354 Three Clones, Three Paths

“Please, make use of this well,” said Gu Jie, her tone firm yet gentle as she handed me a thick notebook bound in black leather. Strange runes shimmered faintly across its surface before fading. “This is information about the next two hundred years. I’ve calculated the misfortunes that would be incurred, and I believe you should be able to handle them, Father. Just don’t show it to anyone else. I don’t know how long my party will be gone, but I shall strive to return in two hundred years.”

I accepted the notebook carefully and began flipping through the pages. The handwriting was sharp and meticulous, Gu Jie’s style through and through. Every page was filled with astrological diagrams, fragmented calculations, and pages upon pages of observations that seemed to blur the line between divination and prophecy.

Beside me, Nongmin and Alice looked away. They didn’t need to be told twice not to peek; Gu Jie’s warnings were never idle. Still, I skimmed through the text, searching for specific words from war, civil strife, Heavenly Temple, Union, and Martial Alliance. None appeared directly. There were hints, vague metaphors, and symbols that spoke of blood and storm, but no explicit declaration of a “world war.”

That was strange.

Since returning to the Hollowed World, I had been preparing for that inevitable large-scale conflict, the kind that would burn continents and reshape heaven and earth. But if Gu Jie’s notes omitted it entirely, then maybe… maybe my assumptions had been wrong all along.

“I will make use of this well,” I finally said, closing the notebook with both hands.

Gu Jie smiled faintly and turned to her companions. “Pay your respects to His Holy Majesty.”

Hei Mao and Gu Jie cupped their fists and bowed deeply. As for Ru Qiu, the ever-arrogant Heavenly Demon, he merely gave me a side glance, his expression unreadable. Predictable. I nodded to them all, allowing it to pass, and watched as they departed with my Ghost Soul clone among them.

The throne room fell quiet.

“Hmmm…” Alice tilted her head toward me. “It’s troubling…”

“What is it?”

“Won’t the Ghost Soul cause trouble for you, since he was so uncooperative before?” she asked, crossing her arms. “Like a child?”

I smirked. “What? Did you miss the little child version of me who ran around complaining about paperwork?”

Her glare sharpened.

“Relax,” I added, holding up my hand in mock surrender. “It’ll be fine. Since I wore the Hollow Star, the independent personalities of the Six Souls have fully immersed into my being. I can now exist in multiple places at once without any disharmony.”

“Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, we don’t know yet,” Nongmin muttered.

I chuckled softly. “They’re not truly gone. I was all of them in the beginning. It might feel lonely at times, but it’s for the better.”

The Six Souls still stirred within me on occasion, fragments of their personalities surfacing like echoes in my own thoughts. But after uniting them, everything had become sharper from my control, my awareness, and my self. It wasn’t without cost, of course. I’d realized just how dangerously unstable things could’ve become during my battle with Yuan Shen. Had I not achieved that unity, my Six Souls might have devoured one another.

Power-wise, I was unrivaled. But understanding… understanding was something else entirely. My cultivation was too fast, and my comprehension stretched thin across too many realms.

To fix that, I needed more eyes and more perspectives.

I raised my hand and, once again, bit down on another finger.

“Divine Word: Life.”

The severed flesh began to pulse.

“Blessed Regeneration. Divine Word: Raise. Divine Possession.”

The glowing fragment reshaped into a humanoid figure before me. It was another clone, this one hosting my Human Soul. The Hollow Star’s infinite quintessence flowed like a river, making this process as simple as breathing. My perception split again, and I found myself in three places at once: my main body, the Ghost Soul far away with Gu Jie, and this new Human Soul standing before me.

Alice frowned as she assessed it. “It’s too weak. I don’t think this thing will last long out there.”

True, this clone’s aura was faint, barely at the Martial Tempering Realm. I flicked my fingers, weaving quintessence into rough traveling robes that wrapped around his body, giving him the appearance of a humble, wandering cultivator.

“He doesn’t need to last long,” I replied. “The thresholds along the Longevity Path are divided into Four Great Attributes, Three Cosmic Elements, the Trinity Celestial Path, and finally, the Godly Vessel. The Ghost Soul will focus on the Trinity Celestial Path. As for me, I’ll pursue understanding of the Godly Vessel.”

I gestured toward the Human Soul clone. “This one will stabilize my comprehension of the Four Great Attributes. Da Ji and Ren Jingyi will infiltrate the Heavenly Temple via the Beast Court soon. I’ll send another clone with them, around the Fifth Realm, Soul Recognition, to observe and re-learn the Three Cosmic Elements firsthand.”

Nongmin sighed deeply. “My Holy Majesty, with respect, sending such a weak clone outside is reckless. It could be kidnapped, destroyed, or worse… used against you.”

I grinned. “You underestimate my Human Soul. He has a mysterious ability to shapeshift as he pleases.”

As if on cue, the clone straightened, his form shifting fluidly. Muscles tightened, hair lengthened and turned into a vibrant emerald green, eyes shining like polished jade. His face rearranged into that of an earnest young man, handsome, bright, and utterly carefree.

The newly transformed clone grinned widely, gave a thumbs-up, and declared with comical confidence,

“I’m gonna be the Pirate King!”

“That’s embarrassing,” I swallowed hard and tried not to grimace at my own confession. “Hey, shut it, me… Should I do it again? Did I do it wrong? Ugh… Should I kill you? It feels right to kill you…”

“Nah,” spat the other me as he remarked. “Yes, yes, I understand my purpose. There’s no need to do it again. I’m perfect! Also, don’t worry too much. I got the ‘theory’ of the Four Great Attributes handled. I’ll make it work… somehow…”

“Just leave, man…”

“Bye, then,” remarked the Human Soul clone as he walked away. “Don’t miss me, too much!”

The truth was… I’m spectacularly bad at theory. My growth had been a runaway train of raw power piled on raw power, while the finer points of cultivation sat like holes in a net, threatening to let everything slip through. For example, the Four Great Attributes had become little more than stat modifiers in my head, Spirit Mystery felt like a toy I’d never learned to creatively use, and Willpower was something I flexed without ever understanding its deeper mechanics. I could sense, with blunt clarity, that the Three Cosmic Elements were mostly mysteries to me; the Soul I understood enough, but Essence and Bloodline were shallow sketches, not foundations. The Trinity Celestial Path was a bizarre mystery to me. The ‘Heart Path’ was a closed room, while the ‘Endless Path’ made me itch with uncertainty. World-force at the Tenth Realm, ‘World Path’, sounded like a power I’d never heard of. Moreover, the way I’d been spamming Ultimate Skills like fireworks was increasingly becoming more and more inadequate. If I wanted to survive what was coming, I had to stop treating powers like convenient toys and start learning them like the real deal.

“Let’s back up a bit,” started Alice as she faked a cough. “Tell me… How are you going to have Da Ji and Ren Jingyi infiltrate the Heavenly Temple? Isn’t the Heavenly Temple too dangerous right now, especially since they’re your biggest enemy?”

I waved a hand, trying to sound breezy when my chest felt anything but. “Da Ji can handle herself, and she’ll protect Ren Jingyi. As for how? I have my ways.” A small, true part of me wanted to elaborate, but some plans were safer left half-hidden. “Right now, I need to focus on stabilizing the Empire.”

Nongmin inclined his head, adding. “I am glad you are working so hard, Your Holy Majesty. The Empire is in safe hands,” he said, praising me. However, he wasn’t done yet. “If you are torn between committing to your personal cultivation and administrative tasks, know that I and Ezekiel will work extra hard for your sake.”

“I know I can trust you, buddy,” I turned to Alice, asking her shamelessly for something. “I have a request. Can you help with Lu Gao’s training? He’s the closest among my disciples to reach Ascended Soul, and with your guidance, he should get there faster.” Lu Gao had been patient and loyal, a steady hand in the chaos, and I owed him more than platitudes.

Alice glanced at me, then asked, “Am I free to do as I please with him?”

“S-sure,” I stammered, feeling my throat tighten. I was grateful and embarrassed at the same time; I probably should have been more forward earlier. My voice came out in a cough that I hoped sounded dignified. “Uuuhh… Don’t torture him, okay?”

“What do you think of me? A demon?”

“Nope…”

With a thought, I checked the current state of my Six Souls.

I sent the Human Soul clone out to the Adventurer’s Guild with a list of tasks that would speed his progress. Through my Ghost Soul clone, I saw Gu Jie’s party had already left, aboard an enormous flying vessel that ate distance like bread, and I filed their departure into the long ledger of things I needed to watch. My Heaven Soul rode with Yuen Fu and had already found Dave to hand the boy off; the Animal Soul roamed with Ren Jingyi on hunts for dangerous beasts; my Hell Soul dwelt in the library with Lu Gao, digging through mystic treatises and martial manuals to shore up my ignorance; and my Asura Soul had joined the army under Ding Shan’s watch to temper force with cunning.

Alice cocked her head at that list and asked, “Is it fine for you to be in your soulless state? Having most of your aspects split out like that, doesn’t it make you vulnerable?”

“Don’t be such a worrywart. I’ll be fine. Aren’t vampires soulless in your lore?”

It was ridiculous, and Alice let me have it for being flippant.

“No, I’m not fine,” she snapped, sharp and honest. “Did you forget what kind of existence a vampire is? The hunger, the fracture, and the loneliness… those are not metaphors to take lightly.” Her eyes softened on me for a beat. “Don’t be careless.”

“I’m sorry,” I admitted. “I will take care of myself more.”

Splitting my attention over souls had been necessary, not comfortable, and Alice’s words were a needed hand on my shoulder.

Nongmin cleared his throat, grabbing my attention. “With your meeting concluded, it’s time to move on to the rest of your itinerary,” he said. “There are delegates from New Willow to receive and negotiations to be had.” His voice carried no indulgence for delay.

“We’re going to spar,” declared Alice. “I’m not taking a no for an answer.”

Nongmin shot a look at the idea and complained, “The two of you just sparred. This is a diplomatic meeting with the neighboring powers of New Willow. You will have to deal with your other pseudonym, the Willow Sovereign. The sooner, the better. It would be unwise to isolate New Willow; we should seek to induct them into the Empire rather than alienate them.”

“Hmm,” I mused, already thinking aloud, “what if we made New Willow the capital? It sits on the seam of our growing borders and has the resources for administration. If we relocated the seat of power there, it might anchor more regions to our banner.”

“It should be fine,” Nongmin agreed after a moment of measuring the idea. “But first, you will need acknowledgment from surrounding powers. The Union is hostile and the Martial Alliance under threat; we must expand our fame and authority steadily and convincingly.”

I rubbed my chin. “Can we force the Union to acknowledge us? They aren’t outright declaring war, but they harass our borders. Maybe we apply pressure diplomatically, or—” I let the thought slide into one of my darker fantasies and grinned, “—I could visit them and punch them into submission. Sort of a diplomatic tour with consequences.”

Nongmin put his face in his hands and rubbed his temples in the universal sign of “Please don’t.” “That would be counterproductive,” he said at last. “Force can bring short-term compliance, but it breeds long-term resentment. You need allies more than conquered provinces right now.”

Alice snorted and folded her arms. “If you went to the Union and started punching people,” she said, dry and clinical, “it would end up in a political scandal. You’d wake half the world and give the other half a reason to unite against you.”

Her words hit the mark. I felt the grin die, replaced by the slower work of planning. Politics was a battlefield where casualties walked away with treaties and grudges tucked into their sleeves. I had the power to level an entire continent, but I lacked the patience to weave the subtler snare of influence. That was what I had to learn.

“Even if you do that,” Nongmin said, doubling down on his earlier point, “how are you going to ensure they listen? The Union doesn’t even have a capital city or a centralized system. That’s the very reason they can easily deny claims of hostile action, since they just cut off whatever mercenary group did the job and claim ignorance. They live on the edge of the blade, and they like money just as much as blood. The only way we can stop them from harassing us is to buy our way out.”

I groaned, leaning back on my throne. “But I don’t want to give them anything,” I complained. “We have so much rebuilding to do. If we start throwing spirit stones at them, it’ll never end. They’ll just demand more.”

Alice folded her arms and gave me that sharp, challenging look of hers. “Then what are you going to do? Visit each of the Union warlord bases and raise a ruckus? That would only motivate them… and worse, it could unify them. Imagine what happens when you heroically kick down their gates and start punching everyone. You’d be their common enemy overnight.”

She wasn’t wrong, which was the worst part. I hated being logical when it interfered with being efficient.

Nongmin nodded gravely. “We don’t even know what the Union’s leadership looks like in its entirety. Their bases are scattered, secretive. They’re a country built by mercenaries, strong, selfish, and only loyal to the highest bidder. Taming them with force alone won’t be possible.”

I thought for a moment, then grinned as an idea bloomed. “How about I join them?”

Both of them turned to me in unison, staring as if I’d suddenly suggested marrying a rock. Nongmin even blinked twice, perhaps to make sure I wasn’t being literal. But my idea wasn’t that bad, at least not by my standards.

“I mean it,” I explained, straightening. “Dave did it, remember? When he possessed Mao Xian, he became one of them. And right now, Tao Long is a member of the Seven Warlords… that’s a thread we can pull. If we can replace one, why not all of them? We can turn the Union from the inside.”

Alice tilted her head, her expression softening into something thoughtful. “It could work,” she admitted. “Subtle infiltration instead of brute force. If you can blend in and rise through their ranks, you could steer them away from hostile action… or even toward alliance.”

Nongmin sighed heavily. “Not really. They have a system in place that ensures loyalty to their ideals. For a faction as chaotic as they appear, their internal ‘laws’ are surprisingly rigid. Every warlord is bound by certain codes, qualifications that must be met and trials that must be upheld. That’s why they haven’t devoured themselves from within. These laws are enforced by the Council of Blades, and as I understand, defiance means immediate execution. Dave might have more insight into how those rules actually work, given his time as a warlord.”

He was right. I’d been keeping Alice and Nongmin updated on the movements of my disciples and allies, so they knew of Dave’s situation, his alliance with Joan, and even their support of the Great Guard. It made sense to consult him directly.

“I’ll talk to Dave,” I said at last. “But there must be a way to deal with their harassment. If we leave the Union unchecked, it’ll just get worse. The worst-case scenario is the Heavenly Temple pulling another stunt like what they did with the Martial Alliance, but this time, with the Union.”

Nongmin folded his hands behind his back, voice even but firm. “They probably would have succeeded already if they could do it. The Night Blades have been keeping close watch on the Union, as you ordered, Your Holy Majesty. So far, the Union doesn’t appear to be hiding anything. For now, they’re safe from the Temple’s schemes. Still, it’s possible they’ve been compromised in ways we can’t see yet. It’s a miracle Yi Qiu managed to reach us and warn about the Martial Alliance’s downfall.”

Alice crossed her arms, her gaze distant. “Hmmm… According to my familiars, the Martial Alliance remains unchanged on the surface. But the Alliance Master has been replaced. I’ll have members of the Shadow Clan dig deeper. If Yi Qiu defected to our side, they’ll brand him a traitor, or declare him dead. Either way, they’ll erase his existence from the record.”

As expected of Alice, she was quick to act. Her network stretched far and deep, and when she said she would look into something, it was as good as already being done. My Night Blades could learn a thing or two from her.

“We’ll talk more about how to deal with the Union another time,” I said. “For now, I have to move on with the itinerary. There’s still the New Willow issue to handle.” I stood up, brushing imaginary dust from my robes, and turned to Alice. “Protect the Empire while I’m gone. We’ll spar another time.”

Alice gave me a faint smirk, though her crimson eyes still lingered on me with worry. “You better not get yourself killed out there. I’m still owed a rematch.”

I grinned. “If I die, I’ll resurrect myself just to finish that spar.”

Nongmin bowed slightly. “Shall we proceed to New Willow, Your Holy Majesty?”

“Right,” I replied. Before leaving, I pressed a hand against his back, planting a Manasoul into his body, a precautionary tether of essence that would let me monitor his condition and share thoughts instantly if danger arose in my side. “I’ll be going, now…”

With a thought, I activated Egress. The world folded in a twist of light and hollow sound.

In the blink of an eye, the grand hall of the Holy Ascension Empire vanished, replaced by the shimmering skyline of New Willow.

“Hmmm… I should visit mom and dad first…”