Chapter 410: Little Boss

Chapter 410: Little Boss

"Please tell me you are joking."

Stella swayed back on her chair as if attempting to escape Douglas's glare from across the table. The broad-shouldered man caused the table to the creak as he leaned on it with the full weight of his arms like tree trunks planted firmly before him. He loomed forward, his forehead a stack of frown lines that each looked like a frown.

"Stella," he said slowly and seriously, "repeat what you just said."

"I told the Celestial Warden you could build a city for 6.5 million people."

Douglas's head dropped like a puppet cut from its strings, and he let out a heartfelt groan. "How. Ignorant. Can. You. Be?" He said while hitting the table over and over.

Stella huffed the hair out of her face, "I don't see what the problem is? You will have a month at least to do it. Didn't you build a city for a hundred thousand mortals in a single night?"

"Temporary housing, Stella, and there was so much more to it than that." Douglas collapsed back into the chair behind him and frustratedly massaged the sides of his head, "The houses were nothing but mud huts without any furniture, and we crammed as many people into each one as possible. Then, once everyone was moved in, we had to provide three free meals to a hundred thousand people every day. This food not only had to be grown and transported but also distributed in a fair way. Yet, despite our efforts, there were still issues with crime, so the Redclaws had to step in and monitor the city." Douglas pinched the bridge of his nose before giving up and staring at the ceiling, "Yes, I built a city in a day, and yes, it was a decent success. But take the issues I just mentioned and scale it up sixty-five times!" He threw his hands in the air, "That's how ridiculous of a project this is!"

Stella shrugged, "I get what you are saying, but you are Grand Elder Douglas. The master builder of the Ashfallen Sect. Legends of how Ashfallen City rose from the mud in a single night are already known. Just think how revered you would be if you were to complete a task like this."

"No," Douglas pushed back his chair and stood up. "You don't understand. It's simply not possible." He shook his head and turned around toward the door.

Stella raised her hand, and half of the silver rings stacked on her fingers glowed and rippled the air between them. Douglas seemed to feel the shift in the air a moment too late as thousands of silver spirit stones rained down upon him from seemingly nowhere like a landslide.

He let off a confused grunt before being buried alive.

"No, Douglas, it is you who doesn't understand." Stella pushed her chair back, toppling it, and moved the table out of the way with a finger flick.

A hand, followed by Douglas's head, emerged from the spirit stone pile. The red-faced man took one look at Stella approaching, and it seemed to silence whatever words of anger were brewing in his throat. She picked up one of the stones near his head and rolled it between her fingers. "These are just a fraction of the spirit stones I got for 200,000 Yinxi Coins. A sum of money I got for turning in Vincent Nightrose's head and for selling loads of pills to the pavilion. Now, I'm sure what's going through your head is, 'Why did the stupid girl Stella Crestfallen go and say something so ridiculous.'"

"That's not what I said—"

"But it's what you think," Stella flicked the spirit stone she held at his forehead. It harmlessly bounced off like a pebble hurled at a mountainside. Not wanting to look at him as she was getting quite angry, she turned on her heel and began pacing the room with her back to him.

"Listen, Douglas, you were taken into the sect for one job and one job only—to build things. Now, I will be the first to acknowledge that you have grown into so much more and become an integral part of the sect, but the fact still remains that you are best suited for building things. No... you're not just best suited for it. You are talented at it. The beast tide is fast approaching, and if we don't all do our part, the Ashfallen Sect as we know it will be laid to waste."

"I still don't understand why..."

Stella glanced over her shoulder at Douglas and said, "Six and a half million Yinxi Coins."

"Come again?" Douglas furrowed his brows in confusion.

"That is the price the Celestial Warden agreed upon. One Yinxi Coin per person successfully relocated. A deal that would make us one of, if not the richest entity within the entire pavilion. Understand now? Yes, this is a monumental task, but the reward is astronomical. If you can pull this off, you will have made the single greatest financial contribution to the Ashfallen Sect that anyone will likely ever do." Stella returned to pacing the room, "And that's not all! Six and a half million new people brought to our lands means there's an ocean of new people to bring into the cult, furthering Ash's divine powers."

Douglas slowly nodded as he saw the vision, "New members for the cult, I can understand, but what could you possibly need 6.5 million Yinxi Coins for? This task is still too ridiculous, even with the promised reward. The storm raging overhead will make building harder, and food reserves are already at an all-time low. I just can't bring myself to agree."

Stella strode over and leaned past his head so her lips almost touched his left ear. "Ash's offspring are going to die out there," she harshly whispered through clenched teeth directly into his ear, "Their only

hope is for Ash to accelerate their cultivation to give them a fighting chance. With those 6.5 million Yinxi Coins, I can buy up the entire Pavilion's supply of spirit stones and anything else that might save them. I don't want a single one of those poor trees to suffer when we have a chance to save them. Do you understand?"

"You're as scary and unreasonable as ever." Douglas closed his eyes and sighed, "But you're right. If there's anyone that can do it, then it's me. I'll see what I can do."

Stella leaned back and smiled. "Good." She patted Douglas enthusiastically on the shoulder, who was still half submerged in the spirit stone pile. "I knew I could count on you."

Douglas gave a weary smile. "I feel like I just got scammed into doing something ridiculous again." He rolled his shoulders as if trying to remove some stiffness before he relaxed. "But you're right. Building is what I do best. If this is the best way for me to assist during this beast tide, I'll make it happen."

"That's the Grand Elder Douglas I know! You can start work immediately." Stella tapped her chin in thought, "I think the best place for this project would be Nightrose City. It already has a large population, and while doubling it will strain a lot of the infrastructure and services, I'm sure it will be more manageable than building such a massive city from nothing."

"Not a bad suggestion," Douglas hummed in thought.

"Just demolish and rebuild the slum area of the city with high buildings that can accommodate a lot of people. We can relocate Ash's offspring within the city walls to assist the sewer system and provide some food. Public safety will be an issue as all cultivators will be focused on the beast tide, so maybe ask the local mortals devoted to the cult to figure it out?"

"Wow," Douglas looked bewildered, "You put a lot of thought into this."

Stella glared at him, "I do think sometimes, you know?"

"Sure you do," Douglas chuckled and climbed out of the pile of spirit stones. Taking a pause, he brushed the dust off his suit. "Say, Stella. While I have your attention and it's the topic, don't you think we should give Nightrose City a new name? Especially since its population is about to double and the Nightrose family is no more."

Stella yawned, "I can't be bothered. You can come up with a new name and suggest it to Ash. If he approves, then I don't see a problem."

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"You got it, little boss."

Stella frowned, "Don't call me little boss. I'm technically a few years older than Ash, you know?"

"Yeah, but he's way taller than you." Douglas's laughter boomed through the room. "Anyway, see you later. Don't stay up too late." With those parting words, he left the room while waving over his head.

Stella stared at the door for a moment before shaking her head and using telekinesis to set everything in the Ashfallen Trading Company's meeting room back to how it was minutes ago. As chairs and a table floated through the air and set back into place, she muttered to herself, "For such a hard-headed guy, he sure is easy to convince with a few compliments." A small smile bloomed on her face as she finished fixing the room. "We might not get along the best, but he's an alright guy, all things considered."

***

Ashlock awoke from a long dream on the dawn of the 7th day since Vincent Nightrose had died on Red Vine Peak. After the battle, he spent a few days analyzing the battle, identifying his shortcomings, and looking at where to invest his sacrificial credits.

Ultimately, after much debate, he arrived at a single conclusion. The factor holding him back wasn't his weak Bastions, Ents, followers, or summons. It was his own cultivation stage.

He had overlooked improving his cultivation stage as his system provided skills, the creation of an Inner World early, his ability to siphon Qi from the World Tree, and general advantages brought on by being a realm-spanning spirit tree all contributed to his capabilities to fight and defeat enemies above his stage.

Factors that had made him arrogant.

Vincent Nightrose, who wasn't even in the Monarch Realm, had given him so much trouble. While an SSS-grade attack skill or some powerful new summon could help him close the gap, in the end, the one thing that would help him most in dealing with the upcoming threats was reaching Monarch Realm himself. That way, nobody on this layer of creation could be his equal.

Furthermore, with the beast tide incoming and his new desolation Qi being an incredibly intensive affinity to use and cultivate, he was at his limit.

For these reasons, he had upgraded his cultivation technique {Transpiration of Heaven's Divinity [A]}not once, but twice to bring it up to SS grade, effectively raising his cultivation technique to one that was befitting a Monarch Realm.

[6109 sacrificial credits consumed for a double upgrade...]

[Upgraded {Transpiration of Heaven's Divinity [A]} -> {Divine Cycle of Creation and Ruin [SS]}]

A truly ridiculous number of credits, the total he had accumulated from devouring Vincent Nightrose and letting it grow for a few days in the divine stock market. Before he could learn what his new cultivation technique was capable of, his body and soul shut down, and he was cast into a terribly long dream.

At first, he found himself at the heart of an infinite forest made up of flourishing trees that stretched into the sky so high that their canopies seemingly pierced the heavens. The sheer overwhelming feeling of life was everywhere he looked. Not just in the leaves, bark, and roots of the titanic trees but also in the soil they proudly stood in and all the bugs that called their towering trunks home. Ashlock took in the feeling and felt warm but also off. It almost felt fake. It was too good to be true, like an artificial paradise created by another for their personal enjoyment.

As night fell, his fears bore fruit. The warmth faded, replaced with an icy chill that bit deep into his bark. The once life-filled soil blackened and cracked beneath him as if diseased. The heaven-piercing trees soon followed, as their leaves crumbled to ash and their trunks became withered husks. It was as if the moonlight itself was the bringer of ruin as it lorded over a silent wasteland. Ashlock looked to the sky for answers, but all he felt anywhere he looked was an oppressive aura that he knew all too well as it was something he had welcomed into his very soul.

Desolation.

Drawn to it, he traversed the wasteland and came across a single tree. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before. It was split perfectly down the middle. One side was vibrant with life and extruding a golden aura, while the other was gnarled and blackened and covered in deep cracks from which desolation Qi flowed out like a dark mist into the land.

As he approached, the tree began to shift and morph as if it felt his presence. Its branches extended toward him and fanned out as if trying to capture him. Ashlock was going to pull away when he suddenly realized this tree... it was him. This was a physical manifestation of his soul. Half of his Inner World was a desolate wasteland, while the other half was a flourishing paradise of divine energy.

Before he could look at himself closer, the incoming branches devoured him. Enveloped by darkness, he was given a long time to contemplate what he had seen. In previous dreams invoked by upgrading an ability, I was shown past fates of the World Tree. But this time, I was shown a version of myself?

While deep in thought, the branches that had encaged him unraveled to reveal he was no longer confined to a realm. He was suspended between stars and floating amidst galaxies. Two immense cosmic forces swirled around him as if he were the center of the Milky Way. They moved in opposite directions, creating friction that resulted in the death and birth of stars as the primal forces competed for dominance yet were perfectly matched.

For what felt like eons, he patiently watched. He spread out his spiritual presence and took in all there was to see. However, on one seemingly random day, a wandering thought bloomed into more, and enlightenment struck him. The purpose of this dream became clear.

Creation cannot exist without destruction—and vice versa. Some forces are ones of creation, while others seek to destroy. Life has no beauty or reason without the threat of withering to dust.

"Is that why the cycle is maintained? To achieve harmony between destruction and creation?" Ashlock asked, his voice echoing through the cosmos. But he did not receive an answer. The dream faded away, and he was brought back to reality by the ever-familiar notification of a day passing by his system. Or, in this case, almost a whole week.

Idletree Daily Sign-In System

Day: 3660

Daily Credit: 4

Sacrifice Credit: 265

[Sign in?]

"Four days have passed since I spent everything I had to upgrade my cultivation technique," Ashlock dismissed the notification. Yet, another popped up right after.

[You have unlocked your third-ever skill to go above the S-grade skill, and like the others, it's a game changer. Thus far, you have had a simple give-and-take relationship with your offspring. They provide Qi in times of need, and in return, you distribute nutrients, water, and knowledge through your roots]

Ashlock liked the direction this was taking. He had long sought a way to harness and improve his relationship with his offspring.

"So what's changed?"

[For starters, you have comprehended Harmony Dao]

"The understanding that for there to be destruction, there also has to be creation."

[Exactly. Having taken on desolation Qi, one of the most primal forms of destruction that directly goes against the heavens, you were at risk of losing control over your divine energy. In an effort to prevent this, harmony needed to be achieved. From now on, your offspring have become the yang to your yin. As you cause ruin, your offspring will flourish, feeding into the cycle and empowering you both. As you inflict your will upon the world, reducing it to dust, your offspring will rise from the ashes, reclaiming what was lost for you]

"That sounds quite strong," Ashlock mused, "So the more I fight back against the beast tide, the stronger my offspring and I will become? All so long as harmony is maintained."

[Yes, but that's not all. The connection to all your offspring has vastly improved to the point they are almost extensions of yourself. You will still need to use {Progeny Dominion [S]} for direct control and to use system abilities through one, but you can take in Qi and easily redistribute it to them, and they can do the same]

"Will my offspring still maintain their own affinities?"

[Of course, but now they will be so much more. Because of this upgrade, they can switch between empowering their own affinities with either desolation dao or harmony dao. When using desolation dao, their destructive capabilities in all aspects will be amplified. Meanwhile, when using harmony dao, it will enhance their regrowth and defensive capabilities]

Ashlock hummed to himself as he mulled over what the system had told him. Overall, he believed he had made the correct choice to do the double upgrade. Not only would his own cultivation rate be greatly increased, but his offspring would now be able to wield more of his power and even protect themselves more.

"If only I had some spare Qi on hand right now to power them up with. I'm still so pressured with keeping up the defensive lines against the beast tide—"

"Tree? You're awake?"

Ashlock honed in on Stella's house, which was built on a lush meadow bordering the desolation.

"Morning Stella, why do you look smug?"

"Heh, I have something to show you." Stella clicked her fingers, and her large living room filled with shining spirit stones. "I thought you might need these. You know," she winked, "To save your offspring."

"I did..." Ashlock replied. His system just informed him that he could more easily redistribute Qi to his offspring than ever before. While that wasn't new, he now had a very dire reason to do so. "How did you know?"

"My thousands of brothers and sisters suddenly seemed different, more aware and connected than ever before. Their hunger for Qi is felt throughout the land, and I felt their intense desire to grow." Stella leaned back and put her feet up, "I put two and two together, and here we are. I got us some spirit stones with far more on the way."

"Where did you even get so many—wait, there's going to be more?"

Stella smirked, "Yeah, so I might have conducted a little deal with the Celestial Warden, you see. We build him a city and let him move in, and we get millions of Yinxi Coins."

Ashlock was briefly distracted by the shiny spirit stones, but he caught something he didn't like the sound of. "You will allow the Celestial Warden to move in? What if he meets Nyxalia or sees Nox?"

Stella's smirk faltered, and she sat up, "True. I didn't think of that."