Aftermath

"Xiao! Where are you!?" Lyra shouted as she scrutinized the crater again and again. Ryuga was looking around dazedly. Half warped corpses could be seen here and there. Some limbs were still twitching. A large crowd had gathered. Many people were looking for their folks. Some orphaned children were wailing. It was a solemn scene.

Ryuga sighed and narrowed his eyes. He had finished scrutinizing the entire Nyoru by now. There wasn't a trace of Xiao, Deodomus or the raiders. Even sage strategy couldn't be sensed.

"What the hell went down in sage strategy?" Lyra asked with a frown. "…If only we hadn't wasted time screwing around in the jungle."

"…I think we got extremely lucky." Ryuga spoke after some thought. He recalled how he and Lyra had forgotten about the mission and were spending all the time having sex. They also joined forces to fuck Inez endlessly. Inez was a fuckdoll with self-tightening orifices. She could provide unique pleasures. Lyra had spent many days, continuously using the Yin-Yang Swap technique to plow her own mother Inez. Ryuga could not control his lust either. Basically, they had failed the mission Xiao assigned them to.

However, they made a peculiar discovery. Inside sage strategy they found hidden scriptures, written in mossed and damaged stones, ruins of several shadow temples and after deciphering the scriptures Lyra and Ryuga learned the tale of Shadow God and Wind God.

It was pretty much the same as the one told by Shyaren to Deodomus. Except that it stated that the two Gods weren't truly enemies, rather they had often collaborated. This sage strategy inheritance was set up by Shadow God's inheritor centuries ago. But Wind God also supported him in it, leaving his will inside. Though from the damage done to the shadow temples spoke the unwritten truth that Wind God had sabotaged this inheritance! He intended to destroy it from within while processing all the resources. Lyra deduced that it must be that Wind God was waiting for his own inheritor to come to Sage strategy! He had left a secret doorway for this unknown inheritor of the future. Lyra's unique grade technique allowed her to link one thing from another and find the secret door.

The couple then exited sage strategy, trying to find more clues about this Wind inheritor, unaware of the peril that Xiao, cd and others were in. They missed out of the last battle that destroyed the Consulate and the Sage strategy but luckily also survived certain death!

Right now, in the entire Nyoru, only Lyra and Ryuga were the most powerful cultivators left. Everyone else was average or ordinary.

"Without doubt, the Consulate has fallen, along with Xiao and others." Ryuga spoke. "But we've survived through sheer luck."

"…I liked her." Lyra uttered. "I could love her."

"Who wouldn't?" Ryuga mumbled. "But life is a fleeting moment for cultivators. We can perish at any point of time. Let's move on and keep the fallen comrades in our memories."

Lyra sniffled and clung to Ryuga's side while Ryuga patted her head softly.

"Where do we go from here?" Lyra asked.

"I need to deliver Yana to Joseph in Gen state." Ryuga spoke. "After that…how about we gather up your remaining kin of Maiden clan from your mountain?"

There were indeed several women of Maiden clan left behind after the clan was enslaved by designs of the Triad faction's prophet Wanming. These surviving women were given off as sex slaves to the many clans that coveted them. Lyra could gather them up and re-establish the Maiden clan. She needed to take revenge for her clan's fall as well.

"That actually sounds good. Let's do that." Lyra agreed. "After that…how about we open up a brothel somewhere? I know you've wanted to."

"Hehehe. Aren't you the perfect partner for me?" Ryuga sneered. "Then, I wonder if your Maiden clan survivors would join the brothel?"

"They must have already gotten used to pleasure of sex." Lyra smirked. "But the two of us can show them whole new realms of pleasure through dual cultivation. I think they'll join the brothel gleefully."

"Maiden brothel hehehe, it has a funny tone to it." Ryuga smirked. Lyra shook her head.

"Yes it does." She smirked too while reaching for Ryuga's crotch and felt his sleeping dragon. "Let's get out of here and have some sex."

"Surely." Ryuga agreed and the two of them flew away.

---

Rumble!! Debris and rocks rolled off as a shadowy figure emerged from it. The shadows swiftly wisped away, revealing an injured Jiao who had a dazed expression.

"Where…am I? What…happened to me?" He muttered, grabbing his head. "I…can't remember anything!"

"Hahahaha… you've awoken, mortal." A deep and creepy voice echoed inside Jiao's head, startling him.

"Who is it!?" Jiao exclaimed, trying to summon a scythe but then he realized that there was no ring on his hand. In fact, there were no clothes on his body. He was butt naked in the wilderness with some debris that seemed out of place.

"Hahaha! I'm Shadow God." The voice echoed again. "Bow before me, my inheritor."

"…Shadow God…" Jiao uttered, faintly recalling the name and some blurred memories of a battle. His head quickly began to hurt.

"Argh…!" Jiao knelt in pain, grabbing his head. He had to stop focusing on his memories in order to escape the painful reaction.

"Don't worry about your memory-loss." Shadow God's voice echoed in his head. "You should feel lucky that you're even alive and in one piece, thanks to me who teleported you out of the shadow temple before that Chaos explosion could kill you."

"…" Jiao didn't remember what the hell happened to him in the recent past and what this chaos explosion was; but his instincts were telling him to not offend this Shadow God.

"Thank you, oh great God. This humble mortal bows before you." Jiao spoke with twisted mouth.

"Hahahaha! Good-good." Shadow God's voice spoke. "Now arise and cultivate. I will make you the strongest mortal in your realm. No one will ever be able to resist you! Within 20 years, you'll ascend to God realm and serve me directly!"

"God realm…" Jiao's eyes flickered. Basic, Advanced, Master, Sage, Emperor…and then God realm! The fabled realm of cultivation that people thought was just a myth! But apparently it was possible to become a God!?

"Haha…hahahAHAHAHAHA!!!" Jiao's laughter echoed in the entire forest.

---

"Hurry up newbie! Load that luggage on!" A merchant shouted at a female servant, unaware that this servant was actually a Sage realm cultivator named Ayla!

"Yes master!" Ayla shouted and picked up the heavy luggage, loading it up in the cart swiftly.

This was a caravan of ordinary people, led by wandering merchants, followed by their servants and associates. They'd travel from city to city, even states to states, doing business along a route. Ayla had joined this caravan after escaping the sage strategy. She didn't know yet what had happened of it and that Shyaren had destroyed it, killing everyone including herself. But she'd learn soon.

Currently, trying to hide her identity, Ayla hid her cultivation base and mixed amidst the ordinary people, doing menial works. This was the perfect cover for her. Which mighty Sage realm warrior would lower themselves to work for ordinary people? Ayla could establish an entire country with just her prowess alone. People would rush to swear loyalty to her. Even Master realm warriors were leaders of states and kingdoms. But Ayla wasn't into that. Plus, now she had a heavy responsibility of raising the children of her own, of Xiao, Shyaren, Yana and Tian Mei. She thus lowered herself. The caravan would move entire year, never truly ending their journey. This was perfect for Ayla who wanted to leave no trace behind.

Soon, the caravan took off towards their next destination. Ayla took her hood off and gazed towards the horizon behind her.

"I hope you all survived." She thought. "I hope we all meet again someday… ah, if only…" Her eyes saddened. She had a strong feeling that she'll never see her comrades again. Turning around, Ayla mixed into the caravan as it trailed into the horizon.

---

Whoosh! Whoosh! A wind tornado erupted abnormally in the middle of an unknown forest. Two figures fell upon the grassy land awkwardly. One of them was a handsome ruffian-looking man, the other was a profoundly beautiful woman, stark naked. They were Deodomus and Xiao.

"Ugh…my head…" Deodomus groaned, grabbing his head while opening his eyes. He had blanked out earlier when kissing Xiao. Next thing he knows, he had fallen somewhere and his head was aching.

The first thing Deodomus saw was a big behind with two lewd holes twitching slightly, right next to his face. They belonged to Xiao who had fallen awkwardly with her bottom up and head down. Her back bent and her bottom presented to Deodomus.

"Hmm…" Deodomus hummed while caressing Xiao's bottom and playing with her holes. It was his natural reaction. Then he realized the state they were in, in a suspicious unfamiliar place. He quickly activated an observation technique, scouting the surroundings.

"Wh-where are we?" Xiao asked as she rolled back and lied flat against the ground. She was feeling exhausted.

"Some jungle." Deodomus muttered. "Do you know how we got here? What…was the last thing we were doing? I think we…were kissing but, I…feel like I'm forgetting a lot of things!"

"…Urk!" Xiao groaned and winced in pain as headache assaulted her too. "I…I can't remember anything either!" She exclaimed. "Weren't we in Gen state?"

"We were. But then we went to some jungle." Deodomus frowned as he tried hard to recall.

"Oh? Then this must be that jungle. Did we both hit our head in some fight?" Xiao wondered.

"Perhaps." Deodomus checked his head for injuries.

"Didn't we have people with us?" Xiao pointed out.

"We did?" Deodomus frowned.

"Yes. But why did we come to Gen state?" Xiao uttered. "Wait, there was a war…! I remember meeting my father."

"I don't." Deodomus looked around. "By any chance did we have a black female comrade?"

Xiao looked at him in confusion. Deodmous looked back at her. They apparently had lost their memories and the events were all mixed up in their heads.

"L-let's move first. Find a safe place. I fear there might be enemies after us." Xiao suggested.

"Yes, let's get a move on." Deodomus agreed.

"I don't have a ring." Xiao soon realized.

"…I have. It seems damaged." Deodomus frowned, looking at his hand. He could see another ring imprint on his middle finger. He apparently wore more than one rings in recent past but couldn't remember anything about it.

"Here, wear some clothes." Deodomus spoke, pulling out a dress. It was a white translucent nighty.

"… What else have you got in there?" Xiao asked.

"Thong panties, garter belts, micro bikinis, nipple caps, pelvic curtains, nipple rings, chains, whips…" Deodomus muttered as he sensed inside his spatial ring. Xiao gawked at him.

"What the fuck, Deo?" She blurted out.

---

Minutes later, Xiao was walking through the jungle, wearing a thong panty, pelvic curtain and nipple caps. That's all. A sheathed long sword was hung on her back, the tip of which was lodged deeply in the middle of her buttcrack.

Deodomus was trying hard to suppress his laughter while Xiao's eyebrows were twitching. They both had their faces reddened.

"You actually look…" Deodomus uttered.

"Don't say a word." Xiao snarled.

"Hehe, come on now…" Deodomus reached out, placing his hand on Xiao's big hips and started caressing them. Xiao felt electricity coursing through her body.

"We have such a good chance to make some love and have some adventures in this jungle." Deodomus enticed Xiao. For some reasons she was feeling turned on so easily. She bit the inside of her cheek while walking slowly, grinding her big hips together which had pulled the pelvic curtain into her crack.

"We're experiencing memory-loss, there might be enemies behind us and you want to have jungle adventures?" Xiao snorted.

Sstak! A light slap landed on her big hip, jolting her.

"Yes." Deodomus sneered and pushed Xiao against a tree. His crotch brushed against her big hips while Deodomus hugged her from behind, grabbing her huge melons. "What do you say?"

"…I say it sounds good heheh." Xiao giggled while blushing.

Soon moans and groans echoed in the forest.

---

Author's ramble:

Strategy Arc ends here. Next up is the last arc which won't be long. Unless universe wills it..

Let me know your thoughts on this story in the comment section. I'm open to suggestions for the upcoming arc which mostly involves war.