Chapter 19: Battle for the Water Stele

Tallon pov:

Time had continued to pass from the time Noah entered my fake inheritance.

I did leave some gifts for him and the Hive in their so they could take and benefit the Hive.

This way I can strengthen the Hive who in return would benefit me by attacking the other factions territories.

I had taken a piece of the Rank 7 Fire Magical Beast corpse from the Lava Lake and left it inside the fake inheritance which Noah and the others discovered.

The Hive took possession of it and was able to use it in a similar way to the water stele. However, the piece of the fire element Divine Beast corpse would help Cultivators of the Hive enhance their understanding of the Fire element.

Noah and the others also helped to colonize the Azure Plain for the Hive.

The Weak Poisonous frogs tried to expand their territory and bear-type magical beasts began to descend from the mountain range and invade the Azure Plain during that time.

Yet, after a few weeks went by and the teleportation matrix was completed and the connection with the Coral archipelago was created.

As for the fake dungeon in the Desert sand worm region, the Hive had taken control of it and had been visiting the Dragon clone I had created and placed there.

The Dragon Clone is simply a Mimic Tear merged with my [Shadow Copy], the clone had then transformed into my Dragon form and remained as such within the dungeon. He was able to fake his cultivation to being "Superior" to others, including Rank 6 beings because "Superiority" is my original Individuality, hence I can fake the clone's cultivation level as a Rank 8 being.

The dragon clone had told them he was fond of conversations so it was regularly visited by many cultivators of the Hive wanting to ask and gleam more and more questions.

This was working in my favour more than I could ever have anticipated.

What was interesting was that Noah recently explored the East of White Woods forest but encountered the Papral Nation Cultivator, Elder Cheryl of the Fiery Will Sect who is an Fire Rank 4-Solid being.

They entered immediate battle since 2 years ago the Empire, Utra Narion, Papral Nation and my kingdom Forossa had come to an agreement to divide the areas of the New Continent as to not cause an accidental conflict amongst them while colonising the New Continent.

I had directly threatened all the nations that if they entered my currently colonized territories that I would personally interfere and commit a mass genocide of the four Nation's forces.

The other Rank 6 beings could have beaten me at some point, but the losses they could incur would weaken them against the other factions afterwards. Hence Forossa has stopped any further colonization of the New Continent, and I was content with that. I will take control of more territories in the tournament matches to come.

That was why Elder Cheryl was able to see through Noah's lie and know that he belongs to a unknown fifth rogue faction or the Hive.

Noah still had a tough fight against Elder Cheryl but with Tiche being with him, the two of them were able to defeat her.

The Papral Nation blamed the other Nations for the loss of their Heroic Cultivator, which had finally shattered the fagile peace for years.

The Royals denied the accusations while the Empire just ignored them and gave no response. Forossa just denied it saying they kept true and secluded to our already colonised territories.

The Papral Nation found the Space Ring of Elder Cheryl but her body was missing and could only assume the Magical Beasts had ate her corpse.

I'm also certain that the Papral Nation has already contacted the Hive, completely ignorant of the fact that Noah was responsible for the death of their Heroic Cultivator.

They wanted to pseudo-cooperate with the Hive and hire them to attack the other Faction's territories so that it can cause a territorial war between them.

The Hive had no choice because they needed the support of the Papral Nation in order to help them to colonize the New Continent.

Quite a few battles happened, The Hive assassinated a Cultivator from the Shosti Family (Large size noble family) of the Utra Nation, Louis Elbas and Fred Muwlos.

It's around this time that Chasing Demon had been able to get a Darkness spell for Noah and was able to clear his bounty from the Utra Nation.

The Utra Nation was attacking the Empire's territories, while the Hive was attacking the Utra Nation's territories in the background.

The Papral Nation and Empire worked together to attack some territories of Forossa but was easily repelled since I had relocated my forces to strengthen certain areas.

To retaliate, I had finally decided to send some Forces to invade and take control of the Water Stele from the Empire and back into Forossa's hands.

Ranni returned to the New Continent to personally deal with commanding the forces and opened territories.

However, Alecto had contacted me regarding a sudden development in the invasion for the Water Stele territory.

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Ciri pov:

Currently, myself, Tallon's sister Jade, Ariel and Shiraori were all together in one group travelling across the mountain range where the Divine Cut was.

I myself had meditated in front of the Divine Cut to enhance my understanding of swordsmanship.

Thanks to that I had been able to improve of what Geralt and Vesimer, Eskel and Lambert had already taught me and created my own Witcher sword school, School of the Swallow.

It focused primarily on evasion to strike my opponents with a swift counterattack, I primarily developed this after training under one of Tallon's close aide's former teacher.

Malenia's former mentor the Blind Swordsman.

(A/n in game, The Blind Swordsman created the Guard Counter Technique. It's the move u can do when blocking an attack, u perform a weird counter attack if u press attack button straight after blocking an enemy attack.)

The other side of this fighting style would focus on my powers.

"Hey Ciri, I never actually got to talk to you after all this time. How about we talk about something?" Jade asked besides me.

"Sure, can I ask first?" I asked politely.

"Sure!"

"How was Tallon like before...everything happened?"

Jade had a strange expression on her face. I had asked a personal question which pained her to think about, but the relationship that the siblings had been steadily getting better.

"He...was very kind to me. He'd always spoil me and play with me but that lessened after our aptitudes were revealed. But once our father died, our mother was able to show both of us equal love and affection and things had gotten back together. He would often trip over many things when we were kids since he always insisted on walking ahead of me so that I wouldn't trip over anything I couldn't see on the ground, despite it happening to him in the end."

"It was a happy family then."

"Until that event happened and we all thought he died, yes. But in recent times since his wedding we've been hanging around like old times! We've been playing the various card games he invented, Black Jack, Poker, Uno even games and activities like Bowling, Pool, Snooker and Twister! It's surprising how many ideas he has!" She excitedly exclaimed.

"Yeah, though I don't understand why he doesn't publicly announce games like this outside of Forossa? He could easily make Forossa richer than the entire world if he mass produced games like this and sold them across the world." I replied, confused on Tallon's secrecy to keep these sorts of things only within Forossa's territory.

"OK, my turn! What about your family? How did you meet Tallon?"

"That's two questions..." I said bluntly.

"Tehe!" Jade giggled at being caught.

"*sigh* I have a complicated family. My homeland was invaded and conqoured by my birth father. I fled and met my...adoptive father Geralt, he's part of a group of monster hunters called Witchers that modify their bodies to combat the creatures. But because of my unique blood and Ancestory, a group called the Wild Hunt chased after me when I escaped their prison and even threatened to kill Geralt and his lover, who is like my adoptive mother, called Yennefer. But I was able to save them but had to flee to keep them safe. After a many years I arrived in the Old Continent and ended up in Tallon's old territory of the Niflheim Sect. The Wild Hunt came for me, but Tallon and his Sect forced them to retreat. That pretty much summarised everything."

As soon as I finished talking I felt a pair of arms wrap around me only to see it was Jade.

"I'm so sorry, you had such a tough life!"

"It's fine, I'll meet them again one day."

"I got something to ask you all!"

Shiraori and Ariel both turned their heads to the side and Jade had strategically repositioned herself to the side so that she can observe their reactions.

"Do you love Tallon?"

The sudden question caught them off guard but Jade could see that only Jade and Shiraori had reacted to the unexpected question. Ariel showed an indifferent face but a small smile after she realised what I had done.

"I serve him as his subordinate. He had asked me this a long time ago and I made my position clear to being his loyal servant...and friend." Ariel said but Ciri's mind was partially in chaos trying to come up with an excuse to counter Jade's question.

"Don't worry Ciri, Shiraori. I give you two my blessing to take good care of him. He needs concubines and multiple wives as a Ruler. But he did say he wouldn't have more than a handful of lovers since he dislikes having a Harem but isn't adverse to having one."

(A/n Ranni, Ciri, Shiraori Harem members only, any other is one night stand concubine like Nina was to Noah also the Duel Cultivation sect woman he had s.e.x. with before he ends up with June)

Before Shiraori and Ciri could give an excuse to refute Jade's accure words about their feelings for Tallon over these many decades they've been with him, they were attacked by a multitude of aerial blades sent towards their location!

Ariel and Jade effortlessly vanished from that spot, while Ariel used her Wind element Spells to enhance her bodies speed to evade that attack, Jade used a similar spell to make her body become pure Light energy and flashed like lighting out of the way.

As for Ciri, she teleported away while Shiraori just tanked the attack which left deep cuts all across her body.

Her throat was slashed open spilling waterfalls of blood out while another had landed on her stomach which caused her intestines and guts to pour out.

Even still, none of her companions panicked as all the organs that was on full display and dangling outside of her body, began to retract back inside of herself as if rewinding time itself. The slash on her neck healed itself moments later.

Shiraori waved her hand once and many millions of fine white spider silk left her fingertips and surrounded her damaged clothes, instantly repairing them with ease.

Shiraori survived such an attack since her body was Immortal in the sense that she can only die if her Dantian or Soul is destroyed, as for her Mind, that issue had been solved thanks to Tallon.

(Shiraori had the Immortality skill from the evolved spider species she obtained while in the So I'm A Spider, So What?! Universe. She still has that for her body but that can easily be bypassed and for many to just directly attack the Dantian to destroy it.)

Evading the attack everyone went on guard and looked to its source to see some individuals they had received in the mission briefings over that last few years.

The man before them was many Cultivators from the Empire. Spirit Stride was a Rank 5 Wind Cultivator and leader of the group.

Next to him were many Rank 4 Solid Cultivators and another Rank 5 Cultivator besides Spirit Stride.

Spirit Stride and the Cultivators of the Empire was shocked of Shiraori's survival and her bodies regenerative capabilities but ignored it for the time being.

"You are trespassing on the territory of the Empire, leave or you will be dealt with." Spirit Stride declared as he flew up to met our level above the ground followed by others behind him.

Many Rank 4 Cultivators of the water element surrounded us.

How we were able to easily discern that they were water element cultivators was because Tallon had created a Analysing Pharros Stone within the core of a Ring each of us, along with the higher ups of Forossa were given.

A Pharros Stone is used by all Cultivators to determine the Elemental aptitude of an individual. The Stone would change color for each individual. Afterwards the Pharros Stone would be reset so it can be used again, but Tallon made a large tower in Forossa which would act as a Pharros Stone tower and reset by itself.

"Oh is that so~ that would be a shame wouldn't it." Jade teasingly said in a sing-song manner.

Seeing that we were surrounded we all knew what the plan would be in case this happened.

Jade immediately flew in the direction of Shiraori and stabbed her sword straight through her head.

This action shocked all the Cultivators from the Empire but myself and Ariel didn't react at all as if this was normal.

A second later Spirit Stride realised something was wrong when he noticed that many of the Rank 4 Cultivators, that surrounded the enemy, were slowly falling from the sky towards the ground.

Spirit Stride looked at the them and realised that a stab wound had appeared in the same identical area on all their heads!

"Did you realise it? I made a special technique thanks to big brother that can transfer the same injury inflicted to someone onto another, the only limitation is the amount of people I can use it and their Rank on but as my Sea of Conciousness expands i can use it more and more!" Jade excitedly informed their confused looks, more specifically towards Spirit Stride.

Spirit Stride didn't dally any longer and immediately attacked along with his other Rank 5 Companion.

Jade and Ariel took on the two Rank 5 Cultivators while Shiraori took on the dozens of Rank 4 Cultivators left.

Meanwhile, I took on a small group by myself.

6 in total surrounded me and thought they could overwhelm me.

I raised my sword behind my head and used my Elderblood and Individuality of Time and Space to further enhance it's capabilities.

In the next instant as the attacks all landed on my body, I had phased straight through them and teleported directly behind one of my enemies.

I slashed at Lighting speed down at the man instantly killing him with a fatel blow, I telported in a flash of turquoise light and appeared before another, and another and another.

I had done the same thing over and over and had killed 4 of the 6 Cultivators within less that 2 seconds.

The remaining two Cultivators left was a Warer Rank 4 Solid Cultivator called Void Hand and the other was the same Rank as Void Hand but was a Earth aptitude Cultivator.

Instead of weapons he seemed to use his fists and I came to the conclusion he had the Iron palm style, a weaponless style that uses hands as a weapon, excellent attack and maneuverability to strike. Breath will harden the hands of the user making them able to stop blades or release a shockwave to hurt the internal organs of the opponent. The hardening of the hands can be permanent with training. This was a Rank 2 fighting style.

However, after refining and perfecting this form of combat his body must handed than my sword and as durable as a Rank 5 body.

The man with fists charged at me but I dodged his attack by floating higher in the air and grbbing onto his arm, flipping around his body like a snake and sent a slash towards his spine.

As expected, my blade had bounced off like hitting a invulnerable and unmovable wall.

Void Hand supported his ally by sending out a spell that materialised many serpants made of water.

I slashed at each and everyone of the water sperpants before teleporting away to a safe distance.

It feels good finally being able to use my powers more without being afraid of the Wild Hunt finding me like before.

The Earth man must think I was unable to get past his bodies defenses and thought to go on the offensive.

I smiled inwardly as I would use one of my greatest trump card specifically made to deal with a situation like this.

I held my sword with both hands and calmly remained in place as the man quickly approached my position.

I didn't move and waited for him to get in close. I could use the technique now but it would be better to wait for when he can't avoid my attack.

Void Hand in the background realised this and called out to his companion to stop his advance but it was too late.

Swinging my blade downwards, I had infused with my Elderblood power to control Space and Time, his body was completely divided in two from the head vertically down.

I had infused my blade with the power of Space and Time, to be able to unleash a slash that can bypass and transcend the "Space" between us and throughout his body. While the attack itself had bypassed Time itself, allowing my singular attack to not be limited to one slash but actually an infinite number of slashes all at once. Basically, one slash is equal to an infinite number.

Void Hand was left shocked when he saw the sudden development, never could he have imagined that such a attack was possible.

I'm not suprised by his reaction, I may be a Rank 4 Solid Cultivator but even Tallon said that my Elderblood was stronger than even Rank 9 existences if fully mastered.

The Elderblood manipulates The Spiral, a place of Time and Space that branches many different universes and worlds together which is how I appeared in this world.

It is also how the White Frost is able to affect other worlds and slowly destroy them.

(A/n the White Frost is a planetary catacysic event that will cause an Ice Age across the multivetse and every world it appears on. It is apart of Ithlinne's prophecy that comes true in Witcher 3, where Ciri confronts the White Frost at its source and origin at the end of the game. No being can survive the White Frost even Ciri can die from it but depending on the player (Geralt's) choices with Ciri, she can either die or successfully survive confrinting and stopping the White Frost. If your wondering which ending is cannon, its the Empress Ending, Ciri becomes Empress of Nilgard and in lore she is set to marry someone but I forgot the details. I know what ur thinking cause i am too. You/me hate Empress Ending and wanted Witcher Ciri ending to be cannon.)

To put it simply, I can directly manipulate Soace and Time as if they are Laws.

A Law is something that is necessary for a Rank 6 being to become a Rank 7 being.

They would Evolve their Individuality into becoming a Law that can directly manipulate it and exert it not as a form of influence but ro directly affect the laws of the world around them.

As a Rank 9 being the Law and the being in question becomes a embodiment of an entire "World" themselves.

Tallon even speculated that the Elderblood inside me is a something that can rival a Rank 10 being which would be a Universal being at least, since the Elderblood can manipulate not just a Universe but a Multiverse and the entirety of The Spiral which is the source of my power.

Seeing that Void Hand was distracted, i teleported in front of him, he tried to defend himself and send a lethal blow towards me but I raised a hand and the attack vannished into my palm.

In the next blink of an eye, Void Hand was clutching his throat in shock as the last thing he saw was his own attack appearing out of thin air and striking his neck in the process.

What I did was simply made a portal around my palm which his attack entered and I made another portal facing him which the attack had passed through, being redirected towards him.

Beings like these are child's play, I had personally fought Tallon in a spare only months ago, and I came close to winning despite being a Rank 4 while he is a Rank 6 existence!

But his raw power and number of abilities had overwhelmed me and he even said that the other Rank 6 beings would be just as powerful if not even stronger with how long they had accumulated battle experience and many abilities.

That was how powerful my Elderblood was and the mastery I had gained, ever since he had begun the to teach me on how to control it.

I turned to look at my companions and saw that Jade and Ariel are still facing off against their opponents while Shiraori's head was completely decapitated from her body as she held it in her hand while Many open wounds were on all across her once smooth immortal skin.

She had summoned many Spiders when they got close to attack her as she just lazed about, tanking the attacks as she counterattack by her summoned Spiders devouring the heads of anyone that got in too close.

I decided to lend her a hand and deal with the Cultivators swarming her.

(Image)