s.h.i.+n's first three attacks were easily read by Qiangshe and were blocked with relative ease. Unlike the Spirit Lord, s.h.i.+n didn't have the same explosive power or speed that he had, so s.h.i.+n's movements were somewhat slow in the eyes of the trained professional. However, it didn't mean that s.h.i.+n's attacks were weak. Instead, just like how Qiangshe had displayed earlier on, s.h.i.+n's attacks used the momentums from its first strike to supplement more power for the next one.

'He's really copying the Infinite Tsunami Spear!!!'

The Spirit Lord cried out internally, resisting the urge to vomit out a handful of blood. It took him years to fully master the spear art, and s.h.i.+n was replicating it after seeing it once. Sure, there were some irregularities in s.h.i.+n's form, but it was still a good mimicry nonetheless. The Spear of Aiglos spun around three times, keeping the momentum from the first attack ongoing to the fourth. However, as s.h.i.+n spun around once more, his left thigh started to tremble.

Offftttt!!!

s.h.i.+n couldn't hold the weight of the momentum anymore, and his legs gave way. The youth collapsed on the floor before he could execute the next strike, and the icy spear flew out of his hands, bouncing on the floor like a ping pong ball. s.h.i.+n was bewildered. That attack was supposedly flawless. He had copied Longyu Qiangshe form by form, following the spear arts to a tee.

'My lower back isn't strong enough to withstand the pressure of the technique?' s.h.i.+n immediately figured out the weakness in his execution. The movements were perfect. It's just that s.h.i.+n had underestimated the physical toll the Infinite Tsunami Spear would place on the user's body.

Qiangshe raised his left eyebrow as he watched the youth roll about in the dirt. It was odd for the boy to flawlessly execute the first three moves only to fail on the fourth. However, as a spearmaster who has perfected the Infinite Tsunami Spear, the Spirit Lord instantly deduced s.h.i.+n's shortcomings. He lowered his spear and headed over to s.h.i.+n and offered a hand.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, I just feel a little pain in my lower back," s.h.i.+n replied, confirming Qiangshe's suspicions.

"It's perfectly normal. To execute the Infinite Tsunami Spear, one must use the entire body to continue to boost the momentum of the strokes. Normal spear arts don't have this trait, you might not be used to expending energy from areas such as your lower back, neck and even stomach."

"You even use the stomach muscles to perform those moves?!" s.h.i.+n spat as his mind was brought into turmoil. He had never heard of a spear art that used every inch of a person's body.

"For five moves in the sequence, yes." Qiangshe smilingly replied. "If you really want to learn the Infinite Tsunami Spear, I'll be happy to teach it to you on another day." The Spirit Lord pulled s.h.i.+n up and handed over the Spear of Aiglos that had been separated from the youth.

"You would! That would really help!" s.h.i.+n beamed, genuinely grateful that he had gained yet another ally in the Longyu Clan.

"No worries! Since we're family, that's the least that I can do!" Qiangshe replied, his tone friendlier this time. "If you have any problems regarding martial arts in general, you can come to me for training! I may not look like it but, I'm a mean hand-to-hand combat artist myself." The Spirit Lord boxed the air twice in jest.

"Haha, I'll take you up on that offer." s.h.i.+n chuckled and gave Qiangshe a firm handshake. He had taken the training of one Spirit Lord and had secured a friends.h.i.+p with him. It was time to take on the other Spirit Lords.

As Qiangshe retreated, one of the remaining five opponents that the Clan Master had picked out walked forward, sashaying her body to the groove of the chilly winds. "h.e.l.lo! My name is Longyu Xinyi! A pleasure to meet you!" The lady said, her lips touching each ear. Longyu Qiangshe may have gotten the first blood in getting a connection with s.h.i.+n, but the rest of the Spirit Lords weren't going to stay idle.

"Greetings, Senior Xinyi!" s.h.i.+n cupped his hands and bowed down.

"Haha, there's no need to be that formal!" Longyu Xinyi slapped the air, giving off a tinge of aloofness to her behaviour. "You can just call me Sister Xinyi!"

"That..." s.h.i.+n was struck speechless. After a cultivator reaches the Spirit Spectre realm, their progress rate would drop dramatically, and each rank they gain would require at least twice or thrice the effort as compared to before. Look at Meijing Bingying. She had reached the Spirit Spectre realm at twenty-three, and even though she's in her late twenties now, the Pearl in the East had yet to enter the Spirit Lord realm.

So, even if Longyu Xinyi were a genius like Meijing Bingying, the lady would at least be in her thirties or forties. s.h.i.+n didn't know if addressing her as his 'sister' would be the appropriate course of action. Fortunately, he didn't have to make that decision as of yet.

"My speciality is long-range combat! I've heard you're good at creating and manipulating water, how about you try that on me?" The Spirit Lord pointed to herself while an enormous version of the Sovereign Koi coiled around her like a serpent.

All of a sudden, an ocean of pressure mounted on s.h.i.+n's flesh and bones, pus.h.i.+ng his knee further down onto the ground. It was the most spiritual pressure that s.h.i.+n had ever felt from an opponent he had to face.

Still wearing that radiant smile, the Spirit Lord declared her intent to duel. "Longyu Xinyi. Rank 59. Please advise me."

'Rank 59?! Isn't that cheating?!' s.h.i.+n cursed inwardly. He was still Rank 40, how could he handle a Rank 59 Spirit Lord that was a half-step away from a Spirit King? Heck, Longyu Xinyi was even stronger than the Instructor, who just ten years ago, was the most powerful being that s.h.i.+n could imagine.

'No… I can't think of it that way...' s.h.i.+n pumped blood into his thighs and ascended against the pressure. His entire body was aching, and his soul felt like it was being pushed down into the Nether Realm. It was painful, standing against Xinyi's spiritual pressure. Nonetheless, s.h.i.+n had to persevere. 'If I want to become stronger… If I want to be the best… I would have to beat the best! I can't back out now!'

s.h.i.+n screamed mentally and brought out his Domain of Dreams. Against Longyu Xinyi, s.h.i.+n didn't dare to slack off for even one millisecond.

Longyu Tian watched the youth, her gorgeous lips curling upwards ever so slightly. 'Yes, that's the resilience that a true hero needs. Even when all the odds are stacked against you, you must still fight on. If you fall, you rise again and again. s.h.i.+n… I knew that investing in you was the right choice.'

The bravery to continue fighting when everything seemed to be spiralling into oblivion, that's the true mark of a cultivator that would go far and dominate the world. Never complaining about the unfairness of the world, never crying out in anger or jeopardy. Only pus.h.i.+ng forward to continually improve oneself... That attribute could never be taught. It had to be self-learnt, and s.h.i.+n had reached that stage at an age far younger than the average joe. Even without the Lantis Republic's Celestial River baptism or the Longyu Clan's star teachers, s.h.i.+n would still go far with the Sovereign Koi and write his name in the annals of history.

's.h.i.+n… You will soar up in the heavens… I will ensure it...'

❖❖❖

The Lantis Republic. Longyu Reef. Lady Seph's Personal Mansion.

s.h.i.+n's sparring session went on smoothingly well. He fought five Spirit Lords and lost to all of them. For others, it may be a tremendous loss, but s.h.i.+n didn't look at it that way. Fighting in the Atoll of the Ancients was an excellent way to introduce himself to the Longyu Clan, particularly the Spirit Lords and other influential cultivators that he could learn from moving forward. Not to mention, through those sparring sessions, s.h.i.+n learned some valuable lessons from each of his opponents.

Since s.h.i.+n was the Longyu Clan's new golden boy, none of the Spirit Lords went all-out, honing him in the one craft that they were most proficient in. Hence, s.h.i.+n didn't need to limp back home or be bandaged up at all. Even after those five hard fights, the youth felt wholly refreshed and was just mildly fatigued.

As promised, once the night came, Longyu Tian would hand s.h.i.+n back to Lady Seph and the rest of the Himmel Empire congregation. He was no longer forced to stay in that apartment, which was essentially a jail, anymore. Now, s.h.i.+n had the same freedom that he always had.

"You still have a choice s.h.i.+n," Longyu Tian gently held on to the youth's hand, just as he was about to depart into the well-lit manor. "If you stay in the Longyu Palace, the amount of access you have to resources, teachers and gorgeous young maidens that l.u.s.t for your flesh would be unparalleled. Are you sure you still want to stay in your Master's house?"

Lady Seph abode was pretty, but it was no Longyu Palace. There, all of s.h.i.+n's needs would be met and luxurious beyond his wildest dreams would be handed to him on a silver platter. If it were any other man, perhaps they would have accepted in a heartbeat. Though s.h.i.+n wasn't a materialistic person. All he wanted was to lead a happy life, alongside the ones he loved the most. As for now, the Longyu Clan wasn't part of that equation.

"No, I'm content here," s.h.i.+n replied, shaking his head. Then, his eyes turned sombre, and his expression tightened. s.h.i.+n dropped his torso down in a ninety-degree angle, blurting out his true feelings. "Thank you, Aunt Tian! For everything you have done for me! I'll never forget this debt!"

The Saint of Time was stunned for a bit, but she still beamed in the end, putting forth her best aunt-like smile. "Silly boy, we're now family. No, we always were… Hah, if the Clan Master back then had handled things a little differently, Longyu Yuan wouldn't have left the clan and perhaps you would be born under the Longyu name." It really was a pity. If s.h.i.+n had been a Longyu Clan member from birth, how good would that have been?

"The past can never be changed..." s.h.i.+n regurgitated the same words that Longyu Tian had given him, back during the Summit, bringing a smile to both their faces.

"That's right. The past can never be changed." Longyu Tian chuckled. "What we can determine… Is how we're going to write our future." The Saint of Time lifted s.h.i.+n's chin upwards and kissed the youth's forehead. "Remember, we're your family now. You can rely on the Longyu Clan."

"Okay..."

"Yip! Yip!" Bingbing chirped from inside of s.h.i.+n's robes as well, expressing her joy. Although s.h.i.+n was unsure if she was cheering because of Longyu Tian's aunt-like gesture or because she didn't have to stay under the thumb of the Spirit Saint anymore.

"Good!" Longyu Tian chuckled and then disappeared into the dark moonless night as if she was never there, to begin with.

'Hah… What a week...' s.h.i.+n thought back to the seven days since he arrived. He had seen so much, visiting landmarks that no regular tourist could. His chast.i.ty was in danger, but he somehow managed to drive the dozens of girls that raided his bed away for good. And… s.h.i.+n fought against five Spirit Lords, each one more powerful than the last. Right now, all he wanted to do was to take a long shower and rest peacefully in the bed that Lady Seph had prepared for him.

❖❖❖

s.h.i.+n's return to Lady Seph's mansion sparked cries of joy, particularly from s.h.i.+zen, who had been feeling stifled on Longyu Reef thus far. If s.h.i.+n's past week was heaven, then s.h.i.+zen's one was h.e.l.l. Not only were they only limited to a few places, but they also had to be constantly under surveillance by the Lantis Republic. Although the food, amenities and scenery were all perfect, a jail was still a jail. Without any forestry nearby, s.h.i.+zen felt like his brain was about to explode.

Lady Seph, Kesyl, Kanari and her congregation were in the same boat. However, they were more worried about s.h.i.+n as compared to anything else. Particularly Kanari. She barely slept a wink, and her smooth and unblemished face began to show signs of fatigue, with panda eyes and stress pimples forming.

Just when the Himmel Empire members were about to lose it, s.h.i.+n returned fully intact, embracing all of his loved ones with a healthy smile. Bit by bit, s.h.i.+n had to narrate everything that happened to him throughout the week. There were an array of emotions being shared among the congregation. Anger and frustration being the main two. Still, since s.h.i.+n had made the Longyu Clan promise to lessen the congregation's restrictions, they were forced to swallow the bitter pill and be the better man.

It has been four hours since he returned and the night had thickened to its darkest hour. After returning, s.h.i.+n peeled off s.h.i.+zen from his body and took a long shower, only to fall helplessly in bed. It couldn't be helped. He had just fought against five Spirit Lords. It was natural to feel completely drained of energy. However, no matter how much he attempted to fall into the garden of Hypnos, Kanari's silent and bitter face still came into his mind.

After he hugged her once, Kanari remained silent throughout his explanations and immediately disappeared into her chambers once he went to shower. s.h.i.+n had thought that the letter he'd sent to Meijing Bingying would be sufficient to ease the maiden's rage, but from the looks of it, Kanari was still rather p.i.s.sed off that s.h.i.+n had been endlessly approached by women in a place where she couldn't see or reach.

"What can I do to make amends to her?" As he rolled about in his king-sized bed, s.h.i.+n thought out loud to himself.

"There is a way to make amends."

All of a sudden, a heavenly voice echoed into s.h.i.+n's ears, prompting his sleepy eyelids to snap wide open. Since s.h.i.+n was heavily fatigued, he didn't notice the intruder until it was too late. His four limbs were being weighed down by an immense force, and he could barely wiggle them free. So… What was the ident.i.ty of the night-crawling a.s.sailant with a bear-like strength?

"s.h.i.+n..." The black-haired, ruby-eyed maiden that s.h.i.+n was so familiar with mounted s.h.i.+n as if he was a horse. Worse thing? The girl was dressed in a thin, near-translucent nightgown, where s.h.i.+n could see what she was wearing underneath… Absolutely nothing.

All of her private parts were lightly censored by the silken nightgown that seemed to be made out of spider webs, but s.h.i.+n could tell that there wasn't any underwear protecting the maiden's modesty. It was a dangerous situation. Too dangerous, in fact.

"K-Kanari?!" s.h.i.+n instantly went into panic mode. Unlike the other girls that crawled into his bed, s.h.i.+n couldn't just kick Kanari, his girlfriend, out. "I-Is something the matter?"

Kanari shook her hips slightly, triggering s.h.i.+n's little one to react with intense vigour. s.h.i.+n never wore any underwear to bed, so the only thing separating him from losing his chast.i.ty was a thin layer of pyjama shorts. Kanari was slightly confused when she felt that slight b.u.mp on her crotch, but soon enough, she smiled lasciviously with a tomato blush. Closing in on the youth's ears, Kanari whispered the magic words that she would say to no one else...

"s.h.i.+n… Let's have s.e.x."

✵✵✵

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