The goal of this training was for both Moonpiercer Sword Art and Sword Nurturing Art to reach Mastery, which would drastically boost his battle power, especially when combined with what he had learned earlier.
Even more so when joined with Sangrelia's newly reforged form and his newly acquired Sword Intent, all of it would come together to create a result far greater than the sum of its parts.
With that clear in his mind, he didn't waste an instant before beginning his training, and the least that could be said was that his speed of progress was… ridiculous!
It wasn't only ridiculous, it was absolutely ridiculous!
Of course, this 'absolutely ridiculous' training speed didn't come from nowhere.
In truth there were multiple factors that came together to give birth to this speed of progress, notably his high comprehension granted by his Mental Force and his mental talents, coupled with his Sword Talent that pushed the pace even further.
Multiplying the speed further there was also his unique link with Sangrelia, which sped up the learning of both Cultivation Techniques whenever he used her, and considering that both were Sword Techniques…
And if to that you also added his Sword Intent, you would get a cocktail that gave birth to a comprehension faster than a rocket taking flight!
Previously Mikael had made some calculations based on his cultivation realm and his comprehension to estimate how long reaching each proficiency realm for a high-level Core Formation Art, which was nearly all his Cultivation Arts, should take.
The conclusion he reached was that it should take approximately two weeks to reach Entry from nothing, after that another month to reach Small Success from Entry.
Following that, it would take two more months to advance from Small Success to Great Success, and then five additional months to climb from Great Success to Mastery.
In the end, he calculated that it would take between eight and nine months to reach Mastery from nothing in a single Cultivation Art.
And even if he relied on pills, the time taken should still have been at least four to five months.
And what of the Moonpiercer Sword Art and the Sword Nurturing Arttogether then?
***
Slash, swish.
Flashes of silver light illuminated the peaceful clearing as Mikael and Sangrelia seemed to move as one.
Mikael, with rapid movements and masterful control of both himself and his loyal sword, shifted his footsteps and body while continuously executing a Sword Art in the air that seemed controlled to perfection—in truth, it seemed mastered!
Swish, whoosh, shhkk.
Sangrelia continued to cut through the air as Mikael moved like a phantom, repeatedly disappearing and reappearing, the only signs of his presence being displaced dirt, rushing wind, and the occasional silver flash as he continued to perform this beautiful yet deadly sword dance.
Huuummmmhhhh!!!
Sangrelia suddenly hummed loudly in Mikael's hand as he unleashed a slash that didn't seem any different from the countless ones before, but if the smile that appeared on his visage as he ended this deadly dance was to be believed…the truth probably differed from what could be seen.
Vrmmm.
Sangrelia softly vibrated in his hands as he looked down at her bladed form and gave her a gentle, satisfied smile. "We did it, Sangrelia! Mastery of the Sword Nurturing Art—and considering our earlier progress in the Moonpiercer Sword Art…"
A wide smile spread across his visage. "We are finished with this training in two months—two fucking months and we already finished this… it's really ridiculous!"
He muttered in a low tone of voice as his gaze took the surrounding clearing that seemed untouched, with no trace of the intense training that had taken part in it.
Purr
He heard Sangrelia 'speaking' to him as a purr escaped her the moment he traced the length of her blade with his finger, while he gave her a gentle smile. "Thanks for the help, without you I definitely wouldn't have been able to succeed in just this period of time."
He took a momentary pause before speaking more seriously. "Seriously, I am grateful for your help!"
Huuummm.
"Sangrelia loves to help master!"
A female voice, full of a strange mix of bloodthirst and affection, reached his ears and he had the distinct impression that Sangrelia was smiling at him.
Sangrelia's words and actions only made his already good mood even better as he shook his head in disbelief, muttering to himself, "Two months… really, even I am having some difficulty in believing in it!"
Taking two short months to go from his Proficiency Realm, which had been at Small Success for both Cultivation Techniques of such high difficulty, to reach Mastery was nothing short of a fairy tale for anyone at his Cultivation Realm.
And it was especially so when you take into account that he hadn't spent 100% of his time training. Not at all even—he had passed a good part of his time enjoying himself and sharing moments with the girls.
But not only!
He also 'wasted' an entire week as he had needed to make another trip to the Savagefang Mountain Range to restock his supply of Spiritual Herbs, since after the last months of intense pill consumption he was now critically low in stock.
Because of that, he was obligated to organize a little expedition to the Savagefang Mountain Range, otherwise he wouldn't have had enough pills to continue his rocket-pace cultivation, which was something he absolutely couldn't accept.
Consequently, he 'wasted' an entire week, but this week spent in the Savagefang Mountain Range was extremely productive, as with his newly increased battle power he no longer feared any Spiritual Foundation Realm demonic beasts, no matter their strength, since he could easily slay them!
Because of that, he was able to harvest a good amount of Spiritual Herbs that was in no way inferior to what he had obtained during the Demonic Beast Tide, but this time there was no Demonic Beast Tide to help him—it was simply his pure power that spoke.
Taking all this 'wasted' time into account, it could be seen just how rapid and ridiculously effective his particular training had been.
'The more I thought about it the more ridiculous it seem…' thought Mikael, somewhat in a daze at the speed of his progress in the last two months, and at that instant, just as he was lost in thought, something happened—
Rustle.
There was movement in the underbrush at the edge of the clearing, and he knew it wasn't the wind.
"Hum?"
An inquisitive sound escaped Mikael's mouth as his grip on Sangrelia's handle tightened, his battle instinct automatically analyzing the unknown as a potential threat while his gaze locked on the underbrush from which the sound had come.
For a moment the world seemed to hold its breath as nothing happened, but then there was another movement in the underbrush as a figure stepped out of it.
A figure that Mikael instantly recognized. 'Yulan?' he thought, loosening his hold on Sangrelia.
Step, step, step.
Yulan's soft footsteps resounded in the clearing as she approached him, but he instantly recognized that something wasn't right.
Yulan wasn't the carefree airhead as usual—no, her steps were somewhat shaky, her two index fingers repeatedly colliding with each other, while she threw occasional glances at Mikael before lowering her gaze to the ground with a shy expression.
'Okaayyyy… what is this about?' he thought, somewhat curiously.
"M-mikael…" Yulan stumbled through her words in clear nervousness as she shifted on herself, feeling self-conscious under his gaze.
SLAP.
"What the?"
Yulan suddenly slapped her two hands against her cheeks, the loud sound acting like a mental reset, and using the pain to center herself, her nervousness and shakiness diminished while a fire of determination appeared in her beautiful eyes.
She took a deep breath before unleashing a barrage of words.
"Mikaelcanyougooutwithmeandbecomemytaoistcouple?"
It took a moment before Mikael was able to decrypt her rushed outburst, but when he did his eyes widened. 'Is she serious?' he thought, somewhat shocked by the abruptness of her confession.
But as he saw the determination burning in her usually carefree eyes, he understood that she was.
Step.
Mikael took a single large step that brought him to Yulan, his taller frame towering above the beauty.
Gulp.
Yulan swallowed hard, but whether it was because she was nervous about his answer or his sudden closeness, nobody could tell…
Mikael's hand reached her usually fair cheeks, now reddened by a deep blush, as he softly caressed her while his emerald eyes locked with her deep black ones that seemed to absorb the surrounding light.
For a moment neither moved, their gazes fixed on one another as they took in each other's presence.
Howl.
The wind howled, but neither cared, their attention entirely focused on the other, and then—
Slowly but surely Mikael tilted his head downward while Yulan raised her own, slightly puckering her lips in a silent request, a request that Mikael didn't miss.
Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the distance between them vanished until their lips finally brushed—
"Mnnh…"
—light at first, tentative, almost as though either could pull away at the faintest hesitation—yet neither did.
Instead, Mikael pressed just a little closer, deepening the kiss, his thumb gently stroking her cheek as if to reassure her, while Yulan's hands, hesitant at first, came to rest against his chest, her fingers curling into his robe as though to anchor herself in the reality of the moment.
Her heart thundered in her chest, loud enough she was sure he could hear it, while his own pulse seemed to answer in kind, two rhythms clashing yet harmonizing in that single instant of union.
And though the wind still howled around them and the world outside remained unchanged, for the two of them, it was as though everything had gone still—only the warmth of their lips, the mingling of their breaths, and the silent acknowledgment of what lay unspoken truly existed.
"Haaa…."
Finally their lips separated leaving only a thin string of saliva still connecting them as their breathless breaths filled the peaceful clearing, both stayed in a calming silence for some seconds until it was broken by Yulan.
"D-does this mean that I am your woman?" Yulan stammered, her hopeful eyes lifting toward him.
Mikael's gaze softened, then without hesitation he leaned forward once more, his lips crashing into hers in a brief, searing kiss before pulling back just enough to meet her eyes. A faint, knowing smile curved his mouth as he murmured,
"I think that answers your question."
Yulan froze for a moment, processing what he said, before a wide, joyful smile spread across her beautiful visage.
"Yay!" she cheered, hopping in place in an irresistibly endearing way.
And she continued to do so under Mikael's half-amused, half-tender gaze until she remembered she wasn't alone and threw a glance toward him.
'Arghh I am so silly, I need to regain my image!' she thought determinedly, before her expression shifted from a shy one to a 'seductive' one.
Flick.
She flicked one of her beautiful silky black twintails in a movement meant to be seductive and full of 'grace' as she sighed, "Femme Fatale Yulan strikes again…"
"Ahhhh," she let out another sigh while bringing one of her dainty hands to her head, closing her eyes in a rather dramatic fashion.
'Now Mikael is definitely charmed by me… Hehehehe!' she giggled to herself while keeping her eyes shut and holding her pose.
But after a couple of seconds passed without her feeling or hearing anything, confusion crept in, and she 'sneakily' opened one eye to observe the situation, but then—
"Yelp!"
A surprised yelp escaped her as she jumped backward, because the moment she opened one of her eyes she found his visage centimeters away from her own, which to her was like a 'jump scare' that made her instinctively recoil.
Or at least that was what would have happened, if not for the fact that Mikael's hands had already slipped around her slim waist and were now tightly holding her.
"Wifey, why are you trying to escape~?" he purred in a husky, seductive tone as his hold on her tightened and he pulled her into a deep hug that was far less innocent than any before…
Ba-dump.
Her heart skipped a beat as her temperature rose, and she hesitantly returned the hug while stammering, "W-wifey? So-so you are h-husband?"
"Of course, and we will be with each other for eternity~"
A smile made its way onto Yulan's innocent features at his words. "Yeah we will!~" she declared in an endearing mix of innocence and confidence.
It was in this fashion, with the peaceful clearing as the only witness, that Yulan confessed to Mikael—a confession he had been waiting for, and a confession… that ended with both of them feeling far more joyful and happy than they had only moments before.
Author Note:
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A wholesome scene and a little dose of Yulan after some extremely painful training can only do some good to Mikael.
Yulan 'ambushes' him and come out from nowhere for a sudden confession, after all who said that it should always be Mikael that take the first step?
———
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— End of Chapter —