The transition out of the Marrow-Drying Wastes was a slow, dusty affair. The white sands eventually gave way to cracked earth and then scrub brush. Then finally, after two days of slow and leisurely travel, a landscape of jagged gray mountains that pierced the cloud layer.

  They found a temporary camp near a subterranean river that had burst through the rock face. It created a rare crystal-clear pool before disappearing back underground. It was the perfect spot for Li Yu to unwind after the battle and more importantly, to ask some questions.

  Li Yu sat by the water's edge, his bamboo rod in hand. This wasn’t some bamboo rod that he made on the spur of the moment. This was his hand crafted bamboo rod. He had spent countless hours during downtime on his travels making this rod. He needed a real weapon to go against a master fisherman. Beside him was that very master. It was none other than his Fisherman Soul.

  The Soul sat there silently as it always did. It was holding its own spectral rod. He still looked the same as before but right now he was radiating a sense of ancient peace. It would seem like the reunion with that Whale Soul had sparked something within the Fisherman.

  "So," Li Yu said while casting his line into the water. "About the Whale…"

  The Fisherman Soul didn't move or even flinch. As usual he gave no answer to anything asked. Its line bobbed gently and full focus was given to just fishing.

  "I haven't seen it since the breakthrough in the Koi Sanctuary," Li Yu continued. He was eyeing his own soul suspiciously. "It dove into the Qi Ocean and vanished. But I saw you petting it. You saw me, see you petting it. You knew it. Is it... is it a pet? A friend? Something more?"

  The Fisherman Soul slowly turned its head toward Li Yu. It lifted a single finger to its lips in a 'shush' motion and then pointed at the water.

  Splash.

  The Fisherman Soul jerked its rod. A massive silver-scaled trout like fish flew out of the water and landed in the spectral basket beside it.

  "Show off," Li Yu grumbled. "You're dodging the question."

  Li Yu focused. He sent his consciousness deep into his Ocean of Qi and was scanning the vast waters. He couldn’t find anything. His spiritual sense could only extend a certain amount down below and within that range the whale was nowhere to be found. It was like trying to find a specific shadow in a dark room. It was there. He could feel the weight of its existence within his soul but it refused to manifest.

  "Why won’t you come out to greet me like the others?" Li Yu pondered.

  The Fisherman Soul caught another fish. This snapped Li Yu’s attention back to the task at hand. Then a third. Li Yu looked at his own bobber in amazement. Nothing. Not even a nibble.

  "You are cheating," Li Yu accused. "You're using soul bait or something like that."

  The Fisherman Soul shrugged at him. It was a gesture that clearly conveyed: 'Skill issue.'

  After half a day of fishing the Fisherman Soul had won yet again. Li Yu sighed and pulled back in his hook. He dismissed the soul which gave him a final smug wave before vanishing.

  Li Yu stood up and was dusting off his robes. He was frustrated that not only did he lose once again to his Fisherman Soul, he didn’t learn anything useful from him. He looked over at Si Luo who was relaxing.

  The Spider Matriarch was currently lounging in a hammock made of her own silk. It was suspended between two boulders. She was back in her daring black silk dress and was inspecting her fingernails with an air of utter boredom. They had been resting here to wait for Li Yu to finish fishing.

  Li Yu took a deep breath. He had been thinking about this for a while now but had not worked up the courage to do it. His weakness wasn't necessarily to her techniques. He had a strong soul; he could resist mental attacks. Most in fact were not very effective against him since his soul strength was so strong.

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  His weakness was biology and a large part to being naive and inexperienced. He was a young man who had spent his formative years fighting monsters and raising fish. He was not socializing with breathtakingly beautiful women who pretty much wore lingerie as casual wear.

  The charm technique she emitted just took that natural attraction and turned the volume up to a deafening level.

  "Si Luo," Li Yu said while walking over to her with determination. "I have a request."

  Si Luo looked at him. This was the first real request he had since he took their souls under contract. "Oh? Do you need me to make you a hammock as well? They are pretty comfortable. Or perhaps you want fashion advice? That robe is very... unattractive."

  "I want to train," Li Yu said seriously. "I want you to use your charms on me."

  Si Luo blinked in surprise. She sat up but the hammock continued swaying. A slow, predatory smile spread across her face. "Excuse me?" she purred. "You want me to... seduce you? For training? That doesn’t sound like any training I know. I think you are trying to take advantage of me."

  "Yes," Li Yu nodded and began sitting down cross-legged in the grass about five feet away from her. "My mental defenses are strong against hostility but weak against... distraction. Khaos was right. I am too naive. I need to temper my mind against natural attraction and natural attraction that is amplified by spiritual arts."

  "I see," Si Luo slid out of the hammock. She didn't walk; she prowled. "You want exposure to it so you can become more experienced, more resistant to it. You want to build an immunity to the poison by drinking it."

  "Exactly," Li Yu said as he had to close his eyes. They were betraying him again and were looking all over. He had to close them to compose himself. He had no real lust towards her, his eyes just couldn’t help themselves. "Do your worst. I will resist."

  Bai Ruo was studying a rock nearby. She got herself comfortable on top of it and grabbed a bag of dried melon seeds. "This is going to be educational."

  "Very well, Li Yu," Si Luo’s voice dropped to a whisper. "Let us begin."

  She didn't attack with Qi. She simply released the restraint on her Pheromone Charm that she had been actively keeping in check. She then adopted a pose that highlighted every curve she possessed.

  "Li Yu," Si Luo whispered. She was somehow suddenly very close.

  He opened his eyes to start his training.

  She was kneeling in front of him. She leaned forward, bracing her hands on his knees. The neckline of her dress defied physics. Her milky eyes were swirling with violet light and seemed to be pulling at his soul.

  "Look at me," she commanded softly.

  Li Yu looked. His heart rate spiked instantly. His brain began to fog over. Logic screamed 'She is a spider!' but his eyes screamed 'She is magnificent!'

  "Your eyes are wandering again." Si Luo teased as she was tracing a finger up his chest. "I am up here, Little Crab."

  "I am looking at your... meridian points," Li Yu lied through gritted teeth. Sweat broke out on his forehead. He wasn’t used to this kind of closeness and this leveling of daring.

  "Are you?" Si Luo laughed. She then leaned in closer until her lips were inches from his ear. "Does my body make your pulse race like a rabbit? Or is it just that you aren't used to seeing a woman who isn't covered up all the time?"

  The urge to nod was overwhelming. The charm technique was amplifying the signals in his brain. The charm technique was actually being mostly countered by his Myriad Leviathan Body which had already adapted to it before. It was also being countered by his stronger soul. The problem was the signal itself. He needed to learn to separate the visual input from the emotional response.

  ‘Mountain,’ Li Yu chanted internally. ‘I am a stone. Stone has no feelings. Stone does not blush.’

  "I am... tranquil," Li Yu gasped. "Like... a still pond."

  "A pond can be rippled," Si Luo blew gently on his ear. She was now right next to him and was pushing up against him.

  Li Yu shuddered. He closed his eyes tight and yelled. "Tranquil Spider Mind Technique! First Form: The Blind Fish!" He had named the mental calming technique after his current teacher. This would be the first technique in the series that he was developing to counter his current weakness. This technique was to seal off all his senses to the outside world besides a slight spiritual sense to keep himself from danger.

  Bai Ruo choked on a melon seed in laughter. She had been in laughter nearly the entire time of this training. She bursted out in much louder laughter upon hearing the name. Bai Ruo was coughing violently in the background which helped Li Yu calm his mind a bit. Si Luo pulled back and was also laughing at the name.

  "Not bad," she admitted. "You lasted thirty seconds before your aura became chaotic. A bit pathetic but better than last time."

  Li Yu slumped forward at his failure. "We will do this every chance we get until I have perfected my technique. Until I can look at you without my heart rate changing."

  "I look forward to it," Si Luo winked. "But don't expect me to make it easy. This will bring me some fun until I can get back home."