"Spiritual root, physique, bones, comprehension, and application these 5 things are the very basics of cultivation. Each have their own difficulty to improve and broaden but the power and change that each provides individually cannot compare when all are practiced and used in a proper manner together. Many times throughout history whether for a single world a vast cultivation continent or even individual realms this basic concept is lost and cultivation once more must be rebuilt from the ground up, will this happen to our everlasting Vast tree realm?"
- Great scholar of the eastern library of records Mappo Qwesl
Flash*
Easter quadrant, Northern quadrant, Southern quadrant, Western quadrant, all beings that lived saw a flash of white light with no source.
"?" Purple sea Qi absolute holy land.
"..." Golden phoenix palace absolute holy land.
"!" Battle domination absolute holy land.
"...?" Dragon slaying devil cursed land.
"..." Demonic fire wild land.
The flash did not care for the universal boundary, it did not care for distance, it did not care what realm of reality one inhabited, as long as one existed they saw the flash for a brief moment.
Heaven defying lord Lerim "What was that? I couldn't sense any light from it nor spiritual Qi"
God Heaven "There was no motion to it. It simply 'happened'"
Lord Lerim "Did someone mess with time? What changed?"
God Heaven "No it wasn't a change in time, it simply happened"
Lord Lerim "You're not making any sense, what happened?"
God Heaven looked at lord Lerim unsure of how to explain it "Consider an empire of long past, it conquered planets and spread across the galaxy it inhabits, leaving clear traces of it's existence at that point in time spreading even beyond it's borders. Than that universe disappears without so much as a trace of it having been, the records of it's existence are still around and at some point in time it did exist but no matter how long one searches for that empire they will be unable to find it. Now we know it existed since I am saying so but others would simply see the records as some made up fantasy. This flash is closer to simply saying 'It exists' rather than 'it existed', one of them is a claim the other is a surety" God heaven created a miniature galaxy with many small dots that spread out until the galaxy vanished.
The dots did not vanish with the galaxy they kept going further and further out until they reached another galaxy.
Lord Lerim thought for a moment "So it happened but never was? Very similar to changing a timeline no?"
God Heaven "Yes except the flash never truly happened in time, even if you go back in time now you will not see the flash, instead you will see others reacting to the flash. Like a book you read, you can see the perspective of the characters written on the pages but you will never see the farm workers or day laborers that make the world in a book work because it isn't written. You can however simply write down that they exist and as such they are there"
Lord Lerim "So it 'happened' but at the same time it didn't? So similar to reality warping but nothing was changed, and similar to changing time but nothing changed"
God Heaven "Yes, it simply happened. There was no motion at any point in time to indicate that something happened just now, so it essence it simply 'was' to be more clear"
Lord Lerim "So what does it mean?"
God heaven shrugged this flash happened across the universe at the same time everywhere with no source to be found, worse yet it did not seem to be bound to simply this universe going well beyond his creation.
He could claim to he omnipotent within the universe and all dimensions within the universe but the entirety of creation was a scale beyond God.
God Heaven "I have seen many a universe end but this is a first"
Lord Lerim "..."
South-western battlefield seal of deletion.
The calamity of corruption an existence that can only be because it is as it was meant to be saw this flash through its many eyes.
... ... ...?
It didn't know.
... ...
It didn't need to know.
Creatures' that had fallen to corruption awoke, the dead, the strong, the weak, those that had been left behind and sacrificed turned their heads toward the seal.
The yellow light and dust roiled.
... ... ...!
Like a valiant speech had been said the creatures charged without care spreading an energy so volatile and vile that the universe as a whole shook.
The united army had long retreated, the barrier was simply a white space which nothing should exist, it was like a moat simply without the limitations of a flat surface.
Now an unfathomable amount of matter was throwing itself directly in without care, ripples had started to form on what can be seen as it's surface.
God heaven "..."
Lord Lerim "Well that's not good"
Lord Lerim and God heaven vanished traveling from the eastern quadrant of the universe to the south-western warfront in mere seconds.
Lord Lerim "What's got it riled up? That little flash?"
God Heaven "Doesn't matter we have to hold it back, the selection isn't yet over"
Lord Lerim "Drat still had a few things to steal"
<+== The vanishing city ==+>
A city of white and gray stone with roofs of red and gold, a city with towers touching the sky spreading the sound of a bells chime through the wind, a city of fountains running clear such that one can drink of without worry, a with city of spirits celebrating the yearly opening of their city to the outside world.
Now it was a city filled with sorrow as the sound of bells stopped, the water lost its shimmer and the towers that touched the sky cast a dark shadow.
The cries of men and woman alike filled the air with grief as they held on too clothes covered in blood grasping at what remained.
The streets that had been crowded suddenly looked sparse only a stream of red remained, the people a top the buildings welcoming in the light disappeared with a blood mist raining down on those underneath.
Anyone below core formation in the vast tree universe not under the protection of some treasure, barrier, special area or person had died near instantaneously.
The energy given out by the calamity had only spread for a few seconds yet that moment was enough.
An innumerable amount of souls
As the wails of the grieving spread across the city a small figure walked along a stone path in a valley.
The feel of the ground, the air touching it's skin and entering it's lungs, the sight of stone and dirt, of wooden trees and shrubs, the sense of distance it felt and saw, it was all an experience like never before.
It grabbed a branch of a nearby shrub holding it tightly as it slid it's fingers across the surface.
"What is this?... What is this sound?" It looked around.
"It's go- oh! Is this sound me?" It's hand touched it's mouth.
"This is me! These are mine! This is something not me!" It ran along the stones feeling it's body out.
A root sticking out along the stone path held on to his foot as it attempted to rise, with this stop in motion a body slammed on the ground.
Sharp pain spread from its front as it quickly used it's hands to push itself up, It could not see it's face but a red liquid had started to flow down its face.
"What is this? Is this a part of me?"
It's leg was cut, its chest seemed to have a red mark and it felt a sharp pain on a place it could not see.
Touching the open cut it recoiled as the pain that had only stung started to burn.
"What is this feeling?!" It wanted to push the open wound back together but the pain had made each attempt fail.
"It won't close, what is going on?" It's voice was trembling a bit, it had never experienced pain before.
It kept walking as the sight of the valley's end came with new scenery.
"Why can't I move like I want? Why is it hard to... To breath?" Knowledge seemed to flow into it about the very basics of life.
"Tired? Why? What is tiring? I am seeing so much. I want to see more beyond what I can see"
As the light beyond the valley entered it's eyes it saw a city among the tree's with many towers and many paths, with houses large and small, with spirits kneeling on the ground or traveling the sky it's eye's opened wide at the majestic sight grasping beyond it's reach.
But It's body was not used to life, its legs wobbled and it's breathing was sharp.
"I want to go there, I want to see..." With a few more step taken it felt the feel of the floor once more as it's eye's closed.
From the sky a red birds surveyed the city looking at the chaos below as those in charge panicked.
"What happened? What was that aura? Did some old monster attack?!"
"District three is reporting, seventy percent of the populace has suddenly died! District five and eight forty percent, district one and seven sixty percent, other district data is still being gathered!"
"Report coming in from the city gates, a caravan that had just arrived suffered massive casualties as whatever affected the city also struck beyond the city limits!"
"Reporting in from the central district, some sort of mass attack caused anyone below the core formation stage to suddenly implode! The only ones saved from such a fate had some sort of protective treasure with them!"
"Report from the sea side a mass of dead fish have suddenly washed ashore, with the cost guard reporting that the sea is turning red with blood!"
"Just what the hell happened! Quickly send out a response force, provide whatever assistance we can to the residents!" The mayor yelled out.
Down at the valley a woman walked in a haze as her hands covered in blood shook as she dug into her forearms leaving large gashes.
"My... My El... Where did you go? Why can't I see you? Why? Why can't I-" ahead of her a blurry body took shape.
"El? My El?"
The body of 'Something' that once had no clear distinctions - other than a body with arm's and legs - suddenly took full form.
"El?! Yes it must be El! Come here, what happened to you? Where did you get these wounds from?!" Grabbing the boy off the ground she carried him away.
"I won't let you out of my sight again! From now on you are staying inside with me!" Unable to break past her delusions the woman mistook 'something' as her own.
Near the city gates the man that had given a clock to a young lad stared down at what remained of his child.
He couldn't find himself able to move from the spot he stood not wishing to disturb the area.
What had happened?
One moment it was all good they were headed toward the city and arrived at the check point than... Then, it was just a moment.
"How?! Who!? What reason could they have to do this to my poor boy?!!"
Finding himself unable to keep standing the man spat out blood, his internal Qi was out of order wrecking havoc inside his body.
From the middle of the golden core stage his cultivation dropped to the early stage, than with a crack his cultivation dropped further into a stage between golden core and peak foundation establishment, the shattered core.
Just narrowly avoiding death the man held his body still reaching for the clock that remained.
<+== Void outside the Vast tree universe ==+>
Outside the Vast tree universe it was a place where light no longer moved, it was frozen in place but not entirely.
Like Christmas lights it radiated out of its frozen state ever so slowly, just enough so that when one passed nearby they could see a glimmer of light for just a moment before that light vanishes.
Here very few beings could hope to survive, it was not a place made for life to inhabit after all.
This place couldn't truly he considered outside the vast tree realm either for it was far too calm, this was the barrier holding the universe together and the barrier protecting it from the chaos beyond it's borders.
On the south-western battlefield this barrier had been eroded away much like a cell being burst open, if not for the actions of the united army temporary mending the universal boundary the universe would spill out like the guts of said cell.
Outside of this barrier many unknown beings looked inside the vast tree realm, they could be seen as beings of the void or beings from another universe they weren't natives to the vast tree universe after all, in a sense they are multiverse beings.
"Did that flash come from inside?" One asked.
"Uncertain" another answered.
"Does anyone want to test it out?"
"The barrier? Or entering the universe?"
"The barrier is not a problem for those of us from other universe's"
"Of course, how could I dare compare us to mere voidlings"
"If this universe still has a God it will be problematic"
"I've killed God's before!"
"You can't kill a God fool"
"I have done it! Let me be the one to show you all" this being than approached the barrier.
The others laughed as they sat back to watch the show, should a God still be actively defending this universe than the outcome was predetermined, if no God was present than while it will be difficult to deal with the others the universe would fall with ease.
Entering the Vast tree universe the being quickly flashed traveling vast distances in moments.
From a hazy blur in the distance to a vast glimmering star field majestically flowing in all directions.
'I sense a strong being far away but they seem to be preoccupied, since I am the first to enter I will use this to my advantage' the being scanned the sea of stars as it choose what it wanted.
"My are you lost little one?" A voice disturbed his thoughts.
"!?" The being looked to the side.
"You aren't allowed to be here, not like this" a tall slender figure approached.
"Are you the God of this Universe?" The being asked.
"God... That's right lower beings often called us that" the slender figure deformed into a puddle.
"So much for a God. I've killed many of you in my universe! You are just another" the being looked back at the stars.
"Shame, a God whose not omnipotent in their own universe. What a sham" the tall slender being looked at the puddle.
"Didn't I just kill you? Ah! Are you one of those gods that can only die if I destroy faith in you?" The being looked at the stars and clapped.
The lights went out.
"There now you can't revive"
Snap*
The lights turned on.
"Now you are starting to piss me off, when I destroy something it cannot be remade!" The being waved his arm.
"I am omnipotent! I am omnipresent, I am beyond the rules of reality! When I say bark you bark, when I say dance you dance! For I am the God slayer!" The being announced.
"Sweety, you are only omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient in the universe you hail from. Here you are just another worm" the slender figure pointed down.
The being that stood proud lost all his might finding itself on a planet wriggling underneath the ground.
"!" The being couldn't muster any strength he couldn't use any power, he couldn't even call for help.
"Maybe in the universe you hail from you are written to be invincible, with songs of glory written in your honor, with statue's erected in your image, with many accomplishments that would deem you as a perfect being without equal, but the moment you left that universe you lost all advantage" the slender figure dragged it's feet on the ground uncovering the dirt underneath.
Quack* Quack*
A small duck followed behind the slender figure.
"Here you are at my mercy, as I would have been at your mercy in your place" the worm was picked at by the duck it tried to avoid but soon found itself in a new type of darkness.
The slender figure looked up at the sky beyond the stars and at the universal barrier, "Come on down, my pet is still hungry"
The beings outside the universe mocked the being that had been eaten, what a fool it was.
To leave one's universe is to be at the mercy of the unknown, you can be invincible in your own mind but in the mind of another that simply isn't so.
They had the power to leave their universe and be free without restraint but that also meant that their fate was entirely up to them, they wouldn't get a second chance.
Every iteration that seems like them will no longer be them, it is simply so that one cannot leave the universe without removing oneself from it.
There can exist there and here at the same time but the being can only do so in a universe of it's own.
That is why these beings of another universe do not enter the faltering Vast tree universe without some thought, it wasn't up to them the powers they had, it was up to the gods of whatever universe they visited.
"Don't worry, we will wait outside. The universe doesn't have long after all" the beings retreated slightly.
The tall slender figure down below simply smiled as it picked up the duck and left.
<+== Five family union - space voyage ==+>
"Did you feel that? Are the arks barriers intact?" Madam Nordaine asked an attendant.
"Madam the barriers are holding steady, they seemed to have absorbed a large impact but preliminary checks show no damage" the attendant responded.
To the side a large man looked out a window "Things are getting worse, the universe's predicted fate is out of sight. We must hasten our approach to the chaotic rift"
"We are already going at the maximum speed, if we are to go any faster we must finish the refinement of the void engine's" the madam said.
"And how much longer will that take? Can we speed up the process?" The man asked an old man to the side.
"If we can get the Song family to assist us than it can be done, but they ask a heavy price" the old man said bitterly.
"The price will fall after thus event, even they cannot risk it" the large man looked towards the madam.
"I will send elder Proteus to pressure them, let's just hope they see reason" madam Nordaine sighed.
On another ark under the ownership of the Rubio family patriarch Rivera inspected a broken gemstone the size of a small house.
"It couldn't withstand a few seconds? We depend on this crystal to block the calamities corruption without it we are as susceptible as the other families. Can it be fixed?" He asked a group of jewel craftsman at the side.
"Well, no it can't. The damage is beyond repair. What we can do on the other is craft many smaller protective fields that can be placed throughout important sections of the ark, while the small nail sized pieces can be given out as protective charms" one of them said.
"What use is a small protection charm when the large one failed to block the calamity after one strike?" Patriarch Rivera raised his voice.
"It is what we have my sire"
"So be it, do what you will with this, I will acquire what is needed to craft another on a grander scale" he turned away in anger.
"As you say sire"
On the largest ark amongst the fleet of the five family union the - Bells of hope - the Bell family gathered.
"The east side has been checked, no anomalies"
"West side all is well"
"North side we've lost a protective crystal but the other three held"
"East side no damage"
Each section of the massive ark had different section leaders reporting the daily activities and events that occurred.
For now the discussion was simply about the recent aura that spread across the universe but things shifted quickly.
"How goes our plans? Have the formations on the north and east been finished?"
"Our north section is almost complete, we just need to acquire a few more things from the Nordaine's and all will be well"
"Our eastern side is not doing bad but the Wood family is being difficult. They want us to provide more wood type bells for the materials we need, the problem is our supply is running low"
"We will see to it that more are made, I hear the Rubio family has some spring cicadas, around 20 thousand should be enough to craft ten wood type bells"
"Just a little bit more and we can finish it, I never imagined such a thing was possible"
"The other families have invested much of their wealth into many smaller arks but we have risked it all on just this one. Of course with much assistance from the other families but they will benefit from this just as much"
"Yes, why should we have to live in such confinement. We are nature spirit cultivators we need a vast open space to practice our arts, why must we sacrifice everything?"
The group kept discussing on the many smaller details for hours on end.
On another ark towards the back of the fleet an old man approached a group of flying ships surroundings an ark.
Aboard the ark an attendant delivered a message.
"What bad timing, if only that event hadn't happened we could have raised the price substantially, now if we choose to do so it would seem like we are simply seeking to cause trouble" a middle aged man looked at the old man standing in space.
"Invite elder Proteus in, we might as well start negotiations"
"Yes sir, shall I inform the other family heads?"
"No, I will be enough for this one. Simply tell them what is needed"
"As you will sir"
The Song family did not have the same style of leadership as the other families, they didn't have a singular leader they the elders acted as a single entity.
While individuals can make decisions on there own, for certain actions that impact the family as a whole it is required that the all the family heads participate.
For now it was not required, it was simply a loss of revenue.
"Bring some iron lily wine! This elder likes to drink"
The attendant left after nodding.
The final leading family of the five family union was the Wood family. The arks they owned were far more beautiful than the rest, the other families arks had been mostly practical with few adorations to be seen.
These arks had been carved with marvelous imagery depicting the land that they came from, with statues of heroes and maidens alike, with many paintings and bells displaying an awe inspiring scene.
"Master Emmet, the Bell family has sent word that they will deliver fifteen more bells by the end of the month. They wish for us to send over the remaining void wood to them" an small spirit with many eyes spoke to an old man.
"Good. Send what they ask for we will expect their delivery. What of the Nordaine's have they finished the creation of the void engine's like they promised?"
"Our eye's have informed us that elder Proteus has gone to finalize the final deal with the Songs, if no schemes are at play all should be well"
"Good good good good. We put a lot of investment into those engine's, if they fail to deliver we are all going to suffer"
"May I suggest something sire?" The many eyed spirit got closet.
"What is it?"
"The Nordaine's or madam Nordaine has recently obtained a void body, but she has no partner. Would it not be wise to send her some options?"
"...It would. But she is very prideful, and her talent is monstrous. To find someone she could accept as an equal will be difficult, no one in our family is a match in her age range, even those in her same cultivation stage aren't suitable given how quickly she is growing"
"Who said they needed to be equals sir? As long as we have an in would it not benefit us?"
"..."
As the families weighted the benefits of working with each other they traveled ever closer to their destination.
Their fleet was only one among many others all planning for a future with no certainty of what was to come.
Billions of vessels traveled from the south, trillions from the east, and many more from the west.
Many void rivers had turned into a hellfire that none could escape, many fleets ran into the unknown as they simply turned to splinters, many more would perish from conflicts with one another.
Space was vast but it was not empty.
A planet may be alone in the universe but if it was part of a greater empire than surely it would be under some protection.
Raiders may come to steal and enslave the populace but it was never without repercussions.
The universe was ending but the nature of the living never does, some may turn into monsters simply for small gain while others cling to their ideals to the very end.
<+== Echo's of past ==+>
Fifth clone thought about it for a second "You mean Isu'su? You're eldest daughter?"
"Yes, my daughter is of age. It is time for her to leave our side and find her own way. Sadly she was never very talented, she always had the beauty of a thousand rose's but that beauty did not transition to her spirit cultivation. I see you are about to break past the foundation establishment stage and into golden core, you are talented, strong and wise. If I leave her in your care I wouldn't have to worry" the man gave his selling speech not forgetting to praise the fifth clone.
"Ah. I am not so sure about getting wed so soon I have many years ahead of me" the fifth clone wanted to politely decline.
"The longer you wait the harder it will be to sire an heir, do not forget our spirit species has limitations on how long we are able to reproduce for and the higher your cultivation the more difficult it will become"
This was true, some spirit species could reproduce for many thousands of years before they find themselves infertile, while others in a short twenty to fifty years will find themselves unable to leave a descendant.
Than we had the difference in cultivation between partners, should one be fairly weak still below the nascent soul stage of cultivation than it wouldn't be very difficult to hold on to one's beloved, once you pass that stage however things change.
The fifth clone had never thought about this, he simply stole this body from its previous owner and ran with it.
Now that he had a chance to think about it, it was odd. He used to be an emperor of an empire on a spiritual continent he had many wives yet he can't quite remember why he never had a child.
"My daughter may not be very talented, but she knows how to handle herself quite well and most of all she has a favorable impression of you"
Why didn't he have a descendant? Was he unable too? No many had been born they just never lived.
This had become a bit of a sore spot for the fifth clone.
"I will think about it, before three nights end I will give my answer"
The man smiled and nodded, he got him.