Chapter 88 - Spiritual Journey Part 1

"So that was what happened? Ha. You've suffered quite a lot during your training," Lu Shu laughed as Rian poured him another cup of wine. "So about spirit reactors..."

"Alright, but Ivy needs to leave. We are from separate clans and her clan might know as much as mine and will increase in power," Rian said.

"Alright. Ivy, please leave," Lu Shu said.

"This!" Ivy began, rising to her feet as she glared at Rian. However, she noticed the stare from Lu Shu and stormed out the tent.

"You just let her leave, like that?" Rian asked.

"I am dining with you for knowledge on spirit reactors. If you think I can be seduced so easily, you have another thing coming," Lu Shu smirked.

"What if I want to stay the night?" Rian teased.

"Why not?" Lu Shu grinned. "However, I've no plans to marry so young. In this world, you must be even stronger if you wish to marry and have a child. Otherwise, your relationships are a weakness. I may be a general under my father, but I will leave and go on my own path."

"One of them is gone. Good," Bakura noted as it passed Ivy on the way inside.

"Bakura, I did not summon you. Well, stand guard outside. I want no interruptions," Lu Shu said.

"You wish to slay the female? Good. She is trouble, master," Bakura said.

"No, she is a beauty with much knowledge in the world. Now stand guard outside," Lu Shu ordered as Rian stared at the samurai.

"This...yes, Lord Shu," the puppet bowed and left the tent. "No, no. Master won't be tempted by those vixens. Master is not an adult yet. Yes, master won't succumb to seduction yet. I must ensure any future interactions with other female humans does not include aphrodisiac. Yes. I will not fail Lord Shu."

"Now, you know the giant cores of the spirit reactors are from Spirit Beasts, yes? There are three kinds: chaos, ancient, and holy. How many spirit reactors do you have and what kind are they?" Rian asked as the two sat down and got to business.

"I have four spirit reactors from Ancient and Chaos Spirit Beasts, two of each. I also have one spirit reactor from a Holy Spirit Beast. I have a total of five spirit reactors," Lu Shu answered.

"Five? You even have a spirit reactor from a Hoy Spirit Beast? Good. You must need one if you walk the Sword Immortal path," Rian said. "Seeing Little Hao, you must have made a totem and gone to Spirit Road. This is good. You must be familiar with spirits. Now, you must take the next step."

"I'm to go back there?" Lu Shu asked.

"No. You will be going to a different pocket dimension. There are many ancient temples with a specific reason to exist: communion with the spirits. It is much harder for a fake Archon to awaken their power at the Spirit Master stage, but true Archons have an easier time during the tenth stage of the Spirit Shaman tier. Some specific temples are the only ones to awaken those who cultivate a particulate true Archon body technique, like our [Titan Creator] technique," Rian began.

"I knew you would ask me about it again as the book I gave you only talked about how spirit reactors were made, not awakened. In the ancient clans, we safeguard one of the Temples of the Titan just to awaken our spirit reactors. I, myself, need to awaken my own spirit reactors, for which I have two. There is a temple on Giant's Chain. It is to the north, in the lower Spirit Knight tier islands. You must make a choice: leave the army and go there to awaken your spirit reactors, or remain here and go to my clan to do it," Rian said.

"Why? The area should be secure along the way," Lu Shu said.

"Yes, for now it is. However, the more powerful magical beasts will start to withdraw if sects and academies establish themselves here. They will discover the temple and hoard it, or the temple will house all those magical beasts and truly be forever lost. You don't have much time. As soon as the heart of the Giant's Chain, for magical beasts below the Spirit Knight tier, is lost; you will lose the chance to awaken your spirit reactor," Rian answered.

"I cannot just leave. I am a general," Lu Shu sighed and shook his head.

"But you are also a prince. You can order Great General Meng Ce to take charge of the Tiger Army, giving him a personal army to control instead of relying on his sister. Also, I conferred with Ancestor Lu Feng. He has already permitted it as well as notified Great General Meng Ce. You only need to say the word," Rian said. "Will you tie yourself down, to mortal affairs? Do you not wish to ascend to the Immortal Realms?"

"I was visited by a Keeper of the Dead. My circumstances are not that simple. I must kill the magical beast leader that defected to the Hyperion forces," Lu Shu said.

"Then we will tell your army that you and I will assassinate the magical beast as they engage the Hyperion forces. We can give a cover that you will stay in Giant's Chain to recuperate while they proceed onward. You can take control of your own destiny then," Rian said.

"Why go so far for me?" Lu Shu asked.

"I felt a sort of connection between you and I as we dined last time, back in the Jakkom Empire. I am also your marriage candidate, a choice I made willingly," Rian answered.

"I'm not ready for that kind of commitment, yet. What I pursue is power. Are you willing to wait and follow me?" Lu Shu asked.

"I would not be here if I wasn't," Rian answered.

"Then I choose to take control of my own fate. We leave to assassinate the magical beast before dawn," Lu Shu said. "Oh, and be wary of Ivy. I know her enough that she is not willing to be denied, just as she persistently tried to give me a makeover once before."

"Don't worry. She won't be a problem," Rian grinned and entered his arms and kissed his cheek. "However, I don't she will be a problem for us tonight. After all, I am staying here.

"She tainted you master," Bakura said, drawing its katana as it entered and saw a mark on his cheek. "I will be back after slaying her."

"No, it is alright. We have other affairs. We must plan how to kill that magical beast," Lu Shu waved.

"We will not slay it with the army? Good. They hold master back and steal all Lord Shu's kills and magical beast cores," Bakura nodded.