In the thunderbird temple, we all decided to return to the capital after Shane claimed the inheritance and awakened a rare Thunderbird Bloodline, the second rarest of the thunderbird line --Black Lightning Bird. His physique had yet to be constructed but I knew it would be something.
Not too long after, I shrank the Thunderbird Temple and pocketed it like I had done its counterpart. Waves of gossip rolled through the lands about the missing temples but all of the ruling powers besides my own were destroyed. So, rumors were just that, rumors, and they gave birth to no actions.
It had been five months since I had taken the Lunar Temple and entered the Thunderbird Temple. Seven years in total for us that went on the expedition, while a mere two years had passed for those in the outside world. And now that the two Temples were gone, it was another blow to the Mortal World --all but turning it into a wasteland of no value.
Once we arrived at the Capital, I saw two years of phenomenal work. Like a war had never happened. The Capital city had been expanded and everything outside was considered the badlands. It was wild and unruly.
We saw lines of people hoping to enter the capital but many were turned away. The Night Empire wasn't an actual sovereign power but a momentary ruling power looking for talent during our stay in the Mortal World.
Landing at the steps of the Imperial Palace, we were greeted by the Clan Leaders and Elders with a mixture of excitement and shock. They were happy to see us but surprised by our aged appearance.
However, Situ Ren was utterly floored as he speechlessly walked up to Situ Qing. Though she was undeniable a world charming beauty, she wasn't the daughter that he watched leave two years ago. He touched her face gently, looked her up and down over a hundred times, and the only thing familiar about her was her gaze. The way they glossed over and pupil trembled by the influx of emotions. Her gaze told Situ Ren that he was her father, a father she thought she would never see again.
Situ Ren couldn't compose himself. The great general dissolved into tears. Though the Situ Clan was known to wear their hearts on their sleeves, never had Situ Ren cried in public. But on that day, he wept for more than I could ever understand until I was blessed with a child of my own, discovering the woes of a father.
Shooing everyone away to let QingQing and her father have peace, I then followed, leaving with my father who could barely hold his joy. He manhandled me, pulling me into his embrace, walk with one arm around my shoulder and a big stupid smile on his face.
"Nephew!" Fei Rong called out to me as I walked away with my father. It was an unwritten law to handle business first, especially after a trip like the Lunar Temple expedition which was the final goal that many legionnaires gave their lives for. But my father was annoyed because he just wanted to talk to me about any and everything.
Looking towards Fei Rong, a familiar face was next to her. "Aunt Rong," I replied.
"You assigned the two legionnaires who survived your expedition to your Night Guard. I was wondering if you still wished to keep this little one." Fei Rong put her hand on the girl's head.
"Astoria? Right?" I asked.
Fei Rong pushed the girl's head down, forcing a bow.
"Leave her be, Aunt Rong. I don't have time for pleasantries." I commanded.
The girl looked up at me. "Pernella Astoria, Lord. You assigned me to Elder Fei Rong before you left the Capital."
I could see her cultivation clearly. She had reached the first stage of Martial Foundation, ready to acquire a physique and breakthrough at any time. Her foundation was stable and her body was cleaned of 80 percent of her impurities acquired during her life in this polluted Mortal World.
"One week for the both of you. Aunt Rong, I want the names of every young talent. I trust your eyes. I want them to be Sect age, Flaming Heart Sect age. Half of them are to be women and the other half will be men. Miss Astoria, you have a week to prepare to fight my servant. She is in the first stage of Xiantian, do you dare?"
Pernella hesitated but only for a brief moment. "Y-yes lord," she replied.
"Hmm" I gave them a nod then continued on my way.
Sometime later, I sat in my father's study. He looked at me while his low chuckles transformed into all-out laughter. "Playing with time is truly mind-boggling. To think my 14-year-old son is actually 19 years old. It sounds insane, right?"
"Very." I laughed.
"I see you've awakened your bloodline. I can feel it. It's domineering, son. Was it hard?" he asked.
"Painfully and profoundly disturbing. So how have things been here?" I actively opened a bottle of Wesco, a sweet and strong Elven liquor. I poured my father a cup, then filled my own.
"All is good." My father replied while putting his cup to his lips. After a simple taste to wet his tongue, he continued, "Last year the Twin Kingdom attacked. Some old goat thought too highly of himself. We wiped them out though. We took in the Order of Queens and increased our strength. They're under the command of the Situ Clan. But besides that, everything has been steady. Your men have told me a wild tale of a crazy Temple Spirit."
"Mmm." I hummed as I finished my gulp of Wesco. "Absolutely bat shit crazy and stuck on revenge. She's the reason QingQing has a new body. Not that I'm complaining, I'm in love with that woman's soul and her love for me. New skin won't change that. But I handled the Temple Spirit, now we can look forward to the cultivation world. Both Temples are ours and they're full of resources."
"So how do we do this?" my father asked.
"In phases. We have the resources to cultivate our force. After you and mom help me merge the two temples, the higher echelon and Night Guard will cultivate inside the temple. The time array is no longer helpful. Only a Heaven Realm expert can activate it. But the environment is very rich, for now. The Qi has accumulated and been purified over thousands of years. As for the legionnaires, we can put them on rotations. The Capital stays defended and our strength increases."
"I'll have Ironwood draft up a system to keep it organized. And we can keep the same awards system. The question is, are we recultivating them or building on top of who they are?"
"You worry about betrayal," I said.
"Of course I do. With all these resources, even the least talented will step into the Earth Realm of cultivation." My father was reasonably worried.
"We'll add in Daemon Beast and Heavenly resource collection to the reward system." I said, " I also want to keep to my plan. In four years we'll ascend. But we will move the four clans and our Legion into the temple and form a new organization when we ascend. But before any of that happens, Bloodline Contracts and Martial Oaths."
My father smiled. Bloodline contracts and Martial Oaths are essentially unbreakable. With them, my father was more at ease with developing our people further.
"Well you have a lot of work to do" he continued, " To manage the force we will become, you'll have to be strong and your potential needs to appear even stronger. So the Flaming Heart Sect, Fei Rong tells me that there are different standards for people over 18. In four years, you'll be 23."
"I'm aware. Houtian by 20 years of age, Xiantian by 28 years of age. If I want to enter the Inner Sect it's Huotian by 17 years of age, Xiantian by 24 years of age."
"Seventh stage of Houtian in four years?" My father asked. "That will present immense talent on the Southern Continent. But you'll still have to push yourself further. Your mother, Fei Rong, and myself. We've all been at the True Martial Warrior Stage since we were 15. That's the difference between this place and the place of our true enemies. There, with rich, dense world qi and never-ending top-quality resources, highborn children are born at the peak of Martial Foundation. At the age of five, when lesser people are condensing their meridians, we're awakening our bloodlines, establishing physiques, and breaking through Houtian. For the next decade, we were racing to break through the Earth Realm and step into the True Martial Warrior stage to compete for better family resources."
"Well, it's a good thing we're still on the Southern Continent where mediocrity is highly valued. With the temple, it's completely possible to hit my goal. You'll know it once you enter the temple. In the past years, I laid a foundation to combat this harsh environment. Now I'm ready to shatter the heavens. And I don't plan on being an Inner Sect Disciple. I'm gunning for a Core Disciple position."
"That's my boy! Dream big! This little Sect that you have your eyes on is just a stepping stone to face real powers." My father smiled greatly as he spoke.
My father and I talked throughout the night about our cultivation, then nonessential things to pass the time as we drank.
When morning came, the capital prepared for a large banquet as Merchants flooded the city. Who knows what could be found in the mortal world. So as trade was bustling and the capital happy, Situ Qing and I strolled through the market to enjoy the day before the banquet came. Behind us were my parent, Situ Ren, and a pregnant Ingrid Macha, who was surprisingly clingy with old man Ren which made Situ Qing overwhelmingly happy.
Though, my father insisted we wear clothes that fit our station which dampened QingQing's mood as she wanted to be unnoticed while touring the market. So there we were, in the middle of the market wearing black and golden attire meant for the Elven Sage's clan patriarch and spouse. QingQing's attire was a battle dress woven of Golden Sun Steel and Neither Widow Silk. While it appeared exquisite and Imperial, the battle dress could actually take three blows from an early-stage Heaven Realm expert.
"Orym! Isn't this pretty?" QingQing asked. "Ingrid, it matches your eyes. I'm going to get it for you."
Ingrid and Situ Ren looked at me and gave them a silent nod.
Ingrid tittered and thanked her adoptive daughter. The mortal world used gold and silver. While it could be exchanged for spirit stones in the cultivation world, I let QingQing spend as she pleased. And spend she did, dragging us around the market and enjoying herself.
When the day aged and twilight came, We returned to the palace and the homecoming banquet was set. All of the higher members of the empire and the talented foot legionnaires were present to celebrate our return.
The night was light-hearted. We met some of the rising stars of the empire and did our duties as leaders. When it was over, we had a few drinks then I took my woman to the dance floor and the night was ours as I directed and official affairs to my parents.
QingQing was my main focus. Gaining a new body was stressful on the soul. The Chaos Serpent Planet didn't have a name for it, but Earth scientists called it Depression. It was the first sign of rejection. But so far she was doing fantastic and couldn't be happier. When I thought she was gone, it was like pieces of my heart and soul were flaking of to be carried away into the wind, doomed to scatter and be lost forever.
Love is truly a dangerous thing.
When the night was over, we retired to our room. But the happiness slow melted away as I woke in the middle of the night to find QingQing sitting in front of a mirror under candlelight. Loved her too much not to pretend I was asleep.
"QingQing..." I spoke softly as I walked up behind her. I placed my hands on her and she held my hands gently but never looked away from the mirror.
"I'm a stranger to everyone. While you all don't seem to mind, I feel trapped. I'm not your QingQing anymore. I'm...I don't know who I am, Orym..." her voice was lined with pain and confusion.
I exhaled heavily and hugged her. "Could you stop loving me if my face was scarred beyond repair in war?"
"You know I won't. It was what you did and how you carried yourself that caught my attention. It was your care, ethic, and view of life that I fell in love with."
"And it's the same for me, QingQing. This is just the beginning of our hardships. It's not going to be wealth, power, appearances, and materialism that keep us together. It's going to be the resonance of our souls. Something deep, primal, and eternal unless we allow it to become finite. It's the soul that makes the person and I'll continue to love you no matter what you look like."
My hand finally covered her eyes and her body relaxed in my embrace.
"This feeling is what you cling to, not the vessel that contains it," I whispered. "Come to bed with me, Love"