Lind spent the rest of the week being cared for by Qing. She talked with him about cultivation concepts that were only in the World Realm but he had great difficulty grasping them. Even though he had been comprehending the Soul Realm so well, Lind realized it was the truth. The farther in the journey, the harder it was to grasp what was beyond the horizon.
Lind felt a little lighter as he fully accepted that his encounter between lives was not as simple as he thought nor was it a lie. It was all he could accept at that time. The profound path of cultivation was not easy to understand. The steps to temper elements and build a foundation took understanding and while the Soul Realm did not seem overly complicated, his old self had no reference to even begin to grasp it.
It left many questions but they were far more positive when Lind believed he had been lied to. The biggest one was how much control Lind had to choose his next life. Could all near death experiences have been due to cultivators being called due to karma? Lind doubted he would know unless he reached whatever realm those 2 women had reached.
Despite the massive improvement Lind had, it was not so easy to resolve heart demons. Qing had set up a schedule of sorts that regulated everything. The point was to help focus Lind on his time with her and working out his heart demons. The current one was the very one Younger Twin made a large headway in.
Lind thought that one was resolved but it was not so easy. The first step was large, but the final step could only be faced when he broke through. His talent as an Innate Cultivator was even more of a double edged sword than before. Thankfully, his training with World Touch had reached a point that he had no problems thus far.
There were discussions about the elements and Lind found he had been narrow in his tempering. Strengthening the elements was only one part of it. The staff technique was actually ingenious in how it naturally enhanced his feeling in this area but active comprehension was far better than relying on a technique. Lind was severely limited in that his 6 elements were not independent of each other as was taught by the Academy.
Qing seemed to have a deeper understanding of how elements interacted but it was also more theory than practical for obvious reasons. She had her 3 elements confirmed of water, fire, and air, but her education was not far different from the Lotus Empire in regards to elemental tempering techniques.
Even so, she was in contact with someone in the Heavenly Maiden Sect that relayed materials through the Sapphire Auction House. Lind was unsure what her standing was in the sect but it must be relatively high as she was never turned down that he knew of. The jade slips and manuals were not great secrets but the profound depth was far greater than anything he had learned in the Academy.
He still attended some of the classes, but Qing restricted his mission hall activities to not stress his heart demons. Possession apparently made it more likely to happen again once it occurred if meridians were not destroyed the first time. Lind knew that immediately as during their earlier conversations he had felt a tug of an abyss now and again as they spoke on his fears and frustrations.
Lind currently was in a lotus position as he felt something shift in his chest. A great weight fell away and Qi flowed like a small river into his dantian as he reached the peak of the 5th tier of the Soul Realm. Turbid and foul breath left his body and Lind smiled wide. It had finally happened after 3 months!
"Qing!" Lind nearly jumped up but finished stabilizing his foundation while his elements were nearly ready to break through to the 7th tier at last. He was finally doing it! A gorgeous woman with platinum blonde hair rushed into his room holding a steaming pan. The smell of food made Lind's stomach rumble but he let her look at his cultivation with her pale eyes.
A surprised but pleased look crossed her features as she nodded and turned back to return the pan. Lind finished stabilizing and walked out into the dining area of their quarters. It was remarkable how quickly Lind adjusted to living with a woman, but it was a professional atmosphere most of the time.
They alternated cooking and Qing was not bad but she definitely was not used to the food in the Lotus Empire. She also had higher requirements since she was in the World Realm. She did not have to eat as much as a Soul Realm but when she did, it would be better to have comparable ingredients.
Lind's body could not handle World Realm food, but the compromise was she made a dish for each of them. It seemed a bit wasteful, but Lind found it fun to learn how to prepare the next realm of ingredients from her.
The plate of vegetables and meat smelled fantastic as they sat down to eat. This was another thing his routine included was regular meals to relax. Lind had not realized how much stress had built up in his time at the Academy. Qing was like a breath of fresh air and honestly Lind was starved for company. Younger Twin was his master but the Immortal Will was distant despite being someone to talk to.
"You finally shattered your first heart demon from what I can see. I am glad." Qing was smiling wide and Lind suddenly felt his face blush. She was beautiful but he was normally not so affected by it. His joy was not solely from his breakthrough, the drag of the heart demons was subtle until they were removed. Lind scratched his cheek as he focused on his food.
"Once you have gone through your combat training, we will begin on another one." The mood dampened a bit, but that was how Qing was. Practical to the point of bluntness, but Lind did not mind it at all. His tumultuous heart was brought to an even keel with her comment and the meal proceeded normally.
"I will be in the garden." Lind summoned his staff and proceeded to do his tempering routine but now one could see the emerald flame was under far more control than before. As he learned about the depth of his elemental cores, it also led to better control of his harmony. A glance to his storage ring was a common thing these days.
Lind had yet to delve into the harmonic crystal he won from the auction, but Qing stated it was unsafe until the heart demons were dealt with. Lind agreed initially but as one was now defeated, he felt an instinct. It was like when he cultivated his foundation. Most cultivators had to truly understand their elements and compress their Qi into a higher quality before they could advance, but Lind followed his instincts to create the perfect foundation.
Lind still had to polish it as he had begun to understand the process better, yet his talent did the lionshare of the work for him. He had begun to understand where instinct could lead him as he realized of all his talents, the Innate Cultivator was the least utilized as he fought it most of his life.
Lind saved questions for Younger Twin when he was allowed to make elixirs again. He was curious to know if he could finally reach peak grade 2 of Mortal Realm. Despite making a Heaven peak grade 2 elixir, Lind could not replicate it. He had finally reached high grade 2 Mortal realm, yet peak grade 2 eluded him. Qing agreed the heart demons could be part of it but she refused to comment beyond that.
The journey was far, but Lind at least had found hope.
****
Cyntilla was nervous. It had been 3 months but she had finally been summoned by someone even her father could not afford to offend. It would not be wrong to think even Darkmoor Kingdom could afford to either but no one would speak that aloud. She had not had any interaction with the other great powers outside of Darkmoor, but now a Heavenly Maiden was coming.
Legends spoke of their deeds in the many wars inside and outside the continents. The fact the Demon Empire yielded to them made all give massive respect to the lowliest member of the Heavenly Maiden Sect. It helped that while they were known to be prideful, arrogance was rare.
A soft knock on the door made her jump and she quickly took a breath to steady herself. Demons and humans may live together on the continent but their encounters were rarely peaceful. Cyntilla may not share the animosity of many of her kind, but indifference was just as strong as any demon. All of that was absent at this moment.
She quickly opened the door and bowed as the platinum blonde hair confirmed the identity of her visitor.
"Princess Fang, it is an honor to meet with you." Cyntilla internally cringed but did not dare to correct Maiden Qing. She led the woman to the couch where tea was steaming fresh on the table. Cyntilla waited until a gesture was given to allow her to sit. The pressure of the World Realm was vague but there to feel.
"I am honored to be able to meet a Heavenly Maiden." There was no lie in Cyntilla's words, it was truly an honor to meet a member of that sect for her. Cultivators were dominated by men in many parts of the world, but none of the sects save the Divine Sword Sect, came close to the prestige and power of the Heavenly Maiden Sect. It would be a lie to say that even demons were influenced by their power.
"I am aware you are busy preparing for the World Realm soon, but I wanted to get another perspective before moving forward with Lind Frey's treatment." Cyntilla slipped at that moment. Her lavender skin flushed deep as her heart raced. The image of the nearly godlike power Lind wielded was burned into her heart from that day despite the fear. If he could overcome his heart demons, that power may one day be his!
"I only knew him during the entrance ritual inside the Ruins. I will help of course." Cyntilla answered a few simple questions then recalled her adventures with Lind. The desert battles were vivid and looking back, she had been enjoying herself. The strange land of anti-elements left both women confused but Maiden Qing held up a hand at the Ruin Spirit.
"Lind comprehended the relationship between demonic cores, soul cores, and these anti-cores?" Cyntilla did not know why this confused Maiden Qing, but she reaffirmed that was the truth. A silence descended on the 2 people but it was not unpleasant. "Why does he not know the depths of his elemental cores then?"
The question was mumbled but the silence allowed Cyntilla to hear it easily. She immediately grasped the crux of the confusion.
"Puzzles! Lind is really good at puzzles and loves them." Cyntilla then began to relate all Lind had told her about how he relaxed with puzzles. He did not need an artifact of cultivation to enjoy them, but it did add a level of complexity to challenge him. In other words, he solved the puzzle of the Ruin but did not comprehend more than that. The Ruin Spirit gave far more in that regard.
Maiden Qing nodded and noted it down.
"You marked him?" The amiable atmosphere now chilled. Cyntilla knew Lind was being open and she had not hidden what she had done, only the context of what it meant. Her virulent green eyes looked a little guilty but she was steady in her heart.
"I swore before Heaven and Earth that if someone could cure my mother, I would become theirs." She had meant every word of it. Even if it was the most disgusting being alive, she would honor it. The spirits blessed her with the chance to meet an elixir master. She had known the moment Lind made that elixir that he was being serious. The mark did have one horrifying function if used on a non-demon if she had been betrayed. Lind's soul would have been shattered.
The oath she took was foolish, but fate had played out far better than hoped in one respect, while making things overly complicated otherwise. Cyntilla looked up into the pale eyes of the Heavenly Maiden and saw shock there.
"You realize what would have happened to you if anyone learned of this oath before it was resolved?" Cyntilla was not a fool. The best case scenario is she would have been sold off without her consent and her mother cured. The worst case was her cultivation shattered and made a plaything of someone's harem. A mere distraction until she died a mortal death.
"I knew the risks, but I needed it for more than saving my mother. I needed to prove to my father I was truly committed to my cultivation." Cyntilla had not meant to go that far, but she quickly shut up as Maiden Qing looked at her closely. No judgmental words came, but a look of understanding flashed on her face.
"I see, I have heard of a rumor while here. How will you resolve the upcoming issue?" Maiden Qing was not prying without reason. Lind Frey was her patient and he was clear he still thought of Cyntilla as his friend. If she was in trouble, there was no doubt in either of their minds that Lind would come to help.
"I will deal with it. He has enough to worry on." Cyntilla never even thought to ask for his help, but knowing he had heart demons to the point of possession made her even less inclined to even mention it. She was a proud warrior and knew this was her battle, not his. Maiden Qing nodded slowly but made no other comment.
Lind Frey did indeed have enough to worry about.