Finding A Spot

5 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days later.

It was already the 24th year since the new Change and close to the beginning of the fourth year. Only a few weeks left before its beginning, but the Blauw Empire had already amassed a Fleet in their navy and was close to the second one. The terms for having a fleet in the cultivation world differed vastly from the civilians. The latter just needed enough warships for every possible need without forcing the numbers. But for a cultivator's war, their fleet had to be bountiful, and the warships were immense to an unbelievable degree.

Whoosh- swish! Swoosh, swoooshh~! SPLAAASSHHH~!~!

Atop the Palace, Heian Ciemnosc and Empress Shuna were moving. Their speed was at its maximum, and their every attack was going all-out, not letting the other have a piece of rest or settle down for a breather. Heian Ciemnosc took his Vocón Link from his right hand and struck in an up and down waving motion. The Vocón Link waved as it was sent towards Empress Shuna, whose body sidestepped nonstop towards the right, stopping for less than a second before taking another step towards her right.

Heian Ciemnosc stood in the same place, waiting for her to receive his attack as his Vocón Link followed behind her, targeting her left shoulder and upper back as she gradually came closer to him. She circled around him, but as both Vocón Link and her body kept moving, trying to accomplish their goal, Heian Ciemnosc noticed a tremendous contrail of Water particles wherever she sidestepped.

Whenever she impulsed her body sideways, they spread outwards like a heavy rock smoothly falling in the water, rippling to the sides in circular fashions, similar to her movements towards Heian Ciemnosc’s left. Then, when she was just 200 meters before him, she directly dashed towards Heian Ciemnosc, with the Vocón Link gaining speed and momentum to move faster than her!

Empress Shuna lifted her left hand, opened her palm, and faced it towards Heian Ciemnosc’s right and above him. The next second, like a screen towards the ocean’s level, a sudden, crushing, ferocious wave crashed into the space before him. It was formed nearly instantly and gathered to become a 50 meters long wave but maintained its height at 1 meter above the ground level. Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes widened, and his pupils shrank.

The crushing wave came rapidly. It was even faster than the Empress and his Vocón Link. In under 2 seconds, it completely covered their bodies, hiding them under its water. Heian Ciemnosc became silent, before the atmosphere was taken by the loud noises from the waves as they levitated and avoided the ground as much as possible. Then, Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes scarcely narrowed before he suddenly condensed a dark Neutral Energy ball before his chest and detonated it on the ground.

Bang! Splush- swoooooooshhhhh~! Swiiiing~, swish, swush- pshift-click, claaaaaank~!

Heian Ciemnosc’s body elevated abruptly, but the wave came crashing down on him after suddenly rising as if knowing he would do that. Yet, Heian Ciemnosc didn’t seem interrupted as he raised both arms in the water that tried crashing on him, only to end up forcing his body in the air and slightly backwards. The water rapidly turned dark, but it was taking time while Heian Ciemnosc visibly resisted the crushing might from the water.

At one point, when the wave was predominantly dark and only needed a few seconds more to turn it into his, and as the dark water clashed with the pristine azure water around Heian Ciemnosc, with most of the latter still striking him, he finally noticed the change he was waiting for this long! Suddenly, the water before him, as if having been an illusion all along, opened to reveal a ‘hidden’ place behind, where a medium-long blade came swiping at him!

Heian Ciemnosc didn’t even think for a second as he immediately took his Claws Out in his right hand and thrust it up and to his left, where a Hasta’s blade slashed from the right to the left, and an Empress Shuna slowly came out of the ‘hidden’ water, lunging at him. The blade collided with Heian Ciemnosc’s dark claw, and while sparks didn’t come off from the collision, the water around them, as if in slow motion, slowly started departing from their location as if having found the worst of its nemesis and weaknesses.

SPLASSSHHHH~! Clink, clank- shuaa- shuaa! Pshift! Pshift! Clank clank clank clank…

Heian Ciemnosc felt the water around him leave him and Empress Shuna to stand in the air without the heaviness it had previously brought to him. As his body felt light, and he was leaning backwards 40 degrees, Empress Shuna flew to his front, inclining slightly forwards. Her Hasta was in her left hand and ready to sweep leftwards again. Neutral Energy seeped into it and glowed entirely, unlike Power Energy, which would focus mainly on the blade or strongest point.

Her entire Hasta shone with pure energy, and as she gripped it harder beside her right hip, starting her sweeping motion, it left a small, thin contrail from the tip of the Hasta’s blades’ tips. Heian Ciemnosc’s left hand went Claw Out as well, thrusting towards her, forcing her to keep her Mortal weapon to her chest and block his threatening, lethal weapons. The moment the left dark claw landed on her Hasta’s shaft, right under her blades, it broke into smithereens like it was in the worst conditions, but only she knew this was a brand new weapon from her royal guards’ storage made by one of the best First Step Craftsmaker forger.

Yet, her eyes weren’t widened, and instead, she rapidly took another polearm from her Covert Space bag and slashed it towards Heian Ciemnosc. It was incredibly fast, and if Heian Ciemnosc only had one Claw Out, it wouldn’t be enough for him to defend against it. A Mortal weapon could even cut his hair and would break into at least 2 pieces if one attempted it. However, because it was backed by Empress Shuna’s Neutral Energy, his torso could easily be penetrated from one side to the other and break in between.

Yet, Heian Ciemnosc didn’t just block it this time but placed his dark Neutral Energy into it, enhancing his already astounding defensive capabilities. The polearm broke at once, yet the Empress remained unfazed as she took another polearm and thrust it from her left after her left arm folded sideways, lunging it with all her might and over 10,000 kg of bodily strength, a number nobody could reach without activating their crystallized armor.

Of course, by now, Empress Shuna could already implement her crystallized armor under her skin, which was unique to the Azure Dragon’s Bloodline, as any other cultivator would have to wait until reaching the Third Step to do that. And that was just the case right now, but her bodily strength wasn’t enhanced yet. That would only make her Neutral Energy more wasteful.

As her thrusting, 3rd polearm met Heian Ciemnosc’s right dark claw, its palm meeting the blade head-on. It broke into tiny fragments as thin as a cicada’s wings, like little crystals that flew into the air outwardly. Heian Ciemnosc’s dark claw remained unharmed as it gradually clutched and aimed at Empress Shuna’s left shoulder. Yet, Empress Shuna took another polearm from her covert space bag, held it in her right hand, and exerted force from his wrist as the long pike stabbed towards Heian Ciemnosc’s sternum!

Heian Ciemnosc’s right claw moved again and again, and again, and again! His dark claws exchanged blows with Empress Shuna’s polearms. She wasted about a dozen polearms in under 10 seconds, as she and Heian Ciemnosc had 2 arms. They weren’t just attacking with one of their arms, and the pace at which her polearms were broken was the same as she took another and struck towards Heian Ciemnosc.

None of them could get the other. Thus, Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes condensed a strange light before them, outside his retinas, before his face, but made it look like it was in his eyes instead. Empress Shuna recognized the move, and at once, she sent a Soul technique of her own, projecting into an invisible barrier to anyone’s eyes but theirs as they locked stares. Heian Ciemnosc’s Soul technique passed through her barrier, forcing her pupils to shrink before unnaturally, forcibly dulling and expanding to her irises’ size in her sclera.

‘All-Devastating!’ Heian Ciemnosc recited the mental technique in his inner self before successfully dulling, startling, and stunning Empress Shuna. His dark claws slowly moved to touch her jaw on both sides lightly, but then, the Empress’s left hand moved on its own, letting go of the polearm that was just striking towards Heian Ciemnosc’s torso, and sending a bluish, pristine azure globe of light towards the ground.

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It blasted off, and Heian Ciemnosc’s concentration was totally broken as the shockwave, from so up close, already made his organs shake in pain, moving out of their positions and threatening to rupture. If it wasn’t for his pure, natural bodily strength, more than what almost happened would’ve happened. Heian Ciemnosc’s mouth spilled some blood as his throat exploded with some blood, surging upwards and trying to find an opening to become free!

Swiiiiift~! Heian Ciemnosc’s body was thrown backwards, soon to slide on the ground for hundreds of meters, already receiving the first injury and nearly spitting blood. But suddenly, the polearm the Empress had let go of hovered just 10 cm above the ground, and the Empress, who flew backwards 2 meters above the ground, pointed at it with her left-handed fingers. The polearm exploded with Neutral Energy as it shot towards Heian Ciemnosc, chasing him!

Whooooooooshhh- cuh~! Pfitt it it it~... Heian Ciemnosc was too well-shocked by the sudden attack that his body couldn’t respond in time, and just as his dark claws strenuously moved to hold the spear’s shaft, his dark skin was just a couple millimeters from touching it, he and the spear stopped as Empress Shuna reappeared holding the lower extreme of the shaft. Looking up, Heian Ciemnosc saw Empress Shuna after an aquamarine, azure streak flew from her flying backwards position to the spear, undoubtedly amazing him in the process.

The spear’s blade stopping motion wasn’t met without consequences, and the uniform on Heian Ciemnosc’s chest was slightly broken apart in the middle, revealing his pale collarbone and part of his sternum until the blade’s side landed on the left side of his jaw, then the right side. Heian Ciemnosc kept his neck stressed and looked at the spear’s shaft held by the Empress as she touched her jaw, and when she finished, he let his head slam against the ground, breaking it a little as he exasperatedly sighed. “Gaaahhh…”

“Mhm- hm,” the Empress contentedly chuckled with closed lips after her strongly determined aquamarine, azure eyes ravenously ogled that body beneath her. Then, she said with her left hand extending down to help him. “You’re just one stage from comparing to me. That is your battle prowess. And you lasted me more than 20 minutes this time. So, what are you sighing for? It’s an improvement.”

“Woohoo!” - “That was quite the spectacle!” - “Worthy of being our Empress and assigned supervisor! Marvelous!!” - “This is our Blauw Empire’s leaders! Indeed!!” - “The Blauw Empire will be unstoppable! Congratulations, Empress and assigned supervisor!” - “Incredible!!!” Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap…!

Before Heian Ciemnosc stood up and could defend himself, the Empire’s hierarchy watching did so first and clapped, praising them from the bottom of their hearts. Heian Ciemnosc and Empress Shuna looked around everywhere before she looked at him and waited for his response, blinking her strongly determined eyes and putting on a trace of a smile. Heian Ciemnosc looked around him momentarily before returning to face the Empress.

“Sigh… It would be fine if it wasn’t that you’re already half a step into the Blossoming realm. Would I be like this? I’m naturally not complacent. I can’t even beat my woman how I want to,” Heian Ciemnosc said, rubbing his sore back muscles and hurt tummy. Empress Shuna’s eyes narrowed as her eyebrows raised. Her mind instantly went to a few images and fun ‘gimmicks’ she discovered under him in these few months and on top of him, and then shook her head.

“You won’t remain in the Hana-Saga realm for long. I’m sure you will be capable of breaking into the Spirit Magna realm before you leave the Kingdom,” Empress Shuna said, placing her right hand encouragingly on his shoulder. The others watched a born leader cheering a growing talent, and they only felt glad they had such a correct leader in their generation. Heian Ciemnosc nodded at her and softly said, “Oh, I know. Thanks, Shuna.”

Shuna smiled and turned around to walk back into the Palace. The others kept clapping but toned it down by now and were just waiting for her and Heian Ciemnosc to return inside before following them in. As both began walking the long stairs to the Palace’s rooftop, Heian Ciemnosc grabbed her right hand with his left one and intertwined fingers, not leaving her any choice to say anything. It wasn’t like her subjects would dare spy on her, anyway.

“Little Ish is breaking into the Neutrality realm in two days. Come by. Your daughter’s Soul seems restless this time. I will need an Azure Dragon’s Bloodline expert to come and see if everything is up to your standards. Empress Shuna gracefully nodded. It was out of her own volition. She was just this innately royalty-like. Then, she shook her head and said with a sigh. “Everything about you is up and beyond my standards.”

Heian Ciemnosc: (´ε｀；)

. . .

A couple days later. In Little Ish’s bedroom.

Heian Ciemnosc had already broken into the Hana-Saga realm 4th stage for a couple weeks, and the Empress had reached the peak of the Spirit Magna realm, half a step into the Blossoming realm. Meanwhile, Little Ish rapidly joined the Imperial Guards and touched the threshold of creating her first strand of Neutral Energy in the second half of the 3rd year. Now, she was breaking into the Neutrality realm under Heian Ciemnosc’s direct guidance.

“... Start now,” Heian Ciemnosc said. Little Ish nodded and closed her eyes. She was already sitting cross-legged with her obscure, red training clothes at the side, wearing the Empire’s uniform for recruits instead. The royal princess was no longer a little girl of 10 or 13 years but a young girl. Her looks were already a young girl when she was 12, but in Heian Ciemnosc’s eyes, she was a little girl until he saw her thick bum the other day. He couldn’t help but feel it was somewhat… his fault?

Nonetheless, Ishikyy’s hair grew longer, and her cinnamon skin started showing lithe, defined muscles, a strange but exotic sight to behold. She wasn’t as tall as Heian Ciemnosc when he was her age, but she was somewhat close. Although her chest seemed to be the opposite of her mother’s assets, she had a rear that’d grow to at least compete with her if that’s what she wanted. After meditating with open eyes before her personal Imperial Teacher, she formed a barrier around her to attract pure energy.

“...” Heian Ciemnosc watched in silence as he studied her and the Azure Dragon’s Bloodline. He had already gone through the insides and out of an Azure Dragon with some palace maids and even more with his recent relationship with the Empress, now his woman. Hours passed while the royal princess studied as much as she could before starting to form her first strand of Neutral Energy. When she began attempting the crucial step, Heian Ciemnosc saw her calm and collected, but her fingers kept hooking, and her thumbs kept caressing their backs.

Shua- pshift, shuiaaa~... Heian Ciemnosc was suddenly amazed by the scenery before him. Above Blauw Ishikyy’s head, approximately 2 feet from the top of her head, a rare energy-ish image condensed. It looked like a dragon’s mask, without much detail, slender, and sharp as it spread backwards with a steep outlined shape. It was all obscure azure color, but there was a discrepancy in two parts, dots, of the ‘mask’ before Heian Ciemnosc.

Its eyes. They were like glowing suns. But they didn’t seem like those when Shuna flew towards him with the royal princess’s royal guards and in an array formation just short of being a battle array formation. Instead, these eyes were the brightest possible, aquamarine and azure, but also contained vibrant… ‘meaning’ inside, as if there was more than might and life inside of Blauw Ishikyy. This was her Spirit Image, and it was already so expressive. If she broke into the Spirit Magna realm… who knew what she could do. And for the looks of it, she might beat her mother and personal Imperial Teacher in time record… perhaps of the entire world!

‘Ishikyy… truly. You are no Special Body, but you’re already this amazing. I wonder. If I had a way… could you become a Lord? Or… with your capabilities… a Lady?’ Heian Ciemnosc crossed his arms and sat on the ground, watching her Spirit Image look at him, not blankly, but also without intelligence. It was just her sensing his presence through her Spirit Image. ‘Sigh. I’m sorry I’m not that capable. If I could, I would definitely find something, or a way, to grant you power… Hmm, grant you my power?’

Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes narrowed as he looked at the Spirit Image’s obscure azure energy-ish substance. His brain worked its gears to the greatest capacity before shaking his head and drifting these important thoughts and ideologies away. If he had to find something new to discover, it would be after taking care of his apprentice. No longer little.

… Time passed. A day, two… Heian Ciemnosc started pondering the issue his apprentice faced and finally discovered something. It wasn’t that Blauw Ishikyy couldn’t form her Neutral Energy, but after being brainwashed for nearly 3 complete years, she was used to solidifying each step in her cultivation path intricately, taking no shortcuts and working her ass off for it. Thus, he decided to give her a heads up and circulated his [All-Devouring Force Chronicles] dual cultivation method with a whiff of dark Neutral Energy landing on her backhands as she semi-intertwined and intertwined her fingers.

‘Come on, girl. Time waits not even itself,’ Heian Ciemnosc said as his darkest eyes narrowed and looked upturned at Blauw Ishikyy. Then, as if waiting for him to desire it, his medallion heated up. After reading the contents with a momentous Spirit Sense read, Heian Ciemnosc opened his Universal Conveyance and saw the last huge ‘project’ finished being built in the workshop under the sea. He looked at Blauw Ishikyy again and calmly exhaled. “Huuu.”

…