Greater familiarity with the Sky Islands allowed a faster route to reach the peaks. There was no trick to it, it was just faster to sail than to walk across the islands one at a time. Instead of ascending to the first island along the way, they went straight towards the area around the peaks.

John liked flying under his own power. It was liberating, and reminded him of just how far he was from his life on Earth. He always knew, of course. He'd spent so much more time in this world, even at just the Ascending Soul Phase. But early memories carried a lot of weight, and John didn't want that to change. The perspective they offered was useful, reminding him not to get too wrapped up in himself.

If there were two worlds, John imagined they were more. He might never see any of them, not as the same person he was now, but it was inspiring to know there was more. It made him want the best future for what he was already aware of, if that made sense. Or even if it didn't.

Carrying more people while flying had gotten easier. That was expected, of course. He was both more proficient with the technique as well as overall more powerful- by a number of ranks. John also had more disciples that could fulfill the role of carrying others, with the Six Elements Crossroads always growing in power, but for people like Lucanus and Yustina he preferred to do it himself. His friends deserved at least that much.

After a brief rest on the island beneath the fifth peak, John and the rest continued further. The connections to the peaks provided less aid with flying than those between the islands, but the distance was far less than coming from the surface of the ocean so it was rather easy, even as the atmosphere thinned.

They were expected, of course. The master of the Fifth Peak- Alcmene- came to greet John. She had previously been one of Sitora's disciples on the Second Peak. Now she had reached the Ascending Soul Phase and taken up a leadership position.

Though there were still different peaks with competition between them, the Sky Islands were more unified than they had once been. Abritt had promoted a form of competition that John didn't think was healthy- either for individuals or the region as a whole. Without her and her minions, things were basically controlled by Sitora. However, she was the sort to listen to input from others, and while there was still technically competition for positions of peak master, disciples moved more freely between the peaks.

They also had greater connections to the rest of the islands, instead of seeing them as beneath them. They literally were by both by elevation and cultivation, but they were treated more like part of the same greater entity.

With each peak they passed, John gathered the peak masters- they needed to be involved in the discussions as well. Mirca came from the Fourth Peak, Venera from the Third Peak, and finally Sitora on the Second Peak. The top, now.

The Sky Islands continued to be run by female cultivators, but it was not as a rule. It was possible there was something about their cultivation techniques or certain pieces of favoritism in training, but ultimately nobody could complain too much about the state of things. Not legitimately, anyway. Obviously some would be jealous no matter what. John had heard many complaints about himself from people who thought he wouldn't be listening. They were lucky he wasn't the petty sort. There was still plenty he could do within the bounds of the current laws, if he wanted to make them regret it.

But if he was that kind of person, he might deserve their derision.

The time to ascend the peaks wasn't long, if one did not have to undergo the trials. They had official business, but even if they didn't John himself had already proven his ability to ascend the peaks long before.

Sitora wasn't looking much better than she had before. Heavy injuries could be difficult for a cultivator to recover from- they could survive more, and thus the damage could be even worse than what normal humans might experience. Being older made things more difficult, though it was all about relative lifespan remaining. John had progressed fast enough to keep his youth. Perhaps Sitora had kept hers for a time, but she eventually approached her limits within the Ascending Soul Phase.

She did put on a strong front, even if John knew she was weaker beneath the surface. And even a weakened Ascending Soul Phase cultivator wasn't incapable of action.

Soon enough the topic of discussion arrived at their main point- the Molten Sea, and Sitora's knowledge of it. She had been rivals with Gesine, after all.

She nodded slowly. "Much of what I know is outdated by a century and a half. However, I can provide an overall view of some of the deeper regions and what sects once stood. Gesine worked with the Flowing Flames as well as the Crimson Temple. All of these were under the banner of the True Sea…" Sitora shook her head. "Not everyone has a good head for names, as you well know. Regardless, Gesine was not the most prominent individual among them. They matched the Sky Islands quite well long in the past. Unless they've had a particularly poor time recently, one should expect forces at least equivalent to the Island Masters. Or what we were previously, with Abritt."

"Do you think they will be a threat to us?" Yustina asked.

"They might," Sitora said. "However, given that there has not been any more trouble from them in the past few decades, it would likely be for an entirely new reason instead of retribution."

John didn't think it could reasonably be called retribution when the attackers lost people were lost during an invasion, but of course others had different opinions on such things. Cultivators tended to be individualistic, or at most tied to their particular groups. The unified continent was rather unusual in that regard, though a good portion of it was out of necessity. It also helped that many of the strongest individuals from around the continent happened to be actual friends.

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"If you wish," Sitora continued, "I could go over some of the minutiae I remember from the past. However, I imagine it has changed significantly. A scouting mission would be much more accurate and appropriate. It would be necessary to learn about the conflicts in question regardless. During my lifespan, news hasn't made it all the way here about the Molten Sea and others beyond them in conflict. It might be a grand event… or perhaps it is only due to the recent emphasis on communication."

Deirdre thought for a moment. "Regardless of the reason we have heard the news, we must consider a wider area than we would have previously. Trouble from afar has been happening all too frequently as of late. We still have little contact with the southern and northern seas. If we could increase peaceful contact to the east, it would be best for us."

"Quite true," Yustina agreed.

John thought so as well.

Venera looked to Sitora. "Would the Molten Sea react poorly to people from the Sky Islands? Or were the conflicts limited in scope to personal business?"

"Those with long memories certainly still would find any intrusion by the Sky Islands as a threat," Sitora explained. "Even if they would have more trouble reaching us now, they still would cause trouble for our alliance as a whole. Though on occasion, they did circumnavigate the edge of the continent, around the Gloom Desolation."

"Did they travel by sea?" John asked.

"Of course. They are half water cultivators, after all. And yes, they were quite capable of being a threat to us. Even from the seas below, their stronger cultivators threatened the very islands themselves."

John considered attacks launched over ten kilometers- upward. "How powerful were they?"

Sitora shook her head. "Nothing you should be overly worried about. As long as they don't somehow have Exalted Soul Phase cultivators, of course. But with time, unless we descended to battle them, they could boil a small portion of the seas and create massive geysers that would strike our islands, damaging the base that supports everything. Some of what floats in the Crystal Sea was once part of our islands- though some comes from the same origin as what made our islands, in the depths."

John nodded. "I suppose it is not that unreasonable. We haven't had much reason to advance our siege techniques, but we could doubtless manage something like that."

"It would take less power than what you did with the First Peak," Sitora commented.

"Ah…" John really didn't know how to respond to that.

She smiled slightly. "Do not worry. I still stand by my opinion that it was justified. There is a reason we have not renamed our peaks, or tried to elevate another. It is a good reminder for those who succeed us that the world is not immutable. We can be cast down by our own arrogance."

John hoped he never had to learn that lesson the hard way. He quite liked what had been done with Lunson, and there were quite a lot of nice structures that the Six Elements Crossroads had put up.

He was doing his best not to have enemies, though in some ways that had been what allowed Abritt's threat to escalate the way it did. He supposed it was possible to be on both sides of the equation. He could topple the arrogant and thereafter be toppled himself. He tried to be aware of such things, but the problem was that he knew he was strong. He also couldn't help but get involved in major events.

That would ultimately drag the continent into things, but they really couldn't afford to ignore conflicts near them regardless. Trouble rarely ever stopped at convenient borders.

"So, who's scouting?" Lucanus asked. It was such a Steve thing to go straight into the practical and straightforward part.

"That might be something you best decide with those on the ground," Sitora said. She clearly specifically avoided calling them continentals. The Sky Islands were part of them just as much as the Shimmering Islands- if slightly less surrounded. "We in the sky wouldn't refuse to be part of an expedition, but we've already spoken why it may be unwise."

"I think it should include me and Yustina," Lucanus declared. "We'll do well on the Molten Sea. Maybe we should find some water cultivators too."

"If we brought Tirto and Verusha it could turn into a family trip," Yustina grinned.

John did like the idea, but he had to add more. "We'll definitely want to include cultivators from other regions. The Boiling Springs might wish to get involved. The Glass Hills… would be in as much elemental conflict as the Sky Islands. Though that might be valuable for them. We will of course also want to coordinate with the Burning Delta."

Ignoring their only real allies in the region would be foolish.

Ultimately, they couldn't make any firm decisions atop the Sky Islands. They needed to consult others.

John looked down at the lower islands and the sea far below. Even with their current height, the continent was beyond sight. It would be convenient to have faster flying that didn't tire people out. The Sky Islands weren't as connected as they might like to be… and flying elsewhere could also bring the continent together.

Sufficiently large beasts weren't easy to tame. Enchanting flying ships might be possible. Airplanes might work, but John didn't have any knowledge of how. Blimps… well, they would be both easier to make and easier to destroy. Hot air balloons wouldn't be fast, but they would be cheap and functional. There weren't many fire cultivators around the southern end of the continent, but something could be figured out. Air cultivators were the actual necessary part for not just drifting along with the winds.

Astrid poked John in the side. "You were thinking of something unrelated to the conversation aren't you?"

John shrugged. "Did I miss anything important?"

"Not really. So?"

"Hot air balloons," John said. "They're so simple even I could probably make one." They wouldn't be fast, but John was looking forward to more progress that wasn't just people with more personal power. He should have thought of it earlier. Then again, neither Steve nor Deirdre had either. Though the former probably didn't even try.

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