With the City Lord in the fifth realm, the attempts by the smaller sects to encroach on the City Lord's power are declined. Every realm, supposedly, represented a large leap in power.

The City Lord gave Zahar free, unfiltered access to his stores and his alchemy workshop, and that was where he spent time. Sana, as his concubine, naturally followed. She didn't have much alchemy talent, though she did understand enough of the basics.

"What are you making?"

"Condensed Qi pills. If you understand what I said previously, I do need far, far more Qi than probably everyone in this world." Zahar said frankly. "That requirement only increases exponentially with each realm above. As it is, I'm still stuck in the 1st stage of the 2nd realm."

"You don't have an elemental path?" Sana digressed, as she noticed the odd mixture of elemental ingredients.

"I walk the path of the Monarch. It is a neutral path requiring the perfect balance of the elements."

Sana quietly watched, as she admired Zahar's alchemy talents. Each pill was made perfectly, and was eaten as soon as it was done. Collecting energy or Qi naturally from the environment was far too slow, unless there were locations with significantly higher concentrations. Such places were treasured, of course, and sects go to war to control such places of power.

There are formations that could help improve Qi collection in the natural environment, but Qi pills were pretty much the most common way of accelerating one’s cultivation across all realms.

Qi and energy also collect themselves in plants, in monsters, in animals, and in certain mixtures, they create amplified versions of that energy.

Alchemy, simply put, was making more out of less. Three parts in, thirty parts out.

Abusing the amplification aspects of alchemy, was how many great masters got where they are. In fact, every Zenith Emperor in the Immortal Realms were alchemy gods in their chosen field of focus. Some loved amplification pills, some created tubs of supercharged Qi. There was even a strange Emperor that created Qi-infused foods.

"I have no idea what you're doing."

Zahar laughed. "I'm manipulating the components of the ingredients using my energy, and combining them in the exact ratio I want."

"Sounds complicated."

"It's not if you understand the energy values, the various herbal constants and the functional and amplification values of each component."

"What is that?"

Zahar stopped. "Ah wait. That book has not been distributed here. I'll let you see it someday. When you ascend."

"I? Ascend?" Sana wondered for a moment. "I thought you said I'd stop at the 6th realm!"

"On your own, based on what you've been doing. In truth, almost anyone can reach the top, all they need is the right opportunity, right education, right methods and right materials. Your father could ascend, if I spent a few decades with him. Your mother too!"

"My father, an ascension immortal?" Sana wondered briefly. She couldn't even visualize how her father would be at that level of power. "You sound like you were much higher than the Ascension phase... is there, is there something out there? Beyond the Ascension phase?"

Zahar paused, realizing he had revealed too much. He smirked at his concubine, and did not answer.

"There is, isn't it." Sana could draw her own conclusions.

"Mayhaps." Zahar answered, and ate another of the Condensed Qi Pills.

"Won't you get Qi poisoning from taking so many pills in such a short time?"

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"Matter of skill, my dear." Zahar answered, as he felt himself break through to the 2nd stage of the 2nd realm, after fifteen condensed Qi Pills.

"You're going to clear through my father's stockpile of herbs at this rate."

Zahar paused, looked around and realized she had a point. "My dear concubine, why don't you serve your master and go harvest these cultivation herbs? Just get any kind you can find, I'll adapt accordingly."

***

"He asked you to go harvest herbs?" City Lord Eshtar observed Sana pouting and stomping her feet as she walked out of the alchemy halls.

"Yes, father."

"Does he mention he wants you to harvest, or can we just buy them for the merchants?"

Sana stopped, and realized her father was wise. "I don't think he cares whether it is harvested or purchased."

"Then open the coffers." City Lord Eshtar shouted for some aides, and they came scurrying over. The order was given out to purchase a large sum, enough to restock the alchemy hall three times over. Her father even gave a good incentive for speed.

Sana was a little surprised at how exuberant her father was.

"Walk with me, my daughter. I'd like to see your strength. Show me what your 3rd realm can do."

The lady nodded, and they arrived at an area they normally used for spars and practices.

"You've been with your new master for slightly more than a week now." Her father said, and got into position. "How do you find him?"

"Mysterious. Perverted. Enjoys women. But I think his body isn’t ready." Sana said with a hint of frustration. She picked up the qi-attuned sword and charged her [Dragonflame's Fourth Dance], and the subsequent slash incinerated a large area in front of her. Her father was unharmed, protected by a strong cocoon of qi.

"I suspect as much. Men of that level of power have kinks and weird obsessions." Her father said. "I've not spoken much about my time back in the Sect, especially with the geniuses I've met. But I will tell you this, that all of them have an aspect that's crazy and weird."

"You always told me to be polite, and keep our heads down." Sana said, a little surprised at the honesty from her father. “Didn’t work, sadly.”

"I know, but it seems that your beauty already attracted something that's beyond geniuses. You've attracted a monster, and all the women attached to their monster partners have a skill in common."

Sana looked at her father, and realized it’s rare that he displayed this. A part that seemed thoughtful and aware. "-what is it?"

"The ability to notice the insanity, and get out of the way. They all learn how to say the right things, and direct that sharp edge towards something else. They learn to reach the soft spot of the monster. I've initially hoped that you would meet one of your peers in the Roaring Dragon Sect, and that you'd settle down with someone of your relative strength. But alas, fate has its own path for you."

Sana was quiet, as she charged another different move, the [Dragonflame's Furious Strikes]. The flames took the form of spears, larger than they've ever been for her, and shot forward. They were deftly parried.

"It is something you will learn quickly, and master."

"Father. What- what is my role moving forward? What do those ladies who end up with monsters, how are they? Where are they now?"

Her father paused, as if trying to think really hard. After a while, he then had a long sigh. "Quiet. Hidden. Many intentionally fade into obscurity, as their partners were too domineering. It made them easy targets for their partner's enemies. You will have to be strong too, if Zahar makes a lot of enemies. No, people like him will make enemies, and attract them like moths to a fire."

"That's rather frightening." Sana was genuinely horrified. “Would it be better to reject him? Like- run away?”

“Given the risks and rewards.” Her father mused as his wall of flames blocked off Sana’s sword-thrusts. “I’d say its still better to go along. Rejecting him makes an enemy now. We don’t know what enemies he has, or what allies he could summon to his aid.”

The young lady launched another flaming strike, which landed nowhere.

"The best you should do is to make the best of your connection. Learn from him, ask him to help you make you strong. With strength, you will be able to protect yourself. Protect your future children."

Sana could only nod.

"Oh. And one more thing. Men of that sort of talent are usually overly possessive, jealous creatures. Find out whether he is one, and until then, never let any other man touch you. In fact, as painful as it sounds to you, since he is likely to touch other women, you must not allow other men to do so. The power balance is unequal, and accordingly, your actions must be considered from that lens."

The young lady of the City Lord digested her father's words, and then nodded. It was unfair, but it was without doubt that the party with the power held the reins.

"Whatever happens, if he abandons you, or gets bored of you, just return home." Her father said as he reassured her, his arm on her shoulder. "We'll think about what to do if it ever comes to that."

“They’ll get bored?”

“Monsters are strange things. They might, though, I have a feeling he wouldn’t leave you hanging. Your mother thinks he’s lonely, and I trust your mother’s instincts..”

Sana paused. “Lonely?”

“Yeah. Strange, because I didn’t feel that. But maybe you would spot it when you see it.”

***