“HAS FATHER GONE MAD!? WHY OF ALL PEOPLE DID YOU BRING THIS VULGAR PEASANT TO BE MY PARTNER!?” a roar that resonated throughout the entire mountain came from one of the higher up villa on one of the Zhao clan spirit mountains.
“Please calm down young miss, please allow me to explain everything so that you can understand the situation.” The butler said.
“Understand! How can I understand this!? I train Demon Beast! He doesn’t! How can we be a Dao Couple!” She roared.
The old butler sighed and fished something out of his pocket and as Rinrin was about to shout again he pulled a tiny pill and shot it right down her throat.
“T-that! What was that… huh~...” She said and her eyes got a bit droopy and she seemed tired but didn’t completely fall asleep. When she noticed what this was she fell down sitting and closed her eyes.
“Good, young miss, while you clear your system of that ungraded mortal rank sleep pill I shall explain. Young master Ning, when he arrived, performed a 2 minute innate test as a means to find his talent and keep it hidden while he was in the outer sect. Your father ordered a proper two hour test and it was shown that in these two hours his talent rose to the violet rank meaning his talent is even above your Blue rank talent. For the beasts, your father has already said that he would gift you and young master Ning a compatible beast. You would get an initial Heavenly Dan potential Earth type Profound Beast to match young master Ning’s Titan Bull and he would get an Ice type Initial Nascent Demon Spirit Demon Beast to match your Snow Demon Ape.” He said explaining it all.
After a minute her eyes shot open and they were brimming with rage. “But why did father not talk to me about it!?” She shouted and was nearly crying.
“Of course this is the decision of the clan and not yours individually. Even young master had his mother accept and not himself.” He explained.
When she looked at Ning she saw he was sulking while sitting in the corner and could clearly see he was far from happy about this. Even so for some reason she felt extremely pissed off by this attitude. It is understandable if she was unsatisfied since he was from a humble background but she had nearly the entire Royal family sect at her back. She had countless suitors and yet the most unremarkable one was made her Dao Partner. How can she be happy about this? But seeing the unsatisfied expression on his face made her blood boil in rage.
“Oi vulgar boy! Why do you have that face!? Is this princess not good enough for you huh!?” She shouted trying to vent her rage.
He looked at her and frowned, “So noisy.” he said simply.
Just these two words were enough to make her go crazy but she heard a giggling and looked at the source and found a beautiful woman. Rinrin froze in place as she was mesmerized by the beautiful woman who possibly surpassed even her own mother.
Seeing her looking Bo Rei smiled, “I am Ning’s mother, Bo Rei, it is a pleasure to meet you.” She said.
“I-I’m Zhao Rinrin.” She said.
Bo Rei smiled a bit and walked over before petting her hair and than moving her hand under Rinrin’s chin and lifting her face. “Such a cute little girl, showing and frowning isn’t good for a young miss. Being spoiled is fine but if you do that towards all the little people it will make you lose your shine. You can be graceful and spoiled which would make you seem above someone below you and you could resolve all arguments seeming as if you are the better person instead of a child fighting.” She said.
Rinrin’s face blushed a bit and she fidgeted and quickly turned and ran into her room to hid.
“Such a cutie, I never had a daughter and just seeing one so cute becoming my son’s main wife makes me want to dress her up to look like a doll.” She said.
All the nearby maids, including the six that came with them, all nodded and began to giggle and started to chat. The maids from Rinrin’s group also quickly walked over and they began to chat as they found this Mistress was quite to their liking and could even make the little devil princess retreat.
The following morning the two of them gathered when the butler returned and presented them with new Inner sect disciple Rider equipment. This was a pair of tight fight bracelets which moved along with their movement. This was because the hands are important for later when they start cultivating together. After changing it they were taken to get the balancing eggs.
Ning asked his mother what type he needed and she sat there nearly a full minute.
“You have Speed with Tora, Strength and Endurance with Tyrant so you should go for Active Defense and Support with the next one because endurance isn’t defense and support can be suppressing through aid or changing the environment.” She said.
To Rinrin she told her the same thing, she had Speed from the harpy, Strength from the ape so she needed Defense so looking for a Defensive type was the best for their stable growth. Like that they went off.
***
“W-what!?” Guo Wein roared. After a year in isolation he had come out a bit before Rinrin had been promoted and was the first to ask for her hand yet after a week the Guo clan elder appeared saying that Zhao Rinrin was offered to Bo Ning who had done a proper innate test unlike the first and had Violet color talent. His mother had accepted the proposal there and the Zhao clan even compromised saying they would bank for the two to obtain a Profound Beast and Demon Beast of two ranks higher than their second beast so that they could form a proper Dao Couple.
No one denied the boy’s talent so forget the Guo clan elders trying to get the girl to be with Guo Wein, the current genius who had arrisen, Guo Tian, was only Green talent how would the Guo clan have the face to try and match them up?
At this moment Guo Wein was trembling in rage as he was sitting at the Guo clan’s hall after the elder called a meeting dinner.
His body was releasing a bloodthirst that made the nearby people look at him and the elder also noticed and narrowed his eyes.
“Guo Wein, do you have an objection to this? You should know that Elder Zhao Shizi himself came up and asked for the proposal and not some servant or lower ranked elder.” the elder said.
“How can that lowly brat be compatible with my Rinrin!? She was to be mine and yet some noname trash appeared out of nowhere how can I accept?” He said.
“Don’t overestimate yourself boy, you, an Orange colored talent, are lucky to be an inner sect disciple. You have five concubine and a main wife. You really expect Elder Zhao to give his prized Blue color talent daughter to someone like you who would only hold her back?” The elder sneered.
“How would i, one of the few Demon Beast cultivators, hold her back!? That brat doesn’t even have a simple notion of how to train Demon Beasts!” He roared.
“GUO WEIN! Be silent this instant! Although they have been partnered, there is a chance that even with the Demon Beast the Zhao Clan will give they aren’t compatible. Do not condemn yourself over petty greed and lust. If you do we will not back you.” The elder shouted.
“Stupid idiot, you also shouldn’t forget that there is a 2 month protection period for all disciples who rise through breakthrough. Ning AND Rinrin have broken through and rose because of that. They are both under intense protection as prospective high level members. Someone like you is just a stone in the way of the two if you do something like that.” Guo Tian said coldly.
“You brat! You just advanced into the Inner sect! You think you have higher rank then I, your daddy!?” He roared.
“I don’t think, I know! Can’t you tell from the positions we are sitting?” Guo Tian grinned mockingly. “Also you are trash that can’t even aid your beasts to surpass Initial Xiantian. Those two? If they can put their differences aside and do even the most basic level Dao Couple cultivation it will take less than a year before them to have push their first beast to Initial Xiantian.” Guo Tian said.
The Guo Clan elders looked at his smile and raised a brow.
The elder who had gone to meet Ning looked at Guo Tian with raised interest. Most of the higher ups had some knowledge of the relationship of those around Zhao Rinrin because of her talent. The most eye catching was obviously the trio formed by Bo Ning, Guo Tian and Meng Bei. Them and Rinrin formed a group that was the epitome of love and hate. They would not avoid each other and would actually move closer but when in close proximity they would but heads and bicker to the point that most people only look to figure out who it is before turning back.
Only now did the elders find that behind the ‘hate’ there was probably admiration, rivalry or even affection which children do not know how to express. Rinrin in particular has extremely childish reactions towards the three because none of them register her existence which the highest crime in the book of those who lived under the spotlight.
The elder leaned in towards the Clan chief who also leaned in a bit. “About that, it is common for the clan’s to present those who advance through break through with a Dao Egg. What of his?” the elder asked.
“We are still waiting to see who would pair with him. He will need that third position to form a connection between Demon Beast or Magic Beast if they have those. If they don’t then it would be for getting a closer element compatibility.” The chief said.
The elder nodded and sat back straight. “Both of you silence. Guo Wein, what Tian has said is true, even after four years you are unable to break through the Initial Xiantian but we of the clan do not believe it is because of the lack of incentive. As such to try and activate your potential in one month’s time you are to leave the sect to adventure. It will do you good to clear your head tempering yourself in the world. You might also get luck and find some treasures to help you advance.” The elder said.
Guo Wein was trembling in rage, adventuring outside had three uses, to get someone out of trouble, get rid of him for some time so they don’t cause trouble and to train people who were stuck in a bottleneck and needed inspiration.
At this moment, he was falling under all three category and it made him want to cough blood in rage all the while watching Guo Tian’s goading face.
“Yes… elder…” He said through clenched teeth but couldn’t stay anymore and stood, “I shall excuse myself.” He said and waited for no one’s acknowledgement.
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“Hmph, trash thinks he is something. Toad who covets swan meat.” Tian said and took his cup of tea and called a maid to pour more.
“While still on this topic, little Tian, we need to decide which clan miss you would accept.” The clan chief said looking at him and took out four letters.
“The Huo clan, Shu clan, Zhao clan and Miya clan have sent letters of proposals. The Zhao and Huo clan have proposals for main wife while the Shu and Miya only wish for minor connection with concubines.” The chief said and spread his palm which caused the letters to fly through the air and stop near the boy.
Each one was adorn differently. He looked at the Zhao clan and took it before pulling out the letter and reading it and his eyes sparkled. “The Madam’s 4th daughter, Zhao Ru Lei, Green Blue talent personally wished for pairing with me?!” He asked in shock and looked at the chief who was smiling.
To a large family connections was the best thing. Even if Ning were to marry Rinrin she was still ‘only’ the daughter of a concubine. Even if Zhao Ru Lei had slightly less talent, she had the main wife’s support. It should be know that the main wife is usually a disciple as well and has her own connections besides the husband himself. The woman in question was from the Huo clan and was a rare born Blue talent as well while Elder Shizi himself was the same rank of talent.
He is a Green talent so a Green Blue talent is just a bit higher but not by much. From the fact that they had taken the choice of giving Ning the 3rd concubine’s daughter to Ning he would get the Main wifes. Still he looked at the Huo clan letter but it wasn’t as high as he expected and instead was lower. One of the Clan chief’s granddaughters of Yellow Green talent meaning she was lower talent than him. There wasn’t even a comparison. If you had two pieces of cake you would obviously want the bigger one if you were left to choose.
“The Zhao clan 4th daughter.” he said and held the Zhao clan letter.
“Will you not look at the other two?” The chief asked.
“They are concubine proposals. At this moment I need to get properly into gear with the inner sect and not get several women and indulge myself like cousin Wein. If that means a single Dao Companion it is fine. It will also be hard to deal with so many different people who would have different beasts. The main wife is the main cultivators while concubine are a luxury that need strength to be able to handle.” He said.
A number of the men chuckled.
This was what he thought now but in truth, Dao Companion cultivation is a 2:1 trade where women benefit more. It is the reason why it is incredibly hard to find women with more than one husband while men have three or for.
Men would usually want women with higher talent because the return would be higher to him than her than as a balancing agent conducted by nature itself. It’s just that the children did not know this fact and would learn the hard truth that a Rider with many concubine is not a luxury but the securing of necessary resource for cultivation.
“We shall tell the clans that you are not taking concubines at this moment then.” The chief said chuckling and withdrew the three letters. “I will head to the Zhao clan to complete the marriage, also this is not her marrying into our clan but you marrying into the Zhao clan due to rank and seniority.” The chief said.
“Does my Guo surname pass on?” he asked.
“Only to the first son born.” the elder next to the chief said.
“Then it is fine.” he said nonchalantly. What was important is that his family would not abandon him to the Zhao clan and would be a mutual benefit.
The men nodded and continued the dinner talking of other needed problems while enjoying the meal.
***
Upon returning from the Egg treasury the two children each locked themselves in their rooms. Bo Rei had wanted to talk with them and see their beasts but she had to give up and simply asked the head butler that Elder Shizi had left. His face was extremely well known and due to his position, he was treated almost like a sect elder because he was Elder Shizi’s personal butler and top servant. His word was the elder’s.
“Like custom they searched all around for the defensive type beast. We brought out all the eggs with their information that matched the max rank we could give the children and they searched it. Young master Ning had an amazing find because he had a Gold compatibility to a Frost Drake. I never expected for something with high level dragon blood to have opened up to him so well. As for the young miss she obtained the Steel Horn Rock Rhino. Mistress Bo should know of this creature, the horn is the hardest part and had the highest concentration of iron. This creature eats metal ore and always searches for better metals to improve its horn. The skin is harden residual minerals it’s body processed and could not use. This, as well, had a gold compatibility.” He said.
Bo Rei was quite shocked by Ning’s choice but happy as was she for Rinrin. “Why is it so easy for children to gain gold compatibilty?” Rei asked.
“It isn’t the higher the potential of the beast the harder it is to find eggs and event the Dao Beasts of the clan don’t breed often so high ranking beasts are harder to find. We had expected a red glow but not a gold.” He said.
“Well, it is fate which has gifted this.” She said but sighed, “But it seems that this will come with a price sooner or later. Good things never last but I can only prepare my child for it. Thank you for the help, I will be going as I need to put these servants into tip top shape. Sadly I really hoped for some common cultivators or magi so that I could train them as guards for the villa. With so few servants that I could properly train it makes me feel insecure.” She said.
“If that is what you need, we can acquire some low ranking people from the city.” He said.
“No, those are too low quality, only fodder really, the talent won’t be enough to handle things later on. It would be good if I could get some Orange or Yellow rank talents at least.” Bo Rei said.
“Yellow or Orange common talents. Most of them would be outer sect with little prospect of becoming inner sect disciples without aid but would be very open to recruitment. If you would like I could have a list ready in a few days after we check the background of all talents.” He said.
“Thank you, please give it to the senior butler that came with me and my son.” He said and the butler bowed and dismissed himself.
Bo Rei turned and called out all the maids and servants and split off the Riders, except those with Dao Beasts, and let them be while the others below Xiantian were left.
“From today on, I shall train you all in combat. I will forge your bodies through the flames of hell so prepare yourself.” She said as a cold glint flashed in her eye and she smiled causing the servants to tremble but did not dare move.
In the room, Ning was sitting while he was completely washed over by the strange energy. It held untold malice in it perfectly illustrating the term ‘Infernal’. Flashes of massacre, war, rivers of blood, death. Countless images kept flashing while the body of all four were completely covered in a mist of this energy. Directing the energy through all of them allowed him to spread the energy making it easier to refine when there is less concentrated just on him.
This egg had been sitting for a very long time and the amount of Infernal Energy it had, there wasn’t a comparison to either of the two beasts Ning had. The two combined didn’t have as much energy. One thing that helped a lot though is that Ning only needed to refine the mana out of the energy and then split the Qi and Infernal Energy and refine the seed with that while the two others obtained the Qi to refine.
For half a day they sat down while absorbing this energy and refining it the hatchling slowly grew and the shell slowly turned from black to bright blue and a thin layer of ice was formed while white mist slowly spread out.
The Infernal Energy had long since spread and washed Ning’s body. At this moment there was no change to his long brown hair or his skin but as he opened his eyes the black sclera and red iris and slit pupil had an even stranger feeling than Rinrin who still had rounded pupils.
At this moment the egg froze over and suddenly began to break down from top to body falling inward and the sound of crunching was heard and soon the Frost Drake appeared.
Unlike the blue egg, the little lizard was blackish blue. There was an air of cold death around the little lizard which caused the two large older beasts behind Ning to take a step back.
The little lizard had small plate like scales with spikes on the back leading all the way to the tip of the tail and several spike like horns on the head.
“So this is a Frost Drake. Let's see, if I remember right, Drakes are a wingless variation of the dragonkin and are some of the smallest breeds. I think they are called lesser dragon breeds and with them were…” Ning said and racked his brain before remembering, “Oh right Wyvern and Wyrm dragons. Each one carries a different energy type in this region and there are other types.” He said.
The little 20 cm lizard looked at him and tilted his head. The sex of all Dao Beasts are the same as the Rider, this is without exception which means that Dao Companions is also a method to form couples for the Dao Beasts.
“Let’s see, I should name you something.” He muttered and held his chin. “Frost or Drake are to uncreative…” He muttered to himself and thought that Tyrant was already taken. “How about Zero?” He asked.
Graa!
He screeches and jumps onto Ning’s lap before climbing skillfully without stabbing the very sharp curved claws into his body and quickly curled around his neck while retracting all the sharp spikes and pointy scales making a very sleek body and very quickly went to sleep.
Ning smiled and pulled out a new gem, “Zero…” he called and the little Drake opened his eyes and lifted his head and quickly he placed the gemstone pendant on his forehead making it merge with the skin.
A moment later he simply scratched his head before returning to sleep while Ning spread his meridians in the path he remembered clearly and reached the Dantian and felt the stored up energy and quickly began to process it.
Ning felt at the three seeds. One was green with eight layers, one was brown with five and now there was one with three layers. This meant he was at Low Success Infernal Gathering. Infernal Gathering is the stage where it will gather a lot of Infernal Energy in its body while Essence Refining is when the Infernal Energy gathered is refined into Demon Essence becoming incredibly pure. Finally there is the Demon Core Formation where the essence will slowly start to form a crystal core in the dantian and slowly grow.
This is what Rinrin explained to Ning who had little knowledge of the demon system.
He sighed and wondered, “Where will I get a demon technique for this?” He sighed and began to review everything in his mind.
Shifting through all the manuals he recorded he eventually reached the last one, ‘Dragonkin Hatchling Art’.
It did not say which energy it used but as Ning put it into practice he found it worked wonders and the energy from the shell was quickly refined until nothing was left.
“I guess we should go out now.” he said and stood up and left the room.
As soon as he did he found a large number of tired servants. “What happened?” He asked.
They simply looked at him and forced a smile. “Mistress Rei is training us for combat.” one of the maids said and Ning could only look at them with a bit of pity because he had passed through one of his mother's ‘serious’ training sessions.
“You all should go rest a little while, it won’t do for you all to work so tired.” He said.
The servants looked at him in shock before tears welled up from the gratitude and they bowed and thanked him before limping off to the servants rooms.
Ning followed the flow of servants to the source where he found his mother and also found Rinrin trembling behind the door while next to her the little harpy and ape were cowering while in her embrace was her newest addition, the Steel Horn Rock Rhino.
She looked at Ning with tear filled eyes and Ning didn’t need to ask as he peeked out.
“What is this!? Are you a servant or a cow!? Look at this big ass! Did you intentionally eat more to make it big even at your young age to seduce someone!?” Bo Rei shouted and in her hand was a large wooden sword.
POW!
“Kya! N-no mistress!” the maid shouted as her butt began to heat up from the pain.
They were on the ground doing push ups while on their backes was tied a large 100 kilo boulder. The clothing had been changed to training gear while the maid outfits were neatly folded on the walkway in front of the door Ning was peeking from.
“And you! You are so pathetically thin! Did you not eat or are you simply so weak!? Do you want to be treated like a brat all your life!?” She said.
“Wahh!” The girl cried but didn’t dare stop.
“Y-your mother is a demon.” Rinrin said.
“She is going light on them.” Ning whisper and turned around before walking the other way. “Let's get out of here before she notices.” He whispered and took three soft steps.
“Ning! Rinrin, you two are no longer outer sect disciples, come out here and get mother’s training or else you will fall too far behind the other disciples and I will not allow such a thing to happen.” Bo Rei’s voice boomed shocking the two silly and they trembled but as Ning bent forward and took a step to run, like a ghost his mother appeared in front of him grinning. “Where are you running to? You need to train your body and mind as well as learn those Natural Laws you and finish mastering your movement technique so that you can continue the later volumes.” She said grinning and grabbed him by the shirt and walked over. “Rinrin I need to see what you can do by yourself, come.” She ordered and the aura of dominance and arrogance she gave off made Rinrin, a phoenix among women, shiver and lower her head following obediently.
Having no mercy, the two suffered the entire day alongside the servants but unlike them, she was ten times more severe with the two children.