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The Secret of Asmara Bhumi
After the first two phases of the Pandhega Trial concluded in a tempest of tension, Diyah and her vanguard immediately realigned their focus. They convened within the palace’s specialized training arena, tempering their preparations to welcome the true rounds of the Star Seal Cultivator Tournament. Heavy, ragged breaths synchronized with the sharp, metallic clangs of clashing armaments, forging a relentless rhythm that brutally tested the absolute limits of the young cultivators’ physical endurance and power.
In the epicenter of the courtyard, Diyah cultivated in an atmosphere of deadly silence. Her mind was absolutely anchored upon the lethal trials looming ahead; obstacles that demanded far more than mere mortal courage. Within the gladiatorial arena later, they would be forced to move faster, strike with devastating force, and strategize with unparalleled tactical brilliance. This ceaseless, hellish conditioning was the absolute sole path to guarantee they would not merely participate, but utterly dominate and survive.
However, amidst the grueling rigor of their training session, the absence of two core members from their formation provoked a myriad of questions.
”Where did Onoke and Arsa disappear to? Has anyone caught a glimpse of them?” Julia asked, momentarily halting the arc of her blade. She wiped the sweat from her brow and glanced at her comrades.
”I haven’t seen a single shadow of them since yesterday’s trials concluded,” Andin explained, her forehead furrowed in bewilderment.
”Yes, I didn’t cross paths with them at the barracks either,” Suta added, shaking his head.
Despite being cloaked in a bizarre sense of anomaly, time relentlessly marched forward. They dismissed their brewing curiosity and submerged themselves back into the grueling cultivation routine until the sun crawled to its zenith, searing their crowns and forcing them to halt to rest their exhausted meridians.
Following the midday training session, Suta and Andin walked side-by-side through the palace corridors, which had begun to empty. However, upon reaching the intersection of a dimly lit, narrow hallway, Andin’s footsteps abruptly ceased. The maiden pivoted her body, glaring at Suta with a piercing, incredibly grave gaze.
”What is it, Andin?” Suta asked, bewildered by the sudden shift in the maiden’s visage.
”You… you must seriously consider our fates and how we are to live our lives moving forward, Suta!” Andin stated with a suppressed tone, staring straight into the absolute depths of the youth’s eyes.
Suta swallowed hard. “Is… is this warning connected to the tragedy of that night in the Monster Forest?” Suta verified, his visage draining of color, engulfed by a tempest of profound shock and guilt.
”Yes… naturally! You must take absolute, full responsibility for everything!” Andin asserted, her voice elevating as she fought to suppress the volatile emotions churning in her chest.
”V-very well. Naturally, I am prepared to take absolute responsibility and guard you, Andin,” Suta answered with conviction, even though his breaths felt heavy as he envisioned the colossal burdens of their future.
Andin lowered her visage, tightly wringing the edge of her sword belt. “I am merely terrified… with my current ‘tainted’ condition, my presence in the tournament vanguard might only serve as a crippling burden to the others,” Andin spoke softly, her tone fracturing, saturated with an abyssal anxiety.
”Calm yourself. I will gamble my very life to serve as your absolute aegis, I swear it,” Suta declared firmly, attempting to instill a sense of security. Suta then furrowed his brow, his brain critically rewinding the fragmented memories of that night. “However… truthfully, there is one anomaly that continues to gnaw at my logic. I am intensely curious: were we truly the only ones who suffered a total loss of sanity that night?” he continued with an investigative tone.
”What are you implying?” Andin asked, her curiosity instantaneously overpowering her wrath.
”Well… upon our return from the Monster Forest, I covertly investigated all the anomalies we endured that night. I scoured through thousands of literary texts and ultimately unearthed a highly crucial clue, even though the royal library’s records were severely fragmented,” Suta explained, unveiling his suspicions. “The investigation was regarding the Star Tree Fruit. Within those ancient scrolls, I discovered a single, monumental line of intelligence: Cultivators whose absolute power boundaries remain beneath the King level are strictly forbidden from consuming the flesh of that sacred fruit directly!”
”So… your conclusion is that the incident of our shattered sanity that night was purely triggered by the fruit’s side effects?” Andin asked, her brows knitting sharply as she attempted to process the insane revelation.
”Well… that is highly probable,” Suta explained with a hesitant tone, shrugging his shoulders as if he himself lacked the audacity to confirm it as an absolute truth.
Andin stared at Suta intently, her eyes instantaneously widening as she visualized the most apocalyptic scenario. “If that is the absolute truth… Hah! What became of Diyah, Julia, and Lord Ken?! What in the world transpired among the three of them?!” she shrieked in panic, imagining a similar chaos having befallen the crown princess and the god of war.
Suta hastily scratched his head in sheer awkwardness, terrified at the mere thought of Ken losing control. “Shh! Lower your volume, Andin. I am merely constructing hypotheses based on theoretical texts,” he uttered rapidly, desperately trying to smother Andin’s panic.
A suffocating silence instantaneously enveloped the two of them. Only the frigid, whistling winds unique to the Ice Kingdom could be heard, sweeping against the pine leaves outside the corridor’s window.
”I believe… we cannot allow this mystery to remain shrouded in darkness. We must seek an audience and confirm this directly with Lord Ken,” Andin finally stated. Her voice sounded far more tranquil, yet the glint in her eyes radiated an unshakeable, absolute resolve.
”I agree with you,” Suta answered, nodding firmly. The two promptly altered their trajectory, venturing out to seek the Supreme Leader of the Siama Alliance.
In another sector of the palace, the atmosphere within Diyah’s private pavilion—situated at the very heart of the Ice Kingdom—felt profoundly tranquil that afternoon. Only the freezing breeze slipped between the white marble pillars, carrying the delicate fragrance of eternal snow blossoms blooming within the garden. Ken stepped lightly upon the stone path, meticulously regulating his footfalls with a weightlessness technique to ensure he did not shatter the sacred serenity of the pavilion.
The small courtyard, specifically engineered as Diyah’s enclosed training arena, appeared desolate, save for a single, elegant silhouette dominating its epicenter. Diyah stood tall, gripping her silver spear. The glint of cold steel reflected the pale light of the afternoon sun. Her movements were phenomenally fluid and surgically precise; every swing, slash, and rotation of her spear resembled a celestial maiden’s dance, flawlessly interwoven with a deadly, meticulously concealed killing intent.
Ken halted his advance for a heartbeat behind the shadows of an archway, intently observing the increasingly perfected rhythm of Diyah’s breathing and Qi rotation, before finally proceeding with a sliver of hesitation to greet her.
The subtle whisper of the wind echoed as Diyah twirled the hilt of her spear downward, concluding her entire sequence of movements. She turned her head slowly, her pristine eyes—resembling glacial crystals—staring at Ken’s silhouette expressionlessly for a fleeting second. Yet in the very next heartbeat, the most radiant and warmest smile flawlessly blossomed across her beautiful visage.
”Brother Ken!” she cheered brightly.
Diyah walked swiftly toward the man, a flush of profound euphoria radiating clearly from her lightly sweat-sheened visage. “Where have you vanished to these past few days?” she asked with a slightly pampered tone, yet her eyes sparkled, implying an unfathomable relief that the man had finally revealed himself once more.
Ken drew a deep breath, attempting to pacify the bizarre fluttering in his chest before rendering an answer. “I…” He lowered his gaze briefly, then stared into Diyah’s pristine eyes with profound gentleness. “…had to resolve several urgent matters out there,” he murmured softly, deliberately omitting the intricate details of his political secrets.
Diyah clasped her hands together before her chest, her lips curving into a highly understanding smile. “Hmm… very well,” she said, exhaling a light sigh as if casting away the entirety of her anxieties. “To me, the absolute most important thing right now is that Brother Ken has returned and is here.” She let out a soft chuckle, radiating a mesmerizing charm capable of thawing eternal glaciers.
Ken returned the gesture with a faint smile, then lowered his gaze to stare at the spear still tightly gripped by the maiden. “From my observations just now, it appears the Princess has successfully begun to tame and master the energy currents of that heirloom spear,” he noted, his tone saturated with genuine praise.
”Do you truly believe so?” Diyah replied with an adorably proud smile. “I cultivate and temper my mortal shell relentlessly every single day. I repeated every single stance and formation Brother Ken taught me with absolute precision. Not a microscopic detail escaped my practice.”
Ken gave a slow nod, profoundly appreciating such dedication. “Excellent. Maintain that rhythm.” He then shifted the focus of their conversation toward the other legendary heirloom. “Then… what is the status of the Phoenix Bow? Has the Princess attempted to forge the Soul-Binding Seal to synchronize your soul with that sacred armament?”
Hearing the inquiry, Diyah blinked rapidly, then let out a crisp laugh while shaking her head. “Of course I haven’t attempted it yet, Brother Ken,” she answered honestly, her visage perfectly sinless. She then tilted her head, gazing at Ken with eyes sparkling with anxious hope. “Because, I was waiting for you. Would… Brother Ken be willing to trouble himself and weave the seal formation for me once more?”
Ken inhaled softly, his lips once again curving into a faint smile of absolute resignation. “Yes… naturally, I shall forge it,” he replied without a microscopic shred of hesitation.
Diyah’s visage instantaneously lit up brilliantly. With a mere flick of her fingers and spatial energy manipulation, she extracted the Phoenix Bow heirloom from her Spatial Ring. The masterful armament radiated a soul-quaking aura; its materials appeared peerlessly beautiful, draped in a harmonious fusion of ice-blue and majestic gold that seemingly harbored an eternal flame within its crystalline core.
”I am ready to receive it, Brother Ken,” Diyah stated resolutely, presenting the legendary bow with both hands.
Ken assumed his stance. He concentrated his spiritual energy to weave the Rajah Wesi Seal formation, an ancient soul-binding sealing technique serving as the absolute method to subjugate high-tier Star Weapons like the Phoenix Bow. The movements of Ken’s fingers were impeccably rhythmic and profoundly solemn, exuding the exact same magical aura as when he first tamed Diyah’s silver spear.
A colossal energy circle, intricately engraved with complex magical runes, manifested and levitated in a rotating motion directly beneath the Phoenix Bow. The radiant luminescence from the formation was subsequently siphoned upward, sinking entirely into the bow’s core. An explosive shockwave of aura instantaneously swept across the pavilion garden, triggering a spiritual wind that sent Diyah’s long hair fluttering wildly, the strands standing slightly on end from the static energy tension.
”The assimilation process is complete,” Ken finally announced, drawing a breath and smothering his aura back to absolute zero.
Diyah received the bow, embracing it tightly against her chest. Her visage glowed, radiating profound gratitude and a newfound reservoir of power. “Thank you immensely, Brother Ken! The energy currents feel phenomenally warm… Now it truly feels as though this bow is alive and has become an inseparable extension of my very breath.”
However, before Ken could reciprocate her gratitude, the frantic thud of rapidly approaching footsteps echoed from the direction of the pavilion’s outer gates.
Andin was the first to emerge, parting the curtains with slightly ragged breaths. “Thank the heavens, it turns out our deductions were flawless! Lord Ken is indeed here!” she exclaimed with an undeniably relieved tone. Trailing behind her, Suta entered, his body language appearing incredibly rigid and excruciatingly awkward.
”Suta, Andin!” Diyah raised her visage, waving her hand to welcome them with an amicable smile. “What brings you here? Were you searching for me?” she asked, shifting her posture to face her two comrades.
Shortly after, before Andin could formulate an answer, Julia’s silhouette also materialized at the pavilion’s threshold. The silver-haired princess’s face was slightly damp with sweat, as if she had just half-sprinted through the labyrinthine corridors of the palace.
”Everyone… it is quite fortuitous that we could all convene in this place,” Julia greeted, regulating her breathing as she stepped closer to the heart of the garden.
”Oh, Julia. What urgent matters bring you here?” Diyah asked with a warm, motherly smile.
Julia looked at Diyah for a fleeting second, then shifted her gaze directly toward Ken, who stood perfectly frozen. “It is fortuitous that Ken is present. I was dispatched to deliver an absolute mandate directly from the Queen Mother,” she stated, her tone meticulously restrained to appear tranquil, though the underlying urgency was glaringly undeniable.
”Initially, Mother requested that I relay this to you first, Diyah,” Julia continued, her voice softening. “Mother is still haunted by trauma and is overwhelmingly terrified that a catastrophic anomaly might occur during the Little Prince’s healing phase. Therefore, she personally implores that Ken would be benevolent enough to remain within the palace’s secure compound for the time being. And… this.”
Julia reached into the pocket of her silk robes and produced a glittering, medal-shaped metallic plate that radiated an aura of absolute authority. “The Queen Mother requested I surrender this heirloom as a token of boundless guarantee.”
Diyah’s eyes widened slightly as she stared at the artifact’s gleam. “Wah… this is the Royal Grand Badge.” Diyah turned to Ken with a gaze overflowing with supplication, then looked back at the badge symbolizing supreme authority. “Accept this offer, Brother Ken. Later, I shall personally escort and guide you to reside in the highest honor-guest pavilion within this palace,” she coaxed with an incredibly gentle persuasion.
However, faced with the Grand Badge capable of granting absolute wealth and sovereign authority, Ken merely stared flatly. His visage froze expressionlessly, displaying not a microscopic glimmer of enthusiasm.
Reading the man’s body language, Diyah comprehended perfectly. “Very well,” Diyah said softly, accepting the badge from Julia’s hands to act as an intermediary. “I shall take the responsibility of storing this temporarily for Brother Ken. Julia, please relay to the Queen Mother that Brother Ken has received her benevolent intentions.”
Diyah cast a fleeting glance at Ken with an understanding smile. She knew deep in her absolute soul that a man like Ken utterly despised the chains of political honor symbols. As a shadowed god of war, Ken perpetually felt far more liberated and comfortable isolating himself in a desolate inn room on the outskirts of the Ice Kingdom’s capital rather than sleeping upon the palace’s mountains of gold.
”Oh, right…” Diyah turned back to the two figures still standing rigidly behind them. “Andin, Suta! Earlier you mentioned you were also searching for me?” she asked again with a friendly tone.
”Y-yes…” Andin answered hesitantly, her eyes darting wildly toward Ken. “But truthfully… the primary target of our search was Lord Ken. There is a matter of absolute importance and dire urgency we wish to confirm directly with him. It is incredibly fortuitous he is here with us.” Andin then sharply elbowed the waist of Suta, who looked increasingly restless and pale. “Suta, hurry up and tell him!”
Suta swallowed with extreme difficulty, his visage flushing as red as a boiled crab, suppressing a humiliation ready to detonate. “A… aa… it’s like this, Lord Ken,” he stammered, his courage shrinking to dust beneath Ken’s invisible aura of intimidation. “I… I wish to beseech your enlightenment regarding the magical effects of the… Star Tree Fruit.”
The air within the pavilion garden instantaneously froze over. Ken remained silent for a heartbeat, his gaze suddenly hardening to become as sharp as drawn daggers. “The Star Tree Fruit?” he murmured with a profoundly low baritone that vibrated against their eardrums. “What mystery involving that cursed fruit do you speak of?” he asked seriously, erecting the fortress of his absolute authority.
”T-truthfully… we wish to know the actual, unadulterated side effects if that fruit is swallowed?” Suta finally managed to articulate the sentence, though his tone trembled violently as he suppressed his terror.
Ken stared at the two of them with a gaze as frigid as ice, his voice dropping heavy and intimidating. “Did an anomaly beyond your control occur within your mortal shells that night?” he pressed, demanding absolute honesty.
Ken then exhaled a long sigh, resembling a grandmaster reprimanding his foolish disciples, and began laying bare the catastrophe. “The energy radiation effects from the Star Tree Fruit are incredibly extreme and diverse. For Star Seal Cultivators whose boundaries have not yet shattered the King-tier level… one of its most fatal side effects is triggering an apocalyptic detonation of lust and arousal. The victim’s brain and logic will be totally paralyzed, entirely losing dominion over themselves, as if an irresistible inferno of lust is incinerating them from within their very cells. In ancient alchemical literature, that biological curse effect is known as Asmara Bhumi—which literally translates to, a passion that scorches the earth.”
An absolute, suffocating silence violently slapped everyone in the garden. They all stood petrified like statues of ice. Andin and Suta exchanged horrified glances; their visages were a chaotic amalgamation of profound relief because their theory was validated, and hysterical panic because the disgraceful scandal of that night had been dragged into the light.
”I-is the impact genuinely that catastrophic?!” Andin asked, her voice squeaking and trembling as she fought back a nuclear explosion of humiliation surging straight to her crown.
Diyah, who had been listening with a furrowed brow the entire time, stared at the two of them with a lethal, highly suspicious glare. “Andin… Suta… explain this to me. What exactly transpired between the two of you that night?!” she interrogated sharply, like an inquisitor.
”Y-yeah… more or less exactly identical to the curse Lord Ken just enlightened us about.” Andin scratched her head with exceedingly awkward, rigid movements, absolutely lacking the courage to meet Diyah’s eyes. “Please… please take this humiliating secret to the grave,” she pleaded pitifully, on the verge of weeping blood.
Andin then fortified the remaining shreds of her dignity and turned back to Ken. “Lord Ken… on that disastrous night, when we were stripped of our sanity… did you happen to know and witness precisely what befell us?” she asked, holding her breath, bracing to receive the ultimate grim verdict.
”Naturally, I was acutely aware of it,” Ken replied without a sliver of burden, staring straight through Andin’s panic. “That night, with my own two eyes, I witnessed you abruptly pounce and close the distance on Suta. The two of you grappled savagely and tumbled out of sight into the dense thickets of the flower fields… since I deeply respect human privacy rights, I chose to ignore you both and allowed the live spectacle to proceed unhindered.”
”HAH?! LORD KEN! Why did you merely allow us to fall into that abyss of sin and not forcibly separate us?!” Andin protested hysterically, her visage once again burning crimson, incinerated by unadulterated fury and astronomical humiliation.
Ken merely arched a single, thin eyebrow. “Then according to your narrow logic… was I supposed to step closer, part the thick foliage, and stand idly by to witness a live theatrical performance that was absolutely inappropriate for me to behold, thereby stripping you of your honor?” he asked flatly, yet the sentence harbored a subtle, razor-sharp dagger of sarcasm that pierced straight through Andin’s solar plexus.
”A-aaa… yes… y-you are absolutely correct, of course,” Andin mumbled, stuttering, finally lowering her head in utter resignation, realizing her position was indeed unsalvageable.
Lord Ken… you are my absolute, true savior deity who perfectly comprehends the suffering of men! Suta’s soul cheered in an uproarious celebration of internal victory. A faint, profoundly grateful smirk laced with a hint of satisfaction secretly bloomed upon his visage.
However, Andin’s radar was notoriously sharp. “What exactly is running through that perverted mind of yours with that disgusting smirk, Suta?!” Andin shot him a highly suspicious, murderous glare, preparing to enact her judgment.
On the other side of the pavilion, Ken’s explicit exposition regarding the effects of the Asmara Bhumi struck Julia’s sanity like a heavenly thunderbolt.
Hah! So it turns out the cursed energy of the Star Fruit was what poisoned my nervous system… No wonder my mortal shell felt incinerated by lust that night! Then… what exactly befell me while I slumbered? Julia’s soul shrieked in absolute horror. The silver-haired princess lowered her visage slightly, the temperature of her cheeks violently skyrocketing as the humiliating memory of that morning echoed in her mind; the morning when she awoke only to confront the reality that all the clasps of her silk robes had been unfastened and loosened, completely oblivious to the identity of the perpetrator.
With a wildly hammering heart accompanying her internal panic, Julia’s gaze slowly drifted upwards and locked onto Ken’s silhouette, overflowing with profound suspicion and dark interrogations that she would likely never possess the courage to voice aloud.