Mana 5 Chapter 15 (Patreon)

I was beginning to wonder if there really was a boundary to how much sex a person could have.

My wives had joined us in the shared soul space after I’d already gone a few rounds with my four vibrant mana beasts. Their renewed hope in having children seemed to have awoken their need for copious amounts of sex, despite the fact that we hadn’t figured out the puzzle yet.

We’d had plenty of time leading up to when we would go to the shard, and we’d all made the most of it.

Dual cultivating among our shared soul space, I help propel my wives’ cultivations into the fifth rank along with the resources they had collected working with Wenxi and Tianxi.

After six days, I found myself back in the real world, waiting by the edge of the forest where Ming Feng had pulled me from the pile of corpses a month ago.

It didn’t take long before she appeared, a sixth rank guard guiding her. As soon as she saw me, her eyebrows shot up. “You are significantly stronger.”

“Sorry about all the dead beasts.” I joked, giving her a wink. Though she knew even this rate of cultivation was shocking.

She eyed me further, seeming to accept there was more I wasn’t going to tell. “Doesn’t matter. They were put to good use. Are you ready?”

“Yep, let’s go.” I had no time to waste as I stepped up next to her.

The sixth rank guard wrapped me up in his domain, and we were off, back to Blueheavens. This time, we skipped over the outer and middle rings and landed directly in the center ring.

I looked around, surprised. I expected the decor to be better. The whole place was filled with leafless, dead looking trees with branches that curled every which way. Rich red and gold decorative walls lined the courtyard I was standing in.

“They are parasol trees. Legend has it that phoenixes roost in them.” Ming Feng saw me looking at the trees. “But they are eyesores if you ask me.”

“Couldn’t agree more.”

“Who’s this?” A voice asked as another commented. “Ming Feng went to go collect him herself?”

I realized we weren’t alone. Over thirty cultivators were gathered in the space. I quickly assessed them. All of them were young and at the fifth rank.

I stepped forward. “I’m Isaac, and who might you be?” I spoke to the first man.

He was a thin man, and the weakest of the cultivators present. But the sword at his hip radiated deadly strength. “Breeze.” He said with a smile, putting out a hand to greet me.

I had a feeling that wasn’t his real name, but one he made for himself.

“No family name?” I asked.

“None. I trained under a sword saint. You didn’t give a last name either.”

I chuckled. “I’m a bastard of a family. Best not to shout it too loud.” Technically, it was the truth. My mother had run away from her family to have him.

“Ah.” He nodded in understanding. “I knew I liked you. So many of these brats don’t understand the privileges they have.”

We looked at the rest, who were spread out along the field.

I instantly recognized a handful of them. Quixi and Hendrick were off in a corner, surrounded by others. Both of them were at the peak of the fifth rank as well.

But my eyes zeroed in on my beautiful wives standing off to the side. They hadn’t spotted me yet and were busy ignoring the men hanging around them, seeming to give their condolences.

Rolling my eyes, I walked over to them to relieve them. “Morning, my wives.”

“Isaac!” They pushed through the group of men, trying to flirt with them. “Finally!” Michelle draped herself over me possessively.

“Good to see all of you.” I took turns and kissed each of them.

“Isn’t your husband dead?” Malcolm Kong was among the men hustling my wives. “You’re dead. Tuomo said so.”

Ming Feng stood behind me. “He doesn’t look dead. In fact, the Feng Family has been aiding his cultivation for the last month.”

That statement caused a stir among the crowd.

I bowed slightly to Ming Feng. “Thank you for the chance to train in your training grounds.”

“You are welcome. It’s the least I could do after the advice you gave me the first time we met.”

Pausing, I tried to think about what she meant. The only thing I could think about was having the conversation after we ate the dragon tail when I told her to pursue love and not just bloodlines.

“I’m glad I could help. When do we leave for the shard?” Now more than ever, I was interested in pushing into this adventure and claiming the phoenix’s core.

“Rude. You can’t push her.” Hendrick stepped into the growing group of people with me and Ming Feng at the center. He paused and did a double take as he looked at me. “Do I know you?”

I smiled to myself. It had been thirty years, and he didn’t expect me to arrive for another seventy years. If he wasn’t going to connect how he knew me, I certainly wasn’t going to help him.

“Not that I can think of. I would have remembered an ugly mug like yours.”

Hendrick’s forehead pulsed, and he clenched his fists. “I would be careful of running your mouth. Never know what you are going to get.”

“I’d say the same for you.” Ming Feng silenced Hendrick. “His bloodline is even more powerful than your own.”

Once again, Ming caused a stir with her statement. I couldn’t help but let myself enjoy a smug smile at his discomfort.

“Now, if we are all done bickering, it is time to proceed. Isaac here was the last one we were waiting for.” Ming Feng turned, casting her red and gold hair behind her as she strode into the palace before us.

Everyone quieted down and followed after her.

“One of my family's elders will be helping us make the trip. Everyone, please welcome Elder Feng.” Ming Feng bowed to the empty air.

We all did the same, echoing her. Even if it was odd to bow to the empty air.

Instantly, a man with grey and red hair stood in the space, stroking his chin. “What a group full of potential. As you all know, you are going to the shard of the shattered world. There is something important for my family within it that we intend to have. If you find it, you won’t leave empty-handed.”

He paused for dramatic effect before continuing. “Anything in our family can provide is yours for the taking if you can provide Ming Feng with a drop of phoenix essence blood, either bringing it back or giving it to her directly. If we can provide it to you, you will have it..” Elder Feng let his eyes rove over each of us before nodding to himself.

I knew he was a seventh rank immortal, the peak of the immortal world. But after meeting Xiaobai, he seemed underwhelming.

“Brace yourselves.” His domain wrapped around all of us, and we were lifted into the air. As we lifted, the air began to warp.

I felt sick as we appeared in the void. It was nowhere as smooth as Xiaobai’s transportation had been.

“There it is.” He said loudly as we hurtled through the void.

At first I didn’t see it, but then the shard caught a faint glimmer of light and grew larger.

It was a dark chunk of rough earth that spanned for tens of miles. The entire mass was covered in a craggy surface. I couldn’t imagine what sort of forces would create such a tall narrow chunk of rock.

But then I was distracted by other movements. We weren’t alone.

Several other groups appeared in our peripheral.

“Did you think you could arrive first, old Feng?” A little girl laughed as she carried her own group.

I realized she was also a seventh rank immortal, despite looking no older than ten.

More groups appeared until there were over a dozen groups in total. “Why don’t we all drop our youths off in different areas?”

A powerfully built man had spoken, looking at the other elders as our groups flew side by side through the void.

“That’s no fun. The initial mass bloodshed is part of the excitement.” The ancient immortal pretending to be a little girl stated.

I nudged Ming Feng. “Which families are these?”

“The woman is from the Yutu Family and the man is from the Long Family.”

“And you are the Feng family. No need for niceties. Let's get you all on the shard so the bloodbath can begin.” The little girl slapped her hands as she grinned wickedly.

The shard was just before us, but each of the seventh rank immortals stopped as if there was an invisible wall.

Elder Feng addressed our group. “Be careful and don’t fight amongst yourselves. There are enough enemies to go around for all of you.”

“Yes, Elder.” We all said in unison.

“Then go.” His domain wrapped tightly around us, and he shoved us all forward. It felt like we were being carried in a giant soap bubble as we floated over to the shard of the shattered world.

The area was a bleak, barren landscape, but subtle movements flickered in the shadows.

Ming Feng beat her spear on the aura below us. “Prepare yourselves. There will be beasts, and we will have to worry about the other families. There are no rules, and the seventh rank immortals out there can’t see what’s happening inside here. We stand united. If any one of us attacks another, we kill the aggressor.”

I paused. I thought it would be easier to strike out at Hendrick. But it would seem Ming Feng was going to instill some level of cooperation through mutual threat.

As soon as we landed, Elder Feng’s aura collapsed and the smell of iron filled the air.

“Is that blood?” someone asked.

I knew the smell as soon as it hit my nose. “Yes, it is. This place reeks of blood.”

“Stay sharp.” Ming Feng reminded all of us as another bubble carrying immortals landed a hundred yards from us. Behind it was another, and then one more.

A young lady darted forward in a single bound. “Ming Ming, why don’t you sit this one out?” The young woman was wearing jade robes with a crown in the shape of a moon on her head. I noted the cutesy name she had used.

“The Yutu family will not be enough to stop me.” Ming Feng whipped her spear forward at the bouncy young woman as the rest of her group caught up.

“But we all know what’s here. The tomb of the phoenix.” A handsome man with long blond hair stepped out of the shadows from another direction, his own group stalking behind him. “I’m afraid the Leon family can’t let you enrich your bloodline, now can we?”

While they mocked Ming Feng, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I turned around towards the feeling.

Another group crawled on all fours along the rocks, chained blades hanging from their backs. The blades dipped low, dragging along the rocks and making an eerie scratching noise.

“Neither can the Zhi family.” One of those crawling on the rocks twisted their head at an impossible angle.

From my position, I could see sweat beading on the back of Ming Feng’s neck.

We were in over our heads, and she knew it.

Ming Feng’s hands gripped her spear tightly enough to make the leather wrapping creak. “We cannot fight here. All of us must spread out and escape.”

The Yutu girl tilted her head. “Whatever makes you think we’ll let any of you escape?”

I took in the surrounding scene. Families fighting had been expected, but we weren’t expecting all the families to group up against the Feng Family. We were drastically outnumbered.

Hendrick raised his hands in surrender. “If we vow to leave the Feng Family to you, can we walk away?”

“Hendrick!” Quixi hissed. “What are you doing?”

“Picking the winning side. Sometimes it pays to know when to switch sides.” He sneered.

The Yutu girl bounded excitedly. “Oh! New rule. If you can kill Ming Feng and bring me her head, you can leave alive.”

Ming Feng spun, now also staring down at her own group. “This is how you all die. Do not let them divide us.” She looked at me, concern on her face.

It was nice to know she considered me one of her biggest threats.

Looking away from her eyes, I assessed the situation. We were outmatched three to one. All the surrounding cultivators were the best of their own city, and likely every one of them had a bloodline or an equally powerful advantage.

It was a highly dangerous situation, and I didn’t have a great solution.

“Ming Feng. If I go all out, will anyone be able to detect my bloodlines?” I asked her.

“No one will leave this space until the tomb is complete. Even then, few will leave. But yes, they will sense your bloodline if you use it.”

I clicked my tongue. I did want to try out my godbeast of luck bloodline, but it would have to wait. Thankfully, I had another bloodline on the same level now, thanks to Bai.

The bloodline resonated within me with a force that couldn’t be denied, more powerful than any of the others except the godbeast.

“Then get ready.” I released Bai’s bloodline.

Cold arrogance flooded through me, as if everyone surrounding me were worth no more than the dirt under my boot. The bloodline stood proudly on my forehead.

I was above everything, rising high on a frozen peak, curled around it yet claiming the heavens.

The phantasm of a gigantic white dragon curled in the air behind me. I opened my mouth, and it shook the very earth beneath me as it roared through me.

It’s name came to me. The Heavenly Dragon.

“What is that?!” The Yutu girl screamed and jumped high into the air in retreat.

Even Ming Feng stared at me wide eyed, her pupils shaking.

My wives only smirked. I’d caught them up on my time with Bai, so they knew to expect it.

The only cultivators that didn’t seem to care were the Zhi family. They continued to creep and scuttle in a coordinated attack. Dozens of chain weapons were cast, sending a bladed net over me.

White clawed gauntlets formed over my hands, and I shot off the ground, punching into the net.

It snapped taut before collapsing around my attack and trying to wrap me.

Thankfully, I wasn’t fighting alone. Kat and Thea grabbed edges of the net and launched the ends higher into the air.

Pivoting, I darted out of the net before they could catch me again.

The Zhi family only retreated slightly, spinning all of their chain weapons slowly as they crawled along the stones.

“Did you notice the attacks haven’t even chipped the stone here?” Michelle commented, her black tortoise bloodline on display.

I looked around, realizing she was right. The attacks so far hadn’t damaged the surrounding rocks. That took the option of smashing the rocks to deal with the Zhi family out of the equation. I didn’t like how they maintained the high ground crawling around like spiders.

“We need to break out. Even if we win, there are still other groups in here. Some of them will come to check on the fighting. We need to get out of here.” I spoke to my wives, looking over my shoulder to find all of them ready to fight. “On three.”

Counting down, I launched myself forward through the Zhi family. There was no reason to hold back. Massive white dragon claws launched out of my hands one after the other, smashing into the rocks where the Zhi family clung to them like strange spider people.

Celina was behind me, and based on the horror in their eyes, they found her terrifying.

Cloaked in dark purple feathers, she was practically invisible as she swooped down on one of the Zhi family, her cloak of feathers wrapping around her prey before she shot off. The Zhi family immortal fell to the ground, reduced to a bubbling pile of goo.

She glided in the air on a pair of dark wings, diving back down and snagging another of their family.

The rest of the girls weren’t holding back, either. They had their weapons out, clashing with the Zhi family as chain weapons swung down from the rocks at strange angles.

As we pushed out of the ambush, Ming Feng spotted us and charged behind us, hoping to break out of the encirclement too. Blazing fire lit up the surroundings around her as she fought with her bloodline.

More and more bloodlines activated around us, and the air was becoming thick with the pressure of everyone’s cultivation. If we didn’t leave soon, we were likely to attract new predators in search of prey.

Focusing on our tasks, I tore forward, the Bai bloodline roaring through me. I felt nearly unstoppable, and there was a feeling of being a bit more removed from my body. Like I was above it, orchestrating the attack.

My mind was cold and sharp, far different from the tyrannical madness of the gold dragon.

Attacks continued to barrage us. I carefully smacked them away with an efficiency that stunned even myself before turning on my attackers and crushing them with overwhelming force.

“Keep pushing through. I need to solve a problem.” I told my wives. The Zhi family was a pain, but single cultivator looked over the battle and was coordinating their efforts.

I surged forward, smacking aside two blades on the ends of their chains, causing them to wrap around each other. Grabbing where they wound together, I pulled, ripping the two cultivators off the stony walls.

In their brief disorientation, I jumped into the air. Floating beside them, I used my clawed gauntlets to tear through their chests. My hands came away bloody.

A gruesome smile spread across my face as I kicked off the stone, hurtling my body to an opposing stone wall.

Even though my claws didn’t sink into the stone, I was able to grab the rough surface and use my strength to climb it rapidly.

The Zhi family seemed to be a far more cohesive unit than the others, and therefore far more deadly. But they still needed a leader, and I had spotted him during one of the recent attacks. He was up at the top of the spire I was currently climbing.

Throwing myself over the ledge, I had hoped for a look of surprise.

Instead, I was greeted by a man with eight eyes spread across his forehead. He tilted his head, two eyes tracking me faster than the others. I realized the eight eyes weren’t all real. Six of them were made with his cultivation.

But it was still spooky to see, and the delay cost me.

He struck out with a sharp palm attack, quickly blowing me off the rock he was standing on.

I flipped end over end, working to disperse the power of his attack. I was able to soften it before I landed on another column not far away.

“Why eight eyes?” I wiped at my mouth.

“Why not more? One needs to see everything if they want to lead a battlefield.” The eight-eyed cultivator smirked as his robes billowed and chains burst out everywhere. A bloodline came to life on his forehead. “Besides, how better to watch your demise.”

Cocky ass.

I dodged out of the way as the bladed chains slapped into the stone. Using my white claws, I moved myself further out of range.

My wives were okay. I noted that they’d moved a considerable distance since I’d scaled the rock. I was quickly being left behind.

I cursed, refocusing on my attacker as chains began to once again fill the air around me. At least my wives had managed to escape the ambush. With some luck, I’d follow them here shortly.