"Defeat you? Why?" Shin was confused. If the High Council wanted to test his loyalty, what did it have to do with the fighting or winning against the young Luminaries?
"It's quite a simple concept actually," Qilong Hu smiled. "If you can beat all five of us, the most talented of the younger generation, the High Council would have to look at you with a different light. They would begin to wonder, is it really worth constraining the growth of this prodigal youth, who could one day become the most powerful Spirit Saint that the Lantis Republic could have?"
Shin's exploits were all legendary, and those from the Himmel Empire widely acknowledged his power. However, the Lantis Republic was a little more sceptical. They knew that he was a genius and all, but they had never seen Shin perform firsthand. If the Prince of Water puts on a clinical performance and utterly beats the five Luminaries, Shin could sway the general public's opinion and gradually move the position of the High Council.
"I see, that does make some sense," the youth replied, his fingers stroking his chin. "But would that be enough? The High Council is worried about my loyalty, not my potential after all..." Shin had hit the nail on the head. No matter how much potential he'd shown, if Shin betrayed the Lantis Republic, it would be all for nought.
"..." The entire Lantis Republic congregation fell silent. The five Luminaries all slowly backed up a step, giving the two Longyu Clan monarchs anxious gazes.
A sigh escaped from Longyu Dao's mouth. "You're right, Shin. The High Council will never settle unless you can prove your loyalty… So, there is something that you have to sacrifice as collateral."
"... What is it?" Longyu Dao's ominous tone didn't bode well for Shin. He braced himself, curling his feet up.
"The High Council suggests that Ella and Emma, your two most trusted aides, move to the Lantis Republic in perpetuity. They will stay in the Lantis Archipelago from this day to the end of their days."
"What?!" Shin stood up in complete ire. Kanari was in a similar boat, just that she managed to contain herself from acting out in front of the Longyu Clan's top executives. "How could they demand that?"
"Shin, they aren't going to be mistreated," Longyu Dao hurriedly said, hoping to calm the youth down. "They'll live in the Meijing Arctics and train in the ice elemental arts. The best place in the world to train for them. They would be given several Lantis Republic rights, free to move anywhere they want inside of the archipelago, given the best resources that were normally reserved for cultivators from main bloodlines. They can take any job that interests them..."
"But they can't return back to the Himmel Empire!" Shin interrupted the Longyu Clan master. "You're going to use them as hostages to force me to remain loyal to the Lantis Republic?!" The twins were innocent parties. Ella and Emma had been living in the Himmel Empire all their lives. All of their friends, acquaintances, favourite places… They were all in the Himmel Empire. Shin couldn't just force them to stay in the Lantis Republic forever.
"It's your choice to make, Shin..." Longyu Tian took over, her voice as low as can be. "Those were the two choices given out by the High Council. Either you marry a Longyu Clan girl and impregnate her, or leave one of your loved ones here as a guarantee. Otherwise, you wouldn't be allowed to attempt the trial."
That was the ultimatum handed down by the top authorities in the Lantis Republic. They were backed by the three Spirit Saints from the other clans, so there was nothing that Longyu Tian could do.
Shin bit down hard on his lips. He loved the twins as if they were his true sisters. Heck, Shin believed that they were closer than blood-related siblings. He couldn't just throw them under the cart for the sake of his own self-betterment! Kanari gently held onto the youth's hands, bringing his restless mind back on course. Their eyes met, and Kanari let out a gentle smile.
"We should discuss this with Lady Seph and the twins," she suggested. Then, the young noblewoman turned to Longyu Dao and sat up with proper poise. "How much time do we have?"
The Longyu Clan master whistled. From that one exchange, he could tell that Kanari was a substantial mental pillar of support for the golden child. "We plan to have Shin fight against the five Luminaries first in front of the biggest crowd there is. We'll book it a month from now at the Atoll of the Ancients. Hopefully, if Shin performs well enough, the High Council would change their minds, and the twins wouldn't need to become collateral. Of course, to do that, Shin… You'll have to score an overwhelming victory against these five prodigies."
Qilong Hu nodded. "... I sympathise with your predicament, Shin Iofiel. However, we won't pull any punches. It would be a huge dishonour if we just let you win without going all out."
"That's right! Don't think that we'll hold back just because you're a little cute!" Xunyu Feifei's tone was playful, but her face was completely serious.
"Hehe, I'm looking forward to meeting you in the arena!" Jingyu Taiyi smiled, his pearly white teeth displayed for all to see.
Meijing Bingying snorted with an elder sister vibe, warning, "Shin… It's been a while since I last trained you. I wonder what surprises you have in store for me."
"..." Only Longyu Linji remained utterly silent. His face hidden by his broody long black hair.
The five great Luminaries, the top talents of their generation. No Spirit Spectre in their right mind would think that he could take on and beat all five of them. However, for Shin, it was a task that he couldn't fail.
"I understand..." Shin took a deep breath in and face the gauntlet of a challenge with resolute eyes. The Prince of Water wasn't afraid of his foes. He had become a Spirit Spectre with a renewed will to become the best. Either way, Shin would have to face the five prodigious Luminaries sooner or later. Better to do it sooner.
"Seniors… I won't hold back either..." The boy triggered a metamorphic change, and his weak and feeble expression had transformed into that of a veteran of war. The congregation from the Lantis Republic leaned back on their chairs as they felt the immense pressure coming out from the youngster. It wasn't spiritual pressure or mana exposure. Shin was just overwhelming them with his indomitable will.
'This brat… How many more surprises does he have?!' Longyu Linji cursed out inwardly. A few years back, during the Summit in which the Alliance was formed, Shin barely had half the presence than he did now. Yet, in that short period, the young man had grown so much that he was now able to intimidate Linji who had a cultivation base of Rank 46. 'Whatever… I have to endure for now… When I beat him down during the battle in the Atoll, I'll see what kind of face he dares to make then...'
No one knew of the jealous man's wicked thoughts. They were all engrossed with the atmosphere that Shin was giving out. The little girl who sat behind Longyu Dao, in particular, was completely in awe by the Prince of Water's presence. Her eyes were glistening, and her face was hiding a massive radiant smile. It was as if she had found her idol in life.
"Ah, that reminds me! I do have one request to ask of you, Shin. I wonder if you would indulge in me?"
"What is it?" Shin quickly calmed down and looked on as the Clan Master brought the young ponytailed girl out from hiding. She looked a little shy to become the focal point of everyone's attention, but the girl took two deep breaths before staring Shin straight in the eye.
"This is my granddaughter, Longyu Hai. She's eight and a little rough around the edges, but, would you mind accepting her as your squire?"
❖❖❖
"And that's basically what happened on Longyu Reef."
Meijing Bingying reflected on her recent expedition north to answer the summons of Longyu Tian and the Longyu Clan. Seated right in front of her, were two young maidens, both with luxurious purple hair. One of them had tied it into a ponytail while the other had cut her hair a little short so that it could only cover the base of her face. Their faces were completely identical, barring a tiny mole on Emma's face.
After separating from Shin, the duo had been integrating into the Meijing Clan's environment, learning new cultivation techniques. Due to their close proximity to the equator, the pair had rarely seen snow or icy terrain. They had to rely on vast amounts of mana crystals just to remain on a similar pace with the other young heroes in Shin's party. However, it all changed when they started to live in the Meijing Arctics. Rife with the ice elementals, Ella and Emma could feel their cultivation progress at twice the speed with half the effort. Not to mention, they learnt so much about their Ice Bows and in due time, their ascension into the Spirit Spectre realm would be much smoother than they'd first anticipated.
The people here were also very welcoming of Ella and Emma. Unsurprisingly, the number of cultivators that awakened Spirits with the Ice-Element were few and far between, and any additions to their family was a cause for celebration. The resources provided to them was great as well. Being close associates of Bingying, the heir apparent of the Meijing Clan did reap some benefits. Any instructor they wanted, they received. Random Spirit Lords would stop by their abode to give useful tips, and the precious items that they could never touch were bought specially for them to use.
"Living forever in the Lantis Republic..." Emma muttered out while her sister looked towards the floor. No one could tell what Ella was thinking, so Emma was the sole person that responded. "Is that why you have been treating us this well?"
"Yes and no." Bingying didn't lie. When the Longyu Clan first approached them, suggesting that the Meijing Clan should poach the twins to their side so that they could be hostages to reign Shin in, the Pearl in the East didn't know how to feel. The Meijing Clan would gain two talented young Spirit Adepts, and they would strengthen their bond with the Longyu Clan's golden boy since Shin cared for the orphans much more than he did the Himmel Empire or the Lantis Republic. It seemed to be a win-win situation for all. Except, Ella and Emma would be forever bound to the confines of the Lantis Republic.
"Shin doesn't want the two of you to sacrifice your freedom for his sake, but honestly, everyone knows that this is the fastest way for him to gain access to the Trial of the Celestial Dragon." Meijing Bingying continued to elaborate.
"And why are you telling us this?" Emma saw through the maiden's facade and knew that Bingying had an agenda.
The Meijing Clan heir smiled, "I think you do know. You know me, I won't ever mistreat the two of you. I just want you to consider the offer that the Meijing Clan is putting on the table." Bingying unrolled a list depicting all of the benefits the twins would receive should they agree to the contract. She brushed off the creases on her robes as she stood up, leaving the two sisters to have their own private talk.
"In a month, Shin would be participating in a battle against all five of us. After the fight, you can have a long discussion with him on whether you're willing to make the sacrifice."
Just as the maiden was about to leave the room, Emma cried out. "Sister Bingying!"
"Hmmm?"
"Thank you for telling us..." No matter what, the twins were grateful for the Meijing Clan's heir honesty. Knowing Shin, there was no way that he would tell the twins to become hostages just for some benefits, even if it meant forever stifling his growth.
"You're welcome," Bingying replied, her face brimming with hope. "Rest up. Tomorrow, we'll be teaching you how to properly use the Crystal Toxtai Mantra." With that, the Pearl in the East finally allowed the twins to settle down and form their own thoughts.
"..." Emma watched her sister, who had been silent throughout. "What are you thinking about?"
"Emma..." Ella sighed dispiritedly. "We should take the deal… Shin had done so much for us. He had sacrificed so much for the orphans… Even without the benefits from the Lantis Republic, it's about time that we did something for him..."
"Oh, ho?"
It was rare for Ella to display such affection for Shin. Since they were just toddlers, the pair had always been at loggerheads. Though their relations had eased up as they have grown older, the pair weren't really the touchy-feely type towards one another.
"What about Shizen?"
"H-Huh?! Why did you bring that brat's name up?!" The ponytailed girl tripped on her words, flustered that the nature boy's name was tossed into the argument. "Why should I care about what he thinks?!"
"Hehe, you can fool the world, but you can't fool me!" Emma locked her arms around her twin sister's neck and rubbed her cheek against the blushing girl's. "I know that your feelings towards Shizen have transcended that of regular friends!"
"I-I won't dignify that with a response!" Ella leapt up to her feet and ran to the courtyard. "I'm going to train! Don't disturb me!"
"Eh?! But we're just getting to the juicy part!"
That day, the twins had a long talk. Well, it wasn't really a talk. Just a one-sided teasing from Emma with Ella trying her best to hide her blushed face...
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