The time slowly ticked by, and with every passing day, Ethos would change a bit. The place got calmer, and the Imperium concentration of increased several folds, so did the number of airships flashing by.

Not only did the Imperium become more potent, but it also got purer by the day. In their travels, people would speak of seeing their new overlords planting massive forests spanning billions of hectares.

There are also farmlands of food and fruit spanning similar amounts. The people reported having never seen so much food being planted in the same place. They even tore mountains down to make farmland and build their own lakes to store the water. Every new piece of information they heard about their new overlord left them more curious than before.

The day of the assembly was quickly approaching, and the anticipation increased by the minute. Everyone now wanted to meet these people. Everyone now wanted to know what they really had planned.

Rumors spread, each more unbelievable than the last. Time for the assembly was close, and the leaders of the vassal states were already making their way to LoinStar City. Xasha chose this location because it was the central point of Ethos. Also, it was the place with the highest Imperium concentration.

When the different leaders got closer to the city. They realized the rumors were right. There really were white forests stretching millions of hectares and towers that kissed the heavens. There were fields of herbs and food that went all the way to the horizon.

The roads were all clean and laid with bricks. The carriages drove in the air above the road and weren't pulled by anything. There were even carriages that seemed to be thousands of connected carriages. These carriages moved at breakneck speeds on special, metal roads or through the air. There were also airships above their heads, moving back and forth constantly.

The night and day difference between their homes and that of their new overlord was disheartening. The vassal leaders wondered about the origin of these people. All visitors were assigned an escort who took them around the city and answered all their questions.

Introducing them to the artifacts and all their functions.

Everyone was so amazed they did not know what do to do with themselves. They noticed the strength of these people was lacking, but no one paid too much attention to that. The way they took over Ethos with ease made it obvious their strength was not in question.

The vassal leaders and their teams were given a comfortable place to stay and complete freedom to do whatever they pleased until the assembly began. They became bewildered by the high concentration of Imperium inside the guest palaces. They were all made from Mana clay.

Some people showed up weeks in advance and spent their entire time in Lionfort. Despite all that, they got no glimpse of Xasha nor any form of army. It was strange how they felt so comfortable to have no cultivators around to protect their people with so many strangers walking around.

The people were all happy with smiles on their faces, chatting, laughing, and going about their business. There was always a bustle as the city was still coming together. Everyone inside was working to build up some aspect of the city. Every day it would get bigger and more beautiful and every day the population would grow.

Xasha sat in a cultivation chamber at the peak of the tallest magic tower inside the city. His breathing technique was fully active, and the Imperium flowed into his body with ease. His eyes were closed as he dived into his mind to experience all the memories he had read over the past new months.

After Xasha took over the elf and Low territories, he took all their wealth. He also took all the knowledge they stored in their memory crystals and archives. He was not at all disappointed with what he found. Their knowledge was just as extensive as that of the Mu people. There were techniques, locations of resources, and secret techniques passed down for generations.

Xasha felt after he digested all this information, he would have the tools needed to increase the strength of his people several folds. He had already found several techniques to ignite one's Valdis and become a Lava Sages. He excitedly taught these techniques to his entire organization, and the number of Lava sages increased several thousandfold.

This was still an insignificant number compared to those of the other powers, even in Ethos. But Xasha found that there was a risk, it was possible if done prematurely, the process could kill the person trying to ascend.

So he set a bar. A person had to absorb a certain amount of Imperium, their bodies had to be strong, their veins had to be powerful and their willpower had to be sufficiently strong.

Thanks to the assessments that trained all aspects of a cultivator, it was easy to find candidates who fit those criteria. Several dozen people broke through every day. Their next task was to stabilize their energy and adjust their bodies to their newfound strength.

Xasha developed a regimen for everyone to follow to ensure optimal success before, during, and after the transition. Everyone who followed it had optimal results. They felt more powerful than they ever had before and their foundation for future growth became firm.

The strength of the Falling Stardust was increasing rapidly, and his own was no exception. Thanks to the wealth of crystals he took from both the elves and the Lows. There were more than enough resources to ignite his second flame and was well on his way to the third.

The crystals were amazing. Each piece held enough Imperium for him to fill his Valdis. At first, it was unstoppable, but as his cultivation improved, the less effective the crystals became. He needed a lot more to get the same result.

He realized he needed to start his plan to get more crystals soon before it ran out, and he became stuck again. He was in a race against time, and he had a long way to go.

"Ash," someone calling his name, and a knock on the door pulled Xasha out of thought.

"Yes," he replied calmly as he slowly opened his eyes. He knew who it was. That sweet little voice was recognizable anywhere.

"Ash, it's time."