With all the bodies needed for refinement, Shen Yue needed to get busy. Checking the protection in place and seeing it all was good to go, he informed the Flaming Snake to be on guard. Full focus on Cultivating pushed the Flame Vortex Core to spin faster.
However, he had a vistor. Shango the man-god appeared in front of him the moment he was about to cultivate. The look on his face was a pleasant one, however. As Shango told him of events that transpired, Shen Yue interrupted when it came to a certain amtter.
"So the armor was for you?" Shen Yue looked the man God Shango over closely. Suprised the way the god held the items in reverence when they were taken out. "You can have them since they can not do anything for me."
Shango nodded gratefully. Placing the items in his personal internal space, Shango pulled out a small locket in exchange. The rules with the Pantheons forbid stealing items of importance from one another.
They either had to fight and kill the other or trade them.
Just the sight alone made Shen Yue sad. The energy drained from his body as he fell backward.
"How did you get this?" Clutching the locket as if it was a precious item tightly, memories slowly returning of his original life. A memento of his family from his childhood. Something that was lost a long time ago. "Shitty old man."
"An exchange from another Pantheon is all." Shango said softly. Seeing his descendant so vulnerable was a treat in its own way. "Payments have already been made, so do not worry."
"That's good." Shen Yue responded halfway. A small circling of the Flame Vortex Star Dragon Core and his mind fixed itself. Emotions reigned in as his life as Leroy was suppressed before he fell into full nostaglia. "How are "they" in the previous Dimension now?"
The locket was placed inside the Flame Vortex Star Dragon's chest. One of the safest places it could be.
"Good. Off to a new start. Your wife.." Shango stopped from saying her name. Very aware of the rules and what happens if he did speak about her. "..she is doing well. Took a husband to help pass the nights."
"That is good. And Liang Jian?" Shen Yue nodded in understanding. After all, he couldn't go back.
"Dark Moon City is prosperous. Linlin and Lin Yin keep him in check when he gets to wild. A good job at keeping the laws your brought over from your original life in place." Shango looked around as he felt the presence of several things in the room. "I will visit again when I can in the future. A word of caution however."
"Hmm?"
"Find someone like before to be a part of your "inner council" to help. The Tiny World was trouble in the future as I am sure you remember but something in the Draconic Ruins Realm will have to be dealt with by you." Shango flickered and disappeared into flames. "I do not disapprove of what you are thinking about for the cities here. Just be careful. A lot of "god-like" individuals are around."
"Humph! That is why they will all be devoured and taken in. Their power to boost my own and those who are worthwhile." Shen Yue understood who he meant. 'Those "laws" to study will have to be mine mostly. Fire, Lighting/Thunder, and Ice. That bastard Zhu Long is the perfect material for knowledge refinement. Yu Yan will be the perfect bait when she is free. Of course, I will have to liberate her from the fate of the Fire Law.'
As Shen Yue thought those matters over he felt his cultivation stir once more.
*Crrrk!* As if breaking from a hardened slumber, the Flame Vortex Star Dragon moved. Arms and legs extending. The Tail moving slightly creating booming thunder within. The breath creating frost energy that went directly into the Metal Seed down below.
*Fwish!* Intense flames wrapped around Shen Yue. Lighting dancing around with every beat of his heart like the sound of thunder. The bodies were destroyed in an instant. Flesh broken down just to blood droplets. Bones turning into powder.
Memories stored in the mind and the remnants of the soul were gathered up into a ball. The spiritual version of Shen Yue floated inside the Flame Vortex Core as he took it all in. Increasing his memory and the strength of his soul a little.
He mostly wanted the memories to find out about what was going on currently. The soul energy was left floating to the side for later use. Resisting the temptation to consume it all was easy enough. He did after all needed to have some for people he recruited. As well as the Demon Beast under him.
Opening his mouth, he connected his Astral Sense high above Glory City. The Flaming Snake wrapped around his waist. The pleading look was more than enough that he knew what it wanted.
"Ok follow this." Shen Yue circulated the Beast methods he knew. Guiding a bit of soul energy into the snake to increase its intellect further. "The pattern has to be exact. Do not mess up."
*Fwish!* The Flaming Snake had flames appear around its neck and nostrils. It did exactly as told.
"Wooooo!" With an inhale, the snake swallowed the spiritual energy that resided high up in one fell swoop. Energies that Shen Yue instructed it to take in. "Slip slip!" With a gentle lick towards the air, the energy was consumed and circulate under the guidance of Shen Yue.
The Flaming Snake drifted off into a slumber as it went through a metamorphosis.
The few items worth anything were taken out by Shen Yue as he reforged them with his Flame Vortex Core. He was not an expert blacksmith but picked up a few things.
Shen Yue circulated the Star Martial Technique, Flame Martial Technique, and the Dragon Martial Technique. The 3 working in harmony. Pushing his body to the next level. With all the energy he rechecked his cultivation through his body again and again.
An entire day passed before his eyes opened. Fire richer than ever before dancing within. Lighting dancing along his body. Thunder contained in his bones. Shen Yue stood up putting his clothes bank on. He had some watchers, however.
"What is it?"
"Ummm what the hell do you cultivate like that?" Shen Xiu felt her world was turned upside down by her nephew. Every time she came back to check on him, something else changed. The amount of energy he exuded was beyond a Silver Rank. "What Realm are you in currently?"
"I Cultivate 3 different Cultivation Manual's that technically work as one." Shen Yue said it so nonchalantly like it was normal. "I stepped into Gold Rank 1 by mistake. The energy I took in was supposed to be used to reinforce myself. As well as prepare some things for use. But.."
"Gold Rank.. before.. 20." Shen Xiu collapsed onto the floor. Her face dazed as she couldn't make sense of it all so easily. "..not even... this is nuts."
"No, just try all sorts of methods and taking in.." Shen Yue walked over and plucked her forehead. "..every resource I can. I also cultivate as I walk and breathe. You do not. How much time did you waste on undermining others' efforts?"
"That hurt ya know." Shen Xiu rubbed her forehead. "I do not need a lecture. I am the adult here, not you."
"No, I am an adult you are just my cute little aunty." Shen Yue helped her up. "If you want to push your cultivation up higher quickly, we can. But it is gonna hurt like hell for you. Extremely painful and might drive you crazy."
"If it is that painful I will pass." Shen Xiu passed over a spatial ring. "Here are some more materials from what I was able to retrieve from the Alchemy Association as well as trading to the Sacred Family Elders. Told them those were the last ones I could get. If they were interested in some damaged ones, I can provide that. Pretty sure people are going to hunt me down for more."
"Yeah we have some super volatile ones can be made for them. Good call." He nodded seeing the benefit of that." That is why you need this." Shen Yue passed a glass sphere over. "Places this in your Soul Realm to help nourish it. This will help save your life once but I am not telling you in which way. Also will protect you from a Soul Inscription. So if you are threatened with that let them do it. They will pay dearly for it."
"Thank you..." Shen Xiu did as she was instructed. The moment the glass entered inside, she felt a pulsing wave of energy slowly enter her Soul Realm. She was reminded of the time he healed her in the school. Wrapping her soul energy around it allowed her to control the output more. "This will defintely help me in the future if I get in a bind."
"That is the plan." Shen Yue worked on a few other things while waiting. Reading the medicinal manuals as well as checking over a few cultivation manuals he read before and doing a little tweaking. 'Hmm, a possible method to improve the Metal Seed, I like it.'
Shen Xiu stared at him while he worked. It only took a few hours for her to come to terms about something. One that he looked nothing like his father and acted nothing like him anymore. Two he seemed as studious as his mother and three.
She wanted to improve herself to keep from getting left behind.
"Yah know what... let's do that insane method you mentioned." Shen Xiu did not like the sound of being left behind. Since she could fight a few already with her current strength above her realm, this method would make it a step better. "I want to be stronger!"
"I understand. Let me know when you are ready." Shen Yue answered back. He was not ready for her moving to him and wanting to start now. "Well ok... Just do not freak out."
With a wave, Shen Xiu broke down into spirit energy and entered his Flame Vortex Core. Shen Yue did not circulate his energy since it was better for her to get use to the pressure and energy inside.
Even with her not moving, or cultivating. The energy was directed towards her. The flames from the core were not hurtful per se but stifling.
Shen Xiu spent more than an hour just staring at the Flame Vortex Star Dragon. The rise and fall of it's breathing threw her for a loop. Every fiber of her being said to run away. But her brain seemed to short circuit preventing her from moving. Shen Yue gave her a few more minutes before pulling her out.
Shen Xiu just sat on the bed unmoving for half a day. Shen Yue just cultivated with the resources she brought earlier. Whether immediate or in the future strength mattered the most. Shango gave a good reminder to him about that. Even though he was gaining strength quickly, he still needed more.
The Scarlet Flaming Fox was cultivating with some glass given to it. A look of jealousy at the Flaming Snake that lept in power while it was gone. But Shen Xui treated it well enough. So it did not make a fuss.
"Ah!" Shen Xiu gasped getting it back together. She looked around in a panic before resting her eyes on her nephew. "That thing was massive. And so... pretty. Where did it come from? I mean how did you acquire that demonic beast soul? What does it do!?"
"I can not tell you that as of right now. You are to weak to hear it." Shen Yue stood up and walked up to her. His hand on her face as he checked eye response. Then her pulse. "If you step into the Martial Ancestor Realm I will tell you."
"What is that?" Never hearing of that Realm before she was at a loss.
"The realm before the Deity Realm. After the Dao Realm. Which is after the Heavenly Axis Realm. Which is after Heavenly Star Realm which is after the Heavenly Fate Realm." Shen Yue couldn't help but smile at her slack-jawed expression. "I do not get tired of that look. That is the Rank after the Legend Realm. So much more for you to learn."
Shen Xiu sat there thinking everything over again. Slightly dazed still.
"How do I deal with that place you sent me to?" Shen Xiu was not ready to go back inside there of course.
"Just look away from it is all." Shen Yue stopped as he found a book on herbs to read that would help on a test. "I mean it is me in a way. Or just pet it to make yourself feel better. Just might hurt if you do. But not as much as the Vortex grinding method."
The grinding part did not sound good. Considering the day a wash really, Shen Xui spent the rest of the day with Shen Yue as well as instructing the two servants. If she would have kept it togethor just a little longer, she would have taken in the soul energy that belonged to the two siblings from the Dark Guild.
It would have helped tremendously with their fighting.