Someday, a battle to the death would go against John. That was simply inevitable. He didn't believe himself to be the strongest person in the world, as that would be quite arrogant. He hadn't even dared to face Empress Aldara… though her individual capacity wasn't as much of a concern as her entourage. It was tricky to catch wind of her and have forces available, otherwise the continental alliance would have likely had some success against her. An 'even' conflict might not have resulted in her defeat, but it would have been better than what they had encountered so far.

Because John happened to like his new life, he was doing his very best to keep it- while also living it. He had to admit that constantly being on the forefront of a war was not his idea of the best possible life, but it wasn't as bad as it seemed. Astrid was always present- at most they were apart for a few days at a time. Not for half the year, as things had been with Matayal. John did regularly get to interact with some of his friends, even if it was also within the context of the war.

And his children? Not quite as frequently as he would like, but it was probably better that they weren't constantly on the battlefield. They were called upon from time to time, and Ursel always wanted to test out her new training. Even if she had been away from the frontlines for a time, she didn't seem able to stay away.

Once they won the war, John was spending at least a couple months with each of his children. Or maybe he could convince all three to stay somewhere with their families for a while. They had responsibilities, of course, but John also knew that the two clans would run just fine without them for a while.

But first they had to win, and for that John had to be stronger. Fire and water were drawn from the surrounding environment, after which John moved the two varieties of spiritual energy through the cycle of elements- in inverse directions. Water became air and fire became earth, then each of those apportioned some of the energy to become light and darkness. Converting elements was the norm for John, as he always wanted every element and very rarely was in the perfect environment for that.

Inside his dantians, the islands he had created were teeming with at least some semblance of life. It wasn't real, but it certainly resembled flora and fauna, and at least a basic cycle of existence. It was more raw, pure elements representing his totems, but it was all there. And there was something more- a trace of spiritual energy from Astrid. She had two totems each focused on fire and light, with her fifth totem also being fire- but with an emphasis on supporting earth. Even though fire was the dominant element, it was still a functional totem. More proof that totems could be anything… as long as a cultivator could conceive of it.

Of course, just because a cultivator could think of something didn't mean it would be stable. Incompatible desires were one of the causes of failed advancements and death. If cultivation insights were insufficient or just plain wrong then a totem simply couldn't work. At best it would be far weaker than intended, leading a cultivator to a dead end in their growth.

John let himself sink deeper, beyond where his spiritual energy lay into the sea of spiritual totems. The sixth layer was familiar to him now. All of his totems had grown with him throughout the Ascending Soul Phase, and they were nearly comparable to sixth tier totems now.

Surrounded by light element totems, John didn't find himself straining as much as he used to. He carried more light element now, and training with Astrid had helped significantly. He wasn't ready to attune a totem, of course. He still needed more growth. Attempting it before reaching the peak of the Ascending Soul Phase was a great way to beg for death. Still, John could observe. He wanted every element- but the totem had to have a core of light. He kept his thoughts flexible, but he always kept coming back to a prism. What could better represent what he needed than that?

Though, there was one issue. Prisms didn't represent darkness. That was the biggest hurdle he had to overcome, and so he had observed a number of totems that matched light and darkness. The other elements would handle themselves once that was set. At least, that was the idea.

Once he felt the strain, John withdrew back into himself and continued to let his energy flow, gathering more and developing himself. The culmination of years of work allowed him to confidently stride into the forty-fifth rank, the final step of the Ascending Soul Phase. Nothing momentous happened along with it, which was honestly a relief. He still had to reach the peak of the Ascending Soul Phase- almost a full rank ahead still. Though gathering the necessary spiritual energy and stabilizing it inside of him was almost a secondary concern compared to the necessary insights and control.

"Congratulations," Astrid said once he finished his meditations. "You are… your talent is exceptional."

John had to accept the complement. Humility was good, but excess humility was pointless. "Thank you. But I couldn't have done it without you."

He truly meant it. Astrid had previously advanced to the forty-second rank, and it might not be long before she was in the late Ascending Soul Phase. She also had talent… and the two of them together acted as stabilizing forces so they could both grow more smoothly. If Matayal had been around after the first war with the Molten Sea, John wouldn't have nearly killed himself cultivating for multiple reasons. But even if he had tried to advance at the same pace, he could have been successful.

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Astrid was much the same. She was a different person who filled a different part of him. Any comparisons were unnecessary.

"Thank you for showing me I don't have to remain alone," John said.

Astrid smiled. "I will admit I was a little bit selfish in my motives. But you are very welcome."

-----

The confidence John felt upon reaching the highest rank of cultivation he had ever witnessed was significant… but he was reminded that Abritt had held that same rank when she died. Furthermore, she had at least an extra century of experience. That was confidence boosting because he had been instrumental to her defeat- but it also reminded him that nothing was absolute.

Especially when facing talented foes. He hoped that it was merely false rumors at first, but several sightings of the Empress Aldara had resulted in reports of continued growth. Where she once appeared to be in the early Ascending Soul Phase- or perhaps the mid- she was now almost certainly in the late Ascending Soul Phase.

If she could keep growing like that… might she reach the Exalted Soul Phase? John was uncertain himself. There was something missing still, aside from the necessary spiritual energy. He wasn't going to bet on Aldara not having that something. Nor was the alliance between half of the Molten Sea and the western continent.

However, the more people they committed to the fight, the more the Empire of Elements countered with their seemingly limitless forces. Even if they were just matching one for one, it was still worrisome. The war simply couldn't drag on for another decade- even half a decade might weaken the alliance too much. There were other enemies about… and they might splinter internally before that. Without a continental alliance, they would be completely at the mercy of any of their slightly strong neighbors.

Three years. No more, and preferably far less. That was what they could afford. They didn't need to defeat the Empire of Elements, just make them realize that it wasn't worth their time. Even if it only got them a reprieve of a decade or two- small change by cultivator standards- it would be worthwhile. Unfortunately, all attempts at negotiation had repeatedly failed, whether by those of the continental alliance or the Molten Sea. Maybe the Empire of Elements really did want to conquer the whole world… but if so, they should probably also want a ceasefire to prepare themselves.

It was frustrating, to have no points of contact. At least with the Molten Sea they had managed to communicate with the Burning Delta after the war, and through them more of the area- even if it was only a small portion. But even now, they had no idea of the internal state of the Empire of Elements except for old records that listed the various elemental regions. Those were generally lower quality than Yustina's recall, though every once in a while they managed to capture individuals willing to share such information.

Sadly, they couldn't even negotiate for prisoner exchanges- though it did appear that the Empire of Elements often took prisoners upon their victory in particular areas. Not always, but frequently enough. Successfully rescuing them was much more rare.

-----

Threats were constant in the Molten Sea. Once again, John received word of a threat to a nearby outpost. The only catch was that the message came from a ship that had fled in the opposite direction, towards them. That meant the incoming attack could have already arrived.

Either way, their current outpost couldn't spare many people. Along with John, the leading pair of the Blistering Crest- Samuel and Jolana. There were no current threats, but diminishing their forces too much was a risk.

The three of them discussed the situation. It might be too late to provide assistance, though there were various factors involved. Ultimately, they needed to know what happened with that nearby force- and their neighboring outpost. The longer they waited, the more problems could arise.

"I'll go," John said. "It's close enough I can get there and back on my own. I'll be the fastest, and we'll still need to keep a presence here."

If he waited until Astrid was back from her own mission, they could guarantee there was no help for their neighbors. If John arrived and was too late, or found the threat to himself to be unacceptably large, then he could flee. Power and speed weren't entirely equivalent, but they were correlated. John also had the endurance to travel long distances, and he could be faster than a ship as long as his target was within a couple days of travel. Eventually, he would have to sleep- but being awake more than twenty-four hours wasn't as big of a deal for a well developed cultivator.

"I don't know that we would be any faster," Samuel admitted. "Do take care. Be safe. We can't afford to lose you. Especially since you're holding the alliance together."

John truly hoped that it would stand without him, but he had to admit a lack of certainty. Some parts of it would surely hold together, and it was quite possible that someone else would take over the central position for their own purposes… but it might also fall apart.

Unfortunately, his own strength couldn't be discounted. Unlike in wars on Earth, individual leaders here were a significant military threat. It made certain risks much greater, but John didn't expect a scouting mission to be an issue.

If necessary… he would preserve his own life, abandoning others. He didn't like it, but John had understood that it was foolish to try to win every engagement. People died in war, and of course avoiding it when possible was the best outcome. However, he'd been in many wars throughout his new life- fortunately a long one. Death was inevitable, and he wouldn't sacrifice himself for those he barely even knew. Friends and family were different, but sacrificing himself for a tactical advantage wasn't something that interested him- especially since his death would hit harder than a single fort.

John couldn't help but feel something ominous as he left. Gut feelings of cultivators didn't always mean anything, but occasionally they could tap into something greater that not even they consistently understood. John decided he had better be fast, even at the cost of arriving a bit more tired.

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