Chương 87: Back Again

Leo had skipped homecoming his freshman and sophomore years. Back then, the ceremony felt like theater performed for someone else's benefit. He didn't know the names on the banners. He didn't understand why his classmates wept for people they'd never met. The military traditions, the processions, the hours of standing in school uniform. All of it seemed disconnected from the only thing that mattered: getting stronger. His schedule had been brutal those years. Training his divine sense. Flying Aces practices.

Cultivation and lifebonding. When homecoming rolled around, he filed for exemption, citing training obligations. The administration granted it without comment. Plenty of students did the same. Junior year changed everything. Leo stood on the eastern lawn in the darkness before dawn, his school uniform washed and ironed. Matt flanked his left, fidgeting with his sleeve cuffs. Tom stood to his right, unnaturally still, his usual easy smile absent. The grass was wet with dew.

The air carried the chill of late spring mornings, when winter hadn't quite released its grip. Around them, students and alumni assembled in silence. The first sliver of gold crept over the horizon. A horn sounded and the Grand Hall's massive doors swung open, their hinges groaning with age. The Class of 2028 banner rose first. Leo watched it climb, pulled by class officers whose hands trembled on the silk cords.

The fabric caught the morning light: a dragon rendered in blue and silver, coiled around a sword, flames trailing from its jaws. Nineteen names filled the memorial section. Leo recognized Mason Bell and the crew of the Exeter Gilead Transport. Catacombs forces had caught them in the ambush at Kenway Allston. Students who should have been standing on this lawn in formal robes, waiting to welcome alumni. Instead, their names lived on in thread that would outlast everyone present.

Only one Exeter student escaped the ambush: a scholarship student from Pennsylvania who had been manning the rear flak cannon. He bailed from the wreckage and spent two days hiding in irradiated wasteland before a rescue convoy found him. Even the young masters who funded the transports could not escape the ultimate price. Behind the banner of the graduating class came a second one: the temporary banner of the Class of 2029. Leo's chest tightened. The junior banner shouldn't have been here.

But eight members of the Class of 2029 had graduated early, their names written on the memorial banner instead of diplomas. Leo recognized two names on the 2029 memorial section: Ivy Xiu and David Kim of the Exeter Mars Transport. Between the juniors and seniors, thirty-two dead. Nineteen from Kenway Allston alone. Thirteen more spread across four convoys during the Battle for Fort Cambridge. The coffins followed the banners. This year, due to the sheer number of dead, each class carried their own fallen.

The Class of 2029's eight coffins came first, trailing behind the junior banner like a funeral train. Vivian was one of Ivy Xiu's pallbearers. Her hands gripped the wooden handles steady. Her face stayed blank behind her glasses. She stared straight ahead, looking at nothing. Ivy had been one of the few people Vivian called a friend. Leo remembered Vivian's face before Fort Cambridge. That had been one of focus. Determination. This was just empty. The look of someone waiting for a good news that would never come.

The Battle of Kenway Allston had been a slaughter. Leo hadn't looked up the numbers afterward. Neither had most of the other groups that ran transport missions. They kept it at the back of their minds. Focused on the next mission. The next thing that wasn't the memory of transport after transport vanishing from the tactical display. But standing here, watching the coffins pass, the numbers became bodies. Almost two thirds of the troops on that convoy died.

The breakout group that drew eighteen enemy Lords away from the main engagement accounted for most of those deaths. The Battle for Fort Cambridge saw even more transports fall, though the death toll was lower. Damaged transports had time to escape. Wrecked crews linked up with each other and built makeshift forts from debris and held out until the battle was over. This was the advantage of convoy warfare, moving the battle away from the wounded was far more efficient than forcing the wounded to escape the battle.

Boston Command kept the pace of battle fast enough that the Catacombs never got a chance to hunt down survivors. Other theaters were less fortunate. Most of Asia relied on trench warfare and artillery bombardment. Although trenches were arguably more effective at stopping Nascent Soul Lords, when they were breached, retreat was nearly impossible. The death toll from the South Asian Catacombs was staggering.

Countries without America's resources, without its wealth, without its endless supply of T5 spiritual qi, could only hold the line with flesh and blood. Then came the alumni. This year, the Class of 2027 was the first returning class to arrive. Last year their memorial section already carried the names of James Holloway and Diana Torres. Now thirteen new names joined them below. The numbers were smaller here. But still too many names. Too many futures cut short. Leo found Derek Okonjo's name near the bottom.

The memories were still fresh. Last year's high school playoff quarterfinals: Leo played center, Okonjo flew wing beside him. The two of them weaved through the opposing defense like they were playing against children. After the game, they sat in the locker room talking about the future. Okonjo committed to UConn a week later. Okonjo never got a chance to play a single collegiate game. His coffin came sixth in the procession. Archer and Cortland served as pallbearers. Archer's face was stone, his jaw clenched.

Cortland sobbed quietly, his shoulders shaking with each step. Atop Okonjo's coffin lay his lifebound weapon, broken when its master died. The fragments still pulsed with residual spiritual energy. The last echo of Derek Okonjo's cultivation. Unlike his classmates, whose coffins held standardized spiritual steel swords, Okonjo was the youngest casualty with a lifebound sword. Eighteen years old. After Okonjo came the older classes. And with them came many more coffins and many more lifebound flying swords.

Banner after banner, each carried by representatives whose faces ranged from solemn to devastated. Two hundred and thirty-seven names this year. Most were Foundation Establishment. But two dozen Gold Cores had fallen. And one Nascent Soul lord, his coffin carried by six of his former peers. Everyone played their part in this war.

Azure Profound Continent Leo ended up skipping the rest of the days festivities as well as the homecoming game. He had little interest in watching high schoolers simulate Flying Aces with formation pivots. Plus, Kevin had texted him saying Shen Tianyi had brought some good stuff for them. It had been a little over a year since they had killed Luo Mingxia and excavated her singular formation. Shen Tianyi and Kevin initially set off to deliver it to the Shen clan.

But they ended up fobbing off the task to Shen Tianyi's sister. She had finally crossed the Savage Mountains and made it all the way to the main family at Fog City. A Shen clan retainer delivered the rewards via the teleportation network. Everyone was eager to see what they got. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"So where's your sister?" Kevin asked, trying too hard to sound casual.

"She didn't want to come herself?" Shen Tianyi shook his head.

"She is likely attempting her Gold Core breakthrough as we speak. The merit from delivering the Singular Formation was substantial. The family elders believe she has an excellent chance at Superior grade." Arthur nudged Kevin with his elbow.

"Hear that? She's about to outrank you by an entire major realm. You've got no chance now." Kevin waved him off.

"I'm playing the long game."

"The long game," Arthur repeated flatly.

"Once Leo breaks through to Foundation Establishment and upgrades all our Otherworldly Demon Summoning formations to Gold Core tier, I'll break through too." Kevin continued unphased, he was a man with a plan.

"I'm going for Perfected Gold Core. Then I'll reenter the dating market. Maybe even redownload Tinder." Shen Tianyi tilted his head.

"This Tinder... what manner of thing is it?"

"An evil confounding formation designed to make men miserable," Kevin said without hesitation. Shen Tianyi looked to Leo for clarification.

"It's a matchmaking service," Leo said. Shen Tianyi burst out laughing.

"Ah! Then I have been enlightened. The formation name makes perfect sense now. Tinder starts fires, and fire burns the foolish."

"See? He gets it." Kevin gestured at Tianyi.

"Anyway, what did your retainer bring us?" Shen Tianyi's expression shifted to something approaching smug satisfaction. He reached into his storage ring. What emerged was massive. The divine sense press materialized in sections, each piece thunking heavily onto the ground until the full apparatus stood taller than Leo. The clearing suddenly felt a lot more crowded.

"How the hell did that fit in there?" Arthur asked, eyeing the storage ring on Tianyi's finger.

"Spatial formations. What else?" Shen Tianyi said, as if the answer were obvious to any child.

"I know how storage rings work. That thing's the size of a carriage."

"A high tier Nascent Soul grade divine sense press," Shen Tianyi announced, ignoring Arthur's complaint.

"This will serve Leo well. It should carry him past Gold Core without issue." Mike circled the device, examining it from different angles.

"My storage ring maxes out at maybe a hundred pounds. This has to weigh..."

"Such minor details need not trouble you." Shen Tianyi waved a hand.

"I will have to return this storage ring anyway." Leo felt his heart rate quicken. His current press had been struggling to keep pace with his growth. This was exactly what he needed.

"More power means faster growth," Arthur said, slapping Leo on the back.

"We'll have you max out your divine sense for the Qi Refining realm before you graduate, kid."

"This is incredible, Tianyi," Leo said.

"Thank you." Shen Tianyi held up a hand.

"I have not yet finished." He reached into his storage ring again and withdrew two jade tokens, passing them to Arthur and Kevin. He leaned in close and spoke in a low voice, explaining their function. Arthur's eyebrows rose. Kevin's face cycled through several expressions before settling on poorly concealed delight. Mike watched this exchange with growing suspicion.

"Where's mine?" Kevin shot him a look.

"Aren't you married? Are you sure you want your wife to find out that you have one of these..."

"Not in front of the kid," Arthur muttered, quickly tucking his token into his robes.

"I'm basically an adult," Leo said.

"I know how these things work." Shen Tianyi just smirked. Mike's face had gone pale.

"Actually, forget I asked. I don't want one. I definitely don't want one. If my wife even thought I had one of those..." He trailed off, a look of fear flashed across his eyes.

"What's my reward? Please tell me it's just as good as..." He tried hard not to look at the tokens. Shen Tianyi smiled and produced a massive weapon from his storage ring. The thing was built like a cannon crossed with a hand mortar, its barrel inscribed with formations.

"A blunderbuss," Mike breathed, accepting it with reverent hands.

"I didn't think people of the Azure Profound Continent would make guns."

"Correct. This is an otherworldly weapon. Peak Gold Core tier, though its true value lies elsewhere." Shen Tianyi passed him a jade slip.

"It is not native to the Azure Profound Continent. My family has studied it extensively. I knew you appreciated firearms, so I thought it fitting." Mike was already examining the firing mechanism, turning the weapon over in his hands like a child with a new toy.

"This is amazing," he said.

"The formation work is completely different from anything I've seen. The qi channeling system alone..."

"No need for thanks," Shen Tianyi said. He paused, studying the group's reactions. Then his expression soured.

"Truthfully, I am somewhat disappointed." Everyone looked up.

"You truly do not understand the value of the Singular Formation." Shen Tianyi spread his hands.

"I hand you a few trinkets and small gifts, and already you are satisfied?" Arthur scratched the back of his neck. Kevin suddenly found the ground very interesting.

"I mean," Leo started, "the divine sense press is pretty significant..."

"This," Shen Tianyi said, cutting him off, "is what you should be excited about." He withdrew a chunk of black stone from his storage ring. They recognized it instantly. The material seemed to drink in the light around it, its surface carrying the texture of solidified void. Everyone felt the weight of its presence, and its significance. Nether Sovereign Jade. The crucial ingredient to the Otherworldly Demon Summoning formation that brought the Americans to the Azure Profound Continent.

This meant they could bring one more person over.

"Holy shit," Arthur said.

"Where did the Shen family get this?" Mike asked.

"The main family kept a portion in reserve. An expedition team retrieved it from the Ancient Capital long ago, back when the Shen family still had the strength to send teams into those ruins." Kevin was already crouched down, studying the material closely.

"I can work with this. Give me a few weeks, and I should be able to inscribe a Qi Refining formation."

"Only Qi Refining?" Arthur asked.

"What's another Foundation Establishment cultivator gonna do for us? We've got three already." Kevin shrugged.

"The real question is who we bring in." He turned to Leo.

"Got anyone in mind?" Leo blinked.

"Why are you asking me?"

"Kid, you're the only one here who actually knows Qi Refining students," Mike said.

"The rest of us are oldies and a graduate student who peaked socially at his thesis defense."

"Hey," Kevin protested.

"I had friends in grad school."

"Your advisor doesn't count," Arthur said. Leo considered the question. His mind went first to famous highschoolers he had heard about in passing, then his teammates, and maybe even Kim Yuna. Then another thought occurred to him.

"Mike, does it make sense to bring your kid in? Start divine sense training early?" Mike's expression went flat.

"Absolutely not."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not letting my child die thousands of times." Leo threw his hands up.

"Why is it okay that I die thousands of times?"

"Cry me a river, Mr. National Championship Final MVP." Mike crossed his arms.

"It was good for you."

"You literally crushed my skull with your divine sense!"

"And look how you turned out."

"Why does everyone sound like my mother?" Leo muttered. Kevin cleared his throat.

"What about that Kim Yuna girl? She's Qi Refining." Arthur turned to Kevin with a knowing grin.

"What, you think if we bring Kim Yuna in, she'll set you up with a Korean girlfriend?" Kevin's face reddened.

"That's not what I..."

"The kid has a type," Arthur said to Mike.

"I respect it."

"We probably shouldn't," Mike said, though his tone suggested he was enjoying Kevin's discomfort.

"Arthur might get triggered. You know. He served in Vietnam." Arthur snorted.

"I served alongside Orientals in the Chicago Catacombs back in the day. Fought together for three years. I don't have a problem with Orientals."

"Orientals isn't the preferred nomenclature," Mike said.

"What?"

"You can't say that anymore. It's not politically correct. People consider it a slur nowadays."

"Say what? What am I supposed to call them?"

"Asian. Or Asian-American if they're American."

"That's what they called themselves back then!" Shen Tianyi, who had been following this exchange with increasing confusion, raised a hand.

"This Kim Yuna, who is she?" Kevin's eyes lit up.

"She's the heiress of the Samsung family. One of the biggest corporate cultivation dynasties in the world. Absolutely gorgeous. Delicate features, dimples when she smiles, always dressed like she's on the cover of a magazine." He sighed.

"Well, she was on the cover of the New York Post last year."

"With Leo," Arthur added helpfully. Leo's face heated.

"That's not relevant."

"It was a whole spread," Kevin continued.

"Young Romance Blooms at the High School National Championships. They called you guys the power couple of American teenage cultivation."

"Kevin, I swear to god..."

"I can draw you a picture," Kevin offered to Shen Tianyi.

"My portrait work is pretty good." Shen Tianyi studied Leo with new interest. He paused.

"To speak honestly, this is somewhat regrettable."

"What's regrettable?" Leo asked.

"I had hoped you might marry into the Shen family." Dead silence.

"I'm going to go try out my new divine sense press," Leo announced, already moving toward his device.

"I'll find someone good." He stuck his head into the contraption and activated it before anyone could say another word. Shen Tianyi watched for a moment, then looked away. His fingers tightened around the sleeve of his black robe.