John was caught up in a wonderful interweaving of elements until the Triptych rudely interrupted the flow of things. It was probably for the best, because as pleasant as the near-perfect state of the six elements had been it couldn’t last forever. And their foes still had to be defeated.

  Losing the flow state completely would be a disaster, but John ended up at a nice balance. Aldara seemed quite pleased with the state of things as well. The two of them renewed the vigor of their attacks, striking with the same force that had sliced ships in half and pierced through their hulls. Sword and spear combined with every elemental combination imaginable. The ebb and flow of elements due to their own techniques and those of their enemies left them constantly doing something new.

  If Folasade attacked with her glaive, they could match her with the elements that overcame her own. Alternatively, they could use the same elements or even attack from a place of weakness. When flames threatened to devour them, John formed a temporary shell of earth and ejected it towards their enemies. The heat built up within the spiritual energy was turned back on their foes.

  They didn’t only come out on top, but they took any setbacks in stride. Aldara utilized water element fighting styles to absorb incoming attacks. Her shield was slowly wearing down along with the spiritual energy the two of them wielded. Against three Exalted Soul Phase cultivators and a powerful phoenix, easy victory was impossible.

  However, they were not alone either. Their allies below provided fearless support. Sitora was constantly threatening to pull them downward with her abilities, and they had to endure her air and earth element techniques. Amalric was constantly looking for an opportunity to approach the phoenix- even with the trio fighting together in one position, he seemed disappointed that the particular spirit beast he had claimed he would take down still remained. Even so, his earlier results had been sufficient for John to slip Ethereal Flames into an attack on Caelnon.

  In a battle of endurance, they would still lose. Each cultivator was close to perfection. Comparing a full cycle versus an allied cycle or even an imbalance core cycle had some theoretical differences in quality… but it was impossible to say that anyone who reached the Exalted Soul Phase was unworthy.

  The pursuit of the phoenix and those aboard it was relentless, but that was where John and Aldara gained an advantage. They were chased everywhere, including into the Molten Sea. While it didn’t seem to be an advantage- the Molten Sea was made of lava, after all- it had to be remembered that it was still half water. Even if it wasn’t visible, the water element spiritual energy was undeniably present.

  It took a combination of everything they had. John dimmed the sensation of his allies’ techniques as Sitora pulled the phoenix towards the edge of the sea. Steve, Yustina, and Amalric all attacked fearlessly, willing to face the fire and even cultivators that overpowered them.

  Aldara protected them all, using the Molten Sea itself as a liquid barrier. Enniaun’s javelins were caught up, Caelnon’s chains slowed, and Folasade wasn’t able to swing her glaive with great speed. Even if she extended her reach far beyond with her spiritual energy, it was easily dodged.

  The phoenix still wasn’t so foolish as to let itself be thrown into the edge of the Molten Sea once more… but it didn’t expect the obsidian barrier to come to it. There were more exceptional individuals among the Ascending Soul Phase cultivators. Renato was quite pleased to smash his powerful stone club against the obsidian barrier while members of the Bright Trinity covered for him.

  Millions of obsidian shards flew into the phoenix. John and Aldara instantly transitioned into augmenting them. The shards were earth element, but just enough resistant to heat that the phoenix couldn’t annihilate them all. Pieces from the size of a fingernail to spears as large as a battering ram pierced into the phoenix. The spirit beast’s energy grew rampant.

  In the next moment, John had a choice. The Triptych instantly transitioned into an assault that John wouldn’t have believed from any reasonable individual. With Folasade at the lead, they were boosting the already unstable fire element of the phoenix. The creature would die, regardless of its own will. The explosion would be directed to kill.

  John could avoid it. At the same time, he could strike down at least one of the Triptych. No, he was certain he could kill one or two and create grievous injuries on whoever remained.

  Aldara stood proud and tall, ready to withstand the attack. But by herself… it couldn’t be quite enough.

  If it had been merely Empress Aldara there, John wouldn’t have hesitated to take advantage of the opportunity. Even if they were at the moment allied, and might remain so in the future, he still remembered that Aldara was responsible for Astrid’s death.

  But he felt how she drew upon the Molten Sea, her pulse matching it. A powerful rhythm. He was reminded of the leviathan. Indeed, the spiritual energy of Sitora reminded him most strongly of that situation. Matayal had perished there.

  It didn’t matter how much of Aldara was Matayal. Even the tiniest portion was sufficient. John clenched his fist. A single dagger slipped out of his sleeve. Folasade had the greatest connection with the spirit beast, so he targeted her. But he didn’t commit to his attacks. Only a portion of his spiritual energy joined the dagger. The rest flowed to cover Aldara, joining with her own six elements.

  The scar left behind by the clash would remain on the Molten Sea forever. Intense heat sufficient to turn the Molten Sea’s lava and the neighboring watery ocean into plasma was released in a thin plane, cutting down into the sea floor and the depths of the Molten Sea. The heat would not last for just an instant, but instead resulted in a permanent change in the flow of spiritual energy. Anything that touched the area would be annihilated.

  Aldara stood strong. The Triptych shielded themselves against their own attack, and were launched backwards like they came out of a cannon. No, like they were riding an intercontinental ballistic missile. They were kilometers away within a single second, and their movement showed no signs of stopping.

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  It was shameful for them to retreat in such a fashion… but what would shame mean to them if they lost their lives?

  John wanted to give chase, but he ended up on the far side of the sudden wall. He wasn’t willing to try to pass through the shimmering barrier, as he already felt himself burning up from mere proximity. And Aldara… was about to collapse. She would live, so she might also find herself concerned about shame.

  “The Sovereign Primacy will fall!” John shouted. In some ways, it was a reminder to the surrounding combatants that enemies were still present. And to the Sovereign Primacy, a call to surrender. “All who stand with them will perish. Their Triptych runs in terror.”

  Related to Aldara nearly collapsing, John was close to that state himself. He had no idea how much spiritual energy he had absorbed from various foes and the environment, but his meridians were shot. He wouldn’t be able to fly in a few moments.

  He let himself set down upon the water- a much easier effort. Aldara followed along.

  John surveyed the battlefield. His companions? He trusted them to live through almost anything… but a near-suicidal attack from three Exalted Soul Phase cultivators was a bit much.

  What he saw was blue flames flickering… and shrinking.

  Apparently, John had a little bit of energy to spare as he rushed to the side of his best friend. A foolish guy who always got into trouble. “Steve.” There was no space for a formal name in a place such as this. That was how they first met, how they first grew close. A fellow transmigrator.

  Next to him was Yustina. She didn’t look any better. Both were charred. John barely recognized their figures, and their spiritual energy was crumbling away.

  “Hey,” Steve coughed. “Who would have thought it would be fire that got me?”

  Yustina just held his hand and smiled. Any meaning behind it except for her love for her foolish husband was impossible to discern.

  “We have to…” John couldn’t even say anything. Get them treatment? He could see some of their bones. Neither of the two should be conscious, or even alive by traditional definitions.

  Steve grunted. “Take care of our mutual grandkids until we come back.”

  “You’re not…” John couldn’t say it. “... guaranteed to come back.”

  “Then you’ll just have to live forever.”

  John wanted to tell him not to talk, but he couldn’t refuse to hear the man’s last words, even if they were like that. And he wasn’t idealistic enough to think they could be anything but. “I’ll do my best.”

  Most likely, neither Steve nor Yustina heard him.

  As John’s eyes passed over Sitora, wandering and looking for something to focus on, he cursed intrusive thoughts. Death was inevitable, but he didn’t want anyone to die.

  He looked off into the distance. “... Think we can catch them?”

  Aldara nodded seriously, but if she was close to as exhausted as him it was likely a supreme effort. “I don’t see them getting off without injuries, and they have no vessel. They’d have to carry Enniaun, either flying or swimming a thousand kilometers.”

  “Anyone fresh enough to help us chase?” John asked in a low voice as he looked around. Most of the people looked haggard… but there were a few Bright Trinity cultivators. Some from the Molten Sea. Even those from the western islands that looked eager to give chase.

  “We need a crew!” Aldara called out. “Just enough for one vessel.”

  Immediately they had far too many volunteers- but those of greater strength naturally found their way forward.

  That included Sitora. She looked as if she could barely stand.

  John wasn’t going to tell her to rest. Or at least, not just that. If she could get them to their foes a few moments faster? So be it. But he had to rest. Whatever spiritual energy they gathered along the way would have to be sufficient to strike down their foes… but if everything went well they would be growing stronger along the way while their foes flagged.

  -----

  Intense recovery. It seemed to be an oxymoron, and to some extent it was. John was mentally frazzled. Emotionally, he hadn’t recovered from the last decade, or the one before it. Physically, he hadn’t slept in days.

  At least his spiritual energy was happy. Whenever he wasn’t thinking about it, his energy very happily mixed with Aldara’s and boosted their recovery. And when he was thinking about it… well, at least there was less active rejection than before. Mostly, he felt numb.

  “An emperor can’t afford to show melancholy after a victory.”

  John glanced over at Aldara. “I don’t want to be an emperor. And nobody will see.”

  “I see.”

  “You do,” John agreed. “... And who are you mourning?”

  There weren’t any smiles to be had. Too much effort, not enough emotion to give. “I knew them as well, once. I hoped to do so again. Ida and Kori were terribly injured, and I don’t know if they will make it.”

  “... Sorry.”

  “If you ever meant insult with such a thing,” Aldara said. “You would no longer be the man I remember. But I think, perhaps, you have become even better.”

  “Maybe. Wasn’t strong enough, though.”

  “You can’t save the whole world. But I think we both know that.”

  John bit his lip. “It’s frustrating… being so close. Yet still too weak.”

  “I concur. But this is what we are.” She took a deep breath. “We might catch up within the next day or so. We should attempt to get some sleep. Clear minds to control what spiritual energy we have. Our meridians need rest anyway.”

  “Sleep. Yeah.”

  John thought he had reached the level of tired where it was impossible to get to sleep… but his body was quite happy to pass out in a hammock, swinging back and forth as their ship sped over the seas, cultivators taking shifts as they pushed the vessel as quickly as they could.

  It was kind of relaxing. That was about all he thought before he woke up with a sense of danger. But as consciousness came fully to him, John resolved himself to be the danger. The war couldn’t drag on any longer. They would win.