Arriving Guests

"So there are four more stages: Spirit Lord, Spirit Overlord, Spirit Emperor, and Spirit Saint. If I want to fly without using any Spirit Artifacts, I need to become a Saint," Xuefeng muttered as he read through the booklet. "I will need at least a black talent, or else I will be stuck like everyone else."

The quality of Spirit Qi mattered even more in the higher stages, as the dantian had to be stretched to its limits.

"Guess I will only focus on things I can control," Xuefeng decided while flipping the page to the map of the Earth Realm. He happened to be born in the Eastern Region, which had the least dense Spirit Essence in the air. If he wanted to maximize his results, he would have to move to the Central Region to increase his cultivation speed.

"But it would take years just to travel there..." Xuefeng realized, suddenly feeling a headache. "Whatever, let's take one step at a time."

After memorizing the map, he moved on to the Spirit Artifacts, which turned out to be more interesting than he initially thought.

"So Spirit Artifacts are stored in the dantian and will constantly consume your Qi to survive. It means that having more Spirit Artifacts isn't always good, as they will slow your growth," Xuefeng commented as he skimmed through. "No wonder Wuying didn't want to show me. It takes quite a bit of Qi to summon your Spirit Artifact, which then requires an additional cultivation session to replenish the lost Qi."

"That's not the main reason," Wuying's voice pulled Xuefeng from his train of thought, and he looked up, startled by her standing by his side in just a towel. "Even if I were to use up my Qi, it's easy to replenish it to the previous limit. It's just that my artifact is my secret weapon that's not supposed to be shown. It could also expose my talent to the public, which I'm also keeping private."

Xuefeng was momentarily flustered by her beauty, the wet hair only adding to her charm. "Wait, how did you sneak up on me? I didn't notice you. Also, can I know what your talent is now that we are not in public?"

Wuying only smiled and leaned even closer, letting him smell her flowery shampoo. "You will know soon enough. For now, just focus on memorizing the details of all Spirit Artifacts in the Liu Clan's possession, and once you are done, you will move to the book about all the Spirit Beasts in the region."

Xuefeng wasn't bothered by the workload as he already planned to study, but the beauty by his side was more than a distraction. "What about you? Are you going to watch over me the whole time?"

"Are you happy?" Wuying asked back with a snicker. "I'm just going to get changed, and then I'm all yours. I was assigned by the clan leader to stay by your side, so I'm not going to leave you anymore."

Xuefeng forced a smile, already knowing she was going to use every possible moment to tease him. "I'm always happy to have you by my side. Now go change. I can't have you stand here in just a towel, or else I won't be able to focus."

His words were met with a satisfied chuckle, and Wuying left without another comment. When she came back a moment later, she was wearing her usual black leather uniform, and her aura changed back to her diligent self, allowing him to study properly.

'As much as she is playful, she at least knows when is the time to play and when to be serious,' Xuefeng appreciated her professionalism but remained wary just in case. 'A viper is still a viper after all...'

The Spirit Artifact manual was already extensive, but when Xuefeng turned to the book about Spirit Beasts, he realized a long day of studying lay ahead. Knowing it was impossible to memorize details about every beast in a single day, he focused on the most common ones he was likely to encounter outside Phoenix City. Even with this reduced workload, he only finished as the sun dipped below the horizon.

"Good job," Wuying praised, delivering his dinner, which he accepted gratefully. "Although you don't necessarily need to know the abilities of every beast as long as you can overpower them, having that information about particular Spirit Artifacts might come in handy."

She watched him eat with a proud smile, but something clearly weighed on her mind. Despite Xuefeng's attempt to avoid stirring the hornet's nest, it was hard to ignore Wuying's troubled expression.

"Okay, what's on your mind?" Xuefeng nudged her gently, sensing the change in mood.

Wuying took a deep breath, then moved behind him to give a gentle shoulder massage. "It's nothing major. I just have a bad feeling about tomorrow's ceremony."

Xuefeng's dread spiked. "Why? Are you worried about my talent?"

"No, not that. I have a feeling your talent will be high," Wuying assured him. "I'm more concerned about the guests who will attend. I'm sure many clan leaders will bring their daughters with them."

"So, you're worried about competition," Xuefeng chuckled inwardly. "Wuying, marriage is the last thing on my mind right now. I haven't even started cultivating."

"But what if you're proposed to after the ceremony? Many beautiful ladies will throw themselves at you," Wuying voiced her concerns, her touch soothing despite her worry.

"Do you think I'd fall for their charms when I'm living with someone as beautiful as you?" Xuefeng complimented her, trying to ease her mind, but it didn't seem to help.

"You might be strong-willed, but that won't matter when you're Liu Xuefeng," Wuying pointed out, her fingers tracing his cheeks. "If someone like Emperor Zhen offers his daughter's hand, you wouldn't have a choice but to accept. Your marriage status is just a tool for clan benefits."

"I doubt the Royal Family would come for a small awakening ceremony," Xuefeng weakly countered, unsure of his own words.

"Our Clan's strength has surpassed that of the Royal Family. Even if they have the backing of the supervising Sacred Sword Kingdom ruled by the Zhen Family, we still threaten their existence," Wuying explained with a sigh. "If your talent is above average, they'll likely push for a marriage to tie us down."

Xuefeng remained silent, expecting a similar situation. Despite his lingering feelings for Tianshi, he knew he couldn't escape the possibility of a forced marriage. All he could do was raise his cultivation stage to be strong enough to shape his own future.

"Wuying, I promise you this: if I'm forced into a marriage, I'll make sure you get the chance to steal my first kiss," Xuefeng offered, pursing his lips.

"Is that so?" Wuying teased, pinching his cheeks. "I'd rather just kidnap you instead of settling for a single kiss."

She chuckled, but Xuefeng wasn't sure if she was joking.

"I'm going to train a bit more. Finish your dinner and get to bed early. You need to be well-rested for tomorrow," Wuying suggested, adding to his overthinking.

'Let's hope my talent is high enough to save me from this predicament...'

***

Every year, children around ten years old would gather at the Spirit Awakening Hall to commence their cultivation journey. The Spirit Awakening Ceremony was always grand, attracting numerous elites from the Clan to witness the event.

This year, the ceremony was even more festive than usual, with Liu Xuefeng, the only son of the Liu Clan Leader, participating. Rumors of his healed dantian had already spread, but the confirmation from the Liu Clan heightened the anticipation.

The buzz around the Spirit Awakening Ceremony drew crowds near the southern gate of the Liu Clan, eager to catch a glimpse of the invited guests.

"I wouldn't be surprised if the Liu Clan's leader sent invitations to many famous figures. Perhaps even representatives of the Royal Family. I've heard the two families have some connections," remarked one onlooker.

While many were curious about Xuefeng's talent, others seemed to relish the possibility of witnessing the Liu Clan's downfall.

"The Liu Clan's Leader is taking a significant risk! What if his son's talent is subpar? They could become a laughingstock for the entire country!"

"I agree. If it were me, I would skip the ceremony altogether and awaken my son in secret. Only if he showed talent would I announce it to the world."

"There's a reason why you're just random people on the street and he's a successful clan leader. He has the courage to do what others wouldn't!"

As the crowd chattered amongst themselves, the first invited guest arrived.

"Look! That's Manager Wu from the Golden Phoenix Restaurant!"

A path cleared through the crowd for the invitees to enter the Liu Clan's territory. Manager Wu, adorned in an elegant red dragon dress, exuded a mature beauty that captivated onlookers. Many only knew her as a restaurant manager, but it was her secret identity as the owner of the Phoenix City's Spirit Artifacts Pavilion that earned her the invitation. 

The second arrival was the Lu Clan's Leader, who descended amidst the crowd atop a flying beast. Interest piqued when a beautiful teen accompanied him.

"Damn, what a scheming old man. He's probably going to offer his daughter's hand if Xuefeng's talent is exceptional. We might witness the birth of a powerful alliance."

The Lu Clan, though weaker, held considerable power, and their relationship with the Liu Clan was friendly.

Over the next hour, more flying beasts arrived, accompanied by daughters from various clans. The crowd speculated on how many beauties would seek to marry Xuefeng.

The atmosphere shifted when a Spirit Eagle landed, carrying an old man and two young women. The old man's tactic to increase his chances by bringing two daughters startled the crowd.

"Can someone explain this? Out of twelve parties, ten brought a young woman with them. That old man even brought two!"

"It's obvious. They're all schemers who prioritize their clan's future. They won't hesitate to sacrifice their daughters' happiness for a partnership with a powerful clan like the Liu Clan."

"Liu Xuefeng is one lucky guy. If even the Royal Family arrives with their princess, I'm going to curse him in my morning prayers."

As if on cue, a deafening roar echoed above, drawing everyone's attention to the sky. Everyone looked up in unison and their eyes opened wide at the majestic scene.

An enormous beast flew in their direction at lightning speed, its wingspan creating a shadow that covered the crowd. The beast started descending elegantly and the crowd finally lost it after recognizing its origin.

"It's the Emperor's Flood Dragon Spirit Beast! The Royal Family has arrived!"