Dual Cultivation: Beasts and Women!

'The Refulgent Life Elixir won't deal with all the consequences of my fight with Susanna. That's for sure. I'll be under extreme stress from being seriously injured before the fight, from using the Ephemeral Ascension Pill, and then from the physical and mental damage from fighting her. I'm sure I'll be in a much worse condition than the elixir can restore me to.

But with it, I'll be able to return to normal after a few days of rest.'

He felt more confident about facing Susanna in less than 24 hours, even though the situation was still not good and it might increase his debt to the Leopards.

'This is quite an investment on their part. I have to prepare myself. Sooner or later, I'm going to get some kind of deadly mission because of this. Or at least I'll be seriously involved in complicated matters I'd rather not get involved in.'

He settled back down, realizing that the Leopards were cornering him into a position where he would have no choice but to comply with their future requests.

Liam hated the feeling of being tied to something, but that was exactly what he felt right now.

'Fuck! It's not like I have a choice, anyway!'

He sighed before trying to relax and get some rest.

...

Liam awoke in the middle of the night after sleeping for over 11 hours, and as he opened his eyes, he realized the darkness surrounding him.

As he opened his eyes, a faint glow of relief washed over him. The throbbing sensation that had accompanied his previous awakenings was noticeably diminished this time. This impressed him, for he was yet trying to adjust to the speed of recovery he had in this world.

Upon waking up, he indulged in a nourishing snack retrieved from his space ring, followed by a refreshing gulp of water. Despite the still enduring lingering discomfort, it was noticeably milder than the previous day.

He ambled towards the bathroom, relieved himself with a subtle sigh of contentment, and braved a scalding shower, suppressing the stinging sensation as the water made contact with his wounds.

After carefully putting on his clothes, he settled himself into the lotus position. As he closed his eyes, the room became quiet, filled with a soft, gentle hum. As he focused on his breath, he could feel the mana in the room, like a subtle electric current flowing around him.

Yet, amidst this tranquility, a surge of discomfort shot through his body, a sharp ache that marked the beginning of his meditation.

After two hours had passed, as the first rays of daylight slowly banished the night's darkness, he noticed a subtle shift in his surroundings. The once dense and sluggish flow of mana within his body transformed, becoming more fluid and swift.

With each passing moment, he could sense the mana pulsing through him with heightened clarity, as if a veil had been lifted.

Thal'Korr's spiritual form completed its mending process, causing the cocoon surrounding him to shatter. As a result, the Spirit reappeared within Liam's soul realm!

Liam focused his attention on the illuminated soul space, where was the blue star and his two spirits were. His gaze fixated on two platforms adorned with swirling mana cyclones, captivating his senses with their mesmerizing energy.

On one of them, the incubus sat in the lotus position, while on the other, the Shadowfiend stood, clenching his fists as he felt his body re-form.

Liam didn't need to ask questions to understand the situation of his warrior Spirit. Even though he had regained his body, Thal'Korr was wounded, weakened, with an available power similar to what he had when he was at the 2-Star of the second realm.

'That's bad, but it's what I have to work with.' Liam sighed.

Then he looked at the incubus and said, "I hope you'll help me out a little tomorrow, or we'll all be in trouble. I know you can't fight, but do something. Your life depends on mine."

The incubus opened his eyes and looked at Liam in silence.

When Liam sighed and thought about returning his consciousness to the outside world, the incubus said, "All I can do is increase your powers' relation to me a little. But whether that will help you depends on the opponent you choose and how effective the pill you take is. If you want more help than that, find women who are stronger than you. Cultivation is what can save you."

'I'm afraid it's not that easy.' Liam sighed as he found himself back in his room.

He could go out into the city and dominate the desires and minds of women weaker than himself. With his powers, it wouldn't be difficult to do so while he was in front of these women. But he couldn't manipulate Mary 100% of the time, so it was unlikely that he could do it with others.

If there was just one woman he was manipulating, who talked more than she should when he wasn't around, his secret could easily be exposed.

That would be bad, but for the right benefit, it was all worth it, right? But with women weaker than him, Liam had already concluded that after the initial benefit of their first cultivation together, the benefits for him would be subtle. Therefore, it might not be worth the risk he would take with weak women.

Even if they were reliable, there was a risk that someone would notice their sudden improvements. The weaker one was, the more difficult it was to hide their progresses, which could increase the risks for him.

That's why his current problem was that he had to find women to cultivate who were as strong or stronger than him, the only kind of partner who could hide their gains from dual cultivation and give him an interesting return for accepting the action's risks.

All this because dual cultivators were frowned upon, and he was in Demon Gate, a dangerous place.

His situation could be significantly different in alternate locations!

But Liam didn't care. Felicity would find someone for him soon enough, and to be honest, he wouldn't be able to recover or get stronger with dual cultivation in time for the fight against Susanna.

'I will meditate for another three hours and then go to the arena. I'll take the Ephemeral Ascension Pill before I go.' Liam decided as he closed his eyes and began his psychological preparation for the fight that would take place in a few hours.

...

The hours passed and Liam was already in the arena, having already consumed the Ephemeral Ascension Pill.

The pill he had ingested took between 20 and 40 minutes to take effect, and the effects could last anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, depending on the user's situation, cultivation level, talent, and use of their powers in battle.

His match was scheduled to start in 11 minutes, while he had already taken the pill over 20 minutes ago when he left his room and went straight to the arena.

Ignoring the stares and comments of the Emerald Owl members around his exclusive corner, Liam focused on the stairs leading from the competitors' area to the fighting platform.

He could hear the noise of the disciples in the stands, as well as the arena's narrator, who was introducing the sides of the upcoming match.

From the sounds outside, Liam could tell that the arena was packed, something he had expected given the interest of several factions in him.

But he tried not to think about it too much, focusing his mind on his only goal today, surviving Susanna!

"Liam Porter, it's time. Step up to the platforms," said the only Officer around.

The men of Emerald Owls left the area with smiles on their faces, heading for the stands to follow Liam's challenge.

With a heavy sigh, Liam pressed forward, ascending the 30 steps that would lead him to the fighting platform. From there, he would have a clear view of the multitude of spectators eagerly awaiting his match against Susanna.

Susanna, a purple-haired woman, five feet tall, slim but beautiful, was already in her corner of the platform with a disdainful look in her eyes.

Meanwhile, at various points in the stands, Mary, Azariah, Lazarus, Felicity, Eleanor, Hannibal, Henry, Lemuel, people Liam knew or didn't know, but who were there to see him, were already properly positioned in their seats.

Before the Officer of this match announced the start of the challenge, citing the rules and limits of the fight, Susanna muttered something to Liam that sent a shiver down his spine.

"I hope you had the chance to say your goodbyes to everyone, because today is the day I'm going to kill you!"