Nobody who was going to object to John absconding with the First Peak was still alive, it seemed. It was quite possible that any of the remaining island masters were unhappy with his actions, but he had a point to make. That point involved slaying Abritt in the most public way possible, so that the continent didn't forget. Besides, those currently suffering her assault needed repayment.

John sent a few people down to the fleet to inform them about what was happening, but everyone else stayed on the First Peak as they traveled to the northwest. For the first few days he was still wary of how the Sky Islands would react, until he was beyond their boundaries. He might have discussed it with the island masters first, but it was nearly spontaneous.

Normally, that wasn't the sort of thing that should be done where there were major diplomatic consequences. John felt it was justified in this case, because otherwise they would be stuck in the same cycle forever.

The island moved surprisingly easy. Which was to say, John was glad he could make it move at all. The First Peak wasn't exactly huge, but it was far more massive than he could affect with just his energy. However, because it was floating one of the barriers was overcome- he just had to impart momentum to it and overcome air resistance. Except, it also mostly did the latter on its own.

He was glad it actually retained momentum long term, otherwise he would have had to speed it up again every morning. Those who weren't Ascending Soul Phase cultivators would have a much harder time moving it. Renato wasn't as effective as John, being a pure earth cultivator. It was a combined discipline. And the members of the Six Elements Crossroads that were multi element air and earth cultivators were weaker.

They did help, however. John certainly wasn't going to devote every scrap of his spiritual energy to the efforts. He would just arrive at a war zone exhausted, which seemed like a terrible idea. There was theoretically a maximum velocity they could meaningfully maintain, based on the fleet below, but they were not at that point.

John stood at the edge of the island, looking ahead. Astrid sat slightly in front and to the side, her legs dangling off the edge. "This is an amazing view. Set up over Lunson, you could probably see all of Astrein."

"Probably," John said. "But I'm not keeping it."

She looked up at him, confused. "What? Are you just going to… put it back?"

He shook his head. "It probably wouldn't fly in Astrein. Most likely, it would crash down somewhere just across the border of the Green Sands or the Darklands, depending on our route."

"I thought the Sky Islands produced their own air element?"

"Nothing is ever that simple. Elemental resonance is one thing that allows them to maintain their positions, but it's not limitless. Well, I could be entirely wrong. I haven't actually stolen an island before."

"Why not?" Astrid grinned. "Sounds like a good pastime."

"They're heavy," John replied. "I'd get tired."

She crossed her arms. "Sounds like you're not trying hard enough." She looked to John for his reaction. He did his best to look offended, and for a moment her expression faltered.

Then he grinned. "True. I'm lazy at heart."

John didn't really believe that. He'd been quite productive in this world. Partially because he needed to be to survive. Another factor was that people were relying on him. Ultimately, it just felt good. He did make sure to take breaks, though. If he had been going for eight decades at full steam, he would have collapsed long ago. He would have had more disastrous cultivation errors as well- and his first attempt to reach the Ascending Soul Phase likely would have killed him if he even made it that far.

The thing about cultivation was that even when it was hard work, it was generally pleasant. Taming the elements, gaining understanding, and developing a clear sense of growth. Humans wanted progress, and being able to clearly measure cultivation increases was quite good for them- when it didn't grow into an obsession. John imagined that a few individuals who found themselves stuck at bottlenecks might actually do better to just relax than continuing to push forward- but except for his disciples and those outsiders who actually came to him for advice, it wasn't his job to tell everyone how to act.

Astrid swung her legs back and forth. "You know, I'd thought that being closer to the sun would improve my abilities, but I can't really tell a difference. In fact, the elemental balance here is just worse for me." She had learned elemental conversion techniques as part of her plans to integrate with John's style, but she was just a few years in. John was still improving after many decades, and had more motivation.

"I don't think we're measurably closer to the sun," John replied.

"What? We're so high up!"

John looked at her confused. "Just like ten kilometers."

"Isn't that higher than most mountains?"

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"Barely," John said. Actually, he would bet that there were some that were higher in this world, where the spiritual elements were given to extremes. He wondered if it would be water element due to the cold heights, air element for wind, or even earth element for being a mountain itself. In that case, it could be a volcano and include fire. "The distance to the sun should be measured on the order of a hundred million kilometers," John continued his earlier thought. "Our trips from north to south might have changed the distance more than rising up into the air."

"Yeah, I get that," Astrid said. "But there's significantly less stuff between us and the sun now, right?"

"That is true. The atmosphere is much thinner. But I think unless you make a rocket to space, you won't notice any real difference."

"... Rocket?" Astrid tilted her head.

"Oh! Let me tell you about our space travel. When I left Earth no person had landed on anything further than the moon, but by now it might be so much further."

Astrid listened diligently. "Earth sounds like it was pretty amazing, despite individuals being… weaker."

"Cooperation became even more important. Though sometimes we worked to our own detriment, creating weapons that could kill… too many of us." John sighed. "I hope we haven't wiped ourselves out by now."

"What do you mean?" Astrid asked.

So John explained the concept of nuclear weapons and fallout. Plus nuclear winter. "If anyone was alive, that might not last once all the plants died," he concluded. "But hey, we made it something like seventy years without launching any more nuclear strikes after the first ones. So I'm pretty optimistic."

"Hmm. Do you want to go back?"

John thought about that for a while. "I did, at first. But it wasn't realistic. Now, if given the opportunity somehow, I'd like to visit. But the only possibility for a transfer I know is a bit… unlikely to result in success."

"What do you mean?" Astrid began. Before he could answer, she came to the conclusion herself. "Oh. Dying again."

"Yeah," John confirmed. "And I'd rather not. Besides, I might be bound to this world. Or just forget my memories, since it's a special circumstance to retain them. Anyway, it's not like there would be anyone there for me to visit even if I did go."

"Was your family gone?"

"They will be now. Or at best, a few of them will be old and infirm, depending on how medicine has advanced. Seventy or eighty years was a pretty normal lifespan. A hundred was quite extreme, with death expected at nearly any moment."

"I see," Astrid nodded. Then she shifted herself around, bowing down. "I pay my respects to one who is about to perish."

John flicked her forehead. "That was a world without cultivation. I'm only a few decades older than you. I'm not some wrinkled old man." John touched his face. "Or are you attracted to that kind of thing? I could probably let myself wrinkle."

"I would prefer… for things to continue smoothly," Astrid responded seriously. "We should not have to be concerned about age for quite some time, as long as I can reach the Ascending Soul Phase."

-----

Flying an island was only novel for the first week. John was getting pretty tired of it by the time they properly approached land. They'd spotted it the day before, their vantage point extending the horizon to a great distance. It was testament to their speed that they actually reached it.

John sent a message down to the fleet below. He wanted them to infiltrate the southern port, determine if it was under control of the Sky Islands, and gain updated information on Abritt's location. For that purpose, Renato descended to join Ursel. Nobody sensed any Ascending Soul Phase cultivators, but caution was reasonable.

John's disciples were getting excellent practice at flight, especially ascending towards the First Peak. Though… it was actually a little bit lower than it had been. The air element of the Wuthering Steppes should help it pick back up again.

-----

The port shot some sort of cannon at the fleet. Ursel thought it was very rude. They weren't even taking them seriously. She leaped forward, smacking the projectile with her club and sending it back. It was hard to accurately target anything, so she just ended up impacting a random ship that got in the way. There were only a few, and she could see signs of others recently sunk.

Ultimately, she found the forces holding the port rather underwhelming. Then again, the Sky Islands weren't known for possessing a vast population. Even if the quality of their cultivators were high, it was difficult for them to cover a large area. That was why they had previously carved a direct path… and now they were repeating that attempt.

As earth and air cultivators, they had an advantage over the pure air cultivators of the Wuthering Steppes. But Ursel had an advantage over them.

As soon as she reached shore, she went after the strongest defender- just a Consolidated Soul Phase cultivator. She didn't like to bully people, but she also didn't like bullies or traitors. They had broken official treaties now, and she had no intention to be merciful.

A hundred meters out, her chosen target began to lift up into the air rather than face Ursel. That was probably the correct choice on the man's part. He looked like he was going to flee and potentially deliver information to the rest of their forces.

Or at least, that was his intent. Ursel gathered her earth element and tossed her stone club, causing it to swirl end over end as it flew through the air. It was drawn towards the air cultivator, seeking to crush his element. The man called upon all of his spiritual energy to block it, and the club rebounded.

Then he fell out of the air. Flight was an active process, after all. The sudden transition of his spiritual energy away from that meant he was doing nothing. He managed to reflow what remained of his spiritual energy before he hit the ground, but by that point Ursel had hopped her way up the surrounding buildings and leaped to grab him. Even if her hand couldn't reach, her spiritual energy wrapped around him like roots- not the tiny roots from Roots Cracking Boulders, but just solid extensions of her energy.

Earth element negated his ability to fly but he wouldn't have been able to carry Ursel anyway. Not if she didn't let him. She dragged him down into the street and threw him to the ground. Her heavy boot stomped on his chest- just enough to make him pay attention. Maybe crack a few ribs.

"Where's Abritt? Not hiding, is she?"

The man was quite willing to give up her location. Ursel wondered if that meant she had to let him live. Probably, for the moment. Chances were he would be executed later, but for the moment he would be bound with energy restricting bands. They weren't perfect, but if he was watched properly he wouldn't be able to do anything.

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