Chapter 104: Frost and Fire

Seeing Reina arrive alongside Onihime, a smile developed across Nobu's face as he said, "Hey there, kiddo. You ready to break through to the next Realm?"

With a fairly obvious blush developing across her face, Reina held her hands up in a bashful manner as she nodded her head furiously. This caused Nobu's smile to turn wry, but, having already gotten used to shy blunette's behavior, he turned to Inami and said, "I guess we're ready."

Nodding her head, Inami wrapped her Aura around the entire group before leaping through the air as if the added weight of three people had no effect on her speed...

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Ever since Nobu entered the Third Realm, Breath of Water, Inami had been forcing him to spend at least three days a week training at night. The Moon was the most readily available source of Yin Elemental Energy, and, much like it had been in the Avatar universe, it had a significant influence on his ability to manipulate water.

Though he was still intending to get a bit of training in, tonight was special since Reina would be using the light of the full moon to break into the Third Realm. Her cultivation method, the Nine Phases Frost Phoenix Technique was among the most unique Nobu had ever given out. It required an Innate Yin Physique just to cultivate, and, unlike traditional methods, the Aura requirement for each Realm only increased by a factor of nine.

Simply put, Reina was able to ascend to the First Realm at 900 Aura, the Second Realm at 8100 Aura, and the Third Realm at 72,900 Aura. This might make it sound like a detriment considering people at the same Rank would always be stronger her, but, contrary to what most people would believe, she was far more powerful due to the suppressive effect Yin and Ice Elemental Energy had against anyone who didn't cultivate similar energies.

While she might never become a powerhouse that can move around at supersonic speeds, Reina could literally freeze everything in her surroundings just by releasing her Aura. If she managed to get her hands on you, she could send her energy into your body and influence the energy channels in your body.

Though she was far from the point of being able to instantaneously freeze a target, it only took a single touch for Reina to temporarily cripple her opponents. Yin Elemental Energy was especially difficult to resolve if it was inserted into your body forcefully. Thus, unless you were exponentially stronger than her, she could basically inhibit your ability to use Aura until the invasive energy had been removed.

According to Inami, this was a natural defense mechanism for women with excess Yin Elemental Energy. Their Auras naturally attracted people with strong Yang Elemental Energy, so, without the means to protect themselves, they would quickly become victims. She also speculated that this was the reason the Nine Phases Frost Phoenix Technique required such minimal Aura to advance to the next Realm. Without the ability to increase their strength quickly, it wouldn't be long before women with an Innate Yin Physique found themselves as a cultivation furnace.

Fortunately for Reina, she had a benefit that no other possessor of an Innate Yin Physique had the fortune to possess: a kind Lord with an unbelievably powerful Heavenly Treasure.

While most possessors of an Innate Yin Physique struggled throughout the entirety of their short lives, Reina was fortunate due to the fact she didn't need to spend decades avoiding people and cultivating in private. She wasn't even eight years old but she was already preparing to enter into the Third Realm. This would make her a highly coveted target for anyone looking for a cultivation furnace, but, so long as she followed Inami's example and remained within the boundaries of the mountain, that wasn't an issue.

With thoughts of her Lord providing ample motivation, Reina followed Inami's instructions to the letter as she meditated, naked, atop a white jade platform. As for Nobu, he sat off to the side with his back facing the young girl. He had removed his shirt to increase the efficacy of his meditation, so, every now and then, Reina would look over before quickly closing her eyes and regaining focus.

Had she not been sneaking a number of peeks herself, Inami would have admonished Reina for her lack of focus. Instead, she elected to simply ignore the young trainee's behavior as this was actually a positive development. The stronger her feelings towards Nobu were, the better. After all, while he might have no intention of viewing her that way, Reina was still an ideal cultivation furnace. It would benefit all of them if she remained at his side.

Unaware of the conclusion reached by Inami and the other Elders, Nobu took advantage of the Yin, Ice, and Water Elemental Energy surging towards Reina to produce several spheres of water. He was still getting used to the sensation but he could feel his connection with the spheres growing as they slowly orbited his body. It was almost like they were linked to him by an invisible yet rigid string. He could feel their weight, their temperature, and, whenever he moved around, they would follow each of his movements with a slight delay, almost as if he was using one of those elastic toys shaped like a hand.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, Nobu wasn't able to do anything like blood bending. It might be possible in the future, but, for the time being, he still needed to bone Inami just to be able to turn water into ice. Men produced a very minuscule amount of Yin Elemental Energy, and, unless they cultivated a specific technique, retaining it for long periods of time was impossible. Thus, while he wanted to be able to fling around massive blocks of ice as if they were paperweights, Nobu still had a long way to go before he could even jokingly refer to himself as the Avatar.

As that thought crossed his mind, each of the spheres of water around Nobu's body collapsed to the ground. He was running low on Aura, so, the moment his mind began to wander, his control over the elements slipped away.

"Clear your mind. Don't let impatience guide you. The main reason you are struggling to control your Aura is that you have too much. Most people spend decades to reach where you are. During that time, their primary focus in on spiritual development rather than physical conditioning. Your Heavenly Treasure provides numerous benefits, but, without adequate control, you will struggle to bring your power to bear. Like the elements themselves, you need to free your mind and simply be. Stop trying to force it."

Opening his eyes, Nobu found Inami crouching right in front of him. The moment she was finished speaking, she placed her palm against the crown of his head, and, as a result, his depleted reserves rapidly filled. This was a common yet extremely difficult to master technique known as Conversion and Transference. It was typically used to preserve someone's life when they were on the verge of Aura depletion, but, at times like this, it could be used to aid in the training of others.

Once the process was completed, Inami combed her fingers through Nobu's hair, her expression softening as she said, "You have so much potential. More than anyone I've ever laid eyes on. You just need to learn how to control it before it controls you..."

Understanding that Nobu wasn't the type to enjoy being pampered or treated like a child, Inami quickly retracted her hand before returning to her position at Reina's side. This had proven to be the most effective method to teaching him as his pride caused him to become increasingly more obstinant the more people tried to help him. Thus, rather than watch his every move, she offered affection and advice before effectively ignoring him.

Furrowing his brows, Nobu followed Inami's departure with his head before shaking his head and returning to his training. He hated being coddled so he was determined to prove to her that he was the one in control, not his power...

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After seven and a half hours of meditation, an icy Aura erupted from Reina's body. In its wake, an area approximately ten meters in diameter became covered in a layer of white frost as she exhaled a large plume of frigid condensation from her pale pink lips.

Following her sigh of relief, Reina opened her eyes to find that even her body was covered in a thin layer of frost. Instead of feeling cold, however, she felt comfortable. It was like the ice was a part of her, and, shortly after that thought crossed her mind, a blue and white kimono that glistened under the light of the moon appeared to cover her naked frame.

"Oh? I never expected you to be able to form a raiment as early as the Third Realm. It appears the cultivation method given to you by our Lord is even more amazing than we initially believed. Make sure you thank him properly. Without it, you most likely would have died within the next four to six years..."

Controlling her voice so that only Reina could hear it, Inami wanted to make sure the young girl knew exactly who to thank for her survival. Fortunately, Reina was as intelligent as she was docile. She was also highly impressionable due to the drastic change in her circumstances, so, the moment she heard Inami's words, a resolute light flashed across her icy-blue eyes as she nodded her head and answered, "I understand, Inami-sama. I will not waste the opportunity our Lord has given me!"

Nodding her head in approval, Inami extended her hand to caress Reina's hair only to feel the Yin Elemental Energy in her body surge from her palm. This was slightly startling, but, rather than resist the unexpected siphoning, Inami allowed Reina to absorb quite a bit before naturally retracting her hand.

As the fundamental force representing the earth, darkness, and cold, Yin Elemental Energy could lead to complications during pregnancy so it was beneficial for both Inami and Reina to allow the latter to absorb as much as possible. Fortunately, Reina's constitution made her a literal battery for Yin Elemental Energy. If she wasn't afraid Nobu would have a breakdown and attack the young girl like a beast in heat, she might transfer every ounce of excess energy she had into the unsuspecting bluenette's body...

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Ceasing his training the moment Reina's Aura surged outward, Nobu cast a glance in her direction before climbing to his feet and popping his back. In response, Onihime promptly supplied a warm and steamy towel, saying, "You've worked hard, Master."

Nodding his head, Nobu accepted the warm towel before placing it around his neck and shoulders and releasing a content sigh. Then, before approaching the frosty duo in the distance, he extended his hand to give the earnest oni a head pat. She was literally the perfect size for it so it had become the most common way in which he rewarded her outside the estate.

Though she puffed out her cheeks ever so slightly, Onihime didn't mind her Master's caress. In fact, she was quite fond of it since she knew full well he didn't actually regard her as a child. If he did, he wouldn't force her down and gouge her insides nearly every other day of the week.

As that thought crossed her mind, steam began to rise from Onihime's body due to the humidity and the drastic difference in her temperature compared to the surroundings. When Nobu burst out laughing, the steam became even more prominent. Fortunately, he didn't openly make fun of her. If he had, she might have become a wandering cloud with horns sticking out...

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(A/N: I wonder how upset Nobu would be if someone compared his control issues to Naruto xD...)