122 days had flown by in the Chulong World, and everything had been going remarkably smoothly. Due to the overwhelming power at Theodore's disposal, no hiccups cropped up, and he could fully devote himself to his pursuits.
By this time, he had almost harvested all Energy Veins in this place and was already contemplating which state to next grace with his presence. Due to this, in recent days, he had allowed himself to spend a bit more time on Energy Vein Incorporation as well as on cultivation, until he figured out where to go from here. This had caused his progress in these two areas to skyrocket even further!
48.36 percent of his meridians' walls had been replaced and due to his Body Refinement always passively reinforcing him even when he was otherwise occupied, he was currently in the 970,341,514th realm. Whilst this had strengthened him a little, it wasn't all that worth mentioning in the great scheme of things. He was purely continuing onwards because he wanted to see the extent of how far he could go.
Everyone else was still dutifully cultivating, with very few breakthroughs happening during this period of time. Some of the guards and maids did make progress, and Satoru got all the way to the Faux Soul Garment Realm. Vigdis, Cheong Suhyeon and Navya still saw no change in their cultivation realms, although the latter two were not too far away from breaking through to the Resolve Realm.
The only ones who had seen qualitative changes were Xie Mei and Han Junqiao, who did break through into the Dawning Numen Stage's Tenacity Realm–but were now completely stuck. Ever since they had got to this point, they had felt as if they were seeing no improvement whatsoever, sometimes negatively affecting their moods. However, this didn't stop them from working hard and doing their utmost.
Everyone's peaceful development suddenly saw an interruption today–one which Theodore had somewhat expected, yet it was still occurring earlier than anticipated.
Although he had handed over most control of Chulong City's Compound Array to Satoru and Cheong Suhyeon, he still maintained a connection to it. There would always be scenarios that simply exceeded the other two's pay grade, and during which he would need to step forward–just like this time.
Feeling a subtle, rhythmical impact upon his creation, his eyes snapped open and sharpened with focus, his regular cultivation practice grinding to a halt. Paying close attention to the information that the Compound Array was receiving, he soon came across the Dragon Family's seal, causing him to fall silent for a while and be in deep contemplation.
'I knew that we would eventually make contact, but I hadn't thought that they would be reaching out right now. I can understand why they did so, as it would be best to ascertain my identity before dealing with the Hans. The only question is: Should I meet them?'
If this invitation for a dialogue had come from a Pillar descendant, then he wouldn't have felt any pressure whatsoever, but now that someone who even he had to treat with some seriousness had arrived at his doorstep, he needed to be more cautious.
Fighting power-wise, in a head-on confrontation, he was no doubt not an opponent for most others descending from Supreme Pillars right now, as he was taking a very unorthodox path. This didn't mean that he was helpless or even necessarily in much peril, but he certainly couldn't win in a fistfight.
His local Compound Array did give him a strong home field advantage, yet it definitely couldn't meaningfully threaten a Dragon Family member. This early on in the Heavenly Succession, almost everyone should still have their single use life-saving items, so it was unlikely for his peer to be out for his blood, as both of them wouldn't be capable of killing each other.
'Obviously, I don't have this safety cushion any longer, but why would I tell them that? Additionally, I did gain the Regression Talent, therefore even in the event of my death, all I'll have to do is to retread my steps until here–which wouldn't be difficult.'
Instead of himself, who shouldn't be in any danger whatsoever, he was more worried about the ones at his side. Whether it be his regular Subordinates or his lovers and those which he treasured a bit more, losing any of them was something that he would much rather avoid, to varying degrees.
After a bit of thought, he rapidly teleported next to Xie Mei, Han Junqiao, Cheong Suhyeon, Navya and Satoru, then hurried them over to the Qinglong World for the time being. As for the more rank and file Retainers, he left them out in the open. They could help him probe the attitude of this neighbour of his, which was a worthwhile investment of their lives.
'Then let's not keep them waiting.'
Sending a surge of Energy back to the Array which had contacted his, he politely included his own Winter Family seal. Whether that be to act as a deterrent or to build goodwill, however, that depended on who would be receiving it. In general, the Winters had a cooperative relationship with the Dragon Family, although they did not get along with all of their branches. At the same time, some of the other branches were very close to his family... it was a mess.
On the other end, once Eleanora realized the background of the one who she was about to meet, a hint of sadness spread in her heart, but only for a short while. It seemed like she wouldn't get to pick up a decent Subordinate this time. Next, all that she could hope for was that it wouldn't be a woman, as that would make her a direct competitor of hers. While she wouldn't be against working together in these early stages, any cooperation between them was doomed to eventually fall apart. Ultimately, there could only be one Heavenly Empress.
Steeling herself, she initiated the actual teleportation this time, soon after opening her eyes in an impeccably maintained, luxurious hall. Right in front of her stood an incredibly breathtaking young man with snow-white hair and icy-blue pupils, his gaze exuding a hint of relief which he didn't bother to suppress. Naturally, due to his immense fame, she instantly recognized him: He was the one termed the 'Winter Saint'.
"... I'll admit, I didn't expect it to be you, Theodore. It's a surprise, but a welcome one."
With a slight smile gracing her lips, she nodded at him politely. Being ultimately of equal standing, there was no need for her to behave excessively servile, despite the fact that he could certainly be placed amongst those at the very top of the Supreme Pillar heirs. Right now, he didn't make her feel particularly threatened, but she had seen through his current state in a single glance: Energy Vein Incorporation at the Body Refinement Stage? Calling him a mere madman would be the understatement of the eon!
"I'm feeling the same way, Eleanora. For the pride of the Silver Dragons to start off right next to me can only be seen as a blessing. I had already braced myself for a potential battle, but fortunately, it looks like we can avoid such a waste of time. Instead, let's have a productive talk."
Reciprocating her cordial greeting, he motioned at a table nearby which had been prepared in advance. There were both some simple meals and snacks, as well as various beverages to choose from.
To Eleanora, it wasn't surprising to have her identity pointed out directly. Whilst she might not be as renowned as Theodore, those of their standing would generally stay informed about most publicly known Supreme Pillar heirs. After all, those were likely amongst their fiercest competitors or strongest allies.
"I will be frank, meeting you here is the second-best outcome that I had considered–the best one being running across a capable person who could become my Subordinate. Bearing in mind that you've not left any Hans behind, from what I can see, and combining that with your other past actions before the competition... I surmise that you benefit from killing 'sinners'?"
Having only just taken her seat and decided on which tea she would choose, she casually revealed a major matter like this, not bothering to beat around the bush. It was merely one of many ways in which she would be probing her conversation partner.
"Well observed, you're correct. Although I do have to point out one tiny flaw: It's not just 'sinners'. Technically, killing anyone will be of help to me. Getting rid only of those which I deem to be 'evil' is a purely personal choice. But if we're talking about benefiting from taking lives... aren't you the same?"
Ever since he had started to build up his reputation as the 'Winter Saint' for getting rid of evildoers whenever he ran across them, he knew that a part of his secret had been revealed to anyone who paid close enough attention. But that was no issue, and he even planned to further play into it by showcasing his ability to raise his Standard Attributes as a result of all the killing. That way, he might successfully hide the Talent-snatching part of his Existence's Foremost Calamity.
As for Eleanora also being in a similar situation as him, he was almost 100 percent certain of this. This early on in the Heavenly Succession, no Dragon Family descendant with their wits about them would go ahead and openly slaughter the Imperial Han Family due to hatred alone. The Hans' upper echelons were also aware of the current state of the Gulong World, where nearly everyone–not just them–had been eradicated. Even if some collateral damage couldn't be avoided, this clearly pointed to another cause behind the slaughter.
"... I never planned to hide it from you. You're right. That is one more reason as to why we should cooperate, rather than come to blows with each other. By deciding on which states each of us will get to deal with, we can avoid unnecessary friction."
Exactly like Theodore, Eleanora was outwardly displaying a part of her capabilities, whilst concealing even deeper secrets in her sleeves. Both of them were aware that the other was likely doing so, as it would be incredibly foolish to lay out all of one's cards in the open. Yet, because they were in the same boat, neither of them intended to call out the other's bluff if it wasn't vital to do so.
"After this initial period, we can also consider taking it a step further and searching for more targets together. However, we should shelve that discussion until the Hans are dealt with, wouldn't you agree?"
Many hands make light work, therefore scouring the Lesser True Void with their Arrays and mutually exchanging intel would definitely cut down on the time that they would have to spend. Still, even though they were currently courteously chatting away, there was no way for them to know whether the other would be a reliable associate without a 'test run'. And that was exactly why Theodore merely slightly broached the topic of working together in the future.
"Naturally. How about we each take 17 states, and share the Longxin World equally? Mind you, I did promise to duel their emperor in around a month, so if we're going to strike their capital state, we should ideally do it then."
Amidst an outwardly civil and respectful discussion, the two of them slowly ironed out the details, then agreed on an exact date for their attack. Before that point in time, Theodore would still incorporate another state into his fold, which Eleanora naturally saw no issue with.
When they finally parted ways, it was impossible to tell if they truly meant to team up, or if they would backstab each other at the first opportunity. Neither of them could tell whether the other was actually being genuine, as their facial expressions and behaviours had all been an act from the very beginning.
'Only time will tell, I suppose. One thing's for sure, though: I definitely can't let her meet Han Junqiao without prior warning.'
Sighing softly, Theodore busied himself with bringing the others back from the Qinglong World. There were just 29 days left for him to make preparations.