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Now, I was leaving them all behind to walk alone.

Making the plan to do this had been easy, but doing it was more difficult than I had expected.

This separation was only temporary. I would see them all again in the future. But I knew my plans. Once this life was over, I would be returning to the Wastes, and they wouldn’t be joining me. I was leaving them behind, and I might not see any of them again for centuries.

Was that what I wanted? Was that really what I wanted? I had spent decades with them, and now, I was leaving them to walk alone into an unknown future.

A part of me wanted to repay my debts in the Wastes, yes, but alone on that mountain, I had to question if there was any meaning in doing so. What was the point of repaying debts that no one remembered? Why was I letting events from hundreds of years ago dictate my actions? Wouldn’t it be better to chart a new course forward with my friends and leave the past behind me?

There were people I had connections to in the Wastes. People who had helped me. People I wanted to see again. But those connections were… old. Those memories were starting to be covered over by the long march of time. Did I really want to go back and unearth them? Was it worth the pain?

Halfway to my destination, I paused and looked back to Heaven City. Part of me wanted to return to the Wastes. Part of me also wanted to walk back down the mountain and rejoin those I had left behind.

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, the sect rules were clear. I was not allowed to go down the mountain. I could only keep walking forward.

I turned back toward the Summit and continued my climb.

Roughly half a kilometer from Heaven City, I reached a small, flat ledge with four stone arches. The names of the four paths were emblazoned across the tops of these archways in shiny bronze lettering. ‘The Path of the True Chosen.’ ‘The Path of the Master.’ ‘The Path of the Crafter.’ ‘The Path of the Leader.’

I looked at the Path of the Crafter. That was the one that felt right. That was what I had been for a millennium. But it wasn’t what I was at the moment. I had almost completely given up on my crafting pursuits. This was the second time I had reached Martial Emperor, but I had yet to seriously pursue Rank 6 crafting. I had a chance to learn to craft talismans in this life, but I threw it away.

Those decisions had felt correct when I had made them, but I couldn’t help but wonder what might have been if I had walked the Path of the Crafter.

Turning my head, I focused on the gateway for the Path of the Leader. This was the path I had chosen to walk. It was time to see what awaited me on the other side.

I stepped forward.

I stepped out of the gateway and entered a long, cavernous grand hall. The walls to either side of me were 15 meters apart, and the far wall was nearly 40 meters away. The ceiling was over 20 meters tall.

The entire building was made of decorative marble depicting scenes of past glories, but these scenes were not carved into the stone. The stone was completely flat. Instead, the images were formed from gray mineral veins trapped within the white marble.

My eyes wanted to linger on my surroundings and take it all in, but they were inevitably drawn to the five people who were watching me.

Near the far side of the room, four old men sat around a horseshoe-shaped table. Behind the horseshoe, several meters further back, stood an ornate stone archway. Unlike the others I had seen, this one was not active. It looked like nothing more than a mundane arch.

Behind the archway, rising above it, was a large dais upon which sat a rather young-looking man in gaudy, multi-colored robes.

Mustering my courage, I walked forward and made my way to the table. As I did, I examined the four men sitting at it more closely. They were each wearing simple white robes and had their hair done up in basic topknots.

The man on the far right was old, but not elderly. If he were a mortal, I would place him in his late 40s or early 50s. The two in the middle would have been closer to late 60s or early 70s.

The man on the far left was simply a fossil. He didn’t look quite as bad as when I had last seen him, but sitting at that table, I could tell that Emperor Li didn’t have too much time left. I felt an urge to turn and acknowledge him in some way, but that would have been a mistake. I didn’t know him, and everyone here needed to believe that.

When I reached the line created by the tips of the horseshoe, the second man from my left, the one sitting beneath the right hand of the figure on the dais, raised a palm to stop me.

“Disciple Su Fang, welcome to the Summit.”

He paused, letting his words linger. He only continued when their echo had completely died away.

“I am the Master of the Nine Rivers Sect. Sovereign Jiu YiJun.”

He gestured to the man sitting across from him, the one closest to the man on the dais’s left hand.

“I am Sovereign Zhuge YeDu, outer elder of the Central Continent’s Zhu Clan and patriarch of their branch family on this continent, the Zhuge Clan.”

This man, Zhuge YeDu, smiled at me as if his long title had scored him some kind of point.

Then, everyone turned to the figure seated next to Sect Master Jiu YiJun. Emperor Li.

“I am Sovereign Li GuiYang.”

That was all. No extra titles, no extraneous appellation, simply Sovereign Li GuiYang. Not Emperor Li GuiYang, Sovereign.

This should have been obvious to me long ago. Yan had told me that an Earth-Rank fire seed was something only a Sovereign could possess. I had just never allowed myself to connect those two thoughts. Emperor Li was Emperor Li. That’s what he had been for centuries.

I didn’t have long to dwell on these thoughts as Emperor Li gestured to the man across from him, the one sitting next to Zhuge YeDu.

“I am Sovereign Ning ZeKun, patriarch and founder of the Ning Clan.”

Once all the echoes in the hall had disappeared, the group of four Sovereign turned to the figure on the dais and bowed their heads.

“I am Jiu YaHui, emissary of the Nine Rivers Saint.”

I didn’t completely understand the significance of that title, but I could guess what it meant. Back in the Blue Wind Pavilion, when I had shown Emperor Li’s token to WuJing, he had shown me how to greet the emissary of a Sovereign. This was the emissary of the Saint.

I dropped to my knees and kowtowed three times to the dais.

“Su Fang greets the emissary.”

I held my position on the ground until Jiu YaHui’s voice rang out once more.

“Rise.”

I stood and gave a deep bow to the emissary. I might have gone a bit overboard, but I wasn’t going to let pride be my downfall.

Sect Master Jiu YiJun cleared his throat and pulled my attention back to the table.

“Disciple Su Fang, you have reached the Summit via the Path of the Leader. Your achievements have been noted. The clans must now decide if they will accept you into their fold.”

For a long moment, everyone at the table was completely silent. First, they looked at Ning ZeKun. He appeared to want to say something, but he held his tongue. Then, eyes darted around the table, wondering who would be the first to break the stalemate.

Emperor Li, who had been sitting with his eyes closed and ignoring his peers, suddenly turned his head sharply and gave me a piercing glare.

“The Li Clan will accept you.”

This made everyone freeze. Then, before the silence could regain its grip on the proceedings…

“The Zhu Clan will accept you.”

“The Ning Clan will accept you.”

The sect master looked directly at me and looked me up and down.

“The Jiu Clan will accept you.”

Was this because of my actions in the sect, or this was the effect Emperor Li’s actions had on the others gathered here?

On the dais, the emissary tapped the right arm of his chair, and a loud gong sounded throughout the hall.

“Su Fang, as a novitiate of the Nine Rivers Sect who had reached the Summit and who has been chosen to join multiple clans, you may select the one you wish to join.”

The emissary tapped the left arm of his chair, and a large white stone appeared in the center of the horseshoe.

“As the Nine Rivers Saint has decreed, this choice shall be made openly. All must speak only the truth until a decision has been made. If any falsehoods are spoken, then the Stone of Truth will darken. Outright lies will cause the stone to turn black. Both the novitiate and the clans must be protected from any deceit.”

The echoes of his words were allowed to fade before he continued.

“Any who wish to make an offer to the novitiate in return for his servitude may do so.”

My eyes widened at that phrasing, but I didn’t have time to linger on it. Things were moving too fast.

Emperor Li and Sect Master Jiu turned to Ning ZeKun, but before he could speak, Zhuge YeDu stole the floor.

“I would make my offer first.”

The sect master glanced at him unhappily for speaking out of turn but waved for him to continue.

Zhuge YeDu paused briefly to give me a sickly sweet smile.

“I, Zhuge YeDu, on behalf of the Zhu Clan, one of the two strongest clans under the Nine Rivers Saint, hereby make you this offer. You will be allowed to travel to the Central Continent as a member of the Zhu Clan, and you will begin receiving the karmic energy needed to ascend to Martial Sovereign within the year.”

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He gave me a slight nod. “You are familiar with my descendant, Zhuge Yan. You should be aware that he has already agreed to journey to the Central Continent and join the Zhu Clan. If you accept this offer, you will be allowed to join him. So, will you swear to join the Zhu Clan?”

Was Yan joining the Zhu Clan to try and steal their knowledge and undermine them? Would that work? It might be worth trying… I didn’t know how to respond to this entreaty, but I didn’t need to.

To the annoyance of Zhuge YeDu, before I could come up with a reply, Ning ZeKun cleared his throat and drew everyone’s attention.

“You are familiar with my grandson, Ning ChenKun. I have discussed your situation with him. I cannot promise you Sovereign-level energy within the year, but if you help me grow my clan, it will be yours one day. The Ning clan is not wealthy, but I will make this same offer to your companions. If any of them wish to join the Ning Clan, they are welcome. If they are about to reach the Summit, and if they help the clan prosper, they can also gain an opportunity to ascend.”

This offer contained a significant amount of hedging, but not only did the stone in the center of the gathering remain white, but I also felt sincerity radiating off of the man. He couldn’t offer me much, but he was honest about that. Like his grandson, Ning ZeKun seemed like someone I could work with.

As I was thinking through this offer, Zhuge YeDu let out a soft growl, forcing Ning ZeKun to correct himself.

“All of your compatriots save for Zhuge Yan.”

Zhuge YeDu smiled contentedly and increased his offer.

“If you wish to join the Zhu Clan, your other companions may accompany you. They will not be members of the clan, but you may bring them with you as servants.”

I didn’t trust Zhuge YeDu, but his offer was still tempting. From what I knew, there was little the Ning Clan could provide me. However, the Zhu Clan was an Ancestor-level force. They would possess knowledge several levels beyond anything I had ever seen before.

While I might like the Ning Clan better, the Zhu Clan could be more useful in the short term. I could join them, learn everything they were willing to teach me, and then, if they were as bad as Yan had suggested, I could take that knowledge somewhere else, possibly to the Ning Clan.

A part of me, the part that wanted me to return to the Wastes, wanted me to reject them both immediately. Leaving the Nine Rivers Continent, starting a new journey into the unknown, this wasn’t what this life was supposed to be about. I was just supposed to wrap up unfinished business. Accepting either offer would mean throwing away even the semblance of trying to follow my 100-year plan.

That… might be okay… I was still only living this one life. I could go to one of the clans, learn what I could from them, and use that new knowledge to help me when I returned. It would be better, right? I would have more information, more skills, and more credits.

Thoughts and plots ran through my head, but Zhuge YeDu interrupted me.

“Zhuge Yan is nearby. You should discuss this with him.” He looked at Sect Master Jiu YiJun. “I call for a vote. I would like Su Fang to be allowed to discuss his options with his friend

.”

The sect master gnashed his teeth in annoyance. “This is improper. Everyone must be allowed to make their offers before additional motions.”

The emissary, Jiu YaHui, sighed in discontent. “A vote had been called. Who would allow Novitiate Su Fang to seek the counsel of Zhuge Yan?”

Zhuge YeDu gave a Cheshire grin. “The Zhu Clan supports this proposal.”

He glanced to his side and looked at Ning ZeKun.

Ning ZeKun studied Zhuge YeDu for a moment and then turned to me. “The Ning Clan supports the proposal.”

I looked at Emperor Li, but he didn’t speak. He looked to the sect master and the emissary, the two members of the Jiu Clan.

The sect master went first. “The Jiu Clan rejects the proposal.”

Then, the emissary. “On behalf of the Saint, I reject this proposal at this time.”

All eyes in the hall turned to Emperor Li. This must have been Zhuge YeDu’s plan. He had placed everything on Emperor Li’s shoulders and was watching to see what happened next.

Li sat and stared at me in thought before speaking.

“I wish to amend the proposal. He will be allowed to speak to his friend, but only if I am allowed to tell him the full truth of matters first.”

“No.” Both the sect master and the emissary responded before Li had even finished speaking.

Zhuge YeDu was a bit more contemplative. The gears in his head had started to turn, and I could see that he wanted to know where this would lead.

“The Zhu Clan will support this.”

Ning ZeKun was no different from Zhuge YeDu. He wanted to know Emperor Li’s goals.

“The Ning Clan supports this.”

A vein bulged on the neck of the sect master, but he held his tongue.

We all looked to Emperor Li who took several moments to gather his thoughts before speaking.

“Sovereign Ning ZeKun. Sovereign Zhuge YeDu. Sovereign Jiu YiJun. Sovereign Li GuiYang.” He looked me directly in the eye. “You may not be aware, but it is very rare for anyone who reaches the Summit to attract the attention of all four Sovereigns. Usually, a Sovereign will only appear for members of their own clan. The only person who has ever enjoyed a loftier reception was Ning ZeKun when he became the first person to successfully complete the Path of the True Chosen. Do you know why you have been given such an honor?”

He stared at me stone-faced, forcing me to respond.

Nervously, I cleared my throat. “Y… Yes.”

Eyes darted to the truth stone, and when it remained white, I noticed greedy glints appear in the eyes of the sect master and Zhuge YeDu. However, Li maintained control of the floor.

“Interesting… Do you know my blessing? Do you understand its implications?”

My eyes drifted to the truth stone. How much of a lie could I get away with? Probably none at all. I needed to be honest in what I said, and if they asked for more than I was willing to share, I could only refuse to answer.

“I have heard about it. Certain details are beyond me, but I have an idea of what you mean.”

A slight grin broke Li’s stony facade. “You know, the moment I decided to get out and stretch my legs by attending this little ceremony, everyone decided they wanted to accompany me. What more could a dying man wish for?”

I was sure the same answer appeared in the minds of everyone present: Immortality.

Li didn’t allow me to think about this matter too deeply.

“We are each offering you the opportunity to ascend to Sovereign. Before you can decide which offer to accept, you must first understand what your decision means.”

He pointed to the archway behind the table. “Once that doorway is activated, you will step through and enter the Central Continent. However, before you are allowed to do so, you must swear an Oath to the Heavenly Dao. You will swear to leave your past connections behind. You will swear to sever your connection to your old clan. You will swear to join your new clan in both body and soul. Then, you will be infused with blood essence from the clan of your choosing which will bind you to them. Body and soul.”

He leaned on the table and propped his head up with his right hand.

“Only by doing this, by swearing this Oath to the Heavenly Dao to be true to your new clan for all time, will it be possible for you to form the necessary karmic connection to properly absorb a bloodline’s karmic energy and advance to Sovereign. Without such a binding Oath, it is impossible.”

My eyes darted to the truth stone. It didn’t show even a hint of gray. I wanted to call out to the System, to ask if the stone was legitimate, but I didn’t dare to even subvocalize in the presence of at least four Sovereigns.

Emperor Li continued.

“After the Oath is complete, you must then both absorb and cultivate the blood essence of your chosen clan. This will forge the final links in the chain between you and them, binding the two of you together forever.”

My mind raced. Was this the only way? Could I alter the Oath somehow to safeguard future timelines? Could I use the System to create a workaround?

Sensing my inner thoughts, Emperor Li shook his head.

“There is no other path forward from here. I can tell you that ascending to Sovereign is not that complicated. There are no Rank 7 or above cultivation techniques. They do not exist, and they are not needed. You need only infuse your core with a sufficient quantity of karmic energy, and you will advance. However, you must only use energy generated from those connected to both your body and your soul through bloodline ties. To do otherwise, to ascend to False Sovereign using energy from a source not connected to you in such a way… It is a path to damnation. The four of us would join hands if necessary to prevent such an abomination from being created on this continent.”

Instinctively, my eyes shot toward the truth stone. It remained pure white.

I shuffled my feet. “And… if I want to leave? If I decided to not join a clan and remain an Emperor?”

The sect master’s and Zhuge YeDu’s lip twitched in a faint smirk, but Emperor Li just shook his head sadly.

“You have already been told the answer to this question. You have lived in the sect for years. You have accepted its karmic energy. In return, you are not allowed to leave the sect unless you join one of the Sovereign clans. You have ascended the mountain. You have reached the Summit. You have left the sect. Now, you must join one of the clans.”

Emperor Li… Sovereign Li GuiYang… reached into a storage bag and pulled out a small bottle containing a bright red centipede.

“When you chose to join the Nine Rivers Sect, you chose to join the clans. Before this meeting is over, you will swear the Oath. You will absorb a clan’s blood essence. Then, you will be allowed to enter the Central Continent. Your connections to everything you left behind will be severed. Your old clan will have no claim on you. Your old debts will all be null and void. It will be a new beginning, and you will have an opportunity to chart a brand-new life.”

Staring at Sovereign Li’s soul gu. I wanted to immediately swallow a poison pill to escape. However, was that possible?

In the past, I had been able to use my space affinity to break through his will-lock when I was only a low-level King. Both my affinity and cultivation level were now higher than they had been at that time. That should mean I would be able to escape from here at any time.

I lifted my eyes and stared at the Sovereign. Memories of him teleporting items into and out of my hands flashed through my mind. If he had wanted to, could he have simply teleported that pill out of my mouth? Had I really had the strength to break his will-lock as a mere King? Had his blessing ordered him to let me die?

I couldn’t be certain of anything, but at a minimum, I had to be extremely cautious. If I showed my hand, if any of the monsters in this room sensed that I wanted to escape and had the means to do so, they would not play nice. They had already shown they had the ability to block me from accessing my storage space on the Path of the True Chosen. If that happened here, I would have no choice but to join one of their clans.

Emperor Li pulled me from my thoughts. “As the representative of the Li Clan, I offer you a position in my clan. You will be granted sufficient karmic energy to rise to Peak Sovereign immediately. You will be given the position of an inner elder. All of your friends will be allowed to join you. If they reach the Summit first, they will all be advanced to Martial Sovereign 5. This includes Zhuge Yan, regardless of the Zhu clan’s opinion on the matter. If you desire to leave your old life behind, you may join the Li clan and do so.”

A wide smile crossed Li’s face, and he chuckled happily. Compared to the other two, he had made an outrageous offer, but the way he had done so–

Sect Master Jiu YiJun pounded the table in anger. “The Jiu Clan will make the same offer. Any who wish to follow you may do so. Our blood essence is not so worthless that we can squander it on untalented disciples, but they may join you as servants.”

With fear in my heart, and knowing what I had to do, I bowed to each of the Sovereigns and then even more deeply to the Saint’s emissary.

“Thank you. May I have time to discuss my decision with Zhuge Yan?”

Jiu YiJun waved a hand, and a portal appeared beside me. “You have five minutes.”

I bowed once more and stepped through.

I appeared in a small room with two chairs, a table, and a pot of tea where Yan was already waiting for me.

He smiled and gave me a subtle nod. “This is a fantastic opportunity, Fang. We can learn everything we need to learn from the Zhu Clan. Joining them might take us closer to our goals faster than I thought possible.”

I looked at Yan, appraised him, and assessed his words. There was an underlying meaning to them, but he wasn’t willing to say anything out of place while others were listening in. He had wanted to rob the Zhu Clan, and he saw the opportunity this situation presented, but I had to trust that he also understood the inherent dangers of the situation.

My face remained blank as I looked at him. “You understand what it means? What joining a clan involves? Did they explain everything to you?”

There was a small hitch in his smooth posture, but he didn’t allow it to ruin his performance. He did his best to maintain an affable demeanor, but I noticed a new glint in his eye.

He grinned widely to hide his true feelings. “I haven’t learned anything new, no, but I know the basics. We swear to join, have no more contact with anyone on the continent, and gain access to their resources. In our situation, this is perfect.”

They hadn’t explained the details to him. I could, but it would be dangerous to do so. If the waiting Sovereigns hadn’t explained, that likely meant Yan wasn’t supposed to know.

At any rate, while it would have been nice to get his thoughts on the matter, it wouldn’t change what I knew I had to do. I couldn’t swear that Oath, and they wouldn’t let me leave unless I did.

I nodded sadly to Yan and sat down. He took the seat opposite me. I wouldn’t see him again for many years. This was my last chance to say goodbye.

“Do you know anything about the Su Clan in the Western Wastes?”

A slightly confused expression appeared on Yan’s face, and he shook his head slightly.

I let out a wry chuckle. “It’s… It’s a horrible place. I’m not sure anyone in the entire clan knows much about cultivating, an eight-star fire affinity is considered impressive, and no one ever even taught them how to use an affinity testing orb. It’s a terrible place that I never want to return to.”

Yan’s eyes widened as he realized what I was saying.

“I owe debts. Debts I have been intending to repay for a long time. When I join one of the Sovereign Clans, those bonds will be severed, and there will no longer be a need to repay them.”

As Li was talking, part of me had seriously considered his offer. Part of me wanted to abandon the past, forget about everything that came before, and start fresh. I had an aversion to the idea of swearing a permanent Oath or binding my soul to an unknown clan, but would it really be so bad? Joining a new clan that might actually try to support me? Allying myself with someone who might try to help me learn and advance? What would I lose by throwing away the Su Clan to join the Li Clan or the Ning Clan?

As I thought this, another part of me insisted on returning to the Wastes and repaying my debts, but I had copied several soul techniques from the sect’s libraries. If I wanted to, I could carve out that small piece of my soul and discard it so that it never bothered me again. In this life, I had repeatedly made excuses to ignore its urges to return to the Wastes. It wouldn\'t be so difficult to just… give up. To cut that part of me away and forget about it.

I could do that, but that wasn’t the person I wanted to be. I needed to return. I had obligations. I had put them off long enough.

I looked at Yan. “I’ll see you in a few years.”

Before any of the waiting Sovereigns had a chance to intervene, I pulled my deadliest Rank 6 poison pill out of my storage space and placed it directly into my mouth.

You have died. Calculating…

You died as a Martial Emperor Peak — 1 trillion credits awarded.

Total Credits: 1,052,313,110,550

…