Heaven's Laws - Lifestone - Chapter 2 - Part a

The Regal Blood Essence Stimulant was the most miraculous pill either Chao or Huifen had ever taken. Chao simply swallowed it and they dual cultivated. It required no special techniques and left them both overflowing with vitality. Within half an hour, not only had Chao’s hearing returned, but the world seemed to be brimming with sound more than ever before. When they finally went to greet the Envoy of the Divine Fire Phoenix Sect, the man explained to them that it the pill would improve most any physique. The more common one was, the better the results. Even after all the tempering Chao had had through dual cultivation and qi balancing, it was like advancing two large realms at once. At least as far as the increase in vitality was concerned. In his case, it had added hundreds of years to his lifespan. Huifen’s results may have been less than his, but that was because her vitality was already almost as vibrant as possible. It was no little help for her after such a hard battle.

It was a small gathering in the ice phoenix palace. This was an audience chamber on the first floor large enough for hundred of people. The envoy sat in the place of honor on a guest throne next to Quinyuan. The thrones looked to be made of crystalline ice, but it was more like an ice quartz. The room’s ceilings were tall and intricate. Father stood off to the side with Sage Pangfua.

Chao and Huifen sat in a kneeled position as the envoy continued to speak.

“To conclude, you must take extra care when refining the Esh Vine Nectar. I’d highly recommend waiting until Junior Disciple Chao reaches the overlord realm to try. If you were refining it alone, waiting to the early tribulation realm would be even better. As beneficial as it could be to your cultivations, it can also kill you.”

“Envoy Po isn’t wrong,” Father Zan said. “The reason I don’t want you to wait is because this nectar has the unique ability to attach itself to one’s skeletal system and slowly give off qi over an extended period of time. Refining it in your current realms, then waiting until you both advance to refine the next drop will give you the best results. The final drop you should be saved for Chao’s advancement to the tribulation realm. It won’t increase his natural talent, but it will act as if it has.

“Taking it so early is forbidden in our divine sect,” Envoy Po responded sternly. His tone softened. “But Master Zan is correct. If you have a few divine cultivators to fall back on to help in case something goes wrong, it should be possible. Now, let’s reward these ice phoenix sages.”

Po pulled something from his spatial ring and three azure card jade flew out. Huifen, Quinyuan, and Pangfua all received one. “I’m not permitted to carry the full third pillar of the Ice Phoenix Cultivation Tome on me, but this is its first technique.”

Chao heard Huifen take in a sharp breath. He watched her as she immediately plunged her perceptions into the jade. A quick scan told him Quinyuan and Pangfua had done the same. Looking to Envoy Po, Chao saw the corners of his mouth prick up. It seemed he’d grown accustomed to this very reaction.

Even though Chao didn’t depend on any techniques but his own, he’d seen what good martial techniques were capable of. As the third pillar of the tome Huifen cultivated, it was practically like receiving a jade on a divine law in comparison.

He wanted to remain respectful to the envoy, but he allowed himself a smile when he saw Po’s reaction. The man didn’t throw his strength around as Chao feared he might. Not only was he a divine cultivator, but a representative of the Divine Ice and Fire Phoenix Sects. It could’ve been because the presence of other divine cultivators like his father. Chao didn’t think so, though. The man seemed to enjoy helping out lower realm cultivators.

As soon as Huifen removed her perceptions from the jade, she turned to him, and her entire face was lit up. Heart of ice was nowhere to be seen. She then turned to spy Quinyuan’s reaction. Their mother’s smile was more contained, but just as genuine.

Pangfua was the first to bow. “Thank you, Divine Envoy.”

His wife said the same while Quinyuan responded with a more personal touch. “Thank you, Envoy Po.”

“You’ve all earned it. There will likely be more rewards when your own Ice Phoenix Envoy comes. I will request the entire third pillar for each of you and to allow the first technique to be taught in this lower realm sect.”

There was even more energy in which the three women thanked him the second time. Chao didn’t even know what the technique did, but to strengthen the foundation of their sects’ martial techniques was to strengthen the entire sect. It was an honor that no other sect master had received in its tens of thousands of years of existence.

“I just wish I could do more. I’ll leave you with a few common resources to help Master Zan with his mission.”

Something that looked like red and blue short-neck wine bottles flew toward father. Catching them, Zan just gave them a look without even uncorking them then threw them to his wife Quinyuan.

“Isn’t this a little too generous?” Zan asked.

Before the envoy could answer, Quinyuan interrupted them. The first technique in the third pillar of the Ice Phoenix Cultivation Tome was already a peak gift in this lower realm, but her reaction was even more extreme this time. “Shattering Ice Pellets. Divine Spark Beetle Extract. Pills for breaking into the tribulation realm. And there’s so many…”

“This is a gift from Elder Law. The slander of Long An and my sect’s late envoy’s zealous pursuit of Master Zan was unbeknownst to him. It was the dead envoy’s master that caused trouble for the Long family and these lower sects. Elder Law still acknowledges that it was a personal matter between him and Master Zan that led to it. For that, he sends this peace offering and looks forward to the day that all of you might join him in the divine realm.”

Chao’s countenance darkened. He’d known his father had come to terms with the man recently, but this elder was also indirectly responsible for his mother’s death. He still remembered the night his father had carried her limp form into their cabin and laid her on the table. He remembered his mother’s spring dress covered in blood.

He felt a sharp pain on his brow that stole his attention. Looking up, he found no one there, but out of the corner of his eye he saw his father’s frown. “Little brat, I know what you’re thinking. Don’t let your blame fall on Elder Law. If nothing else, he’s an annoyingly righteous man. You must now consider him your Martial Uncle. Little Lotus, that goes for you too. He is not just a divine cultivator, but a divine lord. The day will come when you must seek out his guidance.”

“As for who, or what, you can blame for your mother’s death. Imagine this lower realm’s Ice Phoenix Sect having hundreds of elders on the level of Quinyuan and they were always squabbling with one another over very possible issue. And that’s only at one level. There are divine body cultivators overseeing the tribulation and lower realm disciples. Divine spirit overseeing the divine body ones. Divine lords over the divine spirit cultivators. And finally heavenly sovereigns over the divine lords. It’s only the divine ice and fire phoenixes that stand above them. Such are the politics of large divine realm sects.”

Huifen grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. She nodded that Zan was right.

Chao wasn’t completely convinced, but he wouldn’t put full blame on the elder. It seemed one day he would meet the man. He’d saved his judgement until then.

“Now, I know you all have much to do. I will remain in this lower realm for a few weeks to help with the recovery of the sects.”

“We appreciate all the help you’ve already given,” Mother Quinyuan said. “Thank you, again.”

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I have a few different ideas for the rest of the chapter I'm working through. It could be later today or Monday.

Cheers!