Up above the Nun Clarissa and the children had found a few things while exploring with each other. Large amounts of Limestone that were needed for lots of work. The books Leroy copied down for them listed the minerals as good use in enough forging they picked them up in abundance.

Checking the spots over fist, Clarissa made sure the children went nowhere near some purple shells that were scattered around. Especially after she spotted dead fish floating in the water.

"At least it is only over here and not anywhere else like where we fished earlier." Storing a few of the fish and Limestone in an empty Storage Pouch she would hand it over to Leroy for later. "Just in case we missed anything and someone get sick later."

Nodding to herself, the Nun went to a few other areas while keeping a close eye on the children. Barely missing the various bodies that floated around to the area she passed.

Not actually dead was something to note. 'Good eats and a lot to pick up! Definitely taking it all!' Storing it in his Internal Space, he would wait till later to check the Storage Rings over.

He remembered after thinking it over some that he should really have gotten out of the water but all this stuff floating about was to good to pass up. The Storage rings were of different qualities with quite a few resources inside them.

One large abundance of ore had him looking forward in using it for Smithing, Tailoring, and Formations. A few stones he found could warm the body giving some benefits right now since he had been down so long. It also sold for a pretty penny if memory severed correctly.

Using Spatial Sense, Leroy found a few more bodies. All of them were either heavily poisoned or frozen the same as the first. The different structures in the area were the same as the temple but not as monstrous in size but were decorated with odd jewels on the outside.

'This is really weird. I should head back... but dammit I don't want to miss this chance!' The skeletons that were so soaked with a corrosive poison were a good course for checking on various antidotes against. 'Eh! This body is freshly killed! Should probably prepare for a fight!'

Pushing Astral Sense, he thrummed his Qi in a way to call Spotter over. Luckily he was still in range of several of his people. Of course, with the Demon Bird taking off to head towards him, Nun Clarissa and the children packed it up and headed inward.

It was good to create signals that others couldn't pick up. Once they learned to read and wirte to his satisfactory, ciphers would be next to relay messages.

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Elsewhere-

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Chu Xue had cultivated for a few hours along with Chu Mu. The two did a little spar before Chu Mu went back remembering she had some things to take care of. She also thought her cousin was acting strange and rather ask the elders what could be wrong. He was stronger than he portrayed but he carried a dark way about him.

No sooner that she was gone, idiots did idiot things.

Chu Xue wanted to improve his cultivation faster and didn't think he would be able to handle it if he failed to win. Remembering everything that happened back at the Akademy and just recently sparked a sense of urgency to improve beyond his current self to guarantee he grew stronger.

"I need to be stronger now!" Chu Xue balled his fist frustrated. Looking around and not seeing anybody nearby such as the children and Nun, he reckoned the lake was not that dangerous in the center islands and the elder was being overly cautious. 'I will check the waters first before heading further in.'

Considering Elder Chu Quan was much more docile and weaker than him in a few ways, the power of youth and risking it for the biscuit pushed the young Cultivator to not listen.

Diving down he was hit with an intense chill causing his Life Martial Qi to circulate automatically to protect him. Grayish Qi and Cold Qi strands started to flow toward him. Unknown to the boy a mark on his back started to glow.

Several holes on the side with air pockets started to increase in airflow.

'The Trident should help with getting through here.' From his travels, he found both Water and Ice Qi worked great with the weapon. 'Perfect for cultivating down here actually! Just need to be careful in case there is something down here!' Chu Xue was grateful for the chance available to him. 'It might be better further in, but let's scope it better from up top and see if I can spot Leroy!'

Not thinking to go to the air pockets he swam around in various areas before deciding it was ok to go ahead.

Swimming back up, Chu Xue felt something weird was in store for him. He moved in that direction and spotted the small island. To sate his curiosity and take a break he thought it best to rest there.

*Splash!* The water surface broke loudly as Chu Xue landed not too far away from someone as they didn't really look when he jumped over. The strange energy was from Jing Lin cultivating diligently. Her strange art caused him to feel even funnier the longer he stared. And the more he stared than he should have at the young woman, the stronger the feeling developed.

"I didn't think you would be able to come here.." Jing Lin looked at him disdainfully. The Formation that protected this area took her quite awhile to understand. "..or that you were a pervert at that!"

"I am no pervert!" Chu Xue wanted to get that straight pretty quickly.

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He realized why that could be considered a pervert action as he stared at her a few moments longer than necessary to understand the situation. As Jing Lin was cultivating peacefully away from anyone and he appeared behind her with a wide eye look. As well as him staring without blinking once.

Not to mention how she was pretty far away and the clothing looked tighter from diligently cultivating. The clothing was disposable clothing and therefore had no real protection from Qi and the elements.

Rapidly drying and heating was not good.

"I heard that the Light Lion-ice Family has made a wager of some sort during the Elemental Offering?" Jing Lin didn't care to hear his explanation really and tried to see what was so special about him. A simple nod confirmed that the wager was true. "I'd advise you to give up on that as those who have joined the competition are really fierce!"

Her eyes looked at him in pity to try and help dissuade him. But she did not take in the youthful disobedience of a boy like this. Let alone one who had so much to prove. But a part of her wished the boy would listen to her advice and live a little longer.

"Why is that?" Chu Xue's eyes shined as his Antilife Qi and something inside him stirred. The cold from the lake was already gone completely but the mark on his back burned. The little bit of Qi flare-up made him look arrogantly toward her. 'How can she say this? Does she not understand how bad this will be if I don't? What will happy to my family!'

"How can someone like you qualify to participate in such an important matter after everything you have done? As well as make a wager on something that affects so many lives?" Jing Lin did not like people making a mockery of the Elemental Festival for their own problems.

This wager did not put the event itself in people's eyes and only served to have people take a closer look at it. Which would circulate the underlying problem of why it was happening in the first place.

'Fewer people pay attention to it, the better.'

"If I don't who will?" Chu Xue barked the question indignantly. "And how I qualify is none of your concern!"

"Even if you won't, you think it will go how you think?" Jing Lin asked. "Already in an affair with others fiancees and looking to cause more trouble, what a large appetite you have! Who knew little perverts were the only thing your people were good at!"

"Lady Jing Lin, you better watch yourself!" Chu Xue yelled back. "By taking part in the Martial portion of the Elemental Festival I will prove myself to everyone!"

"Humph sure you will!" Smiling internally, this brat had grown well. She wish his Aunt Chu Mara was alive to see this. 'If you were still alive, I wonder if I would have still babysat this brat when you came to the estate to work?'

Lost in nostalgia when days were fine and the small disputes between them and those of the Chu were more as rivals that skewed with Nobility Tiers changed, Jing Lin's expression went through multiple facades lost in memory.

The image of changing Chu Xue's shitty diapers passed briefly. This of course went bad as she gave a laugh.

"Haha!" It came melodious and served to hurt the pride of Chu Xue more than anything. "So much shit we had to air the room out! Don't mind me... women..."

"What!?" Taken back, he had no idea what she was talking about. Of course, her fretting while containing the chuckles made it worse as his anger boiled. "What about women!?"

"Nothing, boy nothing. Do your best to find someone else to marry. Leave those girls alone. You would do your best not to get involved with them for the sake of your family. Marry someone more your match."

"I guess I should ask for someone local. Like your hand in marriage then I suppose!" He folded his arms looking at her disdainfully in response. Thinking the matter was in regard to his senior sister Victoria and the North princess. "I just have that wager that coincides with the Jing-Fire Family, maybe we should through in a marriage proposal after I win?"

"What did you say?" She turned sharply to face him, breaking her demeanor after getting the laughing under control. "Speak your words truthfully if you dare!"

"I'll admit, I did admire you quite a bit when I was younger, but at the same time, I thought you were gentle and smart." Chu Xue said without any kindness or respect. "Today, I discover that you're nothing but a crude and vulgar woman! I can only say that my aunt would be disappointed in how you turned out! Rest assured after I win in the Elemental Festival, I'll get my Patriarch to propose to get you away from that shitty influence around the Jing-Fire Family!"

He was being really smug. Also gambling something he shouldn't have in the least. The implication he would take over as her fancee was weird but a little of Chu Xue's unwarped mind saw it as him helping her.

"You little.. asshole! I am no bargaining piece for anyone!" Jing Lin was about to teach him a lesson but thought better of it. "I need not waste my time talking nonsense with you! With your strength and your temperament, you will offend somebody that will deal with you very soon! You won't have your looks or your senior sister to help you this time!"

"You will see I can handle matters after I win!" Chu Xue really wanted to bring some peace to his Family members and this was a good way to let people know they were strong, but he was tired of getting looked down on. "I will beat everyone I fight in the Elemental Contest!"

While the two talked matters over in a decreased fashion, Leroy was knocked towards Jing Lin's front area. Hitting the ground, his fingers gripped the dirt to stop the force. The opposite side, a large Demonic Bird came down into view chasing a much smaller bird.

"Kaaawww!" A large cry that sent poisonous wind towards Leroy shot out, the demon beast was not trying to let it's advesary get away! "Ka...!" A few darts of flame shot towards it.

Spotter landed right on him before vanishing into Leroy's Internal Space. Seeing its prey with others, it did not press its luck further.

"Kaaaawwww!" With a screech, it turned away. Leroy was the main target and Spotter just irked it a little. "Kaww Kaw!"

"This isn't over you feather brain!" Leroy shook his fist angrily as fire shot out of his eyes and mouth. "Pbltt!" He spat out a few feathers nursing a wound on his chest. "I'm getting those talons next time I see you too!" Feeling a pair of eyes on him, made Leroy take notice of the situation. "Well.. hey um.. sorry to interrupt... whatever this is."

The cuts on his skin burned open from the poisons but it was slowly getting swept away. The bird was at the Foundation Establishment Realm 9th Rank. The fight would have been a little more even if Leroy was at full health and Qi when going against it.

Not to mention his flying technique was shit and not even remotely close to something he should use in aerial combat. Plus it's control of wind and poison made for a disatrous confrontation he couldn't get ahed in.

Chue Xue and Jing Lin looked a little heated in the worse ways. With Jing Lin's clothes slightly disheveled with her hair, he didn't pry and made an excuse to leave them alone. Making the situation even worse from the misunderstanding.

Chu Xue left upset very quickly by jumping into the water. Splashing some water on the unprepared Jing Lin. It just steamed around Leroy who turned away from the young lady.

Jing Lin was too agitated to do anything else and grateful the other didn't look at her obscenely. Leroy started to talk things over with her while treating himself. A small partition separates the two.

Supringsly enough, she opened up to him about her situation because of everything going on. With his status as a Noble and the fact her emotions were going everywhere from the boy she help changed diapers getting her flustered, she needed to vent.

Leroy just nodded and agreed to a few parts while he dressed his wounds.