Tower of Heaven

Atlas returned to the guest house and was immediately greeted by chatter.

"What took you so long?"

"Atlas, you're finally back. We've been waiting for you."

Horus and Artemia were gathered around the dining table with grim expressions on their faces.

"The two of you look worse for wear. What happened in the past day that I haven't seen you?"

Both of their faces darkened at his words. Looking at each other, they nodded.

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Horus went first, speaking about the ten skinned prisoners he found under Inku's house. Artemia soon added her own story to his, informing them both that the hollow hill was filled to the brim with corpses.

"There is something villainous taking place here. We have to stop it," she said.

Horus agreed.

"The Harvest Festival carries a more ominous meaning now. If it is to worship their God, then that altar might create a dangerous situation during the event. We only have two days to investigate before then, but can we find enough information in that time?"

The two of them started to discuss ways for them to find more.

"If only we could interrogate the villagers…"

Their words had become harsher. It was clear that both of them had distanced themselves from the village people as best as they could.

Atlas sighed wryly. They were definitely on the right track, but at this rate, they wouldn't be able to do anything. Their investigations would only tip off the enemy.

"You two are lucky," he said, interjecting into the conversation.

"I have already spoken to one of the villagers. The two of you found good clues, but since we don't have much time, I'll just fill the rest in for you."

The question of where the corpses under the mountain were coming from was answered through what he learned from Haku, as were the questions about the ten people Horus found.

They were the sacrifices, and the corpse altar was related to whatever plan the opposing Ascenders had.

As for the crop shortage that first made the villagers submit to the outsiders…

"...it was likely caused by those Ascenders in the first place."

Atlas surveyed the hill on his way back and tested its soil. The Dao of Wood within him reacted to the strong vitality of the dirt, making it obvious that it was extremely fertile.

Only, it was also laced with dark qi that was inhibiting its natural vitality. The corpse altar and sacrifices had nothing to do with the infertile land. Rather, those Ascenders were withdrawing some of the malevolent qi in the ground when the Harvest Festival came about, fooling the villagers into believing that the sacrifices had worth.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"So, it's a Tower problem," Artemia concluded.

It wasn't anything about the village. Three hundred years ago, this place would have indeed been what Artemia and Horus hoped it to be.

However, that was no longer the case.

"Alright. If we are facing cultivators, then most of my worries are gone," Horus said, sighing slightly.

"We only need to fight, correct?"

Atlas nodded with a smile.

"That is exactly what I said."

The three of them were very different people in many ways, but in this aspect, they were the exact same.

When the solution to their problems was nothing more than strength and battle, they would not hesitate to use power to get their way.

That night, they sat together and made a plan to save the village. Over the next two days, they acted on that plan, making their usual rounds around the village while keeping their eyes pried.

All they needed was the identities of their enemies. Once they'd identified all eight of them, there was nothing left to do.

They raised no eyebrows and aroused no suspicions. They lived as they'd been living thus far, and two days later, the Harvest Festival arrived.

Atlas, Horus, and Artemia looked at each other and nodded with firm expressions.

The time had come.

They were going on the attack.

***

Leaving the house, they directly stepped into a village filled with various decorations. Certain crops had been dressed up and painted, scarecrows were posed in silly positions, and there was hay everywhere.

All of the sounds they heard were coming from a single place, so that was where they went.

The villagers were all crowded around a small stage, atop which Inku and three others were holding a contest to see who could eat the most food. This was a matter of utmost excitement for them.

"Guests, why didn't you say anything? I thought you weren't coming!"

Kii approached them with a smile and led them into the crowd.

"Come, let me show you around the festival."

Most of the villagers were watching the eating contest, but that was only in this moment. There were several booths lining the streets with activities to participate in. Games and other forms of entertainment were there to keep people's attention until the main ceremony began.

It was better than expected.

'The villagers are all here, but the other Ascenders are not.'

Atlas nodded at Horus. Receiving the signal, he branched off and moved in a different direction.

'While he takes care of saving the sacrifices, we…'

Atlas and Artemia rushed out of the festival area and towards the peak of the hill, where the chief's residence stood.

'...will handle the vermin.'

All of it would happen before the Harvest Ceremony began. There wouldn't be anything like a celebration of death this year.

'There are eight of them. All of them live in this residence and will be there when we arrive. The moment we break through the door, they'll understand that they've been discovered, so…'

Bang!

Artemia slammed through the door and leapt into the residence, rushing at the first people she saw.

'...we have to fight while making sure that none of them can escape.'

[Intrinsic Foresight]

There were four in the left wing, two approaching rapidly from the middle, and another two in the very back of the residence. The chief himself was nowhere to be seen, but they didn't have to worry about him. He was still a Replica, so he couldn't escape.

Artemia sensed them as well. Without hesitation, she let go of the servant she captured and moved towards the four on the left wing.

'The last four are for me.'

The two in the back were the most likely to escape while he was busy, so the two running at him needed to be killed as swiftly as possible.

'Well, there's nobody else here…'

It was an environment where Atlas could use his power without restrictions.

[Flow Like Silk]

Whoosh!

In one swift motion, he dashed up the stairs and past his targets, swinging the blades of his chain sickles.

[Guriyatra's Life Seed]

As the man on the left's legs collapsed under him, Atlas grabbed the man on the right's head and infused him with heavy pulses of wood qi.

His life force was drained at a noticeable rate. His features started to wither and gray, and at the same time, Atlas tapped his foot against the ground.

[Volcanic Spire]

Boom! Boom!

Two thick spires of flame qi burst out of the ground and impaled both men. As the one on the ground bled to death and burned, the one in Atlas' hands was turned into a husk long before his body was turned to ash.

Beneath his mask, Atlas couldn't help but grin.

He was merely at the Sky Sage Realm, but he was feeling a kind of power within that he wouldn't have been able to fathom at his peak in the past.

'Good.'

Feeling confident in himself, he continued his siege.

No enemies would be left alive as long as he was present.

With his power unleashed, this was an inviolable truth.