Chương 44: 27.1. I don't care about doors

Faust idled for a while. Face tightening in pain while pressing the towel on his forehead, relieving some of it. Primarily the throbbing pain from his bones. After some time had passed, he took some deep breaths, then focused his senses inward. His physical body was… A mess. No. A mess wasn't the right word. It was technically immaculate, better than it had ever been. Small bits of accumulated damage he couldn't do anything about had been expertly repaired. Remnants from when he was less knowledgeable.

His spiritual body, only recently solidified if he went by standard cultivation rates, was also in exemplary condition. For the most parts. He checked the small micro channels that would be carved when a technique was properly practiced over time. He had a lot of them snaking through both his spirit and body. Hundreds even. It was all part of his research into creating techniques. He had trained— he thought about it. It must have been almost five hundred by now. Not all of them were mastered.

But all to some level of proficiency.

"Hah…" The pain was subsiding by a bit. He checked again. Of the micro channels in his body, several stood out. The most prominent channels were his latest revision of his flying sword technique, which had thick paths, almost as large as the minor channels of his foundation. The second most prominent however, was the technique he had used right before he had collapsed.

"Tch." He tensed up. Then.

"Hah!" He relaxed again, falling deeper into the soft bed's embrace. He had mastered multiple techniques. Tens of them. Simple techniques. But mastered none the less. Yet none of them stood out as much as the two most prominent ones. It didn't matter. What was done was done. In comparison, the pins anchoring his spiritual body and physical body were much more worrying. They weren't genuine anchors and were temporary. But they were effectively performing the function of the mid Open Palace stage.

Where the spirit body was permanently fixed to the spiritual body. It let a person's physical body regenerate with a framework and prevented the physical body from being completely bypassed by spiritual attacks among other things. In general, it was just better not to let the two separate. However, it meant Faust would need to make his decision on how to proceed with his cultivation soon.

The pins were slowly dissolving, after which he suspected the micro channels in his spiritual body would no longer line up with the ones in his physical body. He needed to anchor the two quickly. Unfortunately. He was out of Innate Qi. He had saved it up for over a decade. Saved up to make the perfect Open Palace foundation. Faust winced. More than a third of his life's effort so far. Gone. He brought a hand up to cover his face, screwing his eyes shut, holding back tears. He inhaled sharply. Then exhaled.

Rinse and repeated. Slowly. Steadily. Faust brought his hand back down.

"It's fine. It's fine." He assured himself. In the grand scheme of things. The life I've lived so far is nothing. If I reach Nascent Soul by five hundred years old. I'll still have over five hundred more years to watch my children surpass me. He opened his eyes again. One last deep breath.

"..." Faust spun his legs over the edge of the bed, sitting up. He held the towel to his forehead with one hand. Propping his head up with the other, slouching over his legs. What did he need to do next? He needed to refine more Innate Qi. Then he needed to make his minor breakthrough to the middle Open Palace realm. After that, he needed to perfect his new technique. He couldn't explode his own body every time he used it. After that, it was worth it to pursue the clues he'd gained on Han Ci's condition.

If nothing else then for the reward he could ask in exchange. Or payment for his research should fail to find a solution like those before him. Well. A solution that didn't involve a highly invasive and risky surgery. Knock. Knock. Knock. Three gentle knocks Faust looked up. At the shiny, darkwood doors inlaid with golden patterns. The next moment, the golden handles turned and the maid from before stepped inside. She bowed with a small curtsy once again. Before revealing a book.

Faust scanned the title almost unconsciously.

'Innate Energy dual cultivation Method'"Her highness the princess is currently occupied. The physician has ordered your Innate Qi be replenished as quickly as possible and for your cultivation to be increased to the middle Open Palace realm to complete the treatment." The maid explained, the door closing by itself behind her. Faust looked at her. Her expression had remained passive and unchanging the entire time. Faust was internally conflicted. Part of him wanted to regain those years of effort. But…

The maid approached closer, holding out the'Innate Energy dual cultivation Method' He took the method and flicked through it. It was a relatively simple cultivation method. Using the clashing of Yin and Yang to form Nascent Qi. One of the purest forms of Qi. Also one of the most unstable. It would quickly degrade into other types of Qi. In the case of a baby, it would turn into all the different Qi's needed to form a new life.

This method simply controlled the degradation to turn it all into Innate Qi matching the two cultivators, with additional methods to control who got the higher portion. Faust looked up to the maid. She was beginning to expressionlessly unbutton her uniform. He smiled lightly. A rare smile. One filled with exhaustion. Too slow. He reflected. There were too many implications with losing his pure yang to a random palace maid. She missed the timing where his will was at its weakest.

Before the buttons could all be undone, Faust stood up. Towel falling to the floor, his hand snatched the maid's wrist, stopping her from continuing. She paused briefly, before looking up at him impassively.

"Do you prefer with clothes—""Tell the physician I have experience in the medical dao. I will be able to take care of the rest on my own." Faust gently pushed her away. Or tried. The maid put strength into her movements, she tried to push Faust down. And yet. He didn't budge. His hand trembled holding the maid's wrist as she tried to break free. She couldn't. Hmmm? Shouldn't my body cultivation have fallen? Faust deliberated, keeping his expression hardened while checking himself again. He was right. It had fallen.

From the peak of the 3rd realm to the middle. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Insignificant problems that had accumulated, however, had all been removed. The physician that had treated him had gone above and beyond. Then, something in his micro-channels caught his attention. Widening his eyes in shock, Faust checked again. Heavenly Qi clung to the edges of the micro-channels, practically fused into the boundaries.

"It is the physician's orders." The maid suddenly added her Qi to the equation. For a split second, Faust was pushed back. But naturally, as if it was a technique he had practiced for a decade. His Qi began flowing through the new micro-channels. The Heaven and Earth Qi in the maid's hand suddenly fell apart, losing its edge. Faust felt the strain on his entire being. Even at this low level of activation. Yet as his own Qi flowed into his arm and wrist, he resisted the maid, despite her higher cultivation.

"And I am both the guest and patient." Faust growled, looking down at the maid who was ahead shorter than himself. His face was filled with disdain for her.

"What right does a mere maid have to force herself on me?" There was silence. Then the maid, her face still unchanging, stepped back. Faust released her wrist. She slowly, delicately redid the buttons on her uniform.

"I have overstepped my bounds. I deeply apologise." She bowed and curtsied once again.

"I will relay your words to the physician, sir Faust." With that, she stepped out of the room once more. Faust waited till she left." COUGH! COUGH!" He stumbled back and fell onto the bed, coughing. His entire body was shaking. He hadn't used the technique fully, but even partial activation had threatened to break him.

"It's not complete." He muttered. A completed technique should have manageable strain. Not none, but certainly not enough to shatter the entire body instantly when it had already developed proper micro-channels. I really need to name it too. He sighed. Problems for later. He felt terrible right now, so he rolled back into the bed, resting his eyes. The towel floated over to him under his Qi control, so he laid it on the pillow before shoving his face into it.

Cool relief flooded his body once more, dulling the bone throbbing pain.

"Hah… Crazy lady…" He complained. While Shuyue was reading the reports from her agents and underlings among others, Jing quietly entered— another maid trailing beside her.

"Assessment?" Shuyue asked. Instead of responding, Jing stepped in front of her desk with the other maid trailing behind her. The maid pulled her sleeve up a bit, revealing red marks on her wrist. Shuyue hesitated. Her movements paused abruptly before she continued, moving some sheets of paper from one pile to another.

"You couldn't defeat him?" She asked.

"I wouldn't say that." The maid answered.

"I could have forced him down. I was presumptuous and assumed the act of seducing him and replenishing his Innate Qi meant we were trying to build a positive relationship."

"I see." Shuyue acknowledged.

"Thank you for your work Jing, Liora Yunxi." The maid blinked in surprise, then bowed deeply.

"No need. Your highness remembering my name is my greatest honor." Jing was more used to the princess's temperament and didn't react, merely bowing her head in thanks. Of course I know who you are. It wasn't an accident that your Liora clan managed to have a sudden resurgence. Shuyue looked away from her. Faram had guided her to target small to medium, mildly influential or useful clans before trying to compete for the prominent clans' support.

The Liora clan, hailing from the far west of the empire before relocating to the capital, was a small clan sheltered by only a few elders at the Nascent Soul realm. Shuyue had targeted them because of their unique physique passed down by blood. It wasn't potent enough to attract larger powers, but they could slightly improve their partners chances of a higher grade Golden Core— so long as they themselves were in the Golden Core realm. It wasn't much but it could buy the loyalty of weaker minded talents.

Shuyue continued in silence, mulling it over. The royal physician had claimed that the healing process had consumed all sir Faust's gathered innate Qi, almost a decade's worth of accumulation. Enough to fuel his entire Open Palace realm without needing to waste time on gathering more. It should have been devastating. She had spent five years just refining more Innate Qi even while surrounded by resources. Let alone if she had to do without any resources.

She had thought for certain throwing a Liora clan maid at him with the solution to his problems would tie him to her faction without trouble. The Clear Mirror sect had more or less already considered him a failed talent anyways. Unfortunately. He was tougher in mind than she had anticipated.

"Try a few more times. If he continues to resist then forget it. It's my fault for thinking a technique master would be so weak of mind."

"Your highness."

"Your highness." Jing and Liora Yunxi bowed in sync. Shuyue continued flicking through documents. Worst case scenario, she would invite sir Faust through her tutor, Faram. She wasn't worried about refusal. She just needed someone to check her cousins and older brother's newly recruited talents. Others could fulfill the role if needed. Sir Faust just happened to be nearby and had the prerequisite skills she needed without requiring any further training.

Still, that prick, Ren Ashcroft would soon be breaking through to Golden Core under her elder brother.

"What about his junior brother? Long Tao." Shuyue inquired.

"Apart from more reports about his overwhelming luck and immense talent classed as special grade. I'm afraid nothing new has been found." Jing shared what she had found so far. Shuyue's lips twitched. There was nothing on Long Tao. She had a speculation that he was a son of heaven, but no confirmation. Until heaven decided she was an ally of the Son of Heaven, it wouldn't reveal itself to her or her agents. But without that confirmation, she couldn't throw all her eggs in one basket either.

They were entering an age of chaos. There were more than a hundred and twenty people being tracked by the empire for having special grade talent. And that number was growing constantly. Soon, they wouldn't be able to track them all anymore. They had probably missed plenty already. Even a Void Returning realm venerable could only see so far. Sir Faust and Long Tao were just two of those new talents. Her older brother, the second prince already had three special grade talents under him.

They were just Open Palace realm soldiers for now. But in ten years they would be Heavenly Golden Core experts. In fifty years they would be Immortal Soul powerhouses. Han Ci was also classed as a special grade talent before he was suddenly struck by ailment. Rozaline as well. Shuyue dropped her pen, holding her head in her hands as she massaged her temples, leaning against the desk.

"Your highness. Your posture—" Jing began.

"Not now." Shuyue cut her off. She had the fewest combatants under her command, was the most reliant on favors and in general had the most unstable faction despite seeming like the largest. Ultimately she was short of hands. Thinking of various talents, even Miu… Shuyue hadn't wanted to do anything to her, just keep her safe in the capital for a while until the barbarian race retreated from Green Terrace province. Perhaps because of some sentiments of the past.

Yet that golden carp— the one she had found who knows where— just like her pet snake, contained the bloodline of a dragon. Both creatures were perfectly bonded with her. Just yesterday, she was officially graded a special grade talent of the beast tamer profession. Moreover, her bloodline was hidden even from Deity Transformation experts in the palace. Specifically, it contained remnants of aura from before the Green Terrace province had come under the empire.

It seemed the Barbarian race wasn't targeting the place for no reason. There were undoubtedly more secrets hidden there. Unfortunately, she had no hands to spare. Otherwise she would send Miu back with an escort. Even old Mo was busying himself all over the capital for her sake. Faust groaned, blinking his eyes open again. He briefly looked around. He had been moved under the bedsheets, with a different towel resting on his forehead. He sighed. That was close. He thought about that maid.

She was way too loyal to whichever faction she served. Because she certainly wasn't acting on the emperor's orders. He had heard even the royal family struggled to get an audience with his majesty, so that maid could only be from one of the factions. Since he had no connection to the 2nd prince or any other candidates, then it could only be the 4th princess. The fourth princess. The physician. Faram. Han Ci. The palace. That maid. Miu. …

Faust pressed the towel against his head, pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to regain his bearings. In just three weeks so much had happened. Easily enough for him to meditate on for months more. Click. The door opened and the same maid from before stepped inside the room. For heaven's sake. This woman again? Faust groaned. He wasn't sure he could even stand up this time to confront her if she tried anything.

"The physician has given you an option, but they leave the choice up to you, sir Faust. Otherwise, you have to break through to the mid-stage Open Palace realm within three months." The maid explained, bowing with a curtsy. Faust didn't look at the maid, simply taking in the words. Thank heavens. If he wanted to start a proper clan once he reached the Nascent Soul realm. Keeping his yang energy pure as possible was important.

It was well known that the firstborn child formed of pure yin and yang would always have the highest innate talent, making them a new clan's best talent.

"Right…. Easy enough." He thought aloud. He could technically enter the mid-stage at any time since he reached the end of the early stage. He had simply wanted to study for two or so years in order to refine his method. Unfortunately, life had other plans. He could afford maybe a month or two more of research and design. Then he would need to move forward with his cultivation. Wu Jie stood in front of the dark mirror of heaven technique.

The old witch looked at him briefly, then her two ghosts rushed forth from her sleeves. Reflected in the dark mirror, Wu Jie regarded them coldly for a moment.

"Release." He spoke. In the dark mirror, the reflections of the ghosts sped up, then shot out of the mirror in dark hues matching the dark mirror. Air exploded as the old witch's red ghosts clashed with their reflections.

"You wench!" behind the witch, the old woman, Wu Jie's senior sister, struck at her from behind. The witch threw out an insect that rapidly expanded in the air. Blood sprayed everywhere as the old woman's attack obliterated the insect. She looked around wildly, her divine sense locking onto the witch's new position. The witch clasped her hands together. The world for a hundred kilometers warped and shifted, the sky turning red and ground turning into a vicious jungle of ash grey vegetation.

"Hahhh!" The witch croaked. Countless insects flew from her sleeve. Then, even more flew out from the ash rainforest below. The old woman snorted, drawing a katana and swinging it once. The world warped again. Now, the sky had turned purple and orange, while pink blossoms rained endlessly onto the ash jungle below. The insects charging from the jungle, all with Golden Core auras, began bursting into pink flames every time they touched one of the pink blossoms.

The real insects from the witch's sleeves didn't fare much better, suffering horrible wounds as they tried to advance through the raining blossoms and petals.

"Tch." The witch clicked her tongue before pitch black claws appeared at her fingers. Blade bit into claws as the two aged women clashed. Once then twice. In seconds the two had clashed thousands of times within the twisted world formed by their intersecting domains. In the real world, Wu Jie let the ghosts fight with their reflections. A giant multicolored fog engulfed the area where the witch fought with his senior sister. Meanwhile, he continued to observe the formation trapping them.

He touched the barrier with his finger, injecting different types of Qi and noting the reactions. On the other side of the barrier, the traitor, Thorn, had his hands held in a seal, sweat already dripping down his face. Wu Jie injected a sudden mix of Qi's into the barrier in rapid succession. Briefly, array characters were revealed. Characters formed lines which became chains, weaving around each other to form the barrier. Before they could fade again, Wu Jie ripped a single array character from its position.

Thorn suddenly tensed and grit his teeth. The entire formation shivered for an instant.

"Do you really think you can survive me?" Wu Jie asked.

"We will see." Thorn was still unwilling to repent.