1

Five days earlier

Dark, brisky twilight overwhelmed the sky as Kilian walked downstairs to his office. He grabbed a water bottle before going to his office. He already has read the second volume despite insisting not to. Just as he and Roland thought, after book one is a waste of time.

Kilian went up to one of the hills and reached a tree where he placed his conical hat and items leaning on the trunk. With five hours of sleep, his body is refreshed and ready for the next cycle.

So far, he has gotten better with his qi control compared to two days ago when he couldn't control the abundant pressure, so he used the blade as a faucet for qi. Finishing the first book requires the user to be able to build up the capacity minimum to contain approximately five stones of pressure. Kilian contained at least twenty stones. Using the various boulders, he would test his overall body and apply the force onto the boulder. He did that frequently across the two days till he shattered the largest boulder available.

The lot hasn't been cleaned yet, and the rubble remains scattered.

With all that out of the way, he is now moving on enhancing his existing swordsmanship. It's tricky to adjust the qi efficiently to the blade as it would leak out of his hand, especially when slashing the sword repetitively.

He would divide certain intervals where he would use the boost of qi provided by the conical hat and the other session not. Compared to the two the conical hat assistance kept his qi more stable and controlled while on the hand without Mei’s assistance, he had to put more effort to achieve the same stability.

Recalling one of the pages in the first volume, there's a pentagon chart with its vertices labeled by the attributes. Clockwise from the top, it goes in Qi control, capacity, Strength, endurance, and swordsmanship. The book is nondiscriminatory, meant to apply for all curious learners. The problem is [the Five groups] are specialty-focused rather than embracing the generalization of the matter.

Kilian on the other hand believed in rather focus on the generalization before specializing the interests . His unorthodox capabilities and thoughts have shattered the notebooks' expectations, noted by Roland. His self-training might have influenced Xiong due to her as the outcast of the three concubines, so she finally departed from her previous life to take her lifetime opportunity. Her learning some basics before in secret is a shock to everyone but she didn’t complete it. After finishing the first volume, she gradually opens herself to others around her. Not only Kilian but including Roland and Selina, Xiong shares the similarity of embracing unorthodox methods. Which enabled her to improve in the path of natural disaster magic. Based on records, she is the first one to have given a full commitment to large-scale catastrophic magic.

2

"You're always early."

Kilian pierces his sword to the ground, "As always. You finished too?"

"Of course. Took me two days too. Could have been quicker but I just wanted to absorb all the information before moving to my specialties."

"I'm with you. I’m working on improving my swordsmanship. Going unorthodox of course."

Xiong holding scrap paper, "Doing Magic traditionally. But only the basics. I've no desire for ordinary magic. I saw those papers yesterday from your desk," Xiong said while smirking.

"You mean the-"

Xiong nodded. She saw the writings about natural disasters and catastrophic arts. It does exist, but the last person to use it effectively was undisclosed and has been prohibited across the board. Not a surprise with the disaster in its name and dangers of inflicting the horrors of mother nature.

"All of it?"

"Yes. All of the writing on that paper,” she said, showing all the scrap paper.

"Oh well. It's too late now. You are already interested in it so I'm not stopping you. Just keep in mind the potential risks."

She headed right, “I’m gonna take this space.”

Kilian nodded.

The open site is vastly huge. Buildings that made up the palace complex are directly at the center and leaning towards the south where the front lot is located. While the remaining open terrain occupies the remaining space behind the buildings or the entire northern section.

Kilian and Xiong began their specialized training and their first exertion of their qi triggered the activation of the invisible barrier at the site.

Kilian went to a stance. “Began!” He yelled, triggering the underground system, deploying rain of rocks and projectiles. He one slashed into the first batch.

Unimpressive. It did the job but not all the rocks were cut from contact, so Kilian had to leap back. The second he landed, he gave a right horizontal slash, slicing the remaining intact rocks. Not good. That was a weak output.

Beginners: Repetitively flex your forearms to give an opening for maximum potential energy to build up the pressure to force it to your weapon as desired.

Side effects: muscle soreness.

Remembering the line in volume one, before going for another round, he went for a session of forearm exercises to further strengthen its stamina and durability.

A second batch deployed up to the air. The qi circles around him and Kilian positions his sword to his back with both of his grips on the hilt, facing the blade in the opposite direction.

Burst of energy unleashes from the hilt and flows to the tip of the blade. He gave one upward horizontal slash.

To his surprise, it not only cuts through but disintegrates any object in its path as well the surroundings. Kilian stopped the simulation on his hand and went to observe Xiong’s. On the way there, he went for a second set of forearm exercises.

While sprinting towards her, one of Xiong’s magic attempts misdirect and berserk, heading towards Kilian. It's fairly massive but the rotation speed is insanely beyond control. The speed generated gusts around the vicinity. The grass directed to his direction from the wind.

She is getting there. That being a failure is wild for that magnitude.

<< She is like a different person now compared to years ago. I can’t wait. >>

For sure. Let’s see if I can disperse this thing.

Kilian, with his katana out ready, sped up before breaking his speed to a full stop. Swiftly lifted it upward to immediately strike it down to the ground floor while grunting in pain from his forearms.

After the contact with the floor, the ground explodes, bursting out immense energy upward to the sky, annihilating her failed magic attempt. Kilian looks up in satisfaction at what his own body filled with qi generated. Before it hit the limit of the training site, he relaxed his forearms and yanked his katana out of the ground, abruptly stopping it.

Holy shit. Don’t know if that’s good or bad. He thought since it was very loud, almost deafening his ears.

He panted, catching his breath. Ringing vibrations pierced his ears, prompting him to stand still momentarily. After recovering enough, he processes the attack, has removed a significant amount of his stamina. Another necessary improvement required for him. Hopefully he figures a solution to develop a resistance for his ears.

Took another deep breath, walking towards Xiong, who was lying on the floor."What the hell was that earlier?"

"A magnitude," Kilian said, surrendering to the floor. "Did you build up your defenses?"

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She shook her head. Xiong has been reliably too focused on the offensive, and then admitted she went over during the first volume to where her qi is not optimized for defenses. He shared his own flaw to her, "Doing that attack depleted my stamina quite significantly. I could only assume the worst if I go all out once I'll collapse." He then reminded her to work on her defenses and don’t dare skip a session without one.

"Let's take a break. We unremarkably succeeded in exerting our qi to offense. So that's progress." Xiong closed her eyes satisfied.

Both ended their first session and climbed uphill. The two sat down under the shade away from the scorching sun and rehydrated themselves.

"It's already past morning so — around an hour has passed."

Sounds unbelievable. But then, if he hadn't sprinted across the training site, reaching where Xiong was would take ten minutes. Adding the walking uphill is a few more minutes.

"I'm gonna ask again. Do you three really don’t get along?"

Xiong shook her head but added, "More like complicated. Sometimes, we all agree, but many trivial and common beliefs tend to conflict. We didn't even connect during our first time here."

"Five years. Can you three even do anything during the former’s tenure?"

"No. We are concubines, remember?" Xiong lifted herself up, handing Kilian a bottle of water and turned directly to Kilian. "The two haven't seen through you yet. They have more instinct and action rather than observation. This could correlate why I'm the King's least favorite of the three," she said before laying back down.

"Sorry. Having no freedom other than for someone's pleasure is fucked," Kilian said, pouring a brief of water, washing the sweat off of his face.

"I hope the two train too. They don't realize how impactful it feels to finally let something go off their chest once they do it," Xiong said, longing for the days of joy.

"Are you happy that you can finally talk and express yourself?" Kilian asked, now turning to her.

Xiong nodded with a smile."Come on. Break is over." She stood up first and excitedly sprinted down the hill, leaving Kilian alone. He didn’t say that much into the conversation, but he will admit that the training and increasing frequent conversations with Xiong is becoming his stress therapy. His past memories haven’t improved leaving it unknown. He once began thinking about his possible life beforehand and wondered if he ever had someone close. Doesn’t disturb him that much anymore with everything amid the training is happening.

Well breaks over for me. He lifted his conical hat.

<< It’s kind of unfair. I can’t even get a walk on this lot as much as I like to. >>

Yeah, I feel that. You two would definitely get along more today than years ago.

<< I wish. If I was out there, we would probably be doing some crazy magic shit by now. She would be astounded. >>

Kilian chuckled. Yea no kidding…Anyway my stamina is back, let’s continue. He ran down the hill back to his spot, restarting the rock simulation.

The cycle repeats consistently for the next couple of days. Both would finish embracing their foundations, and which left them observing and dueling with Roland and Selina. His improvements will depend on how far he improvised on his abilities and qi. The stamina is still hindering him, so he cut one day of swordsmanship, devoting to stamina improvements with Selina’s assistance.

While Xiong worked along with Roland, managed to figure out her optimization of her whirlwinds but still lacked stamina.

3

The day before the Jianke Attack

"Are you guys done?!" Loud yell from afar.

Huh. Kilian looked up, hearing somebody, and definitely didn't sound like Xiong’s voice.

He looked towards where it came from. Only for it to be Qian with her arms crossed.

"Yes and No! Why?!" Xiong responded loudly.

"Lunch!" Qian yelled.

Kilian’s aura dissipates. His stomach growls. Funny, now it's hungry. The pile of large fresh boulders stacked up as tall as a house's ceiling, in front of him. Approximately around fifty are set neatly in the form of a building.

SLASH. CRACK.

Followed by a loud boom, the tower collapses, climbing debris of stone. The boom startled Qian as she tumbled to the floor. Xiong stopped her magic and took a flash step to her.

"You okay?"

Qian shrugged off her arm, "I'm fine," she stood up from the floor. She really ain't. Internally continued to be startled by the blast Kilian inflicted on the tower of stones.

Her first time out on the training site or beyond the buildings of the complex, which is something both Kilian and Xiong were surprised by. Usually, they would end the session, or one of the assistants would arrive to remind them.

No, stay away. Stay away. Qian internally yelled as Kilian walked away from the rubble. He heads in her direction with a shining sky blue aura flashing from his eyes.

"What's up with you?" He said, being next to her. The sky blue dissipates from his eyes. "Ah, I see." Kilian senses her internal composition. Her qi fluctuates and is unstable, signaling stress as described from the first volume.

"Anyways, let's go. I'm famished." Kilian sheathed his sword. He heads off first, leaving Xiong and Qian. Xiong walked with Qian as she didn't want to shock her anymore. Being the first time Qian visited the training site also means her first time seeing Xiong and Kilian's brief abilities.

“Huh?” Kilian stopped himself, “You good?” He asked Xiong.

She waved her palm, “It’s fine. You go first. Don’t want to shock Qian further.”

He nodded and sprinted off. Xiong went under Qian’s arm, assisting her.

Qian nudged Xiong and eyed at her, “I didn’t know you trained this much. No wonder why we- only see you during lunch and dinner.”

“You two missed me already?”

“Eh- That’s not what I meant…”

Xiong laughed, “Relax. I’m just joking. You and Huo could have trained with us.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Come on, spill it out. Both of you probably prefer the old life with the former leader.”

Qian’s tough face is gone. She looks directly away from Xiong, head partially down. “Being the favorite and such role with luxury treats differently. I don’t want to revert my lifestyle back to where it was before I got here.”

“If you were more open a bit after getting along, you might have been more far off today. Please you and Huo join me and Kilian to start training. It’s a good stress- reliever despite being training.”

“I said I don’t want to.”

Xiong stopped and forced Qian’s face directly at her. Qian’s eyes widened, freaked out from the menacing stare of Xiong’s. “I insist you and Huo do it. If you want comfort, you better get some powers. That world is over. Otherwise you die in vain and regret.”

Qian gulped, having no answer to say, Xiong took it as an answer and gripping Qian’s waist tight, she dashed in speed, catching up with Kilian, who was already about to reach the cafeteria.

4

Few Minutes before Present

A powerful thrust exerts out of the body.

Good God.

Her eyes open.

Looking down on the body, all ragged and drenched in blood. Feeling cold and hot simultaneously as grass gets soaked in dark red.

"Xiong Xiong!" Someone called for her.

Xiong turns briefly to the direction of the sound, seeing Huo and Qian running up to her side. Followed with the members, Selina, and Roland.

Qian was shaken by the amount of blood stained her hands as she grasped Xiong from her brutalized uncompromising position and helped her lay more comfortably.

“Selina help her!” She cried

“I’m sorry. She’s too fractured to be saved," Selina said with her head down, after checking her injuries and tried resisting to shed a tear. Qian was in denial and grabbed Selina’s robe and thrust her back and forth, “I thought you the best doctor we got! I refuse! I refuse!!”

Xiong coughed, spurting blood from her mouth. She slowly turned to Huo at her right.

“Huo.” Xiong holds her hand.

“Yes?”

“Trust Kilian. Eventually you will open up to him. Both of you.”

Huo grunted as she shed tears looking partially away from Xiong.

“Like I said to Qian yesterday… You won’t survive in comfort anymore without getting involved in qi manipulation… Us being concubines is over. Please will you both get along soon?”

She looked back at Xiong and swallowed her tears, feeling hesitant but nodded, “Yes…”

“Good…Good.”

I’m sorry Kilian. You open a new future for myself with this opportunity. I have no such regret doing this. At least we both saved Hong An. That’s all that matters. She looks at Huo before Qian who is tearing on the Selina's robe. Take care of everyone here, especially Huo and Qian. They will surpass me and be able to live longer than I. I wish it hadn’t come to this…ahh ahh.

Xiong shed a tear drop as her eyes weighed down her point of view. With one smile left, she took the last breath, staring at the sky.