Immediately, Xia Qingyue pulled out her Ice Phoenix Snowflower Ribbon. A genuine high-grade Sky Profound Realm weapon… and the only one in the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace's possession. Clearly, they were going all-in for the top spot.
Meanwhile, Cang Yue drew her Earth Profound Realm sword and dashed forwards, taking the initiative. Once again, Xia Qingyue lifted her hand and unleashed the Frozen Cloud Art's terrifying sealing skill. However, Cang Yue was no Ling Yun…
"Seven Star Arranging Moon."
She muttered under her breath, slicing through Xia Qingyue's ice with ease and bridging the gap between them. Within a single moment, she was only a sword swing away.
CLANG.
As Cang Yue aimed to slash Xia Qingyue… her sword was briefly stopped by an ice wall.
Crack.
However… she quickly cut through it, advancing towards Xia Qingyue.
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
The more ice Xia Qingyue called upon to defend her, the more Cang Yue cut through. She was constantly on the defensive… until, Cang Yue finally got the best of her, slashing through the girl's veil. She had intended to aim for the shoulder but, alas, missed.
Once that happened, Xia Qingyue took off her ruined veil and dropped it to the ground… revealing all of her beauty. Her eyes were indescribably beautiful, their pupils shining with endless magnificence. Her tender lips, which were a lovely and sweet pink, seemed so perfect that the Ancestral Goddess herself had to have drawn them up herself. Added to that, the perfect arcs of her waist, buttocks and chest were simply heavenly. She radiated an incomparably soul-shaking charm that, paired alongside her beauty, simply made all else pale in comparison.
…
Xia Qingyue's reveal led to all of the horny young masters internally screeching 'I want her, I need her'. Who could blame them? However, they were fools to believe that they could reach her.
[System: You good, ma boy?]
'I'm… good.' Rokas took a deep breath, trying to calm the desire in his heart. 'Now everything makes sense. If seventeen-year-old Xia Qingyue is like this… man, I'll need to cop that Frozen Heart Arts myself. Otherwise, someone like Qianye Ying'er would make me look like a stumbling fool.'
[System: It's good to know one's weakness and work on it, I suppose.]
…
"Forgive me, I did not intend to cut your veil." Cang Yue sighed. "I know how important hiding your appearance is as a disciple of the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace…"
Xia Qingyue's eyes narrowed on Cang Yue. "It seems… that I have no choice."
"...?"
"Frozen… Cloud… Domain."
Within a split second, it seemed as if the entire world had switched over. The air in the three hundred metres that surrounded Xia Qingyue turned into a sheet of ice within a flash. Ice and frost filled the sky, raining down onto the stage. Even the air solidified into pure crystals… forming a sheet of pure white that only continued to grow.
"A domain? Impossible… that is a throne's power!"
Every spectator seemed to lose their shit… and rightfully so. Xia Qingyue's Nine Profound Exquisite Body was so hax it wasn't even funny. No matter her cultivation, she is able to cultivate any Profound Art to ANY level. Even the usually expressionless Ling Kun reacted with surprise!
Rokas suddenly sat up, focusing on the fight.
'Cang Yue… you got this.'
Although he thought that, he wasn't so sure anymore…
Meanwhile, Cang Yue's legs were almost frozen away but she jumped up into the air. Even up there, however, she was not safe. While she floated mid-air for a split second, Xia Qingyue caught her lacking and aimed a wave of ice directly towards her from underneath.
"Seven Star Arranging Moon."
Once again, Cang Yue unleashed her sword skill, cutting through all of the ice in her vicinity. From the moment she landed on the ground, she dashed toward Xia Qingyue. The Frozen Cloud Domain had greatly suppressed her speed, however, as the ice-cold air started to take effect. Given that, Xia Qingyue was able to dance around Cang Yue and avoid her while dishing out waves of ice to further wound the princess.
The gap of their profound strength had been completely bridged… if anything, Xia Qingyue was seemingly going to win due to her trump card!
They kept at it for minutes, although Xia Qingyue kept gaining a bigger edge with time. After a hundred exchanges, this much was becoming ever so clear…
"To think that the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace has such a monster…"
Rokas heard someone sitting right next to him state.
'Shut your bitchass up.' Rokas frowned, closing his eyes as he sent a profound sound transmission to Cang Yue. "Don't be afraid to go all out… I'll bear all of the responsibilities."
Cang Yue suddenly stopped, glancing at Rokas for a moment. Then she closed her eyes for a second… and purple flames explosively ignited from her body, torching all of the ice around her.
"Burning Heaven Flame, Pyretic Hell."
Xia Qingyue's eyes widened. "That is…"
"The Burning Heaven Secret Arts!" Fen Moli exclaimed, leading to quite a few spectators glancing at Rokas.
"Seafaring… Flame Dragon!"
Before Xia QIngyue acted, Cang Yue sprang into action, lighting her entire sword on fire. With a twisted swing, she unleashed a solid thick dragon-shaped flame that flew towards Xia Qinguye. Given the domain's freezing effects… this flame had been half-burned out by the time it even reached Xia Qingyue. Using a wall of ice, she managed to escape the flames completely.
However, this distraction brought time for Cang Yue to flash closer to Xia Qingyue.
"Field… Burning… Slash!"
CRACK… BOOM!
Cang Yue completely shattered Xia Qingyue's defences… and then, just as she was within sword's reach, unleashed one last burst of fire.
"Blazing… Sun… Slash!"
BOOOM.
The Frozen Cloud Domain suddenly broke apart.
As the dust settled, Cang Yue stood over Xia Qingyue with her sword pointing to her neck. Wounded, burned and thoroughly exhausted… Xia Qingyue lowered her head and admitted defeat.
"I concede."
"... I… won." Cang Yue looked up and managed a sweet smile as her eyes met Rokas'. Then, the grip on her sword weakened… and she lost consciousness, falling to the ground ever so slowly.
Rokas was like a flash of scarlet lightning, blitzing everything as he caught Cang Yue before she collapsed. Lifting her up, he proceeded to princess carry her in between his arms.
"This Blue Wind Ranking Tournament's champion has been decided! Blue Wind Imperial Family's Blue Moon Princess, Cang Yue, is the victor!" Ling Wugou declared.
The impossible had happened! The Blue Wind Imperial Family not only cracked three hundred, not one hundred, not top ten… but number one!
"That's my Cang Yue…" Rokas kissed her on the forehead with a deep feeling of pride and love. Xia Qingyue raised herself, observing the couple for a moment. The Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace had placed all of their hopes on her victory… indeed, she had defeated all of the top-four sects' finest disciples who stood in her way, including the genius Ling Yun. However, in the end… she lost to the Blue Moon Princess.
Someone who had never even been expected to participate…
Why was that? Well, it was all because of the man carrying her.
"That Frozen Cloud Domain sure did pack a punch," Rokas remarked, turning away from her. "I started getting a little worried…"
"The tournament's winner has been decided. So about your proposition…" Xia Qingyue spoke with a still voice.
"Later."
Rokas ascended, floating in the direction of the Burning Heaven Clan's participants. His gaze met Fen Moli's as he looked down on the Great Elder.
"You don't mind Cang Yue using your Burning Heaven Secret Arts, do you?"
"..." Fen Moli froze up as drops of sweat fell from his forehead. Although Rokas wasn't naturally intimidating, the power behind his words was as oppressive as mountains. Fen Moli saw it once again… flashes of the slapping god. One by one, elders collapsing within a single shot…
The Burning Heaven Secret Arts were the core of the Burning Heaven Clan. Centuries of improvement had gone into it and someone outside of the Burning Heaven Clan would absolutely not be allowed to learn it… but 'Long Ke' was a whole different beast.
"No…" Fen Moli nervously laughed. "If anything, the Burning Heaven Clan is glad that it was our Burning Heaven Secret Arts that won this time's Blue Wind Ranking Tournament!"
Rokas' eyes narrowed, their golden light burning slightly brighter. "Won?"
"... Contributed to the victory." Fen Moli corrected his words, suddenly feeling all the more terrified.
"Don't get ahead of yourself."
Rokas disappeared in a trail of blue light, flying over to his courtyard. He walked to Cang Yue's room and opened the door using his profound energy, placing her on the bed shortly after. Seeing as she was still cold from the Frozen Cloud Domain, he used his Phoenix flames to balance out her temperature.
Then… he comfortably tucked her under the sheets.
'Today… you defeated Heaven's daughter.'
He contemplated returning to his own room to vibe… but, instead, he decided to sit down beside her on a chair and calmly meditate.
"That Xia Qingyue… how amusing." Jasmine suddenly woke, appearing to the side of the room. "Did you know? She was Yun Che's wife… the person that you first ate."
"What…? No way." Rokas acted surprised, although he wasn't the best actor. "She is way too good for him, though. I mean, she can use domains at the Earth Profound Realm… that's unheard of."
"... Hmm, I suppose I did not explain her special body to you. She has the Nine Profound Exquisite Body, a body that allowers her to cultivate any profound art to any level. This is partly due to the Inner World that it gives, which allows one to hold more power than their physical body can handle. Her Inner World, however… is vastly inferior to yours."
"Sadly, you don't have her comprehension abilities." Jasmine shrugged, looking down at him slightly. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be using the Star Mortal's Broken Shadow…"
"Shut up, I'll learn the damn Star God's Broken Shadow soon enough," Rokas replied, shaking his head. "It'll take a year at the most."
"... I'll give you some merit, your capabilities have been growing at a rapid rate. Perhaps, the Star God's Broken Shadow isn't beyond you anymore…"
"Maybe not." Rokas nodded.
"Regarding Xia Qingyue, one with her physique would only be born once within ten thousand years. Well, that would be true… if she did not have an even rare body constitution. She also happens to possess the Heart of Snow Glazed Glass, which gives a special type of mind. With it, she can sense danger, both good and evil… effectively seeing into the heart of all living things…"
'She's dropping the whole wiki on me…'
"Even in a million years, such a constitution might not appear. For a single person to be born with both… it is nothing short of a divine miracle."
"I see… I see." Rokas nodded several times, smiling slightly. "That means that I must attain her no matter what, right?"
"... Hmph!" Jasmine turned away, shaking her head. "Being the perverted fiend that you are… hearing something like that isn't surprising at all."
"I was only joking, you know. I like my women hot."
"..."
'But I do need that high confidant rank, at the very least… I'm really not trying to live my life on F- luck.'
~
One day later, Cang Yue woke to see Rokas sleeping against her bed. She smiled, standing up from her bed and kneeling beside him. Her fingers softly traced his medium-lengthed black hair…
"I would not have minded sharing the same bed…"
She spoke under her breath, watching him resting peacefully. Then, she stood up and observed that there was something new on her table. A decently decorated piece of paper with words (he tried) written in not-so-fancy handwriting.
"Once, a young man thought that he'd never know love,"
"Too timid to approach those he liked, his courage would fade,"
"Until… he met her, a charming princess of blue jade."
"Her beauty took his eyes,"
"Her elegance took his admiration,"
"Her sweet smile took his heart and soul."
"Thereafter, her goals became his own,"
"He gave her his all,"
"And so, her dreams turned true."
"Past the endless tribulations, in the blossoming of sweet love,"
"He finally found his courage,"
"To say the wonderful words that he could not before,"
"I love you."
"~To my dearest Blue Moon Princess, Cang Yue…"
Cang Yue held the paper close to her heart with a smile as she turned to Rokas. He had slowly opened his eyes, being alerted to her reading.
"I never thought you were a poet…"
"I… have written a few things in my time." Rokas stood up, scratching his hair as he glanced away slightly. "Well, what do you think? Is it any good? I… did try on the whole art part but my drawing is simply terrible. As you can see-"
"To me… it is the sweetest piece in the world."
Rokas' eyes widened slightly as he genuinely smiled. "Well… then. That's all that matters."
~
A few days later, the Heaven Basin Secret Realm was prepared for opening. The participants from all top ten sects alongside their elders gathered, feeling rather excited about the whole thing. The Heaven Basin Secret Realm contained an innumerable amount of resources and treasures… if anyone was lucky, they could find a heaven-defying treasure that could change the outlook of their sect for decades to come! Naturally, this was not an opportunity to be wasted. However, there was a downside… while there were treasures, there were just as many dangers!
Rokas had his eyes on two things; the Emperor Awakening Heart Lotus and Evil God's water seed. No matter what… he decided that he would attain these things! Otherwise, he'd have to wait three more years and, well, ain't nobody got time for that.
As Rokas and Cang Yue were taking turns feeding each other grapes, Ling Yun glanced at them and then at Xia Qingyue. This feeling in his heart… he couldn't let it go. He took a deep breath, mustering the courage to approach Xia Qingyue.
"Regarding the exploration of the Heaven Basin Secret Realm, Fairy Xia, would you accompany me? It would surely be an enlightening experience…-"
Xia Qingyue blankly looked at him for only a split moment before swiftly turning to Rokas. She elegantly walked towards him, completely blanking Ling Yun as if he never existed.
"This…" Ling Yun turned and watched in hopelessness as Xia Qingyue approached Rokas herself.
"Long Ke… I wish to ask for it again."
Cang Yue suddenly stopped, raising an eyebrow. "Ask for what again?"
[System: Dat large long and girthy dragon rod, duh.]
'... I am lost for words, System. Did my horniness reflect onto you?'
[System: Did it?]
"'Possibly the best cultivation spot in all of the world'." Xia Qingyue repeated Rokas' exact words. "So… would you share it with me?"
"Hmm…" Rokas stroked his chin in thought. Of course, since he speculated that she was the Hanged Man, getting a high confidant rank with her was a priority. "Well, if you explore the Heaven Basin Secret Realm with us, I would not mind sharing it after."
"Very well." Xia Qingyue nodded without a moment of hesitation. If anything, she wanted to know more about him and this was a prime opportunity. "I will join your company as you explore the Heaven Basin Secret Realm."
'Straight to the point, huh…'
"Alright, it's settled then."
…
"I thought that we'd explore it alone…" Cang Yue whispered to him, pouting slightly.
"We'll have plenty of time to spend alone after." Rokas smiled.
"... True enough." Cang Yue nodded, glancing at Xia Qingyue as she recalled her beauty once the veil fell. "But… why would you aid her, of all people?"
"She is extremely talented, to the point of being heaven-defying… as future prince-consort, I ought to maximise that talent for the Blue Wind Empire's sake, no?" Rokas tilted his head.
"Ah… I see." Cang Yue nodded, smiling slightly.
~
Not long after, the portal opened and fifty people entered. Immediately, Rokas and his group branched away from the rest. Due to Xia Qingyue being the most prized disciple, Murong Qianxue decided to personally look after her… effectively following both Rokas and Cang Yue.
'This day just keeps getting better.' Rokas took a few glances at Murong Qianxue. His true weakness, other than blondes and Ei herself, were plentiful assets.
As Rokas observed the Sky Poison Pearl begin to shine in a certain direction, he went towards it. After all, alongside its cleansing and storage abilities, the Sky Poison Pearl could also detect heavenly resources.
Eventually, he could see it from the distance… the Emperor Awakening Heart Lotus, right on a frozen lake.
'How would I do this without getting swallowed…'
Suddenly, the figure of a terrifying woman flashed before his eyes. He stood frozen still for several seconds, leading to Cang Yue shaking him.
'Fuck me… what will it be now?'
"Are you alright… what happened?"
"Nothing…" Rokas took a deep breath as he approached the Emperor Awakening Heart Lotus. "All of you, stay here. There is a Tyrant Profound Realm beast right under that frozen lake."
"A… Tyrant Profound Realm beast?!" Murong Qianxue exclaimed, frowning deeply. "Are you thick in the skull? Why would knowing that make you want to approach??"
"I can fight it," Rokas replied confidently. 'Or just get swallowed and snag the water seed. I sincerely hope it's the Yun Che route… otherwise…'
"... Be safe." Cang Yue spoke as Rokas ascended higher. She believed that he wouldn't be stupid enough to throw away his life like that and had strength hidden away.
Xia Qingyue observed, wondering whether he was stupid or just hiding his power all along. She, like Cang Yue, leaned towards the latter.
[System: Not only is it a Tyrant Profound Realm beast but it is also in the middle stages. If you were to fight it with the wish of winning… holding back any trump cards would be out of the question.]
'Alright… here we go.' Rokas nodded, taking note of the System's advice. 'Let's just hope I get swallowed instead. But… I doubt that things will go the way that I want them to.'
Rokas descended onto the Emperor Awakening Heart Lotus (in his berserk form, to defend himself), snagging it and immediately placing it into his Inner World.
Not even a split-second after.
BOOOOM.
The Tyrant Profound Realm beast rose from the frozen lake, crashing its mouth against Rokas and throwing him into the air.
WOOOSH.
Opening its mouth, the profound beast let out a colossal wave of ice.
'Damn it… no Yun Che easy-mode route for me…'
Instantly, Rokas went Berserk and opened his palm, forming Phoenix flames at a rapid pace.
'Thousand… Scorching… Phoenix… Suns!'
Combining the form of the Burning Heaven Secret Arts and the potency of his Phoenix flames, Rokas burned through most of the ice… sustaining some injuries. He spat out some blood from the 'bump' earlier.
'... There's no doubt, I'll have to…' Rokas then recalled his first encounter with Murong Qianxue. 'Fucking hell…'
In a life or death situation, life always came first. He decided to face the consequences after living past this event!
'Fuck it… let's run the 1s!'
"ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!"
Nine roars simultaneously echoed across the field of ice, shaking both heaven and earth.
The majestic berserk nine-headed flood dragon had emerged in all its glory, high in the skies… primed to face the impertinent profound beast that was daring enough to offend it!
Nine massive heads spread across the sky, casting a menacing shadow onto the Tyrant Profound Realm beast. It stared upwards in surprise… having just witnessed a human transform into such a monster. Nine waves of Phoenix flames burst down onto the profound beast, effectively smothering the profound beast.
'... That didn't do shit!'
All eighteen eyes widened in surprise as the profound beast leapt into the air.
'Oh hell no…'
Rokas flew away from the profound beast… and it flew after him, firing off waves of ice. Rokas, however, was able to slither around them. He countered with his own Phoenix flames, barely doing any damage.
'You want close-quarters combat? You fucking got it.'
"ROAAAAAAAAAAAR!!!"
Irritated, Rokas channelled even more of his Berserk attribute, breaking far past the 'safe zone' and amplifying his strength five times over. He sharply turned, surprising the profound beast, and swiftly lunged at it. All of its nine heads bit into separate limbs, breaking past the beast's scales and digging into its flesh.
The first two heads, ripped its arms apart, the next two heads ripped its legs off while the rest ruthlessly tore open its chest. Eventually, it found the water seed and consumed it.
Then, the nine-headed flood dragon tossed the beast into the air and…
'BURN TO ASH!!!'
"ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRR!"
Nine waves of Phoenix Flames, twice as intense as before, exploded from the flood dragon's mouths and onto the Tyrant Profound Realm beast. The flames alone forcefully kept it floating in the air!
TSSSSSSS.
For a good thirty seconds, flames kept pouring onto the beast… relentlessly burning it into crisp. After it was done, the beast had been cooked and Rokas took it inside of his Inner World.
However, once the adrenaline and beastly instincts faded… he realised just how exhausted he had become.
'I used… all of my strength…'
Rokas returned to his human form and managed to use the Clothes Beam to restore his previous attire. However, he felt awfully tired. It took everything he had to stay awake…
He glanced up, noticing Murong Qianxue looking directly at him. To the side, he saw Xia Qingyue and Cang Yue walking over.
"The nine-headed flood dragon…"
"Yes…" Rokas nodded slightly. His limbs felt sore to the brink of falling off… he couldn't even manage to lift his arms. "That was… me."
"... It all makes sense." Murong Qianxue blinked, recalling how there was no flood dragon corpse in the lair. Conveniently enough, there was a young man who took care of her right after she had lost. Putting it all together… it all truly did make sense.
"Can you… repay the favour?" Rokas wondered, tilting his head slightly. "I know… it is an awful time to ask… but I'm… dead tired."
"I will." Murong Qianxue nodded as she promised. "No harm will come to you while you rest."
"... Thank you."
[Murong Qianxue (Moon XVIII) Confidant Rank: 0 → 1]
Thud.
Reassured by the fairy, Rokas finally let go and collapsed.
~
Murong Qianxue kept her word, looking after Rokas and, by extension, Cang Yue. For most of the period, she searched for treasures as did everyone else. Xia Qingyue was awfully fortunate, finding numerous priceless treasures that furthered her cultivation. However, so many questions had lingered in their minds regarding Rokas. How could one transform into such a mighty dragon and vice-versa? How could someone so young defeat a Tyrant Profound Realm beast? Who… was Long Ke, truly?
These questions had to wait till he woke…
Eventually, after a day and a half, he did. Slowly but surely, his golden eyes opened. He took in the fragrance around him… realising that it was Cang Yue carrying him.
"... I'm awake now." He spoke, prompting her to let him down. "For how long… was I away?"
"A day and a half… the time for exploring the Heaven Basin Secret Realm is only hours away from expiring. But, the most important thing is that you're safe…" Cang Yue replied, caressing his cheek with her hand.
"... Mn, but there surely has to be more things that I could have… that I will find." Rokas grabbed her hand and lowered it. "This opportunity doesn't come so often so it shouldn't be wasted."
Cang Yue chuckled. "You just woke and you're already thinking about growing stronger."
"... I can rest after." Rokas smiled, turning to Xia Qingyue and Murong Qianxue.
"... So." Murong Qianxue crossed her arms, observing the young man. "What are you?"
"Well, there's no use trying to hide the truth. I'm a dragon capable of taking human form." Rokas waffled slightly. In truth, he was a demon whose true form was a dragon. Still… it was kind of the same thing, really. "This is a secret that I've only shared with those who I can truly trust. Others… well, I had to eat them."
"So… the question is if I can trust you two not to spill my secret."
"Why are you so concerned with hiding it? With your strength, you are by far the strongest person in the Blue Wind Empire." Murong Qianxue questioned. "Even if all of the thrones in the nation joined their hands, they would be no match for you."
"The Four Great Sacred Grounds are against people like me," Rokas replied, frowning. "That is why… it is so important that it remains a secret. Otherwise, I would be chased around and quite possibly killed."
"The Four Great Sacred Grounds…" Cang Yue's eyes widened in shock and fear as she turned to Rokas. "Why… why would they want you dead?"
"I'm… not actually from the Profound Sky Continent. The whole Grand Asura thing was a lie." Rokas admitted, deciding to trust all three of them. Trust was the bridgework from which relationships formed, after all. "From the continent that I come from, people who can transform into beasts are not all that uncommon. Hence… they call us 'demons'. In recent centuries, there has been a great grievance between our continents which started because of the Four Great Sacred Grounds and their endless greed. They've invaded our continent multiple times… and so their invasions have broken our once stable continent."
This revelation left the three speechless for quite a while.
"If you want added incentive to keep quiet… I'd willingly assist Xia Qingyue in her cultivation progress just as I did with Cang Yue." Rokas added.
'Willing? Pfft, it's what I want to do!'
[System: Since when did you start pulling 200 iq moves?]
"... Your secret is safe with us, isn't it… senior fairy?" Xia Qingyue turned to Murong Qianxue who contemplated the decision for a short while. To gain the same support that Cang Yue had and, as a result, grow even more swiftly… that was crucial for her.
"Associating with a so-called 'demon' could bring calamity onto the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace…"
"But you don't know that I am a so-called 'demon', do you?" Rokas smiled slyly. "In the end, It's either you keep my secret or I… eat you both."
'The Nine Profound Exquisite Body, Heart of Snow Glazed Ice… Jesus, I'd be fucking overpowered. Too bad that I'm a faithful member of the Protecc Qingyue Sect and actually have some morals…'
"You don't mean that, do you?" Cang Yue whispered.
'Of course, I don't!'
Xia Qingyue looked into Rokas' eyes, making him a little nervous. She recognised that the 'eating' part was more of a bad joke. Then she turned back to Murong Qianxue and spoke once again, urging her to accept.
"Senior fairy… the risk is well-worth the reward. The only reason he showed himself to us is that he trusted us to keep his secret. He wouldn't be foolish enough to show himself in public otherwise the Four Great Sacred Grounds would have already caught him. This means that, if we keep this secret, it is highly unlikely to ever go out."
'Second-best girl in action.' Rokas smiled slightly.
[System: If Cang Yue is best-girl, Qianye Ying'er would naturally move down to second-best and Xia Qingyue to third… no?]
'Cang Yue is in a realm of her own.'
[System: The best-wife?]
'Something like that.'
"... You make a good case." Murong Qianxue nodded. "Given your strength and swift growth, it would not be wise to make an enemy out of you… so we will keep your secret. If you keep your word and assist with Qingyue's cultivation, the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace would truly be indebted to you."
"It's settled then." Rokas nodded. "If you don't mind… could you leave me and Xia Qingyue for the following hours? Besides, you wouldn't want to be slowed down by non-flyers when you could be finding more treasures."
"I'll be fine." Xia Qingyue reassured Murong Qianxue.
"... As you wish."
Murong Qianxue flew away, leaving the trio alone.
"Regarding the best cultivation spot in the world… well, uh… it's inside of me." Rokas scratched his hair.
"What-"
"You'll… see" He grabbed her shoulder, taking her body inside of his Inner World.
…
"Another beauty is dragged into the fiend's cave," Jasmine remarked as she observed Xia Qingyue.
"Who… are you?" Xia Qingyue blinked, taking a good look at the red-headed loli.
"Why don't you bring the entire Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace in here next time?" Jasmine japed as Rokas appeared in his spirit form alongside Cang Yue.
"Sounds like a great idea." Rokas sarcastically replied. 'Hell the fuck no… they'd suck out all of my energy!'
"Hmph…"
"Anyway, this is Jasmine, my master… she might look little but she's a complete menace. Also, she's cold and indifferent to strangers so just keep that in mind."
'A complete menace?' Jasmine thought to herself.
"... How strong is your master?" Xia Qingyue wondered, glancing at Jasmine.
"Very strong… although, she can't access her true strength at the moment," Rokas replied, shrugging his shoulders. "So… why don't you try meditating here? You'll see immediate progress."
"Mn… this place is simply heaven-defying." Cang Yue added.
"The air is rich… to an absurd extent." Xia Qingyue acknowledged with a shocked expression behind her veil. "Nothing in the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace even compares. How did something like this even develop inside of your body?"
"It's kind of a long story… but I did eat a lot of crystals. Oh, Cang Yue… I did get this for you." Rokas chuckled, feeling a little proud of himself as he changed the topic. He picked up the Emperor Awakening Heart Lotus, refining it into a pellet with a single touch. "This handy pellet here will help you break into the Emperor Profound Realm."
"!!!" Xia Qingyue's jaw dropped as she watched Rokas casually hand over the pellet to Cang Yue. "Is that true? There's such a pellet?"
"I can't take it." Cang Yue shook her head defiantly as she returned it into his hand. "Such a thing should be used on you… after all, you are at the peak of the Sky Profound Realm."
"Nope, it wouldn't!" Rokas shook his head, forcing it into her palm. "This thing would go directly into this Inner World as profound energy and, relatively speaking, barely make a difference. I'd much rather if you were a throne…"
"... Well…"
"Take it as an early bride gift." Rokas smiled, closing her palm. "I want you to be strong, Cang Yue. So strong that you can share the mountain peak with me. Now… take the pellet for me. Please."
'I'll never leave you behind. With this confidant system… and Inner World, we will climb the mountain together.'
"I'll take it." Cang Yue nodded.
"Great." Rokas smiled, stepping away. "Since there are a few hours left, I might as well make the most out of them."
His spirit form vanished as he opened his eyes to the outside world. He dusted himself off, widening his senses across countless kilometres.
'Right… there have to be some goodies around here somewhere.'
…
"What did you do to make him so devoted to you?" Xia Qingyue wondered as she looked into Cang Yue's eyes.
"You… make it sound like I did something devious." Cang Yue shook her head, smiling slightly. "He has always been caring towards me and so have I been to him. It was… almost love at first sight, you could say. Long Ke is a person who sparsely experienced love at his home. That's why… he left."
"So… he found that love in you." Xia Qingyue deduced, her eyes shining with a sense of mystery. "I see… it is natural for a man to care for his woman, I suppose. However, to this extent… it is quite rare."
"Sometimes… I don't know if I'll ever be able to repay him." Cang Yue sighed, shaking her head. "Not that he'd want me to but still-"
"Love and family. Those things are more important than resources and strength to such people. I believe that all he'd want would be your love and companionship… that alone would be enough for him." Xia Qingyue stated.
"I suppose you're right."
~
Unfortunately, Rokas wasn't able to find any super special treasures. Regarding profound beasts, the ones he encountered were in the Sky Profound Realm or below. Hardly a fight with barely any reward. He honestly felt like he had wasted his time.
When the time for the Heaven Basin Secret Realm was ending, he let out Xia Qingyue and Cang Yue. Afterwards, they all teleported back to the Heavenly Sword Villa, one by one. Within moments, everyone saw that Cang Yue could fly.
"This profound strength…" Ling Kun's eyes widened as he was taken aback by Cang Yue. "The Emperor Profound Realm!"
"That's… impossible… isn't it?" Ling Yuefeng exclaimed in utter shock.
Everyone present couldn't believe what they were hearing. A nineteen-year-old throne… in the Blue Wind Empire!? Something like that was unheard of in places not named the Four Great Sacred Grounds (and Divine Phoenix Empire), let alone the weakest nation.
"I was fortunate enough to find a fully blossomed Emperor Awakening Heart Lotus." Rokas immediately announced, erasing the confusion. He was confident enough to speak to large groups of people… but, as usual, was rather blunt. "As it was only fitting, I gave it to my future wife as a bridal gift."
"... Woah… they're getting married!?"
"I mean, those lovebirds made it quite obvious…"
"Ah… then I shall congratulate you two a little early." Ling Yuefeng let out a heartful laugh. "Truly, in recent years, I have not witnessed a tighter-knit young couple. I am certain that your marriage will be a happy one."
"Thanks." Rokas managed a courteous smile. "Now… Cang Yue?-"
"There is something that I have to settle." Cang Yue took a deep breath as she approached the Xiao Sect's group. "Xiao Juetian, the Master of the Xiao Sect. I, Princess Cang Yue of the Blue Wind Imperial Family, demand that your sect removes its influence from my family's political matters once and for all. For centuries, we have maintained independent power and influence in the Blue Wind Empire. That tradition will not end with this generation."
Rokas couldn't hide the admiration shining from his eyes. This badass woman… was his future princess wife! He could truly die without regrets.
"Apologies if you were confused, Blue Moon Princess, but the Xiao Sect was invited by the Crown Prince Cang Lin." Xiao Juetian justified his sect's actions. After all, with the gathering of so many prominent figures, he couldn't lose face.
"And I'm kicking you out." Cang Yue stared at Xiao Juetian without a shred of fear. "If you object… shall I remind you that the Burning Heaven Clan also withdrew its influence?"
"... We…"
"Should I?" Rokas grinned slightly as he stepped forward, looking down at Xiao Juetian from the side of Cang Yue. "I've been wondering if I could snag a Sky Profound sword… would the Xiao Sect happen to have one?"
Snag… that word alone was insulting!
Ling Yuefeng was carefully watching the entire affair, willing to step in if any fighting were to occur. After all, the Heavenly Sword Villa was a sacred ground where fighting outside of the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament was prohibited.
"No… the Xiao Sect will withdraw its influence completely." After seeing Fen Moli's hopeless look, Xiao Juetian sighed. "We will not partake in the politics of the Blue Wind Imperial Family in any way from this day forward."
"Good." Cang Yue gave an approving nod.
"So… I take it that this conflict is settled?" Ling Kun inquired, observing the group. "Let it be known that I will not tolerate any further conflicts within the confines of the Heavenly Sword Villa. You can do whatever you wish outside… but nothing here. Is that understood?"
'Man's talking down to everyone like a group of children.' Rokas furrowed his brows slightly.
Seeing as everyone was silent, Ling Kun nodded.
"Now, Yuefeng, I must leave tomorrow so the Demon Sealing Ritual should not wait."
Ling Yuefeng nodded, announcing the following right after;
"All of you heard what Elder Ling said previously. For the first time, the Demon Sealing Ritual will be open to the public for you all to witness. I realise that some of you are tired from journeying the vast Heaven Basin Secret Realm and may not be quite so interested. So… if you do not wish to witness this rare and valuable experience, you may return to your courtyards to rest. Otherwise, follow Elder Ling and I to the Sword Management Terrace."
Rokas looked at Cang Yue and shrugged. "We've accomplished what we set out to do, didn't we?"
"Mn… you're right." Cang Yue nodded. "But wouldn't you want to see the 'demon' for yourself?"
"Nah, I'm chilling."
'Technically, I could save him but that would be immensely stupid to do at this point in time. Nevermind publicly making myself an enemy of the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region… would he even listen to me if I released him? No, of course not, he's the damn Demon King. And then if he found the Mirror of Samsara in my Inner World… yeah, I'm not trying to die early.'
'As for seeing an old man mald for a few minutes, I'm not too interested. Maybe in the future… when I'm strong enough.'
Rokas and Cang Yue decided not to witness the demon sealing process, walking towards their courtyards. Along the way, Xia Qingyue was walking to their side. Seeing an opportunity, Rokas walked toward her.
'Gimme that confidant rank.'
"So… how was your time meditating?" Rokas asked, tilting his head slightly.
"It was extremely beneficial." Xia Qingyue replied, turning to face him. Both of them stopped walking and looked at each other for a moment.
'I still can't forget how beautiful she looked then…' Rokas thought.
"Say… would you be interested in staying for a longer duration? I mean, I sort of did promise to help you grow stronger… so a measly six hours or so really doesn't cut it."
Xia Qingyue nodded. "I would not object to such an arrangement."
"So… how would we meet up?" Rokas wondered, stroking his chin. "You're going to go back to the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace while I'm going to be busy in the Capital."
"I believe it would be best if you came yourself. Given your high profound strength, travelling to the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace should not take too long. From there… I'm sure you can come to terms with the Palace Mistress."
'Sounds like a drag…'
"I mean, technically, I could just save all the trouble and take you now." Rokas joked, chuckling.
"..." Xia Qingyue blinked for a moment, a little speechless. "You could… however, to avoid any implications, I will try to convince Murong Qianxue to allow it. That way, no time will be wasted."
"That would be better," Rokas nodded. "I wouldn't want to have the reputation of a kidnapper, after all…"
She paused for a moment. Did she smile… or what? Rokas couldn't tell anything behind her veil.
"I'll go see my senior now."
"Alright…"
[Xia Qingyue (Hanged Man XII) Confidant Rank: 0 → 1]
'So… she is the Hanged Man, after all.'
Rokas smiled, having taken one important step towards fixing his terrible luck and getting closer to Xia Qingyue herself.
'System… when you meant a high confidant rank with the Hanged Man, what number would that be?'
[System: Nine.]
'... Mad.'