1 Prologue (1/3): Ethereal Grotto

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If one looked from a spacial view of the mountain range, one would see a myriad of colours; an overwhelming majesty of richness and grandeur. This mountain range sprawled into the distance, further than the eye could see; if one managed to circumnavigate the entirety of the mountain range, they would notice that an ethereal fog enclosed it. No matter how many times one attempted to navigate through this fog, they would find themselves where they started.

A plethora of legendary flora proliferated this mountain range, greedily sucking in the vibrant essence of the land. Magnificent beasts long thought extinct gallivanted through the wildlife.

The beauty of this mountain range only increased the further one ventured towards the centre, alongside an ever-increasing density of essence. This essence is within all living beings. The more essence one has, the higher their vitality.

At the centre of this mountain range lays a large cave, around the periphery of the cavern spiralling cliffs, shot off into the sky, a river of the most transparent blue ran across the centre of the cavern; with river creatures of sparkling beauty playing merrily within. Beautiful pink blossom-like trees grew within this valley gathering the essence of heaven and earth within the mountain range. The grass and other flora glowed with ethereal colours, giving them an almost dream-like quality.

Beautiful structures, made from wood, with curved roofs and glowing-lanterns placed upon them, surrounded the valley. Larger palatial like structures were situated upon the cliff walls. Happy frolicking children and beasts played within the valley, the auras they emanated was enough to make even elders of cultivation sects in the mortal world tremble. Elders meditated around the cavern, monitoring the children, while they meditated on the laws of the universe.

On a balcony of the highest and most grand of the pagoda-like structures, stood a married couple. The wind gently buffeted the dreamy silk-like white clothes, that intermittently shined with an indefinite spectrum of colours, of the couple. The man stood tall and proud, with handsome features that would shame most men of the world. The man's wife beside him would not lose out in beauty, if not even eclipsing him. She had a visage that would make even a Buddha think about his life-choices.

"My wife, although we have lived for many a millennium, and you have birthed our three beautiful daughters – who we love so very dearly – you and I have always wanted a son," The man softly whispered.

"I do, my dear husband," She turned to look at her man, her watery eyes showing her self-reproach.

"Jasmine", he gently stroked her emerald hair, "Do not be like this, it is my fault. We as cultivators are aware of the difficulties that it brings towards procreation, the fact that we even managed to have our beautiful daughters, at our cultivation realms, is a gift from heaven. If I hadn't cultivated so adamantly to become the patriarch of the Ethereal Grotto, we might have had a son by now." He chastised himself.

The couple gently dipped their heads and gazed across the grotto, "The ancestors have informed me of a chance to implore the Astral God in helping us birth a boy." Said the man, with a smile.

Jasmine shuddered next to him; she turned towards the man in shock her eyes depicting her disbelief, "Cestra, is this true!?"

"Haha, it is Jasmine! You, of all people, should know how your grandfather and the other ancestors all dote on you. The Smaragdus ancestor has always looked at you in a good light, since you comprehended her life-cultivation technique, and became her only disciple," The man joyfully chortled.

"You and your games Cestra, always invoking a solemn air when there's good news. You'd expect me to realise this after having married you for many a millennium," She playfully chastised herself.

"I remember Master once told me that she helped the Astral God in some way, although she never told me how - she must be using this past favour to help us!"

"That I am," A mellifluous voice that made one feel refreshed suddenly appeared out of the void.

The couple immediately bowed. "Greetings ancestor, greetings Master."

"Oh, please stop it, Jasmine. Stop playing around with me." The newly arrived ancestor chortled.

Jasmine let out a laugh and dived into her master's embrace. Smaragdus Jasmine's master, stood a head taller than Cestra. As a result, Jasmine always looked dwarfed compared to her master, even though Jasmine herself was tall for a female.

Smaragdus was in fact, an Emerald True Dragon beast, she stood with glowing emerald hair that emanated life aura. Flora would subconsciously grow around her and would almost bow in obeisance. The higher the cultivation realm of a beast the more chance they have to morph into human form, the bloodline density also plays a factor in determining what realm of cultivation a creature must be in to change into human form. A beast with a higher bloodline density will find it more challenging to morph into human form. Therefore they must be at a higher cultivation level to counter-act their bloodline. Consequently, one can infer from this that Smaragdus cultivation level is exceedingly high.

Jasmine's master wore a veil over her face; one would not even have to see the look to know that she is a beauty, her eye's stared dotingly at Jasmine.

"Master, are you using this favour to help us?"

"Of course, I am, what wouldn't I do for my beloved disciple. I may as well clarify how He, the Astral God, owes me a favour. When I finally formed my Life-Cultivation technique, the aura it released managed to surprise the Astral God even though He spends his time living out in the void, millions of kilometres away from here," Smaragdus paused here, letting this information sink in.

"He immediately appeared in front of me and asked if He could look at it."

What she didn't add was that the Astral God was in fact not a person, but a personification of the laws of the astral universe.

"Without waiting for an answer, He graced my head with his hand and glimpsed at the technique within my soul, as compensation He gave me a strand of His essence for me to invoke whenever I need His help." She said to Jasmine.

Jasmine stared at her master with reverence, she gave her husband a glance her face clearing saying 'Look how awesome my master is'.

"Why don't you act this way in front of our children, Jasmine?" Cestra asked jokingly.

"I must appear to have the grandeur of a mother! Only with Master can I act this way,"

"Smaragdus Ancestor, Jasmine and I humbly thank you from the bottom of our hearts for this graciousness. I will forever remember this," Cestra said.

"Good, you never even had to say it. I know your character well Little Cestra. I was one of the people pushing for you to become the Patriarch," Smaragdus gave Cestra an approving glance.

"Come with me." Said Smaragdus

Space warped around the trio and they travelled through space-time towards the Ancestral Hall, situated within the core zone of the of the grotto. The entire space-time transfer happened so fast a mortal wouldn't have even perceived the change before they found themselves in a new area. Within the core zone, there was an overflowing amount of pure essence, in here one could improve their cultivation two times as fast with half the effort.

The Ancestral Hall was in fact not situated in the same space-time as the Ethereal Grotto, but rather in another closed-realm, formed by the first ancestors of the Ethereal Grotto. The Ancestral Hall consisted of the Ancestors, Elders and disciple's cultivation rooms, as well as auditoriums for lecturing on the Grand Way by the Ancestors. Ethereal Grotto has always thrived on information, passing down knowledge from one generation to another, and through this, an even sturdier foundation for future generations is formed.

The trio moved towards Smaragdus cultivation room to start the ritual, to communicate with the Astral God. Along the way, they walked past several core disciples who enthusiastically greeted the trio.

"Was that Ancestor Smaragdus!? She never goes out of her cultivation room,"

"What do you know? She only goes out when it involves her disciple, overwise she is as cold as ice,"

"Umm guys, are you forgetting the patriarch? The greatest contemporary genius to ever come out of our Ethereal Grotto. Let's stop jabbering, we only have limited time to use the Ancestral Realm. We spent a lot of points to cultivate here."

The trio just smiled at each other when they heard the disciples speaking about them. "Master, did they just call you an iceberg?" Jasmine snickered.

"You silly child." Smaragdus shook her head in mock annoyance.

Smaragdus' cultivation room as one can expect, was all emerald in colour much like her hair. Smaragdus adopted this colour when her newly formed cultivation technique invoked a hair-colour change, this is also the reason for Jasmine's hair colour.

The room consisted of a formation that centred around a cultivation mat, allowing for a higher speed of essence intake. This was not the only benefit, as the rug cleared one's mind and soul allowing for one to ponder upon the arcane laws of the Grand Way to more significant effect.

"Come sit."

Once the couple had sat down, Jasmine's Master informed them on what she was going to do, "I am going to invoke the essence that the Astral God has given me, I will then inform Him of the situation, and hopefully, He will start to communicate with both of you. He will communicate via the soul, as He can't interfere with the physical plane. So, do not be surprised. Otherwise, if He were able to influence the physical plane, I would have used this favour many millennia ago to deal with other situations."

The couple both nodded their heads in affirmation.

Smaragdus proceeded to move her essence throughout her meridians, to withstand the pressure that would occur because of the activation of the Astral God's essence. An immense aura, like the feeling of the universe, descended upon the Ancestral realm, immediately waking up the ancestors and disciples alike – informing them that a Higher Being has descended.

A being that has reached the pinnacle in the usage of it's chosen Primordial Way.

"Seniors, juniors, everyone. I have communicated with the Astral God. He will grace us with his presence in a matter of moments. If you would like to be baptised by his laws, please gather around my auditorium." Smaragdus solemn voice resounded throughout the Ancestral Realm.

The trio moved towards Smaragdus' personal auditorium that has never had the privilege to be used. The auditorium's circumference can lengthen to fit however many people necessary.

Ancestors and great beings of the Ethereal Grotto, who generally sit in meditation for multiple millennia at a time who would never move, even if the sky is falling, all started to stir and shudder in excitement and anticipation. To be able to experience a baptism of laws from the Astral God, was a momentous occasion. It was a lucky chance among lucky chances; many individuals and ancestors have managed to get where they are today through one fortunate encounter, but all those blessed experiences could not compare to this occasion.

Gigantic beings, beautiful beings, beings emanating the primordial laws of the Way all proceeded to make their way towards the auditorium. The disciples all moved with the utmost haste too. All these beings invoked the commencement of an extensive transmission array to bring every member of the Ethereal Grotto towards the auditorium so that no one would be left out of this lucky chance. One of the reasons the Ethereal Grotto Sect can stand as one of the four holy lands in the cultivation world is because of a close camaraderie, forged through blood and tears, between the brethren of the Sect.

The community of the Ethereal Grotto gathered around the stage of the ever-expanding Smaragdus Auditorium. A palpable solemn excitement was able to be felt in the air.

All the ancestors and their direct disciples were seated around the very front of the stage, with the other people of the Ethereal Grotto sitting in rings around the stage in lines of descending seniority. The past patriarchs of the sect, now all Grand Elders, gathered at the very front of the stage waiting for Smaragdus to inform them of the situation. Thousands of pairs of eyes stared intently at the trio on stage.

"Greetings Patriarch." All the disciples bowed. Looking at the patriarch with reverence in their eyes.

"I am not the leading character in today's event, but I wish for all of you to wholeheartedly make use of this chance. I know many of you have never meditated for extended periods of time before, but do not worry. The baptism of laws will provide sustenance for all of you so that even though many of you have not reached a high enough cultivation to sustain yourselves with only essence, you will still be able to single-mindedly meditate on the laws. Experiencing your own Nirvana." Lectured Patriarch Cestra.

While Cestra was lecturing the disciples of the situation, Smaragdus was informing the ancestors of the event.

"So, what you are saying junior Smaragdus is that Little Cestra and Little Jasmine will implore the Astral God to help with the birth of their male child?" an old hunched-back man, leaning on a seemingly ordinary stick, asked with glimmering eyes.

"Yes, Pinnacle Elder." Smaragdus bowed in confirmation to the elder, with the utmost respect. Even Smaragdus a being who has lived for hundreds of thousands of years has only ever seen the Pinnacle Elder a few times in her life. Pinnacle elder was, in fact, showing respect to Smaragdus, as when in comparison to his age and cultivation, she was just a little dragon.

"Haha! Good, good, good!" all the ancestors looked at the Pinnacle Elder in surprise, as they've never seen him get this excited.

"Maybe with this occasion a birth of a Chosen Child of Heaven unlike any other, may occur," chortled the Pinnacle Elder.

"As we are all here to receive this baptism, there will be no one defending the perimeter of the Grotto. Therefore, some measures must be put in place. Enforcement elders activate the Ethereal Cataclysm Array." Commanded the Pinnacle Elder.

Within the centre of the river running through the grotto, a broad scintillating light beam soared towards the heavens, the beam arced out and spread in a half circle covering the entirety of the cavern. Following that an ethereal fog traversed the luminescent circle, wrapping it in its entirety, the grotto itself disappeared replaced with an inconspicuous mountain.

From this moment onwards, the already reclusive Holy Land - Ethereal Grotto Sect - receded entirely from the world.

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