Chapter 495: Successes and Failures

Just like before, Kiana separated with me after strolling for four hours straight. The last time she pulled off something like this was the 1v2 between me, Sirin, and her. It is a moment that remains stuck to my mind. What bothered me is my current ‘firepower’.

Because of the time difference, my official wives had long stepped into the middle stage. A gap of a minor realm is extremely huge in this immortal cultivation. Being able to fight a minor realm higher makes one the cream of the crop. A major realm higher and they are considered as a future Supreme.

The difficulty of uphill battle also increases the higher one’s realm becomes. The same goes to the potency of ‘yin energy’ generated by female cultivators during dual cultivation. Two was still enough. Three were barely cutting it.

If all six of them attacked at once…

“Ha…”

I need to become stronger, not just because of those pesky Aeons with a bunch of unknown plans, but also for the happiness of my wives. Soon, these thoughts were pushed at the back of my mind. I resolved to think about it later. I still have to settle Theresa’s matter before the others. 

I take responsibility in her current confusion. I did not reject her advances when she was ‘drunk’, nor did I clarify things when the bloodsucking event occurred. I saw that she wasn’t ready to confirm our status. Theresa had no face marrying her niece’s husband.

I planned on letting her think through it for some time, but now that it had become too obvious to the point Kiana saw through it, it is time to resolve it. The future I saw through Leylah’s eyes taught it to me. I cannot simply wait for the ideal outcome to take place. There will always be times I am forced to make a choice that deviates from our plans.

I took out my bronze coin to confirm her location.

Cling-!

Swoosh-!

Moments later, I saw the coin’s faces sum up to thirteen. It represented the ‘fellowship’ reading. It could only mean two things—she wasn’t sociable enough or that she is with someone important. Theresa doesn’t fit the criteria of the former, hence it is the latter.

After doing another round of divination, I saw through who it was—Himeko. Theresa was also staying in her place, seemingly talking about something. Sensing the power of divination about to be discovered, I chose to end it here.

One of the rules I set up for myself is to respect others’ privacy when it comes to divination—at least to the people close to me. I wouldn’t hesitate to use it on others, more so on crucial moments.

Without hesitating any further, my true body turned into a ray of light, headed straight to Himeko’s residence…

*****

What was it that her heart seeks?

Himeko found herself asking that question, for in the past, she was caught up with too many things. After all, who would have thought that a graduate of California Institute of Technology would end up becoming Schicksal’s Valkyrie? 

Her father’s death became her goal. Einstein informed Himeko of his death, to which the latter went off to work for Schicksal to uncover the truth of it. That was how she came in contact with the Honkai. It led her to fight on the frontlines, losing many comrades in the process.

Himeko could not escape the fate of her heart being so worn down. In lieu of this, she did not hesitate to accept the teaching position offered by Theresa. For once, she saw a part of herself on these new Valkyries. For another, there was the upbringing taught to Himeko by her former instructor, Ragna.

Thus, her journey into becoming a teacher began.

Himeko was able to find joy and satisfaction in this role. It made her feel that her purpose in life amounted to this—to become a good teacher. However, she could not escape her previous fate.

Ultimately, she was but a person. Her teachings increased the survival rate of her students, but it could not eliminate the possibility of their deaths, or worse, honkai corruption.

When the Moon Battle occurred Himeko could not do much. She witnessed how the battle on the Moon went. They showed her another possibility she could not touch upon.

Individual prowess.

So long as one becomes strong enough, Himeko’s worries wouldn’t exist at all!

Immortal cultivation offered exactly that kind of progression. Though her spirit roots were barely above average, the Spirit Raising Pill allowed Himeko to upgrade them to high-grade. Since then, she completely focused on cultivation, ‘sleeping’ most of the time to become stronger. She resigned from her job on St. Freya, resolving to become stronger by the time a crucial moment comes.

Then, she faced the Sea of Suffering. Like everybody else, Himeko was severely affected by it. The boundless sorrow it carried wasn’t just pure despair. It carried the emotions of someone who did their best, yet they failed in the end.

It took a slightly longer time of seclusion for her to resolve it by herself, missing out on the Mars escapade.

‘The only failure I will accept… is a victory brought upon my failure.’

Just like that, she formed her eighth-level Tao Heart. The moment she went out of seclusion, however, Theresa was there to greet her. 

“Principal? What’s the matter?”

“I want to talk with you.”

“Mn.”

Himeko yawned as she let Theresa inside. The few strands of her bed hair stuck right up, akin to a homebody who hasn’t left for the outside world since a long time ago. Her oversized white t-shirt highlighted her curves as well as her slender legs. The right amount of fat existed on her thighs, making her similar to the alluring aunts categorized inside Theresa’s mind.

She habitually compared herself to Himeko, only to see her own towering chest. She couldn’t see her toes at all!

Sensing her gaze, Himeko scoffed at her helplessly. She was used to it, for Theresa’s biggest complex was her growth.

“We are not here to talk about our figures, are we?”

“No, no, of course not.”

The two of them sat on the L-shaped couch. Theresa touched its soft mattress, inadvertently recalling something she once did. A streak of blush appeared on her face, pairing well with her scarlet-red irises.

After a while, Theresa regained her composure. She met Himeko’s gaze and decided to spill everything.

“I want to ask you about something… about Shi Tian.”

*****

A/N: Now that it has progressed to this extent, it is about time for Tian to have more official wives. There will be more lemons during this period, so he is in for a real tribulation…