The room was filled with blinding, fshing lights that would hurt anyone's eyes if they looked directly into them. Yet, within the fshes, those who could withstand them would see a girl sitting cross-legged, releasing the phenomena directly from her body. The invisible energy in her body was like a flooding river, flowing under her skin toward the nine energy points of her body. The energy was constantly absorbed into her body in a pulsing, rhythmic sequence, only to be released again because not all of her energy points gulped it down at once. It was clear that her method was about forming a synchronized order that always repeated itself.

  The girl was Lulu, occupying one of the cultivation rooms with a much higher energy density than the outside world. It was helping her condense her cultivation to strengthen herself, slowly preparing to tackle the next bottleneck. As the bright light started to dim, returning into her, her naked body revealed itself as her eyes slowly opened up.

  "Mhmm… that felt good!" She stood up, retrieved her uniform, and dressed up. "Soon, I'll step onto the next stage! Heh, back at home, nobody could imagine cultivating like this... Hahaha! Oh, if they only knew! Give me a few more years, and I'll catch up to Dad or a few decades to reach Grandad's level." She murmured with a wide grin, unable to wipe it off, stepping out from the room on the fourth floor.

  The Cultivation Block has expanded over the past few years and has seen a significant influx of disciples. Everyone tried to save up contribution points by completing missions inside and outside the Sect, just so they could reserve a room... Even if just at the first level. Aerthus was already thinking about expanding their whole isnd, forming new ones around them, on the water and in the air, creating more space not just for the cultivators of the Immortal Wonders Sect, but also for pces where regur cultivators or even mortals could travel to and interact with them. It was the best way to trade with others and further raise their influence and fame.

  Being Ren's disciple, Lulu has been aware of this for a long time, and she decided that if such a pce were to be established, she would gain a leading position there. Thinking about the prospects before her, walking out of the crowded tower, a little, chubby girl was already waiting for her there.

  "You are te!" Kyu said with hands on her hips, smacking her lips that were stained with the remains of a strawberry.

  "Sorry, my round of cultivation took longer than expected."

  "Khm." Kyu looked at her with furrowed brows.

  "Haah… Master Kyu." Lulu sighed, making the little girl grin happily.

  "Don't forget! Today, you are Kyu's servant! You need to bring Kyu to the other side of the river, and Kyu wants to taste every yummy food there!"

  "Weren't you on the same tour yesterday with Yanda?" She held her head after hearing her order.

  "Yes, but Kyu and Yanda were on the other, other side."

  "Haah… why do I even ask?" Lulu asked, rubbing her temples. "Okay, okay. Let us go!" She shook her head. "Is Master back yet?"

  "Yes, but she said she has things to do. After you and Kyu finish, you are to cultivate on your own and only contact her if you are in trouble. Yanda already went out to train on his own and travel upwards on the river."

  "What a carefree, Master!" Lulu chuckled, oblivious to what had happened to Anya, as it was not widely known in the Sect yet. "Also, that boy… tsk-tsk… I should have guessed he would leave without waiting for me." She murmured, biting her lips.

  "He always goes up and down with the fishies… Anyway!" Kyu shook her head, almost distracted by the thought of catching a fish while crossing the river. "Let's go! You wasted a lot of Kyu's time! Kyu is already hungry!"

  While the duo left towards the Qun Kingdom, on the Skyshark that was flying above the territory of the Empire, Ren stood at the side of the ship, watching the passing ndscape under them.

  "Shouldn't you rest?" Leinor stepped beside her while 01 and 02 were responsible for guiding the ship.

  "I'm fine." Ren shook her head in answer, "It just makes me a bit slower if there is a need to fight someone."

  "Still, try to hold back and let us deal with it. If you strain your energy points further, you are going to worsen it, and then you need to rest even more."

  "Ehehe, okay!" She turned towards him with a gentle smile, hugging her husband. "We are going to see some nobles and not fight against an army. I pn to be back in a day or two… honestly, Dad threw all that work on me… I can't shirk it for too long, or others are going to be mad at me." She mumbled as she smacked her lips.

  "It is going to be a good experience," Leinor said as he rubbed her head lovingly. "Also, I'll be there to help you out!"

  "If you weren't, I wouldn't have taken it in the first pce." She pressed her head into his palm, leaning against him.

  "Still! Try to rex a little." Leinor continued caressing her, transmitting his energy over, gently washing out and helping her strained body to recover.

  "Why?" Ren smiled as she looked at him, "Fighting is the best way to work towards the Outer Harmony Realm. The more I use my strength, develop spells, and battle others, the better the grasp of my affinity becomes, and I begin to understand how it affects the nature around me. Without that feeling, how could I synchronize myself with the world?" She asked as she looked forward towards the horizon while the wind caught her hair. "Sitting and cultivating is not my way. My mind wanders constantly. I learn from experience, always did…" She whispered.

  "Yeah, but you don't know how to hold back." Leinor scolded her a little.

  "Hah! Why should I hold back?" Ren ughed, turning around, leaning against the ship's railing, looking into his eyes. "Should I py the innocent and young girl~? If you want it, we can arrange that~!" She whispered, licking her lips seductively.

  "That would be a nice experience, now that you mention it." Leinor leaned closer, stealing a soft kiss from her lips.

  "Mmm, yummy, maybe I will! The next time we are back home." Ren whispered, gently caressing Leinor's face.

  "For your own safety, too. Really Ren… I would not survive if something were to happen to you."

  "Pft, please. You would be fine!" She looked into his eyes. "Because if not, I would be really mad at you! Even come back to haunt you. Woooo~!" She raised her little hands at him, pying the role of a ghost.

  "Don't even speak like that, please!" He held onto them immediately.

  "LeiLei, what's wrong?" Ren asked, turning a bit more serious, seeing his expression.

  "The attack… it is clear, it was targeting you. Through your mother."

  "I know."

  "You also know who is behind it! We all do!" Leinor continued.

  "Yup. It's obvious, and you can bet when I'm strong enough, I'll go and collect every debt I owe to that retive of mine. Until then, I want to find the ones responsible for the immediate attack and make them pay. That is all! I am a vindictive and petty person. I protect my family with all I have and give them everything I own. Those who are my enemies, I make them regret the day they thought it was a wise choice to go against me."

  "You make yourself seem like a bad person." Leinor smiled softly as he listened to her.

  "Maybe I am." Ren fshed a grin in response. "Only you are my love, so you are blinded to my charm. Leinor… I was not joking," she looked into his eyes, being serious. "King Rudrick. My 4th cousin Astair. Your uncle Sentios. And everyone working with them is on my list." Ren whispered, gently caressing his chest with her fingers, "I can be a patient woman. I can wait, but I won't forget. Ever. They are living on borrowed time, and the more they rack up behind their names, the more painful their deaths are going to be."

  "Then I am gd I am your husband and not your enemy." Leinor leaned closer, pressing his forehead against hers.

  "Not even a flinch or hesitation, hmm?" She held onto his neck, rubbing her nose against his.

  "None."

  "And if I go mad and turn against the Empire? Or the Sect?"

  "Depends. If it is reasonable, I'll stand beside you." He answered without thinking.

  "And if it is not?"

  "Then it is my role as a husband to reign you in and spank you!" He bit onto her lips gently, grabbing her bottom, picking up Ren easily, and assaulting her body with surprising force.

  While they were immersed in their own little world, 01 and 02 tried not to look.

  "Honestly, Master acts like we are not even here." 02 said, transmitting his voice over to 01.

  "Or we are just pets." 01 added with an understanding voice. "Nobody cares if their pets are watching."

  "Haah…" Both of them let out a sigh at the same time, then smiled wryly.

  "We can't compin much..." 01 said, looking towards the Kingdom. "Now, we can see the opportunity before us to reach even higher than ever. When we followed those from the main branch of the bloodline, we had little to look forward to... maybe some scraps."

  "Yeah... I never expected this!" 02 agreed, "I was sure I was going to die a horrible death. Or be assassinated. But here we are, and we even advanced. Soon, we'll be catching up with the others! Not to mention that Master helps us mend the mistakes we made when we were younger."

  "And we were so unimportant in the family's eyes; no assassins were sent to kill us. I don't think they even know we are alive." 01 said with a sarcastic smile on his face.

  "Be happy; fewer problems for us." 02 groaned, making 01 sneer at him. "It is already taxing to avoid my ex, not to mention watching out for assassins…"

  "I told you it is a horrible idea to screw around with her... Yet your meat got the better of you!" 01 rolled his eyes. "What were you expecting? Flirting around with a disciple, be happy Master did not castrate you on the spot!"

  "You are just jealous!" 02 grunted, "It worked in the first two years, didn't it? At least I had someone in my life; your only lover is your right hand!"

  "But I don't need to act awkward every time I see her coming towards me." 01 looked at him with a deadpan expression, raising his hand and forming a mouth with his fingers. "And I love 01 for who he is, and I do not compin if Master Ren sends him away for a mission. If he is gone for months, I wait patiently!" the hand said with a distorted, mocking voice.

  "Fuck you." 02 said out loud.

  "Sorry, I'm in a monogamous retionship." 01 answered with his regur voice.

  "Oh, you two, go get a room already!" Ren's voice interrupted them, but as they were already in an argument, both of them answered without thinking.

  "You are not one to say this!" They turned their heads towards her in sync before going deathly pale.

  "Pff…" Leinor stifled a ugh, looking provocatively at Ren. He wanted to see what her response was going to be, but she just ughed after a little pause.

  "Okay, okay! I'll take it as a tie!" She sighed, winking at them. "But pay attention, we are nearing the city. I want you to raise the ship higher, above the clouds, so they don't see us coming."

  "Understood!" Both of them answered with a salute, looking at each other, bming the other for what happened just now, realizing that they were on an important mission...

  Hunting the Naulin spies.