Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

Chapter 94: Halfway Point - Dedicated Training.

Two weeks later, Xavida and Asura sat eating a barbecued meal of roasted wolf and potatoes in gravy. Despite the assessment being hard, both of them looked rather good.

'Xavida seems to have changed since that day.'

Asura watched the lovely dragon sitting between his legs with her tail wrapped around his waist. Her hands took the best meat while humming a strange song. "Husband, are we going hunting late again, or do you want to go to bed?"

Not that it was bad, though.

However, she became more aggressive in the bedroom, no longer as shy. Also calls his husband in a sugary voice. Her actions wouldn't be worrying if in battle, she wasn't so ferocious and violent.

"Do you want to hunt monsters or get hunted?" Asura whispered into her ear.

He enjoyed the colour of her pink scales darkening when embarrassed. In contrast, Xavida swallowed the last of her food before turning around.

"Mmmm, I want to hunt, then hunt me until I lose consciousness!"

"Why is my little dragon wife so lewd?"

"Ehehe, you made me this way. Look... It's still full."

Asura slapped her forehead. "Don't show that during dinner; it is bad manners."

"Eh~ but you eat it all the time, hehe."

Asura almost choked on his food before turning to the side. He felt his losses to this vulgar dragon increased since that night too. Although she still gets shy when he is on the offensive, her counters are getting stronger.

"Okay, then go clean yourself, and we'll do some hunting. You said you felt something strange when we were cultivating, right?"

"Mmm... like a strange rubber film that stopped me from going further. It made me feel frustrated!"

'It sounds like what the books called a bottleneck. Is it because her power is rising too fast?'

[You are banging her five or six times a day for nearly twenty days; of course, her talent for cultivation would increase. Lucky Lizard bitch.]

Helia seemed to dislike the amount of sex the two had during this assessment. She claimed that his life was in danger of being sucked dry by the succubus. 'In reality, it's Xavida who almost dies each night.'

"Come on, let's go to the central lands. I think we can get some good progress today."

"Wait, wait, I'm still washing!"

****

Eventually, after the princess finished her grooming, the pair arrived in the skies above the danger zone.

They already knew that flying too high over this central area seemed to be warded by some strange magic and first made their plans before lowering to the same height as the trees.

"Ah... The damage from when we had sex outdoors!" Xavida said with a cheerful voice.

A black crater almost ten metres in diameter, the entire thing an image of death. Asura felt a strange comfort from the crater that still crackled with the remnants of their mixed magic density, but somehow, it seemed like poison to other creatures.

"Let's go inside. You know what to do, right? No magic, only physical combat and skill usage today."

"Ehh~ that's unfair. What if I get hurt!?"

"I'll kiss it better."

Xavida wasn't the only one who changed. Asura became more comfortable with her, flirting and teasing her with no thoughts, allowing their relationship to glide along with no issues like a lubricant.

"Ah! I'm hurt!"

Asura turned to look at his dragoness, only to see her rubbing her lips with a wronged look. He couldn't help but sigh and step towards her slowly.

His rough hand grasped the back of her neck before kissing her lips. The action lasted for several seconds before releasing her.

"Better?"

"Nope~ try again!" Xavida smiled, tongue licking Asura's lip before biting her lower lip.

"Tsk, let's go."

Xavida giggled before following behind Asura.

Both knew several Stage Two to Three beasts were in the central area. However, they didn't care as long as they stayed in this area.

No amount of Stage Three monsters could now threaten Xavida, whether it was her bloodline, talent or the life of debauchery with a dual cultivating phoenix.

Her body now surpassed most early stage four monsters. Only Stage Five beasts would be a certain threat that could easily contend with her natural powers and crush her.

"Husband~ watch this!" Xavida's childish smile spread across her face as Asura watched her jump off the branch into the forest below.

Xavida's hands held two sharp swords, no longer the daggers from before. She used Asura's black scales and hers, melting them with their dragon's breath into makeshift shortswords.

'She kept the promise not to use her mana unless it was dangerous.' Asura smiled.

Because they were too strong, he began making challenges to train their bodies in all aspects.

Today was a physical-only day. Tomorrow, Xavida wanted to use magic alone.

Then they switched the day after, sometimes only using their fists with no weapons. It was a great way to learn the limits of their physical and magical prowess.

'This lizard is getting too arrogant. I guess I need to teach her a lesson tonight.'

Asura sat down on the tree branch, watching with golden eyes gleaming where Xavida disappeared.

Xavida's body twisted before hitting the ground, using her tail to grasp a thick branch and swinging to her feet just inches above a sleeping wolf beast, waking with a startled yelp before meeting Xavida's blade piercing its brain.

'Hmmm, she is improving quickly.'

Asura felt impressed with how much she had developed. At first, she just swung her weapons, but it improved rapidly after training with Asura to improve her swordsmanship. Learning techniques he gained from the monoliths and his memories of watching his father and sister.

? Gained 1000 Essence from devouring the enemy!

? Gained 10 Assessment Points: 485!

? Cultivation Progress Increased: +1%! (34%)

? Cultivation Progress Increased: +3%! (Xavida)

? Monolith - Status ?

Devil: 78632/100000 (Stage Two)

Dragon: 78632/100000 (Stage Two)

Asura: 78632/100000 (Stage Two)

Devour: 78632/100000 (Stage Two)

Rebirth/??? :46188/500000 (Stage Two)

The two of them slayed close to sixty monsters in the past two weeks; with the help of Helia, most of the excess essence devoured went to the Rebirth monolith, as it needed five times the rest to evolve.

Asura wanted to prioritise that totem, then increase the others once the gap narrowed.

Suddenly, the rest of the pack stirred, hearing the death cry of their strongest member. They roared before charging at Xavida.

However, Asura paid no attention, knowing she could handle it. Instead, his focus returned to the small screen panel floating above his palm.

[Are you sure she will be fine?]

"Of course... I just wish the Rebirth monolith wasn't so annoying to fill."

[Technically, that monolith is like your base or the skeleton that holds your power together. The other monoliths are like your flesh, muscles and organs]

"It's that important, huh?"

Asura held a deep loathing for the huge black monolith that still seemed to carry mystery within. He began enduring the most painful and terrifying nightmares since it awakened...

Nightmares where he didn't wake even if killed, his flesh flayed and injected with strange medicine.

Lay on a cold steel table like a rat being operated on, forced to live... 'I hate that.'

[What do you hate?]

He tried to forget those dark dreams and focused on Xavida, her graceful body sweeping through the wolves with her dragon-scale swords.

Her movements were quick. Xavida learned to utilise her speed and small size to her advantage. Still, she lacked a technique that allowed her to kill several beasts simultaneously.

'She should be okay...' Asura watched Xavida killing most wolves with one strike, but the occasional unlucky beast lived through the first strike.

It meant she needed to dodge its attacks before delivering a decisive blow.

"Alright... Don't get involved."

Asura's voice echoed through the forest, before his hand lifted and tossed Lumeris Nova that appeared out of nowhere.

Xavida heard his words and dodged the attacking wolf. She glanced towards Asura's figure, noticing a strange light gleaming from Lumeris Nova before striking the wolves.

Suddenly, a deep growl from the depth of the forest sounded, with a huge mutated bear-like monster echoing, its chest penetrated by the sheer force of Asura's sword-lance pinning it to a gigantic tree.

The beast struggled to free itself, tearing off its furred chest, trying to remove Lumeris Nova, but the sharp edge cut through anything like butter.

Its furious roars attracted many Stage Two monsters, drawn to the smell of fresh blood.

"A Peak Stage Three Monster's blood is like a magical elixir for them, haha."

Asura no longer watched Xavida; instead, his body, like a comet, leapt from the tree towards the gigantic bear with a boom, his speed causing the trees he collided with to explode into wood and debris.

His wings unfurled at the last moments, boosting his speed to avoid a stray beast claw before the second pair fluttered, slowing his descent before reaching the beast.

"Ha!"

Asura kicked the bear's jaw, causing it to bite its tongue off before grabbing Lumeris Nova and ripping it out of the beast's chest. The still-beating heart slipped down the blade into Asura's hand. "Mmmm, bear's heart stew for dinner tomorrow."

The bear roared in agony, still barely alive because of the mana in its blood, but it was over. Asura slammed Lumeris Nova into the top of its skull. The loud crunch of the bones cracking followed.

Blood and brains splattered everywhere, painting the surrounding trees red with viscera and pieces of flesh.

"Husband~, you killed it before me!" Xavida arrived, her clothes covered in blood.

Her soft pout and sulky expression made Asura chuckle. He licked his fingers clean before tossing her into the bear's heart. "We have company. Look at the hungry monsters. How about we clean the house and go home early for a good rest?"

Although he needed to become stronger, Asura did so in small periods like this, fighting beasts and then training with Xavida when getting home before they enjoyed a long 'rest' together.

'Stage Two monsters are horrible for improving my monoliths, though...'

? Gained 7300 Essence from devouring the enemy!

? Gained 43 Assessment Points: 528!

? Cultivation Progress Increased: +4%! (38%)

? Cultivation Progress Increased: +7%! (Xavida)

? Monolith - Status ?

Devil: 85632/100000 (Stage Two)

Dragon: 85632/100000 (Stage Two)

Asura: 85632/100000 (Stage Two)

Devour: 85632/100000 (Stage Two)

Rebirth/??? :53188/500000 (Stage Two)

While they massacred the Stage Two beasts and enjoyed the rewards... Suddenly, two students spoke from behind, causing Xavida's face to become dark and her eyes dull and upset.

"Oi! Turn around and give us all your materials, or we will have to hurt you!" The male shouted, holding a long spear pointed to Asura.

"Oh... shit, look at her huge tits—let's just ask for her to give us a ride."

"The guy is hot too... Hey babe, let me sleep with him before you kill him?" A pink-haired woman asked, her face covered in makeup, holding a sharp dagger.

"Fuck you, Rona, you slut!"

These students were part of the group that joined halfway. Second-year students would help eliminate the weaker first years.

In return, the academy would reward the second years for their cultivation.

'But only the most disgusting and scummy ones would take the role...'