My CEO Harem Cultivation System

This was impossible—Mitsuko couldn't fathom what exactly had happened. One moment he had been in front of her and pinned to the wall because of her Ao holding and keeping him in place. But then he bypassed it and ended up behind her?

Was this some kind of Ao technique?

She gritted her teeth, and quickly spun around and delivered a kick at his arm.

Li Yang nearly staggered back for a moment, but held onto his sword. He swung his sword at her and she dodged. She wasn't quitting at all just because of a Skill and bluffing didn't work. 

"Your sword won't cut me," Mitsuko said.

And yet both of them had already seen it earlier and saw it happen again when her arm met the blade—it cut through the layer of Ao that coated and reinforced her skin. The entire cut stung and she felt something sap out of her, weakening the energy inside of her.

The Priestess quickly stepped back and then blasted him back with another wave of Ao.

He was sent back into the wall and crashed into the table. He quickly stood up and lunged forward. Before she held another hand up, but no blast of energy came out from her palm. Instead, she was busy looking at him—no, at the weapon in his hand.

"What is that?" Mitsuko tried to pour in Ao to heal her skin, but it wasn't working. Ao wasn't working on the blade's cuts? It wasn't a terribly deep cut, but the fact that it wasn't healing made the Priestess panic. Blood only dripped from her arm like a fountain and she looked up at him. "Stay away from me!"

Li Yang frowned and then momentarily glanced at the obsidian blade.

This was from another world. Clearly not from earth and neither did it belong here… but its effects were staggering. An unhealing cut? Han Jing had never told him it was like that, or else the guy might have charged him more.

Maybe this was his win, but he already knew that accosting the woman would lead to a pyrrhic victory. Even more so at the frightened expression on her face. Something tugged inside of him, as he reached out into the thin air and pulled out a healing potion. "Do you trust me?"

Her eyes stared at him, a moment of control came to her. "Are you crazy? Of course not—"

"If I give you this, then stop attacking me."

The Priestess's eyes stared up at the strange bottle in his hand. It wasn't similar to any vials she had encountered available in the Apothecaries available in the continent, the shape was non-standard and foreign. But more than that, the liquid glowed in a color that was realer than she had ever seen before in a bask of green.

She frowned at him.

Her blood was dripping onto the floor, even as she tore through her robes and wrapped the fabric around it. Somehow, it was bleeding and drenching the white fabric into red despite all the pressure applied to it. "How do you know I'll keep my word? I can easily get it from you through an attack."

He knew it because she had a look of terror across her face.

She already couldn't explain him and his ability to control Ao, but how much more these things? The injury she had on her person was telling enough that more cuts would lead to more grievous ones.

Li Yang hadn't expected himself.

But this was already something out of this world, and it brought on strange effects on the individuals here? Would it do the same to him? All he knew was that it worked even better than the swords available here, but not many experimented into healing a beast they have already slain to notice the status effect of 'no healing' for it to become obvious.

However, she expected an answer from him and so he spoke.

Their gazes met. "Because I have expectations that a woman of your standing could at least keep her word," he said. "And also because it'd be inconvenient if my entire room turned into a wasteland with all of the attacks. But if you want to continue, then tell me, even if I have offered a better option for the two of us." 

One of his hands held the sword, the other one held the potion.

The Priestess weakly laughed. "You're not giving much of an option." Would it be enough to run? He wouldn't chase her down or else he'd be left to face the entire temple. But even she was worried about her own injury to think beyond more than this.

He stepped towards her and took out the lid, hiding the unsureness in his action—before he allowed a drop of the liquid to drop on her arm. 

"Are you serious?! You're giving me just a drop—" The sensation of something healing inside of her was incredible. She tore the fabric off her arm to see the cut close down to a thin line, until it finally disappeared and her skin became blemish free again. No scars or anything.

What was this?

She knew this wasn't simply something available in Apothecaries. Some very expensive and pure beast core condensed into a liquid? Maybe it would have worked—but even the beast cores were made of Ao. So this was different.

"It worked," he said. His suspicions were correct, the potion and sword might have been normal in another world, but here it was foreign and out of place. Thus things became unbalanced—like his own presence here.

Mitsuko stared up at him. "You mean you weren't certain?"

"Not really, but I would have figured out something else." Li Yang had the entire Points Shop to peruse if the healing potion hadn't worked. It could have been expensive, but not as much as gaining an enemy.

"Unbelievable." The Priestess breathed. She thought he looked responsible and acted like it, but there were streaks and a touch of madness there… she gritted her teeth and looked at him. "An unexplainable individual with all of these things with you."

Some people really worked out the details fast and were intelligent enough to know they were of importance. But this time, Li Yang only shrugged. "I was fortunate to have them."

"And you're lucky that Priestesses do keep their oaths and vows." She narrowed her eyes at him. "But I will attack and hand you over to the High Priestess myself if you plan to do anything that goes against the temple."

"That sounds fair."

Mitsuko didn't know what she had gotten herself into. But a grim expression finally schooled her features as she nodded at him. "You're strong."

"Thank you?"

"You told me that you were here to get stronger, but it seems you already are."

This was a nice outlook, it would have made her wary. But he only cleared his throat, "I'm still here to learn about how to master using Ao. My techniques are impressive, but it's better to master the basics."

Or he could purchase Ao Principle Mastery, which he felt might have been available.

But this was a better option.

She pursed her lips at him. "If I can assist you in this matter, would you allow me to study you?"

Li Yang shrugged. "Setsuko has already got it covered… especially because I do not know what this study entails." He did have options.

"She is learning it--and I can already see that you're already at a level higher than her current understanding. Unless she was able to master all the concepts and practices today and teach it to you, I am a better teacher." 

Mitsuko was offended at the suggestion of the man that Setsuko could teach him. Allowing a student to teach another person? It would be children playing with sticks on the mud. 

She had spoken the truth. But Li Yang still denied it in order to get a better deal. "I trust her more than you. Like I've already said--I am not sure if allowing you to study me is something that I want. It's not necessarily a good idea."

"I wish to learn how Ao flows around your body and if this is something that other men could obtain. Women could awaken other women, which is a little taxing for our High Priestess but could do it for other women? Men?"

"Not really comfortable doing it for the latter." he said. "There are some… strange effects to awakening another person."

Mitsuko raised a brow. "What? The High Priestess has never spoken anything about that. It is taxing on the awakener and the reason why High Priestess Rhelea often needs to rest and entrusts responsibilities to more accomplished Priestesses like me."

"I see." 

The High Priestess was keeping the information away from them then, and this woman was naturally blessed with Ao when she was born so had no point of reference. Would it be good to incite suspicion on their leader? 

He didn't think it was the best choice.

At least for now.

But perhaps he could allow the woman to trust him more. The more allies, the better it was for him. Li Yang cleared his throat, "I'll consider you if you allow me more privilege to leave this room whenever I please."

"You're pushing it, aren't you?" 

"I am, but you're not exactly disagreeing with me."

—-—-

Author's Note: Hello there! Thank you for reading today's chapter, uploaded a bit late. I was looking at Fiverr today and at artists and was thinking about commissioning artwork. While it's a tad expensive for me, I've been able to get a cover for my other book due to Patreon support. I'm thinking of Bo Lifen because somebody loves her, and you know who you are xD However, it's really just me wondering if any else of you would like to pitch in and give a suggestion? Or you'll just wait for me to get more money, and I'll choose who to commission. I'll post the artist's sample in the comment section.

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