Ashlock was once again in the dreamscape below the nine vertical moons. Eight were dull, cold rocks that were barely visible despite their gargantuan sizes. Their silhouettes were only clear by creating dead zones in the sea of stars that dominated the sky.

Only one moon illuminated the sky with a vibrant purple light. The lowest of the moons that Ashlock had dubbed as the spatial moon due to its light-carrying spatial Qi. It lay on the horizon, and Ashlock had noticed it glow with more power every time he came here.

"My cultivation is progressing faster as well," Ashlock yawned. It was hard to stay awake in this dreamscape as the gentle celestial breeze made him slowly drift off to sleep. But one day, he wanted answers.

What could the moons mean?

***

Ashlock awoke the next day to a chilly winter morning.

The seasons seemed to follow the ones he was used to on Earth, but clearly, Qi made the weather changes more drastic. Some light snowfall contrasted the grey skies even though it had been blue yesterday with mild weather. "Reminds me of England's weather. It could be sunny in the morning, stormy by the afternoon, and finally snow in the evening."

Idletree Daily Sign-In System

Day: 3579

Daily Credit: 16

Sacrifice Credit: 1728

[Sign in?]

Ashlock dismissed his system message. He would spend a thousand credits in the past without another thought, but nowadays, he needed to ensure he always had some credits.

"It's been over two weeks since the meeting with the Silverspires," Ashlock idly thought as he felt his body wake up, which took far longer than usual in the cold and dark. "Diana left last night to meet Sebastian's acquaintance, who had traveled here from the Silverspire's territory to get her into the Eternal Pursuit Pavilion. I wonder how that went?"

He could have stayed up to overhear the conversation, but then he would have wasted valuable time he could have spent sleeping with his new S-grade sleeping skill {Nocturnal Genesis}.

Since he was now in the 8th stage of the Star Core Realm, Nascent Soul wasn't that far away. He was determined to reach that next realm of power as soon as possible. With his system skills and unique body, he was confident he could become the overlord of this area once he reached that new height.

So, with the goal of increasing his cultivation as fast as possible, over the last two weeks, he had instructed Douglas and Stella to use up a large chunk of the spirit stones they had looted from the bounty hunters to construct a grand Qi gathering array on Red Vine Peak and also smaller arrays in each of the numerous groves he had dotting the mountain range.

This helped boost his cultivation speed through the day, and then he had {Nocturnal Genesis} for nighttime. He also avoided using techniques that consumed his Qi, like making portals, and told everyone to fly or walk rather than rely on him to transport them around.

It was an odd thought, but to rapidly advance in power, he had to do as little as possible and sleep as much as he could.

"Cultivation really was designed for trees. I don't know how human cultivators can sit in caves for decades to go up a single stage. No wonder they are keen to flex their powers on anyone who disrespects them. Hell, I would do the same if I walked out of a cave after a decade of sitting perfectly still to get stronger, only for some brat to disrespect me."

Ashlock realized he was more grumpy in the mornings, especially during the colder months. Who wouldn't wake up in a bad mood without warm sunshine or chirping birds? Just grey skies and misery.

"I should do something productive today rather than sleep," Ashlock muttered as his body finally stopped being a sloth. He shook away the sluggishness plaguing him and got ready for a new day.

A portal suddenly rippled into existence. "Morning Tree! You're up earlier than usual," Stella said as she strode through while dragging someone by the arm. It was the corpse of a brown-haired man that Ashlock didn't recognize.

"Morning Stella, is that another one?" Ashlock asked with {Abyssal Whispers}.

"Yeah, the Redclaws reported that someone was seen snooping around in Darklight City for me. Khaos caught this blockhead trying to climb the mountain and killed him before he could even blink." Stella's hand wreathed in purple flames, and the corpse floated to Ashlock with telekinesis. "So here's an early lunch for you. I already looted the corpsenothing much to note, much like that last few fools."

Ashlock used {Consuming Abyss} to conjure black vines to devour the corpse as Stella came to sit on the bench. She didn't even bat an eye at the sound of cracking bones or the smell of dissolving flesh.

"Did you figure out that mirror artifact Ryker picked for you?" Ashlock asked. He had been relatively absent from Stella's life recently due to sleeping a lot and focusing on expanding his root network during the day since that didn't take much Qi.

His roots now sprawled out below the whole of Darklight City, had reached Slymere, and he was also far out into the wilderness and would soon arrive at the area where he had fought Nox. He had also instructed Larry to plant fruit containing a {Demonic Seed} when he hunted out in the wilderness, so there were now many small outcrops of demonic trees to the east.

Stella nodded at his question and brought out the mirror. It was a rather basic silver framed mirror about the size of a person's hand that wouldn't look out of place in a charity or antique shop. Even Stella didn't seem to find it that impressive despite how polished her reflection looked.

"I did some testing based on some ideas Sebastian gave me and from reading the runic array on the back." Stella flipped the mirror over and traced the many runic lines with her finger, "This is a rather intricate Qi storage array. I was confused about why a mirror would have a storage array until Sebastian told me some powerful defensive artifacts could absorb attacks."

"So it's a defensive artifact?"

Stella shook her head, "Yes and no. It can be used defensively but is more of an offensive artifact. There is also a reflection array, but it's built inside the mirror, so I didn't see it before."

"Reflection array? So it can store and reflect Qi?"

"Yeah, for example, I had the Elder Margret shoot a fireball at it." Stella explained, "If I insert Qi into the mirror, it can absorb and store a single attack at a time. I can then shoot the fireball back out at the same strength."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"That seems really strong? If a godly being struck you down with a lightning attack, could you store it and then shoot it back at them?"

Stella snorted, "No, that would be ridiculous. It can only store attacks weaker than the level of Qi I insert into it, and the whole thing is quite costly. Most of the time, it would be better to block the attack with my own Qi or attack myself. But I like that it gives me some options. Although I have to be careful, if I forget to put Qi into it, the artifact acts like a usual mirror. It will shatter if I simply drop it."

"So if you became a godly being, it could reflect another godly being's attack?"

Stella blinked, "Yes... that would work." She then glanced at the mirror and muttered, "I should cultivate more."

[+367 SC]

It hadn't been long, but it appeared the corpse had already been absorbed. Ashlock felt a small rush of Qi surge down the vines and enter his enormous soul. However, the rush was incredibly short-lived and felt like pouring a cup of water into a swimming pool.

"Judging from the credits I got, the corpse should be around the middle of the Star Core Realm. Perhaps 5th or 6th stage?" Ashlock was glad nobody of Nox's caliber had shown up thus far to try and kill Stella. This was the third person who had tried their luck to claim the bounty and the strongest one so far.

"Is that Diana?" Stella suddenly said, drawing Ashlock from his thoughts.

Following her gaze, Ashlock saw Diana on the horizon, gliding through the snowfall with her vast raven wings while shrouded in demonic mist. She was coming in at high speed, and rather than touching down at the edge of his canopy, she flew toward Stella with a sword drawn.

Stella lept forward off the bench and met the attack with her own sworda shower of sparks illuminated both of their faces, and a loud clang echoed out, causing a few birds that had made Ashlock's branches their home to flee in fear.

Ashlock was utterly baffled and unsure of what to do. What was going on? Why had Diana suddenly attacked Stella? To his surprise, neither could push the other back despite their cultivation differences.

"Why isn't Stella's bloodline activating?" Ashlock wondered but then came to a realization. She didn't feel threatened.

Stella suddenly vanished, making Diana stumble forward. Stella reappeared a second later beside Diana, planting a foot in her side just below her ribs, sending her hurtling a few meters through the air before Diana caught herself in midair with her wings and managed to stabilize herself before she faceplanted.

Diana grinned, showing her fangs. "To think I would fail my first-ever mission as a new bounty hunter. How shameful." She retracted her wings and landed softly on the stone below. "Also, that kick hurt."

Stella shook her head and laughed, "I hardly put anything into that kick. You're being dramatic and throwing yourself through the air like that."

"You caught me," Diana raised her hands. "But it was a good kick. I must admit."

"I assume you managed to join the Eternal Pursuit Pavilion from this rather dramatic entrance?" Ashlock asked Diana.

"Oh! Good morning, Patriarch; sorry if I woke you."

Diana apologized, quickly activated her new artifact boots to blur forward, and then sat on the bench. Her ring flashed with a silver light, and a pendant appeared in her hand.

"This used to be the headless spatial guy's pendant, but it's been switched to my name now, thanks to Sebastian's contact, so I didn't have to travel all the way to one of their branches to pick one up."

Stella came to sit beside Diana and squinted at the pendant, "What name did you register with?"

"Diana Ravenborne," she sighed, "Sebastian's contact refused to let me register with a fake name. Apparently, if it's discovered that you registered with a fake name, you are banished on the spot."

"Interesting. Did the contact explain why?" Ashlock asked. It seemed like a strange requirement for an admittedly very public underground organization focused on killing people.

Diana flipped over the pendant. Inserting some Qi, the whole thing glowed, and Stella's bounty appeared.

[Death of Stella Crestfallen]

Target's estimated threat level: Star Core 1 [Unverified]

Affiliation with Ashfallen Trading Company: Star Core 9 [Unverified]

Bounty: 6,000 Yinxi Coins. Double if completed by sundown (failed).

The bounty is placed by Nox Duskwalker, and the target is at the marked location. For more information, consult a Lotus Informant.

"Bounties are tied to the name of the person who ordered them. So, in this example, it would be Nox Duskwalker. Names have a reputation, and I was already advised against taking bounties from a few people."

"That's rather inconvenient," Ashlock grumbled, "Your surname connects you to the Blood Lotus Sect, Darklight City, and if Nox hears of it, she may recognize it."

Diana nodded, "That's true, but the only time my name will appear publically is if I place a bounty. When I sell pills for Yinxi Coins, only the Lotus Informat I am selling to will be aware of my full name if I want to remain as anonymous as possible. Besides, we can always use a proxy to place the bounties."

"A proxy?" Stella asked.

"You can transfer Yinxi Coins to someone else and have them place the bounty for you using their name," Diana shrugged, "They are willing to sacrifice their reputation for a little extra on the side."

"Should be fine then." Ashlock mused, "So these Lotus Informats are like guild NPCs that act behind the scenes. Good to know."

Unaware of his thoughts, Stella said, "Did you ask the Lotus Informat person about my bounty?"

"Yeah, alongside others to not look suspicious," Diana replied, "You have one of the highest bounties that a person of the Crimson Tracker rank would take, so you will have many mid-level Star Core fools after you."

"Crimson Tracker?" Stella tilted her head, "What's that?"

"There are three ranks of bounty hunters, from my understanding. I am currently of the lowest rank, an Iron Seeker. Since I am strong enough to be Crimson Tracker, which is the next rank, I will be promoted if I go to a branch and take some tests because of who recommended me." Diana paused, "So your bounty appeals to these people the most. It may be an unverified one, which means your true strength is unknown, but it's paying triple any other bounty the Lotus Informat recommend me, so some desperate people will hunt you despite the risk."

Stella hummed in thought, "Mhm, what were the other bounties like?"

"Lots of ones for around 1,000 to 3,000 Yinxi Coins for all types of people. Many Merchants were on the list alongside scions of families I assume reside in the Tainted Cloud Sect since I didn't recognize their surnames." Diana tapped the pendant as she tried to remember, "Oh yeah, there was one for 100,000 Yinxi Coins for the Blood Lotus Patriarch. I was told a bounty like that would only be taken on by a Jade Sentinel, which is the highest rank. They are the elites of the pavilion. But maybe Ashlock could kill him and credit me for the kill?"

"That's a great idea," Ashlock replied. He should be strong enough to fight the Patriarch within the next year. But for that, he needed peace and quiet so he could focus on getting stronger. Not wasting Qi on charging up his Ents to kill these Crimson Tracker idiots and possibly a few Jade Sentinels.

"The corpses are tasty, but it's just annoying," Ashlock mulled, "I want the Redclaws to start taking on cultivators of other affinities from Darklight City, but with bounty hunters snooping around, it's too risky. I don't want a bounty hunter to slip in under the guise of joining the Ashfallen Sect just to stab Stella in the face."

Luckily, there was a solution. Ashlock could have Kaida infuse his will through divine ink to create contracts similar to oaths as they were overseen by the heavens. But for that to happen sustainably, Kaida needed an ink affinity Bastion to call home where he could cultivate ink Qi.

"When did I last check on Kaida and his ink tree? A few days ago? Maybe it's taken on ink affinity by now?" Ashlock's vision blurred as he descended the mountain through his roots and into the well-obscured rock ship that housed the ink lake.

Ashlock had been making use of {Nocturnal Genesis} to speed up the growth of himself and his entire forest. But the skill really showed its value by speeding up the development of the tree in the ink lake and those that made up groves. For example, the illusion affinity trees that Elaine had been cultivating in the middle of for the last two weeks were now releasing even more Qi as their cultivation stages increased.

Kaida was lounging on the rocky shore of the ink lake, reading over one of the many books Ashlock had given him. The Lindwyrm lazily flipped the pages as his long tail trailed off into the ink lake and swished around, causing ripples.

As much as Ashlock loved his pet snake and wanted to say hello, he first checked on what he came here for. Using {Progeny Dominion}since its restriction of soul damage wasn't so big of a concern anymore, a fragment of his soul traveled through the roots and entered the tree.

Ignoring Kaida's surprised shriek from the tree bursting into flames and pressure descending on the room, Ashlock could confirm that the weak little tree had a tiny Soul Core attuned to the ink affinity. Which meant it was time to create his second-ever Bastion.