Then, an exhale.
No matter how much of a talent or innate advantage Nysalea possessed, it was not the sa as what Selene and Riven had experienced.
They had once stood beneath the sky as it tore open; literally.
A portal had split the very fabric of the heavens, and from that gash in reality, energy of a higher world poured down upon them like divine baptism.
Yin and yang, gold and silver, all descended together in blinding streams.
But for Nysalea.....
It was the culmination of sothing quieter. Her body was refining power, extrely old, dense power, from a 500-year-old serpent, and even that did not grant imdiate transcendence.
It took ti.
Her body, her blood, her core... everything was still processing the gallbladder’s contents.
So, Riven and Selene didn’t force the mont.
With a last glance at the now-peaceful Nysalea, the two stepped away from the center of the room.
Riven moved to the door and gently opened it. The soft creak of the wooden fra was the only sound. Selene followed silently.
Then, without a word, Riven turned and closed the door behind them.
He locked it.
Nysalea’s transformation had begun, and until it was finished, no one was allowed to interfere.
Once they left the quiet of the chamber, the contrast was imdiate.
Outside, the inn’s courtyard was alive with happy chaos.
The sll of sizzling serpent at filled the air.
Spices, oils, and herbs mingled with the heavy, rich aroma of roasted flesh.
The massive carcass of the ancient Pusiqu snake had been sectioned; each part laid out on chopping blocks, racks, or enormous iron skillets.
Flas danced beneath the woks. Smoke curled upward in thin plus. A wave of heat rippled through the courtyard.
Everywhere, people were moving.
Guards hauled bones and limbs.
Stewards barked playful complaints at each other about who was working harder. Suyin stood over a boiling cauldron, adding dried mushrooms and green onion while wiping her brow.
Liam, ever scholarly, even with sleeves rolled up, carefully arranged at slices on flat rocks to sun-dry for preservation.
Azira, Riven’s little maid, darted between them, her sleeves tied up and cheeks flushed, throwing orders like she ran the whole operation.
The guards and stewards acted like they followed the little ancestor’s commands as laughter rang out.
A few of the guards were already taste-testing tiny bits of snake skin cooked crispy, eyes wide with disbelief at the flavor.
And why not?
This was no ordinary beast.
Even a single fucking scale from the serpent could be sold at auction as a high earth-tier crafting material.
To cultivators, even the tiniest sliver of such flesh was a treasure, used for armors, talismans, even pills.
To cook an entire one and eat it casually like a backyard roast? It was lunacy. Delicious, glorious lunacy.
Riven walked forward into the commotion, Selene just behind him. A few stewards saw him and imdiately straightened their postures.
But Riven only waved his hand and gave a nod of approval.
He was pleased.
It wasn’t about the food. It was the mont. This warmth. This laughter. This chaos.
They had all suffered for him. They had all fought for him. Now, they deserved to celebrate.
After checking in with the guards and exchanging a few light-hearted words with the stewards about portioning and spice control.
Liam, in particular, was nearly in tears over the misuse of precious marrow stock.
Riven looked around and spotted Azira skipping between tables, barking a few orders at older n three tis her size.
He smiled faintly.
"Azira," he called.
She turned around imdiately, her eyes lighting up. "Yes, master?"
"Co with , sweetie."
Selene joined them as they stepped aside from the bustling feast area, walking toward the quieter edge of the courtyard under the shadow of a large banyan tree.
The sound of oil popping and fire cracking faded a little as they distanced themselves.
Riven turned to face her.
He crouched, so he was eye level with the little girl.
"You did a lot today," he said. "Always moving, always helping. You’ve been shining brightly since the day you joined us."
Azira bead. "Of course! That’s because I’m the best in the entire kingdom!"
Selene chuckled beside them, ruffling her hair.
Riven chuckled as well, then his tone shifted. Nothing heavy, but serious.
"You’re not here to be just a maid," he said.
"You’re also my disciple. And that ans your path won’t stop here. I want you to grow strong. Strong enough to follow . To protect others the way I protect you."
Azira blinked. Then she nodded slowly, eyes wide.
"You... you an martial arts training?" she asked, suddenly shy.
Riven ruffled her hair gently.
"That’s exactly what I an. But not just throwing punches or swinging blades.
Real training. Understanding what martial arts really are. What does cultivation an? How the body changes, how the spirit is molded."
Selene brushed a hand across Azira’s shoulder. "You have potential, little sister. So much of it. But power without guidance is just wasted energy. We’re going to teach you. Bit by bit."
Azira looked up at both of them.
Riven, her big brother. Her lord. Her master.
Selene, her goddess. Her sister.
And sothing inside her ward.
"I’ll work really hard," she said. "I promise."
"We know," Riven replied, and sat down cross-legged. Now’s the ti to explain her training.
The wind rustled softly through the great branches above, carrying the scent of roasted at and spice from the courtyard, where laughter still echoed and oil still sizzled.
Beneath the shade of the ancient banyan tree, the world was a tad more peaceful.
Riven sat with his legs folded, back straight, arms relaxed on his knees. His posture was calm, but his eyes were focused, intent.
Selene sat beside him, elegant and poised, her gaze gentle but sharp, like a mother tiger watching her cub take its first steps toward the wild.
Azira sat in front of them, her small body straight as a spear. Her eyes were wide. Curious. Innocent. And eager.
She was trying to hide it, but her fingers nervously twisted the ends of her sleeves.
Riven looked at her for a long mont without speaking. He sorted out what he had to tell her in his mind and then spoke.
"Azira." Riven said.
"This training regin will last for three years. You’re eleven years old now. So, your real martial arts training will start when you’re fourteen. Most people start at the age of ten... but don’t think you’re late."
He paused for a mont and continued, "The training regin I have created is extrely important in building the body of a martial artist. Once this is done... if you can endure, you will be strong. That is my promise. Okay?"
Her mouth parted slightly. But nodded with trust.
Riven continued.
"This isn’t because I want a bodyguard. It’s not because I want a combat maid or a shadow hound at my heels.
You might hear things like that one day. People will assu it. Even I, in my weakest thoughts, have thought it once or twice. I’m not proud of that. But I’m human after all."
He paused.
"And even with that darkness in ... this is not why I’m doing this."
He leaned forward slightly, and his voice lowered.
"I simply want to make sure that everyone who puts their trust in is rewarded manifold.
I want to uncover every drop of brilliance hidden in your bones. I want to make sure that no matter where you go in this life, no one, not fate, not bloodline, not n with power, can tell you what you can or can’t be."
Azira’s lips trembled slightly. She didn’t know what to say. So she didn’t say anything.
She was only 11 years old. How would she know the weight of those words?
"You have three years," Riven said. "In those three years, you are going to learn and master ten disciplines. These ten pillars will form the unshakable root of your future path."
This training regin was inspired by the initial martial arts experience the system had put him through and by the information from his ti on earth. He held up one finger.
"One. Serpent Coil Pulse work – Breath work and tendon expansion. This helps expand tendons, strengthen ligants, and initiate bone marrow nourishnt. Strengthens spine and root."
Two. Storm Hide Ritual Tempering – Enhances skin and pain tolerance. It teaches you how to endure. Most importantly, it trains the most surface-level ridians under the skin."
Three. World-Spine Harmony Drill – Your posture and body alignnt. If you’re crooked inside, your power will always leak out. This training will make sure you hold body stability even in the worst conditions.
Four. Dragon Lung Sealing thod – Breathing. Expands lung capacity, strengthens the diaphragm, and begins internal breath-to-energy sensitivity.
Five. The Thirty-Six Fla Strikes – The art of striking. You will learn how to connect your strikes in the form of a chain, from every angle, under every form of pressure.
Six. Heaven Rebounds Below foot – Falling, rolling, and rising. Because no matter how strong you beco, you will fall. And you must know how to rise and never fear falling.
Seven. Steel-Heart Lotus Vigil – Stillness under pressure. Holding full ntal focus. Facing discomfort without breaking your focus.
Eight. Mountain-Root Tension Form – Performing slow strikes and movents while contracting every muscle in sequence.
Nine. Shadow Listening Protocol – Sensing the world without sight. Feeling intent. Feeling hostility. Even if all your senses are lost, you’re still not helpless."
Then he raised both hands and rested them on his knees.
"And ten. The most... MOST important of all. Inner Fla Script."
He said it slowly. Carefully.
Azira tilted her head. "What’s... that?"
Riven looked her directly in the eyes. "A diary."
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