Chapter 99
The Patriarch Ascends
Field Marshal Kang and his officer left for the Shattered Fortress the moment it was safe. Without the plague, old threats would emerge from seclusion, and the border needed to be reinforced and prepared for a potential confrontation. The soldiers didn't even stay for a celebratory drink.
A month after they left, everyone was still partying, showing no signs of stopping. No one was excited to leave. They were excited to congregate in groups. For centuries, their survival was tied to spirit herbs. Intimate gatherings limited to no more than six, as you clustered around those rare spirit herbs which tolerated other spirit herbs being so close.
The end of the plague was the end of everyone's physical isolation. It was the freedom to be together, play games, run around, and generally enjoy life without distance. This meant family meals, dishes passed back and forth, not for the joy of eating, but for the simple pleasure of being together without restriction.
When Tobias realised there was no end in sight to the celebration, he quietly excused himself to ascend to the core realm. However, halfway through his tribulation, Yin Hao encouraged everyone to put aside their fun to study what he was doing.
Tobias was taking risks no sane cultivator would take and absorbing more heavenly dao than Yin Hao had ever seen, suffering injuries no foundation realm cultivator should be able to survive. Tobias was the perfect example of how to correctly and incorrectly go through a tribulation, because he was doing everything perfectly, but also taking it to the extreme and putting his life at risk.
Tobias was convinced that he had discovered how to form a golden core, a core with a golden layer of heavenly dao trapped within it. He believed it was made by extending the duration of your tribulation while slowly and flawlessly fusing twelve spiritual droplets together. Centuries of studying cultivation and dao had convinced Tobias that the heavens did not act without forethought, and forming a golden core was the primary reason Tobias could come up with for why the heavens would allow cultivators to extend their tribulations.
He was willing to risk his life to test his theory because if he succeeded, the golden layer would serve as an artificial layer for his core, concentrating his chi and increasing his capacity threefold. It would also transform the nature of his core, allowing it to passively draw in chi to produce spiritual energy. This effect was minor initially, but with each subsequent layer of his core, the effect compounded, becoming between two and three times more potent.
Tobias knew the number of spiritual droplets you used to form your core dictated its strength, its ability to take abuse, and how much chi you could manipulate at once. This was incredibly important when you attempted to breakthrough to the nascent soul realm, as it sheltered the new soul while you underwent the tribulation.
However, the part that the cultivation world didn't understand was that the core you created before the nascent soul realm was different to the core you created after. The one you created before the nascent soul realm didn't contain your dao. It was an incubator provided by the heavens. Its dao became part of your nascent soul, not the other way around.
So, forming a golden core had nothing to do with your dao path and everything to do with taking the heavens' abuse and creating a flawless core anyway. It was a trial. A test to see if your foundation was worthy of the heavens.
And passing that test was very painful.
Three days later, Tobias lay in a medicinal bath while the last of his clan, guests, and servants passed by to study his injuries. His condition was worse than the first time he'd formed his core, but his foundation was also significantly stronger.
With higher divinity, Tobias had been able to form more spiritual droplets. These droplets had let him consume more spirit pills and reinforce his foundation. He also now had the benefit of stronger, larger meridians and dozens of dao enlightenments.
However, Tobias could barely do more than twitch a finger in his current state. Anything that hadn't been needed to ensure his survival and his meridian networks remained unharmed was sacrificed during his core formation. It was entirely worth it in his opinion. He'd restored his nascent soul realm vitality. He formed a golden core, something that was only talked about in legends, but was really just the byproduct of a strong foundation and someone willing to face their tribulation with death on the line.
Xu Ling and her scholars now had a clearer understanding of what they needed to do to form their golden core, and if their experiments went as well as his, then hopefully, going forward, a golden core would become the standard core for those who walked the conscious dao path, not something which only appeared every hundred thousand years.
Yin Hao stood beside Tobias's bathtub, trying to look like a respectable honorary elder. No one believed his performance. They all knew that he didn't take life too seriously.
As the last of Tobias's clan members, servants, and guests walked past his bathtub, Yin Hao continued his lecture. "As you have all seen, with great risk comes great reward. Sage Knowledge is the third known cultivator in history to have formed a golden core. Based on what I can sense, his core has triple the chi capacity and concentration of a flawlessly formed core, making him significantly stronger than any new core realm cultivator could ever hope to be. This will make it significantly easier to progress his cultivation in the future, but will also increase the time it takes him to do so. However, Sage Knowledge is now entirely dependent on our kindness. He is physically incapable of protecting himself or communicating. While what he has done is impressive, it is also a warning to everyone here not to take such extreme risks on your path to immortality. As such, Sage Knowledge has accepted his condition being made fun of by up to five of you for setting such a bad example. Who would like to go first?"
Servant Ho indicated that he wished to make a joke. The moment he twitched his folding fan, everyone began to laugh, because they knew exactly what he was going to say.
Tobias would have chuckled, too, if it were possible.
Servant Ho walked over to the bathtub, cupped his hands, and bowed. "Patriarch, you have shown this servant that we share similar convictions. That the matters of the flesh mean little before our goals."
The former eunuch was very open about his life and that he never regretted becoming a eunuch because it allowed him to live the life that he wished. Tobias's family were also not very tactful, so most had discussed this with him over the centuries.
Due to his injuries, Tobias was currently a eunuch.
Yin Hao grinned at Servant Ho. "I thought you heard me say that Sage Knowledge was incapable of communication in his current state."
They went silent, realising the implications of what Yin Hao had said. Tobias wanted to shout that Yin Hao was messing with them and that they had discussed this years ago, but his body wouldn't let him. However, when he saw his manservant's expression through his aura, he was glad he couldn't respond.
It was rare for someone to fluster Servant Ho. The stoic servant was almost unflappable while in public. However, the look of horror he was giving Yin Hao was the strongest emotional reaction Tobias had ever seen from the manservant.
Tobias once again wished he were capable of laughing, because seeing his manservant think that he had just publicly ridiculed him without his permission was much too funny. Servant Ho had extremely strong ideas about how he should act, and they had only become stronger as the centuries passed. The man was having a meltdown.
Yin Hao left his suffering for another second before adding, "which is why Patriarch Finch and I discussed this beforehand."
The crowd roared with laughter as Tobias's mother came forward and made a joke about grandchildren, which caused just as much laughter. His grandpa came forward next, followed by Lingling and one of his many guests.
As the last comedian stepped away and the laughter died down, Yin Hao motioned to Tobias. "If any of you were to appear in this state, you would undoubtedly spend decades recovering from your injuries. And there would be inevitable complications along the way, which would prevent you from reaching the nascent soul realm. However, Sage Knowledge possesses a nascent soul realm cultivator's vitality, so he can recover from this condition effortlessly with assistance, which is the only reason he was willing to go so far, and why I will be very disappointed if any of you try to imitate him."
Yin Hao walked over and removed a barrel of medicinal goop from his storage ring. He poured the pink contents into the bath water, and Tobias immediately began to heal. His recovery was much faster than in the past, due to his stronger foundation and higher divinity. In less than a minute, his body was fully restored.
Tobias clothed himself in an illusory robe for modesty and rose from the bath fully healed. The first thing he did was put his manservant out of his misery.
"You are correct, Servant Ho. We do share similar convictions."
Tens of thousands of voices roared with laughter.
Tobias smiled. "I've held up your celebrations long enough. Please return to your fun."
The crowd cheered and began making their way back to the festivities. Yin Hao led the procession with one arm over Servant Ho's shoulder, giving the weary manservant reassurance that his prank was all in good fun.
***
Hours later, everyone was laughing and drinking spirit wine that had been ageing for centuries, toasting Tobias's success when he crossed their path. Lingling was cooking a hundred dishes at once, using her cultivation to keep up with demand. Music came from all directions as people sang or danced.
As Tobias wandered through the crowd accepting toasts, he came across Elder Xi, sitting alone on a hill.
Tobias made his way up the hill and took a seat beside his old friend, enjoying the otherworld view. "You appear troubled."
Elder Xi sighed. "Living here has shown me how backwards Cloud Sect is. They are trapped in the past, led by small-minded elders who hide their secrets because they fear their juniors supplanting them. I don't look forward to the work I will have to do to correct their mistakes."
"The cultivation method I have given you and your companions is superior to the one Cloud Sect practices. If the elders do not accept the new method, you will eventually eclipse their cultivation. You may not be in a position to create change now. However, you one day will be, and they will have no choice but to follow your lead when the time comes."
Tobias nodded to Elder Xi's disciples. They were lying among the spirit herbs, drinking wine, and discussing alchemy. They'd taught his clan much over the centuries, but their own skill eclipsed what his clan could achieve.
Gatherers did not make great alchemists.
And Tobias's initial assumptions about having a wide range of skills being necessary for immortality were proven false.
The cultivation world did not study natural laws, they did not study science, so they had no foundation on which to gather dao insights. They were searching for them blind, without something to point them in the right direction.
The only reason their immortal ancestors needed so many skills was that those skills could eventually replace the understanding of natural laws required to gather dao insights. It was a crutch for those who did not understand science.
Through science, Tobias had the greatest understanding of natural laws of anyone alive. This meant gathering dao insights related to tangible objects or natural phenomena came far more easily to him. However, daos connected to abstract concepts like love, peace, and happiness eluded him as much as everyone else.
Tobias had shared this discovery with everyone, and Xu Ling intended to change the Cultivation Academy when she returned, making the study of natural laws as important as the study of dao. Tobias was encouraging her, but wasn't pointing her in the right direction, leaving her to make her own way forward.
Everyone expected a sage to know more than others, but there was only so much he could explain before people began asking how he knew what he knew.
Elder Xi's gaze fell on his disciples, and Tobias saw the pride in his eyes.
"They're better than you were when you arrived here," Tobias said.
Elder Xi smiled. "With so much opportunity to practice, how could they fail to catch up? We will transform the Cloud Mountains to their former glory upon our return."
Tobias didn't agree.
Cultivators who lacked backing no longer sought guidance from sects like Cloud Sect. The Civil Sect offered better education and significantly more freedom, so the number of disciples Cloud Sect welcomed was now a mere handful each year. Most were the children of retired disciples who had long ago left and married. Elder Xi was not returning to the pillar of cultivation that he had left, but one being quickly forgotten by time.
Tobias didn't point this out, though.
Elder Xi knew what he was returning to and was merely trying to save face.
Tobias patted him on the shoulder. "Don't forget to cultivate. I know how you get when you're teaching, and we aren't as young as we once were."
"There is no teaching in my future. I must reform my core and take the next step so my disciples can be shown the way. Perhaps, I'll even attempt a golden core if Xu Ling and her scholars are successful."
"Ambitious."
Elder Xi could walk the conscious dao path, but he had chosen the unconscious to remain loyal to Cloud Sect. He'd achieved nearly a dozen dao enlightenments over the past century, and his foundation was stronger than ever. He didn't need to leave to ascend, but he wanted to, so he could show his loyalty.
Elder Xi smiled. "How can you call me ambitious when you made it look so easy?"
Tobias chuckled.
Elder Xi rose to his feet. "I'm in the mood to celebrate."
Tobias was glad his friend was just stressed about his return, rather than truly concerned. "Don't let me keep you."
The two of them parted ways.
A little later, Tobias was wandering through the crowd when he was cornered by his cousin Ping. His cousin's carpentry and woodworking skills continued to improve with each passing decade, setting him on a path different from the rest of their clan.
Tobias had been forced to create a cultivation method that suited Ping or risk him not being able to ascend. His efforts had borne fruit. Ping had no trouble gathering dao insights and comprehensions related to woodworking, which was what Tobias had based his new cultivation method around, but he couldn't find a hint of anything that wasn't related to it.
"How would you feel if I turned our hidden realm into our clan's permanent home?" Ping asked. "We've lived here longer than we've lived anywhere else, and it would be strange to return to our old dwellings after centuries away."
"Too many structures will unbalance the realm," Tobias replied, wondering why he was bringing this up now.
Ping grinned. "Not if I build them out of sage realm spirit willow."
Tobias went from calm to enraged in less time than it took him to blink. Ping was suggesting they slaughter their clan. Tobias had never heard anything so outrageous.
"These are the brothers and sisters of our clan! You are not cutting them down for building materials! And if you try to touch the remains of our immortal ancestors, I will not prevent our clan from tearing you apart!"
Over the centuries, hundreds of spirit willows had ascended to immortality. Some had begun talking to their clan the moment they became immortals. Others had only left parting words. But all of them had spoken to them and expressed their desire to meet again, many even wanting to see the ancestral tablets of those who came before them, so they would know who to look for when they reached the realm above.
They were as much a part of the Finch Clan as anyone else, and to suggest turning them into building materials had made Tobias see red.
Tobias couldn't believe his cousin's words.
Ping's face crumbled as he cupped his hands and dropped into a deep bow without rising. "This one has no intention of harming our ancestors' remains or their siblings, Patriarch!"
Tobias could sense the man's shock and disgust. "Speak more clearly then, Cousin." The heat hadn't left his tone.
Hundreds of members of their clan were staring daggers at Ping, and if he didn't fix the mess that he'd caused fast, Tobias knew his life would be in danger. The peaceful dao that infused their hidden realm was not as strong as Peace Master So's, or even as strong as it had once been. Too many of their strongest ancestors had gone ahead, paving the way for them.
"This one only wishes for our clan to encourage the ancestor's remains to grow their branches into the specific shapes this one needs to build our homes. This one believes our clan will be able to do so once they reach the core realm."
Tobias's anger vanished as quickly as it appeared, suppressed by the peaceful dao. Now that he knew there was a clear miscommunication, it was much easier for the dao to influence him.
Tobias took a slow, deep breath, considering the request.
He liked the idea and, based on his clan's reactions, they did too. Only a few were still paying attention. Most had turned back to what they were doing. Those paying attention didn't show any signs of anger, but appeared as intrigued as he was.
Tobias motioned for Ping to stand up. "That will take centuries, Cousin."
"You intend for our clan to remain in seclusion until we reach the nascent soul realm, which will also take centuries."
Tobias smiled and threw his arm over Ping's shoulder. "Which is why this is a very good plan. Have you spoken with Elder Kang about what you wish to build?"
Ping grinned again. "We've been going over the designs for decades. He can't wait to share what he's come up with."
"Lead the way."