-Ren's study-
.
The next morning found everyone slightly off. Mei was the happiest with Lan Childe having recovered. Even more so, now that he was with them. Elder Kung took the role of teaching him happily.
As for Tali, Melinda, Mo Lan, and Yaya, they spent time togethor talking with her. Yaya needed the break from training from Bedalika. They went over the departure for the Empire's Capital for Melinda soon.
Setsu and Five would go to accompany her as appointed personal bodyguards set by Ren. As her betrothed, he was allowed to do so. Mo Lan was going as additional protection and as a "Noble Lady" appointed by Ren. Lan Childe to act as her guard. She represented Ren's affairs and would also purchase some things on his behalf.
Unknown to all of them, Zero would also follow along. Tucked away hidden inside Lan Childe for observation. Lan Su wanted to go as well, but Ren had assigned another task for her to execute.
Ren gave him a set of orde
. -Tournament Area- . The fighting was getting to the final bits of competition. The last segment, a Battle Royal. Outer Sect Disciples finished. Inner Sect Disciples finished an hour ago. Core Disciples were left. Inheriting Disciples were able to sit out. To demonstrate how important it was, One of the Reserve elders that slept, was out in the open. A way of showing the Sect still was a contender and had power, they choose the elder who had the most strength and breath left. After this round of fights, the prizes would be given to those who performed well. High resources and different Manuals are up for grabbing. For those who were foolish enough to try. "Battle of the Core disciples, Battle Royal." 3rd Elder said. Projecting his voice all over the arena was switched over to the changing terrain & environment for the last half. Something to shake things up, on the Sect Master whim apparently. "St
Ren received not a single challenge after that. He relaxed in the stands with Jackson talking things over about the others. Elder Kung went to complete the task Ren gave him. The man was hard at work to save their lives. His Loyalty to the Sect would be used for Ren's benefit.Ren dived deep into his psyche with the help of the brand. Elder Kung had an actual relative that was a Sleeping Elder. Not on the Lan side of his bloodline. But on his mother's side."Hmmm." Ancestor Maleficent did not leave. She looked towards Ren with greater interest. "Even injured, he remains carefree. Fears, not even those above him still." Her words were heard by others in the area. Specifically Ren's false mother Morticia. Morticia was closer to her from her ties with the Royals. Old friends of the current Empress. "Your son is really something else."*Bwoom!* A ripple went out. Morticia used a sound barrier to keep prying ears out. A few Elders from the visiting Sects were offende
"I am quite annoyed as you can guess. Do not piss me off right now. I will kill you and think nothing of the consequences." Ren had a slight edge in his voice. Reap was passing information about the others playing around while traveling to the Capital. That was not a problem really. As long as Felicity did not push herself currently. 'No good Sect Master.""The Mo family operatives are in the town nearby." The Moon Vally Elder said. "For the Manual yes?""If they are all there then, yes." Ren turned to the Elder and walked over. His hand reached out and cupped the man's face. "You have beautiful eyes. May I have them? I will give you something for them, I promise it will be worth your while.""Do it Elder." A young woman in the back said. The others moved out the way with ease for her to stand next to the Elder. "If it helps build a relationship with you, so be it." She was a fairly striking woman. Dark green hair, with a pretty face. A deep cleava
-Sect Gate- . After dropping off the others and taking some of the resources to help calm down, Ren went to get some other resources. Namely from the townspeople. Elder Kung was in charge of getting the members of the Mo clan from the town after he got back. Bedalika had mentioned a small problem happening. But refused to go into details. Jackson refused to wait and was taking the others to go and pick them up for the escort. Ren just stepped out of the Sect Gate and felt a little antsy. His shoulders ached as his body was changing with the recent breakthrough. The Divine Frost Tiger Manual was itching to kill. More volatile than the Vampiric Devil Manual and to comfortable with his mindset. Ren did not fight enough. Had not fought enough to cause bloodshed and it was starting to show. The Divine Frost Tiger was slighted by the Sect Master treatment. Because Ren was slighted. '3 Primary Manual's, might have been to much currently. But
-Village Area- . "Hmm.. how did it increase in density past calculations?" Ren looked at the inhabitants in intrigue. He really didnt care to much about most of them. They gave fair enough intel at least. But a lot of them were pretty freaking useless. Especially a few from the NorthEast of the Empire. More twisted than a psycho house on ecstasy. They would not be saved. "So much in one place." "It is him!" A civilian yelled towards Ren. "The one who treated us!" Ren gave the man a look. "You are Ko Lin, stop yelling." Ren said demurely. "Why are you causing trouble for me?" Behind his fan, the man did not see Ren's smile. 'Such a large concentration of the poison. I can replenish myself a large amount with this. That is just a quick guess. The amount here can supplement me a great deal.' Reap System: Enough to bring you back to what you need yes. Since you are going to kill some of the corrupt ones, might as well finish a few quests whi
*Woooom! Wooom!* A ghastly wind passed over everyone. The clouds immediately turned darker. Mixed with the ambient miasma, this site looked like an abandoned town instantly. Several wooden boats appeared. Wrapped in milky green Ion energy that floated ever so slowly. Those who looked at the image were frozen in place."Hehehe!" A sinister chuckle went out. Several robed cultivators moved out in the area. In their hands, hammer in one, and large nails in the other."Ahhhhhh!" Several cultivators started to scream in pain. They clutched at their skulls and started pulling. "Remove the nails! They hurt!" They started to scream in pain. In their mind, large milky green nails were lodged inside their skulls."Your grace it will not be long now." A southern cultivator spoke softly. He was speaking to a young man that was dressed in Inner Disciple robes. Seeing the pained look on his charge's face, he started to panic a little. "Are you ok!? Can you hear me!?" He did n
-Sometime Later, Royal Court-."Greetings Royal Father and others," Melinda said plainly. She looked to the Empress and bowed her head next. "I greet the Empress Soruda VII, my your days be blessed..""Speak freely, you have earned it and then some." Empress Soruda VII said. "Your father is cured, you are getting better and Valli is better. The Empire is doing quite well. Just need to strengthen ourselves for the return of the others from the Mainland."Setsu and Five looked at each other. Five had a little more etiquette so he remained quiet and alert. Setsu on the other hand, the boy looked around and marveled at the architecture. They both were dressed in the robes Ren provided them.The traveling had been dangerous but worthwhile for them. The others went to have fun around the city. Which meant trouble most likely for Zia and whoever ticked her off. During the traveling, she righted a lot of wrongs in the area. Building a reputa
-Later that night-."This Manual is ghastly." Melinda said to Ren. Seeing him leaning back on the bed gave her pause. "You sure you will not regret me learning it?""I have been attacked by the manual once before. I learned my lesson and have made sure to cultivate against it. As for the others.. I recommend not trying it on them. It will just lead to your death.""Right..." Melinda moved over and surprised Ren a little. She removed her camisole and stared at him. "I can see the look of desire in your eyes, yet you make no move on me.""Because the good things come to those who wait." Ren answered. He did grab her by the waist and pulled her close, however."Eep!" Letting out a little cry made Ren smile broader. "You brute!" Melinda smacked his chest but made no move to get free. "You like to take liberties at the weirdest of times.""Yes. Say stop, and I will let you go." Ren looked at her. She blushed an
"It shouldn't open. They should be dead. But..." He looked far off to where the Mainland Gate was stationed. The long construct over the area was lit up more than it was before. ".. the Mainland will reconnect in one ot two months. I wish you the best of luck." Ren felt his third eye was itching. He didn't try to ask questions of the enemy. He didn't risk more after Valli and the 1st Emperor brought him news of what was going. Nor did he even try to figure out how to use this to his advantage somehow. "I am to old for everything that people have set up and done. I am living my life now. All of my obligations are done after taking care of that problem." Ren felt the power the Eternity Realm wash over him. The remaining of the different Soul promises were completed with the last of his quests as Prince Ren of the Reaper Palace. 'Check again to make sure.' Darkness System: King Ren, everything is finished. The energy from the destroyed souls entering the Tear fu
She was even wanting to persuade the soldiers to stop and have the ruling Empress come down and explain herself. The entire situation was controlled by the presence of one woman speaking out.Ancestor Maleficient ordered them quiet, or she would execute them on the spot. They were giving help to Valli, who was currently preoccupied with the situation topside."Shut your mouths!" Wave after wave of power come down on all of them. A few were way to close to her generation-wise and fell under Blood Compulsion quickly. Those that didnt humbled themselves enough. They only had a few breaths of life left to fight with."Mother..." A woman that looked the spitting image of her but older stepped forward. "..how are you so young still? When did you get back?" As the oldest of the Sleeping Elders, former Empress Soruda the 1st never thought she would lay eyes on her.The feeling was mutual for Malificent. For she thought her daughter was dead and didn
A formation lit up on the ground as he then exploded from the complexity of the Manual and his Soul not even remotely close to deal with the weight of the manual lashed out in every possible way.There was a reason elders and parents prepared for legacies before allowing offspring to take them. Or to pass over to them.A big appetite can get you killed. With Ren delivering the Manual the same way he received, all at once, the Emperor was lucky his soul and mind weren't crushed by the wandering Ion forces that gathered the moment on contact."Father!" Melinda's eyes narrowed thinking the worse as she tried to run to him. Held back by Balli and Valli; she looked at Ren hurt. "Damn it!" Blame, accusation, and widespread doubt that he even tried to spare him from this passed through her mind.This was not about her, it was about this father of hers, and those in the room needed to understand more.Take warnings when given and do
The Empire faced trouble the following weeks. Not from within but from the outside. The West Empire continued to push towards them, engaging in small skirmishes to test their forces.The North Empire people fled towards every corner of the border to enter. The citizens trying to gain entry but were declined. Whether it be from the actions caused by them or the cruelty they committed while fleeing, the guards gave them no quarter and cut them down.Only those who agreed to have a seal placed on them and accepted to have their goods and themselves thoroughly checked were allowed through. Empress Valli refused to allow in possible enemy into the gate.The North Empire people, for the most part, agreed to terms. Those who were part of the trouble and caused the devastation to there country were turned away. They rerouted to the West Empire, joining its forces to reinforce it.The treatment received there was worse by far than any other. The various forc
.Melinda is clued in-.Melinda felt completely agitated as she paced in her quarters at the Palace. Soruda and Valli coming in with a few of the guards. Plus a weary Morticia and Jackson. Both had seen better days than this."Melinda, he couldn't help in that case. Neither did he want to." Soruda said."Why couldn't he?" Melinda didn't understand. "Countless Medicines can help restore burned-away longevity.""He cannot burn longevity any longer." Soruda frowned at her daughter. "He is not a member of the Reaper Clan anymore. His Silver.. ability, it is long since gone." Letting that sink in a little more, the mother reluctantly told her about an instance before. "Ren burned almost his entire longevity and soul once do what you just saw.""It is not something done lightly and without severe cost." Morticia wheezed a little. "One uses their spiritual blood to restore another. It works better for those with close ties such as fam
Once the bright light finished, the destroyed courtyard was full of naked people of all ages. With one or two baby Ion Beasts in the mix. The Lan Clan did have close ties with the creatures afterall.Elder Morgan took note that clan members who were once missing limbs or disfigured were all perfectly normal now. Physically anyway, mentally they looked a little vacant. Assimilation was a hard task after all to come back from."Kuff!" Mei spat out some flesh-colored gunk. To the side of her, was a woman that bared a striking resemblance to herself. With more returned features than when in the beasts' gullet."Mother!" Shaking her, the woman did not wake but she was breathing."At least the situation has ended." Melinda sighed in relief."How silly." Ren rose his fan out and channeled Ion energy into it. "Time to kill them all."Frozen in place, Melinda stared with a few others in protest. The different Lan clan members were still daz
"The Lan clan prepared really well for this. Well, that old monster did anyway." Ren was amazed the generations of the Lan Clan ran so deep. "How many of your people have died all this time? Did Elder Kung even need to save the others?""I do not know. I know I have inherited a nest of worms and snakes." Valli frowned more than smiled. "Haa, my sisters really have the better life if this keeps up."The Royal Guards were embarrassed they fell to the formation. Not much they can do against the blood call. They didn't even know they were related to the Lan family. To be fair, neither did the Royal Family or Ren."I really hate my life!" Elder Rani looked forward disgusted. Ren and Empress Valli looked towards her. "The moment he touched me, the very use of his Ion energy to get me to stop, I could tell..."The Traitor Sword in her hand pulsed before going dim. Ren flicked his fan sealing inside the woman for later use. A small opal appear
Lan Clan was in utter turmoil. For all intents and purposes, a Coup d'état had started without any notice. Mere hours after a joyous occasion from hearing that the new Patriarch had broken through to the Breaking Bonds Realm.It was supposed to be the happiest day for the clan. A Patriarch that was only 18 years with so much power was unheard of. So happy, they didn't even think about the previous Lan Patriarch at all who fled.So goes the rumor after he fought with Elder Kung in secret."These fools!" A Core Elder, Morgan to be exact was pushed into the main hail with a brutal kick. "You think the Empress will take kindly to this!?""Save your words brother!" The elder in charge of Welfare looked on in fury. Body covered in wounds head to toe. "They really sided with another!" Looking at the one leading the rebel forces, he couldn't help but lament the choices from before. "Never thought I see the day!"A s
"I have never really been disappointed by you two. Hope this continues." Playfully, he caressed the face of the two before pulling away as if burned. It was not appropriate with his current thoughts. "Rest, then spend time collecting yourselves with the power in your souls. "Yes, my King." Zia's breath came out huskily. The way Ren touched her was the same as when he hugged her long ago. Her heart beating in excitement at the thought of a kiss. 'I can feel the dragons in my Manual growing. The power inside them is so rich!' "Yes, my King." Suresha felt her body tingle in all the right ways. No doubt of Ren's words previously the day he entered her forge. 'Nothing wrong with being a strong woman. He really doesn't care.' "Elder Tani, plant these with the utmost of care." Delivering the woman the Darkness Seeds. He passed a glance at her belly. "Do be careful in what you eat, do not taste any of these." Blushing she nodded to him. "Ren, I will speak wit