CHAPTER 276: HÚXIĀN’S REALM

The morning light filtered through the silk curtains of their room, casting gentle light across the rumpled bedsheets.

Grim started to stretch as he woke to find Ruxi already awake, her head still resting on his chest while she traced lazy circles across his skin with her fingertips.

"Good morning, husband," she said softly.

"Good morning, wife," he replied, enjoying how natural the words felt. "Sleep well?"

"Eventually," she said with a smile that made him remember the previous night’s activities. "Though I’m not complaining about what kept me awake."

Grim chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Any regrets about yesterday?"

"Only that we have to get up and face reality," Ruxi replied, though her tone remained light. "The council will expect us to make appearances today, and I suspect Húxiān will want to discuss your training."

As if summoned by her words, a soft knock came at their door.

"Princess Ruxi, Lord Ambrose," came a servant’s voice. "The Lady Húxiān requests Lord Ambrose’s presence at the sacred waterfall within the hour."

Grim sighed, the moment of peace already ending. "Reality calls."

"It always does," Ruxi agreed, though she made no move to leave his arms. "But we have a few more minutes."

They spent those minutes in comfortable silence, both understanding that this might be their last peaceful moment together for some time.

When they finally got up and got dressed, the weight of their new responsibilities settled around them like new cloaks.

"How long will this training take?" Ruxi asked as they prepared to part ways.

"I don’t know," Grim admitted. "Húxiān mentioned it could be months."

"I’ll be here when you return," she said firmly, straightening his collar with wifely attention.

"Whatever you become during this training, remember what you’re coming home to."

Their goodbye kiss was brief but intense, carrying promises that words couldn’t express.

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The sacred waterfall looked different in the morning light.

It took Grim about 30 minutes to walk from the palace to the sacred waterfall, but this walk was different. The forest and the path changed showing Grim a small castle amd farmland that he couldn’t see from the palace.

Húxiān stood at the edge of the pool. She wore simple robes today, but her authority remained unmistakable.

"You look well-rested," she observed with a knowing smile as Grim approached. "Marriage suits you."

"Thank you," Grim replied, choosing not to elaborate on the previous night. "Ruxi mentioned this training takes place in your domain."

"Indeed," Húxiān confirmed. "Deep cultivation requires an environment where you can push your limits without concern for collateral damage. My realm provides such space."

"What exactly will this training involve?"

"Spiritual refinement, combat mastery, and most importantly, learning to integrate the various powers you carry," she explained. "Your dark mana, your natural cultivation, and the manifestations of your spiritual energy all need to work in harmony."

Grim nodded, remembering his fox companion and the way it had influenced his fight with Xùyán.

"The spirits you’ll encounter aren’t limited to fox realm ancestors," Húxiān continued. "My domain attracts powerful souls from across multiple realms. Some were warriors, others were scholars, and a few were rulers whose strength transcended mortal limitations."

"How dangerous is this training?"

"Extremely," she replied without hesitation. "You’ll face opponents who can’t be truly killed because they’re already dead. They’ll push you to your absolute limits and beyond. Some students emerge stronger than they ever imagined possible. Others..."

"Others?"

"Don’t emerge at all," she finished grimly. "This isn’t a game, Grim. You’re stepping into a realm where failure means more than embarrassment or political setbacks."

The weight of her words settled over him. "Why is this necessary?"

"Because your current power level makes you a danger to yourself and everyone around you," Húxiān said bluntly.

"The fight with Xùyán proved that. A more experienced opponent would have killed you, and your corruption would have consumed you entirely."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then eventually you’ll lose control completely, and I’ll have to destroy you myself," she replied. "That’s not a threat. It’s a promise to protect the realms from what you could become."

Grim felt a chill run down his spine. "When do we leave?"

"Now," Húxiān said, gesturing toward the waterfall. "My realm exists beyond this physical space."

"One more thing," Grim said. "Does everyone of deity strength or higher has their own realm?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "Personal domains are both a privilege and a necessity at that level of power. We need spaces where we can exist without accidentally destroying everything around us."

[Interesting,] came Caius’s voice in his mind, speaking for the first time in days. [I wonder what my domain would have looked like.]

The comment was casual, but it carried implications that made Grim’s thoughts race. If personal realms were reserved for those of deity strength...

"Is something wrong?" Húxiān asked, noting his expression.

"Just... processing the information," Grim replied, choosing not to mention Caius’s comment. "A personal realm seems like an impossible concept."

"Many things seem impossible until you achieve them," she said with a knowing smile. "That’s part of what you’ll learn during your training."

[Don’t get ahead of yourself, boy,] Caius chuckled in his mind. [You’re not even close to that level yet. Though I admit, the possibility is intriguing.]

Grim was puzzled for a moment. Caius had never talked like this before except for his letter that Grim read when he was a boy. Caius must have finally grown comfortable to talk normally now.

Húxiān stepped toward the waterfall, her form beginning to shimmer with divine energy. "Are you ready?"

Grim took a last look at the fox realm around him—the palace in the distance, the forest where he’d fought Xùyán, the sacred grove where he’d married Ruxi. It might be months before he saw any of it again.

"I’m ready," he said, stepping forward to join her.

"Remember," she said as they approached the falling water, "this training will change you. The question is whether you’ll direct that change or let it direct you."

[Oh, this should be entertaining,] Caius observed with obvious anticipation. [I’ve always wondered what divine training looks like from the student’s perspective.]

As they stepped through the waterfall together, Grim felt reality shift around them. The sensation was just like when he was going between the Sea Realms.

When the disorientation faded, he found himself standing in a realm that defied description.

Floating islands drifted through skies of impossible colors, while structures that seemed to be built in a Sichuan-style architecture.

Tier upon tier of curved rooftops reached for the sky like curves horns of a dragon. Giant crimson red gates stood at the edge of certain islands.

The very air hummed with power that made his cultivation seem like a candle flame next to a raging bonfire.

"Welcome to my domain," Húxiān said. "Your training begins now."

[Well,] Caius said with grudging approval, [this certainly beats the training methods I used in my day. Though I suspect it will be considerably more challenging than anything I ever faced.]

As Grim looked around at the impossible realm where he would spend the next months of his life, he realized that everything he thought he knew about power and cultivation was about to be challenged.

The only question was whether he would survive the experience.