Spirit Cultivation

'Day 2, Hidden Realm.

We woke up all together after a long night, my body all aching from the intense training. We wanted to sleep in but Xuefeng didn't let us. With just one kiss, he gave everyone enough energy to get up. 

We finally started our first training in the Hidden Realm. Both big sisters Ming and Ling appeared and led Xuefeng, setting up a personal plan for him. He started by training his new abilities as well as taming the power of his Elemental Bracelet. 

I trained next to him the whole day, mastering all my Elements. I want to help him in future battles so I promised to work hard!' 

'Day 7, Hidden Realm. 

It has been a week since our adventure began. Xuefeng didn't expect that mastering Time Manipulation would be so hard but he finally succeeded! He quickened time flow around his body, trying to run from one end of the nest to the other in the shortest time possible.

It's unfortunate but it turned out extremely hard. Xuefeng found out it was easier to change the time flow of a big space rather than manipulating a small space only around him. Once he started to move, he had to constantly change the time flow together with him which turned out to be extremely challenging. 

Not only that, but the Fate Qi consumption was also much higher as well which didn't really pay off in the end. Teleporting to the other location instead seemed like a much easier and more efficient method. 

He didn't give up though!' 

'Day 27, Hidden Realm.

He finally did it! Xuefeng ran across the whole peak in a blink of an eye! He was so fast I couldn't even sense his position anymore. We finally realized how powerful such a method was. When one teleport, the enemy can always chase after in the same way but by changing the time flow, no enemy would be able to react. 

Xuefeng disappeared without leaving any marks in the space that would let his enemies track him down. I can finally feel at ease, knowing he can always escape as long as he has enough Fate Qi left to spare. It is hard to even imagine what fighting capabilities such ability had. 

Because everyone was out hunting and Lisa was busy making pills after gathering high ranked herbs from the jungle, Xuefeng celebrated his success with me. 

It was magical… Just him and me with no disturbance… I love him so much.' 

———

"Xuefeng! Come down!" 

Just as Xuefeng reached his usual state of peace, becoming one with the wind around him, he heard a cute voice coming from below. 

He was suspended in the air above the mountain peak, wrapped with a thick wind that danced around him as if begging to play with him. Even though they couldn't see him, he could both see and hear everything on the mountain top. 

If someone was flying a few miles away, Xuefeng knew about it just from listening to the air and the same applied to sound. Too bad, his wives were speaking in their minds which made it impossible to spy on them, even though it would be a nice training for him. 

Click. 

He flicked with his fingers and the clouds around him dispersed, revealing the sweet Yiren underneath him. 

"Yiren? What happened?" Xuefeng called out as he gently flew down to the ground, stomping on the soft grass they grew.

It has been almost half a year since they arrived in the Hidden Realm and the place slowly felt like a second home. 

Yiren pouted when she heard his question and pinched his cheek, "What do you mean what happened? Did you forget what day it is?"

"Huh? What day?" Xuefeng asked confused, already losing the track of time. 

What irony.

He could manipulate the time flow yet after training for so long, he already stopped paying attention to dates. If not for Yiren's Diary, he would forget how long they have been here. 

"It's your seventeenth birthday! Come, we prepared something special for you!" Yiren called out excitedly, unable to be mad at him. "There is a cake, wine, and presents for you!"

His feet sank in the green floor as she pulled him towards the garden. He didn't know how did she convince the Phoenix but now the whole mountain top was filled with greenery, looking like a floating garden from afar. 

The girls had a good relationship with the Phoenix, even giving her a name that she never had. 

Bella. 

She seemed to be enjoying the softness of the new grass, preferring it over the cold and hard ground. 

"Happy Birthday, Xuefeng," Bella wished as they passed by her, entering the garden.

She laid next to the mansion, eating roasted meat that the girls prepared. Since each of them hunted daily to train their battle skills, Bella could solely focus on cultivating as there was enough food already. Her current day job involved watching his wives from afar and making sure they were safe.

"Thank you, Bella," Xuefeng acknowledged politely, knowing she gave him a huge favor. The beasts in the Realm were still dangerous for most of them so he didn't want to risk too much. 

"Yiren, I said you all didn't need to prepare anything… I'm fine with just your presence around me. I don't need any presents," Xuefeng pointed out, seeing all the food on the table and homemade grill they made.

He felt guilty for only spending evenings with them after training the whole day but there was nothing he could do, Ming's training regime was really tight. He could quicken the time to finish all his plans earlier but the loss of Fate Qi wasn't worth it. 

"Don't worry, you will love our present!" Yiren assured and called out to everyone, "I brought him!"

"It smells delicious as always," Xuefeng commented as he took a big waft of the scents lingering in the air. "What meat are we eating?"

Instead of a reply, he heard one big scream and soon found himself surrounded, his body squeezed from all sides. 

"Xuefeng! Happy Birthday!" 

"Thank you all. Will I get a kiss from everyone before you suffocate me?" Xuefeng joked, making everyone release him while giggling and fulfill his wish, kissing him one by one. 

He made sure to sleep with them every night, satisfying all of their needs yet soft kisses during the day felt completely different, bringing him a special joy. 

"Come, meat is almost ready!" 

He got quickly dragged to the table and sat on the seat of honor. 

"Wuying and Wen were in charge of cooking today," Yiren pointed out as she placed a wooden plate with neatly cut steaks in front of him. 

The meat was rosy on the inside yet grilled on the outside with juices flowing out. Just the way he liked it. Red wine was also poured to him and the cup placed in his hand as if they insisted he was not supposed to do anything during his birthday. 

When the girls offered to feed him as well, he had to stop their services, "Don't worry… I'm not handicapped. I can eat by myself. You should sit down and eat with me instead." 

They were acting strange, looking really excited. If they could, they would be jumping up and down like little kids. "Why are you so hyper today? Can't you relax for a moment?"

He cut one steak and ate a slice. The meat immediately melted in his mouth when the girls gazed at each other. 

"We are excited because of our present," Tianshi explained, pulling out a small box, the size of a palm. "We made something special for you, putting all of our hearts and souls in it." 

His eyes widened, all of their faces showed it was really special for them. He didn't waste time and put down his fork, cleaning his face and hands to accept their present properly. He knew they wouldn't be able to wait for much longer. 

"Okay, I'm ready," Xuefeng said when both Ming and Ling appeared next to the girls, joining in the fun. 

"We helped too," Ming announced proudly.

"Huh? You all prepared something behind my back? Now I'm even more interested," Xuefeng wondered. 

"Yes, it wouldn't be possible without Ming's and Ling's help," Tianshi confirmed and walked forward, placing the box on his palms. "We all love you and want to be with you forever. This Artefact is the symbol of our love for you." 

"Oof, now you made me scared to open it. The pressure you built up is unreal," Xuefeng commented, holding the box firmly. 

Just as he was about to open, Nuwa joked, "What if we want to get rid of you and the box will explode?"

"Nuwa!" Everyone scolded right away and only Xuefeng laughed, opening the box with a joyful smile. 

He didn't know he would freeze, feeling immense soul energy coming from the inside of the box. 

"This is…"