Profound Sky Continent. Blue Wind Nation, a few kilometers away from Floating Cloud City....
Two days passed in absolute silence.
On the same mountain peak, now enveloped by a heavy sky and thick clouds, Fen Juechen remained seated in the center of a circle of cracked rocks. The ground around him was marked by deep fissures, as if it had been crushed repeatedly by an invisible force. The profound energy in the air was completely distorted, forming unstable whirlwinds that swirled around his body.
The two pills had been refined.
The last of them dissolved completely within his body, transforming into a burning flow that exploded into his Profound Veins like a boundless flood. It was not chaotic or violent energy, but something overwhelmingly pure, far too vast to be contained by any ordinary vessel. His Profound Veins seemed to expand by force, being rebuilt, reinforced, and elevated to a state he had never imagined achieving.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
The sound did not come from outside.
It came from within.
Fen Juechen's bones shuddered, then realigned themselves, denser, more solid, as if they had been forged for millennia under the pressure of the abyss. His muscles contracted and refined to the extreme, each fiber impregnated with a force so concentrated that the simple act of breathing made the surrounding air vibrate.
Then, slowly, he opened his eyes.
The world seemed small.
Profound energy flowed within him like a boundless ocean, calm on the surface but infinitely deep. He felt every profound aura in his Profound Veins responding with absolute clarity...
He had reached the Half-Step Divine Profound Realm.
Fen Juechen raised his hand before him and slowly closed his fingers. The space around his fist rippled, compressed by the brute force of his physical body.
He had the distinct sensation that he could pulverize any practitioner below that level with a single careless touch. A flick would be enough to reduce once-unattainable experts to dust and blood, even without using a drop of Profound Energy.
A low laugh escaped his lips.
It was not joy.
It was ecstasy.
His master... was truly incredible.
The memory of everything he had received in the short time he spent with him flashed through his mind like lightning. The profound mastery over the Laws of Darkness, in sword training, where every movement was corrected until it became pure instinct, until the blade became a natural extension of his killing intent.
And then, the Sovereign Profound Weapon.
The sword that rested in his spatial ring, which his master had given him in exchange for his other sword...
He stood up.
The simple act made the ground sink a few centimeters beneath his feet.
Fen Juechen closed his eyes for a brief moment and took a deep breath. There was no more constant pain, nor the desperate emptiness from before. Everything had been replaced by a terrifying clarity. His hatred had not diminished. On the contrary, it was now sharpened, concentrated, directed like the tip of a spear.
Fen Juechen's gaze became cold and absolute.
He would kill him!!!!
In the instant that thought solidified, a calm and deep voice echoed directly in his mind, without warning, without distortion, as if it had always been there.
"Control that impulse."
Fen Juechen shuddered.
His eyes widened slightly, and his breathing faltered for a brief moment. He spun his body by reflex, his killing intent exploding out of pure instinct... but there was no one around him. Only the heavy wind, the dense clouds, and the devastated mountain peak.
"M-Master...?" He murmured, almost incredulous.
The voice sounded again, clear, unmistakable.
"Do not be surprised. For me, this type of communication is nothing special."
Fen Juechen remained silent for a few seconds. Then, his body relaxed, and he knelt almost by reflex, even though there was no one physically present before him.
In his eyes, there was no doubt.
His master had already completely surpassed the limits of what he called "common existence." If Ren Zu wanted to speak directly into his mind, crossing space and distance... then that was natural.
He was a divinity.
"Listen carefully." Ren Zu's voice maintained its usual serene tone. "Your breakthrough was perfect, but this level of power is not yet completely stabilized. If you act now, even with your current strength, you would waste part of the potential I gave you."
Fen Juechen clenched his fists.
"This disciple obeys, Master."
There was a brief pause.
"I will open a spatial rift," Ren Zu continued. "It will take you to a secret location in the Illusory Demon Realm, where your sworn enemy is at this very moment. But do not act before fully familiarizing yourself with your current power. Even if your foundation is perfect, your adaptation to your own body and profound energy is still not.... This secret location is known exclusively to me. Therefore, do not worry about someone finding you by chance. Nor think about attacking Yun Che now. Wait. For now, focus only on stabilizing your breakthrough..."
Fen Juechen's eyes gleamed.
"When everything is prepared," Ren Zu concluded, "I will send you a signal."
An invisible pressure began to form in front of Fen Juechen.
The space before him rippled slowly, like the surface of a lake touched by an invisible hand. Black and silver lines intertwined in the air, tearing space with surgical precision. In a few seconds, a completely stable spatial rift opened, revealing a deep void on the other side, dense, silent, and laden with an aura that made the scalp tingle.
Fen Juechen felt a shiver run through his entire body; he would finally achieve his revenge! He took a deep breath, his gaze firm, absolute, and stepped forward.
"Master..." He said, his voice laden with ardent devotion. "I will not fail."
The rift enveloped his body.
In the next instant, Fen Juechen disappeared from the mountain peak, leaving behind only the howling wind....
.
.
.
.
.
On the other side of the Profound Sky Continent....
The hall had transformed into a tranquil and intimate space. A small table of refined ice rested near a wide crystalline window, from which one could see the white landscape stretching to the horizon. On the table, a delicately carved teapot exhaled a soft vapor, scented with rare cold herbs, and three cups rested aligned with almost artistic precision.
Ren Zu sat in a relaxed manner, one hand holding the cup while he savored the tea calmly. Another ability of his personal Slave Mark was the capacity to communicate mentally with those who had been marked, even over great distances, at the cost of a small portion of his mental energy—nothing truly concerning. It was precisely because of this that he could converse with Fen Juechen, despite being so far away at that moment. Additionally, the Mark granted him another function: by focusing his mind, he could sense his slave's actions, tracking their movements and general state. Since the two-day deadline had finally arrived, he directed part of his attention to the disciple, knowing in this way that he had finished absorbing the two pills and using his manipulation over space to send him to the Illusory Demon Realm—all of this done in just a few minutes in silence.
Across from him, Xia Qingyue maintained an elegant posture, with her hands delicately resting around her own cup. Her countenance was calm and indifferent as always... but only on the surface. In the rare moments when her eyes landed on Ren Zu, there was a silent warmth there, something reserved only for him....
Beside her, Feng Xue'er contrasted completely.
She held the cup with both hands, as if protecting something precious, her curious blue eyes watching the vapor rise and dissipate in the air. At certain moments, she took small careful sips; at others, she simply forgot the tea and got distracted looking out the window, enchanted by the snow falling slowly outside. Each movement was natural, spontaneous, almost childlike, as if everything was still too new for her....
Finishing his conversation with Fen Juechen, Ren Zu observed the two in silence.
Before him were two completely distinct beauties.
One was cold as eternal ice, but with a deep and constant warmth hidden beneath the surface, reserved only for those who truly mattered. The other was pure and clear as freshly fallen snow, transparent in emotions, unable to hide what she felt, like an adorable child discovering a world too vast....
Without realizing it, a light smile appeared on his lips.
Xia Qingyue was the first to notice. Her eyes rose slowly from the cup and fixed on him, slightly confused.
"Husband...?" She asked in a low tone. "Did something happen?"
Almost at the same time, Feng Xue'er also turned her gaze from the window and stared at him. She blinked twice, tilting her head slightly, curious.
"You... are smiling..." She commented, without realizing, her voice soft.
Ren Zu did not respond immediately. He simply brought the cup to his lips, took another sip, and then set it down calmly on the table.
"Nothing in particular...." He said finally. "I was just thinking."
"Thinking... about what?" Feng Xue'er asked immediately, unable to contain her curiosity.
Xia Qingyue did not speak, but continued observing him with silent attention.
Ren Zu looked from one to the other for a brief moment.
"About how this is the life I've always dreamed of...." He replied. "I'm lucky to have you two as my wives...."
The two fell silent.
Feng Xue'er blushed slightly, averting her gaze by reflex, while Xia Qingyue merely lowered her eyelashes for a moment, an almost imperceptible smile appearing on her lips.
For a few seconds, no one said anything else.
Just the soft sound of tea being poured, the distant wind outside... and three people sharing a simple, tranquil moment that needed nothing more to be complete.
However, the comfortable silence did not last long.
With the absence of her master, who had withdrawn to leave them alone, not wanting to interfere in the intimacy between them, and still remembering the slightly envious look she had cast before leaving, Xia Qingyue set her cup down carefully on the ice table. The soft sound echoed discreetly through the hall.
Her eyes remained lowered for a brief moment, as if organizing her own thoughts, before raising her gaze and facing him again, now directed at Ren Zu.
"There is something you should know; Qingyue confirmed this in the last few days she was away, but husband must have noticed before...." She said, her voice calm as always. "It's about my master... and about the others...."
Ren Zu arched his eyebrow slightly.
"Hm? About what?"
Xia Qingyue cast a glance in his direction.
"The Master of Asgard..." She continued, without beating around the bush. "And practically all of my disciple sisters. To them, you are not just the Great Elder who saved the Frozen Cloud Asgard, nor just the man who helped improve their comprehension and remove part of the flaws in our profound art. You are someone they admire deeply. And... many of them harbor romantic feelings for you."
The air grew strangely quiet.
Ren Zu blinked once.
"...Wait, I knew about that. But why are you bringing this up?" He said, looking at her with a mix of surprise and incredulity. "Are you offering your master... and your disciple sisters..."
He hesitated for a second, as if trying to choose the right words.
"...As my wives?"
Feng Xue'er almost choked on her tea.
She quickly moved the cup away from her lips, her eyes wide, and turned her face to Xia Qingyue, clearly in shock.
Xia Qingyue shook her head slightly.
"Not exactly 'offered,'" she corrected, with indifference. "But... I wouldn't mind."
Ren Zu fell silent.
Xia Qingyue continued, with a firm tone, without traces of jealousy or insecurity.
"If you accepted any of them, I wouldn't see it as something wrong. In fact, considering your position, your strength, and what you represent to Asgard... it would be natural."
Feng Xue'er gripped the cup tightly between her hands.
Her gaze slid quickly to Ren Zu, then averted, her cheeks slightly puffed in an almost imperceptible way. She said nothing, but the jealousy was too obvious to ignore. Not even she understood very well why she felt so uncomfortable with her "husband" with other women; it was a feeling she had had since arriving at the Frozen Cloud Asgard, which her Big Brother Yun had mentioned several times when they met. She had always been curious, but she wasn't enjoying the place as much anymore.....
Ren Zu let out a low sigh and tilted his head back, a light smile appearing on his lips.
"My intention, at the moment, is not that. I'm not looking to expand my family." He paused briefly. "...That doesn't mean I'm closing doors for the future."
Xia Qingyue nodded, accepting the response without any change in expression.
Ren Zu then turned his gaze to the side.
Feng Xue'er had noticed.
She was looking at the cup, clearly pretending to concentrate, but her fingers were gripped too tightly, and the slight pout on her lips gave everything away.
Ren Zu smiled.
"Xue'er."
She shuddered slightly and raised her gaze.
"A-and me...?"
He extended his hand and lightly touched the back of hers, a simple, reassuring gesture.
"For now, I'm satisfied. I have Caiyi... and I have you two."
Feng Xue'er's face turned red almost instantly. Xia Qingyue merely observed the scene with a calm gaze, an almost invisible smile appearing on her lips.
"That is enough for me...." Ren Zu concluded.
Xia Qingyue observed the interaction between the two for a few more moments, her gaze calm and crystalline, like the surface of a still, clear lake. When Ren Zu withdrew his hand from Feng Xue'er and leaned back calmly, she finally spoke again.
"Since we've touched on this subject, husband..." She said in a casual tone, bringing the cup to her lips before completing it. "When do you intend to take us back to the Illusory Demon Realm?"
Ren Zu raised his gaze.
"Back?" He asked, more out of habit than real doubt.
"Yes..." Xia Qingyue continued calmly. "Husband didn't tell Qingyue that he had only a few more days until the deadline that Sister Caiyi gave him to return home after exploring the Profound Sky Continent. It wouldn't be appropriate to let this drag on too long."
Feng Xue'er glanced sneakily at Ren Zu; she didn't know what the two were talking about. But she understood more or less, and decided not to get involved....
Ren Zu remained silent for a brief moment, thoughtful. His eyes shifted to the crystalline window, following the snow that continued to fall outside.
"Soon," he replied finally. "Very soon. Perhaps in two days."
With that, the subject ended as naturally as it had begun.
The tea continued to cool slowly on the table, while the snow fell outside and time followed its silent course. Two days were nothing for someone like Ren Zu, who still had some last details to settle, or for Xia Qingyue, who could visit her father and brother one last time before the farewell. But for Feng Xue'er, those two days suddenly seemed long enough to change everything.
__________________
(A/N: Did you enjoy the chapter? Then you should know that over on my Patreon you can read up to 18 chapters ahead for just 5USD! And yes—for that price, you also get full access to all of my content. That's right: cheaper than a snack… and with way more drama, action, and guaranteed emotional damage.
The link is right below. See you there!
My Patreon: patreon.com/Adam_Kadmon
Thank you so much for your support — you make all of this worthwhile.)