Elder Cultivator

Ambati. No sects or clans held a dominant position, but they had managed to keep their conflicts to a minimum. Most of the world no longer had a problem with food- enhanced growing techniques allowed land to be used much more efficiently. Even what had once been less desirable land due to poor soil quality or vicious beasts could be claimed and brought to some level of functionality. Perhaps in another century or two they would have to solve issues of overcrowding, but Anton hoped by that time people could work together towards that goal. Or they would wipe out another third or half of their population like the wars a half century earlier. That was a terrible method, but it would happen.

It was a shame that prosperity might eventually bring problems along with it. Even if more people were ascending, it couldn’t possibly hope to keep up with the growth of even a moderate population. One a year, a handful, even if they got to hundreds or thousands it wouldn’t be enough. Though people could simply choose to be more conservative with having children. It was the struggle for limited resources between factions that might become an issue.

That was not a problem Anton could deal with himself, but by fostering relations between people and countries he could hope that they would work things through. His reason for coming to Amabati wasn’t for anything official, but just for a visit. Simply coming for a visit as the sect head of a powerful group meant something, but Anton knew people would read into his actions whatever they wanted. Though most had a positive opinion of him.

He expected to find who he was looking for at a great distance, but could not sense her. She should be staying in the area, but perhaps she had roamed off on some distant mission. Anton hadn’t announced his trip ahead of time, so he had no expectation his arrival would be anticipated.

Asking around in the nearby city was fairly straightforward. Those with the highest cultivations would at least know of each other. A few had only heard of the archer, but one older man had some knowledge of her location. “Why do you seek her?” he asked.

“She was my student,” Anton said. “I can’t guide her along her current path, but I did help her with her early path of archery.”

“Ah. It is you,” the old man said. “I had expected your aura to be more… domineering.”

“That would be completely unnecessary,” Anton pointed out.

“That doesn’t stop everyone,” the man grinned. “Nthanda has spoken well of you in the past, and would certainly be glad to see you once more. She is currently in Kintale, half a day’s…” the man shook his head, “Somewhere around thirty kilometers to the north.”

Anton stretched his senses out, immediately sweeping over the area. “There are no villages there that I can find. Nor can I sense her.”

The man blinked. “You should as you get closer, though I must say that it is not a village in a traditional sense. Many would refer to it as a nest. Void ants.”

“Ah,” Anton nodded. That informed how he should be searching. He could not directly feel void ants, but he could still determine their locations if he was careful. When they were closer, the details of their presence was easier to sense, as he would be quite aware of gaps in his senses. Even at a ‘modest’ distance, however, his senses were less attuned to those finer details. “I see. I believe I have found it.” An ant’s nest mainly consisted of underground tunnels, and void ants were no different… at a base. However, their intelligence allowed them to construct more complex structures- and to expand instead of merely tunneling. There were other ants that did something similar, creating great ant mounds, but void ants were more intentional with their design. They had regular patterns… and even some purely aesthetic choices. Many tunnels were wider than that of normal ants, because although void ants did not reach anything particularly large for an insect, they varied in size from the standard black ants to the size of a thumb. Though the Great Queen was the only example of the latter at the moment.

Having found Kindale, Anton noticed signs nearby. They were for the sake of humans, notifying them. He should have spotted them earlier, but he was focused on finding a person. That was a note he’d have to make for future study. Speaking of that person, Nthanda should still be something he could sense.

“She’s certainly made progress,” Anton said. “Thank you for the information, good sir.”

“You’re welcome,” the man nodded.

Nthanda was difficult to sense, but compared to a void ant it was much simpler. It seemed she’d continued her training to gain their properties, and thus his energy senses had glossed over her. However, she left a much larger gap, and once he sensed her he could find traces of natural energy she was manipulating as well. Though for a Life Transformation cultivator, it was barely anything. The only natural energy she used was to form the string on the bow Anton had given her, and only the tiniest amounts of that energy leaked away. Excellent progress.

Anton took a quick stroll, enjoying the nature around him but not wanting to waste too much time. While he had nothing to do urgently at the moment, there were always things that could be done. But he wasn’t too hasty. Leisure was important.

The area was remote, but it did have something resembling a road going through it. He took that route, not because he needed to, but because he wanted to leave a good impression on the void ants. It was their territory after all.

“Hello there,” Anton waved as he approached. “I’m just here to see Nthanda.” A few dozen meters away, two ants looked at each other, their limbs moving. “I do see you, in fact. And I understand your sign.”

Ants couldn’t blush, but as their language had developed they picked up certain tics that showed emotions even to humans. It was a faster way for them to communicate with each other as well, since pheromones could be slow and inexact. The two guard ants quickly recovered and returned to their duties, waving their forelimbs and antennae.

“I would be happy to accept an escort. Do you wish to walk alongside or ride along?”

As he held out his finger for one of them to climb up, Anton thought about how strangely vulnerable he was. A single void ant- with the exception of the Great Queen or perhaps a few of similar power or age- could do little bit create small lacerations before being destroyed. But having reached Assimilation, his relative battle strength against void ants was more or less the same. He was little better than a cultivator who had just finished the second half of Spirit Building in terms of body, which was about as far as the average cultivator went.

Though Nthanda was an exception. There were others who practiced Western Steel Body as well, but even most of them incorporated more energy. Nthanda simply wasn’t suited for storing or using large amounts of natural energy, but she found a way that worked.

“Hello again,” Anton announced himself as he approached. “Your progress is remarkable.”

She turned towards him with a smile. “Grand Elder… no, Sect Head. I had not expected you.”

“You can just call me Anton,” he said. “I’m not here on sect related business. Just came to see how you were doing.”

“Now you have seen,” she nodded. “What do you think?”

“As I said, remarkable progress,” he looked at her and nodded. Her skin had already been dark, but it was closer to black, with a faint sheen to it. It wasn’t quite the chitin of the void ants, but it was a remarkable recreation of those properties. “Your energy control is impressive as well. And what are those arrows?”

Nthanda pulled an arrow from her pack to show him. It was entirely made of metal, including the ‘feathers’. “This is a form of shape restoring metal. Once set into form, it will return to that form unless great effort is taken to keep it from happening.” She snapped the arrow in half, showing Anton the two parts, then pressed them back together. The metal around the break almost melted back together, and within a few moments it was whole. “I need replace many fewer. If an enemy wished they might destroy all of my arrows, but the extra energy expenditure in combat would be significant for no immediate gain. I have also been studying different body tempering techniques to improve my own.”

Anton nodded. “You’re getting close to the peak of Life Transformation. Another couple decades, perhaps?”

“Something like that,” she acknowledged. “Though I’m not sure what I will do after that.”

“Unfortunately, I have no advice,” Anton shrugged. “Not that directly applies, anyway. What should you do? Tear apart space with your bare hands?” He paused, “Perhaps that could be done, but I wouldn’t have any idea where to start.”

“It might not matter. At the moment, I am not sure if I would wish to ascend anyway. Here, I am strong. In the upper realms…”

“You would still be strong,” Anton said. “But it is true that your control over your destiny would be more limited. Those of us who have reached that place have found various difficulties. But that’s the path of cultivation.”

She nodded. “Can you help improve my distance shooting? I lose track of my arrows once they are far away, and I am unsure why they are going off course. Simply having your senses to tell me would be a great boon.”

“Of course,” Anton smiled. “Any time.” He meant it too. That was the sort of thing he was devoted to, and he very much enjoyed the process. It let him feel good about himself and the world.

-----

Some time later, almost exactly halfway across the continent, Anton found himself once more underneath a great tree. His best bow was made via the contributions of the Grandfather Willow, his mental connection making it even more effective than just the materials could achieve.

Lev had clearly sensed him coming from afar, and Anton was directly guided to meet him. Anton took a sip of tea. “I am happy to say that part of my visit is social. But I do have some questions that we need to get to at some point.”

Lev nodded, “I have sent for Elder Varela to join us. I’m sure you will not mind.”

“Not at all. Last time we met we were swamped with diplomatic nonsense, so we hardly got to talk.”

“Good,” Lev smiled. “So what are these questions? Might as well get them out of the way.”

“Well, I’ve been encountering a type of energy. I don’t know where it comes from, and though it seems safe… I am rather suspicious.”

“Describe it for me,” Lev said.

“Well it’s-” Anton was going to describe it, “Easier to see, actually.” He felt some coming vaguely towards them. It bypassed him, but he snatched it. It was much more slippery than he’d previously encountered. “This sort of thing. A strand of energy.”

Lev waved for him to let it go, and it continued towards him, and into him. “In fact, I do have some idea. I started to see it some time ago and began to look into it. Even the Exalted Archipelago’s information was limited but… it would generally be called Devotion.”

“Where does it come from?” Anton asked.

“From people,” Lev said. “How much have you encountered?”

“Just a few strands now and then,” Anton said.

“I’m surprised,” Lev frowned. “I would expect there to be more.”

“Is it common?”

“Not necessarily, but with you being you… there are many who are grateful to you for one thing or another. Though I suppose you do travel around frequently. It might have trouble finding you.”

“So it comes from… people? I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that.”

“That… is quite like you, actually. And perhaps you are right, in some ways. But I would not reject it. Devotion cannot be used by any but its intended. The information I have indicated that people could be encouraged to produce more, but that is where it might be inappropriate. People subconsciously offering you devotion in some manner will not harm them, but if they are encouraged to cultivate devotion over more practical alternatives, it can stunt their growth.”

“So… I can disregard it then?” Anton asked.

“I suppose that is reasonable,” Lev nodded.

“Why am I only noticing it now?” Anton questioned. “I haven’t really changed. Was it related to the… events in the Exalted Archipelago?”

“From what I know, it shouldn’t be. Not directly, at least. Being in awe of your power might change how people feel about you, of course, but it simply can’t be sensed or used by those who have not surpassed Life Transformation.”

“Not at all?” Anton asked.

Lev shrugged, “Speaking in absolutes seemes liable to result in me being incorrect. Not as far as I know, but again… limited information. Perhaps those in the upper realms might know more.”

“I suppose they would, if ascension cultivators can interact with it. At the current moment the majority of those I’m in contact with are in Everheart’s Tomb.” Anton frowned, “And I just had an idea.”

“Oh?” Lev raised an eyebrow.

“It’s a stupid one,” Anton said. “But perhaps they’ll have answers for that as well. But I’d rather not say it aloud.” He sipped his tea. “Varela’s almost here. Perhaps we can talk about something more pleasant than mysteries of cultivation we don’t understand.”