Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

As Lira busied herself with packing, moving swiftly from one corner of the chamber to another, arranging items with the diligence only she could muster, Lucas allowed his thoughts to drift. He leaned back against his chair and stared absently at the flickering lantern light that swayed across the wall. His mind was not on the journey alone but on the people who had become interwoven with his life in ways he had never fully imagined.

He thought first of Lira. She had always been there, a constant presence, one that eased the burdens that weighed heavily on him. From the smallest tasks to the more delicate matters, she had shown loyalty that was unshaken. Though he had told her many times that she was no longer a servant, he had bought her freedom from his father long ago, she still clung to that role with stubbornness. She would curtsy, bow her head, and attend to him with the same devotion as before, never allowing herself to forget the position she had once held. Lucas had long since stopped scolding her for it, though in truth he found her defiance oddly endearing. She was a stubborn cutie, as he often thought, and despite her refusal to let go of old habits, she had a place in his heart that none could erase. He would elevate her officially, in time, not only because she deserved it but because she had earned it a hundred times over.

Nyx came next to his thoughts, her name stirring something different within him, her very fate entwined with his actions. In striving to protect her, he had pushed himself to limits he might never have touched otherwise. It was because of her, in part, that he had achieved something as extraordinary as spatial teleportation, a feat that would echo through the halls of history for generations. She had given him more than companionship; she had given him the chance to prove himself before the King and the realm. And though her own worries were great, she had never once looked at him with doubt. That quiet trust was a bond stronger than words, and Lucas knew well how valuable that was.

Henrietta's image soon followed, and here his thoughts lingered longer. The seer of Valerion, the proud and formidable cultivator who had lived for more than a century, was bound to him in a way that transcended mere loyalty. Through the soulbound contract, she was his, and he was hers. She had lent him not only her wisdom and counsel but her Yin as well, a Yin unlike any other he had tasted. Her reserves were vast, her power deep, and through her, he had grown stronger in ways few men could claim. Beyond that, he trusted her completely, a rare gift in a world where betrayal often lurked in shadows. He respected her, admired her, and yet he could feel the subtle pull of something more, something he knew Henrietta herself struggled to suppress.

Selene, too, crossed his mind, though his thoughts of her were more complicated. She had been dear to the man whose body he now inhabited, and though her Yin had been useful in the beginning, she had not stood by him in the way others had. There was distance there, a gap that no amount of sentiment could truly close. To Lucas, she had been beneficial in cultivation, but not in heart, not in loyalty, not in the ways that truly mattered.

One by one, these women formed a circle in his mind, their faces, their words, their contributions to his path laid bare before him. Each had given something, strength, trust, companionship, or devotion, and together they had pushed him forward along the road of cultivation and power. It was becoming clearer to him with each passing day that the path of Dual Cultivation was not merely a technique or a method. It was a foundation upon which he could build something greater than himself.

The more he thought of it, the more excited he became. With loyal women by his side, with bonds forged not just through cultivation but through trust and intimacy, he could carve out a place of influence and might that few could ever dream of. The thought of a harem, not born of mere lust but of loyalty, strength, and shared purpose, stirred his blood and sent a thrill racing through him. It was the path to greatness, the path to power, the path to a future where no enemy could stand against him.

The thought of a harem bound together not only by trust and loyalty but also by the soulbound contract was not a fleeting fancy. It was something far greater, a vision that would secure his path and make him untouchable against the forces that sought to crush Valerion and everything tied to him. He had already seen the power and unity that the bond with Henrietta had given him. Their souls tethered as one had created a strength and synergy that defied what even the most talented cultivators could hope to achieve. She was not merely an ally but an extension of himself, her strength flowing into his veins as surely as his own lifeblood. If he could recreate that bond with others, his harem would not just be a gathering of women but a circle of power, each one feeding into the whole, each one empowering him and empowered by him.

Henrietta was already his, bound in more ways than she would openly admit. Her pride had not lessened, nor had her authority, but even she could not deny what the contract meant. Her place beside him was assured, and while she might struggle against the feelings creeping into her heart, Lucas knew she would never abandon him. With her, there was no convincing left to be done, only the deepening of their bond as time and cultivation moved them closer to one another.

Lira, on the other hand, would never resist him. That much Lucas knew with absolute certainty. She had followed him from the moment their paths crossed, clinging to him with a loyalty that rivaled no other. She had always looked at him as though he were her entire world, and he knew that if he asked her to bind herself to him through the soulbound contract, she would agree without hesitation. She would likely even feel honored, grateful to be tied to him in such a permanent and sacred way. Convincing her was no task at all; she was already his, body, heart, and soul.

But Nyx was different, and Lucas was not blind to that fact. Though she had trusted him and leaned on him, though she had looked at him with gratitude when he gave her hope against the looming fate of being given away to another, he could not yet say what her choice would be if he asked her to take that final step. Nyx was a princess, proud and bound by the duties of her bloodline, and though she had shown him a side of herself that was soft and trusting, she still carried the weight of her family and her kingdom on her shoulders. He would have to convince her with care, not only through words but through actions that proved he was worthy of being bound to her. He wanted her to join him willingly, not out of desperation or fear of her fate, but because she truly believed in him. That was the challenge, and he accepted it.

Then there was Selene. Of all of them, she was the most uncertain piece in the puzzle, Lucas could not shake the thought that she had not truly proven herself in the way the others had, nor had she shown the same level of loyalty or trust as the others. Her place was questionable, her intentions unclear, and Lucas was not the type to bind himself to someone who might falter when the road grew rough.

And yet, he hesitated to cast her aside completely. Something told him there was more to Selene than what he had seen so far. Perhaps she needed the chance to prove herself, to step beyond the shadows of the past and show that she could be more than just a fleeting bond of Yin and body. He would not dismiss her yet. Instead, he decided he would give her that chance, one final opportunity to show him where her loyalty truly lay. If she succeeded, she could stand among the others, soulbound to him, a part of the circle he was building. If she failed, then he would know once and for all that her place was not in his future.