Chapter 636: Absolute Conquest

Ashlock left Stella to deal with the Tessellate Citadel and returned his focus to Red Vine Peak.

While he had been busy upgrading his abilities and speaking with Stella, all of the Monarchs in the Ashfallen Empire had gathered beneath his canopy. They were talking excitedly among themselves and awaiting his return.

"Thanatos," Ashlock called upon his three-meter-tall shadow angel of death, "I need you to serve as my mouthpiece."

"As you wish, my Lord." Thanatos rose from the shadows beside Stella's empty bench, which had survived the ordeal. His scythe gleamed beneath the sunlight, and his eyes blazed with divine gold as Ashlock settled his presence into him.

Everyone quieted down, and the gazes of over a dozen Monarchs settled on Thanatos. The Ashfallen Sect had grown sharply in power since the start of the war with the Celestial Empire, partly because they had absorbed many new Monarchs into their ranks, such as the two in service to Diana, the Griffin that once served as the Chairman's pet, and those that switched sides like Mistress Veilshade and Cyphion.

Elaine, Douglas, and Morrigan, who had been sent into the Eternal Realm during his own ascension, had all succeeded in reaching the Monarch Realm too, if their spiritual pressure was anything to go by. Magnus and Elysia, who had gone in with them, also seemed stronger—perhaps in the upper stages of the Monarch Realm now.

Then there were the inhuman powerhouses of the sect, such as Larry, Kaida, Zephyrine, Maple, and Nyxalia. His three Generals, Thanatos, Sol, and Bob, would also reach the Monarch Realm once he promoted them.

It was astounding to see how far the Ashfallen Sect had evolved, and he was filled with pride as he looked over everyone present.

The ruler's speech he had spent so long mentally preparing crumbled away, and he felt like he needed to get something else off his chest. A self-doubt that had been brewing within him for a long time.

"Everyone, I know this is unusual of me, but I wish to apologize sincerely," Ashlock began, earning him odd looks. "All of you here, including those who were once part of the Celestial Empire, have risked your lives without reservation until now for me and the prosperity of the Ashfallen Empire. Our meteoric progress has been because of the combined effort of everyone here, and I wanted to take this opportunity to acknowledge all of your efforts."

"No. It's been because of the absurd resources and care you have blessed us with that the Ashfallen Empire has prospered," Diana cut in. "What could you possibly have to apologize for, Ashlock? Without you, there is no Ashfallen Empire, and none of us would be as powerful as we are today."

Everyone nodded and murmured in agreement with Diana.

Ashlock's heavy gaze swept over everyone. This was a thought that had been on his mind for a while now, and knowing how much trust those gathered under his branches put in him, he felt like he owed them this much.

"I agree. While it may be true that no Ashfallen Empire could exist without me, that doesn't take away from the fact that I've been an inexperienced ruler until now. I've had unrealistic expectations from all of you, selfishly rushed things such as the war and my ascension, and made enemies when it wasn't necessary," he chuckled, "and while Stella can be partly to blame for a few of the incidents, I could—no, I should have handled many of them better."

Ashlock was a simple programmer from Earth, yet within a decade of his life as a tree, he was heralded as a god and ruled over an empire of billions. With the Celestial Empire defeated and the Era of Ascension looming over him, it had given him a moment to breathe and take in just how ridiculous this all was. It made him realize that he was frankly out of his depth, and it was mostly because of the loyal people standing before him that it had all gone so well until now.

Ashlock glanced at the Era of Ascension rift overhead.

"I'm likely to make more mistakes in the future. I hope you will all be there for me when I do, just like I plan to be for all of you."

He had laid his true thoughts bare, and somewhat feared the response. Diana stepped forward, with her hand on her chest.

"I say this on behalf of everyone, but we are truly honored to serve such a compassionate leader," Diana said, dropping to one knee and lowering her head, followed by her Monarch servants and many other Grand Elders of the Ashfallen Empire.

Only a few remained standing, like Kaida, who looked down his nose at everyone.

"I agree with Diana," Douglas said and then laughed. "But I hope to be assigned less daunting tasks in the future."

"Sadly, I can't promise that," Ashlock chuckled. "But the Era of Ascension gives us a perfect chance to do things properly this time."

"In what sense?" Diana asked, raising her head.

"I want to take a more diplomatic approach rather than pursuing absolute conquest as we did until now. You see, I'm somewhat knowledgeable about the fall of past empires..."

Namely, the great Roman Empire came to mind. At its peak, it commanded a quarter of the world's population and lasted for something like 500 years. Ashlock doubted the Emperors ever thought the good times would end, and yet they did. It was a slow but uncontrollable fall, and while some remnants of the great empire still existed in the modern day, they were mere echoes of what it once was. There were too many factors at play, but the main ones were corruption, a declining economy, internal strife, and invading external forces. However, all these problems stemmed from the empire being simply too darn big for its own good, making communication between its regions too slow.

Ashlock had already seen some concerning parallels between his own empire and the Romans.

"I have capabilities that allow me to overcome most issues that plagued these fallen empires, but there are some I cannot—most notably, growing too large. Not so much in size, as I have my roots and portals, but in manpower. Our focus is already spread thin with the Ashfallen Empire as it stands. Now, imagine if we conquered a few more sects on the next layer and then continued doing that on other Layers of Creation. How would we possibly oversee it all even with more Grand Elders? Not to mention there are some multi-layer spanning organizations, sects, and families. Just because we subdue one branch doesn't mean the whole will kneel. Absolute conquest over all we encounter is a foolish way for us to progress, which is why I wish to go the route of diplomacy instead."

Diana let out a sigh of apparent relief. "I'm glad you've realized this, Ashlock. I will always try my best, but there are only a few of us, and forcefully taking over an empire of billions with many of the original cultivators still around has been a nightmare."

"I can only imagine what you've dealt with during my ascension besides what you reported to me. Now, please, everyone, stand." They got to their feet. "I'm planning to eventually raise Red Vine Peak and possibly a few cities into the next Layer of Creation, but there's no need to rush. First, we will send Moros and other airships to scout out the next layer and assess any nearby threats or possible allies."

A quiet source correction: this text came from where the author publishes the story, without approval.

He would also have the airships spread his seeds across the realm so he could establish a vast root network and use his upgraded cultivation technique to cycle Qi between the Layers.

"There is also another plan I wished to discuss and set in motion," Ashlock said. It was a somewhat risky plan, and he wouldn't dare share it with everyone present if the less trustworthy ones weren't bound by strict oaths of loyalty woven by Kaida. But since they were, he wanted them to be aware of what he was doing and to hear their opinions.

"What is it?" Diana asked curiously.

"My Generals are now able to raise armies of their own, and those Ents will take on the affinity of the General that raised them, morphing them into a form unlike my usual Ents. Allow me to demonstrate." Ashlock reached into his soul space and pulled out two corpses from a stash he kept for emergencies. He used Necroflora Empire on one of them without any modifications. The corpse twisted and rose as its blackened skin turned wooden and grotesque. Once finished, it stood, and a haze of desolation hung around the creature as it twitched.

"Now you try," Ashlock commanded Sol.

Since Sol towered at over twenty meters, he leaned down, and one of his many arms extended out toward the corpse.

"Rise," Sol said, and blessed the corpse with light. It came to life much like Ashlock's, but that's where the similarities ended. Its skin didn't harden into bark, nor was it shrouded in desolation. Instead, the monster looked like it had swallowed a star as light leaked out of its skin and orifices.

Despite both being Ents created by the Necroflora Empire skill, the two looked nothing alike as they stood side by side, radiating the power of the Nascent Soul Realm monsters they had once been.

"Now that my Ents can be distinct from one another depending on who raised them, I want to create a villain."

"A villain?" Diana asked as she walked around the two Ents, looking them up and down.

"It can't be any of my Generals here, as they have been seen in battle before, but I was thinking of creating a new General. One with the sole purpose of raising an immortal army on the 8th Layer of Creation that the sects of that Layer will have to work together to fight."

Diana paused. "So all that talk about diplomacy, but you still want to conquer the other sects secretly?"

"No, I want to stand beside them. Lend my aid by supplying eager cultivators and life-changing pills. We will be able to easily integrate ourselves with the sects by uniting against a common foe."

"A foe of your design," Diana mused, rubbing her chin.

"Honestly... it's a brilliant plan," Magnus Redclaw slowly nodded. "No other sect would have the resources or ability to field an army to stage such a thing. But with the Patriarch's immortal army raised from the corpses of monsters, they will greatly appreciate us coming in and saving them from an invasion of our own making. Which is important, as it's rare that sects cooperate outside times of war."

Ashlock valued his opinion as a warlord who had served in many wars. Earning his approval made him more confident in his plan.

Elaine nodded along. "I agree with Magnus. It's a plan that can only work because of Ashlock's unique abilities, and since the sects on the 8th Layer have no idea what we can do, we should use that to our advantage."

"You could also use the Patriarch's pills in much the same way to gain leverage," Tiberius, the Celestial Warden, added. "I bet just one of his truffles would be enough to earn the favor of Elders in the 8th Layer sects. The pills will also sell for a lot as supply is already strained here in the Ashfallen Empire, right?"

Diana nodded. "We already can't spare many pills to sell, so even if we wanted to sell them for cheap to undercut whatever merchant guild operates up there, we can't."

Ashlock hadn't thought of a merchant guild, but it made sense that there would be one, as the 9th Layer had the Eternal Pursuit Pavilion. Perhaps he could have Stella or some others infiltrate their ranks more deeply this time and manipulate them from within?

"Who do you plan to send on the first expedition to the upper Layer?" Morrigan asked. "I've been up there before, so I could offer some insight should you choose me."

"You have?" Ashlock asked in surprise.

Morrigan nodded. "Of course, my existence predates the Layers of Creation. I've visited every one of them, though it's been a long time since I rooted myself and my vessels—" she side-eyed Elaine, "—to the 9th Layer. I likely won't know the names of any sects or ruling families, but I'm sure the Jade Emperor's Consortium is still around."

"The Jade Emperor's Consortium?"

"It's basically the same as the Eternal Pursuit Pavilion, but multi-layer spanning and far more influential. I'm a member, or was a long time ago." Morrigan frowned. "Actually, if I tried accessing my account, it might raise a fuss as they worked out I'm an Origin and started sending Hunters after me, which is why I stopped going. Not to mention, they lack a branch down here."

"How did they figure out you were an Origin?" Elaine asked her mother.

Morrigan glanced at Elaine. "Darling, just think about it. I've held that account for an eon. There are cultivators out there who have been around that long, but they are incredibly rare and mostly insane or shallow echoes of the people they once were. If you saw someone under different names and on various Layers of Creation trying to access the same account and their Qi matching the profile, you would get suspicious too."

Ashlock knew Morrigan's comment about the long-lived was true, as his system had locked away his memories to avoid such a fate.

"This Jade Emperor's Consortium has really been around for an eon?" Tiberius asked. As one of the branch managers of the Eternal Pursuit Pavilion, he likely understood how ridiculous that was more than others.

Morrigan nodded. "It went through many changes of management, but yes. It's one of the few organizations that's stood the test of time. Well, assuming it's still around, of course."

"I'll definitely include you in the initial crew of Moros—your expertise will be valuable," Ashlock said. She was also an Origin, so if she died, she would simply reincarnate in the Eternal Grove of Rebirth, and he'd have to grow her another body. "Besides you, I will be in attendance via my offspring, and my Generals will also come. I think out of everyone else here, the only other person who could risk coming on this dangerous first mission is one of Diana's clones to handle any diplomacy that might spring up."

Diana grinned, and the others seemed disappointed they weren't chosen, but thankfully, nobody demanded they be included. Ashlock had no idea what awaited them, but he wanted to minimize his losses any way he could.

"Douglas, get the other airships ready for me. Moros will go first to assess the situation."

"Yes, Boss," Douglas bowed.

"Good. Everyone else not going on the mission is dismissed for now—besides Zephyrine. I need to speak with you."

Red Vine Peak cleared out.

"What did you need to speak to me about?" Zephyrine asked.

"I want the new General that will serve as our villain to be Morthex, the Pale Devourer. Kill them, and bring their corpse to me."

Morthex was one of the Primal Overlords—a six-headed bone-plated hydra with skeletal wings and possessed death Qi. It was the perfect monster to serve his scheme.

Zephyrine hesitated, but only slightly. "It will be done."

Leaping into the air and vanishing into the distance with a sonic boom, Zephyrine left Ashlock with those who would go on the mission.

But he had one pressing matter to deal with before they could go besides turning Morthex into a General.

His other Generals still needed to become Monarchs.

But he wanted to get this mission underway before people from the 8th Layer noticed the Era of Ascension rift and invaded the lower world, so he didn't have ages to wait around for their ascensions to complete. He was on a time limit. Luckily, he had a place where time flowed a little differently.

"Khaos, Bob, and Thanatos, you three should enter the Eternal Realm and complete your ascensions as quickly as possible. As for your domains..." He glanced over them and wondered what they should be, only to come up with a better idea. "Instead of me forcing a domain onto any of you, I'll leave the creation of your domains up to you. But Bob, something like a black hole might suit you. Thanatos, you are my mouthpiece and an angel of darkness that brings death—your domain should reflect that. Finally, Khaos, pick a domain that complements your ruthless abilities as an assassin. You are also an important member of the Covenant; remember that. Now go and don't take too long!"

Ashlock withdrew his presence from Thanatos and opened a portal to his Eternal Realm.

Three of his Generals left, leaving Sol behind.

"Now, Morrigan," Ashlock said directly into her mind, "while we wait for their return, can you tell me more about the 8th Layer and what we should expect?"

"It would be my pleasure," Morrigan said and took a seat.