Elder Margret tapped her foot in annoyance while waiting in the empty airship station. The midday sun streaked through the windows and doorways, which could only mean one thing.
The Skyrend family was late... as usual.
"They always do this," Elder Brent grumbled beside her, "Pretentious bastards that make everyone wait on them."
"Careful, what if their god strikes you down for the insult," Elder Margret joked, and Elder Brent snorted, "Good one."
A moment of silence passed between them with nothing but Elder Margrets impatient tapping. Eventually, Elder Brent spoke up, "You're heading straight to Red Vine Peak after greeting House Skyrend, right?"
"Yeah, got to check up on the twins and ensure they haven't offended the Ashfallen sect somehow." Elder Margret sighed, "Especially Stella. That girl is hard to predict, which makes it all the more troublesome that one word from her could ruin us."
"She holds that much power?" Elder Brent cocked a brow, "I haven't interacted with her all that much, so I wouldn't know."
Elder Margret nodded, "Not only is she the descendent of the immortal, but she can command around a spirit beast capable of killing two families single-handedly. And if that wasn't enough, she is one of the most talented alchemists I've ever seen."
"Scary stuff," Elder Brent whistled, "I guess I did know of all those things individually, but when you list it out like that... and her cultivation stage is what? Star Core?"
Elder Margret nodded over a bell ringing through the large lobby and a single mortal calling out, "House Skyrend has arrived!"
Both elders sighed deeply as pressure descended on the empty airship station.
"Did the scion come as well?" Elder Margret wondered aloud as she began to walk deeper into the station while cycling her own Qi to resist the pressure, "What a showoff."
A while later, the airship of House Skyrend had docked, and they began to walk into the large lobby, which would usually be overflowing with mortals buying tickets, saying goodbye to family members, or rushing to get on their flight. Yet for House Skyrend, it had been kept clear.
Around twenty men and women that were easily 7ft tall began to saunter into the lobby. These were the servants to the important members of the family, which was evident due to their grey robes.
Two people stuck out like sore thumbs within the group of servants. Not only were they a head taller than the servants, but their robes were a silky white that glowed in the sunlight.
The group walked across the desolate lobby and soon arrived before the two Redclaw Elders. The servants parted and made way for their masters, the Skyrend scions.
"Elder Margret?" A man almost twice her height glared down at her. His eyes had no pupils and were a pure glowing white. The white cloth he wore for clothes barely concealed his ripped muscles that looked inhumanly perfect, and his golden hair was combed back and ran down his shoulders and back.
This was, undoubtedly, a young man Elder Margret had met before...
"Theron Skyrend? It's been years since I last saw you or your father." Elder Margret offered a smile that Theron mirrored. "Indeed, it has been far too long. We were wondering where you fire-loving lot had snuck off to, and it turned out to be so far east!"
Elder Margret held back her frown. She'd wondered why Theron had visited when he was a Star Core cultivator and one of the Skyrend Grand Elder's eldest descendants. However, from his words, it was now clear. He was here to gather information.
"Well, we felt like having a change of scenery," Elder Margret joked and then switched topics, "I see you are here with your sister? Come to support her in the tournament? I can't imagine you participating."
Theron's smile turned into a predatory grin like a shark, "Of course, I'm here to support Kassandra. She wanted to put her alchemy skills to the test against what the rest of the Blood Lotus sect had to offer. Isn't that right?"
Kassandra Skyrend, whose eyes glowed a pale blue, smiled with a nod, "That's right, brother." Her voice was soft and calm, matching her face that much like her brother looked chiseled out of marble.
There was a reason the Skyrends called themselves heaven's children. Other than their inhuman looks, they were also called that due to their affinity, which was lightning. Their Grand Elder could wield heaven's lightning and was often hired to help elders from other families survive their heavenly tribulations.
"Obviously, she doesn't even need my support," Theron's laughter boomed through the expansive space. He then rested a hand on his sister's shoulder, "She could win with her eyes closed, after all."
"Brother, stop," Kassandra giggled, "That's giving the others far too much credit."
And there it is. Elder Margret sighed in her mind. Their arrogance knows no bounds, to the point, even the heavens would feel humble.
"Well, we have quite a lot of talented people coming for this tournament—" Elder Brent coughed awkwardly when the two Skyrends glared at him, "But I am sure Kassandra will excel beyond our expectations."
Theron snorted, "Of course she will. Nothing this side of the continent compares to my dear sister's alchemy skills."
"Kassandra, if you don't mind me asking..."
The extremely tall woman tilted her head, "What is it, Elder Margret?"
"When did you begin to learn alchemy?"
Kassandra's glowing eyes pulsed briefly, and she smiled, "A month ago. But that's all the time someone like me needs to master such a primitive art form."
Elder Margret felt her blood boil as her field of expertise was insulted but kept her calm facade. It was tough to control the hot-headed nature of cultivating fire Qi. Still, she was determined not to end up like the earth affinity cultivator that was obliterated by the Voidmind Scion a few days earlier.
She hadn't lived for centuries for nothing.
"As expected of someone from the prestigious Skyrend family," Elder Margret fake smiled as she summoned a parchment to her hand, "Before you go, let me just repeat the itinerary for the next few days."
"You can tell our servants such meaningless information," Theron waved her off and pulled his sister away. Half the servants moved to encircle them, and then they were gone in a flash of white lightning followed by a thunderclap.
Elder Margret's smile cracked slightly as she looked up at a stern-looking giant of pure chiseled muscle that gazed down at her with those same glowing eyes, "My name is Alexandros. I will manage the young master and mistress' stay here in Darklight City."
Too exhausted to comment on the disrespect two youngsters from the Skyrend family had shown an Elder, she nodded and read off the parchment.
"In two days, we will organize an evening feast at the Immortal Gourmet Pavilion in the noble district. All families participating in the event are invited. Then the following morning is the preliminary round, where contestants will be expected to purify an ingredient and answer a simple question. The following afternoon will host the finals where those that passed the preliminary round will battle it out."
Elder Margret then handed the parchment to the man, who took it graciously with a slight bow. Even though they were members of the Skyrend family with unparalleled arrogance, the servants still knew not to disrespect an Elder of another noble family.
"We will be off then," Alexandros ushered the other grey-robed servants to follow, and soon they were gone in a flash of lightning.
"I hate it when they do that," Elder Brent grumbled as he picked at his ears due to the constant thunderclaps that could kill a mortal child, "Are you off now?"
"Yeah, see you later."
"Tsk, leaving me here to greet the other families arriving today."
Elder Margret waved him off as she walked away, "Azurecrest and Terraforge should be a piece of cake. It's House Starweaver that will be unpleasant."
"Yeah, whatever." Elder Brent lamented, "I just hope one of those Terraforge hardasses doesn't try to punch my face for fun."
Elder Margret chuckled a little imagining the scene as she left the airship station and began to walk through the crowded streets back toward Red Vine Peak in the distance.
***
Stella felt like collapsing against the earthen bowl housing the cauldron fruit. Her hair was glued with sweat, and her legs felt like Dragon Marrow as they wobbled.
In her hand was a pill. Would it work? She sure hoped so, as she didn't know how much more torment she could handle.
"I feel like this could be the one!" Olivia said for the tenth time. Every attempt was the one in her eyes, but Stella found her optimism encouraging, so she refrained from calling it out.
Opening her mouth, she chucked the pill in and almost recoiled from the awful taste. The {Mind Fortress} fruit did little to overshadow the intense flavor of the Qi Flowing Grass. The previous versions with more Dragon Marrow and even the Starlight Lotus had been better tasting than this, but they hadn't helped.
Her aim was to create a pill with some juice from the fruit to help negate the awful effects of Ash's telepathy. Without the {Mind Fortress} fruit, she had no hope of lasting more than a few moments in that nightmare illusion, but eating the whole fruit, closed her mind to everything, including his voice.
If possible, she wanted to find a balance—where the fruit numbed her mind just enough to ignore the wailing eyes but not enough to block out Ash.
"Ugh, so bitter and grassy..." Stella said while half choking on it. Eventually, she managed to swallow the ball of grass and cycle the pill's effects. The Qi Flowing Grass doused in the fruit juices was vital as the grass was known for its properties to facilitate the flow of Qi through the body's spirit roots, which Stella needed the most.
Dragon Marrow enhanced muscle tissue, whereas Starlight Lotus was known for unblocking muscle tissue. Both are useful for strengthening a body but have no use for a mental defense pill, so she hadn't included them in this iteration.
The only difference between this pill attempt and the last was the addition of the Dreamweaver Orchids, which according to Olivia, was helpful with things involving illusions, so it sounded like the perfect plant to throw into the recipe as Ashlock had mentioned his new skill invoked illusions.
Very quickly after ingestion, Stella felt the familiar tranquility of the fruit creep into her mind, but it wasn't an overwhelming wave this time. Instead, it was like a mist clouding her consciousness.
"Okay, Patriarch, you can hit me with it again!" Stella shouted to the ceiling and then stumbled back against the bowl as she felt Ash's presence push its way into her consciousness.
If the sensation of a demonic tree trying to grow inside her mind wasn't weird enough, the strange looks the twins, and Douglas gave her every time didn't help.
"I still haven't figured out what's wrong with her," Oliver whispered in his sister's ear as if she couldn't hear them loud as day due to her spiritual sense.
There's nothing wrong with me... Stella grumbled in her mind. Blame Tree for sending creepy things at me while he's talking!
Stella blinked as she noticed that same mystical fog swirl on the edge of her vision. However, the ceiling remained cold rock rather than all-encompassing darkness, and there were no wailing eyes. All good so far.
"You can speak now." She said mentally, as this was a telepathic connection. A moment passed until that same feeling of not quite words being imposed on her soul as pure intent hit her.
"Can you see me?"
"No—" Stella caught her tongue as she saw black roots begin to twist and grow along the cavern walls toward her and merge into a malformed tree. "Well, yes, I can sort of see you now, but I think the drug is reducing your presence."
"That's fine, so long as my words don't hurt you..."
Stella felt a pinprick of pain as cuts superimposed themselves on her skin.
"Let's not use the word hurt and pain again, okay?" Stella said as lovingly as she could through gritted teeth. If this had been the first time she had tried to talk with Ash today, she would have tolerated the pain, but with so many failed pills that had actually enhanced the illusions rather than reduced them, she was mentally exhausted.
"Okay... how's the pill?"
Stella ignored the sudden man-eating illusionary plants that spawned in the corner of her eye and replied, "I think this is the best one so far. The Dreamweaver Orchids were a good addition. Thank you for growing them for me."
"That's great news, a few more trials and you will have created a new pill." Ash's voice became a distant murmur as if he were mumbling to himself but came back in full force, "This is amazing. You know I'm so proud of you? I never knew you would be this talented at alchemy."
Stella couldn't help the grin that appeared on her face, but then she scowled at the twins, "Can you two stop looking at me like I'm crazy? It's ruining this great moment."
"Oh... sorry." Oliver scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and looked away, which only made Stella feel more awkward.
"Stella, I have good news for you." Ash laughed, which made the mist flash with different colors.
"What is it?" Stella wondered.
"Elder Margret is outside the tunnel and is about to enter."
"Yesssss!" Stella shouted in her mind, "Freedom!"
She didn't even wait for the woman to enter the cavern, "Your Elder is back, so I will take my leave. See you two another time."
"Wait!" Olivia blurted, "At least explain your new pill to Elder Margret."
"No thank you," Stella clicked her fingers, and a portal to the surface materialized, "You want to come with me, Douglas?"
The man shook his head, "No, I'm fine down here. I will try to relay your findings to Elder Margret when she arrives."
Stella shrugged and stepped through.
Only once the portal snapped closed behind her could she finally relax. She practically collapsed onto the bench as the mystical fog gathered around her, showing the telepathic connection was still working.
"Tree?"
"I'm here."
With every word, she felt the mystical fog draw ever closer as it ate away at the mist enveloping her consciousness. Soon the awful-tasting pill would wear off, but until then, she could talk to Tree!
"This is so convenient! Sure, your words make my Star Core ripple from pressure, and I keep seeing things manifesting in the corner of my eye, but apart from that, this is great!"
Stella lay down and closed her eyes. Sadly the visions didn't stop just because she closed her eyes as they were being superimposed straight into her mind. They weren't real after all.
"It is indeed convenient... I can talk to you even with your eyes closed now." Ash chuckled. "It's funny what you're willing to put up with just to talk to me."
"I spent a year hunched over books in a library trying to decipher how to read a language that was clearly designed by raving lunatics that have no concept of basic grammar rules. Not to mention so many words were missing that I have to guess based on context what you are saying half the time," Stella snorted, "Compared to that, this is nothing."
"I just wish I could have spoken to you sooner. I was always here... watching over you as the seasons passed. Actually, let me tell you about this one time when I woke up after being struck by lightning. Do you remember? You must have been only thirteen at the time. Gosh... where did the time go? You used to be so small, haha. Do you remember when I dropped fruit on your head when you got annoying? Wait, I am getting off-topic... Anyway, as I was saying, when I first got struck by lightning, I fell asleep for a long time, and when I woke up, you had grown up into this ice-cold beauty—"
Stella's eyes snapped open, "What?!?"
"And you strode into the courtyard while twirling your daggers, trying to look all cool..."
"Shut up, la la la, I'm not listening," Stella covered her ears and tried to drown out the embarrassing story.
"I was so sad. I thought I had slept too long and you had forgotten about me, but then the most humorous thing happened. This ice beauty devolved into a kitten and leaped across the courtyard to hug me while shouting, "Tree!" It was adorable."
"Ugh..." Stella collapsed on the bench as her face heated up, "You're going to kill me."
"And then there was that time you thought trying to punch lightning would be a good idea, you went against Senior Lee's words and ran up my trunk while shouting some nonsense—"
Stella's ring flashed with power, and the last {Mind Fortress} fruit appeared in her hand. She scarfed it down as if it were life-saving medicine and then let out a satisfied groan as the mist in her consciousness morphed into a wave and drowned Ash's words.
"Ah... peace at last. Who knew he would be so talkative!"
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