23rd Supreme Ring

The snow-capped peaks and valleys gave way to expansive plateaus, the air growing dry and arid. The Supreme Leaf was predominantly nestled in West Asia. 

Al's journey had included only one stop, a brief pause in the 11th Supreme Ring, where he procured a new map pointing to the 23rd Supreme Ring located deep within the Arabian desert.

As he ventured forth, Al couldn't help but observe the cities that seemed to defy the harsh environments surrounding them. Though he always steered clear, he couldn't ignore the sight of their buzzing skies, filled not only with soaring vehicles, but also Dawn Keepers. In a city filled with machines and twisted angels, what need was there for a devil?

The cities, vibrant marvels pulsing with life, were scattered few and far between across the expanse. Once Al ventured into the desert, time lost its grip on him. There were no fields adorned in blossoms, no golden leaves falling from trees—only endless stretches of sand. Yesterday and Tomorrow faded into obscurity. All that remained was the relentless cycle of day and night.

"The only other place like this is the ocean where time loses its meaning, where the Sun bears down oppressively, and the moon and stars alone offer guidance. Where life cannot grow, it moves, and where it cannot move, it grows. Am I moving, or am I growing?" Al reflected, his thoughts carried away by the wind.

As the sun began its descent, painting the desert in hues of fiery orange and dusky purple, Al's musings were interrupted by the realization that he had arrived. 

Standing solitary amidst the endless sea of sand was a towering structure. A glance at his map confirmed it - this was the 23rd Mortal Ring of the Supreme Leaf. Romann, the captain of the Supreme Leaf's 23rd Mortal Seed, had been Al's mentor for three months, almost 40 years ago. 

Although Romann and him never really saw eye to eye, Romann's teacher Supreme Immortal King Godfrey was the reason why Al had entered the world of Will and began cultivating. 

Approaching the base of the tower, Al was met with a confounding sight. There were no discernible entrances. The structure was composed of fossilized stone.

The tower appeared to be an entire monolith, its form chiseled from a single colossal stone. After running his fingers along its weathered surface and scrutinizing it, Al circled around to the opposite side, where he discovered a hexagonal stele. 

It gleamed with a polished finish, its familiarity triggering Al to retrieve one of his C-stones. Placing it upon the stele, a portion of the wall shifted, revealing an entrance. Retrieving his C-stone, Al couldn't help but note the deduction of ten merits. "Just when I thought they couldn't become any more exploitative," he mused to himself as he stepped into the shadowed passage.

To his surprise, the ceiling loomed just above the entrance. The entire interior was made from stone, save for the immediate area surrounding the door, which opened into a descending spiral staircase.

In the darkness, Al discerned the distinct form of the staircase, his senses attuned to the surroundings. He had amassed a surplus of merits, enough to sustain him for months within any Mortal Ring. Yet, Al had come to acknowledge that his true path did not lie within the God Leafs.

After what felt like a mere minute, a soft radiance bathed the lower steps. Upon passing through another entrance, Al emerged into a colossal cavern. The ceiling was adorned with luminescent stones, casting a light akin to sunlight. Before him stretched a road, flanked by a towering two-story structure bearing a caduceus, while to his right stood a triangular prism-shaped building.

Al had started to familiarize himself with the designs of the God Leaf Rings. "The hospital and the library, so they all have 6 buildings with the exchange center in the middle… They sure do love hexagons." 

His thoughts trailing as he approached the library.

As he drew nearer, he couldn't help but notice the scarcity of animals, a stark contrast to what he had encountered in Lightning-stone Leaf Rings. Here, it seemed, the inhabitants were all human cultivators. 

Upon reaching the triangular prism building, a young man engrossed in a red book glanced up at Al and extended his hand. "One hour," Al declared, prompting a nod from the man. The C-stone exchanged hands, briefly placed on a hexagonal stele before being returned.

Within the library's confines, Al's gaze bypassed the shelves of books. Instead, he focused on the individuals present. "There should be someone here from the 23rd Supreme Seed," he thought, as he began walking around. 

His eyes scanned the aisles until they settled on a woman with hazel-brown skin, her hair a deep jet black. She was unmistakable, her robe a striking azure blue, embroidered with the name "Chaudhary" at its hem. Al recognized her face, even though she appeared considerably younger now. She was the woman whose fan had reduced what remained of Mark to ashes.

When Al had last seen her, she had appeared nearly as weathered as himself, someone in their early forties. Now, she bore the visage of someone in their early twenties. Al approached her, addressing her politely. "Excuse me, but do you have any books on astral walking or traveling?"

The woman regarded him with a curious gaze. Al stood out, his white hair and the dual blades strapped to his back. "Uhh, no. Typically, your teacher is supposed to guide you in matters of the astral, and my name is Krisha Chaudhary." she replied.

Al had anticipated this response.  giving a more serious expression. "In that case, is there any way I can speak to Romann? Let him know Alexander Adamos has something urgent he has to tell him." His tone conveyed a sense of urgency that mirrored his words.

Upon hearing her captain's name, the woman's expression shifted from confusion to recognition. "Listen Alexander..." Krisha paused and looked closely at Al. "Wait, I remember you. You were that crying baby boy our teacher invited to the Supreme Leaf. What are you doing here? Did you not place in the 301st Mortal Rings Tournament?"

Al chose not to engage with her comments, instead he reiterated the urgency of his need to speak to Romann. 

Krisha Chaudhary, offered to relay the message, but Al was insistent that he should be the one to tell Romann in person.

"Fine," Krisha agreed, resigned. "Look, Romann isn't here right now. He's off visiting other Mortal Rings. But our second-in-command, 'Elissa,' is here. I can take you to her, by the way my name is Krisha Chaudhary."

Krisha and Al walked out of the triangular prism she led him towards the fields, there were many cultivators practicing cultivation techniques and spells in the open. Some of them were even sparing however among them next to a statue of a bald man well shaven with an incredibly muscular physique. The statue reminded Al of Supreme Immortal King Godfrey next to the statue was a woman with short black hair. She was voraciously doing push-ups. 

"Elissa, it's the little cry baby boy 'SIK' found, the one whose friend we killed after it succumbed to the Dark Acolyte. He says there is something urgent news he needs to tell Romann," Krisha callously explained. Elissa kept doing push-ups and called out, "Speak, what is it."

Recognizing this as his chance to relay critical information to the higher echelons of the God Leafs, Al decided to divulge everything. 

"I first saw her performing some kind of ritual in which I saw a Dark Acolyte transform into a human. They intermingled with humans in a giant orgy. After I was defeated by her, she kidnapped me in some weird pocket dimension. Who knows how long she kept me there until she took me out in a dark underground tunnel system where I saw her, and her master, a skeleton, they traded me to the Rakh-ahtan for some technology that could give her master whatever skin he wanted." 

As soon as Lapaptzi and Taczpoliac's names escaped Al's lips, Elissa ceased her push-ups, her gaze drilling into him with intensity. "Krisha, you can go back to your post. I've got this," she instructed, dismissing her companion. Krisha wasted no time in departing, showing no interest in Al's account.

"I know that name very well, Lapaptzi. She was a Dark Acolyte who achieved enlightenment and gained consciousness," Al was taken aback, though he had suspected a connection between Lapaptzi and the Dark Acolytes.

Elissa's tone shifted, "If Dark Acolytes are collaborating with the Rakh-ahtan, this could actually be a positive development. If I can influence the outcome of the war on a grand scale, my name will echo throughout the God Leaves. Becoming a recognized Immortal would be all but guaranteed after that."

The transformation from surprise to doubt washed over Al as he listened to Elissa's unabashed desire to exploit the war for personal gain. Her words left him uneasy.

A sudden instinct gripped Al, telling him that Elissa might not be inclined to share what he had to say with Romann. He began to retreat, a growing skeptical of the situation. However, before he could make his escape, Elissa's eyes widened with a fierce intensity.

"I can't leave until Romann gets back. Until then, you can gather more information for me," Elissa declared, her voice carrying an almost overpowering resolve. Al hesitated, uncertain how to respond. He slowly shook his head in refusal.

"Don't worry, I'll ensure you're generously rewarded for your efforts," she continued. Al scoffed in response. "I don't need any merits, thank you. I simply wanted to pass on information to Romann."

Elissa interrupted him, her tone shifting. "What do you want? I can teach you how to transfigure your etheric shell." Al paused, the opportunity before him suddenly clear. "I might be able to assist you... Can you show me how to astral walk and travel?"

Elissa regarded him with a mixture of surprise and curiosity. Astral travel was an intricate technique, far beyond her current mastery. She had spent years in the Spirit Domain of the Mortal Chasm and had only scratched the surface. 

"Yes, of course I can show you," Elissa responded with a bright, confident smile.