan had access to had grown by tens of thousands over the past few years. However, the number of people Tobias wished to take with him to the immortal realm had not. There was Elder Xi, Majordomo Wo, Xu Feng, Patriarch Lee, Field Marshal Kang, Elder Kang, and his sister Lingling, who had so far refused to return to the Three Step Hills and join them. Xu Ling would reach immortality alone with a little guidance, so he didn't need to worry about her.
The list was surprisingly short.
Tobias hadn't realised how busy he'd become until after he was dismissed as 1st minister. He'd completely failed to make deep connections and friendships. Everyone he met after he was summoned to the Imperial Palace by the 1st Prince, all those decades ago, were more colleagues than friends.
This short list of names represented the only people he did not wish to lose, but there were others that he did not mind taking with him if they were interested. Tobias had a second list. This included Elder Tan, Magistrate Chi's family, Magistrate Park, and all the disciples who had protected his family from the rogue cultivators, and any of those on his first list cared about.
Peace Master So's aura brushed the edge of Tobias's aura while he was thinking. A moment later, space folded before Tobias and Peace Master So appeared in the seat opposite him.
Peace Master So picked up one of Tobias's earlier calculations and scanned the numbers. He began to grin. "Your calculations are wrong, Senior. You'll need a much bigger formation if you want to filter out the wood chi coming from your clan's hidden realm with spirit gardens."
Tobias shook his head, disagreeing. "I finished studying your cultivation mountain theory while you were dealing with the plague. I now believe our fundamental understanding of how to grow a hidden realm is flawed."
Peace Master So perked up. "So, it was worth looking into."
Tobias nodded. "Based on my findings, you established two forms of spiritual foundation when you created my clan's hidden realm. The first form was something approximating spiritual roots. These roots spread out from the source of whatever triggers a chi saturation improvement, drawing in chi from the surrounding area. The second form is a spiritual tree that appears only once a location's spiritual roots are dense enough. The spiritual tree draws the chi from the spiritual roots and concentrates it. The spiritual tree is what becomes a hidden realm."
Peace Master So turned and scanned the surrounding countryside before looking towards the hidden realm in the distance. "How did you figure that out?"
"Years of studying the way chi moves across the Three Step Hills let me form the basis of the theory," Tobias replied. He raised his hand, and a map of the area appeared between them. "Each line is a spiritual root. The thickness of the line is proportional to its strength."
Peace Master So pointed to markings in between. "What are these random dots?"
"Those are locations where my servants opened meridians or made breakthroughs. I wanted to test how they would influence the natural movement of the chi in the area."
"Did the tests affect the chi movements?"
"No, but it did teach me that spiritual roots naturally merge together when they encounter each other and that chi-deprived areas lack spiritual roots entirely."
"I'm not sure I understand, Senior."
Tobias cleared the table of paper to explain. "This is a cultivator opening a body meridian in a chi-deprived area." Tobias formed a tiny drop of water on the table. "This is hundreds of cultivators doing the same thing." Hundreds of tiny drops appeared. "This is those same cultivators doing the same thing in the exact same spot." A small circle of water appeared on the table, then spread into thin lines that looked like roots. "This is much more powerful cultivators doing the same thing." The water expanded, forming a small tree with dozens of thick roots and hundreds of smaller ones branching off. "Once you reach this stage, any improvements to the spiritual tree cause the spiritual roots to expand."
Peace Master So paused. "The spiritual tree and spiritual roots are a metaphor, I take it."
Tobias nodded. "I don't exactly understand what phenomena we are dealing with, so it's the best description I can offer."
Peace Master So turned and lifted his gaze from the map. "Does knowing this tell us anything important?"
"The spiritual roots feed the spiritual tree, making them poor locations for growing spirit herbs, but ideal locations for spirit herbs which are unable to ascend. They are also the ideal locations for gathering and purifying the wood chi from our hidden realm, which is why we don't need such a large grand formation."
Peace Master So glanced at the map. "You're trying to create a grand formation which doesn't affect your commercial spirit gardens."
Tobias nodded. "The plague has presented us with an opportunity to return The Three Kingdoms to its former glory, but my clan can't do so alone. Over the coming months, our servants will begin turning the mortals we employ into cultivators. Within a century, everyone in our territory will be a core realm cultivator. Everyone is going to be needed if we wish to keep up with expansion."
"You're going to upset everyone, Senior."
Tobias chuckled. "By the time anyone realises what we are doing, everyone who could have threatened us will already be in seclusion."
"Which is exactly where you should be."
"My clan still lacks some of the necessities to reach immortality."
Peace Master So's grinned. "You've figured out the requirements to reach the nascent soul realm."
Tobias shook his head. "The requirements for safely making the final step into the nascent soul realm will continue to elude me until my divinity improves."
"You've finally given up."
"I've finally recognised my limits."
Peace Master So rolled his eyes. "At least you gave up on trying to prove dao realms were real."
Tobias chuckled. "I haven't given up. In fact, I'm more convince I'm right than ever."
"Dao realms aren't real, Senior."
"I've watched tens of thousands of spirit herbs ascend through realms over the course of the plague. None of them has ever failed their attempt. All of them know exactly how far they can go. If dao realms are not real, then how do spirit herbs possess this natural instinct to know their limits? I've even witnessed this phenomenon with wild spirit herbs."
"Outside of the plague, spirit herbs frequently fail their ascensions."
"They fail because their foundation cannot withstand the tribulation lightning, not because they lack the ability to ascend, which is proven by the fact that made the attempt succeeded."
"You still can't prove they are real."
"I could, but it would require killing thousands of cultivators to do so."
"I'll pretend you didn't say that. There are others who would try if they knew it was possible."
"Which is why I'm only sharing this with you."
Peace Master So sighed. "And my other point?"
"You don't need to worry. I might not be entering seclusion immediately, but I'll join my clan within two or three years when everything is ready. A few extra years of divinity growth won't make a significant difference when measured against centuries."
Peace Master So groaned. "What could be more important than immortally?"
"A comfortable immortality."