76

The roaming cruise continued on course, without more suspicious midair encounters.

Lady Yuan recovered a day sooner than Jian, although here injuries were much worse. This might have been Pef helping with his water qi and fire sprite, and also the faster regeneration of a Sovereign.

Qin had become stronger and even prettier, with a constant youthful blush and badgering Pef for new skills and formations.

So she was sent on patrols ahead, to make sure there were no enemies in waiting.

When Jian opened her eyes, she found her husband spoon-feeding the Lady Ignited like a pouting child. It was heartwarming and nice, if not quite exemplary of a Sovereign.

"Say aaa!" he said, waving a wooden spoon in front of her.

"Don't wanna. I hate pigeons!" the old Sovereign pouted and pursed her lips.

"Hey Jian. You got beat up by a bird." Pef said while his back was turned, and waving something under Yuan's nose.

"Bleh! What is....mmmmm. Don't feed me that overgrown chicken!" Yuan yelled in disgust, as Pef had used the distraction to force-feed her a spoonful of pigeon stew.

Pef kissed the oily lips, tasting his stew in a loving way. "Tastes delicious. Half pigeon, half firebird." he concluded with a wise voice.

"Perhaps she's not hungry, Pef..." Jian said peacefully.

Yuan's stomach groaned in hunger at her words. "I want something sweet. And then something salty." the Lady Ignited demanded in a princess manner.

Pef poked her newly grown airbags, to check for leaks, then walked away after picking Jian by the waist, and stopping in front of a stove.

"We can make some honeyed fruits, if you help. And then something sweet to celebrate your rank." he told her in a teasing tone. Jian thought for a moment and then nodded with a smile.

Glazing honey over fruits was easy with a Fire Tyrant to help, and they even gave the Sovereign a dozen Black Honeyed Bananas, a special alchemic invention of their husband.

Then Pef laid some furs, and started disrobing Jian with hungry and drooling eyes.

"What about me? Don't you have no shame?" the Sovereign complained but was ignored. It didn't take long before she began learning new things, about human body and various husbandry methods.

A few hours later, Qin returned to find Pef and Jian asleep under a fur, and Yuan watching over the bridge levers with distant eyes.

"So, Jian is up, and asleep again..." she concluded with a smile.

"That inverted phoenix is not a meal...unless..." Yuan whispered to herself, eyes glazed in dreams and fantasies.

"Ah, you saw it, eh? It's really pleasant though. Even for virgins, I think." the younger fire disciple said with a knowing face.

"Why did I stay? Now I can't unsee, the things I've seen..." The Sovereign complained to the heavens. Qin hugged her by the waist, "So, tell me, I want to try them too!"

Yuan Xi sighed, but she had to tell someone. Qin listened and took notes, even drew a few sketches in her notepad.

"Like this, you're sure?" she asked Yuan with confused eyes.

"Sadly yes. Maybe bent outward even more."

"Wow. How does it even work?"

"They do bend gravity though..." the Sovereign mused in deep thought.

"Still, it should break, right?" Qin asked curious.

"Tyrant rank bodies are pretty durable." the Lady Ignited concluded, with a shudder.

Her sister shuddered as well, but with anticipation.

Sadly, by next day they could all fly unaided so Pef packed up the loveboat and continued on foot. But in the air, flying.

By noon, they arrived at an inhabited volcano, with a large city wrapped around it.

'City-state of Vesuvius, Patron deity: Volcanis. Accepted cults: Gaia, General. Proscribed cults: everyone else.' the glove presented the tourist bureau data.

'I see why their forts look like this. That volcano would make a nice fortress.' Pef replied smartly.

At about 15 kilometers tall, and 50 kilometers wide, the volcano appeared impregnable, except perhaps the access tunnel.

A host of barriers and arrays could be seen or felt from 50 kilometers away, where Pef and his wives were passing over the furthest villages.

"Nice place, Vesuvius." Pef said in an appreciative tone.

Every single village had a stone pyramid made to look like a volcano, with red stone for lava flows and white stones for the snowy slopes.

A pair of red armored disciples flew to meet them, one a Sky rank and the other an Emperor.

"Lady Ignited! And guests..." the Emperor saluted with a small fireball in his palm.

Pef didn't have a fire sprite anymore, so he waved with a bit of water, while the women lit up small pyres in their palms.

"Jian and Qin hail from the Saint continent, just like Pef. We have a firecone there." Yuan explained with a serene voice, while pulsing qi fast towards the volcano.

The inspecting Emperor took out a piece of red crystal, and scanned it for some information.

"Oh. The Stoneport on Agate firecone. And they have Tyrants now?"

Pef nodded in agreement. It was surprising, but he took care of his wives. Unless they died.

"Brand-new Tyrants, fire brother. Since last week, for me and Qin." Jian answered in her role as Inner Elder. Not that she visited that fort more than once a few months and Qin not at all.

"And I'm Pef Xi, Saren's nephew. I need him to refine some pills." the hero explained in a cheerful tone.

The Emperor blinked a bit surprised, but then took a red string and tied it around Pef's left wrist.

"No weapons, no combat, no funny stuff with the women." the man demanded gruffly.

It seemed the Xi men had quite a reputation in Vesuvius.

Yuan laughed melodically and sped forward, as it was quite late for that last rule.

"Don't worry bro. I only make love to my wives." Pef replied seriously, then sped after his wife.

Jain and Qin smiled sweetly and flew after him, their sapphire rings sparkling beautifully in the sunlight.

The junior brother flew next to the Emperor and whispered covertly. "I think it's too late for these women."

"I fear you may be right, brother. Even the Holy Ignited wore his ring." the senior brother said with a broken heart.

He had pinned over the fabled Sovereign beauty for 11 thousands years, but he just wasn't lucky.

"God, some men have all the luck." the junior brother wailed, as he too had lusted for the fire swan for 2000 years.

"Let's hope our Lord Sovereign torches this impudent Xi, and frees our sisters from their tyrannical husband." the senior brother said in a hopeful voice, like all men trying to overturn a tyranny.

But as the saying goes, the man proposes and the god disposes. And their god had other plans.

Lady Yuan landed on a guarded platform leading to a temple-like entrance into the mountain.

Soon, Pef and his wives landed as well, looking around curious.

A dozen formations scanned and measured them, before they were allowed to step into a basalt tunnel, and pass a dozen guarded doors and various fortifications and fire arrays.

Then they emerged on a similar platform, overlooking a large green and forested caldera, with a clear blue lake in the middle. Around the walls there were caves, dug into the inner volcano's wall, full of cultivators.

Thousands upon thousands of disciples, though most of them were at Spirit and Earth rank, and only a hundred of Sky or above.

Still, Pef sensed two Sovereigns and a dozen Tyrants, plus a dozen more Emperors.

This sect was strong, although it kinda lacked mid ranks.

A few seconds later, Saren and his wife Teria arrived at the platform, both of them looking tired and worn out.

Pef went forward to hug them, as they were family, even if a bit removed. "I came to visit, uncle and auntie. And you've been fighting a lot." he said as the glove compiled a list of fresh kills and healed injuries.

Just like Jian, but a dozen times in a year.

"You've killed a Sovereign Gold Spider Queen!" Pef exclaimed in awe.

"Yes, and 41 Tyrant spider mounts. The siege of Phobia is still going, but I heard I'll be needed here for a bit." Saren Xi answered in a tired voice.

'Arachnophobia, something about fear of spiders?' Pef asked his palmbook glove.

'Indeed. City-state of Phobia. Thousands of delicious spiders, same rank as you, Aspirant.' the glove explained with some ulterior motive.

Pef's stomach growled in induced hunger pangs. "Mind if I take a look? I like spiders a lot. With garlic and salt."

The women grimaced awkwardly, while Saren nodded wisely. "I was hoping for some backup, nephew. We lost a thousand disciples so far, including most of the Sky and Emperor ranks."

Pef took out a ring from the glove with ingredients for 10 White Meridian pills.

"I'll grab like 10 of the Sky ranks and go take a look. Craft those for me, till I return." he said in a matter-of-fact tone, looking around for some extendable handles.

He didn't have to go anywhere, as two Emperors and eight Sky ranks flew to land on the platform and bow a little.

Pef turned and watched Yuan smile a little. Damn woman, and her mysterious ways!

"Let's go guys, I want to eat spider for dinner!" Pef proclaimed heroically, and flew back into the tunnel, with his wives and future victims following in a mix of terror and confusion.

Some nine hours later, they returned, with 9 Tyrant ranked Fire disciples and half of an unlucky Sky ranker, who was caught in razor sharp webs and ripped apart.

They burned the dead guy's head and torso, and feasted on Tyrant ranked spiders, while Saren worked hard to refine the precious pills.

Next day, they had breakfast and returned to the siege lines, obtaining eight more Tyrants and two more dead disciples for the pyres.

As the second evening fell, Saren emerged with 9 pills, having failed the first in tryouts.

"Give me 4 pills, uncle. Time to see what they do." Pef said bravely, portioning the pills with his wives.

'It's gonna hurt, right?' he asked to make sure, just before gulping the pill and clenching his teeth.

The glove waited until the pill was settled in his stomach. 'Your teeth will grow back, don't worry.'

The White Pill was special, not only because it was hard to gather and refine, but because when ingesting it, the qi of the user was purified, much like in Divine beasts. The soul attacks and defenses doubled at the very least, or even tripled for lucky individuals with 3 meridians open already.

This cause some pain, and forced the soul to grow and contain the higher quality qi. Best rank to ingest was Emperor to Sovereign, before the soul qi fused with practiced qi, like sword or alchemical or smith practice, and gave rise to the Monarch rank.

Not that a Saint ranker wouldn't gain the same benefit in the end, it just took millions of years to adjust.

And the glove had waited enough. The new project performed satisfactorily, reaching Sovereign rank at 23 and a half.

Ironically, his new virgin fairy wife just crossed into Monarch rank due to her extended practice, recent combat and emerging feelings.