Heaven's Laws - Lifestone - Chapter 4

Even after a year of marriage, Chao was uncomfortable around his in-laws. Father-in-law Xiao Tu was cheerful and affectionate like no one he’d ever seen. He hugged Chao at every meeting and seemed incapable of not smiling. His physique had greatly improved since moving into the joint sect out of necessity with the Aureate Empire’s threat hanging over them. Now that the threat was over, he’d decided to stay with his Ice Phoenix Elder wife. He’d taken a position to use his merchant skills for the joint sect and had already become the chief of negotiations within a year’s time. It was his ability to befriend anyone that made it so that every Ice and Fire Phoenix Elder that dealt in trade couldn’t possibly match. He just liked people and enjoyed life. Even the ice fairies seemed to treat him with arm’s-length fondness.

He walked with Father Tu as Huifen and Mother Sya followed behind them. They were heading toward the arena for different reasons, so they decided to take it slow and walk together.

“I hope to get to travel with you, son-in-law, when you and Hui Hui travel to explore the monoliths,” Father Tu mused. “It’s said that even after thousands of years, treasures are still being discovered constantly. Some are natural treasures that grow there because of the unique qi of the area, while others an ancient in nature. Brother Zan has been trying to convince Sya and I to go with the party from the joint sect when it leaves. He’s lit the treasure hunting flame inside this one, so as long as there are no duties keeping us, I’ll be joining you like a true cultivator.”

“Father-in-law is a real cultivator whether you go or not,” Chao encouraged him. “Not everyone is on the martial path, and there’s nothing right or wrong about that. There are many paths of cultivation. No one in the joint sect looks down on your merchant’s path after all you have done. Also, I’ve heard Father Tu has been showing much improvement during his sparring sessions in the arena.”

The man gave a boisterous laugh. He wrapped his arm around Chao’s shoulder and pulled his in as if to tell him a secret. But his voice remained loud enough that anyone closed by could hear. “What they don’t know is that this petty merchant cultivator has many hidden artifacts. If it came to a real fight, this one could make short work of many cultivators of the same realm.”

“Braggard,” Mother-in-law’s voice sounded from behind them. Whether she was joking or not was hard to tell from the shallow inflections in her voice. Mother Sya had continued to use heart of ice fairly consistently even after leaving the sect.

When Huifen giggled and father-in-law chuckled, he joined them awkwardly.

“Even a merchant must be able to protect his pretty wife. Depending on hirelings completely is foolish.”

When Mother Sya didn’t object, Chao began to wonder exactly what kind of hidden artifacts the man possessed. The Fire and Ice Phoenix Sects dealt in offensive and defensive treasures, but they were only the most proven and typical kind that were used by martial cultivators. There were many others out there that were still very capable. What might work for someone who studied martial arts wouldn’t necessarily work for general cultivators.

“Martial or merchant path, every cultivator should be a treasure hunter at heart,” Father Tu said as he continued to hold Chao at his side.

“Father-in-law is right,” Chao agreed, letting some of his enthusiasm show. The man’s positivity was infectious.

When they passed the last building between them and the arena’s entrance, Tu let him go but not without first giving his shoulder a squeeze.

“The elder who decided to put of this display of high-end items was very wise,” Tu murmured to himself as he turned his attention to the wall behind the counter between the stairs that led up to the arena entrance. “Enticing the hearts of young cultivators with future dreams is a great idea, but it needs this one’s touch. Arranging the items in a tiered system with lower cost rare items on the bottom should work. If the clerks are pulling items off the wall so rarely no one has ever seen them do it, then this display will become a backdrop to many. But if they see the clerks pulling items off every couple of times they visit, it should gather more attention, more often.”

His father-in-law was so lost in his thinking that he just waved his farewell as they neared the clerks. They’d gone around the lines of disciples, for none of them had any intention of doing business. At least not the typical kind. Father Tu was greeted by the main clerk and ushered in behind the counter.

Chao turned and faced Mother Sya, giving her a martial salute.

Her smile was as natural as one he’d ever seen. “Goodbye, son-in-law, Hui’er. Have fun with the other sages. I’ll be watching from the stands.”

There mother flew up into the air and bypassed the traffic of the entrance entirely.

Finding his wife waiting for him, Chao flew up a few meters. She joined him and he surrounded them with a sound barrier out of habit.

“Father-in-law sure seems excited about treasure hunting at the monoliths,” he said.

“Mmm,” Huifen replied as the flew over the arena’s outer wall. “Mother is as well. It seems the group that is going will be quite large this time.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“Not really. The monolith region is as large as the Redwood Aurora you grew up in. So thousands of kilometers. It’s like the ruins of an ancient civilization. There are a few points of interest commonly visited, but much of it remains unexplored even after tens of thousands of years.”

“Oh. So big…”

“Yes. Who knows what we might find.” Her own fascination shone through. “It isn’t owned by any one sect, though, so we must be careful. It wouldn’t be abnormal for us to meet other overlords there either. It’s not just our safety, but the safety of the inner sect disciples we’ll be bringing along with us that we must look out for. Sage Pangfua is also bringing Sister Genji, so we won’t be the only sages. We can discuss it later in detail. We’ve arrived.”

They touched down on the arena floor. It had been elevated as it often was when higher realm cultivators would be taking the stage. The stands were packed. Two overlords were there waiting for them.

“This one greets Sages Fang and Ping,” Chao said, saluting. Huifen followed his lead.

“Welcome Little Brother,” Fang replied. “Junior Sister. Today is a good day.” His voice boomed.

He’d noticed that Sage Ping seemed more standoffish just as she had after learning about what happened to Huifen. The woman still gave them a martial bow.

The crowd quieted down. They wouldn’t be addressing the spectators directly. The four of them had come simply to show off some martial techniques. There’d be no sparing. It was a friendly exhibit that those watching were allowed to observe in hope they could glean something. It wasn’t an official event.

Chao extended a sound barrier to surround the four of them. They stood in the middle of the stage standing within easy conversation distance. “Feel free to speak freely. If anyone wants to address the crowd, just say and I’ll drop it.”

“Thank you, Little Brother.” Fang grinned. “I was thinking this one should start, then Junior Sister should go next. I know we aren’t here to put on a show, but my techniques are commonly known here so they won’t too exciting. Junior Sister’s are also known, but we’ve heard what you can do with water and nature. Your presentation should be much more extravagant. Then Ping Ping can give them a taste of nature techniques that are much less commonly seen here, and Little Brother can dazzle us at the end.”

As flattering as Sage Fang’s words were, it was still putting a lot of pressure on Chao. Huifen grabbed his hand, but he quelled her worry with a confident grin.

“Very well, Senior Brother,” Huifen replied. “Show us the technique you’re calling common that you secretly want to show off.”

The older sage rumbled with laughter. “You remember me so well. Then let me show you.”

The three of the flew back to let Fang have plenty of room. Huifen held Chao’s hand so that she could join her defensive aura with his if it became necessary.

“We’ll feel some heat, but husband contains it well,” Sage Ping said in response to Huifen’s reaction.

They nodded their thanks.

Sage Fang didn’t waste any time. He stood facing them with a boastful smirk. Taking an explosive step forward, he threw what looked like a palm strike. Instead of fire qi charging at them, green overlord fire sprung from meridians all over his body and burning cage, the second technique in the Fire Phoenix Cultivation Tome surrounded him. The bars of his cage seemed paper thin and held their heat far better than even most earth realm versions Chao had seen.

If that had been all, it was an impressive display of control. A peak use of the technique in this lower realm, but Sage Fage wasn’t finished.

Like a windblown inferno, his cage began to grow. It didn’t just get bigger, but bars extended from it and a second cage formed surrounding the first. Both cages were connected, but separate. Then to Chao’s astonishment, a third cage formed on surrounding the second. It was like an intricate maze of bars. As someone who had been designing his own techniques since he was little, he knew just how difficult it was to hold such detailed qi together.

Then a fourth layer to the burning cage appeared. Chao clapped, joining his applause with the audience.

Huifen leaned over and whispered while clapping as well. “Is he using the morph law? His cage is so compact.”

“I don’t think so,” he replied. “His level on control with his qi has just reached a freakish level.”

She cracked a smile at his use of the word. “Senior Brother is amazing,” she called out.

Chao noticed Sage Ping grin in response. “Sometimes I think he’d rather be a builder and not a cultivator at all,” the woman said.

In the next instant, the four layered burning cage disappeared all at once and Sage Fang strolled toward them quite pleased with himself. “Every woman wants her husband to build her a grand palace. Keep me happy and perhaps one day…”

Sage Ping lazily threw her hand out and send out a gust of nature qi. Fang inclined his head and opened his arms as if to embrace it. It smacked into him but didn’t even push him off balance.

“Little Sister, I think you better take the stage,” Ping said.

Huifen glanced at Chao. Seeing another married couple at this realm’s peak level of cultivation carry on as they did delighted her.

As his wife flew toward center stage, Fang came and stood next to him. “What do you think?”

“The control you have of your qi is outstanding Senior,” he replied.

“No, I mean about this ice fairy of yours?”

It was not a question he’d expected. Often as he did with his father, he gave it a long moment’s thought before answering. “Sometimes, I feel like I’ve reached into my dreams and pulled her out, but I also fear of being able to keep her for myself.”

The man let out a hardy chuckle. “Both poetic and honest. I shouldn’t have expected less of the man that won that one’s heart. You’ve done well keeping her safe.”

“Thank you.”

It was then that Huifen began her demonstration. A pillar of ice shroud rose up at her beckoning. It was the second technique in the Ice Phoenix Cultivation Tome just like Senior Brother’s. The difference was that its base was normal overlord ice, but near the top of the pillar, more than a hundred meters up, there was a small segment that glowed with its own internal light. It was tribulation ice.

Chao heard Sage Ping suck in her breath. Sage Fang let out a sharp whistle. Huifen let them, as well as the crowd, take in the technique and to feel its cold touch before flying up to the top of her pillar. While there, she held out her hand where a large lotus flower bloomed. This wasn’t the ice technique of her Ice Phoenix Sect, but an actual lotus created with nature laws.

“It’s true,” Ping said softly. “The laws…”

Huifen shielded the new bloom from her own pillar at first. She channeled qi into it of a gentler nature until the flower’s white petals started to take on an icy glow. It was only after a minute of this that he finally felt it was ready and she planted it stem first into the top of the pillar and the tribulation ice fed it qi.

The lotus grew and it soon had a glowing aura of its own. The stands erupted as they were witnessing something they’d never seen before.

Huifen flew back and Sage Ping was quick to address her. “Little Sister’s use of the nature laws has opened this one’s eyes. I look forward to trading pointers with you.”

“Thank you, Sage Ping. I’m honored.”

“Ping Ping, you’re up,” Fang announced with the clap of his hands. “As a nature cultivator, she has far more general uses for her qi and far more techniques she practices. Do not let that fool you. Her martial techniques are superb. Wife, how about make it something exciting.”

“Yes, husband,” she called. “It seems wrong to attack Littler Sister’s work of art even as it dissipates. Would you mind raising another one as a target?”

“Would you prefer a pillar of stone?” Chao asked, tapping his chin in thought. “Does your technique feed off its target?”

“It can…” Ping responded, still a little reserved. “Are you able to enhance it to the tribulation realm? I’d like to test myself against it.”

“I’m afraid not, Senior Sister,” he replied, rubbing the back of his head humbly. “My earth laws only allow me to enhance it to the overlord realm, but I’ve yet to reach large success. It’s the same with my nature laws, so I’m afraid that won’t work either. Huifen’s pillar will probably be the best test.”

“Only small success,” Fang snorted.

“Husband is right,” Ping added. “There is no reason to be embarrassed. An overlord earth pillar is more than enough.”

Chao saluted her before turning toward the middle of the stage. His earth laws weren’t something he’d spent much time developing since he’d come to the joint sect, but his heaven and earth qi was more compatible with it than the heavy yang and yin elements. It was one of the reasons he’d never had to spend as much time experimenting with it. The other was that compared to the elements like lightning and wind, earth was simply easier to understand. You could also grasp it with your hands, take it apart and play with it as he’d done as a boy.

Just to continue testing out his new theory with his sound laws, he summoned a hum in the air and transferred his command over to it. A true overlord realm pillar of rock started to form in the middle of the stage. He imagined it perfectly round, so it took on that shape.

He stepped back to allow Sage Ping to work.

“Thank you, Little Brother,” she said before bounding forward. Her staff appeared in her hand, and she thrust out. It wasn’t a with near the force she could’ve generated, but her form was flawless. As the blue-green nature qi rushed forward, great vines took form like the deadly tentacles of a peak level dire beast. They only grew as they neared and spread out to entangle the base of the pillar. Great thorns appeared all over them. Like claws, they were driven into the pillar as they wrapped around it from both sides. The vines themselves were nearly as thick as the pillar by the time they had it in their grasp.

Chao kept funneling qi to it to keep it stable. Despite being tougher than ogre quartz, he could feel his pillar readying to crumble within seconds. When it couldn’t take anymore, the power of her vines crushed a lower segment, and the pillar began to fall. They were too greed to let it. Wrapping around anything they could get a hold of, they were soon covering the entire thing while draining the pillar of qi to use for their own.

The applause this time was ladened with tension. There was a healthy dose of fear mixed in.

“Senior Sister’s technique is extraordinary,” Chao said. “To be able to draw so much qi from an opposing overlord technique so quickly…”

Huifen had yet to speak. She was studying the technique even after Sage Ping had stopped supplying it with qi. It would be many minutes before it disappeared entirely.

He nudged his wife to gain her attention. She’d have plenty of time later when she and Sage Ping practiced together. Huifen eyes snapped to his, then she realized she was being rude.

“This is the first time this one has seen nature techniques of this level,” she said, bowing her head. “Thank you, Senior Sister. I’ve profited greatly.”

“This one has profited more form Little Sister’s display of laws,” the woman beamed, losing her earlier restraint. “I’m afraid you’ll be teaching me more than I’ll be teaching you. I might have a few secrets I can show you to make it a worthy trade.”

“Alright Little Brother,” Fang walked over and let the girls continue speaking. “I can tell you’re at the sky realm and see that unique core of yours, but even after the envoy himself said what you’re capable of it’s difficult to believe. Please set this one straight.” He glanced back at his wife, and she nodded.

“Yes, Little Brother, please.”

Giving Huifen a wink, he walked toward the middle of the stage while staying many meters from the still dissolving vine. He’d been thinking about a way to best display all his laws and thought he’d found something that should work.

There was a brief idea he’d just had, so he summoned an earth, nature, and water creature and awaken them. Their designs were amongst the simplest he had. One was an overly simple stone golem. The next a walking tree with feet that creeped like serpents, and the last was a wispy ball of water. They were each as tall as a person. Nearing the almost dispersed vine, the three creatures bowed to the vine the best they could before forming up in a triangle.

The audience was filled with hushed voices as they watched the show.

A lighting serpent shot forward to take its place at the fourth corner and the four creatures formed a square. Chao went to stand in the middle. He looked back to see Sage Fang leaning forward so much he looked like he might fall over. Ping was right there, peeking out from behind him.

Chao looked up and tore space. A tunnel formed above him, and two additional creatures appeared before flying into it and vanished. High overhead, a fire dragon and ice fairy appeared facing off with each other. They were twice the size of the other creatures. Chao had enhanced them to the overlord realm.

Then the two began to fight. It wasn’t a true one, but more like a martial dance.

As soon as they’d appeared, the audience rose to its feet. They’d cheered loudly for all of them, but his demonstration hadn’t ended yet.

The more they fought, the higher up they flew. It wasn’t until they’d neared the top of the barrier Zan had provided for the sect when the dragon’s form turned from green to that of blue tribulation fire.

Its aura was hot even from so high overhead. The ice fairy fluttered away in fear when the dragon stopped and watched it go. Immediately it calmed its flames back to overlord green. The fairy began to draw near, timidly at first. She then flew up and kissed the dragon on the nose and its for sizzled. Instead of a dragon, a boy fire cultivator took its place.

The gasps he heard from the crowd were expected, but to heard them from ice fairies who just days ago wouldn’t have dared to make such a noise publicly, it painted a huge grin across his face.

Both the ice and fire creatures descended. Their level of ice and fire did as well as they entered his space tunnel then appeared beside him. The six most common not including wind since it wasn’t very visually appealing for such a demonstration surrounded him in a circle and bowed to him before they disappeared. He was careful to make sure his space tunnel was gone and only then returned to the sages.

Brother Fang was shaking his head and Sister Ping was staring at the ground deep in thought. The audience had the opposite reaction and was cheering at the top of their lungs.

Chao walked over to stand with Huifen as they awaited their seniors.

“Well, it’s undeniable,” Fang said listlessly. “I didn’t think such things were possible. Awaken, tribulation fire, space, so many elements… it makes sense how you two ended up together. Ping Ping?”

She looked up from her daze and simply nodded.

“Shall we split up and compare notes?” Huifen suggested. “My husband and I have been working on developing a cultivation method for learning the laws. It’s our experience that all cultivators develop a certain proficiency with the element they cultivate, so you’re more advanced with them than you might think. We’d appreciate your input, and Senior Sister, I’d like to see your technique again.”

It was Sage Ping that spoke first. “That sounds like a wonderful idea.” It was the most excited Chao had seen her since they’d first met.

The girls took off, leaving the two men alone.

Fang watched them go then looked back and gave him a smirk.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” He asked.

“I— ‘m not sure.”

“Let’s take our conversation to the hot spring. It’s been years since I returned.”

Chao couldn’t help but to grin and quickly agreed. And they were off.