Be The Icy Beauty! A Xianxia/Cultivation Tale
- Thread starter ninjastar
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
Robot if fine. People who are millions of years old and contemplate the secrets of the multiverse (or their navel) must know a bit about lightning Ki actuated puppets and combinatorial logic.
Xia Xuefeng Interlude 5: The Son of Heaven Society
ninjastar
(Verified Taoist Immortal)
- Location
- Your mom's house
Commodore Black Heartflame's eyes widened at the girl's ridiculous claim. Initially, he was tempted to dismiss the assertion as absurd but... The girl was currently infected with his Blackheart Truth Flames, which he trusted absolutely. If she tried to deceive him, her very soul would burn to a crisp. It should be in no way possible for a mere Qi Condensation cultivator to lie to him, who was at the eighth stage of Nascent Soul.
However, just because she wasn't lying did not necessarily mean she was telling the truth, only that she believed she was. It wasn't like the average mortal even understood the finer details of cultivation, such as the difference between a regular powerful cultivator and an actual Immortal being from the higher realms. More likely than not, the girl was just mistaking an 'ordinary' high-level cultivator for a Transcendent. After all, inheritances from the higher realms were indescribably rare and each changed the history of the world forever. Each of the Jade Sparrow World's Four Hegemon Sects was founded on the inheritance of a being from the higher realms, proving just how Heaven Defying such a thing was.
Furthermore, the last known descent of something from a higher realm was the falling of the feather of an Immortal Kunpeng, which went on to serve as the founding treasure of the Kunpeng Emperor's Hold. With the immortal legacy, they usurped the previous ruling sect of the Shattered Shell Continent, the only known time in history that one of the Four Hegemon Sects were replaced. This event was already so indescribably old that even the name of the usurped sect was lost to history, despite having once been a central pillar of the world, nothing of their legacy remained.
This was why the Commodore was deeply skeptical of her claim. Of course, the only way for him to confirm or deny it was to investigate directly. His Nascent Soul thrummed with rainbow light as he prepared to scan this so-called Sealing Mark...
An imperceptible wave ran through the air, like a monotone filter had suddenly flashed for a moment. The Commodore blinked rapidly, his head growing foggy.
'What was I thinking about? Ah, it can't have been important if I forgot.'
---
Xia Xuefeng closed her eyes in fear, waiting for their reaction. She had no clue what would happen to her now. As she waited, she felt the Sealing Mark in her Dantian rumble for a moment.
'What was that?'
All of a sudden, the man with the black fiery eyes spoke up.
"Then I think this matter is adjourned. Captain Ji will compensate you for any harm incurred. As an apology for your wrongful imprisonment, upon my name as Commodore Black Heartflame, I guarantee you anything within my ability and a ticket to wherever you want to go, whether it be joining the sect or some other power, or even living the rest of your life like a wealthy mortal royal."
"Uh... I'm confused? Didn't you want to know about the Sealing Mark?" Xia Xuefeng asked tentatively.
"The Pagoda must have been destroyed due to some strange reaction between it and the spatial formula. I can assure you that your innocence is not up for question," the judge seemed to be talking past her as if he couldn't hear her words at all.
'Is the Sealing Mark somehow hiding its existence? Is it altering their perception...'
A horrifying question suddenly bubbled into her mind.
'If the sealing mark can make these super strong cultivators completely forget something... Is it influencing my own mind as well?'
Her already pale face went white with terror, and she felt her heart start to race. She began to think as hard as she could searching for any case of missing memories, trying to remember if she had forgotten anything. At that point, the even more terrifying revelation set in. If the Sealing Mark could make her forget things... It could also make her forget she had forgotten things. On the verge of a panic attack, she pinched her own thigh, trying desperately to remain calm.
'Don't worry about things outside your control, Xia Xuefeng. If the Sealing Mark is screwing with you, you're fucked anyways. All you can do is try to deal with whatever comes at you at any given moment. In the meantime, need to focus on getting back to Mistress's side. If anyone knows how to deal with a mind-altering magical seal, it's her.'
Xia Xuefeng was relatively certain at this point Bing Meilu's background was far more spectacular than she let on. Becoming more familiar with the world of cultivation had only made the crazy things the ice cultivator had pulled off more impressive in hindsight than they had been to the still-mortal girl.
"Really? Just a boring 'formation interaction'? Ah, how disappointing..." The red-robed Commodore Rampage-Sword disappeared with a crack of air.
"I'll head back to watch over the rest of the disciple recruitment," said a white-beared old man, flying out of the window.
Commodore Liyang, who'd been interested in the pagoda, grabbed its owner and disappeared in a flash of light. Only Captain Ji Longyi and Commodore Black Heartflame were left in the room with Xia Xuefeng. She paused for a second to consider his offer of a 'ticket' to whenever she wanted to go.
"I will be joining the sect. I have an obligation to stay by my benefactor's side," Xia Xuefeng said to the judge. "As for my favour..."
She paused in thought. Doubtless, there were countless resources he could give her that would be immensely useful to her cultivation. Rare spirits beasts with valuable blood, magical treasures and more. Yet only one idea was dominating her mind.
"There are innocent people in the Shadow Pit. People who were born there, with no crime other than having evil parents. They have to live under the thumb of monstrous cannibals like the Flavoured Tongue Sect, who eat their own babies. That's not right. if you can, please free these people," Xia Xuefeng begged.
"...Are you serious? Do you know how valuable the favour of a Nascent Soul can be? You really want to use it to help strangers for no gain?" Captain Ji Longyi asked, raising an eyebrow.
As he spoke to her, Xia Xuefeng once felt a strange resonance in the Karmic Merit that suffused her body, which seemed to respond happily every time the man spoke directly to her. In her months of possessing the energy, it would resonate whenever she did something that conformed to the Dao of Heaven, encouraging certain actions and discouraging others. She had no clue why being simply spoken to by Ji Longyi had the same effect as attacking demonic cultivators and creating the Safe Zone in the Shadow Pit. She had to suppress a smile of happiness at the warm, giddy feeling, reminding herself she hated the bastard.
"...Yes." the girl eventually said. "If it weren't for people willing to help others for no gain, I would have died a long time ago. The best I can do is pay the benevolence forward."
Xia Xuefeng once more felt the flush of warmth run through her body as the searing Yang energy that was Karmic Merit vibrated. It resonated with what she said as the Dao of Heaven itself was confirming her words. It also did not like the existence of mortals in the Shadow Pit, it seemed. If she were to guess that had more to do with the fact they were being used as a resource for demonic cultivation more so than the suffering of mortals. Ji Longyi gave her a complex, considering look.
"If that's really what you want, I can," The Commodore nodded. "Are you sure?"
"I am."
"Very well. Captain, I'll leave you to ensure she gets properly inducted into the sect, and I trust you'll make sure to swiftly pay off your debt."
With that, the fire-eyed cultivator disappeared in a flash of rainbow light, leaving Xia Xuefeng alone with Ji Longyi. She looked over at the man who'd been responsible for her capture and stay in the hellish Shadow Pit, studying him closely for the first time. He was tall and slender, with pale, unblemished skin and long raven black hair framing an attractive face that was more pretty than handsome. With his pure white robes, he would have seemed like the picture of a refined noble gentleman, if not for the expression of awkward hesitancy that coloured his face.
'I'm sorry that you falsely imprisoned me you feel awkward!' Xia Xuefeng snorted, crossing her arms.
For months, she had raged against this man in her head, imagining a day of reckoning where she could get her righteous vengeance. Now that they were finally face to face, she had no clue what to say. He seemed genuinely sorry for the mistake, but sorry wasn't good enough! On the other hand, he was important and powerful and Xia Xuefeng had no backing, so she couldn't let loose her tongue on the man... yet anyways.
One day though, she'd show the spoiled rich kid the depth of depraved insults she'd learned living life as a peasant!
"So... How do you plan on compensating me?" the girl frowned.
"Ah- Yes. I'm very sorry about the whole ordeal, it must have been tough for you," he clasped his fists and bowed in apology, once more causing the Karmic Merit to bubble with warmth and giddiness. "I sincerely had no intentions of blabala false words of sympathy..."
Well, maybe he didn't quite say that, but Xia Xuefeng had already stopped paying attention. The talk was cheap, especially when it came to 'refined upper-class gentlemen'. She'd see if he was sincere based on how much she was compensated.
'Enough words- Money now!' she thought.
"Mhmm. I'm very grateful for all your words. Truly, it's some of the sincerity of all time," she sighed. "But I do have a business to get to, so if you plan on paying me back..."
"Of course. I'll take you to my treasury. There, you can take whatever you want?"
'Whatever I want? I hope you don't regret your words, pretty boy!'
Ji Longyi reached out to Xia Xuefeng with his palm expectantly. She gave him a disgusted look. Surely he didn't expect her to take his hand? After an uncomfortably long pause, he hesitantly retracted his hand, pulling out a longsword, which hovered in the air.
"You can use this flying sword," he explained patronizingly as if she didn't already understand such an obvious concept.
Xia Xuefeng hid her disdain, only smiling politely as she jumped onto the blade. As a former public-facing employee at a trade caravan, she knew how to control her dislike of people. Ji Longyi took off flying, and her sword followed closely behind, powered by his Core Formation cultivation. They flew out of the courtroom into the open air of Port Snake. Even further, they crossed over forests and rivers until arriving at a green, forest-covered mountain. A huge white marble complex spread out across a plateau.
"This is the Son of Heaven Pavilion!" he said, smiling proudly.
'Does he expect me to be impressed or something?'
As they flew down to the white marble pavilion, she gasped. The air itself was completely filled with Karmic Merit, suffusing the entire pavilion. Her own energy resonated, bubbling happily, and a flush of warmth and contentment filled her. Xia Xuefeng frowned in suspicion. What exactly was the relationship between the man and her Karmit Merit?
"Why is this place filled with Karmit merit?" the girl eventually asked.
Ji Longyi turned to her, smiling.
"So you can feel it, huh? Well, this place was once the base of a strong group of demonic cultivators until I purified it. The whole place is filled with Karmic Merit which has tons of uses for people like us."
'Purifed it, huh?'
She shivered slightly at the complete nonchalance with which he described the extermination of a group of living humans. Xia Xuefeng had no love for demonic cultivators, and could easily justify killing them, but she'd seen Ji Longyi's precaution, or lack thereof, when it came to dealing with so-called 'demonic cultivators'. How many innocents had he killed or imprisoned just for resembling a demonic cultivator, without even a trial? He looked confused at her frown, before continuing.
"You also have a lot of Karmic Merit, don't you? It's always encouraging to see people following the path of benevolence." Ji Longyi smiled. "And after you went out of your way to free the people born in the Shadow Pit, I just knew you were the right fit for my Son of Heaven Society. We're a brotherhood focused on following the Dao of Heaven by saving mortals and exterminating demonic cultivators. I'd like to offer you-"
"Nope."
"Huh? You didn't even hear what I was going to say?"
"No."
"But-"
"No."
Ji Longyi paused, looking at her in confusion. Xia Xuefeng could feel the Karmic Merit reacting in displeasure. Refusing his offer had somehow made the energy angry with her.
"You know I almost died three times in the shadow pit because of you!" Xia Xuefeng finally exploded, gritting her teeth. "I had to fucking kill people just to survive. It's not all water under the bridge just because I got out now. Did you seriously think I would just forget about all that and join your organization no question asked?"
"But- You have Karmic Merit?" Ji Longyi asked. "Can't you feel it encouraging you to join us in our righteous mission?"
"Yes, and I don't care what it wants. I have my own life to live, and I'm certainly not going to spend it around you of all people!"
Ji Longyi seemed completely confused. As if the concept of not doing what the Dao of Heaven wanted was incomprehensible. Bing Meilu's words resonated in her mind.
'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.'
Was this what she meant by a shackle? Had Ji Longyi been following the encouragement of the Karmic Merit for so long that he didn't even understand that someone might not agree with it? The happy bubbling of the Yang energy was suddenly given a sinister re-cast in Xia Xuefeng's mind.
Protecting mortals in the shadow zone, and killing demonic cultivators, all of that had elicited happiness and encouragement from the Karmic Merit, which she hadn't had a problem with, because she already agreed those were good things. But now, feeling the artificial happiness it tried to induce in her for something and someone she disliked, the way it tried to compel her to abandon all her resentment with Ji Longyi and join whatever his 'Son of Heaven Society' was made her suddenly very suspicious of it.
She was tempted to immediately expel it all, but the energy has already saved her life once., Keeping it in reserve as a trump card was immensely useful, even if it came with the cost of having to mitigate its unsubtle attempts to push her in a certain direction.
"Your own plans? Surely you don't think you know better what you should do than the Dao of Heaven?" he was taken aback.
"Maybe I do, and maybe I don't," she crossed her arms, eyes narrowed. "But it's certainly none of your business anyways. I'm here to be compensated for your crimes against me, not to play buddy-buddy."
Ji Longyi frowned, a subtle pressure emanating from him. Xia Xuefeng suddenly remembered she was speaking to someone in Core Formation, who could crush her like an ant if he chose, and a bead of sweat ran down her head. Maybe she shouldn't have lost her temper... Yet, instead of anger, the boy just seemed lost, as if he didn't know what to do.
"...Alright," he shrugged. "We can go to the treasury now."
He almost looked like a kicked puppy and she felt a wince of sympathy, before pausing.
'Wait, I hate this guy? Fuck him! Was that the Karmic Merit influencing me again? Surely I don't feel any sympathy for this stuck-up privileged bastard, right? Between this and the Sealing Mark, I can't trust fucking anything!'
Truly, there was no such thing as a free meal. Was there any source of power that didn't horribly backfire and leave her influenced by some nefarious being? After the Blood-Moon Spectral God and the Karmic Merit, the girl was tempted to say no.
The two walked in silence toward a large building. They stepped inside. Within was a beautiful young woman in a blue robe. She perked up upon seeing Ji Longyi and ran over to him, hugging him tightly.
"Brother Long, you're back!" she cheered.
The woman turned to look at Xia Xuefeng, eyeing her curiously. Both of the girls could feel the Karmic Merit in each other.
"Oh, I didn't know we'd be getting a new mem-"
"I'm not," Xi Xuefeng cut her off, perhaps with an unnecessarily harsh tone that left the blue-robed woman taken aback. "He's here to pay me back for a debt."
Ji Longyi laughed nervously, pulling himself off the woman.
"Sister Fei Fei, this is Xia Xuefeng. There was a mistake where I ended up mistaking her for a demonic cultivator and having her arrested. However, it turned out she was actually innocent, so I've resolved to pay her back for my mistake."
"Oh, just like big brother to be so magnanimous," the woman sighed, smiling up at Ji Longyi with infatuation.
'Get a fucking room you shameless flirt,' Xia Xuefeng grumbled. 'And magnanimous, did you even hear the story? What part of what he did is magnanimous?!'
Ji Longyi excused himself to go unlock the vault, which would take a short while. In the meantime, Fei Fei and the blood cultivator were left alone together. The moment Ji Longyi left, the woman crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, her whole demeanour changing. Xia Xuefeng had been made to attend to enough noblewomen while working at the caravan to understand this time of two-faced person. She could already predict the woman shouting at her for taking away her 'precious brother Long's attention' or some other inane nonsense.
"Why aren't you joining our Society?" the woman asked instead, eyes narrowed. "As a possessor of Karmic Merit, surely you can feel the encouragement of the Dao of Heaven to join us in our righteous cause."
"I have no plans to join an organization founded by Ji Longyi," Xia Xuefeng replied. "I don't have to blindly follow everything the Karmic Merit wants. Besides, who'se to say joining him is even the best way to help people?"
"Of course it is," Fei Fei snorted. "I suppose you might not know this, but Ji Longyi is a Chosen of Heaven. You probably felt the way your Karmic merit responded to his presence. He's a special existence, a cultivator blessed by Heaven and destined for greatness. It's the duty and penance of all cultivators to assist him in his rise to power. No one but him has the chance to bring true salvation to our world and purge demonic cultivators once and for all!"
The woman's tone gained a subtle edge of zeal to it as she spoke. Xia Xuefeng changed her mental categorization of her from a flirty noblewoman to a religious fanatic. Her interest in Ji Longyi suddenly seemed far more creepy.
"You can have fun with that, I have stuff to do," Xia Xuefeng shrugged.
"Hmmph, typical cultivator. You selfishly steal the Spiritual Energy of heaven and Earth and yet refuse to do your part in carrying out the will of the Dao of Heaven. If it weren't for cultivators stealing the power of the Heavens, they would have exterminated all demonic cultivators by now. If you're going to weaken the heavens, you should at least pay it back with loyal service!"
The woman seemed to have a particular hate boner for demonic cultivators. But her words made Xia Xuefeng pause. Cultivation primarily occurred through the absorption of the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth that filled the world. Was it really the case that if there were no orthodox cultivators, the Heavens would have the power to strike down demons more often?
Images flashbacked in her mind, of the horrific things she'd seen in the Shadow Pit, watching a demonic cultivator swallow their own baby only moments after birth, piles of corpses she found tossed aside like trash, drained of their life essence. Was all of that essentially the fault of people like her? Waves of guilt assaulted her-
'Is that the Karmic merit affecting me again? I either need to get rid of this stuff or find a way to stop it from affecting my emotions like this.'
So far it only seemed to have the power to affect her emotions in relatively unsubtle ways, making her feel happiness, guilt, contentment of discomfort, to push her in the directions it wanted. Compared to the potential memory alteration of the Sealing Mark, it was far less scary.
"I've already killed countless demonic cultivators and even founded a protection group for them in the Shadow Pit. As far as cultivators go, I think I've been incredibly good to mortals. I don't need your lectures! Where the hell were you when countless innocent people were born and killed by demonic cultivators in the shadow pit? Huh? How come I had to personally beg a Commodore just to end this disgusting system that was around for god knows how long? I bet you knew about it and did nothing. For all your preaching, you never came to save anyone in there, did you! Where was your 'Son of Heaven' society then?"
However, just because she wasn't lying did not necessarily mean she was telling the truth, only that she believed she was. It wasn't like the average mortal even understood the finer details of cultivation, such as the difference between a regular powerful cultivator and an actual Immortal being from the higher realms. More likely than not, the girl was just mistaking an 'ordinary' high-level cultivator for a Transcendent. After all, inheritances from the higher realms were indescribably rare and each changed the history of the world forever. Each of the Jade Sparrow World's Four Hegemon Sects was founded on the inheritance of a being from the higher realms, proving just how Heaven Defying such a thing was.
Furthermore, the last known descent of something from a higher realm was the falling of the feather of an Immortal Kunpeng, which went on to serve as the founding treasure of the Kunpeng Emperor's Hold. With the immortal legacy, they usurped the previous ruling sect of the Shattered Shell Continent, the only known time in history that one of the Four Hegemon Sects were replaced. This event was already so indescribably old that even the name of the usurped sect was lost to history, despite having once been a central pillar of the world, nothing of their legacy remained.
This was why the Commodore was deeply skeptical of her claim. Of course, the only way for him to confirm or deny it was to investigate directly. His Nascent Soul thrummed with rainbow light as he prepared to scan this so-called Sealing Mark...
An imperceptible wave ran through the air, like a monotone filter had suddenly flashed for a moment. The Commodore blinked rapidly, his head growing foggy.
'What was I thinking about? Ah, it can't have been important if I forgot.'
---
Xia Xuefeng closed her eyes in fear, waiting for their reaction. She had no clue what would happen to her now. As she waited, she felt the Sealing Mark in her Dantian rumble for a moment.
'What was that?'
All of a sudden, the man with the black fiery eyes spoke up.
"Then I think this matter is adjourned. Captain Ji will compensate you for any harm incurred. As an apology for your wrongful imprisonment, upon my name as Commodore Black Heartflame, I guarantee you anything within my ability and a ticket to wherever you want to go, whether it be joining the sect or some other power, or even living the rest of your life like a wealthy mortal royal."
"Uh... I'm confused? Didn't you want to know about the Sealing Mark?" Xia Xuefeng asked tentatively.
"The Pagoda must have been destroyed due to some strange reaction between it and the spatial formula. I can assure you that your innocence is not up for question," the judge seemed to be talking past her as if he couldn't hear her words at all.
'Is the Sealing Mark somehow hiding its existence? Is it altering their perception...'
A horrifying question suddenly bubbled into her mind.
'If the sealing mark can make these super strong cultivators completely forget something... Is it influencing my own mind as well?'
Her already pale face went white with terror, and she felt her heart start to race. She began to think as hard as she could searching for any case of missing memories, trying to remember if she had forgotten anything. At that point, the even more terrifying revelation set in. If the Sealing Mark could make her forget things... It could also make her forget she had forgotten things. On the verge of a panic attack, she pinched her own thigh, trying desperately to remain calm.
'Don't worry about things outside your control, Xia Xuefeng. If the Sealing Mark is screwing with you, you're fucked anyways. All you can do is try to deal with whatever comes at you at any given moment. In the meantime, need to focus on getting back to Mistress's side. If anyone knows how to deal with a mind-altering magical seal, it's her.'
Xia Xuefeng was relatively certain at this point Bing Meilu's background was far more spectacular than she let on. Becoming more familiar with the world of cultivation had only made the crazy things the ice cultivator had pulled off more impressive in hindsight than they had been to the still-mortal girl.
"Really? Just a boring 'formation interaction'? Ah, how disappointing..." The red-robed Commodore Rampage-Sword disappeared with a crack of air.
"I'll head back to watch over the rest of the disciple recruitment," said a white-beared old man, flying out of the window.
Commodore Liyang, who'd been interested in the pagoda, grabbed its owner and disappeared in a flash of light. Only Captain Ji Longyi and Commodore Black Heartflame were left in the room with Xia Xuefeng. She paused for a second to consider his offer of a 'ticket' to whenever she wanted to go.
"I will be joining the sect. I have an obligation to stay by my benefactor's side," Xia Xuefeng said to the judge. "As for my favour..."
She paused in thought. Doubtless, there were countless resources he could give her that would be immensely useful to her cultivation. Rare spirits beasts with valuable blood, magical treasures and more. Yet only one idea was dominating her mind.
"There are innocent people in the Shadow Pit. People who were born there, with no crime other than having evil parents. They have to live under the thumb of monstrous cannibals like the Flavoured Tongue Sect, who eat their own babies. That's not right. if you can, please free these people," Xia Xuefeng begged.
"...Are you serious? Do you know how valuable the favour of a Nascent Soul can be? You really want to use it to help strangers for no gain?" Captain Ji Longyi asked, raising an eyebrow.
As he spoke to her, Xia Xuefeng once felt a strange resonance in the Karmic Merit that suffused her body, which seemed to respond happily every time the man spoke directly to her. In her months of possessing the energy, it would resonate whenever she did something that conformed to the Dao of Heaven, encouraging certain actions and discouraging others. She had no clue why being simply spoken to by Ji Longyi had the same effect as attacking demonic cultivators and creating the Safe Zone in the Shadow Pit. She had to suppress a smile of happiness at the warm, giddy feeling, reminding herself she hated the bastard.
"...Yes." the girl eventually said. "If it weren't for people willing to help others for no gain, I would have died a long time ago. The best I can do is pay the benevolence forward."
Xia Xuefeng once more felt the flush of warmth run through her body as the searing Yang energy that was Karmic Merit vibrated. It resonated with what she said as the Dao of Heaven itself was confirming her words. It also did not like the existence of mortals in the Shadow Pit, it seemed. If she were to guess that had more to do with the fact they were being used as a resource for demonic cultivation more so than the suffering of mortals. Ji Longyi gave her a complex, considering look.
"If that's really what you want, I can," The Commodore nodded. "Are you sure?"
"I am."
"Very well. Captain, I'll leave you to ensure she gets properly inducted into the sect, and I trust you'll make sure to swiftly pay off your debt."
With that, the fire-eyed cultivator disappeared in a flash of rainbow light, leaving Xia Xuefeng alone with Ji Longyi. She looked over at the man who'd been responsible for her capture and stay in the hellish Shadow Pit, studying him closely for the first time. He was tall and slender, with pale, unblemished skin and long raven black hair framing an attractive face that was more pretty than handsome. With his pure white robes, he would have seemed like the picture of a refined noble gentleman, if not for the expression of awkward hesitancy that coloured his face.
'I'm sorry that you falsely imprisoned me you feel awkward!' Xia Xuefeng snorted, crossing her arms.
For months, she had raged against this man in her head, imagining a day of reckoning where she could get her righteous vengeance. Now that they were finally face to face, she had no clue what to say. He seemed genuinely sorry for the mistake, but sorry wasn't good enough! On the other hand, he was important and powerful and Xia Xuefeng had no backing, so she couldn't let loose her tongue on the man... yet anyways.
One day though, she'd show the spoiled rich kid the depth of depraved insults she'd learned living life as a peasant!
"So... How do you plan on compensating me?" the girl frowned.
"Ah- Yes. I'm very sorry about the whole ordeal, it must have been tough for you," he clasped his fists and bowed in apology, once more causing the Karmic Merit to bubble with warmth and giddiness. "I sincerely had no intentions of blabala false words of sympathy..."
Well, maybe he didn't quite say that, but Xia Xuefeng had already stopped paying attention. The talk was cheap, especially when it came to 'refined upper-class gentlemen'. She'd see if he was sincere based on how much she was compensated.
'Enough words- Money now!' she thought.
"Mhmm. I'm very grateful for all your words. Truly, it's some of the sincerity of all time," she sighed. "But I do have a business to get to, so if you plan on paying me back..."
"Of course. I'll take you to my treasury. There, you can take whatever you want?"
'Whatever I want? I hope you don't regret your words, pretty boy!'
Ji Longyi reached out to Xia Xuefeng with his palm expectantly. She gave him a disgusted look. Surely he didn't expect her to take his hand? After an uncomfortably long pause, he hesitantly retracted his hand, pulling out a longsword, which hovered in the air.
"You can use this flying sword," he explained patronizingly as if she didn't already understand such an obvious concept.
Xia Xuefeng hid her disdain, only smiling politely as she jumped onto the blade. As a former public-facing employee at a trade caravan, she knew how to control her dislike of people. Ji Longyi took off flying, and her sword followed closely behind, powered by his Core Formation cultivation. They flew out of the courtroom into the open air of Port Snake. Even further, they crossed over forests and rivers until arriving at a green, forest-covered mountain. A huge white marble complex spread out across a plateau.
"This is the Son of Heaven Pavilion!" he said, smiling proudly.
'Does he expect me to be impressed or something?'
As they flew down to the white marble pavilion, she gasped. The air itself was completely filled with Karmic Merit, suffusing the entire pavilion. Her own energy resonated, bubbling happily, and a flush of warmth and contentment filled her. Xia Xuefeng frowned in suspicion. What exactly was the relationship between the man and her Karmit Merit?
"Why is this place filled with Karmit merit?" the girl eventually asked.
Ji Longyi turned to her, smiling.
"So you can feel it, huh? Well, this place was once the base of a strong group of demonic cultivators until I purified it. The whole place is filled with Karmic Merit which has tons of uses for people like us."
'Purifed it, huh?'
She shivered slightly at the complete nonchalance with which he described the extermination of a group of living humans. Xia Xuefeng had no love for demonic cultivators, and could easily justify killing them, but she'd seen Ji Longyi's precaution, or lack thereof, when it came to dealing with so-called 'demonic cultivators'. How many innocents had he killed or imprisoned just for resembling a demonic cultivator, without even a trial? He looked confused at her frown, before continuing.
"You also have a lot of Karmic Merit, don't you? It's always encouraging to see people following the path of benevolence." Ji Longyi smiled. "And after you went out of your way to free the people born in the Shadow Pit, I just knew you were the right fit for my Son of Heaven Society. We're a brotherhood focused on following the Dao of Heaven by saving mortals and exterminating demonic cultivators. I'd like to offer you-"
"Nope."
"Huh? You didn't even hear what I was going to say?"
"No."
"But-"
"No."
Ji Longyi paused, looking at her in confusion. Xia Xuefeng could feel the Karmic Merit reacting in displeasure. Refusing his offer had somehow made the energy angry with her.
"You know I almost died three times in the shadow pit because of you!" Xia Xuefeng finally exploded, gritting her teeth. "I had to fucking kill people just to survive. It's not all water under the bridge just because I got out now. Did you seriously think I would just forget about all that and join your organization no question asked?"
"But- You have Karmic Merit?" Ji Longyi asked. "Can't you feel it encouraging you to join us in our righteous mission?"
"Yes, and I don't care what it wants. I have my own life to live, and I'm certainly not going to spend it around you of all people!"
Ji Longyi seemed completely confused. As if the concept of not doing what the Dao of Heaven wanted was incomprehensible. Bing Meilu's words resonated in her mind.
'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.'
Was this what she meant by a shackle? Had Ji Longyi been following the encouragement of the Karmic Merit for so long that he didn't even understand that someone might not agree with it? The happy bubbling of the Yang energy was suddenly given a sinister re-cast in Xia Xuefeng's mind.
Protecting mortals in the shadow zone, and killing demonic cultivators, all of that had elicited happiness and encouragement from the Karmic Merit, which she hadn't had a problem with, because she already agreed those were good things. But now, feeling the artificial happiness it tried to induce in her for something and someone she disliked, the way it tried to compel her to abandon all her resentment with Ji Longyi and join whatever his 'Son of Heaven Society' was made her suddenly very suspicious of it.
She was tempted to immediately expel it all, but the energy has already saved her life once., Keeping it in reserve as a trump card was immensely useful, even if it came with the cost of having to mitigate its unsubtle attempts to push her in a certain direction.
"Your own plans? Surely you don't think you know better what you should do than the Dao of Heaven?" he was taken aback.
"Maybe I do, and maybe I don't," she crossed her arms, eyes narrowed. "But it's certainly none of your business anyways. I'm here to be compensated for your crimes against me, not to play buddy-buddy."
Ji Longyi frowned, a subtle pressure emanating from him. Xia Xuefeng suddenly remembered she was speaking to someone in Core Formation, who could crush her like an ant if he chose, and a bead of sweat ran down her head. Maybe she shouldn't have lost her temper... Yet, instead of anger, the boy just seemed lost, as if he didn't know what to do.
"...Alright," he shrugged. "We can go to the treasury now."
He almost looked like a kicked puppy and she felt a wince of sympathy, before pausing.
'Wait, I hate this guy? Fuck him! Was that the Karmic Merit influencing me again? Surely I don't feel any sympathy for this stuck-up privileged bastard, right? Between this and the Sealing Mark, I can't trust fucking anything!'
Truly, there was no such thing as a free meal. Was there any source of power that didn't horribly backfire and leave her influenced by some nefarious being? After the Blood-Moon Spectral God and the Karmic Merit, the girl was tempted to say no.
The two walked in silence toward a large building. They stepped inside. Within was a beautiful young woman in a blue robe. She perked up upon seeing Ji Longyi and ran over to him, hugging him tightly.
"Brother Long, you're back!" she cheered.
The woman turned to look at Xia Xuefeng, eyeing her curiously. Both of the girls could feel the Karmic Merit in each other.
"Oh, I didn't know we'd be getting a new mem-"
"I'm not," Xi Xuefeng cut her off, perhaps with an unnecessarily harsh tone that left the blue-robed woman taken aback. "He's here to pay me back for a debt."
Ji Longyi laughed nervously, pulling himself off the woman.
"Sister Fei Fei, this is Xia Xuefeng. There was a mistake where I ended up mistaking her for a demonic cultivator and having her arrested. However, it turned out she was actually innocent, so I've resolved to pay her back for my mistake."
"Oh, just like big brother to be so magnanimous," the woman sighed, smiling up at Ji Longyi with infatuation.
'Get a fucking room you shameless flirt,' Xia Xuefeng grumbled. 'And magnanimous, did you even hear the story? What part of what he did is magnanimous?!'
Ji Longyi excused himself to go unlock the vault, which would take a short while. In the meantime, Fei Fei and the blood cultivator were left alone together. The moment Ji Longyi left, the woman crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, her whole demeanour changing. Xia Xuefeng had been made to attend to enough noblewomen while working at the caravan to understand this time of two-faced person. She could already predict the woman shouting at her for taking away her 'precious brother Long's attention' or some other inane nonsense.
"Why aren't you joining our Society?" the woman asked instead, eyes narrowed. "As a possessor of Karmic Merit, surely you can feel the encouragement of the Dao of Heaven to join us in our righteous cause."
"I have no plans to join an organization founded by Ji Longyi," Xia Xuefeng replied. "I don't have to blindly follow everything the Karmic Merit wants. Besides, who'se to say joining him is even the best way to help people?"
"Of course it is," Fei Fei snorted. "I suppose you might not know this, but Ji Longyi is a Chosen of Heaven. You probably felt the way your Karmic merit responded to his presence. He's a special existence, a cultivator blessed by Heaven and destined for greatness. It's the duty and penance of all cultivators to assist him in his rise to power. No one but him has the chance to bring true salvation to our world and purge demonic cultivators once and for all!"
The woman's tone gained a subtle edge of zeal to it as she spoke. Xia Xuefeng changed her mental categorization of her from a flirty noblewoman to a religious fanatic. Her interest in Ji Longyi suddenly seemed far more creepy.
"You can have fun with that, I have stuff to do," Xia Xuefeng shrugged.
"Hmmph, typical cultivator. You selfishly steal the Spiritual Energy of heaven and Earth and yet refuse to do your part in carrying out the will of the Dao of Heaven. If it weren't for cultivators stealing the power of the Heavens, they would have exterminated all demonic cultivators by now. If you're going to weaken the heavens, you should at least pay it back with loyal service!"
The woman seemed to have a particular hate boner for demonic cultivators. But her words made Xia Xuefeng pause. Cultivation primarily occurred through the absorption of the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth that filled the world. Was it really the case that if there were no orthodox cultivators, the Heavens would have the power to strike down demons more often?
Images flashbacked in her mind, of the horrific things she'd seen in the Shadow Pit, watching a demonic cultivator swallow their own baby only moments after birth, piles of corpses she found tossed aside like trash, drained of their life essence. Was all of that essentially the fault of people like her? Waves of guilt assaulted her-
'Is that the Karmic merit affecting me again? I either need to get rid of this stuff or find a way to stop it from affecting my emotions like this.'
So far it only seemed to have the power to affect her emotions in relatively unsubtle ways, making her feel happiness, guilt, contentment of discomfort, to push her in the directions it wanted. Compared to the potential memory alteration of the Sealing Mark, it was far less scary.
"I've already killed countless demonic cultivators and even founded a protection group for them in the Shadow Pit. As far as cultivators go, I think I've been incredibly good to mortals. I don't need your lectures! Where the hell were you when countless innocent people were born and killed by demonic cultivators in the shadow pit? Huh? How come I had to personally beg a Commodore just to end this disgusting system that was around for god knows how long? I bet you knew about it and did nothing. For all your preaching, you never came to save anyone in there, did you! Where was your 'Son of Heaven' society then?"
- Location
- Spain
Amazing, he didn't explode
- Location
- Spain
Xia Xuefeng is truly losing her grip, usually she would have better sense and just shut up.
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They must be basking in the self righteousness of karmic merit, that they can't see that condemning an innocent is bad.
- Location
- Spain
Btw, the other day i was rereading the whole thing and i found this amusing bit:
great story, i like it a lot
ninjastar
(Verified Taoist Immortal)
- Location
- Your mom's house
Thanks, I always appreciate encouraging words
samdamandias
Apprentice Plane Wizard
And for some reason 20th-century Czechoslovakian literature.
Hey, immortals have hobbies too!
That would just be unsporting, though.
Because they are the Sons of Heaven, any action they take is righteous. Condemning an innocent is not righteous. Therefore, since they would never undertake an unrighteous action, anyone they condemn is not innocent.
Xia Xuefeng needs to hang out with Xi Fu, they can complain about the Dao of Heaven together.
- Location
- Malaysia
I think of all the side characters, Xia Xuefeng has the most interesting character arc so far. You don't get many characters with her kind of tropes.
ninjastar
(Verified Taoist Immortal)
- Location
- Your mom's house
That's interesting. If you don't mind, could I ask why?
- Pronouns
- He/His/etc
Bing Meilu would likely have nothing but derision for the Son Of Heaven Society. They have abandoned the entire purpose of cultivation, to defy and surpass heaven, in order to beg for scraps from it like a loyal dog.
RazorSmile
ROB Used To Be A Knife Missile
You make her sound like Lio Aetos aka "Griffon" from Virtuous Sons.
"No More Higher Powers."
- Location
- Malaysia
She's not your typical young mistress or some reincarnated genius trope which are dime dozens in Xianxia female leads for some reason. It's as if women in xianxia can't ever amount to anything without those prerequisites. Closest she get to is a lowborn who lucked into some special power and even that is debatable with our Lady Universe Destroyer. Plus she's has at least enough agency of her own from what we have seen so far and has some considerable challenges ahead for decent character growth.
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Chapter 44: Establishing Foundation
ninjastar
(Verified Taoist Immortal)
- Location
- Your mom's house
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 44: Establishing Foundation
---
"Everyone gather up! We're heading out!" Bing Meilu ordered, hands clasped behind her back.
If all went well, she'd soon be fighting a Red Drake two entire Realms above her in cultivation. She could feel a haint of rising bloodlust and anticipation. Pushing herself to survive against the beast would be just the thing she needed to finally finish tempering her foundation. She could feel the repressed Qi within her, yearning to explode forward and smash the barrier of the Second Realm. She kept it suppressed. She was already close, but it wasn't yet time.
The nine-teen strong legion marched forward, reaching the end of the valley. As the scout had reported, there was a huge clawed footprint in the ash-laden soil. Bing Meilu leaned down, swiping up some of the ash with her fingers.
"It's still relatively fresh. The Drake should be nearby."
Past the valley, a series of tall basalt rock pillars rose beneath the shadow of a huge mountain. Ash Wyveryns flittered about the air, huge black Smoke-Raven nests hanging from sheer cliffs. The faction made it to a large cliff face. The mouth of a huge cave opened up, doubtlessly leading to one of the deep and complex tunnel systems that Red Drakes often made their lairs.
"What now, Boss?" Jiang Hu asked, hand resting on his sabre, eagerness in his eyes.
The blood of a Core Formation Red Drake would be just what he needed to advance his cultivation. It might even push him to the peak of the Second Realm.
"We're going to draw it out to fight in the open, rather than in the cave system. Jiang Hu, pour some of your blood over the mouth of the cave."
Red Drakes were fiercely territorial and competitive with each other. Due to the Redscale Drake's Metamorphosis, the sabre fighter's blood would have the aroma of another Red Drake. Putting his scent near its nest was a massive challenge that would draw it out. Back in the day, Bing Meilu would keep jugs of Drake blood on her for such a purpose, and whenever she used them up... She would always get a fresh supply. Jiang Hu nodded, slicing a thin gash into his palm. He waved his hand and tossed droplets of blood all over the cave. Though imperceptible to humans, the scent would be obvious and noticeable to their prey.
Only moments later a furious roar erupted from within the cave. Explosive cracking sounds erupted as heavy feet slammed onto the ground. Emerging from the cave was an enormous reptile, with jagged red scales covering its body. It had four legs and large clawed wings, massive obsidian horns rising from its head and long neck. This was a Red Drake, one of the mightiest flame-aligned bloodlines in the Bird Talon Continent. Sticking out of one of the Drake's eyes was a golden sabre caked with dry blood. Bing Meilu raised an eyebrow.
That sabre had been a Third Realm magical treasure left behind by a dead hunter of the Redscale clan. It had been claimed by the genius of the Redscale Clan, Flame Empress Xiyi, who shocked the world by slaying a Core Formation Drake while only at the second stage of Foundation Establishment. The ice cultivator held back a laugh.
'First the crystal mine and now this. It seems I am really stealing her good fortune. Oh well, given how she scammed me out of half my Yin-Yang Heavy Water back during the Ocean Slaying Grand Tournament, I don't think she can blame me for being greedy!'
"All of you guys stay a safe distance away!" Bing Meilu commanded.
Her soulbond weapon, Xin Shui, poured from her sleeves, the liquid metal forming into a long-hafted Warhammer.
The Drake let loose a massive, earth-shaking roar. Around it, basalt pillars cracked and collapsed from the sheer force of the noise. It was to be expected given the cultivation of the creature. A peak-first Realm cultivator could crack boulders, move faster than the eye could see and manipulate the elements. A peak Second Realm cultivator was able to unleash magical attacks that could decimate entire buildings, shake a small mountain with their anger and even fly. A peak Core Formation cultivator was a threat to whole cities. After that was Nascent Soul, at that point, one could reshape the landscape permanently.
The Core Formation Drakes's mouth flashed with white-hot burning Qi. A sea of flames exploded forward, melting basalt columns and filling the air with smoke.
'Seven Steps of the Snow Fairy'
Executing the basic movement art of the Moon Crying Swan Palace, Bing Meilu blurred to the side, avoiding the jet of boiling flame. Icy fog swirled around her to protect her from the heat as she advanced toward the side of the Drake. A massive claw's foot the size of her whole body three times over slammed at her with earth-shattering force and speed.
Bing Meilu jumped forwards, the rock she had just stood on turned to dust as the mighty slam ripped it open. The Drake seemed to only be in the early stages of Core Formation, not at the point it could destroy a city, but still filled with incredible physical might.
Arms empowered with Qi, she slammed her Warhammer into the ribcage of the Drake, bouncing backwards. Even with the great power of a Soulbound weapon, the difference in Realms was simply too much. Bing Meilu dodged and weaved through the jagged claws and swipes of its massive muscular tail. Already she could feel her combat instinct sharpening and returning to her, ancient memories bubbling up and integrating into her fighting style.
'It should be about to swing its tail-'
Bing Meilu leapt upwards, the air cracking with the explosive swipe of the dragon's muscular wagon-thick tail.
'My instincts.. are awakening.'
Memory and knowledge were not enough to have keen combat instincts. Automatic muscle memory was also needed. But take someone with the memories of a fight in a new body, and they would rapidly rebuild that muscle memory. As Bing Meilu fought, it was like a clogged river finally opened up, her old instincts gushing into her untrained but receptive body.
'Dodge, duck weave, slam at the arm, leap under claw, hit at the hipbone.'
Even with her near effortless execution, Bing Meilu's attacks were not even harming the dragon, only making it angrier. Yet each moment she could feel herself getting stronger.
The core of 'tempering' was to force oneself to properly utilize the full potential of their power. If the maximum strength one could have at the peak of Qi Condensation was ten, one normally only had a five. The body could unleash ten, but wouldn't do so normally. By forcing oneself to go through baptism in battles of life and death, the body would be forced to fully maximize its potential and usage or die. The benefits of such tempering were permanent and exponential. That was why the more Realms one passed through, the greater the difference between the weakest and the strongest, as those who had squeezed every drop of power from each realm increased the gap between them and those who rushed more and more.
Bing Meilu could feel subtle restructuring flow through her fractal meridian system as Qi rerouted, flowing through new, more efficient paths and her body became more receptive to the energy. Of course, as both a natural genius, with the experience of a former Paragon and cultivation method as Heaven Defying as the Crystal Providence tome, the amount of tempering she got from even a single battle was many times what others would get.
At a certain point, the Drake became completely enraged at its inability to kill the tiny ant pestering it. With barely a hint of warning, an explosion of fire ripped out from every inch of its body, as its Core Formation cultivation came to bear. Rock melted and boiled as the fireball of an aura exploded outwards.
Instantly a protective storm of ice exploded around her. Bing Meilu's qi drained at an incredible pace as she retreated. Five cultivators worth of qi, ten, fifteen. She jumped out of the edge of the fireball, gasping. Needless to say, no other Qi Condensation cultivator would have had the energy to even survive such an attack. Even with her icy armour, the girl was drenched in sweat from the heat. It was said when a cultivator was near death their body was most open to their potential. Bing Meilu knew there was no better time to breakthrough than now, after her fights at the fighting club and in the Ashen Mountains, she was finally ready.
"Jiang Hu, Xi Fu, Elemental Five, slaves one and two, take the lead in holding it off. The rest of you aid them from a safer distance. I'm going to break through!"
Bing Meilu ran from the Drake, leaped up the side of a cliff wall and landed upon a plateau. Several Ash-Wyverns eyed her in interest, circling overhead. The girl closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. Qi, which had been barely held back by her iron will was released to smoothly flow. Within each of her seventy-two apertures, a pale blue moon began to condense, each and every drop of amber-thick liquid Qi condensed further and further, crystallizing into a solid. Immediately, thunderclouds began to gather overhead as she felt the barrier of the Foundation Establishment, the restraint blocking her from progressing. If she stopped now, the moons would slowly dissolve. Instead, she pushed that little bit further, the moon growing tinier and tinier until they resembled specks of pure crystal.
There was not even a bottleneck as she smoothly slid into the first stage of Foundation Establishment. She had been suppressing her breakthrough for weeks, accumulating Qi and combat experience. Even without trying, she could feel new layers form around each moon, her cultivation rising all the way to the third stage of Foundation Establishment. A visible vortex of Qi formed around her, as the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth began to greedily rush into the vacuum left by the condensation of her Qi. More Qi than she'd ever stored in the body was wasted as visible light from the intensity of the process.
By now, a huge disc of black clouds had formed overhead, completely blotting out the sky. Thunder rumbled threateningly as the supreme Yang Aura of Heavenly Tribulation formed. Tribulation Lighting was the Highest Yang Law, a supreme manifestation of the burning half of duality. It was order, authority, centralization, fire and heat and dynamic vigour in one package, filled with the infinitely domineering attitude of the Dao of Heaven.
Bing Meilu arrogantly clasped her arms behind her back, staring up at the thunderclouds. Mankind had never been meant to wield Qi. They did not have the bloodlines and power of spiritual beasts who simply cultivated as part of their natural lifespan. Instead, they had stolen the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth and purified it of Heaven's will, grafted meridian systems onto themselves and painstakingly carved a path of ascension through the flesh of Natural Law. It was said to be the second-greatest act of blasphemy in history.
Yet, despite this, the Dao of Heaven was bound by both its innate self-love to all the living beings who constituted the reality from which it was born and by its very nature as a Providence. The Will of Heaven was bound by laws, rules and regulations. There was a reason it was called Natural 'Law'. It could hate and revile cultivation all it wanted, but could not just arbitrarily do whatever it pleased.
It was during a breakthrough, when the blasphemous power of cultivation was in full display, that the wrath of the Dao of Heaven reached its maximal extent. Only in moments like these did the laws loosen enough that the will of the world could send down punishment for those who had angered it. During such a time the Heavens had the great discretional authority to punish or reward according to it's nepotistic preferences. Those blessed and beloved by the Dao of Heaven would experience baptisms of vitality and life energy, and those reviled by it could be struck down with an unending river of lighting hell-bent on extermination.
This was precisely shown by the gathering power above her. This was not a tribulation suitable for someone in Foundation Establishment. Even a weaker Core Formation could be killed by such a mighty, wrath-filled tribulation. Not a hint of life energy could be felt from the boiling Yang in the sky above her. It was filled with endless, burning wrath to utterly exterminate her. It was clear now. After defying the Dao of Time and violating natural law, Bing Meilu was not only no longer a Chosen of Heaven, she was utterly reviled by it. The Providence of the Jade Sparrow World had determined her fate was destruction and would do anything possible to achieve it.
"So it's like that is it? I, Bing Meilu, have never been one to repay enmity with kindness. If this is the path you plan on, Oh Dao of Heaven, know that there shall be consequences." Her voice was sharp, icy and arrogant, seeming both uncaring and yet filled with the dignity and confidence of a supreme expert with absolute faith in their own power.
"I can be said to owe a debt of gratitude to you, for your aid in my first life. In memory of that, I will give you one warning only. Cease or I will destroy you the moment I ascend to Immortality, upon my name as the inheritor of the Crystal Providence."
If Heaven attacked her, she expressed her concern for the pain Heaven would feel when she fought back. This was the arrogance of someone who had reached the fifth step of cultivation, the Paragon Great Realm. If she'd been at her full power, let alone the Jade Sparrow World, just by turning over a palm she could destroy Immortal Kingdoms. Above her lighting gathered even more rapidly in response to her words. Bing Meilu exhaled slowly. It seemed the Dao of Heaven had chosen its path.
"Don't regret your decision then," she said simply.
The first bolt of lighting fell and she rose to meet it.
Why is life so hard for the Icy Beauty?
Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Chapter 44: Establishing Foundation
---
"Everyone gather up! We're heading out!" Bing Meilu ordered, hands clasped behind her back.
If all went well, she'd soon be fighting a Red Drake two entire Realms above her in cultivation. She could feel a haint of rising bloodlust and anticipation. Pushing herself to survive against the beast would be just the thing she needed to finally finish tempering her foundation. She could feel the repressed Qi within her, yearning to explode forward and smash the barrier of the Second Realm. She kept it suppressed. She was already close, but it wasn't yet time.
The nine-teen strong legion marched forward, reaching the end of the valley. As the scout had reported, there was a huge clawed footprint in the ash-laden soil. Bing Meilu leaned down, swiping up some of the ash with her fingers.
"It's still relatively fresh. The Drake should be nearby."
Past the valley, a series of tall basalt rock pillars rose beneath the shadow of a huge mountain. Ash Wyveryns flittered about the air, huge black Smoke-Raven nests hanging from sheer cliffs. The faction made it to a large cliff face. The mouth of a huge cave opened up, doubtlessly leading to one of the deep and complex tunnel systems that Red Drakes often made their lairs.
"What now, Boss?" Jiang Hu asked, hand resting on his sabre, eagerness in his eyes.
The blood of a Core Formation Red Drake would be just what he needed to advance his cultivation. It might even push him to the peak of the Second Realm.
"We're going to draw it out to fight in the open, rather than in the cave system. Jiang Hu, pour some of your blood over the mouth of the cave."
Red Drakes were fiercely territorial and competitive with each other. Due to the Redscale Drake's Metamorphosis, the sabre fighter's blood would have the aroma of another Red Drake. Putting his scent near its nest was a massive challenge that would draw it out. Back in the day, Bing Meilu would keep jugs of Drake blood on her for such a purpose, and whenever she used them up... She would always get a fresh supply. Jiang Hu nodded, slicing a thin gash into his palm. He waved his hand and tossed droplets of blood all over the cave. Though imperceptible to humans, the scent would be obvious and noticeable to their prey.
Only moments later a furious roar erupted from within the cave. Explosive cracking sounds erupted as heavy feet slammed onto the ground. Emerging from the cave was an enormous reptile, with jagged red scales covering its body. It had four legs and large clawed wings, massive obsidian horns rising from its head and long neck. This was a Red Drake, one of the mightiest flame-aligned bloodlines in the Bird Talon Continent. Sticking out of one of the Drake's eyes was a golden sabre caked with dry blood. Bing Meilu raised an eyebrow.
That sabre had been a Third Realm magical treasure left behind by a dead hunter of the Redscale clan. It had been claimed by the genius of the Redscale Clan, Flame Empress Xiyi, who shocked the world by slaying a Core Formation Drake while only at the second stage of Foundation Establishment. The ice cultivator held back a laugh.
'First the crystal mine and now this. It seems I am really stealing her good fortune. Oh well, given how she scammed me out of half my Yin-Yang Heavy Water back during the Ocean Slaying Grand Tournament, I don't think she can blame me for being greedy!'
"All of you guys stay a safe distance away!" Bing Meilu commanded.
Her soulbond weapon, Xin Shui, poured from her sleeves, the liquid metal forming into a long-hafted Warhammer.
The Drake let loose a massive, earth-shaking roar. Around it, basalt pillars cracked and collapsed from the sheer force of the noise. It was to be expected given the cultivation of the creature. A peak-first Realm cultivator could crack boulders, move faster than the eye could see and manipulate the elements. A peak Second Realm cultivator was able to unleash magical attacks that could decimate entire buildings, shake a small mountain with their anger and even fly. A peak Core Formation cultivator was a threat to whole cities. After that was Nascent Soul, at that point, one could reshape the landscape permanently.
The Core Formation Drakes's mouth flashed with white-hot burning Qi. A sea of flames exploded forward, melting basalt columns and filling the air with smoke.
'Seven Steps of the Snow Fairy'
Executing the basic movement art of the Moon Crying Swan Palace, Bing Meilu blurred to the side, avoiding the jet of boiling flame. Icy fog swirled around her to protect her from the heat as she advanced toward the side of the Drake. A massive claw's foot the size of her whole body three times over slammed at her with earth-shattering force and speed.
Bing Meilu jumped forwards, the rock she had just stood on turned to dust as the mighty slam ripped it open. The Drake seemed to only be in the early stages of Core Formation, not at the point it could destroy a city, but still filled with incredible physical might.
Arms empowered with Qi, she slammed her Warhammer into the ribcage of the Drake, bouncing backwards. Even with the great power of a Soulbound weapon, the difference in Realms was simply too much. Bing Meilu dodged and weaved through the jagged claws and swipes of its massive muscular tail. Already she could feel her combat instinct sharpening and returning to her, ancient memories bubbling up and integrating into her fighting style.
'It should be about to swing its tail-'
Bing Meilu leapt upwards, the air cracking with the explosive swipe of the dragon's muscular wagon-thick tail.
'My instincts.. are awakening.'
Memory and knowledge were not enough to have keen combat instincts. Automatic muscle memory was also needed. But take someone with the memories of a fight in a new body, and they would rapidly rebuild that muscle memory. As Bing Meilu fought, it was like a clogged river finally opened up, her old instincts gushing into her untrained but receptive body.
'Dodge, duck weave, slam at the arm, leap under claw, hit at the hipbone.'
Even with her near effortless execution, Bing Meilu's attacks were not even harming the dragon, only making it angrier. Yet each moment she could feel herself getting stronger.
The core of 'tempering' was to force oneself to properly utilize the full potential of their power. If the maximum strength one could have at the peak of Qi Condensation was ten, one normally only had a five. The body could unleash ten, but wouldn't do so normally. By forcing oneself to go through baptism in battles of life and death, the body would be forced to fully maximize its potential and usage or die. The benefits of such tempering were permanent and exponential. That was why the more Realms one passed through, the greater the difference between the weakest and the strongest, as those who had squeezed every drop of power from each realm increased the gap between them and those who rushed more and more.
Bing Meilu could feel subtle restructuring flow through her fractal meridian system as Qi rerouted, flowing through new, more efficient paths and her body became more receptive to the energy. Of course, as both a natural genius, with the experience of a former Paragon and cultivation method as Heaven Defying as the Crystal Providence tome, the amount of tempering she got from even a single battle was many times what others would get.
At a certain point, the Drake became completely enraged at its inability to kill the tiny ant pestering it. With barely a hint of warning, an explosion of fire ripped out from every inch of its body, as its Core Formation cultivation came to bear. Rock melted and boiled as the fireball of an aura exploded outwards.
Instantly a protective storm of ice exploded around her. Bing Meilu's qi drained at an incredible pace as she retreated. Five cultivators worth of qi, ten, fifteen. She jumped out of the edge of the fireball, gasping. Needless to say, no other Qi Condensation cultivator would have had the energy to even survive such an attack. Even with her icy armour, the girl was drenched in sweat from the heat. It was said when a cultivator was near death their body was most open to their potential. Bing Meilu knew there was no better time to breakthrough than now, after her fights at the fighting club and in the Ashen Mountains, she was finally ready.
"Jiang Hu, Xi Fu, Elemental Five, slaves one and two, take the lead in holding it off. The rest of you aid them from a safer distance. I'm going to break through!"
Bing Meilu ran from the Drake, leaped up the side of a cliff wall and landed upon a plateau. Several Ash-Wyverns eyed her in interest, circling overhead. The girl closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. Qi, which had been barely held back by her iron will was released to smoothly flow. Within each of her seventy-two apertures, a pale blue moon began to condense, each and every drop of amber-thick liquid Qi condensed further and further, crystallizing into a solid. Immediately, thunderclouds began to gather overhead as she felt the barrier of the Foundation Establishment, the restraint blocking her from progressing. If she stopped now, the moons would slowly dissolve. Instead, she pushed that little bit further, the moon growing tinier and tinier until they resembled specks of pure crystal.
There was not even a bottleneck as she smoothly slid into the first stage of Foundation Establishment. She had been suppressing her breakthrough for weeks, accumulating Qi and combat experience. Even without trying, she could feel new layers form around each moon, her cultivation rising all the way to the third stage of Foundation Establishment. A visible vortex of Qi formed around her, as the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth began to greedily rush into the vacuum left by the condensation of her Qi. More Qi than she'd ever stored in the body was wasted as visible light from the intensity of the process.
By now, a huge disc of black clouds had formed overhead, completely blotting out the sky. Thunder rumbled threateningly as the supreme Yang Aura of Heavenly Tribulation formed. Tribulation Lighting was the Highest Yang Law, a supreme manifestation of the burning half of duality. It was order, authority, centralization, fire and heat and dynamic vigour in one package, filled with the infinitely domineering attitude of the Dao of Heaven.
Bing Meilu arrogantly clasped her arms behind her back, staring up at the thunderclouds. Mankind had never been meant to wield Qi. They did not have the bloodlines and power of spiritual beasts who simply cultivated as part of their natural lifespan. Instead, they had stolen the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth and purified it of Heaven's will, grafted meridian systems onto themselves and painstakingly carved a path of ascension through the flesh of Natural Law. It was said to be the second-greatest act of blasphemy in history.
Yet, despite this, the Dao of Heaven was bound by both its innate self-love to all the living beings who constituted the reality from which it was born and by its very nature as a Providence. The Will of Heaven was bound by laws, rules and regulations. There was a reason it was called Natural 'Law'. It could hate and revile cultivation all it wanted, but could not just arbitrarily do whatever it pleased.
It was during a breakthrough, when the blasphemous power of cultivation was in full display, that the wrath of the Dao of Heaven reached its maximal extent. Only in moments like these did the laws loosen enough that the will of the world could send down punishment for those who had angered it. During such a time the Heavens had the great discretional authority to punish or reward according to it's nepotistic preferences. Those blessed and beloved by the Dao of Heaven would experience baptisms of vitality and life energy, and those reviled by it could be struck down with an unending river of lighting hell-bent on extermination.
This was precisely shown by the gathering power above her. This was not a tribulation suitable for someone in Foundation Establishment. Even a weaker Core Formation could be killed by such a mighty, wrath-filled tribulation. Not a hint of life energy could be felt from the boiling Yang in the sky above her. It was filled with endless, burning wrath to utterly exterminate her. It was clear now. After defying the Dao of Time and violating natural law, Bing Meilu was not only no longer a Chosen of Heaven, she was utterly reviled by it. The Providence of the Jade Sparrow World had determined her fate was destruction and would do anything possible to achieve it.
"So it's like that is it? I, Bing Meilu, have never been one to repay enmity with kindness. If this is the path you plan on, Oh Dao of Heaven, know that there shall be consequences." Her voice was sharp, icy and arrogant, seeming both uncaring and yet filled with the dignity and confidence of a supreme expert with absolute faith in their own power.
"I can be said to owe a debt of gratitude to you, for your aid in my first life. In memory of that, I will give you one warning only. Cease or I will destroy you the moment I ascend to Immortality, upon my name as the inheritor of the Crystal Providence."
If Heaven attacked her, she expressed her concern for the pain Heaven would feel when she fought back. This was the arrogance of someone who had reached the fifth step of cultivation, the Paragon Great Realm. If she'd been at her full power, let alone the Jade Sparrow World, just by turning over a palm she could destroy Immortal Kingdoms. Above her lighting gathered even more rapidly in response to her words. Bing Meilu exhaled slowly. It seemed the Dao of Heaven had chosen its path.
"Don't regret your decision then," she said simply.
The first bolt of lighting fell and she rose to meet it.
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I wonder if the Drake wil have an "Oh Shit!" moment when it feels that absurd Tribulation. She said it was strong enough to kill even it, and it would be hilarious if she ascends from the quality of the battle, but then her target just runs away.
- Location
- USA
It's a cultivation dragon who's face has been slapped. I'd expect it to die from outrage overload before running away.
...and now I kinda want to see Bing causing such outrage that someone actually does get a serious injury from restraining themselves from taking immediate action.
Bing Meilu embodying the spirit of every cultivator in their struggle against Heaven:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=444dP6_gkAs
Also looking forward to Meilu eventually overcoming her session of of Divine Whack-A-Mole and being stoked to test out her awesome new powers on the Red Drake... only to discover that Xi Fu already stabbed it to death by accident.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=444dP6_gkAs
Also looking forward to Meilu eventually overcoming her session of of Divine Whack-A-Mole and being stoked to test out her awesome new powers on the Red Drake... only to discover that Xi Fu already stabbed it to death by accident.
Geography
ninjastar
(Verified Taoist Immortal)
- Location
- Your mom's house
Great Flock Realm
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, a self contained realm with its own system of natural laws, Dao of Heaven and cycle of reincarnation.
The Great Flock Realm contains one Immortal Kingdom, twelve Great Realms, thousands of Worlds and millions of Continents and Islands.
The Jade Sparrow World
A world created from the decaying corpse of an ancient Jade Sparrow. It consists of an unfathomable massive ocean that contains six main landmasses and a higher world core.The Bird Talon Continent and Twelve Headed Bird Sect
Also referred to as the Jade Talon or Sparrow Talon Continent. A huge talon shaped land mass. The wide northern base is dry of spiritual energy, while the more one heads towards the southern tip the denser the energy becomes.The Continent is divided into twelve prefectures from north to south, each ruled according to the inner rankings of the Heads of the Twelve Headed Bird Sect which controls the continent.
The Twelve Headed Bird Sect is not, as it might first seem, a confederacy of twelve branches, rather there is a Core Sect with twelve distinct tributaries subordinate to it. The Core Sect has no official name beyond simply called the Twelve Headed Bird Sect. It was founded according to an Immortal level inheritance from the higher worlds, a drop of blood from the Amalgam Mercury-Fowl. The members of the Core Sect can practice any type of cultivation imaginable, all of which are compatible with the legacies created from the Amalgam Mercury-Fowl. They are the least homogenous or focused on any particular thing of the Hegemon Sects.
Due to the amalgamating properties of the sect, they have acquired twelve lesser inheritances over time, each founding a subordinate sect that becomes a new Head of the Sect. If a new legacy of a high enough level is found, a new Head will be grafted and the sect will expand.
Currently, the twelve heads are ranked as follows.
- Sky Swallowing Gulper Armada
- Naval focused sect with three main inheritances, the main one focused on the devouring of Heaven Qi
- Order of Sharpened Heaven Peng
- Sword cultivation sect focused on battles and duels
- Moon-Crying Swan Palace (Destroyed)
- Ice and yin focused sect, generally only had female disciple, with few exceptions
- Skylark Call Valley
- Music focused sect, very isolated, little interaction with the outside world.
- Ash Laden Gate
- Fire cultivation sect, renowned for being most involved and open to mortals, has a culture focused on honor and combat.
- Bluewing Alchemy Academy
- The alchemical monopoly of the continent, is very meritocratic and focused on education
- Great Sword-Feathered Pavillion
- Focused on item forging, especially swords, rival to the Treasured Steel-Beak Palace, relatively open and meritocratic
- Treasured Steel-Beak Palace
- Focused on item forging with a broader focus, rival to Great Sword-feathered Pavillion. Is controlled by a more closed, unmeritocratic clan system
- Coupling-Bird Pavillion
- Dual cultivation focused sect that eschews battle; they mainly recruit based on beauty, many top cultivators recruit spouses and concubines from their ranks due to the benefits of dual cultivation. Less rule abiding members may even prostitute themselves
- Thunder-Eagle Talon Sect
- Lighting cultivation focused sect, they focus on mastering battle arts
- Heroic Dive Sect
- They focus on mercenary work and are very decentralized
- Copper Egg Sect
- Metal-focused sect centred around an inheritance of an unhatched copper egg. They are far too weak to normally become a Head, and it is a mystery how they became approved by the Core Sect.
Important second-rate powers
-The Redscale Clan
A clan descended from a Red Drake from the Ashen Mountains that took human form and had children with a human husband. Their draconic bloodline gives them strong physical bodies and an affinity for fire and bestial Qi. They were close to the Moon Crying Swan Palace despite living in the Sky Swallowing Prefecture.
-The Grand Talon Trading Corporation
The premier merchant company on the continent, they focus on delivering orders to effectively any part of the continent. Some suspect them to be secretly backed by the Gold-Jade Nest.
-Heaven-Rejecting Conference
A loose coalition of low-key demonic sects and cultivators dedicated to 'one day' wiping out the Twelve-Headed Bird Sect, a complete pipe dream. They spend most of their time on the run from being exterminated but are still the leading demonic sect on the Continent.
- The Yellow Cloud Tribe
A tribe of people native to the Peela Badaal Secret Realm, they interact little with the continent but are forced to accept travel by outsiders through their secret realm by the Twelve-Headed Bird Sect
-Eastern Enlightenment Hall
A Buddhist sect located on an island to the west of the Bird Talon Continent. They practice accumulation-style cultivation and have an extremely ancient lineage, some say even older than the Twelve-Headed Bird Sect
The Bird Talon Continent contains nine well-known special travel methods.
The Malignant Road
The Xiaomi Jin(Small Secret Gold)
The Folded Seas
The Gates of Marrow
The Peela Baadal(Yellow Cloud) Secret Realms,
Meng's Hollowed Veins
The Flesh Mountains
The Bird Beak Continent and the Migrating Flock
Also referred to as the Jade Beak or Sparrow's Beak Continent. A beak-shaped landmass, with two long parts joined at the base. The Continent has a relatively uniform spiritual energy. Due to its unique nature as a beak, where food is devoured, it can rapidly regenerate spiritual energy to refill a depleted area, before peaking. As such, the most ideal method is for one group to completely use up an area before moving on to another, birthing the unique culture of the Migrating Flock.The Continent is divided into nine sections, each containing a Nest that can house the whole Flock. When a Nest is not in use, a small skeleton crew dedicated to managing that one nest rule. Competition between the skeleton crews of each nest is fierce, despite their lack of importance to the Migrating Flock.
The Migrating Flock have no branches and are highly centralized. They were founded according to an ancient bird song heard from the higher realms. As the bird song is an aspect of the communication between multiple birds, it served as the foundation for a potent art of Formations and arrays that act as the core of the flock's power, alongside a strong tradition of music and information-related cultivation.
Like all of the Hegemon Sects, the core body of the sect lives upon the Jade Wings Continent, fighting for control over it with the other sects.
The Sparrows Tail Continent and the Gold-Jade Nest
Also referred to as the Jade Tail or Bird Tail Continent. A landmass made up of numerous 'feathers' joined at the base.The Gold-Jade Nest is founded based on the empty nest that once contained the children of the Jade Sparrow itself. As such, they claim to be the true, orthodox inheritors of the Jade Sparrow World.
Those of the Gold-Jade Nest cultivate Yin-metal, jade, trade and the Dao of wealth. Due to their status as 'lowly' traders, their claim to be the rightful rulers of the Jade Sparrow World is deemed illegitimate by the other sects who are more focused on combat.
The Shattered Shell Continent and the Kunpeng Emperor's Hold
A continent made up of seven shattered pieces that collectively resemble a shell. The Kunpeng Emperor's hold does not bother administrating the shells, so long as tribute comes in, they allow the shells to fight each other, rebel against their rulers and more. Instead, those of the sect live in monasteries at the top of mountains and bottom of lakes and oceans, disconnected from the mortal world.The Kunpeng Emperor's Hold were founded according to the feather of a kunpeng from the higher worlds. They overthrew and replaced the previous Hegemon of the Shattered Shell Continent, and they claim to be the strongest of the Four Hegemon Sects. When it comes to direct one on one combat that claim is true, but they lack much of the arts that allow for collective power like Formations of the other sect, making the contest equal despite their superior combat strength.
The Kungpoeng Emperor's Hold focus on raising tamed beasts and Body Cultivation. They are the most ascetic of the sects and eschew worldly things to cultivate the methods derived from the heaven-spanning Kunpeng that soars far above worldly things
Like all of the Hegemon Sects, the core body of the sect lives upon the Jade Wings Continent, fighting for control over it with the other sects.
The Jade Wings Continent and the Four Hegemons
Also referred to as the Birds Wings or Sparrow's Wings Continent. It is actually made up of two separate land masses connected by natural law, a west wing and an east wing. The spiritual energy and laws of the Jade Wings Continent are far superior to the other continents, it is much larger as well. It is the only of the five continents complete enough to allow for Immortal Ascension, part of why controlling it is so important.The Four Hegemon Sects each control a piece of the Jade Wings Continent and compete with the teacher in a cycle of cold and hot wars over more control.
The Jade Heart Palace - The World Core
The Jade Heart Palace is the 'core' or 'nexus' of the Jade Sparrow World, a place where the natural law of all the landmasses mingle. It exists in a metaphysically higher plane than the rest of the landmasses. One can only reach it either by ascending to Immortality, or when it opens to the world every 555 years.The whole area manifests as a massive palace, naturally created by the Dao of Heaven. It is filled with countless incredible treasures, some naturally born from the world, some left behind by ascending immortals, and some drifting in from other worlds. It is said that every great treasure lost in the Jade Sparrow World eventually ends up here.
The area is managed by the Jade Heart Palace, an organization of the same name, made up of immortals who gave up their chance to ascend to the higher worlds and tied themselves to the natural laws of the Jade Sparrow World forever more in return for extending their lifespan. These immortals manage the cycle of reincarnation and countless other aspects of the natural law of the Jade Sparrow World.
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Chapter 45: One Very Bad Dragon
ninjastar
(Verified Taoist Immortal)
- Location
- Your mom's house
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 45: One Very Bad Dragon
---
Jiang Hu roared, his bloodthirsty cry filling the air. His sabre glowing white hot with fire Qi, he exploded towards the enormous Drake. The man could feel his blood pumping red-hot with excitement, his draconic instincts aroused by the mighty challenger before him.
'I need to devour it, evolve myself further. I can feel my next metamorphosis!'
"Dragon Slaughtering Arts of Xianwu In the Steel, First Saber: Steel Slash Slays Serpent!"
Jiang Hu slashed, a blinding explosion of white-hot metal qi ripping through the air and slamming into the Drake's mouth. It reared back its head and opened its maw, firing forth a burning crimson pillar of flame.
The Elemental Five leapt around, forming a massive pentagon that encircled the Drake. A barely visible diagram of the five phases appeared as the cultivators manifested the Five Bones of the Origin God. The five all began to glow with Qi as a huge portion of the flame was sucked away into their formation. Even with all of them working in perfect unison according to a profound formation, the Elemental Five were only in the First Realm and could not fully absorb the attack of a Core Formation Dragonkin.
Jiang Hu let the weakened blast of fire slam into him. The outer layer of his skin burnt away, revealing his bloody subdermal red scales. He leapt forward, slamming his sabre at the Drake's head, battering it aside.
Meanwhile, Xi Fu readied his spear, pulling it back in preparation of a thrust. An explosive Aura erupted from him, Heaven Defying Spear Intent flaring chaotically. He screamed in defiance, the ground around him grinding away to dust as the mighty energy began to condense around his spear.
'If I ever end up in conflict with the Redscale clan, I'll need to have experience in fighting Dragonkin. Sorry brother Drake, but you're going to be my whetstone.' Xi Fu thought, his eyes narrowed resolutely. 'It's time for me to see if I really can pierce the 'impenetrable' Dragon scales!'
"Dragon Slaying Spear - First Form, Scale Peircer!"
A blinding white flash tore through the air, filled with an aura that seemed to challenge everything around it. It coiled chaotically, veering off center and slamming into the scales of the Dragonkin's huge wings. The attack tore through them, and the Drake let loose a blood-curdling scream of pain, the rock around it shattering from the force of the screech.
The Qi Condensation outer circle members retreated backwards even further, some bleeding from their orifices from the force of the scream. They were not qualified to intervene in this battle.
The air split as the Five Bones of the Origin God manifested. Following the generative cycle, the Drake's flame turned into Earth, then Metal, then Water. According to the destructive cycle, water opposed fire. A massive spear of water formed, floating in the air. It was endowed with a good portion of the power of a Core Formation level attack and vibrated intensely barely held together even with the full concentration of five first realm cultivators acting as one.
Daoist Seagreen raised his hands, as if holding the massive floating water spear, and thrust. The huge spear followed his motions, erupting forward into a mighty river that carved through the air and slammed into the Drake. Steam exploded outwards, filling the air in hazy waves. Although the attack had been in the shape of a spear, it had no piercing power. Instead, the blunt force of a river, capable of crushing rock to dust and moving countless tons of earth slammed down with the weight of hundreds of thousands of gallons. The dragon was pushed backwards and slammed forcefully into the mountain behind it.
Filled with the sort of keen, feral intelligence that befit an apex predator, the Drake understood enough that using its flames would only backfire so long as the formation remained intact. It pounced forward towards Daoist Seagreen. Jiang Hu slammed into its side, knocking it off course and into the dirt.
His sabre chaotically slammed against its side dozens of times in the blink of an eye, the scales not breaking but the flesh below bruising and pulping from the sheer force of his uncontrollable assault.
Mu Gong and Shang Bolin, whom Bing Meilu 'affectionately' referred to as Slaves One and Two, joined in on the attack. Mu Gong raised his hands, unleashing numerous crushing palm arts onto its injured wing, while Shang Bolin released a thundercloud that zapped the Drake. Despite the concentrated attacks by three Foundation Establishment cultivators, the dragon took almost no damage. The defence of its scales and the toughness of its bulging muscles was simply far too much.
Despite the lack of damage, the Drake had finally become completely frenzied, giving up completely on anything but brutally murdering those bothering it. The Dragonkin lashed out with its mouth, teeth finding purchase on Mu Gong's legs. The razor-sharp boulder-sized teeth shredded his legs off. The man screamed as the elemental five used a pillar of water to get him to safety. Li Ji was overlooking the scene and in charge of the healing items. He activated an instant regeneration talisman and tossed it to Mu Gong, his legs started to heal.
The Drake slammed his hands into Jiang Hu, sending him flying. His body smashed through pillars of rock, landing on the ground. At the same time, its tail smashed sideways. Shang Bolin raised his arms in defence, and doing so was the only thing that saved him from being fully reduced to a fine red paste. His arms disintegrated and his chest caved in as he flew backwards.
The second Instant-regeneration Talisman shot through the air, just quick enough to save the lighting cultivator's life.
"Feel the power of money!" Li Ji shouted.
The Drake turned in his direction, narrowing its eyes. The steward's face paled and he turned to run even as the massive red-scaled reptile leapt through the air towards him.
"Scale Peircer!"
"Second Saber - Wyrm Withering Whip!"
Xi Fu and Jiang Hu attacked together. A huge gash exploded in the dragon's back as its scales were torn to shreds by the young man's Spear Intent. Moments later a massive slash of metal Qi ripped forward from the Sabre cultivator smashing into the Drake's exposed flesh. Blood and bits of torn muscle poured from the wound on its back.
Screaming the drake raised a foot and stomped, slamming Jiang Hu into the ground. He let loose a bloodcurdling scream, stabbing his sabre up at the Drake's foot. The blade snapped and the drake-clawed foot crushed down on him.
One of the Drakes' eyes had a blood-covered golden sabre stuck within it, leaving the creature half blind. Xia Fu would finish what the senior who'd left the sabre behind had started. He leaped at the dragonkin's face, his glowing spear stabbing into its other eye. The organ popped, boiling fluid spraying out of the hole he'd pricked. Now completely blind the dragon operated only using its other senses. It's left-wing shot through the air, slapping him aside with a burst of blood and the sound of broken bones. Li Ji fired two Instant Regeneration talismans. Already four of fifteen had been used and the dragon was clearly nowhere near dead.
Xi Fu shakily stood up as his broken body regenerated. All throughout the fight, he had been slowly feeling out the Dragon and the law contained within its scales. Each time his spear broke through them, he could feel the Heaven Overwirting intent they contained, gaining deeper enlightenment. At this point, he was ready.
The spear cultivator shot forward, enhancing his legs with Qi. he leapt up the side of the dragon as Jiang Hu, Shang Bolin and Mu Gong attacked it. Ripping his spear from its eyes, he retreated backwards, leaping atop a pillar of basalt.
"Everyone- Distract it for a moment. When I say, attack it with everything you got,"
He could see his comrades nod, and he inhaled deeply, steeling himself. He pulled back his spear, the world seeming to come to a pause and his Heaven Defying Spear Intent gathered.
'There's a Law within its scales, something that overwrites reality around it - a demand that the scales of a Dragon remain impenetrable. Alive, the Law is far more clear and potent than a scrap of dead skin, and yet it is still decayed and muddled. I'm not aiming for its body- what I need to Peirce is not the scales themselves, but the Law contained within them.'
"Dragon Slaying Spear - Second Form, Law Breaker!"
An almost imperceptible light gently shed from his spear, as if flittering in and out of existence. Xi Fu's legs tensed and he exploded forward, stabbing his weapon forward. The tip of the weapon slammed into the dragon's side, barely pushing an inch into its scale. But, they were not what he was here to attack. Heaven Defying Spear Intent exploded forward on an invisible plane, pouring not into the dragon but into some deeper aspect of reality that lay beneath it.
Xi Fu gasped as he felt a Law slam down on him, an unfathomably domineering will that accepted nothing but absolute submission.
'Henceforth, those of my kind shall have impenetrable scales!' the cry resounded through him, attempting to overwrite his will.
He screamed in defiance, waves of Spear Intent surging from him and into the challenge. The two intents met. One that sought to defy all laws and achieve absolute, untethered freedom and one that sought to dominate reality itself, demanding unconditional surrender from all it saw. Blood poured from Xi Fu's eyes, and cracks formed through his meridians at the power of the clash. If he couldn't even pierce the hide of a Core Formation Dragonkin, wouldn't he be completely helpless to ever defeat the Redscale clan and see his daughter freely? The young man grit his teeth in defiance.
"Nothing in this world will stop my spear! I refuse to accept that I can't pierce this. Break!"
From every inch of the dragon's body, cracks exploded outwards, glinting with red light. Then with the sound of shattering glass, the cracks exploded. A massive shockwave of Qi bubbled outwards, a pure wave of force that shoved away man, dirt, rock and air with no regard. Xi Fu was flung dozens of meters helplessly, his body limp and bloodied.
The drake opened its mouth in a silent scream of unimaginable pain as a fundamental aspect of its existence, its very meaning under natural law, was forcefully ripped away. Its scale physically remained, but there was subtle dullness to them now. These were no longer 'dragon scales', just clumps of meaningless keratin. if Bing Meilu were watching she wouldn't have known whether to laugh or cry at the unfathomable loss of wealth from Xi Fu's destruction of the scale's most valuable property. The scaly hide of a Core Formation Drake would have been enough money to found a minor sect.
"Attack now..." Xi Fu sighed weakly.
He dimly watched as Jiang Hu ripped the golden sabre from the dragon's eyes, the weapon glowing with a brilliant golden light. Body bursting with draconic strength, he leapt forward, and with a single slash, decapitated the red drake.
---
Blood poured from the desiccated corpse of the Red Drake, wrapping around the tall, muscular form of Jiang Hu. Scales surged out of his, his body bubbling outwards into a cocoon. Li Ji grimaced at the disgusting sight. He didn't think he would ever get used to the sight.
The group set up camp, waiting as hours passed. Jiang Hu once more underwent a metamorphosis, his being re-written with the might of a Drake. Soon, they began to hear the crunching sound of the man eating up the shed snakeskin that formed his outer cocoon.
With a wriggle, Jiang Hu pulled himself out of his discarded skin. He had physically changed even more. The obsidian horns that curled around his head had grown out even further, gaining slight traces of red crystal. His eyes were split and serpentine. His broad, muscular body had shrunk dramatically, huge muscles made hyperdense and fully hid below thin, flawlessly smooth limbs. His new-grown skin, once tanned from the heat of the Ashen mountains, had become completely pale and milky. If one strained their eyes, they could see the subtle shift of sharp red scales under his skin.
"Welcome back Jiang Hu!" Li Ji waved, before blinking in confusion.
Jiang Hu hissed, his eyes filled with a bestial, feral hunger, exactly like that of the Red Drake they had just fought.
Why is life so hard for the Icy Beauty?
Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Chapter 45: One Very Bad Dragon
---
Jiang Hu roared, his bloodthirsty cry filling the air. His sabre glowing white hot with fire Qi, he exploded towards the enormous Drake. The man could feel his blood pumping red-hot with excitement, his draconic instincts aroused by the mighty challenger before him.
'I need to devour it, evolve myself further. I can feel my next metamorphosis!'
"Dragon Slaughtering Arts of Xianwu In the Steel, First Saber: Steel Slash Slays Serpent!"
Jiang Hu slashed, a blinding explosion of white-hot metal qi ripping through the air and slamming into the Drake's mouth. It reared back its head and opened its maw, firing forth a burning crimson pillar of flame.
The Elemental Five leapt around, forming a massive pentagon that encircled the Drake. A barely visible diagram of the five phases appeared as the cultivators manifested the Five Bones of the Origin God. The five all began to glow with Qi as a huge portion of the flame was sucked away into their formation. Even with all of them working in perfect unison according to a profound formation, the Elemental Five were only in the First Realm and could not fully absorb the attack of a Core Formation Dragonkin.
Jiang Hu let the weakened blast of fire slam into him. The outer layer of his skin burnt away, revealing his bloody subdermal red scales. He leapt forward, slamming his sabre at the Drake's head, battering it aside.
Meanwhile, Xi Fu readied his spear, pulling it back in preparation of a thrust. An explosive Aura erupted from him, Heaven Defying Spear Intent flaring chaotically. He screamed in defiance, the ground around him grinding away to dust as the mighty energy began to condense around his spear.
'If I ever end up in conflict with the Redscale clan, I'll need to have experience in fighting Dragonkin. Sorry brother Drake, but you're going to be my whetstone.' Xi Fu thought, his eyes narrowed resolutely. 'It's time for me to see if I really can pierce the 'impenetrable' Dragon scales!'
"Dragon Slaying Spear - First Form, Scale Peircer!"
A blinding white flash tore through the air, filled with an aura that seemed to challenge everything around it. It coiled chaotically, veering off center and slamming into the scales of the Dragonkin's huge wings. The attack tore through them, and the Drake let loose a blood-curdling scream of pain, the rock around it shattering from the force of the screech.
The Qi Condensation outer circle members retreated backwards even further, some bleeding from their orifices from the force of the scream. They were not qualified to intervene in this battle.
The air split as the Five Bones of the Origin God manifested. Following the generative cycle, the Drake's flame turned into Earth, then Metal, then Water. According to the destructive cycle, water opposed fire. A massive spear of water formed, floating in the air. It was endowed with a good portion of the power of a Core Formation level attack and vibrated intensely barely held together even with the full concentration of five first realm cultivators acting as one.
Daoist Seagreen raised his hands, as if holding the massive floating water spear, and thrust. The huge spear followed his motions, erupting forward into a mighty river that carved through the air and slammed into the Drake. Steam exploded outwards, filling the air in hazy waves. Although the attack had been in the shape of a spear, it had no piercing power. Instead, the blunt force of a river, capable of crushing rock to dust and moving countless tons of earth slammed down with the weight of hundreds of thousands of gallons. The dragon was pushed backwards and slammed forcefully into the mountain behind it.
Filled with the sort of keen, feral intelligence that befit an apex predator, the Drake understood enough that using its flames would only backfire so long as the formation remained intact. It pounced forward towards Daoist Seagreen. Jiang Hu slammed into its side, knocking it off course and into the dirt.
His sabre chaotically slammed against its side dozens of times in the blink of an eye, the scales not breaking but the flesh below bruising and pulping from the sheer force of his uncontrollable assault.
Mu Gong and Shang Bolin, whom Bing Meilu 'affectionately' referred to as Slaves One and Two, joined in on the attack. Mu Gong raised his hands, unleashing numerous crushing palm arts onto its injured wing, while Shang Bolin released a thundercloud that zapped the Drake. Despite the concentrated attacks by three Foundation Establishment cultivators, the dragon took almost no damage. The defence of its scales and the toughness of its bulging muscles was simply far too much.
Despite the lack of damage, the Drake had finally become completely frenzied, giving up completely on anything but brutally murdering those bothering it. The Dragonkin lashed out with its mouth, teeth finding purchase on Mu Gong's legs. The razor-sharp boulder-sized teeth shredded his legs off. The man screamed as the elemental five used a pillar of water to get him to safety. Li Ji was overlooking the scene and in charge of the healing items. He activated an instant regeneration talisman and tossed it to Mu Gong, his legs started to heal.
The Drake slammed his hands into Jiang Hu, sending him flying. His body smashed through pillars of rock, landing on the ground. At the same time, its tail smashed sideways. Shang Bolin raised his arms in defence, and doing so was the only thing that saved him from being fully reduced to a fine red paste. His arms disintegrated and his chest caved in as he flew backwards.
The second Instant-regeneration Talisman shot through the air, just quick enough to save the lighting cultivator's life.
"Feel the power of money!" Li Ji shouted.
The Drake turned in his direction, narrowing its eyes. The steward's face paled and he turned to run even as the massive red-scaled reptile leapt through the air towards him.
"Scale Peircer!"
"Second Saber - Wyrm Withering Whip!"
Xi Fu and Jiang Hu attacked together. A huge gash exploded in the dragon's back as its scales were torn to shreds by the young man's Spear Intent. Moments later a massive slash of metal Qi ripped forward from the Sabre cultivator smashing into the Drake's exposed flesh. Blood and bits of torn muscle poured from the wound on its back.
Screaming the drake raised a foot and stomped, slamming Jiang Hu into the ground. He let loose a bloodcurdling scream, stabbing his sabre up at the Drake's foot. The blade snapped and the drake-clawed foot crushed down on him.
One of the Drakes' eyes had a blood-covered golden sabre stuck within it, leaving the creature half blind. Xia Fu would finish what the senior who'd left the sabre behind had started. He leaped at the dragonkin's face, his glowing spear stabbing into its other eye. The organ popped, boiling fluid spraying out of the hole he'd pricked. Now completely blind the dragon operated only using its other senses. It's left-wing shot through the air, slapping him aside with a burst of blood and the sound of broken bones. Li Ji fired two Instant Regeneration talismans. Already four of fifteen had been used and the dragon was clearly nowhere near dead.
Xi Fu shakily stood up as his broken body regenerated. All throughout the fight, he had been slowly feeling out the Dragon and the law contained within its scales. Each time his spear broke through them, he could feel the Heaven Overwirting intent they contained, gaining deeper enlightenment. At this point, he was ready.
The spear cultivator shot forward, enhancing his legs with Qi. he leapt up the side of the dragon as Jiang Hu, Shang Bolin and Mu Gong attacked it. Ripping his spear from its eyes, he retreated backwards, leaping atop a pillar of basalt.
"Everyone- Distract it for a moment. When I say, attack it with everything you got,"
He could see his comrades nod, and he inhaled deeply, steeling himself. He pulled back his spear, the world seeming to come to a pause and his Heaven Defying Spear Intent gathered.
'There's a Law within its scales, something that overwrites reality around it - a demand that the scales of a Dragon remain impenetrable. Alive, the Law is far more clear and potent than a scrap of dead skin, and yet it is still decayed and muddled. I'm not aiming for its body- what I need to Peirce is not the scales themselves, but the Law contained within them.'
"Dragon Slaying Spear - Second Form, Law Breaker!"
An almost imperceptible light gently shed from his spear, as if flittering in and out of existence. Xi Fu's legs tensed and he exploded forward, stabbing his weapon forward. The tip of the weapon slammed into the dragon's side, barely pushing an inch into its scale. But, they were not what he was here to attack. Heaven Defying Spear Intent exploded forward on an invisible plane, pouring not into the dragon but into some deeper aspect of reality that lay beneath it.
Xi Fu gasped as he felt a Law slam down on him, an unfathomably domineering will that accepted nothing but absolute submission.
'Henceforth, those of my kind shall have impenetrable scales!' the cry resounded through him, attempting to overwrite his will.
He screamed in defiance, waves of Spear Intent surging from him and into the challenge. The two intents met. One that sought to defy all laws and achieve absolute, untethered freedom and one that sought to dominate reality itself, demanding unconditional surrender from all it saw. Blood poured from Xi Fu's eyes, and cracks formed through his meridians at the power of the clash. If he couldn't even pierce the hide of a Core Formation Dragonkin, wouldn't he be completely helpless to ever defeat the Redscale clan and see his daughter freely? The young man grit his teeth in defiance.
"Nothing in this world will stop my spear! I refuse to accept that I can't pierce this. Break!"
From every inch of the dragon's body, cracks exploded outwards, glinting with red light. Then with the sound of shattering glass, the cracks exploded. A massive shockwave of Qi bubbled outwards, a pure wave of force that shoved away man, dirt, rock and air with no regard. Xi Fu was flung dozens of meters helplessly, his body limp and bloodied.
The drake opened its mouth in a silent scream of unimaginable pain as a fundamental aspect of its existence, its very meaning under natural law, was forcefully ripped away. Its scale physically remained, but there was subtle dullness to them now. These were no longer 'dragon scales', just clumps of meaningless keratin. if Bing Meilu were watching she wouldn't have known whether to laugh or cry at the unfathomable loss of wealth from Xi Fu's destruction of the scale's most valuable property. The scaly hide of a Core Formation Drake would have been enough money to found a minor sect.
"Attack now..." Xi Fu sighed weakly.
He dimly watched as Jiang Hu ripped the golden sabre from the dragon's eyes, the weapon glowing with a brilliant golden light. Body bursting with draconic strength, he leapt forward, and with a single slash, decapitated the red drake.
---
Blood poured from the desiccated corpse of the Red Drake, wrapping around the tall, muscular form of Jiang Hu. Scales surged out of his, his body bubbling outwards into a cocoon. Li Ji grimaced at the disgusting sight. He didn't think he would ever get used to the sight.
The group set up camp, waiting as hours passed. Jiang Hu once more underwent a metamorphosis, his being re-written with the might of a Drake. Soon, they began to hear the crunching sound of the man eating up the shed snakeskin that formed his outer cocoon.
With a wriggle, Jiang Hu pulled himself out of his discarded skin. He had physically changed even more. The obsidian horns that curled around his head had grown out even further, gaining slight traces of red crystal. His eyes were split and serpentine. His broad, muscular body had shrunk dramatically, huge muscles made hyperdense and fully hid below thin, flawlessly smooth limbs. His new-grown skin, once tanned from the heat of the Ashen mountains, had become completely pale and milky. If one strained their eyes, they could see the subtle shift of sharp red scales under his skin.
"Welcome back Jiang Hu!" Li Ji waved, before blinking in confusion.
Jiang Hu hissed, his eyes filled with a bestial, feral hunger, exactly like that of the Red Drake they had just fought.
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