The rise and fall of the rolling tides did much to calm this Sovereign’s weary spirit, a most welcome balm to soothe the soul in these tumultuous times.

A rare and pleasant surprise, to discover a Natal Palace in so complete and comprehensive a state. Truly a remarkable find, especially given the subject’s crude and lacking upbringing. A second-generation outlander born in the desolate north beyond the borders of the Empire, one whose roots traced back to a group of tribal rustics living on the northern border of this Sovereign’s Empire. For so extraordinary a talent to emerge from such trials and tribulations was unexpected to say the least, one whose attainments in the Dao were wholly unique and unlike anything ever seen before. The subject possessed a fresh and distinct perspective of the Natural Laws this Sovereign thought he knew so well, and it brought him new Insights and outlooks which he’d never even considered before.

The fresh sea breeze held notes of earthy soil and fresh forest, while the water bristled with sediment and vegetation both, yet there was an unfamiliar quality to the air which this Sovereign struggled to identify. Careful analysis and comparisons eventually rendered an answer which was almost as surprising as the Natal Palace itself, for the fundamental composition of the air itself differed slightly from reality, the ratio oddly skewed in ways he could barely perceive. Most Natal Palaces he’d visited treated the air a singular essence, or enough of one that the differences were negligible at best, yet this boy knew enough to not only separately include all the base components of air, he even went so far as to change it to include far more impurities than normal. This change accounted for the aforementioned unfamiliarity, but for what reason, this Sovereign could not say, as there was no fundamental benefit or even a detriment to be found, or at least not one significant enough to matter. Yet this seemingly inconsequential change spoke volumes to the meticulous design of this sublime Natal Palace. It made no sense to go to so much effort for no reason at all, yet the subject must have intentionally done so because there was no other explanation as to why this change would exist. Even the air of the outlands were not so befouled, so there was no chance the subject was simply recreating the ambience of his childhood, meaning he chose to make the air in his Natal Palace less… not clean, not pure, but palatable as a whole, with less of what the human body required to sustain itself and more of the waste it produced. An odd decision, but one this Sovereign suspected no one else would have even noticed, which made the change all the more unfathomable.

The sunlight too, that had been adjusted to be harsher and more unforgiving on the skin than in reality, and the ambient pressure weighed slightly more heavily upon this Sovereign’s frame. Not by much, but again enough to notice, which marked another two changes which appeared without rhyme or reason. The water was more pristine and refined than any natural source in reality, which was not out of the ordinary given its significance to mortal life and sustenance, but it was not entirely pure either, containing an assortment of natural impurities which had no ill-effect on the human body, but were significant for the framework of non-human life. All of this and more hinted at the thought and foresight which went into crafting this Natal Palace, clues which led this Sovereign to suspect that the adjustments from reality were significant in ways even he could not wholly comprehend.

How delightful. A puzzle to solve after so many millennia of tedious monotony, one which might even provide noteworthy answers.

So distracted by his study of this most promising discovery, this Sovereign even gave voice to his admiration without meaning to, an inconvenient adverse reaction to occupying an unsuitable host’s framework. It had not always been this way, for this host had been carefully selected from amongst thousands of possible candidates whom he identified from birth, only to pit them against one another in various tests to ascertain the best possible successor. Alas, the host’s Will was stronger than most and his determination unmatched, and he’d grown so unsuitable in recent years that this Sovereign’s existence had finally been uncovered. Not for the first time, and he had his methods to make his return unknown, but the timing of this mishap was most inconvenient indeed. The work of one Liang Wu Di, as it were, a talented young Scion who would have made for a fine host had he been born two decades earlier or three decades later. Alas, this Sovereign only had himself to blame for allowing matters to devolve so far, his attention too fixated on the actions of his Nascent Soul to notice Liang Wu Di’s subtle machinations until far too late. Even Xing Ao Tian, this Sovereign’s hand-picked foil to the troublesome Liang Scion and a contender for the title of Divine True Warrior, failed to keep Wu Di in check and was won over in the end. Such a frustrating setback, to lose control of the Empire this Sovereign had created at this most inopportune of times, but the gains from his Nascent Soul and this new subject would likely be more than enough to make up for the losses.

And if not, then he would wait a century or three and seize a subsequent successor as his next host once the Supreme Families were no longer so guarded against him, as he’d done twice before. The memories of mortals were so short and fleeting, and this Sovereign’s patience without end, so it was only a matter of time before he reclaimed what was rightfully his.

A self-deprecating laugh echoed in the dark recesses of this Sovereign’s subconscious, finding humour in the irony of having been deposed from the throne of the Empire he’d created, but he paid it no mind when he realized his thoughts had strayed. It took a conscious effort of Will to draw his attention back to his surroundings, and what he found was promising indeed. While only a sliver of the subject’s Natal Palace had been Materialized, this Sovereign’s cursory investigation indicated that this inner realm existed in one contiguous state, a seamless microcosm of Creation which was far from perfect, yet superior to most others in terms of stability, cohesion, realism, and autonomy. There were currents of water and air flowing in and out of the surroundings, while the sun traced a slow path across the sky, drawing shadows underneath while affecting the temperature, humidity, ambient pressure, and more in an endless cycle of reciprocal exchange. This Natal Palace wasn’t simply fixed at a favoured time or comfortable climate, but adjusted itself accordingly to the shifting variables of the environment, variables which adhered to the same Natural Laws of reality, or close enough so that the flaws were nigh on imperceptible to the senses alone, and would require in-depth study to ascertain more.

Study this Sovereign could hardly wait to begin, hence his haste to enthrall the subject’s soul forthwith. Given how the immediate environment was able to maintain Balance with little to no conscious effort on the subject’s part, the rest of this Natal Palace would likely behave in a similar manner. More evidence of the subject’s advanced attainments in the Dao and comprehensive understanding of the Natural Laws, and this Sovereign yearned to know how this Falling Rain had progressed so far in so little time.

Which made it all the more vexing when the subject evaded this Sovereign’s initial attempt to capture him.

An outcome this Sovereign only discovered after the fact, which necessitated going back in memory to uncover how the subject had accomplished such a feat. By way of conjuring a Dharmic Icon, one which saw him spin in place before backsliding away while making movements to the contrary. An odd and artistic Dharmic Icon to craft, but the visceral disgust and voice of frustration stemming from this Sovereign’s subconscious told him that the subject had many just like this, most of which were rife with wry humour and mocking amusement. Another mystery to pore over, but one less important than the subject’s understanding of the Dao. Impressive as his Martial accomplishments, economic innovations, and technological advancements might be, this Sovereign knew full well the folly of relying on external factors to progress. Might makes right, so any strength that could be taken away or relied on the compliance of others was no true strength at all.

This was not to say that borrowed strength did not have its uses at times, and the subject used his well enough to avoid immediate capture. Seeing how this Sovereign needed the subject intact for further study, a delicate touch would be required, but it was only a matter a of time before the boy was caught. As this would require more effort and attention that he’d spared thus far, he exerted his Will and brought his full attention back to the present in order to ensure success. Always a jarring transition, shifting from his Divine Senses to utilize his mortal ones instead, a disparity which came about due to an imbalance in the body, mind and soul as the last was much stronger than the first two. Thankfully the Heavens were smiling down on him for his Nascent Soul had likely stumbled across the answer to all his woes, but it would take time to uncover the answer and there were more pressing matters to attend to first.

For almost an entire second in reality, this Sovereign struggled to acclimate to his lessened perceptions, an unpleasant sensation best described as if he were a fully functioning mortal had suddenly been blinded, deafened, and numbed from head to toe, with only two of five remaining senses to rely upon to make his way through the world. Most unpleasant, but needs must, and he stood vulnerable for a brief moment which lasted far too long for his tastes. A good thing the subject lacked the comprehension needed to injure this Sovereign, much less overcome him, for even here in the subject’s Materialized Natal Palace, there was nothing the boy could do to alter his inevitable fate, a truth which he could not deny for long.

After an exhaustive show of wildly imaginative and ineffective attacks, he gave up on his workings of Water Chi and applications of Sword Intent, wasting his only chance at victory to ask a meaningless question instead. “So which one are you?” The subject’s tone was full of mockery, his features twisted in a knowing smirk despite his obvious enervation. “Ying Zheng? Or Zhen Shi?”

A laughable question, but the subject was a mess of contradictions, so astute and promising yet also foolish and short-sighted. A consequence of his lacking age and experience, which made his attainments in the Dao that much more impressive, for he’d derived too many correct answers to attribute his comprehension to mere luck, coincidence, confidence, or delusion. No matter though, for this Sovereign required time to acclimate to his heavily reduced perceptions, so he answered the question with one of his own knowing it would infuriate the subject to no end. “Are you Falling Rain, or the Undying Savage?”

The subject’s face twisted into a grimace, which this Sovereign read as displeasure, and he derived a sense of hollow accomplishment from having needled him so. The pride and arrogance of youth, this aversion to being proven wrong, but to be corrected was a blessing to be treasured and appreciated. How long had it been since this Sovereign had a peer to discuss the Dao with? Someone worthy of exchanging thoughts and ideas with? Someone who could change how he perceived a topic with little more than words? Too long, a deficit which cost him time and effort aplenty, for no singular perspective was wide enough to encompass the Dao in all its infinite permutations. Hence why he’d gone to such great lengths to craft and sever a Nascent Soul in the first place. Or a Natal Soul, as the subject knew them, an equally appropriate epithet, but labels were merely a convenience for the mortal mind to keep discrete information organized in a systematic manner.

That being said, the subject was intelligent enough to recognize the wisdom behind this Sovereign’s words, though he continued to scowl in unvoiced disagreement, likely because he was unable to grasp a logical fallacy to comment upon. Instead, he resorted to scorn and derision in a blatant attempt to manipulate this Sovereign’s thoughts, but the subject was a thousand years too early for this battle of wit. “That sure sounds like something Ying Zheng would say.”

A clumsy and unsubtle taunt, yet it still sent flicker of irritation coursing through this Sovereign’s thoughts, a rare burst of emotion which he quickly reined in. From this, a pattern emerged, a problematic lack of control over his mental and emotional state, and he arrived at the heart of the issue post haste. A sequelae from his Natal Soul’s unrestrained indulgence in the negative aspects of the Dao, but one kept in check easily enough with a minor effort of Will. Not an ideal solution, for much like a single crack in the ice could lead to a wide-spread collapse, this lack of control might well spiral out of control if left for too long, but he would have to make do until he had time and attention enough to devote to mending this flaw. “It matters not,” this Sovereign intoned, dismissing the subject’s concerns with a wave of his hand. When it came time to mend his flaws, he made a note to also divest himself of these mortal habits, ones which again could be attributed to his recently reincorporated Natal Soul. “Your struggle is futile, your fate sealed, so this offer will be made only once; Submit and surrender control of your Natal Palace and you will be left intact. Resist, and suffer the consequences of this Sovereign’s wrath.”

A useless threat, which he would have known if he’d taken full stock of his Natal Soul’s memories beforehand. Even as the subject gave voice to his crude and anatomically impossible retort, this Sovereign was struck by a brief and ephemeral sense of familiarity as his temper soared in response. Another unintended consequence of forcibly merging without proper preparation, a haphazard and incomplete grasp of his Natal Soul’s memories and perceptions. Better if he’d taken the time to allow his Natal Soul to remain separate and distinct in order to pass along everything of value while keeping behind anything which might be detrimental to his progress, but this Sovereign had no choice but to act as he did. They’d been separated for so long that the Heavens no longer recognized them as one and the same, but rather saw his Natal Soul as a distinct entity capable of entering into the cycle of reincarnation. That the subject was so resistant to Compulsion was both unexpected and unprecedented, so this Sovereign did not expect his Natal Soul’s vessel to be struck down so abruptly even after seizing the sword that would have claimed his life. Had this Sovereign not acted immediately to take his Natal Soul in, then it might well have escaped to be cleansed and reborn anew, taking with it several millennia worth of perspective and experiences while wasting their combined efforts since the founding of the Azure Empire.

Alas, blessings arrive alone, but troubles often travelled together. This Sovereign’s Natal Soul was so beyond saving that it even sought to supplant him as the ‘superior’ existence, when their true relationship was more akin to a reflection. His Natal Soul was originally intended to be a copy of himself bereft of his memories and biases, a clean slate with which he would use to study the Dao from a different perspective. The first host he procured for his Natal Soul was even his direct kin, the great-great-grandson of the mortal bloodline he’d been born to. Alas, somewhere along the way, this ‘Zhen Shi’ somehow forgot his origins and developed an irrational hatred for this Sovereign, a seed no doubt planted and nurtured by the hordes of Spectres which he’d grafted to his very soul in a misguided effort to become complete.

One that succeeded when it shouldn’t have, which was most interesting indeed, and one reason why he was so willing to pass on the throne and mantle without contest.

This Sovereign had yet to wholly unravel all the ramifications of his Natal Soul’s actions and decisions, but unfortunately, it was clear ‘Zhen Shi’ had ultimately been unable to overcome the hurdles which spoiled this Sovereign’s progress, the inability to rise above the constraints of Heaven and harness the power of Immortal Energy. There was still much to be gleaned from his Natal Soul’s memories, more than his rambling journals could ever convey, but his understanding of Life and Death Energy was sorely lacking. No matter though, for the Natal Soul’s twice-Refined body was a treasure trove of information just waiting to be uncovered, to say nothing of its value as a source of energy. Once this Sovereign learned enough to recreate his Natal Soul’s success, he would then use the corpse to empower a new generation of Nascent Immortals controlled by his Natal Souls and sweep through the Empire to retake what he’d given up today, but that was a matter for the future.

One which would never come to pass, as this Sovereign noted the marked absence of the beheaded corpse laying at his feet in reality.

The Predator. An answer which sprang to mind before the question even fully formed, one provided to him by his Natal Soul’s memories. Disconcerting, having these unfamiliar thoughts and emotions surface without warning, but a necessary trial he must overcome, and he devoted more focus to reining his temper in once he noticed himself glaring at the offending dog. The beast was an anomaly, one Created by the subject in an unprecedented act of genesis, bestowing a physical form unto a creature of Spirit without the use of a local host. The so-called Spectres of the Defiled underwent a similar process in order to form Transcendents, while this Sovereign’s Natal Soul was able to modify the parameters to ensure the hosts retained control once all was said and done, but never before had there been a confirmed instance of creating an entire living, breathing, conscious organism from nothing.

Until now. This was a true act of Creation, in which the subject was able to harness not just the Energies of Life and Death, but Immortal Energy above it in a feat beyond the realms of mortal abilities.

The outcome was less than impressive however, for the wretched hound did not behave like a Predator, hiding behind the subject’s legs and not daring to meet this Sovereign’s eyes. Odd that its personality seemed more akin to a scavenger, waiting until this Sovereign’s attention was otherwise occupied before Devouring the Natal Soul’s host body in one fell swoop, robes, bones, and all. Not even the blood soaking into the sands had been left behind, and only then did the hound notice its master’s plight. Even more curious was the fact that the creature was here in the flesh, rather than in spirit like this Sovereign and the subject, a most fascinating instance of transubstantiation which before today had only existed within the realms of possibilities, and not even a probable one at that.

Perhaps this was the step this Sovereign was missing, a union of body, mind, and soul that went far beyond what he’d already accomplished, a higher level he never even thought to aim for.

The boy, the dog, the Natal Soul, oh how this Sovereign hungered to uncover their secrets. A thousand possibilities played out in his mind, then a tens of thousands more as he sought to calculate and conceptualize the optimal Path to theoretically achieve this advanced state of Unity, but try as he might, there were too many unknown variables to derive an acceptable course of action. More study would be required, of the subject and hound both, but fate and fortune had smiled upon this Sovereign for theses prizes were all but in hand. Returning his focus to reality, he reviewed how events had unfolded during his lapse of attention, which lasted a whole three-hundred and eighty-seven milliseconds in reality.

Time enough for the subject to lose his temper and patience both as he resumed launching attack after attack with little to no effect.

Despite standing in the centre of his power within his Manifested Domain, the subject’s reliance on physical attacks showed just how shallow and lacking his comprehension was. Flying weapons and towering waves filled with boundless Sword Intent crashed into this Sovereign’s soul only to melt away like ice thrown into a blazing forge. Colossal cannons of complex design bombarded him with exploding projectiles of steel and water both to greater effect, but they shattered upon contact with his golden Dragon and Phoenix robes, the Manifested Dharmic Icon of his unyielding Authority which was second to none under the Heavens above. Tendrils of water sought to consign this Sovereign to the waters below, and the subject piloted all manner of steel monstrosities aiming to do the same, all while a myriad selection of unique and eclectic melodies emanated from a series of black boxes larger than the subject was tall, but this Sovereign merely stood in place throughout it all and defended without needing to think.

It wasn’t that the subject was wholly incapable of harming this Sovereign, but rather that he knew not how to properly wield the tools he had in hand. Though wholly capable of harnessing the Energy of the Heavens and even assimilating his Sword Intent into different forms, he still lacked the critical insight needed in order to understand the nuances hidden within these secrets of Heaven and link them back to the Dao as a whole. One only needed to hear him use misnomers such as ‘Sword Force’ and ‘Water Chi’ to know he did not wholly understand his gifts, and this lacking comprehension in matters of Intent, Heavenly Energy, and the soul would be the subject’s downfall. Unlike the trapped souls of his founding generals, this Sovereign was not so easily ensnared by the base workings of this Materialized Natal Palace or generic manipulations of Manifested Domain, for though water could carve through stone if given enough time and effort, he had no intentions of giving the subject that much leeway to act. Even without his full attention, his eternal soul possessed the accumulated knowledge of millennia of experience and was more than capable of not just resisting the subject’s best efforts, but crushing him underfoot, and this conflict only lasted this long because this Sovereign wanted him alive. A tricky prospect, akin to catching a fly using chopsticks without causing it any undue harm, so patience was his greatest weapon here, but the subject tested it with every attack and quip as he disregarded face and dignity both.

Aggravating though his actions might be, the subject’s glaring inadequacies made him that much more valuable, if only to study how he achieved his high attainments and understanding of Natural Law in spite of his meagre comprehension of the Dao. Small wonder this Sovereign’s Natal Soul had risked everything to capture and abscond with the subject, for the secrets contained within Falling Rain’s youthful mind were worth more than the Empire itself. Pearls cast before swine, that was the idiom which came to mind as this Sovereign looked down upon the subject with contempt and disdain. Exhausted from his efforts over this last half-second, the boy stood upon his bright yellow raft made from materials most curious, his chest heaving and brow covered in sweat despite having no lungs or body to overheat. The hound was equally useless, propped up against its master’s leg while emanating an aura of nervous fear and concern. More evidence of the subject’s unworthiness, for even with the power of an Immortal and an Elemental Spirit in the palm of his hands, he was unable to Create anything of note. No matter though, for all this and more would belong to this Sovereign soon enough.

Deploying his Divine Senses to examine the flow of energy all around him, he traced a thousand different avenues in an effort to seek out the core of this plane, the foundation upon which the boy’s Natal Palace had been built. A Natal Throne, as it were, and most used this same imagery to depict it, which was hardly convenient considering it forced this Sovereign to remain seated for all time. His current host’s throne sat empty now, but the chained soul would never have strength enough to shatter his bonds and reclaim it, bound as he was by shackles of his own making in his misguided desire to ascend to Immortality. Fools one and all, the scions of the Five Supreme Families, puppets he elevated above all others so that they would spend most of their efforts keeping those beneath them in check. Though his five Great Generals had been his closest comrades and allies in life, his five sworn brothers with whom he shared weal and woe, this Sovereign had long since discovered that all relationships were temporary, but benefits eternal. Had he not arranged matters so that the Supreme Families were in contention with one another, they would have long since united against him to seize the title of Emperor for themselves, a title this Sovereign would have long since abandoned entirely had he not erred in making his jade throne in reality the linchpin to all his plans.

It only made sense, given how much time he spent in court, and the Runic Inscriptions upon his Jade Throne enabled him to better study the secrets of Heaven. A shame he had to abandon it so soon after discovering a subject worth studying, but alas, needs must. If only there were a way to abandon the Imperial Clan, yet keep his Jade Throne in the Forbidden City, then this Sovereign would have long since washed his hands of these troublesome mortal affairs. The Supreme Families were useful enough as pawns and fodder, but now that Liang Wu Di had uncovered this Sovereign’s existence and united the Supreme Families against him, he almost felt relieved if not for the sheer humiliation eating away at him from within.

Hm… Perhaps the forced merger with his Natal Soul had affected this Sovereign more than he realized at first, but no matter. He would reclaim his Jade Throne soon enough, or perhaps even do away with it entirely once he understood more of the subject’s perspective and Path.

A bolt of lightning jolted this Sovereign from his thoughts, and he glanced up to see dark storm clouds gathering overhead. The subject was learning rather quickly, having discerned that Materializing more of his Domain would afford him more leverage and power within it, but as impressive as his understanding of the Laws of Lightning might be, this was far too little too late. Had the subject Manifested his entire Natal Palace in full and set his mind to reject all foreign presences, then perhaps he would have had some chance at victory, but he’d all but invited this Sovereign to set foot into his partial Domain, believing he would hold the upper hand. Fool. If a mere child could exert his Authority whilst within another’s Domain, then how could this Sovereign fail to do the same? Such hubris would be the subject’s downfall, for this Sovereign’s Will stood unmatched, and he had suffered the boy’s disrespect for so long.

“Cease. Your. Struggle,” he Compelled, imbuing each word with the weight of his Will and Authority both, but the subject was a resilient one indeed. Reacting as if physically struck, the boy reeled in place only to rally his spirits and stand firm before this Sovereign, an act of defiance which induced rage and fury both. A wave of his hand sent a Manifested blade of Domain rippling towards the boy, an invisible edge of Sword Intent which sundered the yellow raft and black sound boxes with a single pass, and only then was this Sovereign able to reign his temper in. A troubling lack of restraint on his part, these impulses deriving from his Natal Soul’s experiences, ones which had suffered humiliation after humiliation at this hateful child’s hands. There were a thousand ways this Sovereign could have better handled this child, but he acted with petty spite and used Sword Intent to show Falling Rain just how feeble and powerless he truly was. A mistake which even his Natal Soul should have known to avoid, for the boy was stubborn and intractable even at the best of times, and humbling him would only make him that much more determined to resist.

Standing in mid air with his hound behind him, the boy continued to call down lightning upon this Sovereign’s head to no effect. The look in his amber eyes spoke volumes to his mindset, one which would rather break than bend, so this Sovereign needed to make him pliable before he exhausted his eternal soul struggling against all odds. “Where there is life, there is hope,” this Sovereign began, his words catching the subject off guard long enough to cease his attacks for a time. “Is that not what you believe?” Gesturing at the storm clouds above and the trapped souls below, this Sovereign continued, “If so, then your interests would be best served by heeding this Sovereign’s advice, for you know not the cost of your ineffective resistance.”

“Life Force?” Though posited as a question, the boy’s expression made it clear he cared not for the answer. “Soul Force? Whatever the price, I will pay it. Even if it ends in death or oblivion, at least it will end on my terms. I will never give up, never surrender, no matter how dire the odds against me, because that is who I am.”

With this affirmation of his Dao, the boy resumed his attacks with a spray of highly pressurized water powerful enough to scythe through steel, which combined with his Sword Intent made for his most formidable attack yet. Hardly enough to turn the tides of victory, but there was no sense in accepting this attack head on. Instead, this Sovereign stepped aside to avoid the attack and approached the boy to discuss matters further, only for his control to slip upon arrival as he delivered a backhanded blow to the hateful child’s face. Even this wasn’t enough to wipe away the subject’s smug little smirk, with one corner of his mouth raised ever so slightly in an obvious show of contempt towards this Sovereign’s strength. As he should, for a physical attack had little to no bearing to a Spiritual entity, a blunder this Sovereign had derided the boy for making only to fall victim to the same mistake.

Steeling his resolve to calm his nerves, this Sovereign idly defended against the boy’s retaliatory strikes while striving to convince him to see the truth. “You think you hold the upper hand because we do battle within your Domain, but did you ever stop to consider why this Sovereign would enter so easily and cede over so obvious an advantage?” Waving at the army of souls stationed outside the boy’s Natal Palace, this Sovereign continued, “They all thought the same, that their Will and Authority stood absolute within the demesne of their eternal souls, but this Sovereign conquered them with laughable ease.” Moving aside so that the boy could see his current host’s soul kneeling at the foot of his own throne, this Sovereign sneered, “Even without this Sovereign present, this feeble soul is incapable of reclaiming his throne, for my Authority is absolute even within another’s Domain, but you need not share his fate.”

Throughout it all, the boy continued to deliver a barrage of endless attacks, not just with body and weapon, but utilizing his entire Domain to strike. Waves of water transformed into blades of steel, while the air itself threatened to crush this Sovereign where he stood and explosions rang out all around him from massive rifles firing thousands of rounds per minute. An impressive display of strength, but that was all, and this Sovereign stood in place to show the boy just how futile his efforts truly were. “Your defeat is all but inevitable,” this Sovereign declared, and he saw a hint of acknowledgement inside the boy’s determined glare, for even he had lost all hope of victory yet continued to fight on regardless. “So stay your hand and accept your fate, else this Sovereign shall seek retribution elsewhere.”

Where force and logic had failed to rein the boy in, a simple threat was enough to stay his hand, and this Sovereign cursed himself a fool for not thinking of this sooner. The boy’s Dao was contingent on freedom of action, but he’d bound himself in chains of love and sentiment, chains which would forever hinder him on his Path. No matter how promising he might be, Immortality and ascendence would forever be denied him so long as he held fast to those restraints, the feeble obsession for love and connection that firmly bound him to the mortal world. Consider the phenomenal power this child possessed and what little he’d accomplished with it, an outcome which came to pass because he was too constrained by the red dust of the mortal world to move beyond fallacious concepts such as morality and ethics. This boy could have Shattered the Void and Ascended to Divinity twice now, and perhaps even gone further to match this Sovereign’s Natal Soul’s accomplishments, yet he refused to do so on such baseless grounds. Were he to fully embrace the Dao and rise above his frail human emotions, then he might well be worthy of becoming this Sovereign’s sixth brother, but this child was too afraid and too unwilling to take the next step because he knew it meant leaving his humanity behind.

So foolish. Emotions and morals were merely the frail trappings of mortality, chains meant to bind the weak to the strong and the strong to the weak in order to ensure the perpetuation of the human race, but the boy stood at the precipice of becoming something more than merely human, more than merely mortal, yet he balked at the last step. Such power was wasted in his hands, for the strong thrive and the weak die. Such was the way of the world, and this Sovereign had long since been the strongest being in all existence.

Though his words had almost no effect on the boy, they’d bought this Sovereign time enough to find the Natal Throne, and he Willed himself over to it. An act which required more effort than he expected, for the boy had hidden it well and fortified it greatly to prevent any and all foreign entities from entering without invitation. A towering building of steel and liquid stone, one which stood an impressive two-hundred and six metres high, more than thrice as tall as the tallest building this Sovereign had ever seen, the Hwarang Temple of bygone years built by fifth brother, Di Zi. Even more impressive was the structural integrity of this fortress built to house the boy’s Natal Throne, so sound and sturdy he suspected it could be built in reality if given time and effort enough. This was no fanciful creation of imagination, but a feat of architectural design which this Sovereign could only barely fathom, and he marvelled at the thought and care which went into its construction, though the overall result left much to be desired in terms of aesthetics. The surroundings seemed equally drab save for the inclusion of staggered plots of dirt to house a single, paltry tree each, and a beautiful marble fountain upon a dock of liquid stone which exuded power and significance as water coursed through and out of it.

The more this Sovereign learned of the boy, the more mysterious and incomprehensible he became. How could one child master so many different Paths in the span of a single decade? Not just the Martial Path, but economics, artistic expression, Water, and now construction in a style unrecognizable even to this Sovereign, the boy was truly an enigma worth studying. Putting aside his idle curiosity, this Sovereign lifted himself up into the air rather than head into the tower itself, for he sensed that the Natal Throne existed in the highest room and was well defended against intrusion. Better to approach from outside than to let himself be trapped within, but as he peered through the remarkably transparent glass which barred his way, he found an even more shocking surprise hidden inside. As if the tower itself was not otherworldly enough, the boy had gone to great lengths designing the room which housed his Natal Throne and making it so bizarre that this Sovereign knew not where to start.

The architecture itself was foreign enough, and not just the materials either. The room was all white, but in varying shades, with the doors and doorframes being pure as fresh snow but the walls slightly darker like aged bone. The floors were cured hardwood, but carved into square panes no larger than a palm and arranged so that their natural lines created intricate patterns which were pleasing to the eye. A most satisfying aesthetic that this Sovereign had never before seen, one which would require untold effort to fix into memory, and far too much work to place down in reality. And yet, this design was still wholly possible and more than that, plausible enough to seem wholly reasonable and logical, whether it be here in the Natal Palace or out in reality. Then there was the furniture, which again was unlike anything this Sovereign had seen, painted wood and treated leather as well as an austere and uncomfortable porcelain seat within an adjoining room which was filled with water and so much Significance that he almost mistook it as the boy’s throne. No, the true seat of power was the leather chair, but rather than four legs, this throne only had one, a single column protruding from the boom of the chair which split into five beams perpendicular to the floor and bearing a wheel each. Another strange yet wholly reasonable design, which left this Sovereign to wonder just how Falling Rain’s mind was put together, but it was nothing compared to the Throne itself.

For the strange leather chair was merely part and parcel of Falling Rain’s Natal Throne, which also included a black, rectangular desk upon which sat three glass panels enclosed in black boxes, two smaller, rectangular black boxes reminiscent of the larger sound devices from the boy’s raft, and another black box pulsing with multicoloured lights and power aplenty, among several other unrecognizable items.

Despite his head start, this Sovereign had yet to make sense of the madness before the boy arrived to contest him, appearing in the room and placing the hound on the chair before waving at him through the glass. “This is my house,” the boy declared, imbuing the seemingly innocuous statement with weighty significance beyond the context of the words themselves and further reinforcing his claim to it. “So I don’t care what sort of Soul-Fu you’ve got up your sleeves, but you are not welcome here. In fact, don’t even look, you peeping pervert.” The windows went dark to obscure this Sovereign’s sight, but his Divine Senses were not barred in any way, so it mattered little in the end as he continued to study the room and all its mysteries, which revealed more questions than answers in the end. Why were the books written in an unfamiliar language? Who were the colorful and oddly-dressed warriors depicted on the images plastered to the walls and ceiling? Why make a porcelain seat and affix it to the floor in a tiled room adjacent to his living quarters? How was the large black box with the glass side able to illuminate those spinning discs and emit every colour underneath the sun?

All questions which would soon be answered as this Sovereign stood outside the fortified tower and made his intent clear. “Formidable though your defenses may be, how long can you hold out within? This Sovereign can afford to wait for as long as necessary, but you lack the luxury of time, for the fate of your family hangs in the balance.”

The statement sent a jolt through the boy as he hurried over to his Throne, sharing the seat with his hound as the glass panels flickered with light to show the scene of Shi Bei. A most startling accomplishment, since technically the boy’s Natal Palace was still encapsulated within this Sovereign’s Domain, and thus should be cut off from reality, yet this child was somehow able to slip through all the same. Curious and curiouser, for this Sovereign was at a loss to explain it, yet the boy barely even gave it any thought as he defied all logic and understanding, but perhaps this was for the best. A full second passed as he connected with reality and time resumed all around them, a second in which he was exposed to all the death and suffering of Shi Bei, a scene which brought him much pain and anguish. When he was done looking, the boy stepped out from the room to confront this Sovereign directly, his eyes brimming with pent up emotion as he struggled to find an answer to a question he could not voice.

And after a long moment of quiet deliberation, the boy met this Sovereign’s gaze said, “With all your power, all your strength, you could have led humanity to thrive and prosper, built a utopia in which suffering was merely a forgotten memory. Instead, you sit on your throne and let your nobles play their games of politics while the world stagnates or even regresses from all the needless hardship and conflict.” Brow furrowed in confusion, he heaved a sigh and asked, “Why?”

Amused by the boy’s lacking comprehension and more than happy to draw this out, this Sovereign’s lips quirked in the hint of a smile. “Were you not present for my final lesson to Liang Wu Di?” Giving the boy some time to think it through, this Sovereign only spoke again when it was clear he would never arrive at the answer himself. “Even an Emperor cannot change the hearts of man. Were this Sovereign to strive and struggle to bring humanity to prosperity, they would soon take it for granted and destroy it themselves. Balance does not come so easily to most, and without trials and tribulations to temper them, they would soon fall victim to emotions such as greed, envy, lust, and more. In order to keep the world and humanity intact, a careful Balance must be kept, one of success and suffering unending, for such is life.” Manifesting his Domain with a wave of his hand, this Sovereign recreated a scene from memory, one hearkening back from a time when he was almost as young and naïve as this child before him.

An act of impulse, one he had not planned on making, but the boy possessed promise and potential enough to tempt even this Sovereign. Not to seize Falling Rain’s secrets for himself, but to enlighten him and guide him to become the second most powerful being under Heaven, for as this Sovereign noted before, it had been too long since he’d had a peer to discuss the Dao with and having a sixth brother would make for a welcome change.

Perhaps that was the true prize at stake here, a gift bestowed upon him by the Heavens above. Despite starting with a clean slate, this Sovereign’s Natal Soul had failed to even come close to reaching his potential, but not without reason. Zhen Shi’s purpose had been to progress along a different Path and provide this Sovereign with an alternate perspective of the Dao, but this required pursuing a Path less suitable for his disposition. A flaw this Sovereign had long since noticed while watching over his Natal Soul, but one he had no way to fix save to hope his Natal Soul could find a solution himself. He had, in a way, but now this Sovereign also had this promising child here before him, one with potential enough to one day reach these same soaring heights so long as he received the proper guidance, so this Sovereign would be remiss to not at least try to tempt the boy to his side.

And what better way to do so than to present him with the indisputable truth?

Chapter Meme 1

Chapter Meme 2

Chapter Meme 3