Effectively, they had spent ten hours in the harem space and that had only amounted to one outside and it was about time to leave.

Emily had a destination in mind,

"Come to the Sensual Palace" she said to Hal.

The two ladies were seated on the bed while Hal stood in front of them.

He said nothing and only looked towards Amelia who was smiling mildly.

To make things easier, she allowed him access to her memories in which his absence and how she did not like to be away from him was highlighted. Even though they had only spent a week apart.

At least to her it was only a week while to Hal it was about two weeks because he had not been traveling with a teleportation circle.

Anyway, he saw through her memories that she had been welcomed happily into her mother's side of the family who completely ignored the fact that she was born to a father from the Silva Duchy.

As far as Anton Antonov, her mother's father and therefore her grandfather was concerned, the fact that she was his daughter's child, born of her while she was away from home and finding herself, she was a pure Antonov to him.

He could not care less how unimportant her father was.

Also, he was already witness to how much Emily cared about her daughter as well as her son who was still back in the Silva Duchy and he would still love to meet, and the last thing he wanted was to give her any reasons to leave.

Her uncles were just as welcoming. Even more so. They saw her as a package deal along with the reunion with their baby sister.

The only real problem Amelia could probably point to as a hindrance was her cousins.

First off, they were much, much older than her, and yet her talent and cultivation already showed clear signs of leaving them in the dust.

Don't forget that Amelia is only Eighteen and close to turning Nineteen.

She and Marla were practically agemates and she had showcased her considerable and impressive talent even before Hal came into her life as when he first met her, she was already at the Cosmic Pearl realm and a disciple of the Fiery Lotus Sect under a friend of her mother's.

Now with Hal's influence (his essence which was always at her beck and call as long as they were together as well as the cultivation technique he had given her which would always outclass even Purple grade techniques as long as it was regularly upgraded) that talent shone even brighter.

Also, while Emily had made it expressly clear that no one in the family or out of it was allowed to suggest a Dual cultivating partner for her daughter, Amelia was by default a member of the Sensual palace already by virtue of family and as such, the competition between her and her cousins was a lot more... Personal.

There was only so much Emily could do.

Besides, she felt it was much better Amelia take care of certain matters for herself and not be reliant on her.

"What's the Garden of Peril?" Hal asked.

He was tossing the question to the two as it was a concept he had only barely gleaned before he stopped looking into her mind before he went too far.

He had always preferred to leave a little mystery between him and his ladies.

Emily smiled,

"Well, it's a garden and it's full of perils" she said and Hal rolled his eyes at her.

"Is that your attempt at being sarcastic?" He asked her before looking over to Amelia.

"My knowledge of the garden is a tad bit limited but the gist of it is that it's an herb garden that's rich in cultivation resources. Cultivation is hard enough and the herbs needed for the pill refining that are aimed at making it easier are also expensive.

However, if a person is brave enough, they can be greatly rewarded if they venture into the Garden of peril"

Hal held his chin on his right thumb and index finger as he took on a contemplative look,

"I see. And you're interested in this Garden?" He asked her and she sighed,

"To be honest, not really. But, apparently as an Antonov, I hardly have a choice. It does not matter if I am in need of it or not, those in my family need it and I have to participate"

Hal now looked over at Emily who shrugged,

"She has to" she said.

"That hardly seems right" Hal said and it was no wonder why he would think so as he would never see the point in joining an expedition that he had no real interest in.

Or more accurately, he took offense to his woman going somewhere she had no interest in going to in the first place

After all, he knew why she was not interested which was the fact that she did not really need pills to cross bottlenecks and she was not yet at Hal's level and in need of semi-violent resources to overcome it like Hal did.

"I went to the garden at her age as well. I have to say that while it is indeed dangerous, it is quite possible to survive as long as one does not go alone.

That is mainly the point in involving every eligible member of a family in it as that increases a sense of camaraderie between them. They learn to watch each other's backs and fight alongside each other.

Especially this particular outing"

Hal frowned,

"Does the Garden only allow entry at some specific moments?" He asked.

Emily shook her head,

"No. The garden can be entered at any time. Groups of daring Alchemists occasionally venture in to gather herbs and those who wish to sell them do the same.

Of course, they increase the price of it when it's time for sale on account of how dangerous it was to get it. The quality of goods gotten from the Garden are much better and as such appraisers are always able to tell the difference."

"So what's special about this time?"

Emily grinned,

"This will probably interest you. A couple of months ago, a group went over to the garden and in there they discovered a bud. A bud of a primal fruit and it was not yet ripe.

Ordinarily, the bud is right at the center of the garden where it's most perilous, add that to the fact that the primal fruit was not yet ripe and you get a potential suicide for a considerably weak group like theirs which could already count themselves lucky for being able to scout it.

Even the scouting did not come without casualties though."

Anyway, they returned to the capital and soon tales of their adventure and what they had seen, eventually spread around and everyone began to prepare.

Expeditions to the garden were unofficially suspended as they all prepare to go in once the fruit is ripe."

As soon as Emily mentioned the Primal fruit, Hal. already purchased all information concerning it from Grimoire and the knowledge quite intrigued him and that could be seen from the brightness in his eyes

The Primal fruit was related to Primal seed which she once thought his seed was before she eventually realized on a personalized note that it was leagues above that.

Anyways, a primal fruit when taken, grants a boost in the body of a man and he would then have to dual cultivate with it to not be overwhelmed and be rendered victim to the destruction of his most important tool.