Annabelle was on the ground, laying on her back with her eyes closed, when Kaylee and I approached. She was panting, covered in dirt and sweat, yet the satisfied smile on her face made her seem more beautiful than ever.

“You okay, babe?” I asked her in English.

“Could be…” she panted. “…better.”

“Would a bit of water help?”

Annabelle opened her eyes at that, and looked at the water jug in my hands with an avaricious gleam in her eyes. She tried to sit up, but could do little more than groan when she tried.

“Fuck,” she muttered, switching to Common Tongue. “Help me up. Please.”

I snorted in amusement and crouched down to help Annabelle sit up. She grabbed the water jug, drained half of it, before pouring the rest over herself.

“Ah! Much better.”

Without a word, I handed her the towel I carried. She started drying herself off with it. I also gave her a low-grade healing potion to help her recover faster.

Silence filled the air. I looked around to find everyone else staring at us.

“What?” I asked.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing this side of you, Gabriel,” Kaylee said with a disturbed look on her face. “Watching you be so caring is…strange. It’s unnatural.”

I rolled my eyes and shook my head

“Smart ass,” I muttered in English, before looking at my disciples.

Lorelei beamed at me, while Corie wore the same disturbed expression as Kaylee. Leroy tilted his head, a curious look on his face.

“What are you gawking at?” I asked. “Show’s over. Get back to your own training.”

“Yes, Master,” my disciples chorused, before heading off to go train.

They didn’t go far, since we all used the front yard as an impromptu training area.

“I have to say, Gabriel,” Grandfather Gabe said. “The training facilities here are…lacking.”

“You mean nonexistent,” I said with a snort. “I have plans to change that, and soon, but we’ll have to wait until we start selling the mythril.”

I had even begun drawing up plans for a proper training hall. Big picture plans, the kind that focused on the general idea but not the details. I wasn’t an architect. I knew what I wanted, and what it would look like, but I would leave the rest of it to the professionals.

Hmm, maybe I could ask Father and Mother to send an architect my way after they returned to Sturm Manor.

Assuming they wanted to go through with the renovations and expansion of Sturm Hill Hall first. I wouldn’t be surprised if they wanted to wait until they fixed up the various problems that plagued Sturm Manor first.

Actually, that was a better idea. Sturm Manor was our ancestral home. It took priority. While the lack of proper training facilities was annoying, we could deal with it for now.

“How did I do?” Annabelle asked Grandfather Gabe.

“For someone who hasn’t been practicing martial arts for long,” my great grandfather said. “You were…adequate.”

“What do you mean?” Annabelle asked. “I’ve been practicing martial arts since I was a child.”

I believe Annabelle started when she was about seven years old. Her birth father pushed her into it. Not for her sake, but so that he could brag to his friends. “My daughter practices kick-boxing”, that sort of egotistical bullshit.

It ended up being a blessing for Annabelle, since she took to it like a bird took to flight. So much so that she kept practicing martial arts even after her birth parents asked her to stop. It was one of the few times she had outright defied them. Another was when we started dating.

“And I’ve been practicing it for centuries,” Grandfather Gabe said with a snort. “You have a long way to go before you catch up to me, or your paramour over there.”

Annabelle glanced at me, before grinning.

“In that case, we should get started as soon as possible.”

“Tsk.” Grandfather Gabe shook his head. “If only my children and grandchildren were as enthusiastic about training as you. Of all my descendants, Claire was the only one who showed any real passion for cultivation and martial arts. Her mother, your grandmother, always complained. It was always…” His voice took on a higher pitch, sounding more feminine. “…‘Father, I can’t train, I have to go to this party hosted by House Carpenter. Stop throwing those knives at me!’ Or ‘Father, what are you doing? Why am I hanging upside down? I have to be at a ball to finalize a deal with House Dreamsea.’” He shook his head. “Ungrateful brat.”

Annabelle, Kaylee, and I stared at Grandfather Gabe with wide eyes. While I appreciated the glimpse into Mother’s family, from the sound of things, it couldn’t have been easy dealing with Grandfather Gabe. I felt bad for my maternal grandmother.

“Grandfather Gabe,” Kaylee said. “Attending events and socializing is an important part of House society. It’s how House scions build connections and create social networks.”

“Pah!” Grandfather Gabe said with a wave of his hand. “A waste of time I tell you. Socializing and politicking is meaningless in the long run. What matters most is training and growing one’s personal power.”

Ah, so Grandfather Gabe was one of those types. Back on Spirit Earth, there were always those anti-social cultivators who focused on their own training over interacting with the rest of cultivator society. They tended to be eccentric and weird, but quite powerful.

I may or may not have been one of them.

“Building social networks is important for cultivators too,” I pointed out. “You never know when a connection you make might come in handy. Otherwise you lose out on potential resources, techniques, opportunities, and more.”

“That’s different.”

“No, it is not. Except for the Houses, it’s for the House as a whole, not just the individual.”

Grandfather Gabe waved off my words. I shared a look with Kaylee. As one, we both rolled our eyes.

“Regardless,” Grandfather Gabe said. “You passed my tests, Lady Annabelle. I find you worthy of becoming my disciple. Do you accept this old man as your Master?”

Annabelle sucked in a breath, before nodding.

“Good. In this case, greet me as your master. My cultivator name is Scarlet Blazing Lion.”

We had gone over things with Annabelle yesterday, so she already knew what to do. She moved to kowtow before Grandfather Gabe. She was still a bit banged up from the test, but I could tell that she didn’t want any help for this part. She wanted to do it under her own power.

“Is this necessary?” Kaylee asked.

“Yes,” I said. “It’s traditional. It’s also a sign of respect towards one’s Master, and an acknowledgment of the authority they have over you.” I glanced at her. “One’s Master is like one’s parent. In some cases, a Master has even more authority over their disciple than their disciple’s parents.”

“Wait, does that mean Lady Annabelle is a part of our family now?”

“In a way, yes.”

Kaylee beamed at that.

Annabelle kowtowed towards Grandfather Gabe, or Scarlet Blazing Lion, three times.

“This disciple greets you, Master Scarlet Blazing Lion,” she intoned in a somber voice.

“Rise, my disciple,” my great grandfather said. “From now on, your cultivator name shall be Scarlet Blazing Phoenix.”

Annabelle stilled at this.

“Does it have to be ‘Phoenix?’” she asked.

Grandfather Gabe frowned at this.

“Do you have a problem with this, disciple?” he asked in a dangerous voice.

“I…The word phoenix is a sensitive subject for me.”

His frown deepened.

“The divination I performed said that this was the name most suitable for you. Sensitive subject or not, you have fate with this name. You can fight against it, but your path forward will be that much more difficult.”

Annabelle didn’t respond for a long while.

“Very well, Master,” she said. “I thank you for the name. From this day forward, my cultivator name is Scarlet Blazing Phoenix.”

With that, she stood up. I helped to her feet.

“Are you all right?” I asked in a low voice, speaking in English.

“No,” she said, replying in English. “But I will be. I’m still coming to terms with what you told me about my soul.” She looked at me. “Do you think Master Scarlet Blazing Lion knows? Is that why he gave me this name?”

I frowned as I considered this.

“I don’t think so,” I said. “Unless you know the signs to look for, it’s almost impossible to detect a Ghost Phoenix Lily unless they’re in their true form. Even if he did, I don’t think he would care that much. In fact, in his mind, that would just vindicate his decision to give you that name.”

Annabelle studied me for a long moment.

“I see,” she said. “Thank you, Gabe.” She paused. “What’s your cultivator name?

“If you two are done whispering sweet nothings to each other,” Grandfather Gabe said in an annoyed voice. “I have some gifts to give to my disciple.”

Annabelle and I pulled away from each other. Grandfather Gabe pulled a bag out of his spatial storage item, which I still couldn’t detect, and handed it to Annabelle.

“This is a holding bag that contains some basic cultivation resources, manuals for the most commonly known techniques and fighting styles practiced here on Lumina, and a set of armored robes imbued with defensive enchantments.” My great grandfather glanced at me. “I would have also included a cultivation technique, but I see that you don’t have to worry about that.”

Annabelle bowed.

“Thank you, Master,” she said. “I am grateful to receive this gift.”

She started digging through her holding bag and looking through the items in there. I eyed her holding bag with envy, before letting out a sigh. One of these days I would get my own spatial storage item. One of these days.

“That will be the only gift you will receive from me,” Grandfather Gabe warned. “After this, if you want to receive anything more from me, you will have to earn it; either by making progress in your training or by completing assignments I give you.”

Annabelle nodded, her eyes burning with determination. I didn’t think that would be a problem for her. Grandfather Gabe’s way of doing things was different from mine, but different strokes for different folks and all that.

“Will I have to get one of these cultivator names when I start cultivating?” Kaylee asked with a frown.

“You don’t have to,” I said. “But it does have mystic significance. It will affect your path going forward.” I looked at Grandfather Gabe. “Though, I’m not sure about the social aspects of a cultivator name here on Lumina.”

“It’s how we introduce ourselves when we deal with other cultivators,” he said. “And it’s how we separate cultivator business from mundane business. You can consider it a persona you adopt when dealing with the world of cultivation. It’s also a way to protect your family, assuming that no one knows your birth name as well.” He looked between Kaylee and I. “Given your distinct hair color, that won’t be an option for you two.”

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

He had a point. As far as I knew, no one else in the Solarian Empire had the same whitish-blue hair color, at least among the Houses. If there were others out there that were descended from storm dragons, they kept themselves hidden.

“Then I don’t think I’ll bother,” Kaylee said. “I won’t be as involved in cultivation as Gabriel here. It’s something I’ll do, because the benefits are useful, but I can already tell that I won’t have the same passion for it as the three of you.”

That made me a little sad. I wanted my entire family to achieve immortality and reach the heavens above. I knew that that wasn’t feasible, but a man could hope. Unless she became an Immortal, Kaylee would die one day.

Still, it wasn’t like that was the end. As long as her soul wasn’t destroyed, I would see her again, one way or another. However, it wouldn’t be the same.

Grandfather Gabe gave an exaggerated shake of his head.

“You’re just like your grandmother,” he said. “She always cared more about House business than cultivation.”

“Yes,” Kaylee said. “That is who I am, who I choose to be, and I am not ashamed of that.”

Grandfather Gabe smiled at that.

“You have spirit and conviction,” he said. “Admirable, even if you choose to walk the wrong path.”

Kaylee rolled her eyes. Before she could reply, Annabelle pulled out a set of silk robes out of the holding bag. She had been rummaging through it for the past few minutes.

“Oh, these are beautiful!” Annabelle said.

The robes were indeed beautiful. They reminded me of the robes Master Tempest wore when I saw him a while back; done in the style of Spirit Earth but with touches of Luminan fashion here and there. They were black and gold, and embroidered with scarlet phoenixes. I saw that Grandfather Gabe had been confident that Annabelle would accept the name he chose for her.

Speaking of Master Tempest, where was he? I hadn’t heard from him ever since he healed me after the battle with the Black Wolf Gang. From what I knew, it was common for the gods to communicate with their Chosen through dreams. Yet, I hadn’t heard anything from Master Tempest. My dreams have been normal so far.

Wasn’t he supposed to teach me? And where was the storm dragon blood he promised me?

Had he reneged on his promise? Or had something happened to him? He mentioned several times that he had bent the rules for my sake. What if that had gotten him in trouble with Sol? That was a worrying thought.

“I can’t wait to try them on,” Annabelle said, holding the robes against her body.

Kaylee looked at her with an envious expression on her face.

“Grandfather,” she called out.

“Yes, my dear?” Grandfather Gabe said, a smug smile on his face. “Can I help you with something?”

Kaylee hesitated.

“Would you like a set of robes for yourself?” he asked.

“Yes, please! The style is strange and foreign, but quite beautiful.”

Grandfather Gabe chuckled.

“Well, you’re in luck,” he said. “To make up for all the birthdays that I missed, I decided to give you a gift.” He looked at me. “You as well, Gabriel. I don’t want anyone to accuse me of favoritism.”

Considering how he had blatantly called Mother his favorite grandchild, that ship had sailed a long time ago. Still, I wasn’t going to say anything. I didn’t want to miss out on a gift. Mother didn’t raise a fool.

Grandfather Gabe pulled out a set of robes from his spatial storage item. They were blue and white, and embroidered with silver lotuses. Kaylee let out an excited squeal as Grandfather Gabe handed the robes over to her.

“These are also imbued with defensive enchantments,” he said. “Not only that, but they will automatically adjust in size to fit you. That way, you will never outgrow them.”

“Thank you, Grandfather,” Kaylee said, throwing her arms around him in a hug.

As soon as she let go of Grandfather Gabe, Kaylee grabbed Annabelle’s hand and ran off towards Sturm Hill Hall. I assume she wanted to try out her robes. Annabelle looked back at Grandfather Gabe and I, giving us a helpless smile, unable to stop Kaylee from dragging her along.

“Your sister might look different from my Mackenzie,” he said in a wry voice. “But personality-wise, she is the spitting image of your grandmother.”

“What is Grandmother like?” I asked out of curiosity. “Mother never spoke much about her family.”

A sorrowful expression crossed his features.

“Yes, I gathered as much,” he said in a sad voice. “When Claire married your father and left House Leone, both sides said a lot of hurtful words. The wounds caused by those words have yet to heal. Your grandmother in particular opposed the marriage, and your mother still hasn’t forgiven her for that.”

He shook his head.

“But to answer your question, Mackenzie is much like your mother; a strong-willed and hot-tempered woman. While I might complain about how she focuses too much on House affairs, I am proud of her and everything she has accomplished. She has even made plans to split off from House Leone and form her own House.” He grinned. “It always chafed her that she came from a collateral branch of House Leone, and would likely never become its Matriarch.”

“How does that work?” I asked. “When it comes to the Clan aspect of the family?”

“Much the same way it does for the Houses,” Grandfather Gabe said. “Once Mackenzie has enough support and resources to be considered at least a minor House, she will officially break off from House Leone and form her own House. She hasn’t picked a name for it yet. At least, she hadn’t before I left. That might have changed in the months I’ve been gone. As for the Clan side of things, she will also be considered a new Clan, though one with ties to Clan Leone.”

I opened my mouth to ask about how the House aspects and the Clan aspects of a family interacted with each other, but Grandfather Gabe interrupted me by holding up a hand.

“Enough about this,” he said. “Tell me what you want as a gift. If I have it, or if it is within my power, I shall give it to you.”

I raised an eyebrow at him.

“You mean you don’t have something prepared?”

“This is something I decided on at the last minute,” he said. “It shouldn’t be a problem. I’ve lived a long time; more than enough to acquire a number of treasures.” His eyes narrowed. “However, don’t go overboard. Given what I suspect about your previous cultivation level, it’s possible that you’re thinking of something beyond my capabilities to acquire.”

He wasn’t wrong exactly. There were plenty of things I could have asked for that he couldn’t, or maybe wouldn’t, give. That said, I wasn’t a greedy dickhead. I wasn’t going to ask for anything too egregious.

Now then, what did I want? There were a lot of things I needed, and even more that I wanted. Need vs want. Utility vs luxury.

Decisions, decisions.

After thinking about it for a while, I let out a sigh.

“I could use a pill furnace, if you have one,” I said. “I’ve been experimenting with Luminan alchemy…” Though I’ve neglected that these past few weeks. “…and I’m trying to find ways to combine it with Spirit Earth alchemy.” I paused. “Wait a minute, is something like that even possible? Has anyone on Lumina figured out how to do that?”

“Yes and yes,” Grandfather Gabe said. “However, that’s a Clan Leone secret, which means I can’t tell you. You’ll have to get the answer from somewhere else, or figure it out on your own.”

Damn it. Oh well.

“In that case, I would like a pill cauldron,” I said. “If you throw in some alchemical reagents, I wouldn’t complain.”

Grandfather Gabe studied me for several moments, before shaking his head.

“No,” he said.

I blinked at him.

“What do you mean, ‘no?’” I asked. “Do you not have one, or do pill furnaces not exist here on Lumina?”

“They exist, and I do have one on me. In fact, I have several. However, I won’t give you one.”

I stared at him, flabbergasted.

“Why not?” I asked.

“This is supposed to be a gift,” Grandfather Gabe said, as if explaining things to a dimwitted child. “One that should bring you joy. I don’t want to give you something that you will find useful. I want to give you something that will make you happy.” He gestured in the direction of Sturm Hill Hall. “Think of how your sister reacted to the robes I gave her. I want the same reaction from you.”

I gave him a flat look.

“Really?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Why not just give me a pill furnace and be done with it?”

Grandfather Gabe turned away from me in a huff.

“Well, now I don’t feel like giving you anything,” he said. “If you’re going to act like this, I might as well not bother.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. What a drama queen.

“Okay, fine,” I said. “I apologize. I’ll ask for a gift that will make me happy, not something I can use.” I paused. “What about something that does both?”

Grandfather Gabe made a so-so gesture.

“Given the fact that the robes I gave your sister also have defensive enchantments imbued into them, I suppose I can do that.”

I took a moment to think about it. A gift that would make me happy, rather than one that I could use. Well, preferably something that did both. That didn’t narrow it down by much. Things that I could use also made me happy. I liked stuff that did things, because stuff like that tended to save my life or make my life easier somehow. Still, if I asked for anything too utilitarian, Grandfather Gabe would throw another hissy fit.

To give myself some ideas, I looked around the yard. My disciples trained not too far from us. At the moment, they went through the forms of their various fighting styles and practiced the techniques I provided to them.

For Corie, that meant forming arrows out of mana, using the Spirit Arrow technique, and shooting them at various targets. She hadn’t gotten the hang of the technique yet, but she was getting there.

Booms filled the air as Lorelei practiced the Explosive Fist technique. Despite the name, it wasn’t a Fire technique. Rather, it was a technique that used kinetic force to create explosive shock waves.

Leroy went through the forms of both the Celestial Sword Style and the Earth Blade Style, trying to combine the two. So far his efforts hadn’t born fruit, but it was early days yet.

As I watched Leroy, my eyes fell on Crimson Fang in his hands. A smile spread across his face.

“A flying sword,” I said. “One that I can also use as a weapon. I want to fly again.”

Flying swords came in two broad varieties: those meant purely for travel, and those that doubled as actual weapons. The former were faster, but much more fragile. The moment a cultivator tried to use one to attack, it would shatter. For some cultivators, this was an asset. The shrapnel from a shattered flying sword was lethal to low level cultivators.

As soon as I mentioned that I wanted a flying sword, Grandfather Gabe gave me an odd look.

“I see,” he said. “I do have a flying sword on me, one that also doubles as a weapon.”

He reached for his spatial storage item and pulled out a sheathed sword. The moment I saw it, I let out a little gasp. I thought Crimson Fang was beautiful when I first saw it. However, this blade blew it out of the water. It looked like a work of art, one created by a master artisan.

Like Crimson Fang, this sword was a jian, though this one was an oversized specimen of its kind. The sheath was black and bronze. Two sky blue gems were inlaid at the end, one on either side. The blade’s hilt was also black and bronze, and also decorated with sky blue gems; two at the hand guard and two near the pommel. A blue tassel hung from the pommel.

The hand guard depicted a fierce looking bird. Not just any bird either, but a roc. Rocs were powerful magic beasts, and were one of the few creatures that could rival storm dragons as sovereigns of the sky.

Using this sword went against the whole storm dragon motif my family had going on, but I didn’t care. This was because the sword was the equivalent of a high-rank Fourth Circle magic item. Other than the ability to fly, it didn’t have any enchantments. However, I would be able to use it all the way to the Essence Collection stage; maybe even the early Golden Core stage.

Grandfather Gabe held the sword out to me, but pulled back a little when I reached out for it.

“I’ve had this sword for a long time, Gabriel,” he said in a quiet voice. “It holds special meaning to me. Please take care of it.”

From the way he gazed at the sword, I could tell that the sword was important to Grandfather Gabe. There was a bittersweet sorrow in his eyes.

“Then maybe you should keep it,” I said. “It’s clear that this sword holds a lot of sentimental value for you.”

Grandfather Gabe shook his head.

“No,” he said. “Take it. This sword was never really mine. I just held onto it for a while.” He looked me in the eyes. “Perhaps it was always meant to be yours. Giving it to you is certainly better than keeping it locked away.”

I held his gaze for several more seconds. When he gave me a nod, I reached for the blade and took it. A quick glance with my divine sense told me that the blade didn’t have a spirit, which was a little disappointing. Then again, sword spirits were rare and usually only formed in powerful magic items, the kind that went on to become legendary artifacts. Besides, I already had Aurora. I didn’t need another spirit.

I unsheathed the sword. Compared to the sheath and the hilt, the blade of the sword was plain and unadorned. That didn’t matter to me. As long as I could fly with it and use it as a weapon, that was all I needed.

I bound the sword to me with a drop of mana infused blood. Unlike many other kinds of magic items, a flying sword needed to be bound to its master before it could be used. This allowed its master, and only its master, to control the sword by will and mana alone.

Once I bound the sword to me, I felt its presence in the back of my mind. We were now connected.

What was that? Aurora asked. I felt something weird.

She had been napping in my dantian all day, so she had probably missed the conversation just now. She lifted her head out of my dantian and looked around with a confused expression on her face.

‘I bound a flying sword to me,’ I explained. ‘This connection allows me to control the flying sword with my mind. Since you and I are one being, you can also control the flying sword.’

Does that mean I can help you fight without leaving your body? Aurora asked, sounding excited at the prospect.

‘Yes, though please leave this particular sword alone,’ I said. ‘If I acquire more flying swords and bind them to me, you can use those.’

Fine, Aurora said with a pout. I’ll hold you to that.

Rather than follow my first impulse, which was to hop onto the flying sword right away and take to the sky, I decided to test it out a little first. I went through the basic stances of the Celestial Sword Style. The blade was perfectly balanced, and felt like a natural extension of my body.

My disciples paused in their own training to watch the show.

After going through the basic stances of the Celestial Sword style, I coated the sword with my sword mana and used Lotus Blade Dance. The floating blades composed of sword mana were stronger and purer than the ones I had formed with Crimson Fang. We were in perfect harmony with each other, which was an uncommon occurrence for me back on Spirit Earth. It was as if we danced to the same rhythm.

I dismissed the floating blades of sword mana, and released the sword from my hand. It remained hovering in the air where I left it. Once again, I went through the basic stances of the Celestial Sword style, but this time I didn’t move my body. Instead, I just controlled the sword with my mind.

I grabbed the sword again after I finished.

“This is a beautiful blade,” I said, admiring it. “What is its name?” I looked at Grandfather Gabe, who watched me with a sad smile on his face. “A blade like this has to have a name.”

“Sky’s Dream,” he said, before looking up at the cloudy sky. “The original owner of the sword loved to fly, and dreamed of reaching the heaven’s above.”

Once again, it struck me that Sky’s Dream meant a lot more to Grandfather Gabe than he was telling me. The original owner of the sword must have been very important to him.

“In honor of Sky’s Dream’s original owner, I will treasure this blade for the rest of my life,” I promised him. “Even after I stop using it, I will make sure that it’s well-cared for.”

Grandfather Gabe shook his head.

“While I appreciate the sentiment, don’t keep it for the sake of keeping it,” he said. “When you no longer need it, pass it on to a worthy heir. Do that if you want to honor the original owner. It’s what she would have wanted.”

The sorrowful expression on his face lingered for a second, before he grinned and all traces of it disappeared.

“Now, enough of this,” Grandfather Gabe said. “I want to see if you can use the sword for its intended purpose. It’s been decades since Sky’s Dream flew through the sky.”

I returned my great grandfather’s grin and hopped onto the sword. It hovered in the air, holding my weight without issue. I used a special technique called Spider’s Feet to “glue” my feet to the sword so I wouldn’t accidentally fall off. The Spider’s Feet technique was also useful for climbing, though I hadn’t had reason to use it until now.

Directing the sword with my mind, I shot off into the air.