Chapter 223: 223 Darkness Dwelling In The Light

A/N: Start of [Volume 4 - True World Sect]

I'll be focusing more on world building and action in this volume. I want to improve that aspect of my writing. So any feedback in welcome. Leave a review if you're free.

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The sun was at its zenith in its arc traversing from one end of the horizon to the other, bearing down imperiously over the vast Regal Plains - an unblemished sprawling flat grassland that reigned dead-centre of the Solar Empire. There were no irregularities in the Regal Plains, it was as if a mighty being swung a giant sword with one hand and sliced across a large patch of land, removing everything in its path and leaving a perfectly flat surface, and then with the other hand sprinkled a fresh coating of grass over this barren surface.

Three different rivers - the Indigo-Chill, Ragged-Current and Bubbling-Blue - swept through the region depositing minerals and augmenting the soil health. The Indigo-Chill River flowed Northwest to Southwest, spawning in the Indigo-Crest Mountains in the purview of the Balen Duchy - the river cuts through the Northern regions of the plains and joins into the sea at the Eastern end of the Empire. The Ragged-Current River has multiple spawning regions, one of which is the Southernmost mountain of Serrated-Peaks in the Maika Duchy. The stream originating from there is corroborated by another from the Deep-Turquoise Lake which borders both the Maika and Balen Duchy - hence inducing the ragged currents - and cuts right through the centre of the Regal Plains and meets the sea at the south of the Empire. Finally, the Bubbling-Blue is a mischievous one that originates and terminates within the Draul Duchy at the Southeast of the Empire, simply arcing through the Southeastern quadrant of the Plains during its journey.

Needless to say, with three flowing water bodies gracing the region, these were highly fertile grounds. The periphery of the plains is plastered with farmlands, worked by farmers to support the enormous structure that stood at the centre of the Plains and, by extension, the Solar Empire - Sunspear, the City of Dawn, the Capital of the Solar Empire, the abode of the Solar Emperor and his Clan. Sunspear was a massive city, one which covered over forty per cent of the sprawling Regal Plains; to get from one end of the city to the other by foot would take a day and a half at best.

The city was ancient, in mortal terms. Its origin extended back to the founding of the Empire itself around 2000 years ago. The first Emperor - the Sun's Avatar as people called him - united all the powerful Clans and minor rulerships governing the contested regions around him either through force or diplomacy (mostly force) and planted the throne at the centre of his Empire in Sunspear.

From a strategic standpoint, the choice of location was suboptimal, given how there was literally no natural protection in the region - the city could be attacked from any direction with equal ease. However, from a trade and logistics perspective, it was supreme. The many rivers flowing through the region provided an easy mode of transport from the different parts of the Empire directly to the Capital. The plains were also easy to patrol, ensuring that few miscreants established roots and hindered trade.

Furthermore, since it was located smack-dab in the middle of the Empire, any invading force would have to wade through the lands of the Empire's vassals before arriving at the Capital - unless of course some subterfuge and clandestine tactics are involved. Additionally, the First Emperor did not believe that anyone would successfully overthrow him. He was invincible! Unshakeable! Unstoppable! His words.

The First Emperor's reign was short. He abdicated the throne the tenth year after the Empire stabilised to pursue advancement in his cultivation. As an immortal in the Tesseract Transformation Realm, he found that court proceedings and diplomacy were hampering him. He wasn't cut out for it, and his soul was starting to stagnate.

Since its establishment, Sunspear grew every few centuries in a form of circumferential or sectoral expansion. The first city was akin to a circle with a wall around it. During the second expansion, another layer was added around the wall and a wall was built to encompass this new layer. Such expansions proceeded a few more times before they became impractical, at which point sectoral growth was pursued. A new sector would be added with a wall around it, connecting with the inner walls. Like that, a near maze-like city grew into existence. And due to the physical boundaries put in place, the poor and destitute were organically eked out into the outer periphery as the rich and flourishing congregated near the centre, closer to the Palace.

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The Palace was both a magnificent architectural masterpiece and an exquisite work of art combined into one august and imposing structure that commanded respect and awe from those observing it.

A significant portion of the Palace was made off of a special kind of enchanted glass, capable of converting solar rays and enriching the ambient mana, raising the mana density of the Palace to match, and even exceed, the levels of large sects.

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In recent years, that is since the reign of the current Solar Emperor, the Palace underwent a second expansion. Although the style and theme of this new section matched that of the old visually, the similarity did not extend into its perceived aura. Every excellent piece of work is defined as such because it transcends the superficial - it holds a special meaning that enraptures the observer in some way. The original Palace was the culmination of the works of many professionals across different fields. With free reign and nigh endless resources, they were given a wide berth in terms of how the Palace could be built. All they were told by the First Emperor was that "it must be timeless!"

And timeless it was. Every nook and cranny of the Palace told a story, about its history, all the efforts that went into the formation of the Empire, the contribution of various people along the way, and so on. Every coloured pane stood out by itself, and every painting and ceramic adorning the halls was incomparable.

Unfortunately, the architects of the new wing could not capture this timelessness. In some ways, it wasn't their fault either. The current Emperor had commissioned the new expansion out of necessity. There was just not enough space within the Palace to house his Empress, Consorts and Concubines!

Ultimately, this callous and imperceptibly depraved intention behind building the extension seeped into its walls. A faint aura of decadence prevailed in this region of the Palace. Kin fighting against kin, infanticide, poisoning, every possible vicious act imaginable, barring maybe cannibalism, occurred within these walls. The Inner Court, as it is called, is a battlefield where no flashy spells and martial attacks are exchanged yet blood is spilt nonetheless.

Again, the fact that this wing had turned into a den of sin could not be foisted upon its inhabitants, which were the many consorts and concubines, because this was the only avenue they could take to gain an advantage. The name of the game was attracting the "favour" of the Emperor. The standard strategy would be to express one's brilliance and beauty and pull in the attention of a man whose libido was in overdrive. Laudable strategy, except what if every other person around you was exactly like you?

A man has a type of woman he is attracted to. Because of that, the entire Inner Court is saturated with similar women, with similar appearances, specialities and characteristics. Even those unique few that catch the Emperor's eye and enter his harem either succumb to the depravity and change or get evicted from the Inner Court in a coffin. What then?

When tugging at one's heartstrings and genitals just doesn't cut it, and the women fail to push themselves forwards amidst their so-called "sisters" the only option is to pull the competition down... through any means necessary. Because gaining the Emperor's favour not only benefits the women and their offspring, but it also affects their families. A favoured consort or concubine from a Clan can eke out benefits for their Clan through strategic pillow talk.

Of course, the greatest source of advantage to hold the Emperor's favour is birthing a male offspring. At that point, the attack gains two prongs and the woman no longer needs to alternate between the man's heart and genitals. She can focus her entire attention on the genitals while the Prince can target the Emperor's heart. This is why no woman in the Inner Court wished to yield that advantage to their competitor. The moment the news of the pregnancy of a consort or concubine is known, the conceiving woman becomes the prime target. Thanks to the arrays lining the courtyard that prevents scrying and probing of the pregnant woman's womb, it becomes impossible to predict the gender of the child before birth. Thus, every pregnancy is a threat that needs to be neutralised.

The Capital city is known to be a den of vipers. Danger lurks around every corner. Yet no one could predict that the most dangerous place in the Capital would be within the Palace itself.

Inside the Inner Court, where a life could be lost through the most innocuous of means, in the farther corners, ignored by everyone and rarely visited by the inhabitants of the palace, existed a courtyard whose name was forgotten. Its original occupant, the Consort to whom it belonged, no longer lived. In that instance, the courtyard should have been reassigned, demolished or rebuilt. However, prior to her passing, the woman had birthed an offspring. Therefore, by the rules of the Inner Court, the courtyard was handed over to the child.

The child that was forgotten, lived in a courtyard that was forgotten, tended to by no one, visited by no one.

Tragic... But it was all intentional. Because to survive in a den of vipers one must douse their existence. They won't know you exist if you don't make any noise... if you don't make any moves... if you remove every indication that you could be a threat.

As for the identity of this forgotten child - the survivor? Her name was Shuri Sol.

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