Chapter 118: Deception within Deception
As Yao Shen gazed upon the gorge of death from afar, his features tightened in trepidation. Jiayi Songs words echoed in his mind, the visceral fear mere mention of another daring to explore it had brought onto a normally reserved Elders features unconcealed terror.
Taking in the structure now, Yao Shen remembered why.
He took in the bumpiness of the land in this corner of the Azlak Plains, thought of the ancient devastation that had taken place here and the untold centuries that would have required the earth to heal. Yao Shen observed the smoky tendrils of shadowy-blackness sifting across the land, far from enough to obscure his vision yet perhaps, still serving the intended purpose.
A warning against the source of the Shadow Qi that was not quite Shadow Qi, the source of both Jiayi Song and his own trepidation. While own senses failed to grasp at the difference, his Minor Dao understanding of the Shadows too inferior to ascertain the true danger that lurked within, a primordial instinct that every cultivator possessed warned him of the terrifying threat that lay nested between the two shadow-blasted mountains in the distance; standing in stark contrast to the usual scenic beauty of the Azlak Plains.
Yao Shen studied the towering mountains with a scholarly gaze. A question that had arisen the first time he had taken in the gorge of death repeated itself in his mind. Was it the mountains that had come first or the devastating attack capable of lingering centuries upon centuries after its inception? The shape and structure of the structure seemed to indicate the former, but he was forced to ask what rock the mountains were of, to endure its surface being completely blanketed by a shadow Qi that gave him pause. Or perhaps the mountain had now become part of the deception, one with the attack.
Qi did not have sentience, it could not concoct such a scheme. But the residual divine sense directing the attack very well could.
It was a question that could be answered with his Divine Sense, yet Yao Shen had not considered such a possibility. He knew very well what happened to foreign cultivators allured by the great power concealed in those mountains. If losing a strand of Divine Sense was the only consequence, Yao Shen would have paid it without hesitation.
Instead, it was said that a strand of Divine Sense was enough for the endless shadows to unspool the soul. A connection would be made, the soul frozen and then unwoven into the maw of the mountains, trapped in a skyless land until the soul inevitably decayed or fell to madness.
How much truth there was in the sect record and whether a Soul Emperor could surmount that restriction, Yao Shen wasnt completely sure but at the same time, it was not a theory he wished to challenge just yet.
Only such a grand bait would convince Gavril Arkael, perhaps because Yao Shen expected the emotionally unstable cultivator to want to be convinced- Yao Shen challenging the impossible time and time again would only help him to recover some of the face he had lost.
Yao Shens gaze turned away from the Shadow Mountains and its Gorge of Death, noting the approach of an entire contingent of Elders. He had put much thought into the ones he had chosen to attend, ending up choosing three Elders that had received Lumenite Armor and three Elders that had not from each Division along with Zhou Hui to herald the contingent. Notably, Meili Zhu was absent as he had given her the duty to guard his disciples alongside Zhou Hui, who would oversee their safety after he returned to the sect.
The Elders that had been kept in the dark regarding the plan would undoubtedly be perplexed at the seemingly random mix of Elders that had been called to send Yao Shen off and serve as testament to his actions.
They were free to debate the why, of course. The more deeply they thought, the farther they would stray away from Yao Shens intentions.
Unless one of the fifteen chosen Elders had betrayed them.
That was another possibility Yao Shen was wary against.
However, it had already been a consideration when he had been pondering upon who was the most worthy of the Lumenite Armor he had so painstakingly forged. It was the very nature of the Legacy Families he sought to take advantage of, for whilst alliances could be forged, without a marriage of direct descendants, members of other Legacy Families remained both outsiders and competitors.
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They vied for dominion over the same sect after all, the same resources.
Yao Shen had given a select few of them an opportunity that fate had denied them for centuries. If they played their cards right, ventured into lands and dangers hitherto better off unexplored, a century or two later perhaps the Azlak Plains would have a second soul emperor of their own. He had given them a chance to ascend, a bribe in effect for their loyalty.
Would they seize the opportunity to become true aristocrats amongst nobles or would they reveal the secret, exposing the Azlak Plains to danger from the demonic path and forcing their Patriarch to slay them if their treachery was ever discovered? Treachery for an alliance that was driven by mutual benefits above all?
There was a reason why Legacy Families did not seek marital ties amongst one another and instead preferred to bring in talented cultivators under their fold.
They feared that their unique identities would be lost, that one side of the family will eventually try and subsume the other when the power balance shifted from equal to unequal.
And they were not wrong.
Of course, even considering that friction, it was well and possible that they would still betray Yao Shen.
A fact that he would know for certain if Gavril Arkael withheld from attacking. In that case, Yao Shen would have no option but to reclaim the armor sets and detonate the ones he was unable to retrieve, before sending a missive to the Dwarven Mountain Region indicating his desire to negotiate.
Had he not been certain in the upper hand he had in negotiations, he would never have considered giving the Lumenite Armor to the Elders.
The pact forbid Soul Emperor level and higher combatants from engaging in battle and the Dwarves were aligned to the righteous path, even if they were not allied to them. Yao Shen would have to give up both the armor and the ores, besides the ones he would fight to keep for his personal use and likely have to swear oaths that allowed circumvention of the pact.
He would be hunted down if he taught the secret of forging lumenite to another and the pacts protections would not apply to him.
That was also a concession he was prepared for, in exchange for extracting only the most finest of dwarven swords, armors and even defensive golems to bolster the defensive ability of the Azlak Plains.
But that was a far more tumultuous path than the one he had chosen and Yao Shen could only hope that he would not be forced down it.
Zhou Hui, Yao Shen addressed the Patriarch that had come to a stop at his side, behind him eighteen elders that stood shoulder to shoulder.
Grand Patriarch Shen, He greeted, before they switched to communicating via divine sense.
Meili Zhu has dispatched twelve Faceless to surreptitiously guard your disciples. She is also observing the situation from close-by, assessing both domestic and foreign threats. I will join her when I reach the Sky Division, rest assured, Zhou Hui communicated via his Divine Sense.
All seems to be in order, then, Yao Shen communicated his reply, noting how helpful a force Meili Zhu could be when she was actively trying to win his favor.
Fellow Daoists, Yao Shen began, his words addressing all the Elders in attendance. His divine sense took in their expressions before continuing, taking note of the carefully crafted neutral expressions of the Elders that were well aware of the farce he was pulling. Today is a day where I must once again face my oldest enemy.
Yao Shens declaration was made with aplomb, his speech drawing the eyes of the Elders in attendance.
It is that which cannot be done. The restrictions us cultivators of the Azlak Plains place upon our own minds, our own Daos. Even as far back as a century, it was said that there could never again be a Soul Emperor born in the Azlak Plains, a thousand excuses given where none were asked. Well, here I stand before you! Yao Shen bellowed, letting his imposing tone echo outwards.
As cultivators, I believe it to be our duty to challenge the dangerous and the unknown. By pushing the boundaries of what we believe possible, our Dao and Dao-Hearts gain new dimensions hitherto unknown to us, Yao Shen paused, allowing himself to take a quick glance at Zhou Hui, wondering if the Sky Division Patriarch had caught on to his scheme.
Zhou Huis expression was solemn, his gaze directed front, towards the gorge of death.
If there was a hidden message or hint to be interpreted in that expression, Yao Shen could not detect forward.
And as a leader, Yao Shen continued, I believe it necessary to lead by example over platitudes and oratorship.
His part said, Yao Shen willed himself forward without hesitation. There was no need for farewells, for besides Zhou Hui, who he had already spoken to at length, none present could be called friends.
Soundless gasps, some astonished and more hopeful glances were exchanged as Yao Shens rapidly distancing silhouette was engulfed by the shadows, placing him outside the reach of their Divine Senses questing.
Fifteen minutes later, the real Yao Shen, nestled deep within the earth, opened his eyes.
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