Be The Icy Beauty! A Xianxia/Cultivation Tale

[ninjastar]

Long ago, the Lord of the Great Flock and the many demonic birds that followed him were slain in a cataclysmic battle.

The corpses of the many birds of his flock slowly became the foundation for the birth of the Great Flock Realm.

Within said realm were countless worlds, each formed from a particular ancient demon, such as the Golden Eagle World, Giant Dove World, or the Jade Sparrow World that Bing Meilu currently occupied.

Upon said world were five continents.

The Bird Talon Continent was ruled by the Twelve-Headed Avian Sect.

The Bird Beak Continent was ruled by the Migrating Flock.

The Sparrows Tail Continent was ruled by the Gold-Jade Nest.

The Shattered Shell Continent was ruled by the Kunpeng Emperor's Hold.

Finally, the largest and most important continent was the Jade Wings Continent, which actually consisted of two landmasses, a west and east wing. Said continent was fought over by the top four sects in a constantly flaring and receding war.

Naturally, in her first life, the Twelve-headed Avian Sect had dominated upon Bing Meilu's ascension to immortality. Though such petty mortal infighting was generally supposed to be below an immortal, it would be a loss of face for her if she couldn't even ensure the sect she came from dominated its world.

However, there was already a large difference between Bing Meilu's interactions with the Twelve-Headed Avian Sect from her first life. This time, she would not be a member of the Moon Crying Swan Palace. Instead, she had to join the Sky Swallowing Gulper Armada.

Standing in front of Bing Meilu and her two followers, was a tall fearsome-looking man. His body was muscular and huge, with nasty scars covering his face. Given that cultivators had a great deal of control over the appearance, they had either been left intentionally or had been such a severe wound that even cosmetic pills could not hide them.

He wore loose-fitting white robes emblazoned with golden dragons and flying pelicans.

From Bing Meilu's knowledge of the Sky Swallowing Gulper Armada, such robes marked him with the rank of Strike Force Commander, the Armada's equivalent to a Core Elder of the Moon Crying Swan Sect, two ranks below Bing Meilu's master had been. Theoretically, this made should make them of equal seniority within the Twelve-Headed Avian Sect but...

Bing Meilu sighed, before giving a quick bow.

"Junior Bing Meilu greets her elder," she said.

Given her 'master' was dead, her sect destroyed and her cultivation base so low, there was no way she could get away with treating the man as an equal. Bing Meilu had been in her mortal body long enough to have gotten decently used to bowing to her lessers.

"You're Prime Grand Elder Hai Yu's disciple?" he asked. "My master, Fleet Admiral Yu Houyi was good friends with her."

"I naturally have heard many good things about the fleet admiral," Bing Meilu said.

"Such as?" the man raised an eyebrow.

Bing Meilu paused. It appeared he was testing her? He might have some suspicions she was not who she said she was, as was expected. What did she remember learning about the Fleet Admiral from her Master?

"Master would often praise the Fleet Admirals' completion in the Six Whale Felling Spears," Bing Meilu said confidently.

"...What?" the man said with shock. "You- How did you know that?"

After a moment of shock, he quickly composed himself. Whatever suspicions he had, would likely have been erased, Bing Meilu thought.

"Whatever let's head to the Port," he snorted.

He raised his hand and suction force pulled Bing Meilu, Xia Xuefeng and Zhang towards him. With a flash, the man took off through the sky, the three lower-level cultivators pulled after him by a whirlwind.

---

Several hours later, the four of them landed atop a hill overlooking a massive port city. She wasn't personally familiar with it but knew enough about geography to recognize it as being Sky Spear City.

Already, Bing Meilu could feel much richer spiritual qi filling the air. As the top-ranked branch of the Avian Sect, the Armada's Sky Swallowing Prefecture was the best of the twelve prefectures, being the very southern tip of the bird talon continent, which held the most resources and power.

"This is Xiao City," the Commander said. "It's the nearest city to Snake Port, so if you want any mortal items, this will be where you go,"

'Xiao City? Why did I remember the wrong name?'

Bing Meilu's memory of her time in the Bird Talon Continent were the most faded of all her memories, as her cultivation had yet to be high enough to truly memorize all details, so it wasn't unusual for her to have remembered wrong, but something about the wrong name bothered her.

With another short flight, they arrived at an isolated compound at the edge of the waters.

"This is Snake Port, one of the Armada's Twelve Ports," the Commander continued his explanation.

The Sky Swallowing Gulper Armada was responsible for controlling and defending the Bird Talon Continent waters, from pirates, and demon beasts to foreign invasions, any matter pertaining to the sea fell under the control of their many fleets.

The 'real' sect existed only in the ocean, aboard their many ships, demon beasts and magical islands. These mainland ports were essentially the 'Outer Sect' portion of the Armada, which made Bing Meilu frown.

While this was technically the normal starting position for a new disciple, it was actually pretty unusual. Given her perceived status as a grand elder's disciple, she wasn't wrong to expect a higher starting position.

Then again, the Armada was the closest to a mortal army of any of the Twelve branches, so perhaps their lack of nepotism was explained by that militaristic mindset in which all backgrounds were equal?

In the end, it was a minor issue. Bing Meilu could rise through the sect the normal way, even if she would start at a lower position than she'd expected to.

"When is the next general disciple examination held?" Bing Meilu asked. "My junior sister needs to become a disciple as well."

"In a few months, the first day of the new year," the man responded. "That building over there is the Recruitment Hall, which is in charge of new disciples."

With that, the man abruptly vanished, leaving the three of them standing alone in the unfamiliar compound.

Bing Meilu would never say that her eyebrow twitched in annoyance at the man's attitude. Even if she was in Qi Condensation, she was the disciple of his own Master's friend, shouldn't he be a little more polite and outgoing to her? Let alone give her a privileged starting position, it seemed he didn't want to even bother showing her around the sect!

"Fine then, let's head to the recruitment hall!"

She strode towards said building, eyes scanning the unfamiliar compound.

Once inside the hall, Bing Meilu strode towards the counter, behind which were several older disciples.

---

The following were several boring hours of formalities and explanations. Bing Meilu's identity token was updated to reflect her status as a disciple of the Armada, she was dressed in a new plain white robe, given a map and primer explaining the basics of the Armada's structure, and set off to the communal living quarters for the lowest level disciple like her.

Once inside of her small new house, she was immediately questioned by Zhang.

"How goes your medicine for my damaged meridians, miss?" the withered man asked, voice weak.

"I already have around half the needed ingredients," Bing Meilu said. "The rest are specialized items only found in Moon Crying Prefecture. I'll need to be in Core Formation to retrieve them."

At this Zhang inhaled deeply in despair.

"So I'll be stuck like this for...decades?" he said despondently.

Bing Meilu snorted.

"Give me three years, five at max."

"...What? Are you joking with me?" Zhang said, voice becoming slightly angry.

"No."

The man's eyes bulged with anger, but he calmed himself down.

"And how exactly do you plan to do that? Such a thing is unheard of in the continent's history!"

"Easily."

At this the man just directly face-palmed, giving up on the line of conversation.

"Xia Xuefeng, go find a good source of blood for your cultivation," Bing Meilu ordered, turning her head to her female servant. "I'll be cultivating in the home for the next few weeks or so."

Bing Meilu planned to directly reach Foundation Establishment before doing anything else. Until then, she would keep her head down,

---

Bing Meilu sat within her home in mediation, slowly cultivating her Crystal Providence Absolute Tome, Icy Yin Qi thickening and condensing in her Seventy-Two Apertures.

With the Rich Spiritual Qi of the lowest tip of the Bird Talon Continent, in only four days she had already reached the sixth stage and was close to the seventh. Her door suddenly flung open and a young, fat man swaggered inside, wearing the same robes as her but with a red dragon badge upon his heart.

"Greetings newbie," the man sneered. "Now that you've joined the-"

A spear of ice ripped through the air so fast it seemed to simply pop into being, stabbing through his stomach and pushing out to the other side.

The fat disciple wheezed in pain, the air forced out of his lungs as he fell to his knees.

"What faction are you from and what cultivation level is your leader?" Bing Meilu demanded, not even having opened her eyes.

Another ice spear appeared, floating silently by the man's neck. The threat was clear.

Like many sects, the Sky Swallowing Gulper Armada allowed and even encouraged heavy competition and combat between its lower-level disciples. This relatively safe combat allowed them to sharpen themselves before having real outside dangers and motivated members to cultivate harder. As such, many disciples formed factions to extort and press-gang others for money and power.

"The Crimson Dragon Faction!" the man shouted in a mix of rage, shock and pain. "Our Boss is at the fifth stage of Foundation Establishment! Yo-You're dead for attacking me!"

"Tell your boss that we'll duel in two weeks," Bing Meilu said, still calmly cultivating in lotus position with her eyes closed. "When I win, I'll be taking over his faction. Until then, make sure it's known any thug to come near my home will receive a spear, but next time I'll be aiming for the head!"

A wave of ethereal water flowed from Bing Meilu, sending the man flying dozens of feet, back slamming into a tree with a loud crack, his disembowelled stomach and entrails splashing blood all over the grass.

'Getting to just peacefully cultivate for days at at a time is such a refreshing experience,' Bing Meilu sighed wistfully. 'I hadn't realized how much I missed it! Travelling can be fun, but nothing beats a relaxing session of meditation!'

---

Xia Xuefeng walked through the Snake Port Compound, looking for the market. She arrived, walking over to a shop that seemed to sell animals.

Stepping inside she saw cages containing rats, snakes, chickens and all sorts of animals. A middle-aged man sat behind a counter, reading with tiny glasses.

Having been so excited to start cultivating she had yet to read here turned to her, noticing her lack of disciple robes.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm uh, the servant of a disciple," Xia Xuefeng nervously admitted. "But I plan on joining when the next trials are held."

The man rolled his eyes dismissively.

"Well good luck. What does your master need?"

"Just, uh, fresh animals for blood?" she said.

"What's your budget?"

"I should have a few dozen silver?"

The man paused, looking at her strangely.

"...Silver? Girl, this is a Cultivator Sect, not a mortal bazaar. We only take Sect Points or Spirit Stones."

"Oh..."

Xia Xuefeng didn't think she had any of those.

"Um, how do I get Sect Points?"

"You can't. You don't even have a disciple medallion. Your master should have given you his if you're going shopping for him."

"Is there no other way for me to buy some animals?"

The girl needed animal blood for her cultivation, and she didn't want to disappoint her mistress.

Perhaps some of Xia Xuefengs desperation showed through because the man's face softened slightly.

"You said you just need blood? You can try hunting wild beasts in the forest. Don't go into any of the marked areas until you have a high enough cultivation."

Nodding, Xia Xuefeng thanked the man before heading out. It took nearly thirty minutes of walking to reach the nearby forest from Snake Port.

The girl aimlessly walked around, looking for wild animals.

As she walked, she suddenly turned around, a dangerous feeling welling up from within her.

A moment later a large wolf, nearly the size of a cow burst through the shrubbery. Its eyes glowed red and a black fog poured from it.

"A demon" Xia Xuefeng murmured, eyes wide.

Her stance widened, blood-red qi swirling around her.

 

[ninjastar]

Transmigrated back into the body of her child self, can the mighty Celestial Bing Meilu survive in a Xianxia world all the while staving off the advances of arrogant young masters and wannabe protagonists alike?

Why is life so hard for the Icy Beauty?

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Xia Xuefeng Interlude 2

---

"You can do this!" the young girl psyched herself up.

She had to kill the wolf if she wanted to cultivate. Bing Meilu had told her to increase her cultivation and there was no way she'd let the girl down! This was Xia Xuefeng's chance to prove herself to her mistress, that she could be useful even without the girl's direct oversight.

The wolf growled at her threateningly, black smoke wafting from its mouth. Perhaps an ordinary cultivator might find such a sight-threatening but...

"Compared to the demons from the Flesh Mountains... it's pretty cute,' she thought. 'If I didn't need the Blood Qi I might have tamed it.'

Within Xia Xuefeng's Dantian Ten Blood Crosses began to rotate, releasing a wave of rumbling, powerful Qi. With a thought. the crimson Blood Qi poured through her meridian system, saturating every cell of her body. It was a pure expression of raw power, utterly lacking in technique. A blood-red glow surrounded her body as some Qi leaked out. A low noise, like the howling of ghosts or the screaming of tortured souls, filled the air.

All of the girl's previously usable magical techniques only worked with her old cultivation manuals Yang Qi, and the only blood-based magical techniques she knew, which came from the Anthem of the Crucified, required a higher cultivation base. so she had to get by with this unrefined, raw Qi manipulation,

Before her the wolf demon tensed, sensing the danger. Its own cultivation was equivalent to the seventh level of Qi Condensation, but with the physical body of a demon, it was multiple times stronger than the average human of the same level. Yet despite the fact the human before it was merely in the fourth level of that realm, its strong predator instincts informed it of danger.

The wolf slowly retreated, resolving to find easier prey-

Xia Xuefeng burst towards the wolf, lashing out with a kick. The wolf leaped sideways, dodging.

Immediately it retaliated, bursting forward to bite down on the girl's leg. A second kick lashed out, connecting this time, and the wolf's head was knocked aside with a crack.

Blood leaking from its ear, the wolf began to furiously retreat, running away at full speed.

Xia Xuefeng cursed and she began to pursue her prey. Legs enhanced with even more Qi, she dodged and weaved through the forest like it was a playground, swinging on branches and kicking off trees.

She had practiced her acrobatics during her time showing off back in the village and honed them even further as a cultivator in the Bone Spike Forest of the Flesh Mountains.

Soon, she caught up to the wolf, leaping from behind, she grabbed it, furiously squeezing the wolf. Its claws swiped at her side, tearing a gash over her hip.

Blood leaked out from the wound.

Xia Xuefeng's grip tightened and within moments cracks sounded out as the wolf was crushed to death. It let loose a blood-curdling scream, a squishing sound filling the air as its internal organs ruptured one after another, a slurry of meat and torn organs erupting from the wolf's mouth like a jet of water from a bottle one had squeezed too hard.

Xia Xuefeng gasped, stepping back. A thick powerful Blood Qi filled the air, many times more powerful than any animal she had seen prior. A strong hunger filled her. She kneeled over the wolf's corpse, jabbing her hand directly into its stomach.

Immediately she began to refine its blood, a wet slurping noise filling the air as she drained dry its viscera. The rich, powerful blood flowed into her and she gasped at the intense surge of satisfaction that filled her as she began to refine the demon blood into Qi.

An eleventh, twelve, thirteen and fourteen Blood Cross formed within her Dantian, bringing her only one cross away from a breakthrough to the fifth stage of Qi Condensation. She would need fifteen for that.

Her mistress, Bing Meilu, had told her that reaching the fifth stage of Qi Condensation would allow her to utilize some of the magical techniques contained within the Blood Moon Spectral God's Anthem of the Crucified, rather than simply relying on wielding her raw Qi. So that was her current goal at the moment.

She spent a moment digging through the demon to find its Core, which she pocketed. While harvesting the meat and bones might be economically worthwhile, she instead preferred to head out further, looking for more prey. She was so close to the fifth stage.

With that decided, Xia Xuefeng continued deeper into the forest, looking for animals.

It was eerily bizarre how empty the forest seemed, to be honest. From her experience with forests, they were usually bustling with animals. Deer, rabbits, birds and all sorts of things. So far she only encountered a single animal, a demon wolf.

Bing Meilu had ordered Xia Xuefeng to raise her own cultivation whilst she cultivated in seclusion, and the twelve-year-old girl wanted to surprise her with just how much progress she made. She knew if she couldn't even find more than a single animal per day, that hope was dead. Finding blood and thus reaching the fifth stage today was a necessity!

'By the Heavens, this is taking forever. Can't I find some goddamn animals?'

It was only a few moments later, pushing into a clearing, that Xia Xuefeng's wish was granted.

Dozens of wolf demons lay in a clearing, fur stained with blood, eyes glowing red and wafting with black air. Still covered in the blood and scent of a pack member, all the wolves turned their heads towards the newly arrived girl, sniffing at the air.

Rumbling growls filled the air as the animals stood, baring their teeth.

'Oh fuck!'

Xia Xuefeng grimaced. She had found the answer as to why the forest seemed so empty of common prey animals. A whole pack of Demon Wolves?

That did not make much sense.

Demons were ordinary entities that awakened spirituality and began to cultivate, either from the ambient Qi in the air or due to stumbling into some kind of outside power source. They were more often than not insane and filled with an unquenchable lust for blood and power.

A whole pack going through Demonization and not killing and devouring each other?

'I have to get out of here,' Xia Xuefeng decided.

Whatever was the cause of the strange phenomena, it was likely beyond her pay grade.

She turned tail and began to run away at full speed, deranged bloodcurdling howls filled the air as countless feet pounded behind her. The girl did not dare to look back, focused fully on escaping.

'I don't think I crossed any so-called 'marked areas' and yet I still stumbled into such a danger! How unfair...'

She kept running and running and running, face white and nervous. Yet it seemed no matter how much she ran, the wolves were still behind her.

'Fuck! What direction was the end of the forest?'

She couldn't remember.

Gasping, sweaty and still bleeding from the earlier wolf fight, Xia Xuefeng found the sound of chasing wolves getting closer and closer.

'If I keep this up, I'm going to run out of Qi,' the girl realized. 'Then I would be certainly screwed. I have to fight them off. Maybe if I kill a couple they'll give up?'

Xia Xuefeng swung around, eyes narrowing.

Merely ten paces in front of her, the wolves halted their chase. Rapidly counting she saw twenty-eight.

They fanned out, surrounding the girl and letting out deep growls.

'Shit, shit, shit!' the girl lamented. 'I'm so utterly screwed!'

Blood dribbled down her side and an idea occurred to her.

'I'm so close to the fifth stage. Perhaps being able to use magical techniques will be enough to kill these wolves?'

Feeling desperate, she reached into her own dribbling blood and attempted to refine it.

"Aaargh!"

An utterly horrific pain rose up in her as her Qi went wild, explosively shaking around her meridian system. Before any permanent damage occurred, she immediately stopped, face pale and gasping for air.

The wolves had yet to attack, still warily eying her, but she could see a cruel light in their eyes. they could sense her injuries. Xia Xuefeng coughed up blood but kept her face steady to not show any weakness

'Well, that was a horrible idea!'

The wolves seemed to grow tired of waiting, and five leaped toward her at the same time, fangs bared!

Xia Xuefeng narrowed her eyes, she stepped forward and launched a powerful punch directly into the nose of one of the wolves. An enormous wave of Qi rippled through her arm, reinforcing her strength to the point the wolf's skull caved in, brain and blood exploding outwards.

However, unskilled as she was, she had failed to properly reinforce her durability as well, and she felt her left arm pop out of its socket, a ripping pain shooting through it.

The others four surviving wolves landed their attacks, teeth tearing into her legs and thighs.

Their fangs tore into her flesh and she screamed, kicking her legs trying to force them to let go. She slipped on wet blood, falling onto her back as the four wolves tore and bit at her legs and thighs. She could hear several other wolves running toward her as she screamed hoarsely.

Xia Xuefeng's Dantian whirled as she desperately drew in the spattered blood of the one wolf she'd killed She gasped, refining it into a blood cross with every bit of her will, even as she could see a wolf closing in towards her neck, mouth wide to tear open her throat.

An explosion of power flooded through her as she reached the fifth stage of Qi Condensation. Red Qi blasted away the wolves around her, though her legs were horribly mauled at this point.

Her fifteen Blood Crosses, which previously had floated around her Dantian, gathered together in a formation, links forming between them as they circulated power.

Now, having reached the fifth stage of Qi Condensation, she could use magical techniques.

'Blood Qi, from the seventh meridian to the tenth, to the seventy-first-'

Battle Art - Blood Demon's Whirlwind.

Around Xia Xuefeng, blood began to swirl, some of it pouring into her wounds and restoring her vitality.

She sprung to her feet, a nail appearing in her hands.

Battle Art - Impaling Nail of the Crucifix

With a seemingly casual swing, she tossed it. The nail of blood slammed into the shoulder of a wolf, sending it flying. The nail impaled through the wolf, affixing it to a tree. A second nail followed, ripping through the wolf's throat. Immediately its body shrivelled as the blood from it was pulled out, a river of its blood flowing over to Xia Xuefeng, soaking her robes and glowing with red Qi as it hardened into an armoured shell.

Battle Art - Red Lotus Dress

A third nail appeared in her left hand. In her right blood swirled and gathered. Slowly it stretched out, taking the shape of a chain with a nail at the end.

'Two killed, five stunned, 21 uninjured' Xia Xuefeng thought.

She burst into the attack, launching nails, at the wolf pack, while swinging her chain of hardened blood at any wolves that came too close.

Tearing through the wolf packs one died after another, and with each kill more and more blood swirled in the whirlwind around Xia Xuefeng, knocking aside wolves. This was one of the main strengths of blood cultivators. The longer a battle continued, the more powerful they became. Given she could heal and re-energize herself with blood, the young girl was like an undying demon once the fighting had started.

She launched her chain nail forward, impaling it through a wolf, which she ripped in half, even as she tossed a nail of crucifixion at a second wolf, ducking to doge a claw swipe from a leaping third wolf.

As Xia Xuefeng slaughtered wolf after wolf, she heard an enormous roar fill the air.

A massive wolf, the size of a horse seemed to appear from the shadows. Though Xia Xuefeng still lacked the ability to utilize spirit sense, its sheer size made its higher cultivation than the other wolves obvious.

It barreled towards her, each furious step causing nearby trees to shake.

Xia Xuefeng looked around. One Alpha wolf, Five uninjured wolves, six injured, and the rest were dead.

She inhaled, before leaping forward to meet the alpha. Its paw slammed toward her but was pushed away by the Blood Demon's whirlwind.

Xia Xuefeng's blood chain lashed out, stabbing into the demon's eye. It screamed and the fog around its body condensed forming a floating rune.

The rune shot toward her, exploding into a black fire that began to burn away at her blood whirlwind.

Xia Xuefeng severed that part of the whirlwind, stopping the spreading of the flame. At the same time, she launched five nails into the wolf's flesh.
They dug in, causing the alpha wolf to let loose a scream of pain, but didn't do any fatal damage.

Grimacing, she ducked under a ferocious leap, slicing her chain across the beast's belly.

Its tail whipped, smashing into her and sending her flying. Pain filled her chest monetarily before blood surged into her, filling her with an even stronger vitality before.

The wolf spun around, eyes red with fury as it charged her, jaws wide, intending to crush the human interloper.

Xia Xuefengs chain rose into the air and she slashed it forward, directly into the wolf's mouth, a huge surge of her Qi empowering it. Crimson Qi flooded from her Body Cross Diagram, making the chains glow a deep red.

With the screeching sound of the air being torn, dozens of blood spikes erupted from within the wolf's stomach, ripping it into pieces. Even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator might have trouble releasing such an attack.\


At the end of the day, The Anthem of the Crucified was the precious art of an ancient God felled before time began. It was normal for Xia Xuefeng's power to be so much higher compared to others of her level.

"I- I did it!"

The girl out a whoop of joy, before ducking as the elven wolves once more assaulted her

After that, she made quick work of the remaining wolves, looking down at the forest floor flooded with several inches of blood and gore, wolf heads and limbs littering the soil.

'Time to cultivate?'

Xia Xuefeng could only laugh at the absurdity.

---

Xia Xuefeng trod towards Port Snake, dress soaked with blood so thoroughly one couldn't even tell it wasn't simply red naturally. A powerful Qi resonated from her. The eighth stage of Qi Condensation, with thirty-six blood crosses.

As she trod towards camp, a man flew towards her. A powerful crushing force seemed to slam into her, forcing her to her knees. This was the spiritual pressure of a much higher-level cultivator!

"You there!" he shouted, face severe. "What's a Demonic Cultivator doing in Port Snake?"

'Uh oh!'

The red-splattered girl immediately raised her hands.

"I- I'm not a demonic cultivator," she wheezed gasping for air.

The man snorted in disdain.

"Tell it to the judge, brat!"

 

[ninjastar]

Transmigrated back into the body of her child self, can the mighty Celestial Bing Meilu survive in a Xianxia world all the while staving off the advances of arrogant young masters and wannabe protagonists alike?

Why is life so hard for the Icy Beauty?

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Chapter 25 - The Crimson Dragon Faction

---
The still form of a young girl sat within a wintery paradise. Snow and ice covered everything around her and yet she seemed unbothered, breathing in and out rhythmically.

Her long ebony hair contrasted against the pure white background like a dark void, fluttering in an unseen wind.

'Just a little further-'

Bing Meilu's meridians greedily swirled as a river of crystalline Qi poured into them. Within each meridian aperture, a complex system of lines swirled, self-similar to the whole system of meridians.

This was the Qi Condensation step of the Crystal Providence Absolute Tome, which required a practitioner to fashion each aperture into its own system of meridians, drawing on a profound law of the cosmos.

That which is above is like that which is below, and that which is below is like that which is above.

The macrocosm becomes the microcosm, the microcosm becomes the macrocosm.

A law of this level could only be found in a primordial tome created by an ancient god, like the Crystal Providence of yore whose inheritance Bing Meilu had received.

A shuddering pale blue light blossomed from the young girl's jade-like skin, making her resemble an immortal fairy, as her cultivation broke through another stage.

In most cultivation manuals, each such breakthrough was followed by the unpleasant expulsion of impurities- no such thing occurred here.

Bing Meilu would simply ask, which impurities? Would any measly impurities dare exist within the body of this Lord? Courting Death!

"That will have to be enough for now," the pale-skinned girl sighed, rising. "Any further so quickly and my foundation will be unstable."

She inhaled, the snow and ice around her slowly dissipating to reveal the inside of a living room.

Her cultivation had advanced to the ninth stage of the Qi Condensation Realm.

"It shouldn't be out of the question to become an immortal in a few centuries," Bing Meilu decided.

She strode forward, opening the door of her assigned dorm, and stepping back out into the open air of Port Snake. Multiple disciples were milling about in the area outside the communal dorms.

"-Shi Weng's become a Core Disciple. So early too-"

"Damn those Greedy Snake Brigade bastards! Once we-"

"B-but Li Lu- I love you, don't leave-"

Bing Meilu ignored the lowly mortals, walking over to a random boy. His Qi seemed to be around the fourth stage of Qi Condensation.

"You there!"

"M-me?"

"Where can I find the Crimson Dragon Faction?"

"Huh? What do you want with them?"
Bing Meilu stared at the boy in silence, expressionless eyes somehow still caring annoyance.

"Oh- I think they mostly hang around the east of the Iron Skin Ape Enclosure?"

Answer in hand, Bing Meilu immediately began to follow her map in that direction, ignoring the random boy's questions as she strode away.

The Armada used plenty of tamed Demon Beasts, one such kind being Iron Skin Apes, who were used to patrol the land sections the sect controlled.

Bing Meilu arrived near one of the large enclosures of Port Snake, where Iron Skin apes were held behind a translucent barrier.

Just by a large rock outside the encolure was a large group of Inner and Outer Disciples or 'Lieutenants' and 'Privates', to use the Armada's own terminology.

Each had a Crimson Dragon badge pinned to their robes. There were about fifteen Privates, Randing from the third to the Seventh level of Qi Condensation, and three Lieutenants in the Foundation Establishment Realm.

One, a bald, muscular youth with a red dragon tattoo marring the bronzed skin of his face, and at the fifth stage of the second realm was obviously the leader. The rest of the disciples were circled around him, fawningly and the two other lieutenants stood by his seat atop a large rock.

The leader has modified his robe to expose his muscular tanned arms. He was smirking at a kneeling girl from atop a large rock, while his subordinates jeered and laughed from around her.

"I'm sorry, but that's not enough to pay off your debt," he chuckled.

"W-what do you mean? It's all there, fifteen spirit stones?" the kneeling girl's face paled.

"Interest darling. If you'd paid last week, when you were supposed to it's been fifteen now- For makin' me wait let's say eighteen! By this week, or the debt will just keep goin' up"

The subordinates chuckled menacingly at that.

"We can't afford that-" the girl gasped. "Please-"

"There's always another way for you to pay," the muscular boss said, winking, before dragging his eye over the woman in a vile leer.

His subordinates, as if qued, all wolf-whistled and fist-bumped each other.

The girls turned to one of horror. "No way! I'm no slut!"

"Why do you think your boyfriend sent you instead of coming here himself?" the bronze-skinned man laughed.

"That- I'm- I'm not interested in that!"

"Look girly, I'm already been mighty generous offering an alternate payment plan- If you want to spit on my generosity I guess me and my boys are going to have to start breaking kneecaps. Do you think your little boyfriend can afford an injury, so soon to his exam? I guess you don't love him as much as you said you did-"

At that, the subordinates all laughed mockingly.

Bing Meilu raised an eyebrow, watching the event. Even ignoring the karmic insinuations of such immoral activity, did none of these cultivators have even the slightest bit of pride or self-respect? Fawning subserviently over every slight joke their boss made, clapping with every word, it was like they were servants kissing the ass of an emperor rather than cultivators seeking to challenge the world itself.

"No one so submissive can ever challenge the Dao of Heaven," Bing Meilu shook her head. "What wasted direction."

Call her a little partial, but even the average disciples at her Crystal Providence Absolute Palace were not so foolish and contemptible.

Having had enough of watching, the young girl strode towards the group, her flaring Qi noticeable to all of them.

The boys quieted, looking over at the approaching disciple.

"Who are you?" the boss asked, narrowing his eyes. "I don't know who sent you, but tell them you're a little too young to be 'paying debts' here-"

"This is the Crimson Dragon Faction, correct?" Bing Meilu interrupted, voice imperious.

"Yup," the boss answered. " And don't interrupt me-"

"Wonderful. We are going to fight. Whoever wins will take ownership of the Crimson Dragon Faction," Bing Meilu said, smiling politely.

The muscular teen did not respond, eyes slowly narrowing into a glare. A fiery Qi erupted from his body, visible swirling around him like a coiling snake. His aura was aggressive, tainted with killing intent, and backed by the power of a fifth-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"You look very young. To have reached the eighth stage of Qi Condensation so fast is a sign of great talent, but talent is meaningless before power. There is nearly a full Realm between us. To even entertain the idea of a spar would be spitting on the face of all Foundations Establishment cultivators! Why don't you run back to your papa now," the leader waves dismissively, shooing her with his hand and retracting his aura.

"I always overestimate the intellect of the average mortal," Bing Meilu audibly sighed. "If you'd paid attention to my words, you'd hear I didn't ask for a duel. I said we would be fighting."

The man only had the opportunity to blink, as the small child blurred towards him, a spear of ice savagely thrusting towards his throat.

---

Chains of Steel clamped around Xia Xuefeng as she was dragged into a courtroom by two officers, blood and gore dripping from her unwashed body. There was a man in regal judge robes sat behind a desk, who raised an eyebrow at the sight of her.

"What's this now?" he frowned.

"Captain Ji Longyi sent her in, Judge Tongxi," one man said gruffly. "Said he found this Demonic cultivator milling about outside the sect."

"Alright, Ji Longyi? Yes, I'll deal with this!" the judge waved his hand and the two guards dropped the girl onto the floor.

"Name and Sect," the judge began, bored.

"My name is Xia Xuefeng- and I swear sir, this is not what it looks~"

"I said name and sect. Not name and sob story!" the judge cut in.

"Xia Xuefeng. No sect."

"No sect? You're a loose cultivator?" the judge asked, narrowing his eyes.

"No, well, yes- well- I'm the servant of a disciple here, and we planned to have me formally apply to become a sect member in the next trial."

"...You expect me to believe a disciple of our righteous and orthodox sect would take you, a demonic cultivator as a subordinate?"

The judge's tone made it very clear how ridiculous he found the idea.

"Yes! Uh, I mean, I'm not a demonic cultivator, but I am subordinate to a sect member- her name's Bing Meilu- I'm sure she can vouch for me!" Xia Xuefeng explained in panic. "If you'd just ask her-"

"Not a demonic cultivator, girl, I can sense the clear aura of blood around you! Who do you think you're fooling?"

Xia Xuefeng shrunk into herself under the man's exasperated glare. Tears prickled at the corner of her eyes.

There was no way Bing Meilu had given her some unorthodox, illegal cultivation method? She wouldn't do that to Xia Xuefeng...right? Yet the judge seemed very certain that she was a 'demonic cultivator' as accused.

To be honest, Xia Xuefeng didn't even know what a demonic cultivator was, other than that they were evil people you had to avoid.

'Don't stay up late at night or the demonic cultivators will come to eat your kidneys!'

If she knew the actual definition, she might be capable of arguing
her case, but as it was she could only meekly sob while the judge glared down at her.

"Now, explain what you were doing outside my Port Snake?"

"I was just hunting in the forest. I need animals for my cultivation but I can't buy them until I enter the sect."

"I don't believe you. You were scouting out our sect for some nefarious purpose, correct?"

"No! Look, please just get Bing Meilu, she'll be able to explain everything I'm sure-"

"I've never heard of any Bing Meilu girl, but you were brought in a Captain Ji Longyi, a famous genius. If you think you're getting out of your punishment when his name is attached to this case, you are mistaken."

Xia Xuefeng's shoulder shook again. This couldn't be happening. The judge didn't even seem to want to allow her any chance to argue her case. She could only stay silent, anxiety growing as the judge's glare deepened.

"I think I know exactly what to do with you," the judge eventually decided. "Take her to the dungeons. She can be used as an obstacle for a prospective disciple during the next examination. Oh and don't forget to give Captain Ji Longyi his fifteen sect points for arresting a criminal."

"Yes, Judge Tongxi!" the guards picked up the chained Xia Xuefeng and began to drag her despondent body out of the courtroom.

 

[ninjastar]

Transmigrated back into the body of her child self, can the mighty Celestial Bing Meilu survive in a Xianxia world all the while staving off the advances of arrogant young masters and wannabe protagonists alike?

Why is life so hard for the Icy Beauty?

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Chapter 26 - The Might of Foundation Establishment

---

Bing Meilu thrust her spear forward with indomitable power. Harsh steam exploded as the Boss slammed a flaming fist into her spear, shattering it into an explosion of dust.

"Courting Death!" he shouted, bronze skin erupting with a swirling red flame.

His leg shot out towards her stomach, blazing with a red, draconic aura. Bing Meilu's feet gracefully slid across the ground as if made from ice, strafing around the body cultivator.

"Grand Frozen Xia Matrix!"

Swirling Runes of ice appeared around her palm, forming the shape of a fractal snowflake. She slammed her hand into the man's back, skin steaming as her ice met his blazing flesh.

The rune matrix glinted and attached to the man's skin as he twisted around with a mighty roundhouse kick. Her body boiling with Qi, Bing Meilu ducked under the kick. Only a split second later he smashed a flaming fist into her jaw, sending her flying with a mighty crack.

Her body slid across the grassy ground, leaving a trail of ice across it. Bing Meilu stood, eyes staring coldly at the faction leader.

The man's face was sweltering red with rage at her lack of reaction. "Such incredible arrogance! Who the hell do you-"

He paused, as a white aura began to pulse around Bing Meilu, rising to clash with the man.

It was killing intent. Whereas the man was fiery and wild, like a feral beast ripping apart its prey, hers was cold and impassive and all-devouring, like an apocalyptic snowstorm that sought to snuff out all life and yet was empty and impassive.

"A killer at your age?" the man said, face serious. "What the hell are they feeding the kids this generation?"

"Boss!" one of the two Lieutenants spoke up, only to be cut off.

"Don't interfere, Liu. If I can't even defeat a child in Qi Condensation alone, then I might as well just kill myself because I'd have cultivated for nothing!"

This wasn't only meaningless pride. Cultivator psychology was of utmost importance. They had to have absolute certainty in their own strength or they would falter in face of tribulation. Relying on the strength of others might only weaken that resolve.

"You're incredibly strong for your cultivation rank, little girl." the man nodded, skin glinting with fire. "So let's make this a real fight. My name is Jiang Hu, leader of the Crimson Dragon Faction and Lieutenant in the Sky Swallowing Gulper Armada."

"You're not worthy to learn my name, but you may call me Master, Lady, Queen or Goddess. Whichever you prefer, mortal."

This was a sign of Bing Meilu's tentative and slight decrease in her disdain towards this mortal. Back in her days as a mighty Celestial, even being addressed directly by her would be an honour people would kill their own mothers for.

Unable to comprehend the depth of her magnanimity, the man simply scowled at her, as if disrespected. Sadly an ant like him could not comprehend how little respect he was due.

"Red Dragon Fang!"

The largest difference between those in Foundation Establishment, like Jiang Hu, and those in Qi Condensation, was the regulation of one's Qi by their foundation.

It allowed them to manipulate and condense their Qi to a degree categorically beyond those of a lower cultivation realm. With it, complex and powerful forms of Qi Manipulation and magical techniques could be unleashed.

Two blazing fangs of fire formed, one in each of Jiang Hu's hands. The air thrummed with heat at the incredibly dense fire Qi blazing in his hands.

"Saber Art - Thirteen Strikes!"

Jiang Hu exploded towards Bing Meilu. A poleaxe axe of blue crystal appeared in her hands as she met him for battle.

His wild blows slammed into the haft of her pole axe, parried. She deftly swung the long weapon, bashing away the blitz of sabre swings.

Each time the weapons clashed, Jiang Hu's attacks increased in speed, until it was as if he was a blur, launching barely visible swings.

A drop of sweat poured down the back of Bing Meilu's head as she began to be forced back, unable to deflect the flurry of attacks.

Even with her incredible reserves of Qi reinforcing her senses to the max, she could barely keep up with the man. Still, she was not worried. Only slightly pressured.

"Aaargh!" Jiang Hu's body weaved and whirled as his twin sabre swung and slashed down at the retreating girl.

His right dragon fang lashed out against her, cracking her icy spear in twain with a hiss of steam as fire met ice. His left blade stabbed forward with brutal intent, trained directly toward her stomach.

"Grand Frozen Xia Matrix!"

The formation of runes that clung to his back suddenly glinted, as Qi poured through the air, from Bing Meilu into runes affixed to the faction leader.

Ice was of Yin, and Yin could manifest itself in myriad fashions. After all, everything in heaven and earth was born from the marriage of Yin and Yang - The Liangyi. Yin could represent reversion, the retreat of all things.

And so the Runes on the man's back harshly tugged him backwards. His blade froze an inch from the flesh of her stomach, before flying backwards, as the man rolled over the ground towards the spot where Bing Meilu had initially branded him with the matrix.

The runes began to shudder as flaming Qi poured from him, assaulting them. However, one thing Bing Meilu had to spare was Qi. Cultivating the Crystal Providence Absoilute Tome, each aperture point in her meridians was akin to a full system of meridians. She had the qi of nearly seventy-two cultivators of her rank combined.

Qi endlessly drained from her, constantly repairing the Rune Matrix. The man gave up after a moment, leaping at her, ground cracking as he exploded into the air, only to pause, before flying back down to the ground. The incredibly complex Rune Matrix couldn't be subverted so easily.

However, stopping his attacks couldn't win a fight by itself. Bing Meilu had to take offence as well.

"Not that you deserve this honour, but you'll be the first person I use this weapon against!"

Being only in Qi Condensation, Bing Meilu's attack options were fairly limited. Nearly all of the offensive techniques she knew would be fairly useless at this level. A normal Foundation Establishment cultivator she was confident she could beat with weapon arts, but Jiang Hu was a body cultivator and would likely just ignore attacks of that level before counter-attacking.

Perhaps she could overcome said defence via a battle of attrition she would win, but this victory had to be decisive enough to make him submit. A 'cowardly' tactic would earn less respect than crushing an enemy with lethal force.

"Xin Shui, come out."

A silvery metal poured from her sleeve, coiling around her fingers and hand to form a small orb.

Bing Meilu had pondered what kind of soul-bound weapon to create. In her near-infinite years, she had mastered near every weapon conceivable. She was particularly fond of long polearms, greatswords and javelins.

So the answer was obvious, in the end. Her life-bound weapon would be- All of them!

"Greataxe form."

The silver metal bulged and expanded, slowly taking the form of an entirely metal, seemingly liquid great axe. Ripples spread out across the surface of the implement as she gripped it in two hands.

She graced him with a polite smile. His defeat was inevitable.

"Great Dragon's Conflagration!" Jiang Hu roared.

His belly swelled and he leaned forward, mouth opening to erupt with a river of sticky flaming fluid. The white flaming fluid danced through the air, homing in on the still girl.

"Useless."

A white light exploded from her as her mighty frosty Qi filled the air. The flaming liquid froze and fell to the ground, uselessly shattering.

The Grand Frozen Matrix was activated once more. Only this time the reversion was towards the origin of the Runes, Bing Meilu's left hand.

Jiang Hu was tugged through the air, He hefted his sabres, preparing for a devastating slash. Bing Meilu did the same.

Then she swung. Her axe momentarily met his flaming daggers- then she pushed forward. An explosive crack filled the air as her weapon cracked down on Jiang Hu's back. His torso caved downwards, bending and deforming as if made from bronze rather than flesh. A wheeze, unable to even be called a scream tore itself from his mouth as the air was driven from his lungs and his body was driven to the floor.

It only made sense. Xin Shui was a Soulbound weapon, containing fragments of Bing Meilu's own soul and spirituality. Compared to a measly Qi COnstruct, it was far better. Rather than simply being formed of her power, it actively enhanced her strength to a great degree.

Bing Meilu stared down the wheezing Jiang Hu.

"Concede."

His body and shoulder shook as he slowly pushed himself up, eyes blazing with rage.

"I-I'm not doone-"

Bing Meilu's axe slammed down onto the back of his neck, and he froze, as the blade tore through flesh, only to pause just before his spine.

"If I even lean forward slightly my axe will sever your spine," Bing Meilu stated. "At your stage of Cultivation, that would be fatal. Concede."

The former faction leader stared up at her, eyes red with unwillingness. After a long silence. he inhaled, gathering his resolve.

"I- I con... -I concede."

Bing Meilu smiled politely.

"Wonderful. Then why don't we go get you some medical treatment? It wouldn't do for my subordinate to be so badly injured, now will it?"

---

Jim Hu, a worker at the sect ranking office, frowned at the reported victory. This had to be a bug, or a case of cheating. How else could a mere Qi Condensation cultivator defeat someone so much higher in rank?

All fights within the sect were carefully tracked to properly rank and promote disciples on the basis of strength. Occasionally you would get some wealthy scion 'cheating' by paying a stronger disciple to lose on purpose, in hopes they would still get promoted. The Armada didn't look too kindly on those who did such a thing.

On the other hand, there were genuine geniuses capable of defeating those much stronger than them...

"Case Nineteen. Send an investigator to question a newly joined disciple, rank of Private, one Bing Meilu."

 

[ninjastar]

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Zhang Yi Interlude 5

This chapter continues from the last Zhang Yi Interlude.

---

Chirp

Chirp

Zhang Yi awakened to the soft songs of sparrows. Dawn light shone down on his gaunt face, through cracks in the dense foliage above. Slowly, he raised his hand to his head, brushing the long, dark locks of his unkempt hair off his face. Groaning he rolled onto his stomach before pushing himself up.

Stretching, the boy let out another groan. Various random parts of his body ached and throbbed. Undoubtedly places of his body was forced to rest on rocks or twigs.

After a minute, Zhang Yi looked around the impromptu camp that the villagers had formed. Dozens of teenagers and children lay strewn about the forest floor around a single large wagon.

Besides him, there were four people already awake, sitting around a small fireplace atop logs that served as makeshift benches. The four chatted in low voices, careful not to wake anyone. Deciding he had nothing else to do for the moment, Zhang Yi approached the group, taking a seat on an empty log.

"Good morning," he said politely in greetings to the others.

"And good morning to you!" replied He Zhao with good cheer from his log.

"Hello," greeted shyly the second of the four, a tall girl with black hair and pale, jade-like skin. Her name was Cao Ya, the adopted daughter of Jiang Cities luxury clothing makers, the Xian family.

"Good morning," Jiang Fang smiled politely, sitting next to Li Renlong, who tersely glared at him.

"So, what do we plan to do for the rest of the time we're waiting here?" Li Renlong complained. "I'm already bored as all hell!"

"There is not much to do," Jiang Fang shrugged. "Just take it as a vacation."

Zhang Yi sat, silently watching the four of them chat. He didn't really have anything to say to them, nor did he really know how to join in one such a conversation. His main experience talking to others was begging for odd jobs from the few shopkeepers who put up with him.

The four of them chatted around the fire, as more and more of the children awoke. Once everyone was awake, the noble boy clapped his hands, gathering everyone's attention.

"We'll need some food, so we need a few people to volunteer to head into the city and acquire it."

Li Renlong, Yang Mu and He Zhao all raised their hands to volunteer. Instead, Jiang Fang turned to pointedly stare at Zhang Yi. The orphan boy did not raise his hand, instead raising an eyebrow at the noble boy's look. Did he really expect Zhang Yi to take on the risky job of heading to the city?

"Actually, I was thinking I and Zhang Yi could go," the noble explained. "I'm sure we've all seen him climb like a monkey when being chased by Li Renlong. If we do get attacked in the city, he should be able to safely escape."

Li Renlong snorted at the characterization but said nothing. Zhang Yi could feel eyes turn to look at him expectingly.

'Why should I risk my life to get food for these people?' the boy wondered. 'When they wouldn't spare me a moment of the day back in Jiang City?'

The longer he waited to speak, the harsher the looks became. He wanted to refuse but could feel it would be a bad idea. After a long moment, he shrugged. "Fine."

Zhang Yi clasped the long knife he had gotten yesterday, strapping it to his thigh. Jiang Fang grabbed a bag of coins for the loot-wagon, and the two boys silently stalked off from the camp.

As the two walked in silence, the orphan boy couldn't help but inspect Jiang Fang. Where Zhang Yi was wiry and thin from missing so many meals, Jiang Fang was well-built and fed, a layer of soft fat hiding his muscular form. Where Zhang Yi was always on edge, nervous and skittish, Jiang's pale face seemed permanently calm and unbothered. Where Zhang Yi's skin was clammy and sickly from malnourishment, Jiang's was pale and smooth from a life of luxury inside.

"Like what you see?" Jiang Fang teased, noticing Zhang Yi's intense gaze.

"...No, I don't think I do," Zhang Yi said, with a harshness in his voice that surprised even him. Jiang Fang too blinked in surprise at the naked contempt.

"Why?"

Zhang Yi snorted and failed to answer, turning to look ahead at the light streaming into the forest. An ember of anger was steadily building up within him. "How far do you think we'll have to go till we reach the city?"

"An hour or so. Shouldn't be long before we reach a landmark."

'How dare this bastard ask me to sacrifice for all these people when they scorned me my whole life? How dare he seems so calm and unbothered when we all nearly died? How dare he seem to not fucking hate me after what his family did to me! It's like I don't even matter enough for him to remember why I would hate him!'

"I hate people who seem to think the world owes them something," Zhang Yi spat. "I hate people who walk around like everyone owes them respect or obedience. I hate rich brats and nobles, I hate the Jiang family, all thieving tyrants and most of all I fucking hate bastards who don't seem to care about anything at all!"

Zhang Yi inhaled shakily, eyes wide as if even he was surprised by his angry outburst. Jiang Fang's calm expression cracked slightly, his brow furrowing. He didn't seem to know what to say.

The atmosphere was thick enough with tension you could cut it.

"You know, you're the second person in my whole life to insult me to my face," Jiang Fang eventually said. "Most people are too scared of my background... I think I like you."

"Well, I don't like you!"

"Hmmph, give it time. I'm sure I'll grow on you."

"You'll grow on me as much as a tapeworm grows when feasting on the innards of a fat man."

"I...I don't even get that analogy."

---
The two robed boys arrived at the outskirts of the large city. A stench like rotting meat, rancid feces and burnt coal filled the air. They walked through a backstreet, out into a large alley filled with clothing shops.

The boys continued exploring, Zhang Yi dazzled by the hustle and bustle, Jiang Fang seemingly unimpressed.

Eventually, they caught sight of a street vendor, hawking friend meat skewers. Jiang Fang approached the man.

"How much for your entire stock?"

"Huh? Oh, it's five copper per stick, so 23 silver for everything I have on me today?"

"You have change for three gold?"

"Uh- yes?"

Jiang Fang quickly made the transaction, receiving a large box filled with meat skewers. As the man only cooked a few at a time on his grill, they were raw, but that was fine, as they could make fire at camp.

"You got ripped off," Zhang Yi complained. "That shouldn't have been more than 3 copper for two skewers."

"The time cost to find a good deal would be larger than any money we can waste," Jiang Fang explained. "Time is money after all."

It didn't sit right with the orphan, but he didn't have the fire in him to keep arguing, so he stalked silently through the streets with Jiang Fang.

A tall, thin man stepped up from the side of the street, blocking their path. He stared greedily at the copper sword Jiang Fang had taken from the immortal's corpse.

"That's an expensive-looking sword for a little boy!" he said with a slimy voice. "As a responsible citizen of Ember Refining Port, I cannot in good conscience let you walk around with that dangerous weapon. Why don't you hand it over to me for safekeeping?"

The people walking through the street around them paid no mind to the scene. It was commonplace in the slums of the city for such shakedowns to happen, and any idiot walking around with so much money visible deserved what they got coming.

"No," Jiang Fang said, drawing the sword.

Out of nowhere, a bulky, muscular bald man charged out of the darkness of the alleyway, tackling Jiang Fang to the ground from behind.

'He was a distraction!'

Zhang Yi dropped his meat-box, and reached down to grab his knife, only for a large hand to seize the collar of his robes, harshly tugging him backwards.

He could hear Jiang Fang and the man tussling on the ground behind him. Zhang Yi spun around, punching the face of whoever had tugged at him. His child-sized fist smacked ineffectively at a scarred man's face. Scarred face grabbed his sides, lifting him up and slamming him onto a wall on the side of the alleyway.

"Let's see what you got on ya boy!" Scarface chuckled.

'Nine Heavenly Stances of the Immemorial Palace Gate - Prosperity'

Out of nowhere, the scarred man's eye bulged, and he cried with a high-pitched scream, releasing his hold.

Zhang Yi fell to the floor, scrambling to unsheathe his long knife. He caught sight of a bony, starving dog, whose teeth had clamped around the scarred man's genital area, blood dripping out across its maw.

'Heavens-'

Zhang Yi didn't let the horrific sight distract him, as he lunged forward, burying the wicked sharp edge of his long knife straight into Scarface's throat. His blade sheared through flesh and cartilage, biting deeply into the bone.

Zhang Yi pulled back, a spurt of high-pressure blood hitting him in the face. Scarface gurgled, blood, pouring from his legs, before he collapsed, the dog still gnawing at his flesh.

Zhang Yi jumped over his corpse, to where Jiang Fang and a bald man were in a scrambled battle on the ground. The knife-wielded orphan pointed his blade down and stabbed, his knife smashing into the man's back, stabbing straight into his heart.

Several people had stopped to watch the fight in the overcrowded street. Zhang Yi turned to look for the man who'd distracted them, but he was long gone.

Jiang Fang rolled out from under the bald man's corpse, his robe soaked in blood. He sighed, calmy.

"Let's get out of here."

The orphan rolled his eyes.

--

The boys arrived back at camp, carrying a large box of meat skewers. Li Renlong ran out to gree them.

"Hey guys, Noble Jiang is back!" Li Renlong shouted.

The tall boy blinked at the sight of the two's blood-stained robes.

"What happened?"

"Just a little scuffle," Jiang Fang yawned.

"It was not just a little scuffle," Zhang Yi snorted, shaking his head. "If I'd been a little slower, he could've snapped your neck or something."

"I would have handled it," Jiang Fang shrugged. "I had him right where I wanted him."

"Laying on top of you, choking you out?!"

The three walked back to their camp, setting down the box of meat. The other children quickly gathered as Jiang Fang began to distribute the meat. There was enough for everyone to have a skewer, with a few left over.

They tossed large logs into the embers, growing it into a steadily burning bonfire they could roast their meat in. Zhang Yi sat next to He Zhao, who he had a good impression of.

"So what happened during the trip?" he asked.

Zhang Yi began to explain.

---

It was nighttime, and Zhang Yi and Ling Shuren were on watch. Once more, the boy had fallen asleep. Being the only one awake, Zhang Yi gingerly made his way back to the tree he'd buried the scrolls.

He quickly dug them out, unfurling the first scroll.

'Copper Shell Breathing Method'

It was time to become an Immortal!

 

[ninjastar]

Transmigrated back into the body of her child self, can the mighty Celestial Bing Meilu survive in a Xianxia world all the while staving off the advances of arrogant young masters and wannabe protagonists alike?

Why is life so hard for the Icy Beauty?

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Chapter 27 - The 'Bing Meilu's Faithful Slaves' Faction

---

The Former 'Red Dragon Faction' all sat in silence, circled around their new 'master'. She sat, silently inspecting all of them. Jiang Hu, the former faction leader knelt before her, bandaged.

"Good day to you all. As you know, I have defeated your faction leader and assumed control over this group. Are there any objections?"

No one spoke up and several shook their heads. While she would lose against all of them, she was stronger than any one of them and had proven that by defeating Jiang Hu. Satisfied her rule was accepted, she continued speaking.

"I am Bing Meilu, a personal disciple of Prime Elder Hai Yu, of the Former Moon Crying Swan Palace. I was selected by her due to my unique talent and potential. However, the Moon Crying Swan Palace has been destroyed so I am temporarily set back. I've entered this section from the same starting position as any ordinary disciple despite my background. As you might guess, with my talent and high-level cultivation method, rising to a much higher level is all but guaranteed."

She could begin to see gears turn in the heads of her subordinates, smiling politely.

"If one person achieves immortality, even chickens and dogs ascend to heaven."

This famous idiom described how if even one person became successful, all those who had helped them would benefit. If Bing Meilu really was set to do great things, wouldn't being her early followers be a huge boon later on?

"I will be dissolving the Crimson Dragon Faction and forming my own faction. Who amongst you wishes to follow me?" Bing Meilu asked, raising her voice.

"I do!" "I'll follow you, Boss Meilu!" "Count me in!"

The members of the Crimson Dragon Faction cheered and roared, shouting their allegiance to her. Bing Meilu nodded in satisfaction.

"Very well then. I welcome you all to the "Bing Meilu's Faithful Slaves" Faction!"

There was a dead silence. One of the Foundation Establishment Lieutenant spoke up awkwardly.

"...You're not really calling it tha-"

"Are you questioning my authority?"

"Um-"

"Because if you are, I'll make what I did to Jiang Hu look like a pleasant vacation day by comparison."

"I for one think it's an amazing name! It perfectly described how we plan to faithfully serve you!" one of the Qi Condensation disciples suddenly spoke up.

"Good. This one understands. What's your name?" Bing Meilu smiled

"I am Li Ji, Boss, a Private at the seventh stage of Qi Condensation." I'm an accountant for the former Crimson Dragons."

Li Ji's Qi Aura was shoddy and thin for his stage, a 'unique' take on Yin Metal Qi attempted by someone who had no clue what they were doing. A case study of why creating one's own path was usually restricted to only the greatest geniuses.

"Well, Private Li Ji, how would you feel about being the head accountant in my new faction?"

"Oh- I would be honoured, Boss Meilu!"

"Good."

Bing Meilu calmly sipped on a cup of tea as the rest of the crimson dragons swore themselves to her, proudly proclaiming themselves "Bing Meilu's Faithful Slaves" Faction Members.

"Jiang Hu, tell me everything I need to know about the former Crimsons Dragons, as well as the other factions at Snake Port!"

---

Bing Meilu sipped her tea, as she thought. She was seated upon the throne formerly belonging to Jiang Hu in the rented dorm room that served as the home base of the former Crimson Dragon Faction.

The 'Port Snake' they were based at was actually the 70th Port Snake, one of many hundreds of 'Port Snake's that served as the Outer Sect portion of the 'Snake Fleet'. There were Twelve Zodiac Fleets, each in charge of a different portion of the Sky Swallowing Gulper Armada's territory.

Snake Fleet was in charge of the western side of the tip of the Bird Talon Continent, especially suppressing the demon beasts from the Deep Star Ravine, a danger zone of high importance.

In Seventieth Port Snake, there were many dozen unimportant factions ranging from containing Foundation Establishment Liutenants to Core Formation Captains.

Only four truly mattered, each backed by a Nascent Soul Commodore. It turned out that the factional infighting was actually a proxy war for the infighting of these four Commodores, the equivalent of an Outer Sect Elder.

Seventieth Port Snake existed for the 3rd Division of the Pirate Subduing Strike Force. A Division was headed by a Transcending Impurity Division Commander, the equivalent of an Inner Sect Elder. The third Division had four Squadrons, each one headed by a Nascent Soul Commodore

Blackheart Squadron headed by Commodore Daoist Black-Heartflame, Liyang Squadron headed by Commodore Liyang, Rampage Squadron headed by Commodore Rampage-Sword, and Tang Squadron, headed by Commodore Tang.

It turned out that the Division Commander was close to breaking through to the Saint Realm and would soon have to start grooming one of the four Commodores to be his successor, so the competition between each of the Squadrons was high, as they each attempted to gain the upper hand in authority to increase their chance of a promotion.

The various dozens of factions were almost all aligned with one of these four blocks, though in a loose sense. The Crimson Dragon Faction, for example, had been allied with the Rampage Squadron Faction. Though they mostly did their own thing, when the annual Faction Competition was held, they were expected to join in on the Rampage Faction's Side.

"So long as you have two or more people, politics comes into play," Bing Meilu complained. "I'll have to navigate things a bit more carefully since the situation is so tense. "

Would she continue to be allied with the Rampage Faction, as the successor to the Crimson Dragon Faction? Or perhaps hitch her cart to a better faction?

Well, all could be decided later. For now, she would focus on turning this ragtag group of failures into a force strong enough to be worth a damn.

All was going to plan.



---

Xia Xuefeng shook in fear as she was dangled over a deep black hole by two guards.

"Have fun in the Shadow Pit, filthy Demonic Cultivator!" one of them chuckled. "I'm sure you'll be quite popular."

Their grip released and she fell, screaming. She slammed into the bottom of a near completely lightless pit. Hundreds of feet above, a metal hatch was sealed with a hiss.

'You've got to be fucking kidding me! Why me?!'

Xia Xuefeng fearfully looked around, finding it hard to see even with her Qi-enhanced eyes. Moss and fungus choked the granite walls of a cave. Slugs lapped at the tiny slime moulds sitting atop rotting vines. Dozens of bones and human skulls adorned the floor.

'Heavens-'

She heard a chittering laugh in the distance, slowly heading toward her.

"Well, well well. Fresh Meat."

---

"No, you moron. When you cycle Qi through the seventh to the twentieth meridian, you have to keep it blocked off from the nineteenth. Why? Why else even have a circuit if you're just going to leak it back into your entire meridian channel!"

"Is that really your spear intent? My four-year-old brother has a more threatening will. Stab harder!"

"Did someone blackmail you into cultivating a manual this crappy or are you just stupid, Private Ji!? Cripple your own cultivation base and recultivate entirely!"

"You four! Why in the name of all that is holy would you use a Five Phases Elemental Formation with only four members? You couldn't find a wood cultivator? Either find a wood cultivator or you'll find my sword seven feet up your ass!"

Bing Meilu strode through the eighteen members of the 'Bing Meilu's Faithful Slaves' Factions, correcting them as they trained.

Some had a good foundation and simply needed to be pushed harder, such as the Spear Cultivator Private Xi Fu.

Some were close to success and needed slight alterations, like the 'Elemental Quad'.

Some were abject failures who needed to abandon their entire fighting style and start from scratch, like Private Ji, who somehow thought cultivating a method intended for Spirit Dogs would work on a human.

"Li Ji, how much in the way of resources do we have?" Bing Meilu asked her accountant.

"Ahh- we--aaah, have -uuh- seven- ahh- hundred-ahh spirit- aaaaaaah! Stones!" Li Lu gasped, body covered in sweat, as flames licked at his skin. "Can I- ahh take a break?"

"Not yet. We need to warm up your Metal Qi so it's malleable enough to be rerouted through your meridians. Unless you want to be stuck in Qi Condensation for the rest of a meagre and pathetic life, you'll put up with the flame."

"It huuuurts!"

"Pain is just weakness leaving the body... Except for when it isn't."

 

[ninjastar]

Transmigrated back into the body of her child self, can the mighty Celestial Bing Meilu survive in a Xianxia world all the while staving off the advances of arrogant young masters and wannabe protagonists alike?

Why is life so hard for the Icy Beauty?

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Xia Xuefeng Interlude 3
---

"Who's there?" Xia Xuefeng asked, with more confidence than she felt.

The chittering laugh rang out once more and a figure seemed to swell up from the shadows, a man appearing. He looked distinctly savage, covered in crude bone and leather armour.

"Just a hungry fellow…" the savage smirked. There was a leg in his hand covered in scraps of meat, that he gnawed from. It took her a moment to realize it was a human leg. "And I think I might have just found a meal."

She felt nauseous. Human meat? Cannibals? What the fuck was this place?

Demonic, unsettling qi issued from him, chilling her to the bone. This man was without a doubt one of the reviled 'demonic cultivators'... and he was in the fifth stage of Qi Condensation.

Xia Xuefeng blinked for a moment. Then, she began to laugh. The man looked at her in confusion for only a moment.

Her own Qi flared, a bloody red aura erupting around her, followed by the wailing of crucified souls. Eight Stage of Qi Condensation. She stepped forward threateningly. The savage man's eyes widened and he immediately fell to his knees, holding up his palms in surrender.

"Wait! Please, I had no clue I was speaking to a demonic cultivator of such means. I-I was only joking around a little- I wasn't going to do anything?" the man said, eyes widening with each step Xia Xuefeng took towards him. "You wouldn't h-hurt little old me, right? My master can compensate you for sparing me, he's also an eighth-stage cultivator, just like your esteemed self."

This was the first time she was clearly superior in cultivation in a situation like this. It was almost refreshing to be on the other end for once.

'What would Mistress Bing Meilu do in a situation like this?'

"Tell me your name." Xia Xuefeng ordered austerely as if she were some respectable expert and not a scared girl out of her comfort zone. She even clasped her hands behind her back to sell the image.

"I'm called Revenant Boneclub, your ladyship. A servant to Lord Revenant."

"Is that your birth name?"

"Uh… birthname? I guess not, but no one-"

"Tell me your birth name."

"I-I was born Li Fuyang."

"Alright, little Fuyang. Tell me about this place. I find myself in unfamiliar territory."

"Of course. This is the Shadow Pit. It's a holding ground for Demonic Cultivators like us. The Sect keeps demonic cultivators to be used as a challenge for their disciples in various ways. There are three tiers to the Pit. We in Qi Condensation are held in the first. Foundation Establishment cultivators are held in the second, and Core Formation cultivators are held in the final layer."

"Is there a way out of this place?"

"Unless you think you can take on the entirety of Port Snake and plan to kill your way out, no. "

"You said we are to be used as a challenge? Tell me how that works."

"They hold sect entrance trials, which often involve killing a demonic cultivator of a certain rank, in which case they'll grab some of us to do it. Or maybe a certain disciple needs a living human to test a technique against, we would be used as test dummies. Every decade or so they hold a 'hunt' and come in to thin out our numbers, with disciple rewarded for killing us."

Xia Xuefeng felt a headache building up. How could she be sent to such a miserable place? She felt a rising anger at the Sect for not giving her even the slightest chance to defend herself. She was sure there was some kind of misunderstanding. No way had Bing Meilu given her some illegal technique… right?

'This is bad! Even if I survive being in here from the inhabitants, I might still be killed when they hold a sect trial or thin us out!'

"What goes on when you aren't being used as a trial? How do you live?"

"Well, not all that different from any Demonic Sect," Fuyang shrugged. "Cept no one can leave."

'Am I supposed to know what that means? But if I seem too ignorant, I might out myself as not being an actual demonic cultivator!'

"And what are the particular powers and regions I should be aware of? How many demonic cultivators are there here?"

"Our population is probably somewhere in the low ten thousand. Most of us congregate in Night City. and there are also a few large towns and bases. The largest powers include The Samsara Revenants, which I'm a part of, led by Lord Revenant, in the eighth stage. Then there is the Flavoured Tongues Sect, which is headed by a ninth-stage cultivator, and the Xu Clan Auction House run by the old merchant in the tenth stage."

'Given this tier of the Shadow Pit is for only those in Qi Condensation, I'm actually amongst the strongest here. Thank the Gods. Hopefully, I can survive long enough to figure a way out.'

"Well, Fuyang, take me to your boss. If I'm going to be stuck in this pit, I should get to know the people in it."

"Of course."

Fuyang shakily walked through creeping caverns. Xia Xuefeng was utterly lost, as they strode through identical caves, filled with moss, slime and bones. Somehow Fuyang seemed to know where he was going.

Eventually, they reached a barricade, skulls set up with threatening signs painted on the walls in blood.

'Revenant Territory - Progress no further!'

Fuyang strode past the barricade confidently, and the girl followed.

The cave widened into a large waterlogged cavern, almost an underground pond. Glowing algae lit up the water enough to see with the unaided eye. In the center of the pond stood a ramshackle building, made of bones. Three people sat, playing cards by the outside. A man and woman in the seventh stage of Qi Condensation, and what looked to be a young child in the sixth.

Xia Xuefeng and Fuyang strode towards them. The savage waved cheerfully at the three. He suddenly jumped towards them.

"Guys! Attack!"

Xia Xuefeng blinked. Was he really-

A dagger of bone flew past her face as she narrowly dodged. Fuyang and the three other savages all drew their weapons, rushing toward the bewildered Xia Xuefeng.

"Hey! I spared your life!" Xia Xuefeng shouted, shocked at his 'outrageous' betrayal.

The man in the seventh stage, wielding a long sharpened bone sword, slashed at her, cleaving a trail of bloody-red energy through the air. Xia Xuefeng narrowed her eyes, hot embers of anger lighting within her.b

Her body trembled as the crosses within her Dantian shuddered, blood-red qi flooding out of her body and forming a swirling whirlpool.

'Battle Art - Blood Demon's Whirlwind.'

The slash of bloody energy was pulled into her swirling red whirlwind, only growing it in size. The horrifying sound of crucified souls filled the air as Xia Xuefeng's Qi flooded through her body, causing her to glow with a crimson inner light.

Xia Xuefeng exploded forward, ripping through the air. Her foot smashed into Fuyang's face, and she felt his neck snap backwards. Xia Xuefeng was only three stages above him in cultivation, but with a divine-level manual, the difference in strength was like Heaven and Earth.

Blood spurted from his cracked neck, rich with Qi and life essence. A horrifyingly powerful hunger filled her, but she pushed it down. There was no way she'd consume human blood. She was no fucking cannibal.

Decisively she spun around to face the sword-wielding man. He lunged at her, his bone sword glowing white with sharp Qi.

Meanwhile, the bone dagger-wielding woman attacked from the other side. her blades elongated into swords of shadow. Two attacks from seventh-stage cultivators was not something a normal eighth-stage could just ignore.

A normal eight-stage cultivator.

'Battle Art - Red Lotus Dress'

Blood poured from Fuyang's corpse, filling her mudstained robe and hardening. The bone sword and shadow knives slammed into her dress and slid off uselessly.

Xia Xuefeng's two hands shot out like vipers, wrapping around the wrist of both enemies. She tossed them through the air, watching as they slammed into the rock walls of the cave with explosive cracks.,

Now she-

Now she should commit suicide.

Xia Xuefeng blinked.

Now she should commit suicide.

Of course. It was the natural next step in the fight. A nail of blood-qi formed in her hand and she lifted it to her throat, smiling. Fuyang had seemed to think he could trick her, but she seemed to be winning this easily.

Now she should commit suicide.

There was hauntingly beautiful music playing, a flute. Listening to such music was almost inspiring. It made her really want to do the right thing. Take her own life.

Her sharpened nail pressed up into the flesh of her neck, pushing through skin and drawing blood. She paused. Something felt off.

"Of course! My dress is in the way."

Her Red Lotus Dress would only get in the way of her committing suicide. She should take it off.

Then why had I put in on in the first place? I mean, a battle skill I learned from a godlike cultivation manual can't be bad, right?

Everyone will feel let down if she didn't die. Is that really the reputation she wanted? She should commit suicide.

Xia Xuefeng's head was ringing painfully. She knew Qi could reinforce the body in all sorts of ways, so she automatically flooded her body with Qi, attemtping to banish the pain.

Her Qi slammed into something near the meridians of her head. A clawing, vile, cold Qi. The Qi attempted to push her back, and instinctually she crushed it, the Thirty-Six blood-crosses in her Dantian erupting with bloody energy that ripped through her meridians like a geyser, pushing out every impurity.

Xia Xuefeng blinked, eyes focusing on the sight of a small child frantically playing his flute. Ghostly Yin qi flooded from it in thin strings, attempting to latch onto her. Looking closer, she could see it was malformed. Not a child, perhaps not even human.

Battle Art - Impaling Nail of the Crucifix

Her nail quietly flew through the air, like a silent punishment from Heaven, it slammed into the tiny midget, nailing his hand to the stone of the cave. It let loose a blood-curdling scream, sobbing, sounding every bit like a small child who had hurt themselves.

She felt a wave of guilt and motherly instinct, she should stop-

Xia Xuefeng once more cleansed herself with her Qi. That was it. Two nails formed in her hands, growing in size until they resembled hellish spears of blood. They ripped forward, stabbing through the air.

The spears slammed into the creature's throat and lungs.

"No more music for you then," Xia Xuefeng spat, eyes burning.

The sword-wielding man and knife-wielding woman were both laying unconscious where she'd thrown them on the wall. Enhancing her sight, Xia Xuefeng narrowed her eyes. Playing dead?

She formed four Impaling nails and fired them, two each, at the 'knocked out' enemies.

They both exploded with motion, jumping out of the way. Hastily the man pulled out a red talisman from his pocket and shattered it.

"Lord Revenant, we need immediate reinforcement. An eight-stage cultivator, Fuyang and Lili are dead."

A moment later, she felt a powerful Qiu in the eighth stage erupt from the building in the center of the pond.

"How dare you interrupt my cultivation?" a voice imperiously shouted.

A man in a tattered black robe jumped out the window of the fortress, body covered in black and white fog. He caught sight of the blood-covered Xia Xuefeng and roared angrily.

"I'll kill you!"

Lord Revenant, who was in the eighth stage of Qi Cultivation, leaped towards her, palms outstreched like bony claw, misty light swirling around him. His qi was spectral and ghostly, like an undead come to life.

Xia Xuefeng lengthened a Nail of Crucifixion into a spear and stabbed it forward. His hands and her spear crashed together, knocking them both back. A moment later she slashed her spear like a staff, blocking yet another frenzied claw attack.

'I'm faster than him,' Xia Xuefeng thought. 'And stronger. But I'm low on Qi from the fight earlier. If it's one on one, I might win-'

Both of the seventh-rank cultivators from earlier charged her, together with Lord Revenant.

Xia Xuefeng knew that the cultivation manual Bing Meilu had given her, the Bllod Anthem of the Crucified, was something very ancient and powerful. The Sealing mark within her attested to its deep origins. If she was at full Qi capacity, she was confident she could beat even these three.

Sadly, she was not. She would have to consume blood to power herself... and the only blood here was human. Xia Xufeng gulped in disgust and unwillingness.

"I guess I am going to be a fucking cannibal!"

 

[ninjastar]

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Chapter 28: Missing Comrade
.
---

Bing Meilu was not starting to worry about Xia Xuefeng because people of her stature did not 'worry'. However, she was beginning to feel professional concern for her young companion.

It had already been more than three days since Bing Meilu took control of the BMFS Faction and yet she saw no sign of her wayward servant. She had sent Xia Xuefeng out to collect resources to cultivate and then went into secluded cultivation herself. Yet when she awoke nearly a week later, Xia Xuefeng was nowhere to be seen, nor had she returned in the last three days.

"Li Ji, I need you to find someone for me." Bing Meilu turned to address her faction accountant, Li Ji.

The Yin Metal cultivator was turning out to be something of a fixer, and personal assistant for her. For a mortal, Li Ji was sharp-witted and creative, able to solve problems with minimal instruction. He always seemed very eager to get work done with the utmost haste, a personality trait Bing Meilu valued highly in her subordinates.

"Might I have some details, Your Holiness?" he asked, wiping sweat from his head with a damp handkerchief.

He had taken to calling her that ever since she had personally remade his cultivation. Li Ji had the novel idea of routing a permanent formation of yin metal qi through his meridians. For a mortal, it was a very creative idea, and if executed properly, could have been extremely powerful. If executed properly.

Sadly for him, such a feat was not something any mortal could just figure out on their own. Luckily for him, Bing Meilu was around to help. As fire made metal malleable, she was able to melt down and reroute the metal in his meridians, to a formation that actually provided benefits.

It was a simplified version of the Chillocosmic Jade Tributaries Convergence, a manual popular amongst merchants in certain higher realms. Powerful enough to ingratiate him, without being implausible for her to have found in the Moon Crying Swan Palace as a Prime Elder's disciple.

"Of course..."

---

Li Ji stepped out of Bing Meilu's throneroom, wiping the sweat from his head.

"Another job already?" Xi Fu, who was guarding the door, asked and Li Ji nodded sullenly.

"Man, what a slave driver..." the spearman sighed.

"Don't say that so loud, she might hear you." Li Ji hissed.

Xi Fu shuddered at the thought. Neither had been able to eat or sleep in the three days since Bing 'The Ice Demon' Meilu had taken over the Crimson Dragons Faction. Constant training, work and bitter cultivation. She seemed to take a perverse pleasure in pushing them all to their absolute limit.

"The quicker I get this done, the sooner she'll forget I exist again," Li Ji consoled himself. "Now, where do I start?"

---

"I have found your person of interest, your holiness!" Li Ji reported, to Bing Meilu.

She silently nodded to the kowtowing man, and he handed her his report, which she promptly read over.

'A demonic cultivator of the eighth stage of Qi Condensation, Xia Xuefeng was found in the vicinity of Port Snake covered in blood, and apprehended by Captain Ji Longyi. She was convicted of Demonic Cultivation and imprisoned in the Shadow Pit, a holding ground for such people.'

Bing Meilu raised an eyebrow, frowning slightly.

'Demonic Cultivation? Impossible,' she thought, bewildered. 'I personally oversaw her cultivation myself. I refuse to believe the measly Heavens of this world would dare penalize her cultivation method, given its origins!'

"Who is this Ji Longyi who had my servant arrested?" Bing Meilu asked, voice serious.

"Captain Ji Longyi is a genius at the sixth stage of Core Formation and the second stage of Vein Widening. He's the grandson of the Division Commander and is expected to reach Nascent Soul within the decade."

"Which faction is he aligned with?"

"None, your holiness. He has a small circle of sworn brothers who he fights with, but he is not a part of any of the four squadrons."

"Hmmph. Bring me more information on this 'Shadow Pit' prison."

"...Yes your holiness. Right away."

The metal cultivator strode away after bowing.

---

"Captain Ji Longyi huh? To dare falsely imprison my own servant? What utter gall!"

Bing Meilu retrieved a vial of ice from within her dress. It was filled with a thick crimson fluid, the Essence Blood she had taken from Xia Xufeng when she'd first accepted the girl's loyalty.

Carefully Bing Meilu extracted a small amount of the Essence Blood with a thin needle of ice. before putting the vial away. She stepped outside her throneroom, where the spear cultivator Xi Fu was standing guard.

"Spearman, do you have any Message Tablets?" the young girl asked.

Xi Fu nodded hesitantly.

"Um, yes Boss."

"Give me one."

"I'm afraid all the ones I have are already aspected to people-"

"That's fine," Bing Meilu waved her hand dismissively. "Just give me any random one."

Xi Fu hesitantly nodded, blushing. He pulled a carven slip of jade from his belt and handed it to his faction leader. The name engraved into it was 'Sweetbuns'. Either the martial name of a formidable cultivator from the Dao of Chefs or more likely, the pet name of a paramour.

Bing Meilu strode back into her throne room. She placed the drop of Essence Blood onto the message talisman and got to work re-directing it. The ice cultivator was not exactly an expert in formations... for a Celestial. She of course knew exactly how to manipulate magical items of the mortal realms.

Bing Meilu recorded her message, before pouring Qi into the talisman to activate it. She frowned. There must be an anti-message barrier around this prison because the tablet had not been activated. Sighing, the girl opened her sect map, found the location of the entrance to the Shadow Pit, and briskly made her way in that direction.

Walking through the sect, she found herself heading towards a large single-story building of stone. Two halberd-wielding guards sat at the front of the building, both in the fifth stage of Qi Condensation. It seemed that the sect gave little importance to guarding the building, given such weak cultivators were there. Most likely they were just random Privates hired to keep watch and the real 'guarding' was done by powerful Formations that acted automatically. Bing Meilu stepped up to one of the guards, snapping her fingers.

"Guard, I have a message tablet for one of the prisoners. Move aside so I can send it in."

The guard blinked in confusion, looking down at the small child imperiously staring up at him.

"Hello little miss, I don't know if that's allowed-"

"I did not see any rule against it in the sect handbook."

"Yes but-"

"If there is no rule against it, it is allowed. Move aside." Bing Meilu spoke slowly as if explaining a simple idea to a particularly slow child

"Look girl I can't just-"

"What's your name? I'll need to know it for when I file a complaint for unlawful obstruction of a permitted activity."

The guard inhaled deeply, as if to say 'I don't get paid enough for this shit' and stepped aside while rolling his eyes. As Bing Meilu's master, Prime Elder Hai Yu, always said, if at first you don't get what you want, harass the underpaid workers until they give in to your demands. A flawless strategy.

Bing Meilu entered the building. There was a simple spartan interior. a metal grate covered a hole in the ground, where countless demonic cultivators had no doubt been tossed into over the years. It was honestly surprising how low level the security was. Then again this was in the middle of the sect. Even if a demonic cultivator from within managed to make his way up, he'd need to fight through multiple Nascent Soul level cultivators to escape Port Snake.

Bing Meilu casually dropped the message jade through the bars, activating it with a burst of Qi. The jade tablet shattered into scintillating crystals, before flying off into the dark pit. Satisfied with her work, she left the prison entrance and headed back to the BMFS Faction dorm room.

---

The Bing Meilu's faithful slaves' faction had eighteen members, nineteen if you counted Bing Meilu.

Jiang Hu, the former leader. His Qi Cultivation was at the fifth stage of Foundation Establishment, and his Body Cultivation was at the seventh stage of the Lung Vitization Realm. That was the first realm of Body Cultivation and the equivalent of Qi Condensation for Qi cultivation.

There were two more Foundation Establishment cultivators, one in the first stage and one in the third stage. Neither was particularly impressive, so Bing Meilu called them by number.

Jiang Hu was slave one, the third stage lieutenant was slave two, the first stage lieutenant was slave three and so on.

There were fifteen cultivators in the First Realm, notable was Xi Fu, a decently talented spear cultivator Bing Meilu had begun to groom, Li Ji her right-hand man, and Private Ji, whose name she only remembered because of how exceptionally stupid he was. Everyone else she also referred to by number.

Presently, all eighteen faithful slaves were lined up before her in an empty training field, each working on an assigned task as she inspected.

Number twelve, in the fifth stage of Qi Condensation, was whacking rocks with a wooden mallet.

"Slave twelve hit harder. It's a hammer, not your grandmother's treasured jade vase. You'll never master the Twelve Hammers of Alecto with such a limp wrist! The explosive release is the key!"

"Private Ji, for Heaven's sake- that better not be a goddamned Spirit Dog Medicinal Orb. What did I tell you last time!?"

"Um, sorry Boss- I thought it might help?"

"...Why?!"

---

Satisfied with her slaves were all training properly, Bing Meilu returned to her throne room. From the shadows, a man slunk out, his sickly body fading into the dark background.

"How are you doing Zhang?" Bing Meilu asked.

"My injuries have been managed," the crippled Core Formation shrugged, his beady eyes piercing into her. "You seem to be having fun with this little faction of yours."

"I assure you I take my duty to my slaves with the utmost gravity." Bing Meilu smiled.

"I would prefer you focus on cultivating and don't waste time on them. I don't see what you need from them?"

Translation: Reach Core Formation as fast as possible so you can heal my injuries!

"Nothing I do is a waste of time, Zhang. Why do you think I decided to take over a faction?"

"Was it out of your boundless magnanimity?" the man chuckled.

"Not quite. Subordinates are extremely useful tools. They can defeat enemies for you, gather resources, deter attacks and more. If I want my cultivation to be smooth sailing, having a powerful force to my name will be very beneficial. With my tutelage, even untalented curs like the former Crimson Dragons can be forged into an effective fighting force. From there one, they can be used as a base upon which a proper faction can be built, on that will serve to filter huge amounts of resources up the faction hierarchy to aid in my cultivation. Imagine ten thousand cultivators each giving you five percent of the wealth they acquire. Wouldn't ascension be guaranteed?"

"Not to mention that my sheer talent will attract the eyes of many. The lone genius is often struck down, while the young master with a dozen thugs often is left alone. Gathering a powerful force will serve to keep me safer while I increase my own personal power."

"You seem to have this all planned out well," Zhang drawled. "But what if the more established factions take offence to your rising power?"

"And that Zhang, is where the next step of my plan is going to come in," a rare smile graced the calm girl's lips. "Becoming the loyal dogs of a stronger faction!"

 

[ninjastar]

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Multi-interlude 1
---

Copper Shell Breathing Method

...The breath is the heart and soul. It is the origin of the life of numerous mortals. Without breath, one cannot move, work or even think.

Such an important aspect is the one thing we do not train to become better at. The farmer child is taught the secrets of farming, the blacksmith child is taught the secrets of metalworking, then why not the breathing child taught how to breathe?

Your lungs are but Copper Shells and greatness dwells within. In for three paces, then out for two, then in for five, then out for five- all things in accordance with the Liangyi.

The breath of the universe shall gather in the sea of spirit within...

---

Zhang Yi blinked, rubbing his eyes as he attempted to parse the text in the low moonlight. He did not understand most of it, to be honest. But there was a clear set of instructions.

He breathed in for three paces, out for two, in for five, out for five. Slowly but surely the black-haired boy followed the instructions. After a long moment, he began to feel silly. Nothing seemed to be happening.

However, Zhang Yi had seen firsthand the magical powers of the kidnapper. This method had to work. So he continued, sitting cross-legged under the tree, breathing. In for three, out for two, in for five, out for five.

A welling sense of disappointment continued to rise within him. He felt no mystical power gathering within him or any sudden enlightenment. Perhaps he had misunderstood how long this process would take? He redoubled and resolve. Even if it took him a hundred years of breathing, he would become immortal eventually!

What Zhang Yi did not notice was a slight blue haze gathering around the Copper Coin keepsake he always kept around his neck, left to him by his grandfather before the old man was mysteriously killed.

---

Xia Xuefeng leapt backwards, narrowly dodging the charge of the two seventh-stage enemies. She dashed leftwards, flinging herself to the wall of the cave, where the impaled childlike corpse of 'Lili' lay. Fresh blood dripped from the stab wounds to her vision, nearly glowing with blood-Qi. After all, Lili was a sixth-stage cultivator, and his blood was rich with thrumming power ripe to be swallowed.

A rich bloody scent suffused the air, and the world seemed to slow as she inhaled. She shuddered. The scent was rich and bloody and metallic and oh-so-wonderful and perfect. From within her Datian, the thirty-six blood-crosses trembled with intense hunger. The Qi-rich blood of a cultivator would be filled with incredible power.

Xia Xuefeng bit her lip, conflicted and guilt-ridden.

'This is horrible. This is disgusting,' she admitted. 'But I have no choice. Surely the Heavens will understand, right?'

She flexed her cultivation, the blood around Lili's body swirled, pouring into her body through her skin. Xia Xuefeng moaned aloud as an intense ecstasy rippled through every cell of her body. The qi-rich blood poured through her meridians, pumping her with intense vitality.

The blood seemed to shudder and pull away from her, as if terrified. Unlike the beast-blood she had previously used, it seemed to have some kind of will and conscience, enough to resist her devouring. Xia Xuefeng smiled deliriously, as her Qi crushed whatever remnant of Lili's soul was resisting her devouring.

Without any resistance, the blood eagerly poured into her. It swirled within her, forming blood cross after blood cross.

Yet, beyond that, there was something else. A burning, tingling energy filled her, pouring through every meridian of her body. A strange Qi that Xia Xuefeng did not recognize.

"Stop her!" Lord Revenant shouted angrily.

He leaped through the air at Xia Xuefeng, palms stretched out in a vicious claw formation as spectral black and white mist formed skeletal claws around his hands.

Xia Xuefeng, nearly drunk from the ecstatic pleasure melting through her, barely reacted. Thirty-Nine blood crosses, forty blood crosses...

Lord Revenant Claw smashed into her side with a crack. Her body twisted as it was slammed backwards, into the gray rock of the cave. A Yin-chill lingered around her left wing, and the girl gasped, the pain forcing her back into clarity.

Battle Art - Impaling Nail of the Crucifix

A nail of blood extended from her hand, twisting into the shape of a spear. Eerily, the young girl seemed to float towards Lord Revenant as she thrust. The eight-stage cultivator sneered in disdain, smashing his spectral claws forward to block her spear.

Shrcchhh!

Instead of the clang of weapon against weapon- the ripping sound of a spear tearing through flesh resounded through the cave. Xia Xuefeng's Nail of the Crucifix ripped forward of its own volition, ramming through the air directly into his eye and impaling his brain into the stone cave behind.

The attack was of such speed and force no one in Qi Condensation should have been capable of unleashing it. A battle skill of this strength would normally be reserved for one in Foundation Establishment. The sad truth was that despite decades of combat experience and intense training, Lord Revenant was simply far weaker than Xia Xuefeng.

How could he not be when she cultivated the Blood Moon Spectral God's Anthem of the Crucified, an ancient tome of divine power taken from a shattered battlefield lined with the corpses of ancient felled gods? It was his misfortune to meet such an unreasonable occurrence.

Xia Xuefeng had been lucky enough to meet Bing Meilu, lucky enough to recognize swearing her loyalty to the girl would be a good idea, and lucky enough to be compatible with the cultivation manual of a mighty God from the distant past. Lord Revenant struggled for only a moment more, as blood and eye fluid bits dripped from his impaled socket. Then he fell still.

The whole clash lasted barely a few seconds. Xia Xuefeng did not allow her victory to distract her, as she ducked under the bone-white sword of the seventh stage man.

She could see his expression break into terrified fear as he caught sight of his master dead and hanging from the cave wall, held up only by the spear in his eye. A dozen feet away, his comrade, the knife-wielding woman, began to run to the exit of the large cave they were in with a frantic speed.

Powerful Qi hummed through her legs and the young girl leapt through the air as a blur, rocks cracking from the force of her jump. Her foot smashed into the knife-wielders back with a horrific cracking sound, as the woman's spine was folded in half and her flesh pulped. She could not even scream, only gasp uselessly as her lungs were eviscerated by the force of the kick.

Xia Xuefeng slowly turned to stare at the one remaining foe, the sword-wielding man. A grim, bitter smile split his face.

"I guess it was going to happen inevitablyyy-arrghhh~"

With a crack, the man fell to the ground dead and Xia Xufeng began to feed.

Blood swirled through the entire cave as the four corpses were completely exsanguinated, rivers of red light swirling and pouring into the girl. Cross after cross of blood appeared within her Dantian. At the same time, once more that same strange burning Qi poured through her alongside the blood of the four demonic cultivators, increasing in density and power.

Forty-one, forty-two, forty-three, forty-four, forty-five.

Ninth Stage of Qi Condensation. The sound of screaming souls filled the air as Xia Xuefeng broke through the next realm. But she was not done yet. More and more of the rich, bloody energy poured into her.

Forty-six, forty-seven, forty-eight.

Finally, the cave fell silent, and four desiccated corpses fell to the ground. The black-haired girl inhaled deeply, body thrumming with power. Seven more crosses and she would reach the peak of Qi Condensation.


---

Xia Xuefeng sat silently on the cold cave floor, staring at the glowing moss with empty eyes. Today had- today she had killed a person. A human being.

Today she had eaten someone.

Someone with hopes and dreams and a soul. Just like her. She didn't know how to think or how to react. All she could feel was gnawing, horrifying guilt and shame.

How would her old friends react if they knew she had drained every last drop of blood from a human corpse and drank it and that she'd liked it too much-

She felt dirty and sick and unclean. There was no blood staining her skin because she had devoured all of it. In a sense, it was almost worse. At least if bloodstains physically covered her she could wash them off. Instead, the red stain of her crime was locked away within her Dantian, pumping away through her meridian system, a defilement she could not wash away.

"Xia Xuefeng!"

The girl blinked, looking up in confusion. A hazy image of Bing Meilu stared down at her imperiously, formed from a cloud of glowing jade dust.

Was that real or had she started to go insane?

"This is a pre-recorded message I've sent you so don't bother talking back. I've just found out about your imprisonment and am supremely displeased. I assure you I will secure your return with the utmost haste and that whoever is behind the false imprisonment will be punished in due time. I have full confidence that you will be able to keep safe until such a time, given the strength of your cultivation method. The Shadow Pit segregates between the first and second realms, so you should be fine so long as you don't push yourself to Foundation Establishment and get taken to the next level of the prison. "

Xia Xuefeng scoffed, feeling a worm of resentment bite at her. Wasn't she here because of the cultivation technique Bing Meilu had given her? What the hell was going on with that?

"Besides that, this is in fact a perfect location for you to cultivate. Demonic Cultivators are perfect resources to be devoured by you and I'm sure you'll quickly reach the peak of Qi Condensation!"

Xia Xuefeng angrily threw a rock through the jade-green cloud. Had Bing Meilu seriously just encouraged her to kill and eat people for power? What the fuck was wrong with her? Did she seriously not understand how horrible this was?

'Not to mention giving me a demonic cultivation method in the first place. This is all her damn fault!'

"Now, since I know you're a bit less educated on the world of cultivation, allow me to assure you that the Anthem of the Crucifed is not a Demonic Cultivation Manual and you've not committed any crimes. Though it seems the fools who run the court system of this sect don't understand that. Once everything is properly investigated, you should be free shortly."

"How the fuck is it not a demonic cultivation method? I just drank four people, Bing Meilu!" the girl uselessly shouted at the recording.

"A demonic cultivation method is a cursed technique that allows one to quickly acquire power at the cost of karmic sin and the displeasure of Heaven, often by the devouring of mortals or other such rituals of defilement that purposely violate natural law for power. However, the Anthem of the Crucified is the technique left behind by a God. That is to say, the measly Heavens of the Jade Sparrow World would not dare give you karmic sin just for using it. That would be akin to a local mayor giving the Crown Prince a fine. So long as you do not devour human beings with it you will not accrue Karmic Sin and thus are not a demonic cultivator!"

"That would have been good to know before I ate those people!" Xia Xuefeng scoffed. "Am I just fucked no-"

"Now, be sure to remember Demonic Cultivators do not count as 'humans' so far as the Heavens are concerned. In fact, killing them and using them as a resource is the obligation of all orthodox Cultivators. If you devour or kill any Demonic Cultivators, you will actually receive karmic merit from the Heavens, a potent thing that has countless uses. It is the reward from Natural Law for purging the world of such parasites."

'Karmic Merit? Is that what that burning energy was?' the girl thought, bewildered at the whiplash revelations.

"However, you must be very careful. While Karmic Merit is very useful, it is ultimately a shackle, like all karma. Every drop of it you use is a debt you will have to repay Heaven if you wish to transcend karma and ascend to a higher realm. I would recommend only using it if absolutely necessary."

With that, the pre-recorded message faded, leaving the bewildered girl alone on the cold cave floor.

 

[ninjastar]

Transmigrated back into the body of her child self, can the mighty Celestial Bing Meilu survive in a Xianxia world all the while staving off the advances of arrogant young masters and wannabe protagonists alike?

Why is life so hard for the Icy Beauty?

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Chapter 29: Snake Demon

---

There were four main disciple factions in 70th Port Snake. The Blackheart Faction, the Liyang Faction, the Rampage Faction, and the Tang Faction. Each of these was effectively backed by one of the port's four Nascent Soul Commodores, the equivalent of an Outer Elder in the Moon Crying Swan Palace. 3rd Division Commander Ji Tianfang was not far from the Saint Realm. When he began his ascension, he would be promoted to Strike Force Commander, leaving the position of 3rd Division Commander open for the taking. Whomever of the four Commodores was selected for the position would receive a huge increase in resources, more than enough to escape Nascent Soul and reach the Transcending Impurity Realm.

As such, competition between the four groups was fierce, as they sought to acquire status and power for their faction. There were the formal annual faction contests, and countless informal power struggles and secret battles. If asked, most would say that new disciples should stay well out of the factional warfare. It was simply too dangerous for Qi Condensation newbies, or even those in the lower levels of Foundation Establishment. However, Bing Meilu planned to throw herself into the deep end of the conflict.

Why? Simple: Power and resources. Conflict necessitated risk, but those who were victoriously reaped the rewards.

"The question is simply which golden thigh to hug," the girl pondered.

There were effectively two options. The former Crimson Dragons had been allied with the Rampage Faction. Therefore no one would find it strange if 'Bing Meilu's Faithful Slaves' Faction, their successor, simply continued such a relationship. The other option was the Blackheart Faction, which was currently the most powerful of the four.

'I'll stick with the Rampage Faction. While the Blackheart may be a bit stronger, any faction I support is guaranteed victory. Meanwhile, those who defected from another group are often reviled and mistrusted even by those they joined. A traitor once can be a traitor twice after all.'

The fact Bing Meilu herself had never personally been an ally of the Rampage Squadron would not stop her from being seen as a turncoat, which would draw unwanted retaliation from Rampage and even mistrust from Blackheart. It was then clear sticking with the Rampage Faction was the best idea.

"The first thing to do is work up the strength of our faction, both of my slaves and myself, to a sufficient degree of strength."

"Are you sure this is a wise idea?" Zhang asked, sighing. "I know you're a young, hot-blooded cultivator, but being cautious is not a vice. You could just stay out of this and peacefully cultivate."

The resigned sigh he gave indicated not even the Core Formation expected his words would be persuasive. He was correct.

"I know what I'm doing," the girl assured him. "Besides, the faster I can grow in power, the faster you'll get the medicine you need."

If she'd been the type, she would have laughed at the irony of being lectured on the follies of youth by a cultivator not even in the Deathless realm.

Zhang nodded tiredly, sighing as he left Bing Meilu alone in her throne room. Physically only eleven years of age, she was dwarfed by the throne, constructed for the massively muscled body of Jiang Hu, former leader of the Crimson Dragons. As far as she was concerned, that only meant the chair had more legroom.

She hopped down from the comically oversized seat of power, making her way out of the factional headquarters with a confident stride. Through the wide open field upon which the many buildings in the compound were built she walked, until she arrived back at the dorm room initially assigned to her and Xia Xuefeng.

Now that she no longer needed the place, she could move her items out of it. Bing Meilu did not actually have much to her name by the time she arrived in Port Snake. Mostly some random trinkets, clothing and money she picked up along her trip from the northern tip of the Bird Talon Continent.

As she picked up several bags, she caught sight of a large block of red ice with a snake wriggling inside. Blinking, Bing Meilu remembered. She had captured this snake demon when it had sneak attacked her in the Flesh Mountains, using the technique Frozen Blood Prison Art. She'd been busy with cultivating and then finding XIa Xuefeng so the thing had simply... slipped her mind.

"Well then little Demon, looks like your time has come," Bing Meilu muttered.

She picked it up, noticing the way its eyes rapidly blinked and turned to stare at her, with burning malice. It felt almost... human-like. Her instinct told her there was something unusual about the scaled beast, and to a cultivator, such instincts were not something easily ignored.

"Yet I can't tell what could possibly be special about you," the girl shrugged. "To my eyes, you seem like any pathetic demon in the Qi Condensation Realm."

The snake aggressively blinked several times, slit eyes boring a hole into her. It was almost as if it could understand her and was angry at the dreaming insult... That was unlikely but, well... stranger things had happened.

"Hmm? Disagree? Are you not just a stupid, useless little beast?"

The snake began to furiously trash, and hiss in rage. A curious light appeared in the girl's eyes.

"You realize you've just given away you can understand human speech, right?"

The snake froze, staring up at her with wide eyes. It knew it had screwed up, it seemed. Bing Meilu smiled.

"Always interesting to find anomalies. A demon usually does not achieve wisdom until the Nascent Soul realm, and even then it is a simple, bestial intelligence. Understanding human language at the Qi Condensation Realm makes you a special find... I guess I can always find a use for a tamed Beast."

Bing Meilu's Qi began to pour into the serpent, completely overwhelming it.

----

Aiwa Satsushi struggled as a burning frost ripped its way through his meridians. His limp, injured Cultivation base could barely muster the force to slow down, let alone stop the infiltration. Fury and terror in equal parts churned within his tiny snake chest.

Status Effect Gained: Internal Qi Infiltration(Minor)!
Status Effect Gained: Internal Qi Infiltration(Minor)! x2
Status Effect Gained: Internal Qi Infiltration(Minor)! x3
Status Effect Gained: Internal Qi Infiltration(Moderate)!
Status Effect Gained: Internal Qi Infiltration(Moderate)! x2
Status Effect Gained: Internal Qi Infiltration(Moderate)! x3
Status Effect Gained: Internal Qi Infiltration(Major)!
Status Effect Gained: Internal Qi Infiltration(Major)! x2
Status Effect Gained: Internal Qi Infiltration(Major)! x3

Where had it all gone wrong for the human-turned-Snake Demon? Not a few weeks ago he lurked in the bountiful gardens of the Flesh Mountains, hunting caravans for points to fund his 'Demon Beast System'.

There he had been, peacefully minding his own business when hunting when the blasted bitch had appeared.

Bing Meilu! Rage coursed through his heart at the sight. However she was, she was certainly important. He would not have been offered a 'story quest' to kill her. Yet somehow she had managed to survive and even capture him, circumventing every seemingly foolproof plan.

'Just wait! When I'm out of here!' he raged.

System Warning! Debilitating effect 'Beast Slave Contract' is building up. 10%
System Warning! Debilitating effect 'Beast Slave Contract' is building up. 20%

White hot fear lanced through the serpent's heart. This could not be happening. There was no fucking way.

System Warning! Debilitating effect 'Beast Slave Contract' is building up. 30%
System Warning! Debilitating effect 'Beast Slave Contract' is building up. 40%
System Warning! Debilitating effect 'Beast Slave Contract' is building up. 50%

'Stop! Stop! Fucking stop! Please, God, Buddha, anyone? I promise I'll do whatever, just don't let this happen!' he screamed internally.

Aiwa was destined for greatness. He was chosen out of all of humanity, to be reborn in this strange new world, to be the host to this system. Surely he could be enslaved here, right? That wasn't his chosen fate. It couldn't be.

'System! There has to be a way to stop this? Is there anything?'

There was no response, and Aiwa could only despondently watch as the bar ticked up.

60%
70%
80%
90%
95%
99%
100%

His system cheerfully chimed. Aiwa regretted setting it to that sound.

The debilitating effect 'Beast Slave Contract' has been activated. User 'Aiwa Satsushi' now has the status effect 'Slave Contract' with Owner: 'Bing Meilu'.

Class: 'Nightstalker +3' forcibly changed to: 'Tamed Beast'
Name Aiwa Satsushi forcibly changed to 'Name Pending'

Contract Effects:

1: Tamed Beast may never disobey the Owner
2: Tamed Beast can never attack the Owner
3: Tamed Beast and Owner form a spiritual link

---

Bing Meilu raised an eyebrow as the beast-taming method took hold, subjugating the white-scaled serpent. A mental link formed, information flooding into her. She could sense its corporeal form, only a few feet from her, riddled with injuries and shattered meridians. It appeared the creature had been more powerful in the past, only to have lost its cultivation base? That might explain its unique spirituality to some degree.

Even more concerning was the molten copper symbol etched into the beast's Dantian. She would of course recognize anywhere the vile, esoteric Qi that made up a Sealing Mark created by a Demon from the depths of the Underworld.

She had, after all, used the very same thing to sacrifice her Heaven and Earth to become a Paragon.