Ask a person who experienced life what they regret the most, and nine times out of ten, they talk about the small blissful moments they wished could last forever. Live fully and die gloriously!

~Manannan, God of the Sea & Weather

Another week went by, which was only interrupted by their weekly obligations. They kept cleaning the forbidden area, and the girls spruced up the hidden rooms so that it seemed like people were living there now. They even fixed the broken mechanisms and hid them away once more.

Crow discovered retractable walls through the still active formations, and once exposed, they found a cubic meter of space inside. A person might be able to hide in it, but the coven used it to hide their treasures.

They also replaced the door to the dangerous area and had Crow use a formation to seal it. He intended to explore it once he regained some of his former strength, but they treated it as a forbidden area for now. None of the women were foolish enough to doubt Crow’s words, and based on how much he helped them with their cultivation and techniques, they knew he wasn’t greedy or selfish to those he viewed as friends.

During this the time in the hidden area, Crow focused on restructuring his techniques, which was time-consuming and took some trial and error. The underground tunnel with the bottomless pit was a good place to practice. No one would notice except the coven, and he could go all out.

He needed to discover the effects of distinct elements and how to maximize his Druid Circle ability to gain the most out of his techniques. Day by day, the comprehension of his auras grew incredibly solid. His foundations were now nearly unshakable, and he knew without a doubt that he’d finally found his cultivation path. No longer would he need to change it because this was the most versatile method that capitalized on his bloodline strength. Everything became more dynamic and fluid.

The only problem now was that he knew most of his current techniques weren’t all that powerful. Not to mention every new technique he discovered would need to be broken down so he could find the various aspects that made them work.

Blood Thorn was high-ranked, as was the Wraith’s Touch the elder gave him. The other notable abilities were mostly utility and didn’t help his combat. Still, the more he used Spectral Tendrils, the more he liked its potential. It wasn’t until he realized he could imbue the tendrils with Celtic Knots that he gained a significant advancement in his strength. It’d take time to master the ability because he had to Draw the Sky, which was challenging to do during combat. Only through experience would he be able to hone his ability.

Wraith’s Touch was a Soul attack and could even siphon off some of the Soul’s power, which was frightening in and of itself. Crow was sure he barely understood a fraction of what this ability did. It was part of the original Ghostly Visage technique, but the explanation was vague. In fact, the one mentioned in that technique was a watered-down version of the book he was currently reading again—for the tenth time. That’s right. Despite his Sage’s Mind, it was an ability that remained elusive, and he had to absorb and comprehend the knowledge before he could remember it.

Crow didn’t get frustrated at this and found it exciting. It was rare to find an ability that could challenge his intellect. Even if the ability appeared to be evil, he knew that was his perception of the attack and that most techniques were only evil if the practitioner made it so. Absorbing a Soul was only wrong in retrospect if he went out of his way to do so. If someone was trying to kill him, there were no rules for survival. Pulling hair, spitting in the face, kicking a man in the crotch—these were not dishonorable methods of fighting if the competition was one of life and death.

Second, the ability to touch another’s Soul had other implications that weren’t explicitly stated in the manual. Mainly, he realized that scanning and extracting information from the Soul should be possible. It’d cause the targeted Soul severe damage, but he wouldn’t hesitate to use it if those he loved were in danger. Call him a monster, but he didn’t give a shit. Righteousness and evil were often determined by the situation, and if he had to be evil to protect his people, he wouldn’t hesitate. Unlike most people in this sect, he wouldn’t perform evil actions unless cornered, which made a world of difference. Or maybe it was just his way of justifying its use—either way, he didn’t care. Crow knew he’d master this ability because it was a strength he didn’t dare neglect.

“Husband?” Zoe called out. They’d spent the day inside the temple, and it was approaching late afternoon.

“Yes?”

“We have compulsory training today after dinner.”

“Compulsory?”

“Yes, they broadcast it a week ago to allow those in closed sessions a chance to resolve their training. If we don’t go, it might cause problems.”

“It’s fine. I’m not cultivating currently, just thinking through some things.”

“You do that a lot.”

“What?”

“Zone out. There are days you sit there contemplating from sunrise to sunset. Sometimes I wonder what goes through that head of yours,” Zoe said while cupping his face. Her thumb caressed his cheek right below his eye. “Us sisters don’t mind, but people our age should experience life more and not remain secluded like those old masters.”

Crow chuckled at the implication. “Are you saying I’m an old bastard with a long white beard?”

“As if your baby face could grow facial hair!” Zoe chuckled and kissed his smooth cheek.

“Come here,” Crow said, grabbed Zoe’s slim waist, and lifted her up in the air before pressing her against the wall. Using his tendril ability, he disrobed them both before his dragon entered her inviting warmth. He didn’t rush it as he wanted to bask in their passionate kiss, so he entered her slowly until the lower half of their bodies touched, flesh to flesh. Zoe’s legs wrapped around him, and her heels pressed into the top of his ass cheeks. Her medium-sized breasts were flattened against his chest, but he still felt the hardened nipples.

Zoe’s arms wrapped around his neck, hugging him tightly to her as he withdrew his cock slowly. She struggled to move faster, but his hands on her hips prevented her from moving like she wanted. The slow, in-and-out movements drove her crazy until she begged him to pound her into the wall. Crow chuckled as lips explored her face, neck, and shoulders.

At this point, the coven felt what was happening and couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of horniness. No one wanted to interrupt the High Priestess because they sensed this moment was special to her. Hence, they resorted to helping each other in a frantic, near-orgy love-making session.

They filled the hidden temple with the panting and moaning of thirteen women. Crow usually would have sensed all that, but he toned down his perception to focus on Zoe alone. In truth, it drove him crazy, but his willpower exceeded that of ordinary men. Zoe’s screams and curses were intoxicating, and he wanted more. After another ten minutes of teasing, Zoe had orgasmed three times before he gave her what she wanted. As she lay on the bed panting, she rolled her eyes at Crow’s foolish grin.

“You think I’ll let you tease me like that without retaliating?” Zoe used her High Priestess voice and left Crow a little stunned. In the end, he smiled nervously, but underlying that was anticipation.