I appeared where a big group of people was gathered. At the front, Elysia was talking with Jingliu while Sakura kept an eye on two powerful members of the Saint race and their followers near them.
-"Yue!"
~"I'm here."
-"To fight Good Fortune Saint Emperor head-on and leave uninjured, good I didn't listen to his lies."
-"I agree with you on this. I now feel that you are someone who we can't afford as the enemy."
~"I don't want war, but if he insists, I will make him pay."
-"Don't worry, we won't follow him."
-"Yes, I will never fight True Spirit."
~"Why are you waiting here?"
-"I wanted to establish a connection with you."
-"I want to fight."
~"I don't mind, but not now."
-"Good! I'm Astral Vault God King. Remember to come for a fight later."
A giant man left, bringing two people with him.
-"We will also leave for now. I'm Soaring Feather God King, by the way."
~"I'll just remind you that if war was to erupt, close all connections from this universe to yours. No matter what, never let anything pass."
-"I'll remember this warning. I'll pass it onto that muscle head."
The veiled woman who spoke to me left, taking one person with her.
~"I'll open a portal to the Human universe. Let's go before our enemy is capable of chasing us."
I transported all the people here before escaping myself and closing the portal.
The other end of the portal was near Divine Dream Heavenly Palace, where Divine Dream noticed our appearance and allowed rescued people to contact their forces and use the teleportation array. I returned and released my false Aeon state, turning into Fox and jumping onto her shoulder.
~"We saved all hostages. This can help you gain some debts."
-"Yes, what about Saint race?"
~"They are divided. Only the main force ruled by the Good Fortune Saint Emperor is the enemy. The remaining two powerhouses want to have cordial or even friendly relations."
-"We are lucky then."
~"In Hold, we are developing a weapon that can stop the war. I pray that we don't have to use it."
-"Only time would tell."
For the rest of the day, Divine Dream Heavenly Palace welcomed many guests, who thanked us for saving their people and avenging shame against the Saint race.
It appears that saved hostages heard from two Saint race powerhouses that I killed a total of eight Empyreans along with my status as True Spirit. In addition to that, many knew that Divine Dream Heavenly Palace had a new Protector, but only now learned that it was me.
This resulted in others learning that not only does Divine Dream Heavenly Palace have a male member, but also that I was close to Divine Dream, creating many rumors. By the end of the day, I became known as the Spirit Emperor Yue, as some spiritual companions of the guests referred to me as such.
Divine Dream gained much from the rescue. She was able to establish cooperation between some forces, bringing Humans closer in the face of the Saint race threat. In addition, many forces presented some resources fit for women's Cultivation, but some odd Dual-Cultivation manual would appear between gifts from time to time.
Deciding to keep my mouth shut on the subject, I left the main hall and returned to my courtyard after meeting all the guests. My Guards were all there, as they rejected having their own place and decided to stay here. Elysia was also here, together with Fros Dream and Lin Xiaoge.
-"Yue, you finally ended all the meetings."
~"Yes. I'm glad you are all right, Elysia."~I jumped into Elysia's arms, who held me and started stroking me.
-"Sorry, I guess this time it was me who worried you."
-"Thank you, Protector."
-"Yes, I'm truly thankful."
~"You are Elysia's friends, not to mention being members of Sect or ally. There is no need for thanks."
-"Yes, you are like sisters to me!"
Elysia's outburst earned me a shy look from Phoenix girl.
~"I suggest you rest for some time in Sect. Don't do anything dangerous before the matter with Saint race is resolved."
-"Yes. Master Divine Dream also told me to stay here for now."
-"Would you mind staying here, Yue?"
~"Of course, you are welcome to stay."
After that, we focused on Cultivation, and it was decided that until Saint race made the next move, we would remain in Sect.
During this time, I, along with members of Progress, worked on creating weapons to decimate our opponents. For over a month, we worked day and night, creating many prototypes for further testing.
In the end, we decided to focus on creating a special plague that affected all three components of life: body, spirit, and soul. We named the created plague Mara as a reference to the Plague of Abundance.
Mara was a fusion of many Paths and Authorities, resulting in beings who are Pseudo-Spirits that possess spiritual form and soul core created by us in the image of Herrsher Cores. They possessed rudimentary intelligence but acted mostly on impulses to propagate, dominate, and destroy.
Because they lacked physical bodies, no normal attack could affect them, and even if their spirit were destroyed, they would regenerate. Only by shattering their soul core can one destroy them.
Mara would attach itself to a certain being and infect its soul, using its power to create more cores to replicate itself. During this time, it would control the host to cause chaos and infect more people. When the soul force of the host is consumed, it would become dormant and wait for more Mara to control being in that place. When enough Mara is born on the planet, they will unleash the second part of their origin to destroy everything, the Stellaron.
Stellaron is the base material of their soul core, and because of them, Mara can use some powers Paths that create them. Combining their power, they would destroy the planet and kill as many as it was possible. After which, they would seek new hosts and repeat.
If a Cultivator doesn't possess any soul defense, they will become a host. Mara can also tempt stronger beings by posing as a resource to comprehend the Law, which, if used, would corrupt a new host.
To finish our bait, Xipe, Ena, and I, with assistance from Terminus, created a small world in place of my breakthrough, where I seeded Mara and many other resources. Now, we only needed to wait for Saint race to get hooked.
And we didn't have to wait long. Only three months after my visit to their universe, they entered a small world and looted everything inside. Good Fortune Saint Palace also declared that whoever aided me would be declared hostile to them, saying that I concealed the location of the new world that should belong to them.
In response to that, I went to Sect hall to talk with Divine Dream.
-"So it happened."
~"Yes. I'm here to say goodbye."
-"And I won't accept it."
~"Divine Dream Heavenly Palace, nor Humans can fight with Saint race now."
-"Yes, but I won't stand by when you are in need."
~"I'll just leave to the other world."
-"Yue, I've made my decision. I'll undergo my breakthrough to True Divinity."
~"Are you ready?"
-"Yes."
~"How can I help you?"
-"Provide me with power of Origin and Remembrance."
~"Good."
The next morning, Divine Dream, Frost Dream, and I gathered in the place where Divine Dream was going to make her breakthrough. Two girls sat next to each other while I stayed a certain distance away and began using Authority of Origin and Path of Remembrance.
Soon, countless crystal flowers bloomed around, each of them containing a memory or dream. Divine Dream and Frost Dream became surrounded by those flowers and began to break through. Time passed, and as Divine Dream's aura became greater and greater, no troubles happened until white light blinded me.
The world around me changed, and I was pulled inside the space that I quickly recognized as Divine Dream's Mental Scape. After looking around, I saw the owner of this place standing in front, so I went forward and stopped next to her.
-"So, in the end, Frost Dream was..."
-"Myself. Clone made from half of my soul. Created to help me reach a higher realm."
-"Sigh."
-"Are you disappointed?"
-"No. Just this past few months, I got to know her well. You may say that I feel like I just lost a friend yet again."
-"I see."
-"Why did you bring me here?"
-"You see, I pursue the Divine Dream Law. My whole life, I Cultivated to achieve this step. Yet I understood something after meeting you and merging with the Frost Dream. I never once truly Dreamed."
-"Dreamed?"
-"Yes. Never once did I pursue another yearning, seek a wish, or even feel true desire outside Cultivation. I want to live a dream at least once."
-"You sure?"
-"I'll create a dream for us. An idyllic garden where we two will be just mortals with no memories. Will you accompany me?"
-"Who can dream with no moon to guard the night? I'll follow you."
-"Thank you."-Divine Dream smiled softly.
For some, the life of a mortal may seem long, but to us, it was just a passing thought, or we may think that before entering the dreamscape. Not even a hundred years of living together, playing as children, and taking care as the elderly, changed the way we looked at each other.
Waking up, I found that there was a person in my arms. This situation was not strange to me, so I responded to it without thinking.
-"Shen Meng, It's time to wake up."
Shen Meng's eyes slowly opened as she looked at me. At first, she also responded automatically and smiled.
-"Will you prepare breakfast?"
Only then do we seem to remember who we were. Silence hung around as we had to make a decision. A moment later, I put more strength in my arms, bringing Shen Meng closer to me. She tensed up but then relaxed, also embracing me. We stayed in silence like that. No words were needed.
After a while, Shen Meng changed position to face me and took off my Veil. She then kissed me while bringing us out of the dreamscape. As the surroundings returned to the field of crystal flowers, I enveloped us with my tails and continued to channel the power of Origin to Shen Meng.
Her breakthrough has already ended in success, and the first True Divinity of Humanity was born. I helped her consolidate the Cultivation while she used the remaining power of her breakthrough to help me. This was the most basic form of Dual-Cultivation, but as we were Cultivating the soul, this activity became immensely more inmate.
In those few minutes, my strength rose to Empyrean, while Shen Meng entered half step into Middle True Divinity. After parting our lips, we looked into each other eyes, smiling at each other. She rose from the flower bed and started walking toward Sect while I turned into Fox and jumped on her shoulder.
All elders were gathered in the main hall, waiting for the return of the Sect Master. The breakthrough caused a commotion on a similar scale to the appearance of my Tree, so they already knew that it was a success. When Shen Meng entered, she was greeted by countless congratulations.
-"Calm down."
-"Yes, Sect Master."
-"Announce the success of my breakthrough to True Divinity. We will open the gates a week later to the guests."
-"Yes."
-"Invite all forces except Good Fortune Saint Palace while announcing that Yue, from today on, is my Vice Sect Master after becoming Empyrean."
This announcement shocked all present, but none protested.
-"Yue, restrictions that were placed on you shall be removed."
~"Are you sure?"
-"Yes. We will also join Hold as an independent force. We will help you train your soldiers, but you won't call us to fight."
~"I promise."
-"Any of you oppose my decision?"
Only the oldest of Elders spoke.
-"Sect Master, Lord Yue is already a full-fledged member of Sect in the eyes of all of us."
~"Thank you."
I jumped off Shen Meng's shoulder and returned to my human form. But I forgot that she took my Veil away, so soon the hall became dazed. Only after Shen Meng rose from her seat and returned the Veil to me did all Elders return to normal.
-"Be more careful, Yue."
-"Sorry, I never take the Veil off, so I forgot it was with you."
She returned to her seat.
-"Create a seat for yourself next to me."
I nodded and manifested a branch of my Tree, forming a throne from it next to Shen Meng's.
-"Make all necessary preparations for next week."
-"I'll bring someone to help."
-"Good. Are there any questions?"
-"No, Sect Master."
-"Then that's all now."
Inside the Hold, I notified Astraea and Ningguang of what had happened. While they were exasperated, they accepted my explanation and decided to meet Shen Meng for the first time. I teleported them to the hall from where only us two were waiting now.
-"It's our first meeting, I'm Astraea."
-"I'm Ningguang."
-"It's a pleasure, I'm Shen Meng, known as Divine Dream."
-"So you are another person charmed by the Fox."
-"Indeed, but I brought this on myself."
-"We all did, but care to share how?"
She explained what happened during the breakthrough, earning the envy for living a normal life with me.
-"I must say, technically, this makes you the person who was with Yue the longest."
-"Don't measure relationships in time. Feelings are not something that follows logic and math."
-"I know, I know. But I'll have to ask for the same treatment later."
-"To be honest, after experiencing 'normal' life, I decided that after my ascension to Aeonhood, I would find a mortal world and live there with all of you.
-"Not bad idea. When we complete all pressing matters in the Hold, spending a few years to simply be together would be nice."
-"Then it's decided. Our next vacation would be to live a normal life."
-"For now, let's return to reality."
I explained to them about the Divine Dream Heavenly Palace joining Hold, and what we plan to do. Ninggunag quickly ironed out the details of our cooperation while Astraea called for some Duty members to assist in preparing for the meeting next week.
I also called for Elysia and my Guards. Elysia joined us in the talks while the rest of the girls assisted in preparations. Elysia was saddened when she heard about Frost Dream, but knowing that Shen Meng was the same person, as well as her 'true' sister, she quickly returned to her cheerful self.
We also called Nobunaga, who arrived a little later. She was not surprised about what had happened but demanded some time alone with me to vent. She coordinated the movement of our soldiers, who in the last three months not only underwent operations making them perfect Fusion Warriors after Mobius and Ruan Mei completed the Honkai-Originum serum but also Cultivated a solid foundation, raising their strength enormously compared to before.
In Hold, Zhongli, Aranyani, Xipe, and Ena modified Cultivation methods so that one could cultivate it faster. They focused on training body and spirit, as essence gathering was too time-consuming for the average soldier.
Other members of Hold also raised their strength, making Hold, with the addition of Divine Dream Heavenly Palace, capable of defending against Good Fortune Saint Palace.
As the week's time approaches, we will see if it is peace or war that is meant to be.