Stormbreaker Coast Province, Green Horse Kingdom
Percy Jackson POV:
I groan as I slowly stir, far too familiar with the feeling of awakening from unconsciousness, and my eyes flutter open, only to immediately close as the sun glares down on me. "Damn it Apollo," I irreverently send in his general direction as I roll to my feet, opening my eyes more slowly this time, the sun's warmth easing some of my aches. I look around…and I freeze. I'm on top of a cliff high above the ocean, with rolling hills spreading out as far as I can see when I look inland, but there are several things that immediately tell me that I'm not in Kansas anymore.
For a start, the floating islands far in the distance, hovering several miles above the sea, are a fairly good indicator. On the other side of me, there's mountains that dwarf anything on Earth, and given that the day is utterly cloudless, I can tell how massive they are. My breath starts coming more quickly, and I remember Chiron's lessons, forcing myself to start calming down, my trembling hands easing little by little. My first priority is to try and remember what the last familiar thing I saw was…but it's something of a haze. I remember Gaia swatting the Argo II out of the skies, and seeing Leo smashed into a bloody paste.
I…kind of went wild after that, hurling myself into the fight. I remember dragging her into the sea, but a lot of the memories of that fight are lost in the haze of battle. My clothes have been replaced with a chiton of shimmering blue fabric, and I start fumbling through it, looking for a pocket where Riptide might be. When I fail to find it, my breath starts coming faster again. I shake my head in denial of the loss, and something flies out of my hair. A hairpin that, when I grasp it, shimmers and extends into Riptide. Tears of relief come to my eyes. At least there's something familiar here, and that settles me enough to start trying to get my bearings again.
I find a trail down the cliff towards the ocean, seeking somewhere inhabited by other people, who will hopefully be able to help me figure out a way back home. I'm not yet entirely certain what's going on with this entire thing, but I know that I need to find a way back home so I can figure out what happened with Gaia. Still, Chiron always told me to break things down into smaller, more easily achievable objectives. So my first objective is to find somewhere with other people who I can ask for details of where I am and what's going on around her. My second objective is to figure out a way back home after that. Maybe with the magic that seems to be around here, they'll know of some way to contact Poseidon so he can pick me up? Or at least tell me what's going on back home. Even if they don't have some way to do so, then I can at least find somewhere I can get food. And sensible clothes.
I always feel like I'm in a dress when wearing a chiton, and it's just strange. The knee-length garment is just so different from everything I'm used to wearing. I've grown up wearing jeans and a T-shirt most of the time, and I don't think I'm ever going to get into the habit of wearing clothes like these, no matter how traditional for demigods they might be. I might not be much for fashion, that's mostly stuff I leave to Aphrodite's cabin, but clothing has moved on in the last few thousand years. Men don't wear these sorts of things anymore. I consider Riptide, unsure of how to transport it easily, but the thought has it shrinking back down into a hairpin. I slowly return it to its place in my hair, and shake my head. The pin stays firmly lodged in my hair, and I consider that to be good enough. Besides, even if I lose it, Riptide always comes back to me.
As I make my way to the base of the cliff, I don't see any villages or anything around here. I don't let that discourage me, moving towards the water and wading out into the waves, and immediately getting a nasty surprise. The waters are different in a way I know instinctively but can't really describe in words. It's just…there's a presence here, but it's foreign. The waters still welcome me, and I feel energy rushing into me, soothing the headache I have from my recent bout with unconsciousness, but something is still off. Suddenly, I feel a whole lot more certain that wherever I am, it is very, very far from Kansas.
I wade out until I'm able to fully submerge myself beneath the waves, finding that I'm still able to breathe underwater, thankfully. I send a quick prayer to Poseidon, and then try to take control of the water around me. When I succeed, I shape it into a shell around myself, and then propel that shell through the waves, heading out to sea. The familiar tugging in my gut is there, but this time, it feels subtly different. Like there's some sort of energy flowing out of me. Equally, though, there's energy flowing into me from the ocean around me, every breath I draw easing the tug in my gut. Once fairly well out to sea, I shift position, letting myself float in place.
It's then that I notice that I don't know where I am. I always know where I am when I'm at sea, but right now, I have no idea where I am. I grimace, this bit of extra proof that I'm far from home stacking on top of the rest…but I shove it down for the moment. I need to focus on something else. Anything else. I keep looking around…and then I see a lot of small boats which are probably fishing boats, given the nets they're using. All of them are sailboats, and look very different from the sailboats I'm familiar with. I manage to identify the style as similar to an ancient Chinese junk after remembering some history lessons. I mostly paid attention to them because they mentioned ships, but it's proving useful now.
I can't see the people on the boats from this far away, but it's a good start. If I'm somewhere Chinese…well, I don't speak the language, but I can probably find someone who speaks English with a little work. Given the presence I can feel in the waters here, and given my experience with the Kanes, there's probably Chinese gods as well, and I might be able to get them to help me to contact Poseidon so he can help me get home. First, though, I need to have an idea of how to contact the local gods. Which the people here will hopefully be able to help me with, without me getting in trouble with the local government. I've had enough trouble with the government for a lifetime already, after what happened during my quest for Zeus' master bolt back when I first discovered that I was a demigod. I don't need to add trouble with a foreign government on top of that. Hopefully, though, this goes quickly and easily.
As soon as I think that, I wince, knowing I've just jinxed myself. Nothing ever goes easily for a demigod who tempts the Fates, and they really seem to have it out for me. Seriously, making me be part of two Great Prophecies? Plus all of the quests before fighting Kronos? I've just tempted them, and I brace myself for something big and nasty. I'm not disappointed, as I feel something large rushing towards me…and then past me. I don't see it, but I do feel it rushing towards the fishing boats, and the walled town that I can see just beyond their sails. With gritted teeth, I surround myself with a shell of water once more and propel myself after it. Whatever this is, I need to find out if it means those people harm. In my experience large, fast-moving things are never good, but who knows? In a new land, maybe that will change for the better?
When I see a massive sea serpent rear out of the harbor and start smashing the docks, along with any fishing boats within its range, I sigh in exasperation. Of course things can't be nice and friendly for once. That would be too easy. I check again that Riptide is secure, and increase my speed. It got there well before me, but now that I'm closer, I see that the boats are manned by humans, and I'm not about to let a monster kill a bunch of mortals. Perhaps if I drive the monster off or kill it, it'll make a good impression and convince them to help me get home more quickly? It's about time that my luck turned for the better.
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Sapphire Cove Township, Stormbreaker Coast Province, Green Horse Kingdom
Bai Yáo curses as yet another of the formations on the walls of Sapphire Cove shatters under the assault of the Tyrant Tidal Wave Serpent. Of all the times for their village to attract the attention of a Spirit Beast like this. It might only be a juvenile, but it's still far more than she alone can handle. Normally, Sapphire Cove would have a garrison of Disciples from the Silver Wave Sect, but all of them are currently away participating in the Rising Storm Tournament, leaving her alone to deal with the town's defense. She had intended to participate in the inter-Sect tournament, but she had drawn the short stick, and had been left behind to assure the town that it wasn't being abandoned by the Sect.
Right now, though, that's a problem. Her skills lie in formations and in alchemy. Not in fighting Spirit Beasts that have notoriously thick hides and short tempers. If only some of the meatheads that should be here were present, she'd have far less trouble. As it is, though, they're gone, and the nearest support from the Sect that might have a chance of doing something is hours away.
Sapphire Cove will be a smoking ruin, and Bai Yáo a corpse, within the next hour. She sighs, considering her talisman papers, figuring out which, if any of them, might be useful here. The most useful one is a lightning talisman, but that one has little power to penetrate the Spirit Beast's armored hide, sadly. The next-best is a fire talisman, but that one will have to deal with the Tyrant Tidal Wave Serpent's Water Qi, and it will almost certainly be overwhelmed. Bai Yáo looks at the town where she was born a century ago, and which will soon be her grave, and takes up her talismans. They aren't ideal for this fight, but neither is she. So she'll just have to do her best to at least ensure the Spirit Beast leaves Sapphire Cove with a few new scars, maybe even lasting injuries. She's not going to win this fight, but she can't run either.
For one, she's not the kind of person who can abandon innocent mortals to a rampaging Spirit Beast. For another, she's not a coward, to flee in the face of death. Third and finally…if she ran, the Silver Wave Sect would make a point of hunting her down and executing her for costing them face by abandoning a town under their protection. So if she's going to die anyway, she's going to die fighting an enemy she might actually be able to hurt. She curses every last one of the other Outer Disciples who departed for the tournament, especially since they took the stock of cultivation pills with them, justifying it as a 'requisition to assist in their progress.'
As Bai Yáo approaches the harbor, she keeps her gaze on the enemy. She might only be a Qi Condensation Stage cultivator, but she's still hoping to make her death worth something. Even if it's only buying a minute or two. If she's lucky. The grim thoughts put a frown on her face, but she's realistic enough to know what she's facing down. The Spirit Beast is the sort of foe that requires a Wellspring Formation Stage cultivator to put down. Ideally one on the higher Steps of that Stage, but even a First Step cultivator of that Stage would have a better chance than her, with her lacking supplies. She's barely even had time to gather ingredients to make new talismans and pills, much less actually produce the things.
Then the water near the Tyrant Tidal Wave Serpent erupts, a pillar of water rising from the waves, and reshaping itself into a giant hand that grasps the Spirit Beast and tears it out of the waves, thrashing in the watery hold. It's lifted above the waves, struggling all the while, but its struggles are futile as the hand tosses it further out to sea. The Spirit Beast roars in rage and moves to swim towards the town once more, but a wall of water rises to block its path as a man rises from the waves, standing on top of the water. Bai Yáo feels a rush of Water Qi hit her as the other cultivator flares his power, drawing a bronze sword of an odd design.
Her Qi rushes to her eyes, and she sees the other cultivator's features. He looks a bit strange, likely from some barbarian land…maybe even from another continent? The look is a bit exotic, though. His garb is also strange, seemingly created from a single piece of cloth wrapped around his body and pinned together at the shoulders. His sword glows with an unearthly light…an artifact weapon perhaps? Bai Yáo hasn't had a chance to learn anything from the Artifact Pavilion yet, but she aspires to one day create treasures of her own. Maybe even something worth putting in the Core Vault of the Sect. The man's eyes focus on the serpent, and he shouts something that Bai Yáo can't make out properly. But it's apparently a challenge.
The Spirit Beast lunges, massive jaws opening to devour the other cultivator, instead of spitting out a jet of Qi-hardened water. The man dances away from the lunge, and his sword flickers out, spearing into one of the eyes of the Serpent, drawing a roar of pain from the creature. Bai Yáo winces a little as well. That was a valuable reagent…but between killing the beast more effectively and preserving all of the reagents, then the former is preferable. The Serpent bellows and thrashes, kicking up massive waves, but the water around the man is undisturbed. He apparently has greater control of the water than the Spirit Beast, which is reassuring. It means that Bai Yáo might actually survive today…though if the other cultivator wins, she'll be at his mercy, unless the Serpent wounds him badly enough for her to fight him and win.
Which, given how easily he's dancing around the Spirit Beast's attacks, a mocking smile on his lips, is highly unlikely. Which means that Bai Yáo is going to have to deal with the other cultivator, with absolutely no backup. While being weaker than him. Just her luck. The Silver Wave Sect isn't going to care much what happens to her. She might have potential, but she's still weak, and her potential won't pay off for years to come. A new Inner Disciple-level talent right now, who's more combatively focused, will be worth more to them…unless he's several decades older than he looks to be. Which he probably isn't. He still carries some traces of youth about his face, which means that his Wellspring Formation Stage cultivation has been achieved at an age similar to Bai Yáo's own. Which isn't good for her. She's been able to dodge being made into a bedwarmer so far…but a pretty face and weak cultivation is a bad combination.
Especially when the Silver Wave Sect needs as many combat-focused talents as it can possibly get right now, to recover from the losses taken when the Green Horse Kingdom and the Yellow Bear Kingdom went to war just a few years back. Every Sect had been made to send most of its best fighters, and all of them had been mauled. The war ended inconclusively, and everyone knows that they'll be at war again in a hundred years or so. For now, though, there's an opening in the power struggles of Stormbreaker Coast, and the Silver Wave Sect is going to do its best to take advantage of that. A young, talented fighter who might break through to Core Formation while still a youth, if he's as young as Bai Yáo thinks he is? That will be utterly irresistible to the Elders, since he'll be able to dominate the inter-Sect tournaments in a few years.
True, open conflict between the Sects is limited, but whichever Sect wins the Rising Storm and the Rising Tide tournaments, and which can keep winning them, is going to steadily build up its influence among the Sects. Which will let them edge out the crippled Supreme Gale Sect and claim the emptied position of preeminent Sect in Stormbreaker Coast.
Offering a mere Outer Disciple like Bai Yáo to sweeten the deal and provide the other cultivator with a tie to the Sect? The Elders won't hesitate for a heartbeat. So Bai Yáo will have to look out for herself, and reach some understanding with the other cultivator before anyone else arrives, which will be complicated by him being a foreigner. Bai Yáo sighs as she turns back towards her sanctum. She won't be of much help in the fight that's going on…and she has a translation talisman to make, given that they apparently don't speak the same language. Hopefully this ends up being worth it. If she doesn't manage to convince the other cultivator to at least hear the Elders out when a representative of the Sect arrives, she'll definitely be punished.
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I keep my focus on the sea serpent as I push myself away from another lunge by it. It's easy enough to slide over the surface of the water, outracing the thing's attacks, and I need to gauge how dangerous the monsters are here. I'm probably going to have to fight more beasts like this at some point, and that means that I need to know what I'm dealing with from the start. This one would be a pretty even match for me…if we weren't in the water. It tried to shoot jets of high pressure water at me a time or two, but the attacks weren't able to harm me. It seemed to be pretty pissed off when its attacks just splashed off of me, but I don't really care about that.
It isn't as fast as some of the enemies I've fought, and in the water, I can dodge it all day long, and I'm wearing it down cut by cut. Its scales are pretty tough, but Riptide is able to slice into them, and I've already half-blinded the thing, along with stabbing it in other parts of the face a few dozen times. Still, I do need to finish it off…and I'm starting to feel like a jerk with how lopsided this fight is turning out to be. Seriously, it keeps on roaring in pain whenever I poke it with Riptide, and I might kill monsters, but I don't torture them. I'm also not really interested in taking up the practice of torturing monsters. That way lies acting like Luke and going nuts enough to do something like join up with Kronos to topple Olympus.
I dodge a few more lunges, and slip away from a few sweeps of the sea serpent's tail, before I see my opening, leaping onto its back and grabbing one of its horns with one hand, using the other hand to plunge Riptide into the top of the sea serpent's skull. It roars…and slumps, falling into the water. But it doesn't dissolve into dust, unlike the monsters I'm familiar with. I grit my teeth as I pull Riptide out, and I consider letting the carcass sink or float away. Before I can do so, though, I notice that there's boats making their way out with ropes and other equipment for towing something large…like the carcass. So it's probably valuable and the people here want it, which means that making things easier for them might win me some points.
With a gesture, I solidify the water beneath the carcass and start walking towards the shore, using the water to push the sea serpent's body towards the shore as well. Loud exclamations come from some of the boats, but they all sound excited and relieved. Some of them are cheering, and I see some of them bowing towards me, which makes me wince. I don't need that kind of subservience, and it makes me move faster towards the shore. I need to speak with someone who can explain where I am soon, and help me get across that I don't need people bowing to me. I'm not a god or anything, just a demigod. I don't want people thinking that I'm getting too big for my boots or something like that. That way lies lightning bolts. I've done pretty well with not getting killed by Zeus so far, I'd like to continue that trend.
I walk onto the shore, Riptide shrinking and being tucked away, getting exclamations of interest from the mortals, and I feel the flow of power from the water leaving me, grunting as I suddenly feel a deep desire to take a nap. Which is probably how Nico feels after too much shadow traveling, from what he's said before. Still, while just collapsing and going to sleep for a few hours sounds tempting, it's probably not polite. Some of the approaching people have long knives, and I consider diving back into the water, but I'm kind of committed now. Instead, I haul the sea serpent's carcass up onto the beach, and then the mortals with knives start cutting it up.
I'm to give them a hand when I notice someone approaching. A girl about my age with lustrous, emerald-green hair that's allowed to fall all the way to her waist, her eyes a deep indigo that bores into me. She's wearing heavy robes of simple black fabric, and there's a sword strapped to her side that I don't think gets used much, from the lack of wear on the hilt. The sheath also appears to be pretty much new, and there's dust clinging to the wraps of the hilt and the sheath, giving me the idea that the weapon is usually stored somewhere, and doesn't get taken out much, bringing a slight frown to my face. I can feel power from her…not like the aura of a god or demigod, but not like the Kanes either. Well, it doesn't radiate like divine power does, but it feels similar to the power I can feel in the water around here. Another demigod, maybe? I move towards her, hoping to get some answers and get this adventure over with quickly.
I need to get home. I need to see mom again. And Chiron. And everyone else. The lady bows as I approach, striding over the sands, and I return the bow, taking my best guess as to how deep it should be. I don't seem to offend her, so it's probably fine…and then she pulls a piece of paper out of one of her sleeves and slaps it onto my forehead, a surge of heat coming from it and rushing into my skull, the sudden spike of pain giving me a sudden, splitting headache.
Suddenly, I feel a lot more sympathetic towards Zeus if this is how he felt when Athena was in his head, though fortunately the feeling of sympathy quickly passes. I rub my temples, trying to massage the pain away, my vision swimming, darkness encroaching on the edges of my vision, trying to drag me back into unconsciousness. I stride back towards the sea, splashing myself with saltwater, and a feeling of relief comes over me as the power of the ocean restores me, the pain fading away into nothingness. Once I no longer have a headache, I turn towards the woman, feeling a bit angry now. Seriously, what kind of greeting was that?
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Bai Yáo looks at the other cultivator as his eyes harden, and his fingers twitch as if longing for his sword, and she winces. If she'd had a better translation talisman available, she would have used it, but Sapphire Cove almost never sees foreigners who don't already speak Imperial Common, so the talisman was judged unnecessary. The reagents she used for the ink were hastily prepared and not the highest quality, and the paper wasn't great either, and now she might have started things off with this other cultivator rather poorly. The sudden rush of information as the knowledge of an unfamiliar language, in its spoken and written forms, is transferred can be painful if the talisman is of lower level, which hers was.
At the very least, he didn't faint, and Bai Yáo can mend this. "This Bai Yáo apologizes for the pain, but regrettably this one did not have access to a higher-quality translation talisman," she bows in apology. "Is there some way that this one might make recompense for her actions?"
The other cultivator's face twists in confusion for a moment, then he smiles. It's a kind smile, and a bit amused. "Don't worry about it," the man shakes his head. "I was a bit worried about talking to you, so thanks for that." Bai Yáo sighs in relief. He seems willing to forgive her transgression easily enough. He's not even asking for any of her reagents as an apology, so things are off to a good start. "Do they need help with cutting that sea serpent up, or do you want to talk?" He seems peaceable enough, and his request is rather convenient.
"The mortals of the town are easily capable of harvesting a juvenile Spirit Beast like that, and they'll prepare the reagents for you," Bai Yáo assures the man. "There is no need to trouble yourself with something so minor…and we do need to speak. There are some concerns that my superiors will wish to have raised." Such as how much it will take to recruit him for their Sect.
"Lead on, then," the man tells her, and Bai Yáo allows herself a small smile. He's letting her pick the ground where they're going to have their conversation, and that's already giving her a lot of trust. If they spoke here, at the shore, he'd definitely have an advantage, but apparently the other cultivator is a lot better mannered than some of the men she's met before. Such as most of her fellow Outer Disciples…including the ones who share this garrison duty with her. He strides after her with long, confident steps, offering friendly smiles and greetings to those mortals they pass, whose voices tremble with awe as they return the greetings. It's rare that a cultivator acknowledges mortals so easily. It's a promising sign, but Bai Yáo doesn't relax.
Not until she reaches her family's ancestral shrine. None of her other family members are here at the moment, thankfully. She feels the wards, weak as they are, welcome her as she steps into the large shrine. "Please, enter," she turns to the man, seeing that he remained outside, bowing his head respectfully. Another good sign regarding his attitude and the chances of this ending peacefully. When he steps into the wards, Bai Yáo flinches minutely. She can feel his power now, and the connection that runs to something…or someone, far distant. The one beyond her senses…that power is vast beyond comprehension. Deep as the seas and as high as the Heavens, mighty as the earth and the storm. The other cultivator's power feels like an echo of the one he's connected to, carrying the feeling of wind and water and sword.
A martial cultivator who came across an elemental cultivation manual? An elemental cultivator who picked up some tricks of sword cultivation? Either way, the connection the man has carries a strong feeling of possessiveness. Could he be a direct disciple of a Golden Core or even a Nascent Soul cultivator? A cultivator that strong would instantly be at the peak of Stormbreaker Coast. Perhaps this man is so calm and peaceful because he knows of the power such backing gives him? The only Nascent Soul cultivator that Bai Yáo has ever heard of is the Emperor of the Yellow Falcon Empire, the great state far to the east of the Green Horse Kingdom.
If this man is the vanguard of an invasion by a cultivator of such power…yes, he has the strength and the backing to be so utterly confident. Bai Yáo's breath comes a little faster as she considers whether her message talismans could get a warning off quickly enough. "Is there somewhere I should sit?" The man asks, and Bai Yáo has her attention dragged back to the man. She needs to focus on this right now. If she survives this meeting, maybe she'll have some answers that she can send back to the Sect. She gestures towards a bit of the floor in front of the primary shrine, to the founder of her family, Bai Hǎi, who built Sapphire Cove twenty-four thousand years ago, and who was a powerful Core Formation cultivator.
Bai Yáo kneels in front of the shrine, and the other cultivator mimics her, though he is clearly less practiced in sitting like this. Bai Yáo kowtows to her ancestor ten times, the other cultivator mimicking her again, the two of them paying their respects to the ancient cultivator. After his death, Bai Hǎi became her family's guardian spirit, and Bai Yáo makes a quick offering of incense for her venerable ancestor. She's the first cultivator in her family since Bai Hǎi, but she's shown significant talent, and he's favored her before. Maybe he'll favor her once more now, when she most needs it? A moment later, his funerary tablet flashes golden, and suddenly, a man is sitting in front of them. His hair is the same emerald as Bai Yáo's, and worn in a queue, which went out of style fifteen thousand years ago, a millennium after the man's death. He is, however, identical to the portrait on the shrine, and his midnight blue eyes bore into the strange man.
"This one is Bai Hǎi, son of Bai Heng," Bai Yáo's ancestor introduces himself. "Who do I speak to, who has such power hanging about him? What bloodline do you claim?" His words are an imperious demand for knowledge, the power of his spirit filling the shrine. After his death, he was granted a minor position in the courts of the immortals, allowed to remain to watch over his descendants, though he is limited in how much he can interfere in their lives.
"I'm Percy," the man begins, and Bai Yáo's ancestor shakes his head.
"Your full name, boy," Bai Hǎi demands firmly. "I would know who is paying respects at my shrine when they reek of power far beyond my own, and what you want here, in this town that I built twenty-four thousand years and more ago."
"Perseus," the man's voice deepens now, and his Qi flares in irritation, feeling like rising waves, making Bai Yáo shuffle away from him a bit, in case things get violent. "Perseus Jackson," he seems to use the odd order of family name coming second that some foreign countries utilize, or at least that's what Bai Yáo has heard. "Son of Sally Jackson."
"And?" Bai Hǎi asks. "Your mother was not the one to leave that aura of power lingering about you, Perseus. You burn too brightly for me to mistake it, and the power that begot you is a potent one indeed, far beyond my own minor might." Now the connection the man has makes sense to Bai Yáo. This man is the son of some powerful foreign cultivator…a Young Master out roaming the land and getting some experience. Which both simplifies and complicates things, because of course it does. He has aided the Silver Wave Sect by protecting their territory, which is of course something the Sect will want to thank him for, but he's also unlikely to be a potential recruit, since he already has connections elsewhere and is likely to move on soon.
"Son of Poseidon," Perseus' voice is irritated now, and his Qi is churning. Bai Hǎi raises an eyebrow, and Bai Yáo shuffles away a little further. Her ancestor is clearly intent on continuing this interrogation into Perseus' heritage, while Perseus seems to think that the name explains everything. This has far too much potential to go wrong for Bai Yáo's liking, but no one is consulting her opinion right now. Perseus doesn't volunteer more information, and Bai Yáo sighs in vexation. Men. They seem determined to have a pissing contest right now.
"What titles does your father have? I have not heard that name before, and I should have heard the name of someone that strong," Bai Hǎi replies. "You come and pay your respects at my shrine alongside my descendant, am I supposed to swallow my natural curiosity about such a man and his intentions?" He demands, and Bai Yáo blushes. Her ancestor is apparently making assumptions, and she almost cries out in protest. Almost. Given that both of them are significantly stronger than her, she doesn't feel like breaking things up right now. She just wants to become a skilled alchemist, artifact smith, and formation mistress, not get involved with Young Masters and ancestor ghosts and all those sorts of things! Sure, they're exciting in the novels that she's read, but those novels don't involve her! She's just trying to keep her head down and reach Wellspring Formation, damn it all!
"Seriously?" Perseus sighs, looking exasperated. "Fine." Bai Yáo has never heard of a Young Master this resistant to boasting about their important relations. His back straightens, his eyes sharpening, and suddenly there's an aura of authority and power entirely unrelated to Qi around him, his face set in hard lines. "My father is Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses, King of the Oceans, Greek god of the seas," his words cause Bai Yáo and her ancestor to pause for long moments while those words are comprehended. The son of a god? An immortal of the Heavens? Thunder sounds across the land, and suddenly her ancestor is very, very serious.
"The scion of an Immortal…from another Realm, under different Heavens," Bai Hǎi's voice is thick with trepidation, and Bai Yáo agrees with her ancestor. Another Realm? Another set of Heavens? This is the kind of thing that people in novels deal with, not Outer Disciples who just want to focus on their studies! "You are very far from home, honorable scion." Bai Hǎi bows his head in sudden apology. "If there is anything that this Bai Hǎi can do to apologize for his actions, this one will gladly do so." All of his challenge has faded, replaced with much more reasonable caution, which Bai Yáo shares. The business of Heavenly Immortals is far beyond anyone in this Realm. Nascent Soul cultivators might be a single Stage from Ascension to Immortality, but even they do their best to avoid the attention of the Heavens. Bai Yáo feels a chill go down her spine as she considers the last hour or so in a different light. Oh. Oh no. Oh no. Why her?
"Do you know how I can get home?" Perseus asks, and Bai Yáo wishes, very much, for her ancestor to have a positive answer to that question. When her ancestor shakes his head firmly, all of Bai Yáo's hopes fade away. Apparently, her hopes for her life to go back to its previous simplicity are pointless, and the Heavens have conspired against her. She swears that she will have retribution for this one day! Somehow…she'll have to work on it. Still, it gives her something to work towards, and that's a good start. The next step in her plans isn't quite as clear, though. She'll have to work on it. Still…at least this might be good for her advancement?
"Unfortunately not, honorable scion," Bai Hǎi replies. "However, my descendant will be pleased to provide you with a guide through our lands and instruct you in the ways of our people. As for returning home…the only ones I could think of who might be able to assist you with that are all Immortals, and they no longer descend into this small world. Even with the blessings of the Heavens upon this world increasing, it is not powerful enough to contain Immortals, and upon breaking through from the Nascent Soul Stage, they all Ascended to the Heavens or Descended to the Hells in the case of demonic cultivators. For any of them to assist you, you would have to meet with them in person." Which is not something that is done casually.
"Alright," Perseus just shrugs. "So how do I get a meeting with one of them? Is there some offering I should make or something?" He seems so casual about meeting an Immortal. As the son of a god, admittedly, that makes sense, especially if his Immortal father is a senior member of whatever form of the Celestial Bureaucracy he's part of…but still. There are limits.
"You would have to Ascend to the Heavens," Bai Hǎi replies, shaking his head. "They might project a portion of their spirit into this lower world, but that portion would not be powerful enough to truly assist you, honorable scion. You must meet with them in the Heavens."
"And I get up there how?" Perseus raises an eyebrow. "Is there some staircase or something?"
"Cultivation," Bai Hǎi replies. "My descendant will explain in more detail. I must return to my office and handle the paperwork." He bows shallowly in farewell, and then he's gone, causing Bai Yáo to sigh in aggravation of her own as she considers how he just ran away and left her to explain everything. Is he trying to get her sucked into these matters?
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I grimace as I turn to Bai Yáo, who seems a bit irritated. She probably doesn't want to be teaching someone who doesn't know anything about this place. "Sorry for troubling you like this," I try to offer her a reassuring smile. "If you don't want to explain, then…"
"No," Bai Yáo shakes her head. "You need an explanation of things…and a local guide, because there will be people interested in how you're so strong, so young." She rubs her temples, seeming frustrated, and like she's about to cry, given how her eyes are blinking more quickly. "I will begin with the basics of cultivation," she decides, nodding slowly.
"I presume that's not like the sort of cultivation gardeners do?" I ask, trying to inject a bit of levity into things, and she smiles in response, giggling a little, but she shakes her head firmly.
"Correct. There's nine Stages, each of which has nine Steps. Qi Gathering, Qi Condensation, Qi Wellspring Formation, Foundation Establishment, Body Refinement, Core Formation, Core Refinement, Nascent Soul, and Immortal Ascension," Bai Yáo begins. "I don't know much about anything beyond Wellspring Formation, unfortunately. All I know is the names, and I'm lucky to be aware of that much. It's only because my family's guardian spirit was a Core Formation cultivator during his lifetime that I know as much as I do, so feel lucky that this sister will share her knowledge with you," she raises a finger, and suddenly I feel like I'm in front of Annabeth again, about to be lectured on architecture, which brings a nostalgic smile to my lips.
"We'll start with what Qi is," Bai Yáo says. "Qi is the lifeblood of the world, the energy of the Heavens and the Earth. Cultivators are capable of gathering and refining Qi, and utilizing it for immortal arts and to refine ourselves further, pushing towards a greater understanding of the ways of the Heavens. Each Step is stronger than the one before it, and the difference between Stages is even more dramatic. While someone might defeat a person a Step or two above them, within their own Stage, someone on the ninth Step of Qi Condensation cannot compare to someone on the first Step of Wellspring Formation. For a variety of reasons, among them the depth of their reserves." She frowns at that.
"Depth of their reserves?" I ask, and she nods.
"We shall begin with the most basic aspect, Qi Gathering. Once someone is found to have a spiritual root that can draw in Qi, they need to learn to draw in Qi, and there's a variety of methods for doing so," Bai Yáo explains. "That is a foundational skill for a cultivator, and most people require cultivation manuals. Some, however, with specific bloodlines, can gather Qi through an inborn aptitude for doing so, knowing the method they use instinctively. Given your heritage, you're likely to have that inborn aptitude. During this Stage, while cultivators can store Qi they gather, they do not produce it themselves, and any Qi used to fuel techniques must be regained through cultivating. If particularly reckless, they can lose entire Steps fueling their techniques," Bai Yáo shakes her head sadly.
"How long does it usually take to leave that Stage?" I ask, hoping that it's not long. I don't want to spend months or years just accumulating this 'Qi' stuff in order to reach the next Stage. That's too slow, and I need to get back home as soon as I can. But from the expression on her face, I kind of think that I'm not going to get an answer I'm particularly fond of.
"A hundred years is normal," Bai Yáo shrugs, and I feel my hopes of a quick and easy solution plummeting. "For someone who's particularly quick about it, fifty years is a good pace. You need access to somewhere where Qi's abundant enough to tap into, or cultivation resources. Spiritual Herbs, reagents harvested from Spirit Beasts, and things like that. But you don't acquire those reagents without spending Qi, most of the time. So that's emptying your reserves while you're trying to build them up. You need a certain amount of Qi to go from one Step to the next, and then you need to maintain that amount of Qi until your body adapts to it, which is annoying."
"Annoying?" I ask, feeling like a parrot, and Bai Yáo smiles at me.
"Your meridians, when you break through to a new Step or Stage, need time to adjust. They're the spiritual veins and arteries that your Qi flows through, and when you break through, you have more Qi that needs to flow through them. So they need time to adapt to the greater flow of Qi, especially for the higher-level techniques that you now have access to."
"So it's a case of needing to take time to recover Qi that's spent. If you were only cultivating, though, how long would it take?" I ask, a bit of hope returning to me.
"Five years or so, I think," Bai Yáo shrugs, crushing my hopes once more. "Depending on your talent. That's about how long some of the cultivators from families wealthy enough to just purchase reagents take, or, for the ones from families with more powerful cultivators, they're fed reagents and Spiritual Herbs from the very start. Such families also usually have places where their youth can cultivate which are rich in Qi, and they start early. Most of us have to wait until a Sect sends someone to test us, and most Sects don't test anyone younger than ten. If they're from a family of cultivators, though, they get tested right after birth, and if they have the aptitude to cultivate, then they get fed reagents early. Also, those from cultivator families usually don't have to cleanse their spiritual roots as much as the rest of us do."
"Cleanse their spiritual roots?" I ask, now very confused about…well, everything. "Is that sort of thing complicated?" I already know that I'm probably going to need to have some of this repeated for me later, but right now, this is helping me find at least some footing.
"It can be. During your lifetime, you accumulate impurities, and those build up in the body, blocking the passage of Qi and slowly wearing you down until you die," Bai Yáo explains. "As part of the process of cultivating, cultivators expel those impurities from our bodies. One of the issues cultivators from mortal families have is that impurities are passed down. A clogged spiritual root can take in less Qi, and Qi Gathering is slowed down," she sighs in what seems to be personal frustration. "Cultivators pass down fewer impurities to their children, and their purer spirit roots are also passed down. As is the higher quality of their spiritual roots." She holds up a hand to stop me before I can ask a question.
"Spiritual roots have number, purity, and quality determining how they affect a person's cultivation," Bai Yáo continues her explanation. "Along with affinity. Having only one spiritual root means that you have only one source of Qi. The more you have, the faster you can draw in Qi. The number cannot be increased naturally. But by purging impurities, you can improve the purity of your spiritual root, and once you purify your root enough, you can improve the quality."
"Got it," I nod. "Is there some sort of separation to those degrees of quality?" I ask, and Bai Yáo smirks at the question. Which I realize pretty quickly was probably a bad idea, or at the very least a stupid question. "You can forget I asked that question," I say ruefully.
"There's nine degrees of quality, and nine sub-degrees of purity within each degree of quality," Bai Yáo answers me anyway. "As for affinity, that relates to what types of Qi you can call upon. The more affinities you have, the more types of Qi you can cultivate with. That has its boons and its drawbacks at times, mostly relating to converting Qi from one element to another."
"Because conversion can be easier or harder depending on what you're converting that Qi to, such as turning water to ice," I reason, hoping that I'm right, but prepared to be wrong. I'm usually wrong, in my experience. Bai Yáo, however, smiles a little, giving me hope that I'm on the right track here.
"Correct. Also, Qi techniques that your affinities match to are easier to learn and cheaper to utilize," Bai Yáo says approvingly. "Getting back on topic, the next Stage is Qi Condensation. Qi, when you first Gather it, is free-floating and loose. Qi Condensation involves drawing in Qi, more than you've acquired as a Qi Gathering cultivator, and condensing it, turning it into a liquid. In that state, it's purer, making techniques a whole lot easier. You still can't produce your own Qi in that Stage, though, so you have the same problem as before." She rolls her eyes in frustration, like what I'd see from an Aphrodite kid when trying to lecture me on fashion. That makes me relax a bit.
"I'm guessing that it's harder to accumulate Qi at this point, though?" I ask, and Bai Yáo groans in sudden frustration, her head being buried in her hands for a moment. It makes sense that if you have to compress the Qi you take in before being able to use it, that you have to either find a way to intake more Qi or just take longer to gather and compress it.
"So much harder," she agrees, and it sounds personal. "You have to accumulate Qi, compress it, and integrate it into your own cultivation. Sure, you've definitely purified your spiritual roots to a degree by now, but it slows you down."
"How long does it take for someone to reach the next Stage if they're just cultivating?" I'm really hoping to find some way to speed-run this. I don't have decades or centuries to just spend lying around this place. I need to find a way to get home, the sooner the better. I need to find out what happened after my fight with Gaia.
"Perhaps twenty to twenty-five years if the circumstances are right," Bai Yáo shakes her head as she sinks my hopes of a quick solution. "It's a slow, deliberate process. Then, to break through to Wellspring Formation, you need to accumulate more Qi and condense it further. This is where having multiple affinities can slow someone down. If you succeed, you create one or more wellsprings, and in that Stage, you start producing your own Qi," she sighs. "It means that you're no longer running the risk of dropping a Step because you spent too much Qi, or maybe even losing an entire Stage if you're really unlucky. Your wellspring fuels your techniques, and the more affinities you have, the more wellsprings you can make. Qi production increases substantially with every wellspring you have."
"So two wellsprings doubles your production, three triples it, and so on?" I ask, but Bai Yáo shakes her head firmly.
"The numbers are higher than that. Exact numbers depend on the quality and purity of your spiritual roots," she replies. "For each affinity, you have at least one spiritual root for it. If a Wellspring Formation cultivator doesn't use the Qi they produce, it accumulates, letting them cultivate passively without needing resources. Once you enter Wellspring Formation, you also need less food, water, and sleep, which can be useful. It lets you spend more time on cultivating. The more wellsprings you have, the less of all of those things you need in order to survive. It's said that if you have enough, you don't need food, water, or sleep at all."
"Okay, so that's a pretty useful Stage," I nod, though the idea of no longer needing to eat or drink kind of creeps me out a bit. Even if it does sound kind of awesome. I could spend so much more time on things like sword practice or swimming if I didn't have to sleep. Or I could spend my nights going out and helping fish so that hippocampi wouldn't need to bother me during the day. Or other stuff like that. "How long does it normally take to reach beyond that Stage for a cultivator?" I'm definitely going to have to figure out some way to speed-run things, unless I can find another way to get to one of these 'Immortals' so that they can help send me home. Some major quest or something? Maybe that would be enough to convince them, and it's not like I'm unfamiliar with being an errand boy for immortal beings.
"It varies wildly," Bai Yáo shrugs. "The next step is Foundation Establishment. All I know about that is that all of the Elders of the Silver Wave Sect are Foundation Establishment cultivators, as is the Patriarch of the Sect."
"Sect?" I ask, and she shakes her head, muttering something to herself.
"A group of cultivators who come together to pool resources and provide instruction in the arts of cultivation," she explains. "Beyond that, I don't know anything about the other Stages except for their names, and the fact that the highest Stage possible in this world is Immortal Ascension, and that once you go beyond that Stage, you become immortal and have to leave this world behind in order to Ascend to the next world," she sounds as if that should be self-explanatory, which it probably is.
My blood runs cold at the idea. I rejected godhood after the Titan War…I decided to be mortal in order to stay with my friends, and because I had other stuff I wanted to use the reward on, rather than using it to become a god. This, however, sounds like it's a different path to immortality, kind of like what Mr. D went through. "How else would I get in contact with an Immortal that could send me home?" I ask, my hands trembling a bit as I consider the idea.
"There's no way to reach the Heavens without Ascending," Bai Yáo shakes her head firmly. "As for other methods of contacting Immortals, I am unaware of any that exist in the Green Horse Kingdom. No one from this nation has ever Ascended. It's said that at one point, an Immortal Ascended from the Yellow Falcon Empire, the first Yellow Falcon Emperor, whose son now rules there as a Nascent Soul cultivator in his own right, but that's across several other minor nations," she shrugs.
"How do I get there?" I ask firmly, and she looks at me for several long moments. I need to find some way to get home sooner than this cultivation would allow for, preferably without going and becoming an immortal. I made my decision when Zeus offered to make me a god.
"I am unaware," Bai Yáo answers me slowly, hesitantly. "All I know is the Green Horse Kingdom and the names of some of our neighbors. The Sect has some maps of the border provinces of our neighbors, but no one has made the journey to the Yellow Falcon Empire from this nation in more than ten thousand years. Here on the Great Western Continent, we are one of tens of thousands of minor nations, then there are thousands of mid-ranking nations, and hundreds of great nations like the Yellow Falcon Empire. That isn't even mentioning the sub-continents, or the other continents of this world. All I know is that the Yellow Falcon Empire exists."
"Is there anyone who would have a better idea how to get there?" I ask, and Bai Yáo considers for long moments, before nodding extremely carefully, seeming reluctant.
"The Green Horse King would have an idea," she replies. "The maps in the Royal Palace are more complete than anything else in the Kingdom. However, to get access to them, you would need to get an audience with him, which is very difficult to acquire. I can think of only one way for you to acquire such an audience, and that would be the Green Horse Tournament."
"The Green Horse Tournament?" I ask, my skepticism in my tone.
"A tournament for all cultivators under the age of five hundred," Bai Yáo replies. "However, they require sponsorship from a Sect recognized by the Green Horse King. It's held once every five years, and the winner is granted an audience with the Green Horse King, where they may ask of him any one boon that lies within his power, along with massive amounts of potent cultivation resources and money. However, to get sponsorship, you would have to place well in the youth tournaments of Stormbreaker Coast or another province…which shouldn't be hard for you, given that you're on the Third Step of the Wellspring Formation Stage, from what I can sense."
"What?" I ask incredulously, and she nods firmly. I've never even heard of this cultivation before, and I'm supposed to already be in this 'Wellspring Formation' Stage? Maybe she's just sensing things wrong because of me being a demigod and fucking up whatever she's using to determine my level of strength.
"I've sensed others with your level of strength before. I might only be on the Seventh Step of the Qi Condensation Stage, but I've interacted with Inner Disciples in the Wellspring Formation Stage. You'd definitely be considered a rising talent, especially if you're younger than a hundred like I think you are," Bai Yáo says confidently, and I blush.
"I'm seventeen," I reply awkwardly, and her jaw drops, her eyes opening wide. She coughs, and blood sprays over my chiton. "Are you alright?" I ask hurriedly, and she nods shakily. My own mind is spinning at the idea of being a hundred years old, and I quickly stomp on the idea of asking how old she is. I'm not suicidal, thank you very much.
"Seventeen?" She asks. "Truly, the blood of gods is a wondrous thing…you would no doubt be an Inner Disciple right away, and Elders would be glad to sponsor you to the tournaments of this province. There is no one in the Green Horse Tournament above Wellspring Formation, and you could dominate the Rising Storm and Rising Tide tournaments in this province. Admittedly, that would require some work and proper training, which the Silver Wave Sect can provide you with, but that could be easily arranged. From there, you could probably get sponsored to the next Green Horse Tournament three years from now."
"Three years?" I ask, somewhat petulantly, and she nods firmly. "Is there any other way to get an audience sooner?" I venture. "Or could I just set out from this nation to go looking for this Yellow Falcon Empire?" I consider that last idea, and Bai Yáo immediately flinches.
"No," she says firmly. "The Yellow Bear Kingdom, our largest neighbor, was recently at war with us and is currently at war with the Black Snake Kingdom. The fighting is fierce, and trying to cross either nation would be a poor idea. The other option, the Blood Rose Empire, has no tolerance for outsiders, and is ruled by demonic cultivators who would sacrifice you in one of their blood rituals. Especially if they found out that you have divine blood. In fact, you should try to keep that fact quiet outside of the Sect until you're stronger, because there would be a lot of people who would try something unwise if they found out. Within the next three years, though, the Yellow Bear Kingdom and the Black Snake Kingdom should be at peace for a while, as both are growing tired of warring with each other for the moment, and you will be able to travel somewhat freely. Should you win the Tournament, of course."
"Right," I grimace. There goes the plan of just making the trip on foot…across an entirely unknown continent, to an unknown destination. I can practically feel Annabeth smacking me on the back of the head for coming up with a plan that stupid. The prospect of having to wait three years for this tournament grates…but until I know more about this continent, it's the best choice I have. "So how would I go about getting in contact with one of these Sects?"
"I sent a message to the Silver Wave Sect requesting support when the Tyrant Tidal Wave Serpent began attacking the town," Bai Yáo smiles. "There should be reinforcements inbound before too much longer, and there will be someone among them who you can speak with about joining the Sect and participating in next year's Rising Tide Tournament, and the Rising Storm Tournament the year after that. Those are the two youth tournaments of Stormbreaker Coast, and they happen every other year, alternating. This year's Rising Storm Tournament has already started, but the Sect would be glad to have you for next year's Rising Tide Tournament."
"Got it," I nod. At least I don't have to go looking for someone in charge around here. They're coming to me…though that might be a mixed blessing. Still, it seems I'm going to have to work on my patience. Given my ADHD…well, that's probably going to get interesting, and not in the good way, fast. Great. Why do I have to be the favorite chew toy of the Fates? Can't it be someone else? Anyone else?
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Afterword: This story was commissioned by someone who would prefer to remain anonymous. In any event, Percy has found himself washing up on the shores of a new world, with new adventures awaiting him...it seems that he is doomed to live in interesting times.