Chapter 101 - 100

"..." Issei doesn't say anything after hearing the phoenix words.

The phoenix thought that he's waiting for her to continue so she continues her speech: "Of course, I won't ask you to do it for free and maybe the things I can give you are not useful for you but it can benefit normal cultivator out there."

The golden eyes flashed again and two spots of light descended from the skies. What fell in front of Issei was a white-colored jade bottle and a broken piece of white jade.

"Inside the white-colored jade bottle is the

. It can increase a cultivator's control of fire energy by a substantial amount. But at the same time, it can also greatly increase a cultivator's profound strength... With regard to normal cultivator strength, it can let their profound strength advance by at least five ranks regardless of their cultivation realm as long as they're below the !"

"Meanwhile, the fragment of the is inscribed on this jade stone. Together, the , the , and the were known as the Three Great World Scorching Heavenly Books. Each possessed tremendous power capable of burning the heavens. That year, the Phoenix left behind the first six stages of the . Only…"

She paused for a moment wanting to see any kind of reaction from Issei but to her disappointment, he doesn't seem to be interested in the least with the things she offered... Not that she hasn't anticipated this since he must clearly possess stronger skill than the .

But she doesn't lose hope and continues to say her offer towards him. But she needed to mention the incomplete art first.

The phoenix spirit's voice held a deep sigh: "Originally, this had recorded everything from the first to the sixth stage, but before the first challenger arrived, an unexpected accident happened..."

"That year, the Phoenix left two trial grounds in this continent. One was here and the other was at the enormous

a long-distance away. The trial ground at the

was quickly discovered and the

was created. That trial ground also became a restricted area that belonged solely to the

.

Afterward, the

became the number one sect of that empire. The empire was renamed as the

and even the empire's capital was established near the

. Thus, the area where the trial ground was located became the empire's most prosperous region. Humanity's avarice, deceit, barbarous acts, and war… Constantly existed and tainted the aura within that region. It thereby infected the Phoenix's spirit in that trial ground and gave it a consciousness it should not have had... Which led it to betray the will of the Phoenix."

"As a part of the Phoenix spirit with a different body, I knew of its existence then, and similarly, it knew of mine. After it had developed the consciousness it shouldn't have, it actually had the idea of destroying me and this trial ground, wanting to have the entire continent to itself. Thus, it transferred its energy to a common firebird and came here. It fiercely battled against me and completely destroyed my copy of the jade that recorded the ."

"During the intense fight, I destroyed a portion of its copy of the , leaving it with only the first four stages. Afterward, I was no match for it and had no other option but to create a false illusion of dissipating into flames. Only until then did it leave… But it didn't know that I had removed the fifth and sixth stages of the instead of destroying them, which is the piece that you are holding right now. After that, I completely severed my soul connection to it. It never felt my existence again and has always believed that I had died but I have continued to carry out the will of the phoenix. While guarding this trial ground, I have welcomed and monitored all the challengers."

Issei only silently listened to her explanation and to be honest, he's not really feeling interested in the Phoenix history whatsoever...

"...So I'm guessing the help you wanted me to assist you with is to destroy or kill the other Phoenix spirit?" Issei finally said something.

"...No, what I need your help with is to help me find the other phoenix spirit bloodline inheritor. But I want the inheritor to have a pure heart and if he/she not worthy of the rest of my inheritance then no need to give it to them... And when the time comes you can do whatever you want with my inheritance because that can only mean the Phoenix legacy will have no more complete inheritor..." The Phoenix said softly.

As for asking Issei to give it to his wife, that thought never cross her mind since Paniverna clearly has higher divinity than she is.

"Oh? You don't want me to destroy the other phoenix spirit?" Issei asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No... I'm but a spirit remnant from the original Phoenix. So I don't feel any hatred nor anger towards the other phoenix spirit. My task is only to find a worthy successor for the Phoenix inheritance, no more no less." The Phoenix said.

"Of course, you can give the inheritance to someone you think worthy enough if you want. I'm sure someone like you who have a massive amount of good karma will know how to judge people wisely." The phoenix added.

"I need to correct your words on your previous statement... I'm not a good person. I'm a very selfish person that will do anything just to make my loved ones safe and happy. Even if I have to destroy this whole universe and killed trillions of innocent lives in the process, I won't hesitate even for a second... So don't assume that you know of me just based on external factors." Issei said in a cold voice.

"Perhaps... But the fact that you're willing to tell me about this is proof in and of itself that you are clearly has a noble heart... Also, the reason for your selfishness is out of someone you hold dear, not for some personal gains and that is good enough for me... If you would sacrifice everything just for the sake of gaining strength then no matter how many karmas you accumulated afterward, I would've deemed you unworthy." The Phoenix gently said.

"..." Issei went silent after hearing her words.

"And for my last offer for your help... I can sense that your soul is quite injured to a certain extent... I don't know what kind of being is capable of injuring someone like you but..." The phoenix said in astonished voice thinking just what kind of being is capable of injuring a Godly being like Issei...

If that being is still alive and decided to take a visit to this universe then they are doomed... Thankfully it's Issei the one who visited their world and not his foe...

"But I can help you to recover your injury albeit not much... And that is the last thing I could do for you... If you're still not satisfied with my offer then you can ignore everything I've said. You can still keep the

if you want and just consider it as a gift from this lowly one." The phoenix finally said.

"Hmm... And how can you help me with my injury?" Issei inquired.

"...You can absorb my soul... Even though my current self is nothing compared to the original Phoenix. I'm still a spirit remnant of a divine beast that reaches the nonetheless and I'm sure that my soul can heal you to a certain degree. And I can sense that you possess 2 Heavenly treasure within your body... One of them being the and the other one is the ... You can use the to assist you in the process of absorbing my soul." The Phoenix suggested and it appears that she has a small knowledge on the .

She doesn't feel surprised at all after finding out Issei possessing 2 Heavenly treasures with him. The Heavenly treasures themselves have a sentient will of their own and they can choose who's going to be their master.

They will obviously choose Issei as their master considering there's no better candidate than he is...

She won't even feel a tiny bit surprised if all 7 Heavenly treasures were to suddenly presented themselves in his hand right at this moment...

Issei doesn't really need help the help if he wanted to absorb the Phoenix spirit since he possesses Forzelotte's unique skill but the Phoenix obviously doesn't know that...

"Oh? Do you know what you're saying? If I absorbed your soul then you will cease to exist."

"I know... Sooner or later I will disappear into nothingness anyway so it makes no difference how I will dissipate." The Phoenix calmly answers Issei's question.

"No... I think you misunderstood something..." Issei took off his mask and the Phoenix who saw his face become dumbstruck since she never thought that someone could be so devastatingly beautiful... But when she saw the glowing Dragon eyes of Issei she shuddered in awe and fear...

"If you were to "Die" normally at your current situation then your soul will transmigrate to the cycle of reincarnation... Sure you're just a spirit remnant of the original Phoenix but that doesn't mean that you don't have your very own soul. The fact that the other Phoenix spirit turned that way is a fact that you both are a living being and not just some mere spiritual remnants..." Issei stared at the Phoenix's eyes to make her understand just what it means if he were to absorb her soul.

"You might think that if you were to die then you will just dissipate into nothingness? That is wrong... If I absorbed your soul, only then you will truly dissipate into nothingness. You will cease to exist without being able to reincarnate... Now, do you understand what you're suggesting? If you're certain of your offer then I will accept your request. But knows that after that there will be no going back for you." Issei narrowed his eyes at her.

"My other wife is the true Goddess of Death. She told me only those that have mastered and aura themselves are capable of truly granting someone a true death. And I am one of those people who has mastered the and aura at the same time."

He notices the people of this world think that if they were to destroy the spiritual body of another person then they will be able to prevent them to reincarnate or whatnot... But that is wrong.

The which contained someone's very own soul essence is the one that needed to be destroyed so that person won't be able to reincarnate... But those things are only visible to people like him and Semiramis... And even if they could see them, whether they're able to destroy it or not is a whole different story.

A saintess such as Croix and Jeanne's group might be able to see them but they won't be able to destroy them.

"..." The phoenix went silent because she never thought it this far before since she thought she's just the "Will" of the phoenix and nothing else... For the first time ever since she's created by the original Phoenix, she finally felt a certain emotion budding inside her... And that emotion is called fear...

She started to feel afraid of the unknown... What will become of her when she truly dissipates and when her soul is absorbed by Issei... She thought that she will just dissipate when she dies but she never thought that she will be able to reincarnate... And if Issei absorbed her soul she will lose that opportunity...

Now she finally understands why the other phoenix spirit turns out to be that way... It's because she has a consciousness of her own in the first place and not just a mere accident...

She's no different herself... If she truly doesn't have consciousness of her own then she won't feel fear like this...

Issei who saw the struggle within her eyes just went silent... He thought that the other phoenix spirit must've realized the fact that they have their own consciousness earlier than this one in front of him hence she felt afraid of dying since only the other spirit is capable of defeating her in this world. So she strikes first...

To him, there's nothing wrong with feeling afraid of dying so he doesn't really think the other phoenix spirit did something wrong at all... Even he is afraid if he were to die then his loved ones will be left alone...

"Seems like you finally understand what it means to have your soul absorbed by me? I can see it in your eyes that you felt uncertainty and fear... And that's normal since that just means that you are alive." Issei said towards the shaken Phoenix.

What the original Phoenix did is like a pseudo-creation. If Issei could create a brand new spirit such as Esdeath, Altair, and Sirius from nothing then the phoenix created a brand new spirit from its own soul.

They are not just a spiritual will but more like a soul residue from the Phoenix itself. You could say that they're the original Phoenix clones.

After a while, the Phoenix finally closed her eyes... But when her eyes are opened once more, her eyes are filled with emptiness... Issei frowned a little since it looks like she decided to stop caring about anything else other than the original Phoenix "Will" once again...

"...I am but a spiritual remnant of the Phoenix... So it is my duty to fulfill her will. My offer still stands, GodKing... You can absorb my soul as the payment for my request. In fact, you can absorb it now if you wanted to." She said in a flat tone without any emotion.

"...Are you certain?" Issei calmly asked her while his already glowing eyes intensify trying to intimidate her even further. He also released his tyrannical Draconic aura along with his at full throttle...

There's a faint Crimson Dragon projection shadow behind Issei's body that took its shape from his aura and haki combination... The Phoenix felt so small in front of this embodiment of Issei's Draconic form...

A golden chain emerged from all around her... Binding her whole body. Even being in touch with these golden chains alone made her feel extremely weak already... How would she feel when her soul is being absorbed? Extremely painful? Beyond painful?

The phoenix shuddered fiercely for a brief moment before she closed her eyes in resignment: "...Yes. It will be my honor to be of use for you, GodKing."

"...Very well. I will honor our agreement at the price of your very own soul." Issei finally nodded at her resolution.

He extended his hand towards the Phoenix direction and there's a suction force coming from the palm of his hand that greedily absorbed the Phoenix's energy.

The Phoenix kept her eyes closed accepting her fate...

She doesn't really feel anything other than her powers and divine energy being stripped away from her... She thought it must be Issei being merciful towards her hence she doesn't feel any pain other than some discomfort...

This process only went on without any obstruction... 5 minutes... 10 minutes... 15 minutes... 30 minutes... and when the Phoenix thought it will dissipate into nothingness. She can feel something different happening to her supposed spiritual body...

She can feel her previous Phoenix form started receding into a much smaller form...

From her head, her torso, her arms, until finally, her legs... All of them turned into a humanoid feature... The golden chains disappeared along with her body transformation...

She becomes gobsmacked seeing the changes in her body... She thought that she will dissipate into nothingness when Issei finished absorbing her spiritual and divinity energy... But now she can feel a brand new fire spirit residing within her...

It doesn't exactly replace her being and if anything, it makes her feels as if she has been reborn...

She has very long scarlet-red hair and a beautiful pair of crimson eyes representing a ruby that could intoxicate those who gazes upon them. Her skin like those of a porcelain doll that could rival even a newborn baby skin and it looks very soft to the touch.

Her breasts and bottoms look so firm and full that it could make any men who saw them will feel like their blood boils with lust.

(AN: The link to her image will be posted in the comment section later).

She doesn't wear anything at the moment meaning that her lust-inducing body is shown in its full glory without a single article of clothing blocking the view...

She stared at her new body in a daze...

Issei took out a red dress and give it to her... She dazedly received the clothes that are currently being given to her.

"I already accepted the payment. I will help you find the true successor of the other phoenix spirit later when I have the chance." Issei said calmly towards the dazed Phoenix.

"...W-Why...?" She confusedly asked Issei.

"What?" He asked.

"...Why am I still alive?"

"I accepted your payment as it is... I absorbed your spiritual and divinity energy and then I replaced it with a brand new fire spirit. But because of it, you lose all of your strength, meaning that you have become a normal mortal now." Issei explained.

"...But..." The Phoenix tried to say something else but Issei beat her to it.

"Hmph... Don't underestimate me. Do you think I'm so weak that I need to resort to devouring souls? I have never absorbed or devoured any souls before this so why should I start now? Besides, all I need is your divinity and spiritual energy, not your soul itself." Issei scoffed at her.

If Issei used the for the absorption process before then the phoenix will truly dissipate into nothingness since the mirror itself can't do a complicated process like filtering the spiritual and divinity energy within the phoenix soul.

But since Issei possesses the he can easily do it.

If he just devours the phoenix soul as it is then the process might be faster but he doesn't choose to do so...

"But remember that your soul still belongs to me in the end." He continued.

He thought that he will just give her to Paniverna to handle later... Even though she's basically Issei's servant now but everyone who knows him well would know that being his servant is basically just a servant in name while Issei himself rarely gives order to them... They're pretty much a normal person with a job and Issei is their boss...

As can be seen from the Heroic Spirits group as an example...

The Phoenix eyes went wide before tears started pouring out from her eyes... She felt extremely relieved that she doesn't have to truly die...

She understands the underlying meaning behind Issei's words... He meant that she is basically his belongings now...

"...This slave greets her Master." She kowtowed at Issei direction but there's a relieved smile on her face...

Issei frowned at her words: "Don't call yourself a slave... Don't you have a name?"

"...This maid doesn't have a name other than being known as the Spirit of the Phoenix. I implore you to give me a name, Master." She said while still in the kowtowing position.

"...Then you shall be called Xiaotao from now on." Issei thought for a moment before he gives her a name.

"...Xiaotao thanks Master for his kindness." She said with smiles through tears.

After a brief chat, Issei told her to enter the . She becomes awestruck by the sheer amount of treasures inside the ... As far as her eyes could see there's a massive amount of priceless treasures...

She doesn't recognize most of the things stored here but she knows that it's extremely powerful... Some even surpassing the 7 Heavenly Treasures themselves...

But after observing for a while she shakes her head and focused herself to cultivate her newfound life... That way she can serve her newfound Master... Issei already stored the rest of the phoenix inheritance inside the .

Although she's basically a mortal now but she is still the Phoenix incarnation so she's able to regain her previous divinity and even become a brand new Phoenix entity on her own...

Well, it's more like she's a profound beast in a human form more than an actual human. But that makes things easier since she can just absorb Issei concentrated profound energy like other profound beasts could...

...

Issei reconnected his connection with the and the moment he did that, he heard Jasmine screaming in anger saying stuff like he's being petty and a cheapskate or whatnot...

"Where's the phoenix? What were you two talking about? How come you have a phoenix flame? Why can you create a spatial opening?" She fired a series of questions demanding an answer with both of her hands on top of her hips...

She comes out from the while fuming in anger... But all she earns is another flick to the forehead...

*Flick* *Ow!*

She thought she will be prepared for his "Attack" but she can't even react to it... She forgot that Issei is the master of the . She won't be able to re-enter the pearl unless Issei let her...

She then begrudgingly returned inside the after receiving her "Punishment" while still covering her reddening forehead and covered herself in a blanket on top of her bed... Xun'er smiles wryly at her daughter and she can hear her grumbling under the blanket as well...

...

Issei then returned to the previous hut...

"Sorry for making you wait." He said towards Xia Qingyue and Cang Yue. Even Feng Baichuan is still there.

But he saw that both Feng Baichuan and Cang Yue looking at him with their eyes and mouth wide open...

He's confused why they're making a face like that until Xia Qingyue reminded him: "Elder Ise, your mask." She said with a silent sigh since it seems that her elder will have another pursuer soon...

"Oh, right." He then wears his mask once again.

Cang Yue is still dazedly staring at him as if she's able to peer through his mask... She will never be able to forget his otherworldly face in this lifetime...

Her eyes started becoming glazed with her cheeks reddening... While Feng Baichuan shuddered fiercely thinking that he almost went to the wrong path just now.

He can only pray to the Phoenix and Heaven themselves that his wife won't see his face or he might be forced to wear a green hat sooner or later...

Even he who's a man almost went to the wrong path, needless to say about his wife...

"Clan leader Feng, can you gather all of your clansmen here?" Issei suddenly said towards him.

"Huh? M-May I ask why you needed to all of my clansmen to gather in one spot?" He started letting his imagination gets the better of him thinking Issei wanted to make every woman in their village to be smitten at him and that's including his own wife... No! He can't let this happen!

"I can remove the curse in your bloodline." Issei said simply.

This short sentence from Issei was like a clap of thunder that sounded right beside Feng Baichuan's ears snapping him out of his delusion. His body trembled and the features of his entire face froze on the spot. Following that, his gaze trembled violently as he rushed to Issei's front in an instant, tightly grabbed both of Issei's arms with both of his hands, and asked with trembling excitement: "What did you say? What did you say… Could… Could you repeat that?"

Feng Baichuan's reaction was completely within Issei's expectations.

"Yes, I have a little conversation with the Phoenix and she told me how to remove it. The curse in your bloodline is very easy to remove, it can be removed just by burning it with phoenix flame." Actually, he can easily remove their curse even without the phoenix telling him how to do it.

He can just use his or just absorb or erase the curse on his own.

But Xiaotao told him to just use Paniverna's phoenix flame to erase it. Since it's easier to do it that way then he will do just that.

While speaking, Issei suddenly raised his hand and pressed the dark red phoenix imprint on Feng Baichuan's forehead with his right hand's index finger. A small dot of Paniverna's phoenix flame quickly ignited on his fingertips, and then instantly rushed into Feng Baichuan's phoenix imprint.

Feng Baichuan's face revealed a trace of pain, but it had also only appeared for that instant. Subsequently, the color of his phoenix imprint suddenly started to change, from a dark red, it gradually became more and more vivid, until it became a scarlet color that was completely devoid of any murkiness.

Issei then withdrew his finger when the process is done.

Feng Baichuan then stretched out his trembling hand to stroke the phoenix imprint on his forehead that had become hot. He was excited and so moved that he didn't know what to do. He spoke in a tearful voice: "The curse… has disappeared… It really has entirely disappeared..."

"Now you see that I'm telling the truth. Go and gather your clansmen here so I can remove their curse." Issei said towards the ecstatic Feng Baichuan.

"Okay… Okay!" Feng Baichuan nodded his head as his eyes filled with tears. As he looked at Issei, the gratitude in his heart was so strong that it could not be described with any language. Issei had wiped out the Black Demon Mercenary Group, saved the lives of his entire clan, saved his children lives, and removed the curse in their bloodline, essentially saving hundreds of their clansmen's future generations!

He allowed their entire clan to once again possess power and dignity! With the power to protect themselves, after the next generation, they would no longer have to sneakily hide in this desolate mountain range.

Feng Baichuan then finished gathering his whole clansmen in front of Issei...

Issei doesn't go around putting his finger on top of the villager's head like he just did with Feng Baichuan but he just willed for Paniverna's flame to move around in his stead.

Because of it, he finished erasing their curse in only a short amount of time... He also taught them the but he doesn't give the rest of the Phoenix inheritance to them since it is reserved for the true successor.

All he needs to do is just to share the content of the jade that contains the with them so it doesn't really waste too much time to do so.

Issei told them that there's no need to guard the trial ground anymore since the Phoenix has already passed away much to their dismay... He told them if he doesn't believe what he said then they can go inspect the trial ground on their own.

Feng Baichuan instantly said that they do believe him, it's just that it's really hard to believe the divine beast they have been guarding after all this time is no more...

Issei has done so much for them and there's absolutely no reason for him to lie to them considering he is far stronger than all of them combined...

If he wanted to he can easily kill them all and take whatever he wants... They won't be able to fight back in the slightest.

...

After bidding farewell to everyone, Issei's party resumed their journey...

Every clansman from the phoenix clan came out to see them off and looked at the skies as they flew off, they stayed for a long while, even after their silhouettes had completely disappeared from their sight.

"Father, was big brother Ise really sent by the Phoenix God to save us?" Feng Zu'er asked innocently, as he reluctantly looked at the sky. He idolized Issei as his real big brother after all...

Feng Baichuan caressed his son's head and slowly nodded: "Yes. Since the year our ancestors committed a grave mistake, after so much atonement and remorse, the Phoenix God has finally forgiven us. However, I have a wonderful feeling that one day, we will meet him again."

"Really?" Feng Zu'er and Feng Xian'er's eyes lit up as their faces filled with anticipation.

"Definitely." Feng Baichuan smiled. Without the cursed bloodline, their profound strength would no longer be limited, and the phoenix imprint on their forehead could be hidden anytime as well so the next generation would no longer need to hide in these dangerous grounds deep in the mountains.

"However, the next time we see him, perhaps the level in which he will be standing, will be high enough for everyone to look up to. That is why, Zu'er, Feng'er, if you really want to see him again, you must start to train diligently from now on. As of now, we don't have the qualifications to repay his great kindness, but after you two have grown up and acquired sufficient strength, you can then walk out of here and assist him… Even if it is the most minuscule of assistance, it will still show the gratitude of our entire clan."

Unknown to him, Issei is already at the top of the whole universe... But that's something they won't realize soon...

"Mn!" Feng Zu'er and Feng Xian'er vigorously nodded their heads as their young and tender faces filled with determination.

"Xian'er will surely help big brother Ise beat up the baddies when she grows up!" She pumped her tiny fist up in the air.

Feng Baichuan's body stiffens after hearing his daughter's words and remembered about Issei's otherworldly countenance... 'I really should prevent my wife to never ever see his face... It's fine if it's my daughter but not my wife!' He vowed in his mind.

...

Xia Qingyue frowned a little seeing Cang Yue often sneaks a peek at Issei's direction. Now she understands that this kind of behavior doesn't apply only to men, but it applies to women as well...

But there's nothing she could do so she let her be...

She doesn't realize her fellow sisters in the sect also often sneakily peek at Issei whenever they have free time. Not surprising since Xia Qingyue herself only come to Issei place to train and when she's not at his place, she will cultivate in her own room... Her dedication is truly remarkable.

Cang Yue and Xia Qingyue don't ask anything about Issei being able to use a Phoenix flame and as for the spatial opening he created, they don't really have the knowledge about it so they just thought it's just one of Issei's special art.

While Cang Yue doesn't ask Issei about it out of her respect on Issei's personal secret. Xia Qingyue doesn't ask him about it since she thought that if he wanted to share it then he will but if not then she won't ask either.

She trusts Issei completely after all and she doesn't even think for a second that Issei might harm her or the sect.

Their journey continues in this kind of fashion until they reach their destination... The . It is located in the central-northern regions of the empire and is also its biggest city. Its area is more than thirty times the size of . At the dead center of the imperial city is the imperial palace.

Many people recognize Cang Yue's profound beast, so they know that it's their empire princess returning back to the city.

But they felt awe seeing Issei who's currently flying beside her profound beast since only practitioners that have broken through to the is able to fly on their own...

The is among the lowest in terms of power ranking... They also never entered the top 10 ranks in the tournament and always stays around the bottom fodder...

In their whole kingdom, there's not a single true practitioner... There's only a half step .

Issei and Xia Qingyue followed Cang Yue to the Blue Wind Imperial Palace straight away.

Cang Yue regained her bearings since she has more important matters at hand...

The imperial palace's architecture was naturally luxurious, golden-colored tiles glittered under the sunshine in every direction.

Cang Yue was still plainly dressed. She wouldn't be recognized by others outside, but within the imperial palace, who wouldn't be familiar with the only princess of the imperial family. Everywhere they went, every bodyguard and palace maid would all hurriedly bow down as soon as they saw Cang Yue, respectfully calling her "Princess Cang Yue".

When following alongside Cang Yue, Issei and Xia Qingyue did not feel disgruntled or nervous at all. The maids and bodyguards on the castle don't dare to look at Issei and Xia Qingyue for a prolonged time since they thought it would be quite disrespectful of them to do so...

Someone that the princess brought along and treated with respect must have quite a special background.

The crown prince and third prince had many eyes within the imperial palace, this incident of them following Cang Yue to enter the imperial palace would definitely be known by the crown prince and third prince before long, but Issei and Xia Qingyue didn't know about this matter and even if they do, they won't care at all since the power struggle is none of their business.

Issei only has a deal with Cang Yue and that's it, no more no less. When he fulfilled the part of his deal then he will have nothing to do with her anymore...

The imperial palace was huge. As Cang Yue walked at the front, she also introduced the important structures of the imperial palace to Issei and Xia Qingyue. Unintentionally, they had already arrived in front of a grand and imposing palace.

"Here's my father's chambers." Cang Yue said with a slightly nervous expression. She's feeling nervous whether Issei is able to recognize her father's illness or not...

The passage leading to the palace had a large pond on either side, the lotus flowers in the ponds just happened to be in bloom as its clear water rippled in waves. The green willows brushed alongside the water and the lotus leaves slightly drooped as their flowers faced the wind, permeating the air with a faint sweetness.

Although the is far more beautiful, this palace is not that bad either.

With Cang Yue at the front, she brought Issei and Xia Qingyue towards the emperor's chambers. As soon as they stepped through the door, they saw an elderly man in a gray robe, who had a beard that hung down to his chest, walk toward them. Although this elderly man was clearly very old, his hair and beard were pitch black, it was evident that he was an expert in maintaining good health. Although far away from him, Issei was able to faintly smell the scent of medicine on this person body.

He often assisted Semiramis, Kyou, and Kinou with their potion concoction so he's not foreign to the scent of medicine.

But Issei who saw this elderly man frowned a little since he senses there's something wrong with him... He kind of reminded Issei of Rocinante... This person whole body reeks of greed...

Behind the elderly man followed two attendants, although they were only attendants, within the deepest parts of their eyes, their arrogance was clearly visible even though they're inside the imperial palace...

When the two attendants saw Xia Qingyue, their eyes immediately turned lecherous but their body instantly shuddered sensing her cold gaze on them... They hurriedly look down since they can sense that she's not a person they can afford to provoke. Especially after they felt a terrorizing pressure descending on their body coming from the masked man beside her...

And they become further terror-stricken seeing that their Master and the princess themselves don't seem to see anything wrong at all... They started to sweat profusely with their legs shaking but they don't dare utter a single word...

Seeing this elderly person, Cang Yue's footsteps paused, hurriedly moved forward to meet them, and humbly greeted with respect, "Master Gu, you came. How is my father's condition?"

"So it was your highness the princess." The elderly man saluted in turn with a chuckle and very amiable face, "This morning, I received the emperor's summons so I came to take a look. Last night, the night air was cold and caused the emperor to suffer a little wind chill; it already isn't an issue. As for the matter of the emperor's life veins… Sigh, please forgive this old one for his incompetence, I still have not found a way to deal with it."

"Master Gu, please don't speak in that way, my father's life veins were already damaged beyond repair, and there is no cure in this world. If my father wasn't under Master Gu's care these years, I fear… In short, Master Gu must not blame himself. Cang Yue once again thanks Master Gu for this kindness." Cang Yue said gratefully.

"When Princess Cang Yue says it in that way, it really is overpraising this old one. Your highness, please be at ease, this old one will definitely do his best to ensure the emperor's health… The emperor is about to retire to bed now, so if your highness wishes to see the emperor, then quickly enter, this old one shall take his leave."

"Take care, Master Gu."

The elderly man carried a medicine chest and strolled away with his terror-stricken attendants. When he passes Issei and Xia Qingyue, he nodded in courtesy in their direction with the same amiable smile on his face.

He thought that both of them are just Cang Yue's guest so he doesn't think much.

Cang Yue followed him with her eyes until he left, one could see the respect she had towards this elderly person.

It was only when the elderly man was very far away did she turn her gaze back to Issei and Xia Qingyue. She explained. "He is the Master Gu that I mentioned before, in this couple of years, my father's illness was being treated by him. It was only because of Master Gu that my father had been able to struggle with death until now."

She already briefly informed Issei about Master Gu during their journey.

"...I will give you some advice. Be wary of him... You can ignore my words if you want." Issei said calmly.

Cang Yue frowned a little hearing his words feeling a little offended since she is very grateful towards Master Gu.

"...Master Gu Qiuhong is already one hundred and sixty years old this year. Possessing the title , his medical expertise is the absolute best in the .

He is publicly recognized as the number one genius doctor. Moreover, not only is Master Gu's medical expertise very high, but he also knows the art of opening profound entrances. He is able to help profound practitioners posteriorly open the three profound entrances of the Sunflower Dew, Vacant Seed, and Heart Gate.

Having Master Gu open one's profound entrances is practically the dream of every single profound practitioner in the . Even the four major sects have always treated Master Gu as a prestigious guest because of that. Every year, they would respectfully request Master Gu to open profound entrances for the core disciples of their sect. Therefore, Master Gu is extremely renowned in the . The number of people who request him, owe their lives to him and owe him favors, is uncountable.

Thus, there was never anyone who would dare to offend Master Gu. Otherwise, there would be an uncountable amount of people who would take the initiative to stick up for Master Gu. That's including the other major sects." Cang Yue started informing Issei of Master Gu's achievements thinking that he might not have the knowledge of it.

What she said is indeed true, Even the has also given this Master Gu a certain respect before but that's only before Issei's arrival. By now they could barely remember his name and if no one mentioned it, they will never recall it...

Xia Qingyue almost chuckled at Cang Yue's statement: 'Only 3 profound entrances? Our sect Elder can easily open all 54 profound entrances in a blink of an eye.' She thought proudly inside her mind.

"..." Issei doesn't say anything else. If he believes him then good but if not then so be it.

He doesn't really blame her either since she knows this Master Gu longer than she knows him. So obviously she won't easily trust his words just like that.

"It would be wise of you to follow my sect Elder advice." Xia Qingyue advised Cang Yue since she has been very helpful towards her little brother.

If it were anyone else, she won't even bother... It will be their blessing if they take heed of Issei's advice but if not then it's their loss.

She knows that Issei is not the type to just spout nonsense and act out of envy or anything like that... Just the fact that he casually gives away so many invaluable treasures to the sect is more than enough as proof that he's not a person who value materialistic thing.

Even Grand Mistress Feng Qianhui offered the position of the sect master to him but he refuses it instantly...

"...Then Cang Yue will take Elder Ise's advice into consideration." Cang Yue finally decided to just say "accept" Issei's advice.

Upon entering the chambers, the emperor's middle-aged eunuch immediately went ahead to report.

"Since three years ago when Father suddenly fell ill, he began to spend a large portion of his time within his chambers and seldom went out. Because Father's health was simply too poor, he was unable to bear the slightest bit of wind chill. Even if he were to catch some minor illness, it would still be possible for it to be a danger to his life." Cang Yue said sadly.

"With the condition that Father was in, he was no longer capable of managing the affairs of the nation, but my eldest imperial brother and third imperial brother began to act imprudently and had to lead wolves into the household. Afterward, not only were they disrespectful to Father but they also occasionally tried to coerce Father, which made it impossible for Father to pass on the throne to either of them, he had no other choice but to use his life to stall day by day…"

"I see." Issei simply answered.

He thought that he will surely make sure that his children won't go down this treacherous path... He will educate them carefully and treat each other with love.

There's nothing more hurtful to him if his children were to feel hatred against their own family...

"Your highness, as well as these 2 esteemed guests, the emperor is waiting for you inside. Please enter." The middle-aged eunuch standing at the door bent at the waist and respectfully saluted.

After entering the emperor's chambers, Issei saw an elderly person leaning on an imperial bed at first glance. Cang Yue was 18 years old, the crown prince would be 32 in eight days.

Logically, the emperor should be around fifty or sixty years old. Having lived in the lap of luxury with countless elixirs and legendary fruits, the emperor shouldn't look old at that age, but the person on the bed looked withered with a wax yellowed complexion, grizzled white hair, and lifeless expression. He looked like an 80-year-old elder past his prime.

Issei has met with a lot of Kings from different worlds and most of them look quite young. And only very few of them look old.

Even King Louin who's a normal human, Riche and Croix's father looks quite young for someone of his age.

But something else made Issei felt a bit of anger since the "illness" of this King in front of him reminded him of a certain disgusting memory from the past...

Xia Qingyue who's standing silently by his side sensed Issei's sudden emotional fluctuation and she becomes a little astonished since this is the first time she has ever seen Issei lost his calm albeit only for a brief moment...

She wondered if there's something wrong with this Emperor...

"Father!" Seeing how bad Cang Wanhe looked, Cang Yue's heart ached. She hurriedly rushed toward the bed and asked worriedly "Just a moment ago, in front of the chamber's doors, we bumped into Master Gu. He said you caught another cold last night… How do you feel now? Is it a little better?"

"Heh heh," Cang Wanhe looked towards her daughter affectionately. Nowadays, he could only feel the warmth of being a parent from this daughter, "It isn't an issue anymore. We were afraid that you would be overly worried again, so We didn't tell you. Yue'er, the 2 people you brought with you, shouldn't you introduce them?"

"Um, they both are Elder Ise and Fairy Xia Qingyue respectively. And both of them are from the . I asked Elder Ise for his help to see if he could identify your sickness." Cang Yue introduced Issei and Xia Qingyue's identity towards her father.

"Oh? Esteemed guests from the ?" Cang Wanhe revealed an astounded look and then started laughing bitterly: "We're sorry that we can't properly receive esteemed guests to our humble palace... But as you can see..."

"No need for that kind of stuff... I'm not fond of flashy things like that so just simple greeting is more than enough." Issei said.

"Then we're grateful for your words, Elder Ise." Cang Wanhe laughed softly at Issei's words.

"Ah, Elder Ise. Can you please identify my father's sickness?" Cang Yue said with a hopeful voice.

"...I can." Issei said after a brief silence.

"Ah? R-Really?!" Cang Yue face beamed with joy while Cang Wanhe only has his eyes widen but soon he regained his calm.

Even Gu Qiuhong couldn't do anything, so it was impossible for anyone else in the to be able to treat him... So he doesn't want to get too hopeful and see what Issei has to say first.

"Your father is not sick at all... He's not inflicted by some disease or anything like that... Rather, he's quite healthy if it wasn't for the parasite inside his body." Issei said calmly.

"Ah? Parasite?" Cang Yue asked in confusion and Cang Wanhe eyebrows also furrowed in confusion.

Issei doesn't say anything else before he walked to Cang Wanhe's location.

"I sensed another life within your body... This kind of thing is usually only possible with women since that means they're harboring another life within their body, in other words, when they're pregnant... But since you're obviously a man, that kind of thing is impossible to happen. And the life signal is located near your heart instead of your stomach." Out of nowhere, Issei stabbed his finger into the location where Cang Wanhe's heart is located.

"Father!!!" Cang Yue screamed in terror thinking that Issei just stabbed her father while Cang Wanhe himself becomes frozen stiff because he never thought that Issei would suddenly do this.

There's someone hiding in the shadow at the corner of the room and he hastily went forward wanting to stop Issei action but it is too late... Issei's finger already dug deep into Cang Wanhe's chest and with the wave of his other hand, this shadowy figure becomes rooted on the spot unable to move a single finger along with Cang Yue herself who wanted to throw herself at Issei direction to stop him.

He becomes completely astonished because of this... Issei wasn't even looking at his direction and with just a wave of his hand, he's able to lock him in place... Just what kind of strength is this?!

Xia Qingyue who's observing all of this still remained calm since she believes that Issei won't do things without any meanings behind it... And she was right.

Although Issei stabbed his finger into Cang Wanhe's chest. It doesn't bleed at all and if one looks closely, it's as if his finger just phase through his chest without making a single scratch wound.

After a few seconds, Issei pulled out his finger from Cang Wanhe's chest and even then, there's still no wound that can be found on top of his chest. Even his clothes are still intact much to their amazement...

But there's something wriggling around on Issei's fingertip... A slender, completely golden parasitic worm about half an inch long, stretched out half of its body and violently wriggled.

"Ah!!!"

Lan Xueruo was so frightened that she cried out in fear. Her rosy face lost all its color. Even the emperor, Cang Wanhe, was struck dumb as his entire body stiffened… Xia Qingyue is also felt disgusted by the sight of this parasitic worm.

"Our… Our body actually had something like that inside of it!" Cang Wanhe seemed as if he had already calmed down, but his stiff body showed that he was still in the frightened state he was in before.

"...Um, this parasite is similar to the one I've found in the past... There was once a young girl who's in similar condition as you. At first, I thought she was pregnant but then I realize that is not the reason since the life signal is coming from her heart location and it is far too sinister and dark..." Issei frowned in disgust under his mask after he inspected the worm.

The young girl he's talking about is a girl named Sakura Matou... She was from Ilya Von Einzbern world and Issei met her when he's looking for the ...

After he helped the poor girl get rid of that disgusting parasitic worm inside her body, he immediately burns down the whole Matou household to the ground... Leaving no traces at all... Even Jalter and Jeanne who's with him at the time felt extremely disgusted by this and completely approved of Issei's action... If it wasn't for Issei making the first move, then Jalter would've been the one that burns their household to the ground...

"This type of parasite is quite special in its own way... This parasite will share its lifeforce with its host and if the host were to die then it will die. Conversely, if it were to die, the host would also die." He finished his explanation.

Cang Wanhe gasped in a large breath of air. The parasite within his body and Issei's words, undoubtedly threw his mind into complete disarray, so much that it also seized him with terror. He spoke in a deep voice: "Who could it be… Who infected us with such a malicious parasite! We will definitely find him… and dismembering his body into ten thousand pieces!!!"

"I can help you with that... I will send this worm back to the one who planted it inside your body and all you need to do is have your bodyguard there follow it to its true owner." Issei inserted a little bit of his aura into the worm and it stopped wriggling and becomes calm right away.

He basically just controlled the worm's soul and make it his slave.

"Now go back to the one who put you inside Cang Wanhe's body." Issei let go of the worm and the worm started flying in the air.

Issei infused some profound energy into the worm so it could fly to its true "owner".

Cang Wanhe nodded at his shadow bodyguard and he immediately followed the worm back to its source... The shadow bodyguard is exactly the person who is half-step into the so it should be easy for him to follow the worm.

The culprit shouldn't be that far from the city and Issei can already guess who it is...

"E-Elder Ise, didn't you said that if the worm died then my father would've died too?" Cang Yue voiced out her concern fearing that if the worm were to die then her father would be dead too...

Even Cang Wanhe started to become worried after hearing his daughter's words...

"No need to be afraid. I already took proper precautions for that... If the worm were to die right now then it will only die on its own and it will not affect your father in the slightest." Issei reassured her concern.

What a joke, Issei is someone who has mastered the and aura. If he can't even take care of some measly worm then he might as well bash himself to death with a tofu...

Only after hearing his reassurance that both Cang Wanhe and Cang Yue sighed in relief.

Cang Wanhe already feels very healthy and he becomes further reassured that the worm which lodged inside his body is the cause of his sickness and not something else...

Xia Qingyue stepped forward and took out a handkerchief from her pocket and grasped gently onto Issei's hand that grabbed the worm just now.

"Pardon me, Elder Ise." She started to wipe Issei's hand carefully with the handkerchief because she believes that her elder shouldn't be contaminated with that kind of filth.

Her cheeks are slightly blushing since this is the first time for her to be the one who took the initiative to touch his hand directly...

Usually, it's the other way around, but that's when Issei is training her in the way of the sword...

"Hm? You don't need to do this, Qingyue." Issei raised his eyebrow at her.

"Qingyue insist." She said calmly.

"..." Issei can't say anything else and can only let her do as she wishes...

Cang Yue and Cang Wanhe felt a little awkward seeing their intimate action.

Cang Yue pouted a little since she's feeling a little envious of Qingyue. Cang Wanhe who saw his daughter pouting face becomes enlightened... It seems that his daughter has finally someone she took fancy of...

Although he never saw his face but just from the way Issei carries his bearings alone is enough to tell him that Issei is clearly someone extraordinary... And that's not taking his strength into account.

He already knew about sect members often wear a veil whenever they go outside of their sect. And they are also well-known for their beauty and even though he doesn't know why a man can be their sect elder... Issei must have a handsome and graceful feature as well since he's also covering his face.

This is perfect... Since his daughter took fancy of Issei then it would make things a lot easier. He won't feel guilty about it either since he's quite sure that her daughter won't against it that much...

Truly an old fox... He already started formulating a plan to gain a connection with the the moment he's rid of his illness... He's still weak but it's only a matter of time before he fully recovered.

After waiting for a few more minutes, the shadow guard brought back the main culprit of the parasitic worm... It's none other than the Gu Qiuhong himself...

"M-Master Gu?!" Cang Yue and Cang Wanhe both become completely shocked.

Issei and Xia Qingyue looks very calm as if they're both have already expected this... Well, only Issei has already expected this while Xia Qingyue trusted Issei for his judgment so it's of no surprise to her when the culprit is Master Gu himself...

"Im-Impossible! It can't be Master Gu who is the culprit!" Cang Yue's face was overwhelmed with shock… Since she was young, she deeply respected, revered and was grateful to this Medical Saint. She was momentarily unable to make the connection between him and an evil person who would infect someone with a parasite.

"Princess Cang Yue, the worm clearly entered Master Gu's body... I saw it with my own two eyes." The shadow guard said with certainty.

"Ahhh!? What is this?! What's happening?!" Master Gu who has been dragged here after the worm he planted on Cang Wanhe suddenly entering his body out of nowhere. He started screaming in terror on the spot alarming everyone near him...

Even now he's still trying to take out the worm out from his body ignoring his current location since he almost pissed himself in fear because of the worm entering his body.

Issei only calmly gazes on Master Gu for a second before he looks at Cang Yue once again. Cang Yue who realized Issei's gaze on her shivered slightly and she remembered that a few moments ago, Issei warned her to be wary of Master Gu...

"If you think I'm mistaken then I can take the worm out from his body but know that I have already completed my job" Issei said calmly towards her.

His underlying meaning is that he has already fulfilled the side of his deal with her in identifying and even cured her father's "illness". He can take out the worm again from Master Gu's body but whatever happens after that is none of his business.

Cang Yue felt unsure of what to do now...

"Don't you think it's weird that someone of his reputation can't identify a simple parasite lodging inside someone's body?" Xia Qingyue decided to warn her one last time and point out the peculiarity of Master Gu being unable to identify her father's sickness after all this time... Didn't she herself said that he's the famous "Medical Saint" or whatnot?

"Wh-What?! Did you say this man can take out the out of his Majesty body?!" Master Gu suddenly screamed in disbelief.

"Oh? Look at that, he's able to identify the parasite name right away. And I never said that worm was inside Emperor Cang Wanhe's body." Xia Qingyue said in a mocking voice.

"Wh-What do you mean?! Of course I can identify this parasitic worm since I'm quite knowledgeable about it! A-And I'm just guessing that this worm was inside his Majesty body since-" Master Gu noticed that he slipped up and hastily defend himself.

"No need to say anything else, I couldn't care less of your reasoning. Qingyue, let Princess Cang Yue and Emperor Cang Wanhe themselves decide whether he's guilty or not. Our business with them is done." Issei stopped Gu Qiuhong from saying anything else.

Xia Qingyue nodded obediently at his words and she went silent without saying another word after that...

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"...But, why would Master Gu do this? Our imperial family has always been on good terms with him, even Father deeply respects him. So why would he do such a thing?" Cang Yue still had a hard time accepting it, and she tightly bit her lips together.

"Perhaps he doesn't have a direct reason, but he definitely has an indirect reason. For example, he could have made some sort of deal with those unfilial sons Cang Lin and Cang Shuo… It also could possibly involve the or the . Moreover... Yue'er, you are too pure and kind in nature, you had always respected Gu Qiuhong, so much that you viewed him as a saint. But when We had associated with him in my early years, I had already discovered that his nature was not as virtuous and harmless as he seemed on the surface.

On the contrary, there are times that he would secretly do despicable acts. But the excellence of his medical expertise was unquestionable, so We had always tried to be on good terms with him. But the people who want to be on good terms with him are too many... Compared with those enormous sects, our title of emperor, perhaps cannot be considered very much at all."

Cang Wanhe shook his head, revealing a sorrowful expression on his face. Even though he was the Emperor, he was actually devastated to this extent in secret, bedridden for an entire three years while facing difficulties in his bedchamber, he was virtually not too far off from a dead person. And if he hadn't "fallen ill", how would Cang Lin and Cang Shuo dare to act recklessly, the more so, would not have had the opportunity to lead the wolf into the house.

"Elder Ise, thank you. If not for you, perhaps even until We died, We still would not have known why We died, at the end of my life, perhaps We would even be grateful to the one who harmed us in our ignorance." Cang Wanhe self mockingly laughed while Cang Yue covered her mouth in shock...

He doesn't think that Issei might want to harm him or even frame Master Gu because he doesn't have a reason to do so... He himself is from the .

Just like he said, his title as the Emperor is nothing much compared to those big sects... If Issei wanted to harm him then he can just let the worm be and he gained nothing anyway from framing Master Gu himself.

Unless the wanted to make enemies out of every big sect out there then they surely wouldn't harm Master Gu reputation for no reason...

Unknown to him, even if every single sect in this continent declared war on the , the only outcome they will face is their impending doom... Without a single doubt...

Issei won't even need to do anything and he can just send Esdeath's group to kill them all...

"Y-Your Majest-" Gu Qiuhong tried to say something but the shadow guard stopped him from doing so since he also knows about the sinful deeds of this Gu Qiuhong: "Silence! His Majesty doesn't ask for you to speak!"

"No need to thank me, I'm only doing my part of the deal." Issei said calmly: "But seeing that you decided to listen to my words then here's the last gift from my part..." He then walked towards the trembling Gu Qiuhong and put his hand on top of his head.

Before long the face of Gu Qiuhong becomes blank but unlike the previous mercenary that turned into an idiot he can still properly speak.

Issei then asked him about the whole incident and Gu Qiuhong admitted everything by himself... He even told him who's the mastermind behind this sinister plan along with the evidence...

...

Cang Wanhe immediately has Gu Qiuhong executed on the spot and sent his shadow guard to Gu Qiuhong's home to find the evidence he admitted before...

"Then I believe my business here is done, let's go back, Qingyue." Then both of them walked towards the entrance of the palace wanting to head back to the sect...

Cang Wanhe wanted to invite Issei to stay for a while but he refuses it...

"Ah! W-Wait, Elder Ise!" Cang Yue wanted to apologize for doubting him but Issei mistook her meaning for calling out to him.

"You can keep the part of your deal for now since our sect currently doesn't need anything. Then until we meet again, Princess Cang Yue." And with that, Issei took off to the sky along with Xia Qingyue... He doesn't really like staying in this kind of place that reeks of political struggle hence why he leave right away...

Cang Yue keep dazedly gazes upon Issei's figure even when his figure can't be seen anymore...

And later on, after regaining his health, the emperor issued the order to arrest the crown prince and the third prince, locking them within the maximum-security prison. Later, he personally enumerated dozens of crimes, which actually included the shocking crimes of "rebellion" and "patricide". Then, Crown Prince Cang Lin and Third Prince Cang Shuo were publicly beheaded, and all the other members of their camps were also arrested and eliminated without exception...

Seeing such an attitude from Cang Wanhe, all the other princes, as well as the influential factions and officials that had originally preferred to side with the crown prince and third prince, felt themselves in danger as their hearts trembled in fear.

Fortunately, after beheading the crown prince and third prince, as well as their group members, Cang Wanhe didn't show any signs of taking action against them. It greatly relieved them to know that they were not in imminent danger, and they didn't lose any time to express their loyalty towards Cang Wanhe by making use of all kinds of ways. They behaved so desperately, as though they wanted to dig open their chests and take out their hearts in order to present them to Cang Wanhe and have him see their devotion towards him filled in them so as to prove their loyalty.

The power in Cang Wanhe's grasp had reached the highest point since his reign as the emperor of the Blue Wind Empire... It was a height that he had never even dared to think about before. His position as the emperor had also extremely stabilized compared to the past. Now, even the Three Major Sects would no longer dare to look down on his dignity as the emperor...

Cang Wanhe was very clear that it was only because of Issei's help. He was extremely grateful to Issei... He often sent a large amount of Profound Coin to the whenever he has the chance to do so.

He then advised his daughter that if she took fancy of Issei then she needs to work hard since she must have a lot of competitors back in his sect... At first, Cang Yue tries to deny her father's words but soon she accepted that she has indeed started develops some feeling towards Issei...

She vowed that she will properly apologize for doubting him when they do meet again... But first, she needed to increase her cultivation so she can have the qualification to chase after him and she was thinking that if she could join the later on and her father also supported her idea.

If it was the old then her father might have not been this supportive but he can sense that the current is changing ever so slightly considering that they took in a man as their sect Elder...

After all, from what he's gathered so far in the past. That sect is well-known to make their sect members akin to a living emotionless doll and that's not something he wanted to happen to his own daughter...

Cang Yue still needs to find the representative for the upcoming so she needs to think about all of this for a later date...

Issei and Xia Qingyue head back straight to the sect...

...

It's been 2 months after Issei and Xia Qingyue went back to the sect.

The date is coming close but the girls who will participate in the tournament are more than ready... Their cultivation can be considered very high and if they were to enter the tournament right now then they will surely take 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place respectively...

Sadly, the tournament rules only allow 3 participants from each sect participating in the tournament or they would've been able to grab all 10 top ranks...

The one who will participate in the tournament is Shui Wushuang, Xu Wuexin, and Xia Qingyue.

Only those between 16 and 20 years old in age are allowed to participate in the tournament. Because of that, they can't send Issei to participate... Not like he would be willing to participate in the first place because that would be like telling him to go compete with a kindergarten competition...

Shui Wushuang and Xu Wuexin are the most talented disciples in the sect along with Xia Qingyue herself.

Both Shui Wushuang and Xu Wuexin cultivation base has reached the 5th level. Their cultivation 2 months before this was at the 9th level.

So it can be seen that their cultivation speed is extremely fast that even Jasmine and Xun'er admitted by themselves and that's still not considering their combat prowess...

Whilst Xia Qingyue, on the other hand, is even more monstrous... She is already at the peak of the .

Her hard work and dedication play a big part in her achievement but the biggest role in her astounding speed is Issei himself since he taught her quite meticulously and also her special physique... Whether in the profound way or in the sword path and also art.

He was thinking to teach her other skills that he possess but decided not to for now since it is best if she just focuses on one thing rather than multiple things altogether because it might hinder her path... He can just teach her later when her foundation is already solidified.

It's not like the other girls are not hard-working or dedicated but their physique is vastly different compared to Xia Qingyue. But they don't feel dispirited even though Xia Qingyue who's only at 17 years old this year already surpassed them.

If anything, they just revered Issei even more because they thought that he is the only one capable of making Xia Qingyue reach this height.

Even Xia Qingyue herself has the same thoughts as them...

Gong Yuxian and Feng Qianhui are more daring than most of the girls but it's only to the extent of clasping his hand(During training) or "Unintentionally" bumped their body against his(Again, only during training)...

Both of them are what you call old virgin after all... Although Gong Yuxian had a short relationship back in the past, it's only at the stage of holding hands with each other.

Issei is feeling a little awkward seeing that the now young-looking Feng Qianhui and Gong Yuxian act like a teenage girl in front of him... They used to act very reservedly but now they're acting like teenagers...

Feng Qianhui often rever to herself with "This old woman" before and even though it's still the same now, the way she called herself is more like she wanted Issei to say that she's not an old woman or anything like that... She kind of said it in a coquettish tone...

The other girls become speechless seeing their respected Sect Mistress and Grand Mistress acting like this... Not that they can really blame them since they're obviously trying to attract their sect Elder attention...

Issei also has a new "pet" other than the , it is another rare wyvern species called . It has black scales, black fur, and nightmarish red eyes, giving it the look and style of a predatory black panther. It's dark, feral appearance suggests that it may mainly be a nocturnal predator.

When it's in Rage Mode, its eyes glow bright red and leave a trail of reddish lines whenever the moves. Also, its tail erects large spikes that can be flung and linked up with its attacks for devastating hits. Their vertebrae and tail muscles are extremely flexible, making the tail of is also prehensile. Its tail is also its most powerful weapon.

Its arms are also connected to their wings which had a large razor-sharp blade shape.

Issei found it injured on one of his trips to sightseeing the area in search of a place with highly concentrated natural energy.

The wyvern was badly injured after being attacked by a large group of profound practitioners but it still managed to fend off its attackers and escape from their encirclement.

If Issei didn't help it then it would've been dead... After being healed by Issei, the keeps following and stick to him along with the itself.

Both of them are known as Issei's personal profound beasts after that...

cultivation base is the same as the , the peak of .

Both of them are unique profound beasts with high intelligence. And it's never been heard of that anyone else is capable of making them their personal profound beasts other than Issei...

Not surprising since most Dragonkin have high pride and they won't submit just to anyone. They would rather die first rather than serving anyone unwillingly...

Issei is standing in his usual spot.

Xia Qingyue is standing not far behind him and the way she looks at Issei is filled with awe and adoration... If 2 months ago she thought it won't be so bad becoming his wife then now she's dead set on making Issei her beloved husband...

She decided when her dream is fulfilled then she will confess her feelings towards him. She doesn't care if he has multiple wives since as long as she could stand beside him then that's more than enough...

Just when she's about to call out to him, Issei's body suddenly jerked and his gaze turned sharp.

"...Qingyue, I will go towards Senior sister Chu Yuechan's place. She used her protective charm." And with that, Issei created a spatial opening towards Chu Yuechan's location. The and wanted to come but Issei already left them behind much to their dismay.

They can only wait for their King to return...

Xia Qingyue's eyes went wide since that means that Chu Yuechan is currently in danger hence she used the charm Issei gave them all.

She hurriedly went back inside the sect to report what Issei said. The whole sect went wild with rage wanting to know just who dares to attack their sister...