69. Improving Physiques

Hiro woke up from his slumber. The egg was still in his embrace. He didn't want to let go. The vitality in the egg was way stronger than their first encounter. And he could feel the strong heartbeat that puts his own to shame.

Hiro yawns before muttering. "I'll take care of you little one." He stretched his body for a bit. After which he wraps the egg in his embrace. His drowsy looking eyes closed and Hiro slept off once again.

***

"My dear, it's time to eat. I've prepared a nice meal," Mi'er voices as she steps into the room.

"Give me a second, let me wrap this up," Hao Ren says. He was sitting in front of a cauldron with both hands stretched out.

Mi'er made her way to his side and sat down. "What pill are you making? I saw you were gathering really expensive and rare herbs lately."

"Hmm…"

Hao Ren took in a deep breath then exhaled quietly.

"What's wrong?"

"Wait, I'll explain."

"Okay," Mi'er said.

She quietly stayed beside him and Hao Ren quickly wrapped things up. In no time he was finished. He placed a few pills into a bottle before turning to Mi'er.

"Ahem," he clears his throat. "Can you make a barrier around our house?"

"Huh? O-okay?" Mi'er said and waved her hand. She could tell from the expression on his face, what he wanted to say was serious.

"Thank you. I found a way to improve my physique."

Mi'er's eyes widened at his words. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I don't know if it's going to work. It's just my guess."

"Is it risky?"

she frowned and asked.

"Kind of," Hao Ren replied with an exhale.

"And you wanted to take that risk without letting me know?" Mi'er lips trembled. She tried to smile but just couldn't. "And what happens if it fails?"

"…"

Mi'er took a deep breath. "Did you forget what we agreed on?"

"No, I didn't. My excitement got the better of me. I wanted to surprise you when I succeeded."

"Please don't do that again."

"I'm sorry, I won't."

"Thank you." She kissed him on his cheek and smiled at him. "So where did you find this method and what exactly is it?"

"Eight days ago, I visited the sacred mountains with mother."

"The current one or the one where the true immortals of old stayed?"

"The one of old. Do you remember what we were told about the immortals being born with the immortal physique that gave them a huge growth rate in cultivation?"

Hao Ren asked with a smile.

"Yeah, their cultivation speed allowed them to greatly surpass the king realm. They grew so much that this world couldn't contain them, so they ascended."

Mi'er straightened her body and listened as Hao Ren said. "What if I told you not all immortals were born with the immortal physique? Or that not all of them had a complete one?"

"What do you mean?"

"In the sacred mountains, I got lost in an hidden area. The reason mother and I spent five days there was because of that. Well, in that area I landed in an alchemist room and found out it is possible for one to improve their physique with pills. And it's also possible to improve it to a semi-immortal or an immortal physique."

Mi'er jaws dropped slightly and Hao Ren closed it while smiling. "Husband, you are kidding, right?" She asked, not able to believe her ears.

"I'm not. It is possible, though it requires lots of rare pills. After acquiring those pills, one has to use them in making a pill," Hao Ren replied.

"So that's why you mobilize the guards and servants and spent crazily these passed three days?"

"Yes."

"Did you tell mother?"

"She knows it's a way to improve my physique, but doesn't know about the semi-immortal or immortal physique. However, she's helping me get the king grade alchemist she knows, to make the pills I cannot make."

"I see. If there are pills you can not make, does that mean you can not make the final pill?"

"I can do that, the method to do that isn't hard. The pills I can't make requires king Qi to make them. The final method doesn't require True Qi or King Qi, so I can do it."

"O-okay, so where's the risk?"

"The risk is after taking the pill. One's body will go through a transformation and if the body can't take it, it will collapse and dry up."

"And you believe your frail body can take it?" She frowned at him and he stared into her eyes. Not shaking nor wavering.

"I won't know without trying," he declared.

"Those eyes of yours say it clearly, you've made up your mind."

"…"

"And I'm sure there's nothing I would say to change your mind," Mi'er sighed. Her eyes twitched as she looked at him. He could tell she was worried.

"…"

"Well, before you proceed with that, we should decide on a name for the little one."

"Little one? You mean…?" His eyes trail to her stomach while widening.

"Yes, I'm pregnant. I wanted to break the news while eating but I guess this is okay too."

"Wow, I'm so happy!" Hao Ren embraces her.

"Me too, however, since you are embarking on a path with unknown outcome, we better decide the name of the child."

"Okay," he replied excitedly.

"So, if it's a boy I was thinking Hao…"

"None of our children will answer the Hao surname," Hao Ren said.

"Okay, I'm sorry."

"It's alright."

"In that case, what about Taeyang? Ren Taeyang?"

"That's a good one."

"Per our previous agreement, you'll be the one to name the child if it's a girl," Mi'er said.

"I know, we'll call her Seraphina. Ren Seraphina."

"Seraphina, hmm…"

"You don't like it? Then I should…"

"No, no… it has a nice ring to it."

"Okay."

"Let's go eat," Mi'er said and got up.

"Are you really okay with it?" Hao Ren asked.

"Hm? No, but I respect your decision," Mi'er smiled.

"Okay."

"But I'm going to perform the soul binding technique on you," Mi'er said with a mischievous smile on her face. "I can't have you dying and making me a widow just a year after marriage."

"…"

"If little husband doesn't agree to that, then I can not allow you proceed with your plans," Mi'er added.

"I understand, when would we do it?"

"We can decide that later, let's go eat."

***

The sound of rain causes Hiro to open his eyes. It seemed it was pouring heavily outside. A smile appeared on his face as he stretched his body. The energy in the cave had plummeted, however, his body was completely healed.

He turned to the egg beside him. Right now he could feel it, the egg was going to hatch soon. How near was soon? He didn't know that, but he couldn't help but smile.

He stood up even though he didn't want to. His stomach didn't let him stay put. Right now he was so hungry and had to find something to eat. He made his way to the cave entrance and his eyes widened.

"No way!"

His eyes twitched at the sight before him. The green trees and grasses that covered the cave entrance had dried up and withered away respectively. The trees had lost most of their leaves and the ones that remained had turn brown or red.

"Did the areas change position?" Hiro muttered and entered the rain. He climbed a near by tree, until he reached the top. "You are kidding me!"

Dumbfounded was a word too little to describe how he felt right now. It was unbelievable. The four areas had become one. There was no longer an area with snow, no longer an area with newly grown trees and no longer an area with bountiful fruits. Only dying trees and grasses filled the entire place.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Hiro cleans his eyes before looking around again. He couldn't believe it, and didn't want to believe it. Nevertheless, reality greeted him with a mischievous smile.

"It seems I have to hunt from now on."

The sky continued crying and Hiro could only climb down from the tree. He made his way back to the cave completely drenched.

For reasons he did not know, Hiro smiled when he saw the egg. He sat beside it and took in a deep breath. "I wonder how I'm going to get fire."

He took the egg into his embrace. "What am I going to feed you when you hatch? I would have given fruits but they have all disappeared. Perhaps, if I check properly I'll find some worms for you," he says and thought to himself. "In senior's memory, birds ate worms. I should search his memories for a way to start a fire. It won't be easy reminiscing about something that isn't mine."

He shut his eyes as tight as possible and tried to remember the scenes that flashed pass his eyes before.

…