Chapter 163: The Enlightenment Tea Tree

"An Enlightenment Tea Tree..."

Cassian looked at the unremarkable, iron-dark sapling in his hand.

Among Humans, it was counted with the Bodhi Tree and the Wisdom Tree as one of the Three Mind-Awakening Trees. None raised attributes directly. Their value lay in the progress they could bring to arts and skills.

Enlightenment Tea favored sudden insight. Bodhi seeds and Wisdom Fruit improved comprehension itself.

That difference mattered. One reason Lords from older sectors remained so dangerous even with their Levels suppressed was the time they had spent mastering their skills.

An A-grade art trained to Lesser Perfection could add at least ten thousand stars to a Combat Rating. An ordinary Level-100 monster might have no more than that in total.

Yet late breakthroughs in an art like Mistveil March could take decades, even centuries. Cassian’s own Warbody training was hardly an easier road.

The Tea Tree, combined with the Hall’s training, could send the strength of his Heroes, troops, and Cassian himself soaring again.

"How long will a Mythic tree take to grow? To flower? To produce anything?"

He called in the Settler who had tended the old Moonrice Patch. Among the farming workers, he was known as Farmer One.

"Your orders, Lord?"

Cassian granted him access to the newly separated enclosure.

"This will be the Enlightenment Enclosure. Only you and I have access. Your one task is to plant this tree and care for it until it produces the first batch of tea."

He handed over the sapling. Farmer One stared, then began to tremble.

"An Enlightenment Tea Tree. It really is one!"

Almost a minute passed before he mastered his excitement.

"I’ll guard it with my life, Lord."

Cassian nodded in satisfaction.

"Begin."

As the farmer went to work, Cassian checked his resources.

"Upgrade the Domain."

He paid the required resources, then another hundred and forty-eight thousand Aether to complete the work immediately.

[Domain upgraded to Rank IX.]

[Clinic unlocked.]

[Domain area: 420,000 square meters.]

The ground rumbled. The Domain’s diameter grew by roughly a hundred meters, adding ninety thousand square meters to the main layer. The Deep Layer expanded with it, bringing the combined gain to a hundred and eighty thousand.

Cassian would reserve enough room for his high-Quality Buildings to expand. The rest could go to fields and housing.

A Clinic helped Heroes and troops recover from injuries. Most Lords would have welcomed one eagerly. With the Fountain of Life already at work in Forgotten Shrine, Cassian had little need for it.

The Tea Tree was too important to leave unattended. He stayed nearby while Farmer One worked and began sorting the rewards from three days in Glory Battlefield.

The basic earnings alone were impressive: four hundred and eighty million Battle Essence and eighteen million Aether across the expedition.

His troops at home and at sea had been earning more throughout that time. There had also been plenty to spend on upgrades. The battlefield haul was no small addition to his resources.

Apart from the Mythic prize, Godslayer was his most valuable gain. Next came the Legendary Dragon Tomb Blueprint, then the twenty thousand Renown.

After those were the Legendary Troop Sigil, the Undead Dragon Flute, and four pieces of ordinary Legendary equipment from the Bone Dragon battles.

The lower-Quality rewards were far more numerous.

Three hundred and twenty-eight Epic pieces of equipment. Two thousand four hundred and eight Rare pieces. Roughly half had come from the third floor, with a smaller share contributed by Lords of other races.

Eighteen Epic Hero Souls and seventy-nine Rare ones. Twenty-six Epic Troop Souls and two hundred and thirteen Rare ones.

Five Epic Hero Sigils and twenty-eight Rare ones. Twenty-eight Epic Troop Sigils and a hundred and twelve Rare ones.

He took out the Advanced Physique Book from the Dragon Tomb haul and used it. Its power entered his body, adding to his Physique.

Eighty-three Intermediate Attribute Books and three hundred and eight Basic Attribute Books remained, along with more Chests, Scrolls, materials, and other equipment than he cared to count at a glance.

"What a harvest."

He looked over the sorted rewards with deep satisfaction.

"If only I’d had a full day on the third floor. Just over an hour wasn’t enough."

Farmer One was still busy. Cassian was in no hurry. He brought out a reclining chair and settled into it.

He took out a Legendary Moonfruit and bit into it. Sweet juice filled his mouth, and he closed his eyes in satisfaction.

Most Lords would have guarded a fruit of that Quality as a treasure. Cassian was enjoying it while he waited for his farmer to finish.

While Cassian relaxed, the news of his Gold Battle Name continued to spread.

At the headquarters of the King’s Frontier Legion, a brief discussion ended with Edric Stonebridge announcing the decision.

"If there are no objections, Cassian’s honorary rank will be raised to lieutenant general."

They had left room for further promotion. With the Contest of Champions approaching, who knew what he might do next? It would be awkward to run out of ranks and have to make him an honorary marshal.

Stonebridge moved to the next matter.

"What about the Jade Court’s declaration? Under the present rules, once our Lords enter the Seventh Realm, they fall under its authority."

The room filled with angry voices.

"We should defend every piece of our territory. Tidecrown is a strategic Province. We’ve risked our lives trying to hold it, and that old woman sells it with a sentence?"

"Keep this up, and the Jade Court will squander everything the Crown has left in the Seventh."

"Then we should follow Cassian’s example. Withdraw our Lords from its authority."

"Five of Riftward’s Lords made the top hundred. Add its Fortune, and it’s the best Marches on the Homeworld. How can we abandon it?"

"Calm down," another officer said. "The Jade Court still shields us from the older sectors. If we break away, the consequences could be disastrous."

General Xavier gave a cold laugh.

"How much protection will it offer if this continues? You’ve all heard what’s happened to the Eight Standards."

Silence fell.

A troop line could decline as well as advance. Repeated defeats and years of neglect could lead the system to judge that a line no longer deserved its rank, and lower its Quality.

The Eight Standards had once stood at the peak of Epic. Now only the four Plain Standards retained their initial Epic One-Star rank. The four Bordered Standards had fallen to Rare, one after another, making them a laughingstock across the Homeworld.

Stonebridge spoke gravely.

"Marshal Grey will return from the Realm soon. We have at least another month before the struggle for the Governorship. Until then, maintain the present situation in Tidecrown."

At the Marshal’s name, every general straightened.

"As you say, General."

——

At Free Will headquarters, the twelve directors had barely left when word arrived of Cassian’s Gold Battle Name. Ross summoned them back.

Within minutes, they reached an agreement.

"A talent like Cassian cannot be allowed to grow if he won’t serve the Beacon League. If we can’t kill him yet, we must do everything possible to obstruct him."

"Otherwise, the Crown’s dying power in the Seventh Realm might recover because of one man. That serves none of our interests."

Ross spoke firmly.

"We will help the Black Banner win the Governorship, even if the Consortium has to act directly. Once the Governor’s authority overrides Cassian’s command of the Marches, we can finish him."

Soon afterward, several gifted Lords, each the equal of Adrian, used Advanced Relocation Writs to move into Coldridge Marches in Tidecrown Province.