After Spar
“That was… Actually refreshing! I never met anyone who was able to defend against Golden Celerity so well in so little time!”
Chang Sheng hadn’t expected this sparring session to turn out so well. Anoteros had adapted to his moves with remarkable swiftness, and his usage of his incredible shapeshifting weapon had proven to be nigh impossible to deal with.
Of course, the sword saint candidate could have just used Golden Celerity at a stronger rate, but it was more valuable to actually try to find a proper manner to deal with his adversary. Otherwise, he would make a fool out of himself if he ever faced an opponent who could do what Edrick had done, but against the full-powered version of Golden Celerity.
In the end, the spar had only been exciting for the two men. From an outside perspective, the duel had been incredibly dull and boring–Just the same thing over and over again, but it was through repetition that one could learn.
Edrick was thoughtful.
“Does your Alrinir practice the same technique as you?”
“Everyone practises the same technique in the Sheng clan”
Chang stopped for a moment, as if wondering if he should explain things to Edrick. The technique of the Sheng clan was more tightly guarded than the unique techniques of the other clans. The Sheng usually avoided even mentioning its name, but truth be told, Anoteros would eventually have enough status to learn about it anyway, so the golden-eyed scion went ahead.
“We all practice Sword Of Banishment. It is an unusual technique in the sense that its strength can vary wildly from person to person. It can only be cultivated on its own, but that’s not a true limitation. It’s a side effect of the fact that it takes up all available ‘slots’ a cultivator has for cultivation”
“The more slots it is able to occupy, the stronger it is. That’s the basic foundation, but it also comes with a whole slew of skills and the like. It isn’t the only reason, but I am so strong precisely because I had an enormous amount of slots for the technique to take”
Anoteros rubbed his chin. The two men were sitting in the grass, absolutely covered in sweat, with their clothes sticking to their bodies... A scene most women would drool over, as both of them were shining examples of masculinity–Albeit in slightly different ways.
“So I suppose Jianrou also had a lot of slots to give to the technique?”
“Indeed, we actually have the exact same amount. To be frank, we are basically perfect copies of one another when it comes to talent. We had the same number of slots to give. We are both talented with the sword, we both have an innate affinity for the technique, and we were both born with a version of the Sheng bloodline superior to the rest”
“Unfortunately, though, ever since I was born, my Vals have been unable to sire another offspring. It is almost like the two of us drained all the resources, not leaving enough for us to get a new Allin”
“That’s rather odd”
Chang Sheng sighed.
“To be frank, my Alrinir and I are equally matched right now, but she has the potential to leave me in the dust. But she’s too stubborn to take the occasion”
Edrick lifted an eyebrow. Xiaolie had mentioned Chang’s Alrinir being a powerhouse as well, but she hadn’t spoken anything about further potential. Hence, Xiaolie had either no knowledge of it from the novel she used to read in her old world, or it was an addition that occurred as the story and reality were unable to be perfect matches with each other.
“What does she need to do?”
Chang looked around as if worried Jianrou would hear him.
“You'll have to promise to keep it a secret. Even our Vals aren’t aware of it yet, but… Jianrou is a Samelinist. She’s only interested in women, and that’s exactly why she can’t catch hold of her full potential. Basically, she needs a male dual cultivation partner, as it would allow her to unlock more slots, empowering Sword Of Banishment further”
“Of course, my Vals think she’s just stubborn and doesn’t want to meet the men they want to present to her, but it’s really just because she’s a Samelinist. You have to keep this to yourself, though. Jianrou will lose her mind if she finds out I told it to someone else”
“Huh… This does pose a problem. I can’t really seduce her if she only has eyes for other women, can I?”
“Well… I heard your fifth wife was also a Samelinist before you met her”
“Not quite, she just didn’t realise that she only liked men like me. If Jianrou is truly and completely a Samelinist, my charms will be useless”
Chang Sheng sighed.
“I am torn, to be honest. I want the best for her, but I have no idea whether the best is to let her do what she wants, or somehow convince her to do what will make her stronger. She’s a battle-junkie, you know? I can see how both outcomes could be great for her”
Anoteros rubbed his chin.
“Well… We can try a few things to test the waters. Who knows? Maybe she’s like my Yin”
The Elt scion cracked his neck.
“But enough about this… Let’s talk about you and Alilah. You said that you were struggling to make your Vals accept her?”
“Yes. They think that I should marry a girl from another great clan, or from an influential noble family… Hell, they are even trying to set me up with princesses”
Edrick stretched his arms, making his elbow joints crack with a satisfying pop.
“The solution to your problem is actually quite simple, Chang”
“Is it?”
“Just impregnate her. Make it known that she is carrying your offspring and that you intend to marry her. What could your Vals do? Even if they lost their minds and attempted an assassination, would they risk losing a descendant of theirs when they might be afraid that you and Jianrou might also be susceptible to a limitation in the number of offspring you can have?”
“Oh… That’s… That does sound pretty good, actually! I never realised that it is very possible that I might run into the same issue my Vals did with my own Allins, but… Am I really ready to have a child with Alilah?”
“You’re a noble, Chang. You can have servants do the heavy lifting. And if you worry about Alilah refusing, I doubt it. For her, it would be a great honour to nurture your seed. I can pretty much guarantee”
The golden-eyed scion thought for a few moments, but he didn’t find anything wrong with the idea. He hadn’t thought of it himself because the idea of having an Allin had never even crossed his mind, but Anoteros was correct. It was the perfect way to force the hand of his Vals.
“It seems like in this domain, I will never reach your level, Edrick”
“Don’t say that, there is room to learn… Anyway, since you’re here, what do you say we hang out a bit? Scion to scion, man to man?”