The Lantis Republic. Celestial Island. Shin's Manor.
The Lantis Republic had countless of palatial buildings. From the castles of the Eight Water Clans to the government buildings that were housed right on Celestial Island. They were built by the best craftsmen and architects of their time. Enormous paradises of free-flowing fountains and angelic sculptures would fill the land, making the palaces some of the most luxurious that Shin had ever seen. However, the Lantis Republic wasn't done.
Shin's Manor. A simple lodging for a Rank 50 Spirit Lord, it was not. Once Shin had evolved his Sovereign Koi into the Celestial Dragon, the High Council immediately ordered the construction of the Republic's grandest palace. Over a hundred thousand gold was dedicated to the building of the structure, which lasted only a year. Although Shin had heavily resisted spending that much money on his own lodging, particularly when the Alliance was in the midst of a war with the Black Masks, he couldn't beat the Lantis Republic's drive and negotiators.
Most of the money went into the defences and facilities of the manor. Reinforced walls laced with mana crystals protected Shin and those that lived with him from any harm. Training facilities that would make Imperius Academy's courtyards seem like the orphan's training room back in the Frie Clan were also built masterfully in Shin's honour. Finally, the most crucial bit, the Lantis Republic had spent good money to create a cool brick quadrangle where Shin could administer his aura for others to train in.
Which was what the youth was doing now…
Mmmmmmmmmmnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn…
A low hymn resonated through the human-packed courtyard. Over two hundred people, mostly young men and women, were seated comfortably in a lotus position on top of numerous cultivation mats. There were many familiar faces among the crowd. Meijing Bingying, Qilong Hu, Xunyu Feifei, Jingyu Taiyi and Longyu Linji were all present. Those that Shin brought from the Himmel Empire were also in deep meditation. Kanari, Ella, Emma and Kesyl. And the event wasn't just limited to Spirit Spectres and Lords.
Longyu Hai, the Longyu Clan's granddaughter who had served Shin as a squire, was also present. For Shin, those that were selected to train under his aura were all familiar faces. However, there was one stark difference from the week before. The familiar brown-haired youngster that usually sat near the front was no longer there...
The cultivators were wholly ignorant of Shin's mental state. They were all engrossed in their own situations. Some were chanting their personal cultivation mantras. Some were simply taking deep breaths in, enjoying the cold, snowy day. For the most part, they were doing whatever made them the most comfortable. However, they all had one thing in common. They were all greedily absorbing the elements that Shin was releasing.
The black-haired man in the centre of the quadrangle continued to meditate, absorbing and releasing as many elements as he possibly could. Typically, a session with Shin would last two, maybe three hours. However, today, the man was pushing himself beyond his limits. Shin's face was beet red and filled with sweat as the Celestial Dragon danced around his body. It was slightly worried for its master, but it didn't want to interfere with his hard work. Naturally, if it reached a tipping point, the Spirit would intervene. However, Shin wasn't there quite yet.
The Domain of Dreams, imbued with the Celestial Dragon's Aura continued to tingle the imaginations of the cultivators that surrounded them. Shin's desire to push farther than he ever did before only served to benefit them. Their cultivation rate rose drastically as the elements danced in complete euphoria. It was a festival of spiritual energy. The spiritual density in the land was no less than that of an Empyrean Wonder. No, if you consider how Shin's aura could cater to any type of element, it far surpassed that of any Empyrean Wonder. It truly was the best cultivation site in the world.
Shin only spent two hours a week in this quadrangle, and the cultivators on the site knew that quite well. Thus, they had to make use of every opportunity that they had.
"Phew..." After four gruelling hours of constantly releasing mana into the atmosphere, Shin's entire being came to a halt. His face was flushed red, and his body was trembling with sore spots littered all over his body. The thick winter coat that kept him warm backfired as it became an internal oven that baked his innards. He disrobed and threw all of his outer coatings onto the floor, leaving only a thin, cotton shirt and a breathy pair of sweatpants.
The first person to arrive was the young Longyu Hai, who was cultivating faithfully while keeping an eye out on the young man. She picked up the thrown clothes in a hurry and was ready with her signature white towel to wipe the sweat off the young man. However, before Longyu Hai could move one step further, a black-haired woman stood up from her position, her face full of worry. Knowing her place, the young girl simply smiled and took a step back.
"Shin, are you okay?" Kanari rushed over and held the man by the chest. Her gentle touch calmed the accelerating heartbeat of the young Prince and the mana she provided gave Shin a chance to finally relax.
"Yeah…" The man gingerly opened his eyes. "Hah… Looks like I overextended myself today… I didn't expect how much mana could be lost..." Shin laughed off his mistake.
Kanari's tense expression eased just a little. She took a deep breath in before connecting both her middle finger and thumb together. Ignoring the gazes of the two hundred pairs of eyes, the woman gave Shin's forehead a big flick.
"Hey!" The young man protested the hit. Shin's thick skull and superior resistance ensured that he didn't feel that much pain from the forehead flick, but it was embarrassing to be hit in front of two hundred cultivators, many of them influential figures as well.
"Shin, I understand that you're feeling a little blue, but you can't let that determine how you cultivate!" Kanari admonished her lover like the wife she was becoming. "It's not like you won't get to see Shizen again anyway!" The black-haired girl hit the nail on the head, and a sombre smile appeared on the young man's lips.
"Sorry…" That was the only answer the Prince could give. An apology for his brash actions.
"Tsk, come here!" Kanari blinked twice at the adorable face that Shin was giving out. It was as if she was reprimanding a golden retriever puppy that understood its guilt and was only able to pout and beg for forgiveness. Kanari couldn't be mad at him for long. Bringing Shin into her arms, the woman turned around towards the elderly butler that stood just three metres away from the podium. "Senior Zishen, you can dismiss the crowd. Also, cancel all the plans for today and tomorrow. Shin needs time to rest."
"Leave it to me," Zishen naturally bowed. The crowd could only watch helplessly as the two disappeared back into their chambers with the Azure Dragon faithfully carrying out the ethereal beauty's orders.
"Kanari has really solidified her spot as the Mistress of the Manor..." Meijing Bingying giggled. The Azure Dragons took orders from no one but the bloodline of the Celestial Dragon. Thus, for Kanari to command them, it could only mean one thing. They had already recognised her as the future spouse of the master. Or more importantly… The future mother to carry on the Celestial Dragon's bloodline.
"Hah… The High Council must be kicking themselves in the butt now..." Qilong Hu remarked with a hapless smile. "They'd tried so many times to seduce Shin. How many girls had been thrown into his room now?"
Jingyu Taiyi leapt forward with the grin of a jester. "Do you really want to know the number? I actually have a live count!"
"Hmph, you're going to just tell us anyway!" Longyu Linji joined in the fun.
"Hehe, you know me so well!" The man chuckled. "Adding the few from the week-long orientation he'd spent in the Longyu Clan, they had sent a hundred and seventy-two women into his chambers alone now! Young, old, it didn't matter. I think they drained the pool of maidens that within the Lantis Republic already. Even I would have been tempted." Jingyu Taiyi couldn't believe that Shin resisted all those women without batting a single eyelid. Especially since he was at his peak testosterone level. "They really tried their best to seduce the lion. Alas, the lion only has eyes for one lioness..."
"No…" Meijing Bingying shook her head. "Shin still hasn't taken the final step with Kanari, yet..."
"What?! There's no way!" Xunyu Feifei gasped, her two hands covering her mouth. "I'd heard that they're already sharing a chamber!"
The Luminaries were either thirty or close to thirty by now. Qilong Hu and Xunyu Feifei were even engaged while the other three had plenty of experiences with relationships. So, they weren't strangers to talks about sex. They were all quite perplexed that the couple who were at the peak of their prime hadn't taken the final step just yet.
"Are they waiting for marriage?" Qilong Hu hypothesised.
"Apparently so," Meijing Bingying quickly replied.
"Hmmm, I'd never thought that Shin possessed such a traditional mindset… I'd thought that he had some liberal ideas..." Jingyu Taiyi frowned as he thought back on his many conversations with the youth.
"There's a complicated history behind that..." Meijing Bingying sighed. She knew the full story about Ariel and Shin. She also knew how deeply Kanari cared for Shin. Although Bingying was rooting for Kanari, she could tell that the relationship Shin had with Ariel wasn't shallow.
Furthermore, it wasn't her story to spread. "I'll tell you that another time." The woman abruptly changed the topic and turned her attention to Qilong Hu, who had become her right-hand man in the Lantis Paladins.
"Have you prepared the team for tomorrow?" Bingying questioned in a formal tone.
Taking a cue, Qilong Hu responded with a firm salute. "Yes, Ma'am! All of the members are ready to deploy at any moment!"
"Good..." The blue-haired woman nodded. "With the Payircis falling so quickly, there's bound to be some response by the Black Masks. Whether they retreat or send in reinforcements, we have to make sure that our borders are secure. Over the next few months, we'll be staying there for quite some time. So be prepared!"
"Yes, Ma'am!!!"
Bingying watched as the four Luminaries scurried out of the training courtyard to return back to say goodbye to their families. The everlasting white snow continued to drop down from the heavens, calm as can be. Was it a sign of things to come? Only time could tell...
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