Truthful Transmigration

For the first time, John met an elder of the Bright Trinity. No, any person from the eastern continent. In a few moments they would likely try to kill each other, and it wouldn't be the first time John fought someone he'd just met. It was fairly standard for cultivators, really.

"What is your purpose here?" the man asked. Elder Roi was his name, and he was a peak Ascending Soul Phase cultivator, right on the threshold of the Exalted Soul Phase. Though that didn't mean he was close to successfully completing that step- indeed, he may have already given up.

John's fleet faced him at a distance from the Searing Sarcophagus, their voices carried over a further distance with the aid of spiritual energy.

"The Empire of Elements might know that already, if things had gone differently," John commented. Perhaps they already did know. "We have sent numerous vessels to try to contact you." There was no particular reaction from Roi… which didn't mean anything either way. Surprise could have been faked. Stoicism was expected from cultivators to begin with. "We are concerned the Empire of Elements will not stop their conquest with the Molten Sea, and we don't intend to allow our borders to be threatened."

"An understandable goal," the man said. This was where John expected him to declare he couldn't give up his position. However… "We cannot give up all of our progress here. However, we do not yet need to push beyond the Searing Sarcophagus. We shall return this location to your erstwhile allies. Expect us to contact you at this location in the near future."

Just like that? John hadn't even asked them to give it up- though of course the flee he had with him had clear implications. "And how long would this 'near future' be?"

"No more than two months," Elder Roi declared. "But there is quite a distance that our messages must cover."

Not wishing to argue himself out of generous concessions, John had to agree. "I don't know what authority someone like you could possibly lack to engage in diplomacy yourself… but we will wait for you to reach out."

Roi nodded. "Then we shall depart forthwith. Look forward to our next meeting."

John kind of did. If things could be resolved without war, John would much prefer that.

Tajana, on the other hand, seemed less pleased. "We could have easily defeated them and weakened their base. Do you think they have many peak Ascending Soul Phase cultivators lying around? Now they will simply gather together for a more dangerous assault."

"Do you really wish to fight them with the defensive fortifications of your own sect?" John asked.

"... We would not be at such a significant disadvantage as you might think," she commented. "But I must admit I would prefer we regain control above all else. Do you think they are preparing to battle?"

"It doesn't feel like it," John commented. "It would be a bit odd to take their vessels to the far docks… and to let us draw up here safely." At that very moment, they were able to depart. Though John much preferred to keep some distance to let the Empire of Elements cultivators do as they pleased. Within reason, of course. If they intended to scuttle the structure that would be something different, but he didn't sense any large fluctuations of energy. He could clearly feel the light, air, and fire of Roi himself, moving throughout the structure below.

It soon became quite clear they were actually departing. Tajana sighed. "I suppose I'm not strong enough to get this sort of respect. Is it just your cultivation, or your backing?"

"I'm sure it takes both to get this sort of reaction," John said. "Though you'd be surprised at how often people don't seem to care about either."

It was a flaw any cultivator could fall into that they were the strongest. Even John's internal assertion that he and Astrid could take down Roi together was speculation. The man had two ranks more than John, and doubtless significant combat experience. Possessing a minor cycle of elements, he hadn't simply coasted forward with the easiest path available.

The Bright Trinity likely had to reach the Soul Expansion Phase to truly secure their advantages. If they could reach the Exalted Soul Phase with two totems for each of their elements, John imagined they would stand above the average power at that threshold- though it was impossible to say what such average would actually be. The average of those with great talent and fortune was more difficult to judge- perhaps one had to have an exceptional style to merely cross that threshold, and Roi hadn't quite managed it just yet.

-----

John had enough of complaining about the heat, so he was looking for other things to say. "I feel like that was too easy," John commented to Astrid. He might have accidentally stumbled onto the root of the problem.

"Our forces were superior. It is also to their advantage to keep us out of the war, for the moment. But I wouldn't be surprised about people showing you respect."

"Even so," John said. "I would have expected more negotiations. No, maybe I should have pushed for more?"

Astrid shook her head. "What more could you have asked for? Tajana mentioned that they didn't even completely drain the treasury." She rubbed his hair as his head rested in her lap, "That's already plenty of respect. They're not just going to give up other locations you haven't been to."

She was right, of course. But John had been alive too long to believe that things would continue peacefully- regardless of the truth. He had hope, of course, but his preparations were all based around things going wrong.

-----

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Sometimes, he would rather not be right. Ships were incoming, and more than a few. There were a handful of Ascending Soul Phase cultivators among them- though mostly the early phase. Even so, it was not at the level of a proper diplomatic outreach. There was some sense in trying to balance the sides, but it was possible to go too far. And Roi wasn't among them.

In some ways, that could have been a relief. He was clearly powerful, after all. Yet the forces that had been sent should be a decent challenge regardless.

John didn't have to give any specific orders for everyone to prepare themselves. It was the Searing Sarcophagus themselves that had more lower ranking members that needed to be organized. The rest of the force was mostly Consolidated Soul Phase or stronger- far fewer numbers than the hundreds of members the sect had, even in its current state.

There was just one thing that had to be answered. "Are we fighting?" Presha asked.

"That's up to them," John said. "If we are, we're fighting to win. We'll take all of them down." John closed his eyes for a moment. "They mainly appear to be from the Bright Trinity. Though there's one relevant pure water cultivator. Think you can handle that?"

Presha took a moment to fully consider. "I have the elemental advantage. I believe I'm a rank behind, though. I can at least hold whoever it is at bay."

"Good. Astrid and I will go after whoever appears to be calling the shots. Assuming they aren't actually here to talk." John took in the presence of the enemies once more. "The only one I would have expected to hold a higher position than Roi would be the empress herself. None of these could possibly be Aldara."

He would have also expected Roi to return either way, for negotiations or battle. But it was clear in John's mind that there wasn't a full cycle cultivator among this group, and certainly not an exceptional one, like the empress was said to be. John wasn't certain that he alone would have been a sufficient reason for the empress to attend herself, but what he represented certainly should be. One continent and another should be somewhat equal… he hoped.

Ultimately, John wasn't afraid of the incoming enemies. He was just concerned what it meant for them to seemingly casually send numerous Ascending Soul Phase cultivators.

-----

"By the will of the Empire of Elements, you will be exterminated!"

Well, that certainly put a damper on potential negotiations. They weren't even trying to hide it if that was the first thing they said as they approached. At least their combat preparations would get some use?

"Is this what negotiations from your empire looks like?" John asked. "I expected more of Roi."

"Silence! Your insults will not be tolerated!"

John was going to ask more about that… but they clearly weren't in the mood to do anything but fight. The woman speaking hadn't even introduced herself, but her spiritual energy was raring for battle even at a distance.

Her attack reminded him of his ideas for light based advanced body tempering. Arcing up into the sky and back down, the woman launched a bolt of lightning with a brilliant flash. John and Astrid stood at the front of the pack, drawing upon the spiritual energy of others to form a barrier that absorbed the attack. But the flash was still very real, and even diminished it ruined John's sight for a few moments.

A worthy demonstration for the name of the Bright Trinity. John suspected it would catch anything it struck on fire with ease.

"Do not think we are timid children able to be walked over!" John said. "If you insist on this path, then today you die!"

A great uproar from those around him. People had been wanting to fight for a while- and of course the Searing Sarcophagus was interested in revenge for their many losses in the war. Not just their former sect head, but also the losses that forced them out of their sect.

John wondered why they'd gotten it back so easily. It was a decent defensive position. The incoming fleet couldn't easily make use of numbers because they would be facing all of the strongest defenders together at the choke points. And the Searing Sarcophagus was already preparing to ambush them from below- the native Molten Sea cultivators were also quite interested in taking down the enemy's ships so they couldn't escape.

John's disappointment turned to anger. Why had he even bothered to wait for a response if they were just going to fight? He should have killed Roi when he had the chance. Clearly the Empire of Elements had no intention of stopping their expansion after the Molten Sea.

They would regret how they underestimated others. Perhaps they would end up more powerful than the western continent, but John swore that he wouldn't make things easy for them.

He and Aldara held their position on the docks. John could have probably sunk a ship or two with his throwing daggers- their power came not from their mass but the spiritual energy he charged them with- but the cultivators would still have reached them to fight regardless. Unless they sent an assault force that couldn't handle the native terrain of the region, but John seriously doubted they could get this far with such incompetence.

Their water cultivator tried to flood the docks with lava. John wondered what sect he was from. Would he be from Aglor, where Yustina had reincarnated from? Surely they must have other notable water element regions, but that was the main one John was aware of. Additionally, John could think of nothing more from his energy than a calm lake- one that very calmly threatened to turn to ash himself and his allies.

John and Astrid split the wave. The docks would have been fine- they lived in lava, after all- but forcing every individual cultivator to shield themselves from the lava would have worn down the defenders unnecessarily.

Presha moved fearlessly forward, and instead of fighting back against the waves allowed them to push her up- then she floated into the sky. Even if Silver Breeze Gorge weren't known for their aerial combat, she was still capable of such at her level. No, even when John had first met her a handful of ranks weaker she could fly with ease when she wished to.

It had been too long since he got to see her serious. She participated in the tournaments on occasion, but Presha could do so much more where it mattered. Sling stones shot down from the skies, earth augmented by wind for great power. Her opponent had to dodge- blocking was a terrible idea. Especially with an elemental disadvantage, for the man was a water cultivator. Weak against air, not strong against earth.

Presha had more direct attacks as well, creating blades of wind. She swapped between high pressure air and vacuum with ease, while she easily avoided any lava lobbed at her with water element techniques.

John carefully observed the combat techniques of his own foes, as he knew he would be fighting the Bright Trinity again in the future. They used long weapons- staves, spears, and various polearms. Light was used for rapid light attacks as well as to disable people with bright flashes. Air was used to enhance maneuverability and for lightning strikes. Fire came from that very lightning or was used directly. An allied cycle wasn't quite as powerful in how the elements fed into each other as the core cycle of elements, but it was far simpler. Clearly, they were experts with their techniques. John was going to learn how to counter as many of them as possible… while not risking the lives of their own cultivators by delaying too much.