Warrior of Spring was personally dissecting the Mystical Beast King he had just presented to Sun.
This great Wolf King was as large as a hill.
A jaw capable of crushing a horse carriage.
Paws which could flatten an adult man.
A tail that could sweep an army off their feet.
Truly a specimen worthy of being called a Beast King.
Most importantly, it was a Mystical Beast King.
Digging out a massive cavity within its chest, Warrior of Spring pierced its dead heart.
A pale light permeated from within, dimming and condensing.
After a breaths' time, Warrior of Spring gouged out a hardened lump of Qi.
Twice the size of a human head, it was irregularly shaped and incredibly smooth.
This was a Qi Conglomerate.
A testament to the 'Mystical' status of the Wolf King.
As soon as it was removed, the pressure surrounding the corpse alleviated.
As Warrior of Spring climbed out of the corpse, another figure approached him.
"Brother. I have finished extracting the other Qi Conglomerates of those 'lesser' Beast Kings."
"Good. We will gather them around and evaluate their true worth."
"You don't intend to hand that piece out, do you?"
"No, Sister. I will reserve this for us."
Chuckling gladly, the woman leaned against a workbench as she looked at the Wolf King's corpse.
"What a majestic creature, it is unfortunate to have met its end."
"Indeed. If it were allowed to develop, there is no doubt that it would've been a formidable beast."
"The world is truly too cruel."
The mood fell silent as they talked about this corpse.
What separates this beast from a human?
Nature? Appearance?
Looking beyond the superficial, they are merely living creatures.
Fighting to survive, it was misfortune that allowed them to cross paths.
It was the Demon of Confusion and the Demon of Calamity which forced these two ends to meet.
While it may be natural for them to collide, it was also natural for them to live.
A King leads their people to prosperity, a Beast King also yearns for prosperity.
From that perspective, there is no difference between a beast and a human.
Both merely carry the will to live.
It was circumstance that forced this change on them.
Warrior of Spring admired its strength.
This woman, Shade of Autumn, saw the truth of this situation.
Such a majestic, powerful King was slain.
This Mystical Beast King was merely driven by the will to live.
It fought to defend itself and its people, fighting against the tides and Warrior of Spring.
Similarly, the people of the Settlement fought to defend themselves.
What differentiates them?
The beasts had fallen to the humans, but nothing dictates the idea of human supremacy.
This Settlement. The People. Warrior of Spring.
All of them could fall, meeting the same, cruel end that this Mystical Beast King did.
Warrior of Spring cleaned himself off.
The Qi conglomerate shone with pale light.
'This is all that the Beast King's efforts total to.'
'A mass of Qi, shimmering defiantly against the dark.'
Embraced in the light, the iron-rich air assailed his nostrils.
"I will first send Cultivators to extract the resources from this beast."
"Soon, I will find you and evaluate the spoils of war."
Nodding, Shade of Autumn left.
Left behind, Warrior of Spring finished cleaning himself.
Weighing the Qi conglomerate in his hands, he felt the hefty weight.
'The burden of following one's Way...'
...
Returning to his accommodation, Sun resumed resting on his bed.
He allowed his body to sink into the soft bedding.
With nothing left to do, Sun enjoys this moment of respite.
Although his mind was wandering elsewhere.
Thinking about their situation, he fully realised just how cruel and hopeless the tides seem.
Countless beasts assaulted them.
Even with the awe-inspiring might of Warrior of Spring, they still suffered intensely.
Hundreds were gravely injured. He was injured severely, too.
While he was recovering, Sun lamented about his own incapabilities.
He was part of Warrior of Spring's ambush party.
Sun was responsible for diminishing the groups of beasts.
Despite this role, the retaliative force was still overwhelmed.
With this role in mind, was he not at fault here?
Warrior of Spring was incredibly powerful.
The two Third Foundation Cultivators were also powerful.
Shade of Autumn was more experienced than he was.
While Sun was still a recently ascended Second Foundation Cultivator.
Thinking to himself, Sun couldn't help but reminisce.
'I gave up my Warrior status to become a Medical Expert.'
'When the time came, I couldn't fight to save my people.'
'And now, when my strength is needed most, I cannot fight hard enough.'
'When the next tides arrive, will I be able to fulfil my role?'
'Even though I am stronger, will I be able to fight?'
'If I can not fight, how could I fulfil my Way?'
Although they successfully managed to fight back the first tide, it was not without losses.
The three casualties were very minor, but it still left a deep impression on Sun.
To Sun, it was a great failure.
This was another failure in Sun's journey, and it affected him greatly.
Tears pricked his eyes as he sank further into his bed.
'I must get a Mystical Weapon... If I have that, then my strength will surely rise.'
'The halberd I have now is not enough. My Cultivation is not enough.'
'I might not be able to get stronger now, I will only be able to cultivate after the tide.'
Clenching the fabric shielding his heart, Sun inwardly declared.
'I curse the lack of time we have. I curse my lack of strength.'
'For now, I will fight with my life on the line! I won't let anything get past me!'
'I refuse to let this tide overwhelm me! I will fight and fulfil my role!'
Steeling his resolve was the only thing he could do at the moment.
Without sufficient strength, without sufficient resources, without sufficient time, Sun could only do this.
If he does not have anything, he could do this at least.
Even though he mourned the losses and lamented his lack of strength, he did not let his resolve waver.
With nothing else, Sun would fight against the world with his Way.
Unrelenting in his Way.
True to his Way.
...