Consuming Earths, Devouring Skies

Yan Zaizen and Damian floated outside the residential palace of the Blaze Clan's Clan Lord. Damian's eyes were quite interesting. The light in them was filled with amazement and vigor. The act of flying thousands of li in a brief period left his heart pounding in excitement.

Whenever he looked towards this master of his, he couldn't help but be curious. What did he see in him? He was nothing but a kid gardener with no outstanding talents. There was nothing else, but he didn't dare question his master's decision making.

"He's definitely a True Lord!" A True Lord was a title for True Essence experts, and essentially the peak powerhouses outside of the Realmlord and her twin guardians who've stepped into the heavens. When his mind speculated Yan Zaizen's cultivation base, he felt even more excited.

While Damian was lost in his excitement, Yan Zaizen was looking down at this palace before him. Within this luxurious palace, a young woman was trapped in a cage of fire. This young woman was a spy for the male insurgency.

When he casually swept his sense over the realm earlier, this girl particularly stood out. Her actions at the time were of her arranging additional food for the male workers of the palace in secret. Her eyes had a hint of kindness and exuded a light of intelligence.

Furthermore, she intrigued him.

"A woman with exceptional talent, decent looks, and high intelligence relegated as a spy, acting as a maid for an insurgency against the realm's status quo." This truly baffled him. "Did she wish for the insurgency to succeed and enforce an era of female oppression?"

Her name was Amy Burr, a member of the Burr Family who worked for the Blazing Forest Mortal Faction's Grove Clan. They also had ties to the Blaze Clan. These ties and long-developed trust was why she could work personally for a True Lord of the Blaze Clan's Clan Lord.

Her actions were reckless, implicating the Burr Family and even her life could be lost at the slightest carelessness. To risk all of this to help enable female oppression as a female yourself truly felt mind-boggling!

It's possible she had a belief instilled into her by the insurgency or was falsely strung along by a false doctrine. Nevertheless, to be able to perform the job she's doing without a keen perception of circumstances seemed unlikely.

"Let's see." Yan Zaizen's gaze pierced all obstructions and saw Amy in her bare naked, nearly roasted state. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was calm. It was as if she was waiting for death, and indeed she was.

"Greetings." Yan Zaizen soul transmitted, his voice bolstered by his dao instilling a sovereign's tone.

"What?!" Amy's eyes opened in shock, her gaze confused and her heart trembled at this voice. As a cultivator of her level, she knew what a soul transmission was, but what shocked her was the fact she was receiving one.

"Who...are you?" Her soul's voice was timid, yet calm. Yan Zaizen couldn't help but praise her calmness in the face of his voice. This only further proved that she was special, especially in terms of her mind.

"Who I am doesn't matter, yet. However, I do have a question for you." Ignoring her curiosity, Yan Zaizen directly went to his objective.

"..." Amy didn't respond, her eyes flickering with an intelligent and profound light. One could clearly see a myriad of calculations and possibilities surging in her mind. Yet, in the end, her eyes deflated as she couldn't comprehend the situation.

This person was a male; he also could transmit his soul energy to her with the Clan Lord being none the wiser. After all, Lord Dana was still parading the fact of her victory and explaining things to her subordinates. Despite her young girl form, she was quite a braggart. This much she knew, and she could even hear it, a purposeful ploy by Lord Dana to gloat in her face.

"Why?" Yan Zaizen asked.

"..." Amy couldn't understand Yan Zaizen's question, and she was still debating if she should answer.

"Why did you help the male insurgents?" He clarified, his words seemed to contain an odd power. This power emanated boundless warmth. When Amy heard this, she felt as if she could trust this man with her life. It was as if he contained all the warmth the world had to offer, and she wished to embrace it thoroughly.

"I...I di-did it…" As she tried to answer, her words became choppy and hesitant. Yan Zaizen's eyes lit up like two suns. "She's resisting the influence of my dao?" This was even more soul-shocking than her calm mentality.

The Dao, especially his Dao, was exceptional beyond belief. Lin Feilin and Ma Xiuren were examples of such. With a word, he could influence their feelings, actions, and beliefs. It was startling and nearly devilish.

Yet, this young woman at the Qi Unification Realm could resist its influence. "Is it the soul or...something else?" As he pondered, he asked the question once more, this time with his dao deeply entrenched within.

"I did it because...the world isn't fair. It isn't equal and…" As she spoke, her words were very broad and a little confusing to hear.

"The world, no matter what world, will never be equal. It will never be fair. Before birth, at conception, we are defined by our genetics and parents. Then, we can use this and grow how we wish, further establishing inequality amongst others." Yan Zaizen said, directly destroying her reasoning. In truth, he even frowned at her words.

When has the world ever been equal? When has it been fair? Wishing for such a thing was impossible, unless you destroy individuality, intelligence, race, and species classification.

This didn't even include the fact that the male insurgency didn't wish for inequality, but a shift in the status quo in regards to genders. Supporting either side meant one would have to suffer.

"...I mean, the world we live in isn't fair." Her words were downcast and contained a deep sorrow. "Me and my brother were born together, our talents the same, our parents our the same, even our genetics are the deeply similar...yet...he and I are not equals. Gender shouldn't determine inequality! Only strength!" She lowly shouted, her emotions riled.

Yan Zaizen was taken aback. The fact such an event could happen did feel slightly ludicrous. Yet, he felt there was still more unsaid. Supporting the insurgency doesn't help…

Oh.

Yan Zaizen slightly smiled, "You wish to pit two forces against each other, weaken them in the process, and then what? Or use them as a springboard for resources by helping both sides? Increasing your own power and knowledge as a result? Change the current standards to strength and talent?"

Amy's body trembled. It was like an earthquake had shaken her entire body. "..."

"Fine, fine. I'm sure those weren't your only plans, but in your situation, all of it is ashes now, no?" Yan Zaizen's voice was a little cold and mocking.

"Think whatever you want." Amy closed her eyes, unwilling to explain further.

Yan Zaizen felt her ideology and intelligence exceeded his calculations. This left him with even more praises. He had picked her out because of curiosity, but her beliefs were aligned towards 'might makes right.' It was quite brutish, but an absolute truth in this world and something he agreed with.

How else did this status quo even begin? A strong individual, stronger than all others, had a belief they enforced. Furthermore, no one had the capital to challenge said beliefs.

If Yan Zaizen decided to casually kill this expert because of their belief, who would or could stop him? If he decided to say the rules will be inverted from then on? People will only believe that the previous way was flawed and his way was perfect.

Many males in this realm already believed in the unequal standard imposed, and they live by it with no objections as if it was as natural as breathing and sleeping.

"In that case, I have one more question."

"...?"

"Do you accept I, Yan Zaizen, as your master?" Yan Zaizen's words no longer contained his dao, and his question was said in the calmest tone imaginable. It was as if, if she decides to refuse, he would continue on his life without looking back.

"Master?" She was startled. Who was this person? Why did he do all this and what did he want her as a disciple for? However, her eyes flickered slightly. Normally, a male and a female master and disciple relationship were forbidden by realm law. This law meant only women accepted women, and men accepted men.

It further weakened the gender, disallowing males from obtaining powerful inheritances and structures. The entire social, economical, and power structure benefited females and suppressed men. The only difference is that men were not turned into slaves.

"Huuu...Haaa…" Taking a deep breath and exhaling, she closed her eyes. "I, Amy Burr of the Burr Family, is honored to be your disciple, Master." To her, who cared about the norms? If she refused, wasn't that the same as accepting her death?

Yan Zaizen nodded. He tapped his finger at the void. When this finger touched empty space, a ripple emerged. Amy Burr's body was covered in spatial energy, and her body rippled like water.

Shuu!

She vanished from her fiery cage, appearing beside Yan Zaizen and Damian. She didn't have any clothes on, but a white light covered her torso and groin, disallowing herself from being seen by anyone.

Damian jumped in fright when a young woman appeared before him shrouded in white light. "Is this my Junior Sister? But...she's…" Damian obviously noticed the age difference.

Yan Zaizen chuckled at his odd, yet hilarious expression and ignored Amy's inquisitive look. "Let's talk elsewhere." He placed his thumb to his middle-finger and smiled.

Snap!

The two disciples and their new master silently vanished in the night.