C11 - Taking Consorts, Transcendence!?

Author's Note: While working on future plot ideas, I came up with some exciting ways to expand the storyline. To do this, I've made a few changes to the power system—check out the Auxiliary Chapter for details.

That said, as I went over what I've written in the past two days, I realized the power levels dont have a clear distinction, and there's not much to compare them to. So, there's going to be a bit of an info dump at the end of this chapter and the start of the next. Bear with me—it'll help make things clearer!

This part will be super important in understanding what Transcendence is!

Thanks for reading!

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...

"Alden, I can't have children for a while."

"Why don't you consider taking in a few consorts?"

"I wouldn't mind!"

After a stormy night, Jennifer lay in Alden's arms and suddenly voiced her thoughts.

She understood how deeply her husband longed for more children.

To avoid any strain on their relationship and to ensure the continuation of the Ashleigh family bloodline, she didn't mind if Alden took a few additional wives to help bear children.

In noble society, it was common for men to have multiple wives and consorts.

Alden's unwavering devotion to her alone was rare, and that made her feel indebted to him.

Besides, with is increasing strength, she couldn't even satisfy him anymore.

If only she knew...

"Don't joke like that! You know I only love you," Alden said, though a sharp glint flickered in his eyes.

This was exactly what he had been hoping for.

He knew that if he had been the one to propose such a thing, Jennifer might harbor lingering resentment.

But with her bringing it up herself, he could proceed without jeopardizing their bond.

He couldn't fully utilize his golden finger with just one woman by his side.

Unlike the old emperors with harems plagued by schemes and endless plots, Alden dreamed of something greater.

He wanted to create a divine family that would spread its influence across every corner of the universe.

Konrad managed it, so why couldn't he?

"We can issue a notice, make an announcement, and select a few good candidates."

"With the current status of the Ashleigh family, even another baron might consider sending a proposal for a political marriage," Jennifer said thoughtfully.

"..."

Alden was taken aback by her sudden change in attitude.

Although he was testing the waters, did she really mean it though?

What was happening today?

Could Jennifer have been enchanted?

Wasn't she supposed to act like a yandere, glaring daggers at him whenever he got too close to other women?

A woman's mood was truly unpredictable.

Not wanting to stir the pot, he decided to drop the subject and not push further.

Who knew if she was joking and might suddenly shift to possessiveness?

That would be a disaster!

But Alden had underestimated Jennifer's resolve.

The very next day, after consulting with Evelyn, her mother-in-law, Jennifer announced the selection of consorts for Baron Alden.

Young, handsome, strong, and wealthy, Alden's reputation spread far and wide.

Within days, Nightbloom Village saw an influx of young women from a 200-mile radius, each eager to try their luck.

After weeks of evaluation, under the combined scrutiny of Jennifer and Evelyn, Alden finally took three women as his consorts.

It wasn't that he didn't want more, but finding women who met his criteria was no easy task.

They needed to have a beauty score of 85 or above, a compatible personality, and, preferably, virginity.

Although the system didn't mandate the last requirement, Alden had his standards—unless, of course, there were special circumstances.

That day, the Ashleigh Manor welcomed three new residents:

Monica, the daughter of a renowned chef.

Sally, the daughter of a small merchant from Nightbloom.

And Gwen, an orphan raised in Cardis.

...

A few months later.

Under Alden's diligent efforts, all three of his consorts were now pregnant.

With the children to be born next year, he would receive three rewards.

Thinking about this, Alden felt an undeniable sense of satisfaction.

Was cultivation as simple as this?

Had someone heard his thought, Alden would probably be cursed to death by every warrior on the continent.

Simple? Simple my foot!

Speaking of which, his firstborn was already six years old.

Time really does fly.

"This child has grown so much. It's about time he starts training," Alden mused.

Watching his eldest son running around the garden with his younger siblings, Alden's expression turned contemplative.

He knew he couldn't ignore his children after receiving rewards from the system.

As their father, he wanted them to have every opportunity to succeed.

His eldest son, Amel Ashleigh, had inherited his father's low physical aptitude from before Alden's own transformation.

If Alden wanted Amel to thrive on the extraordinary path, he would need to start preparing him early.

With that thought, a hint of a "loving father" smile appeared on his face.

Amel, who was happily playing with his younger siblings, suddenly shivered, feeling an inexplicable sense of foreboding.

But he brushed it off and continued his games, completely unaware that his carefree childhood was nearing its end.

...

Transcendence.

It was a world entirely different, separated by a single, yet insurmountable, barrier.

Mortal warriors cultivated inner qi, but their strength depended heavily on the grade of their cultivation art.

At the peak of the 9th Rank Mortal warrior, a 1-star cultivation art could enhance inner qi strength to 500 kg and pure physical strength to 150 kg. This meant a total strike force of 650 kg at full power.

However, a 2-star cultivation art would directly double both inner qi strength and physical power.

Similarly, a 3-star cultivation art doubled the strength of a 2-star art, and so on.

By the time a 5-star cultivation art was mastered, a 9th Rank Mortal warrior could achieve a maximum strength of around 10,400 kg.

In comparison, a warrior using a 1-star art with a total strike of 650 kg was simply an ant for someone wielding a 5-star art.

As unfair as it seemed, this was the harsh reality.

Without a proper legacy, it was impossible to reach the pinnacle of power.

Breaking past the barrier, casting off mortal limitations, and being truly reborn required a 6-star cultivation art or higher.

Transcendent Arts.

Although 6-star arts didn't enhance a mortal's strength further, they provided the means to transcend.

Transcendence required transforming inner qi into pure physical strength by breaking down one's cultivation and using it as fuel to temper the body.

This was the path to the half-step transcendent realm.

At this stage, the inner qi would be converted into raw physical strength, and the cultivation itself would be obliterated.

The body would undergo complete transformation, becoming impervious to blades, poison, and most mortal threats.

Although the overall strength remained unchanged at this point, it marked the beginning of a new realm.

This was the first step toward transcendence, and it was the step Alden was preparing to take.

...