So, why was this important now? It was because four mothers, from each of the four remaining celestial beast clans, had kept their babies in limbo because they didn't like the current state of affairs… They wanted to give their children the chance to be born into a better era… An era where they weren't restricted to living like prisoners…
However, for the sake of the clans, these four mothers made the very difficult decision to allow their children to be born… Entrusting their life and death with Dyon…
This was the kind of weighty promise Dyon had decided to take on. This was his so-called calculatingly reckless move…
It turned out that these 'attendants' weren't attendants at all, but rather, worried parents. Although they didn't speak, Dyon could see how heavy the look in their eyes were.
"I'm going to be honest with you." Dyon spoke as he looked them in the eye. "I didn't want to do this. That's not to say that I'm pushing the blame onto all of you, but rather that I understand how much weight my taking them with me has. Still, I know my own worth. Following me, these four babies will soar far higher than you could ever imagine.
"That said, just saying so is pretty empty… So, how about I show you?" Dyon smiled as a chaotic energy erupted from him.
Granny Celest eyes widened along with the three kneeling family heads. 'This…'
The energy core within Dyon's inner world spun wildly, expelling a mere fraction of the Primordial Energy it had built up…
The 18th tier was only a twentieth of the size of a normal planet, yet Dyon poured what easily amounted to ten planets worth of this ancient energy.
The energy swirled, filling the space and dueling it out with copious amounts of life energy before they seemed to reach a consensus.
'Where… How…' The elders of the celestial beasts just couldn't understand how this was possible. This energy was extinct!
In the end, tears couldn't help but stream down their faces…
Hope. It was a powerful thing… And for a sovereign, it was the most important gift you could give to those who decided to follow you.
The First White Mother spent millions of years formulating Ethereal Permeation to solve this problem, but it was a will that was simply too difficult to learn… Plus, without Primordial Energy as a reference, or the towers to help, the celestial beast clan had not a single chance… But, Dyon had gifted them a ray of hope so fierce that they could already see their destination…
...
Dyon didn't stay very long after making his position clear, nor did he make any grandiose promises about how he'd bring all four of them back safely no matter what. He still felt as though he was teetering on the edge of something new, but he just couldn't quite grasp it.
He didn't let it weigh him down, though. It was impossible for a person to change after one self pep talk, nor did he expect to. Still, he took a step forward in the right direction.
After storing hundreds of thousands of jin worth of celestial meat and fruits within the tower, much to the spirit's irritation, Dyon did a final check of Soul Rending Peak before leaving.
Unfortunately, the soul slaves had still not woken up, but Dyon preferred them to slowly heal in this way. At least here, they'd be flooded with dense amounts of life energy. In this way, their hidden injuries built up over years of torture and enslavement would be dealt with.
Aside from that, the academies had long since been built. The only thing that had remained was the certification of the teachers, but Dyon had left Elder Nova in charge of that, much to the expert's chagrin.
Having a dao formation expert lead the way in teaching the foundation stage and meridian formation stage? To say that was overkill was an understatement. Maybe only Dyon would use one in this way.
Over the course of five months, there were already some talents worthy of being groomed popping up here and there. This was especially true after the ban on soul talent was lifted.
There was another thing that Dyon's master had pointed out to him as well. Whether or not someone had a constitution wasn't always obvious at first glance. It was smarter to put a system in place for when auspicious signs at birth weren't enough.
Still, Dyon tempered his expectations. Constitutions were so rare that even having one like Donari was already good enough considering the sample size was only a single universe. Not every universe was as blessed with talent as Dyon's home.
With those matters handled, Dyon went on his way, his first destination: The Celestial Deer Corner.
He was surprised to find that Eli had made good progress. Although the Serpent Vines were still an issue, Eli reassured him that in two years more at the most, he would definitely find success.
Hearing Eli's plans, Dyon was very much impressed. Eli's understanding of botany was so profound that if Dyon hadn't known him for so long, he might have assumed his friend's body was taken over by some old eccentric spirit.
Eli actually wanted to create a new strain of Serpent Vines he named Dragon Emperor Vines.
He took inspiration from beasts and how certain bloodlines could suppress others into submission. He actually wanted to create a King Class of plant that lorded over Serpent Vines and to use that newly created species as a proxy for controlling normal vines.
Dyon would never claim to understand the details of it all, namely, he didn't understand how they would control these Dragon Emperor Vines if they couldn't even control the Serpent Vines themselves.
But, Eli only laughed when Dyon brought up this worry, saying that he was misunderstanding. Dragon Emperor Vines wouldn't be actual vines, but rather a fungus he'd force the Serpent Vines into a symbiotic relationship with. They'd be pretty docile against everything but Serpent Vines themselves. As for the method of controlling this fungus, it would come down to a complex chemical and pheromone sequence he was still working on.
"That said, if this works, we can start breeding the serpent vines to give birth to stronger versions of themselves. They could become a great help in the future considering their almost weed-like reproductive rate and regenerative tenacity. I even had a few ideas about splicing some beast DNA into their genetic sequence. Maybe some beasts with strong defenses to up their durability …" Eli continued on, speaking with such animation that his long, lanky arms seemed like they might snap at any moment.
Hearing Eli babble on and on about these things made Dyon feel like he was in an intensive biology class he didn't want to be a part of anymore. So, he went to speak with the giggling Delia only to find out that Ri was still in secluded meditation.
In the end, he could only leave once more. This time, his goal was Sapientia Corner.
**
"Wow." Bella and Mia stood on either side of Dyon, taking in the view of the Sapientia Quadrant. After being confined to the small Cathedral City for so long, seeing such a bustling place would of course awe them.
Dyon watched with a smile, not saying much. The four celestial beast babies clung to him happily, Linlin resting on his head, Shere napping in his robes along with Biibi while Sen sat on his shoulder, sometimes hopping about on the large bandaged package on Dyon's back as though he had some pent up energy he wanted to release.
Even though he was in a place where the concentration of soul talent was higher than most, Dyon wasn't worried about others seeing through the disguise he put on the twins. Unless a Moon level expert stood out, the chance would be next to nothing. And even then, Dyon had failsafes to protect their dignity.
However, Dyon himself attracted quite a bit of attention. Why? Because how could everyone not recognize the masked wife stealer?
...
Dyon leisurely strolled through the streets as though the gazes of those around him had nothing to do with him at all.
His black robes fluttered slightly with his every step, giving him an aura that said do not approach.
