Rein spent the next month honing himself within Steward Xeer's retreat, a cave complex behind a waterfall hidden by many defensive formations, both illusory and physical.
His focus was naturally on developing a precise control over his physical strength. He applied and adapted the concept behind his 'frog leg release' art to smaller joints and muscles, and did so while handling fragile objects, such as a chicken egg.
Initially, he became immensely sore all over, especially in those stressed smaller joints and muscles. Over time, his body adapted, and the explosive lightning-aspected frog leg release, concentrated in small bursts in small areas, no longer damaged his body. His control over his body rose.
Rein remained fully aware that he was still lacking a proper defensive art to structure his aurae shell-- one that he could use openly apart from 'dark mirror'. He needed to obtain such an art from a sect.
Apart from his training, he occasionally returned to visit Meynan with Steward Xeer's assistance.
Rein glided through the sky back towards the Jeihr complex, wrapped by the telekinetic powers of Xeer.
"Say… how exactly did you become entangled with House Jeihr, specifically Meynan's ancestors?" Rein asked. He was curious regarding the origins of Xeer. The two had gotten somewhat more comfortable with one another over the past few weeks.
"How else?" Xeer snorted. "The very same way you became entangled, naturally! But to be accurate, I am an ancestor of Cehnan, who married into House Jeihr."
"...I see." Rein mumbled. "Hmm… why is it that Meynan and her ancestors are not advancers?" Bloodline and elemental affinity are often passed down, after all. Xeer is an ancestor of Meynan from decades or even centuries before this time.
"I was born of a mortal family as well. A sort of an anomaly. Advancers born from mortal families; if they mate with a mortal, often, the resulting child will be mortal as well. Well. We advancers have yet to completely identify exactly how elemental affinities are passed on," Xeer explained.
Rein thought of his own body, which had been fundamentally transformed by the draconic metamorphosis bead when Gent's will within accepted Rein. Perhaps his body now fully carries the necessary elements to pass on advancer traits to the next generation.
"Why did that man call you 'Sightless One'?" This question rose to Rein's mind as they approached the Jeihr merchant house complex, illuminated by the dawn of the sun to the east.
"I abandoned the path of an advancer," Xeer replied, his voice low. "I… simply lost interest, you could say."
"Lost interest…?" Rein couldn't help but furrow his brows at these words.
"We all enter the world of advancers for different reasons," Xeer sighed. "Some want revenge, others, an eternal life. Or perhaps a desire to understand and explore the nature of aurae. So many possibilities…"
"But the world of advancers is also cutthroat. Friends can become foes in a heartbeat due to the desire to climb ever higher. One day… I woke up and simply wondered… what was at the end of the path, really?" Xeer shook his head as he muttered.
"I thought I wanted to live forever. Yet as the decades and centuries passed…" Xeer continued, "I came to an epiphany-- it's not how long you live, but whether you are content when you lie on your deathbed."
"How many years do you have left?" Rein widened his eyes, concerned. "You're not about to drop dead anytime soon, surely." Xeer might appear somewhat into his years, but he certainly wasn't decrepit or doddering on his last legs.
Xeer laughed uproariously at Rein's words.
"As I have just explained, I wish to be content on my deathbed," Xeer chortled. "For years, I lost track and interest in my descendents. Well, Meynan is my sole surviving descendent. Worry not-- I'm not quite content just yet!"
Rein smiled. It was a relief to him that Xeer would still be around. In Rein's eyes, Xeer wasn't 'sightless'.
He thought of what being content at the end of the road might mean to himself. He needed much more strength to accomplish certain tasks, that much was certain.
The two arrived and landed in Meynan's courtyard.
Meynan was still asleep, but strangely, Meynan's fourth uncle, Zeyr, was there to receive them.
"He insisted," a flustered maid who watched over the devil-poisoned Cehnan explained.
"My dear nephew," Zeyr hooked his fingers to greet Rein. "I have a most interesting offer for you."
Rein felt wary. This fourth uncle-in-law of his had displayed a high degree of shrewdness.
"Here are two gifts," Xeyr smiled as he withdrew a long maloewood box and unfastened the clasp to open the lid. Within were two vials of liquids. One was pinkish in color, while the other was a clear liquid with a light brown tinge.
"The pink concoction ensures that Meynan will be able to accomplish the deed in bed with you. The clear brown-tinged liquid will, for some time, ease the daily pain of dear Cehnan," Zeyr explained.
Rein paused to think. At first, it seemed strange for Zeyr to offer a medicine that only eased Cehnan's suffering for a time. After all, Zeyr could have offered to completely heal Cehnan with the Flowing River Sect's assistance. At least, it was certain that the Flowing River Sect provided these alchemical concoctions.
Rein quickly realized why upon some thinking. Flowing River Sect most certainly wishes for Thousand Facet Sect to have internal discord. In order to heal Cehnan, Rein will need accomplishments in the sect to get his hands on the proper medication. His potential accomplishments will be seen as a threat by the 'other' faction, and ignite an unavoidable conflict. It must be for this reason that the Flowing River Sect was only willing to provide a temporary solution.
"I imagine you want something in return," Rein queried.
"Indeed," Zeyr smiled. "In truth, if Meynan births a gifted child, that will give us, House Jeihr, the possibility of becoming a clan in the future. I simply request that I be given the position of leading the mortal half."
Clans often retain their mortal origins, a sort of branch within the clan.
"As for your three older brothers?" Rein raised an eyebrow.
"Those three still hold a grudge as a result of our mother's conflict with your… deceased grandmother-in-law," Zeyr shrugged. "Well, how's the offer?"
"This is not an offer that should be made to me," Rein shook his head. "This is an offer that must be proposed to Meynan."
"Oh?" Zeyr was bemused. "Very well. I will wait." He sat down, cross-legged to meditate.
Rein did the same, while Xeer's form flitted then vanished. Rein couldn't help but wonder as to what Zeyr himself truly thought. Perhaps he was but an emissary of sorts, doing the Flowing River Sect's bidding.
"Do you have a son or daughter? What do they think?" Rein pointedly asked Zeyr. After all, if Meynan's position becomes solidified, it was the others in this specific generation that was guaranteed to lose out. Rein's intention was to assess Zeyr's personal stance from the man's response.
Zeyr chuckled. The old fox had struggled for standing under his older brothers for years, and his only advantage was his wits.
"My children are no fools," he harrumphed. "They know of reality. The reality is that tradition gives the firstborn a large advantage. The reality is that as mortal merchants doing business with advancers, we will always be pushed and pulled in every direction by the sects. In return, we receive priority protection if demons and devils descend upon the mortal world. So it has been for generations."
"They may not be satisfied, but they will have to live with it," so Zeyr concluded.
"And their cousins?" Rein asked.
"Heh," Zeyr gave a crooked smile. "How my older brothers and sisters-in-law raised their children is not of my concern."
Rein narrowed his eyes. Zeyr was essentially hinting that those cousins were quite likely to be a source of trouble.
Soon, Meynan awakened, and after some preparation, met with Zeyr. They consumed a flowery tea around Meynan's circular polished wooden table. Steward Xeer checked the two vials gifted by the Flowing River Sect, and affirmed that the concoctions within were as described.
During the discussion with Meynan, Zeyr requested an additional condition.
"If your child displays talent, the Flowing River Sect wishes to be promised this talent," Zeyr said, to Meynan and Rein's surprise. "That is my mistress' offer."
Rein began to have the feeling that Flowing River Sect's goals must be much more far-reaching than he initially thought.
"My mistress ordered me to say these words to you," Zeyr continued. "In the event of an exacerbation of the internal conflict between your faction and the current one in control of Thousand Facet Sect, your child will receive Flowing River Sect's protection."
"I do not wish for Meynan to be forced to give away a child so soon," Rein frowned. There was not even a child yet, and here they were having such discussions.
"Worry not," Zeyr replied. "Talented mortal children are whisked away and separated such that they can move on from the mortal world. However, we Jeihr are somewhere in between. As such, your child will be allowed to have a presence here."
As a disciple of Flowing River Sect, Rein added in his mind. Yet, he felt that he had to accept this offer. After all, that would ensure safety for this future child, while giving Meynan even more support when inevitable trouble arose. Though he himself must join the Thousand Facet Sect due to him having declared himself a member of Baejenh's faction, Thousand Facet Sect was currently no safe haven for his future child.
Rein couldn't help but recall Zeyr's words on that day of their first meeting-- sometimes, you truly have no choice, and the best strategies and plans are when others cannot reject or refuse your intention.
Rein could only nod in acceptance-- with this move, Flowing River Sect essentially guaranteed their position of influence over Meynan in the future. A question remained. The Fenhx-led coalition of clans that had taken over Flowing River Sect-- what was their goal?
Meynan also understood the circumstances, and accepted the offer.
"First, second and third uncle will not be happy with you," Meynan said to Zeyr.
"Heh," Zeyr chortled, then shrugged nonchalantly. "They'll still have a full belly at the end of each day."
Zeyr left with a big smile on his face, having accomplished his task.
Rein and Meynan were left alone to consummate their partnership.
Rein soon found himself lying on Meynan's soft and flowery bed.
"Are you certain about this?" Rein asked. His mighty pillar with a knot appeared simply too dangerous for Meynan's mortal frame.
Though it was the norm in the Minhr Nation for wives to bear multiple children as soon as possible immediately after marriage to continue the family line, their situation was anything but the norm.
Meynan's creamy breasts swayed as she coated Rein's rod with the pinkish concoction. Supposedly, this concoction would provide Meynan's love tunnel with temporary strength, to ensure that she would not suffer any injuries.
"Hmph," Meynan pouted as she glared at Rein. "Have I not repeatedly stated my position? Or perhaps you wish for me to beg for it? Stay still."
She lifted her hips over Rein's threatening rod.
"You've already plundered the wombs of three other women, so you might as well ruin mine too-- permanently."
She lowered herself downwards. Once the head of Rein's tip was in her, she struggled to further lower herself voluntarily. She bit her lips with determination, and relaxed her legs. Gravity dropped her downwards, and she squealed as she felt herself split open.
Luckily, the pinkish liquid's magical properties were effective, and she suffered no injuries. If anything, she began to feel a deep pleasure while being stretched beyond normal limits. She collapsed onto Rein.
"I… I don't think I will be able to move," she whispered. "So use my flesh as you please for your pleasure! I wouldn't have you do anything less~"
Rein very nearly lost control. But, he still needed to be careful to not injure Meynan. That pinkish liquid has a limit to its protection.
The two rolled over. Originally, the idea was for Meynan to do the moving, to avoid risk of injury. Rein, now on top, began his careful thrusts and grinds. He had managed to develop a significantly more deft control over his tempered flesh.
Still, it was a mix of pleasure and struggle for Meynan, who winced with every thrust. Luckily, the pink liquid maintained its effectiveness.
Much of Rein's focus was on maintaining his precise control of his strength. Meynan bit, writhed and clawed at Rein, but her efforts left not even a scratch upon Rein's tempered skin. Strangely, this made Meynan feel even more helpless and vulnerable, and accentuated her arousal at having 'captured' an advancer for a partner.
Meynan was soon a sweaty mess, and her body twitched helplessly as Rein continued to bring himself to the summit while deftly controlling the application of his strength.
He grunted as he sprayed within Meynan. The explosion forced much to squeeze out from their point of connection, as Meynan naturally did not have the stretchy quality that Suey had trained into her flesh.
Meynan soon fell into a pleasure-filled slumber after they shared a deep kiss, while Rein meditated beside her.
The next morning came. It was time for Rein to enter the Thousand Facet Sect. He got dressed, while contemplating the possible trouble that the other faction of the Fusion Sect in control of the Thousand Facet Sect might cause for him.
He gave the still-slumbering Meynan a kiss.
"You better return often," the sleeping beauty mumbled.
Steward Xeer activated his telekinetic powers and whisked Rein away for the entry trial into Thousand Facet Sect.
They flew southwest and soon reached the foot of the beginning of a mountain range. A decorative archway, two pillars and a beam with a placard atop those two pillars marked the entrance into Thousand Facet Sect's territory.
A crowd of roughly a thousand hopefuls, mostly youngsters stood in front of this archway. A dozen advancers dressed in the robes with the Thousand Facet sigil, a radiating gem, blocked travel through the archway.
Rein expected these advancers to act aggressively towards him. Instead, a refined man with well combed and shining black hair stepped forth, his gestures courtly as if he was welcoming a man of great import.
"Ah, the esteemed and glorious Master Rein," the refined man gushed with an exaggerated subservient bow. "Come in, come in! There is no need for you to participate in the entry trial. I'm certain that one of the peaks' masters or mistresses will accept you as one of their own."
His words immediately ignited an uproar. Many of the hopeful crowd weren't exactly happy that a spot had been given to some random advancer that looked overaged. Indeed, the truth was the Rein only reached the shell realm after adulthood-- an unimpressive, condemning metric.
Rein inwardly groaned. Those openly aggressive are, in fact, often the easiest to deal with. This refined man, on the surface, was seemingly welcoming. Yet, the excessiveness of his tone and gestures hinted to Rein that his intentions were anything but good.
No. Rein could tell-- this was but the start of an insidious method to obstruct his path.