Chapter 59: No guts...no glory

Chapter 59: No guts...no gloryLucas stood slowly from the low-backed wooden chair, his thoughts racing. His shoulders were tense. He had heard enough, too much, perhaps. And yet, he knew he couldn’t walk away clean from this. He was tangled now, wrapped in secrets and threads he didn’t fully understand. And worse still, he was beginning to see that his path would be more dangerous than he’d imagined.

He turned to leave.

But the Seer’s voice stopped him.

"Sit, Lucas," she said, calmly. "We are not done."

Her tone wasn’t commanding, but it didn’t need to be. It was firm. Steady. Like the words of someone who always knew more than they revealed.

Lucas hesitated... then lowered himself slowly back into the chair.

The Seer stood across from him, her arms folded beneath her flowing robes, her expression unreadable.

"I want to ask again," she said. "About your soul."

Lucas’s eyes flickered to hers. He said nothing.

"There is something foreign in you," she continued. "I can feel it... like a second flame flickering in your chest. You’re not like the others. You don’t belong here, not completely."

Still, Lucas said nothing.



The Seer studied him for a long moment. Then, with a small shake of her head, she let it go, for now.

"Fine," she said quietly. "Then tell me about the force I felt from you that night. That strange... current. It was unlike any Qi I’ve sensed before. It was vibrant. Alive. It moved like it wanted something. And I know it wasn’t meant for me, but it responded to me. My cultivation has been stagnant for over a decade. But the moment you entered my presence... I felt it stir again. I felt the bottleneck begin to shift. Whatever you carry inside you, it can help me. I know it."

Lucas shifted, thoughtful. He knew exactly what she meant.

He lowered his gaze for a moment, thinking. The Dual Cultivation Technique.

It wasn’t something he could teach easily. It wasn’t just a method one could pass on through scrolls or theory. It was a bond, a merging of energies, Yin and Yang in perfect harmony. It demanded more than understanding. It demanded contact. Intimacy.

And that was the problem.

He looked back up at the Seer. She was beautiful, yes. Commanding, mysterious, powerful, but not someone he could manipulate or deceive easily. He would need to find the right words, the right approach... not only to gain her trust, but to make her see what dual cultivation truly required.

How do I explain this to her? he wondered.

He couldn’t just come out and say it. He’d need to tread carefully, or she’d shut him down immediately, or worse, see through him.

Still, if he could convince her... if she truly engaged in the practice with him... her immense Yin energy might skyrocket his cultivation. She could become a vital ally, not just politically, but spiritually. And he could help her, too.

He exhaled quietly and leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees.

"I’ve been thinking," he said slowly, "of how I might teach you."

The Seer arched a brow, intrigued.

Lucas met her eyes. But first, he thought, I’ll need to find the right words... and the right time.

"I’ll return later... for the rites," he said quietly, his voice even, respectful. "But whatever I share with you, from this point on, I’m sharing in confidence. Not as a subject to a court seer, but as one cultivator to another."

The Seer tilted her head slightly, her unreadable eyes lingering on his. Then she gave the faintest nod.

Lucas turned, his long robe catching a whisper of the air as he stepped out of her chamber. The heavy wooden door closed behind him with a soft click. But his mind was anything but quiet.

He returned to his chamber within the estate, shutting the door with more force than necessary. The room was dim and quiet, the scent of incense barely lingering in the air. Yet the silence didn’t calm him, it only made space for the thoughts that had begun to churn ever since the Seer whispered her truths.

He sat on the edge of his bed, elbows on his knees, his hands clasped tightly.

His thoughts were spiraling now.

Not only did he possess knowledge of the Dual Cultivation Technique, he also possessed something darker. Something deeper.

The Art of the Soul-Binding Contract.

It’s rare and dangerous.

It was a rite only a few in history had ever dared to attempt. Through it, two souls could be bound together, merging not just Qi and energy, but mind and destiny. It required more than just physical union. It required trust. Vulnerability and sometimes willing submission.

Lucas paced.

The Seer... she was unlike anyone else he’d met in this world. Her cultivation rank was a mystery, cloaked so tightly that even he, reborn and powerful in his own right, couldn’t decipher it. She was veiled in layers of power, her presence like a quiet thunderstorm. He didn’t even know if she could be defeated in combat, let alone bound by a contract.

But if...if...she willingly gave herself... her body, her energy, and her very soul... during their connection...

It could be done.



It could be forged.

A Soul-Binding Contract.

But such a ritual wasn’t without cost.

It would take a toll on him. Binding a soul stronger than his own was dangerous, possibly fatal, if not handled correctly. And once bound, her energy would become tied to his own. A misstep could cripple him permanently... or worse.

He ran a hand through his hair, his thoughts growing wilder.

This wasn’t something he could rush. It would take preparation. It would take precision. And more than anything, it would take consent and willingness.

She would have to choose it fully. With all her power, her secrets, and her will.

And if she did...Lucas sat back slowly, his eyes drifting to the flickering candlelight. If she did... everything would change for him.

He wasn’t sure if it was fear or excitement pounding in his chest, but either way, the path forward had become dangerously clear.

He walked towards the arched window of his chamber, watching the moonlight spill across the quiet courtyard below. The night was still, but his mind was a storm.

He was still within the Expert Rank, strong by academy standards, impressive by noble standards, but in the grand scheme of this world’s cultivation ladder, he was still a speck. A far cry from true power. And now, war loomed on the horizon. Real war. The kind that shatters nations, burns cities, and buries the weak.

He thought of Lira. He thought of his parents in this life.

He even thought of Princess Nyx and Selene. He had people now. People he couldn’t afford to lose. He clenched his jaw and stepped back from the window.

He needed to get stronger, faster. And there was only one path that offered such a wild surge in cultivation in such a short time. The soulbound Dual Cultivation Technique.

It wasn’t just the forbidden art of Dual Cultivation. This was deeper. Riskier. A binding of fates. He had studied it in the texts of his past life. He had only ever read about it being attempted... never seen it. Never done it.

It was a miracle that he remembered how it worked at all.

But with the right balance... with the right conditions... with the right partner—it could be achieved.

And the Seer... she wasn’t just powerful. She was otherworldly. She was the kind of being the ancient rites were written for. The kind of soul that, once bound to his, would elevate him to realms that others could only dream of. It was madness.

Possibly suicidal....But he was going to do it. Because no one else could. No one else would.

"No guts... no glory," he whispered to himself. The words sounded foolish out loud, but they hardened his resolve.

He didn’t know if he would survive it.

But he did know one thing....time was no longer a luxury he could afford.

He grabbed his outer robe and flung it over his shoulder. The estate was quiet, the halls dim with only a few flickering lanterns lighting the way. No one saw him as he passed, and even if they did, they wouldn’t stop him.

When he reached the seer’s chamber, the door was already open, as though she’d been expecting him.

She stood near a low table carved from black obsidian, her long hair unbound, cascading like a river down her back. She wore a simple silver robe tonight, not the elaborate, intimidating garb of a seer, but something softer, freer, almost... ceremonial.

Their eyes met.

Lucas stepped inside, the heavy door shutting behind him without a sound. He said nothing for a moment. Then, his voice cut through the stillness, low and resolute.

"I’m ready," he said. "If you are."



The seer watched him quietly, her eyes unreadable for a beat. Then her head inclined with grace.

"I am," she replied simply.

With that, Lucas stepped forward and reached into the inner fold of his robe. He brought out a small pouch made of dark velvet, tied with a red string. He untied it carefully and sprinkled its contents, a blend of sacred dried leaves and alchemic herbs, into the bowl at the center of the room.

A moment later, he ignited it with a whisper of Qi.

The fire was blue at first, then settled into a slow-burning green flame. Almost immediately, the aroma filled the chamber, a warm, calming scent, like wild jasmine mixed with something ancient and earthy. The kind of smell that quieted the mind, yet stirred something primal beneath the skin.

Lucas stood and walked to the center of the room. He knelt on one knee and began to draw, a series of intricate runes, symbols older than most could read. His fingers moved with purpose, a soft glow trailing behind each line he etched into the polished stone floor with Qi-imbued chalk.

He didn’t rush because every symbol mattered.

When the circle was complete, it glowed faintly, like moonlight resting on water.

He stood and turned to her. "Sit in the center," he said softly.

The Seer stepped forward, calm and composed. Her bare feet moved without a sound across the floor. She entered the circle as though it belonged to her, like it had been waiting for her all along.

She sat in the lotus position, her hands resting lightly on her knees, her eyes closed.

Lucas stood just outside the circle, steadying his breath. His heart thudded, not from fear, but from the weight of what was to come.