To fly and go against nature's law required one to be a Daoist of the Immortal Realm. To make something other than oneself fly, however, only required one to be a Daoist of the Unshackled Spirit Realm.
The most basic and popular "vehicle" for Daoists was a flying sword. Anyone who had broken through to the Unshackled Spirit Realm would immediately use their sword as one and roamed the sky with it.
Flying ships were used by wealthy Daoists or those who travelled with a lot of people. A huge amount of Qi was required to utilize it, which was why it was only popular among wealthy and strong Daoists.
Whoosh!
"Since when did you learn Daoism, Sister Hou?"
"I haven't."
"Then...how can you ride a flying sword?"
"I just can."
"That doesn't make any sense." Chang Yu frowned. "How can you make your sword fly without even being a Daoist of the Unshackled Spirit Realm?"
"There are many unbelievable things in this world. When they happen, you just have to accept them no matter how hard it is," Basil retorted. "Daoism is not the only way to gain power in this world. Our Principles are just as profound as your Dao."
Chang Yu hummed to herself before nodding in understanding. Despite the peculiar way Basil was utilizing it, she could tell Basil was using Qi. She had heard Knights utilized Qi like Daoists. She immediately understood this was the work of Basil's Aura Ability.
From a Knight's perspective, Daoists had a ridiculous power system. Knights had to slowly forge their bodies to obtain a strong physique but Daoists could make their bodies practically indestructible upon breaking through to a certain realm.
Daoists also did things that Knights couldn't do until they reached the Purple Core Stage in the early stage of Cultivation. Punching through a hill with raw physical strength was something that any Daoist of the Unshackled Spirit Realm could do; it was something that a Purple Core Knight could only do.
Looking at it this way, it was normal for Knights to envy Daoists. Funnily, however, Daoists also envied Knights.
Although they were given a huge advantage in each Cultivation Realm they managed to break through, what they were seeking was not an indestructible physique and absurd physical strength. They were cultivating their Dao, so they could be freed from the world's shackles.
Knights had Aura Ability and it transcended the principle of Dao. They didn't need to slowly comprehend it. They immediately understood how it worked the moment they got it. They could even modify it the longer they spent their time using it.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtEach side failed to understand the other. Both thought the other was a freak; they didn't bother to share the knowledge they had, which was why both sides found themselves questioning, from time to time, what the correct way to cultivate themselves was.
"Now that I think about it, you are a weird fellow, aren't you, Sister Hou?"
"Why?"
"I heard from Shirley and Little Xiu that you are an outstanding Mage and Knight. Funnily enough, I don't sense any resemblance between your presence and Shirley's or Uncle Danzel's. You are not a Knight or a Mage...nor you are a Daoist.... What are you?"
Basil, unlike the others, forged her body and cultivated her Core like a Daoist. She utilised her Aura Ability like a Knight, constantly testing its limit and exploring what she could do with it. She was the epitome of doing it right. She adopted every Principle existing in this world and cultivated the best her.
What was she? No one could tell. She was an enigma from every existing perspective. If one were to categorize her, she would be placed in the unknown. Her bizarre methods didn't fit into any category because her method was the perfect one.
Casting those facts aside, what was Basil? She was a vessel for the soul of The Lord. What did that make her? A human? She might or might not be. One could dissect her and still find a resemblance between her and a Dragon. She was truly an enigma with or without what she practised.
Therefore, when someone asked her what she was, she would say, "I am a Pacifer."
"Ah, watch out, Sister!"
After half an hour of peaceful flight, an obstacle entered their visions. Three people were having a battle royal on their flying swords, obliterating their surroundings as they attacked each other.
Basil's sole goal was to reach the tower before anyone else; of course, she wasn't interested in joining the battle. Unfortunately, the three people had different thoughts. The moment they sensed Basil's presence, they forced her to join their battle.
Swish!
"Curse me but don't hate me. We are just doing our best pulling on each other's leg!"
Swoosh!
"Be careful, young lady. You and your friend may end up as minced meat!"
Boom!
"Ku-Ku-Ku! How loud do you like your explosion?"
Each attack was dodged flawlessly. None of them felt the need to click their tongue because their sole aim was to pull on Basil's leg. They were fully intent on killing her but they also didn't mind not being able to. They were planning on failing together since they were stuck in a stalemate.
Unfortunately for them, a stalemate was only true for people who were on the same level. They were nowhere near Basil's level. A swing of Caliburn was enough to end their lives at once. Disbelief adorned their faces as their bisected bodies fell to the ground.
"Wow...you are so strong, Sister Hou!"
"Will you say that to an adult punching a child in his face?"
"H-Huh? Of course, not--that is vile!"
"That's what it feels to me."
Chang Yu gaped when she got what Basil meant. She became even more impressed. Daoists of the Unshackled Spirit Realm were among the feared individuals in Huaxia. To call them children, Basil must be extremely strong. For that, she admired Basil even more.
Another half an hour passed in the blink of an eye. They encountered some skirmishes along the way but it had always been a breeze to get through it. Some participants even decided to step aside the moment they sensed Basil's presence. They didn't mind forfeiting their chance to enter the Tower of Legacy in exchange for their lives.
Outside the alternate reality, the audience's eyes were planted on the screen featuring two duos: the Young Master Wei and his retainer and the mysterious Xiao Hou Xin and Chang Yu. They were the fastest-moving and strongest participants in the tournament.
Their excellence made the audience wonder what their Cultivation Realm was. They could pass each obstacle with ease as if nothing could stop them. Only a few could stop them for more than half a minute, so the audience was hoping for them to encounter each other. They wanted to see who would come out on top.
"That lass...she is..."
"Wei Chang Yu. She is my late sister's daughter, father."
"No, I mean the taller one."
"Ah...that is, if I am not mistaken, Xiao Hou Xian. There is nothing much known about her."
Wei Zimo hummed to himself as he focused his gaze on Basil. he had lived for more than two hundred years. His experienced eyes could tell that Basil wasn't someone to be trifled with. Her lax posture said it all: she was taking it like a stroll in the garden.
Turning to his right, he was greeted by a frowning visage of a black-haired handsome man in his late forties, his son, Wei Tang Xin. "Did you give that Artefact to Xiu'er?"
"I did."
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Good. He will need it."
Tang Xin seemed taken aback as he blinked his eyes. "Is that lass that formidable?"
A scoff came out of Zimo's mouth immediately; he couldn't believe his son said it. He had thought he had taught his son well to never underestimate anyone. It seemed he was wrong. No...he knew he was wrong all along. The moment he stepped down from his seat as the Patriarch, he knew he had made a grave mistake.
Reading pass through someone's cover was not an easy task but possible. Tang Xin failed to read the Elders' true intentions and ended up being steered by them. He didn't favour the inept, however, he didn't want to throw away his family. The recent decisions Tang Xin made were not his and he didn't even realize it.
He was being led astray and he believed he was thinking independently.
"Unfortunate, unfortunate."
Zimo shook his head thinking about what would happen to his son in the future. He had promised to not meddle in the family matter anymore, however, so he would let his son face his fate and let the Wei Family head in the new direction that Ye Xiu and the Elders envisioned.
"Is there something the matter, father?"
"Of course, you silly brat. Your words earlier--you were underestimating the lass."
Tang Xin scratched his head awkwardly. "I wasn't. I was just saying that using that Artefact to face her would be overkill."
"That's why you are underestimating her, my son," Zimo replied, caressing his beard as he focused his gaze on the screen.
At this point, Basil and Chang Yu were just 15 minutes away from the tower at their current speed. They were the closest participants to the tower. No one could be spotted behind them, so it wasn't an exaggeration to say their victory was secured. At least, until Ye Xiu and his retainer appeared.
Both of them were riding a flying sword and seemed eager to take on Basil and Chang Yu separately. Should it happen, given the discrepancy between Chang Yu's cultivation and the retainer's, Chang Yu would potentially lose her life.
It wasn't going to happen, though, because Basil didn't have any intention to trade blows with them. Her only reason for participating was to enter the Tower of Legacy, not give pointers to the obnoxious, snot-covered brats.
"We have half an hour until the closest participant to us catches up to us. Our victory is secured, so what about trading blows for a moment?" Ye Xiu shouted. "Ah, this Young Master is a little bit forceful, so he won't take no for an answer."
As soon as he ended his words, Ye Xiu took out a mirror from his Spatial Ring. The light it reflected illuminated the vicinity, blinding them for a moment.
When their vision returned, they found the sky below their feet. An alternate reality had been created inside an alternate reality, giving Basil no choice but to accept the fight.
"Let's see how many limbs this prick can keep by the end of this," she muttered with a hint of annoyance.