214 Fatty meets Serina

Less than a week after entering Storm Sky Manor, Shui still made visits to the library. There wasn't much improvement to the Ethereal Blade Method, but his vision for how the technique should be was clearer.

Additionally, he also had a better idea of how his fire created through the Four Elements Technique would behave. He knew that his spiritual flame, while very powerful, was more effective on the spiritual than the physical. Therefore, the flame created through the Four Elements Technique had to not only be strong, it also had to be more effective on tangible targets.

As Shui sat down in meditation under the shade of a tree, a small orange flame floated above his finger. Without increasing the heat it gave off or its size, he watched it as he slowly fed the flame his energy.

"Boss! Am I doing it right?"

A handsome and slender young man approached Shui with obvious joy on his face. The body might have suggested otherwise, but his appearance was still familiar.

"You're still stressing too much. Keep practising Fatty."

It was starting to feel odd calling him by his real name, but that couldn't be helped.

'It's not as if he actually lost the weight.'

The one with a bright smile despite being told to work harder was Fatty Zain. While he was studying, Shui asked him some simple questions about how he cultivated and if he ever felt something different about himself since birth. Luckily, Fatty already knew that he had a saint physique but he didn't know which one. Since Shui knew which it was as well as its abilities, he also knew the best way for Fatty to maximise his potential.

The blubber saint physique was one that spread the impact of attacks over the entire body through the special fat that was there. This allowed Fatty to endure and take less damage against physical attacks, but without the right training methods it would stop being effective after a certain point. However, with the vast storage of information that Shui had just waiting to be used, it was easy for him to find ways of improving Fatty's mastery over his physique.

Fatty Zain was in the middle of learning a tier 0 spell to temporarily change his figure. There was a way for him to fight in his original figure, but the basics were easier to learn in this state. One might ask why he didn't just lose weight, but that was impossible for him even if he starved himself to death. Sort of like how people can be born with big bones, he was just born to be fat. Even the spell he was using to maintain his slender state was only achieved by moving around the fat in his body and compressing it.

Fatty Zain was under immense stress while in this form, but he could keep a smile as he imagined how to use this spell outside of combat.

'Finally, my popular time, has come!'

While Fatty was in fantasyland and Shui sighed as his smile got creepier, a bell was heard.

ding...ding...ding...

It rang three times before stopping, which alerted all inner sect disciples that heard it. They knew that the ringing of the bell meant that it was time for them to gather. This was an event that happened once every month and this would be the first time for Shui.

Within less than an hour, majority of the inner sect disciples were gathered in a courtyard in front of the meeting hall of the elders. On the way here, though he managed to maintain it for the earlier half, Fatty Zain had to return to his original form due to exhaustion. However, with Shui was trying to be inconspicuous, a few amorous eyes landed on Fatty during that time and encouraged him to work harder.

Once the two of them made it to the gathering, someone spotted Shui's familiar figure. Though she stopped herself from running, the cute, petite girl still skipped over to him.

"Shui!"

Shui noticed her before she called his name so he was already looking at her with a faint smile.

"Serina, it's been a while."

Watching as the two were reunited was Fatty Zain shaking his head.

'Where does Boss meet all these girls?'

"Yes it has. How have you been?" Serina asked.

"Decently good. I haven't had any problems so far, and you?"

"The same. But I'm hoping I can break through soon."

"That seems possible. You can tell me if you need any pointers."

"Thank you," in the middle of talking with Shui, Serina finally noticed Fatty standing beside him and asked, "Oh, who's this?"

"Oh, this is a follower of mine."

"Name's Fatty Zain."

"What a weird name. My name's Serina, nice to meet you."

"Uh, yeah, me too."

Shui couldn't help but shake his head as he saw how nervous Fatty was. Through telepathy, he asked, "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry, I'm not used to girls talking to me without throwing an insult here and there."

"Oh..."

As the three of them continued talking with each other, Fatty steadily got less awkward. Though more people crowded the area, the three of them were having a good time until a sudden voice interrupted.

"Serina!"

Without turning around, Serina grimaced as she heard her name. This was the first time he saw her like this so Shui wondered who it was and looked. A handsome young man with stern expression approached.

"Serina, do you know how long I've been...," the young man continued to address Serina in a strict tone until he noticed Shui and Fatty who were next to her.

He then grabbed Serina's wrist and said, "Why are you two bothering her?"

Immediately after, Serina dragged her hand away and glared at him.

"Don't be rude! They're my benefactor and his friend."

"Huh?!"

Right as the young man reached for her again and she flinched in response, instead of Shui it was Fatty who took a step forward.

"Leave her alone."

The young man was at the fourth level of the Soul Realm while Fatty was only at the third level, but with Shui behind him he had no fear. Additionally, he couldn't stand back and watch this guy do anything to Serina. What he felt towards her wasn't romantic interest, just a pure desire to keep her safe.

As tension built up between the two of them, they were one spark away from fighting. However, the appearance of a few elders on the courtyard stopped that battle.