Stella took her hand off of Nox's bark. She could tell Ash and Nox were talking to one another by the indescribable flow within the tree but could not comprehend their words. Maybe one day, she would figure out how to speak tree, but until then, she would have to rely on Ash projecting his presence into her consciousness and speaking to her there.

More importantly, Stella could feel no ill will from Nox. The merchant-turned-tree certainly wasn't as welcoming or cheerful as the rest of Ashlock's offspring when Stella got close, but she wasn't guarded nor hostile.

Nox is more curious than anything if her emotions are to be trusted. Stella thought as she stepped back. I suppose it really was wrong of me to charge at her with an axe.

Stella hated Nox with a passion, but if the tree version of her was like a new person, she wasn't one to hold grudges... also she liked trees. It would be a shame to cut one down, especially one capable of speech like Ash.

Willow is getting close to speech, and Quill can write on his bark. Stella mused as she turned to look at the shadow woman floating beside Nox's trunk. But none of them are capable of this. Even Ash can only make Ents or control corpses.

The humanoid shadow resembled a woman with long hair that floated down her back. It seemed quickly made, as other than some definition for her eyes and a mouth, there wasn't much else. Yet Stella could tell it was more than a bundle of shadow Qi forced into the shape of a human woman. It was far more than that—it felt alive.

It's as if it has a soul.

Suddenly, the surroundings became a torrent of power. Not the kind that hurt anyone or made them kneel. Rather, it let you know a miracle was occurring.

"Daddy, what is happening?" Jasmine asked Julian, who had recovered from earlier and was now holding his wife and daughter's hands and staring up at the shadow tree with a lost expression.

"I... don't know."

"Don't worry, this is the power of the Immortal," Stella said casually, "My Father."

Of course, not the deadbeat Father who left me for dead on Red Vine Peak. I don't care if that bastard is alive or not, nor his reason for leaving me. Ash is the only family I have.

"This is the power of an immortal?" Catherine muttered in awe as she leaned against Julian.

Rustling overhead drew Stella's attention. Looking up into the dark canopy of black branches and leaves, splashes of color bloomed as bundles of fruits sprouted from stalks. From the reds, yellows, and greens, Stella could identify each fruit and their effects.

To think Ash could grow those godly fruits through his offspring. Does Nox even realize how much trust he has in her by this gesture? Stella wondered. He has always kept those fruits as close to himself as possible in fear that others would find out and hunt him down or the Blood Lotus Sect would enslave him.

Stella smiled. It was nice to see Ash being less cautious and more trusting of others, especially considering how powerful the Ashfallen Sect had become.

When will Larry awaken from his evolution? I hope it's soon. Stella pondered. He was already so powerful before that after his evolution I wonder if I should be more worried for our enemies than us.

"Wow!" Jasmine shouted as Stella felt power coil around her feet. "It's so pretty."

Looking down, Stella saw a field of small white flowers blooming from the cracks in the stone and soil. It continued until the entire area was blanketed in a white that swayed with the wind. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

"Cultivators really are gods in human skin to be capable of this," Julian muttered.

"No." Stella refuted, striding through the field of white flowers over to them. Just how wrong could they be to say only humans were cultivators.

"A cultivator is any being that can bend the world to their will. Be it a human, floating shadow, tree, demoness, or even a monster. Your skin and bones are nothing but a vessel for your soul—which is all that really matters. Do you understand?"

All three of the mortals kneeled before her with their heads bowed.

"I apologize for my ignorance, Mistress," Julian said with all his heart, "Please teach us the ways of cultivation. Despite following the parchments given to us and taking the pills, I find myself at a loss. The way of a cultivator remains a mystery to me."

Stella had been worried for a moment that the mortal's opinion of her had dropped because of her rash actions earlier, but it seemed her worries were unfounded. With her mood improved, she decided to impress these mortals with her insights and wisdom!

"Then let me teach you. First, you need to change your mindset and see the bigger picture. Mortals are much like these flowers here," Stella crouched down, plucked one of the white flowers, and twirled it between her fingers. She paused for a moment as she was unsure where she was going with this analogy.

"Flowers are plentiful and even beautiful for a time. But come winter, they wither and die. Their short lives come to an end, and another similar yet different flower will bloom in its place come spring. A constant cycle that cannot be escaped or defied. That is the shackles of mortality that had bound you until recently."

Stella felt it a shame to toss the flower that had been grown by Ash, so she put it behind Jasmine's ear, making the girl smile. It was cute.

Focus, Stella, now's not the time.

"Ahem. Now, in comparison to a flower, a cultivator would be a tree." Stella gestured to Nox, the black-barked tree that loomed over them, "Starting as nothing but a sapling, a tree faces the same threats as these flowers in its infancy. But it has far greater potential for more. As it grows and survives multiple winters, it rises toward the heavens as if to defy it. Eventually, the tree will tower over the mortal flowers and watch on unfazed as the life cycle continues and years turn into centuries."

Stella stood back up and looked down at the three mortals-turned-cultivators. "As you meditate on heaven's whispers and learn more about our woven reality, you realize just how insignificant you really are. That's what drives cultivators to seek the peak—to reach immortality. A constant fear of the very thing they thought they had escaped: death. Or at least that is how I see things. Others may disagree."

A clapping came from across the clearing.

"That was well said, Stella." Diana grinned, showing her fangs. "Mortals beg for protection from cultivators, but to us, they are like ants. Clueless of the world, small and insignificant and far beneath us. We may often look the same as we all started as weak mortals, but can you really say mortals and cultivators are anything alike because of how they appear on the surface?"

As if to prove her point, Diana manifested and spread out her majestic wings of feathered darkness that were thrice her height—earning a gasp from the mortals.

"So that is why the Voidmind family abandoned us," Julian clenched his fists, "Even after being gifted the ability to cultivate by the Mistress, I still couldn't understand their cruelty. Why had they left us all to die? But the answer was that we were nothing but a field of flowers or a bunch of worthless ants to them?"

Catherine looked up and locked eyes with Stella, "What made us different? If we are nothing but ants to you, why did you save us."

"The immortal asked me to save the people of Slymere," Stella shrugged, "And because I wanted to. I am not so heartless as to watch people die in front of me if I can save them."

"Because you wanted to," Catherine muttered in disbelief, "I live because you saved me on a whim and nothing else..."

Diana sighed, "Cultivators are often seen as selfish because they have to spend the Qi they meticulously gathered over a long period to bend reality to their ideals. Julian, you passed out earlier while protecting your family, right? A valiant deed, but can you feel any Qi left in your body?"

Julian closed his eyes. After a moment, he let out an annoyed grunt, "No, it's all gone."

"Hours of meditation... wasted. That is the price of power, and sometimes we have to exchange more than just Qi, such as our souls or blood." Diana floated over the field of white flowers with a single flap of her wings; landing gracefully before them, she continued, "The Qi you spent all day gathering is now gone, and you will have to start again. Now imagine these two weren't your family but two random animals. Would you put yourself in harm's way to defend them with the same vigor and cost? Bear in mind, spending your Qi not only sets you back but also makes you weaker and possibly unable to protect those you love from threats."

"I see what you are saying," Julian gritted his teeth, "So the Voidminds didn't save us from the storm because our lives weren't worth the Qi. That still leaves a sour taste in my mouth. But the immortal saved us; does that mean he wasted his Qi and was weakened because of us?"

"When you wield power on this scale," Stella gestured to the field of flowers that had bloomed before their eyes, "Saving mortals, even an entire city of them, is a simple affair. Few can threaten you when you are one of the strongest in the realm, and problems can be easily solved with a wave of one's hand."

"If I become powerful, I can save people, too!" Jasmine had stars in her eyes as she clenched her fists. "Just like Mistress Stella!"

Stella felt her eye twitch. Does this girl think I spend my days going around and saving mortals? I couldn't think of anything more ridiculous.

As if noticing her discomfort, Diana stepped before Stella. "You sure can little miss. The best part about being a cultivator is that you get to decide how you use your power. The world is dark enough, so maybe a few mortal-turned-cultivators would help give the common people some light and hope. On that note, Julian, can you come with me."

Julian rose to his feet with a serious expression, "May I ask what for?"

"The immortal has requested that we work together on establishing the mortal branch of the Ashfallen Trading company. The Mudcloaks will handle construction overnight, so we need to find a location and decide how it will look and be run." Diana held her hand as if asking for a handshake, "We will be working together from now on and have a lot to do. My name is Diana, and I handle the finances and business side of the Ashfallen Sect."

Julian shook her hand, "My name is Julian. I was appointed Head of Logistics, so it's a pleasure to meet you too—woah!"

Stella looked up and held back a laugh as she watched Diana haul Julian into the sky by his arm and his legs uselessly kicked in the air. "See you later, Stella!" Diana shouted as she glided down the mountainside toward the center of Ashfallen City.

"Don't worry, he will be fine," Stella reassured Catherine and Jasmine, who peeked their heads over the mountain ledge. "I would be more impressed if he wrestled out of her grip and fell."

They didn't seem convinced as they kept watching until the pair became nothing but small dots. Stella shrugged and was about to return to Red Vine Peak to nap when she heard Jasmine call out to her.

"Wait, Mistress!"

Stella paused and turned back to face the girl, "Yes?"

"My Dad told me if I wanted to become strong and join the Ashfallen Sect, I had to meet Kaida. Do you know where I could meet him?"

"Jasmine!" Catherine hissed as she crouched beside her daughter, "We talked about this... remember? We were going to wait a while to see if it's a good idea first."

What is she going on about? Stella wondered. What did Kaida have to do with anything?

"Lead them to Kaida and ask for the employment contract. He knows what to do." Ashlock spoke into her mind. "Also, nice speech. Glad to hear you representing the spirit trees as cultivators."

Stella felt her ears burning. Cleared of her confusion, she gave Jasmine a smile and said, "Sure, I can lead you to him. Are you coming as well, Catherine?"

The mother looked apprehensive, but her daughter's bubbling excitement was hard to say no to. Eventually, she sighed and nodded, "Yeah, I suppose it's for the best we join officially."

Stella's silver spatial ring flashed with power, and the largest sword she owned appeared levitating on the floor. Ashlock had given it to her a while ago. It was impractically large and heavy, so even with her strength, it was useless in combat, but its size made it useful for flying multiple people around.

I could just portal them over, but I think a ride on a flying sword will help them realize just how different cultivators are from regular mortals.

"Hop on, and let's go—" Stella froze as she felt Jasmine's hands wrap around her waist, and the rascal buried her head into her back. She then felt Catherine's hands grip her shoulders.

What in the nine realms are they doing! Maybe I should have taken the stupid portals. There is plenty of space on the sword to stand, so why are they hugging me. Oh wait, they don't know it's impossible to fall off.

Letting out a sigh and deciding it wasn't worth the effort to explain to them as they wouldn't believe her, Stella pushed Qi into the sword, and with a pulse of her Star Core, they shot into the sky.

Jasmine screamed into her clothes, and Catherine wasn't much better as she wrapped her arms tightly around Stella's neck and held on for dear life.

The whole time, Stella stood there rigidly with an annoyed expression tugging at her lips. She hoped they would calm down once she leveled out the sword and flew straight, yet the two didn't let go.

I am displeased.

Deciding enough was enough, Stella freed herself from the two sets of arms wrapped around her neck and waist and turned to glare at the two. "I have surrounded the sword with my Qi; it's impossible for you to fall off, and even if you did, I would catch you with a portal. So relax, stop screaming, and do not touch me."

The two didn't seem convinced, so Stella shoved more Qi into the sword to make it suddenly jerk forward, causing Catherine to fall backward, yet she was stopped by an invisible barrier with Jasmine in her arms. It took a moment for the woman to open her eyes that she had screwed shut and realize she hadn't fallen to her death.

"See? Why would I lie to you." Stella clicked her tongue as she returned to looking forward. "Just listen to me. It's not hard."

"I apologize for doubting the Mistress," Catherine bowed slightly and calmed down.

"Wow, Mom, look at that beautiful palace," Jasmine said as she pointed behind them.

"That is the home to the Redclaws," Stella explained, "A noble family under the Ashfallen Sect that specializes in fire Qi. You likely saw some of their younger generation walking about Ashfallen City."

They had already passed over the White Stone Palace, and below them was the vast mountain range covered in demonic trees that were nothing but a red blur as they flew. Up ahead in the distance, Stella could see Ashlock towering over the mist wall that shrouded Red Vine Peak and felt his focus on her.

"Is that where Kaida lives? On that mountain peak?" Jasmine asked as she poked her head around her legs, and Stella appreciated how she avoided touching or holding onto her.

"That's right," Stella smiled, "It's also my home."