“Goodbye, Annabelle,” I said, giving my beloved a small smile. “I’ll see you when I return to Sturm Manor. Hopefully, your parents won’t have you locked up by that point.”
Annabelle punched me in the shoulder.
“Don’t jinx it, dumbass,” she said. “I’m already worried about their reaction when they hear what I’ve been up to. I don’t need you making it worse.” She glanced back at the House Thorne airship. “I have enough to deal with as it is.”
“Sorry,” I said. “I’m just in a pessimistic mood. Bad habit of mine.”
Annabelle rolled her eyes, but gave me a smile in return. She stood on her toes to kiss me. Lord Dominic, who watched us from the airship, made a disgusted sound. Avianna gave me one of her customary glares. Lady Teresa watched us with an inscrutable expression on her face, while Lord Oliver frowned, as if he couldn’t decide how to feel.
When Annabelle and I separated, Kaylee crashed into Annabelle and pulled her into a tight embrace.
“I’ll miss you,” my sister said, her voice thick with tears.
“I’ll miss you too, Kaylee,” Annabelle said, returning my sister’s embrace. “At least I’ll see you again before I see Gabe.”
Kaylee nodded. They stayed like that before they separated and Annabelle said goodbye to the rest of my family, as well as Lorelei and Corie.
We were about a mile south of Icefall City, saying our goodbyes as Annabelle prepared to board a House Thorne airship. It turned out that Annabelle’s friends and family had taken an airship to come fetch her. However, Lord Miles was paranoid about being detected by my parents, since they were Fourth Circle, so he had landed the airship well outside of the range of their spirit sense. Their little group walked the rest of the way to Icefall City.
It was a bleak, overcast day. The world was gray and washed out, as if leeched of color. A cold autumn breeze whipped about. It smelled like it would rain soon. With my divine sense, I noticed storm clouds coming in from the north. It wouldn’t be long before they arrived. If the House Thorne airship left within the next few minutes, it would avoid them entirely.
Over the past three days, Annabelle and I spent as much time together as we could. It was as if we were trying to squeeze all the time we had wasted previously into those three days. When we weren’t cultivating, training, or preparing for Annabelle’s departure, we spent every spare moment together. We didn’t do anything particularly special. We just enjoyed each other’s company as much as we could.
A part of me wanted to keep Annabelle here, away from the bullshit that was House politics, but I refrained. While I knew that she would do so if I asked, it would kill her to abandon her family and friends. I wouldn’t ask that of her, just as she wouldn’t ask me to abandon House Sturm. I didn’t want to inflict that sort of pain on her.
Since that was the case, Annabelle needed to return to Thorne Manor. Adopted or not, she was the second in line to inherit House Thorne. With Lord Miles out of commission for now, the responsibility for keeping her House together in her parents’ absence fell on her. I didn’t want to make things even more difficult for her than I already had.
That said, she wouldn’t have to deal with all of that on her own. She had good people watching her back.
However, my biggest concern was what would happen once Lord and Lady Thorne returned from their second honeymoon. They would not be happy with what their children had been up to in their absence, Annabelle in particular. I had a feeling that they would blame me for it. Still, if it meant taking some of the heat off of Annabelle, I was fine with that.
But what if they forbade us from seeing each other? That was something I needed to work towards preventing.
At least I wouldn’t have to worry about Annabelle when it came to cultivation matters. Grandfather Gabe would follow Annabelle south and watch over her for a bit. He had already placed a seal on her, to prevent anyone from discovering her cultivation. Under his tutelage, she would be fine.
My great grandfather stood perched atop his flying sword, hovering near the House Thorne airship and waiting for it to depart. The only ones who could sense him were me and my parents, since he concealed himself from everyone below the Fourth Circle.
Grandfather Gabe would split his time between teaching Annabelle in secret at Thorne Manor, and helping us out at Sturm Hill Hall. For him, the commute wasn’t that terrible.
As a Golden Core cultivator, Grandfather Gabe’s speed on a flying sword exceeded that of most forms of transportation. It would only take him a few days at most to travel between Thorne Manor and Sturm Hill Hall, and that was if he took it easy. If he pushed himself, he could probably make the trip in a day or less. Even the fastest airship couldn’t match him.
Last night, after keeping hold of Sky’s Dream this entire time, Grandfather Gabe gave it back to me. He warned me not to mistreat Sky’s Dream again, or he would make me regret it. He then flicked my forehead, which sent me flying into a nearby wall, and walked off.
As I predicted, Annabelle formed her dantian soon after her friends and family arrived in Icefall City. When Grandfather Gabe had disappeared that day, he had prepared a space for her in Gloom Mist Forest.
In short, he had burned down a bunch of trees to create a clearing and set up a mana gathering formation with his formation flags. By the time we arrived the next day, the formation had collected a substantial amount of mana. Not only that, but it was Wood mana with hints of Fire, perfect for someone like Annabelle.
Under normal circumstances, only Grandfather Gabe would have been there, since he was Annabelle’s Master. However, she insisted that I be there as well. While my presence wasn’t necessary, I provided moral support. If Annabelle’s request annoyed or insulted Grandfather Gabe, he didn’t let it show.
To my complete lack of surprise, Annabelle formed a violet dantian. Since her personal cultivation technique was a mirror of my own, and perfectly suited to her, it was guaranteed that she would get the best result possible. Even without Grandfather Gabe’s preparations, she would have been fine.
To test her new state, Grandfather Gabe and I put Annabelle through her paces. She laughed unadulterated joy when she realized that she was now in fact a cultivator. She took to it like a bird took to the air. It was as if she was born for it.
When I saw this, I felt an echo of the jealousy and envy I once felt towards Annabelle. It took me two weeks to form my dantian, but that was because I had several lifetimes worth of knowledge and experience to draw upon. It only took Annabelle a little longer to form hers.
Even my disciples took at least a full month, and that was under my guidance. That meant that Annabelle’s monstrous natural talent in wizardry also meant she had monstrous talent when it came to cultivation. Given time, she would become unstoppable.
Despite this, the jealousy and envy I felt held little sway over me. It seemed that at some point, while I focused on Annabelle and my family’s affairs, those feelings had faded away without me noticing. This bothered me not at all. It meant that I wouldn’t have to deal with these feelings as an inner demon later on, when I faced the heavenly tribulation. However, that was a far ways off.
I wondered if Annabelle’s talent in wizardry and cultivation had something to do with her soul. Since she had the soul of a Ghost Phoenix Lily, I doubted that she originated from Earth. Had she come from Lumina somehow? Did Ghost Phoenix Lilies exist here? Or had she come from Spirit Earth? If it was the latter…
Suspicion bloomed in my mind as several small clues came together; Annabelle’s monstrous talent, her affinity for Lightning even though Ghost Phoenix Lilies only had affinity for Wood and Fire, the fact that her personal cultivation technique was a perfect mirror of my own. All these added together to form the beginnings of a picture. While it was far from complete, I had a feeling I knew how Annabelle’s soul ended up on Earth. If I was right, it was something I would never voice if I could avoid it.
Assuming I was right. It was all just speculation at this point. Even if my suspicion proved true, I didn’t care. I loved Annabelle. That was all that mattered to me. Others would call me deranged if they knew the truth, but their opinions mattered little in this regard.
Still, to avoid any unnecessary complications, I kept my suspicions to myself. There was no reason to stir up trouble.
After Annabelle formed her dantian, we held a small feast to celebrate, similar to what I did for my disciples when they formed their own dantians. It also served as a farewell feast, since Annabelle and Grandfather Gabe were both leaving us for the time being.
Kaylee lost her composure and spent a good twenty minutes crying into Annabelle’s shoulder. My sister didn’t want to separate from my beloved any more than I did.
Father took that moment to announce that he and Kaylee would return to Sturm Manor within the next few weeks. To oversee the plans we had made regarding our alliance with House Icefall, and the growth of Clan Sturm, Father and Kaylee needed to head back south. They also needed to deal with the other House Sturm matters that had piled up in Father’s absence, and he would need Kaylee’s help.
Mother would remain at Sturm Hill Hall with me to focus on her cultivation, as well as help train the retainers that would serve as Clan Sturm’s first disciples. Captain Jeffers and Caitlyn Walters, Mother’s bodyguard, would also remain behind.
There was some debate on what to do with Roland, my younger brother. After some back and forth, my parents decided it was best for him to go south with Father and Kaylee. Mother wasn’t happy about this, but she acquiesced that Sturm Hill Hall was not a good place to raise a child; especially with the changes and renovations that would occur.
After that, the days before Annabelle’s departure passed by in the blink of an eye. It felt like no time had passed at all before she had to leave. A part of me wished that time would come to a standstill, so we could be together forever without having to worry about the rest of the world. It was a pipe dream, a rather intoxicating one at that, but still just a pipe dream.
Even if I could stop time, I wouldn’t. Change was necessary. Without change, there would only be stagnation. Besides, our separation would only be temporary. Annabelle and I would be together again.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
After Annabelle finished saying goodbye to my disciples and the rest of my family, she gave me one last look before she boarded the House Thorne airship. As soon as she was on board, the ship’s crew retracted the ramp and soon the airship lifted into the air.
Annabelle and I watched each other the entire time as it flew off. Even when she disappeared from sight, I kept watch over her using my divine sense. However, the airship soon reached the edge of my divine sense’s range and Annabelle disappeared altogether. Grandfather Gabe followed soon after.
My heart clenched when this happened. I told myself that we would see each other again soon, but that did little to console me. Mother put a hand on my shoulder. I looked at her, and she gave me an understanding smile.
Soon, my family and my disciples headed towards the House Sturm carriages. The storm was almost upon us, and they wanted to return to Sturm Hill Hall before it was too late. However, Mother and I didn’t join them. We had another destination in mind.
Since a storm had arrived, I felt it was the perfect time to consume the storm dragon blood I received from Shattering Thunder. Not only would I increase my magical aptitude, but I would use it to help me reach the Second Rank of my body cultivation technique.
Mother agreed to act as my guardian, protecting me as I attempted to reach a higher level of being. Father and my disciples had wanted to be there as well, but I refused. This was a personal affair, and if I hadn’t needed a protector to watch over me while I was at my most vulnerable, I would’ve done this alone.
Leroy argued that as my bodyguard, it was his duty to protect me, but after much insistence on my part, he backed down.
I hopped onto Sky’s Dream and Mother hopped onto Father’s feathered flying fan, which she once again borrowed, and soon the two of us were off.
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“Are you sure you don’t want to wait?” Mother asked, raising her voice. “Reaching the next large realm in any form of cultivation is a serious undertaking. I’m afraid that the weather will distract you at a critical moment.”
The two of us were in the clearing Grandfather Gabe had cleared away for Annabelle. I figured that I might as well use it for my own purposes, since he had already gone through all the effort to make it.
The storm hit just as Mother and I reached the clearing. While it was mild for now, we still had to raise our voices in order to speak to each other. Rain fell from the sky in a curtain as the clouds above opened up. Without the tree canopy to protect us, the rain drenched Mother and I in mere moments. The trees around the clearing swayed as a wind blew through Gloom Mist Forest. Yellow and red leaves broke free from the tree branches, falling to the forest floor.
Despite the wind, the ever present mist continued to blanket the forest floor. In fact, the wind stirred the mist, making it almost seem like a living creature. It crept into the clearing, with an air of curiosity rather than malice.
The temperature was freezing, or felt like it at least, and if I hadn’t been a cultivator, my teeth would have chattering. As it was, I used Water internal magic to protect myself from the cold. No need to be careless. While the chances of me getting sick were low, they weren’t zero. At my current cultivation level, I was more mortal than not.
I shook my head in response to Mother’s question.
“This weather is perfect for what I have in mind,” I told her.
I practiced the Divine Storm Dragon Body Refining Technique, which used divine energy to strengthen the storm dragon blood in my veins as well as my body. My Master was Tempest, the God of Storms. I would use a vial of storm dragon blood in today’s undertaking.
Even if the storm didn’t help me in a practical sense, there was symbolic value in ascending to the Second Rank of my body cultivation technique during a storm.
Mother studied me for a moment, before she nodded and took up position.
I tossed my formation flags around the clearing to create an obfuscation and privacy formation. While the chances of someone or something interfering with my breakthrough were low with Mother around, it didn’t hurt to be cautious. Plus, I didn’t want anyone to spy on me while I broke through.
After putting the formation in place, I marched to the center of the clearing and sat down in the lotus position. I pulled out my vial of storm dragon blood. The moment I did, it felt like the storm surged in power. The rain fell harder and the wind grew stronger. Lightning flashed across the sky and thunder roared. In the distance, I heard a tree fall over.
The drop of storm dragon blood contained an astonishing amount of power. It hummed, as if resonating with the storm raging around us. Tension coiled inside me, as if in anticipation for what was to come. My blood thrummed.
‘Are you ready?’ I asked Aurora
With Aurora’s help, the chances of something going wrong were low. As a dragon spirit, the storm dragon blood resonated with her as well.
I am, Aurora said. Ready when you are, Gabe.
Without further ado, I opened the vial and used my mana to lift the drop of Shattering Thunder’s blood out. The smell of ozone filled the air, overpowering all other scents. Energy crackled all around me, and my skin buzzed. The storm raging around us intensified even further.
I opened my mouth and swallowed the storm dragon blood. For certain kinds of pills, it was better to refine an ingredient like this. For what I had in mind, consuming it raw was best.
The blood tasted like it smelled, causing my tongue to buzz and tingle. The sensation spread across my entire body as the blood traveled down my throat. I closed my eyes and observed everything with my divine sense.
The drop of blood shone like a beacon of pure mana. Water, Air, Lightning. It was as if I had swallowed a miniature storm. Using my divine energy, I split a small piece off of the drop of blood and it sent it into my dantian. It sat there, a small red orb in the middle of my dantian, affecting the quality of my mana.
This would become a divine storm dragon core, which would come in handy when I formed my foundation.
I used my divine energy to cycle the rest of the blood throughout my body. The drop of blood “melted”, for lack of a better term, turning into a huge amount of storm dragon divine energy. Pain filled me, as if lightning surged throughout my entire body. The sensation felt similar to the pain I felt when Master Tempest healed me after the battle with the Black Wolf Gang.
The storm dragon divine energy cycled through my body faster and faster, like a raging storm. It empowered the traces of storm dragon blood running through my veins. The traces grew stronger, thicker, and purer. Aurora joined the stream of storm dragon divine energy, directing it and helping me keep it under control. She merged with it, becoming one with the energy.
It purified and refined my physical form over and over again, burning away impurities. With each cycle, my body grew closer and closer to breaking through. I felt like I hit a barrier, and if I could just break through that barrier, my body would be transformed.
Aurora flew faster and faster, until the stream of storm dragon divine energy resembled a hurricane that raged inside me. One wrong move, and the storm would tear me to shreds. The pain was indescribable. The barrier stretched, weakening with each cycle.
Then something inside me snapped, and Aurora roared. The storm dragon divine energy surged throughout my body, destroying me and healing me in turn. Flesh tore, blood boiled, and bones broke as it purged my body of mortal weakness and knitted it back together again. The quality of my physical form changed, becoming a vessel more worthy of my Immortal soul.
I had broken through to the Second Rank of body cultivation.
The raging storm of storm dragon divine energy inside me didn’t die down. Rather, it sank into my blood, flesh, and bone, becoming one with my body. The traces of storm dragon blood in my veins could no longer be called traces. Before, it had been like a trickle. Now it felt like a stream, small but steady.
Outside of my body, the storm continued to rage. The rain fell in a torrential downpour and the wind howled. Thunder cracked, and I swore I could hear Master Tempest’s laughter.
Aurora flew into my dantian, exhausted by the ordeal. She curled around the small drop of storm dragon blood that I hadn’t used.
‘Thank you,’ I told her.
She gave me a weak nod, before laying her head down and falling asleep. It would be a few days before she recovered her strength.
I examined my body with my divine sense. There was a significant difference between the First Rank of body cultivation, and the Second Rank. My physical form was now well beyond mortal limits. With my strength, punching boulders to pieces was child’s play. I was tough enough to take a tank round to the face and shrug it off. I could now take on Second Circle wizards without the need for sealing talismans. With my physical strength, I could break through shield spells.
Not only that, but my lifespan had increased by fifty years as well. It was too bad that I would only benefit from this once. When I reached the Foundation Establishment stage, I wouldn’t get another increase to my lifespan. Unless I consumed a special pill or elixir, my lifespan wouldn’t increase until I reached the Core Formation stage of spiritual cultivation or the Third Rank of body cultivation.
My magical affinity had increased as well. As long as I put in the time and effort, I could now reach the Seventh Circle of wizardry. This brought me one step closer to attaining the same level of power that my ancestors once wielded.
In days long past, my ancestor Sturm fought side by side with the Sun Emperor as an equal. Together, the two of them helped build the Solarian Empire. I wanted to reach that same level of power, whether it was through wizardry or cultivation; ideally both.
I opened my eyes. The rain fell from the sky in a thick curtain, obscuring my visit. With my divine sense, I saw my mother standing nearby, watching me. Steam rose from her body as she used a Fire shielding spell to keep herself dry and warm. She smiled when she saw me.
I let out a jubilant whoop.
“I did it!” I shouted, even though I doubted she could hear me thanks to the rain and the wind. However, her spirit sense worked just fine.
While the outcome was never in doubt, it still felt good to reach the Second Rank of body cultivation. I was one step closer to achieving immortality once more. Now I just needed to reach the Foundation Establishment stage and finish repairing my Second Circle.
To keep my progress from getting too lopsided, I wouldn’t focus too much on one form of cultivation over the others. While it was slower, it was better overall. I preferred to keep things even and balanced.
“Congratulations,” Mother said. I had to use my divine sense to hear her words. “I’m proud of you, Gabriel.”
I beamed at that. While I may have been a reincarnated Immortal, I was also Gabriel Sturm, the teenage House scion. Mother’s congratulations filled me with warmth. Hell, I had been like this back on Spirit Earth, when Celestial Blade and Celestial Weaver praised my efforts whenever I did well.
I felt a pang when I thought of my first Masters, who I had thought of as parents and loved them as such. Even to this day, I missed them. While a part of me hoped to see them again, I knew they were long dead, their souls dispersed. Otherwise, I would have found traces of them a long time ago.
“Stand back,” I said. “I want to test something out.”
Mother took a few steps back. While her shielding spell would protect her from what I was about to do, it never hurt to be cautious.
I took a stance, before throwing out a punch.
[Fist Arts: Explosive Fist]
Even though Explosive Fist was an Energy Condensation technique, this one had the physical strength of a Second Rank body cultivator behind it.
A boom rang out as my fist hit the air with explosive force. Shock waves rippled out, affecting the rain. For a brief moment, the area around me for several yards was free of water. The moment passed, and the rain crashed down on me again.
With a laugh I rushed towards the edge of the clearing and punched the nearest tree. My fist went right through it with ease, and the tree’s trunk exploded. Splinters shot out everywhere. Several hit me, but failed to pierce through my skin. The tree fell to the ground with a heavy thud that I heard over the rain, wind, and thunder.
While the Second Rank of body cultivation didn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, I felt powerful in that moment. Ever since I came to the Icefall Region, I’ve had to use tricks and magical items to defeat Second Circle wizards. It felt good to finally be able to stand toe to toe with them.
“If you’re done showing off,” Mother said in a wry voice. “I would like to head back now. I’m tired of the rain, and I’d like to spend time with my husband and daughter before they leave for Sturm Manor.”
I nodded and collected my formation flags, before following Mother back to Sturm Hill Hall. The entire time I grinned.
I couldn’t wait to test out my current limits. Maybe that would be enough to distract me from the gaping hole in my heart.