Chương 54: LIII

"It's good that you've returned." Qianye Fantian glanced at Rokas, his lips curling into a slight smile. "Losing you would've been detrimental beyond words, Long Ke. It would have been a greater loss than any sons of mine. After all, even put together, they do not hold a candle to the inferno that is your potential."

"I want to train in the ways of combat." Rokas got straight to the point, his golden eyes blazing with flames of deep desire, will and determination. "I wish to polish my skills to the extent that there is no warrior better than me in this entire universe. I'm quite a ways away… but I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

"A warrior?" The Brahma Heaven God Emperor raised an eyebrow. "Well, you must first make the most of your potential and reach a fitting level of profound strength. Without that… well, what good is skill when you cannot even react to your opponent? When a single blow of his shatters your arm?"

"I wouldn't be asking for this without a reason." Rokas replied, tilting his head slightly. "Anyone can sit back and jerk off all day, meditating for years on end. There's plenty of time for that in the future… but now… this is what I need most. I need to become the perfect warrior. You offered to teach me, you offered 'skillful sparring partners at every level'... if I wanted to hear 'why don't you take a breather?', I wouldn't have come back here at all."

"..."

Qianye Fantian exchanged looks with Qianye Ying'er, nodding.

"How could I deny my direct disciple's passion to grow as a warrior? The Brahma Monarch God Realm was the most warlike of all the god clans under Mo E. It is in our very blood to fight, trample and conquer our enemies."

Qianye Fantian turned to Rokas. Even without releasing any profound strength, his presence struck fear into people's hearts and souls. One would feel the need to bend to such towering might. Rokas' steely gaze did not move an inch.

"My word is as good as gold. If mastering the way of war is what you desire, then I shall do my utmost to guide you to that end."

"Let's begin, then." Rokas replied rather simply, nodding. "I want to start right away."

"... Eager, are you? So be it." Qianye Fantian chuckled. "First, your current abilities must be properly assessed for strengths and weaknesses. There is no better way to do that than continuously sparring opponents of your level… or those slightly higher. Follow me."

After Qianye Ying'er received a transmission, she left in a trail of golden light.

The walk led to a massive secret realm which had a colossal arena of sorts in its very center, clearly a stage meant for battle. It was technically under the Brahma Heaven City and yet its ceiling perfectly replicated the skies several floors above… except it was night. A deep fog penetrated the entire secret realm. Outside of the arena, there was a seemingly endless field of grass with dried blood all over it.

"This was just one of the secret realms members of the Brahma Heaven God Clan used to hone their skills. If you focus hard enough, you may even hear the clashing of their weapons and the raging fury in their cries."

"It's empty of all life." Rokas remarked, unable to sense anything other than Qianye Fantian. "What is there to fight?"

"Let's start off light… enter the arena and await your first challenge."

Rokas flew up and descended, landing at the very center of the arena. After that, he saw Qianye Fantian playing around with arrays. As Rokas blinked, a 'hologram' of a disciple in white-gold robes appeared. His profound strength was at the very peak of the Divine Spirit Realm.

"That's my first challenge?" Rokas questioned, turning to Qianye Fantian.

"... Yes?" Qianye Fantian nodded. "In this arena, it is only your soul that is participating. Do not be afraid to push yourself… for your physical body will not be harmed."

The disciple swung his sword right for Rokas' head… but the sword bent the moment it came into contact with him. Rokas then turned to the disciple and slapped his head off.

"Fair enough." Qianye Fantian nodded in approval. "You are no ordinary Divine Spirit…"

Then came a first stage Divine King.

Rokas kicked right through his chest.

Then a second stage Divine King.

Rokas beat him to death.

Then a third stage Divine King…

Rokas burnt him to nothing.

Finally, when it got to the sixth stage, Rokas had to draw his Heavenly Demon Saber and actually try to some extent. Even then, he emerged with only light wounds. Against a seventh stage Divine King, he was pushed to use his Elemental Trinity God Art… mixing water, fire, lightning and poison with each of his blows. Through his sheer amount of profound energy and endurance, he emerged victorious.

"You truly are an extraordinary specimen." Qianye Fantian remarked, looking down like a proud father. "It's time to truly push your limits."

Seven fighters of the eighth level of the Divine King Realm appeared, all using different weapons ranging from swords to maces to bows. Instantly, Rokas pushed his berserk element to its half-sustainable limit. They pushed from different angles, trapping him in the center.

'Sword Spirit Clone.'

Rokas created five perfect clones through the Heavenly Demon Saber's sword intent, sending one for each combatant… leaving two for himself. All of the clones used Star God's Broken Shadow at once, creating seven afterimages each. It was safe to say the combatants were baffled.

Using this moment, Rokas let out all of his profound energy and condensed it into his blade using the Elemental Trinity God Art… over and over again. Its dense, almost boundless, aura caused the blade to shake with thunderous might. It was waiting to explode at the slightest touch. The challengers noticed this, ignoring the clones and charging right for him.

Rokas used the Star God's Broken Shadow himself, confusing them.

He split his mind in two, one intent on charging up his attack while the other on perfectly evading his opposition.

In the end, he succeeded and used his supremely charged blade to cut through everything with ease.

He looked up at the Brahma Heaven God Emperor.

[System: Are you not entertained?]

'He seems to be.' Rokas raised his Heavenly Demon Saber, observing its state. "Looks like you're on the brink of shattering."

"Hmph… the mightiest sword to ever exist, on the brink of shattering?" The Heavenly Demon Saber scoffed. "I merely hunger for blood… real blood. These fake spirits are a waste of my heavenly blade."

"I'll get you a treat."

Qianye Fantian was truly amazed, his eyes shining at the brilliance of Rokas' aura as it slowly dispersed.

"This is the power that created the Gundams. The sheer vastness of your profound energy came as a result of you feasting on so many resources… instead of turning into profound strength, it became your foundation of boundless profound energy. Though not too transcendent of an ability on its own, you have the ability to condense it countless times over - rivaling power that someone else of your profound strength could not dream of."

"Your control of profound energy… It's extraordinary, quite unlike anything that I've ever seen. Your control of the elements… is worthy of the Heretic God's successor. The profound arts in your possession are of the highest calibre and how you utilise them is almost perfect. You have a supremely high aptitude for battle, making the correct read and counter almost every time."

"Dare I say… you do not need any training at all. However, you came here to improve and I do not intend to disappoint you. Even you, Long Ke, are not perfect and have another level to reach."

Rokas nodded. "That's why I came here."

"You have the ability to turn into a dragon and even shapeshift willingly to a certain degree, correct?" Qianye Fantian questioned.

"Yes."

"Use that to your advantage. Form scales to defend yourself, shape yourself to avoid blows. Wings, arms, legs… use this ability as much as you can. Make shapeshifting a part of your fighting style, run wild with creativity. Not only will you be immensely unpredictable but it will also give you a definitive edge that may very well make you invincible in battle."

"Secondly… your sword intent is slightly lacking. Though your control of profound energy is the finest I've ever seen, your ability to wield your weapon certainly has room for improvement. It seems that you haven't been using this weapon for that long of a time. Am I correct?"

"Yes…" Rokas nodded.

"Added onto that… you need not restrict yourself to a single weapon. If you can shapeshift, why not master using multiple weapons at once? It will not be easy but you aim to be the most perfect warrior to ever live… if you want to truly reach that goal, you will have to be capable of feats that no one else is."

"You also have the ability to create… use it. Master the ability to do multiple actions at once." Qianye Fantian chuckled. "Heh, despite already being so formidable, you can reach a whole different realm of combat prowess. If you truly perfect your craft, you will be capable of trampling the entire Universe before you even reach the Divine Master Realm."

"Thank you for your guidance." Rokas nodded. "You are right on all of your points… though, you haven't quite yet witnessed me trying my hardest and utilising everything at my disposal."

"So, that was not enough? Very well."

Qianye Fantian upped the challenge further.

For a month straight, damn near 24/7, Rokas dedicated himself solely to improving as a fighter in many aspects. His determination was unlike anything the Brahma Heaven God Emperor had ever seen… even in the Brahma Monarch God Realm which was full of crazies. Not only did he use his spirit, he also pushed his physical body against real disciples to its breaking point. Each time it took mortal wounds, his body seemed to adapt and grow even sturdier.

His profound energy reserves… every time they grew to a substantial amount, he created resources and munched on them, furthering their maximum capacity further. His experience with various weapons improved greatly through constant training, both physically and mentally. He learned the concept known as 'Sensation' and reached a high level within a short period of time. He integrated shape-shifting into his fighting style alongside creation… abusing his relatively new ability to split his mind.

His constant battling earned him a swift breakthrough, straight into the seventh level of the Divine King Realm and inching ever closer to the eighth. Even his Sigma Male Grindset evolved through his state of mind, rising to A.

"You're forgetting a crucial duty, Long Ke." Qianye Ying'er remarked as Rokas ended a sparring session with the Brahma Heaven God Emperor.

"That being?"

"I shouldn't have to tell you."

"Yeah, I'm a psychic and know exactly what you're thinking." Rokas spoke with a sarcastic tone, rolling his eyes. "Let me guess, you're horny?"

"That's not the most eloquent way of putting it… I'd prefer something along the lines of me being nostalgic of our past affection."

"Right." Rokas chuckled. "The one where you tied me down and got everything you wanted?"

"The one where you knew what you wanted and even sought it out."

"You know what I want you to do now?" Rokas questioned, grinning slightly.

"What?" Qianye Ying'er answered, taking off her mask.

"Shut the fuck up and give me some peace of mind." Rokas' face immediately fell.

"Wow…" Qianye Ying'er chuckled. "All I ever do is treat you well and I get such harsh treatment as a reward. You're truly an awful person."

"Suck my dick, pompous bitch."

"Is that an invitation?" Her lips curled into a seductive smile.

"... Hell no." Rokas chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm not falling for that."

"Regardless, you should let loose for a while. Building up all that anger and frustration isn't healthy for you long term. Even though you might fight with more aggression… you're only venting on others, in the end. The number of people you've gravely injured isn't small."

"Since when did you start to care about the wellbeing of others?" Rokas questioned, raising an eyebrow. "As far as I know, you've only really cared about yourself. Besides, that's how I fight. The berserk attribute of mine isn't exactly gentle-"

"I care about you."

Those words struck harder than they should have.

"..."

Rokas didn't know how to reply to that, simply turning away.

"Are you shying away from me?" Qianye Ying'er smiled, tilting his head to face her. "As future husband and wife, we should learn to share our burdens. Shouldn't we?"

She pressed her lips against his, although she did not hold it for long. It was a light kiss. Rokas' face was rather expressionless… almost to the point of being slightly disgusted.

"If it's the scarlet brat you want, I could very easily present her to you… chained in an ornate box. If it's the Star God Realm's destruction you want, I will turn it upside down for you. If you want to do it yourself and be the little princess' hero… we can invade the Eternal Heaven Realm and attain their precious Pearl. You wouldn't need more than a year to reach insurmountable heights and do whatever you like."

Rokas turned away.

"Do you want to feed me, too? Maybe even cultivate for me… why should I even bother with anything in this life of mine?"

"I've already cultivated for you." Qianye Ying'er remarked, shrugging her shoulders. "Don't you recall how you reached the Divine Spirit Realm? It was all me."

"Hmph… since you're so powerful thanks to my divine seed, you should just sort all my problems and let me chill at the beach for the rest of my life. What's the point of me even working towards anything?"

"Well… can't blame a goddess for trying to support her companion-"

"I'm not some cripple that needs his hand held through life… I'm a grown man and I can handle my own problems." Rokas spoke with a tone of determination, turning back to face her. "I'm not the same Long Ke that left you. I'm not running away from anything and taking the easy way out. I… intend to change the World. And it's going to change through my way, not yours."

"Also… you can speak of 'sharing our burdens' when we're married, Ying'er."

"I only thought it might be reasonable to sort the issues that I may or may not have caused… but your stubborn pride as a 'man' seems to be in the way." Qianye Ying'er remarked.

"That's because you can't do anything right." Rokas replied with a harsh tone. "I can't rely on you at all. It's better that you sit back and do nothing. Even in the Star God Realm, you couldn't help yourself but further disgust Jasmine. If I let you 'sort' any problems for me, you'd just somehow manage to create more."

"... Her reaction was quite strange, I think. As a master, why should she be concerned with who you're sleeping with? Unless she, herself, has designs on you. As a master, that would be rather… naughty of her. I wouldn't expect it." Qianye Ying'er grinned slightly. "But… I could see it. She is still a growing girl and you have a certain charm to you."

"Honestly, you're like a black hole of drama, you draw in more wherever you go." Rokas sighed. "I mean, you have enemies practically everywhere. Have you ever done a genuine, kind, deed that made anyone appreciate you? Other… than deeds related to lust. That may as well be a rhetorical question because I know the answer is one-hundred percent no."

"And why would I bother with that?" Qianye Ying'er scoffed. "What would I gain from being kind to others?"

"Being kind and considerate isn't ever about gain. It's about giving." Rokas replied, shaking his head. "Though, through giving, you can gain things you wouldn't otherwise. It's no wonder why you're alone."

"... Alone?" Qianye Ying'er chuckled. "You think I'm alone?"

"Yes… by my definition, you are." Rokas nodded, his golden eyes dulling slightly. 'When the one thing you love is a father who orchestrated your beloved mother's death all with the intent of turning you into the perfect tool… you're alone.'

"Well… if you recognise it as an issue and you're so very kind, why did you leave me 'alone' for so long? Doesn't that make you a truly awful person?" Qianye Ying'er spoke with a sarcastic tone. "Hm, Long Ke? Why don't you remedy my poor, lonely, heart with your warmth?"

"You don't deserve it."

"..." Qianye Ying'er paused for a moment, looking into his eyes. "I don't think I've ever heard a man say I don't deserve him."

"It's nothing to do with beauty or talent. You're perfect in both." Rokas replied with a calm, almost chilling tone. "However, if you truly want to one day call yourself my wife, you'll have to change how you think and act. Because… believe it or not, my life does not revolve around you. In the future, either you'll follow me or we'll split paths. That is the truth of the matter."

Rokas turned away from her.

"In essence, I'm done with your bullshit. Do what you will with that information."

"..."

Qianye Ying'er felt quite conflicted. A part of her was irritated that Rokas didn't bend to her will quite so easily, that he denied her advances and even ignored her to an extent. He was even more rebellious than before. The other half just wanted him all the more because of this. This new Rokas seemed to have a burning sense of sheer will, a profound sense of clarity, peerless confidence and his presence naturally carried divine authority behind it.

Controlling him… seemed almost impossible.

He was his own dragon and she couldn't do anything but acknowledge that.

"Come out, Long Ke… we have a visitor from the Dragon God Realm."

Qianye Fantian called out to Rokas who was fighting ten disciples around his battle power at once. His instincts in regards to both attacking and defending had been sharpened to an extreme extent, making him think less and act more. He hardly had to think anymore… he just acted the best way possible most of the time. His fighting style was beyond unique as he abused shapeshifting, his Essence of Creation and his endless oceans of profound energy (and almost perfect control).

Only when he had beaten down all ten of them did he glance at Qianye Fantian.

"The Dragon God Realm, you said?" Rokas raised an eyebrow.

"The Dragon Monarch, Long Bai, wishes to see you."

"... Eh?" Rokas put away his blade. "I suppose it would be rude to keep him waiting."

He followed Qianye Fantian outside, where Long Bai floated in the skies with his hands behind his back. Though, when he saw the supremely divine draconic aura around Rokas, he slowly floated down to meet him on the ground. His eyes practically lit up the more of it he sensed.

'What's this man doing here?'

"It's truly an honour to finally make your acquaintance, Long Ke."