《I am the Main Character? No thanks!》


 Chapter 1

    Deep within the Great Wilderness, a place teeming with dangerous demonic beasts and monsters of all kinds, a young man was lying by the banks of a river, staring listlessly at the full moon in the sky as tears ran down his face.


    The poor boy had endured the jumbled mess of emotions that he had bottled up since he was crippled by a Young Master that was lucky enough to be born into a prestigious family. Knowing that he could not allow anyone to see him breakdown thanks to the combination of loosing his cultivation and awakening the memories and personality of his past life, doubling the pain and anguish he felt.


    However, now that he was alone, with no one else in the vicinity, he silently cried to himself, letting go of his control over his emotions, to let out everything from his system.


    He cried and cried for hours on end, contemplating many different paths he could take from this point, even considering ending it all by jumping into the river. But, the rationality that he inherited from his older self from another life allowed him to keep himself centred to a certain degree.


    Unfortunately, the boy would no longer have the time to contemplate anymore, as the river suddenly grew turbulent before a massive turtle type demonic beast burst out of it, intent on devouring the human.


    Tragically, the boy was unable to escape his fate due to the fact that he had lost all of his cultivation and barely had enough Qi to enhance himself to be stronger than a regular mortal.


    The boy resigned himself to his fate as the jaws of the turtle snapped around his body, only for a bright light to erupt from the boy¡¯s body and illuminate the forest.


    The last noise that was heard from the area was the pained cries of the turtle and the powerful roar of an unknown being.


    <hr>


    Deep within the Great Wilderness, the massive forest that was the size of Canada from Earth which served as the border between the Yin Long Empire and the Baihu Empire, a young man wearing leather and furs silently hid within the tree tops, waiting for his prey.


    The boy did not have to wait long before a massive white tiger with shimmering fur, antlers and small protrusions on its back walked leisurely towards the river that flowed nearby.


    The massive beast that was the size of a truck knew that there were only a few beasts within its territory that would dare to challenge it, a beast at the peak of Foundation Establishment and close to forming its Golden Core. That was why it was so confident and did not bother to check its surroundings.


    A major oversight that it was going to pay for dearly.


    The young man waited patiently. Just as the beast passed by the tree that he was sitting on, he immediately pounced.


    The beast immediately sensed the danger thanks to its instincts and looked up, only for a fist filled with Qi to impact it on its right eye, blinding it on the right side instantly.


    The pained and enraged roar of the beast sent the nearby creatures running in all directions, yet, the man remained impassive as he rapidly circled the beast, keeping himself to the right side of the beast and within its newly created blind spot.


    The beast¡¯s black and white fur started to shine brightly as it released it¡¯s Qi in an attempt to force its attacker into staying still. It¡¯s Foundation Establishment realm Qi putting a formless pressure on the surroundings.


    But it was a futile effort. Despite having his spirit roots crippled, the man was still putting out gargantuan levels of Qi from within his body and created a thick and tight layer of it just a little bit above his body, protecting himself while also making sure not to release any of it into the atmosphere, giving away his location to his prey.


    As the Beast continued to move its body and head in all directions in an effort to spot its attacker while pushing its Qi sensing to the maximum, the young man stealthy approached the tiger from behind and jumped onto its back, grabbing hold of its antlers with one hand and pushing most of his Qi into the other hand.


    ¡°GRAAAAAAAAH¡±


    The beast roared in anger as it felt it¡¯s attacker on it¡¯s back and started to run through the massive trees known as the Iron Woods due to how tough their trunks are. The beast tore through the trees, hoping to cause it¡¯s attacker to fall off its back.


    However, the young man had anticipated this and simply braced himself while tightly holding onto the beast¡¯s antlers while still concentrating his Qi into his other hand, ready to enact his plan.


    The beast continued to run through the trees for nearly a kilometers before finally exhausting itself, its Qi used up completely.


    And just as planned, the young man took advantage of this opportunity and struck it beast¡¯s back with his fist that was empowered with the majority of his Qi, causing a resounding crack to resound in the surroundings and the beast to yelp in pain before falling to the ground, paralyzed due to having it¡¯s back broken.


    The young man did not waste any time, not wishing to prolong the beast¡¯s suffering any more than necessary, and directly pushed his Qi into his hand while making a chopping motion, decapitating the beast and ending its life.


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    ¡°This should be enough for a week, maybe.¡±


    The young man lifted the corpse of the beast and took it¡¯s head in one of his hands, running back in the direction where he had ambushed the beast.


    Within minutes, the man arrived at the riverside where he had ambushed the beast and headed towards the familiar direction which he called home.


    Soon enough, he arrived at a massive artificial clearing within the forest that had a simple house, a shed and an area that looked like it was dug up multiple times.


    Dropping the carcass of the beast near the shed, the man entered the building and came out with tools necessary for processing the corpse.


    With experienced hands, the man skinned the beast and processed it¡¯s meat into sections that he could eat and that which was filled with poisonous Qi. Then, he separated its Core for use in the near future, and neatly stacked its skeleton so that he could use it in making his new tools.


    He also separated its Antlers to be sold within the nearby village and its claws and teeth so that he could turn it into weapons.


    With the processing done, he approached the turned dirt and dug out the pit, causing a miasma of foul energies to slowly rise from the pit, indicating that it was used to dispose off unwanted products from his hunts.


    Just like he had done many times before, he threw the unusable parts of the tiger into the pit and covered it up again before pushing a lot of his Qi into the dirt, sealing off the Qi originating from the decaying parts of his hunts.


    With his resources secure for the next week, the man walked into his home and started his day.


    <hr>


    Walking into the house that I built using the Iron Woods, I headed towards the small kitchen. It was equipped with a stove, a few bowls carved from rock, a few containers filled with spices and herbs, some I found in the wilderness while others I traded from the village, and a massive container used to store water.


    I pulled out a rope connected to the floor near the kitchen, revealing a hidden cellar filled with a lot of clay jars.


    Pulling out the nearest jar and opening the lid caused the fragrance of rice wine to propagate in the air.


    Without wasting any time, I placed the some of the bones of my latest kill, the Winged Tiger, into the wine and sealed it back into the cellar.


    With all the necessary tasks done, I headed back to my bed and collapsed onto it, sighing in contentment.


    Truly, there is no life as fulfilling as that of a hermit.


    Especially for someone like me. A person destined to be this world''s main character if my memories and experiences in this world are anything to go by.


    I felt a shudder go through my spine as I thought back to my life up until I finally decided to leave it all behind.


    I was born into the Wang family, a powerful and influential family belonging to a local powerhouse known as the Heavenly Sword Sect.


    But here is the kicker, despite being born with good talent and belonging to an influential family, the only thing that my previous self ever experienced was misery.


    He lost his mother, one of the many concubines of Wang Qiang, my ¡®father¡¯, at the age of five. He was then targeted by many of his siblings due to his talents which threatened the other children¡¯s position in the family.


    He then had his cultivation crippled by a fellow disciple and nearly lost his life that night due to assassins sent by an unknown party. Then, to add insult to injury, his fianc¨¦e broke off their marriage contract established by his mother when they were children. The very same fianc¨¦e who was the main cause of the conflict between my previous self and the disciple, Xiao Kai, who crippled my cultivation.


    Yeah, no matter how I look at it, this is the most basic and straightforward main character template that I have ever seen.


    Fortunately, that assassination attempt only partially succeded and he died for a few moments on that night. Then, ¡®I¡¯ woke up in his place, with both of our memories and emotions completely intact.


    Another main character like development.


    But being who I was, there was no way I was going to go through all the bullshit that a main character is forced to go through. So, I took the chance and formally requested to withdraw from both the sect and the clan, a request that was quickly accepted due to political reasons, leading me to live in this wilderness for the past five years.


    And honestly? It was the best fucking decision that I ever made in both my lives.


    Away from all the bullshit that I no doubt would have to deal with if I had stayed in that sect.


    Shaking my head to get rid of those thoughts, I sat up on my bed in a meditative position. I started the daily ritual that I had gotten used to doing in the past five years.


    Focusing on the Qi within my body, I guided it towards every inch of my body, every single strand of muscle, every bone and organs, down to the cellular level. Filling them to the brim.


    Then, all at once, I pushed the Qi into my very being, breaking my body past it¡¯s limits.


    Instantly, my blood started to gush out of every single pore in my body, skin tore apart and muscles burst out, bones started to disintegrate and organs blew up.


    For a single instant, I died.


    Then, the small bead that hung around my neck started shining brightly followed by the roar of a monstrous being that I can never hope to recognize.


    Instantly, my body started to heal at unprecedented rates, probably surpassing a certain superhero from my old world¡¯s stories.


    Bones regenerated, stronger than before. Muscles regrew, much more tenacious. Organs reformed, much more efficient and durable. Blood vessels grew stronger and more durable, capable of handling the significantly enhanced blood flow thanks to my heart getting exponentially stronger than before. My brain became even more tenacious and faster than before.


    But most importantly, my physical body became capable of storing double the amount of Qi than before, just like it does after every single session of my gruesome ¡®cultivation¡¯


    ¡°Seriously, are you some kind of a masochist? Why do you insist on such a harsh way of strengthening yourself when I could easily help you regrow heaven-grade spirit roots?¡±


    I supressed the seething anger that I felt when the familiar voice rang out in my mind.


    ¡°And how do I get the so-called Heaven-grade spirit roots?¡±


    ¡°Quite simple. Head towards the nearest village and-¡°


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard enough. Now, shut up and get back to doing whatever it is that you do in there.¡±


    ¡°Careful, brat. I can very easily make this Heavenly Reversal Bead stop working-¡°


    ¡°If you were capable of doing that, you would have done that the moment I refused your ¡®offer¡¯ the very first time. Besides, you can never muster the will to kill me. If you had such willpower, you would have killed yourself before you became the monster that you are now. So, stop wasting my time and braincells and get lost.¡±


    The monster hidden within the bead fell silent at my words as I felt his presence recede deep into it.


    Seriously, I hate hearing that bastards voice fore even a single moment.


    Even if that bastard is the future version of ¡®me¡¯.


    Honestly, being a main character in real life is such a traumatic experience. Fortunately, I am genre savvy enough to escape the pitfalls that others would fall into.


    Now, time to go back to my ¡®cultivation¡¯

 Chapter 2

    I stared at my reflection in the mirror, trying to come to terms with my current reality.


    ¡°Ha! I knew this brat was not worth much aside from his family, but who knew this guy was insane as well?¡±


    ¡°Right? He has to be brain dead to offend Junior Brother Xiao over something as trivial as a marriage contract.¡±


    ¡°Alright, enough about this fool. The tournament if going to take place in a month¡¯s time and we need every advantage we can get. Let¡¯s get back to Cultivating.¡±


    I ignored the jeers and chatter of my supposed roommates who used to worship the ground I walked on just the day before and continued to stare at my reflection, trying my hardest to supress the creepy feeling I got from both the familiarity and unfamiliarity of watching this face in the mirror.


    A face that could be considered handsome for a 16-year-old Asian. With black hair and eyes but nothing that stood out in particular along with an average if well-built physique.


    But here is the problem, this body and face are not mine, at least, I think it is not mine.


    I must admit, having two sets of memories is a really confusing situation. Thankfully, it is not the child that is in control anymore but a grown man that was getting ready for retirement.


    The door to the room burst open followed by a group of three teenagers walking in arrogantly. Thanks to my memories, I already know who they are and why they have come here.


    ¡°Wang Xiang, you are being summoned by Elder Xu for your recent altercation with Senior Brother Wang.¡±


    I did not say anything and simply chose to nod, knowing that I could do nothing but follow their words, especially given my situation.


    The Elder Xu that they mentioned, Xu Hui, is the Elder in charge of the ¡®Hall of Justice¡¯ a glorified police station/Judiciary run by the Sect.


    It also goes without saying that he is a bigot and frequently uses his position to exploit the disciples. Although, it was usually other disicples that wound up being his victims. I never imagined that it would be my turn to endure his actions one day.


    Seriously, fuck this stupid Xianxia world.


    Truthfully, I wish my previous self had not awakened my set of memories, allowing him to cultivate and live according to the way of this world. Now, I am forced to endure the ridiculousness of this world while holding the values of my old world.


    Hopefully, I can find a way to preserve myself after this debacle is dealt with.


    I did not say anything and silently followed the three senior disciples who were walking faster on purpose, knowing that I could not keep up with them thanks to my current injuries and crippled cultivation resulting in a meagre reserves of Qi compared to what I was originally capable of.


    And just as I expected, by the time we reached the Hall, they were already standing behind Elder Xu, exchanging hushed words that no doubt contained provocations about how I did not have any respect for him and other such nonsense.


    I allowed muscle memory to take over and bowed as customary for these people.


    ¡°Disciple Wang pays respects to Elder Xu.¡±


    ¡°You are late disciple. Come in, your trial has been delayed long enough.¡±


    Trial? You and I know that this is nothing more than a farce to push me out of the inner sect and back into the outer sect by your faction.


    Not that I particularly mind, especially if my hastily cooked up plan works.


    Truly, politics never change, whether it is in the modern world or in this place.


    I silently walked in and kneeled down in front of a large group of Elders and the Patriarch, the man that is supposedly one of the most powerful men in this region, Heavenly Guo, of the Heavenly Sword sect. His real name is Guo Peng of the Guo family, the in-laws of the Yun family, the very same family as that is quite openly supporting that brat, Xiao Kai, a child from one of their branch families, that crippled me. They area also the ones that are secretly building up forces to push out the Wang family with the support of the Patriarch and other unaffiliated Elders in the sect.


    Guo Peng is also one of the three Nascent Soul realm cultivators in the sect aside from Elder Wang, my great-grandfather, and Elder Yun.


    Not like I care much about my family anyways and neither do they care about me. I am just one of the many children belonging to the Wang family and the only thing I had going for me was my connection to Elder Wang.


    The very same Elder who is staring at me with a disappointed look.


    Yeah, things are not looking good for me, fortunately, I don¡¯t panic easily.


    ¡°Disciple Wang, you have been summoned here due to the accusation placed on you by Elder Yun.¡±


    I simply followed up as politely as possible.


    ¡°May I ask the Patriarch to please enlighten this disciple on his crimes?¡±


    ¡°You are being accused of unjustly attacking the Core disciple, Xiao Kai. You are accused to claiming that his fellow disciple, Yun Xin, was ¡®cheating¡¯ on you by accompanying Xiao Kai and attacking them when they refuted your claim.¡±


    So that¡¯s the angle you are going for huh? Fine.


    ¡°The accusations are only partially true, Patriarch.¡±


    ¡°How dare you accuse me of lying!¡±


    ¡°Elder Yun, enough.¡±


    The stern voice from the patriarch forced the enraged Elder Wang back onto his seat. Honestly, if I really was a 16-year-old, I really would have fallen for their bad acting and such as straightforward script.


    ¡°Elaborate, Disciple.¡±


    ¡°The Patriarch may not be aware, but the Yun family had long since established a Marriage contract between Yun Xin and myself when we were infants. Here is the certificate.¡±


    I took out a parchment and placed it on the ground. Immediately, I felt the patriarch¡¯s Qi envelop the parchment and bring to himself where he pretended to read it before setting it on fire. He also flared his Qi to suppress the surroundings before retracting it, acting as if his move to supress me through his power was an accident.


    ¡°Disciple, it would seem that you have been fooled by someone with malicious intent. This document is a well-made forgery.¡±


    So, the document that was drafted into the Governing office of the Imperial Capital and signed between both the Wang family head and the Yun family head with the personal Qi signatures of my mother and Yun Xin¡¯s parents is considered a forgery In your eyes? Then what would not be considered fake?


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    Even more disappointingly, Elder Wang did not even make a peep at the Patriarch¡¯s words, which silently made clear that I no longer had the support of the Wang family.


    If that is the case, I no longer have any hesitations about my following actions. Besides, the document has served its purpose in making both the Patriarch and the Elders nervous enough for me to enact my plan.


    After all, if word got out that you burned an official document that was drafted through the official channels of the Yin Long Empire, the consequence will not be small.


    And that is not the only threat that you lot would be facing soon enough.


    I forcefully held back the grin threatening to split my face in half when I saw the panic within Elder Yun and Elder Wang¡¯s eyes.


    I bet you did not imagine me to carry that certificate around with me, did you? old man Wang.


    Now, time to capitalize on this incident.


    ¡°If that is the case, then may I request your help in seeking justice?¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±


    I put on a self-deprecating expression.


    ¡° Xiao Kai has publicly humiliated me using his superior cultivation and crippled my spirit roots. I was originally planning on asking the Patriarch to seek justice on my behalf since I am just an unfavoured child of the Wang family while Xiao Kai is the beloved young master of the Xiao family. Now, I find out that the base cause for the conflict was false from the very beginning. I think I deserve to at least lodge a complaint to the Governing Office about these fakes being circulated by unscrupulous individuals. However, since the travel distance is too large and my family has already confiscated everything I own, including my special ring which contained all of my resources and spirit stones, I can only hope that the patriarch would help me solve this grievance.¡±


    Well, the special ring that the family knew about anyways. Those fools did not know that I had another spatial ring hidden within my belongings which had the majority of my real resources since I never trusted the Wang family ever since I learned of my position in the family as a five year old child.


    The twist in his expression along with the paling faces of the various Elders is already enough to prove the mistake the Patriarch made in his haste by burning the document. This is what happens when you don¡¯t think about your actions before acting on them.


    He immediately reset his expressions back to being neutral.


    ¡°There is no need for you to worry about that, I will personally lodge a complaint on your behalf. However, don¡¯t forget that this trial is not about the forged document but about your guilt. Since you have already admitted to your part in the incident, we will bestow appropriate punishment on account of the fact that you have served the sect loyally for the past ten years and that you are the direct descendent of Elder Wang.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Patriarch.¡±


    I saw a trace of surprise in his eyes.


    No need to be so surprised, I am too tired to go along with this farce for too long.


    ¡°Then, as punishment, we will be stripping you of your rank in the Inner Sect. You will still be allowed to stay in the Outer Sect where you might still be given a chance to re-enter the inner sect if you work hard enough.¡±


    ¡°¡­If I may, Patriarch, can I make a request?¡±


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°I request to leave the sect and leave my status as a Disciple. I do not need any compensation or anything aside from having someone take me to the nearest city.¡±


    This time, the shock in his eyes is very clear while the disdain on Elder Yun¡¯s face and the surprised look on Elder Wang is equally as clear.


    The response for my request is very swift, as if he was afraid that I would change my decision.


    ¡°Of course. I am disheartened to see that you have lost your heart after such a minor setback. In the end, if it is your wish, then so be it. One of the other Inner Disciples will lead you to the Starfall City.¡±


    I bowed and left the Hall, heading straight for my room to pack up my things.


    First step of the plan, success.


    <hr>


    I hummed to myself as I used my knife to slowly carve out the Winged Tiger¡¯s claws into the appropriate shape that I wanted. My Qi enhanced the knife made from regular iron so that it could carve the bones of a Foundation Establishment level beast. Although, given the rate at which the knife was visibly deteriorating, I could only do this for a few more minutes at most before the knife completely disintegrated.


    This is why cultivators use weapons and tools made from spiritual materials. No mortal material can withstand the potent power of Qi without disintegrating into its base atoms. Such a wondrous concept, Qi.


    When I first awoke in this world after nearly dying at the hands of assassins and received the memories of my previous self, I had already realized my situation and decided that I would put aside my curiosity for an appropriate time. That appropriate time came when I arrived within the Great Wilderness and made a home for myself.


    ¡°Quite the hypocrite, aren¡¯t you? you use my knowledge of crafting tools, refining and other such disciplines, yet, you still condemn me as a monster and refuse to even entertain my ideas to progress your cultivation.¡±


    ¡°That is because you are a monster. What else would you call someone who kills and absorbs the life force of innocent people to further his own cultivation?¡±


    ¡°YOU KNOW WHY I DID WHAT I DID! YOU WOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME THING IF YOU WERE IN MY PLACE!!¡±


    ¡°..You know I would never stoop to such lengths. Because, I am already in the same situation as you were, yet, here I am, living a fulfilling life, unlike you who gave in to despair. Sometimes, I can¡¯t help but wonder, are you really me?¡±


    ¡°¡­.One day, you will realize how wrong you are. And when that day comes, I hope you are prepared for it. For this world loves nothing more than to destroy people¡¯s hope and turn them into monsters so that the so-called ¡®Heaven¡¯s chosen¡¯ can show off their abilities that they never deserve to have.¡±


    ¡°..That is something that I agree with you on. And yet, it is precisely the reason why I chose this place for our exile.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. Anyway, we have another prey to hunt.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I am picking up a Qi signature heading towards the territory of the Winged Tiger. Based on the Qi signature, it seems to be a beast that uses Fire Qi and is in the Initial stages of Foundation Establishment. Shouldn¡¯t be much of an issue.¡±


    With a nod to myself, I continued working on my tools, knowing that if this beast is heading towards the Winged Tiger¡¯s territory, it must already know that the tiger is dead and trying to claim its territory, or, it is looking for the tiger to fight it to either advance its cultivation or claim its territory.


    In either case, I can afford to work on my tools before confronting that beast. As a being in the Foundation Establishment realm, it does not have the speed nor the strength to escape me even if it ran to the ends of this world.


    According to my memories, the cultivation system of this world is fairly basic compared to the many different systems I remember from the many novels and fictions that I read throughout my life. Divided into various levels, starting from Qi Condensation and moving upwards to Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation, and Void Refinement. Supposedly, there are even more stages after Void Refinement but nobody in the territory of the sect had ever heard of anyone achieving such heights.


    In fact, from what I can gather, it is extremely hard for anyone to break through Qi Condensation and reach Foundation Establishment. Those who do are labelled as having very high potential and are treated with respect in any place they go to. As for those who reach Core Formation, they are treated as VIPs anywhere they go. As for the Nascent Soul, there are only a handful of those people in the entire Eastern Territory of the empire.


    Before my cultivation was crippled, I was at the last stage of Qi Condensation while Xiao Kai was in the initial stages of Foundation Establishment.


    Finally, the knife in my hand disintegrated, unable to bear the power of Qi any longer. But it had already served its purpose.


    With the final claw carved into the shape of a blade, my preparations were complete. Taking out the leather gauntlets that I made from tanning the Winged Tiger¡¯s hide, I started inserting the bone blades in their place, just above the knuckles. Then, I used the strings made from the tendons of the Tiger to tie the blades and secure them in place while also tying them to the simple mechanism that I embedded into the gauntlets, followed by wrapping the fur of the tiger all around the gauntlets.


    Channelling my Qi into the gauntlets to mimic the way that the Tiger would do if it were alive alongside the regenerative energy of the bead instantly caused the leather and the fur to combine together organically, significantly strengthening the defensive properties of my new equipment.


    Wearing the gauntlets, I channelled my Qi into the mechanism, causing the strings to go taunt. Instantly, the blades retracted into the fur in the same way the claws of the Tiger would have retracted into its paws.


    With this, my inner child and superhero nerd should be satisfied. Now, time to complete the other tools. Taking out another knife that I had prepared beforehand, I started carving the fangs of the Winged Tiger. This time, my aim was to turn the fangs into a variety of tools. Most importantly, a set of carving knives, a throwing knife, and a skinning knife. Pulling the Qi from my body, I once again enhanced the knife and got to work.


    It did not take long before this knife to disintegrate, just like the one before.


    Fortunately, I was already done carving out the fangs of the Winged Tiger into the tools that I wanted to make. Nodding to myself, I picked up the blades made from the fangs and put them away before putting on my simple robe and pants, preparing for my cultivation.


    Nodded to myself for the decent equipment I crafted, heading towards the well to clean myself off the blood and prepare for the hunt. Much to my annoyance, I have to depend on this demon to detect any Demonic Beasts in the area due to the fact that I can¡¯t sense Qi thanks to the crippled state of my spirit roots. Something that the demon does not fail to remind me of every time he informs me about a beast nearby, trying to win my trust.


    Unfortunately for him, I will never trust a monster like him. Someone who is willing to commit the atrocities that he committed in his timeline while drunk on ill-gotten power.

 Chapter 3

    The Sect¡¯s actions were just as swift as their acceptance of my request.


    Within a single hour, I was being escorted out of the sect by an inner sect disciple that I did not recognize, probably a new disciple given that I never saw him in the six years that I spent in the inner sect.


    I did not even go to the Wang family compound to say my goodbye to my so-called father, knowing that he could not care less about one of his dozens of children leaving the sect, especially since I never showed any particular talent aside from my speed of cultivation.


    As far as I can tell from the jumbled mess of memories belonging to my previous self, the word ¡®family¡¯ did not apply to the Wang clan and the only person in the entire sect that actually cared for me was my mother who passed away when I was five years old.


    The moment we arrived in the Starfall City, one of the biggest cities in the Eastern region of the Empire, I put the second part of my plan into action.


    Wearing a long cloak that hid my features and allowed me to blend into the crowds that had many other people wearing a similar cloak to my own, I headed straight towards the southern exit of the city.


    I am not ignorant of my fate, and I refuse to die a second time by being stupid.


    The Sect knows that my mother¡¯s family used to live in the Imperial Capital, located towards the west of the Starfall City with the Heavenly Sword Sect located to the North of the city.


    Logically, any child whose future was just destroyed and was expelled from his sect would head towards his home to lick his wounds, even if said home was just an empty building with no one living in it. At least, that would be the reasoning that most people would have and something that I am counting on.


    I have no doubt that those corrupt bastards would try to tie any loose ends so that they don¡¯t have to worry about any threats towards them in the future, especially my ¡®siblings¡¯ who would not hesitate to assassinate me so that they would have one less person competing for the position of Family Head, even if I have left the sect. That is why I am heading south, towards the Great Wilderness that serves as the border between the Yin Long Empire and the Baihu Empire.


    Given its nature as the border of the two Empires and being considered as the backwaters of both powers, it should be the perfect place for me to live out the rest of my life.


    Peaceful life away from the Xianxia bullshit, here I come!


    <hr>


    A young man slowly walked into the village that exists just outside the Great Wilderness. His simple clothes making him look just like any other villager in the vicinity despite his fairly handsome face. But, the thing that made him standout was the massive carcass of a bear like beast with bright red fur on his shoulders.


    And yet, the guards on the towers by the gate did not stop him. They just nodded in a friendly greeting to the man that had become someone that was well known and trusted in the village ever since his arrival in these parts over five years ago.


    As the man continued walking through the streets, he was stopped by a familiar voice.


    ¡°Oh! Da Wei! Can you come over in the afternoon? I need help with the forge!¡±


    The young man grinned at the old blacksmith that called out to him.


    ¡°Of Course! Grandpa Feng, But you must share that secret stash of yours with me!¡±


    The old man sneered at the young man.


    ¡°In your dreams, boy.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I wonder what grandma would say about your secret wine collection.¡±


    Instantly, the old man lost the arrogant look on his face and started panicking.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare snitch to that old hag! She is insufferable enough already, I don¡¯t need you to add wood to the fire.¡±


    ¡°Then, the wine¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯ll share some with you, you wretched brat.¡±


    Both the men stared at each other before bursting out in laughter. The young man waved good bye and headed towards the village¡¯s market, intent on selling the beast that he hunted recently in exchange for some supplies.


    As he walked through the streets of the small village, he received many greetings and chatted with them as was usual for him. Occasionally stopping by the open areas in the village in the insistence of some of the children that wanted to take a look at his kill, a request he obliged so that the children would know to spot dangerous beasts and run to save themselves should the need ever arise.


    In the end, it took him nearly an hour to arrive at the market that he had grown used to after five years of staying in this tiny village on the frontier.


    With familiarity born from staying in this place for years, he headed straight for one of the stalls that is connected to a fairly large home that looked a little more lavish compared to the rest of the houses in the area.


    ¡°Ah! Little Wei, is that a Rage Bear?¡±


    The young man grinned at the Qi Condensation realm cultivator that called this village home.


    ¡°Indeed, Old Li. I hunted it down yesterday evening when it wandered near my home.¡±


    Li Qiang sighed in exasperation at the young man¡¯s actions which appeared very reckless in his eyes.


    ¡°Da Wei, do I have to keep reminding you that Body Cultivation has a limit to it? No matter how much you fight against demonic beasts and understand their way of cultivation, you will never move past the Core Formation stage. So, why do you keep putting yourself in danger like this?¡±


    ¡°Ok, first of all, this beast was in Foundation Establishment realm, so not that much of a danger to me. Second of all, I do this because it is fun and these beasts provide me with excellent materials to conduct my experiments. And if I can sell off any excess to you for supplies and even more materials for me to experiment with? That is just a bonus.¡±


    Once again, Li Qiang gave a tired sigh at the young man¡¯s words, making sure to hide the pity he felt for such an optimistic and kind young man.


    If only his spirit roots were not crippled. Li Qiang cannot even imagine the heights that Da Wei could have reached with his persistence and determination.


    When he first met Da Wei five years ago, he thought that he was like many other promising people in the world whose paths were cut short by the cruelty of the world. But, he consistently proved him wrong. First, by figuring out a body cultivation method for himself without any help. Then, he rapidly improved on the method until he reached a stage where he was able to easily kill Qi Condensation realm beasts by himself in a matter of a single year. Then, he became even stronger over the next few years. Now, even a peak Foundation Establishment best can be easily killed by him with enough planning.


    It is a pity that there is no future for a Body Cultivator after achieving the peak Core Formation realm. It is simply not possible for a body cultivator to form a Nascent soul without spirit roots since the spirit roots are directly connected to the soul of a person, enabling the flow of Qi into the soul to cultivate a Nascent soul. Without these channels that connected the soul and the body, it was absolutely impossible for a Nascent soul to form within a Cultivator.


    That was why Li Qiang considered Da Wei¡¯s fate to be so tragic.


    With a shake of his head, Li Qiang got rid of his thoughts and stared at the grinning Da Wei with a smile of his own.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Fine. Its your life so its up to you how you live it. As for the Rage Bear, I¡¯ll take it in exchange for those alchemy equipment you¡¯ve been eyes for quite some time.¡±


    ¡°No deal! I want the alchemy equipment and the beginner manual that I know you have for formations.¡±


    ¡°This greedy brat! Fine.¡±


    With an amused smile, Li Qiang waved his hand, causing the various tools and equipment used for alchemy to appear out of his special ring along with the manual for formations.


    Da Wei did not waste any time and directly placed them into his special ring and placed the corpse of the Rage Bear on the stall¡¯s side, causing Li Qiang¡¯s Qi senses to pick up on something that was missing from the corpse.


    ¡°Hold on! Where is the heart?¡±


    ¡°I have it, of course.¡±


    ¡°You brat! You deceived me!¡±


    ¡°I did no such thing. It was your fault for not asking about the heart in the first place. Seriously, when will you learn to check your goods before paying for them?¡±


    Li Qiang glared at Da Wei with irritation.


    A demonic beast usually stores its Qi within its body, but the majority of its power is usually condensed within its heart. Incidentally, it is also the heart where a Beast forms its Beast Core once it reaches the Core Formation realm. This is the reason why the Heart of a demonic beast is considered as the most valuable part.


    Shaking his head, Li Qiang stared at the grinning Da Wei that started running before calling out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about the session I asked you to take care of in the afternoon!¡±


    ¡°I remember, Old Li. But, I¡¯ll have to keep it short since I need to help Grandpa Feng with his forge.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    <hr>


    In the large open space located near the center of the village, all of the children of the settlement were gathered for their weekly training that is conducted by one of the few cultivators in the village, Li Qiang.


    However, instead of the old man, they were surprised by the arrival of a familiar young man.


    Instantly, the children shouted in joy and swarmed him, asking various questions and talking excitedly while some of the younger children started to climb on him.


    ¡°Ok, ok! Enough of this, you brats. I am here because Old Li has something to do and asked me to take over your lessons for today.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Then, can you teach us how to fight? Master Li does not teach us how to fight properly and only teaches us about meditation and gathering Qi.¡±


    Many of the children nodded at that request, knowing that it was one of the only chances they would get to learn how to fight properly from someone.


    But, before their request could be accepted, the many parents of the children sitting in the surroundings started to protest, not liking the idea of their ¡®adorable¡¯ children learning how to fight.


    ¡®What the hell? How did a cut throat world like this still manage to produce helicopter parents??¡¯


    Da Wei smiled wryly at the children¡¯s put down expression before sitting down with a few children still clinging onto him.


    ¡°Since your parents don¡¯t want you to fight, I can¡¯t teach you any of that. However, I can teach you the nature of Sprit Roots.¡±


    Immediately, the children perked up at hearing a familiar word that they did not know the meaning of.


    While Li Qiang had taught them to cultivate with their spirit roots, he had never gotten around to explaining what the spirit roots exactly are. Part of the reason was that he did not want to discourage the children with that particular piece of information this early, another part was because he simply did not have the time for it.


    The children nodded enthusiastically at Da Wei¡¯s suggestion and sat down around him, the younger children sitting closer to him while the few children that had just entered their teenage years taking their seat at the back.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s start with the basics. Who here has managed to sense Qi or succeded in drawing in the Qi from the world into yourself?¡±


    ¡°Oh! I did. That fluffy feeling that I get whenever I meditate is what you are talking about right?¡±


    ¡°Hey! I felt it too! But, when I tried to get that stuff into my body, I always feel something blocking it!¡±


    ¡°Same!¡±


    Da Wei, smiled amusedly as four of the dozens of children who managed to sense Qi argued about whether their experience was the correct one or not. Meanwhile, he also spotted two of the older children raise their hand quietly, just like he taught them before, indicating that they too had sense Qi at some point in their practice.


    ¡°Well, technically, all of your experiences are correct, but there is more to it than that. Let¡¯s start from the beginning. Spirit roots are metaphysical organs that exist within your very soul. They connect your spirit with your physical body, allowing cultivation.¡±


    <hr>


    I watched the excited and awed looks on the children¡¯s faces with satisfaction.


    Everything I know about spirit roots is something that I learned through experimentation and research on my own since I was never given any proper information aside from their classification and types by either by my family or by the sect. So, it is very gratifying to see that my efforts in uncovering the truth of these special components of the soul were not in vain.


    ¡°Spirit Roots are divided into two major categories. Basic and Advanced spirit roots. Now, while these categories are further divided into sub categories, you don¡¯t have to worry about Advanced spirit roots just yet unless one of your children happen to have it, which is highly unlikely given their rarity. What you children need to know, are the divisions within the Basic Spirit Roots.¡±


    Watching the slightly sullen expression on the children¡¯s faces, I felt a small smile form on my face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let the word ¡®Basic¡¯ fool you. Spirit Roots are anything but basic. The reason cultivators call them ¡®Basic¡¯ is due to the ease of categorizing, nothing more. Now, the so-called Basic Spirit Roots, are spirit roots that have an elemental affinity with one of the five elements of the Wuxing. Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.¡±


    ¡°Then, what is your affinity, Big brother Da Wei??¡±


    I smiled at the question raised by one of the little ones.


    ¡°I had affinity for Water and Wood.¡±


    While the children gazed at me with awed looks, I saw that some of them, especially those that were in their teenage years, did not fail to catch the meaning in my words and averted their eyes, trying to hide the pity that they felt for me.


    I could not help but smile at their gesture, even if it was meaningless since I did not care much about the past.


    I have found my own path, what I used to have in the past has no meaning to the current me.


    ¡°Generally speaking. The lower the number of your affinity, the better the spirit root quality and your cultivation speed. That is why, those with single affinity spirit roots are highly sought after by various powers of the continent.¡±


    One of the teenagers, Lin Mei, raised her hand and asked.


    ¡°How many affinities can a cultivator have?¡±


    ¡°Well, the answer for that is a little complicated. The lowest quality of spirit roots is considered a Quintuple Spirit Root, which has the affinity for all the five elements of the Wuxing. But, there are exceptions to this rule. For example, I know of a person that had a Quintuple Spirit Root, but only three of them were basic elements. Fire, Earth, and Metal. The other two elements belonged to the Advanced Spirit Roots. Lightning and Yin.¡±


    I immediately saw that the children wanted to know what I meant so I answered before they could ask.


    ¡°Advanced Spirit Roots, are spirit roots which have elemental affinity that falls outside the standard Wuxing cycle. Any element that is not part of the Wuxing cycle is considered as an Advanced elements, and they are highly sought after just like those that possess a single affinity due to the sheer destructive power that an Advanced spirit root has.¡±


    Needless to say, the person that I talked about was none other than Xiao Kai. It is the reason why he got away with crippling my spirit roots.


    Sometimes, I wonder if he is the main character of this world and not me. But, I usually dismiss those thoughts given the huge number of circumstantial and literal evidence that I have, both in my memories and in the form of the bead around my neck that houses the spirit of a future version of myself.


    ¡°How do we learn about our affinity and what type of Spirit Roots we have?¡±


    Looks like Lin Mei has been unofficially drafted by the rest of her age group as the one that should ask questions on their behalf.


    Let¡¯s throw Li Qiang under the bus.


    ¡°To find out your elemental affinity, you need what is known as a Root Stone. A fairly common artifact that is quite expensive. While it is primarily used by the Empire¡¯s forces, Sects and the governing offices of large cities to identify their potential future members, I believe Old Li has one on him, so you should ask him to test you children next week.¡±


    Looking at the shining eyes of the children, I supressed the evil grin threatening to appear on my face.


    This is what you get for pushing your work on me, even though I willingly accepted it. You should still feel the consequences of it.


    But in all truth, this is just a game between the two of us to see who can annoy the other the most. A friendly teasing if anything.


    The rest of the session continued with the children asking questions about cultivation and me answering. It was only as the sun started to dip towards the west that I remembered my promise to Grandpa Feng and had to cut the session short, much to the children¡¯s disappointment.


    <hr>


    Striking the iron on the anvil, I concentrated on controlling my monstrous strength, making sure not to use too much or too little so that I don¡¯t end up wasting the hours of work that Grandpa Feng and I put into these blades.


    ¡°Now! Quench it, quickly!¡±


    Heeding the old man¡¯s words, I immediately placed the blade into the large vat filled with oil used for quenching while channelling Qi through it just like Grandpa Feng taught me.


    By using Qi, I prevented the blade from shattering while also expelling most of the impurities during the quenching process.


    The end result, is a steel blade that is similar in quality to what I would expect to appear in the early 20<sup>th</sup> century of my old world.


    While the presence of Qi and cultivators has made this world very primitive compared to my old world, there are some areas, such as metallurgy, medicine, botany and other such fields where these people have significant advantage.


    While this can be partially credited to the existence of fantastical materials and objects in this world, the knowledge held by these people cannot be dismissed either.


    ¡°Phew, that¡¯s the last one.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Good work today, Da Wei. Here, take this as compensation for your work.¡±


    The old man took out a clay pot and tried to hand it over, only for me to move back with a look of disdain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool me, old man. I saw you buy that pot of wine this morning. I want the real stuff, the one that you hide beneath-¡°


    ¡°Shh! Fine. You cunning brat.¡±


    Despite his words, the old man smiled as he picked up a differed pot hidden behind a rack. Just by looking at the pot, I could immediately tell that it was very old and exactly what I wanted thanks to the faint fragrance emanating from it.


    Grinning, I immediately took it into my hands and waved goodbye to Grandpa Feng, heading straight towards my home.


    All in all, a regular day with no issues, just like always.

 Chapter 4

    In a small village located on the frontier of Yin Long Empire, a young man wearing a tattered cloak and dirty clothes walked alongside an elderly man who was talking amicably with the young man, yet did not fail to keep a wary eye on the stranger.


    ¡°I never did get your name.¡±


    ¡°¡­David.¡±


    ¡°Da Wei, strange name. So, how long do you plan on staying here?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be frank, Chief Chen. I don¡¯t have any plans as of yet. For now, I¡¯ll thank your hospitality and stay for a week at most before heading into the forest.¡±


    Despite his weariness towards the stranger with a strange name that had arrived in his village earlier that day, Chen Jie, the village chief, could not help but stare at the stranger with concern.


    ¡°Are you sure? Those woods are filled with Demonic beasts, one wrong encounter is enough to end people like us.¡±


    The young man nodded his head in acknowledgement but did not give any indication of changing his decision.


    With a sigh, the old man started laying out the options that the young man had available to him.


    ¡°I will talk to the Qin family tomorrow. Given their age and the vastness of their farm there is no shortage of work for you to earn your keep. There are also many families here looking for helping hands to take care of their daily activities. I am sure you can easily find a place for yourself here if you wanted to.¡±


    Once again, the young man nodded in acknowledgement and headed towards the chief¡¯s home alongside Chen Jie.


    As he walked towards his home with the stranger Da Wei, He could not help but pity the young man that had stumbled into their village in the morning.


    According to what the young man said, he lost his home recently and was looking for a place to work and stay at until he figured out what he wanted to do with himself.


    Chen Jie was not unfamiliar with young men and women finding themselves alone and wandering aimlessly in this world due to cruel situations out of their control. Such was the nature of their chaotic world since time immemorial. But, most of these young people were not cultivators like the young man beside him.


    Oh, the boy had tried to hide the fact by being vague about his origins, but the sheer difference between how a Cultivator moves, their body language, and the way they carry themselves compared to a mortal is not something that can be easily hidden, especially from someone that is used to dealing with Cultivators in the form of the governors of the nearby cities.


    Chen Jie would not pry into the young man¡¯s past or his reasons. As long as he was not a wanted criminal, was not here for nefarious reasons and was willing to earn his keep, the old man would not have any problems with giving this man that was going through an unfortunate part of his life a place in this peaceful village.


    <hr>


    ¡°Ok, now slowly guide the Qi from the ingredients into the Ginseng. Remember, don¡¯t allow the water Qi to overpower the properties of the Ginseng.¡±


    ¡°I know. I saw your memories, remember?¡±


    ¡°Seeing me refine pills is one thing, doing it yourself is another thing all together. Especially with your unique situation.¡±


    I did not have a counter to the bastard¡¯s words, so I simply continued concentrating on the pill furnace, making sure to keep the temperature of the fire stable while also using my Qi to slowly guide the energies within the ingredients to where I wanted.


    The practice of Alchemy in this world is completely different from what it was on Earth. On Earth, the practice of Alchemy was actually a primitive form of Chemistry and served as the basis on which all the future branches of chemistry were based on.


    However, in this world, Alchemy is truly a mystical art thanks to the existence of Qi. The Alchemy in this world does not follow the scientific method. Instead, it is based more on the philosophical side of things.


    Alchemy, just like with many other things in this world, is classified into levels. Basic Level Alchemy, which deals with creating common drugs and medicine that is relatively cheap and can be purchased and used by mortals. This level of Alchemy does not truly require Qi and is vaguely based on the scientific method. Those who can perform Basic level Alchemy are knows as Junior Alchemists.


    Above this level, is the Intermediate level Alchemy. From this point on, the usage of Qi is absolutely necessary to make anything that can be considered Intermediate level pill. Correspondingly, it is from here that Alchemists can truly market their products to cultivators.


    Above the Intermediate level, there is the Advanced level, Master level, Grandmaster level, and finally, Supreme level.


    From what I remember, the Royal Family has a Grandmaster Alchemist working under them, making them the only force in the empire that has access to Grandmaster level pills.


    Of course, being the main character, my future self, the bastard, was a Grandmaster Alchemist as well, even if most of his pills were oriented towards the demonic path.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why you insist on learning Alchemy in the traditional way instead of using your pure Qi to directly refine the pills. It would save so much time and would be so much easier for you. In fact, you might even end up as a Grandmaster Alchemist in a single decade compared to the fifty years it took me.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever heard the saying, never put all your eggs in one basket?¡±


    ¡°Not really, what does it mean?¡±


    ¡°It means, that you should never place all of your efforts into a single thing. For example, if I followed your advice and practiced alchemy by using my Pure Qi, what would happen should I suddenly loose it? Or if I ever end up regaining my spirit roots and my pure Qi suddenly turns back to Water and Wood Qi? Won¡¯t I end up back at square one? Forcing me to relearn everything from the scratch?¡±


    ¡°..Point taken, and that¡¯s a good saying. But, where did this saying even come from?¡±


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    ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡±


    ¡°Another one of your mysterious piece of otherworldly knowledge, I take it? Fine. Keep your secrets. Not like you already know all of my secrets anyways thanks to this stupid bead showing you all of my memories.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to guilt trip me. It doesn¡¯t suit an old demon like you.¡±


    ¡°I will have you know that I, Huxing Xiang-¡°


    ¡°Enough. Don¡¯t use mother¡¯s family name. It is already bad enough that you brought shame to that name in your timeline. I don¡¯t ever want to hear you refer to yourself with that name ever again.¡±


    ¡°¡­.She was my mother too-¡°


    ¡°No. If you actually thought of her as a mother, you would never have taken her birth name and turned it into the most cursed name on the planet.¡±


    The bastard fell silent, allowing me to concentrate back on my alchemy. But, the damage is already done as I am unable to concentrate properly on the Qi control and the mergers of various types of Qi within the furnace into a harmony, resulting in a muffled explosion followed by a disgusting smell coming out of the furnace.


    Tch, looks like I just lost good ingredients because of that bastard.


    With a sigh, I picked up the furnace and headed out of my home. As usual, I dug up the pit and poured in the wasted ingredients before sealing it back up again.


    Well, since I can¡¯t concentrate on Alchemy anymore, I might as well take a stroll.


    I hate him. There is no denying it. I know, that he is the future version of my past self from before I awakened my memories of Earth. But still, I can never accept such a monstrous man as myself.


    Even worse, is the fact that I found his circumstances somewhat relatable, and I still cannot answer the question of whether I would have done the same things that he did when faced with situations like the ones that he went through.


    Walking through the woods, I kept spreading my Qi in the surroundings, trying to see if there were any beasts hiding in the vicinity, even if it was highly unlikely that there would be any after I killed the Winged Tiger and claimed this area as my own.


    This method also serves as a substitute to my abysmal Qi sensing, caused by the crippling of my spirit roots and is, in many ways, superior to normal Qi sensing.


    Although, I doubt anyone below the Nascent soul realm can even dream of spreading their Qi into the surroundings like this without worrying about their Qi consumption.


    I guess that is one of the silver linings of my situation, alongside having the so-called Pure Qi.


    When a Cultivator absorbs the Qi from the world into themselves to cultivate, their spirit roots automatically convert the Pure Qi of the world into the element that the spirit roots have affinity with. During this process, there is a significant loss of Qi caused by the conversion process.


    The rate of loss is the method by which the Spirit Root quality is determined and ranked, from Mortal, Earth, Heaven and Supreme.


    However, even for a Supreme quality spirit root with a single elemental affinity, they would still experience a loss of Qi during the cultivation process. This is also one of the reasons why Cultivation takes such a long time for even the greatest of cultivators with the highest levels of talent.


    In my case, things are completely different.


    Since I don¡¯t use Spirit Roots to cultivate and instead rely on storing the Qi within my body directly, I don¡¯t have to worry about converting the Pure Qi into any other elemental Qi. Rather, the Pure Qi is directly stored into my body at a fundamental level and my limit for storing the Qi is exponentially increased every time I ¡®cultivate¡¯ through my destructive methods.


    This gives me a distinct advantage over other cultivators and this advantage extends towards Alchemy and Formations as well from what I learned.


    Alchemy relies on the principles of Wuxing, the elemental cycle. Alchemists, who usually consists of Wood Qi users, must use the principles of Wuxing and ingredients of different natures to change their Qi and supplement the pill that they are trying to make.


    For example, to make a Condensation Pill that is popular among the various powers of the world who have Qi Condensation realm disciples, an Alchemist must use four different ingredients, the Phoenix Grass for the Fire element Qi, a Ginseng for the Earth elemental Qi, the bark of an Iron Wood tree for the Metal elemental Qi, spiritual water for Water elemental Qi, and finally, they would use their own Wood nature Qi for the Wood element.


    With the combination of these five elements complementing and cancelling each other out under the Alchemist¡¯s careful guidance, all of the Qi would then disperse into Pure Qi which would then condense into the Condensation Pill.


    In my case, if I wanted to make the same pill, I would not need any of the ingredients. All I would need to do is use my control to solidify my Pure Qi into a pill. Such is the advantage provided by my Pure Qi.


    Of course, it would be a completely different matter for any other pill, but the point still stands. Where as other Alchemists would have to use multiple ingredients to follow the Wuxing cycle, all I would need is the ingredients corresponding to the elements that are actually needed for a pill to form and my Pure Qi, significantly reducing the loss of time, money and resources.


    I got rid of my thoughts when I suddenly sensed a presence within my Qi field.


    The being felt small. Probably no larger than a child. In contrast to their size, however, their Qi felt huge, easily surpassing my own reserves of Qi, sending a shudder down my spine.


    ¡®What the hell is this?? is it a late stage Nascent Soul expert? If so, why are they so small?¡¯


    ¡°I highly doubt it¡¯s a child. Most likely, it is some kind of a demonic beast.¡±


    ¡°¡­And what kind of a demonic beast would choose to take such a small shape when it has such a high power level?¡±


    Whether it is people of demonic beasts, once they attain a certain level, they would always try to flaunt their power in front of others, such is the nature of all sentient beings. In case of Humans, they would show off their power, either in the form of feats of strength or through fame and money. In the case of Demonic Beasts, they would change their size to absurd levels, making them look extremely intimidating to others.


    So, it made absolutely no sense for a Demonic Beast to turn itself into such a small size when it had such a huge power level.


    I immediately got ready for a fight and retracted my Qi from the surroundings. With a thought, I formed a thick layer of Qi over my body, forming a protective barrier around me with hardened Qi. This method also served to isolate my body from the surroundings, erasing my presence, scent and Qi signature so that nothing could track me.


    I also equipped my Gauntlets and extended the three claws on each one made from the claws of the Winged Tiger.


    As blades made from the claws and fangs of a peak Foundation Establishment realm beast, I don¡¯t have any hope of them causing any fatal injury to a beast that is probably at the peak of the Nascent Soul realm, however, it is still better than fighting bare handed.


    Slowly, I moved towards the source of the presence, taking advantage of the unnaturally tall grass that impossibly grew this deep within the forest.


    However, all of my expectations for a fight turned to ash when I saw the source of the presence.


    ¡°¡­.Is that a cat?¡±


    ¡°IS THAT A FUCKING BODHI FRUIT??¡±


    Lying on the ground was a small black cat with injuries all over its body with a fruit that looked similar to an Apple.


    After confirming that the cat was unconscious, I once again directed my Qi towards the Cat¡¯s surroundings and was surprised with the result.


    Unlike what we assumed previously, the source of the massive Qi signature is not some demonic beast, it is this fruit.


    Truly, my main character luck has a very weird and impossible timing.


    After all, what are the chances of a Bodhi Fruit, an object that is considered a heavenly resource for its properties of advancing someone¡¯s cultivation by at least a major realm, to be found in the middle of nowhere like this?


    Walking forward, I directly placed the fruit into my storage ring and scooped up the injured cat into my arms.


    I¡¯ll think later about what to do with the fruit. First, I need to patch up this cat.


    ¡°Why bother? That is not even a Demonic Beast. It¡¯s just a regular cat. If you want a Dao Familiar, you already know the locations of several high level beasts that would only be little cubs at this time from my memories, you can chose one of them right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really care about getting a Dao Familiar. I can¡¯t just leave it here to die like this. Besides, I¡¯ve always wanted a cat since I was a child.¡±


    ¡°¡­You did? Why can¡¯t I remember ever having such a wish?¡±


    ¡°Because you are an old man whose memory is failing him.¡±


    ¡°Why you little-¡°


    I cut off my connection to the bastard and focused back on the cat.


    Since the injuries does not seem too deep, a simple Recovery Pill should do the trick. As for food, I do have the meat and fruits that are consumed by mortals that I can feed it.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll call you, little Xing.¡±


    It wouldn¡¯t be bad to have someone to accompany me in this wilderness.

 Chapter 5

    ¡°Give me another one!¡±


    With a resounding crash, another pot of wine was thrown to the ground, a scene that had been repeating since the evening.


    ¡°B-brother Wei, you are too drunk. Maybe you should head back-¡°


    ¡°Little Hui, I can take care of myself. Just bring me another pot.¡±


    The teenage girl shook like a leaf when the young man¡¯s dead gaze fell on her and swiftly retreated to the back, not wanting to offend the man by not following his orders.


    And it was not just her who was feeling uncomfortable. The owners of the tavern, the grandparents of Han Hui, the teenager, were also feeling distinct feelings of wrongness as they saw the young man, who was normally very polite and friendly in the past year that he had spent living in the nearby woods, look so broken. The same feeling propagated through the rest of the tavern patrons who also failed to associate the young man they knew with the one they were seeing now.


    As the girl brought back another Pot of strong alcohol, the young man did not waste any time and directly started to empty it. Even if his spirit roots were gone, his body was still that of a cultivator and could handle exponentially higher levels of alcohol compared to a mortal.


    As this was going on, the back door opened followed by three people entering the tavern quietly.


    ¡°You see? It''s as if he does not intend to live till tomorrow. You have to do something, Chief Chen.¡±


    Han Zhiyuan, the husband of Han Xiulan and the grandfather of Han Hui looked at the young man wasting away with the alcohol pot in his hands with sadness just like Chief Chen. They both turned towards the last man in the group at the same time, pleading with him to help.


    The last man, Li Qiang, one of the few cultivators in the village, sighed at the look he was getting from the two old men.


    ¡°First of all, I don¡¯t even know the kid. Second, why are you two asking me, a stranger to the boy, to talk to him when you know him better than me given that I have been absent from the village for the past three years?¡±


    ¡°Because you are the only cultivator in the village aside from the kid right now and who better to understand a cultivator¡¯s problem than a fellow cultivator?¡±


    Once again, Li Qiang gave a heavy sigh of exhaustion before moving towards the counter where the young man sat.


    The moment Li Qiang sat beside the boy, he did not waste any time in speaking.


    ¡°Tell those two old men to mind their own business. I don¡¯t need any help. I just want to get wasted today.¡±


    Li Qiang looked with surprise at the boy¡¯s words.


    ¡°For someone with crippled cultivation, your senses are very sharp.¡±


    ¡°Of course they are. How else would I survive in the Great Wilderness?¡±


    At this, Li Qiang looked alarmed as he finally started to realize the truth in the old man Han¡¯s words.


    This kid definitely had a death wish.


    ¡°In that case, you do not mind if I grab a drink, do you?¡±


    ¡°Not my tavern, ask little Hui.¡±


    ¡°..I am not little. You are only three or four years older than me.¡±


    The girl whispered as she handed Li Qiang his usual blend of juice, trying to complain but not daring to raise her voice since she did not know how the boy she called a friend would react given his mental state right now.


    With a nod, Li Qiang sent the girl away and slowly started to drink his juice while speaking.


    ¡°So, I heard you moved into this place a year ago, where are you from?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡±


    ¡°This is my home, I need to make sure that you are not a threat to our home.¡±


    ¡°..I am no threat. Hell, given my crippled status, even a Qi Condensation realm oldie like you can easily beat me.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I am not old. I just started cultivating later than others.¡±


    For the first time in the evening, the boy smirked at Li Qiang before slowly relaxing.


    ¡°¡­I am from the North. Don¡¯t ask me where, I don¡¯t want to talk about it. Rest assured, I am just a nobody trying to find my way.¡±


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s your name? kid.¡±


    ¡°Da Wei.¡±


    ¡°Li Qiang.¡±


    Li Qiang raised his glass to Da Wei who did the same and started drinking at a much slower pace than before.


    The two continued talking throughout the night. By daybreak, Da Wei started heading back towards his home, feeling much better than he did the day before, and Li Qiang walked back towards his own home, finding his talk with Da Wei to be very enlightening.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    On that night, an unlikely friendship between two completely different people was forged.


    <hr>


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You have to. You were the one who provoked them, now, you have to take responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Hell no. I am not going anywhere, especially when I am so close to a breakthrough.¡±


    ¡°Breakthrough? Do you mean forming a Core? Don¡¯t try to fool me. You could have done that at any moment for the past two years. You deliberately held back since you did not find forming a core to be of any use compared to your current situation.¡±


    Da Wei glared at Li Qiang who glared back at his friend.


    ¡°..The answer is still no. I am not taking those kids anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Too bad, I have already told them that you promised to take them to Starfall City to try their luck.¡±


    ¡°Why do you want them to enter a sect anyway? You and I both know that nothing good awaits them in a sect. They might as well stay here and advance on their own.¡±


    ¡°That is the height of foolishness. Even if they suffer a bit, they would still have access to a much higher level of resources and Qi-rich locations compared to this frontier village. Don¡¯t you want them to become strong?¡±


    ¡°I would rather they stay unbroken instead of chasing strength and ending up like us.¡±


    Li Qiang fell silent at Da Wei¡¯s rebuke. With a sigh, the older man downed his glass of alcohol before getting up from his seat.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll take the children myself. I had thought that with you there, they would be much safer. But, I guess they¡¯ll have to make do with a weakling like me. Who knows? I might be able to sacrifice myself to save them if something bad happens-¡°


    ¡°Enough. Stop trying to guilt trip me. Tell them to gather at the main gate of the village. When is the selection taking place anyway?¡±


    ¡°Two days from now.¡±


    ¡°..And you told me about this just now. Seriously, how petty can you be?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, can you handle a few dozen children forcing you to spend an entire day using a Root Stone to find their Spirit Root quantity and affinity?¡±


    ¡°¡­So this really is revenge for that, huh.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about.¡±


    Despite his words, Li Qiang¡¯s lips quirked in a smirk as Da Wei continued to glare at him even as the older man left the tavern.


    <hr>


    ¡°HISSSS¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on. Don¡¯t be like that little Xing.¡±


    Little Xing, my black cat that I rescued from the forest two weeks ago, continued hissing at Han Hui, refusing to let go of me even when Little Hui tried to pull on the cat.


    I always heard horror stories of how cats are very untrusting and might take a long time to get used to their owner from my friend. But, I guess he was just unlucky.


    I thought so because ever since she first woke up after healing, she never spent a single moment away from me aside from going into the forest for excretion. She was very loving, spending all of her time either lying on my shoulder or on my stomach when I was sleeping.


    In fact, I think she is very lazy.


    Unfortunately, I can¡¯t take her with me for this trip since it could end up going very badly given my luck. It would already be bad enough that I needed to look after six teenagers and two children, I cannot hope to look after my cat as well in such a situation. That is why, I had no choice but to leave her with Little Hui at the only tavern and Inn of the village.


    ¡°Meow~¡±


    Little Xing meowed pitifully at me after Little Hui finally managed to get her off of my shoulder, her big eyes staring at me pleadingly.


    I scratched behind her ears, knowing that she liked it, causing her to purr in happiness.


    ¡°Be good, alright? I¡¯ll be back in a few days at most.¡±


    Once again, she tried to escape from Little Hui¡¯s arms, but the teenager held on tight, finally causing the cat to give up and hang limply in her arms.


    Waving goodbye to the teenager, I headed towards the main gate of the village.


    I really regret having the children ask Old Li to have their Spirit Roots checked. A single moment of careless fun has now cost me everything.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so dramatic. This might be a good chance to see if we can find any good things to get from the City. Given its status as the main hub for Cultivators in the East, it is sure to contain some good things that would help us greatly.¡±


    ¡°Speaking from experience?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You won¡¯t believe the kind of things I used to find in unassuming stalls manned by mortals back in my day.¡±


    Oh, I would believe you alright. That¡¯s just how a main character¡¯s luck works if the stories I used to read back home are to be believed.


    Even a simple pebble picked up by a main character might turn out to be some otherworldly peerless artifact.


    On the flip side, these blessings oftentimes are accompanied by disasters as well. This is the main reason for my worry about this expedition that Li Qiang threw at me.


    I am pretty sure that if the children are caught up in the shenanigans caused by my fate as a main character, they have absolutely zero chance of surviving.


    ¡°Which sects do you think will arrive to choose disciples this time?¡±


    ¡°As you know, during this time, I spent most of my time hiding away in a remote corner in the Outer Sect, so I don¡¯t have complete information. But, from what I remember hearing from my fellow disciples, The Alchemy Guild and the Formations Guild along with the Royal Family¡¯s forces were the ones with the biggest number of recruits, followed by our own sect. Aside from us, there was also the Endless Woods Sect which took in a handful of disciples, and the Supreme Spear Sect took in a single disciple. Aside from these, I heard that the Volcanic Dragon Sect and the Hidden Serpent Sect also participated but did not recruit any disciples.¡±


    ¡°That is kind of surprising. It makes sense for the Formations Guild which does not have any restriction on elemental affinity just like our own sect and the Royal Family to get a lot of disciples. But how did the Alchemy guild get such a high number? Don¡¯t they usually recruit primarily Wood nature Spirit Root holders exclusively?¡±


    ¡°..This is something that will come to light soon enough, but most of those disciples ended up becoming living cauldrons for refining Master level Pills for many of the sects. It is because many of the major sects were involved in this secret that the Alchemy Guild was never punished for their actions.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Shit! I knew we should not have left the safety of the village! Now, I¡¯ve got to warn the kids not to accept any offer made by the Alchemy Guild.¡±


    ¡°That should be easy enough. The kids respect you a great deal even with your crippled status. If you insist on them not going to the Alchemy Guild, they would definitely not go there.¡±


    ¡°That is true.¡±


    Soon enough, I arrived at the main entrance of the village where a carriage was already ready to take us to the city with the children already sitting inside the carriage.


    Guess I should educate these children about the various dangers of the world that are going to join soon enough.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it. Like it or not, Li Qiang is right in that these children would only be wasting their potential if they stayed in this village. They might suffer a little bit, but they will undoubtedly get stronger from the experience.¡±


    ¡°You mean they will end up broken like you?¡±


    His silence was telling enough. But, he is right.


    I don¡¯t have the authority nor the will to dictate the children¡¯s lives for them. What I can do, is give them the information that they need to decide and accept the choices that they make from here on out.


    Seriously, is this how it feels to be a parent or a guardian?


    ¡°Shut up. You are not old enough to talk like that.¡±


    ¡°Says the Thousand-year-old Demon that has never even got the chance to get laid.¡±


    ¡°FUCK YOU!!¡±


    ¡°No thanks.¡±

 Chapter 6

    ¡°Stop it! Doing this won¡¯t achieve anything!¡±


    ¡°No. it will achieve something. Specifically, it will rid this world of both me, and you for at least some time.¡±


    ¡°You fool! Why do you wish to sacrifice yourself for these weaklings??¡±


    The young man who was forcefully absorbing the Qi from a few dozen Spirit Stones in an act of suicide did not even pause to answer the man while furiously absorbing the Qi, causing his body to begin breaking down at a cellular level.


    ¡°I am not sacrificing anything for anyone. I don¡¯t have anything in this world to live for. But, if I simply commit suicide, I have no doubt that a demonic bastard like you would easily take control of my body and commit acts that I can¡¯t even begin to imagine, that is why, I must destroy the body first.¡±


    ¡°Damn it! Why are you so insistent on this? I promise I will not cause any trouble for the mortals. Stop this right now! If you continue doing this, even the bead will not be able to heal you.¡±


    The man did not say anything but continued to do what he wanted to do. When nearly half of his body had already started turning into a shriveled corpse, the demonic cultivator stuck within the Heavenly Reversal Bead could not delay anymore and acted.


    ¡°Fine! Fine! I swear upon the Heavens that I will never attempt to take over your body unless you give me permission. Now stop killing the both of us!!¡±


    Immediately, a heavy pressure fell upon the surrounding areas while lighting flashed in the sky with dark clouds suddenly appearing out of nowhere.


    It was a sign that, while rare, was something that most cultivators were familiar with. It was a sign that showed that the oath made was acknowledged by the heavens and that the consequences of breaking this oath would be very severe.


    It was only once the oath was made that the man stopped absorbing the Qi from the Spirit Stones, causing him to collapse to the ground, knowing that he did not have much time left.


    ¡°You foolish boy. Was I really this stupid and self-righteous in the past?¡±


    ¡°I refuse to acknowledge you as me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. You made that very clear with this action of yours. But, I must ask, why do you care so much about others?¡±


    ¡°I do not care about others. I care about my morals and values. And what you did and will do given the chance, is not something that I will ever tolerate, especially with my body.¡±


    ¡°Not like I can do that anymore. You did a really good job of killing yourself. I can¡¯t even begin to describe how I am feeling right now, watching my foolish and na?ve younger self dying due to his stupidity. Now, I have to stay with your corpse for who knows how long in this random forest between the nearest city and the Great Wilderness until someone finds the bead. Seriously, why couldn¡¯t you do something stupid like this after reaching a settlement close to the Great Wilderness?¡±


    ¡°So that you could trick some innocent boy or girl into becoming your puppet immediately after my death? No thanks. If someone is unlucky enough to find the bead after my death, I can only call that fate, but if you ended up causing trouble to someone because of my negligence, I cannot handle that on my consciousness.¡±


    ¡°How hypocritical.¡±


    ¡°What can I say? I am a human, after all. Not like a demon like you can understand.¡±


    The demon fell silent with frustration, and a tiny amount of pride at his younger self, waiting for the foolish boy to die. He prepared himself for a long wait and started trying to see if he could fall asleep in this bead.


    However, before he could do that, something strange started to happen when the man¡¯s blood came in contact with the bead.


    Instantly, the demon within the bead felt a pain the likes of which never experienced in the thousand years he had lived. But, beyond the pain, he felt something strong, the presence of someone else, as his soul was involuntarily connected to another.


    He tried his best to try and sever the connection, but the bead would not allow it as a lot of the demon¡¯s memories flashed through his mind, including his most intimate and personal details along with all of his skills and techniques.


    But that was not all. His grudges and his gratitude. His thoughts and laments. His joys and sorrows. His everything was laid bare for whoever was connected to his soul.


    It was only through sheer willpower that he managed to trace the connection to the soul of his younger self. The only theory his jumbled thoughts could come up with was that the bead had somehow caused a resonance between his soul and the soul of his younger self, a sound theory because bar a few differences and their levels of soul cultivation, their souls were nearly identical in every way that mattered.


    Then, just as suddenly it had appeared, the pain disappeared, leaving the demon reeling in relief, terror, and confusion. A state that did not last long as a gargantuan amount of power flooded out of the bead and assaulted the unconscious boy¡¯s body, repairing and strengthening the body at a fundamental level.


    Something that it had never done before even in his past life. The only thing it was ever capable of was storing his secrets and providing adequate regeneration and immunity to poisons, the same way it functioned before for the boy as well.


    Then, he heard it. A deafening roar of a monster that he could not identify, originated from deep within the bead. Its very existence caused the demon¡¯s soul to shake in fear and awe. However, it swiftly retreated back into the depths the moment it detected that the boy¡¯s body was completely repaired.


    It would take a few more hours before the boy would awaken and ask the demon about what happened and why he was healed. The demon stayed silent.


    It was only when the boy was attacked by a turtle-type Demonic Beast within the Great Wilderness a few days later, that the truth would come to light, leading the boy to develop a ¡®cultivation technique¡¯ based on the bead¡¯s abilities.


    <hr>


    The children embraced me, whether it was the smaller ones or the teens, and I could not help but laugh fondly at their actions.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    The selection held by the various sects and forces of the empire went very smoothly. Of course, I managed to spread rumors anonymously about the Alchemy Guild¡¯s plans, causing an all-time low number of disciples being accepted into the guild, much to their anger if the way they sent high-level cultivators to find the source of the rumors was anything to go by.


    In the end, all the children decided to stick together and accepted the offer from my former sect, the only sect within the recruiters that did not have requirements for specific spirit roots.


    Of course, I did not fail to warn them about who to watch out for and all the necessary steps that they needed to take to protect themselves.


    This is what led to the current scene just outside the city gates.


    It was time for the children to leave with the sect¡¯s people and they were told to say their goodbyes.


    ¡°Remember, watch out for each other, no matter the circumstances. The people of the sect will try to divide you, try to sow discord among you for their own gains and politics depending on your talents. You must never allow such acts to divide you.¡±


    ¡°We know, Big Brother.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then, the final lesson. What is the best action to take when faced with arrogant cultivators or cunning people?


    ¡°To stay humble and get out of their way as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°What is the best kind of behavior in a Sect?¡±


    ¡°To stay low key and quietly advance.¡±


    ¡°What is the best course of action when confronting your enemies is unavoidable?¡±


    ¡°Go for overkill, always. Be very thorough and leave no traces of our presence or anything that implicates us behind.¡±


    I nodded in satisfaction as the children whispered all the things that I taught them back to me while looking around wearily for eavesdroppers.


    ¡°And what if your enemies as stronger than you?¡±


    ¡°Run away and hide ourselves, or convince them that we are dead while increasing our strength. Only when our strength is at least ten times higher than our enemies should we make another tentative attempt at getting rid of them. Even then, the attack should be swift with the intent to kill while making sure to throw the blame on someone else in account of the possibility that the target would escape this attempt.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Those young masters and the arrogant core disciples in the sect are done for.¡±


    I ignored the demon¡¯s words and nodded at the children¡¯s words before embracing them once more and motioning them toward their future sect.


    ¡°Be careful. Don¡¯t forget, should you find that life in a sect is not for you, you can always come back to the village.¡±


    The younger children had tears in their eyes as they nodded while the teenagers nodded and escorted the younger ones to the carriages of the sects.


    ¡°I truly hope that they can have a bright future.¡±


    ¡°Then, you have learned nothing from what happened to us. Those bastards will never allow a cultivator from a mortal background to achieve greatness within their sect.¡±


    ¡°It does not matter. From what I gathered, the children don¡¯t intend to stay in the sect forever. They have their own goals and ambitions and a single sect can never hope to accommodate those lofty ideals.¡±


    ¡°Having ambition does not mean that they can achieve them.¡±


    ¡°¡­Can you stop being so cynical all the time?¡±


    ¡°Can you stop calling me a demon and use my name?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then, I won¡¯t stop either.¡±


    This bastard.


    Shaking my head, I watched the carriages swiftly disappear into the distance. Only when my enhanced eyes could no longer keep up with the carriage and it disappeared into the distance did I turn around and head back into the city.


    I need to head back to the village tomorrow, might as well take the time to see if I can find something interesting in this place.


    <hr>


    ¡°That thing is completely useless, boy. There is a reason why I am selling it at the same price as the raw materials used to forge it.¡±


    ¡°I know, but like I said. I want it.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll say this beforehand, I won¡¯t take it back even if you want to return it in the future.¡±


    I laughed at the old man¡¯s annoyed face before placing a hundred spirit stones on the counter which the man quickly swiped and placed into his storage bag.


    I took the staff made from Green and White Jade with Spiritual Gold rings adorning the entire structure and placed it into my ring.


    While it is indeed a failed product and completely useless to other people, that is not the case for me.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you are going to use it as a blunt object and hit your enemies over the head with it.¡±


    ¡°Do you take me for a barbarian? Of course, I won¡¯t do something like that. I am going to make a spear with it.¡±


    ¡°But why? Aren¡¯t you already using those Winged Tiger claws? Why switch your weapons so quickly?¡±


    ¡°The claws were a temporary weapon for me to fight beasts. If I am to fight cultivators, I will need a proper weapon.¡±


    ¡°True, but still-¡°


    I waited for him to finish his words, but even after an entire minute, he said nothing which made me wary of my surroundings.


    ¡°What is it? What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°..Kill her. KILL HER NOW!!¡±


    ¡°¡­What? Did you lose your mind-¡°


    ¡°KILL HER BEFORE SHE KILLS US!!¡±


    I ignored the demon¡¯s raving and warily looked at my surroundings, trying to spot this ¡®her¡¯ that he was going on about.


    But, all I saw was regular mortals that were slowly starting to inch away from me in fear due to my stance.


    ¡°IN THE ALLEY! SHE ESCAPED INTO THE ALLEY! GO!!¡±


    Whatever it is that is causing this guy to panic like this cannot be normal, so I decided to follow his advice and ran into the alley.


    Just in time to see a shadow flash towards the end of the alley, heading deeper into the place.


    I immediately bumped up this being¡¯s threat level once I realized that it was much faster than a mortal should be.


    Flooding my body with Qi, I shot forward like a bullet, chasing after the shadow.


    Even if it was faster than a normal human, it was not as fast as a Cultivator, especially a body cultivator like me, so it did not take me long to catch up to it, spotting a long black cloak covering a tiny figure that was desperately running away.


    Immediately, doubts started to rise in my heart.


    ¡°Hey, why is this being so small?¡±


    ¡°DON¡¯T LET HER APPEARANCE FOOL YOU. KILL HER IMMEDIATELY!!¡±


    What is happening?


    As the doubts in my mind started to increase by the second, I finally caught up to the being and pulled it into the air by grabbing onto its cloak.


    Revealing a girl that was probably only 11 or 12 years old.


    Her red eyes shone with terror as her body shook in the air. Whether it was due to fear or due to cold since her clothes could only be called rags at best, I did not know.


    ¡°¡­What the hell? It¡¯s just a child!¡±


    ¡°DON¡¯T WAIT!! KILL HER NOW!!¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP!! I AM NOT KILLING A CHILD TO SATISFY YOUR SICK FANTASIES!!¡±


    ¡°¡­.You don¡¯t understand. Take a good look at her, doesn¡¯t she remind you of anything??¡±


    I once again looked at the girl hanging in the air with a closer look. Still, I did not find anything strange. Sure, her ruby red eyes are quite rare and possibly the reason for her current situation since red eyes are considered an omen or a curse by the mortals. But, it is nothing worth noting for a cultivator, the same goes for her scarlet hair since there are many people with- Hold Up!!


    Red eyes, check. Scarlet hair, check. Orphan? Highly likely given her current state.


    Tentatively, I sent a sliver of my Qi into the trembling child that was on the verge of sobbing and received a backlash almost instantly with Fire Qi invading my spirit roots. Fortunately, there was nothing in there that the Qi could destroy so I ignored it for now given the groundbreaking revelation I just received.


    ¡°¡­Holy shit!! It¡¯s Yan Ling!!¡±


    ¡°The very same Yan Ling that kills us in the future! So kill her already!!¡±


    ¡°Dude, not cool. She is just a child-¡°


    ¡°DON¡¯T TALK TO ME ABOUT HER BEING A CHILD-¡°


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard enough. Take some time to calm down.¡±


    I cut off my connection to the demon and slowly lowered the girl to the ground, but I still kept a hand on her trembling shoulder, not enough to hurt but enough to make the point that she would not run again.


    Shit! This is a tricky situation. How do you talk to someone that you know will kill you, a version of you anyway, in the future?


    ¡°P-Please Forgive me! Master Cultivator. I-I¡¯ll return the fruit that I stole. S-so, please let me go. I¡¯ll never d-do something like this again.¡±


    ¡°Calm down, kid. I am not going to harm you. I just want to ask a few questions.¡±


    Clearly, this girl did not trust my words If the way the fear in her eyes multiplied exponentially was anything to go by.


    I couldn¡¯t help but sigh as the girl nearly broke down crying when I stared at her for too long.


    Why is my life so complicated?

 Chapter 7

    ¡°Hey miss, bring another bowl of noodles.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    The waitress gave a strained smile and headed back towards the kitchen to give my order. Whether this awkwardness came from my status as a Cultivator or the mountain of plates in front of me, I don¡¯t know.


    As to why I was in a small restaurant in the first place and why there was a pile of empty plates in front of me? That had to do with the small-sized black hole sitting in front of me.


    Yan Ling happily devoured the last of the meat from the pork dish and started attacking the last bowl of soup on the table, eating slowly to pass the time until the next bowl of noodles arrived for her to devour.


    It is really funny how the sheer terror of being caught by a cultivator with unknown intentions can turn into a happy and innocent expression when given the opportunity to eat as much as she likes without any fear.


    Honestly, it is adorable, and a little worrying.


    Just how did she end up becoming a cold and ruthless warrior in the future known as the ¡®Blood Lotus¡¯ due to the mountains of corpses she left in her wake?


    ¡°Most likely due to enduring unimaginably horrific situations thanks to her current status.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Looks like you¡¯ve calmed down.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. However, I still suggest that you either kill her or get away as much as possible from her.¡±


    ¡°Why? Too traumatic for you to look at the innocent face of your future killer?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Honestly? Yeah. Just looking at her is causing my soul to quake in fear.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Sorry about that. But, again, I am not going to kill her or leave a child to fend for herself.¡±


    ¡°Hypocrite. If you really care about children so much, why don¡¯t you help all the thousands of orphan children in this city? And the billions of unfortunate children that populate this Empire? And the countless others that exist in other empires?¡±


    ¡°Once Again. Yes, I am a Hypocrite, because I am a Human. I cannot think about other children because I have not seen them with my eyes yet. However, right here, right now, a child is suffering in front of my very eyes, how can I just ignore it?¡±


    ¡°¡­You are hopelessly na?ve. Wake me up when it is over.¡±


    I felt the bastard retreat deep within the bead, leading me to think about his words and my own.


    What he said is true. I am a Hypocrite. I selfishly decided to help Yan Ling because I saw her suffering, yet, I also know that there are countless children out there in this Death World who are suffering just as much as her, if not even more, but still choose to turn a blind eye to it.


    What he fails to realize, is that I am not some monster, neither am I some na?ve fool who thinks they can solve the problems of the entire world.


    I am simply human. Just as flawed as any other.


    ¡°Umm¡±


    The hesitant noise from my front alerted me to the fact that Yan Ling was now fidgeting nervously after completing the bowl of noodles that I ordered from the restaurant.


    ¡­..Just how can a child her size fit so much food in her body? Hell, even if I consider this world to be a reality show and Yan Ling to be a comedic relief character, wasn¡¯t this still way too exaggerated?


    Shaking my head, I called over the waitress and handed over two gold coins, causing the woman to stare in stunned silence at the amount and start babbling in panic.


    ¡°Young Master, we cannot provide change for such a high amount. Your bill only comes to about 2 silver coins and four hundred copper coins. We are a small establishment and can''t really accommodate such a huge sum of money-¡°


    I smiled while raising a hand, causing the woman to immediately stop talking in fear.


    ¡°It is alright. Just keep the remaining money. Consider it a gift from me for the excellent service.¡±


    While speaking, I deliberately revealed my space ring and took out a small cloth to clean the smudges on Yan Ling¡¯s mouth.


    The meaning of my action was twofold. On one hand, I really did want to clean the child¡¯s face since her adorableness was too much for me to handle with that look. On the other hand, my actions clearly marked me as a cultivator, and my words which deliberately informed the eavesdroppers that the gold was a gift from me, made it clear to the low lives within this place that they could not target the woman and her establishment for the money after we left.


    Such is the weight associated with the term ¡®Cultivator¡¯ even in the lowest of the low of society.


    And given the radiant smile on the woman¡¯s face, my message was very clear.


    With our business done, we headed out of the restaurant while I held onto the little girl so that she did not end up getting lost.


    Rather, I held on to her so that she did not run away before I could properly talk to her.


    ¡°And what do you plan to do with her anyway?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t want anything to do with what I was going to do?¡±


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I did. But I am curious.¡±


    ¡°You sure like to retract your words a lot, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°What can I say? I am a demon.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Don¡¯t you dare use my own words against me.¡±


    ¡°Enough about us. Tell me already.¡±


    ¡°Isn''t it obvious? We know that she is an orphan. Both from your memories and the circumstantial evidence that I can see for now. She has nowhere to go, and no way to find food except for stealing, which would no doubt lead to a tragic situation for her. I plan to give her an offer. To go with us back to the village. Given her spirit roots, Old Li would love to make her his disciple-¡°


    ¡°ABSOLUTELY NOT!! Are you out of your mind?? Why waste such a talent on that old fool who couldn¡¯t even break through the Qi Condensation realm?? It will be much better for our future prospects if you take her in as your own disciple. Better yet, make her either love you or feel indebted to you so that-¡°


    ¡°Stop! Just stop. I really made a mistake listening to your words. I feel really dirty just from those words alone, how can you even live with yourself??¡±


    ¡°Stop exaggerating-¡°


    I directly cut off our connection with disgust. I really can''t accept that kind of thought process no matter how many years I spend in this world.


    Worse yet, I know that his thinking process was not something unique to him thanks to his nature as a demonic cultivator. I know for a fact that practically all the high-level cultivators in this world usually have a similar way of thinking. It was the very reason why morally questionable cultivation techniques existed in the first place.


    Shaking my head to get rid of those thoughts, I continued walking with the nervous child towards the isolated space near the edge of the town.


    ¡­¡­¡­that statement sounds so wrong. I need to watch my phrasing from now on.


    The open grounds that we arrived at were a place that the guards usually use for their regular training. Ordinary citizens are usually prohibited from using this place for anything, but thanks to my status as a cultivator and my friendship with the local military thanks to the many times I have traveled to this town for business over the past years, I was allowed to use it for our private conversation.


    After all, I did not want anyone to overhear what I had to say and end up causing misery to this hapless girl should she reject my offer and decide to stay here.


    Sometimes, being blessed in the way of cultivation can be considered the greatest of the curses for those without a sufficient background. I know that fact personally and would not wish such a fate on others.


    As I contemplated on what to say, Yan Ling continued to nervously fidget in the chair before speaking up.


    ¡°Umm, Master Cultivator. I am thankful that you gave me food and did not hand me over to the shop owner for stealing. But, I don¡¯t have anything to pay you back with. I-I c-can only give you this. Please accept it.¡±


    Suddenly, she started trembling and nearly started sobbing as she took out a small piece of jade with the symbol of ¡®Yan¡¯ etched onto it.


    I could already tell that it was not something of much worth. A simple probe with my Qi is enough to tell me that the material is just ordinary Jade, albeit a higher quality for a mortal object. Hardly worth a few gold coins, an amount of money that is practically meaningless for a cultivator since we mostly trade with spirit stones.


    However, it must carry a significant value for a mortal like her, especially a lot of sentimental value given the very obvious relation between the word etched on the Jade and her name. And yet, this child, who would be spending her days without a care in the world and happily playing with her friends if she were born in my world, already understood the concept that there is no such thing as a free lunch and already prepared to pay the price for it. Hell, her preemptive attempt at paying me back displays a certain cunning and intelligence. She is doing this so that I would have no choice but to take this jade and not ask something unreasonable instead.


    Of course, she is still extremely na?ve. If I really was someone else and wanted something else in return for feeding her, she would have absolutely no way to refuse since my status as a cultivator alone would put me way above the reach of ordinary mortals and their law enforcement, requiring the Governor¡¯s office to dispatch their cultivator forces to apprehend me. Something that is hardly done since these Governing officials are more often than not in cahoots with such unscrupulous cultivators in the name of personal interests.


    ¡°¡­.How the hell did I die to an adorably na?ve fool like her???¡±


    ¡°¡­..Did you just call her adorable?¡±


    ¡°I did no such thing. Focus on your talks. Look, she appears to have taken your silence the wrong way and is about to run¡±


    At his reminder, I looked back toward the girl, and true enough, the anxiousness in her expression seemed to have multiplied and she was already trying to look around and find a way to escape.


    It would be a cute action if it was not so heartbreaking. Just what did she go through for her to develop such fear of adults?


    It¡¯s decided.


    ¡°Look, child. I will be frank with you. I sense that you have good potential for cultivation, that is why I decided to feed you so that you will not be influenced by your hunger when you answer my question and make your decision.¡±


    Finally realizing that I had no ill intentions towards her, she slowly started to calm down and listened attentively to my words.


    ¡°I will not mince my words. I cannot provide you with the best resources, nor the best techniques. What I can provide, is a safe environment for you to cultivate. I will provide you with ample food, decent shelter, and clothing. I will have someone teach you properly on the path of cultivation. Of course, if you decide to not cultivate, you can still find a place for yourself in our village. Alternatively, I provide you with enough money and guarantee my status as a cultivator to move out of wherever you live and into a decent enough location in this town for you to live as you wish. I can also see about getting you work in a decent place that I know will not take advantage of you.¡±


    I laid out the options available to her clearly without any deceptions. She may be a child but if she was competent enough to survive for so long on her own in a world like this, she deserves to have nothing but the truth from me and make an informed choice about her future from here.


    I know that she will end up becoming a powerhouse in the future, one way or another. But, that future has nothing to do with the weak and helpless child in front of me. If I take advantage of such a situation to selfishly decide her future for her, I would be no better than the bastards that populate this world.


    The girl stared at me with a shocked look for a long time before she suddenly broke down crying, causing me to panic.


    But, before I could do anything, she launched off the chair and latched onto me, sobbing her heart out.


    Well, looks like I know her answer now.


    Mission: Save the child in need, success!


    <hr>


    ¡°Fuck!! Mission Fail!! I did not anticipate this!!¡±


    ¡°What did you expect was going to happen? You reap what you sow.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you!!¡±


    ¡°To quote your words from earlier, No thanks¡±


    Old Li watched helplessly as Yan Ling refused to let go of me, unable to pry the mortal girl off my torso once she learned that Old Li would be the one to teach her cultivation and not me.


    Shame on you, old man! If you can¡¯t even handle a mortal, how can you call yourself a Cultivator?


    Worse still is how Little Xing seems to have decided that Yan Ling is a threat to my life and decided to meow aggressively at her while furiously pawing at her hair.


    Thank God I decided to trim her nails, who knows what kind of bloodbath my adorable kitten would have caused otherwise.


    ¡°¡­Well, looks like she is very much against the idea of becoming my apprentice. Congratulations, Wei, looks like you found yourself a young charge to look after.¡±


    At the amused grin Old Li gave, I simply gave up and stared blankly at the Heavens.


    ¡°¡­.Dear Heavens, Why me????¡±

 Chapter 8

    As I continued to stare at the moon while drinking my wine, I felt Yan Ling start trembling in her sleep again, making me start patting her back which calmed her down.


    I really wanted to sigh in exasperation, but I knew that such an action would immediately cause the girl to sit up in fright so I refrained from doing so. In the end, I just adjusted my body to get a better position on the recliner as Yan Ling continued to sleep on my chest, curled up like a tiny squirrel.


    ¡®Seriously, What the hell happened to make a little girl like her have nightmares every single night??¡¯


    ¡®The same thing that happens to everyone. Humans. Specifically, Cultivators¡¯


    ¡®I know that Cultivators tend to view mortals as nothing more than tools. Hell, I remember quite clearly how I used to see them as beneath me before that incident in the Sect. But I never imagined it would be this bad.¡¯


    ¡®What was it that you said a few years ago? Power corrupts?¡¯


    ¡®Power Corrupts, Absolute power corrupts Absolutely.¡¯


    ¡®Yeah, that. That is considered a very normal thing to happen to cultivators on this continent. And I don¡¯t really think that kind of thinking is wrong. We work hard, hard enough to nearly destroy ourselves, to achieve our power. Don¡¯t we deserve some kind of reward for all of our effort?¡¯


    ¡®¡­.I don¡¯t know where to begin describing just how wrong that statement is.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry. Once you reach the Nascent Soul realm, you will understand it. That intoxicating sensation of sheer power is something that no one can resist.¡¯


    I felt a shudder go down my spine at his words and worriedly looked down at Yan Ling.


    Will I really become a monster like the cultivators of this world once I reach Nascent Soul? And if that is true, should I even attempt reaching that realm? Should I just advance to the peak of the Core Formation realm and stop cultivating afterward?


    Ever since I decided to accept Yan Ling as my disciple over three months ago, she has changed significantly. Both physically and mentally.


    Thanks to her Spirit Roots, she advanced extremely quickly in her cultivation, easily reaching the peak of the Qi Condensation realm. A feat that would cause even someone with an extremely high status, such as that two-bit villain Xiao Kai from the sect, to go green in envy.


    However, even with her body becoming stronger and starting to develop rapidly alongside her mental health improving a lot thanks to spending her days either training or playing around with the other children in the village, there was one thing that refused to change.


    I do not know if she is faking her happiness or if the source of the problem is something else entirely, but every night, she has night terrors so strong that she ends up either wailing in her sleep or so terrified that she refuses to go back to sleep again.


    Even worse, she refuses to tell me what she sees in her nightmares, leaving me clueless about just what is causing all of this.


    In the end, I had no choice but to watch over her when she slept. Making sure to provide a comforting pat on her back or her head, reassuring her that she was not alone so that she could have at least some sleep.


    Thank god I don¡¯t require sleep due to my ¡®cultivation method¡¯ enhancing my body to ungodly levels. Who knows what would have happened if I ended up sleep-deprived for three months straight?


    ¡®At this point, aren¡¯t I more like a parent than a teacher?¡¯


    ¡®¡­.Now that you mention it. Your behavior is indeed that of a parent and not like a teacher. In fact, I think your style of doing things should paint you as an extremely overprotective parent, the kind that will give rise to an arrogant young master or mistress.¡¯


    Once again, I felt a shudder go through my body. This time, due to the sheer wrongness of that image.


    ¡®Please don¡¯t tempt fate like that. Can you imagine the disasters that would ensue if Yan Ling ended up becoming an arrogant young mistress? Especially with her luck?¡¯


    ¡®¡­.My bad. I will refrain from ever entertaining such horrific thoughts.¡¯


    Thankfully, the old demon is not so lost that he doesn¡¯t recognize the tragedies awaiting us in the future if his words come true.


    It did not take me long to realize that Yan Ling¡¯s luck acted similarly to my own. Coupled with her tragic past, her talents, and her potential future, it was quite clear that she was either a main character in her own right or something similar to that.


    However, her luck, or rather, her physique, acted in ways that left me scratching my head in confusion.


    Just like in the memories of the old demon, Yan Ling has extremely pure Fire Spirit Roots. Alongside that, she also has a special physique known as the Nine Suns Extreme Physique.


    While possessing a physique different from normal people is already considered special, the physique that Yan Ling has is considered even rarer. Such physiques are known as Supreme Physiques and anyone that has such a physique is considered both blessed and cursed depending on their background.


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    In my entire life up till now, excluding the old demon¡¯s experience, I have only ever come across such high-level physiques three times.


    Xiao Kai, the arrogant young master who was the main cause of my misery back in the sect, has the Heavenly Thunder Physique, although it was kept a tightly guarded secret with only his grandfather, his parents, and the patriarch of the Yun family knowing about it due to his life being put in danger if sects or forces that were more powerful than the Heavenly Sword Sect caught wind of it.


    In the same way, Yun Xing, the girl who was supposed to be my fianc¨¦ and the young mistress of the Yun family, has the Extreme Yin Physique. Another secret that is closely guarded by the Yun family.


    The last person that I knew with a powerful physique was my mother, Huxing Ruyue, who had the Supreme Jin Physique, a physique that is related to the element of metal and the reason why she was taken in by the patriarch of the Wang family since her physique would perfectly compliment the Iron Mountain arts of the Wang family.


    To balance out the ridiculousness of such physiques, they also attract much more powerful heavenly tribulations during their breakthroughs and face nearly twice the amount of tribulations compared to a normal cultivator. Alongside that, most of those who have special physiques are not considered to be very lucky, unless your physique''s very existence revolves around luck, like the Monarch physique which is said to bring its owner ridiculously high levels of luck which would soon be followed by disasters of equal magnitudes.


    Similarly, Yan Ling¡¯s physique is also Supreme Physique, which means that she also suffers from bad luck. However, her bad luck is usually followed by a windfall of a much higher magnitude than the misery she experiences.


    I witnessed this personally during our journey back from Starfall City when we got separated due to a sudden Demonic Beast stampede.


    It took me three days to find her hiding in a small cave nearby, large enough for only a child like her to crawl through.


    It was only when we got back to the village that she revealed the space ring she found within that cave which contained a decently large number of Spirit Stones and other such artifacts that would be considered suitable for a beginner cultivator.


    If this was all her particular brand of luck did, I would not be so worried about the old demon¡¯s words.


    The thing is, her luck fails to distinguish between friend and foe.


    Like the time when we were training in the forest and ended up being struck by lightning out of the clear sky. Since she was already a beginner cultivator by this point, the injuries she received were not fatal but could still be considered very serious. The problem here is that the lighting didn¡¯t just hit her, but me and nearly hit Little Xing as well who only managed to avoid the hit by sheer chance.


    Thankfully, my body had long since become strong enough to ignore such acts of nature so I barely got a scratch on me.


    Then there was the time when a tree randomly fell on us while we were fishing by the river, and then there was the time when the beast we were hunting suddenly broke through during the fight and nearly turned the tables on us.


    And these are just a few of the many, many peculiar events that we experienced in the past three months. Each one resulted in Yan Ling gaining something from the disasters but the disaster in question acted like an AOE attack and caught anyone nearby, mostly me, in the crossfire.


    I really hate this stupid Xianxia world and its stupid way of doing things.


    Now, consider what would happen should her peculiar luck combined with the sheer arrogance and the behavior of a young mistress.


    I have no doubt in mind that a great tragedy would befall everyone in her vicinity.


    That is why, I cannot afford for her to become an arrogant person.


    Thankfully, even before I was struck with this revelation, I had already begun on the path of teaching her morality from both objective and subjective perspectives alongside cultivation so the possibility of her becoming similar to the cultivators of this world is extremely small for now.


    ¡®Keeping aside that terrifying image, what kind of cultivation technique should I teach her?¡¯


    ¡®Why are you asking me? Putting aside your justified distrust for me and anything that I have to say, isn¡¯t she your disciple? Shouldn¡¯t you be the one deciding things for her?¡¯


    ¡®My purpose as her master and teacher is to give her the knowledge and tools to succeed, not dictate her future for her. And, I am asking you because you are the one who has more experience with orthodox cultivation methods between the two of us, even if I hate to admit it.¡¯


    And I really hate to admit it.


    The old demon had originally been just like me until the incident where we were crippled by Xiao Kai. Even then, this guy still continued on the orthodox path for quite a while, even reaching the peak of the Core Formation realm through his own efforts. It was only when he failed to reach Nascent Soul realm that he turned to the demonic path.


    Even then, he did not stop collecting and studying orthodox methods to supplement his demonic cultivation. It was one of the many reasons alongside his sheer obsession with power which allowed him to terrorize the continent for a thousand years unchallenged.


    ¡®¡­.Since you asked so nicely, I¡¯ll tell you. In my opinion, the perfect method for her would be either the Heavenly Flame Scripture or the Great Sun Wheel Technique. Normally, I would suggest the Yin Spirit Technique but given its nature as a Yin technique, it would clash with her Physique which is heavily associated with the Yang.¡¯


    ¡®So, either Heavenly Flame Scripture or the Great Sun Wheel Technique. Both of them have their own challenges to cultivate.¡¯


    ¡®Of course. They are both extremely powerful techniques that are now categorized as Heaven-Grade techniques even when only a few fragments of them still exist openly on this continent. It was only pure luck that I managed to find their complete versions during my travels.¡¯


    Of course, you would be lucky. It''s not like we are both a perfect fit for the so-called Child of Heavens or anything.


    ¡®For the Heavenly Flame Scripture, I¡¯ll have to find a Heavenly Flame for Yan Ling to absorb as the basis of her cultivation. While I do know of a few and where they are located thanks to your memories, I am not strong enough to make that kind of a journey yet. As for the Great Sun Wheel Technique, Yan Ling will have to gain an extremely high understanding of the concept of heat and the Sun to achieve any kind of success in it. No matter how I see it, The Great Sun Wheel technique is the only one that seems possible for her to cultivate for now.¡¯


    ¡®How so? She is just a child who has just begun walking the path of cultivation. How would she even understand the concept of fire? Much less the Sun?¡¯


    ¡®So what she does not know those things? Don¡¯t I know them already? Even better, don¡¯t I know exactly what the sun is and what fire is? I can teach her my understanding of those things. If we are lucky, she can gain a good understanding of those things and advance.¡¯


    ¡®Suit yourself. However, prepare a backup cultivation method just in case.¡¯


    ¡®Already on it.¡¯


    I spent the rest of the night going over what other techniques would suit her spirit roots and physique with the old demon.


    Hopefully, my knowledge of modern science and understanding of fire and the sun would be good enough to help her cultivate the Great Sun Wheel technique. If not, I can only think on ways to get my hands on a Heavenly Fire or have her learn a lesser cultivation technique.

 Chapter 9

    ¡®¡­..What the hell is this??¡¯


    ¡®I have no clue.¡¯


    ¡®No, seriously, what is going on here? Where are the Tribulation Clouds?? The Lightning??¡¯


    I had no answer to give the old demon since I did not have them either.


    Since I decided to have Yan Ling learn the Great Sun Wheel technique and breakthrough into the Foundation Establishment realm, I wanted her to know the dangers of breaking through and attracting tribulations from the Heavens so that she would know what to expect when she breaks through.


    Unlike ordinary cultivators who only face tribulations while breaking through a major realm from the Core Formation realm onwards, people with Supreme physiques face tribulations from the very beginning of their cultivation. This meant that when Yan Ling tried to break through in the near future, she would face a powerful tribulation.


    With that in mind, I decided to break through to the Core Formation realm to attract a tribulation and allow Yan Ling to observe from a safe distance.


    However, just like always, it seems that either my luck or hers activated and ruined my plan from the get-go.


    Case in point, I am already nearing the stage where my core is nearly formed, yet there is no sign of even a single cloud in the sky much less a Tribulation.


    Essentially, a normal cultivator utilizes their spiritual roots, the metaphysical pseudo-circulatory system to circulate the Qi within their body in specific patterns according to their cultivation technique. Then, they would increase the concentration of the Qi within their Spirit Roots until it becomes so dense that it could be compared to an extremely viscous substance similar to syrup.


    When the Qi within the spirit roots reach this stage, they concentrate this Qi into their dantian, the metaphysical container for their excess Qi, and condense it until it becomes a nearly solid sphere of energy. This is what marks a Cultivator¡¯s ascension from Foundation Establishment to Core Formation.


    During this process, the Qi within the cultivator and their spirit roots themselves undergo a qualitative change, attracting Heavenly Tribulation due to the unnatural change within their body.


    In reality, this entire process is much more complex but I have nothing to compare the complete process with and no words to describe it, so I had no way to clearly describe the process to Yan Ling, leading me to use this explanation for her.


    Of course, all of this explanation ended up being completely useless since no tribulations arrived to strike me down.


    ¡®¡­.I think I know what¡¯s happening.¡¯


    ¡®Well? Don¡¯t keep me in the dark.¡¯


    ¡®I think your unique cultivation method and Qi have been deemed by the Heavens to be ¡®natural¡¯. Which means that there is no reason for the Heavens to send down a tribulation your way to test you Dao.¡¯


    ¡®Huh? How can anything I do be considered natural?¡¯


    ¡®Think carefully about what kind of Qi you cultivate and what your new Core is being condensed from.¡¯


    ¡®What is there to think about? I utilize the bead to break and regenerate my body and use it to absorb the Qi from the world and store it within like a pseudo-spirit root- Ah! I get your point.¡¯


    What the old demon pointed out made sense.


    Unlike regular cultivators who use their spirit roots to convert the pure Qi of the world into their elemental Qi or how the body cultivators use various herbs and pills to infuse their bodies with elemental Qi, I use the bead to pull the pure Qi directly into my body without converting it into any other forms.


    In essence, what I use is not elemental Qi but pure Qi. This meant that the core I condensed did not have any elemental energy within it but was made of pure Qi, the very same kind that exists everywhere on the planet.


    In the view of the Heavens, if it has any consciousness and is not just some automated system, my Core formation was not that different from a heavenly treasure spontaneously forming from the concentration of pure qi in its vicinity. This meant that it did not consider my Core Formation to be an unnatural phenomenon as it did with other Cultivators, hence the lack of a tribulation.


    Normally, this revelation would be a cause for celebration. However, right now, this revelation is doing nothing but make things awkward for me since I now have to explain all of this to Yan Ling lest I lose respect in her eyes and take significant damage to my pride as a teacher.


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    ¡®Oh well. You learn something every day. I just have to think of this as a learning experience for both of us. Be positive about this.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.I don¡¯t know why, but that statement feels like a direct attack on my conscience.¡¯


    ¡®Huh? You have a conscience??¡¯


    ¡®HA.HA. Very funny.¡¯


    With that, the old demon cut off our connecting and skulked back into the bead.


    Sensing the semi-solid core sitting within my dantian, I suddenly had an intrusive thought that I wanted to test out.


    Thankfully, before I let this thought win out, I felt Yan Ling carefully approach me, coming out of her hiding place from behind the trees.


    ¡°Umm, Master? Are you ok??¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fine. Sorry about this, but it seems I won¡¯t be able to teach you about a Heavenly Tribulation properly since there was no tribulation when I broke through.¡±


    Yan Ling¡¯s expression brightened considerably when she heard that I broke through and ignored everything else I said.


    She just shouted in joy and hugged me like the child she was, happily talking about how she was going to brag to her friends in the village about it and how Old Li was going to be jealous of me.


    I just patted her head and listened to everything she had to say with a smile.


    Sometimes, I wonder. Is this what it feels like to have a daughter?


    In my old life, I never had any chance to have a proper family. All my life, all I did was chase after wealth and status, never paying any attention to anything else.


    By the time I died, I had achieved everything that I had set out to achieve, but I felt no satisfaction in it.


    Originally, I was planning to retire from my successful career and head out to the mansion I bought for myself in Canada¡¯s wilder parts. Hoping to live away from civilization in the last decade or so of my life in peace. Who knew that I would end up dying on the last day of my job and end up here?


    Of course, I did not even entertain the thought of having a family in this world. From the very moment I woke up and understood my circumstances, I already knew that there was nothing more dangerous in this world than having a family for my enemies to target.


    And then, Yan Ling happened.


    Looking down fondly at the girl still excitedly chatting away, I felt an emotion that I never felt before in either of my lives.


    ¡¯I do not know who you are. Heavens? Fate? God? Whatever name you choose for yourself, I don¡¯t care. All I want to say is thank you. For bringing Yan Ling into my life and showing me what I was missing out on in both my lives.¡¯


    Yan Ling got up and started pulling my hand, intent on directly heading to the village to brag to her friends, and specifically, Old Li, about my breakthrough and having her favorite noodles in the village for celebration.


    I just smiled and allowed her to do as she pleased.


    ¡®Yeah, I could get used to this.¡¯


    <hr>


    Starfall City


    In the streets of the city bustling with activity, two figures were walking in the streets while wearing long cloaks to obscure their identities, a sight that was very common in this place.


    What was uncommon, however, was the way they seemed to be moving randomly in the city before abruptly turning down alleyways after alleyways, as if tracking something.


    They continued walking for nearly an hour, doing whatever it was they were doing until they finally arrived at a small collection of shacks and huts put together by those without anywhere else to go within this city.


    Walking through those huts under the wary and frightened eyes of the people living there, they arrived at an old and dilapidated hut located at the corner of the alley.


    Even at a glance, it was clear that this place had not seen use in some time. Most of its walls, roof, and door had been torn apart, most likely by the same people who took everything within the hut. All that was left were rags that looked just big enough for a child and a few other useless things left behind.


    ¡°¡­.The Qi signature stops here.¡±


    The shorter one among the two figures said, revealing the person to be a female.


    The taller one was startled at those words and spoke out to his companion.


    ¡°What do you mean? There is no one here.¡±


    ¡°I mean that the Qi signature of the Seal stops here. From what the tool indicates, the seal vanished from here over three to four months ago.¡±


    ¡°She can¡¯t have vanished into thin air, right? She didn¡¯t know any cultivation technique for heaven¡¯s sake!¡±


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that?? I am just telling you what the tool is telling me.¡±


    The woman turned back from her irritating companion and looked at her surroundings. Rage and despair burned within her while sadness and pity overwhelmed her senses at the sight.


    ¡°¡­..I can¡¯t even imagine what she went through here. This is no place for a child.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.The mistress is going to be really mad when she learns about this. Even more so when she learns that we failed. Do you have any solution to escape her wrath??¡±


    The woman shuddered at those words.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t failed yet! We just have to search harder.¡±


    ¡°What is that going to achieve? We are going in blind here.¡±


    ¡°Not really. We just need to learn if any child left this city in the past few months, either alone or with someone else.¡±


    ¡°And how do you plan to find that out? I doubt the guards will just tell you and we can¡¯t use our cultivation to force them since the military forces of the Empire are under Imperial control and we would need backup from the family to intimidate them.¡±


    ¡°Fool. There is no need to use a hammer for something that can be solved with a brush. We just need to have a little ¡®talk¡¯ with the city lord.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I didn¡¯t think of that.¡¯


    ¡°Of course you didn¡¯t. It¡¯s the reason why I came with you in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Enough of that. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    With those words, the two figures suddenly burst out in flames and directly flew towards the most luxurious building in the city, intent on finding their target through any means necessary lest they end up enraging their mistress even more than she already is thanks to recent events.


    Of course, the poor City Lord had no idea of the calamity headed his way and was in the middle of indulging in his vices through the use of his status and cultivation.


    All in all, it was clear that the peaceful days that the residents of this city and the Empire enjoyed were about to change very soon.


    Whether this change would be good or bad was something for those in the future to decide.

 Chapter 10

    ¡°It smells really good. Master!! How much longer??¡±


    ¡°Haha! Hold on for a little bit more. It should be done soon. Meanwhile, help me prepare the sides.¡±


    Yan Ling hopped away from my side and helped me remove the skin from the boiled potatoes while the meat on the grill was sizzling away under the heat of the charcoals.


    Cooking is one of the many activities that I have been teaching Yan Ling so that she would be able to take care of herself should I leave her alone for a few days to go somewhere.


    Surprisingly, she took to cooking like fish to water and quickly learned everything that I had to teach about the subject. However, learning and practicing are two separate things. That is why I only allow her to cook under my supervision.


    It is mundane days like this that allow me to forget the fact that we live in a death world.


    ¡°Meaaaowww~¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. I did not forget about you, little Xing. You¡¯ll get your share of the steak.¡±


    Little Xing purred at my words and rubbed against my legs before walking over to Yan Ling and settling on her lap as she peeled and mashed the potatoes for the salad.


    Due to their initial interaction, I was very worried about how to get Yan Ling and Little Xing to get along since they would be living under the same roof. Thankfully, I did not have to worry much about it since Little Xinge very quickly warmed up to Yan Ling once she realized that my disciple was not a threat to my life.


    I continuously kept my Qi wrapped around the meat that I got from hunting a Cow-like demonic beast that just broke through into the Qi Condensation realm, making its meat an ideal form of nourishment for Yan Ling¡¯s body since she just recently broken through to the initial stages of Foundation Establishment.


    Plus, I recently learned from Yan Ling that today is her birthday. That was why, I allowed her to skip her daily tutoring and training so that she could do whatever she wanted today and anything she wished for.


    Surprisingly, the only thing she wanted was to spend time with me and play around. So, I obliged her request and decided to make a type of food that would be nourishing for her as well as taste good for a child like her.


    Aside from that, I also prepared a surprise for her, but that is for later.


    ¡®Ever since Yan Ling arrived in our lives, you have been continuously neglecting your training. Just how long are you planning on slacking off??¡¯


    ¡®Are you daft? Didn¡¯t I break through to the Core Formation realm just a few days ago??¡¯


    ¡®A breakthrough that you purposefully avoided for a long time. That does not count. What about your Alchemy training? Formations? Smithing? And Artifact crafting??¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry about it. Once Yan Ling can start training on her own, I¡¯ll get back to those things.¡¯


    ¡®¡­..I just hope you know what you are doing. That is going to happen in the next couple of years and I don¡¯t want us to be caught off guard when it does happen.¡¯


    ¡®¡­..You don¡¯t need to remind me. I can¡¯t forget about that nightmare even if I wanted to. Besides, I don¡¯t think that event has anything to do with us anymore. My withdrawal from the Sect has already removed one of the key players in that incident. What¡¯s to say that things will happen like they did in your timeline?¡¯


    ¡®You greatly underestimate the Heavens and its machinations. And even if you are right, what about those children from the village that joined the sect?¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ve already contacted Lin Mei and informed her to bring all of her companions out of the sect in a month for a long-term mission at the border. Coincidentally, this mission would take them two or three years to complete, cleanly placing them out of danger. As for the others in the sect, I don¡¯t really care about them.¡¯


    ¡®Wow, I thought you were supposed to be a righteous cultivator that would save everyone he can.¡¯


    ¡®I never said I was a righteous cultivator. Hell, I am extremely apathetic when compared to most people in this world. I only care about those I know. As for helping those in difficulty, I only do that if I have the power to help. I am not some messiah and not some kind of a savior. I am just a man.¡¯


    ¡®Be that as it may, I still think you should start taking your cultivation and skills seriously. You can¡¯t be too careful with what is to come.¡¯


    ¡®On that, we agree. Fine, I¡¯ll start training after I help Yan Ling reach the peak of Foundation Establishment and consolidate her cultivation for a few months.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.I still can¡¯t understand how a monstrous being like her was born. I have never heard of anyone breaking through the entirety of the Qi Condensation realm in a matter of months and keeping the same speed even after reaching the Foundation Establishment.¡¯


    I chuckled at the disbelief in the old demon¡¯s words. Frankly, I can¡¯t fault him for his shock and awe since even he, a former main character, did not have such an exaggerated cultivation speed even after using multiple demonic techniques in tandem with orthodox techniques and a handful of stolen Special Physiques.


    It is a pity that she ended up choosing someone as abnormal as me as her teacher instead of a powerhouse of the continent who could provide her with resources that were orders of magnitude higher than anything I could hope to give her.


    However, what¡¯s done is done, and I don¡¯t regret my decision to take her with me.


    She may not have the top-notch resources she would have gained if she joined some sect or power on the continent, but I¡¯ve made sure that she has a loving home to return to and a life free of any burden or pressure. A healthy environment for a child to grow up in until the time comes for her to spread her wings.


    ¡°Master!! I am done!¡±


    Watching the beaming Yan Ling, I just smiled and slowly retracted my Qi from the meat, extracting the poisonous Yin Qu from within it. This left the Fire elemental Qi within the meat intact and made the meat edible.


    Once the meat was done cooking, I took it off and served it to her along with placing a large chunk on little Xing¡¯s plate which she eagerly started to devour.


    ¡°..Master? Where is your plate?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to eat so I didn¡¯t make anything for myself.¡±


    Ever since breaking through to the Core Formation realm, I have realized that the ravenous hunger that I always had thanks to my body¡¯s regeneration working overtime with my Cultivation Technique had completely disappeared.


    It took me some time until I realized that my core which was formed from Pure Qi was acting similar to a reactor. Continuously absorb the Pure Qi from the world and convert it into the calories required by my body to function. This process completely eliminated any need for me to eat.


    A convenience that I appreciate a great deal nowadays.


    Yan Ling¡¯s face turned into a frown before she suddenly cut off a huge chunk of the steak and put it on another plate. It did not take a genius to realize what she was doing when she took that plate, directly sat down in my lap, and pushed a piece of the meat toward my mouth.


    ¡°Master must also eat. If not, I won¡¯t eat either.¡±


    This silly girl.


    I just smiled fondly and accepted her offer which made the frown on her face vanish and smile brightly like always.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡®Yes. Whatever happens out there has nothing to do with us. I won¡¯t let those things affect our lives, no matter the cost. Especially Yan Ling¡¯s fate. If I need to, I will put an end to all those bastards in the West.¡¯


    ¡®Big talk from a mere Core Formation realm cultivator.¡¯


    ¡®A Core Formation realm cultivator with Qi reserves on par with a peak Nascent Soul realm cultivator.¡¯


    ¡®You know just as well as I that no amount of Qi reserves can bridge the gap between ordinary Qi and the True Qi wielded by those in the Nascent Soul realm and beyond.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.Point Taken. I¡¯ll start working on figuring out a way to turn my Pure Qi into true Qi and break through into Nascent Soul.¡¯


    ¡®I would normally call it an impossible endeavor unless you regrow your Spirit Roots but you have already proven me wrong on so many occasions that it is not even funny so I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡¯


    ¡®Damn straight.¡¯


    <hr>


    ¡°Congratulations! Yan Ling!¡±


    ¡°Come here, little girl. Give me a hug!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hog her all to yourself, you old bastard!¡±


    ¡°Damnit woman! Let me spoil the girl in peace!!¡±


    ¡°Hey! What about us?? You old people have been hoggin Ling¡¯er for so long! Give me a chance!¡±


    I did not know whether to laugh or cry as I saw Old Feng and his wife, Chief Chen and his wife, Old Man Qin, the Han couple, the grandparents of little Hui, and the teenager in question as well along with many other teenagers and other people in the village fought for attention from the birthday girl who had a look of awkwardness and elation on her face from all the attention she was receiving.


    On the other hand, the children her age had given up on playing with her after watching the chaos and had instead chosen to pester me to play along with them.


    I knew that it wasn¡¯t just her age that caused this reaction. I have the self-awareness to know that it was her status as my disciple that allowed her to receive such love from everyone. Not just because I am a cultivator and she is one as well, but because of my closeness with the people of this village and our friendship that allowed this scene to happen.


    Once again, I am reminded of just how much of a good decision it was to flee to this place after leaving the sect all those years ago.


    Eventually, Little Hui finally managed to overpower the older people of the village through her verbal prowess and fled with Yan Ling towards the village square for the feast set up for her birthday.


    I approached the grumbling Old Feng and spoke in a hushed voice.


    ¡°Is it ready yet?¡±


    ¡°It was done yesterday. I must say, brat, you came up with quite an ingenious formation. If you publish this formation and mass produce it, you will be swimming in spirit stones in a matter of a year at most.¡±


    ¡°I cannot claim credit for the principles on which it operates since it belonged to an old scholar whose work I read a long time ago. As for mass producing it, I won¡¯t do it. I want it to be a unique artifact that belongs to Yan Ling alone.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? You¡¯ll be missing out on a lot of spirit stones.¡±


    ¡°I have no interest in such things, Old Feng. You know that better than anyone.¡±


    Old Feng laughed at my words before patting my back.


    ¡°I know. You are a good kid, Da Wei. Little Ling is lucky to have found you as a master.¡±


    ¡°I doubt I am as good a master as you say. But, I won¡¯t argue about it since I know you are stubborn as a mule when it comes to things like this.¡±


    ¡°Damn right! I won¡¯t just stand and listen as you berate yourself for perceived flaws that are no flaws at all.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I am not in the mood to argue right now. Let¡¯s go, I need to complete the final inscriptions for the formation on the gift.¡±


    The old man nodded as we left towards his house.


    Within a few minutes, we arrived at his smithy where a cloth covered the table on which he usually worked on intricate things.


    He did not keep me in suspense and directly removed the cloth, revealing an intricately carved jade bracelet just big enough for a child like Yan Ling.


    Taking out my Inscription pen made from a High-Grade Spirit Stone, I began working on the Inscriptions of the bracelet I had Old Feng forged for Yan Ling as her birthday present.


    Formation is an art that is usually practiced in two ways. Feng Shui which is also known as environmental formations and Inscriptions, which is the primary method used for the creation of spiritual tools and artifacts used by cultivators.


    Fen Shui, as its name suggests, is an art where the craftsman uses the environment itself as the conceptual basis for creating large-scale artifacts, such as protective barriers, mazes, pocket dimensions, and so on.


    Inscriptions, on the other hand, use the intent and the Qi of the crafter to create small-scale artifacts, such as space rings, protective talismans, and other such things.


    Needless to say, craftsmen who practice Environmental Formations are regarded much more highly than those who practice Inscriptions. That did not mean that those who practiced inscriptions were looked down upon. Formation masters of both types, alongside Alchemists and Spiritual smiths, are considered as the noblest professions in the world and receive a lot of respect from even the top forces of the continent. It¡¯s just that the Inscription Masters are considered a step below Environmental Formation masters.


    When it comes to Inscriptions, it does not matter what language the crafter uses since it has little effect on the final result. What does matter in the crafter''s interpretation of the words being inscribed on the object and the intent with which the crafter inscribes the word.


    As one might guess, the dominant language in this world is something that is extremely similar to Cantonese with each written word having multiple meanings and concepts associated with it, leading to a confusing mess of instructions for any artifact that I design since I am not that adept at concentrating on a single concept out of a few dozen concepts associated with a single written character.


    That is why I decided to use English as the primary inscription language. I did not have the same problem that I would have with the local language involving the meaning of the words. Then there is the fact that English is the language that I am the most familiar and comfortable with when writing down anything that I could imagine, making it extremely easy for me to create artifacts this way.


    There is one drawback, however.


    Due to how many characters are involved in forming a single word much less a sentence, I would only be able to make a small number of inscriptions on an object before I run out of space. However, in my view, the trade-off is well worth it since I have much more control over what exactly my artifact does.


    Within a matter of a few minutes, I carved out a few dozen sentences on the bracelet in English before running out of space on the bracelet.


    With the inscriptions done, I pushed my Qi through the words with their meaning and concept firmly held in my mind. As the Qi passed through the words, they slowly faded from view before a pristine bracelet, just like it was before I carved into it, appeared on the table.


    ¡°Phew, that¡¯s done. Old Feng, get the box.¡±


    ¡°Already here, brat. Here.¡±


    I took the ornate box that he took out from nearby and placed it on the table, ready to house the gift once I was done testing it.


    ¡®With this, she should be safe from most of the dangers on the continent in the event we are ever separated.¡¯


    ¡®I still think it is a bit overkill to give such a heaven-defying artifact to a child, even if she is your disciple. Hell, I have seen the pampered children of the top forces in the continent who don¡¯t enjoy such a privilege. I do not believe she will understand the value of what she holds.¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t care if she doesn¡¯t appreciate its value. I only care that she stays alive and safe should her life be in jeopardy.¡¯


    ¡®You crafted that artifact, so you have the final say on what to do with it. I won¡¯t argue about it with you.¡¯


    ¡®Good. Let¡¯s go and take this for a test.¡¯


    ¡°Old Feng, I am going out to test it for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    I walked out of the house and placed the bracelet near my hand. Instantly, the auto-sizing inscription on it activated and the bracelet expanded to perfectly fit my wrist.


    ¡®Auto-Sizing Inscription. Check.¡¯


    I channeled my Qi in a particular way through the bracelet, causing a massive shield formed from photons being forced into a stationary form to form around me.


    ¡®Hard-Light shield. Check¡¯


    Now, the final test.


    I aimed my hand toward the sky and activated the final inscription while the energy shield was still active.


    Instantly, my senses felt confused as the space in front of me contracted and the space behind me expanded.


    The confusion only lasted for a second at most, but that was enough for me to realize that I was now suspended mid-air and rapidly plummeting back toward the ground.


    I started circulating my Qi around my body and slowed my descent towards the ground.


    ¡®Warp Escape System. Check¡¯


    I designed this inscription based on the Alcubierre drive system that was theorized back in my world. While it was unfortunate that my world was limited by the technology of its time and was incapable of creating such a marvel, I was not restricted in such a way in this world thanks to the existence of real-life cheat codes in the form of Qi and Inscriptions.


    The inscription works by contracting the space in front of the user while simultaneously expanding the space behind. This made it so that instead of the user moving through space, it is space itself that moves and the user is just along for the ride, allowing the user to temporarily achieve speeds faster than the speed of light.


    Of course, even with Qi and Inscriptions, there are limitations to such a game-breaking object. The biggest flaw is the consumption of Qi alongside the fact that this technique cannot be used too often without breaking the bracelet due to the strain. Even then, unless the user has monstrous Qi reserves like me, they would need to supplement the Qi required for its activation with at least a Medium-Grade Spirit Stone.


    It took me a few minutes to finally land on the ground during which I calculated the distance travelled.


    Surprisingly, I traveled somewhere between 100 to 120 Kilometers into the sky within that single second from activating the Bracelet. A distance that not even a Nascent Soul realm cultivator can cover in such a short time frame.


    The moment I landed on the ground, Old Feng was on me.


    ¡°What the hell was that?? You never told me anything about a teleporting function that you wanted to add!! How did you even achieve that?? Isn¡¯t teleportation a lost inscription art??¡±


    ¡°Old Feng! One question at a time. First of all, that was not teleportation, it was just an escape technique I came up with. I didn¡¯t tell you about it because I was not sure if it would work or not. Look, we can talk about this later, we need to get to the feast first.¡±


    ¡°Damned brat making a fool of me.¡±


    The old man grumbled in discontent but complied with my words and headed back into the house to grab his own gift for Yan Ling while I placed the bracelet into the ornate box.


    With this, I have assured that even if the worst comes to pass, Yan Ling would have at least one way to escape danger with her life.

 Chapter 11

    In the massive forests that started out from the south of Starfall City, the familiar form of two cloaked figures was wandering aimlessly.


    They made twists and turns in the large forest and sometimes circled around to arrive at the same place they started a few moments ago before once again walking aimlessly.


    Finally, the man could not hold on any longer and let loose his power, instantly vaporizing a large swath of the forest in anger.


    ¡°Damn it! Are you sure that thing is not broken??¡±


    ¡°Shut up you damned primate!! I am this close to burning you to a crisp!¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?? Why don¡¯t you try it?? As far as I remember, we are both in the same realm and I have more combat experience than a pampered princess like you!¡±


    ¡°How dare you!!¡±


    The bickering between the two continued for some time before the two finally gave up and sat down on the spot, mentally exhausted after their months-long search for their target.


    ¡°¡­.Yan Xinyan, just what the hell is going on? Why is the artifact that the mistress gave us not working properly?¡±


    The woman glared at the man and then at the artifact before answering.


    ¡°It is not that the artifact is not working properly, Yan Liehuo. It¡¯s just that the pure Qi in this region is abnormally high, preventing the artifact from properly tracking the Qi signature of the seal that the girl has on her.¡±


    The man felt shocked at those words, finally realizing what the weird sensation he had been feeling ever since walking into this forest was.


    ¡°But how is that possible? Isn¡¯t this region considered the backwaters of the continent? Unfit for any proper cultivator? Hell, the concentration of pure Qi in this region should be so low that nobody should be able to break through past the Nascent Soul realm in this place. It is the reason we, the rest of the Holy Lands, the barbarian clans, and the other forces don¡¯t particularly interfere with the politics of these two pathetic empires in the first place.¡±


    Yan Xinyan nodded at her companion''s words before speaking again.


    ¡°That was supposed to be the case, but clearly, the collective information gathered by all the holy lands and the top forces back home was wrong for at least as far as this area is concerned. By the heavens, I won¡¯t even be surprised if a Heavenly Treasure spontaneously manifests in this area with such a high concentration of Pure Qi.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t talk about Heavenly Treasures right now. I still feel the phantom pains from when the mistress punished us for failing to retrieve that damned fruit all those months ago.¡±


    Yan Xinyan grimaced at that reminder before collapsing back on the ground and staring listlessly at the sky.


    The past few months had been extremely unlucky for this unfortunate duo of people.


    First, they failed to retrieve the Bodhi Fruit that had manifested in their territory thanks to the actions of the other forces and a cat of all things. Something that their mistress punished them for as a show of authority for the rest of the disciples of their Holy Land. A fact that they knew beforehand and the reason why they did not harbor any resentment towards their mistress as they understood her position.


    Then, they were given another chance to make up for their mistake by locating a child that their mistress said was extremely important for their Holy Land and should be treated as if she were her own child.


    A task that they were spectacularly failing at, once again proving themselves incompetent in the eyes of their mistress should she learn of this failure.


    As they continued to lay there and contemplate the failure that was their lives, a large group of people led by an old man arrived at the area through the air and looked down arrogantly at the two people wearing cloaks. His Nascent Soul realm cultivation on full display.


    ¡°Was it you two who destroyed such a large swath of the forest? Do you understand just how troublesome it is going to be for us, the Heavenly Sword Sect, to train our disciples in this area if you scare off all the low-level demonic beasts in the area? How do you intend to compensate our sect for this loss??¡±


    As the old man blabbered on about his sect, his status, his family and everything in between, Yan Xinyan and Yan Liehuo ignored his ramblings while continuing to imagine their fate at the hands of their mistress.


    The old man in the sky, one of the elders of the sect known as Chen Wei, grew incensed at this clear dismissal and directly attacked with his palm, causing a large amount of True Qi to push down on the two people like a mountain pressing down on a human.


    Unfortunately for the elder who wanted to show off in front of the core disciples behind him, his actions had sealed his fate.


    Yan Liehuo did not even turn to look at Chen Wei before waving his hand casually, dissipating the True Qi and turning Chen Wei into a cloud of bloody mist and gore while also destroying his Nascent Soul at the same time.


    In that split second of his action, the horrified core disciples of the sect realized who their elder had recklessly provoked.


    A Soul Transformation realm expert, a powerhouse that is unrivaled in this region.


    ¡°¡­.Demonic Cultivation? Yan Liehuo, capture those disciples.¡±


    ¡°Already on it.¡±


    The man directly teleported in front of the disciples who grew even more horrified at that feat which clearly indicated that the man was in the advanced stage of the Soul Transformation realm.


    Immediately, they felt a suffocating pressure engulf their bodies for a few seconds before it left.


    ¡°Senior! Please don¡¯t take out your anger on us! We are just Foundation Establishment ants, we have nothing to offer you-¡°


    ¡°Stop your bootlicking, demonic scum.¡±


    With the cold voice coming from Yan Xinyan, the disciples immediately knew that their fates were sealed.


    ¡°Yan Liehuo, they all have the taint of demonic energy in their cultivation. You know what to do.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Once again, Yan Liehuo waved his hand despite the pleading and begging of the core disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect, directly killing them and dissipating their souls for good measure.


    One can never be too careful with Cultivators of the Demonic Path.


    ¡°¡­.Looks like we will have to delay our search for the child. We have much more pressing issues to take care of right now.¡±


    Yan Xinyan nodded at her companion¡¯s words and put the tracking artifact back in her space ring.


    Together, they flew back towards Starfall City to gather information on the Heavenly Sword Sect.


    They needed to know just how far the corruption had spread and if they needed to pull out the roots of an entire sect or not.


    The purge of the demons takes priority over anything else. That was the rule upon which all the Holy Lands operate with no exceptions to this rule.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    <hr>


    ¡°Brother Wei!!¡±


    ¡°Haha! Come here you brats!¡±


    ¡°Hey! We are not brats!¡±


    I just laughed at the retort from the kids and hugged them tightly, happy to have these kids back from that accursed sect.


    With the younger children done, I wasted no time and hugged the embarrassed teenagers who gave a lot of protests at my actions. Of course, their bodies told another story entirely when they returned my hug with twice the enthusiasm as me.


    They might think that they are adults now but in my eyes, they will still be the snot-nosed brats that I watched grow up in the past years.


    I am glad that Lin Mei took my warning seriously and got her friends out of that place as quickly as she could under the pretense of a long-term mission. I cannot allow any of them to be harmed in the turmoil that is to come for the Heavenly Sword Sect in the next two years.


    Speaking of the girl, she was standing at the back of the group and fidgeting nervously while another figure was hiding behind her.


    ¡®How intriguing.¡¯


    ¡®¡­this can¡¯t be good¡¯


    ¡®Nope. Definitely not good, for the sect that is.¡¯


    ¡®..I really admire your carefree attitude, why can¡¯t I be so uncaring of dangers and unpredictable situations as you?¡¯


    ¡®Because you tend to think too much about things. Like I said before, what happens to that sect and its people has nothing to do with us, even with this surprise addition, that fact doesn¡¯t change.¡¯


    I walked towards Lin Mei who started to fidget even more. Embarrassment and guilt were very apparent in her body language and expression as I approached her.


    And sure enough, as I approached her, I spotted the figure hiding behind the girl and received confirmation of my suspicion.


    ¡°Well, I always knew you were very adventurous but I never imagined you would take the next step with someone so high profile. To think that Little Mei has grown so much that she brought home a girl to introduce to me and her parents.¡±


    ¡°Brother Wie!! Stop embarrassing me! It¡¯s not like that!¡±


    I laughed at her embarrassed shout and ruffled her hair, much to her frustration before turning back to the teenager hiding behind Lin Mei.


    ¡°Hello there, little miss. I am Da Wei.¡±


    ¡°¡­.I am Guo Yufeng.¡±


    The mosquito-like voice belonging to the granddaughter of Heavenly Guo, Guo Peng, the Patriarch of the Heavenly Sword Sect came out from the girl who still continued to hide behind Lin Mei.


    The same girl who was supposed to have died by now under mysterious circumstances within the sect.


    I looked towards Lin Mei for an explanation as the girl immediately started to justify her actions to me despite not having anything to justify.


    ¡°When you sent that message to me that we were in danger and something was happening in the sect, I overhead a few core disciples talking about ''plans'' involving Yufeng. Since she was one of my friends, I could not let her be when her life was in danger, so I asked her to come with me.¡±


    ¡°And her grandfather just let her go?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.He doesn¡¯t know that I left.¡±


    ¡®¡­..Wow. Just when I thought Guo Peng couldn¡¯t be more incompetent¡¯


    ¡®He was always incompetent. The only reason he is still the patriarch is due to his strength. Of course, that is going to change soon enough in the following years. What with Nascent Soul cultivators popping up like cabbage within the sect thanks to a certain someone.¡¯


    The old demon¡¯s words made sense since I couldn¡¯t find a single instance in my memory where the patriarch ever acted with competence when it came to fulfilling his duties.


    ¡°I see. In that case, what do you plan to do? As you know, this is Lin Mei and the other¡¯s home but that is not the case with you. You will have to figure out where to go from here soon enough. Of course, I can talk to Chief Chen and make you a permanent resident of this village if you want to but you will have to earn your keep.¡±


    ¡°¡­..I don¡¯t know what to do from here. Can I think about it?¡±


    I smiled at the depressed girl.


    ¡°Of course. Take your time. In the meantime, welcome to our humble little village.¡±


    That brought a small smile to the girl as Lin Mei excitedly pulled Guo Yufeng towards her home.


    ¡®¡­.Are we sure Lin Mei has not taken that girl Yufeng as a Dao Companion? She is strangely excited about having that girl meet her parents.¡¯


    ¡®Not every relationship has to be a romantic one. We both know how Lin Mei is. If she had chosen someone as her Dao Companion, the first people to know about it would be her parents and the first person she would come to for advice would be me. Besides, I can see that Lin Mei only thinks of Guo Yufeng as a very good friend, possibly even a sister.¡¯


    ¡®Makes sense. Besides, I don¡¯t think they should be thinking about relationships at this point in time when they are at the perfect age to become stronger. ¡¯


    ¡®¡­did you just express your concern for someone other than ourselves?¡¯


    ¡®Now you are making me regret saying it¡¯


    ¡®No, no. This is good. It shows that, for the first time, you are learning to be human instead of a demon.¡¯


    ¡®Seriously, fuck you.¡¯


    I just smiled at his words and headed toward Chief Chen¡¯s house to talk about our recent addition.


    Despite my words, I really am glad that the old demon is slowly starting to come around and embrace the humanity that he abandoned long ago.


    While it is true that some people are simply irredeemable, the old demon is not one of them. I have seen his memories, all of his joys and sorrows, his suffering and anguish, his actions and his reasoning, everything.


    This allowed me to see things from his perspective and his reasoning for his actions. It does not mean that I forgive him for the cruel and demonic actions that he performed in his timeline, but it does mean that I understood where he was coming from.


    The old demon will always remain the old demon, that is a fact I know better than anyone. However, whether this old demon can learn to be human and relearn what it means to care about someone is something that only time will tell.


    Arriving at Chief Chen¡¯s house, I knocked on the door and waited until his wife, Li Na, opened the door and smiled at me.


    ¡°Wei¡¯er, come it! I¡¯m preparing dumplings for the old man and could use someone to tell me how they taste.¡±


    ¡°Not today, Grandma Li. I¡¯ve got something for the old man to decide on. We just received a new guest in the village along with the returning group from the sect and I want to know what he thinks we should do about it.¡±


    The old woman laughed and motioned me in.


    ¡°What do you think we should do? Wei¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°I think we can have her make a home for herself here if she chooses to. Of course, It is not up to me to make that decision.¡±


    ¡°Something tells me it is.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, you¡¯ll know soon enough.¡±


    Soon, we arrived at the massive garden behind the house where Chief Chen was lazily reclined in the recliner I made for him a few years ago.


    ¡°Oi! You lazy old man, Wei¡¯re is here to talk to you about something!¡±


    The old man did not even move as he shouted back.


    ¡°Tell him to make a decision himself and stop bothering me! I want to enjoy what¡¯s left of my little life damn it!!¡±


    ¡°You are hardly old enough to speak like that, Chief Chen.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, Brat! What kind of workload did you bring me this time??¡±


    I chuckled and took out a recliner from my space ring. Putting it down beside the old man, I lay down as well as spoke to him about what happened in the village.


    The response I received was something that I did not see coming.


    ¡°Why are you asking me about it?? Can¡¯t you make a decision yourself?¡±


    ¡°¡­As far as I can remember, I am not the Chief of the village. You are.¡±


    ¡°For now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even joke about that.¡±


    Old man Chen suddenly sat up and stared at me seriously.


    ¡°Tell me, Da Wei, why do you think I have been slowly slacking off over the past year and having you pick up my work as a favor to me?¡±


    ¡°¡­.Because you are old and you are suffering from exhaustion?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to play dumb. I know you are sharp enough to realize what I am saying.¡±


    ¡°Hell no!¡±


    ¡°There is no denying it. You have done such a good job picking up the slack that everyone in the village easily follows your every word. After gathering the adults and the old people in the village, I learned that almost everyone agrees with my view. The only ones who don¡¯t agree are those who are worried that I am putting too much responsibility on you and would hurt your health.¡±


    ¡°They are right! I am not healthy. In fact, I have been feeling under the weather for the past few weeks *cough* *cough*¡±


    Old man Chen glared at me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool me, boy. You are a body cultivator, you can¡¯t be sick unless you are poisoned.¡±


    I finally gave up and glared at the old man.


    ¡°¡­.Why me?¡±


    ¡°Because you care about the village and everyone in the village, including me, cares for you. I don¡¯t have any children or any successor. I am old, Da Wei, old enough that I can feel my time is near. I can¡¯t leave my home unattended when my time comes and I can¡¯t have someone incompetent take care of it since you and I both know the kind of dangers that lurk in this world. I just want what¡¯s best for my people, my village, and my home. And you, are the best that I have, better than anything that I could ever hope for.¡±


    Damnit old man, don¡¯t try to guilt trip me like this.


    ¡°You know better than anyone that I am someone who won¡¯t hesitate to run from my responsibilities if it becomes too dangerous for me.¡±


    ¡°That is one of the reasons why I want you to succeed me. You know when to hold on and when to retreat. With you in charge, I have no doubt that should the worst come to pass, you would not hesitate to take the people and leave behind this collection of buildings to save their lives.¡±


    I stayed silent and stared at the heavens, contemplating his words when I felt Grandma Li place her palm on my shoulder.


    When did she arrive behind us? I did not even sense her presence.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it, Wei¡¯er. We are not asking you to succeed this old fool right now. I won¡¯t allow this lazy bum to throw everything on your shoulders and laze around at the house all day. As long as there is breath in his body, he will fulfill his responsibilities. We just want you to be prepared when the time comes.¡±


    The old man started bickering with his wife about her words as I just stared at them as a smile slowly formed on my face.


    She is right. I don¡¯t have to worry about this right now.


    Since he trusts me to succeed him and protect this village, I will oblige. However, I will allow this old man to push all of that onto me so quickly. I won¡¯t allow him to die so quickly either.


    ¡®Just you wait, old man. I will make sure you live for a few more decades at least and fulfill your responsibilities for deceiving me like this.¡¯


    And that is a promise I will not fail to fulfill.

 Chapter 12

    ¡®FUUUUUKKKKK!¡¯


    ¡®I told you it was going to hurt.¡¯


    ¡®YOU NEVER SAID IT WOULD HURT SO MUCH!!¡¯


    ¡®What did you expect was going to happen when you mess with your spirit roots? It was the same for me when I started cultivating the Absolute Void Technique. Forcefully changing the nature of your spirit roots is an extremely unnatural process that hurts more than having your body destroyed. I should know since I experienced both of those incidents.¡¯


    ¡®NOT SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF! OUCH!!¡¯


    I clenched my teeth, resisted the urge to stop circulating my Qi, and held on, all hoping for survival.


    It was just two days ago that we received the news about the destruction of the Heavenly Sword Sect at the hands of an unknown party under the suspicion of cultivating demonic techniques. An event that was not supposed to happen since the only demonic cultivator in the sect, the old demon in my bead, was never there to begin with.


    I always knew that my actions would have consequences on the timeline. My adoption of Yan Ling as my Disciple/Daughter had already seen to that. However, I never realized that there would be such severe consequences.


    In the original timeline, the Heavenly Sword Sect never had any demonic cultivators aside from my original self. During this time, the sect was still in the phase of testing out the secret Master-grade pills provided to them by the Alchemy guild through sect-wide competitions, providing the winner and a select few elders with the pills which would exponentially increase their cultivation speed.


    While these pills did have drawbacks, there was nothing in the old demon¡¯s memories to mark them as anything demonic in nature.


    For the next two years, this process would continue, giving rise to numerous Nascent Soul realm experts in the sect and making it the strongest sect in the region.


    Then, calamity would strike in the form of a Demonic Sect invasion that would lead to the death of many elders and the Patriarch. While there would be very few casualties in the ranks of the disciples, the entire batch of core disciples would be wiped out. It was the reason why I had Lin Mei bring her companions back to the village. I did not want to risk their lives over such an uncertain incident.


    Besides, they had already accomplished what they had set out to do by joining the sect. To broaden their horizons and learn what life was like outside the village, so there was no major loss in having them get out of that sect.


    The attack of the Demonic Sect would leave the Heavenly Sword Sect in shambles, leading to their territory, resources, and disciples being taken away by the Royal family¡¯s faction.


    What no one but we knew was that the trigger for the Demonic Sect invasion was none other than my original self. He did it as revenge after they publicly humiliated him by disqualifying him in the final round of the tournament despite his clear and fair win, all in the name of protecting the reputation of Xiao Kai and denying the old demon from getting access to the Master-grade pill.


    It was this incident that clearly marked the beginning of the old demon¡¯s journey into the darkness and his ascent as the Heavenly Demon, the absolute ruler of the continent that brought terror and despair to everyone for over a millennia.


    However, the sudden and inexplicable destruction of the Heavenly Sword Sect, down to the last disciple, has clearly thrown all that out of the window, leaving me with no idea or direction to anticipate anything else about the coming future.


    It was this uncertainty that was starting to pose a threat to my peaceful life that spurred me to start taking my cultivation seriously.


    But, it is an undeniable fact that I cannot advance past the Core Formation realm with crippled spirit roots.


    That was why, I finally decided to see if I could use my usual method of cultivation to try and repair my spirit roots.


    The results were completely disastrous much to my dismay.


    Turns out, the bead is incapable of regenerating and repairing any injury or disease I had from before it awakened. This meant that it was incapable of repairing my spirit roots.


    In the end, all I achieved was breaking my spirit roots even further than they already were.


    That was when I decided to take an alternate approach and use my prowess in the arts of inscription combined with my pure Qi to grow a new set of spirit roots from the ground up. A fairly easy process thanks to the unrivaled knowledge of spirit roots I got from the old demon¡¯s memories.


    What is not easy, is getting rid of the existing spirit roots within me.


    This was the reason for my current agony.


    Truly, it is an agony that I have no words to describe, way beyond anything I ever experienced in both my lives, even more painful than when Xiao Kai destroyed my spirit roots all those years ago.


    The only way I kept enduring this pain was by imagining what would happen to everything and everyone I held dear should I not be strong enough to protect them. What would happen should those bastards in the west find Yan Ling in this timeline just like they did in the original one, even though the chances of that happening are next to impossible now that I took her away from the city before their forces kidnapped the children of the slums, including Yan Ling, for their project.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    I imagined what would happen to all of my friends, Old Feng, Old Li, Chief Chen, Little Hui and her grandparents, the Han family, and everyone else in the village should the Demonic Sects decide to use them as suitable resources for their cultivation.


    I imagined the hellscape that this place would become should any of the thousands of worst-case scenarios come to pass in case I did not have enough strength to protect them.


    It was these images alone that kept me going.


    Closing my eyes, I concentrated on my spirit roots that were systematically being burned away by my Pure Qi, like a laser burning away the rust from an old coin.


    For my loved ones, for the home I made for myself in this place, I will do anything.


    And that is a promise I will never break.


    <hr>


    Yan Ling watched with anguish as her master suffered in silence through his cultivation.


    While his expressions clearly showed that he was in pain, Yan Ling knew better than anyone what it meant for her master to show such an expression compared to what he usually does.


    She always thought that her master was silly for keeping his true feelings hidden when he was feeling depressed or angry or when he was in pain. Especially since she never hid her own emotions and always expressed them openly to her master. Of course, when it came to strangers, it was a completely different story.


    She always knew that she was different.


    Ever since she first gained consciousness, she was capable of discerning the good and evil within the people around her. She was always capable of feeling the emotions of those around her.


    It was both a blessing and a curse since this ability forced her to mature much quicker than her peers while it was also this ability that allowed her to stay alive and safe during the unfortunate period of her life.


    That was why, from the very moment she met her master, she knew that he was a strong person.


    He had such darkness within him that there were no words that she knew that could describe it. And yet, it was not this darkness that controlled him like the countless people that she had seen in those slums, but a blinding light or positivity that pushed this darkness to the pits of his very being.


    At first, she thought that it was his power that allowed him to have such positivity. After all, why would anyone that was strong allow dark emotions to control their thoughts?


    However, it was only after she spent a long time with him that she realized that it was not his cultivation that gave him his strength, but his very nature. It was this nature that made her choose to go with him when he gave her that offer.


    In her mind, for such a person to show a pained expression, the pain he was going through must have been beyond anything that she could imagine.


    She wanted to cry, to scream at her master to stop and not bear that pain anymore. She hated seeing the man who saved her from darkness suffer like this.


    Most importantly, she did not want her master to leave her like her parents. A fear that was becoming increasingly dominant in her mind as time passed due to some inexplicable reason.


    She did not want to lose the one person who extended his hand to her when she had nowhere to go, no place to call home, no one to call her family, no one to call her friend.


    No one to call a father.


    And then, in that dept of despair and darkness, in that place filled with scum of the empire and those that were always looking for unfortunate people like her to take advantage of, he appeared and gave her a home again. A home that she thought was lost due to the arrogance of a single person all those months ago.


    He became her master in the path of cultivation, providing her with guidance to become stronger and hopefully, one day, exact vengeance on that man from her past.


    He became her guardian, the tree that protected her from the rain, the rock that supported her in the turbulent river that was her life.


    He became her cook, providing her with food that she had not tasted in months and dishes she had never even heard of.


    He became her trainer in the ways of hunting, teaching her to sustain herself in the wilds. Teaching her to respect nature, and give back to the world when she could as thanks for providing her with sustenance.


    He taught her morality, to distinguish between good and evil as well as the pitfalls that one usually falls in with a rigid moral compass. To know the difference between subjective and objective perspectives.


    He taught her to never let the darkness of the world take away her inner light, her positivity.


    He became her Father, even if she had not gathered enough courage to call him that yet.


    To watch such an important person in her life suffer like this was something that the little girl was simply incapable of handling.


    Intellectually, she knew that cultivation was sometimes painful for the practitioner. Emotionally, however, she could not bear to see him in pain like this.


    She did not know what motivated her master to do something like this. All she knew was that she was weak. So weak that her master would not tell her anything and share his burdens with her.


    If that was the case, then the path forward was clear. She needed to become stronger.


    With determination in her eyes, she headed back into the cabin that they called home and sat down cross-legged, just like her master taught her.


    Closing her eyes, she concentrated on circulating her Qi according to the method her master taught her while visualizing her understanding of the sun, another concept her master taught her.


    First, she started asking the questions to herself and used the answers and understanding that she gained after listening to her master.


    What is the Sun?


    The Sun is the source of all life in this world. It is light, heat, energy, and gravity.


    How does the Sun work?


    The Sun works by using its immense size to produce a strong gravitational field. A gravitational field so strong that compresses the very building blocks of matter, causing them to fuse together forcefully. It is this process that produces the light and heat within the sun.


    How do you hope to tame such a force of nature?


    She opened her eyes as her ruby red eyes flashed gold.


    If it meant sharing whatever burden her master had and making sure he could continue living this carefree life, she would bend reality itself to her will, much less something like the Sun, but one among the countless others across the universe according to her master.


    Her Qi continued circulating faster and faster until all of it suddenly condensed behind her back, giving birth to a powerful burst of light and heat.


    Once the light show subsided, a massive golden wheel manifested, floating behind her back. At one of the nine gaps between the wheel, an orb of pure heat, light, and gravity manifested, symbolizing that she had taken the initial steps in advancing the Great Sun Wheel technique.


    What she failed to notice was Little Xing silently watching her actions while her body was covered in an eerie black fog, the same fog that was protectively curled around Yan Ling until just a few seconds ago and quickly retreated into her body when she noticed Yan Ling awakening from her cultivation.


    Unlike what she believed, Yan Ling was not alone in her worry for her master, neither was she the only one keeping secrets from the only man in the household.


    After all, where there is light, there must also exist darkness.

 Chapter 13

    ¡°¡­..Old Feng, why is it shaped like that?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Didn¡¯t you ask me to make a frame out of the wood from the Iron Wood trees? That¡¯s what I did.¡±


    ¡°No, you are right. It¡¯s just that, why is It shaped like a boat?¡±


    ¡°What else is it supposed to look like? Aren¡¯t you going to make an airship?¡±


    ¡°¡­Never mind.¡±


    I stared at the structure that the old man made which looked similar to those old medieval ships from my world and felt an odd sensation.


    Originally, I wanted the old man to make a tube with a cone shape for the front, similar to the passenger jets from my old world. However, I failed to convey the idea properly to him, resulting in this thing.


    At least he still kept the large tube-like design at the rear of the ship like I asked. If not, I would have been forced to spend at least a few days carefully carving out the required shape by hand since the Iron Wood is particularly resistant to Qi.


    While it was not that large, only the size of my cabin, it was very small for an airship in this world since even the smallest of personal airships in this world is at least as large as a 747 aircraft.


    The size is mainly due to the large number of inscriptions needed to make the huge chunk of metal fly in the air.


    The only reason I can get away with making something this small is because, unlike the other craftsmen who use brute force to overcome the natural laws of the world, I take advantage of these laws to make my airship fly.


    I placed the large airship frame into my space ring and sat on the chair opposite the old man.


    ¡°You got any news from the capital?¡±


    ¡°Only that the Royal family has chosen to remain silent on the massacre of the Heavenly Sword Sect. Typical political stuff. Hell, I won¡¯t be surprised if they had some hand in that incident.¡°


    I nodded at his words since I had the same suspicions.


    No government can ever tolerate a private force that is equal to its political and military strength, especially in a world like this. So it made sense that the royal family would always try to find ways to undermine the various sects and forces within its borders to make sure that it stays on the top.


    I knew this fact personally since the old demon had personally witnessed many situations where the hidden strings of the royal family¡¯s manipulations were felt, leading to the downfall of many a sect that had the misfortune of acquiring some form of advantage over the royal family. Whether it be a talented disciple, a heavenly treasure, or even a weapon.


    Now, I won¡¯t condemn the royal family¡¯s actions since most of the time these actions are justified given the sheer greed of the sects and their desire for power. What I do condemn is the fact that the royal family¡¯s approach to solving its problems results in severe collateral damage most of the time.


    ¡°While their silence is not a definite proof of their guilt, I won¡¯t put it past them to do something like this. The only thing I am curious about is what my unfortunate former sect did to gain their attention in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Who knows? not like it has anything to do with us.¡±


    ¡°True. Putting that aside, do you want anything from the capital this time around?¡±


    ¡°Nothing in particular. However, I heard that there is a rare type of rice set to be auctioned at the Royal Auction House. Ocean Pearl Rice. I want to try making a wine with it. I will pay the amount for it once you get it back.¡±


    ¡°Forget about the cost, old man. The auction house will probably give it to me for free if I agree to sell one of my artifacts to them directly instead of auctioning.¡±


    Old Feng glared at me at my words.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to flaunt your connections and wealth in front of me, brat. I may not be some famous Formations Master like you but my craft still sells very well in big cities and I have no shortage of spirit stones.¡±


    ¡°Shut up you old fool! I couldn¡¯t care less if you are swimming in spirit stones. When I want to gift you something, I expect you to accept that gift.¡±


    ¡°Like hell I will!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me call Grandma Liu.¡±


    The old man instantly clammed up at my words and growled like a beast at me.


    Seriously, despite being built like a tank and being in the middle stages of the Qi Condensation realm, I fail to understand why he is so deathly afraid of his mortal wife.


    ¡°¡­.I really hate you, brat.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Look after little Hui for me while I am gone.¡±


    ¡°Hui¡¯er? Why?¡±


    ¡°I am leaving little Xing with her during this trip and she has grown to be a little rowdy these days. Who knows what she will get up to if little Hui fails to control her? With your cultivation, you should be able to easily handle a cat.¡±


    ¡°Oi! I am not some babysitter!!¡±


    I waved my hand in started heading back towards my home while the old man continued his protests.


    I knew that all of this was just a fa?ade and he would look after the girl and my cat even without me saying anything. It was just his way of futilely trying to assert his status as an elder over me and trying to get some respect out of me.


    The fool has still not realized that the only reason I speak so plainly with him without any respect is because I consider him a close friend. The thing he should be truly worried about is if I suddenly start talking to him with proper respect for his age since it would mean that I have lost any feelings of closeness with him.


    I never planned to have a personal airship for myself since that would make me stand out no matter what I do.


    In this world, any cultivator that reaches the Core Formation realm can achieve limited flight. However, given the massive size of the continent, the people of this world had to come up with something to transport things across within a reasonable time.


    For the mortals, this came in the form of regular carts and carriages pulled by Spiritual Beasts, an inferior form of Demonic Beasts that were neither mortal animals nor demonic beasts capable of cultivation. These Spiritual Beasts were much stronger and faster than regular horses but had little intelligence and potential for cultivation, making them ideal for mortal use.


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    When it comes to the cultivators, the solution to the transportation issue was the Airships.


    Airships are basically flying boats that are considered to be status symbols for the various forces of the continent with their number and quality being indicative of the power that someone can field in case of a conflict. The Airships themselves are divided into grades just like with everything else in this world, starting from Mortal and moving up through Earth, Heaven, and Supreme.


    Most of the top sects in the empire have at least one Earth-grade Airship with them. The Alchemy Guild had three Earth-grade airships just like the Formations Guild.


    Aside from this, there are also several high-profile people on the continent, like the Grandmaster Alchemist under the Royal family and a few other such people who had a personal Airship. However, these personal airships were always Mortal-grade since the inscriptions required to make an Earth-grade airship are a tightly guarded secret of the Formations Guild.


    The Royal family is the only force with a Heaven-grade airship and more than ten Earth-grade airships.


    Nobody knows when the first airships were created and the chances of uncovering this information are nearly impossible since they have been around for thousands of years with traces of their presence being recorded in the ancient manuscripts and jade slips recovered from ancient ruins all over the continent.


    What is known is that modern airships are considered extremely primitive compared to the handful of ancient airships that are still left intact in the hands of various forces on the continent.


    Even then, in my eyes, these things can only be called magic-powered flying bricks due to how they function.


    The Airships of this world are primarily made with metals that are extremely receptive to Qi. This is done for two reasons.


    One, the use of metals makes the ships much safer in case it is attacked by a Demonic Beast or hostile forces. This means that the crafter can save a lot of resources by reducing the number of defensive inscriptions carved into the ship and allowing the hull itself to bear the brunt of the responsibility for the defense of its passengers.


    Two, since the metal is receptive to Qi the one flying the airship can easily use their Qi to directly control the formations and inscriptions on the ship, making it extremely intuitive to use.


    The inscriptions themselves are extremely primitive and unrefined, especially since they have either not bothered to learn the laws of the world or decided that it was beneath them to use those laws for their advantage. Instead, they like to blatantly use raw power to break these rules with their inscriptions.


    A move of hubris that I refuse to commit.


    The moment I arrived at my home, I called over Yan Ling who was playing with little Xing, and had her observe as I started carving the inscriptions onto the airship.


    While her talent for Inscriptions is not as great as Alchemy which took advantage of her physique, she was still young and had a lot of time to learn. If she can reach the rank of an Intermediate level Formation Master I¡¯ll be very satisfied.


    It also helps that she took to English fairly quickly and was capable of making basic conversations in the language.


    I took my time carving the inscriptions onto the boat so that Yan Ling could follow what I was doing and understand the concepts upon which I was working.


    The most basic inscription that I carved was the Buoyancy inscription which controlled the buoyancy of the ship.


    Originally, I wanted to use an inscription to cancel out the forces of gravity on the ship. However, I was not certain whether doing that would untether the ship from the planet entirely and make it drift off into space. So I decided to make a Buoyancy inscription that would control just how much lighter the ship would be compared to its surrounding atmosphere, allowing me control over its altitude.


    Then, I caved out the defensive inscription that I made based on the Hard-Light shield I made for Yan Ling¡¯s bracelet. This should provide us with a decent level of protection should we be attacked.


    I also added a Warp Inscription on the ship as a failsafe. In case the enemy is beyond our strength to fend off, we could use it to escape.


    Then, I added a gravitational inscription designed to exert gravity opposite to the direction in which the ship is traveling when I want it to. This would act as the brakes of the ship. Similar inscriptions across the body of the ship would act as the directional control and steering.


    Now, time for the intricate part of the build.


    ¡°Ling¡¯er, bring the Gyroscope and the Thruster.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡±


    The girl excitedly ran into the house and came back with a massive device over her head and an equally massive tube being dragged behind her.


    It would have been a hilarious scene if it was not so weird to see a girl easily lift a few hundred kilos of metal over her head effortlessly while dragging an equally heavy piece of metal behind her.


    The Gyroscope was an analog one that worked using a spinning wheel and gimble. Originally, I wanted to create an optical Gyroscope using Inscriptions. However, I quickly realized that my entry-level knowledge of such advanced science was not enough to make something like that. So I settled on making a mechanical Gyroscope since it was fairly simple to make.


    The wheel itself has inscriptions on it that would keep it spinning perpetually as long as it is supplied with Qi while the entire device is connected to the directional control system of the ship.


    The idea is for the gyroscope to keep it stable while in the air by detecting any kind of tilt beyond its setting and controlling the gravitational inscriptions to orient the ship.


    By automating this aspect of the flight, I would only have to control the velocity and altitude of the ship, allowing me to enjoy the journey instead of spending the entire time micromanaging the ship like the others do with their airship.


    There is a reason why the disciples with minor offenses are punished by having them fly the airships during an outing by their sects.


    Aside from this, there is a small secondary Gyroscope that I have installed on the ship that would act as the Gyrocompass for the ship, allowing me to avoid the usual pitfalls of using a magnetic compass.


    With the Gyroscope installed, I took the Thruster and carefully inserted it into the tube I had Old Feng carve into the ship¡¯s back.


    The thruster itself is nothing but a large tube with a rudimentary thrust vectoring nozzle that functions through inscriptions along with a few tanks and compartments attached to it so that all of it can be ejected from the structure in case of an accident.


    The real beauty of this thing is the intricate inscriptions that I spent more than a week carving into it.


    In simple terms, the inscriptions on the tube would extract the water vapor from the air into a tank where the inscriptions would carry out the electrolysis process and produce Hydrogen and Oxygen which are separately stored inside tanks with gravitational, cryogenic, and isolation inscriptions for both high-compression, liquid storage and safety of the entire system.


    At this point, all the liquid Hydrogen and Oxygen are compressed to a small area through the use of gravitational inscriptions while using the Oxidizer-to-Fuel ratio of 6:1 with 6 parts Oxygen and 1 part Hydrogen. Then, ignition happens within the tube just like a chemical rocket from my old world using another formation.


    The end result would be a tremendous amount of energy that is directed out of the thruster and through the nozzle, producing thrust the likes of which is unimaginable for any airship of this world.


    While all of this process might sound easy enough, the reality is anything but. Even a tiny deviation in the inscriptions across the ship would lead to a catastrophic failure. It is the main reason why I had the boat made from Iron Wood which is extremely resistant to Qi instead of the metals used for making airships.


    Originally, I wanted to have the thrust system work through gravity manipulation as well. However, I realized soon enough that it would take too much effort to precisely control the gravitational fields of the thrust system. Comparatively, in the type of system I designed, all I would have to control is the nozzle and the rate of combustion to control the acceleration and maintain a constant speed for sightseeing.


    ¡°Phew. I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°Is it ready?? Can we go for a test??¡±


    Yan Ling jumped excitedly, ready to ride the ship and enjoy the feeling of flying.


    ¡°Haha, sure. Let me power it up.¡±


    I walked onto the boat that had an open deck and a room with a few amenities and beds for us to rest in.


    At the center of the room was an indent that connected with all the inscriptions on the ship.


    This is the power source of the ship where I would have to insert a High-grade Spirit Stone to power the entire system.


    My estimate puts the fuel efficiency to be somewhere between one High-grade spirit stone per two days. A tremendously low amount of consumption compared to the ten High-grade spirit stones per day that are usually consumed by even the highest quality of airships of today.


    Once I placed the spirit stone in the indent, the entire system activated immediately and all the inscriptions disappeared, leaving behind a pristine and newly built airship.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how quickly we can reach Starfall City in this thing.¡±


    ¡°Yes!! Let¡¯s go full speed!!¡±


    I laughed and spread my Qi through the system.


    Might as well indulge in her request since It would serve as a stress test for the system.


    With a thought, the thruster ignited and we flew through the air at tremendous speeds while Yan Ling screamed and laughed in joy.


    It took me a week of designing, another week of working on the Thruster, and another week of work on the Gyroscopes. Three weeks of tireless work.


    However, some things in life are truly worth the effort. Especially when they bring a smile to our loved one¡¯s faces

 Chapter 14

    ¡°Master? What is that?¡±


    I stopped focusing on controlling my expressions and suppressed my pain as Yan Ling spoke up.


    Turning around, I saw her stare curiously at the treasure in my hand that I was using to restructure my spirit roots.


    ¡°This is a Bodhi fruit. A Heavenly treasure that is highly sought after by every cultivator on the continent due to its properties that allow a cultivator to directly skip an entire major realm of cultivation if it is used in the right way.¡±


    Instantly, the girl¡¯s eyes sparkled as she looked between me and the fruit.


    ¡°Then, are you going to become a Nascent Soul cultivator?? Wouldn¡¯t that mean you would be someone very respected in the empire??¡±


    Despite the lingering pain within my body, I laughed at her words and ruffled her hair as she pouted at my actions.


    ¡°Not really. While it is true that a Nascent Soul realm cultivator is considered the top in this region, in the entirety of the Empire, there are still many forces that have cultivators of higher cultivation. For example, the ancestor of the Royal Family who is in secluded cultivation within the capital. That guy was said to be a Soul Transformation realm while he was still the emperor. Who knows what realm he has achieved in the past five centuries he spent in isolation?¡±


    Yan Ling attentively listened to my words and nodded in understanding.


    Seriously, she is such a good student that I can¡¯t help but go above and beyond to teach her everything I know.


    ¡°Besides that, I am not using the Bodhi fruit to advance my body cultivation but using it to restructure and heal my spirit roots.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Then, are you going to use a cool water element cultivation technique?? If so, it would be really awesome if it is linked to the oceans or the moon. Then, we pair of master and disciple can claim complete control over the sun and the moon!!¡±


    I lightly knocked her on the head at those words.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your cultivation technique¡¯s power get to your head. What have I said about arrogance and pride?¡±


    She looked down like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar.


    ¡°¡­.That it is fine to have those feelings in moderation but fatal if I indulge too much in them.¡±


    ¡°Correct. Never let your power rob you of your empathy and the value of your fellow human¡¯s life. We are orthodox cultivators, not those that belong to the demonic path.¡±


    Looking at her sad expression, I sighed and continued speaking.


    ¡°Putting that aside, to answer your question, no. I am not going to use the water elemental technique or the wood elemental technique. What I am doing now is restructuring my spirit roots to not have any elemental affinity at all so that it can directly assimilate with my core when I start cultivating with the new roots. Once they assimilate and manifest an affinity, I¡¯ll start cultivating an appropriate technique.¡±


    She nodded at my words and turned to look at the clouds around us with a blank look.


    ¡®¡­.Was I too harsh on her?¡¯


    ¡®Not really. I think you did a good job of educating her and ironing out her flaws from the very beginning. I have seen countless prodigies with infinite potential fall due to their hubris. I was personally responsible for the majority of the deaths by exploiting their arrogance and pride.¡¯


    ¡®Maybe I could have said it in a better way instead of ruining the mood like this.¡¯


    ¡®It may be harsh but it is a lesson she must learn sooner rather than later. All you did was fulfill your duty as a teacher. Besides, I don¡¯t think she will remain upset for much longer since we are nearing the capital. Didn¡¯t you want to take her to explore the city? She should be feeling excited soon enough for that.¡¯


    ¡®I hope you are right. I don¡¯t want to hurt her, but I don¡¯t want her to die because she became too arrogant and overconfident in her power either.¡¯


    ¡®True. On that note, you think He will be here this time around?¡¯


    ¡®I doubt it. In your time, the war had already begun at the southern border and the so-called barbarian clans had a distinct advantage. It was the reason why He arrived here to find that artifact from the Auction. However, with the Heavenly Sword Sect destroyed and the possibility of internal strife within the empire and the Barbarian Clans becoming apparent by the day for some reason, the chances of a full-scale war are very low, making it unnecessary for that bastard to come here and cause trouble like in your timeline.¡¯


    ¡®Hmm, I hope you are right. The Phoenix Clan is not known for its restraint or its level-headedness. Who knows what he will do if he finds out that you have a complete version of the Heavenly Flame Technique and he sees that Yan Ling practices the main cultivation technique of the Golden Crow Clan?¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t really care about what he will do. No matter how arrogant, he is still one of the three candidates to become the patriarch of the Phoenix Clan with his cultivation still in the Core Formation realm. What worries me is his clan itself since I am still not strong enough to protect Yan Ling from them should they mobilize their full might.¡¯


    ¡®Worst comes to worst, you can find shelter with the Royal Family with your fame as the Enigma.¡¯


    ¡®¡­..Please don¡¯t remind me of that title. I still don¡¯t understand why the Auction house came up with that embarrassing name for me.¡¯


    ¡®They needed to hype up your products in some way for the initial sales. When your products grew in popularity and turned you into the most sought-after Formations Master, the name stuck and became something that simply cannot be changed anymore.¡¯


    ¡®still doesn¡¯t mean it is any less embarrassing.¡¯


    ¡®Be thankful that no one aside from the Auction house and Old Feng knows your real identity. Imagine what the kids at the village would do if they caught wind of your glorious title?¡¯


    ¡®¡­¡­Hell no! I¡¯ll never live it down.¡¯


    ¡®Indeed. But still, as I said, this title could come in handy to protect your disciple and the village as a whole should the worst come to pass. Isn¡¯t that the whole reason you created that persona in the first place? As a backup for the worst-case scenario where you failed to bring the children back from the sect in time for the war to start?¡¯


    ¡®True. I guess I¡¯ll just have to do that if the worst does happen.¡¯


    I acknowledged the truth in the old demon¡¯s words and stared out at the clouds around us.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Originally, I never planned to have the children join any sect and live out their lives quietly cultivating in the village. However, the plan changed when Old Li and the old demon convinced me to let them go and choose their own future. Something that I still think to be a mistake.


    Lo and behold, they ended up choosing my former sect as the place to gain their experience much to my worry.


    Thankfully, they still listened to my advice and maintained a low-key approach in the sect until I had them leave since the time for the war in the south was quickly approaching and I knew that outer disciples like the majority of their group would be used as cannon fodder by the sect to gain ¡®compensation¡¯ from the royal family for their efforts in the war.


    I was never so thankful for my cautious nature since it was only a few days after the kids returned that we received the news of the sect being wiped out by an unknown party down to the last disciple.


    When the children had just joined the sect more than five months ago, I had created my persona as ¡®The Enigma¡¯ with the Royal Auction Hall in the capital of the empire and sold some low-level artifacts that I crafted in my leisure time.


    My hope was to gain a little bit of fame as a fairly decent formation master so that should the worst happen, I would have come leverage to gain the support of the Auction house to protect the village and Yan Ling.


    Who knew that my products would blow up in popularity with even a Mortal-grade artifact from my brand becoming something highly sought after?


    After asking around with the Auction house¡¯s staff, I learned that one of the biggest reasons for this was the quality of my inscriptions and their unique approach that allowed them to be extremely efficient compared to similar artifacts in their category for nearly the same price.


    It made sense to me. Most of the time, any inscription I make uses my knowledge of science from my world as the basis of their operation. While this approach made it so that my artifacts could not produce the same kind of raw performance as a similar artifact from other formation masters, the trade-off was that my artifacts became extremely efficient in terms of Qi usage and much more durable due to the reduced load on the artifact from the inscriptions.


    Most of the time, my artifacts are four to five times more efficient in terms of Qi usage and nearly ten times more durable compared to the competition.


    With these facts in mind, it did not take long for my persona to become a highly sought-after formation master across the capital. Many people tried to find my true identity to either hire me or force me to work for their faction through hook or crook.


    Fortunately, my cultivation of Pure Qi made me invisible to a cultivator¡¯s senses, allowing me to easily pass by the people that these forces used to try and find me after every auction of my artifacts.


    With such an identity, it should be relatively easy to have the support of the Auction house and the Royal family should the worst come to pass and my village and Yan Ling end up in danger.


    Soon, I felt a faint pulse of Qi pass through us and a voice resounds in the sky.


    ¡± Respected Guests, you have crossed into the territory of the Imperial Capital. The usage of Airships is prohibited within the city. Please land your airship and register with the city guards so that we can escort you in.¡±


    ¡°Whoa! What was that?? Master.¡±


    ¡°That was a voice transmission technique. It is a fairly ordinary technique that has no demand for an elemental affinity and can be used by any cultivator. It is primarily used to transmit the user¡¯s voice into the unshielded minds of the recipient.¡±


    ¡°Oh!! Can you teach me that technique??¡±


    Looks like she has finally come out of her depressed state.


    I smiled and patted her head.


    ¡°Of course. But first, wear this.¡±


    I took out a mask that I made to obscure her face and features from anyone who looked at her and put on a similar mast as well. The mask itself only conceals the top half of our face but the inscriptions themselves put in the brunt of the work by distorting the light around our faces to obscure our looks completely.


    ¡°Why are we wearing masks?¡±


    ¡°Your master¡¯s identity in this place is a little special. It would not do for anyone for those people who seek my abilities to know of our true identities.¡±


    Yan Ling nodded her head and followed me quietly as I stood up on the ship and controlled it to float down to the massive gates of the city that had a line of mortals waiting to enter.


    While the descent of the airship was extremely smooth, it was in appearance only. When I designed the flight system of the ship I underestimated the complexity of controlling the buoyancy of the ship.


    During its test flight, Yan Ling and I pushed the flight system to its limits by making its buoyancy lighter than the atmosphere around us. The result surprised me as we quickly ascended to the very edge of the atmosphere and arrived at the boundary of the planet and outer space. Even then, I could only slightly see the curvature of the planet, showing just how massive this world was.


    It was only when I started to control the buoyancy to decrease our altitude that I realized the concentration I needed to provide a smooth descent from such heights.


    Soon, we landed on the ground and jumped out of the ship.


    Storing away the ship in my space ring, we were greeted by a group of soldiers who were at the peak of the Qi condensation realm who cupped their fists and bowed with respect and awe.


    ¡°Greeting, Lord Enigma. I am Zhao Yu, the leader of this group. We were informed that you would be arriving soon by the Auction house and were informed to escort you inside.¡±


    I felt surprised at their words.


    ¡°They did? How did you know it was me that just arrived? It could have been anyone on that airship. And how did you know it was me anyway? Aren¡¯t there many people in the world who like to wear masks?¡±


    The captain gave a wry look at me.


    ¡°While that is true, there are no people with such unique masks like yourself in this empire. And neither are there any powerful cultivators like you who still heed the rule of not using their airship within the borders of the city.¡±


    ¡­Yeah, that tracks. Looks like the word about my way of doing things has already spread around the city.


    Shaking my head, I showed Yan Ling to the group.


    ¡°This is my disciple. You can call her Lianhua (Lotus). She will be joining me for my business today in the city and I expect you to treat her the same way you treat me.¡±


    The soldiers once again bowed, this time towards Yan Ling.


    ¡°We greet Fairy Lianhua.¡±


    ¡°H-hello!¡±


    The girl squeaked at the sudden attention and directly ran behind me to hide, much to the amusement of the soldiers who barely suppressed their smiles at her actions.


    As Zhao Yu escorted us in, I watched the bickering at the entrance and watched the long line slowly move forward.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind me asking, but why is there such a long line of people seeking to enter the city? Aren¡¯t there way less people than this seeking entry into the city.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, lord Enigma. However, there has been a surge of refugees from the south in the past month. Especially the Crimson Mountains region where the Demonic Beast activity is increasing by the day. Worse yet, the number of people coming to the imperial capital to escape their troubles has become so high that the guards have been forced to bar entry for any new people seeking to enter due to the shortage of space within.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. Has there been any response from the Royal Family or the noble families?¡±


    ¡°None so far. Besides, there are not many people in this city that care about the lives of ordinary mortals.¡±


    ¡°..You are quite open with your words, Captain Zhou. Aren¡¯t you afraid that the higher-ups of your forces or one of the cultivators will hear your words and make your life difficult?¡±


    ¡°All of the soldiers around us are my brothers who share the same opinion as me so the chances of anyone knowing what we are talking about are extremely small. As for you, Lord Enigma.¡±


    He turned to look at me before speaking.


    ¡°If you were that kind of a man, there would never have been rumors of an unrecognizable cultivator in the slums providing massive amounts of provisions for the unfortunate people of this city and taking care of the unruly scum of the society every time you visit the Auction hall.¡±


    ¡®He¡¯s got you there.¡¯


    ¡®Shut it.¡±


    I just nodded at his words and continued walking through the streets lined with stalls and shops.


    Suddenly, Yan Ling pulled at my sleeve.


    ¡°Master? Can we go there first?¡±


    I looked in the direction she was pointing at and felt amused since the shop was a fairly high-class restaurant.


    ¡®This glutton, why is her mind always on food?¡¯


    ¡®Probably ''cause she likes to eat new things.¡¯


    ¡®Hmm. Makes sense. Oh well, might as well indulge her a little bit.¡¯


    I nodded as she started dragging me towards the restaurant while I called back at the group of soldiers.


    ¡°Join us for the meal, Captain Zhou. Since you and your people will be escorting us throughout the day you might as well stock up on energy for all the running around we will be doing.¡±


    For a split second, I saw shock on the Captain¡¯s face before he gave a nod and had his soldiers join us.


    Since I don¡¯t plan to come out of the village until at least another year, I might as well let Yan Ling enjoy herself and get whatever she wants from here.


    The moment we sat down, Yan Ling immediately put in a massive order of food that left the soldiers around us dumbfounded.


    ¡®Why does this feel so familiar?¡±


    ¡®At this point, we should be completely desensitized to her way of doing things.¡¯


    I just smiled as Yan Ling eagerly waited for the food to come and happily answered the questions being posed by the nervous soldiers who slowly started to relax after understanding that Yan Ling was not going to treat them like trash like most of the young scions of this city would do.


    At this moment, I can¡¯t help but feel proud that I have managed to steer her clear from the path of arrogance and self-destruction.


    Now, if only I could have her learn the value of patience, I couldn¡¯t ask for anything more.

 Chapter 15

    ¡°1500!¡±


    ¡°2500!¡±


    ¡°3000!¡±


    With that bid, the audience fell silent as the girl on the stage asked for further bids before confirming the sale.


    Then, she gave a radiant smile to the people before speaking again.


    ¡°Next, we have a unique artifact from a well-known Formation Master.¡±


    Behind the girl, two men pushed forward a cart with a cushion on it. Once the girl pulled off the cloth covering the item, most of the cultivators in the audience either stared in surprise or greed at the unique brand on the ring with their enhanced eyesight.


    A brand that spelled out David in English.


    ¡°As the distinguished guests might have guessed from the unique signature of its maker, this is an Earth-grade artifact put up for auction by the distinguished Formation Master, The Enigma. It is a defensive artifact that can protect the user from attacks from most cultivators below the Core Formation realm and a single attack from a cultivator at the peak of the Core Formation realm. The starting bid is 2000 High-grade spirit stones.¡±


    ¡°3000!¡±


    ¡°5000!¡±


    ¡°10,000!¡±


    ¡°Wow! Master¡¯s artifacts are so popular??¡±


    I just chuckled at Yan Ling¡¯s words and patted her head as she continued munching on candied apples and watching the proceedings with excitement.


    I will not deny that when I witnessed such a scene for the first time, I was filled with no small amount of pride. This was during the time my name had just started to become famous in this region.


    However, as time passed and I saw a repeat of these scenes, I came to a simple conclusion.


    The people in the Imperial Capital had way too much money to throw around on useless things.


    ¡®Of course, they have too much money. This is the capital of the Yin Long Empire. The place where the richest of the rich such as the various noble families, Martial families, and the Royal Family live. If there is one thing that they don¡¯t lack here, it is money.¡¯


    ¡®I know. It just feels like a waste of resources to throw so much money on things that they will never end up using anyway. Take that ring I made for example. It can stop any attack below the Core Formation realm and can take a single attack from the peak of the Core Formation realm before crumbling under the strain. From what I can see, the people who are placing the bids are those young scions from the influential families of the capital. These people will most definitely have some kind of bodyguard who should be able to do the same thing that this ring does. In that case, why waste their Spirit Stones on this thing?¡¯


    ¡®The reason stems from their personality and the way they grew up. If there is one thing that you should never underestimate, it is the cowardice of these so-called noble families and the martial families. They fear pain and death above everything else and would go to any lengths to make themselves feel safe. This fear stems from the atrocities they commit against the mortals while drunk on their power and then fearing the consequences of their actions.¡¯


    ¡®Speaking from experience?¡¯


    ¡®¡­..Never, ever, compare me to these bastards! I never slaughtered helpless mortals. I will not deny that I deserve your scorn for my actions and neither will I deny the fact that my very soul is stained with the blood of the innocent. However, there are still some lines I will never cross, and attacking helpless mortals is one of those lines, you should know that better than anyone.¡¯


    ¡®¡­Sorry, I was just making a joke.¡¯


    The old demon did not respond to my words, making me feel guilty for making such a tasteless joke.


    Shaking my head to get rid of those thoughts, I turned back to the auction.


    By this point, the bidding had reached 20,000 Spirit stones and was finally sold to a young master.


    Then, things became interesting as the next item arrived on the stage.


    ¡°The next item is a strange one for our Auction house. It was put up by an independent cultivator that chose not to reveal their identity. Our appraisers have performed their work on this item for over three weeks to validate his claims. Before we begin, I want to inform everyone that everything I am about to say is the truth and the Royal Auction House has given its guarantee about the authenticity of the item.¡±


    With the way she was hyping up the item, it was clear that she believed people would not trust the authenticity of the item without using the name of the Auction house. This meant that the item must be something so outlandish or powerful that it would garner suspicions from everyone here.


    Then, she pulled the cloth and I felt my mind thrown for a loop a rusty old sword was placed on the cushion.


    Phantom pains that never knew I had flared up as the images of the sword impaling me through the chest flashed through my mind.


    ¡®¡­.You are either the luckiest or the unluckiest bastard on the planet. What are the chances that you would end up running into the very weapon destined to end your life with its destined wielder as your disciple?¡¯


    ¡®¡­I think it leans more towards the unlucky side most of the time. This time, however, I am inclined to go for the opposite.¡¯


    ¡®Are you seriously considering getting that? Just taking a look at it nearly sent my soul screaming in terror and your body experienced the phantom pains of the fatal injury you saw in my memories. Can you really endure looking at it every waking moment of your life from here on?¡¯


    ¡®I will have to. No matter what our opinion on it may be, there is no denying that it is the best weapon Yan Ling could ever ask for. Besides, look at her.¡¯


    I turned to look at Yan Ling as she stared in a daze at the sword and reached out for it with her hand only to realize that a one-way mirror was separating her from what she wanted.


    ¡®Fine. But it won¡¯t be easy to get it. Especially since the Auction house seems to know its value as well and will not be placing the starting price at anything reasonable.¡¯


    ¡®¡­Since when did we lack money? Did you forget the wealth that I have stored up in my ring from the sale of a few hundred artifacts in this very auction house?¡¯


    ¡®I have not forgotten that you hold enough spirit stones in your ring to make even a top-level sect go green with envy. Neither have I forgotten that the amount would have been at least ten times that if you were not so obsessed with helping every single person with a sob story that comes your way and wasting your time providing for the slums of every city that you go to.¡¯


    ¡®Everyone needs a hobby.¡¯


    ¡®Is that what it is? Not your overinflated sense of empathy, naivety, and ego?¡¯


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡®Think of it what you will. I do what I want with my money.¡¯


    ¡®I know. Now, focus. They are starting.¡¯


    I turned back to the stage as the girl started to explain about the sword.


    ¡°Despite its appearance, we have confirmed the claims of its seller. This is an Earth-grade sword made with The core of a Nascent Soul realm Magma Python and Star Ore. The seller claims to have found the sword in ancient ruins in the southern part of the continent and our appraisers did confirm that the sword is at least three thousand years old. Originally, it should have been a top-tier Heaven-grade sword since it was made from the core of a Nascent Soul realm demonic beast. However, the passage of time has degraded and destroyed most of the inscriptions on the sword, severely deteriorating its powers. The starting bid is set at 50,000 High-grade spirit stones-¡°


    ¡°60,000!¡±


    Instantly, a young man with long black hair and dressed in pure white clothes called out his bid.


    I recognized the man as the young master of the Lanjian family. A military family that is supposed to be one of the top five families in the city and famous for their cultivation technique, the Wind Mist Sword Technique.


    Just with a look, it is easy to tell that this young man is following the same path as his father and grandfather as a straightforward and prideful swordsman.


    Unfortunately, this straightforward nature does not serve well in a place like the Imperial Capital if you don¡¯t have the power to back it up.


    ¡°Lanjian Tianyi, has your cultivation of the sword dulled your mind? What are you going to do with a fire element sword when you cultivate a wind nature technique? Isn¡¯t it better to let our Yanfeng family have it instead?¡±


    Lanjian Tianyi glared at the delicate-looking young man wearing green robes with a fan smiling at him with a smug expression.


    ¡°Yanfeng Fengyu. I didn¡¯t realize a girl like you would need a sword to fight your betters. It does make sense though. After all, your delicate body must not be strong enough to handle your family¡¯s spear arts.¡±


    Even from here, I could clearly feel the killing intent radiating from the Yanfeng scion at those words, clearly demonstrating that this boy has inherited the pettiness of his family.


    ¡°It must have taken a lot of your thinking capacity to come up with that retort. Be careful not to spend all of it here lest you are left with nothing when you go back empty-handed to your father.¡±


    ¡°Enough! Put your money where your mouth is. This is an auction.¡±


    ¡°Fine. 80,000 High-grade spirit stones.¡±


    ¡°85,000¡±


    ¡°90,000¡±


    ¡°100,000¡±


    ¡°110,000¡±


    ¡°150,000¡±


    The clear and cold voice directly silenced the two young men, forcing them to turn toward an incredibly beautiful girl dressed in blue robes and two bodyguards in the Core Formation Realm behind her.


    Another scion of the noble families. This time from the Hanzhang family.


    Yanfeng Fengyu immediately started to fawn over the girl.


    ¡°Oh! If it isn¡¯t Miss Shuanghua! If you want that sword, I can just gift it to you.¡±


    Wow kid, can you make your bootlicking any more obvious?


    Lanjian Tianyi just scoffed and turned back to the stage as Hanzhang Shuanghua glared coldly at Yanfeng Fengyu.


    ¡°There is no need for Young Master Yanfeng to trouble himself. I can buy my treasures on my own.¡±


    ¡®Wow. Such drama, such entertainment. Is this why Old Li insists on me attending Auctions held in Starfall City every year? If so, I must agree with his judgment. This is really the peak of entertainment in this world.¡¯


    ¡®While I am glad that you find the situation so amusing, you must not forget that the artifact they are fighting over is something that you want to get as well. Besides, look at your precious disciple. She looks like she is about to lose her parents or something.¡¯


    True to his words, Yan Ling was staring at the squabble on the floor below from our VIP booth with extreme worry and sadness on her face. Clearly, she thinks that she can never hope to get that sword on her meager pocket money of 100 Medium-grade spirit stones a month that I had just begun giving her a few weeks ago.


    And yet, she did not even think of asking me to foot the bill yet. It was clear that she was willing to suffer the loss rather than rely on me to get things for her. A very mature way of thinking.


    However, she must soon learn that such a mentality is not always good. Excess of anything is never good.


    She must learn that should she be in a situation where she really cannot afford something crucial for her cultivation or if she finds herself in danger beyond what she can handle, she can always rely on me for help.


    She should never be ashamed to ask for help from me. After all, isn¡¯t that why I am pushing my cultivation so urgently and the reason why my persona as The Enigma exists in the first place?


    As I was about to place my bid as well, another female voice rang out in the hall. This time, it originated from another VIP box, indicating that they had a status that was much higher than the heirs of the top five families in the city.


    This can only mean that she is either a distinguished elder from those families, a likely scenario, or was a famous Alchemist or Formation Master like I was, which would allow her to experience such preferential treatment.


    ¡°300,000 Spirit Stones.¡±


    As those words resounded across the hall, everyone fell silent at the sheer amount of money put forward by the voice.


    This time, I really felt a sense of danger directed towards the treasure I wanted.


    If I hesitate or try to probe at this moment, who knows what will happen?


    ¡°500,000 Spirit Stones.¡±


    I directly placed an amount that not even those top families can bring out without consulting with their patriarch. Hoping to make this woman back off.


    It really is a huge amount of money even for myself. However, it is still a relatively small number compared to my collective wealth and something that I can quickly recover by selling a few dozen Earth-grade artifacts.


    ¡°Master?¡±


    Yan Ling gave me a surprised and hopeful look as I patted her head while smiling.


    ¡°I told you before, didn¡¯t I? You can buy anything you want today. I¡¯ll pay for them.¡±


    ¡°Thank You!¡±


    She jumped into my lap and hugged me happily before excitedly waiting for the girl on the stage to call the bid to a close.


    Surprisingly, the woman in the VIP booth was not done.


    ¡°550,000¡±


    ¡°700,000¡±


    ¡°750,000¡±


    At this point, I started to doubt if this woman even had enough money for such a bid. 700,000 spirit stones are the annual salary of the patriarch of a top-level sect. Even in this Imperial Capital, the people that can casually take out such a huge amount cannot be more than a few dozen and all of them are famous Alchemists or Formation Masters like myself.


    I wanted to call this woman out, but looking at the nervous expression on the girl on the stage, it is clear that the other party has some kind of a huge background that even the Auction house is cautious of.


    There is no need to offend such a force by calling their bluff, especially since I am not really concerned about spirit stones as my lifestyle is mostly self-sufficient and the spirit stones in my possession only exist for emergencies like these.


    ¡°1,000,000 Spirit Stones.¡±


    I waited to hear the woman speak again, but after nearly an entire minute, the girl on the stage finally closed the bid and bowed towards our box.


    While others might think that I had wasted a lot of money for a mere Earth-grade artifact, they fail to realize that for a formation master like me, it is really easy to restore destroyed inscriptions, especially since the sword itself is made from top-quality materials which give me a lot of leeway in terms of restoration and upgrade of the weapon.


    ¡°Master, why did you waste so much money on it?¡±


    ¡°Silly girl. Don¡¯t think about money when you want something today. While it is good to be conscious of your spending and be thrifty when it is necessary. It is also vital to know when to truly spend your money to gain something priceless. For me, it is worth the price to get something that is suitable for you to use, even if it costs double the amount of what I just spent.¡±


    Once again, the girl hugged me, whether in gratitude or something else, I don¡¯t know. I just patted her back and continued watching as the auction continued while placing a few bids on things that looked interesting to me.


    <hr>


    ¡°That was interesting. Wasn¡¯t it? Aunt Xingchen?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I never realized that there was such a distinguished person lurking in the capital. Almost as if he is purposefully avoiding detection.¡±


    The girl with silver hair and golden eyes turned towards the older woman with similar silver hair but crimson eyes with amusement.


    ¡°There is no need for you to worry too much about their identity, Aunt Xingchen. I already had the Auction House investigate who is occupying that VIP box. Ah! Speaking of¡±


    The door to their room opened and a servant bowed to the girl and handed over a jade slip to her. The woman known as Xingchen waved her hand, indicating the servant to leave before turning towards the princess who had a look of surprise as she examined the contents of the jade slip.


    ¡°I see. No wonder he had enough money to outbid us for that sword. Turns out, it was this person who was bidding for it. Now I really regret not getting that sword if even someone like him was bidding for it. It must have been something truly extraordinary.¡±


    ¡°Princess, don¡¯t keep me in the dark here.¡±


    Princess Yin Lingxi, the sole princess of the Yin Long Empire and one of the three candidates for the throne gave an apologetic smile to her aunt.


    ¡°Sorry. I was just surprised is all. Turns out, the person who fought us for that sword was none other than the famous Formation Master, The Enigma.¡±


    Yao Xingchen, the maternal Aunt of the princess, stared in surprise towards the VIP box opposite to them.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great. This gives us an opportunity to try and recruit him to our side before your brothers try something.¡±


    ¡°I plan to. And that¡¯s not all. The information here says that he has taken in a disciple. Something that he refused to do despite the many requests sent his way by the Formations Guild for the past few years. She must be someone very promising or unique if she caught his eye.¡±


    Yao Xingchen¡¯s eyes lit up at the implication in the princess¡¯s words.


    ¡°I see. It would be really good for us if we could recruit such a talent along with The Enigma. I¡¯ll get the Auction house to arrange a meeting right away.¡±


    The princess nodded at her aunt¡¯s words and laid back in her seat with a smile.


    ¡°The Enigma huh? How interesting. I hope you can truly prove to be the challenge that she claims you are. If not, I would be truly disappointed.¡±

 Chapter 16

    ¡®This could be a problem.¡¯


    ¡®You think? Of course, it¡¯s a problem. Gaining the attention of the Royal Family, especially the lunatics of the Yin Long Empire, is never a good thing for anyone. Those people are unstable at best and completely insane at worst.¡¯


    ¡®They may be unhinged, but they are also scarily competent at their job. Isn¡¯t that the very reason why the Empire stands to this day even after the various calamities that befell it in the past thousand years since its founding?¡¯


    ¡®True. Even then, I still think that you should have declined this invitation. Who knows which one of those lunatics turned their eyes on us? If it is the Emperor, the biggest but dumbest lunatic, we still have a chance of conning him for something valuable in exchange for something mediocre and getting the hell away from this city for life. If it is that little demoness Yin Lingxi, we are doomed.¡¯


    ¡®Relax. Don¡¯t forget our way of doing things. Even if it is the Yin Lingxi, if she can convince us of a good deal, I will give her what she wants. If the deal is one-sided in her favor and she tries to use her family name to try and intimidate us, we will just use our usual strategy of disappearing off the face of this planet indefinitely.¡¯


    ¡®Yeah. I hope it won¡¯t come to that. Getting away from her Divine Light Arts was a nightmare when I was still in the Nascent Soul realm. Thankfully, you don¡¯t cultivate any demonic techniques, and your unique understanding of light on a fundamental level is completely alien to that little demoness. This should allow you to overcome the natural charisma and charm she gains from her technique rather easily.¡¯


    I felt like chuckling at his words as I leaned back into my seat in the room where the meeting was supposed to take place while Yan Ling sat right beside me nervously. And yet, there was no sign of the person from the Royal Family who asked for this meeting in the first place.


    A power move that was so blatant that even a mortal would recognize. But I am not really concerned about such things. They might think that they are showing their superiority by doing this but all they are doing is bringing down their value as a potential business partner by doing this with me.


    Besides, I don¡¯t really care about such political stuff since I am just a country bumkin who happens to be very good at inscriptions. If they want to play games, let them play games, it has nothing to do with me since once our business is concluded I won¡¯t be seeing them again without a proper cause.


    Soon, the door opened and two people walked in. Their bright silver hair that seemed to glow clearly indicated them as people from the direct lineage of the Royal Family.


    However, given the lack of golden eyes of the older woman, it is clear that she is from a branch family. Given the unique silver Jian sword on her hip, my guess is the Yao clan.


    The girl, on the other hand, is clearly the person that the old demon was worried about. The only princess of the royal family and a genius tactician who was one of the few people who put up a good fight against the old demon in his timeline before perishing under his superior cultivation.


    Yin Lingxi.


    Honestly, I felt impressed at the feat that she was capable of achieving in the original timeline. A girl who was the same age as me, yet managed to do things in such a clever and ruthless way that everyone in the royal family was deathly afraid of crossing her.


    However, I think her tendency to fall back on her ruthlessness so frequently is not a good thing for her mental health.


    It''s not like I will tell her that though. Especially since it has nothing to do with me.


    ¡°Sorry about the wait, Master Enigma. I had some urgent work to take care of. I¡¯m sure you understand.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Princess. However, I am a straightforward man so I would like to get down to business.¡±


    I felt the Yao woman¡¯s Qi fill the room at my words as she glared coldly at me.


    Offended just because I avoided pleasantries with your precious princess? How petty.


    ¡°¡­.Princess Yin. I would appreciate it if you could control your bodyguard better. While I don¡¯t care about your show of power by making me wait and suddenly unleashing your Qi like that, my disciple does not have a high cultivation realm and this could affect her mental health. In such a case, I will be forced to take action, and trust me, you will not like it when I take things seriously.¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening the princess? Boy. While I may not be able to tell your cultivation since I can''t detect it, it is not hard to imagine that you would be somewhere in the Foundation Establish realm given your age. A realm that means nothing to me. What gives you the guts to challenge us?¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything and just continued staring at the Yao woman while subtly using my Qi to shield Yan Ling from the effects of the woman¡¯s Qi.


    If I didn¡¯t know the way that this little demoness of a princess operates, I might have truly been angered by this little ¡®test¡¯ of hers. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t have acted on that momentary anger since I don¡¯t like succumbing to my emotions most of the time but it would still have meant that I would have rejected any deals with the Royal Family on principle for this act.


    Still, Even with the knowledge that this is a test, I can¡¯t help but feel angry right now. Just for this alone, I will make it so that the number of artifacts I sell in this city is much lower and of only mortal grade from now on.


    ¡°Aunt Xingchen, that¡¯s enough. We are the ones in the wrong for making Master Enigma wait for so long. So we should be the ones apologizing for it.¡±


    ¡°But princess-¡°


    ¡°Aunt Xingchen. Enough.¡±


    ¡®How cute. I haven¡¯t seen such bad acting since those old shows back home.¡¯


    ¡®What shows? Are talking about that mysterious artifact called ''Television'' from your past life?¡¯


    ¡®Yeah. I¡¯ll tell you about it later.¡¯


    I said nothing and waited for the Princess to continue speaking, indicating that I had caught onto her bad acting. This forced the girl¡¯s eyebrows to twitch in irritation before she spoke again.


    For a cultivator in the Core Formation realm, her self-control is much worse than expected.


    ¡°Since Master Enigma wants to get down to business, I will oblige and be straightforward. I want you to work for me from now on and join my faction.¡±


    ¡°And what will the princess give me in return?¡±


    The girl raised her eyebrow in response.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the reputation of working for the only princess of the empire not enough compensation?¡±


    ¡°No. It is not. It seems the princess has failed to realize the basic principles upon which a deal is conducted.¡±


    ¡°How dare you-¡°


    ¡°Miss Yao. This is the second time you are interrupting me and looking down on me. I am not someone that is quick to anger but I must admit that you are starting to annoy me. If there is a third time, I will leave this place and will not come back, ever. Think carefully about what you say next.¡±


    That seems to have woken up her sleeping brain as the woman finally shuts her trap. The Princess¡¯s playful attitude finally faded away and revealed her true personality.


    The charm and presence of a future empress.


    ¡°In that case, what would Master Enigma want in return for pledging yourself to us? Spirit Stones? Resources? A noble title? Qi rich land? Name your price and this princess will fulfill those conditions.¡±


    A blank check? Really? I could use this to my advantage.


    ¡°I am afraid that no amount of money or power can buy my loyalty, princess. What we can do, however, is reach a mutually beneficial deal.¡±


    ¡°I am listening.¡±


    ¡°I am willing to make a contract with you. I will provide twelve Earth-grade artifacts to the Princess with unique properties that will not be used for any other artifact I make to be sold in the future. In return, I want sixty-eight thousand Jin of Spiritual Marble blocks, a thousand Jin of Qingluo Steel, Yanhong Ore, Muyu Jade, Dihuang Gold, and Lingqing Silver each, and twenty Jin of Xuying Metal.¡±


    ¡°Such Absurd demands-¡°


    ¡°Done. However, the resources you ask for are much more costly than what you propose. I want those twelve Earth-grade artifacts and two Heaven-grade artifacts in exchange.¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Thirteen Earth-grade artifacts and one Heaven-grade artifact.¡±


    ¡°Fourteen Earth-Grade and one Heaven-Grade.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    At my words, the princess gave a beautiful smile that would have captured the heart of any man. Unfortunately for her, I am way too wary of her charm to fall for something like that.


    Besides, given my disastrous luck with women in both lives, I am very unwilling to get involved with anyone at this moment.


    ¡°But, I must say, I am very curious as to what Master Enigma intends to do with this material. Spiritual Marble blocks are a resource controlled by the Royal family due to their high conductivity of Qi. Qingluo steel for its Metal elemental affinity, Yanhong Ore for its Fire element, Muyu Jade for its Wood element, Dihuang Gold for its Earth element, and Lingqing silver for its Water element affinity. A complete Wuxing cycle. The Spiritual Marble, on the other hand, is the most Qi-conductive material ever found. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I would think that you are preparing for some kind of a large-scale Feng Shui Formation ritual.¡±


    ¡°¡­It would seem the princess is well versed in formations. However, I must keep this information secret since it is a personal matter that you need not concern yourself with.¡±


    While her thoughts were close, they were in a different direction compared to what I wanted to do with those materials.


    If I had my way, I would not make any kind of a deal with the royal family, especially this scary smart girl who was able to think five steps ahead of the old demon and his plans in his timeline.


    However, the materials I wanted for my project were all strictly controlled by the Royal family and the Five noble families of this empire. When I received the request from the auction house about a meeting with a member of the Royal family, I saw it as an opportunity for me to gain access to these materials.


    The princess nodded at my words with a smile.


    ¡°It will take time for the contract to be properly drafted into the governing office, probably around two days. I would like to invite Master Enigma to the royal palace to stay for that duration since we have established a business relationship with each other.¡±


    ¡°I must decline, Princess. I promised my disciple that I would show her around the city and it would be inconvenient to do that if we were in the palace.¡±


    ¡°I must insist. I would like to know the person I am doing business with better.¡±


    ¡®Just accept it. We can take advantage of this opportunity to get rid of that thing and reduce any future troubles headed our way.¡¯


    ¡®I am not going to destroy an imperial treasure just on the off chance that they might become my enemy in the future. It is one of the few safeguards against external threats towards the mortals of the capital. Without it, who knows how many lives will be lost if the war really does take place in the near future?¡¯


    ¡®Why are you putting the lives of people that you don¡¯t know above your own well-being?¡¯


    ¡®Because I am very confident about escaping from danger should push come to shove. The mortals on the other hand? They can only be like leaves in a storm, completely helpless without that artifact.¡¯


    ¡®Fine. Even then, you should accept the offer since she is not going to let it go until you do.¡¯


    ¡®No. I¡¯ve got plans that I need to implement and I will not waste my time politicking with the royal family.¡¯


    ¡®Your funeral. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡¯


    ¡°Like I said, I have plans, Princess. And I cannot postpone them.¡±


    ¡°You are quite the rude and ungrateful brat, aren¡¯t you? Wang Xiang.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is your knowledge of that name supposed to scare me?¡±


    This time, I saw a slight glare directed towards the Yao woman by the princess.


    Oh? That was not part of the plan then? I guess you did not want to reveal the knowledge that you knew my true identity but your subordinate blurted it out since she was frustrated with my attitude.


    Or, this could also be a ruse to try and win my favor. It could go wither ways given what I know about this little demoness.


    ¡°Apologies, Master Enigma. It seems my subordinate is not feeling really well these days and tends to blurt out rude things.¡±


    ¡°I can see that. Besides, even if she blurted it out on accident, I would like to clarify something for you as well, princess. Wang Xiang is dead. That name has no meaning to me anymore and neither does the Wang family hold any significance to me. As far as I am concerned, I only have one family member in this world and she is sitting right beside me. And trust me, should something ever happen to her because of your subordinate or anyone else, that will be the day this empire ceases to exist.¡±


    This time, I removed my mask, clearly revealing my features, and glared at the Yao woman while fully unleashing my Qi.


    Instantly, the room¡¯s Spiritual stone-based walls started to crack under the pressure as the Yao woman hunched over, using all her might to try and resist my power.


    I am not one to use intimidation to get my way with others. However, in this case, I must assert my superiority in front of this brazen woman lest she start having ideas of messing with Yan Ling to try and get to me.


    Because I truly meant what I said. Should something happen to Yan Ling, this empire will cease to exist.


    As a person from Earth, my brand of insanity is something that these people cannot hope to imagine. These people grew up with the cheat code known as Qi surrounding them on a daily basis with a clear distinction in their social structure and a clearly present god in the form of the Heavens keeping them in check all the time.


    On the other hand, the people of my world never had such clear distinction and access to such power, leading the worst darkness within humanity to win out in the name of survival and give rise to the cruel, apathetic, and unstable modern world I was familiar with.


    There is a reason that the term ¡®Mutually assured destruction¡¯ does not exist in this world.


    Sure, kingdoms and civilizations rise and fall all the time in this world since a cultivator in the Nascent Soul realm has enough power to flatten an entire city should he or she choose to while a Soul Transformation realm cultivator has even more exaggerated power. However, they refrain from doing something like that most of the time since the Heavens do not tolerate wanton slaughter unless the cultivator in question is on the demonic path.


    On the other hand, I do not have to worry about something like that since the heavens would not consider me responsible for the death of everyone in the kingdom should I create an artifact mimicking the nuclear fission process of an Atom Bomb, only magnitudes higher, and have it detonate at the capital.


    Of course, I would never do something like that since I don¡¯t need to use violent methods to make the empire collapse. All I would have to do would be to oversaturate the market with mortal and earth-grade artifacts until they become so common that even a mortal would be able to get them relatively easily along with making the knowledge of inscription and Qi cultivation common knowledge. This would lead to a cultural revolution like what happened in my world with the invention of the Printing press.


    In a world where everyone is special, no one is special anymore.


    This would inevitably lead to the mortals rising against their oppressors and leading to revolts and other such incidents across the empire.


    Such a plan would take time, decades, or even centuries. But, it is still a viable plan for a cultivator like me who can count his lifespan in the centuries at the core formation and would have thousands of years once I reach the Nascent Soul realm.


    All of this is Hypothetical since I would rather die than let anything happen to Yan Ling but it still shows just how insane I am to come up with two plans of mass destruction on the spot at the mere mention of a threat to those I care about.


    Guess I am really not that different from the old demon. Perhaps, I am even worse than him in some aspects.


    Hindsight is 20/20 as they say.


    Seeing that the Yao woman was on the verge of collapsing from the strain, I retracted my Qi and stood up.


    ¡°I will meet with the princess in two days at this auction hall. Oh! Before I forget, Miss Yao. For your comment and implied threats directed towards me throughout this meeting. I will no longer be selling my artifacts in the capital. I hope your momentary sense of satisfaction gained by trying to suppress me with your status was worth it.¡±


    With that, I left the room with Yan Ling walking right behind me.


    ¡®¡­.David. Calm down.¡¯


    ¡®I am calm.¡¯


    ¡®No, you are not. We are connected through our souls, remember? I can feel everything you can just like you are feeling my emotions right now. Yan Ling is safe. Nothing has happened to her. This is not my life and you are not as helpless as I was. Calm down.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.I cannot lose her like you lost-¡®


    ¡®You will not. We will make sure of it. Haven¡¯t you already asserted your power and made backup plans for such a situation? Trust yourself and your plans. You are not thinking straight right now. You are letting my emotions influence you. You need to meditate and clearly distinguish your emotions from my own.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.Do you feel like this often?¡¯


    ¡®¡­.Always.¡¯


    ¡®How do you cope with it?¡¯


    ¡®By talking to you and looking at those incidents from your perspective, trying to find what I could have done better and where you should do better.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.Thank you.¡¯


    ¡®You and I are one and the same. There is no need to thank me.¡¯


    I said nothing and headed straight back towards our room in the inn. He is right in that I need to meditate and separate his emotions that bled out from the bead from my own.


    <hr>


    Princess Yin Lingxi glared at her aunt who looked ashamed at that look.


    ¡°Do you know your mistakes?¡±


    ¡°I was just trying to-¡°


    ¡°Yao Xingchen. Do you realize the damage you have caused with your actions today?¡±


    Yao Xingchen, the Radiant Sword, a renowned initial stage Nascent Soul realm cultivator, behaved like a misbehaving child being chastised by their parent and drooped her shoulders.


    When the princess called her with her full name, she realized that Yin Lingxi was not speaking to her as her niece anymore but as the princess of the Yin Long Empire.


    ¡°Yes, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Do you really? Explain to me then, what exactly you did wrong.¡±


    ¡°I went beyond what the princess instructed me to do and exposed the fact that we knew his true identity in a moment of rashness.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And I offended him by subtly threatening him with his real name, causing Wang Xiang to say that he would not sell his artifacts in this city anymore as retaliation.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    This time, Yao Xingchen looked up in confusion since she did not understand.


    The Princess sighed at that clueless look and leaned back before explaining.


    ¡°What you have done has not just cost us a valuable Formation Master but might have given our enemies a potential avenue to exploit this bad relationship to their advantage.¡±


    ¡°What??¡±


    ¡°It is not hard to imagine that with the stunt you pulled, Wang Xing might be inclined to start selling his artifacts to our enemies or the Baihu Empire to spite us. Given his startlingly high cultivation, he might even be inclined to join them directly should he choose to, becoming a dangerous adversary for us. There is also the fact that he is related to Her, which makes things even more dangerous for us.¡±


    At these words, Yao Xingchen slowly turned pale as she properly started considering the consequences of her actions. Finally realizing that her reckless actions have placed her princess in a really bad spot on all sides.


    ¡°¡­.What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°Now, I¡¯ll have to find a way to make amends for your mistakes.¡±


    The princess leaned back in her seat and thought back to the conversation she had with the man.


    She was right, he is really an interesting person. However, he needs to get a hold of that temper of his if he wants to achieve anything in the future.


    ¡°¡­For starters, we will double the amount of all the resources he asked for in the deal without raising the price from his end. I¡¯ll also discuss with my father about granting him a title and land in a Qi-rich environment. We will start from there and discuss about what else he wants as compensation in the next meeting. Needless to say, if you open your mouth again without my say-so in the next meeting, I will punish you. Even if you are my aunt and I love you dearly, I cannot afford you screwing up this badly again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princess.¡±


    ¡°¡­Also, find out where Wang Xing is living. If push comes to shove, I might have to personally visit him and try to make amends to keep him from joining forces with our enemies.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Yes, Princess.¡±

 Chapter 17

    ''Ok. This is the last push. Get ready.''


    ''¡­I don''t know. I still don''t feel like this is the right time.''


    ''You have been pushing this back ever since we arrived in this city. Look, I know it is scary and you are afraid of the pain thanks to my memories but trust me, it is much better to bear this pain so that you can move forward with your cultivation than be stuck in the Core Formation realm for your entire life.''


    ''¡­.Ok. Let''s do this.''


    ''Good. Now, you already know this but I will still warn you. Don''t let your inner fears dominate your mind during this process. The Rebellious Spirit Technique was originally a demonic technique that used the life force of several Core Formation realm cultivators to rebuild the spirit roots of a demonic cultivator. I have modified it to work by using your own core since your Qi capacity far exceeds what is required by the technique to work. However, the drawback is that the technique will naturally try to connect with the Demonic Dao when you start using it. If you stay true to yourself, the connection will fail to form and your new spirit roots will successfully connect with your core. If you fail, you will become a demonic cultivator.''


    ''¡­..On second thoughts, can we do this later?''


    ''No. We cannot. Especially since we have definitely made an enemy of the princess. You need to advance to Nascent Soul immediately if you want to keep your loved ones safe.''


    ''¡­.You are right. Let''s do this.''


    I closed my eyes and focused on working the technique that the old demon made for me as thunderclouds instantly started to form overhead.


    Good thing I decided to come out of the city to do this. Who knows what would happen if a stray blast of the lighting from the tribulation hit an unfortunate mortal who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time?


    Instantly, I felt nearly a quarter of my Qi disappear as my rebuilt spirit roots activated. The Pure Qi in my surroundings started to rapidly disappear into my spirit roots.


    Then, things took a turn for the worse when I felt a strand of demonic energy burst out from my spirit roots heading straight for my mind.


    ''Shit! Stop-''


    I didn''t hear the old demon''s words as my consciousness left me.


    "Xiang''er, don''t cry."


    Despite her words, I couldn''t help the tears fall. Watching her body become thinner and thinner by the day, knowing there was nothing I could do and that the bastard that I call father couldn''t care less.


    She gently patted my head like she always did when I cried.


    "Xiang''er. Listen to me. From now on, you need to be strong. People will try to make fun of you. They will try to take advantage of you. You must never let them succeed."


    Despite the pain that she must be feeling, she slowly sat up on her bed. Reaching for her neck, she took out a small bead tied to a simple string and placed it around me.


    "Keep this with you. This belonged to your grandmother. She passed it on to me when I was your age. Now, I am giving it to you. Whenever you feel alone, remember that I am always with you through this."


    I cried harder and hugged her tightly in fear and despair.


    "Xiang''er. Never make the same mistake I made. Don''t ever let your emotions decide your life for you. Never let your feelings for someone overtake your rationality. However, you must not isolate yourself from your peers. Learn to discern between the truth and the lies."


    "You must learn to tell when someone has an ulterior motive and when someone genuinely cares for you. You must learn to be strong in the face of adversity. You must learn to never give up when all seems lost."


    "Most importantly, never think that you are alone in this world."


    "Why? Why did you lie to me? Mother. You said I was not alone. But, I am alone. No one cares for me, and neither is there someone that I care for."


    <div>


    "That''s right. Everyone in this world lies. Your Mother, your Father, your siblings, even your disciple. Everyone lies. You cannot trust anyone but yourself."


    <hr>


    I felt a searing pain as the palm strike directly broke my right arm, causing it to hang limply.


    "I don''t understand what''s so great about you. You might be very good at cultivation, but you are not that strong."


    I sneered at Wang Qiang, the bastard I called my brother, from the stage and spoke out.


    "If you are really that confident, why not fight your own battles instead of having your bodyguard fight for you?"


    "Are you stupid? My bodyguard is a part of my ability. If you have the power, why not have your bodyguard fight for you as well? Oh! Right, I forgot that you don''t have any ever since that mistress of father that you call a mother died a dog''s death."


    I felt rage flood my mind as I madly jumped at Wang Qiang, only for his bodyguard to intervene and break my leg.


    All the while, Wang Wei, the bastard that calls himself my father, stared down coldly from his seat.


    "Why? Aren''t I your son as well? Why do you treat him and the others so differently compared to me? Is it because their mothers come from reputed noble or martial families while my mother came from an ordinary background?"


    "That''s right. In this world, strength is all that matters. Become strong no matter the cost. Then, the entire world will be your plaything and you can have your revenge against these lesser creatures."


    I felt agony as the lighting elemental Qi rampaged across my spirit roots, systematically destroying everything that they came in contact with.


    All the while, that bastard Xiao Kai looked down at me with a smug look.


    "That''s what you get for going after my woman. A toad like you wants to eat the swan''s meat? Dream on. You are just a trash, literally."


    He leaned forward and whispered his next words.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll take good care of Junior Sister Yun Xin from now on. And, as a favor to you, I''ll also help myself to everything you own within the clan. And between you and me, I can''t wait to get a taste of her."


    His laughter resounded in the area as he walked off with Yun Xin following behind him.


    From the very beginning, she did not even look me in the eyes.


    I knew that from this day forward, no one would hesitate to try and step on me for their own ends.


    I have nowhere to go.


    I have no one to call my family.


    I should just give up.


    "That''s right, just give up and let me take the lead. I''ll help you become the strongest being in this world."


    ......Wait, what??


    You are right. I should just end it all.


    What the hell am I thinking?


    "Very good. Just do as I tell you to do. Circulate your Qi like this-"


    "ENOUGH!!"


    Suddenly, my consciousness snapped back to an alert state as I shouted at the strange voice.


    "I am a coward. I know that better than anyone. I like to run away from my problems, to hide from them. To avoid facing them unless I have no choice."


    "I am not the luckiest guy in the universe, I know that better than anyone. Bad shit happens to me all the time."


    For the first time since I woke up in this world, I let my emotions take control.


    "However, I am not cowardly enough to take the easy way out. I know I will fail in many things that I want to do. It''s kind of my thing at this point. But, I never give up after failing."


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    As my voice rose in power, so did my emotions. And with it, my Qi.


    Power flooded the darkness and started illuminating my surroundings, revealing a broken house that looked like it had gone through several house fires.


    And in the center of this house is a familiar figure chained to the ground.


    His blood-red eyes glaring hatefully at me while his face is twisted with a condescending expression.


    "Do you think it is something to be proud of? To fail so much? Why not let me take control? Why not take up the old demon on his offer and go down his path? You know the kind of power he achieved in his timeline. We could be invincible. Especially since we took our would-be killer as our disciple!!"


    I looked at the man with pity and walked forward, approaching his chained form.


    He did not waste a single second and directly plunged his arm through my chest.


    "HAHAHA!! YES!! PREPARE YOURSELF WANG WEI! I AM COMING FOR YOU-Wait, why is nothing happening??"


    I smiled at the confused man who was my spitting image and started patting his head.


    "You have gone through a lot, Wang Xiang. We have gone through a lot. However, it is time to let go of the past, and look to the future."


    "You think I will listen to your pathetic and na?ve morality and ideals??"


    "No. I know that you won''t. But, I am hoping that you will listen to your own."


    "What are you talking about??"


    "Tell me, Wang Xiang. Why did you cultivate?"


    "What kind of stupid question is that?"


    "Indulge me a little bit."


    He fell silent as memories passed through our surroundings.


    Darkness and despair dominated them as humiliation after humiliation, defeat after defeat, injury after injury rushed past us.


    "Look past the darkness of the surface. Deep into your memories. Why do we Cultivate?"


    The memories continued to rush past us, but slowly, they started to show different things.


    One image showed us as a child, playing with Yun Xin in the gardens of the Wang family as our mothers watch on from the side with smiles.


    "Why do we fight?"


    Another image flashed by. This one showed us walking with our mother through the streets of the city. We bought candied apples as we enjoyed our evening. A scene that I had unintentionally repeated with Yan Ling just yesterday.


    "Why do we crave strength so much?"


    The final image appeared. Instead of disappearing into the distance of what I can only presume to be our soul, this one was stuck in place.


    It showed us with our mother again. This time, we were crying into the lap of our mother.


    I remember that day well. I overheard the servants of Wang Wei talking about Mother and me behind our backs. They called Mother terrible things and even said that it would be better for her to die so that Wang Wei could get a proper concubine and make the family prosper with a good heir instead of a waste like me who could not cultivate the Iron Mountain arts due to my water and wood nature spirit roots.


    "Do you remember? Wang Xiang. Why do we struggle so much?"


    "¡­Because we promised mother that we would protect her. That we would become strong. So strong that no one in the family would dare to look down on her for being a commoner. I promised to myself that I would never lose anything that I hold dear?????."


    Then, his expression became mocking and despairing.


    "But what use is that promise? I failed in the end. She died and I could do nothing but watch her wither away. I failed to live up to that promise. I was not strong enough to change the family''s opinion of her, neither was I strong enough to guard my relationship with Yun Xin from Xiao Kai. I even failed my last promise to her to keep myself safe and died in such a pathetic way that the heavens decided to bring forth you, my far more competent previous incarnation."


    I said nothing but continued patting his head. As he continued talking, his size started to shrink until he resembled me when I was a five-year-old.


    I got down on one knee and slowly started to undo the chains around his body.


    "Yes. We have failed. We have failed very badly. However, just because we have failed our promise to her and to ourselves in the past does not mean we can''t keep that promise now. Look around you."


    I felt a shift from deep within me as new images started to appear in the void.


    Images of Old Feng and Grandma Liu. Old Li. Chief Chen and Grandma Li Na. Oldman Han, Grandma Xiulan, and Little Hui.


    Little Xing.


    Yan Ling.


    One by one, images flashed by as the laughter and joy of all those that we cherished filled the void.


    "We who once had nothing, now have so much to look after. We have so many people to call our true friends and a little girl who depends on us as her family. We failed our promises before. But we will never fail again."


    The darkness in the void started to retreat rapidly as Light started to burst out from my child self, my inner demon, and the very representation of all my regrets.


    He looked at me with hope as I held out my hand.


    "After all, We are Huxing Xiang. The Son of Huxing Liuyue who was once known as the Raging Sea of the North. We are Da Wei, the reclusive cultivator, Formation Master, Alchemist, and the master to a future peerless warrior. We are strong!! And we will never fail again!!"


    My younger self grasped my hand with a smile even as his body started to crack and blinding light started to fill the void.


    Within seconds, I was blinded by the light before my consciousness left my soul.


    The old demon in the bead would have sweated buckets by now if he had a physical body.


    It had been more than half an hour since Da Wei''s consciousness retreated into his soul and the heavens were starting to become really rowdy.


    Occasionally, lightning would flash in the sky as powerful winds blew around the area.


    When the old demon spotted the purple lighting in the sky, he nearly felt his soul flee in terror.


    The color of tribulation lighting has a huge significance to a cultivator.


    For an ordinary cultivator, the tribulation lighting is usually white. For those with special physiques, it is usually red, signifying the increased difficulty and danger for the cultivator in question.


    Purple lighting, on the other hand, only appears for cultivators with heaven-defying talents or to strike down demonic cultivators so heinous that the very world could no longer tolerate their existence.


    In this instance, the old demon had no illusions as to why the purple lighting appeared at this moment.


    It was a direct response by the world to the usage of the technique he designed for his younger self.


    He grew worried as time passed and he felt his connection with his younger self grow weaker and weaker.


    What if he failed? What if the heavens decided that it was too dangerous for him to continue cultivating and struck him down?


    What would happen to him? Would he be left alone in the bead until someone else finds it?


    What would happen to the girl? She was left all alone in the inn since the old demon and Da Wei had never anticipated the process to take a turn like this and place them in such danger. Would she be ok after they died? How will she get back to the village?


    What if someone made calculations against her? How will she protect herself?


    What about Old Feng? Old Li? The children in the village? Everyone else? What would happen to them should something bad happen?


    ''Damn it!! David, you bastard!! You better not die and make me feel guilty for leaving all those weaklings behind!! You hear me??''


    Of course, there was no response.


    Suddenly, lightning struck right beside where Da Wei''s body was sitting cross-legged, spooking the old demon silly. He started cursing even more loudly in the empty mind of his younger self, hoping to bring him out of whatever funk he was in.


    Thankfully, he did not have to take drastic measures to save his younger self.


    Suddenly, Pure Qi from the heavens started rushing into Da Wei''s body, forming a massive vortex of energy that was visible to the naked eye.


    Within the body, the old demon watched with a stupefied expression as the newly constructed spirit roots of Da Wei''s body connected with the core of Pure Qi he formed before. However, the process did not end there as he had anticipated.


    The core suddenly started to pulse rapidly while spinning at extreme speeds. The pulse of energy spread across the spirit roots and started to strengthen and nourish them with pure Qi, removing any elemental affinity they might have had.


    Then, things took an even more bizarre turn as the spirit roots connected themselves to Da Wei''s physical form and started to integrate themselves into every single part of his body.


    ''¡­.JUST WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE???


    Even when the spirit roots completely integrated with Da Wei''s body, his core did not stop spinning and pulsing. Instead, it started to spin even faster and pulse even more wildly.


    Soon, the core reached enough speeds to start heating up and the pulses now became so fast that they were no longer distinguishable from a continuous flow.


    All of a sudden, the spinning core pulled at the vortex of energy surrounding the body and started integrating it into itself.


    Pure Qi fell into the core like a planet or a star falling into a black hole.


    The entire process lasted for a mere few seconds, but for the old demon, these few seconds might as well be centuries of uncertainty where he did not know what was happening around him.


    It was only when the core reached its limit and started turning into a solid marble of energy did he realized what was happening.


    ''¡­.Holy shit! Kid. I knew you would prove me wrong again but I never imagined you would do it in such an exaggerated way.''


    He watched with awe as the newly formed peak stage Core continued spinning as cracks started to form on the solid orb of energy.


    Then, with a single burst, the core broke apart like an egg and revealed a small formless shape of pure energy made of True Qi.


    No, that was wrong. It was not True Qi.


    True Qi is the Qi formed when a cultivator breaks through into the Nascent Soul realm. The elemental Qi of a cultivator is refined according to their cultivation technique and their understanding of the concept behind their element, giving birth to their True Qi. It is the reason why the True Qi of a cultivator is unique to themselves.


    This energy that Da Wei''s body formed, on the other hand, is not refined from elemental energy, but directly from the Pure Qi of the world.


    The title of True Qi fit it well, but the old demon felt that he needed to give it a different name to distinguish the sheer madness and impossibility that his younger self managed to achieve.


    ''I know. I will call it Primal Qi. The root of all Pure Qi. A fitting name for an impossibility made possible by this madman.''


    A Nascent Soul formed from the purest form of Qi, the Primal Qi.


    Truly, only the monstrosity known as Da Wei could do something impossible like this.


    Finally, once the light show was over, the old demon felt Da Wei''s consciousness return from within his soul. However, he immediately felt the difference.


    Da Wei''s soul never was anything special, just like that of anyone else. However, ever since he first woke up in the bead, the old demon felt like there was a part of Da Wei''s soul that was either missing or damaged.


    He always attributed Da Wei''s weirdly chill nature and his lack of emotions towards those who wronged him to this damaged or missing part.


    But now, his soul felt whole. Like whatever part of it was missing had been returned to its proper place.


    Even better, his soul had been significantly strengthened, so much so that he could easily pass for a beginner-level soul cultivator if he wanted to.


    ''David! Start circulating your Qi quickly!! The heavens are going to send down the tribulation at any second!''


    ''What tribulation?''


    ''Are you blind?? Look at the sky-What the??''


    As the old demon looked to the skies, he saw in disbelief as the tribulation rapidly started to disperse along with the powerful winds slowing down to a gentle breeze.


    Then, a powerful and pure light gently fell from the heavens and engulfed Da Wei''s body before disappearing into his spirit roots.


    ''¡­David, what the hell happened just now??''


    ''I don''t know. But, for the first time in a long while, I feel content.''


    Da Wei gazed at the sky with a gentle smile before getting up from the ground.


    "Let''s go. I am in the mood for some rice."


    ''¡­.Very Well. Ask the girl for her opinion. I''ve no doubt that she would find the best place to eat rice in this city being the glutton that she is.''


    ''An excellent idea.''

 Chapter 18

    Walking through the familiar streets bustling with activity, I couldn¡¯t help but be filled with nostalgia.


    The bustling of the mortals, going about their normal lives. Children playing on the streets. Guards occasionally walk by, keeping an eye out for anything unusual. Vendors sold their wares as the customers bargained with them. Friendly banter between the people all around us and the occasional roughhousing of the teenagers.


    It was a scene that looked extremely similar to what I remember. A scene full of life that I could never hope to see in the upper-class districts of this city.


    Yan Ling looked around curiously at everything around us while holding onto my hand.


    I depended on my memory to guide us through the maze of cramped streets until we finally arrived at the edge of the commoner district of the city right by the walls.


    There, on a small hill that overlooked the district, we saw the derelict remains of what should have been a small house. For a split second, the burnt rubble was replaced by a simple yet homely place filled with the happiest memories of my life.


    ¡°Um, Master? Where are we?¡±


    ¡°This, Ling¡¯er, was my home.¡±


    The girl gave a shocked look before looking back and forth between the house and me.


    ¡°Come, there is someone that I want you to meet.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    I guided Yan Ling through the broken path and burnt grass until we circled around the rubble and arrived at a clearing with a simple grave.


    I tapped into my Primal Qi and waved my hand, instantly clearing the weeds from the grave and the grime from the stone tombstone.


    Sitting on my knees, I brought out a few incense sticks and offerings before motioning Yan Ling to do the same.


    We kowtowed three times to the grave before offering the incense and sat in silence for some time.


    Finally, I gathered my wits and started speaking.


    ¡°Hello, Mother.¡±


    I felt Yan Ling¡¯s body jolt in shock at my words and stare at me with teary eyes.


    An understandable reaction considering what I had her do just now.


    In this world, kowtowing to someone who is dead is considered to be a sign of respect even if you don¡¯t have any relationship with that person.


    However, there is a specific meaning in having a child kowtow to their master¡¯s parents.


    It is considered as a simplified adoption ceremony where the master has decided to change their master-disciple relationship to that of a parent and child. Something rarely done since most masters only take in disciples for their personal gain or to enlighten themselves by teaching their disciples and even those masters who care about their disciples would still not consider taking them as their kin due to the issues of seniority in their line of disciples.


    ¡°M-Master?? Are you sure? I am just a nobody. I may have a good physique and cultivation talent, but I am still of common blood. My parents were commoners with no cultivation. My dirty blood can never compare to-¡°


    I patted the head of the crying and babbling girl before speaking again.


    ¡°Hurry up and pay respects to your grandmother.¡±


    She continued sniffling before slowly kowtowing to the grave.


    ¡°G-granddaughter Yan-no, Da Ling, pays respects to grandmother.¡±


    She held herself for a few seconds before she broke down crying again, forcing me to take her into my arms and calm her down.


    Eventually, her mental exhaustion caught up to her, and fell asleep in my arms.


    Holding her in my arms, I started talking.


    ¡°A lot of things happened since you left me, Mother. You said that I would never be alone even if you were not there. Turns out, that was a false hope that you held onto. I went through a lot, I saw a lot. Did a lot of things I am not proud of. I would have probably tarnished your name by now if things had gone differently six years ago.¡±


    ¡°But, you don¡¯t have to worry anymore. I have decided to let the past be in the past. I have buried all of those grudges and feelings. I think I want to look to the future now. I can no longer let those that I do not care about drag me down with their actions. I want to fulfill that promise I made to you from now on. To protect those I care about. To protect my daughter.¡±


    I looked down at Yan, Da Ling, curled up into my chest with a smile.


    ¡°I think you would have loved her. She is very excitable. Loves to eat to the point where I have to question if she is even human. She is monstrously talented on the path of Cultivation and Alchemy but completely incompetent at Inscriptions and Formations.¡±


    ¡°She is na?ve, but jaded. Trusting but suspicious. Courageous but cowardly. A paradox that I can never hope to decipher, only accept her for how she is. But, no matter her flaws or her personality, I love her all the same.¡±


    I looked to the sky and let go of the iron grip I had on my emotions for so long.


    Tears fell from my eyes as dark emotions rushed forward, finally finding a release after years of being suppressed.


    ¡°I miss you. I wish you were here to see everything I achieved. Did you know? I reached the Nascent Soul realm yesterday. A realm that bastard Wang Wei who you left everything for could never hope to achieve with his narrow-minded personality. Not like I can rub it in his face since that fool died with his precious ¡®family¡¯ and his beloved martial arts when the sect was wiped out by an unknown party. I don¡¯t know if there were any survivors except for the few inner and outer disciples that were out on missions.¡±


    ¡°I also became a renowned Formation Master that goes by the name ¡®The Enigma¡¯. I know that it is a silly name but you can¡¯t blame me for it. It was the Auction house that came up with that name to sell my very first products.¡±


    ¡°I still have Grandmother¡¯s bead that you gave me. Did you ever realize the value of that thing when you were alive? If you did, why didn¡¯t you use the bead to heal yourself? I can only hope that you didn¡¯t know about its abilities because If you did and still didn¡¯t use it, I can only assume that you planned to die and leave me behind. A thought that I can¡¯t bear to imagine.¡±


    As I continued talking and let out all the emotions that I had bottled up within me ever since her death, the day turned to night.


    Slowly, I got up from the ground and looked at her grave.


    ¡°Today, I came here not just to speak with you, but to take you away from this accursed place. Did you know? I found a place that I can truly call home. I have friends, I have people who care for me irrespective of my cultivation or abilities. I have kind people who are willing to do anything for me. I want you to watch all of this. I want you to watch over your granddaughter as she grows up to be a formidable warrior who shakes the very continent with her fame. I want you to watch over us for the rest of our lives.¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    With each word, my Primal Qi rose in its intensity and started covering the entire hill with its heavy presence.


    The weeds that I had cleared just that day suddenly started to spring back into existence rapidly as the trees, flowers, and grass around us started to become even more vibrant than before.


    The burnt grass faded away and was quickly replaced by fresh stalks that looked like someone had meticulously watered them on a daily basis while the charred tree trunks rapidly healed and fresh leaves started to spring out from their branches.


    I noticed these anomalies but left those questions for another day.


    Once I felt the entire hill through my Qi, I made a simple swiping motion. Instantly, the entire hill was severed from the ground and started to slowly float up into the air.


    With another swipe, the entire hill disappeared into a space ring I prepared beforehand.


    Now, all that is left is to transplant this hill back home.


    Slowly, I floated back down and started walking away from the area.


    From now on, this city has nothing to tether me to it and I can leave this place behind without any regrets.


    <hr>


    Princess Yin Lingxi felt nervous for the very first time in her admittedly short life as she watched the relaxed expression of the man known to the capital as The Enigma and Wang Xiang to her.


    Compared to his tightly controlled rage and hateful expression that she had seen the last time when he finally removed his mask, this sudden change was extremely unnerving to her.


    Given the way her Aunt Xingchen was shifting behind her, it was clear that she was not the only one feeling this strangeness.


    With the way things were going, Yin Lingxi decided to take the direct approach and quickly end things so that she could have some time to reflect on this unnerving feeling.


    She took the initiative to bow her head and start speaking.


    ¡°Master Enigma, first of all, please accept my apology for what happened in the last meeting. I have truly failed to control my subordinate and offended you. As an apology, I have taken the liberty to double the amount of everything that you asked for in our deal without changing the artifacts from your end. I have also received permission from the Emperor to promote you to nobility with a large patch of Qi-rich land in the capital¡¯s upper district being transferred to your name. If there is anything else, anything at all, that you would have me do to make up for that incident, I am willing to do it.¡±


    She did not need to turn around to know that her Aunt was looking down at the floor with anger and guilt for what her actions had forced her niece to do.


    A proud princess of the empire had been forced to bow her head to a man who was not even from the capital.


    However, the response that they received from Da Wei was not something that they expected.


    ¡°Raise your head, Princess. It does not reflect well on the royal family if you do something like this. I do not need any other compensation for that incident. I will also not accept that title and land. The fact that you acknowledge that your subordinate made a mistake and are willing to rectify it is enough. Honestly speaking, I have already forgotten all about that incident by this point.¡±


    This time, the Princess could not hide the shock in her gaze just as her Aunt failed to hide her own shock.


    The princess was well aware of the double meaning within her words because she had purposefully spoken in that way to gauge the reaction of her opponent. To see if he would succumb to the temptation.


    If he did, she would know how to control this man from this point onward, especially since there was not a lack of women who would happily accompany a man like him to make connections and move up in the world.


    If he became interested in the title or the land, she could promise to make him her aide after ascending to the throne, making him second to her in authority across the empire, in exchange for his support.


    In the same way, anything else he asked for, she could use that as a basis to assess his likes and dislikes to win him over to her faction.


    But she never imagined that he would so clearly turn down all of her opening offers without any room for further offers.


    With a wry smile, she realized that despite overestimating his personality and complexity by a lot, she had still underestimated him in the end.


    For the first time in her life, she started to believe the words of her mother who used to say that not everyone was looking for personal gain by trying to establish a connection with her.


    A fact that she never believed until today due to the many hideous monsters that exist within the Royal family, the palace, and the capital as a whole who wear masks for their own ends.


    Now, for the first time, she met a person who did not care for her fame, her family¡¯s strength, her beauty, her money, her connections, or her resources. For the first time, she met a person who was not moved by personal gain and did not hold grudges for even the smallest of things like most in his position would do.


    ¡®How interesting! How exciting!!¡¯


    ¡°I see. I applaud Master Enigma¡¯s open-mindedness, but I have my own face to consider. I cannot allow my mistake to be forgiven so easily without any compensation.¡±


    Da Wei simply smiled at her words.


    ¡°Like I said, Princess Yin. I don¡¯t need anything else aside from what we agreed upon.¡±


    ¡°¡­..I see. Then, how about something more useful?¡±


    At those words, Da Wei raised a brow in interest.


    The princess gave a bright smile as she started speaking words that nearly gave a heart attack to Yao Xingchen.


    ¡°As you probably know, the Imperial family has a lot of treasures accumulated over the thousand years it has been on this continent. How about choosing one of those artifacts as compensation?¡±


    ¡°Again, I must decline. I am a Formation Master, Princess. If I wanted an artifact, I could make it myself. As for resources, I think the journey that one goes on to find those resources is the most important aspect of cultivation than the resource itself.¡±


    ¡°I see. I must say, Master Enigma has really put me on the spot. If nothing I have can satisfy the master, then, how about this??¡±


    With a wave of her hand, she took out a jade slip and a burnt pendant from her space ring.


    ¡°The Jade slip is a communication artifact that connects directly to its counterpart that I have with me. If you ever decide to take my offer and need something, you can directly contact me and I will fulfill that request. As for the pendant, please accept it as a gift from me. I don¡¯t know what its purpose is or if it is just a regular object. All I know is that it came from an ancient ruin upon which the Royal capital was built a thousand years ago.¡±


    She watched with intrigue as a complicated look passed through Da Wei¡¯s eyes before he gave a sigh and accepted the two objects.


    ¡°Since you are insisting so much, I will take them. Keep in mind, however, that this does not mean I am willing to sell my artifacts in this Auction hall anymore. I am a man of my word and since I said I won¡¯t sell them here, I won¡¯t sell them here.¡±


    ¡°¡­.I see. While it is disheartening to hear that since I am technically the owner of this place, It is understandable and I do not fault you.¡±


    The Princess pushed forward a storage ring placed on a cushion towards Da Wei.


    ¡°As I said previously, everything that you wanted is within this storage ring, including a copy of the official contract drafted with the governing office. Additionally, I have taken the liberty of changing the delivery date for the artifacts from Master Enigma to a date of your choosing.¡±


    ¡°¡­.That is very generous of you, Princess. Tell me, why are you so willing to take so many losses just to win me over? I know that Formation Masters are highly sought after, but the way you are doing things seems like you have an ulterior motive in trying to win me over specifically.¡±


    ¡°Master Enigma is indeed insightful. I won¡¯t deny it. I have an ulterior motive in choosing you specifically and wanting you in my faction. However, I can¡¯t reveal the reason since our relationship is not that close yet. I hope Master Enigma understands.¡±


    During this meeting and the meeting before, The princess had always believed Da Wei, or as she knew him, Wang Xiang, was just like any other man who sought things and connections for his own ends and treated him as she would any other potential recruit.


    However, she has finally realized that if she wants to establish any kind of relationship with this man, she will have to be straightforward and completely open about her intentions with him.


    And just as she predicted, the man relaxed considerably and looked at her with a tiny smile.


    ¡°I see. I can accept that reasoning. I hope you are not planning to use any underhanded methods to recruit me.¡±


    ¡°I cannot promise that, Master Enigma. Like I said, I have my reasons for wanting you and I will recruit you, there is no doubt about it. However, I can promise that any underhanded means I use will not be directed towards anyone that you care about and will only target you. Even then, I will make sure that my methods will not cause anything truly dangerous to happen to you.¡±


    Suddenly, Da Wei grinned at her words.


    ¡°How scary. How is a measly Nascent Soul realm cultivator like me without any background supposed to resist the demonic charms and wiles of a willful princess like you?¡±


    The princess and Yao Xingchen were shocked for a moment when he revealed his realm, but the princess regained her composure and grinned in return towards the man.


    ¡°I do not doubt that you can resist my devilish charms and evil plans. If not, how is this princess supposed to find this chase fun??¡±


    The two stared at each other for a few minutes before laughing for a little bit.


    Soon, Da Wei left the room and headed straight for the inn while the Princess leaned back into her seat with a grin.


    On the other hand, all Yao Xingchen felt was utter confusion.


    ¡°¡­.Princess? what just happened?¡±


    The strangely melancholic and excited grin that the princess gave her unnerved the bodyguard.


    ¡°I think I just made a friend.¡±

 Chapter 19

    ¡°You absolute idiots!!¡±


    The scream rang out across the massive hall that housed the throne from which the Mistress of the Crimson Realm Holy Land ruled.


    The source, of course, could be none other than Yan Huo¡¯er, the Mistress of the Crimson Realm Holy Land herself.


    The de facto ruler of the southern borders of the continent was beyond mad and disappointed at her two closest confidants and subordinates.


    ¡°I can understand Liehuo since he has always been an impulsive idiot, but what about you? Yan Xinyan?? Where the hell did your sense go??¡±


    The two people kneeling in front of the mistress cowered like children being scolded by their mother. A bizarre sight for anyone in the Holy Land since these two were some of the top figures of their faction and were usually extremely arrogant and prideful.


    These were also the people who were responsible for wiping out the Heavenly Sword Sect after discovering the demonic cultivation present within all the elders and disciples of the sect. Even the patriarch and the hidden Grand Elders of the sect were no exception to this discovery.


    Of course, when they found the source of this demonic cultivation, a pill being used by every member of the sect, they wanted to continue their investigation and root out the infection from the source.


    Unfortunately for them, they received a direct summons from their mistress before they could continue and had to return home with nothing to show for their efforts for all these months except for wiping out a sect of potential Demonic path cultivators.


    ¡°But, Mistress! They were a sect of demonic cultivators-¡°


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to shift the blame! Xinyan. When you found the source to be a pill that they were consuming, you should have realized that it was a subtle sabotage played by the Demonic path. You should not have destroyed the entire sect, especially since you did not ask for permission from the Hidden Heavens Holy Land.¡±


    At those words, the woman fell silent and bowed her head in silence like her companion who did not make a peep until now.


    The crimson locks of the mistress fell like a waterfall as she tiredly leaned back in her seat. Exhaustion was clear in her ruby-red eyes as she stared down at the two people that she once called brother and sister when she was still a child.


    The unearthly beauty looked at the equally beautiful Yan Xinyan whose expressions were hidden behind her black hair with her beautiful purple eyes closed. Then, she looked at the extremely handsome Yan Liehuo who had similar black hair and purple eyes as he stared at his mistress in silence, waiting for his part in the reprimand and for his next assignment.


    Looking at her cousins, she finally gave a sigh and tried to sit up, only for her body to fail her, causing the two to immediately bolt to her side and support her.


    ¡°Mistress!!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Clearly you are not. Why did your realm regress by a stage??¡±


    Yan Huo¡¯er glared at her subordinates and bit out the words.


    ¡°Why do you think?? I had to produce a Vermilion stone to placate the Hidden Heavens Holy Land after you two destroyed the sect that they were personally protecting.¡±


    Yan Liehuo gritted his teeth in anger as Yan Xinyan looked away in guilt and pain.


    ¡°¡­.We will get back at them once you regain your health-¡°


    ¡°No, we will not! Yan Liehuo, have you forgotten what happened to the Golden Crow Clan?? Do you want us all to die through the manipulations of those enigmatic bastards??¡±


    ¡°The Golden Crow clan may have been strong but they were still nothing more than a clan of barbarians, humanoids that evolved from demonic beasts and inherited the legacy of their ancestor.¡±


    ¡°If we look at things in that way, won¡¯t we be considered even worse than the Golden Crow Clan and the rest of the so-called Barbarian Clans since our techniques were only derived from the Four Symbols while those clans directly inherited them through blood?¡±


    Those words caused Yan Liehuo to shut up but he was still fuming in anger towards the Hidden Heavens Holy Land for forcing his mistress into this situation. But, more than that, he was angry at himself for causing all of this in the first place.


    In a similar way, his sister, Yan Xinyan was also feeling the same rage, however, this rage was overshadowed by her guilt and self-loathing.


    Yan Xinyan slowly sat her mistress back on her throne before speaking.


    ¡°Mistress, how angry was the Hidden Heaven Holy Land?¡±


    ¡°¡­angry enough that they were preparing to go to war with us, openly, without resorting to their usual manipulations or hidden schemes.¡±


    That brought extreme shock to the two siblings who looked at each other with a stupefied expression.


    ¡°¡­. Just why? We did not find anything particularly interesting when we wiped out that sect. Just what could such a backwater place have to cause the strongest Holy Land to care so much about that place?¡±


    ¡°I do not know. Even when I asked, they simply rebuffed my questions with threats. Originally, they were not planning on stopping their efforts for a war. It was only when the Ancestor Crimson Spear came to negotiate on my behalf that they calmed down slightly. The task of condensing a Vermillion stone was a punishment put on me by Crimson Spear for my incompetence in managing my subordinates.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­We are sorry, Mistress. We will never make a mistake like this again.¡±


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t. Because if you do, I won¡¯t be able to preserve either mine or your lives.¡±


    Yan Xinyan¡¯s eyes teared up and Yan Liehuo looked away in sadness.


    ¡°¡­The curse? It has become stronger?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Master estimates that I have two decades at most. My realm will continue to fall steadily during this time until I finally become a simple mortal right before my death. Our only hope was to either get a Heavenly Treasure with no elemental affinity, such as the Bodhi fruit or to buy information from the Hidden Heavens Holy Land to locate such a treasure. Clearly, neither of those options are available to us anymore.¡±


    Once again, the siblings could do nothing but hate themselves and their incompetence for what was happening to their beloved mistress.


    ¡°¡­¡­Liehuo, Xinyan. Listen to me. You need to find Yan Ling as quickly as possible. She is the only one worthy of succeeding me as the Mistress of the Holy Land compared to the alternatives. With her physique inherited from my sister and our cultivation technique, she should be able to reach the Void Refinement realm in a matter of a century at most. Not to mention the purity of her spirit roots.¡±


    She turned towards her cousins with pleading eyes.


    ¡°Most importantly, If the information you two brought back is really true, I can¡¯t imagine the kind of hardship my niece is going through right now. The only possibility that my little sister would leave her daughter to fend for herself in a slum of all places would be her death. If true, I have already lost my only direct family, I can¡¯t lose my niece too.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mistress, even if it takes us an entire year, we will only return once we find her.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a year. You need to find her, now!!¡±


    Suddenly, an ominous sensation filled the two at those words.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°While we did manage to placate the Master of the Hidden Heavens Holy Land, his son was much less understanding. While he denied any involvement, I know that he was the one who leaked the details about Yan Ling¡¯s physique and spirit roots along with her defining features to the other Holy Lands and the Barbarian Clans.¡±


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Shock was the only emotion that the duo could feel before they immediately sprang to their feet.


    ¡°What?? How did they even know this information in the first place??¡±


    ¡°Forget that!! We already know that those bastards always have information that they should never have access to. The important thing now is that we need to head out right now!! Who knows what will happen should she fall into the hands of the Holy Lands or the Clans? Worse yet, what would happen if the Infinite Blood Seas found her first??¡±


    A chill went up the spine of the duo, filling them with an urgency that they hadn¡¯t felt until now.


    If the strongest demonic sect on the continent, the Infinite Blood Seas, found Yan Ling, there is no telling the kind of torment that the poor girl would go through at their hands. Worse yet, the Crimson Realm Holy Land would be completely helpless to do anything about it since the Heavenly Demon, Mo Yexuan, is at the peak of the Void Refinement realm. A realm that none of the ancestors of the Holy Lands or the Clans have managed to achieve till now.


    ¡°Go! Get her back by any means necessary. Since the Hidden Heavens Holy Land has already made such a move, we don¡¯t need to give them any face anymore. Scour every li of the Yin Long Empire and find her. With the only place that they cared about gone, the Hidden Heavens Holy Land should no longer interfere with our search.¡±


    The two did not waste any more words and simply bowed to her before teleporting out of the hall.


    With no one left in the hall, she leaned back into the seat and loosened the grip on her body, causing blood to start leaking out of her mouth and nose.


    She took out a cloth, cleaned away the blood stains, and regained her composure, knowing that she could not allow anyone to see her in such a state since it would cause the morale across the entire Holy Land to drop significantly, making them look weak to the outsiders.


    ¡°Yurong, you foolish little sister of mine. You should never have left the Holy Land. So what if you couldn¡¯t cultivate? Didn¡¯t you have me to shield you from everything? Now look at what happened. You died without anyone knowing how or why and left me in the dark about the existence of a niece I never met. It was only pure luck that I was working on reinstating your Soul Lamp and the artifact registered your daughter¡¯s existence through that seal you had with you.¡±


    Her exhaustion caught up to her as she slowly closed her eyes, reminiscing of times long past and people that no longer existed.


    <hr>


    ¡°Oh! How cute!! Why were you hiding such a cute girl behind that stupid mask of yours??¡±


    I gave an amused glance at Yin Lingxi as she pulled at Da Ling¡¯s cheeks while the girl in question flailed her arms in protest.


    ¡°The same reason I wear a mask and the reason why I made you wear the mask now. To hide our identities from unsavory individuals.¡±


    ¡°Does that category of ¡®unsavory individuals¡¯ Include me as well?¡±


    ¡°Until yesterday? It did. Now? I am not sure. It depends on your actions from now on.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure to climb back into that list with my evil actions from now on.¡±


    I chuckled at her exaggerated evil look. A look that failed spectacularly as she tightly held onto Da Ling who resigned herself to be treated like a stuffed toy by the Princess.


    Originally, I did not plan on having the Princess accompany us on my usual activity since I had just established a tentative friendship between us in order to avoid any unhealthy obsession she might develop due to a straight and firm rejection of her intentions.


    However, after thinking about things throughout the night, I arrived at the conclusion that I could use this relationship to try and mold her into becoming a far better ruler than she was in the original timeline.


    There was no mistaking the fact that she was a powerful empress in the Xiang¡¯s timeline. So much so that she was one of the few who could outmaneuver him most of the time, leading to her demise through underhanded means.


    However, she was not really a good empress to her people. At least, in my eyes. Sure, any resident of this world would call her an extremely kind ruler who cared greatly about her people, but from my perspective, there was a clear lack of understanding on her part when it came to the problems faced by the mortal citizens of her empire.


    With today¡¯s excursion, I plan to rectify that issue even if only a little bit.


    Is it manipulative or me to abuse the newly established friendship in this way? Yes. It is. However, I cannot help but hope that this will cause a positive change for her in the long run.


    The alternative is a future where she is betrayed by her own citizens who rebelled against her rule due to a mix of the old demon, Xiang¡¯s, manipulation and their discontent with the Empress and every other emperor that came before her. A future that I am trying to avoid with my actions today.


    ¡®David, are you sure this plan will work? What if the princess decides that looking after struggling mortals is too boring or beneath her? What if she decides to eliminate the entirety of the slums since it ¡®ruins the image¡¯ of her precious empire?¡¯


    ¡®This coming from the guy that wanted me to use a demonic technique to restore my Spirit Roots all those years ago by harvesting an entire village of mortals?¡¯


    ¡®That was just a test. You know that. I wanted to see if you would fall into the temptation. If you did, I would simply teach you the demonic techniques I knew without truly guiding you on the path properly which would inevitably open up your body for me to occupy.¡¯


    ¡®Relax. I know why you did what you did. The past is in the past, remember? As for your question, I don¡¯t know if what I am doing is the right thing or not. However, if we want something to change, we have to take the risk. In this case, this is probably the best chance that the unfortunate mortals of this city and the empire as a whole have to turn around their lives in this lawless world.¡¯


    ¡®And what if she does do it? What if she really does care about them and changes the empire in the ways that you want her to?¡¯


    ¡®Nothing. Friendship is not a deal, Xiang, where we exchange our loyalties or feelings for something material or by doing or not doing something. Even if she does not change, even if she ends up becoming the same kind of empress as she was in your life, I would still call her a friend.¡¯


    ¡®Hmm. I guess we will see.¡¯


    ¡®Indeed.¡¯


    Soon, we walked further and further away from the upper-class district of the capital where I reminded the two girls to put on their masks. I would have given a mask to Yao Xingchen as well to hide herself. But since she did not and continued to look out for the princess from her hiding place while occasionally bursting with killing intent, thinking that I could not sense her, I gave up on that front.


    As we finally arrived at the center of the maze made of alleyways, I saw a scene that I had grown familiar with in the past six years.


    On my side, I felt Da Ling hold onto my hand tightly, probably being reminded of the dump where she was living before I took her home.


    The biggest reaction was from none other than Yin Lingxi.


    Despite knowing that we would be going to a slum to distribute resources for their survival, there is no way for her to have ever imagined the state that the place was in, especially when compared to the beautiful and scenic upper district and the palace where she must have grown up in since her birth.


    Shock and confusion were the greatest emotions on her face followed by anger, worry, and other emotions that I could not decipher.


    Soon, one of the children moving about spotted me and immediately ran towards one of the better-looking houses from which and old man with a hunch walked out hurriedly.


    ¡°Ah! It is good to see you again, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Zhou Lan, how many times have I told you not to call me that?? People will misunderstand me as some kind of a noble from the upper district.¡±


    ¡°Haha, if you actually were someone from a noble family, I highly doubt that this city would ever have a place like ours in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Ok, ok. Enough flattery from you. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    I turned around to have the two girls follow me, only to find Da Ling missing and Yin Lingxi talking with a woman in the corner.


    Spreading out my senses allowed me to spot Da Ling with a few children her age, playing some game that they came up with.


    With a shake of my head, I motioned Zhou Lan, the unofficial leader of this slum, towards the small building I made for them last time to store the goods and protect them from thugs or corrupt officials who would seek to deprive them of their source of sustenance.


    My signature on the building and the inscriptions were enough to deter any corrupt official or noble from trying anything with these people while my commissions to the dark guild to protect the slums of this city and many other cities that I regularly visit are enough to ward off most of the lawless thugs.


    Soon, we walked into the building filled with inscriptions to keep a walled-off section of the building at freezing temperature like a fridge all year round to store perishable foods and meat while another part was inscribed to take away all moisture and pests from it to store clothing, and other necessities for the people.


    Since I don¡¯t know when I visit the city most of the time, I tend to stock the building to its capacity, storing enough supplies for five years at the very least even if they used them in excess. And given the amount of supplies left, it is clear that they have been used more than usual.


    ¡°As the lord can see, we have been forced to use more than usual since there has been a steady rise in the number of refugees from the south entering the city with nowhere to go and learning about this place through word of mouth and through a few kind officials and guards of the city.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then, maybe we should look at increasing the size of the building and the infrastructure of this place soon. The current number of houses won''t be able to house such a steady rise in numbers and neither can the storehouse keep up with the demand. How are the negotiations with the governing office?¡±


    ¡°As you suggested previously, I used the token you gave me to talk to the governor of this district. Fortunately, he agreed to provide letters of recommendation for our people to gain work throughout the district. If all goes according to plan, the youngsters should start making enough money to slowly move out of here with their families and find a place for themselves in the commoner districts.¡±


    The old man looked wistfully at his surroundings before speaking again.


    ¡°As for the old folk like us without any young people with us, we have decided to stay here for the rest of our lives. It¡¯s not like we have much time left anyway.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You know my offer still stands, right? I could take you people away from here to my village. Although it would be a little difficult for you old guys to fit in since you won¡¯t be able to contribute much to the village, it¡¯s not like we don¡¯t have such people with us anyway. A few dozen more would barely matter in the end.¡±


    The old man smiled at me with gratitude.


    ¡°While I appreciate your offer and your boundless kindness for unfortunate people of this place, I would have to decline. I was born in this city, you see, and I wish for the last days of my life to be spent here as well.¡±


    I just nodded at his words and got back to work unloading all the supplies I bought for the people here into the storage.

 Chapter 20

    ¡°How long has he been coming here?¡±


    The Princess made sure not to let her inner turmoil show when she asked the question towards the woman, Liu Yan, who was one of the residents of the slums.


    An area that she knew existed and was aware of but never truly realized the state of until today.


    She always thought that she knew the suffering of the mortals under the inevitable divide between them and the cultivators and nobles. However, she never realized it would be this exaggerated.


    Buildings that looked extremely shabby compared to even the regular houses of the commoner district. The distinct smell of trash and waste. The shabby clothes that these people wore looked barely enough to protect them from the elements. Their malnourished bodies looked like they were just starting to grow healthy.


    A state that made her feel extremely uncomfortable, especially when she remembered the fat pigs in her father¡¯s court that called themselves ¡®representatives of the common people.¡¯


    Liu Yan smiled at Yin Lingxi and answered.


    ¡°The Lord has been providing for us for the last six years. While his visits are unpredictable and rare, he makes sure to arrive at least twice a year and stay for at least a week to tend to our needs before going back to his village.¡±


    She turned to look at the distant figure of the man in question talking with her ¡®leader¡¯ and smiled wistfully.


    ¡°I have no problem in saying that if it were not for him, there would be very few people left alive in this place, especially after the harsh winter last year.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why didn¡¯t your people ask the governor of this district for help? Don¡¯t you know that the Royal family allocates a lot of resources every year for the commoners without any work to sustain themselves?¡±


    Liu Yan turned to stare at Yin Lingxi with pity as if pitying the naivety of the princess. A look that instantly annoyed the proud princess.


    ¡°If those in position actually did their job, do you think we would be in such a situation in the first place? Not to mention the fact that refugees have been flooding the capital in the past few weeks and instantly becoming residents of the slums due to a lack of work.¡±


    The princess nodded solemnly. Her suspicions were confirmed by the words of the woman.


    ¡°¡­If the lady doesn¡¯t mind me asking, how are you related to the Lord?¡±


    Yin Lingxi thought for a moment before replying.


    ¡°I am his friend.¡±


    ¡°A friend huh? Quite a privilege.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying I am privileged to be friends with him?¡±


    ¡°No. I mean to say that you have the privilege to even have a friend in the first place.¡±


    The Princess gave a confused look, a look that the woman must have understood somehow despite Yin Lingxi wearing a mask that obscured her face since she started talking again.


    ¡°Unlike those in the upper-class district and the nobility. We never had the time to make friends, nor do we have the ability to look after others without thinking about ourselves. In our little world, the only thing that mattered was survival. To live, we gave up our dignity and basic socialization. The only thing that mattered to us was our own lives and the lives of our loved ones. Everyone else was nothing more than competition in this race for survival.¡±


    Shock ran through the mind of the princess as she comprehended the ruthlessness that the woman of the slums was talking about. A ruthlessness and personality that the princess believed to be unique to herself until now.


    Then, she caught on to the meaning behind the woman¡¯s words.


    ¡°You are speaking in the past tense. Are you saying that things are no longer like that?¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    This time, Liu Yan gave a radiant smile that mesmerized the princess. A smile free of any hidden agenda or ulterior motive. A smile filled with happiness and hope.


    A smile that Yin Lingxi could never hope to have as long as she remains the princess of this empire.


    ¡°Indeed. All of this was before the Lord walked into our lives.¡±


    ¡°It must have been frightening to have a cultivator suddenly show up at your homes like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh! You have no idea. Do you know how he arrived? One moment, we were going about our usual routine, trying to find a na?ve person to steal from or an unattended store to raid from. The next moment, a cultivator suddenly appeared out of thin air, scaring us silly. We thought that was it. That the city had sent a cultivator to get rid of us, or someone had come to take away our family, our sisters, mothers, daughters, or wives as their ¡®servants¡¯ or to take our healthy men as their ¡®Pill trial disciples¡¯. We thought that we were done for.¡±


    Yin Lingxi tried to imagine the situation. A place where people were going about their day when suddenly, out of nowhere, a cultivator showed up with unknown intentions. She tried to place herself in the situation that Liu Yan described. To be so vulnerable that her fate would be decided based on how lustful, irritated, or adventurous a cultivator was feeling. To be in a situation where nothing she did would save her from a fate worse than death.


    And she hated it. She hated that thought with all her being.


    ¡°Then, as we wait for the worst to happen. The cultivator talks to us in a respectful tone and asks us to bring him the leader of our little group. Can you imagine? An esteemed cultivator talking with respect towards a bunch of mortals? A bunch of mortals that were considered trash even by their fellow mortals?¡±


    Admittedly, Yin Lingxi did not know Wang Xiang, or as he had requested her to call him, Da Wei, for too long. Barely two days at this point. But she really could imagine such a situation if it was him. He had an air of someone who cared little about the identity of the person he interacted with.


    ¡°Long story short, ever since that day, he had been providing for us. Allowing us to finally live like human beings instead of animals. It is a shame that he visits us so rarely, if not, I am sure that he would have directly become the leader of our little group with old man Zhou happily giving up the leadership.¡±


    As she listened to the woman speak, the princess had a question that she wanted answered before she did anything else.


    ¡°But, if he takes such good care of you, why are your buildings in such a state and you people are so malnourished?¡±


    At those words, Liu Yan gave a proud smile before talking again.


    ¡°The Lady might not understand, but despite being thieves and beggars, we still have our own pride. The Lord might stock the supplies with enough stuff to last for years every time he arrives, we will not take advantage of his kindness without giving him anything in return. We offered him our services, to become his slaves or servants. To help him in any way possible. Do you know what he said?¡±


    Yin Lingxi leaned forward with interest, wishing to know more about the man that she was now considered a good friend just after such a short time.


    ¡°he said that he needed us to do one thing and one thing alone. To Live. Not just survive, but to truly live. He wanted us to live just like the rest of the people who live in this city. By earning our keep and finding a place for ourselves in this society. To live happily as human beings with our dignity and morality intact. No matter how long it might take.¡±


    She waved her hand, gesturing towards all the crude but effective buildings around her.


    ¡°Needless to say, we took his words to heart. Every building you see, we built from the ground up with our own hands. With our hard-earned money. Money is earned through legitimate ways like working as laborers or manning the same stores that we once used to steal from. The men work as hands for hire while we women work as maids, tailors, cooks, and many other such chores that we are good at.¡±


    Yin Lingxi could feel nothing but respect as she continued listening to the woman, both towards these hardy people who clawed out from the darkness after a single push and the man who gave them that push in the first place.


    ¡°We refrain from taking too much from the storehouse, just enough to keep ourselves fed. The rest of our food, our comforts, and basic necessities, we earn by ourselves. This, is our way of life, our way of keeping our word to the man that saved us from ourselves. And for those that would not follow our way, those that wish to take advantage of his generosity for their own ends, there exists no place in our community.¡±


    Liu Yan looked towards the direction where Da Wei was now bickering with Zhao over something and chuckled.


    ¡°Of course, the lord protested a lot at the beginning. He wanted us to use the provisions he gave to us as the starting capital to either start our own business or use them to become healthy individuals first before looking for work, not set aside those resources and barely use a tenth of it to sustain ourselves on a minimal level. However, in the end, our stubbornness won out against his protests, and here we are today.¡±


    She looked fondly at her surroundings.


    ¡°We are not the wealthiest people in this city, neither do we have unlimited access to food. But, what we do have, we are proud to say we have earned it through our own two hands. And for giving us this pride, this life, we are eternally grateful to the Lord.¡±


    Yin Lingxi silently nodded at those words and followed Liu Yan into her home where she offered to brew her some tea as it looked like Da Wei and Zhao were stuck in another one of their arguments where they forgot about the world around them.


    However, unlike her calm exterior, thousands upon thousands of plans and thoughts were forming in her mind, each and every one capable of bringing about a storm of unprecedented proportions for the empire as a whole.


    One thing was certain. After this encounter, the princess had already decided just what kind of an empress she wanted to be after ascending to the throne.

 Chapter 21

    Within the Great Wilderness, right next to a certain village, a small cabin made from Iron Wood stood untouched for a week.


    Yet, it was not completely empty for there was a teenage girl looking after a small black cat while an old man watched over them.


    This was none other than Little Hui, the granddaughter of the Han couple who ran the only inn and tavern in the village.


    The old man was also a familiar sight. It was Old Feng, Feng Tianyan, the only blacksmith in the village.


    Little Hui pouted as she watched the lazy cat sprawled out on a mound of dirt that looked like it had been turned over many times.


    ¡°I think Brother Wei has spoiled his cat too much. Just look at her, she is not even willing to play with me for a little bit.¡±


    ¡°Haha, shouldn¡¯t you be happy that she feels comfortable enough around you to sleep defenselessly like this? Isn¡¯t this much better than the first time you looked after her when she wouldn¡¯t stop hissing and trying to get away from you?¡±


    ¡°¡­.That is true. But still! Half the reason why I agree to look after her is because I want to play with her.¡±


    Old Feng hummed and leaned back into the recliner that Da Wei prepared beforehand for the old man, happily drinking from one of the wine pots that Da Wei usually hides away underground.


    The old man knew that there would be retribution from his young friend once he learned of this ¡®theft¡¯, but the old man couldn¡¯t care less about that since he was too busy enjoying his life.


    But it was also this state of relaxation and drunkenness that caused his senses to dull and allowed his attacker to get past his defenses.


    With stealth only possible for a feline like it, a tiger with golden fur and stipes shaped like lightning bolts pounced on the two humans. Before they could even tell that something was wrong, its claws exerted a surprisingly gentle force to strike the nerve centers in their necks with its QI, instantly rendering them unconscious.


    With both the humans unconscious, the massive beast slowly walked out of its hiding place and slowly walked over to the black cat before lowering its head.


    ¡°My Queen-¡°


    ¡°Huanghu Fengying, do my words mean nothing to you anymore? And take your true form, my master is not here right now so there is no need to hide.¡±


    At the stern voice that came from the cat lazing around, the tiger immediately started changing into a form that looked exactly like a human except for the glowing yellow eyes and small feline ears on top of his head.


    Then, he directly knelt in front of the cat in fear and reverence.


    ¡°My Queen, I have come today to persuade-¡°


    ¡°I know why you are here, my dear brother. But, my decision has not changed and it never will. I am no longer your queen or a member of the Celestial Tiger Clan. You should go before anyone realizes that you journeyed thousands of Li inland to such a remote place.¡±


    ¡°B-But Shaolong is constantly putting the clan in danger with his actions and the Elders want you to-¡°


    ¡°The Elders??¡±


    Powerful Yin Qi suddenly rose from the cat and covered the entire area in pure darkness. The kind of darkness that no one in this world could ever hope to understand.


    The cat suddenly started to transform, turning into a massive tiger just like Huanghu Fengying was just a few moments ago. However, unlike his golden fur and stripes, the cat that now goes by the name of Little Xing was pure black with golden eyes.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it the Elders who wanted me gone?? Wasn¡¯t it they who plotted against me with the other clans when I was the Queen? Wasn¡¯t it them who wanted Huanghu Shaolong as the new King instead of me just because my spirit roots were of Yin nature, unlike the rest of the Huanghu clan who are all born with Lighting and Wind spirit roots? Well, they got their wish. Now, they have to deal with the consequences by themselves. I may have put all of my efforts into raising the clan to become the strongest of all the clans and their leader. But I only did that because it was my Clan, my people. Now? They have nothing to do with me, so don¡¯t expect me to clean up after your mess from now on.¡±


    The man fell silent before he turned his eyes toward the humans with killing intent.


    ¡°Is it because of these humans?? Are they threatening you-¡°


    Little Xing immediately delivered a powerful strike to the back of the man¡¯s head, causing him to face plant so hard that the ground cracked on impact.


    ¡°You damned fool. Has everything I said gone right over your head?? This has nothing to do with the humans and everything to do with those old fools in the clan.¡±


    With a tired sigh, Little Xing turned back into a regular cat and directly lay down back on her spot.


    ¡°Just, go back to the clan and tell them that Huanghu Ziyue is dead. And don¡¯t ever bother coming to find me if you are going to convince me to return.¡±


    Suddenly, her eyes softened a little as she looked at the depressed look on her brother¡¯s face.


    ¡°On the other hand, if you just want to visit, you can take the form of an ordinary cat to come over anytime.¡±


    Those words caused the man to brighten up a little before transforming back into a Golden tiger and disappearing with a bolt of lightning.


    Little Xing returned to lying down on the ground and absorbing the ungodly amount of potent Yin Qi from the ground below her.


    ¡®Seriously. I need to find a way to inform the master about the extreme amounts of Yin Qi being generated from this spot. While it is a good idea to dump all the poisonous and waste products of his hunts with little Ling underground and cover it up with his absurd Qi, this process is causing his Pure Qi to accidentally invigorate the remnant souls of the few hundred dead beasts under this mound of dirt, giving rise to enough Yin Qi to turn the entire village nearby into a dead land filled with Jiangshi (Zombies).¡¯


    She shivered in delight as the potent Yin Qi was pulled into her spirit roots through her cultivation, tremendously empowering her.


    ¡®Then again, it might not be necessary given that I tend to absorb all of the Yin Qi generated daily. I think this could be considered a holy land for Yin Qi practitioners like me.¡¯


    Slowly, the cat closed her eyes and reminisced about the days long past.


    It felt funny to her, how a proud queen of the Clans, or as the humans call them, the Barbarian Clans, was reduced to such a state that she couldn¡¯t even take on a human form anymore even if her cultivation realm returned to what it used to be.


    What she told her brother was the truth. Huanghu Ziyue was really dead. She died when her own clan turned against her, used forbidden pills to destroy her cultivation, and transformed her into her beast form permanently.


    Right now, her name is Little Xing. A simple cat that belongs to a man that chose to leave his sect after his cultivation was crippled. A simple cat that loves the orphan girl with peerless talent as her own little sister.


    A simple outcast, living with her fellow outcasts.


    With the pleasant memories made in the past few months, the cat drifted off into sleep as her core continued to cultivate automatically by absorbing the Yin Qi.


    <hr>


    I walked through the quiet and scenic streets of the upper district, heading towards a massive house that looked just like the rest of the houses in this area. With servants bustling about and guards stationed at the gate.


    However, those who knew the truth of this place would know that all of this was just a fa?ade maintained by its owners to blend in with their surroundings.


    The guards watched me like hawks as I approached the building. When I took out the black jade token with the symbol of a snake and showed it to them, they immediately bowed with respect and directly opened the gates for me with one of them moving ahead of me.


    Soon, we walked further into the building and arrived at what would have been the cultivation chambers of the family if anyone actually lived there.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    The guard silently gestured towards me with his open hand. As I was familiar with this process, I directly placed the token in his hand.


    The guard then placed the token into a subtle indent along the entrance, making the entrance open and revealing a long stairwell heading deep underground.


    I nodded my head to the guard in gratitude before heading downward.


    Soon, the stairs opened up to reveal a massive cavern that was probably just as large as the city above it with thousands upon thousands of passageways like the one I came from connecting it to the world above.


    This was a place that was only known through rumors. A place that is only accessible to those who already know its location and have earned the right to trade with the owners of this place.


    The Headquarters of the Dark Guild.


    It is quite ironic that everywhere I look, I can find many people belonging to noble families, martial families, and even the servants of the Royal family walking about and conducting their business. The very same people that usually condemn the very existence of the Dark Guild publicly whenever that topic is brought up in any way.


    Human nature at its finest.


    As I walked deeper into the place, I noticed that there were more people than normal than what I remember seeing over a year ago and most of them seemed to be coming in from the passages that connected to the Commoner district of the city above.


    The refugees perhaps? It would make sense. The Dark Guild is always in need of hands for hire and these refugees would not be in the position to refuse any work just like the people in the slums had no choices before I arrived.


    In fact, I should be thankful to the people of the slums for introducing me to the Dark Guild in the first place since those guys follow such a rule that it makes it impossible for anyone without any recommendation to enter this place.


    The motto that the Dark Guild follows is quite simple.


    ¡®Those who know, need not ask. Those who ask, need not know.¡¯


    And that motto is not for show either since even if the person in question is the emperor himself, he would still need a recommendation in some way to enter this place and have the right to buy or sell anything to them.


    As I walked through the place, I caught the sight of many demonic cultivators moving through the crowds and buying things that they would normally be unable to get in the outside world.


    ¡®How hypocritical. Look at that fat bastard over there. You recognize him??¡¯


    ¡®Yeah. Isn¡¯t that the Patriarch of the Yanfeng family?¡¯


    ¡®Indeed. Now, look at the person sitting across him.¡¯


    ¡®Judging by the robes, I would say he is a disciple of the Infinite Blood Seas.¡¯


    ¡®He is. Isn¡¯t it quite interesting that the patriarch of one of the five greatest noble families of the capital is meeting with the strongest and most dangerous Demonic sect on the continent?¡¯


    ¡®It is suspicious. Then again, this is the Dark Guild, what did you expect?¡¯


    Xiang fell silent at my words as I turned away from that sight and started heading back toward my destination.


    Hypocrisy doesn¡¯t even begin to describe the actions of those present here, including me. However, there is one thing that the so-called righteous people of the world fail to realize.


    Darkness is a fundamental aspect of humanity that can never be removed. Greed exists, envy exists, and so does wrath, pride, and every other such sinful feeling. They are the fundamental aspects of human nature and if left unchecked, would lead to a disaster of unprecedented scale.


    It is the very reason why the Demonic path exists in the first place.


    However, if there was some way to control this darkness. To regulate it so that it doesn¡¯t go too far, we could avoid such a calamity.


    In my old world, the threat of Mutually Assured Destruction through the use of Nuclear Weapons was one such method of stemming the darkness of my people. A flawed method to be sure since not everyone complied with that threat and some extreme measures needed to be taken, something that was not done by the time of my death.


    In this world, the answer to this conundrum came in the form of the Dark Guild.


    The Dark Guild has its branches all across the continent, accessible to those who know how to do so. It is a place where the regulations of both the empires and the Holy Lands don¡¯t apply. Here, everything can be bought or sold. It was this fact that attracted the majority of the Demonic path cultivators to its doors.


    However, what no one but a select few knew was that the Dark Guild secretly monitors and records all the transactions made by the Demonic Cultivators and those they associate with. If the things bought were not something truly dangerous, they would let it be to safeguard their reputation. However, if the Demonic Cultivator in question was extremely dangerous or brought something truly dangerous to everyone, the guild would anonymously send all the details about the cultivator and his purchase to the right people to deal with.


    If the worst comes to worst and the person they sent the information to is unable to handle the situation, they would dispatch powerful independent Cultivators that are under their employ to eliminate the threat.


    This is the reason why the Royal families of both the empires and the Holy Lands tolerate the existence of the Dark Guild despite the major threat they pose to their sovereignty.


    Of course, this method is not foolproof and there have been dozens of cases in the past where the Dark Guild failed spectacularly in delivering the information of several high-profile Demonic Cultivators, leading to blood baths of unprecedented scales. However, the number of such failures was so minuscule in comparison to the accurate information that they provide that these cases are often overlooked as bad luck.


    It is also this track record they have in information brokering that attracted my attention to them in the first place all those years ago.


    Soon, I arrived at a massive pavilion with powerful guards with even the weakest of them being in the initial stages of the Core Formation realm.


    Once again showing my token, I was respectfully welcomed in and guided to an empty room with a single chair and a communication and teleportation inscription made on the table in front of it.


    It is an indirect method of flexing their wealth as even a Mortal-grade Teleportation inscription is something that costs millions of spirit stones to purchase, let alone the Heaven-grade Teleportation inscription used on the table.


    The moment I sat down, I placed my token on the inscription and activated it, causing the token to disappear for a few seconds before it returned through the same inscription followed by the projection of a man wearing a blank mask.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t the great master Enigma. Or, do you prefer I use your real name?¡±


    I snorted and smiled at the image.


    ¡°Come now, Bai. Why the sudden mystery?¡±


    ¡°Oh! It''s just that I feel my status is beneath someone who can casually take the princess of the Yin Long Empire into the slums for some alone time.¡±


    ¡°¡­So you guys already got that information? That quickly?¡±


    ¡°What can I say? We are the best at our job. Isn¡¯t it why you like to hire us in the first place?¡±


    I laughed at his words and nodded.


    ¡°True. Here, this year''s payment.¡±


    I put down a space ring containing twenty thousand High-grade spirit stones on the inscription, sending it to Bai.


    The moment the man on the other end confirmed the payment, he sent back the space ring to me and bowed a little.


    ¡°I have confirmed the payment and sent the message to my people across Starfall City, Imperial Capital, White Jade City, and the Western Coast to continue looking after the people that you are helping over there.¡±


    I nodded my head and placed another space ring, this one containing a Heaven-grade artifact and a few thousand Spirit Stones along with a Jade slip.


    ¡°¡­What do you need that requires such a high price??¡±


    ¡°I need information. I need you to find the people on that slip. The sooner the better. I know the search will not be easy since some of them are mortals and I don¡¯t even know where to search for them across the continent. That is why I am paying you upfront to cover the cost of the search.¡±


    ¡°¡­How generous of you. I will immediately forward the list to my people to start working. While it is true that it will be extremely hard to find these people, it would still be something worth doing since most of the people on the list are already famous individuals. Also, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, why do you need so many people from such different backgrounds anyway?.¡±


    ¡°It''s nothing to hide. I want to hire these people for a project that I am going to start soon. As you said, they are all famous people who are the best of the best in their field and I need their expertise if I want my project to succeed.¡±


    ¡°I see. In that case, I might have something that would interest Master Da Wei. Free of charge.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at that. The Dark Guild never does anything for free, it just isn¡¯t their style of doing things.


    ¡°I know very well that the most expensive thing in this world is something that is free. But, I¡¯ll hear you out.¡±


    ¡°I have information about a person with extreme proficiency in Formation Arts, specifically, Large scale arts. From what I can see on the list, the person you listed for this category does not even begin to compare to the person I have in mind. Even better, this person is located in this very city so I can directly give you their location for you to go see them.¡±


    ¡°And what is the downside? And why is the Dark Guild interested in sending this person to me?¡±


    ¡°¡­.The only downside is that this person is in a bad situation right now. You can easily negotiate with him to have him work for you at an extremely low rate compared to anyone else on the continent if you can solve his problem. As for why I gave you this information, it is a personal affair between him and me, but I will tell you that part of the reason is that we trust you enough to know that you would not have any bad intentions toward him even after inevitably learning the truth later on.¡±


    ¡°¡­..That sounds really ominous. Bai. You should know by now that I like to run away from troubles, not towards them. And what you just said sounds like major trouble for me.¡±


    Suddenly, bai bowed his head through the projection and sent forward a space ring through the inscription.


    A quick check shocked me due to the massive amount of rare materials stored within it.


    ¡°Consider that an incentive from me. I am asking you this as a personal favor. In the past six years, we have done countless deals and I have run many checks on your personality and background. I can confidently say that if there is anyone who can help him with his problem, it is you. And given your nature, you would not take advantage of him like others would. Please, help him.¡±


    I was taken aback by the words of the extremely professional man.


    ¡®¡­¡­That man is desperate. I don¡¯t know what the deal is with the person he wants you to take, but it could be worth taking a look.¡¯


    ¡®¡­¡­I don¡¯t know. My instincts are screaming at me that this is going to be trouble. But my heart tells me to accept his request, if only because this man has never done anything wrong during all of our interactions throughout the years.¡¯


    ¡®Like always. The choice is yours, David.¡¯


    I stayed silent and contemplated for a long while. But, in the end, I accepted the space ring and nodded at Bai¡¯s projection, much to the man¡¯s visible delight if the way his body sprang up in the projection was anything to go by.


    ¡®I just hope I made the right decision.¡¯


    ¡®We will only know that in the future. But, even if you have made a wrong decision, would you regret it?¡¯


    ¡®Regret it? Yes. But, I think it is better to regret my decision to help someone than not help at all and leave someone to their fate. I have experienced enough apathy in my old world and seen enough darkness in this one. How can I claim to be different from the others if I stop staying true to myself and let my fears rule me.¡¯


    ¡®Hmm. I hope you keep those ideals alive. This world has a tendency to crush the hope of people.¡¯


    ¡®Maybe. But, like I said. I want to be true to my ideals so that I can face Yama, Satan, Hades, or whatever else rules the afterlife in this universe, and say with pride that I had lived a fulfilling life¡¯

 Chapter 22

    ¡°Bring me another pot!!¡±


    A young man with messy hair and shabby clothing shouted as he smashed his empty wine pot on the ground, greatly angering the tavern''s owner.


    ¡°Jin Tianrui!! You better have the spirit stones to pay for that pot and all the wine you¡¯ve been drinking since morning! Do you know what will happen if you don¡¯t pay for all the spiritual wine you emptied today??¡±


    ¡°Fuck off!! Xuan! Just bring me the wine!¡±


    ¡°¡­You know what? No. That¡¯s enough of you.¡±


    The owner nodded towards the two guards of the tavern who were in the peak of the Qi condensation realm who immediately moved in and tried to push the man called Jin Tianrui out of the establishment.


    But, just as they were about to place their hands on the man, he moved with a sudden grace that should not have been possible for a man like him who had been stuck in the Qi condensation realm¡¯s initial stage for the past five years.


    With a graceful motion, the man drew his sword and held it against the necks of the two men while still swaying in a drunken state.


    Observing all of this happen, I decided to finally intervene before things escalated anymore.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Xuan Tiejian. I¡¯ll pay for his drinks and the damages.¡±


    ¡°Lord Wei? But-¡°


    I waved my hand with a smile, indicating that I would talk to him later to explain my reasons, a gesture that Xuan Tiejian, the owner of this tavern in the Dark Guild accepted easily thanks to the fact that I had been a regular customer here every time I visit.


    Jin Tianrui looked at me with a sneer and pointed his sword at my neck.


    ¡°And who the hell are you to take up my tab without my permission??¡±


    ¡°¡­I am someone that Bai Zhanye asked for a favor in your regards.¡±


    At the reveal of Bai¡¯s name, the hostility in his stance and expression immediately faded before he looked at me with a solemn expression.


    ¡°I see. In that case, I apologize for my words. But, please return to Uncle Bai and tell him that I don¡¯t need his help.¡±


    Hmm, he has good skills but he needs to work on controlling that pride and arrogance of his. Not something truly deal breaking through, it could have been worse. At least his morality and personality are pretty good for someone born in this cruel world if my background checks are true.


    ¡°Oh! Don¡¯t worry, kid. I am not here to help you out for free. I already received payment from Bai to help you with your problem, it would not be professional of me if I didn¡¯t keep my word after taking the payment. I also have business with you later on, but that can wait.¡±


    ¡°W-what?? Hey!¡±


    I did not wait to listen to his words about pride and other nonsense that I knew were about to come thanks to studying his past and his behavior pattern for the entire day. Of course, all of these details were obtained from a different agent of the Dark Guild I was familiar with without Bai knowing anything about it since I could not trust him to be objective due to his personal stake in this matter.


    I grabbed onto his hand and started pulling him towards the edge of the massive cavern where the residential district of the Dark Guild was located. As a location the size of a city, it made sense that the Dark Guild would have its employees and members stay in the cavern for as long as they were a part of the Dark Guild.


    Jin Tianrui tried to resist, trying to use his Qi or martial skills to try and break free. Unfortunately, the sheer difference between the might of a Nascent Soul realm cultivator and a Qi Condensation realm practitioner is not something that can be bridged with skill alone.


    It did not take me long before we arrived at a house that looked slightly worse for the wear compared to its surroundings but was still much better than any house found in the commoner district above ground.


    If there is one thing that sets the Dark Guild apart from any sect of force in the outside world, it is how they treat their people.


    Every employee of the Dark Guild who stays with them has a place to call home. These homes and any other luxury, including cultivation resources, are decided by the rank of the person in the Guild. The Ranks themselves are not based on cultivation level but on the merit of the person in question.


    A crude but effective meritocracy.


    Unfortunately, just like any other system, it is still susceptible to corruption at the hands of its members. To combat this, the Dark Guild has its own forces that make sure to root out any corruption when it is found.


    The key words being ¡®When it is found¡¯. Most of the time, those who are truly corrupt manage to hide themselves so deep that it becomes nearly impossible to detect it before any serious damage is done to the Dark Guild as a whole.


    Thankfully, such cases are few and far between in the long history of the Dark Guild.


    Unfortunately, one such case happened to be linked to the ¡®Problem¡¯ that my potential employee is currently facing, prompting Bai to ask me for help.


    As we got closer to the house, Jin Tianrui¡¯s protests became more violent as his struggles increased to full-blown panic. An understandable reaction for someone trying to use whatever strength he had to protect what was important to him from a perceived threat.


    ¡®Looks like I will have to work on improving his rationality under pressure if I decide to hire him.¡¯


    ¡®I still don¡¯t think he is worth all this trouble. Sure, his reputation and previous works are impressive but you could still find someone much more mentally stable and dangerous than him.¡¯


    ¡®I could, but that would cost me nearly ten times more spirit stones than hiring him, not to mention the fact that I would probably win his loyalty for all time if I managed to solve his problem.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.Is that what this is about? Loyalty?¡¯


    ¡®A part of it? Yes, but not entirely. There is also the fact that the kid is genuinely a good person, if flawed in his perspective of the lives of those around him. I could use someone like that in my village. As for his flawed values on life, it is something that can be taught.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t you think you are starting to become a little arrogant? Thinking that you can fix all the problems in the world?¡¯


    For a split second, dread flooded me at those words as I remembered Xiang¡¯s old words about the power of the Nascent Soul realm being addictive and detrimental to my morality.


    However, I decided to think more on that topic later, when I was not in the middle of something important. I made sure to ask Xiang to remind me to think about this topic in detail and meditate on my perspective and thought process later.


    I cannot afford to have my power cause me to lose my values.


    Coming back to reality, I ignored the pleas of the young man who was five years younger than me and pushed open the door, revealing a fairly decent home.


    But what stood out was the pale and thin figure lying on the bed on the other side of the house being attended by a man in his forties and a little girl that was probably as old as Da Ling.


    This was none other than Lan Zhijian. The mother of Jin Tianrui. And the man was Jin Tiejun. The girl was the little sister of Jin Tianrui, Jin Ruiying.


    The source of the ¡®problem¡¯ that Jin Tianrui is suffering from is, of course, none other than his sick mother who suffered from an assassination attempt made by a high-ranking member of the Dark Guild whose corruption was discovered by Jin Tianrui and reported to the higher-ups.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Unfortunately, by the time Jin Tianrui arrived with the Executioner teams to capture that corrupt agent, he had already sent an assassin to kill all of Jin Tianrui¡¯s family as revenge.


    Thankfully, Jin Tianrui¡¯s mother was a cultivator in the Qi Condensation realm and managed to save her husband and daughter from the worst of it. However, she ended up being poisoned with a strange toxin that the agent got from the Demonic path.


    All of this happened more than six months ago, during the same time when I was in Starfall city to take the children of the village to the sect selection.


    In the end, the mother lost her cultivation, her body started to get weaker and weaker as time went on with her being on death¡¯s door nowadays. Jin Tianrui tried everything he could to find a cure but failed at every turn since the toxin used was extremely obscure and unconventional even for the Demonic Path. This is what led to his current state where he has completely given up on his duties to the Dark Guild as a Formation Master and wasting away in a tavern to drown his grief with alcohol.


    A tragic story with a tragic end, one among millions in this forsaken world.


    The moment the door opened, Jin Tiejun looked up from his wife while the sleeping girl, Jin Ruiying slowly got up from the noise.


    The moment they spotted me dragging Jin Tianrui inside, they must have assumed the worst since they immediately shielded the woman on the bed with their bodies. Despite them trembling with fear, there was a determination on their face.


    I like it. I like it a lot. This is the kind of people I want in my project. Those who would stand by their loved ones through thick and thin.


    As my evaluation of this family went up a few notches, I threw the struggling young man to the side gently and spoke out.


    ¡°Relax. I am not here to harm anyone. Bai Zhanye sent me to help you guys out. The kid here was being stubborn about it and refused to accept it so I had no choice but to drag him over. Sorry for startling you guys like this.¡±


    And I really did feel guilty for startling them like this. I know better than anyone what it feels like to be a cornered beast besieged on all sides. However, I have already spent more time in this place than I intended and I need to get back to the village quickly to start working on the project if I want it completed within any reasonable amount of time. Especially now that the war that should have begun a few months ago was nowhere to be seen, becoming a sword hanging over my head with the uncertainty of whether it was going to happen or not.


    At my words, the husband and the daughter calmed down considerably before the girl immediately ran towards her brother and helped him sit up.


    ¡°I see, in that case, I greet the Master. I am Jin Tiejun, and that is my daughter, Jin Ruiying. This is my wife, Lan Zhijian.¡±


    The man turned to me with a mix of nervousness and hope.


    ¡°Can the master really cure my wife?¡±


    ¡°I do not know, I will have to take a look first.¡±


    The man nodded and moved aside while his drunk son immediately started to protest. Unfortunately, he was no longer out in the open and in the presence of family. This meant that he no longer had the freedom to speak and act as he wanted.


    The moment he started to get up and start protesting, his father and sister were on him, guilt-tripping him with their words and pushing him down to stay put despite being mortals with no cultivation.


    With the assurance that I would not be disturbed, I kneeled down beside the unconscious woman and placed my hand on her wrist, slowly spreading threads made of my Qi into her body.


    I silently observed and took note as my Qi passed through her body slowly, rejuvenating and revitalizing everything they came in contact with.


    ¡®Did you know this was going to happen?¡¯


    ¡®I had a hunch. Remember what happened at Mother¡¯s grave? That gave me the idea to try this. Worst case scenario, nothing would have happened and I would have used the artifact I prepared beforehand for this task.¡¯


    ¡®Seriously, kid. ¡®Abnormal¡¯ doesn''t even begin to describe your strangeness. Where the hell do you even find a type of Qi without any elemental affinity that can also heal with just a touch? And in such an exaggerated manner as well?¡¯


    ¡®You are asking me, who should I ask? It''s not like I knew this would happen when I started integrating Pure Qi into my body all those years ago with my self-harming technique.¡¯


    ¡®You are an Inscription master capable of making bizarre and powerful inscriptions at Heaven grade. You are an Alchemist at the Master rank. You are a cultivator in the Nascent Soul realm with enough Qi to outpace even a hundred peak Nascent Soul masters. You have Primal Qi that can heal, rejuvenate, and speed up the growth of plants as far as we know. At this point, what can¡¯t you do?¡¯


    ¡®Well, I can''t manipulate the elements.¡¯


    ¡®For now. Once you reach the Soul Transformation realm and form your own domain, I have no doubt that you can start manipulating the elements in another heaven-breaking way given your track record so far.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t Jinx it.¡¯


    I watched through my senses as my Qi slowly spread from her wrist to the rest of her body, slowly healing every single cell it came in contact with.


    However, things suddenly worsened when a sudden pulse of toxic Qi rose from within her heart and started attacking the cells that had just healed with my Qi.


    ¡®Ah! I see now. This is the handiwork of the Crimson Serpent Sect. This is their specialty, the Hidden Serpent Venom. A special kind of poison that hides within the heart of the victim and attacks every healthy part and cultivation of the body slowly over time. Worse yet, the poison is partially sentient since it is cultivated through the poisonous Qi of the Crimson Serpent, the demonic beast associated with their sect, and the fragments of an unfortunate soul from a mortal. It is capable of hiding itself within the very flesh of the heart, making it nearly impossible to get rid of.¡¯


    ¡®And how do I get rid of it?¡¯


    ¡®You will need Qi with extreme Yang aspect, like your disciple, to flood the body of the victim and destroy the Poison¡¯s sentience that is derived from the tortured soul fragment. Then, you get rid of it just like you would with any other poison, by cycling your Qi through her body. Either that or you can use a medicinal pill with extreme Yang aspect mixed in with it.¡¯


    ¡®Either way, I can¡¯t cure her right now then? I guess I will have to use the artifact after all.¡¯


    Before the poison could completely destroy her body again, I took out a bracelet made of common metal and placed it onto her hand.


    The inscriptions first converted the Pure Qi from the atmosphere into water Qi which was then flooded throughout her bloodstream. Then, it enveloped all of the internal organs and other parts of the body in the same Qi, protecting them from any harm. Once that part was done, the bracelet immediately sapped away all the heat from her body while inducing cryogenic temperatures, freezing her solid.


    In effect, I created a Cryogenic bracelet that used Qi to freeze its wielder and used water Qi to protect the internal parts from getting damaged and also to stop ice crystals from forming within the blood.


    The reaction to this event was instant as Jin Tianrui directly attacked me with his sword while his father and sister were too shocked at the scene of the woman freezing solid to do anything.


    Of course, the attack failed even to make a scratch on my neck as he glared at me with rage that I was very familiar with.


    ¡°What did you do?? You bastard!!¡±


    ¡°Calm down kid. All I did was preserve her current state so that she does not die before I am done treating her.¡±


    That stopped him in his tracks as he gave me a cautious and confused look.


    ¡°What do you mean? How can freezing her like a block of ice save her life??¡±


    ¡°Look, I won¡¯t go deep into explaining the concept to you, but just know that she is alive and will stay that way as long as she is wearing that bracelet.¡±


    Suddenly, the little girl ran between her brother and me and looked at me with a hopeful look.


    ¡°You said that you were going to keep my mother in this state until you cure her. Does that mean you have a cure for the poison?¡±


    I smiled at her and nodded.


    ¡°Yes. I know what poison is eating away at your mother and I know how to cure it. However, it is going to take me time to make the pill needed to heal her. Somewhere around a week, including the time needed to travel back to my home where my alchemy cauldron and ingredients are.¡±


    ¡°What ingredients do you need? I can ask Uncle Bai to send them over along with a cauldron-¡°


    ¡°Jin Tianrui. Don¡¯t forget that your uncle already paid for my help, including the cost of the resources needed to achieve a positive result. How can you ask for more when he has already paid a steep price for treating your mother? Don¡¯t take advantage of his kindness.¡±


    At those words, he immediately fell silent and clenched his fists in helplessness while his father looked down guiltily, probably blaming himself for some imagined reason.


    ¡®Why don¡¯t you have them pack up and follow you back to the village? It would be much simpler.¡¯


    ¡®But I haven¡¯t even discussed the terms with Jin Tianrui yet and neither have I informed him about my interest in hiring him.¡¯


    ¡®You could do that right now.¡¯


    ¡®That would be manipulative of me. To take advantage of his helplessness to get my way. I am not that kind of a man and I refuse to do such a thing.¡¯


    ¡®Then, what are you going to do? your cauldron and the ingredients for the pill are back home. While you can buy them here, they will be well below our standard given that you made that cauldron yourself, and the ingredients you have are top quality stuff that you found in the forest through our heaven-defying Luck.¡¯


    ¡®The subpar stuff will have to do for now. It doesn¡¯t look like I will be able to conclude my business with this guy otherwise.¡¯


    ¡°Look. Stay here, I¡¯ll go and get the cauldron and the necessary materials to make the pill. We can discuss our business once she is healed.¡±


    That was enough to make the entire family brighten up considerably.


    Then, Jin Tianrui did the unthinkable and directly kneeled in front of me with his head touching the ground.


    ¡®Shit!!¡¯


    Before I could do anything, he spoke the words that I dreaded the most in this world.


    ¡°If the master can heal my mother, this Jin Tianrui swears upon the heavens to follow your every word until death. No matter what you demand of me, I will do it willingly. No matter the cost!¡±


    Suddenly, despite being underground, we heard the distant boom of thunder and I felt a strange sensation engulf the both of us before disappearing.


    ¡®¡­Well. There goes any chance I had of having a proper employee instead of a slave in all but name.¡¯


    ¡®You should consider this a blessing in disguise. Now, you don¡¯t have to worry about his loyalty anymore.¡¯


    ¡®Shut it! I did not want to earn his loyalty by preying on his weakness like this!! I wanted to befriend him and earn his loyalty the proper way!! Now, I am no different than the bastards of this world!¡¯


    ¡®Whatever. Just get on with it. The kid looks like he is going to kill himself if you don¡¯t accept his vow.¡¯


    I sighed in resignation and motioned Jin Tianrui to get up.


    "First of all, that was completely unnecessary. Second of all, I really need to start hammering things into that thick skull of yours about proper phrasing and the hidden meanings behind the words you so recklessly speak out. Starting with just how dangerous it is to make an oath to the heavens with such a vague way of speaking."


    I really can¡¯t catch a break, can I?

 Chapter 23

    Princess Yin Lingxi of the Royal family sat silently and watched as the many people who claimed to be her supporters bickered among themselves after the latest meeting she held about the future of the empire, a future that she decided after she visited the slums with her new friend.


    Naturally, her decision caused a major protest among the many nobles who supported her, particularly within the three of the five ruling noble and martial families.


    The Lanjian family head, Lanjian Yufeng, and Hanzhang Bingpo, the head of the Hanzhang family, were both willing to follow the princess¡¯s plans without any question. The problem originated from the third member of this trio who supported the princess while the rest of the two families supported the eldest prince.


    Yanfeng Chilei was vehemently against the idea that the princess proposed and expressed his opinion quite openly.


    ¡°Yanfeng! How dare you question the princess-¡°


    ¡°Shut up! Lanjian, You old fool. Not all of us are interested in giving up everything that our ancestors worked for with their blood and sweat-¡°


    ¡°Blood and sweat? Is that why you are fat enough to fit three people in the same chair that you occupy right now??¡±


    ¡°Hanzhang Bingpo, the next time you make such a remark, you will face my spear.¡±


    ¡°Spear? Can you even swing that thing around with the way you are right now??¡±


    ¡°¡­Regardless, my current position is not what we are discussing right now. The princess has clearly been led astray by someone-¡°


    ¡°Enough.¡±


    A single word from the princess was enough to silence everyone present, even of reluctantly.


    ¡°This matter is not up for discussion. Father¡¯s health is deteriorating by the day and we have a month at most before he passes on. There is no doubt that this princess will ascend to the throne after that since my dear elder brother has shown his incompetence quite clearly in the last few days while my younger brother cares for nothing else than drowning himself in debauchery.¡±


    She then glared at Yanfeng Chilei before speaking every word while maintaining eye contact.


    ¡°Once I ascend, we will enact my plan. All of you will start giving me comprehensive reports on the welfare of the commoners and mortals in your territory without any mistakes. And then, you all will start investing your personal wealth to make up for the neglect of the mortal lives that I know every one of you has committed in the past by embezzling the funds provided by the royal family for the sake of the mortals. Anything after that will be discussed at a later date including the details of how you are going to compensate the mortals. Am I understood??¡±


    ¡°¡°Yes Princess¡±¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, Princess.¡±


    The three family heads bowed their heads to their princess who nodded in satisfaction, unaware that two of her three had their own plans in place and could easily sidestep any investigation that the princess launched on their families.


    The last one, however, had completely different plans as killing intent flashed in his eyes while walking out of the palace.


    Of course, they were not the only ones with plans.


    Despite looking like a na?ve princess with limited exposure to the real world, there were very few things that escaped her eyes. Needless to say, she already knew that the compliance that her supporters showed was just a fa?ade.


    With a subtle gesture, a silent man dressed in black robes and a mask appeared by the side of her seat and handed her a jade slip before disappearing just as quickly.


    Looking through the information on the jade slip, the princess could not help but start chuckling before laughing out loud.


    This alerted her aunt who walked in and looked curiously at the princess.


    ¡°Princess? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much. I just learned something really interesting about a certain someone and one of our dear nobles.¡±


    Instantly, Yao Xingchen grew annoyed since she knew exactly who the princess was talking about. But her guard instantly went up as the princess spoke up the next words.


    ¡°Aunt Xingchen, have our people in the Yanfeng family keep a closer eye on their patriarch. Also, get me a Radiant Revitalization Pill from the treasury.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Looks like that fatty Yanfeng Chilei has finally given up on the indirect approach and decided to take matters into his own hands to fulfill his ambitions.¡±


    That sent alarm bells blaring in Yao Xingchen¡¯s mind as she knew how ambitious the Yanfeng family was. In the thousand-year-long history of the Yin Long empire, there has been no small amount of people who tried to usurp the throne for themselves from the Yin royal family. However, these people were always defeated and destroyed by the royal family due to their sheer competence and prowess.


    However, the Yanfeng family is the only one who can boast of having tried to secretly usurp the throne on five different occasions and still managed to retain their position. Of course, they are not stupid enough to reveal this information to others since that would destroy any face they had. In the entire empire, the only people who knew this information could be counted in the single digits.


    Yao Xingchen was one of those people as she was personally responsible for thwarting their last attempt more than half a century ago when they made a move on Yin Lingxi¡¯s father during his childhood.


    Even back then, Yao Xingchen was a competent martial artist at the peak of the Core Formation realm and managed to fight off the assassins sent after her cousin. It was this merit that she used to have her sister marry her cousin when he became an emperor, thus becoming the aunt of their daughter, Yin Lingxi.


    And now, it was clear that Yanfeng Chilei was going to try something just like his father did. Their target is Yin Lingxi this time around.


    Unfortunately for him, he has gone too far in his plans and ended up earning the attention of the Dark Guild, leading to his plans being leaked before they could be enacted.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have the Royal Guard prepare for an attack.¡±


    ¡°Do it subtly. We can¡¯t have Yanfeng realize that we already know his plans and are planning to catch him red-handed so that we have enough evidence. Without that evidence, we can''t mobilize our full strength and wipe out that troublesome family for good.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Yao Xingchen nodded at her niece¡¯s words. The only reason the Yanfeng family has managed to live for so long despite their repeated treachery is due to the bountiful land that they own and the strength of their ancestor, Yanfeng Chitian, who is still alive to this day and hiding in the family¡¯s ancestral home.


    Any action the royal family takes against the Yanfeng family must be done quickly and efficiently so that they don¡¯t get the chance to destroy their land. The very land that produces nearly seventy percent of the empire¡¯s food. They will also need to have sufficient evidence to make the Royal Family¡¯s protectors move against the Yanfeng family since he was only loyal to the Emperor or Empress. Given that the princess hadn¡¯t ascended the throne yet, it was clear that the protectors would not move under her orders without sufficient evidence to point out a threat to the empire.


    ¡°Also, prepare my carriage and guards in secret. Once we settle this matter, we will be heading out.¡±


    ¡°Where to?¡±


    ¡°East, towards Starfall City. From there, we will head North, through the ruins of the Heavenly Sword Sect, and head to the White Jade City. After that, we will head to the Western Coast city. I haven¡¯t decided where to go after that so we will decide when we get there.¡±


    ¡°Why the sudden tour of the empire?¡±


    ¡°Because I can¡¯t base the direction of my future rule as an Empress by just looking at the people of one city and on the words of one person, even if said person is someone that I am starting to consider a trusted friend.¡±


    ¡°¡­.You plan to visit all of these places in incognito then? To mingle with mortals and learn of their daily lives?¡±


    ¡°In essence, yes. I need to know how the mortals and low-level cultivators of my empire live their lives so that I can decide how to rule over them. I need to see if Da Wei was right in saying that I have been sheltered too much from the very people I am meant to rule and as a result, fail to understand their hearts and troubles.¡±


    Yao Xingchen felt pride and annoyance in equal measures as she watched the determination in her niece¡¯s eyes.


    Pride at the fact that the princess was willing to acknowledge that she was not all-knowing and willing to learn from her mistakes. She felt annoyed since the princess depended on the words of an outsider like Da Wei as the basis for this acknowledgment in the first place.


    But whatever the case may be, she had her duty to her princess and she will follow through with her orders to the letter.


    With a nod, Yao Xingchen left her princess¡¯s side and headed towards the main palace of the Royal Family, heading straight towards the hidden vault under the palace that is only accessible to the Royal Family and their subordinates to retrieve the Radiant Revitalization Pill, a pill that is considered the only one of its kind that is capable of curing all kinds of poison in the world. A pill that can only be refined by a Grandmaster Alchemist.


    Meanwhile, Yin Lingxi leaned back into her seat as countless plans were formed and discarded one after another as she contemplated her future.


    <hr>


    ¡°Come on! Call me Senior Sister!¡±


    Jin Tianrui gritted his teeth and forced out the words that the little girl wanted to hear.


    ¡°¡­Junior brother Jin Tianrui greets Senior Sister Da Ling.¡±


    ¡°Hehe! Good! If you need anything in the future, come to this senior sister for help!¡±


    Jin Tianrui glared at Da Wei sullenly while the girl in question gave a smug look before running off to play with Jin Ruiying.


    I watched all of this with an amused look, a look that Jin Tianrui¡¯s father, Jin Tiejun, shared as we both drank tea on the deck of the airship.


    After clearly explaining to Jin Tianrui the consequences of the reckless heavenly oath he took, I talked to him about the reason why I sought him out in the first place. After listening to the task I had for him, he instantly agreed to move with his family to my village, leaving behind the capital and the Dark Guild for good.


    Normally, the Dark Guild would never let go of their employees so easily since they are usually under a strict contract that lasts for decades. Fortunately, Bai Zhanye was a fairly high-ranking member of the Dark Guild. This gave him the authority to trade the contract that Jin Tianrui was under without much fuss, provided I paid Jin Tianrui the same amount or a higher number of Spirit Stones as compensation according to his contract. Something that I agreed to in a heartbeat given the fact that the last thing I lack is Spirit Stones.


    Then, as we talked and he learned that I was a Formation Master as well, he requested to see my work so that he could compare it to his own.


    Needless to say, the moment he saw my artifacts and the airship, he directly asked me to take him in as a disciple and teach him.


    Originally, I was reluctant to do so. However, Da Ling convinced me otherwise, mainly because she wanted a ¡®Junior Brother¡¯ like those in the sects have.


    Of course, my decision was not based solely on that, but in the end, I relented and officially accepted Jin Tianrui as my second disciple.


    Soon, Jin Tiejun finished his talk with me and headed back inside to look after his wife and his daughter who was busy talking excitedly with Da Ling.


    Finally, Jin Tianrui pulled himself out of his depressed state and sat down beside me.


    ¡°Master. I¡¯ve been thinking. What exactly are you trying to do that would require a formation master of my level when you are clearly much more adept at the arts than me?¡±


    I leaned back in my seat and looked at the clouds around us.


    ¡°Tianrui. I will be honest with you. While I admit that my prowess in Inscriptions is superior to most people, the same cannot be said for my large-scale Formation arts. That is why, I wanted to hire you.¡±


    ¡°That explains why you wanted me. But, why? What are you trying to achieve?¡±


    ¡°Why does it matter?¡±


    Jin Tianrui looked me straight in the eyes.


    ¡°Master, I have already sworn to the heavens that I will follow every command you give me. However, I still wish to know what kind of task you have for me. I have seen all kinds of things in the Dark Guild during my time there. I wish to know if the formation that you want me to work on will be of the orthodox path, unorthodox path, or the demonic path.¡±


    ¡°¡­And what if I want you to work on a formation related to the demonic path?¡±


    ¡°I will still do my best to complete it. However, I would still be disappointed to know that a kind man like you belongs to the demonic path.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at his words before smiling.


    ¡°Good. Keep that rationality and you will keep advancing in your craft. As for your question, no. I am not going to have you work on a demonic path formation. In fact, it is the opposite. What I have in mind is a formation that will repel anything that would do harm to my village.¡±


    ¡°A defensive formation then? What kind are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°The kind that depends on the Wuxing cycle.¡±


    ¡°A Heaven and Earth Defensive array?? That will require an absurd amount of rare materials that can only be provided by the royal families of the two empires, especially if you want to cover an entire village in such an array.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but give a mischievous smile at his shocked look.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I already got the materials in question. All that is left is for you to set up the formation.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Master, just who the hell are you? How can you get such materials that even the Dark Guild would have to pay a steep price to get?¡±


    ¡°I am just a fairly popular Formation Master is all. Putting that aside, you should know that your work won¡¯t be done after setting up the formation.¡±


    Jin Tianrui looked at me curiously as I stood up and stared at him seriously.


    ¡°Tell me, Tianrui. What do you think the lives of the mortals in this world are like?¡±


    ¡°Hell.¡±


    That single word was filled with such emotion that I couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback.


    ¡°¡­.Precisely. The lives of the mortals in this forsaken world can only be described as hell. It is the same everywhere, including the village that we are heading to. Granted, the people of my village are much better off since we do have a few cultivators there and we are mostly cut off from the rest of the empire. However, I am sure that this peace will not last long.¡±


    ¡°That is why, I want to change things in this place. I want to make it so that my loved ones will no longer have to fear for their lives when I am no longer around.¡±


    I turned around to look at Jin Tianrui.


    ¡°I want to help those in my village change their fates. I want to spread all of our knowledge regarding Cultivation, Alchemy, Formations, Spiritual Smithing, and everything else to them so that they can learn to ascend above their fate. To that end, I have created a plan in which you along with many others that I am in the process of recruiting right now will play a pivotal role. I want to make my village a place where everyone can learn to ascend above their hellish lives should they choose to.¡±


    ¡°I want to make a paradise where everyone can be happy.¡±


    Jin Tianrui stared at me with a complex mix of emotions that I could not get a read on before speaking again.


    ¡°¡­.That is the most foolish thing I have ever heard, Master.¡±


    Then, he suddenly kneeled in front of me.


    ¡°However, I still think it is a foolishness that is worth investing my all into. As I said before, I have made a vow to the heavens to follow your every command, and this is one command that I will happily follow to the best of my ability.¡±


    ¡°In that case, you should take some rest, you have a lot of work to do in the future.¡±


    At his confused look, I gave him a fierce grin.


    ¡°After all, you will be the only one setting up the array, all by yourself, since I suck at large-scale Formations.¡±


    His determined face instantly turned pale as he imagined the workload, making me laugh heartily.

 Chapter 24

    ¡°Is everything ready?¡±


    ¡°It is¡±


    ¡°Then, let''s begin.¡±


    Da Ling and Jin Ruiying along with the rest of the children and teenagers of the village watched with fascination as the two cultivators worked on setting up the formation.


    The small, remote village that these people called home had transformed considerably in the past three months since Da Wei returned with newcomers.


    The original shabby walls of the village had been replaced with sturdy walls and massive gates made of Spiritual marble, now encasing several dozen Li around the village that held all the farms and cattle in its protective embrace.


    Then, the poor-quality roads and paths of the village were replaced with cut-stone paths while a few specific paths in the cardinal directions and other places of power were made from Spiritual Marble to help with forming the array.


    Finally, the special materials required for the formation were placed in a five-pointed star formation.


    Muyu Jade (Wood Essence Jade) of the Wood nature in the North.


    Yanhong Ore (Blazing Crimson Ore) of the Fire nature in the East.


    Dihuang Gold (Earth Emperor Gold) of the Earth nature in the South-East.


    Qingluo Steel (Azure Veil Steel) of the Metal nature in the South-West.


    Lingqing Silver (Spirit Clear Silver) of the Water nature in the West.


    All of these materials were buried deep underground and then covered by layers upon layers of Spiritual Marble to act as the anchors and conduits of the formation.


    Together, these materials placed in such a way formed a powerful defensive formation based on the Wuxing cycle of the major elements, known as the Heaven and Earth Defensive array.


    Of course, this particular formation was a heavily modified version of this defensive array that is usually used by top sects, powerful forces, and royal families of the continent.


    At Da Wei¡¯s signal, Jin Tianrui started activating the formation by channeling his Qi through the materials one by one, activating the Wuxing Generative Cycle.


    Wood feed Fire. Fire produces Earth. Earth bears Metal. Metal collects Water. Water nourishes Wood.


    The moment the cycle is complete, the world acknowledges the formation of the natural order in the area within the formation, giving rise to dense Pure Qi that quickly forms a barrier with the Spiritual Marble acting as the guide or path for the Qi to follow.


    All of this process is very philosophical in nature and one of the main reasons why Da Wei sucks at large-scale Formations.


    Aside from working as the pathways of the formation, there is another reason for the usage of Spiritual Marble as the anchors and to bury the precious materials underground.


    While the Wuxing Generative Cycle allows the creation of a barrier that needs the combined power of more than a few hundred Nascent Soul realm cultivators or a few dozen Soul Transformation Realm cultivators to break it open, the barrier can very easily be brought down by traitors from the inside using the Wuxing Destructive Cycle.


    The destructive cycle uses the concept of destruction instead of creation. Wood depletes Earth. Earth obstructs Water. Water extinguishes Fire. Fire melts Metal. Metal destroys Wood.


    Circulating Qi in such a path would lead to the complete collapse of the barrier along with overloading the founding materials with Qi, causing them to explode with enough power to destroy even a Nascent Soul realm cultivator if he or she is caught within the blast range.


    To prevent such traitorous actions, Spiritual Marble carved with inscriptions to accept Qi from only certain people is used to bury and regulate the formation. This is a standard practice utilized by everyone who uses this formation.


    As the Pure Qi quickly rose from the earth and slowly started to form a barrier around the entire area, the children and mortals of the village could not help but gasp in awe at the wondrous sight.


    Soon, the entire area was saturated with Qi and created a solid barrier before fading from sight, indicating that the formation had succeeded.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Master, the first phase is a success.¡±


    Da Wei nodded at his second disciple''s words.


    ¡°Good. Begin the second phase.¡±


    Jin Tianrui wasted no time and shot toward the eight main directions and activated the secondary formation he created based on the strange language and methodology taught to him by his master.


    Soon, the five-pointed star of the Heaven and Earth defensive array was overlapped with an eight-pointed star with each point in one of the eight main directions.


    This new formation was formed with both the Eight Trigrams or Bagua from ancient China of Earth and modern science while using the Wuxing cycle as the base.


    The first two phases, Qian of The Creative and Dui of The Joyous aligned with their elemental phase of Metal.


    The third phase, Li of Radiance aligned with its elemental phase of Fire.


    The fourth and fifth phases, Zhen of Arousing and Xun of Gentle aligned with their elemental phase of Wood.


    The sixth phase, Kan of The Abysmal, aligned with Water.


    Finally, the Seventh and Eighth phases, Gen of Keeping Still and Kun of the Receptive aligned with the elements of Earth.


    Once again, the world acknowledged the philosophy of creation as the formation activated. However, unlike the previous formation, the Pure Qi generated by this formation did not head upwards or form a barrier.


    Instead, it seeped deeper into the ground and floated above ground, seeping into all living things within the radius of the formation.


    This was a formation that Da Wei and Jin Tianrui created together from scratch using Da Wei¡¯s knowledge of Chinese culture, philosophy, and modern science along with Jin Tianrui¡¯s expertise with large-scale formations and his knowledge of this world¡¯s philosophies.


    Unlike the Heaven and Earth defensive array, the purpose of this formation is not that of protection but that of creation.


    Specifically, the purpose of this formation is to boost the life force of everyone within this formation along with turning this village into a Qi-rich land on par with what one would find in many high-ranking sects or in the capital of the empire. Along with this, the formation also promotes the growth rate of all living beings within its influence. While this aspect is not that apparent in humans, it becomes extremely clear in the case of crops, cattle, and spirit beasts.


    ¡°Phase two, complete.¡±


    ¡°Now, onto the final phase.¡±


    At Da Wei¡¯s words, Jin Tianrui moved to the center of the two formations which was located at the very center of the village, within the courtyard of the Village Chief¡¯s house.


    Once he reached his destination, Jin Tianrui placed the remaining precious materials used for the formations along with a few other materials along with the Jade staff that Da Wei had obtained many months ago in Starfall City.


    ¡°Are you ready? Master.¡±


    ¡°I am. Begin.¡±


    At Da Wei¡¯s words, Jin Tianrui made a few hand seals, activating the last array.


    Unlike the other two arrays, this one was extremely tiny, only big enough for Jin Tianrui and the materials placed within it. However, despite its small size, the array was extremely terrifying.


    With a grunt, Da Wei controlled his expression as he felt a large chunk of his Primal Qi being sucked out of him by the array, directing it into the materials on the ground.


    The result was immediate as the materials combined into a multicolored fluid that started to float in the air, spinning wildly and gradually condensing into a semi-solid form.


    Taking advantage of this semi-solid state, Jin Tianrui manipulated the array and split the object into two parts. One part continued to condense while the other part flew to the jade staff and merged with it to form a jet-black spear with intricate carvings that gave off a multicolored light.


    The other part further condensed and finally solidified into a massive pillar which buried itself into the ground, creating the core of the formations now covering the village.


    With his task done, Jin Tianrui finally collapsed onto the ground and gasped for breath as Da Wei walked towards the spear.


    ¡°Master, you are a monster and a slave driver.¡±


    ¡°Is that any way to speak to your master?¡±


    ¡°What else do you call someone who just had enough Qi pulled out of him to cover for a few dozen Nascent Soul realm cultivators combined? And what do you call someone who forces their disciple to work three large-scale formations all on his lonesome?¡±


    Da Wei chuckled at his disciple''s words and wordlessly pulsed his Primal Qi, instantly reinvigorating his disciple while inspecting the spear carefully.


    ¡°Did everything work out like we wanted?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The modified Heaven and Earth defensive array can protect the village from anything in this region below the Void Refinement realm. The Bagua formation will promote the growth of crops, beasts, and cattle while also increasing the life force of all living beings within its influence. It will also work as the antithesis for any Demonic Cultivator thanks to the extreme Yang element incorporated into it while also remaining harmless to those who cultivate Yin nature Qi.¡±


    Jin Tianrui pointed to the massive black pillar now standing at the center of the courtyard.


    ¡°That is the primary control point of the two arrays while your spear will now act as the secondary control point.¡±


    Da Wei nodded and placed the spear within his space ring and started walking out but not before leaving behind words that caused a shudder to travel down Jin Tianrui¡¯s spine.


    ¡°Good. With this, the first part of the plan is complete. Rest for half an hour and start preparing for the next step.¡±


    ¡°¡­. Ruthless slave driver.¡±


    ¡°I heard that. Want me to inform your mother about your words?¡±


    Immediately, Jin Tianrui¡¯s discontent face transformed into a forced cheerful look.


    ¡°No need, Master. I am very happy to work like a slave for your grand plan.¡±


    This time, Da Wai could not help but laugh out loud at those words and expressions.


    The Master and Disciple pair headed straight towards where the children and the mortals were gathered, joining them in their impromptu celebration and losing themselves in the fun.


    In the end, Jin Tianrui escaped his fate of slaving away for the rest of the day thanks to this sudden celebration.


    However, his luck quickly ran out the next day when his workload doubled thanks to Da Wai remarking that they were falling behind schedule.


    That day, the house of the Village Chief was filled with the lamenting cries of a distraught and overworked disciple and the joyful and teasing laughter of two little girls.

 Chapter 25

    Within the house belonging to the Village Chief, Da Wei, and Chief Chen sat opposed to two other people as all four people drank tea calmly.


    The old woman and the middle-aged man sitting across from Da Wei were the chiefs of their villages.


    Xu Rui, the old woman, led a village that was located two weeks away by carriage to the West of the village that Da Wei called home. Similarly, Sun Hao, the middle-aged man, led another village that was located a week away from Da Wei¡¯s village towards the North.


    ¡°So, I heard from Old Chen that you had something to talk about?¡±


    Sun Hao is a straightforward person just like Da Wei and does not like to waste time with useless pleasantries.


    Da Wei nodded at his words and started speaking.


    ¡°Uncle Sun, Grandma Xu, I called you two here to discuss the future of our villages, especially with how the situation in the south is unfolding.¡±


    Xu Rui grimaced at those words as Sun Hao nodded with a grave expression.


    As the only three villages to have survived in this wilderness for such a long time, they knew the importance of maintaining a good relationship with each other. As such, they were very much familiar with Da Wei and his actions until now, including the recent addition of a barrier covering his village.


    It was also because of this relationship with each other and a few other villages located closer to Starfall City that they knew about what was happening across the Empire due to the unrest in the south.


    Xu Rui had been losing sleep for the past few months due to the worry of having refugees flooding her village and overwhelming her delicate balance of food for her people.


    Sun Hao faced the same issue, except in his case, his worries were geared more toward obtaining enough clothing, coal, and other such resources since his village was surrounded by hills that produced a lot of food but had little in the way of other resources.


    Da Wei¡¯s village also faced its own problems in the fact that they were barely self-sufficient and could not support more people than the projected birth rate in the village for the next few years.


    Of course, since these villages were located in the extreme frontier of the Empire they did not get any refugees until now but the mere thought of it was what caused these people to worry endlessly.


    All the people in this room are people who like to prepare for the future instead of reacting to an unexpected situation unprepared.


    It was this thought process that urged Da Wei into his actions this day.


    ¡°What do you have in mind? Little Wei.¡±


    ¡°Grandma Xu, I propose that we increase the trade between our villages to distribute our most abundant resources in exchange for the resources that we lack.¡±


    Sun Hao raised a brow at that suggestion.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that something that we have been doing already?¡±


    Da Wei shook his head and took out a large parchment. Once he spread it on the table, it showed the map of the Eastern region of the Yin Long Empire which included the terrain surrounding the three villages.


    He pointed towards Xu Rui¡¯s village.


    ¡°Grandma Xu, your village is located at a higher location than the other two thanks to it being established on the side of a mountain. This allowed your village to flourish as a mining village that exports the majority of Iron and stone to Starfall City. However, due to your location, you lack food even with that Step Farming method I taught you two years ago. Uncle Sun, on the other hand, has an abundance of food and provides a lot of food to the other two villages and Starfall City.¡±


    Then, he pointed to his own village.


    ¡°We are barely self-sufficient in the case of food and material, but what we excel at is making luxury products like Wine and daily tools necessary for Uncle Sun¡¯s farmers and Grandma Xu¡¯s miners.¡±


    Then, he pointed to the pathways connecting the three villages by skirting around the Great Wilderness.


    ¡°Until now, we have been trading our resources through caravans that pass through this path that lies outside the Great Wilderness. But, in an effort to avoid danger, this path quadruples the time it takes to travel between our villages, reducing the number of resources we can trade with each other and making it so that we are barely getting by through this trade. This has resulted in most of our excess products being left in storage for a long time without use. While that is not much of an issue for us who make tools and Wine, it is a major issue for Uncle Sun where the food you produce tends to rot due to being stored for a long time while Grandma Xu fails to sell enough ore and minerals that her village mines to make a proper profit.¡±


    Xu Rui and Sun Hao nodded at his words since this was information that everyone knew.


    Da Wei grinned and took out a charcoal stick, drawing a straight line between the three villages, right over the Great Wilderness.


    An ominous feeling fell upon the two village chiefs before Da Wei could even talk.


    ¡°I propose that we change to this path so that we can increase the number of resources we can trade-¡°


    ¡°Are you out of your mind??¡±


    Sun Hao¡¯s roar shook the room as he glared at Da Wei while Grandma Xu shook her head in disappointment.


    ¡°Little Wei, while your plan is good, you are not the first person to come up with such an idea. There were many promising talents from all of our villages who wished to achieve the same thing but ultimately gave up due to various factors. Two main reasons are the difficulty of bringing down the Iron Wood trees to clear a path even with the help of a team of cultivators and the Demonic beasts that roam these parts of the Great Wilderness.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Furthermore, even if we complete making a path like you said, there would still be the danger of Demonic Beast attacks on any caravan that passes through this route.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, you should listen to his words completely before you put in your opinion?¡±


    Chief Chen¡¯s words drew Grandma Xu¡¯s confusion as Sun Hao still held an infuriated expression but fell silent.


    Both of these village chiefs had known Chief Chen for a long time and knew his way of doing things. They knew that he was not someone who indulged in fantasies and was much more inclined towards practicality. It was this knowledge that made them quiet down at his words, wondering what more Da Wei had to say that convinced this old man.


    ¡°Since you two are now willing to listen, I will explain my plan. But first, please come with me.¡±


    At his words, Xu Rui and Sun Hao felt their confusion deepen but they still followed the young man out.


    Just like what they saw when they first arrived for the meeting, the village was bustling with activity as men and women moved about, doing things that they normally do on a daily basis but with much more zeal than ever before.


    Sun Hao, as Qi Gathering realm cultivator, could feel the extremely dense Pure Qi within the village, causing him to envy these people for having someone like Da Wei who created such a formation for them.


    Da Wei took them to the village center where a few dozen men were working on constructing a few buildings from cut stone and Iron Wood. But what drew the group''s eyes was another bunch of men who were grinding down stones into powder under Old Feng¡¯s direction while another group was being overlooked by Old Li who directed his men to carefully mix the stone powder with another powder that was pure white and sparkling like glass.


    As a cultivator, Sun Hao immediately realized what the unknown powder was.


    ¡°Is that Spirit Stone dust??¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Da Wei nodded at his shocked words.


    ¡°Correct. Specifically, that powder is made from grinding down depleted Spirit Stones. By mixing that powder with Stone powder in a ratio of 10:1 with 10 parts stone and 1 part Spirit Stone powder and melting it in a furnace to produce bricks, I discovered that we could make a type of stone that is extremely Qi conductive in a way that is similar to the Spiritual Marble in function. Of course, it is nowhere near as conducive as Spiritual Marble, but it Is still something that cannot be looked down upon.¡±


    Then, Da Wei had them move towards another location where they saw another group of men under Da Ling, Jin Tianrui, Lin Mei, and other teenagers in the village who could cultivate. They were busy directing their men in mixing various pills of various colors into five massive furnaces that had molten metal within them.


    This time, Da Wei took the initiative to explain what was going on.


    ¡°Those pills are something that I condensed using Alchemy. Each color represents one of the five main elements made using materials that are rich in the respective Qi elements. They are being mixed with the metals under both of my Disciples and the others¡¯ careful circulation of their Qi and the stirring of the men under their command. The end result would be five different metals that each have the essence of one of the five main elements.¡±


    By this point, Sun Hao was shaking in awe, nervousness, and excitement while Grandma Xu was confused due to her ignorance towards such things that involved Cultivation.


    ¡°Ok, enough with the suspense! Tell me your plan already!¡±


    At Sun Hao¡¯s words, Da Wei smiled.


    ¡°My plan is simple. As you already know, my disciple and I have developed a heavily modified Heaven and Earth defensive array that now protects this village. I have modified it even further and removed many of the unnecessary functions. In exchange, this modified formation, which I have named the Path Guarding array, can now be set up using much inferior materials and can provide adequate protection against most Demonic Beasts up to the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm.¡±


    Instantly, Sun Hao realized what Da Wei was planning.


    ¡°You intend to cover your proposed route between the villages with this formation?¡±


    Da Wei nodded, but Sun Hao once again started to speak anxiously.


    ¡°That is a good plan, but how do you intend to set up such a large number of formations in any feasible length of time? I estimate it is going to take at least a few dozen formations to cover a single path leading from this village to my own and nearly double that for the path that leads to Lady Xu¡¯s village. Then, a few dozen more for the interconnecting paths between all three villages. Then there is the problem of finding enough Cultivators to clear the Iron Wood trees in the first place to make way for the roads.¡±


    Da Wei just smiled and motioned them to follow once again, this time taking them to the edges of the village where shouts and roars could be clearly heard.


    Once they arrived at their destination, a large building with a massive courtyard filled with men, women, and children, Sun Hao and Xu Rui could not help but be dumbfounded at the sight.


    In front of their eyes, the people within the courtyard were hard at work, practicing fierce-looking martial arts and training their bodies using strange contraptions and inscriptions.


    Sun Hao could clearly tell that these people had not been cultivating their bodies for more than a few days, yet he could tell that all of them were already in the initial stages of the Body refinement realm with some of them having achieved the middle stages of the Body Refinement realm.


    If it were not for the fact that all these people were Body Cultivators who were known to be very quick to break through the initial stages while he was a Qi cultivator who is known to have a harder time breaking through, he might have really died of embarrassment witnessing such a scene.


    While the path of cultivation for both the Body Cultivators and Qi cultivators is identical with a few differences from the Foundation Establishment realm onwards, it is not the case for the beginning of their cultivation.


    For Qi Cultivators, they have the Qi Condensation realm where they concentrate on controlling and absorbing elemental Qi into their Spirit Roots, consolidating their prowess and abilities using Qi arts.


    For Body Cultivators, the initial stages are known as the Body Refinement realm. In this realm, the body cultivators focus their efforts on strengthening their body through training, Qi absorption via external means, and getting rid of impurities within their bodies using their meager elemental Qi reserves stored in their low-quality Spirit Roots.


    ¡°Some things in this world simply cannot be changed through effort. Cultivation talent, unfortunately, happens to be one of those things. However, just because someone cannot cultivate on the path of Qi Cultivator does not mean they must give up and accept their fate. Isn¡¯t that right? Uncle Sun?¡±


    Sun Hao could not help but feel a little emotional at those words and nodded.


    He still remembered very clearly how his younger brother was judged to have no talent in cultivation due to his quadruple spirit roots that had a basic elemental affinity. This news caused him to be discouraged and try to prove himself to his family by hunting Demonic Beasts by himself, leading to his untimely death.


    How good it would have been if they had access to a body cultivation technique in those days? Would his brother still be alive if things went differently?


    Shaking his head to get rid of those thoughts, Sun Hao stared intently at Da Wei, waiting for him to continue his words.


    ¡°This is a school that we established to teach everyone in the village who cannot cultivate with the Orthodox path. Here, they are taught Body cultivation with a technique that I recently obtained that has no requirement for any specific elemental affinity. As you can see, they have all already embarked on the path and have achieved at least the initial stages of Body Refinement. This means that we already have the sufficient forces required to clear the path that we need and work on laying the foundation of the road using the artificial Spirit Stone that we are making and setting up the formations across the roads.¡±


    By this point, Sun Hao was already sold on Da Wei¡¯s plans but Xu Rui still had one concern that needed to be addressed.


    ¡°I am impressed with the thought and effort you put into this, Little Wei. But, just having a good road and a shorter path is not enough for my village to transport its goods. Especially since your village and Sun Hao¡¯s village are not the only ones we sell our materials to. For now, our trade with Starfall City is not your concern since I¡¯ll find a solution for that on my own, but we still need a way to transport such a large amount of materials through the paths you proposed. The regular carts pulled by Spiritual Beasts may be enough for Sun Hao and you to trade with but that is not the case with us. Especially since we lost one of our ten carts due to the migration last winter.¡±


    Da Wei nodded at her words, acknowledging her worries.


    ¡°Grandma Xu, rest assured that I already know about that issue and am already working on a solution for it. For now, trust me on this plan. Give me time and I promise you that I will solve your transportation problem before the roads are done.¡±


    Grandma Xu thought for some time before nodding her head.


    She had known Da Wei for more than two years now and knew he was not someone who made empty promises. That was why she agreed to his request so easily without even asking for any proof of his words.


    With the tour complete, Da Wei led the two back to the house where Chief Chen was busy drinking wine and relaxing in his recliner.


    Watching this scene, Da Wei frowned.


    ¡°Damn it, Old man! Here I am, busting my ass convincing the other villages and you are relaxing without a care in the world??¡±


    Chief Chen gave a lazy glance toward Da Wei before replying.


    ¡°Why should I worry? Aren¡¯t you already taking care of things and have a clear plan in mind? And it''s not like you need my permission to do as you please in this village.¡±


    Da Wei gave an annoyed glare at Chief Chen and huffed before heading back to the room, but Xu Rui and Sun Hao watched this exchange with a stunned gaze.


    These two were not fools and instantly realized the hidden meaning behind Chief Chen¡¯s words towards Da Wei which the young man in question did not pick up.


    From the interaction, it was clear to Xu Rui and Sun Hao that Chief Chen had clearly chosen Da Wei as his successor as the Chief of this village. This meant that Da Wei¡¯s words now held much more weight than they did from the beginning of this meeting.


    If this was just a show made by Chief Chen to make them take Da Wei more seriously or if it was his true intentions, they did not know. What they did know was that they must now treat Da Wei as their equal instead of treating him as their Junior.


    Once within the room, the three people immediately began the negotiations of resource and labor distribution. With the technical details ironed out, the two chiefs showed their worth as the leaders of their respective people.


    The negotiations were fierce, but in the end, the three people left the room satisfied.


    As Da Wei¡¯s village was providing the bulk of manpower, materials, formations, and labor for establishing the roads connecting their villages, they would be providing the least amount of their produce to the other two villages in exchange for a large number of resources from the two villages.


    Da Wei¡¯s village would provide one standard cart¡¯s worth of tools and wine to other villages in exchange for ten carts worth of food and live cattle from Sun Hao¡¯s village and ten carts worth of metal ores from Xu Rui¡¯s village. This exchange rate will remain fixed for five years from the date of the road¡¯s completion after which the exchange rate can be renegotiated.


    At the same time, the responsibility to sell the excess left after this trade from all three villages to Starfall City would fall on Sun Hao since his village was closer to the city compared to Da Wei and Xu Rui¡¯s villages.


    With the negotiations done, the two village leaders left in high spirits as Da Wei headed back into the house and collapsed on a recliner beside Chief Chen.


    ¡°How did it go?¡±


    ¡°Pretty good, no thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, you don¡¯t need my permission to do things in this village anymore. In fact, it makes me very happy that you have become much more active in making the lives of the people in this village better.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    A comfortable silence fell between them before Chief Chen asked what had been on his mind until then.


    ¡°Did your experiment for the new carts succeed?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The progress is promising. I estimate that I will have a working prototype within a few months before winter arrives and right before the roads are completed if everything goes according to schedule.¡±


    Chief Chen chuckled at those words and continued relaxing.


    ¡°Still, you are really something else, Da Wei. A cart that moves by itself at nearly four times the speed of regular carts pulled by Spiritual Beasts and that can carry five times the goods at the meager price of a single low-grade Spirit Stone per week? How did you even come up with a concept like that?¡±


    ¡°Again, I can¡¯t claim ownership of this concept since I only copied the work of a scholar from a faraway place.¡±


    ¡°Haha, If you say so.¡±


    ¡°Ok, you two. Enough work for today. Dinner is ready. Da Wei, get your disciples before the food becomes cold.¡±


    ¡°No need to shout! You old hag!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going, Grandma Li.¡±


    Da Wei smiled while leaving behind the bickering old couple and headed out to retrieve his disciples for dinner.


    It was small moments of peace and happiness like these that reminded him of the reason why he was working so hard to improve and protect these people.


    These people are his friends and his family, and he would never fail his promise to his mother ever again.

 Chapter 26

    ¡°So, you are basically trying to mimic those puppet carriages from the second era?¡±


    Da Wei¡¯s image in the Communication artifact gave a thoughtful look before replying.


    ¡°Not really. The Puppet Carriages of the second era operated using High-Grade Spirit Stones which were extremely abundant during those times. They are also extremely complicated to produce and maintain, making them impractical for my needs. What I am doing is something much simpler. A chain of carts traveling on a set path using Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Since most of the heavy lifting is done by the physical systems of the machine, they become relatively cheap to operate and easier to maintain.¡±


    Princess Yin Lingxi smiled at his words.


    ¡°Only you can make something so extraordinary sound so easy. Do you even realize how the various forces in our empire, including the rest of my family, would react if they knew you were replicating an artifact from more than ten thousand years ago, from the golden age of this continent?¡±


    ¡°Believe me, I know. That is why I am already working on a way to mass produce these things and sell them.¡±


    ¡°Very clever. By selling them, you can deflect most of the negative attention that you would have gained if you kept such an artifact to yourself. However, it still does not solve the problem of others wishing to take you for themselves through any method possible. I¡¯ll give you my offer once again, join my side and I will make sure nobody even dares to harm you or your people.¡±


    ¡°Not happening.¡±


    Da Wei grinned as Yin Lingxi gave an amused smile at his rejection. At this point, her offers and his rejections have become a game between them, which they enjoy greatly. The Princess found the process of thinking up new schemes and ways to temp Da Wei quite fulfilling and a way to get rid of her boredom. In contrast, Da Wei found her various offers very enlightening in the ways of understanding how he might be trapped into an unwanted deal in the future at the hands of unsavory individuals. These conversations also helped him relax from his hectic schedule in recent months.


    ¡°Still, a barrier that safeguards your village while also promoting self-sufficiency, trade deals with your neighbors, establishing new trade routes, teaching body cultivation to your people, and creating a workforce that can easily be turned into an army if need be, If I didn¡¯t know any better, I would think that you are building a tiny kingdom of your own within the borders of my Empire.¡±


    Once again, Da Wei had a thoughtful look on his face.


    ¡°¡­Now that you mention it, it does appear that way, doesn¡¯t it? Thankfully, I have no such ambition. All I want is for my people to be safe and happy.¡±


    Yin Lingxi continued smiling at Da Wei¡¯s words as a gentle look passed through her eyes.


    ¡°A noble reason to seek power. Be that as it may, if your artifact does end up becoming a success, I want to put in an order for those carts as well. Or rather, I want the manufacturing method for those things.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen. Not because I am not willing but because the process of manufacturing is something that can¡¯t be replicated easily with ordinary inscriptions. It requires a personal touch from me or my disciple not to mention the fact that I would lose monopoly over a potential bargaining chip should something bad happen in the future and I needed a way to secure our future.¡±


    ¡°It was worth a try.¡±


    Da Wei laughed at her words before they devolved into talking about inane things and their daily lives these days.


    ¡°But really, Da Wei, if your village does end up prospering in the next five years under your schemes, I really do want to copy such methods across my empire, I will need your input if such a time comes.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I can help you with those things if we really do succeed.¡±


    Suddenly, Yin Lingxi picked up the Qi signature of her Aunt entering the house.


    ¡°Looks like my Aunt has something to discuss with me. Should I contact you same time tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°You know it.¡±


    With a smile Yin Lingxi cut off the Qi to the artifact, causing Da Wei¡¯s image to fade away along with her smile.


    Turning to the door, her Aunt walked in while covered in blood, a sword in one hand, and the severed head of the City Lord in the other.


    ¡°It is done, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Good. What about his family?¡±


    ¡°Eradicated to the last man. I made sure that not even the chicken in his house survived.¡±


    Yin Lingxi continued to stare coldly at the severed head as she picked up the communication artifact once again.


    This time, it connected to the local governing office and showed the Official in charge of the imperial authority in White Jade City.


    The official immediately bowed to the Princess.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°I have taken care of the last traitor belonging to the Yanfeng family, clean up the mess. Make sure that the Yanfeng family does not realize that all of their supporters have disappeared in the span of a few months. Especially their spies in this city.¡±


    ¡°By your order, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°And what have you done about my instructions?¡±


    ¡°¡­We have already begun the process of liquidating the assets of all the martial and influential families in this city that defied your order. The infrastructure and resources you wanted to be distributed to the mortals are already being prepared. Projections show that it will take two months to complete the task.¡±


    ¡°How convenient. Are you hoping that this princess will be gone from this city by that time? Allowing you to indulge in embezzling the funds?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t dare-¡°


    ¡°Of course you don¡¯t. Unless you want to be reduced to ashes like your predecessor.¡±


    Yin Lingxi sat up straight and started projecting her authority and regality as a member of the royal family and future empress, a side that she had not yet shown to Da Wei in full and wished to never show to him.


    ¡°I am not my father. He may have overlooked all of you ants benefiting yourself from the misery of the mortals and the unfortunate for the sake of political power. But I have no qualms about purging all of you and putting someone else in your position should you defy my words either in principle or practice. If this empire can¡¯t exist without corruption and darkness, then it is better for this empire to not exist at all.¡±


    Catching the gleam of madness in her golden eyes and the blood-soaked figure of Yao Xingchen standing behind her, the official shook like a leaf.


    It is well know fact that the Yin family is filled with lunatics, each with their own brand of insanity. This insanity was said to be the reason why their empire still stood to this day despite being surrounded by danger on all sides and also the reason why the Yin family was so scarily competent at running their empire. However, it is also a known fact that should a person ever provoke this insanity of theirs, they would never have a good end.


    To the official, it was very clear that the actions of his predecessor that died an unfortunate death by drowning in literal shit a few days ago along with the Yanfeng family¡¯s actions have provoked this insanity within the princess.


    The official was willing to do anything to escape the sheer terror of being targeted by this insanity of the Royal Family, even if it meant making an enemy of every single martial family and influential force in this city.


    ¡°¡­.I will make sure that the task is done in half a month at most. Please rest assured, Your Highness, I will never break your order no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Good. Also, I¡¯ll have Aunt Xingchen deliver a jade slip to you later today. I want that person made into the new City Lord. I¡¯ll warn you right now, if that person faces any adversity because of his commoner status and his straightforward nature, well, I don¡¯t think I need to explain the consequences right?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Your Highness! I will personally back this person in any way possible. Rest assured, I will make sure that they have a smooth path.¡±


    With a nod, Yin Lingxi cut off the artifact and took out a jade slip.


    ¡°Take this to him.¡±


    Yao Xingchen sent her Qi into the slip and raised an eyebrow in surprise.


    ¡°A dual spirit of Wood and Fire. Foundation Establishment realm as a loose cultivator. The last surviving member of a scholar family massacred by the previous City Lord. How did you find someone like this?¡±


    ¡°Remember our last trip to the slums a few days ago?¡±


    Yao Xingchen grimaced at that memory.


    Unlike the slum that they had visited in the Imperial capital, the slum of this city was much worse for wear despite the clear presence of people who had been helped by Da Wei in the past.


    It had saddened the princess to see that, unlike the people of the imperial capital, the mortals and the unfortunate of this slum had taken Da Wei¡¯s help for granted and ended up becoming humans in name only with how they acted and the heinous crimes they committed so casually.


    Of course, not everyone was like that just like not everyone in the slums of the Imperial Capital were good people, but the majority had been flipped in this city with only a few decent people to be found in the White Jade City¡¯s slums.


    It was a fact that Yin Lingxi had not told Da Wei about it because she did not want to destroy his optimistic way of looking at people.


    Unlike her who had no trust in humans and saw her fellow people, be they mortal or cultivators, as nothing but her charges and potential tools, Da Wei looked at people with a kindness and optimism that Yin Lingxi found refreshing and beautiful. She did not want to taint such an optimistic person with such knowledge.


    It was also the reason why she decided not to show her ruthless side to Da Wei and made sure that anything she did was not leaked out to those not involved in the situation so that rumors did not spread about her actions.


    She leaned back into her seat.


    ¡°Aunt Yao, inform our people in the capital. Once we return from my trip, we will pull the Yanfeng family from the roots and eliminate this hidden threat for good.¡±


    ¡°Alright. But, what about those three?¡±


    At the mention of those words, Yin Lingxi¡¯s mood became complicated.


    ¡°¡­.We will take Yun Xin to the capital where she will be taken in as a maid. As for Xiao Kai, treat him the same way we treat any other cultivator from the demonic path.¡±


    ¡°And as far as Wang Qiang is concerned, keep him imprisoned. I think Da Wei would like to have some closure from this demonic bastard.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Alright.¡±


    Yin Lingxi once again grimaced and closed her eyes, thinking back to when the mess with those three began a few months ago.


    When traveling through the ruins of the Heavenly Sword Sect, they happened upon the three who were rummaging through the remains for things left behind by the dead disciples and elders of the sect.


    Thinking that they were regular scavengers, Yin Lingxi had them captured. It was only when they were captured that she realized who they were.


    Wang Qiang, the patriarch of the Wang family and a Nascent Soul realm cultivator. Xiao Kai, a promising talent who had Quintuple Spirit Roots with two of them being advanced spirit roots of lightning and Yin. He was also one of the main reasons for Da Wei¡¯s self-exile from the sect.


    Finally, Yun Xin. The girl who was engaged to Da Wei before certain events happened.


    During their capture, Yin Lingxi observed a few details that made things very complicated for her.


    Originally, she wanted to present Wang Qiang and Xiao Kai as a gift for Da Wei to do as he pleases with. However, during their capture, the two men showed traces of Demonic Qi within their cultivation, leading her to take drastic measures and destroy their cultivation on the spot.


    As for Yun Xin, she had originally wanted to send this girl to Da Wei as well, but strangely enough, that thought did not sit well with Yin Lingxi for some reason.


    That was why she now decided to send her to the Royal Palace where she would receive training to become a maid of the family.


    After all, it was a much better fate than becoming a living cauldron for Wang Qiang and Xiao Kai like when Yin Lingxi stumbled upon them.


    It was sheer luck that Yun Xin avoided a fate worse than death so it was only proper that she repay her savior.


    With her orders received, Yao Xingchen headed out of the room, leaving her niece to rest.

 Chapter 27

    With a burst of Primal Qi, my senses expanded beyond the scope of what is normally possible, allowing me to perceive the world around me on a fundamental level.


    However, the sensory input is too much for me to handle, causing me to stop cultivating and fall to the ground in exhaustion.


    ¡®just like always, your way of cultivating is abnormal, to say the least. I have never seen any Nascent Soul realm cultivator achieve such a deep connection to the world.¡¯


    ¡®Believe me, I didn¡¯t think something like this would happen when I achieved the middle stages of the Nascent Soul realm either.¡¯


    ¡®Be that as it may, I think this connection would be very helpful when you reach the Soul Transformation realm to form your domain. With such a connection, the chances of your domain being rejected by the Heavens would be very low.¡¯


    ¡®True. But first, I need to get used to these heightened senses I have gained with my advancement.¡¯


    I stretched my body and got up from the hill where I had taken to cultivate. The same hill where my mother¡¯s grave is located.


    This past year has been extremely busy for me. From watching over the training of both my disciples, helping set up the Heaven and Earth defensive array and Eight Trigrams array, taking over Old Chen¡¯s duties as the Chief of the village since he is becoming increasingly lazy despite my pills helping him and his wife become healthier by the day, striking trade deals with the nearby villages, watching over the training of the newly established school of Body Cultivation for all the villagers who can¡¯t cultivate on the Orthodox path due to bad quality spirit roots, designing and testing my prototype of the Cargo Train that I wish to deploy on the new trade routes that we are in the process of clearing out.


    Most importantly of all, testing and developing artifacts for defending my loved ones from the war that is to come or anything else that would wish to harm them.


    Even with my lack of bodily needs which allowed me to work for weeks on end without any rest thanks to my cultivation realm, I am still so swarmed with work that I hardly find the time to relax or cultivate.


    Thankfully, I always find some time to unwind and relax for the sake of my mental health, either by taking my disciples to explore the village and the Great Wilderness or by spending time talking with Yin Lingxi, learning the state of the empire as a whole to keep myself updated on latest events while also catching up with my friend.


    Today was a relatively slow day since Old Li took the Body Cultivators to clear the surroundings of our planned path through the Great Wilderness. He wished to use this opportunity to clear out any potential dangers to the path while also providing practical experience to the Body Cultivators in fighting Demonic Beasts.


    While the originally planned straight line through the Great Wilderness to connect the three villages would have been the most optimal path, my surveys of the area at a later date proved that I was starting to let my power get to my mind and becoming overconfident in my prowess.


    The path that I proposed would have cut right through the territories of several powerful Demonic Beasts where even the weakest of them would be in the Core Formation Realm. Such beasts might not pose a threat to me or Da Ling since she had recently broken through to the peak of Core Formation. But that would not be the case for my Trains since they would be at Earth Grade in terms of ranking at most, making them easy prey for these beasts.


    That was why I changed the path and had them skirt the territories of these beasts. While the paths are now less efficient and have increased the travel time by a few hours, they make up for this by being much safer than my originally planned path.


    Of course, I could find a way to overcome the problem of travel time by trying to increase the speed of the train, I don¡¯t want to make it even more complicated than it already is.


    Originally, I wanted to make a train that was extremely similar to the trains from my old world. Specifically, I wanted to make internal combustion engine locomotives that would use synthetic fuel, which I was in the process of developing back then.


    The idea was that the noise produced by ICE engines would scare off the local fauna around the path. ICE engines also produce more power, giving the train the ability to carry much more cargo than anything that can be done through a traditional carriage or caravan system of this world.


    However, my lack of knowledge of constructing internal combustion engines forced me to fall back on alternative methods.


    I could have simply used inscriptions to make a carriage move by itself by using spirit stones, but that would have gone against my plan of promoting self-reliance for my people so that they could build or repair these things by themselves after they learned the basics of inscriptions and my way of doing inscriptions using science.


    So I decided to try using electric motors instead. But, that plan failed as well.


    While making the motor is relatively easy since magnets stronger than the Neodymium magnets of my old world exist in this world thanks to an ancient cultivator¡¯s invention of these things during his cultivation and Copper is a relatively easy material to find, the problem is that it is extremely hard to generate enough electricity to power these magnets.


    My knowledge of photovoltaics is non-existent just like my knowledge of any other way to generate electricity.


    While wind power is a possible source it is not a viable option in this place thanks to the presence of various flying Demonic Beasts that would mistake the windmills for some kind of a threat to their life and would no doubt destroy those things.


    I could also try a Nuclear power station since I understand the underlying principles of such a thing, I rather not take such a risk with my loved ones living so close to it.


    In the end, I decided to make a train based on the Mag-Lev trains from my old world.


    In this mechanism, the bulk of the propulsion is provided by the guiding path upon which the train would hover.


    I designed a simple inscription that even a Beginner formation master would be able to replicate. The inscription can be carved directly on the artificial spiritual stone blocks which will provide the opposing magnetic field to the one produced by the train¡¯s underside, keeping the train afloat. At the same time, the inscription will also exert a restriction on the train¡¯s body, keeping it on the path and removing any possibility of derailment.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Since the path would also be powering the defensive array and drawing power from the Pure Qi of the world through the Eight Trigrams array, these inscriptions can be powered indefinitely without the need for any spirit stones from their operators.


    However, we would still need to power the inscriptions on the train itself with a low-grade spirit stone since it does not have the space for me to inscribe an Eight Trigrams array on it as well.


    So far, the testing of this design has shown great promise even when I mimicked heavy cargo loads on it by filling its cargo compartments to the brim with heavy boulders.


    ¡®Will you really sell your trains to other people like you said to the princess?¡¯


    ¡®I will. Just like she said, I don¡¯t want unsavory people to target our people for the sake of this thing. Besides, It''s not like we can keep it to ourselves even if we tried. The Formations Guild might lack my knowledge of science but they don¡¯t lack in resources and sheer greed for spirit stones. I have no doubt that they will find some way to brute force a system like my train into existence and claim that I stole their design while it was in ¡®development¡¯. Thanks to their reputation, I don¡¯t doubt for a second that the common mortal and even cultivators who are unaware of their true nature would believe their words over ours, causing endless problems for us. Considering all of this, selling our creations for profit is the best course of action. If we can gain the Formation Guild¡¯s cooperation for it? It would be even better since we would gain another avenue for us to safeguard our people.¡¯


    ¡®You have a point. By the way, do you plan to teach Soul Cultivation to the people of your village as well?¡¯


    ¡®I haven¡¯t thought about it. Do you think it wise to reveal such things? Especially with how coveted Soul Cultivation techniques, even Mortal-grade ones, are in this empire?¡¯


    ¡®I think it is worth a try. With both Body Cultivation and Soul Cultivation at their disposal, I think these people would be much more capable of defending themselves if the worst-case scenario does come to pass.¡¯


    At his words, I stared at the sky and started to think about the option that Xiang put forth.


    In this world, Cultivation is divided into three main paths.


    Qi Cultivation is the most popular path which is also known as the Orthodox path. This path mainly focuses on absorbing the Pure Qi of the world and internalizing it into the elemental affinity of the spirit roots of the cultivator in question. The reason for its popularity is the abundance of techniques related to this path and the ease of the process along with the least amount of risk to the cultivator.


    Any cultivation path that falls out of this standard is known as the Unorthodox path. Body Cultivation, which focuses on using their spirit roots as nothing more than a storage place of Qi and instead using the elemental Qi to refine the body, and Soul Cultivation, which uses Pure Qi to directly refine the soul of the cultivator and create spiritual channels within the soul for cultivation, are part of this path.


    The final path and the one that is despised the most in this world, is the Demonic Path. As the name suggests, this path is made up of cultivation paths that utilize demonic ways of cultivation, such as using the blood, life essence, souls, or cultivation of people other than the cultivator to increase his or her own power. In short, any method that uses cruel methods that harm someone else for the sake of progressing the cultivation of a cultivator is considered part of the Demonic Path.


    Each path has its own advantages and disadvantages, however, the Unorthodox paths are viewed with much disdain by the top forces of the continent since they are mostly used by people who could not follow the Orthodox path due to various situations.


    And just like everything else, there also exists an exception to such feelings. In the case of the Unorthodox path, it is the Soul Cultivation that falls under such an exception.


    Soul Cultivation is something that is highly sought after by every cultivator on the continent despite being a part of the Unorthodox path. This is due to its ability to cultivate the very soul of the cultivator, giving mysterious powers and abilities beyond anything that a cultivator of the Orthodox path can dream of.


    However, the problem is that Soul Cultivation methods are extremely rare. So much so that even a mortal-grade technique, the lowest grade possible, would still attract the attention of the top forces on the continent.


    Needless to say, teaching something of this magnitude to the people of my village would be nothing short of a disaster, especially since the technique I have is not a Mortal-Grade technique but a Heaven-Grade technique.


    ¡®¡­.i will refrain from teaching Soul Cultivation for now. If the village gains enough power one day to stand on its own without any fear of facing those top forces, then I will teach them that technique. Besides, I don¡¯t think I have the confidence to teach them a technique that even I don¡¯t understand yet.¡¯


    ¡®Hmm, that is a fair reason. Also, I¡¯ve wanted to ask this for a long time but why are you so bad at understanding the concepts of esoteric cultivation techniques like Soul Cultivation and Beast Taming arts when you are so adept at understanding Elemental or Natural arts?¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t know, but I have a theory. I think it has to do with the way I¡¯ve lived my life in my old world. The way things work in that world might have hard-wired my brain and thinking process in such a way that I am finding the conceptual and philosophical nature of the esoteric cultivation techniques hard to understand.¡¯


    ¡®I see. Then, we will have to work on that from now on. I can¡¯t have you die a dog¡¯s death after those lofty ideals you spouted out to Jin Tianrui because you were weak.¡¯


    ¡®Hey! I thought we agreed that those words were the result of a brief bout of arrogance originating from my intoxication with my power?¡¯


    ¡®I warned you that your thinking process would be influenced by your power once you reach the Nascent Soul realm, it is your fault for not keeping a firm grip on your mind and spouting such stupid nonsense in the first place.¡¯


    ¡®Fine. Can we talk about something else? How is your cultivation going?¡¯


    ¡®Relatively well. My Soul Cultivation has already reached the equivalent of the Foundation Establishment realm. At this rate, I think it will take about two centuries for me to get back to my peak.¡¯


    ¡®Good. If you can at least reach Nascent Soul realm¡¯s equivalent in Soul Cultivation in the next few years, I can rely on you as the last line of defense for my village in case of a disaster.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.Do you truly trust me with such a responsibility?¡¯


    I hesitated for a bit before speaking the truth to Xiang.


    ¡®Honestly? No. I don¡¯t trust you to do something like that, especially with your past as evidence of your nature. However, I believe that everyone deserves a chance to prove themselves and make up for their past mistakes. This responsibility I am giving you? That is your chance to prove me wrong with your actions should the need ever arise. To prove to yourself that you can change from the demon that you used to be and become someone decent enough to be called human.¡¯


    Xiang fell silent at my words as I stood up from my spot and headed towards the village.


    What I told him is the truth. Even after everything that happened, I still can¡¯t bring myself to trust Xiang fully. I sympathize with the torment he faced in his timeline and I understand the reasons why he did what he did. However, just because I understood his reasons and sympathized with them does not mean I can accept the cruel and monstrous acts he committed in his time.


    That is why, I am putting such a responsibility on him now. I am not dense enough to miss the changes that he has been going through in the few years we have been together. I know for a fact that he has grown fond of the village and its people and I know that he will do anything to protect them.


    However, I still need to see if the choice is between his own advancement, and his own benefit, against the lives of those in the village, which one he would choose. That is the purpose of putting this responsibility on him.


    The only lie I have told him till now is that he will be the last line of defense for the village should something bad happen and I end up dying, in which case he can take control of my body to protect them.


    In reality, he is not the last line of defense because I have a few contingencies that I set up during the time when he is usually immersed in cultivation specifically to deal with him should he prove to be unchanging and still look out for his own gain over the lives of my people.


    Truthfully, I truly hope that those contingencies never come into play and Xiang proves with his actions that he has truly changed, allowing me to fully place my trust in him. However, it is better to be safe than sorry.


    With those thoughts, I walked towards the village where I would once again be bogged down in my work to secure the future of these people that I see as my own.

 Chapter 28

    ¡°Help! Someone-AAAHHHHH¡±


    The dying screams and pain-filled howls of hundreds of humans rang out across the sky as the burning town illuminated the night sky.


    High in the sky, powerful cultivators of the Core Formation realm died like ants as their blood fell like rain.


    All around the town, one could find the gruesome scene of countless Demonic Beasts ravaging the place and killing everyone in sight while cultivators wearing black cloaks killed any survivors.


    Amidst this hellscape, two men fought fiercely in the sky.


    One of them wore a hooded black robe, concealing all of his features while the other person wore the robes of an Imperial Official.


    The sheer speed and attack power of the Imperial Official showed that he was in the early stages of Nascent Soul realm while the flickering form of the other person who avoided the attacks of the Official by teleporting showed that he was at least in the Soul Transformation realm.


    ¡°Damn you! You Demonic bastards! And damn those Barbarian Clans who joined hands with monsters like you-¡°


    ¡°You talk too much, Official Zhang.¡±


    Before the imperial official known as Official Zhang could even say anything, the man in black robes flickered again and appeared behind Official Zhang.


    With a plunge of a sword, he pierced the heart of the imperial official, but the man was not satisfied. With a burst of power that momentarily revealed his real cultivation realm, he flooded the official¡¯s body with his Demonic Qi, corroding his body from within rapidly.


    ¡°V-Void Refinement realm?? You, you are Mo Ye-¡°


    ¡°Looks like even in death you choose to run your mouth.¡±


    With another burst of power, the mysterious man directly turned the Imperial Official into dust.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    As he watched the dust scatter in the wind, another person appeared behind him. This one wore extravagant clothing and had an extremely arrogant and sadistic look on his face as he watched the demise of the humans below.


    ¡°With that annoying human dead, we can now proceed with our plan.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, young master Huanghu. I¡¯ll be relying on your people to prepare the souls of these mortals for my Formation.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Master Mo. Leave it to us. I¡¯ll have the Yushe family work on collecting the souls.¡±


    The man from the Huanghu family, the current king of all the Barbarian Clans, immediately headed to find his forces and give them his orders, leaving behind the man called Master Mo to watch the proceedings in peace.


    ¡°¡­You can come out now.¡±


    Despite waiting for some time, there was no movement in his surroundings, causing him to sigh in exasperation.


    ¡°Mo Qingyin, my dear daughter, you should know by now that you can¡¯t hide from me.¡±


    With those words, the shadows in the sky twisted before the illusion fell off, revealing a breathtakingly beautiful woman with black hair and eyes wearing similar black robes to that of Master Mo.


    ¡°¡­Father.¡±


    ¡°Are you finally willing to take up our family arts and begin working on succeeding me as the Sect Master?¡±


    ¡°I would rather die than become a monster like you, much less succeed you as the head of that sect of lunatics you keep around.¡±


    Once again, the man sighed before turning away from the woman.


    ¡°In that case, you should go back. I can¡¯t have a weakling like you collapse after watching the ritual.¡±


    The girl said nothing before disappearing from view again. However, once the girl was gone, an amused smirk appeared on the man¡¯s face.


    ¡°Follow her from a distance and keep hiding like you always do. When she thinks that the group of mortals she is protecting secretly are safe and returns home, kill them all, and bring me their souls.¡±


    Once again, there was no response to his words, but he knew that his words were heard by the intended person and that he would carry out his task to the best of his abilities as his most loyal follower.


    Time passed as the Barbarian Clans gathered the souls of the dead mortals and the few cultivators and placed them within a massive formation created from the blood and flesh of the dead bodies in the town.


    With the formation and the ingredients in place, Master Mo began the ritual that they had set out to create.


    A few days later, news would reach the rest of the empire of the Crimson Peak Town¡¯s slaughter in the southern borders.


    The investigators sent by the Royal Family and various forces of the empire would fail to find any real clues to the incident due to the heavy blizzard of the winter burying everything under thick sheets of snow.


    Then, sometime later, the unrest across the Empire would grow even more as an envoy of the Baihu Empire would reach the imperial capital, carrying the declaration of war by the Baihu Empire in response to one of the towns being slaughtered by Imperial Officials of the Yin Long Empire.

 Chapter 29

    Da Ling was on a mission.


    The 12-year-old girl walked through the village with her ¡®junior brother¡¯ searching for something that would catch her eye. The snow and cold of the winter season pose no threat to the two cultivators as they walk around in their regular clothing without any coats or furs.


    ¡°I still think this is a bad idea. What would Master say if he knew your plan?¡±


    At her junior brother¡¯s words, Da Ling paused momentarily before she resumed walking, heading straight for Old Li¡¯s stall.


    ¡°Master has been extremely busy these days. Especially since word reached him about the war declaration, he has been extremely nervous and so focused on his projects that he has forgotten about anything that he feels is unimportant.


    ¡°¡­let me guess, he also put his own birthday in the ¡®unimportant¡¯ category.¡±


    Da Ling nodded at Jin Tianrui¡¯s words.


    ¡°We are a week away from his birthday but he doesn¡¯t even remember that fact if the way he has arranged for a meeting with the City Lord of Starfall City on the same day is anything to go by. That is why, We need to do this by ourselves as a surprise for Master.¡±


    ¡°But what do you plan to do? I don¡¯t think there is anything good to be found in our tiny village and there is nothing that we can craft that he can¡¯t make himself.¡±


    Da Ling knew this fact better than her junior brother. It was the reason why she was so anxious and decided to visit Old Li to get some ideas.


    In the entire village, he was one of the few Qi Cultivators with enough worldly knowledge to give her direction in her predicament.


    ¡°I am thinking about going for a short trip to the forest in search of any treasures. Master used to take me hunting daily a few months ago before he was swamped with all this work. Thanks to that, I know the methods of harvesting demonic beast parts and harvesting rare herbs and treasures. The only thing I lack is the knowledge of demonic beasts with specific characteristics that Master hasn''t hunted or harvested yet.¡±


    ¡°That is a good plan. But, I have a better idea.¡±


    Da Ling looked towards her junior brother who was older than her by eight years with anticipation. Her ruby-red eyes shone with hope and excitement.


    ¡°Instead of killing a demonic beast and giving its harvested parts to the Master, why not find a good demonic beast as a mount for the Master instead? While he can go anywhere with his Airship, he will need a way to travel on the ground should the situation call for it. Plus, having a powerful Demonic Beast as a Dao Familiar is considered a status symbol among Cultivators and would boost the Master¡¯s prestige.¡±


    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s good! Do you know any good demonic beasts like that??¡±


    Jin Tianrui wilted under the excited look of his ¡®senior sister¡¯ and spoke in a small voice.


    Thanks to her age and behavior, Jin Tianrui saw Da Ling in the same way he saw his sister and hated disappointing them in any way.


    ¡°¡­I do but they are all weak demonic beasts that would not be suitable for Master. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°..Oh, it¡¯s ok. It is still a good idea. Now I know what exactly I need to ask Old Man Li.¡±


    Da Ling momentarily lost her cheer at the words of her junior brother but regained her confidence quickly and shot forward in excitement, causing Jin Tianrui to struggle to keep up with her.


    Despite his master¡¯s meticulous teaching and giving him a good cultivation technique, Jin Tianrui did not have the same kind of monstrous talent as Da Ling, causing him to only achieve the peak of the Qi condensation realm from being in the Qi condensation initial realm when Master found him.


    While Jin Tianrui thought of this pace of cultivation to be pathetic, he was objective enough to know that this kind of cultivation speed was still something shocking for most people in the world. It''s just that his senior sister¡¯s pace of cultivation was so monstrous that he felt ashamed despite his speed.


    The faint image of a golden wheel appeared behind her back with four of the nine empty spots of the wheel filled with orbs of pure power, the power of the Sun itself.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    A shiver traveled down Jin Tianrui¡¯s spine at that momentary release of his senior sister¡¯s power.


    ¡®Seriously, where did Master pick up a monster like this?? How can anyone have any self-confidence when faced with someone like her??¡¯


    Da Ling gave a small amused smile at Jin Tianrui¡¯s stiff face, her empathetic abilities that she had since birth allowing her to feel the complicated emotions that her junior brother was feeling at her momentary release of her full power.


    ¡°Don¡¯t compare yourself with me, junior brother. Master always says that comparing yourself with others will always lead to discontent, so you should stop thinking about others and concentrate more on yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Easy for you to say.¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Nothing what??¡±


    ¡°¡­..Nothing, Senior Sister.¡±


    Da Ling giggled with joy as Jin Tianrui once again had a sullen face. But Da Ling knew, that deep down, Jin Tianrui always enjoyed this exchange between them.


    His tongue can lie, but his emotions cannot.


    Within a few minutes, the two arrived at Old Li¡¯s stall that was attached to his house and directly barged in just like they always do, causing Li Qiang to curse as his concentration wavered and ruined the pill that he was trying to condense.


    ¡°Damnit!! I told you children to knock before you barge in like you own the place-¡°


    ¡°Old Li! I need help!¡±


    Those words caused Li Qiang to stop his words and look at Da Ling with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°What did you do this time? Just so you know, I am not going to cover for you again if you mess up Old Feng¡¯s project with your recklessness again. Do you know how hard it is to lie to a Nascent Soul cultivator like your father convincingly? I felt like I was going to lose what little was left of my hair from the stress. Neither am I going to convince the Han couple to not rat you and little Hui out to Da Wei for messing up their inn with your attempts at cooking again-¡°


    ¡°Shut it!!¡±


    Da Ling immediately closed the old man¡¯s mouth with her palms as her face glowed red with embarrassment at her mistakes being exposed like this to her junior brother.


    Li Qiang laughed at her expression as Da Ling fumed in anger for a few minutes before she revealed her request.


    Listening to her plan and predicament, Li Qiang thought for a few minutes before speaking with a serious tone.


    ¡°While there are such creatures nearby, I don¡¯t think you two should attempt such a thing by yourselves. Not to mention the fact that Jin Tianrui is only a Qi Condensation realm cultivator.¡±


    ¡°I am strong enough to look after junior brother by myself. Besides, Master hasn¡¯t taught me the Familiar contract technique yet which means that I need junior brother with me to form a temporary contract before bringing the beast to master.¡±


    ¡°That is not the point. Da Ling. While you are indeed strong enough, the problem is that you have never fought demonic beasts on the same level as yourself, especially without Da Wei watching over your fight to intervene in case of any accidents.¡±


    Li Qiang stared at the girl with a serious expression.


    ¡°Battling Demonic Beasts beyond the Foundation Establishment realm is extremely dangerous due to their intellect and wisdom increasing with each breakthrough. Fighting a beast in the same realm as yourself without any support is considered suicidal.¡±


    Da Ling knew that Li Qiang was only saying these things because he was concerned for her and her junior brother¡¯s safety. But still, she could not help but feel disappointed at his words.


    Seeing her downcast expression, Li Qiang struggled for a few minutes before finally taking out a token that caused Jin Tianrui¡¯s eyes to open wide in shock.


    He handed the token to Da Ling.


    ¡°Take this to the City Lord of Starfall City. I know that Da Wei gave you a personal Airship as a gift for breaking through to the Core Formation realm so use that to get to the city. Tell him that Li Qiang is calling in his favor and show this token to him. Ask him for at least two cultivators in the Core Formation realm as your backup for your hunt.¡±


    Then, he took out a map and pointed out an area within the Great Wilderness that was a few Li away from the village.


    ¡°This area is the territory of a herd of Tempest Stallions. While most of them should be in the Qi Condensation realm, I have heard rumors that there is a Core Formation realm Tempest Stallion. It should fit your criteria very well but make no mistake, as a Core Formation realm beast, it will have a formidable intelligence which will make it hard to predict. Do not, under any circumstances, face it alone.¡±


    Da Ling¡¯s face lit up in joy before hugging Li Qiang and running out of the home, leaving behind Jin Tianrui and Li Qiang in the house.


    ¡°¡­.Old Li, what is your connection with the Dark Guild?¡±


    Li Qiang sighed at Jin Tianrui¡¯s words and leaned back into his seat.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be surprised that you recognized that token given who your master is. To answer your question, I don¡¯t have any connection to them, at least, not anymore. That token is something that I¡¯ve kept around to remember the old days and as a part of my past identity, nothing more.¡±


    ¡°¡­.I see. Thank you for your help.¡±


    Jin Tianrui did not ask any more questions and left the house, following after his senior sister, but his mind was still filled with questions that he struggled to find answers to.


    ¡®Master is a former disciple of a top-ranking sect and a valued customer of the Dark Guild with enough status to make Uncle Bai pay special attention to him. Not to mention his connection to Princess Yin Lingxi.¡¯


    ¡®Old Feng might hide it well but there is no way he is a simple Spiritual Blacksmith with the quality of his work.¡¯


    ¡®Chief Chen may be unremarkable but his wisdom is frightening and the same goes for his wife who holds terrifying intellect.¡¯


    ¡®The Han couple are not normal either if the way I feel my survival instincts flare up every time I meet them is anything to go by.¡¯


    ¡®Now, Old Li has revealed his connections to the Dark Guild.¡¯


    ¡®Just what the hell is this village and why is every old fogey here filled to the brim with mysteries?¡¯


    As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Jin Tianrui absentmindedly boarded the Airship that Da Ling took out from her storage ring, heading straight for Starfall City.

 Chapter 30

    Wang Lei, the City Lord of Starfall City, was sweating bullets as he stared at the twelve-year-old girl and the twenty-year-old young man in front of him.


    The reason for his discomfort was none other than the token of the Dark Guild placed in front of him along with the name uttered by the girl.


    Wang Lei had been the City Lord for more than two centuries by this point and was a peak Core Formation realm expert. However, he was not always such a respected and powerful cultivator.


    A long time ago, he was a weakling whose only strength was his family name and wealth. These advantages allowed him to trade with the Dark Guild for a certain task he had carried out in the past and indebted him to the Guild.


    A debt that he had forgotten about until this day.


    ¡°Young Lady, please understand. If I were to send two of my four Core Formation realm experts with you, I would be leaving the city vulnerable to any attacks from unsavory individuals. How about I send one Core Formation realm expert and a group of peak Foundation Establishment Realm experts from my personal forces with you?¡±


    The young lady, Da Ling gave Wang Lei a confused expression.


    ¡°But, Old Li said to take two Core Formation realm experts at the very least and that you would definitely have them with you. Did that old man lie to me?¡±


    Wang Lei barely suppressed a shudder at the casual way the girl mentioned that demon¡¯s name and once again thanked his lucky stars that his people had not treated the girl and her companion harshly when they first requested a meeting with him.


    Who knows what would have happened to him and his city if she had gone back and complained to that monster?


    Wang Lei was not ready to see the rampage of the Black Demon once again in his lifetime. Once was enough to scar him for all eternity.


    Intellectually, Wang Lei knew that Li Qiang was no longer the powerhouse that he once was, especially since the crippling of his cultivation by his master and exiled to that remote village. However, emotionally, he was still extremely scared of the man who once bathed the empire in blood while avenging his wife.


    ¡°He did not lie. But, as I said, If I send those people with you, I would be leaving the city vulnerable to attacks. Especially since an important individual is going to arrive here as the Winter months end.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then, I guess I will have to make arrangements on my own.¡±


    Da Ling got up and started to walk towards the door but stopped when her companion that she called junior brother whispered something into her ear, causing her to look at him with confusion before shrugging and sitting back down.


    Wang Lei felt confused as well when Da Ling took out a Communication artifact and activated it.


    When the other side accepted the call and revealed her face, Wang Lei¡¯s face paled in fright as his life flashed in front of his eyes in abject horror.


    ¡®It''s Over!! I am done for!!¡¯


    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s rare for Ling¡¯er to call me like this. How are you?¡±


    ¡°Big Sister Lingxi! I need some help.¡±


    The image of Yin Lingxi, the princess and the soon-to-be Empress of the Yin Long Empire had a concerned face as she heard Da Ling¡¯s words, ignoring the shaking City Lord who looked on the verge of fainting while Jin Tianrui gave a smug look at the horrified City lord.


    As Da Ling explained her circumstances and her plan, Yin Lingxi¡¯s expressions relaxed considerably before chuckling in amusement.


    When Yin Lingxi gave Da Ling the communication artifact in secret without telling Da Wei, she had done so out of concern for the girl. She had never expected that the girl would use the artifact to ask for her help in such a task. However, she was not annoyed. Instead, Yin Lingxi felt happy since this showed that Da Ling now trusted her enough to talk to her casually and ask for her help with normal things instead of treating her in a hostile way like she did when they first met.


    It also helped that Da Ling¡¯s call of ¡®Big Sister¡¯ was filled with genuine affection, something that Yin Lingxi had longed to hear since childhood from her own brother but never did thanks to her birth as an Imperial Family member.


    ¡°Only you and your Master can make something extraordinary like capturing a Core Formation realm Demonic Beast alive as a Dao Familiar sound easy. Anyways, Please leave the room for a bit with your junior brother while I negotiate with the City Lord for you.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Okay! Thanks for the help Big Sister Lingxi!¡±


    As the girl left with her junior brother, the City Lord wasted no time in directly kowtowing in front of the Princess¡¯s image as Yin Lingxi¡¯s warm look faded and an ice-cold expression appeared instead.


    ¡°This servant greets the princess-¡°


    ¡°Enough with the bootlicking. You know what you need to do, right?¡±


    ¡°This servant knows! I will immediately gather all of my top experts to accompany Young Miss Da Ling.¡±


    ¡°Good. It is quite a coincidence that we got to talk like this since I was going to discuss a few things with you when I got there, but this works as well. ¡°


    ¡°Please command this servant!¡±


    ¡°Once Winter ends, Da Ling¡¯s master and adopted father, Da Wei, will be meeting you to discuss a project of his. He will be seeking you for negotiations and permission to build something that would be very beneficial for the mortals of the frontier villages and Starfall City. However, it will not bring much benefit for the Cultivators.¡±


    Yin Lingxi sat forward in the image and stared intently at Wang Lei as the man trembled in fright.


    ¡°I have no doubt that the so-called martial families of your city will try to oppose or cause problems for him due to their nature and way of doing things. Let me tell you this right now if something happens to him or his project-¡°


    ¡°Your Highness! Please leave it to me. Rest assured, I will make sure to give all the permissions that Lord Da Wei asks for and will give anything he desires for free. I will also make sure that those fools don¡¯t interfere with anything that Lord Da Wei has planned.¡¯


    ¡°Good. However, don¡¯t give him anything he wants for free. He will realize immediately that something is wrong and will leave without taking anything. Strike a deal with him with terms that are favorable for both yourself and him. Only then will he accept the deal. Also, no matter what happens, do not reveal that we had this conversation.¡±


    ¡°Your servant understands!!¡±


    With a nod, the image faded as the artifact fell silent, finally allowing the City Lord to breathe a sigh of relief as his back was covered in cold sweat.


    Somehow, he managed to survive an encounter with the lunatic princess, even if it was only a remote communication.


    Controlling his trembling body with great effort, he sent a pulse of his Qi filled with his intent to his guard, informing him to guide the distinguished guests back into the room.


    For the poor City Lord, today has been a day filled with hidden dangers that he barely survived thanks to his luck.


    As Da Ling and Jin Tianrui walked back into the room, he squeezed out a smile and spoke in a calm voice.


    ¡°Young Miss, the Princess has convinced me to part with my Core Formation realm experts as a deal. Rest assured, I will have them assembled soon so you can depart on your journey as soon as possible.¡±


    Given the way the princess did not wish for her name to be known to the man called Da Wei, the City Lord tacitly understood that he must not reveal the fact that he had been threatened into giving up his forces to the duo. As such, he skillfully wove a lie on the spot about reaching a ¡®deal¡¯ with the princess.


    As the child with ruby red eyes and crimson hair brightened up considerably at his words, the young man gave the City Lord a knowing smile, causing Wang Lei¡¯s strained smile to turn even more brittle, realizing that the child had seen through his hastily put together lie and see the truth.


    Wang Lei could not help but complain in his heart.


    ¡®Oh Heavens! Why did you two not reveal your connection with the princess from the very beginning? Isn¡¯t this just a plot from you two to get me killed in the worst way possible? Even if I dared to oppose that Black Demon I don¡¯t have the guts to defy that lunatic of a princess!! I would have worshipped you two as my own ancestors if you had revealed the truth from the beginning! So evil at such a young age¡¯


    ¡°Thank you, City Lord Wang!¡±


    As Da Ling gave a small bow, Wang Lei felt his heart leap into his throat as he hastily had her stand up.


    ¡®Are you kidding me? If the princess knows that you bowed to me, Oh Heavens! I can¡¯t even imagine the consequences!!¡¯


    ¡°There is no need for such formalities, Young Miss.¡±


    ¡°But, master says that I must always give proper respect to those older than me?¡±


    ¡°Your master is right but you must understand that I am not the kind of man to observe such formalities. Please, treat me casually as you would any elder of your village.¡±


    ¡°Oh! In that case, can I call you Old Wang?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡®Call me whatever you want, you little devil. But please leave me alone as quickly as possible! I can¡¯t handle this kind of stress for too long!¡¯


    Da Ling gave a complicated look towards Wang Lei before nodding and leaving with her junior brother, heading out of the City Lord¡¯s manor, causing the City Lord to practically melt into his seat in relief before he sent for his Experts to assemble in the courtyard.


    He also made sure to remind his guards and servants that should a person by the name of Da Wei ever appear at the manor to meet him, he is to be treated with the same respect as himself.


    And also to inform Wang Lei beforehand so that he can mentally prepare himself for that calamity.


    <hr>


    ¡°Junior Brother, why was the City Lord so afraid of us?¡±


    ¡°Afraid? I don¡¯t think he was afraid of us.¡±


    Da Ling gave a flat look to her junior brother whose words were quite contrary to the joyful and vindicated emotion that she felt from him.


    It was the same way with the City Lord who spoke cheerfully but felt terror the likes of which Da Ling hadn¡¯t felt since her time in the slums more than a year ago.


    Strangely enough, that terror only increased exponentially in intensity after his talk with her big sister.


    ¡®What did big sister Lingxi say to make him feel such terror?¡¯


    It was a mystery that Da Ling could never hope to resolve without exposing her ability to feel the emotions of others, something that she was reluctant to do as she feared she would be seen as a monster or an anomaly by those she loved because of this ability. Even worse, she was horrified of what would happen if the man who killed her birth father in her childhood because that man coveted her abilities were to know about her location through rumors that would no doubt spread if she were to reveal her power.


    Shaking her head to get rid of those thoughts, Da Ling focused back on the task at hand.


    She had a beast to capture and she needed to do it before her Master¡¯s birthday.

 Chapter 31

    ¡°What the hell were you thinking??¡±


    Li Qiang gave a flat look at the panicking Da Wei while calmly sipping his tea, completely unbothered by the random bursts of Primal Qi from Da Wei due to his control slipping in his panic.


    ¡°I was thinking that you are coddling the girl too much. Face it, Da Wei, you can¡¯t keep her safe all the time. She needs to learn how to live by herself-¡°


    ¡°Why the hell can¡¯t I keep her safe all the time?? Isn¡¯t that the whole reason why I am running myself ragged like this? To keep all of my loved ones safe??¡±


    This time, Li Qiang put down his cup and glared at the twenty-five-year-old man.


    ¡°Da Wei, your love for your daughter is apparent to everyone. However, it would be best if you acknowledged that you have sheltered the girl too much, making her forget her survival instincts and making her too na?ve to live in our cruel world. I am not the only one who thinks this way, Old Feng, Chief Chen, and even the Han couple think the same way. When she asked me to help her choose a place for hunting low-level beasts, I saw it as an opportunity to let her spread her wings without you watching after her all the way.¡±


    The lie smoothly came out of the man¡¯s mouth as Da Wei collapsed into his chair.


    While he had no choice but to tell Da Wei about Da Ling¡¯s departure from the village without his knowledge, he was unwilling to betray Da Ling¡¯s trust by spilling her real plan to her father, even if he felt guilty for lying to his friend like this.


    ¡°¡­..It is not right, Old Li. She is just a child. She should not have to learn such things at such a young age.¡±


    ¡°She may be young, but she is more mature than you give her credit for. And don¡¯t forget that you can¡¯t shield her from the darkness of this world since she has already seen it before you stumbled upon her.¡±


    ¡°It is precisely because of this that I don¡¯t want her to suffer anymore. It is only fair that she gets to enjoy her childhood to compensate for the hell that she suffered through before meeting me.¡±


    ¡°Da Wei, I have never said it before because I did not want to interfere with the way you do things, but the way you coddle Da Ling is similar to what usually happens in powerful clans and sects with their heirs. Da Ling will end up becoming a spoilt princess if you continue to raise her in the same way as you have done until now.¡±


    Da Wei¡¯s expression took on a bitter look as he looked at his friend.


    ¡°What else am I supposed to do? Old Li. I have no experience raising a child. I am only doing what I know to make up for my lack of experience.¡±


    ¡°Meow~¡±


    Little Xing jumped into Da Wei¡¯s arms and rubbed her head against his chin, trying to soothe her master in her own way.


    At his words, Li Qiang¡¯s expression shifted from stern to compassionate.


    ¡°Da Wei, I am not saying that you are doing anything wrong. I just want you to give Da Ling the chance to grow on her own. To give her the freedom to make her own mistakes and learn from them on her own without you hovering over her shoulder and shielding her all the time.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Fine. Since we have already cleared out most of the dangerous Demonic Beasts thanks to your practical lessons to our Body Cultivators, she should not face any beasts higher than the Foundation Establishment realm at most. I¡¯ll let her get the experience that you are talking about. However, next time, I want to be kept in the loop regarding things like these. I would rather not have the kind of panic I had when she did not turn up for lunch like this and I failed to find her with Jin Ruiying, Guo Yufeng, or the other children.¡±


    Once again, Li Qiang suppressed his guilt for lying to his friend in such a way. However, Da Ling really did need this opportunity to learn to do things by herself.


    Just like Da Wei, Li Qiang has also come to look at the girl like a granddaughter and would not endanger her in any way. It was for this reason that he took out that old token that he had not touched in more than half a century to ensure her protection.


    ¡°That girl has a storage ring full of food I made for her so she should not have any problem feeding her monstrous appetite despite not needing to eat as much food as a mortal. She also has a ring full of pills and artifacts I made for her. She also has that Bracelet I made for her birthday last year so she should be safe from most threats.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    This time, Li Qiang glared at Da Wei.


    ¡°If you knew all that, why were you panicking like that and made me feel bad as well?¡±


    ¡°Hey! I can¡¯t help it ok? My memory doesn¡¯t work well when I think my loved ones are in danger.¡±


    ¡°Fine! Whatever. What are your plans now since she won¡¯t be back for nearly a week?¡±


    Da Wei had a contemplative look on his face.


    ¡°I was going to continue stress testing the train but I have already put it through every kind of scenario I can think of so it is basically ready to be placed in service at full capacity. So I have some free time to either work on my own cultivation or take care of something that I¡¯ve been looking into for some time now.¡±


    Li Qiang leaned forward in interest.


    ¡°I am thinking about going on an expedition to the Baihu Empire soon. I need to gather a few materials for Jin Tianrui¡¯s cultivation and to increase his innate talent.¡±


    Li Qiang had a thoughtful look at those words.


    ¡°Jin Tianrui has triple spirit roots of average quality. Water, Yin, and Wood are his elements. As far as I remember, the only materials that could help him cultivate are things that you already possess in excess. The only thing that you lack is a perfect cultivation technique geared towards cultivating all his affinities at the same time instead of cultivating three different techniques for his three affinities.¡±


    ¡°Correct. While the technique problem is something that I have no solution for, there is something else that I think would help him cultivate faster.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And what is it?¡±


    ¡°Netherworld Yin Spring.¡±


    ¡°ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND???¡±


    At Li Qiang¡¯s shout, Da Wei was momentarily taken aback before he sighed in exasperation.


    ¡°Old Li, calm down. I know what I am doing-¡°


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t! do you think you are invincible just because you are a peak Nascent Soul realm expert?? That thing is one of the Natural Treasures and is considered the most dangerous out of the nine Heavenly Waters for a reason!!. And you want to go after it at your cultivation realm??¡±


    Da Wei once again gave an exasperated look at Li Qiang as he did not want to repeat the same kind of argument that he had with Xiang, the old demon when he had initially asked him to reveal the location of the Natural Treasure.


    In this world, there existed many strange and mysterious materials that formed spontaneously due to the concentration of Pure Qi in a location or an object, making them highly coveted resources for cultivation. Such items were called Heavenly Treasures. The Bodhi fruit that Da Wei once found alongside Little Xing was one such object.


    However, few things were formed in such an extreme way and dangerous places with properties that defied the heavens that they were considered the most powerful yet most dangerous things to have ever been discovered.


    These things were called Natural Treasures.


    As far as anyone knew, these things always came with an elemental and conceptual affinity infused within them with only one of each variety ever existing at the same time across the continent. They are also said to only form based on the Wuxing cycle of elements as their base. It was due to this pattern that they were divided according to their base elemental affinity and state.


    The Nine Heavenly Woods.


    The Nine Heavenly Flames.


    The Nine Heavenly Earths.


    The Nine Heavenly Metals.


    And the Nine Heavenly Waters.


    The Netherworld Yin Spring is part of the Nine Heavenly Waters and is ranked as the most dangerous one on the entire list. Its base elemental affinity is water and its other affinity is the element of Yin. The best material possible for Jin Tianrui to refine so that he could improve the quality of his spirit roots and enhance his cultivation speed.


    There was also an infinitesimally small chance of Jin Tianrui gaining additional abilities based on the Natural Treasure after refining it but Da Wei placed no hope in such a thing since the chance was so small that it might as well not exist.


    ¡°Old Li. I have already made up my mind so don¡¯t bother trying to convince me.¡±


    Li Qiang seethed at those words before collapsing into his chair with exhaustion.


    ¡°Fine! Do whatever you want! But let me tell you something, the girl will end up an orphan once again if you do something reckless and get yourself killed, I don¡¯t think that is what you want for her.¡±


    This time Da Wei gave him a confident smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what I am doing and have made more than adequate preparations for the task ahead. Trust me just like you have done so far.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Liehuo! Can¡¯t you make this thing go any faster??¡±


    ¡°I am already pushing it to the maximum speed! Anymore is impossible! How far away is the seal?¡±


    ¡°A few hundred Li away, but it is moving rapidly in the opposite direction to us. If we don¡¯t catch up to her now, I don¡¯t think we will find her again once she returns to whichever Qi-rich land she is hiding in.¡±


    Yan Liehuo grunted as he operated the massive airship to the best of his ability, hoping to finally find the girl that they had been hunting for so long.


    Once again, he wished to ditch this cumbersome artifact and directly rush towards Yan Ling¡¯s location using their cultivation. However, they could not do that since this airship was an artifact that they recently obtained after exploring a secret realm and killing a lot of cultivators to obtain it.


    A Heaven-grade Airship was not a joke and not something that they could leave behind as they pleased, especially since it could greatly boost the prestige of their mistress and help solidify her currently shaky position in the Holy Land.


    He only hoped that they would reach Yan Ling and wouldn¡¯t end up losing track of her.


    The future of their Holy Land and the fate of their mistress depended on it.

 Chapter 32

    Deep within the Great Wilderness, a relatively large group of Demonic Beasts were grazing on the Qi-rich grass in their surroundings, unaware of the danger hidden nearby.


    Da Ling watched the massive Horse-like beasts with glimmering white bodies and pale blue manes excitedly as her escorts and junior brother concentrated on finding her prey.


    ¡°Once we are done capturing the Core Formation realm beast for master, I want to catch one of these for myself as well. They look so pretty!¡±


    The four Core Formation realm experts behind her could not help but look at each other bitterly as they swallowed their complaints at the little girl¡¯s demands.


    Before their departure, their lord had informed them very clearly of the girl and her fellow disciple¡¯s background in hopes of making sure that they would do nothing to offend the unassuming duo.


    After learning such groundbreaking revelations, even though these four had a lot of complaints about their current circumstances, they would never dare to openly express them.


    On the other hand, Jin Tianrui was busy looking at the map and scouting the surroundings with a tiny Gyroscopic compass that his master had made for him and Da Ling some time ago.


    After observing the map for a while, Jin Tianrui finally gave a nod to Da Ling.


    ¡°This is undoubtedly the right place, Senior Sister. We should find the Core Formation realm beast in this location.¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s begin.¡±


    At the girl¡¯s words, Jin Tianrui took out a small pouch that filled the air with a strange smell, instantly causing the Tempest Stallions to look around nervously.


    This is a common tactic most Demonic Beast hunters use to lure out powerful beasts.


    They would fill a cloth pouch with the excretions of a Demonic Beast that is of a similar realm to that of their target, causing the demonic beast in question to perceive this as a challenge and reveal itself to confront the one who provoked it, leading it straight into an ambush.


    As their target was a Beast in Core Formation Realm''s initial stages, the lure used was naturally obtained from a beast of a similar level. It was this that caused this herd of Tempest Stallions to act agitatedly due to their realm being in the Qi Condensation realm peak at most.


    The group did not have to wait long as a noise similar to a horse¡¯s neigh but much deeper and more powerful rang out in the surroundings followed by a massive form twice the height of an average man and made of pure muscles that contained explosive strength trotted towards the group¡¯s location.


    Its golden mane shone in the sunlight with pure Yang energy as its deep brown, almost black, body revealed its true cultivation.


    The four Core Formation realm cultivators felt horror as they felt the Qi fluctuations from the beast.


    ¡°That is not a Tempest Stallion! That is a Scorching Stallion! A rare subspecies of the Tempest Stallion!¡±


    Jin Tianrui raised an eyebrow in interest and stared at the beast with a critical eye while taking out a parchment and sketching the beast down on it.


    During his relatively short time with his master, Jin Tianrui had discovered that cultivation was not the be-all and end-all of his life.


    He should start investing time in his hobbies and passion so that he would not have any kind of heart demons to contend with when he breaks through into the Nascent Soul realm.


    It was this advice that caused the young man to realize that he had an interest not just in Formations but also in Demonic Beasts. Specifically, he is fascinated with their unique way of cultivation inherited by the Barbarian Clans and could not be replicated by humans fully.


    Unlike humans who depended on their spirit roots and their affinities, Demonic Beasts are body cultivators that directly absorb elemental Qi into their bodies. However, unlike humans who still had to use their spirit roots to some extent in Body Cultivation, the Demonic Beasts are naturally attuned to absorb elemental Qi from the moment of their birth. It was this special characteristic that made it so that, unlike human Body Cultivators, Demonic Beasts were not limited to the Core Formation realm and could achieve the same heights as human cultivators without much issue.


    In fact, it is widely accepted that Demonic Beasts are much faster than humans in terms of advancing their cultivation and are stronger than a human cultivator in the same realm.


    It is these differences and their strangeness that fascinated Jin Tianrui and led him to discover this hobby of categorizing and compiling the details and appearance of any new kind of Demonic Beast he comes across.


    While Jin Tianrui was busy using the various paints and tools that he had in his space ring to draw the beast¡¯s image, the four cultivators from the City Lord¡¯s faction were frantically pleading with Da Ling.


    ¡°Lady Da Ling! Please reconsider. That thing is beyond our ability to defeat. That thing is at the peak of the Core Formation realm, a small realm higher than all of us and on the same level as yourself.¡±


    However, instead of making the girl retreat, their words only increased the greed in the girl¡¯s eyes severalfold.


    ¡°Is that so? Then it is even better. Since it is at the peak of the Core Formation realm, it should not take it long to reach the Nascent Soul realm, making it an even more ideal Dao Familiar for Master.¡±


    Without waiting for any more words, Da Ling took out a simple-looking Jian Sword and shot forward.


    The ancient sword in her hand was once made with the core of a Nascent Soul realm Magma Python and Star Ore and then augmented further by Da Wei using what remained of the Dao Fruit after Da Ling¡¯s use and his inscriptions had now reached the Heaven-rank, causing its power to return to its prime.


    The Scorching Stallion saw the small human approaching it swiftly and realized her intent, causing the arrogant beast to snort and stamp down its front feet forcefully, causing a vortex of fire to erupt around it.


    However, the flames originating from its yang attribute were directly parted by Da Ling as her ruby red eyes now shone with golden light as a massive golden wheel materialized behind her back.


    Yaoban, The Solar Flare, attempted to cleave through the beast¡¯s tendons, trying to immobilize it, but the Scorching Stallion quickly retreated, avoiding the crippling blow.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    When Da Ling first learned what the Sun was and how it functioned, she had already decided that she would name any weapon that she received in the future as The Solar Flare. And just as she desired, she named the ancient sword Yaoban.


    When she informed her master of this decision, he had simply laughed and inscribed that name on the blade while repairing and enhancing its inscriptions.


    Originally, Da Wei had wanted to use English like always to fix and enhance the inscriptions on the blade. However, when Da Ling told him about her choice of name, he decided to change the language to the strangely distorted Chinese used by the locals instead.


    While English is an extremely efficient and easier-to-use language for his inscriptions, they are extremely rigid, making them unsuitable for creating what Da Wei wanted for Da Ling.


    A weapon that would grow and adapt to Da Ling¡¯s strength as her own understanding of the world evolved.


    The Scorching Stallion shone with a bright light as it charged towards Da Ling with its full might, intending on trampling the girl dead.


    However, the beast was blinded as the sword in Da Ling¡¯s hand burst with intense light and heat.


    <hr>


    During her first steps into cultivation, Da Ling had asked Da Wei the question.


    ¡°Master, if the Sun is the reason for life to exist in this world, should we worship such a benevolent object in the same way we worship the heavens?¡±


    What her master revealed on that day, changed Da Ling¡¯s perception of the world.


    ¡°The Sun is known as the source of all life. However, you must understand that you cannot call the Sun benevolent for such a reason. In fact, aside from the heavens which I still fail to understand, you should never assign any kind of morality, human values, or divinity to objects that have no life of their own.¡±


    ¡°The Sun is neither benevolent nor malevolent. It just is. Just like the earth, the seas, the sky, the air, the mountains, and every other aspect of nature.¡±


    ¡°Even so¡­¡±


    Da Wei had laughed at her reluctance and explained further.


    ¡°How about this? Do you know what a Solar Flare is? As I told you before, the Sun is a massive ball of Plasma formed from the Nuclear Fusion of Hydrogen. Sometimes, this massive ball of plasma gives birth to a storm of energy on its surface, similar to what you would find in our world. Except, these storms, these Coronal Mass Ejections, release such a potent concentration of charged particles and radiation that it can be harnessed to travel the void using what are known as Solar Sails. These particles and radiation are also decidedly lethal to any living being caught in it.¡±


    ¡°Now, tell me. If we were to really consider the Sun as some form of a divine being or a god, would you call it benevolent or malevolent? It is because of the Sun that our world is warm enough for life to exist. It is the Sun¡¯s energy that allows crops and trees to grow, filling the world with breathable air. However, it is also the Sun that filled the void with deadly radiation and particles that would have killed all life long ago if not for the protective magnetic field of our world. So, tell me. what would you call the Sun?¡±


    It was this profound insight into the nature of things that allowed Da Ling to finally understand.


    There is no God in this world, not even the Heavens as they only act as a stabilizing force and are unfeeling for any one type of life. There is nothing in this world to solely blame for all the problems in her life or the problems of the world.


    The world, the universe, and everything in this universe exists, that is it. They are neither benevolent nor malevolent.


    Everything in her life is hers to decide, and the consequences are hers to bear.


    <hr>


    Yaoban vibrated at ultrasonic speeds as Da Ling¡¯s understanding of the sun and its power flowed through the blade.


    Immediately, Radiation, charged particles, X-rays, and many other forms of energy shot forward from the blade in the Beast¡¯s direction in the form of a tight beam of energy.


    As the energy was traveling at the speed of light thanks to Da Ling¡¯s understanding of such a concept, the beast was simply incapable of escaping such an attack, causing it to take the attack with its body.


    The radiation and charged particles wreaked havoc across the beast''s body, causing it intense pain as bouts of weakness started to engulf the creature.


    And yet, it still showed its resilience as a peak Core Formation realm Demonic Beast.


    The Scorching Stallion gathered its strength and stamped on its feet before taking off into the sky, intending to flee from the danger it found itself in.


    As a Beast in the Core Formation realm, it could not fly for long distances but it is still capable of fleeing from danger.


    Da Ling stared at the escaping beast and internalized her Qi, once again relying on her understanding of her technique to further confound the already stupefied group of Core Formation cultivators that were supposed to assist her but could only watch from a distance as these decades-old masters were proven weaker than a 12-year-old girl.


    ¡®The Sun is the strongest object in the surrounding void in terms of gravitational force.¡¯


    ¡®As such, what is more powerful than it when it comes to manipulating the laws of gravity?¡¯


    Once again, the massive golden wheel manifested behind her back as the Great Sun Wheel Technique circulated her Qi according to her will.


    Da Ling¡¯s body started to emit a gravitational field strong enough to exert influence on her surroundings, forcefully attracting stones, trees, and beasts to herself.


    Then, the gravitational field inverted, causing the girl to shoot through the sky at extreme speeds, easily catching up to the fleeing Scorching Stallion.


    The Scorching Stallion put up a valiant effort, fleeing for several Li of distance as Da Ling leisurely chased after it. However, the beast soon ran out of energy and fell to the ground and Da Ling slowly descended.


    If she had wanted to, she could have increased the intensity of her attacks and directly killed the beast. But her objective is not to kill the beast but to get it as a Dao Familiar for her master.


    ¡°You put up a good fight. It was indeed the right decision to target you as my Master¡¯s Dao Familiar. Submit, and I will promise you a fulfilling life.¡±


    The Beast remained on the ground, staring at Da Ling with a contemplative look before finally lying on its side and exposing its belly, a show of submission.


    With that sight, joy erupted in the 12-year-old girl¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Yes!! Master will be very happy with this gift-¡°


    Unfortunately, fate had different plans for the girl as the stallion suddenly surged onto its feet.


    Demonic Beasts are prideful creatures from birth. Their natural strength and talent made them look down on humans with extreme disdain when they gained sufficient emotional ability to feel such things. As such, it was a given that a beast would refuse to submit to a human that it did not know about and would rather submit to someone who had bested it in combat.


    Before Da Ling could react, the beast touched its head to Da Ling¡¯s forehead and channeled its Qi into the girl, causing a golden mark shaped like the sun to manifest on its head and a similar mark to manifest on Da Ling¡¯s palm.


    ¡°W-What did you do??¡±


    The girl screamed and slapped the beast that only neighed pitifully before fainting with exhaustion.


    Watching the proceedings from the air, Jin Tianrui chuckled in amusement as one of the Core Formation realm experts held him up in the air with his Qi.


    Descending from the sky, Jin Tianrui addressed his Senior Sister with amusement.


    ¡°it would seem that the Scorching Stallion would rather have you as its master instead of having Master as its owner. Congratulations, Senior Sister.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±¡±Congratulations, Lady Da ling¡±¡±¡±¡±


    As Da Ling processed those words and stared at the mark on her palm, she finally collapsed to the ground and wailed loudly.


    ¡°WAAAAAHH! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO GIFT MASTER NOW?? I DON¡¯T EVEN HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO SEARCH FOR ANOTHER BEAST!! STUPID BEAST!! YOU RUINED ALL MY PLANS!!¡±


    Jin Tianrui shook his head with amusement and scooped up the wailing girl. He gently calmed her down as he spoke.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Senior Sister. I heard that Old Feng knew of something that Master had been searching for some time now. Maybe you can ask him about it and get it for master instead?¡±


    Da Ling stopped wailing and finally looked up at Jin Tianrui with teary eyes.


    ¡°Really? You are not lying to me right?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go now! Oh, you four can return to the City Lord and thank him on our behalf!¡±


    Jin Tianrui felt a whiplash at how quickly Da Ling perked up and could do nothing as she took out her airship and pulled him inside along with dragging the unconscious Scorching Stallion, immediately activating the Warp function on the thing and shooting straight toward their village.


    Leaving behind a group of confused Core Formation realm cultivators who stared at the spot where the airship had disappeared.


    ¡°¡­.What just happened?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know. But, maybe we should return to the City Lord.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah. That¡¯s a good idea.¡±

 Epilogue (Volume-1)

    Da Wei sat on the seat of honor with a mix of annoyance and fondness as the villagers celebrated around him.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that expression? Brat! This is your own birthday you know?¡±


    ¡°I know that, Old Feng. It¡¯s just that-¡°


    ¡°That you hate celebrating it, yet you celebrated Da Ling¡¯s birthday as if she were the child of heaven. Hypocritic much?¡±


    Da Wei was left speechless at the ruthless comeback from the old blacksmith as he laughed and drank wine from his gourd, a wine gourd that looked suspiciously like one of Da Wei¡¯s hidden stashes.


    But just for today, he would let it go.


    Watching the pile of gifts placed nearby and watching the merry-making, he couldn¡¯t help but give a small smile despite his dislike for this unannounced birthday celebration.


    Old Feng was busy bragging about something with Old Li who gave the blacksmith and annoyed look.


    Old Hu and his wife were busy fussing over Little Hui who was desperately searching for a way to escape the notice of her grandparents, especially since she nearly burned her hand while preparing for the feast today.


    The teenagers, including Guo Yufeng, the granddaughter of Da Wei¡¯s former Sect Master, were talking among themselves about whatever caught their fancy.


    Watching the timid and depressed girl finally start to open up, Da Wei couldn¡¯t help but smile a little bit.


    Ever since they received the news of Heavenly Sword Sect¡¯s destruction and the death of Guo Peng, shortly after the teenagers returned home, the girl rarely came out of Lin Mei¡¯s house and spent most of the time drowning her depression by training relentlessly.


    She did not desire revenge. Guo Yufeng was never truly close with her family except for her mother. Neither did she wish for strength just for the sake of self-preservation.


    The reason she threw herself into cultivation so strongly was not only to pull herself out of her depressed state after having lost direction in her life but also to protect Lin Mei, the girl who became her closest friend and sister in all but blood.


    Give one last smile, Da Wei looked away from the teenagers and turned back towards the other side and saw Yin Lingxi discussing with Chief Chen and his wife about something that caused the three of them to whisper passionately among themselves.


    It was truly a surprise for Da Wei and a massive shock for most of the villagers when Yin Lingxi suddenly turned up the day before, claiming that she had come to celebrate Da Wei¡¯s birthday since she was already nearby.


    While the villagers bought her lie, Da Wei knew better than anyone why Yin Lingxi was doing this as he too was like her back in his old world.


    When a lonely person gains a true friend for the first time, they are usually willing to go to the extremes to keep that friendship alive. Da Wei was like that back in his old life, so he understood Yin Lingxi¡¯s actions very well.


    Of course, he dared not open her gift and kept it in his storage ring much to the princess¡¯s chagrin if the way she pouted like a child at his actions was anything to go by.


    Knowing her, she would have given him something extremely extravagant that would have shocked the villagers into unconsciousness if they learned of it. That was why Da Wei chose to open that gift in the privacy of his home.


    As Da Wei¡¯s eyes scanned the crowd, he finally could not suppress his frown, causing Old Li and Old Feng to notice it.


    The blacksmith snorted at his worried frown.


    ¡°Oh quit being so dramatic. Your precious daughter and that kid Tianrui are preparing your gift, so wait obediently.¡±


    ¡°But-¡°


    ¡°Da Wei. What have I told you about being overprotective and coddling?¡±


    That remark from Old Li cut off Da Wei¡¯s protest as he silently waited, even though he felt the urge to immediately go towards his daughter and disciple to check their bodies for any injuries after their first adventure without him.


    Especially after learning of what Da Ling achieved during her fight with her new Dao Familiar.


    In his mind, Radiation was the most deadly form of sickness in existence and he would rather check and be sure than let things fester and let his daughter be harmed in any way.


    Despite Xiang, the old demon, reassuring him that Da Ling could not harm herself with her own technique, he could not stop worrying.


    Not to mention that the celebratory ceremony was approaching and Da Ling needed to kneel with her adopted father in front of the heavens for the ceremony.


    Da Wei had many reasons to dislike his birthday with the ceremony being one of them.


    As a former atheist, he did not like the idea of a ceremony performed for something as abstract as a god.


    As far as he was concerned, he believed the Heavens to be nothing more than a balancing force, a natural system that protected the world. Not a god to be worshipped.


    While his views were truly unfathomable for the people of this world, he could not help how he felt, even if the original reason why he became an atheist in his world was no longer a concern in this one.


    Da Wei did not hate the idea of worship, and neither did he have any problem with any one religion. What he had a problem with was people committing atrocities and discriminating against one another claiming their religion as the reason for their actions. It was witnessing this kind of darkness that made him become an Atheist.


    While there was no such thing happening in this world with the Heavens being the only ¡®God¡¯ being worshipped, he still could not shake off old habits and hatred that easily.


    Finally, as the auspicious time was fast approaching, Da Ling finally walked out of Old Feng¡¯s forge with Jin Tianrui.


    The young man looked satisfied while the girl had a troubled and nervous expression.


    ¡°May you celebrate many more birthdays, F-Father.¡±


    ¡°May you celebrate many more birthdays, Master.¡±


    Da Wei could not help but smile broadly as he scooped but Da Ling as she yelped in surprise.


    ¡°You finally called me father.¡±


    The girl just buried her face into his chest in embarrassment, causing everyone to laugh, which only increased the girl¡¯s embarrassment further.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Once he was done teasing the girl, he nodded in gratitude towards his other disciple who smiled happily and went to stand with his family where Jin Ruiying was being gushed over by her parents and the other villagers thanks to the cute dress the girl was wearing.


    ¡°F-Father. Here.¡±


    Finally pulling herself out of her embarrassment, Da Ling took out a box and presented it to Da Wei who eagerly tore it open, revealing a Spiritual Jade bracelet with many sets of inscriptions, all of which looked a little crooked but had no effect on the function of the inscriptions.


    ¡°I-I went to Old Li¡¯s classes at the school and learned from him to write these inscriptions. I am still not proficient in using your language for the inscriptions so I used the common tongue for it. I-I know it is not much but-¡°


    Her words were interrupted when Da Wei hugged the girl once again and spoke tenderly.


    ¡°Silly girl. Anything you get me is more precious to me than even the greatest of treasures in the world. And don¡¯t put down your own work. While the inscriptions are a little crooked, I can tell that they will have no impact on their function. Moreover, Storage Inscriptions are tough concepts to grasp in the first place, it is the reason why I haven¡¯t got into trying those yet.¡±


    Da Wei smiled down at his daughter.


    ¡°With this, as far as storage inscriptions are concerned, you have already surpassed my capabilities.¡±


    Then, his face got an annoyed look.


    ¡°Even if said storage inscription is designed specifically for all things food and to keep them warm or cold indefinitely.¡±


    The surrounding villagers burst into laughter at those words as Da Ling once again buried her head into her father¡¯s chest.


    Once everyone stopped laughing, Jin Tianrui walked forward and handed over a bunch of parchments bound together to form a book.


    ¡°This is my very first compilation of all the demonic beasts that I have found in the Great Wilderness and beyond so far.¡±


    Da Wei gave a proud look towards his disciple and called over Old LI.


    ¡°Take this and start teaching the students about the Demonic Beasts.¡±


    ¡°M-Master?? Aren¡¯t you going to go over the details to see if they are accurate or not??¡±


    ¡°Tianrui. While you are lazy and would love nothing more than to slack off daily, when it comes to your interests, I know better than anyone how diligent you are in capturing even the tiniest of details. I know that the knowledge you have compiled in this book must be just as accurate, if not even more, than what can be found in the Imperial Capital¡¯s Beast Guild.¡±


    At Jin Tianrui¡¯s emotional look, Da Wei gave him a quick hug before ushering the man towards his family.


    Chef Chen finally walked to the center of the banquet and gained everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Alright, it is time for the ceremony.¡±


    At his words, everyone started to gather at the center of the banquet where cushions were already prepared for everyone to kneel.


    Once everyone sat down, Da Wei walked forward and sat down on the cushion at the very front followed by Da Ling who took her place beside Jin Tianrui right behind Da Wei.


    As Chief Chen began the ceremony to worship the Heavens and ask for the longevity and prosperity of Da Wei and his family, the man in question could not help but smile with happiness and melancholy.


    Watching the scene, he could not be reminded of a similar sight from a long time ago. A time when he still had his mother who celebrated his birthday just like this, even if she and Da Wei were not favored by the Wang family and could only celebrate it in their small courtyard.


    It was one of the main reasons why Da Wei hated his birthday. Because it was on his fifth birthday that his mother passed away, leaving him alone in this world.


    But now, he had so many people who cared about him enough to carry out such a grand ceremony for him, despite his insistence to not bother with it.


    As the ceremony came to an end, everyone bowed to the Heavens as Da Wei once again reaffirmed his vow.


    He will never allow any harm to come to his loved ones ever again. He will never end up alone like he once did when his mother died.


    That is his vow to the Heavens, and to himself.


    <hr>


    Wang Lei, the City Lord of Starfall City was once again lamenting his luck as he cowered in front of the two figures that had barged into his residence.


    ¡°My Lord, please believe me, I do not know who this Yan Ling is and neither have I ever seen a girl with features that you have described.¡±


    Yan Liehuo sneered at the weakling in front of him and stretched out his palm.


    ¡°Since you are unwilling to speak, there is no need to keep you alive!¡±


    Wang Lei was so frightened that he felt like his soul was about to leave his body. However, despite such horror, he refused to comply and closed his eyes, hoping for a quick death.


    Suddenly, Yan Liehuo¡¯s arm was grabbed by his companion who looked at the City Lord kindly.


    ¡°City Lord, please understand. Our niece is in danger and we need to find her immediately. If you have any information, anything at all, we would truly appreciate it. We will also compensate you quite well.¡±


    Wang Lei stared in a daze as Yan Xinyan gave him a breathtaking smile and subtly leaned forward in a way to make his heart race. However, the sheer horror of the request made by the two was enough to suppress the City Lord¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡®Are you kidding me? You want me to spill the location of that girl? The one whose master is favored by that lunatic princess? You might as well kill me right now!¡¯


    ¡®In your hands, it would be either a quick and painless, or long and painful death. But, if the princess learns that it was I who gave you the information? Death would be a mercy at that point!!¡¯


    ¡°My Lady, please believe me. I truly do not know anything!! Please have mercy on this humble one.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine.¡±


    With an enraged look, Yan Xinyan grabbed a hold of her brother¡¯s arm and pulled him out of the residence.


    Teleporting to the top of their newly acquired airship, she started steering it towards the Great Wilderness.


    ¡°Xinyan. Why did you stop me from killing that weakling?¡±


    ¡°Because our impulsive actions have already caused the mistress enough problems as is. I don¡¯t need the Yin Long empire declaring a feud with Crimson Realm Holy Land over this matter.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Then, what are we to do now?¡±


    ¡°For now, we have no choice but to search every Li of the Great Wilderness.¡±


    ¡°The Wilderness? Why?¡±


    Yan Xinyan gave a pitying look at her brother before speaking again.


    ¡°I never expected much from you, Liehuo, but I never expected you would be this dumb.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Think about it, you fool. Yan Ling¡¯s seal became trackable when she was in the vicinity of Starfall City but disappeared immediately when she left the city from what the artifact showed us. In the surrounding area, there is nowhere for the girl to hide aside from the Great Wilderness. Not to mention the abnormally high concentration of Pure Qi in the Wilderness that is blocking our artifact from detecting the girl¡¯s location. This is why, we must search the entirety of the Wilderness for her whereabouts.¡±


    ¡°¡­..What about the Forbidden Zone? You want to search there as well?¡±


    At her brother¡¯s words, Yan Xinyan shuddered, remembering the existence of such a cursed place in the Great Wilderness.


    However, her fear was gradually replaced by determination.


    ¡°Yes. Even if it means risking our lives in the Forbidden Zone. We must search for Yan Ling.¡±


    Yan Liehuo nodded at his sister¡¯s words and concentrated on keeping watch over their surroundings.


    The two subordinates of the Mistress of Crimson Realm Holy Land are now willing to do anything for the sake of their mission.


    They must complete it at all costs.


    <hr>


    Deep within the Imperial Palace, a shadowy figure was busy watching over several documents and going through jade slips, reading the reports sent by his many subordinates and spies across the Empire.


    Suddenly, the empty chair in front of him was filled by a man wearing black robes marked with the symbol of the Infinite Blood Seas sect.


    ¡°Oh? Looks like Your Highness is quite busy with the debacle orchestrated by the little empress.¡±


    ¡°¡­.What do you want?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with such a cold response? Aren¡¯t you the one who asked me to inform you the moment something changed?¡±


    ¡°¡­.Well?¡±


    ¡°Well, I was going to inform you of an interesting rumor but now I am no longer in the mood.¡±


    Killing intent burst out from the shadowy figure and engulfed the man in black robes like an ocean, causing the twisted man to shiver in delight.


    ¡°Ah~ such delicious killing intent. I wonder if I would feel even more than this if I were to kill your sister?¡±


    ¡°Mo Yexuan. Watch your words or I will get rid of you.¡±


    The man in black robes, Mo Yexuan, the current Heavenly Demon, the absolute ruler of the Demonic path, pulled back his hood and revealed his grinning face.


    ¡°Really now? If you kill me, how do you plan to defeat my so-called killer when he shows up?¡±


    ¡°I will figure something out.¡±


    ¡°HAHAHA! Really? How interesting!¡±


    The figure covered in shadows sighed in exhaustion, causing the Heavenly Demon to smile.


    ¡°Fine, fine. I won¡¯t play with you anymore.¡±


    Mo Yexuan sat up in his seat and started speaking with a tinge of seriousness in his voice.


    ¡°The reason I have come to you is to inform you that I have potentially dangerous information from one of my spies.¡±


    He took out a jade slip and handed it over to the figure whose body shook in shock as he read the information within the slip.


    ¡°¡­¡­This could be a problem for us.¡±


    ¡°More for me than you. If this deal between the Crimson Realm Holy Land¡¯s elders and the Phoenix Clan goes through, I will end up dead way before my destined successor shows up.¡±


    The shadowy figure thought for a few minutes before nodding.


    ¡°You did good, bringing me this information. I¡¯ll handle it, you should go back to your sect.¡±


    ¡°Oh? How reassuring. Very well.¡±


    Without further words, Mo Yexuan disappeared into the shadows, causing the figure in the shadows to lean back in his seat, causing what little light was available in the chambers to illuminate his royal robes.


    ¡°Soon, I will find you. And when I do, I will kill you myself before you destroy everything I hold dear.¡±

 Information chapter

    Hey guys!


    I have just created a discord server for all of you guys who are interested in talking about my active stories freely.


    here is the invite link:


    https://discord.gg/Bj5DpCVh


    Feel free to explore and have fun!


    I have also created a Patreon and Ko-Fi account so please support me over there to.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Patreon and Ko-Fi subscribers have access to at least two chapters one week ahead of their release on RR and SB.


    Right now, this stories Volume 2 has three chapters posted on Patreon and Ko-Fi so check it out as well.


    Patreon link is at the end of the chapter and just above the comments section.

 Chapter 1 (Vol-2)

    Deep within the Great Wilderness, a massive path cut through the forest in many twists and turns, narrowly avoiding the territories of powerful Demonic Beasts.


    As the path was created with many formations lain upon it to push off any attacks, most of the Demonic Beasts avoided it completely.


    Suddenly, the silent path lit up with Pure Qi seconds before a long chain of tube-like objects shot past the area at speeds too fast for any mortal to comprehend in this world.


    Inside the chain of compartments, there were many people celebrating the official launch of this new form of transportation. However, at the very front, the people inside were seriously concentrating on their tasks.


    ¡°Huang, how are the inscriptions holding up?¡±


    ¡°As far as I can tell, they are doing good despite the cargo being at full capacity.¡±


    ¡°What about the detection formation on the path? And the defensive arrays?¡±


    ¡°They look good as well. I am only picking up low-level Demonic Beasts in the area.¡±


    ¡°What is the rate of Qi drain on the Spirit Stone?¡¯


    ¡°Within what we expected.¡±


    Da Wei nodded at the near-optimal operation of the train and left Huang, the designated ¡®driver¡¯ of this train to his work.


    ¡°What do you think, Yin Lingxi? Is this something that the Royal Family is interested in establishing across the Empire?¡±


    Princess Yin Lingxi watched the entire cabin with a calculating look, mentally calculating the cost of production, the training required for the designated staff, and the materials required for creating such paths. Then, she calculated the benefits gained from such a device and compared it with the initial investment cost.


    The conclusion she arrived at was that the Empire and the Royal Family would make a profit many times more than the initial investment.


    Thus, the answer to her friend¡¯s question was simple.


    ¡°Yes. This ¡®Train¡¯ of yours is an ingenious invention and I am willing to put in an order for it. The ceremony for my ascension to the throne is going to take place in a week. Once that is done, I want you to send your people to the Imperial Capital with the designs and the budget requirements for officiating the contract.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll inform Old Li to take a few students from the school to the palace. How many trains are you thinking about.¡¯


    ¡°We will start with ten. I want paths connecting the Imperial Capital to the five major territories of the Empire for transporting critical goods. Depending on their success, I will put in more orders.¡±


    Those words surprised Da Wei greatly.


    ¡°To all five territories? Aren¡¯t those territories under the control of the Five Noble Families of the Empire? Two of which supported your elder brother in the fight for the throne and one of which you are actively fighting against in the shadows?¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Yin Lingxi gave a humorless smile to her friend.


    ¡°Correct. I need those paths connected to the territories of the Five Noble Families. While the issues between these families and the Royal Family mean that trade between us is strained at the moment, I am confident in taking care of this problem once I ascend to the throne. After the dust settles, I will need large amounts of goods transferred between all these territories to make up for the deficit that the Capital is currently experiencing.¡±


    Da Wei winced at that reminder.


    During the last month that Yin Lingxi spent in Da Wei¡¯s village, word somehow leaked out to the Five Noble Families that Yin Lingxi was preparing to annihilate the Yanfeng Family and had already removed all the supporters of the family from within and outside its territory.


    This caused the families who opposed her from the very beginning, such as the Qingmu and Tuzhao families that supported the Eldest Prince before his fall from grace, to ally together in restricting her in every way possible.


    The Yanfeng family restricted the food supply sent to the Capital.


    The Qingmu family reduced the amount of wood and charcoal provided to the Capital.


    The Tuzhao family reduced the number of Luxury goods, such as jade-based furniture, spiritual materials, and other such things sent to the Capital.


    Normally, such actions would have incurred an immediate retaliation from the Royal Family and these families would have been wiped out from existence. However, as the current Emperor is bedridden and the Royal Protectors and soldiers will only move at the word of the current Emperor, Yin Lingxi is left in a situation where she can do nothing but wait.


    This unrest in the capital was also the reason why Yin Lingxi had decided to live in Da Wei¡¯s village for this long.


    ¡°I will inform Old Feng to speed up the establishment of the Assembly line. If my experiment with the factory is successful, we will be able to reduce the time taken for the manufacturing of the train to a fraction of what it takes currently.¡±


    Yin Lingxi smiled at those words.


    ¡°I would really appreciate that.¡±


    Then, her face morphed into a serious look.


    ¡°What have you thought about my other suggestion? About the one related to your upcoming ¡®travel plan¡¯?¡±


    ¡°¡­..I¡¯ll ask you one last time. Are you really sure you want to do something like that? The date I depart is only a few weeks apart from your date of coronation as the Empress. Should you not use that time to secure your position instead of traveling with me?¡±


    ¡°Da Wei. I know what I am doing. While my decision to go with you to wherever it is you are going is mostly a personal desire, there is also an official reason mixed in with it.¡±


    ¡°I will be going with you to scout the current military and whereabouts of the Baihu empire¡¯s forces. Especially since they have not taken any action since their declaration of war on my empire.¡±


    Once again, Da Wei hid a grimace as those words reminded him of the other reason why he was rushing so much to obtain resources for his disciples and his village.


    While he had been preparing to protect his village from war for a long time now, the war that he was preparing for was one that should have started in the south, far away from the village where he would have ample warning to prepare his people. What he was not prepared for was a war between the two empires with his village being one of the first places to be hit should the war begin in full force.


    ¡°In that case, I have no reason to refuse your request. Although, what does Miss Yao think about this trip?¡±


    At those words, Yin Lingxi couldn¡¯t help but give a smug grin.


    ¡°She supports my idea. In fact, she was the one who suggested I stay in your village until the coronation.¡±


    This time, Da Wei could not hide his surprise. However thinking about it for a few minutes, he found no fault in Yao Xingchen¡¯s actions.


    Both as the bodyguard of the princess and the Aunt of the girl, her decision to keep Yin Lingxi away from the capital which was currently experiencing bloody turmoil was a sound decision. Especially since the thwarted assassination attempt carried out on Yin Lingxi while she was on her way to Starfall City.


    The two friends fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts as the train continued on its way.

 Chapter 2 (Vol-2)

    In the Imperial Capital, things have been very difficult for the mortals ever since the war declaration sent by the Baihu empire and the reduced resources for their survival thanks to the hidden fight between the Noble families and the Royal Family.


    "Catch them all! Don''t let a single one get away!"


    """"Yes captain!""""


    Captain Zhou roared as he fought against the leader of the gang they were pursuing as his men surrounded the other goons.


    "Damn it! You damned dog of the empire! Can''t you see that we are not doing anything wrong??"


    "Not doing anything wrong?? You just killed an entire family of merchants and stole all of their inventory!!"


    The goon with a bald head and scars on his face wielded his saber and deflected Zhou''s sword while lashing out with a slash aimed at Captain Zhou''s heart.


    The imperial soldier barely avoided the attack and counter-attacked with a swipe of his sword, aimed at severing the goon''s sword arm.


    "And what''s wrong with that?? Don''t you know how the common people are suffering thanks to the Royal family''s neglect? We commoners need to find a way to fend for ourselves. So what if some rich bastard and his family were wiped out? Aren''t his goods going to be used for a good deed by us brothers?"


    "Shut Up!!"


    Captain Zhou felt absolute rage at the thug''s words. While there was truth in his words about the suffering of the common people recently, everything else he spoke was pure lies.


    Zhou had been on this particular gang''s tail for a long time. Everything from extortion, and blackmail to dealing forbidden substances and even murder, there was no crime that this gang had not carried out and succeeded in evading the soldiers until now.


    The only reason they were caught this time was because Zhou had received an anonymous tip from someone who told him of their next target.


    Unfortunately, Zhou had arrived too late to save the Merchant family, however, he still managed to catch up to this gang.


    With a burst of Qi, Captain Zhou disappeared from the Thug''s sight and appeared behind his back, causing the Thug to stare in horror.


    "F-Foundation establishment stage?? You bastard! You hid your strength??"


    Captain Zhou did not waste any words on the thug and directly severed his hands, causing the man to scream in agony and fall to the ground.


    Turning around to observe the situation, Zhou felt satisfied as he spotted his subordinates already in the process of tying up the remaining members of the gang.


    Another group of soldiers appeared from the entrance of the alley and bowed towards Captain Zhou.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Captain. We have found all the goods stolen by these bastards. But, you need to see them for yourself Captain."


    Captain Zhou raised an eyebrow at his subordinate''s words.


    "What happened?"


    "¡­.You need to see it for yourself to believe it."


    With a nod, Captain Zhou walked with his subordinates while keeping an eye on the quiet streets.


    Captain Zhou felt pain in his heart as he saw the quiet streets that should have been bustling at this time of the night.


    Ever since the war declaration, the mortals of the Capital had been pushed into a frenzy where they frantically prepared to either flee for their lives or barricade themselves in their homes with enough supplies to last them a long while.


    Unfortunately, many unsavory individuals and gangs took advantage of this period of unrest and spread their fingers across many places that they usually would not dare to mess with.


    This gang was not the first one nor will it be the last that he dealt with during this time of unrest.


    Soon, Captain Zhou arrived at a large warehouse located near the edge of the commoner district.


    "¡­Wait, doesn''t this warehouse belong to the Yang family''s elixir pavilion?"


    "Yes, Captain. The Yang family opened this business under the partnership of the Alchemy guild."


    "¡­.Are you saying that those goons were foolish enough to mess with the Yang family and store their stolen goods in this warehouse?"


    "¡­."


    The silence from his soldiers unnerved Zhou Yu but he had no choice but to follow through with his duty even if it meant offending a minor noble family.


    Pushing open the door to the Warehouse, all he found was a somewhat regular-looking storage for an elixir pavilion. However, these thoughts changed quickly when one of his soldiers moved forward and pulled a well-hidden latch, revealing hidden access to an underground storage place.


    Immediately, a foul smell assaulted Captain Zhou''s senses and he quickly covered his nose with a cloth.


    "What the hell is this smell?"


    He received no response for his exclamation other than the grim faces of his subordinates which put him on edge even more.


    Zhou Yu had known his subordinates for years, some of whom he trained with as a fresh recruit and others he handpicked to be part of his group. He knew that while they were a little playful at times and loved to make things difficult for him for fun when it came to work, there was no unit more dedicated than his own.


    For such people to not say anything and ask him to verify things for himself, Zhou Yu couldn''t help but feel frightened at what he would find in that underground storage.


    Pulling himself together, the man slowly descended the stairs and finally saw what had caused his subordinates to behave as strangely as they did.


    Rows upon rows of cells lined the wall with hundreds of dead bodies and living prisoners strewn about like cattle. Men, women, children, and elderly, there was no distinction between a specific demographic captured in those cells.


    Disgust overwhelmed the man as an urge to throw up pushed towards his throat. It was only through sheer will that he controlled himself and slowly walked forward as his subordinates finally started to speak.


    "We found nearly four hundred prisoners here. Most of them are dead. Those that are still living would rather die than live as they are now."


    "Just what is happening here? What is the Yang family planning with this?"


    "¡­.I don''t think it''s just the Yang family involved in this, Captain Zhou."


    At the Captain''s questioning gaze, one of his subordinates walked forward and removed the cloth covering one of the dead bodies, revealing the heavily mutilated corpse of a teenage man.


    Zhou used his Qi to shut off his sense of smell and enhanced his eyesight, looking for anything suspicious within the corpse until his subordinate pointed out what was wrong with the body.


    "The heart is missing. So is the brain. The spinal cord has been hollowed out of all its marrow. Worst of all, his Spirit roots were crippled from the inside out."


    "Heart, brain, marrow, and Qi. Wait, you don''t mean??"


    "Yes, Captain. I think we have Cultivators of the Demon path in the Capital, and they are either infiltrating or cooperating with the Yang Family."

 Chapter 3 (Vol-2)

    As Qi rushed into my Nascent soul, I felt my senses expand even beyond what they already were, making it difficult for me to keep my concentration.


    However, I did not give up and kept going, pulling in the Pure Qi of the surroundings and rapidly converting it into Primal Qi through my spirit roots before feeding it to my Nascent soul.


    Already, I could sense my Nascent soul becoming stronger and approaching the stage where it would create a completely artificial soul. With this, I am just a step away from the Soul Transformation realm.


    ¡®Looks like all you need is another push to reach the Soul Transformation realm.¡¯


    ¡®I know. However, I need to prepare an isolated place to begin the breakthrough process. I can¡¯t risk the tribulation destroying my Airship. Not to mention the fact that I can¡¯t break through into the Soul Transformation realm just yet.¡¯


    ¡®¡­If there is a Tribulation at all.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t jinx it.¡¯


    ¡®Fine, fine. Putting that aside, what are your thoughts about all of this?¡¯


    ¡®You mean our journey? Or the war?¡¯


    ¡®While I am against our journey into that particular secret realm, I am confident about your chances of success. No, what I am worried about is the war, rather, how things have changed so much that my knowledge of my timeline is no longer of much use¡¯


    ¡®We always knew that such a situation would arise eventually thanks to how different I am to you. Although I never imagined the change would be so drastic. And yet, it is still something that we can manage as we are now.¡¯


    ¡®¡­You will have to push your plans forward by quite a bit.¡¯


    ¡®I know.¡¯


    I grimaced at his words as I recalled the many contingency plans I made that became obsolete with this sudden declaration of war from the Baihu empire.


    Thankfully, I still had some time thanks to the Baihu empire not striking at the borders just yet for some reason, leaving me enough wiggle room to hastily prepare the defenses of my village.


    ¡®Are you sure that the Netherworld Yin Spring and that other item are still in the same place at this point in time?¡¯


    ¡®They should be. Although, you should still prepare to come back empty-handed. When I fell into that accursed secret realm it was more than a century from now. I don¡¯t know how those things came to be in that realm in the first place so there is a possibility that those things would not be available there right now.¡¯


    ¡®We have no choice but to take this risk. Jin Tianrui¡¯s cultivation is not progressing fast enough. If something bad really happens and I am not there to defend him, I have very little confidence in his capability of protecting himself and his family even with the various artifacts I gave him.¡¯


    ¡®David, you worry too much. However, I can¡¯t fault you for your feelings. Rest assured, even if the Netherworld Yin Spring is not there, that secret realm is still filled to the brim with rare materials and resources that would greatly benefit us, and by extension, Jin Tianrui.¡¯


    ¡®¡­I guess you are right. I just hope that that thing is still there. I will need it if I want to enhance Jin Tianrui¡¯s spirit roots completely alongside the Netherworld Yin Spring.¡¯


    ¡®That depends. If the Netherworld Yin Spring is there, then the Primordial Yin Wood will also be there. If the Spring is not there, then the wood will not be there either. The wood needs the spring to grow and the spring needs the extreme Yin Qi of the wood to manifest. One cannot exist without the other.¡¯


    Once again I grimaced at those words.


    Out of all the Natural Treasures, there are a few things that have a symbiotic existence where one cannot exist without the other. The Netherworld Yin Spring and the Primordial Yin Wood are one such example.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    To this day, nobody has been able to accurately find out what comes first between these two things. The only thing that everyone can agree on is that they are always found together and one of them cannot be harvested without destroying the other.


    The problem, however, is that both of them should be inside a Secret realm located at the edge of the Baihu empire¡¯s capital.


    Since a secret realm is a separate space left behind by a cultivator that is at least in the Soul Transformation realm, they are highly coveted and are usually swarmed with cultivators of all backgrounds, vying for the hidden resources within.


    Of course, given the nature of cultivators, it was inevitable that they would eventually discover the way that a secret realm forms. However, the process was instantly labeled as a demonic technique and no one in the Orthodox dares to try something like that.


    When a cultivator in or above the Soul Transformation realm dies during a tribulation, their body is destroyed and their soul scattered. However, the domain that the cultivator condenses during their ascension to the Soul Transformation is left behind as a separate space connected to the world with the final intent and thoughts of the cultivator governing the rules of the space left behind.


    These thoughts and intent direct the way that this isolated space functions by using the essence of the Heavens themselves which is captured by the space during its formation.


    This is the reason why the secret realms are all unique with various restrictions, abilities, environments, and resources within them.


    It is also possible to trigger this process artificially by killing a cultivator that is at least in the Soul Transformation realm during their tribulation. However, doing something like that would directly label the killer as a demonic cultivator, which is a bit confusing since the killer in this case would not be using their victim in any way to gain demonic Qi which is the very definition of the Demonic Path.


    The problem for me right now is that the secret realm that I am aiming for is a well-known place that the Baihu empire¡¯s noble families and royal family use to train their forces while also gathering the resources within.


    This was due to the restrictions in place within the secret realm.


    While the space inside the realm is not inherently hostile, it denies entry to any cultivator above the Nascent Soul realm while also placing powerful suppression on cultivators above the Foundation Establishment realm.


    This combined with the dangerous Demonic Beasts within the realm meant that despite being a well-known secret realm that was discovered more than a decade ago, only a tiny fraction of it has been explored and exploited to this date. Even a century from now, during Xiang¡¯s time, only ten percent of the realm was explored completely with a small settlement just beginning to form around the trade of resources obtained from within.


    ¡®Are you sure that those Natural Treasures are located at the heart of the realm?¡¯


    ¡®Yes. I am. Don¡¯t worry, you will be fine.¡¯


    With a sigh, I shook my head at those words. Something that my companion did not fail to notice.


    ¡°What are you sighing about? And how long are you going to keep ignoring me like this?¡±


    I laughed at her words and sat down in front of her, sipping the tea that she prepared.


    ¡°Sorry, Lingxi. I was just thinking about our upcoming task.¡±


    The Princess pouted a little before glaring at me.


    ¡°These days, it feels like all you think about is work and the big picture. Haven¡¯t I told you before to pace yourself and enjoy life a little bit? To not lose yourself completely?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I just can¡¯t help but worry.¡±


    Her gaze slightly softened.


    ¡°I know. And I like that about you. But my words are still valid. You need to stop worrying so much and concentrate on the present rather than always looking at the future and your next task.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, fine. I¡¯ll listen to you. Speaking of, are you sure about this?¡±


    Yin Lingxi nodded her head seriously.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°I must warn you, the secret realm that we are about to enter is a very dangerous place where our cultivation will be suppressed. You will be somewhat fine since you are still in the Core Formation realm but I will be heavily suppressed. I might not be able to protect you if something really bad happens.¡±


    ¡°Da Wei, are you implying that this Empress is not capable of looking after herself? Let me tell you, I am quite adept in combat, enough for Aunt Xingchen to acknowledge my prowess.¡±


    Once again, I laughed at her words as she smiled.


    ¡°I see. In that case, this humble cultivator would like to request Your Highness¡¯s protection during this expedition.¡±


    ¡°HAHA! Of course, you will receive it, for a tribute.¡±


    ¡°And what would Your Highness like as a tribute?¡±


    ¡°I want you as my Royal Advisor.¡¯


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Grrr, one day, I will make you submit, Da Wei. Mark my words.¡±


    With a chuckle, I leaned back into my seat at stared at our surroundings abord the airship.


    When we departed for our expedition right after Yin Lingxi¡¯s coronation, much to the protest of her court, I had my doubts about taking her with me into the realm. Surprisingly, it was Yao Xingchen who convinced me to take her with me, citing the danger that Yin Lingxi would be in if she were left in the capital before the Yanfeng family had been taken care of and supposedly trusting my ability to protect the princess from any harm.


    I still don¡¯t know where that woman got such confidence in me, but I still think I made the right decision in taking her with me on this trip.


    Putting aside all the logical reasons, there is no way I am going to abandon my friend when she is in such a precarious situation.


    With the thoughts of what the future held for us, we slowly crossed over the border and into the Baihu empire.

 Chapter 4 (Vol-2)

    ¡°Hurry! Burn everything down! Leave nothing behind!!¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±YES¡±¡±¡±


    The Yanfeng domain, the greatest source of food for the Yin Long Empire, was now aflame as the Yanfeng family¡¯s forces swept through the hundreds of Li of farms and storage, burning buildings, killing mortals who worked the land and raised cattle, poisoned the land and water, and killing the livestock.


    It was a scene from hell itself.


    The reason why this family that belonged to the Five Noble families of the Empire took such measures upon its own land was quite clear for everyone to see as they looked up to the thundering heavens, witnessing the massive battle in the skies between powerful cultivators.


    ¡°HAHAHA!! Did you ever think such a day would come for you?? Yanfeng Chilei??¡±


    The fat patriarch of the Yanfeng family, Yanfeng Chilei, gnashed his teeth in anger as he stared at his two opponents.


    ¡°Lanjian Yufeng! Hanzhang Bingpo! Don¡¯t think so highly of yourself!! Sooner or later, that lunatic Empress will come for your families as well!¡±


    ¡°HAHA! There is no need to threaten us like that. We are loyal subjects of the Empress, unlike you traitorous bastards of the Yufeng family.¡±


    Hanzhang Bingpo did not join in on the boasting of his current companion but nodded in affirmation.


    In truth, the patriarchs of the Lanjian and Hanzhang families believed that the words of Yufeng Chilei were not wrong and had long since prepared countermeasures for such a situation.


    However, they dared not reveal their true thoughts in this situation. Especially when the Royal Guard and The Radiant Sword, Yao Xingchen, were nearby, suppressing the forces of the Yanfeng family.


    Glancing to the side, the Lanjian and Hanzhang family heads saw that The Radiant Sword was busy guiding her people to stop the Yanfeng family¡¯s men from destroying everything. However, even when a lot of the land was poisoned, she did not seem all that concerned. It was only when the mortals were being killed that she personally took charge and killed the men of the Yanfeng family.


    ¡°Since you people have no intention of letting my family go, I¡¯ll take you down with me!¡±


    Yanfeng Chilei pulled out his spear and charged the two family heads, his body moving swiftly despite its shape while executing their exclusive martial arts, The Flame Spear Arts.


    Instantly, fire engulfed the sky as the full power of Yanfeng Chilei¡¯s Nascent Soul realm cultivation war exerted behind his attack. His spear left after images in its wake as it broke the sound barrier during its multiple thrusts and sweeps.


    Yet, his attacks were perfectly blocked by the gentle swings of the sword wielded by the Lanjian patriarch, Lanjian Yufeng, who unleashed his own cultivation that was on the same level as his companion and enemy. His family¡¯s Wind Mist Sword technique countered the flames and swept them away from the user.


    However, the sheer power behind a single affinity spirit root-based technique was not something that Lanjian Yufeng could compete with on his own.


    Thankfully, he was not alone in this attack.


    As Lanjian Yufeng held off Yanfeng Chilei, Hanzhang Bingpo ambushed the Yanfeng patriarch from behind and struck with his palm, his own cultivation and family technique, The Ice Palm art, circulating at full power as Ice Qi invaded Yanfeng Chilei¡¯s body.


    The clash barely lasted for a few seconds at most, but one of the three combatants was already injured. Such was the scale of fights between high-level cultivators where the result is usually determined in a matter of seconds.


    Blood seeped from Yanfeng Chilei¡¯s mouth as he circulated his Fire Qi across his Spirit Roots, trying to hold off the invading Ice Qi while also keeping his guard up.


    ¡°Hehe, looks like you are not as strong as you make yourself out to be. Yanfeng.¡±


    ¡°Lanjian, you bastard! If you have the guts fight me by yourself!¡±


    ¡°And fall for your tricks? No thanks. I¡¯d rather get rid of this thorn in my side once and for all today.¡±


    Once again, the three elements clashed in the sky as The Radiant Sword finally managed to capture the men of the Yanfeng family, preventing any more damage to the territory.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    However, this situation did not last for long as powerful True Qi suddenly surged from the Yanfeng family¡¯s ancestral home followed by an emancipated old man with a simple spear shooting up into the sky.


    ¡°Looks like you people of the Noble families and the Royal family no longer keep my Yanfeng family in their eyes. How dare you harm my family while I am still alive. Today, I must wipe out the Lanjian and Hanzhang families along with that little bitch of an Empress.¡±


    Yanfeng Chilei¡¯s eyes lit up in delight at that sight.


    ¡°Ancestor!¡±


    This old man was none other than the ancestor of the Yanfeng family, Yanfeng Chitian.


    And yet, despite the old man¡¯s appearance, the Lanjian and Hanzhang family heads did not panic. Instead, they gave the old man sneering looks before powerful Qi burst from nearby, revealing two figures equally as old as the Yanfeng ancestor.


    ¡°What was that you said about destroying my family? Yanfeng Chitian, looks like you have gone senile in your age.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. What makes you think that you can destroy our families while we are still alive?¡±


    The two old men flexed their Qi, revealing their peak Soul Transformation realm cultivation for everyone to see as their domains expanded to engulf the Yanfeng patriarch and ancestor along with the patriarchs of the Lanjian and Hanzhang families.


    The two patriarchs dutifully stood behind their ancestors as they watched the show, hoping to see a humiliating defeat for the Yanfeng family.


    From Lanjian Fengyun, the ancestor of the Lanjian family and a legendary swordsman who was once called the Sky Splitting Sword, a domain of tempest winds and rushing seas formed, suppressing the Fire Qi of the Yanfeng duo.


    But he was not done yet.


    From his side, Hanzhang Shuanghe, the man who was once called the Frozen Mountain of the Hanzhang, unleashed his own domain, which overlapped with his companion, causing the raging seas surrounding the Yanfeng duo to start freezing as Ice Qi invaded their bodies.


    However, the Yanfeng ancestor did not say anything and neither was there any fluctuation in his expression.


    ¡°..Is that all?¡±


    With those words, Yanfeng Chitian unleashed his own domain.


    And directly destroyed the domains of both the Lanjian and Hanzhang ancestors, causing them to cough up blood due to rebound.


    Instantly, the entirety of the Yanfeng home and the surroundings, including the place where The Radiant Sword and the Royal guards were located, was engulfed in a hellish landscape of flames.


    ¡°I-Impossible! How did you break through to the Void Refinement realm?? Wasn¡¯t your Soul damaged during your rebellion against the Royal Family?¡±


    ¡°And why should I tell you something like that?¡±


    With those words, Yanfeng Chitian teleported behind the Hanzhang ancestor and directly severed his head with his spear while also flooding his body and soul with Fire Qi, destroying both at the same time.


    All of this happened in a single second during which the Lanjian ancestor recognized the danger and teleported out of the area while holding his descendent.


    However, Yanfeng Chitian did not let them go too far before he struck down both of them just as easily.


    All was silent in the aftermath as Lanjian Yufeng trembled in fright.


    ¡°Now, are you convinced with my ability to wipe out all of you pests?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I am convinced. However, if you are so sure you can take care of all of us on your own, why don¡¯t you try facing this artifact as well?¡±


    The sudden words from the Radiant Sword, Yao Xingchen, caused the Yanfeng ancestor to turn towards the woman only to have a spherical artifact thrown at his face which he easily caught.


    ¡°Hmm? Based on the Qi fluctuation, this should be an Earth-grade artifact. What did you hope to achieve with this-¡®


    Before he could continue speaking, the sphere suddenly erupted as a barrier formed around him, and Yanfeng Chilei, much to the latter¡¯s shock.


    ¡°W-What is this *Cough*¡¯


    Suddenly, blood started to leak out of all their orifices as their eyes watered uncontrollably and their muscles spasmed.


    When the sphere erupted, tiny insects contained within the sphere secretly entered the bodies of the three cultivators and burrowed themselves deep within their spirit roots. Then, they promptly died and released the toxins and Qi hidden within them.


    A deadly mix of Phosphorus, Cyanide, and various other chemicals, along with powerful materials rich in Yin and Demonic Qi.


    ¡°Do you like it? The base of that is the Gu poison bug. Yes, the same Gu poison bug that your family patriarch purchased from the Demonic Path to assassinate the Empress. We knew that we could not use this thing as is on you for revenge since you would likely have the antidote for it. That is why we had a friend modify it to make it even more deadly.¡±


    The friend that Yao Xingchen talked about was none other than Da Wei.


    When Yin Lingxi first came to him with this idea, he was going to simply mix Cyanide into the demonic poison and be done with it.


    However, when she revealed the assumed power of the Yanfeng family¡¯s ancestor to him, he became cautious and helped develop what he called Sarin and mixed it into the Gu bug. He believed it was better to overestimate the enemy and prepare for it accordingly than to be underprepared and be caught off guard.


    Something that Yao Xingchen was realizing to have been a good move on his part.


    As the Demonic poison and the Sarin gas wreaked havoc within their bodies, the three cultivators could no longer maintain their power and plummeted to the ground.


    Lanjian Yufeng shivered in fright as he watched the Yanfeng duo¡¯s bodies spasm as they struggled to breathe on the ground.


    ¡®When I get back, I must cancel all my plans. We cannot afford to offend the Empress, or else it will be the Lanjian family that falls victim to this sinister weapon next.¡¯


    With that vow made in his heart, he watched as Yao Xingchen walked forward casually and swung her sword, destroying the bodies and souls of both Yanfeng Chilie and Yanfeng Chitian.


    From that day forward, tales would spread across the empire of how the Empress made the Yanfeng family die a pathetic death, directly increasing her reputation and the fear of her wrath, gaining her a new moniker.


    The goddess of death.


    What they did not know was that, currently, the goddess of death in question was busy fighting her friend over the food prepared by Da Ling on his airship in the territory of the Baihu empire.

 Chapter 5 (Vol-2)

    A massive beast slithered through the trees in a small town on the frontiers of the Baihu empire.


    Its scales glimmer in the sunlight with a multi-colored hue. Its massive eyes scanned the surroundings for any threat towards itself.


    The unique thing about this beast, however, is the vein-like pattern spread across its massive serpentine body, glowing with Fire Qi flowing within the beast.


    The beast lazily moved through the trees and arrived at a massive cave, a place that it called home.


    However, just before it could enter its burrow, its senses caught onto an anomaly that made it pause.


    The Pure Qi in the air around its cave was much higher than it was before it left to hunt for food.


    Cautiously, the beast flicked its tongue in the air. The organ within the roof of its mouth that mimicked Jacobson¡¯s organ in normal snakes carefully analyzed the particles and Qi of the surroundings while its eyes, which could switch between Infrared vision and normal vision with excellent movement detection ability, watched its surroundings cautiously looking for anything that could be the cause of this anomaly.


    Unfortunately, despite its extremely cautious nature and exceptional detection abilities, it failed to spot the two humans that were hiding behind bushes near its body while using an artifact to refract light and radiation while masking their scent.


    ¡°So, this is a Magma Python?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Lingxi. We are lucky to see such a rare beast.¡±


    Yin Lingxi frowned as she looked at the admittedly majestic beast while Da Wei carefully captured its form on the book that he received from Jin Tianrui for his birthday. While the different color dyes that he carried with him could not capture the true majesty of the beast¡¯s appearance, he made great efforts to at least capture it as true to form as he could.


    ¡°I heard that Magma Pythons were hunted to extinction in our empire due to their potential of transforming into a Fuzang-Long, a dragon of hidden treasures associated with Fire, once they reached the Soul Transformation realm. But, it would seem that the Baihu empire has no such fears.¡±


    ¡°it is understandable. Unlike the Yin Long Empire, which had personal experience with dragons in the past, the Baihu Empire is a younger empire that was founded after the disastrous times of the end of the 3<sup>rd</sup> era and the birth of the 4<sup>th</sup> era. As such, they have no reference to the dangers that the existence of a dragon, even if it is only in the Soul Transformation realm, can pose.¡±


    Yin Lingxi looked contemplatively at the Magma Python before turning to her friend.


    ¡°¡­Why not capture it as a Dao Familiar for yourself? Da Ling has already obtained one and Jin Tianrui is working on finding one for himself. Why not get one for yourself as well?¡±


    Da Wei looked at Yin Lingxi with an amused look.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you have a Dai Familiar? As a princess of one of the only two empires on the continent, don¡¯t you have certain privileges?¡±


    Yin Lingxi huffed in annoyance before leaning back into the tree behind her.


    ¡°I never felt a connection with any of the beasts that I ever came across. Not to mention the fact that my Light element is so unique that the number of Dao Familiars compatible with my cultivation can be counted on my fingers.¡±


    Da Wei nodded at those words as he continued to draw on the book.


    Yin Lingxi was born with one of the rarest elemental affinities in existence, the element of Light.


    As expected of an advanced category elemental affinity, her cultivation was much faster than her peers. This, combined with the fact that there were a few other Light element users in her lineage in the past which allowed her to use a cultivation technique tailored for her, she never had any challenges in her path of cultivation.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    However, just like with everything, her advantages also came with limitations.


    Just like she said before, due to her elemental affinity, she was unable to find a Dao Familiar that had the same element as her to bond with.


    In a society where Dao Familiars are seen as a status symbol for cultivators, she always struggled to maintain the same prestige as her older and younger brothers, who had Dao Familiars of their own thanks to their normal spirit roots.


    Of course, this matter of prestige is something that no one would dare to mention in front of her. But she always felt it to be one of the few things she lacked compared to her siblings.


    On the other hand, Da Wei suffered from a different problem. Or rather, he suffered from his success.


    Thanks to the fact that his spirit roots did not have any elemental affinity, he is capable of taking any beast he desires as a Dao Familiar. The only problem is that due to the overwhelming power of his Primal Qi, he cannot take any beast that is weaker than him as a Dao Familiar.


    In fact, any Dao Familiar he takes must be at least a minor realm higher than him to even survive the power of his Primal Qi flowing into them through the contract.


    ¡°For now, I don¡¯t need a Dao Familiar, so we can just get rid of this thing right now. I¡¯ll take the core, you can have the rest of the body. I need the core to enhance Da Ling¡¯s Yaoban.¡±


    Yin Lingxi giggled softly before touching shoulders with him.


    ¡°You only ever think about others all the time. Why not look for something that would benefit for once?¡±


    Da Wei chuckled at her words before replying with a happy tone.


    ¡°For me, the prosperity of my loved ones is more important than my personal gain. Besides, I don¡¯t particularly need or lack anything, so there is no point in taking such an action.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine, mister good guy, let''s take care of our work and go back. I am tired from our journey, and I want to get some rest in a proper bed and not on your Airship.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is your own fault. I told you we should have rested before we departed from that frontier town to travel Eastward for more than a week.¡±


    Yin Lingxi gave a glare and playfully smacked his shoulder.


    ¡°Enough backtalk from you. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Da Wei smiled as he put away the book and got up from the ground.


    By this point, the Magma Python had long since dropped its guard and slithered into its cave to rest.


    With a pulse of his Qi, Da Wei disabled the artifact concealing their presence, and cautiously entered the cave, making sure to draw the Pure Qi from the atmosphere, and turn it into a more potent form but stopping before it converted into Primal Qi, then releasing it back into the atmosphere.


    Ever since breaking through into the Nascent Soul realm, Da Wei had long since realized that his Pure Qi had a natural camouflaging effect on the senses of cultivators and Demonic Beasts. However, his Primal Qi is something much more potent than regular Pure Qi and would easily stand out in the atmosphere.


    That is why he developed this method of drawing in and intensifying the Pure Qi of an area to hide himself from his targets.


    Right behind him, Yin Lingxi walked with her sword in hand, keeping an eye on her surroundings and guarding Da Wei¡¯s back against any potential ambushes.


    Soon, the duo walked deeper and deeper into the cave until they found the beast sleeping peacefully upon a pile of bones belonging to both humans and Demonic Beasts.


    Near that bone pile, it also had a small hill of gold, spirit stones, artifacts, gems, shiny pebbles, and anything else that would gleam under light.


    ¡°¡­Looks like its draconian instincts are already shining through. It¡¯s a good thing we caught it before it could truly mature. Who knows what kind of disaster would have befallen this continent if we were left ignorant about its existence?¡±


    Da Wei said nothing in return since he had his own doubts about this.


    He doubted this Python would have lived long even if they had not stumbled upon it, given the lack of its existence in Xiang¡¯s memories of his timeline. Even then, the thought of a fully mature dragon was truly spine-chilling for Da Wei to consider, so he remained guarded and observed carefully.


    Slowly, he crept near the slumbering beast, arriving near its body, just below the head where one of its scales was reversed.


    The so-called reversed scale of a dragon.


    With a deep breath, Da Wei gathered all of his Primal Qi into his fist and got into a martial arts stance.


    Then, with explosive force, he shot out a punch straight at the reversed scale.


    With a thunderous noise, the cave wall behind the Python exploded outwards, along with the head of the beast, which turned into a bloody mist.


    The massive body of the serpent started thrashing about. Without the brain to give it instructions, it was not anything more than a thrashing dead body.


    Within a matter of minutes, the body slowed down its thrashing and finally fell silent.


    ¡°¡­.That was suspiciously easy.¡±


    Da Wei received no response for his words, causing him to turn towards his friend, only to find her staring at him with a slack jaw and wide eyes.


    ¡°What? What is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­.Nothing. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    With a confused look, Da Wei took the corpse and the treasure hill into this storage before following the shocked princess out of the cave.

 Chapter 6 (Vol-2)

    ¡°Thank you, Daoist Da Wei! Truly, I don¡¯t know what we would have done if you hadn¡¯t agreed to help us.¡±


    Da Wei smiled at the old man holding his hands as he trembled and wept in relief.


    ¡°It is alright, Chief. It wasn¡¯t really that strong and we took care of it easily so it really is nothing you should worry about.¡±


    ¡°Easily, he says, not that strong, he says. How the hell am I supposed to reply to such absurd talk?¡±


    Da Wei ignored Yin Lingxi¡¯s grumbling from his side.


    ¡°Even still, I must express my gratitude to a great Daoist like you properly. Thanks to you, my son and daughter-in-law can rest in peace, knowing that their killer is dead.¡±


    ¡°Really, don¡¯t do anything excessive. We are fine with our original agreement of providing us a place to stay for a day or two in this village.¡±


    The old mortal vehemently shook his head at Da Wei¡¯s words as the surrounding villagers gave a serious look at the two cultivators.


    ¡°Absolutely not! How can we not reward our benefactors properly? How would we face our ancestors in the afterlife if such a thing happened?¡±


    With a tired sight, Da Wei gave a wry smile to the old man.


    When he and the empress had stumbled upon this village during their travels, they had originally intended to stay here for a bit before venturing deeper into the Baihu Empire, aiming for the capital, which was still a few weeks away by their airship.


    However, when they talked to the old mortal, he immediately kowtowed to the two of them and begged them for help in getting rid of a Demonic Beast who had been harassing their village for a few decades by this point.


    In the end, Da Wei ¡®negotiated¡¯ a deal with the old man to provide the both of them with a place to stay for a few days in exchange for slaying the beast, a deal which the old man accepted eagerly.


    In the end, the beast turned out to be a Magma Python that was at the peak of The Nascent Soul realm. Just on the brink of transforming into a newborn Dragon, a Fuzang-Long.


    ¡°Fine. What do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°I have instructed my people to host a banquet in your honor and the best gift that this mere mortal village can prepare for you. Please accept it.¡±


    Da Wei¡¯s eyes widened at those words and prepared to dissuade such an action.


    However, Yin Lingxi beat him to the punch.


    ¡°Of course. But, before that, we would like to rest a bit in our rooms.¡±


    ¡°HAHA! Of course, Daoist Yin. I¡¯ll inform my people to not disturb you.¡±


    With those words, the old man swiftly left the two cultivators alone and headed straight for his people, who were hanging back from the duo at a fair distance.


    Da Wei gave a sullen look at his friend who gave the man a neutral look.


    ¡°Lingxi. What are you thinking? This village is located far from the nearest town and can¡¯t produce their own food. Most likely, they hunt for their food from the forest and might not have much in the way of resources. Why accept a gift and a banquet from such people when it would no doubt deplete their meager food reserves and whatever wealth they have?¡±


    Yin Lingxi stared at Da Wei for some time before giving a tired sigh and motioned him to follow her to their rooms.


    ¡°Da Wei, you are a very kind person. I lov-admire that about you. But, you need to understand that you cannot push your kindness on people when it might be interpreted as looking down on them.¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you mean? I never put my own feelings on other people if I can help it. I just don¡¯t wish to burden their lives by taking a part of their limited resources when we don¡¯t even need such things in the first place thanks to our cultivation.¡±


    Yin Lingxi did not turn around, but a tiny smile blossomed on her face as her gaze grew gentle.


    ¡°Da Wei, everyone has their own pride. Even the mortals. Putting aside everything else, tell me something. If you were a mortal village chief who had the misfortune of being in the same position as that old man. Suddenly, two cultivators showed up at your doorstep and asked for a place to stay in exchange for getting rid of your greatest nemesis in life and then denying your offer to celebrate this miraculous event of your small life, how would you feel?¡±


    ¡°¡­I would feel that they were too conceited and did not consider our struggles to be something worth mentioning to someone like them. I would resent them for taking away my chance to joyously celebrate the demise of the monster that plagued my life.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Now you understand. This celebration is as much for us as it is for the villagers. As I said, you care greatly for others, a trait that is almost nonexistent in this accursed world, but you must start to think about what your kindness appears as from the perspective of those that you are helping.¡±


    Receiving no response, Yin Lingxi turned her head slightly to spot Da Wei from the corner of her eyes, catching him thinking deeply about her words, which made her smile even more.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    The two cultivators returned to their rooms, each lost in their own world.


    <hr>


    The villagers screamed and laughed in joy as they drank alcohol and ate grilled meat to their heart¡¯s content.


    At the center of the village, the younger men and women, and even older people, laughed in joy and danced around happily to the music of the Zither, the Pipa, and the flute.


    For this group of villagers, today was truly a miraculous day in their lives when they were finally rid of the demon that had taken so much from them.


    Nobody knew when that beast originally appeared around the village since the village itself was a new settlement. Some even considered the possibility that it had been around even before this village was established.


    In the beginning, it would only attack their hunters who ventured too deeply into the forest to hunt for food. However, as time passed, it started to attack the village itself at irregular times, with no apparent reason or motive.


    Each passing day, the villagers spent their days in fear, the fear of losing their loved ones due to the actions of a beast that they could not hope to oppose since there were no cultivators in this village.


    However, suddenly, they were rid of this demon that plagued their life and their hearts just like that, thanks to a pair of cultivators that randomly showed up at their village.


    The celebrations went on with great joy as the chief watched on from the distance with a content smile.


    His smile deepened even more as he watched the Daoist named Da Wei give a troubled smile at the girl who pestered him with a mischievous and sensual look.


    ¡°Daoist Da Wei, can you tell me more about the life of a cultivator?¡±


    ¡°Well, there is nothing much to say since I don¡¯t have a point of reference. All I can tell you is my own experience¡­.¡±


    The girl, Chen Lin, the daughter of the best hunter in the village and someone considered the most beautiful woman in their village, clasped her hands together and looked up at the man with a cute look while also angling her body in a way that would definitely attract the attention of any man.


    Watching all this, the chief could not help but applaud the cunningness of the girl as he knew exactly what she was doing, and he approved of such actions.


    If he could tie down such a powerful cultivator to their village, then there is no doubt that they would flourish in the future.


    For the sake of his people, he was willing to go along with such a blatant honeytrap method even if it meant slighting their benefactors. Even if it meant using the daughter of his dead friend as a honeytrap for a powerful cultivator.


    While it might seem ungrateful, the tactics that the chief was using were something that was quite common across this continent. It is extremely common for those in power to try to use money, resources, and their children and subordinates to tie a powerful or talented cultivator to their forces.


    And since it was a common tactic, there was no way an Empress like Yin Lingxi would not know it.


    Yin Lingxi had been watching the entire exchange from the very beginning, watching as the mortal girl used extremely obvious and blatant seduction methods to try and tempt Da Wei into getting involved with her.


    And she did not like it, not one bit.


    For some reason, watching the scene made her feel as if she could not breathe and like something was scratching at her heart.


    In truth, Da Wei was not the only target of this ¡®Honeypot trap¡¯ as several young and handsome men had been instructed by their chief to win over Yin Lingxi¡¯s favor in any way they could. However, the emotions that Yin Lingxi felt as she watched Da Wei and Chen Li caused her to momentarily lose control of her cultivation which resulted in her Qi slowly leaking out of her body, causing the men to feel extremely uncomfortable as their bodies entered a fight or flight state whenever they approached her vicinity. This led to the empress being isolated within this large group of people.


    As Chen Li made another provocative move and leaned her upper body against Da Wei, Yin Lingxi could watch no longer and swiftly approached her friend.


    ¡°Da Wei, can you bring me my space ring? I left it in my room accidentally?¡±


    At those words, Da Wei looked at Yin Lingxi as if she were his savior and swiftly retreated from the place, leaving behind an irritated empress and an amused mortal girl.


    ¡°¡­.I see, so I never had a chance from the very beginning then?¡±


    ¡°..I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡±


    ¡°Heh~ is that so~¡±


    Yin Lingxi glared at the mortal girl who handed over a cup of alcohol to the empress.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too hung up on it. I am only doing what is necessary for my people. I don¡¯t really hold any feelings aside from admiration for his strength. If he is really unwilling, I¡¯ll back off.¡±


    ¡°You should back off right now. He will never settle here no matter what tactic you use. Besides, he already has a family and a daughter.¡±


    At Chen Li¡¯s shocked look, Yin Lingxi turned her head away, very much aware of the double meaning she had implied with her words since she did it on purpose.


    ¡°¡­I see, then, I have advice for his family that I hope you will convey to them. They should express their feelings for their loved ones as soon as possible, lest they end up regretting it.¡±


    This time, it was Yin Lingxi¡¯s turn to feel confused and bewildered as Chen Li left her alone.


    ¡°Wait, what do you mean by those words?¡±


    ¡°¡­.If you really don¡¯t understand the meaning, then you might have yet to understand yourself better. When you do realize your own desires, you will also understand the meaning behind my words.¡±


    Once again, Yin Lingxi felt nothing but confusion at those words. A feeling that she swiftly suppressed as she spotted Da Wei cautiously approaching her, keeping a wary eye on the surroundings to make sure that Chen Li was truly gone.


    ¡°Thanks for saving me from that trouble.¡±


    ¡°¡­think nothing of it. Let¡¯s go, I feel hungry watching all these mortals enjoy themselves.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Then let''s join them.¡±


    ¡°No. I want to eat the food from your storage.¡±


    Instantly, Da Wei took a guarded stance while protectively hiding his Jade bracelet filled with Da Ling¡¯s cooking.


    When Da Wei first introduced the joys of cooking to his daughter more than a year ago, he would never have imagined that she would improve so swiftly that she left him behind in the dirt, even in terms of food from Earth that he introduced to her which she somehow ended up improving upon on the fly, making him feel extremely useless.


    After tasting her food, Da Wei felt that any other food he ate tasted like dirt compared to his daughter¡¯s cooking, a fact that even Yin Lingxi agreed with if the way she constantly fought with him to eat the food Da Ling prepared for Da Wei in the bracelet for his journey was anything to go by.


    The only silver lining in all of this is that he practically had unlimited access to her cooking since she took great delight in cooking for him.


    ¡°Yin Lingxi, you have already emptied out your portion of the food that we prepared for an entire year¡¯s journey and we are only two months into my task. I will not sacrifice my own portion of food to feed your gluttonous stomach that rivals my daughter.¡±


    Yin Lingxi gave a dramatic look with a hand on her head and one on her heart, pretending to faint in anguish.


    ¡°Oh Heavens! What a friend I have. He is not even willing to give me some food. Is my friendship really not worth the food in his pocket?¡±


    ¡°Quit the dramatics, no matter what you say, I am not giving you my portion.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on! A little bit won¡¯t hurt right?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Da Wei immediately ran to their rooms as Yin Lingxi chased after him with a laugh, forgetting all about the encounter and emotional turmoil from before.


    However, deep within her heart, a part of her could never forget the words spoken to her.

 Chapter 7 (Vol-2)

    It took us two days to arrive at the nearest city from the small village where we killed the Magma Python.


    During the entire trip, Yin Lingxi did not stop trying to steal my food from the bracelet that Da Ling gave me for my birthday.


    However, I did not find it annoying. On the contrary, I found the whole thing funny.


    For some reason, whenever I engage in any kind of stupid act with Yin Lingxi, I feel content. Happy. As if there is nothing more I could ask of in this life.


    It was a feeling I never knew in either of my lives. Hell, even Xiang did not know what to call this emotion, given that he spent his entire life pursuing strength with no one but his master to call his family.


    During this entire trip, It felt like I was truly free. Like I no longer had any concerns or worries in this life.


    Of course, this feeling did not last long after we landed and arrived in this city.


    ¡°Miss Yin, how about we go there? That is the most reputed restaurant in the city. Rest assured, I, Ma Jun of the Ma family can vouch for their quality.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the offer, Young Master Ma, but we have something else to do.¡±


    I felt great annoyance as this kid blatantly tried to get closer to Yin Lingxi through hook or crook.


    Ever since this spoiled brat spotted Yin Lingxi during our walk, he would not leave us alone and used every opportunity to try and get her attention.


    I found it pathetic, and annoying. But most importantly of all, for some reason, I felt rage the likes of which I have never felt dominate my mind.


    It was only thanks to my absolute control over my emotions that I maintained all the time that I did not take any drastic actions in a moment of anger.


    It also did not help that his eye blatantly wandered over her body in a very inappropriate way, and he looked at her as if she were an object instead of a person if the flash of disdain I saw in his eyes and body language was anything to go by.


    ¡®Why not get rid of him quietly and be done with it?¡¯


    ¡®We can¡¯t alert anyone of our presence in this empire until our objective is complete. With the war declared by this empire against our own, we would definitely end up pursued until we flee from the empire, making it impossible for us to obtain what we want. Besides, if by some chance these guys learn of the location of our home, calamity would strike out people.¡¯Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡®Then, are you going to let this worm try and get his hands on you Dao Companion?¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t speak nonsense, Xiang. Yin Lingxi is my friend. I am simply angry at how he is looking at her. And no, I will not allow him to so much as touch her.¡¯


    ¡®Fine, fine. Call it whatever you want, but let me give you some advice. People like him need to be dealt with quickly and efficiently if you don¡¯t want to invite trouble.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.True. And, you know what? I just got an idea.¡¯


    ¡°Young Master Ma. Do you mind taking us to your father? The patriarch of the Ma family?¡±


    The kid gave me an annoyed and disdainful look before speaking in a neutral voice.


    ¡°May I know what Fellow Daoist wants to do by meeting my father?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much, I want to sell a few artifacts to him. I am a Formation master at the Master level and I need some funds for our travels.¡±


    Immediately, the faces of the stupid young master and his bodyguard paled as they realized the significance of my existence despite my plain clothes and look.


    No matter where they go on this continent, formation masters, alchemists, and spiritual blacksmiths are always regarded with great respect and are not to be slighted in any way.


    Young Master Ma¡¯s face twisted into a smile that was uglier than crying as he suddenly distanced himself from Yin Lingxi by at least five feet.


    ¡°I-I see. I did not know Master Da Wei was a Formations master. I will immediately leave for our home and inform Father of your request. I am sure he will personally come to meet you. Please provide me with the location where you are staying.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Young Master Ma. We are currently staying in the Phoenix Pavilion in the Western district.¡±


    With the same expression as before, Young Master Ma directly ran along with his bodyguard, presumably towards his home.


    With a sigh, I started walking again as Yin Lingxi spoke with a tone that was filled with amusement and another emotion I could not identify.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we staying in the Eastern District in the commoner district and not the Wester district¡¯s noble district?¡±


    ¡°Did, as in past tense. We are leaving this city after exploring this place for a bit more.¡±


    ¡°Why? Wasn¡¯t it you who insisted that we rest for some time here?¡±


    ¡°¡­.I changed my mind.¡±


    ¡°Hehe! Fine.¡±


    I avoided Da Ling¡¯s gaze as she continued to giggle as we walked through the marketplace, browsing for things that would catch our eye.


    Suddenly, Yin Lingxi pulled my arm towards a small stall selling hair pins and other accessories targeted toward women.


    Taking a simple gold-colored metal hairpin, she turned towards me.


    ¡°Help me put it on.¡±


    ¡°¡­Can¡¯t you- never mind.¡±


    I wisely chose to shut up the moment I saw her eyes narrow in anger as I was about to speak.


    Taking the hair pin from her hands, I pulled up her hair in a pony tail but she did not like it.


    ¡°Do it in a Bun.¡±


    Confused and a little suspicious, I did as she asked and pulled it up in a bun before placing the simple metal hairpin in it.


    When she turned around and smiled at me, combined with her new look and gentle gaze, I felt that strange nameless emotion rise to the surface again.


    However, I was a bit creeped out by how the woman who ran the stall looked between us with a knowing and satisfied look.


    ¡°That would be 20 copper coins.¡±


    I did not say anything and handed over the money to the stall owner. I hurriedly started walking away, hoping to get away from that weird gaze and the strange emotion rising past my control.


    However, I am curious about what that woman said to Yin Lingxi before we left, which left the girl a blushing mess.

 Chapter 8 (Vol-2)

    Within the capital of the Baihu Empire, it was a state of celebration as beautiful decorations and banners hung all over the streets.


    Children laughed and played, adults went about their business while the store owners and street vendors advertised their wares with just a bit more zeal than normal.


    It was a time of celebration that came about every year, a period of one month when everyone set their personal feelings aside and spent their days indulging in their little desires and happiness.


    The Founding Festival.


    A tradition that has been around for more than eight centuries and has changed and grown alongside the empire.


    It is believed that the Baihu empire was founded by a large group of disgruntled cultivators and mortals who fled from the Yin Long empire which was struggling to feed and care for its people in those times.


    These people were supposedly led by a peerless cultivator who quickly rose from the Foundation Establishment stage to the peak of the Dao Integration realm, a stage of cultivation that has become a myth in modern times.


    Supposedly, many massive battles took place between the newly formed Baihu Empire and the Yin Long Empire of that time, but after the leader single-handedly slaughtered a group of the Yin Long Empire¡¯s elite forces, they were supposedly forced to compromise and negotiate a peace between the two empires.


    While it is quite clear that the majority of these beliefs are propaganda, there is always a kernel of truth hidden beneath a mountain of lies.


    Whatever the case might have been, the thing that matters today is that the citizens of the Baihu empire care greatly about this specific time of celebration due to how they idolize their founders and the leader who eventually became their very first Emperor.


    Baihu Jinlie, the first Emperor of the Baihu Empire whose lineage holds sway to this day even if the current emperor is not part of the Baihu family by blood.


    Since there is such a significance associated with this timeframe, it was a given that certain people from outside the Baihu Empire would arrive at the Imperial capital, both with benign and malevolent intentions.


    Two such people walked down the streets, looking at the festivities around them.


    <hr>


    I smiled as Yin Lingxi looked at the large selection of gems and colorful stones placed on the cart in front of her, the seller meticulously explaining the significance and specialties of each stone and gem.


    Of course, most of these things were mortal gems and stones geared towards mortal men and women. However, that did not mean that people like Yin Lingxi would not be attracted to them.


    It is normal for pretty things to attract the gaze of people.


    Looking at my surroundings, I found all types of people wearing traditional long robes decorated in various ways. They walked either with their lovers, or families or individually, browsing and purchasing wares from stalls or shops and happily talking among themselves.


    It reminded me of the festivals in the East, specifically how they were celebrated in China, Japan, India, the Philippines, and various other countries back home.


    Of course, given that it was a festival and we would look out of place in our usual clothes, we too bought a set of traditional clothes.


    I wore a long white robe trimmed with gold threads, which was spiritual gold made specifically for cultivators, and a set of traditional Qi conductive straw shoes. I also had a small fan in my hands to compliment my clothing and make it look like I was some kind of a noble or one with a good background.


    I learned early on in my life that It is better to look the part of an influential person, even if you are not one, to ward off any unwanted trouble.


    Yin Lingxi, on the other hand, wore a beautiful red dress that subtly complimented her natural beauty. Her dyed black hair was done up in a bun just like she started to do ever since our visit to that frontier city. Her golden eyes were highlighted with subtle mascara and her face glowed with confidence and happiness.


    All in all, she looked absolutely breathtaking.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Shaking my head to clear those thoughts, I turned back to the conversation between Yin Lingxi and the stall owner who gave a warm smile to us and handed over the necklace made from simple gems.


    Paying the appropriate amount, we soon started walking on the street just like everyone else, losing ourselves in the atmosphere.


    ¡°¡­You know, I think I could get used to living like this. No thinking about the future of my people, no stressing over the management of resources, no presiding over the court, no micromanaging the various forces and sects, no political intrigue. Just the life of a simple woman with simple joys.¡±


    Once again, I smiled at those words.


    ¡°You could achieve that by throwing the throne to one of your brothers and moving to our village. But, I know you, Lingxi. You are not that kind of a woman. So you are stuck with those responsibilities. Besides, why are you talking as if you have been running your empire for your entire life? Didn¡¯t you leave the capital behind just a few weeks after your coronation to travel with me and leave everything to Miss Yao to manage?¡±


    Yin Lingxi gave me a sullen look at that reminder before falling silent for some time.


    ¡°¡­¡­Da Wei, what if, there was a way for me to achieve both the happiness I crave, and retain my throne?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at those words but Yin Lingxi did not meet my gaze and continued speaking.


    ¡°What if, I knew of such a way, where I could both run my empire and also experience the joys of being a simple woman? A way that required your help. Will you do it? Will you help me?¡±


    My response was swift. Filled with confidence and care.


    ¡°Of course! Anything you need, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Truly. Now, come on, I heard that they are going to have a play tonight about the founding of their empire, and I want to see how they portray my Empire.¡±


    I just gave a gentle smile as she dragged me down the street.


    ''You are not the only one who could get used to living like this, Yin Lingxi.''


    ''Just make sure that you don''t forget what the future has in store for us''


    ''I have you to remind me of things don''t I?''


    ''Fair Enough.''


    <hr>


    Deep within the Imperial Palace of the Baihu empire, a large group of people sat and discussed the ongoings of the empire.


    ¡°The day for the annual Secret Realm competition is approaching, have we selected our representatives yet?¡±


    ¡°We have. There were several promising seedlings this year during the various sect competitions and our own internal tournament.¡±


    The current Emperor of the Baihu Empire, Baihu Hankai, born Jun Hankai, nodded at those words from his Prime Minister and turned towards the rest of the officials gathered in the court.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to tell you people just how dangerous our current position is. So, I¡¯ll just say this. Keep doing your work and make sure that the Founding Festival this time is much more extravagant and fulfilling for the people of the empire, enabling them to forget about the looming war for at least this month.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±¡±We Obey Your Command!¡±¡±¡±¡±


    The various officials and ministers of the Empire, who were made of energetic young men and women along with wise Elders, swiftly walked out of the court to carry out their various tasks with a zeal that could not even have been imaginable in the Yin Long Empire.


    Unlike its neighbor, the Baihu Empire was founded on strict meritocracy, where the personal power and talent of an individual matter more than their lineage. It was a way of life that affected even the Royal Family as they quite often took in talented outsiders into the family and sometimes even had them ascend to the throne just like the current Emperor.


    This system was originally implemented by the founders of the Baihu Empire out of necessity. Back in those days, the Baihu empire was only a fraction of the size of the Yin Long empire, barely the size of a few cities.


    The only way such a small nation could hold off the aggression of its neighbor was by using Quality instead of quantity.


    This method was only viable, and worked wonders for the Empire, allowing it to grow into an Empire that was similarly sized to the Yin Family in a century in those days because the Yin Long Empire of that time was very weak in terms of martial prowess and military ability thanks to several factors. Such a method would no longer work in this day and age.


    However, whatever the facts and reasons of those times might have been, the Baihu empire of this day still practices these traditions as they had become integral to their culture and identity.


    With a sigh, The Emperor turned to his Prime Minister, Ling Tianze, who was his sworn brother during their younger years.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think you handled it pretty well-¡°


    ¡°Tianze now is not the time for your games and sarcasm. I am asking about the war declaration.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Fine. I think that was a very stupid decision you made in the heat of the moment. Even if it was a valid reaction since it was our home village that was attacked and annihilated to the last man.¡±


    Emperor Baihu Hankai gave a bitter smile to his sworn brother.


    ¡°I know that now with hindsight, but what is done is done. How are our preparations?¡±


    ¡°General Dugu has just returned to the capital, so you can hear the exact numbers from him. But from the information I received, our military is steadily growing, with conscripts being recruited from across the empire¡¯s pool of young men from all walks of life. As for Cultivators, the various sects have sent a lot of their disciples to the capital in response to your command.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Are there any Core Disciples from the sects or is it just the inner and outer disciples?¡±


    ¡°As a matter of fact, several Core Disciples are being sent, however, they will arrive a bit later than the others since they will be coming with their Elders.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. We can see if there are any worthy seedlings among those disciples that we can poach for the Royal Family.¡±


    ¡°¡­..You Highness, the Sects will start to rebel if you keep poaching their talented disciples.¡±


    Baihu Hankai gave a smirk to his exasperated sworn brother and got up from his throne.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I want to hear the exact numbers of our forces from the General.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±

 Chapter 9 (Vol-2)

    Old Feng watched over the so-called factory as his students worked like clockwork, following their instructions perfectly.


    The Factory was a concept that Da Wei had come up with during their discussions on how to increase the rate of production for the trains since they were starting to receive orders from nearby forces, such as Starfall City and the wealthier villages closer to the main cities.


    The concept was simple. Instead of having a single inscription master like Da Wei or his disciples work on creating the trains from the beginning to the end, the work would be distributed across multiple groups of people who only had to do one thing each.


    A good concept but one that had a glaring issue of leaking the designs to outside forces should someone feel like making some money secretly.


    That was why, Old Feng proposed to separate these groups in such a way that one group would only know how to produce their part of the train and would no nothing about how the other parts are produced or assembled.


    For example, the group that Old Feng was watching over right now was responsible for forging the main shell of the train from Ironwood bark. They were all trained by Old Feng to be good Spiritual Blacksmiths, but they would only know how to forge the shells, nothing more.


    Similarly, three other groups overseen by Li Qiang were responsible for creating the base inscriptions of the train¡¯s body. One group worked on the inscriptions that produced the repelling magnetic field compared to the one generated by the path. Another group worked on making the restrictive inscriptions that kept the train from going off the path. The final group worked on the gravity inscription that propelled the train on the path.


    Aside from these four groups, the final and most important inscription, the control inscriptions, are produced by a group of people handpicked by Da Wei and Li Qiang in a separate factory. They are also responsible for assembling the trains using the separate parts produced by the different groups.


    By using such a method, the secrets of producing the trains are kept relatively safe from those who would want to steal its designs.


    ¡°¡­..I don¡¯t know how Master comes up with ideas like these, but this is amazing.¡±


    Old Feng grinned at Jin Tianrui¡¯s words and patted his back forcefully, causing the young man to stumble a little bit despite his cultivation.


    ¡°I¡¯ve long since gotten used to Da Wei¡¯s insanity-induced genius. But, despite the insanity inherent in his ideas, they are always very effective in their purpose, so your thoughts are understandable. Putting that aside, don¡¯t sell yourself short, brat. That idea that you came up with was something pretty insane as well.¡±


    Jin Tianrui looked embarrassed at the praise as he looked away.


    ¡°It was just an idea born out of selfishness, there is no need to praise it so much.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! Your idea has directly contributed to safeguarding our trains, and potentially other things, from being harmed by malicious people.¡±


    Once again, Jin Tianrui looked abashed but took the praise.


    When Da Wei left the village to go on his journey, he entrusted the village''s safety and operation to his Disciples, giving them full autonomy to do as they felt to ensure their survival.


    It was this freedom that allowed Jin Tianrui to implement a plan that had been growing in his mind ever since he first saw the train that his Master created.


    It was inevitable that such a genius creation would attract the attention of unsavory individuals who would wish to either steal it or destroy it to deny others having such an advantage. Given the large amount of materials and spirit stones involved in creating just one of the trains, it would be a nightmare for anyone who is not his master to replace a destroyed or stolen train.


    That was why, he came up with an idea after discussing things with the other village chiefs to safeguard their trains.


    He contacted his uncle, Bai Zhanye, in the Dark Guild, and had them open a small branch in their village, a task that his uncle was eager to do thanks to the fame of his master.


    Once that was done, Jin Tianrui cooperated with the Dark Guild to establish a small firm that worked similarly to the protection services provided by the Dark Guild but only dealt with money instead of mercenaries.


    The concept he came up with was simple. The villages and any other force that purchased the trains would pay an annual fee of a small amount of spirit stones or materials of similar value to this firm which would store the funds in their personal vault located in the Village. This fee would be paid for as long as the trains exist.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    If or when the trains are damaged, destroyed, or stolen, the force that was the victim can make a claim at the firm with the required proof of such a loss to gain the appropriate spirit stones or resources needed to buy another train for themselves.


    Jin Tianrui called this concept an Assurance Firm.


    When the village chiefs, Grandma Xu and Sun Hao heard this idea, they were astonished at the simplicity and effectiveness of this idea, however, they were also quick to point out the flaws in such a plan, such as the ease with which someone can fool the Assurance Firm by either destroying their own train or having it''s stolen by mercenaries to gain money and pocket it for themselves.


    To such worries, Jin Tianrui gave a simple response that solved their worries.


    The Dark Guild.


    Since a part of the firm would be owned by the Dark Guild according to the agreement for establishing a branch in their village, they would never allow anyone to fool them and get their money. Even in the case where someone did manage to fool them, such a person would soon find that they had made the biggest mistake of their lives by crossing the Dark Guild.


    ¡°By the way, where is the girl?¡±


    ¡°Senior Sister is with Ruiying. They are exploring the path with her Dao Familiar.¡±


    ¡°The Scorching Stallion, huh? I never imagined something so rare was lurking in the wilderness so nearby. What about you? Do you plan to get a Dao Familiar of your own?¡±


    Jin Tianrui looked embarrassed at that question and spoke out his answer.


    ¡°Yes. I already have the beast that I want as my Dao Familiar. I am only waiting for news on its whereabouts and for Master to return before setting off.¡±


    ¡°Just be careful, especially if you plan to head south. Those Barbarian Clans and the Demonic Path have been acting really wildly lately.¡±


    Jin Tianrui nodded at those words.


    ¡°I have already taken precautions against the demonic path with my senior sister¡¯s help. As for the Barbarian Clans, and the Phoenix clan in particular?¡±


    His face morphed into a sneer filled with hatred.


    ¡°Those abominations are nothing in my eyes. If they dare attack me, I¡¯ll just have to use Master¡¯s artifacts to wipe them out of existence.¡±


    Old Feng suddenly gained a serious look at those words and fully turned to the young man.


    ¡°Jin Tianrui. Are you planning on searching for vengeance during this journey of yours?¡±


    ¡°¡­.Maybe a little bit.¡±


    ¡°What is the point of vengeance if it is done through borrowed power? Why not get it when you are stronger?¡±


    ¡°That bastard must be becoming stronger by the day! I can¡¯t just sit back and let this chance slip by!¡±


    Jin Tianrui immediately became aware of his raised voice and composed himself.


    ¡°Sorry. I did not mean to shout.¡±


    ¡°¡­..I understand your thirst for vengeance more than you think, but take it from someone more experienced than you on this path. Vengeance leads to nothing but bitterness and emptiness in the end. I will not ask you to forget about your vengeance, but think clearly whether you live for yourself and your loved ones, or for the sake of vengeance alone.¡±


    Jin Tianrui fell silent at those words before speaking in a much softer tone.


    ¡°Why should I think so much about mere beasts in humanoid form? The beasts who relish ending the lives of humans? Who loves destroying and breaking people?¡±


    Old Feng got a faraway look in his eyes before speaking again.


    ¡°Tianrui, I will ask you a question that I was once asked by a very wise man a long, long time ago during my youth.¡±


    ¡°Why do we hate the Demonic Path with such zeal? Why do we kill and destroy the souls of those that are even suspected of following the Demonic Path?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because they are a threat to the lives of all humans? Because their cultivation depends on stealing the lives and souls of their fellow humans and cultivators? Because they are monsters that treat our people as nothing more than resources for their cultivation?¡±


    ¡°Correct. We kill the demonic cultivators because they view other humans as nothing more than cattle, animals that are nothing more than cultivation resources to them. But, tell me something, Jin Tianrui. What do you think the Demonic Beast, and by extension, the Barbarian Clans that you hate so much, think of humans?¡±


    ¡°Why would I-¡°


    Suddenly, things fell into place within Jin Tianrui¡¯s mind as he pondered the previous question asked by the old spiritual blacksmith and truly looked at things from an objective perspective.


    Immediately, the haze of hatred that had always shrouded his vision dissipated just a little, allowing him to gain a bit of understanding of himself and the world around him.


    His cultivation which had been stuck for some time suddenly rose and broke through.


    Qi rushed into his body as he directly broke through to the Foundation Establishment realm after being stuck in the Qi Condensation realm for many months now.


    And yet, his thoughts were still formulating the answer to Old Feng¡¯s words.


    ¡°¡­..They would view us in the same way we view the Demonic Path.¡±


    Old Feng broke into a happy smile and motioned Jin Tianrui to continue speaking.


    ¡°We hunt Demonic Beasts to obtain their cores, their body parts, and their elemental Qi-rich parts for the sake of our cultivation and for forging our artifacts and weapons. If the Demonic Beast in question has high enough cultivation to properly think, it would view us as monsters that hunt its kind for the sake of our cultivation, viewing us in the same way that we do the Demonic Path.¡±


    ¡°Correct! In fact, it is exactly this sentiment that is one of the many reasons why the Barbarian Clans are always at odds with our Human forces and are even willing to join hands with the Demonic Path occasionally to fight us. They hate us just as much as we hate the Demonic Path. As such, do you think we have any right to claim that they are in the wrong for their actions?¡±


    ¡°¡­No. I guess not. However, I will never accept that the actions of that bastard from the Phoenix Clan are carried out due to the same sentiment. He is pure evil and I will not give up my vengeance against him.¡±


    ¡°I am not asking you to. I am only asking you to not drown in your vengeance and forget about what is truly important.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Thank you.¡¯


    ¡°Think nothing of it.¡±


    The two fell into a comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts while watching Old Feng¡¯s students continue working on the train below them.


    Unaware of the fact that their entire conversation was overheard by Little Xing who had a complicated look in her eyes before leaving the factory and heading back to her home.

 Chapter 10 (Vol-2)

    In the Great Wilderness, two haggard figures lay beside each other on top of their airship, contemplating their current fate as they stared blankly into the night sky.


    ¡°¡­..I am never going into the forbidden zone, ever again.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Agreed.¡±


    Yan Liehuo started crying in an ugly manner that would have repulsed his sister if not for her similarly exhausted and hollow look.


    ¡°So many Demonic Beasts! Why were there so many of them in there? Did some perverted master from the ancient time use that place for some twisted experience?¡±


    Yan Xinyan shivered in terror and disgust as a particular memory rose to the front of her mind.


    ¡°¡­.I don¡¯t know about that, but I do know that I don¡¯t want to become a plaything for a Dragon Turtle ever again.¡±


    ¡°Same!¡±


    The two siblings shivered in terror collectively as they remembered the days they spent being toyed around by a Dragon Turtle in the peak of the Void Refinement realm. A beast that stood at the pinnacle of Cultivation on this continent and ruled the Forbidden Zone of the Great Wilderness.


    Thankfully, they somehow managed to escape it through sheer luck, allowing them to escape the nightmare-inducing area.


    Suddenly, Yan Xinyan sat up with urgency and took out the tracking artifact which started to glow violently when she pointed it towards a certain direction.


    ¡°Found her!¡±


    Yan Liehuo got to his feet in an instant and took control of the airship, taking off at full speed toward the direction of the girl they had been searching for such a long time.


    ¡°Finally! We are so close! Mistress will be very happy to know that we succeeded!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t celebrate too early, Liehuo. We need to see the girl with our eyes at least before we can confirm anything.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t be so cynical, especially when we are so close to completing our mission.¡±


    ¡°I am not being cynical, I am being practical.¡±


    Yan Liehuo did not let his sister¡¯s words get to him as he happily drove the airship, already fantasizing about how happy his mistress would be at their success after such a long search across the continent.


    <hr>


    We waited patiently as the current Emperor of the Baihu Empire, Baihu Hankai, gave a long and tiring speech about the history of the Empire, the various sects that were participating in this expedition, the rules to be followed inside, and various other things that I and probably everyone else present here knew beforehand.


    Basically, there are a few rules that need to be followed when inside the secret realm, some that are enforced by the realm itself, others that are agreements on the part of the various forces.


    It was basic rules, such as not resorting to lethal attacks on each other, not stealing each other''s resources, and other such basic things. Things that I don¡¯t expect even the na?ve children of the various forces to follow when inside the realm.


    After all, the mortality rate of 50% within the realm is not solely attributed to the Demonic Beasts inside.


    ¡®Once we are inside, you need to head straight for the tallest mountain located in the north. Once there, I will guide you towards the cave entrance that leads beneath the mountain where our objective is.¡¯


    ¡®Ok. But, what about the other things? When do we grab those things?¡¯


    ¡®We will go for the other resources once a week has passed. From what I remember, the first week of the expedition is always the bloodiest time, when many sect disciples and students of various forces try to resolve their personal grudges using the lack of supervision within the realm to their advantage. We don¡¯t want to be caught in the crossfire no matter what happens. Especially since our cultivation will be heavily suppressed by the realm.¡¯If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡®Makes sense. Let¡¯s do it your way.¡¯


    I was brought out of my conversation when I felt Yin Lingxi hold my hand and subtly gesture towards the side where a group of people were trying to be low-key.


    ¡°Da Wei, we need to avoid that group as much as possible.¡±


    I felt surprised at her words and concentrated my senses on identifying those people.


    They must have been powerful experts since the group of three men that surrounded a person in the center immediately started scanning the area after being alerted by my probing.


    Instead of relying on my Qi sensing, I used my Primal Qi to enhance my eyesight this time, allowing me to finally spot the person in the middle of the group, revealing a boy that was probably around Da Ling¡¯s age.


    A boy that neither I nor Xiang recognized.


    I got closer to Yin Lingxi and whispered in her ear.


    ¡°Who is that?¡¯


    ¡°¡­That is the current crown prince of the Baihu Empire. Baihu Jianxiao. The biological son of Baihu Hankai. He attained that position after defeating the previous crown princess, Baihu Yuefeng, his half-sister, in a duel last year.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Right. I tend to forget that the Baihu Empire is a meritocracy¡±


    ¡°Hmm. It is better not to get involved with him or his group, which is probably made up of his personal bodyguards, since there is a high chance they would recognize me, even with my hair dyed black.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    ¡°¡­Also, can you stop whispering in my ear?¡±


    I felt startled as I realized that I had been continuously whispering in her ear since asking my question and pulled back in embarrassment.


    Looking at Yin Lingxi, it is clear that she felt embarrassed as well if the way her cheeks were flushed was anything to go by.


    How embarrassing. To think that I would forget proper decorum despite being an adult.


    Shaking my head to suppress those thoughts, I turned back to the front and saw that the speech was already over, and the people belonging to the Royal Family and the Sects were already proceeding into the secret realm.


    Once the people of the various major forces were gone, it was time for the rest of the gathered cultivators to enter the realm.


    ¡°Lingxi, once we are inside, do not leave my side for anything. We will be going straight for my objective and will be staying there for a week until things calm down. Then, we can search for anything that interests you.¡±


    Yin Lingxi nodded seriously at my words, making me feel happy at how seriously she takes my words most of the time.


    Soon, it was our turn to enter.


    The moment we stepped foot into the entrance, I felt space itself distort. My senses felt confused for a matter of few seconds just like when I used my Warp function on my Airship before they stabilized and I was faced with the inside of the Secret Realm.


    A Realm of beautiful nature, floating landmasses, green pastures, clean-flowing rivers, and verdant forests. All of which were thickly covered in Pure Qi.


    ¡°¡­How beautiful.¡±


    I nodded at Yin Lingxi¡¯s words, but soon remembered Xiang¡¯s warning, making me focus back on the task.


    Turning northward in accordance with the sun in the sky, I spotted a large mountain range with one peak being conspicuously huge.


    Even without Xiang¡¯s knowledge, such a huge and conspicuous mountain would have definitely triggered my gamer instincts, making me head for that place and search it for any hidden ¡®loot¡¯.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    With those words, we shot towards the mountain.


    However, as we were heading towards the mountain, I could not help but notice that I felt no different from what I usually felt when outside, something that should not be possible since this realm should have been suppressing my cultivation to the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm.


    ¡®As expected, I can¡¯t hope for anything normal when it comes to you.¡¯


    ¡®A mystery for later. For now, we have a destination to be and it would not do for us to look a gift horse in the mouth.¡¯


    ¡®You and your mysterious sayings, fine. Tell me when you reach the mountain, in the meantime, I¡¯ll look into your spirit roots and cultivation to search for the reason for this new development.¡¯


    ¡®Done,¡¯


    <hr>


    ¡°HAHAHA! FASTER! GO FASTER!¡±


    ¡°YANG IS ALREADY GOING AS FAST AS HE CAN!!¡±


    Yang, the Scorching Stallion, ran with all his might, running alongside the train that was moving on the path towards the mining village of Chief Xu.


    Riding the Demonic Beast was none other than the master of the said beast, Da Ling, and her friend, Jin Ruiying, the little sister of Da Ling¡¯s ¡®junior brother¡¯ Jin Tianrui.


    Ever since her father had left on a journey to find something for her Junior Brother, Da Ling had been feeling very bored, making her seek ways to entertain herself.


    That was why, when Jin Ruiying proposed the idea of running alongside the train to see if Yang was faster than Da Wei¡¯s creation, She could not help but agree enthusiastically, much to the dread of her Dao Familiar who gave his master a pleading look.


    Ever since he became Da Ling¡¯s Dao Familiar, he had led the most enjoyable time of his life, eating top-quality demonic beast meat, drinking Qi-rich water, and being fawned over by the girls in the village for his majestic mane and form.


    In fact, he had been enjoying his life so much that he had become a Demonic Beast equivalent of a couch potato who refused to do any work.


    However, this new task that his master set for him made him dread working up that much sweat, causing him to plead with his master in the only way he knew, by giving her a puppy dog look with a pitiful expression.


    Unfortunately for the massive beast, he had failed to realize that thanks to his form, he could never hope to pull off such an expression, leading to its current misery.


    Yang panted heavily as he ran with all his might alongside the stupidly fast train while the two girls atop him screamed in joy.


    For the rest of the day, the poor Demonic Beast was put through hell, running beside the trains continuously until the girls finally got tired of the same activity.


    The two little girls enjoyed the day, but it was hell for the poor beast.


    <hr><hr>

 Chapter 11 (Vol-2)

    ¡°Da Wei, why are we moving through an unremarkable cave like this? I don¡¯t even feel any Qi within it. What do we hope to gain from here?¡±


    ¡°Lingxi, the fact that you can¡¯t feel any Qi from this cave should already tell you of its extraordinary nature. Think of it like this, everywhere in this secret realm is saturated with Pure Qi, yet, this cave has none, it is simply abnormal, is it not?¡±


    Yin Lingxi felt startled as she realized the truth in her companion¡¯s words and pondered deeply on how she had missed such a simple thing.


    As the two slowly descended deeper into the cave system that stretched deep under the mountain, they soon arrived at a colossal opening.


    It was a cavern shaped like a dome stretching several Li in all directions. However, despite its impressive size, it felt no different from the rest of the cave system, completely devoid of any Qi.


    However, Da Wei was not fooled and slowly started to walk toward the center of the cavern, where a withered tree sat quietly, looking just like any other dead tree one would find in the outside world.


    The only issue was that it was the only intact thing within the barren cavern, which made it extremely suspicious.


    As Da Wei started walking forward, he silently signaled Yin Lingxi to stay behind.


    ¡®Careful now.¡¯


    ¡®Relax, we¡¯ve gone over this fight countless times in our minds, I¡¯ve got this.¡¯


    ¡®I know, but it¡¯s better to be cautious.¡¯


    Da Wei did not reply to his future self and carefully crept forward while using his Primal Qi as camouflage and bait at the same time.


    His target must have taken the bait as the Qi he was releasing into the atmosphere was suddenly being sucked towards the withered tree.


    Suddenly, the tree shook and took on a vibrant hue. Its withered branches sprang with black leaves as its trunk shone with Yin and Wood Qi.


    Then, its roots suddenly moved out of the earth, and the entire tree stood up on its roots.


    However, Da Wei spotted a single root still buried in the earth.


    ¡®As Expected. A Natural Treasure is easy to deal with.¡¯


    ¡®Indeed. It took me everything I had to defeat this damned thing in my timeline, causing this Primordial Yin Wood to be greatly damaged and reduced the lake of Netherworld Yin Spring to dry up rapidly, leaving behind just a few drops of the substance for my use.¡¯


    Da Wei continued his tactic of luring the Natural Treasure towards him, hoping to separate it from the Netherworld Yin Spring even if for just a moment so that he could defeat it without causing too much damage to both the items.


    Unlike Heavenly Treasures, which take thousands of years to develop a consciousness, Natural Treasures are born sapient, making them extremely difficult to deal with.


    As the tree, the Primordial Yin Wood, slowly followed Da Wei, unaware that the ¡®Pure Qi¡¯ it was trying to devour was bait for its demise, Da Wei waited patiently while filling his body to the brim with his Pure Qi, preparing for his attack.


    The best way to defeat and preserve a Natural Treasure is to strike its core, flooding it with Qi in an instant to destroy its consciousness. However, it is easier said than done for most cultivators due to the unpredictable nature of the Natural Treasures.


    As Treasures formed from the very essence of elemental and conceptual Qi, Natural Treasures have no fixed shape or anatomy from which humans could learn their weaknesses.


    For example, the previous incarnation of the Primordial Yin Wood took on the form of a Wooden Puppet shaped like a serpent, while the Netherworld Yin Spring took on the form of a clear lake in the middle of a forest with its core hidden within the body of the Primordial Yin Wood.


    Even before that, the Natural Treasures hid themselves within the spirit roots of a child, leading the child to suffer and extremely gruesome fate at the hands of the various forces.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    And it is not just the Primordial Yin Wood and the Netherworld Yin Spring that use such methods to protect themselves. All the Natural Treasures are prone to take on new and completely different forms in each of their iterations, making it impossible for anyone to know their weak spots.


    This was why it was nearly impossible for most people who discovered these Natural Treasures to take them intact, which fed into their scarcity and value since the majority of the material was destroyed during the attempt to defeat them.


    Fortunately for Da Wei, he had a real-life cheat code in the form of his future self who fought this version of the Natural Treasures in his timeline, allowing Da Wei to know exactly where to strike.


    Slowly, the tree lumbered over to the limit of its reach, just within Da Wei¡¯s striking distance and close enough to absorb his Primal Qi.


    The tree greedily sucked in Da Wei¡¯s Primal Qi, rapidly draining his overwhelmingly large reserves, explaining why the entire cave system was devoid of any Qi.


    However, Da Wei did not retaliate, instead, he continued to wait for the tree to suck his Qi, much to the horror of Yin Lingxi who was watching the whole thing.


    She felt the urge to rush forward and destroy the damned thing that was sucking her friend dry of his Qi, but she was forced to stay put as Da Wei signaled her to stand still.


    Suddenly, the trunk of the tree started to loosen, revealing a small gap from which a gleaming black crystal was visible.


    This was the core of the Primordial Yin Wood.


    Despite having followed Da Wei¡¯s lure, the tree was always on guard, tightly guarding its core with its powerful body. Even when it started to suck the Primal Qi from Da Wei, it was still extremely cautious, looking out for any traps and carefully digesting the Qi a little bit at a time, worried about being poisoned by some unknown form of Qi.


    However, as it continued absorbing the Qi and found nothing wrong, instead even feeling very refreshed thanks to the very potent Qi, it slowly started to relax, lowering its guard, which unconsciously caused its bark to part a little and reveal the spot where its core was.


    ¡®Even if it is born with a consciousness, it is still, in the end, just an object.¡¯


    ¡®True. It¡¯s naivety will be its downfall.¡¯


    Da Wei waited some more, watching as the tree completely abandoned its caution and started to greedily suck his Qi.


    By this point, it had already drained nearly half of Da Wei¡¯s absurdly large Qi reserves, an amount that is equal to nearly fifty peak Nascent Soul realm cultivators.


    Finally, when he felt like the tree was completely free of any caution, he struck like a snake hiding in the grass.


    With a swift blow, Da Wei unleashed his full cultivation of The Nascent Soul realm peak stage, directly shattering the bark of the tree and flooding the core of the tree with his Primal Qi.


    However, the reaction to his blow was something that no one anticipated.


    Da Wei had long since known about the regenerative properties of his Primal Qi. He even used it consciously when he tried to heal Jin Tianrui¡¯s mother and used it several times to recover his and his disciple''s stamina during their training sessions.


    However, he had never guessed that this property of his Qi would also work on Natural Treasures, just in a completely different manner than he had ever anticipated.


    The tree screeched in pain as its core started to grow in size rapidly, becoming larger and larger, pushing through the body of the tree and breaking its shell.


    Da Wei stood there with a dumbfounded expression, watching as the core continued to swell and cracks started to show on its surface.


    ¡®¡­.Harvest the spring, and run. GO! NOW!!¡¯


    Xiang¡¯s voice brought Da Wei out of his mind, causing him to run towards the hole where the tree was located before.


    Looking down the hole, he spotted black liquid that was already starting to boil and evaporate in response to the tree¡¯s damage.


    Wasting no time, Da Wei took out a Heaven-Grade containment artifact he had prepared beforehand and drained as much of the fluid as he could into the container.


    However, he was only able to harvest a few letters of the substance before it completely evaporated, leaving behind an empty hole.


    Suddenly, his instincts screamed at him to run.


    ¡°Lingxi! Run!¡±


    The princess shot out of the cave at his words just like he did, but not before grabbing hold of the tree¡¯s body and ripping out a chunk of its wood.


    The moment the two people rushed out of the cavern, a bright light nearly blinded the duo, followed by a massive explosion, resulting from the tree¡¯s core exploding after being oversaturated with Da Wei¡¯s Primal Qi, which caused the cavern and surrounding cave structures to collapse.


    Fortunately, Da Wei still had full access to his nascent soul realm cultivation, allowing him to pick up Yin Lingxi and shoot out of the cave system before it collapsed on them.


    The moment the two arrived out of the caves and into the open air, the two fell to the ground in mental exhaustion at the rapid series of events.


    ¡°¡­..Don¡¯t ever do something like this again.¡±


    ¡°..Agreed.¡±


    Da Wei smiled at the fuming look that Yin Lingxi directed at him.


    For the first time in a long while, his life was truly in peril, and he loved every moment of it.


    It reminded him of the times from before his awakening when he used to truly love fighting others and was obsessed with power.


    He may no longer be that kind of a man, but there is no denying the thrill of adventure he felt at this moment.


    Da Wei closed his eyes and lay silently on the ground, relaxing his racing heart.


    ¡®With this, we have both the Primordial Yin Wood and the Netherworld Yin Spring, even if the quantity is only a fraction of what we truly wanted.¡¯


    ¡®Indeed. Where to next?¡¯


    ¡®Home.¡¯


    <hr><hr>


    Author Notes;


    A smaller chapter this time since it was mostly action and explaining the nature of the treasures.


    Read 6 chapters ahead on Patreon.


    Support my work through Patreon by buying Book 1 through the Patreon Shop.

 Chapter 12 (Vol-2)

    Within the Secret Realm, just like Xiang said, it was a scene of absolute chaos and bloodshed.


    Many cultivators belonging to various rivaling forces fought among each other, killing others for past grievances and resources.


    Rogue cultivators, without any backing, used this opportunity to strike at unprepared targets, such as the young masters and ladies of various clans and sects to steal their resources.


    One such scene was taking place right now as a group of three people and one teenager who was probably around twelve or thirteen years old were surrounded by a dozen rogue cultivators.


    ¡°Hand over everything you have, and maybe we will give you a quick death.¡±


    The sheer arrogance in the tone of the rogue cultivator was enough to ignite the fury of the three adults, but they held their tongues as their master had not permitted them to take any action.


    The teenager in question stared at the large group with amusement.


    ¡°And what if we don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Then, you will suffer a lot before you die.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Why don¡¯t you show me?¡±


    The teenager¡¯s dismissive words greatly angered this group of rogue cultivators.


    In the outside world, rogue cultivators like these people would never be able to even look at descendants of powerful clans and disciples of the sects due to the sheer difference in status.


    This caused most of the rogue cultivators in the world to harbor hatred and jealousy towards those born into such positions or those born with talent.


    They believed that should they have the same resources as these people do, they too would be just as powerful, if not more. A thought that was based on pure fantasy and not facts but one that everyone harbored due to their inferiority.


    As such, opportunities like these, where the proud young masters and ladies of the clans and sects are on the same playing field as them, were rarely passed up by many rogue cultivators who took out their hatred and sick thoughts on these members of the upper echelon of their society.


    Of course, this matter was known by everyone on the continent, including the leaders of these powerful forces. Then, why don¡¯t they do anything about it? The answer is very simple.


    If their heirs and chosen successors can¡¯t even overcome something as inferior as rogue cultivators with barely passable martial arts, techniques, and resources, how could they lead their forces in the future?


    Such is the thought process shared by every leader of the various forces on the continent.


    Again these thoughts are also well known to the rogue cultivators, fueling their anger even more.


    Ironically, this way of doing things had been the downfall of many young masters and ladies of various forces in the past. In fact, this particular group of rogue cultivators had recently committed various heinous acts toward a group of disciples from a well-known sect of the empire. Their men were tortured to death while the women faced and even worse fate.


    The teenager sniffed the air for a bit before his face twisted into a feral expression, causing his bodyguards to stiffen in fright and quickly move away from their master, knowing that there was going to be a serious bloodbath.


    ¡°All of you give off a substantial amount of resentment. I smell the blood Qi of hundreds of curses on you. You must have killed and humiliated a lot of people recently, right?¡±


    The blood Qi is a type of Qi that is different from Demonic Qi or elemental Qi. It is a type of Qi that is formed from the resentment of the victim of a murder. A type of curse that is born from the very Heavens due to unjustly killing people, especially mortals.


    Most of the time, this type of Qi can be easily ignored by everyone since every cultivator in existence has killed someone without reason at some point. It also does not help that the blood Qi can only linger for a few years at most before natural dissipation.


    However, most orthodox cultivators of famous forces don¡¯t like others to know just how much blood Qi clings to their bodies. They hate it when their clean image is tainted by exposing the quantity of needless murders they cause. It is also the reason why artifacts that suppress and hide the blood Qi of cultivators are so popular across the continent.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Aside from exposing the nature of a cultivator, blood Qi causes little other effects other than making the tribulations of a cultivator stronger should they try to break through while their blood Qi still exists on their bodies. This is why most people won¡¯t care much about its existence.


    However, this particular teenager is not just an ordinary Orthodox cultivator.


    The words of the teenager caused the rogue cultivators to become even more resentful.


    ¡°Just for those words, you will be the first to-¡°


    The leader of the rogue cultivators could even complete his words before the roar of a tiger resounded in the area filled with Metal Qi, heavily disorienting the rogue cultivators as their weapons started to shatter under the frequency of the sound waves that were modified with Metal Qi which attuned the sound waves to the specific frequency of the different metals that made up the various weapons.


    An awe-inspiring feat.


    However, the rogue cultivators only felt terror as they instantly recognized the move.


    The teenager did not give them time to respond as his body flashed gold with Metal Qi before he disappeared with a burst of speed.


    While the speed was not that impressive in reality, the hypnotizing movements and postures that mimicked a stalking tiger caused the cultivator''s heart to chill in instinctual fear.


    ¡°The Steel Prowl? And that roar, the Metallic Roar? Y-You! You belong to the Royal Family!!¡±


    The teenager smirked at those words.


    ¡°Correct. I am Baihu Jianxiao, the crown prince of The Baihu Empire.¡±


    The reveal of his identity caused the rogue cultivators to go pale as they directly kneeled in front of him.


    ¡°Y-Your Highness!! Please spare us-¡±


    ¡°No¡±


    The cold words uttered by the child caused the rogue cultivators to feel a chill as they saw his cold gaze move across their forms.


    With his identity revealed, they knew for a fact that even if they were to combine all of their powers and try to attack, they would all die tragically.


    The tale of the crown prince attaining his position through a brutal duel with his half-sister despite being a major realm lower than her in cultivation was something that everyone had heard at some point in the last year.


    With that said, there was only one thing they could do at this point.


    ¡°Run!¡±


    The group instantly scattered in the four directions, hoping to confuse the teenager long enough to escape with their lives. Praying to the Heavens that they would not be the ones to be targeted by this monster in human form.


    Unfortunately, the teenager had foreseen their actions.


    He simply nodded toward his subordinates who shot forward at his signal, easily surpassing the speed of these rogue cultivators with their superior techniques and rounding up the closest rogue cultivators.


    As for those who escaped, Baihu Jianxiao gave a bored expression before shooting forward with another one of the Royal Family¡¯s techniques, The Golden Tiger¡¯s Hunt, which allowed him to use the Metal Qi to cut through the air, lowering his body¡¯s air resistance and increasing his speed.


    Within minutes, he hunted down and killed all the rogue cultivators with his own hands.


    ¡°Your Highness, take this.¡±


    One of his subordinates handed him an artifact to wash away the blood from his clothes which the prince took and cleaned himself, yet, his expressions were still held in a frown.


    ¡°These people must have been truly despicable if the Heavens only pushed a day or two¡¯s worth of blood Qi onto my body despite killing more than a dozen of these people.¡±


    His bodyguards did not say anything as they too agreed with their master¡¯s words.


    The intensity of blood Qi and the duration that it clings to a person is directly proportional to the number of unjust killings performed by the cultivator. However, just like everything else in existence, the Heavens balances these acts of killing in its own way.


    Cultivators who perform unjust killings towards other cultivators gain a large amount of blood Qi that lasts for at least a year. Those who kill mortals without reason end up gaining blood Qi that lasts for at least a decade.


    Since people like these don¡¯t care much about this blood Qi, the Heavens made it so that anyone who kills such people with potent blood Qi on their bodies would not be affected much and would not gain much blood Qi.


    Effectively, the Heavens promoted the act of killing those with excess blood Qi, turning it into a sport. This is also one of the many reasons why the various cultivators of the continent don¡¯t like others to know the amount of blood Qi in their bodies.


    It is also the reason why these cultivators don¡¯t dare to show themselves to the Royal Family of the Baihu Empire.


    The Baihu Empire¡¯s Royal Family practices a Heaven-Grade Cultivation Technique known as The Golden Tiger¡¯s Dominion Art. A cultivation art with the elemental affinity of Metal.


    One of the side effects of using this technique is the ability to smell the various types of Qi present around the user. The higher the proficiency of the user in the technique, the larger the radius that the user can smell and the wider the range of Qi that they can detect in the form of smells.


    Baihu Jianxiao shook his head in amusement and turned towards his bodyguards.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    With those words, the group started heading deeper into the secret realm, intent on completing the mission assigned to the prince by his father.


    And just maybe, find the man with the purest smelling Qi that the prince had ever seen. The man who had secretly tried to probe his group before entering the realm. Unfortunately, he did a poor job of hiding his intent from the sharp senses of the Prince, resulting in the prince spotting him as they entered the realm and accidentally catching a whiff of his Qi.


    The Prince grinned in anticipation as his hands itched with his urge to fight.


    He wanted to see just how it was possible for someone to have such pure Qi, free of any taint or ill intent. He wanted to understand how such a person led his life.


    And most importantly, he wanted to fight such a person to see how he stacked up compared to someone so unique in terms of power.

 Chapter 13 (Vol-2)

    A secret realm is, most of the time, a separate domain that exists in the real world but is separated into a dimension that overlaps reality to some extent. However, despite this separation, it still falls under the rule of the Heavens to some extent.


    And since it falls under the rule of the Heavens, it is also normal for many types of Heavenly Treasures to form in them, albeit at an accelerated and in exaggerated quantity due to the very nature of the secret realms.


    This along with a few other reasons is why Cultivators of various factions compete so much to gain ownership of a secret realm, no matter how small, and why fierce battles and blood bath takes place every time an expedition is carried out into such realms.


    Why am I thinking about all of this general knowledge?


    It is because we are currently going against this common sense and treating this highly coveted place as a vacation spot.


    I turned to the side a little and saw that Yin Lingxi was still in deep sleep. The moonlight illuminated her body which was sprawled out on the recliners that I always carry around with me in my space ring. It was truly gratifying for me that she trusted me so much to leave herself completely defenseless like this.


    After the disaster with the Natural Treasures under the mountainous area of the realm, we decided to explore the secret realm for a bit to see if we can¡¯t find something that would interest us. However, all we found were the heavenly treasures that we already had with us.


    Gradually, we slowly lost interest in finding treasures and decided to explore the realm. Finding hidden waterfalls filled with life, gentle glades that stretched as far as the eye can see, verdant hills full of life, and beautiful flowers. This place is truly a paradise when one stops looking for treasures and just starts to explore the place.


    That is why, we decided to plop down on one such hill with flowers surrounding us as far as we can see and relax. Cleansing all of the stress that was accumulated in the few days we spent inside this place.


    The flowers themselves are a type of heavenly treasures of Mortal-Rank, the lowest possible rank, known as the Midnight Moonflowers, a type of flower that is rich in Yin Qi and only blooms under the full moon. The rich and mesmerizing fragrance it gives off makes it a very popular treasure for female cultivators and makes for a very good gift.


    ¡®Perhaps, it really is not a bad idea to relax like this once in a while. Especially for you since you have been drowning yourself in work these days.¡¯


    ¡®You are talking about relaxing? That¡¯s a first. Don¡¯t you always push me to cultivate harder?¡¯


    ¡®I do that because I don¡¯t want you to die a dog¡¯s death, no matter how small the chance of that happening is. Especially with what is about to come in the next few decades.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.The Invasion of the Continent?¡¯


    ¡®The invasion of the continent. Last time, I survived that disaster through sheer luck as a Core Formation realm cultivator. In the end, it took the combined might of all four Holy Lands to repel the invaders. Even then, the loss of life was immense during those times. While you are not like me and have already reached the threshold of the Soul Transformation realm, it would still be prudent of you to prepare for it.¡¯


    ¡®True. But that event is still a decade or two away so I guess I can afford to relax a little bit.¡¯


    ¡®Correct. Speaking of, your lover is awake.¡¯


    ¡®She is not my lover!¡¯


    ¡®¡­.I truly pity that girl. Just how oblivious can you be?¡¯The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡®¡­.I am not talking about those things right now.¡¯


    ¡®Fine. Do whatever you want.¡¯


    I ignored those words and suppressed the chaotic emotions that swirled into existence at his words.


    I am not a fool. I have long since picked up on her hints, and I have also recently realized the significance of her actions in recent days.


    The significance of having her hair done up in a bun, which is part of the Baihu Empire¡¯s culture, signifies that a woman is either married or taken. This is something that I only recently came to know after going through the history and culture of the Baihu empire, thanks to a particularly talkative bar owner in the capital.


    The significance of having a Jade hairpin placed in her hair by my hands instead of wearing the normal hairpins made of spiritual materials and shaped like flowers that she used to wear, which is another indication of an ongoing relationship.


    The embroidered sashes, the complex sleeves, the wider collar in her dress, the list went on and on, each and every one of which clearly displayed her intent as far as it could be socially acceptable for a woman to show her interest so blatantly.


    And, as much as I fear to admit it, I feel untold amounts of pride and happiness with these gestures of hers.


    However, a small but extremely loud part of my mind is terrified. Terrified of the unknown territory that I had never ventured into, and the prospect of all of this being a misunderstanding on my part and all of her actions being nothing more than ignorance due to being a princess.


    I know this is stupid and that there is no way she does not know the significance of her actions since she must have received a great deal of education about the culture and traditions of both her own empire and that of her rival empire.


    But the heart is rarely rational and so are emotions.


    This is why, I have yet to act upon her hints. To try and probe her intentions and to confirm our relationship.


    Besides, I also need to think about the current situation between the Yin Long Empire and the Baihu Empire.


    As cultivators, we have a long life ahead of us. So, I believe it is prudent to wait until this issue is solved and our home is truly at peace before we step into this chaotic mess of emotions.


    ¡°You are losing yourself in your thoughts, again. Seriously, why can¡¯t you just enjoy yourself for once?¡±


    Her exasperated but fond voice brought me out of my thoughts as I looked at her.


    For a moment, I lost myself in the image that I saw.


    The gentle light of the moon illuminated her beautiful silver hair, the dye having long since been washed out during our travels in the realm. Her golden eyes gave a gentle gaze. Her perfect form lying lazily in the chair and her full lips pulled up in a small smile.


    The rapid rise in my heartbeat brought me back to reality as I once again suppressed my emotions.


    Indeed, it is too dangerous to indulge in these emotions right now. But, when the opportunity arises in the future, I will have to confront her directly.


    I am truly terrified, that what I feel now is just a one-sided affair, that I am getting my hopes up fruitlessly. But, I will not allow that fear to ruin what could be. Not again, never again. I swore to myself that I would live this life without regrets on my mother¡¯s grave, and I will not go back on that promise.


    I felt my lips pull into a smile as I reaffirmed myself.


    ¡°I am enjoying myself, aren¡¯t I? I am surrounded by beautiful flowers, a full moon, and an even more beautiful maiden by my side. What more can a man ask for?¡±


    A furious blush exploded onto her face as she glared playfully at me before swatting my shoulder.


    ¡°Look at you, such a sweet talker. I bet you used the same words on many girls before in your sect.¡±


    ¡°Haha! Not really. Back in those days, the only thing I ever cared about was strength.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡¯


    I laughed as she turned away from me, probably to hide her embarrassed expression.


    Yes, I will not allow my life to be filled with regrets again like I did in my previous one.


    What use is having money, Power, Social status, And every other form of material gain in the world if you don¡¯t have anyone to share it with?


    They used to say, that money can¡¯t buy happiness. A notion that I used to look down on in my youth back on Earth. I used to think that whoever came up with that notion must have been a fool and a poor bastard since money clearly could buy happiness, at least for me.


    A successful man with millions of dollars worth of assets and money. A beautiful house, a large array of various types of cars. All the time in the world to indulge in my hobbies without having to worry about my day-to-day life ever again. Isn''t such a life the peak of happiness?


    But, as I grew older, I realized the true meaning of that statement.


    It''s not that money can¡¯t buy happiness, it''s just that happiness gained through material means is only temporary. True happiness, is something that can only be gained through family.


    Looking up at the full moon, I felt something within me change as I continued reflecting on what once was and would never be again if I had any say about it.


    It felt like some weight that had been pressing down on my heart was finally lifted.


    With those chaotic feelings, I closed my eyes and rested in the comfortable silence.

 Chapter 14 (Vol-2)

    ¡°Da Wei! Look at this!¡±


    I watched with a smile as Yin Lingxi showed a shining jewel she picked up from the stream that we were on the banks of.


    The jewel was not something special, just a simple ruby, and yet, the joy on Lingxi¡¯s face made it special.


    Ever since we decided to take it easy, this is how we have been spending our days. Wandering from one picturesque place to another, relaxing, playing around, and then moving on to explore even more.


    All in all, it felt like a fun vacation for both of us.


    Right now, we are on the banks of a large stream passing through a thick forest, filled to the brim with spiritual fish and some resources that might be interesting for a rogue cultivator but were nothing worth mentioning for most people.


    ¡°Come here and help me find some more!¡±


    ¡°Why? They are just mortal gems.¡±


    ¡°I want to make a necklace for Da Ling with these gems.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at those words.


    ¡°You know how to craft jewelry?¡±


    Yin Lingxi gave me a smug look at those words.


    ¡°Of course I do. I also know how to weave, forge, and make artifacts. Didn¡¯t I tell you about that when we first met?¡±


    I chuckled at those words and got into the water alongside her.


    ¡°To be fair, I was more focused on getting away from you back then and did not concentrate much on your words.¡±


    ¡°was I really that scary to you?¡±


    ¡°It''s not that you were scary, it''s just that I don¡¯t like getting involved with people who feel like trouble.¡±


    She pouted for a bit before throwing herself on my back.


    ¡°Well, too bad, you can¡¯t escape from me now.¡±


    Once again, my emotions were thrown into turmoil at her actions but I managed to suppress them before laughing a bit and gently letting her down.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of it, my empress.¡±


    Soon, thanks to our combined effort, we had a sizable pile of various types of gems in our hands.


    ¡®Why are there so many gems in this stream? And why are they polished gems at that?¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t question it, David. Secret Realms never make sense since they are created based on the last thoughts, personality, desires, and various other aspects of a Cultivator.¡¯


    ¡®I know that, but I never thought the bizarre factor would be this exaggerated.¡¯


    ¡®Hmph, you haven¡¯t seen anything yet. The Secret realm that is controlled by the Barbarian Clans in the south is the very definition of bizarre. You want to go explore that place after this?¡¯


    ¡®No thanks! I can¡¯t even imagine what kind of madness that place houses for you of all people to call it bizarre.¡¯


    Yin Lingxi hummed an unfamiliar tune as she took out various tools and got to work on using a few rubies and pearls from the spiritual oysters that we found in the stream.


    She methodically chiseled, shaped, and then punched holes through the materials with her Qi and carefully used Qi conductive metal chains to connect the pearls and rubies into a necklace.


    It barely took her minutes to make something that looked like it came out of the hands of a master jewelsmith, showing her practice and prowess in the art.


    Her proud smile as she kept it away in her space ring made me smile as well.


    Returning to my spot on the banks, I continued doing what I was before she called me over.


    Fishing in the river for our dinner.


    As I sat calmly with my fishing pole and a spear made from low-grade materials to serve as a harpoon for larger fish or other things that I could hunt, Yin Lingxi plopped beside me and started working on the other gems, probably working on turning them into jewelry as well.


    ¡°How long do you think this realm will stay open for?¡±


    At her question, I shrugged.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. While most of the secret realms have a set time where they open and close, this one and most high-level ones don¡¯t have a set timeframe aside from the time at which they open. Sometimes, they might only be open for a few days at most, sometimes, they stay open for years on end. It is simply not possible to predict these things.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Then, how about exploring deeper into this place?¡±


    ¡°We could, but if we are not close to the entrance when we receive the warning of the entrance¡¯s destabilization, we will be stranded in this realm until the realm opens again in a couple of years.¡±


    ¡°¡­.it</a> might not be that bad.¡±


    Oi, don¡¯t let your feelings guide your actions, dear empress of mine.


    ¡°Anyways, if you really want to explore, how about we go East?¡±


    ¡°Why that particular direction?¡±


    ¡°No particular reason.¡±


    ¡®Wow, you have really mastered the art of lying with a straight face. I am very proud of you.¡¯


    ¡®Shut it! I don¡¯t like lying to her but how do I explain to her that the pearl I inherited from my mother, which is probably a peerless treasure, is reacting to something deep within this realm?¡¯


    ¡®Like you just did, of course.¡¯


    ¡®Yeah, right. As if she would believe me?¡¯


    ¡®Why not? It is not really surprising for someone of her status to have seen and learned about powerful treasured in history. She might even be able to help us identify the origin of this pearl.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.Point, but still, my answer is no. I will not involve her in whatever headache having this pearl and the knowledge of its existence would bring us. We are already doomed from the beginning, but I refuse to involve my loved ones in trouble willingly.¡¯


    ¡®Truly, sometimes, it feels like I am talking to a na?ve child. But, like I said before, this is your life, so do whatever you want.¡¯


    Yin Lingxi gave me a confused look before shrugging her shoulders.


    ¡°Sure. Let''s do that.¡±


    Once again, my emotions stirred as happiness dominated my mind at the unconditional trust she displayed in such a way. And yet, guilt gnawed at my consciousness as I realized that I was abusing that trust by not being truthful to her about my intentions, even if it was for her own good.


    Shaking my head, I got back to fishing as Lingxi quietly sat by my side and worked on whatever she was doing, eventually leaning against my back with hers as she continued working.


    <hr>


    Far to the East of the continent, in a hidden valley covered in Qi-rich fog that is gathered artificially with formations, a man swiftly walked up the stairs of a grand palace.


    While the palace was clearly visible to the naked eye, any cultivator would have great difficulty spotting it through their senses due to the various formations used in its construction that blended it with its surroundings. This, combined with the various formations that subtly distracted any cultivator that was not permitted to enter it, made it so that no cultivator would pay it any mind even if they accidentally spotted it.


    The same method was also used to hide the large population of this place and the town they lived in that surrounded this massive palace.


    As the man arrived at the top of the stairs, the two guards who were in the Nascent Soul Realm bowed to the man and opened the doors swiftly.


    ¡°¡±We Greet the Master¡±¡±


    ¡°Enough with the formalities. Is she out of her seclusion??¡±


    The guards looked surprised at the urgency displayed by their master, but their experience with the man made them regain their composure quickly.


    ¡°Yes, Master Huxing. The Ancestor has recently come out of seclusion.¡±


    With that confirmation, Huxing Longwei, the Master of the Hidden Heavens Holy Land, rushed into the palace without any thoughts, much to the bewilderment of the guards as they had known their master for many centuries now and knew that he was not the kind of man to throw aside formality as he did just now.


    Deep within the palace, Huxing Longwei swiftly arrived at the massive doors that separated the general area of the palace where the Master of the Holy Land and the rest of the upper echelon worked from the Qi-rich residences built within for their various ancestors for their seclusion.


    Instinctually, he wanted to smash open the door and rush in directly, but his discipline and fear managed to reign in his urgency as he bowed and called out with his voice amplified with Qi.


    ¡°Longwei is here to meet Mother.¡±


    As those words echoed, the doors silently opened, permitting Huxing Longwei entry.


    Once again, the Master of the Holy Land quickly rushed in and navigated the large maze of houses before arriving at the residence that he was very familiar with.


    As he flung the door open and rushed in, he spotted a beautiful woman with long black hair and eyes that reflected great wisdom and power. Due to the way cultivation worked, the woman did not look any older than thirty despite being centuries old.


    ¡°Mother! I-¡°


    ¡°Longwei. Do not forget your manners.¡±


    The calm voice of the woman forced Huxing Longwei to immediately clam up in fear and respect before he bowed deeply and formally greeted his mother, just like he was taught from a young age centuries ago.


    ¡°¡­Longwei greets Mother.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, good. Now, what brings you here? You usually don¡¯t visit me unless you have a problem and expect me to solve it.¡±


    The slightly accusatory tone in her words made the man smile wryly.


    ¡®I want to visit you more often as well, but the way you treat me compared to how you treated sister is way too scary, I don¡¯t dare be my usual self in front of me, yet I can¡¯t control my attitude. You really can¡¯t blame me for this!!¡¯


    Shaking his head to get rid of those depressing thoughts, he quickly assumed his persona as the Master of the Holy Land and got to the point.


    ¡°I just received a message from the Elders in the Ancestor Halls, we have picked up a reaction from the Bead-¡±


    ¡°Huxing Longwei. Do not joke about this topic.¡±


    The sudden explosion of his mother, Huxing Lianhua¡¯s, cultivation caused the man to nearly crash to his knees but he held on through sheer will.


    ¡°I-I am not joking! We really did receive a reaction from the Bead, I confirmed it myself! Furthermore, the reaction shows that it has already bound itself to its user. You know what that means!¡±


    ¡°¡­.it</a> means that he is still alive, somewhere out there.¡±


    ¡°Correct!¡±


    Huxing Lianhua suddenly stood up from her cross-legged position and released her full cultivation, the peak of the Void Refinement realm, and spoke with a voice that echoed throughout the holy land.


    ¡°Huxing Longwei, Master of the Hidden Heavens Holy Land, I, as one of the Ancestors of the Holy Land, hereby order you. Send out all of our scouting teams. Call back anyone who is still out on the Continent, whether they are on the frontlines of the South, exploring the icy caverns of the North, or the thunderous mountains of the West, I want all of them to join the search.  I want my Grandson and I authorize you to mobilize all the resources of our Holy Land at once!¡±


    Huxing Longwei did not say anything and bowed before swiftly shooting out of the house, letting the woman sit back down and stare with melancholy and excitement at the ring she wore.


    ¡°Soon, little Liuyue, I will find him soon. I failed to keep my promise to you back then, but now, another opportunity has arisen and I will not fail it this time, my precious daughter.¡±


    Slowly closing her eyes and remising on times long past, the woman slipped back into her meditation and closed out the world around her, keeping her senses alert just enough to catch any news that her son would send her.


    In the outside world, the rest of the Holy Lands and the Barbarian Clans shook in awe and fear as, for the first time in a few thousand years, the Hidden Heavens Holy Land mobilized its forces in full.

 Chapter 15 (Vol-2)

    Captain Zhou closed his eyes in sorrow but steeled his heart as the cries of anguish and mercy rang out across the Yang family¡¯s estate.


    He knew what he was doing was wrong, but he could only hold onto his resolve and follow his orders.


    ¡®I know I will be judged harshly by King Yama in the Underworld, but, I will do what I must for the sake of my people.¡¯


    Opening his eyes with renewed resolve, Captain Zhou glared coldly at the men, women, and children of the Yang family who were being systematically slaughtered by his men, all of whom held the same complex emotions as himself.


    As the people responsible for the safety of the Capital, Captain Zhou and his men had to make harsh decisions, even if they went against their consciousness.


    Just like they are doing right now.


    For more than two months, Captain Zhou painstakingly worked with the rest of the Imperial Soldiers across the Capital in an effort to track down all evidence and actions of the Yang family ever since they discovered those corpses in their warehouse.


    One after another, things started to come to light that made the Captain and his men furious and disgusted.


    It turns out that the Yang family was nothing more than a pawn. A family that was being manipulated like a puppet by their masters just like more than a few dozen families across the empire that dealt in elixirs and alchemy.


    Said masters were none other than the Alchemy Guild.


    At first, Captain Zhou and his men felt disbelief as the gathered evidence from Imperial Spies across these families started to pile up and paint a grim picture.


    However, when they reported their findings to their superior who in turn reported it to Lady Yao who was acting as the temporary ruler of the Empire, they received a single order.


    To exterminate all these families to the last man while the Royal forces take care of the Alchemy Guild.


    Captain Zhou knew the reasoning behind his orders.


    Throughout the thousand-year-long history of the Empire, there have been countless cases where a family deemed to have dabbled in something forbidden had been punished harshly, either justly or unjustly.


    More often than not, this punishment is the slaughter of the culprit and his accomplices.


    After the punishment is carried out, it was not uncommon for the family members of the guilty to seek out revenge against the empire and the royal family in any way possible, which most of the time meant that they joined hands with the Demonic Path or some Sect and often schemed against the Royal family.


    If it were not for the scarily competent nature of the Royal family and their management of the empire, they would have long since gone extinct thanks to these traitors.


    However, despite their competence, it would only take a single slip-up for their lives to end. It was a fact that the Royal family knew very well. That is why, the Emperor from more than eight hundred years ago passed a decree that many viewed as tyrannical and abusive towards the people. In fact, this rule was one of the many reasons why a large group of people split from the Empire and established the Baihu Empire.


    The rule is simple. Any family that is found to be a traitor to the Empire must be slaughtered to the last man. Not even the children, even animals, must be spared lest they grow up to be a thorn in the Empire.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Again, Captain Zhou understood the reasoning, especially since he knew his history well and why this law was passed in the first place.


    During those times, the empire was in a very bad place.


    Back then, the Empire was only two hundred years old, formed after the disastrous end of the 3rd era, also known as the Dragon Era for the abundance of all kinds of Dragons and Dragon-type Demonic Beasts that roamed the world and made life hell for most of the other creatures.


    The Yin Long empire was founded by Yin Tianlong, a legendary Cultivator who is said to have been at the peak of the Dao Integration realm.


    It is said that he founded the empire after the end of the 3rd era for all of Humanity so that they could band together and fight back against the various other races across the continent that used to see humans as nothing more than food and a resource to be exploited back then.


    He achieved such a momentous feat thanks to his fame of slaying the last Dragon of the 3rd era, the Yin Dragon of the South, after its attack on the newly formed empire which later gave him the inspiration to name his empire the Yin Long Empire. Yin as in both his family name and the Yin attribute of the dragon, and the Long for dragon and the second character in his given name.


    However, during this fight, Yin Tianlong was injured gravely which significantly reduced his lifespan. In the end, he did not even live past the hundred-year mark of his empire¡¯s founding and passed the throne to his son.


    During these turbulent times, resources were scarce and the lives of humans were considered cheap thanks to the rampant corruption present in the newly established empire which the founding emperor did not have the opportunity to cleanse thanks to his injuries.


    In the end, all these problems came to a head and a large group of cultivators and mortals left the empire to found their own empire, led by Baihu Jinlie, the sworn brother of  Yin Tianlong and the founding emperor of the Baihu empire.


    What many people did not know was that there was another reason for the empire¡¯s near destitute state in those times and the departure of Baihu Jinlie.


    It was a traitor. A man whose name along with his family¡¯s records were erased from existence.


    It was said that this man¡¯s family had committed some kind of a heinous deed that attracted the wrath of Yin Tianlong and Baihu Jinlie which resulted in the extermination of said family.


    However, during the extermination, Yin Tianlong took pity on the children of the family and let them live, even giving them resources on a monthly basis so they could live.


    Instead of being grateful, these children grew up resenting the emperor for the slaughter of their family and eventually, the eldest of the children grew up to be a Demonic Cultivator and the Heavenly Demon of those times, bringing disasters and hidden threats to the Empire from the shadows.


    After his death at the hands of Baihu Jinlie, the emperor and his sworn brother realized just how much their empire was corrupted by this man and his companions.


    This was why such an oppressive law was passed in haste by Yin Tianlong¡¯s son after the founding emperor died from his injuries, causing a rift between him and Baihu Jinlie.


    All of this history is something that is taught to every Imperial Soldier when they enlist so that they would know the reason for the harsh punishments that they would carry out in the future at the behest of the Royal Family.


    And yet, despite knowing all of this, Captain Zhou still could not help but feel guilt for the scene in front of him.


    Men begged the Imperial Soldiers to let their families live. Women did the same, even promising to serve the soldiers in any way possible in exchange for sparing their children. The children simply cried, not knowing what was happening.


    And yet, the Imperial Soldiers held a cold face and simply slaughtered.


    Captain Zhou knew every single member of his force intimately and knew that none of them were cold-hearted. He knew that they must be dying on the inside from the act they were forced to commit at this moment, just like he was. Yet, their loyalty to the Empress and the Empire, their loyalty to the common people, and their families would not allow them to stop.


    Once again, Captain Zhou closed his eyes in pain and suppressed the bile rising from within and his complex emotions.


    All he could do right now was offer his sincere apologies within his heart and the promise that they would avenge their death with the extermination of the Alchemy Guild.


    Screams continued to ring out across the night sky above the Yang estate, chilling the hearts of those nearby and haunting the minds of the soldiers of the capital who were forced into fulfilling their duty in such a way.


    Unfortunately, this was a scene that would be repeated many times across the empire that night, forever haunting those who witnessed these massacres.

 Chapter 16 (Vol-2)

    Chen Yunfeng, the head of the Alchemy Guild, sullenly looked at the walls of his prison and the cuffs placed on his hands.


    These walls of spiritual stone and cuffs of cast iron could have never dreamed to hold a Nascent Soul realm cultivator like him, and yet, here he was, helplessly waiting for the Empress to return from her trip and decide his punishment.


    ¡®Damn you!! Yao Xingchen!! You bitch!¡¯


    Once again, cursing out the woman who crippled his cultivation, the elderly man leaned against the wall with his fears and anger dominating his mind.


    Everything was going fine. The new pills introduced by the Eldest Prince were selling very well, always going out of stock mere minutes after they were put up for sale despite their exorbitant price.


    The Alchemy Guild was making a killing while selling these pills which were only of average quality, refined from the bodies of mortals. The pills that were refined from their ¡®disciples¡¯ and other rogue cultivators that no one would miss were being traded directly for favors across the various influential forces across the continent.


    Slowly, but surely, the Alchemy Guild was becoming a powerhouse that no one could ignore, just as the eldest prince had planned.


    Once the Alchemy Guild was powerful enough, the prince was planning to challenge the unworthy Empress with the Guild at his back for the throne.


    It was a beautiful scenario that Chen Yunfeng was just a mere decade away from achieving.


    Yet, all of it came crumbling down the moment one of their scapegoat families'' warehouses was discovered.


    Even now, Chen Yunfeng could not believe that the Yang family was stupid enough to leave evidence of their deeds in the open like this, neither did he believe that it was a coincidence that the Imperial spies across the empire suddenly started discovering evidence of the Alchemy Guild¡¯s actions and their connections and methods.


    All of this stunk of a conspiracy, one that he could not trace to anyone that he knew.


    Whatever the case might be, the truth is that the Alchemy Guild is no more, with all of its disciples slaughtered by the Royal family¡¯s forces with only Chen Yunfeng being left alive so that he could be punished by the Empress herself.


    Once again Chen Yunfeng cursed Yao Xingchen in his heart.


    If it were not for the horrifying way she killed the Yanfeng patriarch and ancestor, chilling the other noble families to their cores and hence keeping them from interfering with the Royal Family¡¯s forces, The Alchemy Guild could have called upon their various connections, including the Qingmu, Tuzhao, and the other families along with the other guilds for assistance.


    Maybe even the various top-ranking sects, including the Heavenly Sword Sect if it was not already destroyed.


    Chen Yunfeng felt pained as he remembered that huge loss for the Guild.


    The Heavenly Sword Sect was the main focus of the Alchemy Guild ever since the eldest prince gave them the recipe for the new pill with the aim of raising the sect as their main attack force against their enemies. A pact that the sect master agreed to since they promised to provide him with top-quality pills.


    And yet, all of that effort went down the drain when the sect was wiped out by a mysterious duo.


    As Chen Yunfeng was lost in his lamenting, he suddenly heard the noise of footsteps approaching his cell in the Imperial family¡¯s dungeon.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    It did not take long before the illuminating stones of the dungeon revealed a young man with long silver hair and golden eyes.


    Chen Yunfeng felt joy at the sight.


    ¡°My Prince-¡°


    His words were suddenly cut off as he choked out blood from his mouth thanks to the sword that was shoved into his chest by the man with cold golden eyes.


    ¡°You useless piece of trash. You couldn¡¯t even keep things secret properly. What was the use of using you as my backing and giving you all those benefits? Now, you are nothing but a liability.¡±


    The man, Yin Tianzhu, the eldest prince of the Yin Long empire gave a sneer to Chen Yunfeng as the older man glared at the prince with his dying breath.


    ¡°With this, there is nobody left that knows of the truth except me.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Dear brother?¡±


    The sudden voice startled the eldest prince enough for him to jump in surprise and turn around, only to sigh in relief as he spotted his youngest brother, Yin Haoran.


    The eldest prince gave a disdainful look at the famous debauchee prince and spoke in a condescending tone.


    ¡°Oh!? It was just you, Haoran. For a second, I thought it was someone else. How much did you hear?¡±


    The youngest prince gave his older brother a mysterious smile which annoyed the older prince.


    ¡°No matter. It is quite a pity that Chen Yunfeng escaped his confines due to Yao Xingchen¡¯s incompetence and killed you, giving me no choice but to kill the Alchemy Guild¡¯s head and deny the Empress the chance to extract information from the traitor. Quite the interesting series of events, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    The eldest prince approached the youngest with killing intent as he spoke those words, expecting his useless brother to run the moment he revealed his plan to kill him to bury this secret.


    And yet, against his expectations, Yin Haoran continued smiling and started to speak in a tone that chilled Yin Tianzhu¡¯s heart for some reason.


    ¡°Eldest Brother, have you ever heard the phrase, The Mantis stalks the Cicada, unaware of the Oriole behind?¡±


    For a single moment, Yin Tianzhu felt panic swell as he immediately realized the meaning of those words, and directly attacked the youngest prince with his full might as a middle-stage Core Formation realm expert.


    And yet, his sword was stopped before it pierced the youngest prince¡¯s heart by another sword, one that he immediately recognized and paled in fright.


    The light in the corridor provided by the illuminating stones distorted and revealed Yao Xingchen¡¯s form as she gave a cold look to the eldest prince.


    ¡°Prince Yin Tianzhu, for the crimes of treason and murder of an important criminal, you are hereby stripped of all your status and wealth.¡±


    Before Yin Tianzhu could even react, Yao Xingchen rushed forward and directly crippled Yin Tianzhu¡¯s cultivation, turning him into a mortal.


    ¡°The Empress will decide your further punishment when she gets back. Until then, you will be kept here as the criminal you are. Guards!!¡±


    Prison Guards immediately surrounded the eldest prince and dragged him away towards an empty cell, all the while the disgraced prince continued to shout insults at the youngest prince and the acting empress.


    Yin Haoran gave a bow toward Yao Xingchen.


    ¡°Thank you, Aunt Yao, for listening to my words and accompanying me to catch this traitor.¡±


    Yao Xingchen continued giving her nephew a neutral look.


    ¡°Prince Haoran. Let me be clear. It is clear to me that the Empress and I underestimated you in the past, something that you have already proven with your actions thus far. However, don¡¯t even think about trying to fight the Empress for the throne like your brother did before.¡±


    Yao Haoran gave a wry but gentle smile towards his aunt.


    ¡°Aunt Yao, I know my limits, unlike my brother. Besides, I have no desire for the throne. I just wish for my family to be safe.¡±


    ¡°Bold words for someone that couldn¡¯t be bothered to look past the bottom of a wine gourd or a woman¡¯s body.¡±


    Despite Yao Xingchen¡¯s harsh and crude words, Yin Haoran could do nothing but smile bitterly since those accusations were as real as his convictions.


    There is no denying his past. All he could do, now that he had the advantage of future knowledge, was to keep his family from suffering the same tragedy as they did in his future.


    With his determination renewed, Yin Haoran simply followed his aunt out of the dungeons and back to the palace.


    ¡®I need to find the time to leave for the Baihu Empire as quickly as I can. I need to get my artifact from that secret realm in the Baihu Empire¡¯s capital. It is just as important for me now as it was in my future.¡¯


    His face held a small and reminiscent smile as he thought about that secret realm where he met the woman who would become his source of light in the darkest of times in his doomed future.


    ¡®Qingyin, my love. Just wait for me. I¡¯m going to do my best to save you this time around.¡¯


    <hr><hr>


    Read 8 chapters ahead on Patreon: patreon.com/Ruijard1</a>

 Chapter 17 (Vol-2)

    Yin Lingxi and I scrutinized the ancient structure in front of us while keeping away from it so that we don¡¯t trigger any unknown mechanisms of formations around it.


    ¡°You think this is it?¡±


    I frowned at her question and tried to see if the bead reacted to it. However, I felt no reaction whatsoever to it.


    Just in case, I decided to check with Xiang.


    ¡®You feel anything from this structure?¡¯


    ¡®Nothing. The bead is not reacting to it. Whatever it is that caused this thing to react before, this place is not it.¡¯


    ¡®Well, I think we should still survey it, just in case.¡¯


    ¡®Sure. But, be careful. This building¡¯s architecture suggests that it belongs to the 2nd era, or maybe even the 1st era. Things and buildings of those times tend to operate on heaven-defying powers and logic so who knows what¡¯s inside it.¡¯


    ¡®Point Noted.¡¯


    I turned to Yin Lingxi and shook my head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is it. But we should still look into this place, just in case.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The ruined building looked like a cross between a utilitarian design of the commoner district in the capital and the royal pagoda. A strange but somehow visually appealing mix.


    As we slowly entered the building, we encountered our first challenge.


    I felt a burst of fire elemental Qi rush out from below the floor, heading straight for us.


    I pushed Yin Lingxi behind me and created a barrier around us with my Primal Qi, causing the fire Qi to rush around us.


    The searing heat caused our clothes to wrinkle a little bit, showing just how strong the fire Qi was.


    ¡®Damn! How do the creators of this place expect someone in the Foundation Establishment realm to withstand this kind of power?¡¯


    ¡®¡­.I don¡¯t think this building was left behind by the owner of this secret realm.¡¯


    ¡®¡­You mean whoever this realm belonged to was spiteful enough to think about denying access to this building to other people even in his last thoughts?¡¯


    ¡®It wouldn¡¯t be the first time such spiteful people denied peerless treasure from falling into the hands of others in one way or another.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.¡¯


    I felt my mood sour at those words and moved forward, ignoring the rushing fire Qi.


    Using my spear for this door would be overkill since I don¡¯t sense any formation beyond the Master grade in this place. This is quite unusual since any place belonging to the 1st and 2nd eras is trapped to hell and back with at least Grandmaster grade formations, hence the difficulty of accessing them without some special circumstance or treasure in hand.


    Of course, there are always exceptions, like the ruins that are found within secret realms formed in those eras which are usually geared towards testing their potential inheritors according to the requirements of the person whose remnants created the secret realm.


    Once again, I took a stance and flooded my fist with Primal Qi, and struck the door, blowing it inwards with the sheer force of a Nascent Soul realm cultivator.


    As my Primal Qi flooded the area after the attack, I felt some of it being forcefully pulled behind us toward the bushes nearby.


    I sighed in annoyance and turned to the bush.


    ¡°Come out, you stupid thing. I can sense you devouring my Qi.¡±


    With an adorable noise, a white and black form tumbled out of the bushes, rolling towards me and rubbing his head against my leg, trying to act cute after shamelessly devouring my Primal Qi as if it were a delicacy.


    I picked up the Demonic Beast with the scuff of its neck, which was not easy because of all the fur, and pulled it to eye level where the beat reached out to me as if I were its mother.


    I sighed again as I heard Yin Lingxi¡¯s snickering from behind and Xiang¡¯s tired sigh from within the bead.


    ¡°Why are you following me? Didn¡¯t I tell you to go back home?¡±


    The beast once again squeaked adorably before rolling up its body again and somehow becoming heavier than before.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    As I released it onto the ground, it rolled over to Yin Lingxi and pawed at her legs while staring up at the girl with its adorable eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, little one. I¡¯ll keep you safe from the big and scary Da Wei.¡±


    ¡°Oi.¡±


    ¡°Hush now, can¡¯t you tell that this one wants to go with us?¡±


    She rubbed the beast¡¯s belly as it released noises of contentment, causing Yin Lingxi to continue cooing at it.


    ¡®Give up, David. You are not going to win against her in this matter. Besides, if his mother hasn¡¯t attacked us already, it means that she has given her approval towards his decision to follow us.¡¯


    ¡®Didn¡¯t you say you knew nothing about this beast?¡¯


    ¡®True. But, that does not mean I don¡¯t know the general behavior of Demonic Beasts.¡¯


    ¡®You may know the general behavior of Demonic Beasts, but I know the general behavior of Pandas, and I am telling you, the mother of this little thing was just trying to get rid of him by letting him follow us since Panda don¡¯t raise more than one cub at a time.¡¯


    ¡®Even still¡­¡¯


    ¡®Fine. Fine. We will talk about this later.¡¯


    I turned back towards Yin Lingxi and watched as she continued playing with the Demonic Beast, who looked exactly like a Panda. Or rather, I think it really is a Panda that evolved to become a Demonic Beast thanks to the abundant Pure Qi in this realm.


    It was a few days ago, during our travel eastward, that we stumbled upon a cave surrounded by a massive bamboo forest.


    Since it was deep into the night, we decided to use the cave as a temporary shelter. However, we did not anticipate that the cave was already home to a family of demonic beasts.


    When we entered the cave, we saw a mother Panda nursing two cubs.


    Originally, I thought they were regular Pandas since there was nothing strange about their appearance. However, the moment the mother sensed our presence, she immediately released a powerful surge of Qi, making herself known as a Core Formation realm Demonic Beast.


    However, the moment her Qi, which strangely felt familiar, touched mine, she immediately became docile and continued nursing her cubs.


    Things changed, however, when one of the cubs, the same one that is now being hugged by Yin Lingxi like a stuffed toy, moved closer to me and felt my Qi.


    The shock I felt when the cub straight-up devoured the residual Primal Qi on my body was beyond anything that words could describe. Especially since I knew that my Primal Qi was way too potent for any beast¡¯s endurance.


    However, unlike what I expected, the cub did not explode and cover the cave with its gore. Instead, this little bastard sighed in contentment before nuzzling up to me as if I were its mother and not the multi-ton black and white themed bear on the other side of the cave.


    Ever since then, this one has been following us non-stop, which is an impressive feat all on its own considering the fact that we were travelling with my airship.


    Shaking my head, I turned back to the structure.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We can decide later if we want to keep this one with us. But first, we need to explore this place.¡±


    With that, we slowly entered the structure.


    <hr>


    Da Ling stared curiously at the due of cultivators kneeling in front of her as her friend, Jin Ruiying peeked out from behind Da Ling¡¯s back and gave cautious stares at the two.


    The two cultivators who barged into their village were extremely domineering when they arrived. Demanding to speak with the village leader and take away Da Ling, who they kept calling Yan Ling, a name that the girl had not used in more than a year at this point.


    Of course, the villagers did not like their attitude and told them that no such girl lived in the village, directly shielding Da Ling from them despite knowing the girl¡¯s original name. A gesture that made the little girl¡¯s heart fill up with gratitude and happiness.


    However, the visitors did not like that answer and tried to show off their cultivation to the old village chief and intimidate him.


    Unfortunately, this show of force was interpreted by the Heaven and Earth defensive formation as hostile intent and directly suppressed their cultivation until they were nothing more than mortals, causing these lofty cultivators to fall from the sky in an undignified manner and land with a smack that caused everyone within earshot to wince.


    After that, the fuming village chief beat the two cultivators black and blue until they became extremely obedient.


    This was two days ago.


    Ever since then, these two were told to continue kneeling at the center of the village until Da Wei returned and decided their punishment.


    However, Da Ling grew curious as to their intentions and finally decided to visit these two people, much to Jin Ruiying¡¯s chagrin and disbelief.


    And yet, Jin Ruiying showed that she was her brother¡¯s sister and followed Da Ling in her decision and visit the two kneeling cultivators despite her terror and suspicions.


    In her words, she could never be able to call herself Da Ling¡¯s friend if she let her face such danger alone.


    ¡°So, why did you two people come to this village?¡±


    The two unfortunate cultivators, Yan Xinyan and Yan Liehuo, looked at the girl with crimson locks and ruby-red eyes and felt their minds jolt in shock as their hearts swelled in joy.


    Even without the artifact in Yan Xinyan¡¯s clothing vibrating crazily in Da Ling¡¯s presence, they would have immediately recognized the girl as their target due to how much she resembled their mistress when she was young.


    Immediately, the two bowed towards the girl, much to Da Ling¡¯s discomfort.


    ¡°Lady Yan Ling, I am Yan Xinyan and this is my brother, Yan Liehuo. We are the servants and Dao Protectors of your aunt, Yan Huo¡¯er. We are here to take you back to your family-¡°


    ¡°No thanks.¡±


    The straight, no-nonsense, rejection from the girl left the two speechless as Da Ling turned around and started walking away.


    The two immediately panicked.


    ¡°Lady Yan Ling! Please listen to what we have to say!!¡±


    ¡°Nope. You two should continue waiting here until Father comes back and talk to him about whatever you want. Because there is no way I am going anywhere without telling him nor am I really interested in going to find an aunt I¡¯ve never even known about.¡±


    ¡°But Lady Yan Ling! We are your family-¡°


    ¡° ¡®Family¡¯?¡±


    The sheer venom in the girl¡¯s words caused the two to be taken aback just like the rest of the villagers nearby and Old Feng who were keeping an eye on the situation just in case the two tried to pull something with the girl.


    ¡°Where was this ¡®family¡¯ when I- sigh never mind. I am not in the mood for this. Let¡¯s go, Ruiying.¡±


    Da Ling nearly exploded when the two had the audacity to call themselves family. However, she reigned in her temper and decided that those two were not worth the pain of dragging up those long past days filled with grief, pain, terror, and anguish.


    She directly left the place, leaving behind a frowning crowd of villagers who now looked at the two with even more suspicious glares while the two cultivators in question felt their hearts drop at the venom in the tone of the girl.


    <hr><hr>


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 Chapter 18 (Vol-2)

    Walking through the streets of the Imperial Capital, Yin Haoran, the youngest prince of the Royal Family watched the mortals go about their lives with disdain on his face as his bodyguard and maid followed him.


    He was not always like this. There was once a time when he cared about the lives of the mortals just like his eldest sister. However, after awakening the memories of his future, He loathed the mortals.


    After all, it was these mortals that rebelled against his sister in the future by joining hands with the Demonic Path which led to his sister¡¯s tragic death at the hands of that demon, Huxing Xiang, formerly known as Wang Xiang.


    Despite everything his sister did for these useless people, they dared show discontent and rebel against her in her most vulnerable moment. That is why, Yin Haoran believed that these weaklings did not deserve any grace from him or the Royal Family.


    Once he gains what he is searching for, maybe he will try to convince his sister to give up on being so kind to these ungrateful people.


    As they passed through the commoner district, Yin Haoran turned towards his maid, the person he deliberately asked as his servant due to her connection with that demon.


    ¡°Yun Xin, are you sure that Madam Liuyue¡¯s grave is located in this place?¡±


    The girl with dead eyes, Yun Xin, the former young mistress of the Yun family belonging to the Heavenly Sword Sect, simply nodded with a bitter smile.


    ¡°Yes, my prince. I visited Madam Huxing Liuyue¡¯s grave many times when I was still engaged to Wang Xiang. It is here.¡±


    Yin Haoran nodded his head and continued following her directions, feeling his heartbeat rise with every step he took.


    Graverobbing was beneath a prince like him. However, for the sake of that heavenly artifact, he had no choice but to commit such a deed.


    After his sister died and the empire fell apart under the manipulations of the Heavenly Demon of his time, Huxing Xiang, many secrets that were buried by his sister and his father came to light. Secrets about Huxing Xiang and his mother were kept so hidden that even the heavenly demon was unaware of their existence.


    One such secret was the location of the Huxing family¡¯s inheritance being hidden with the dead body of Madam Liuyue, Huxing Xiang¡¯s mother.


    What no one aside from a handful of people in the Royal family and the rest of the empire knew at this time was that Huxing Liuyue was not some commoner with a special physique as everyone believed.


    She was the younger sister of Huxing Longwei, the master of the Hidden Heavens Holy Land. The strongest Holy Land on the continent and one of the most mysterious.


    The reason why she pretended to be a commoner is not known to anyone. But, what is known is that she made a pact with the Royal Family of the Yin Long Empire. As long as her existence is kept secret and her son is looked after by the Royal Family, she would guarantee that they would not have to suffer any troubles related to her family and that she would also help them deal with any troubles they face.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Since the assistance of a Soul Transformation realm master like her would be invaluable for the empire, the Royal Family easily accepted her condition and helped her create an identity as a commoner from the Imperial Capital.


    Then, she fell in love with Wang Wei, the patriarch of the Wang family of the Heavenly Sword Sect. A great tragedy in Yin Haoran¡¯s opinion since that man only cared about his own strength and nothing else.


    A marriage between such a heartless bastard and the Madam was destined to end in a tragedy.


    As predicted, The Madam died tragically thanks to some kind of a hidden injury she sustained sometime before arriving at the Imperial Capital, leaving behind her son in the cruel hands of her apathetic husband.


    What happened next, was irrelevant to Yin Haoran since he did not want to waste his strength by thinking about that demon. What is relevant, is the fact that Huxing Liuyue had supposedly stolen the Huxing family¡¯s main inheritance before she fled from the Huxing family for unknown reasons.


    The four Holy Lands are each considered the strongest forces on the continent not only because of their strength and history that stretches back to the 2nd Era but also because of the various techniques and treasures unique to their lineage.


    Their techniques are said to have been derived from the original, primordial, demonic beasts of the cardinal directions.


    The Black Tortoise of the North, The Azure Dragon of the East, The White Tiger of the West, and the Vermillion Bird of the South.


    The Obsidian Valley Holy Lands to the North uses the ¡®Tide of Eternal Waters¡¯. A cultivation technique derived from the Water and Earth Qi cultivation of the Black Tortoise. The Crimson Realm Holy Land of the South uses the ¡®Scorching Sun Flame Technique¡¯ derived from the Vermillion Bird¡¯s Fire Qi cultivation. The Hidden Heavens Holy Land uses the ¡®Celestial Dragon Ascension Technique¡¯ which is derived from the Azure Dragon¡¯s Water and Wood Qi cultivation. Finally, the Autumn Fang Holy Land of the West uses the ¡®White Tiger¡¯s Dominion Technique¡¯ that is derived from the White Tiger¡¯s Metal Qi.


    Aside from these techniques, the Holy Lands also hold a number of treasures originating from the 2nd era, also known as the Age of Immortals. Out of all these heaven-defying artifacts, each Holy Land has one artifact that is the centerpiece of its lineage and heritage.


    The Heaven Encompassing Shield of the Obsidian Valley. The Scarlet Lotus Heart Flame of the Crimson Realm Holy Land. The Claws of Autumn of the Autumn Fang Holy Land.


    And Finally, the Heavenly Reversal Bead of the Hidden Heavens Holy Land. The very same artifact that the prince is currently searching for.


    Shaking his head to get rid of those thoughts, Yin Haouran continued walking until they arrived at the edge of the Commoner District.


    However, instead of finding the small hill as Yun Xin told him, all they found was a broken-up land that looked like it was cut off by someone powerful.


    Turning to look at the maid, Yin Haoran found that the girl was genuinely shocked to find the hill missing.


    She instantly crashed to her knees and bowed to the prince in abject terror.


    ¡°M-My prince! Forgive this one. I do not dare lie to you. Huxing Liuyue¡¯s grave was really located here on top of a hill. I-I don¡¯t know why the hill is missing-¡°


    ¡°It''s alright. Yun Xin. I believe you.¡±


    He turned back to the cleanly cut-off land with a critical eye before speaking again.


    ¡°Judging from the cut, it is clear that someone really powerful has moved the entire hill, including the grave, away from here. So it really is not your fault this time.¡±


    He turned towards his bodyguards and issued his commands with a sinking heart.


    ¡°Find out if the commoners in this area have seen anyone unknown or suspicious move in this area in the past year. Bribe them, threaten them, torture them, I don¡¯t care. I want to know who is responsible for taking this place away.¡±


    His golden eyes flashed with power as he continued glaring at the empty land.


    ¡°I want to know who took away Madam Liuyue¡¯s grave and her former home from this place.¡±


    <hr><hr>


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 Chapter 19 (Vol-2)

    Da Ling closed her eyes and concentrated as she absorbed the Pure Qi from the atmosphere into her spirit roots and converted it into fire Qi.


    This was the final push she needed to finally step into the Nascent Soul realm.


    Originally, Da Ling had wanted to wait until her father returned from his trip to do this under his supervision, but she knew that she could not wait any longer, especially with the sudden threat to her daily life that appeared in the form of the two people from the so-called Yan family, the people that claimed that they were her family, yet were nowhere to be found when she needed a family the most during the darkest moments of her life.


    With a grunt, she pushed those feelings back and continued frantically pulling the Pure Qi around the hill that she was sitting on. The same hill that housed the grave of her adopted grandmother.


    As she made the final push, dark clouds gathered in the sky above her, alerting most of the cultivators in the village that someone was breaking through while a certain cat frantically ran back to her home, not having anticipated that the little girl she was looking after would choose such a moment to break through.


    With a resounding crack that rang out across her mind, Da Ling felt her Core pulse with Fire Qi before she blacked out at the first strike of lightning that hit her.


    <hr>


    Yan Ling happily played with butterflies and squirrels that made their home in the trees and bushes surrounding her small home in the woods of this nameless frontier village.


    The five-year-old girl happily played all day until she heard a laugh that caused her to turn around.


    A man with black hair and eyes laughed happily as he saw her playing, causing Yan Ling to jump into his arms in joy.


    ¡°Father!!¡±


    The mortal hunter continued laughing as he held her against his chest and walked towards their home.


    ¡°What is my little Ling¡¯er doing outside at this time?¡±


    Yan Ling looked to the sky to see that it was already darkening quite a bit, showing that it was nearly nighttime.


    The five-year-old child smiled happily without a care in the world.


    ¡°I was waiting for Father but then I saw the butterflies and the squirrels so I wanted to play!!¡±


    ¡°HAHA! Alright, let¡¯s get back home. If your mother finds out-¡°


    ¡°Find out what? Wu Hao, you better not have gotten injured again.¡±


    The stern voice came from a woman with the same startling shade of crimson hair and ruby red eyes as Yan Ling, the very same features that caused the woman and her daughter to be shunned by the mortals since they saw such features as ill omens.


    The man named Wu Hao smiled awkwardly as he replied.


    ¡°My dear wife, please don¡¯t say such things. I did not get any injuries this time. I was just talking about something with Ling¡¯er¡±


    ¡°Is that so? That is good because I am tired of treating your wounds every other day when you recklessly hunt prey far too powerful for you.¡±


    The man continued smiling bitterly as his wife gave him a playful look before the family of three moved into their little isolated home.


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t such happiness last long? Why must everything I love be taken away from me?¡±


    <hr>


    Yan Ling woke up with a hazy vision as she smelled the scent of ash, the kind that she usually smelled after her mother put out the fire that she used for cooking.


    Slowly, her vision cleared, and what the little girl saw made her wail in fear.


    Everything around her was on fire.


    The trees were burning as all forms of creatures ran around in panic. Meanwhile, she was being carried by her mother who was bleeding from her forehead and was clutching her side with the other arm.


    Yan Ling looked around in panic, causing her eyes to fall on two figures in the distance that were going ever distant as her mother kept running.


    Despite the distance, Yan Ling could never forget the scene that she saw with great clarity.


    A man with flowing golden hair and green eyes was sneering at her father who lay on the ground without moving.


    The stranger spoke, his voice carried across the forest thanks to his power.


    ¡°Run as far as you can, woman, you won¡¯t be able to escape me. I will have the Nine Suns Extreme Physique of your child, one way or another. All you are doing is deny the inevitable.¡±


    Yan Ling did not know the meaning of those words, but she knew that she was the cause of everything that was happening around her.


    ¡°That is right. We are a curse. Our very existence causes others harm. Whether it is our physique or our luck, we always bring danger to everyone around us. We should never have been born.¡±


    <hr>


    Yan Ling watched from the shadows of the alley in the Imperial Capital, waiting for the shopkeeper of the grain store to be distracted.


    As the ten-year-old child waited patiently, she finally spotted the opportunity to strike. And strike she did.


    However, she miscalculated and ended up alerting the shopkeeper.


    ¡°Wha? You damned curse!! How dare you show your face around here again!?¡±


    The Shopkeeper instantly caught the girl and threw her to the ground roughly, causing Yan Ling to cry out in pain.


    However, the man felt no pity for the child and kicked her harshly, causing the girl to cry.


    ¡°You damned curse! Just die already!!¡±


    Suddenly, as the man was about to continue hitting her, the man was blown back by a young man with beautifully made clothes and a neat appearance.  Clearly, he was a scion of some family with a good background.


    The young cultivator glared coldly at the shopkeeper before turning to the girl and offering her a kind smile while extending his hand.


    ¡°No one should treat a child like that. Come, I¡¯ll take you back to my home and give you something good to eat.¡±


    Instead of being relieved, Yan Ling felt even more terrified of the young man than she was of the shopkeeper.


    For she sensed the extremely dark emotions and intentions the young man held towards her.


    Emotions and intentions that she could not understand but terrified her nonetheless.


    Without looking back, she ran with all her might, utilizing her abnormally fast legs to disappear into the maze of alleyways in the commoner district.


    She ran as fast as she could until she finally arrived at her small shack in the slums and directly burst into the house while closing the door behind her in terror.


    ¡°L-Ling¡¯er? cough what happened?¡±


    Yan Ling turned to her mother who was weakly lying on the bed. Her shriveled-up form was completely different from the vibrant and beautiful form that she once held over five years ago.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Yan Ling clutched her mother and cried her heart out, unable to properly explain what she had just experienced.


    ¡°Why? Why does everyone hold ulterior motives towards us? Why can¡¯t we ever find someone truly genuine? Why must we endure such hardships? Was it our fault to be born with a different physique, a different appearance from the common people, and a strange power?¡±


    ¡°Do we not deserve happiness because we are different?¡±


    <hr>


    Yan Ling stared blankly at the night sky as the rain soaked her, uncaring of her own health and with no motivation to even move.


    After all, how could she even bring herself to move from the fresh grave behind her that she had dug with her own two hands? The very same grave where her mother was now buried.


    Now, the little girl truly did not have anything left to live for.


    Nobody knows how long she spent in that position until her body finally reminded her that it needed sustenance, forcing the girl to start moving again, feeling a piece of her die with every step she took away from the grave as tears poured from her eyes and down her face.


    And yet, this cruel world did not have any pity for her.


    ¡°Why should we care about the people of such a cruel world? Why must we maintain our morality? This world took everything from us, shouldn¡¯t we be entitled to do the same to this damned world? Shouldn¡¯t we take everything from these people as well?¡±


    <hr>


    Suddenly, Yan Ling found herself in a dark void, face to face with a woman who wore regal clothing and extravagant jewelry that were clearly high-rank artifacts.


    Her long crimson hair was tied up in a ponytail and her ruby-red eyes stared at Yan Ling indifferently.


    On her hip, a scabbard held the same sword that she wielded now, the Yaoban.


    The moment Yan Ling, no, Da Ling, saw that sword, something jolted in her mind. But, before she could comprehend what was going on, the woman who was clearly her grown-up form started to speak to the thirteen-year-old girl.


    ¡°We do not owe this world anything. Yan Ling. Let me take control, and I will take revenge against the bastard for killing our parents.¡±


    Da Ling¡¯s mouth moved on its own while her brain was still working on understanding what was going on.


    ¡°My name is Da Ling. Not Yan Ling.¡±


    The older woman mockingly smiled at the girl.


    ¡°Is that so? Are you so desperate to suppress your emotions that you would even spit in the face of our biological parents? Rejecting the name they gave you?¡±


    ¡°Shut up¡±


    The woman moved forward while unsheathing the sword on her hip.


    ¡°Are you so happy to suck up to that man you call a master that you would deny your own legacy? Despite them appearing in front of you to take you back?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    ¡°Are you so eager to forget the past that you are willing to forcefully suppress your own past memories and drown yourself in cultivation and goofing off with those mortals? The same mortals that always cursed us for being born different from them in appearance?¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP!!¡±


    Da Ling could not hold on anymore and drew her own sword and swung at the older woman who easily dodged the reckless attack and stepped into the little girl¡¯s range, directly piercing her chest with her sword.


    As Da Ling fell to the ground, choking on her blood, the surroundings started to distort as the older woman gave a demented grin at the dying child.


    ¡°Finally! I will have my revenge. First, I¡¯ll slaughter those mortals in this pathetic village and use their souls to enhance my cultivation. Then, it would be the turn of those scum of the Imperial Capital. And finally, that bastard! Just you wait! Yan Ling is coming for revenge- Huh? What¡¯s happening?¡±


    The manic stopped speaking as the surroundings that were starting to distort changed once again as powerful Yin Qi flooded the space they were in.


    Suddenly, the Yin Qi forcefully pushed the older woman away from the child before it started flooding into Da Ling¡¯s body.


    ¡°NO!!¡±


    The older woman lunged at Da Ling with her body covered in crimson flames. However, the Yin Qi had already done its job and forcefully awakened Da Ling¡¯s spirit roots by flooding them with its opposing nature Qi.


    Instantly, the dark void was flooded with powerful Fire QI that shone like the sun, pushing back the older woman and forcing her to use her own crimson flames to shield her body.


    Da Ling exhaled in relief as the wound on her chest closed up and her mind finally cleared, allowing her to think clearly.


    Immediately, she recognized what was happening thanks to her learning about this from her master.


    She was facing a Heart Demon. The inner self and darkness of a cultivator made manifest. A test from the very heavens for any cultivator that wished to break through into the Nascent Soul.


    It is said that out of all the cultivators that manage to break through into the Nascent Soul realm, almost all of them are affected in some way by their heart demons while breaking through. That is why they always come out of the experience as changed people. Just a little bit more ruthless, just a little bit more evil, just a little bit more uncaring. Dark traits would slowly multiply exponentially with each breakthrough in their cultivation until they become completely unrecognizable from themselves before their breakthrough into the Nascent Soul realm.


    This was a fact that many people knew but kept a secret, all in the name of gaining power and their personal interests.


    With her mind now clear, Da Ling took a deep breath before sheathing her sword, causing the older woman to look at her with a sneer.


    ¡°What? Are you going to try and talk me down like what your master said-¡°


    ¡°No. I won¡¯t¡±


    The older woman noticed that something was wrong when the intensity of sunlight in the surrounding void did not decrease. Instead, it continued increasing exponentially, causing the woman to use all her strength to shield herself.


    ¡°I am not a good person like Father. I know that. I am not capable of extending the same kind of kindness that he can when he sees someone in pain.¡±


    Memories appeared in the void, showing the day that Da Ling first met the man who would become her father.


    Her face gained a nostalgic look as she looked at those memories.


    ¡°I am not capable of extending a hand to a suffering young girl should someone like that appear in front of me. Because I am a very selfish and greedy girl. I do not know if it is because of the world that I became like this, or it was my nature all along.¡±


    She turned back to the older woman who was starting to burn up under the unrelenting assault of the colossal Sun Wheel that appeared behind her.


    ¡°I am not capable of thinking about the good of others.¡±


    ¡°I only care about those I love. Anyone else, can go and die for all I care.¡±


    A cold look that did not suit a child like her appeared on her face as the older woman screamed in agony. The power of the very sun burning the heart demon into ashes.


    ¡°That is why, I will not tolerate any threats towards their lives. Unfortunately for you, you threatened to end their lives using my body. That is something that I will not tolerate.¡±


    Suddenly, she extended her hand forward towards the older woman.


    The moment she did, the sun behind her exploded in a phenomenon that she learned about from her father.


    When a Star, like the Sun, reaches the end of its life, it explodes with enough intensity to wipe out entire worlds.


    It was a phenomenon that her father called a Supernova.


    And it was a power that Da Ling employed by intentionally causing her core, which she had formed based on her understanding of the sun, to collapse and mimic this stellar phenomenon.


    The very void shook under the power as the heart demon was instantly reduced to dust.


    Once the chaos of the cosmic explosion subsided,  crimson energy from the ashes rose and quickly entered Da Ling¡¯s body, filling her head with knowledge and abilities that she could not comprehend just yet.


    With the heart demon defeated, Da Ling felt her mind be pulled back towards her body, however, in the last moments in this void, she continued looking fondly at the memories playing around her.


    ¡®Yes. I will never allow anyone to harm my family ever again. And if that bastard ever shows up again to take my loved ones from me again, if anything ever happens to my father or my friends from the village, I will drown this world in the flames of the Sun. That is my vow to the heavens.¡¯


    The moment Da Ling¡¯s consciousness returned to her body, she smelled the scent of ozone as pain wracked her very being.


    Looking down, she saw that her clothes were completely ruined with lacerations littering her body as a result of the powerful purple lighting that struck her body during her tribulation.


    Even now, the heavens continued to pour down purple lighting on her body. But Da Ling did not feel any fear.


    She just accepted Heaven¡¯s judgment as a display of her resolve.


    The Sun Wheel that manifested behind her body was only partially filled with suns thanks to her continuous efforts in the past year. However, the moment she regained her consciousness after defeating her heart demon, it suddenly filled up all of its nine slots, resulting in a brilliant golden Qi shielding her body from the incoming lighting.


    Da Ling continued enduring the heavenly lighting for an hour straight, allowing its divine energies to refine her flaming core until it resembled a miniature sun within her dantian.


    Soon, with a resounding crack, her core broke apart, leaving behind a formless golden energy, indicating that she had finally stepped into the Nascent Soul.


    The moment she broke through into the Nascent Soul, her body suddenly erupted with a crimson glow while the Sun Wheel that manifested behind her back expanded further in size.


    Instinctively, Da Ling realized that her special physique, the Nine Suns Extreme Physique, had finally awakened.


    She was now immune to all forms of fire, including Fire Qi.


    A radiant smile bloomed on her face as she imagined what her father¡¯s expression would be like when she revealed this information when he got back.


    Da Ling waved her hand and cleaned up all the charred grass and ground around her, allowing her Father¡¯s Primal Qi that he stored in the formation around this hill to flood the area and fix all the damage.


    The little girl happily skipped off the hill and ran towards the village, eager to share the news with her loved ones, unaware that Little Xing had slowly crawled out from behind a tree that was struck by lightning during her tribulation.


    The cat was sweating buckets with singed fur as she stared in terror at the retreating girl.


    ¡®Damn it! I was this close to becoming a casualty of your luck!! Still, I was really lucky to have made it just in time to jolt her spirit roots awake with my Qi. Who knows what Da Wei would have done if his precious daughter ended up succumbing to her heart demon!?¡±


    The cat shuddered in fright at that imagined scenario.


    Shaking her head to clear her mind of this incident, she slowly limped over to the mound filled with Yin Qi near the cabin, intent on lazing off for the rest of the time until Da Wei finally returned.


    <hr><hr>


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 Chapter 20 (Vol-2)

    Yan Xinyan and Yan Liehuo sat nervously in front of Da Ling, as the girl gave them cold looks that did not suit her face, which was something no one had ever seen, as she continued stroking her Dao Familiar, Yang, the Scorching Stallion on his snout while the beast glared at the two cultivators.


    ¡°Well? If you have nothing to speak about, you two can continue kneeling at the village-¡°


    ¡°No, no. We do have something to say to Lady Da Ling.¡±


    Yan Xinyan immediately bowed with her brother as she spoke those words, her wounds that she sustained from Da Ling after she called her Yan Ling still stinging on her back.


    The two siblings felt a sinking feeling ever since Da Ling had broken through to the Nascent Soul realm and finally allowed them to speak with her.


    As Cultivators in the Advanced Stages of the Soul Transformation realm, they knew that people who broke through Nascent Soul realm always came out different from before. It was a phenomenon that a Scholar once wrote about like this: ¡®Those who reach Nascent Soul, either find themselves or lose themselves¡¯.


    However, the changes in Da Ling were too extreme for them to feel comfortable with.


    The girl who once held her emotions on her sleeves in the short time they had observed her had now suddenly started to wear a cold expression that they were familiar with seeing on their fellow members of the Holy Lands, and they did not like this change one bit.


    And yet, it was their duty and responsibility to bring this girl back to the Holy Land so that their mistress could finally reunite with her last person from her immediate family while also securing the future of the holy land through such a powerful heir.


    Yan Xinyan continued speaking without stopping, hoping to convince the girl to come back with them.


    ¡°As we previously said, We were sent by your aunt, Yan Huo¡¯er. However, what we were not able to tell you was that we belong to one of the four Holy Lands of the continent. Specifically, we are from the Crimson Realm Holy Land and your aunt is the Mistress of the holy land.¡±


    With the name of the holy land, Yan Xinyan hoped to entice the young girl to take at least some interest in her real home. And yet, even after waiting for a few seconds, she did not get any response aside from one sentence that once again made the woman feel hopeless.


    ¡°And? Am I supposed to be awed by that title of your homeland?¡±


    Thinking deeply about the girl¡¯s words, the siblings looked at each other and nodded before Yan Liehuo started speaking.


    Given the way that Da Ling had spoken, she either did not care about the Holy Lands or did not know much about them, likely because her current master was a loose cultivator with little experience.


    ¡°Lady Da Ling might not know, but the four Holy Lands are the top forces of the continent. Our might is unrivaled and so is our wealth. If you follow us back to the holy land, your aunt will spare no expense and pour every resource we have on you to advance your cultivation. The holy land will also guarantee your safety since no one would dare to harm one of our own-¡±


    ¡°Let me ask you a question.¡±


    Yan Liehuo instantly shut his mouth at the interruption and sat up straight along with his sister, waiting for Da Ling to speak.


    ¡°You say that the Crimson Realm Holy Land is able to keep me safe and is capable of giving me any resource that I could possibly want. Then, I will ask you a few questions that you must answer truthfully while swearing on the heavens. If your answers satisfy me, I will follow you back to the holy land.¡±


    The siblings felt so thrilled at those words that they did not even think twice before taking an oath to the heavens, causing distant thunderbooms to echo.


    Satisfied with their swift actions, Da Ling started to ask her questions that doomed the two siblings into a hopeless abyss.


    ¡°You say that your holy land is one of the top forces of the continent, yet it is not the strongest, is it?¡±


    The two looked at each other before Yan Xinyan spoke up.


    ¡°¡­.You are correct, Lady Da Ling. While the four holy lands stand at the top of the continent, the holy lands themselves have ranks. The Crimson Realm holy land is ranked third among the four.¡±


    ¡°What are the rankings?¡±


    ¡°The first place and the definite strongest Holy Land is the Hidden Heavens Holy Land, followed by Obsidian Valley Holy Land. Then, the Crimson Realm Holy Land, and in the last place is the Autumn Fang Holy Land.¡±


    Da Ling gave the siblings a cold smile as she spoke words that stabbed their hearts.Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°And yet, despite being ranked lower than two other forces, you claim that there exists no one out there who would dare harm me should I join you?¡±


    Yan Xinyan panicked as she tried to defend her brother¡¯s words but Da Ling stopped her by raising a hand.


    ¡°You say that the holy land will spare no expenses and is willing to pour all of its resources on me for cultivation, then, tell me this, does your holy land have a Bodhi Fruit?¡±


    At the mentioning of that name, unpleasant memories resurfaced in their minds but they suppressed them forcefully since this was not the time to indulge in what-ifs.


    ¡°Unfortunately no. Lady Da Ling must know that a Bodhi Fruit is a Heavenly Treasure and by nature, they are extremely hard to find and heavily sought after by every cultivator in existence.¡±


    ¡°That is fine. Does the holy land have any other Heavenly Treasures within it?¡±


    Yan Xinyan felt pride surge at that question and started speaking more confidently.


    ¡°Of course! The four holy lands have been in existence since the 2nd Era and have accumulated a large wealth in terms of resources, including Heavenly Treasures. If you come back with us, the Mistress will let you choose at least one and at most two treasures from our vaults!¡±


    ¡°Only two? Did you not say that the holy land will ¡®pour all of its resources¡¯ on me?¡±


    The siblings caught the strange smile on Da Ling¡¯s face and felt their hearts sink at that question, realizing that Da Ling was not simply asking them questions, but was making them give up on trying to bring her back in a roundabout way.


    Unfortunately, they had already taken an oath to the heavens and they could not lie to her, so they had no choice but to speak truthfully and plainly, without omitting any details.


    ¡°If it were normal resources, even rare treasures, then yes, the holy land would give you anything you wanted. However, Heavenly Treasures are something that even the ancestors of the holy land would covet. As such, their distribution is something that the Mistress can¡¯t do without the consent of the Elders from the holy land.¡±


    ¡°So, that was a blatant lie on your part.¡±


    ¡°No! we did not lie-¡°


    ¡°Next question.¡±


    Once again, Yan Xinyan and Yan Liehuo could do nothing but follow her words as she forced them to stop talking.


    ¡°Are you confident that the Crimson Realm Holy Land will protect me from any threat towards my life? Will they be willing to pay any price to save me should I be in danger?¡±


    Once again the siblings felt their confidence rising.


    ¡°Of course! The Holy Land will protect you from anything that would dare to attack you, both because you would be the heir to the holy land and because your aunt is the Mistress of the realm.¡±


    Once again, they spotted Da Ling¡¯s face twisting with a mysterious smile that sent chills down their spine.


    ¡°Even if the enemy is the Phoenix Clan of the Barbarian Clans?¡±


    The siblings broke out in cold sweat as they failed to answer the girl¡¯s question.


    Because they knew that the answer would paint all of their words as pure lies.


    The Phoenix Clan is one of the top clans of the Barbarians, right alongside the Celestial Tiger Clan.


    As a powerful Barbarian Clan, they have the authority to mobilize the demonic beasts under their command and combine forces with other Barbarian clans that rank lower than themselves.


    This meant that the Crimson Realm Holy Land would have to be cautious when provoking someone from that clan and would hesitate a lot to go against them for the sake of a single member of the holy land, even if it was Da Ling.


    Especially the elders of the holy land who had been making strange movements in the shadows for some time now and would not hesitate to throw her away if it meant that the holy land would not be caught in the crossfire.


    ¡°Your silence speaks volumes. So, let¡¯s recap what you said before and what you truly meant.¡±


    ¡°You said that the Crimson Realm Holy Land is the strongest force on the continent, yet, by your own words, there exist two other forces above you. You said that the holy land can keep me safe from any threat, yet, you also admit that they cannot keep me safe from my enemies. You say that the holy land will pour all of its resources on me to cultivate, yet you also admit that they would not be willing to part with truly precious materials for me.¡±


    The girl leaned forward a little bit as her ruby-red eyes glowed with power and rage.


    ¡°Tell me, if everything you have said so far is a lie, and your holy land can¡¯t really do anything that they promise to do, why should I bother going there?¡±


    Her Dao Familiar sensed the anger of his master and started to get up from his sleeping posture, His Yang Qi filling the room and making the siblings start sweating from the sheer heat of the beast.


    Despite spending his time as a lazy beast in the village, the Scorching Stallion had not stopped cultivating instinctually and had broken through into the Nascent Soul realm some time ago.


    While the two siblings were in the Soul Transformation realm late stages, the Scorching Stallion is a demonic beast, as such, he is usually much stronger than humans in the same realm and is capable of fighting beyond his realm should he really need to.


    This meant that despite not having the capacity to win against the Yan siblings, Yang could still affect them to some degree with his Qi and fighting prowess.


    ¡°B-Because your aunt-¡°


    ¡°Let me stop you right there. I do not want to talk about familial relationships that never showed up when I needed them the most.¡±


    Da Ling leaned back into her seat as a her face gained a neutral look.


    ¡°Putting that aside, let me inform you of what advantages I enjoy here. I can cultivate in peace, away from any distractions. I am protected my most threats out there, including my enemies, thanks to my Father¡¯s and Junior Brother¡¯s barriers which you have already experienced firsthand. They also shower me with treasures that you can never hope to obtain not because they want me to advance in cultivation, but because they truly care about me.¡±


    He face slowly gained a tiny smile as her eyes looked beyond the siblings, far into the distance.


    ¡°I can live a life that I once thought lost in this place, with people that I can call genuine friends, and a father that cares about me so much that, sometimes, I even forget my birth parents. Tell me, how can your so-called Holy Land compare to any of that?¡±


    Once again, the silence she received in response was quite telling.


    With a sigh, Da Ling got up from her seat and climbed on Yang¡¯s back, the Scorching Stallion somehow managing to give a sneering look at the two downtrodden cultivators.


    ¡°Go back to your holy land and tell my ¡®Aunt¡¯ that this Da Ling has already found her Holy Land and is unwilling to leave them behind.¡±


    With those words, Da Ling left the room, leaving behind the two distressed siblings.


    <hr><hr>


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 Chapter 21 (Vol-2)

    Da Wei held back his urge to scream as he once again arrived at the center of a massive street, bustling with people who went about their daily lives as cars and buses rushed along the roads.


    Towering Highrise buildings reached into the sky, as the clean air that he had gotten used to breathing in for so long had been replaced with smog-filled air of the modern city.


    ¡®I told you, we will not get out of here by simply wandering around.¡¯


    ¡®Then what the hell am I supposed to do? I never expected these damned ruins to be rigged with something like this.¡¯


    After entering the ruins within the secret realm, Da Wei and Yin Lingxi avoided many traps that lay in wait for any unfortunate soul that would stumble upon the ruins.


    And yet, what they had not anticipated was that the ruin had traps that obscured the senses of a cultivator, both physical and Qi-based, worse yet, they were also effective on Soul Cultivators since even Xiang had not noticed when they were trapped.


    At first, things did not change much as they had not realized that they were trapped. One dead end here, one familiar wall there, a trap that they had already crossed.


    It took them a few hours until they realized that they were going in circles.


    By the time Da Wei realized it, it was already too late as he had been separated from Yin Lingxi.


    Ever since then, Da Wei had been wandering this looping maze that kept changing its layout but still had a few landmarks that allowed Da Wei to know that they were either caught in an illusion or were lopping through space itself.


    Then, things became worse when he walked through another hallway, only to appear in the middle of a modern-day street on Earth.


    If he was not wearing his cultivator robes and did not have Xiang in his head still, he would be forced to think that everything that happened in the past years had been nothing more than a dream, such was the realism of the illusion.


    Once again, Da Wei kept wandering, searching for a way out of the illusion, yet, had no luck so far no matter where he moved to.


    Finally deciding to take a break from the endless wandering, Da Wei collapsed on a nearby bench and sighed tiredly.


    ¡°Hopefully, Yin Lingxi is doing better than I.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Given how this place managed to recreate your world from your memories, I think she would be having a much worse time than us.¡±


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s so bad about reliving your past?¡±


    ¡°David, you may not think of it much since you managed to remove your heart demon in its entirety without the need to suppress your true nature, but for other cultivators, including myself, looking at our pasts in a perspective like this is no different from torture. Furthermore, I suspect that the creator of this illusion wanted to torture people with their heart demons or their hidden secrets.¡±


    ¡°¡­Whoever created this place really did not want others to find the secrets of these ruins, did they?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Yes. I believe so.¡±


    ¡°I hope she is alright.¡±


    ¡°She should be fine. While she holds many secrets, they should not be able to shake her Dao Heart that easily. After all, she was one of the few people that I acknowledged as my equal, at least in intellect, when I was stood at the top of the continent as the Heavenly Demon.¡±


    ¡°I guess you are right.¡±


    Da Wei leaned back into the bench and closed his eyes, letting the familiar background noise that he had not heard in a long while lull him to a meditative state.


    <hr>


    Yin Lingxi gritted her teeth and resolutely walked forward, ignoring the footsteps following her as the familiar amused voice rang out behind her.


    ¡°Ignoring me now? How typical of you. You always shut out what you don¡¯t want to see or hear, always living in your dreams.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Yin Lingxi¡¯s shout resounded in the massive halls of the Royal Palace before the entity behind her chuckled mirthfully.


    ¡°Ah! Such expressions of hate and rage do not belong on our faces. Don¡¯t forget your lessons as a princess so easily, Yin Lingxi. After all, what would mother say if she saw you like this?¡±


    Yin Lingxi turned around with a glare as her past, her mirror image, and her inner guilt smiled gleefully at her.


    ¡°What do you want? Just leave me alone!¡±


    Once again, her shouts rang out across the vast emptiness of the Royal Palace as the being in front of her continued smiling.


    ¡°What do I want? No, my dear, the question is, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°I want to find a way out of this illusion and find Da Wei.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Right. You want to find that man that you love, yet keep so many secrets from.¡±


    Yin Lingxi could not help but flinch at that accusation before turning away and walking out of the palace while the being chuckled and continued following her.


    ¡°How delightfully hypocritical and na?ve. You claim to love him within your heart, and yet, you keep the truth from him. Mother taught you well, a true descendent of Yin Long indeed.¡±


    ¡°I am nothing like Mother! And I do not hide things from him intentionally.¡±


    ¡°Truly? Then why do you not tell him the truth about his mother? His heritage?¡±


    Yin Lingxi fell silent as her steps faltered for a split second before regaining her balance. This time, her walking speed increased a tad bit.


    ¡°No answer? Let me answer my own question then. You do not tell him the truth because you are afraid. Afraid of losing your advantage over your siblings and the powerful backing of the Hidden Heavens Holy Land. You do not wish to lose such a powerful tool in your grand game.¡±


    ¡°You do not wish to become a ruler that is controlled by your court in any way and to achieve that, you have been using Da Wei, or rather, Huxing Xiang, as the deterrent, using his status as a Formation Master for your own gain.¡±


    ¡°Like always, you follow Mother¡¯s teachings perfectly, treating people as nothing more than pawns.¡±


    Yin Lingxi could not withstand hearing those words anymore and started running with her full might, and yet, it was for naught as she passed through the gates of the Royal Palace and arrived at the crowded streets, realizing that something was wrong.


    ¡°Yes, you are always like this. Pushing aside your real feelings to follow the teachings of that monstrous woman who brought us into this world. A coward that only knows how to hide her feelings and run away from the truth.¡±


    Yin Lingxi felt something was off, yet she did not know what. All she knew was that she must leave this place as soon as possible and find¡­.


    ¡­.Who? Who is she searching so desperately for?


    Terror consumed the girl as she started to run in panic, not realizing that her footfalls were much shorter than before, that the people around her were starting to get taller, or rather, she was starting to shrink.


    Soon enough, what should have been the young empress of the Yin Long empire was no more. In her place was a lost and scared girl, being pursued by a being that took the guise of a woman with a striking resemblance to the girl but with a stern expression and a gleeful grin on her face.


    ¡°Run, little Lingxi, run. Mother will find you soon enough, and we will be able to rest permanently here, away from all the troubles that plague your mind.¡±


    <hr><hr>


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 Chapter 22 (Vol-2)

    I don¡¯t know how long I spent losing myself in the bustling of the modern city that surrounded me in the illusion, but when I came to, I was in another familiar, but different place.


    A place that I never wished to see again.


    ¡®Damn it! Xiang!! Did you let your memories consume you or something?¡¯


    ¡®I did no such thing! I am just as confused as you on why we are here of all places!!¡¯


    I felt like letting loose every curse I knew in every language I could speak, but I held back and sighed heavily.


    The towering walls were decorated with opulence and vanity that could only be achieved by someone wealthy enough to rival nations, treasures put on display that would cause great turmoil if it were anywhere else on the continent. Beautiful maidservants who would each be considered pretty enough to cause the downfall of nations on their own. Clothing on my body that was woven from Heaven-grade materials and marked with defensive formations that were created by my own hands, a Grandmaster.


    There was no doubt about it, this was the palace of the Heavenly Demon. A place that I was very much familiar with thanks to Xiang¡¯s memories.


    A place that I swore I would never claim as my own in this life.


    ¡®David, look carefully. While everything has been recreated exactly in accordance with my memories, there are a few things that are off


    ¡®I see it.¡¯


    Unlike what I remember from Xiang¡¯s memories, the servants around me were not wearing fearful or horrified expressions when they saw me looking. Instead, they held joyful expressions as they worked in an even more exaggerated way, trying to attract my gaze even more with their indecently worn clothing.


    I felt disgust build up within me at those actions, making me get up and start walking behind the throne which held a path that led straight to my room in this accursed place.


    I remember very clearly how these maidservants were acquired by the original Heavenly Demon, Mo Yexuan before he was killed by Xiang in his timeline.


    All of these maidservants were young mistresses of powerful Orthodox families, princesses of royal families that rose and fell frequently in the turbulent times after the collapse of the Yin Long and the Baihu empires, holy maidens of the various sects that similarly rose and fell on the continent after Xiang¡¯s rampage across the continent during his younger years.


    While Xiang was dealing with his loss, killing and destroying anything that had to do with the Orthodox path, Mo Yexuan moved around the continent and picked up these women as if they were spoils of war, trophies to be displayed, and was living a life of decadence in his palace.


    Many believed that Mo Yexuan must be using all these women for his cultivation. As a demonic cultivator, he had no shortage of techniques that could use the vitality of another to further his own power.


    However, Xiang and I knew the truth.


    That bastard was a twisted pervert by nature. He did not ¡®fall¡¯ to the Demonic Path, he chose it explicitly when he began his cultivation as a child.


    How do I know this? Because that monster admitted as much straight to Xiang¡¯s face when he was on the verge of death, much to my older self¡¯s disgust.


    Mo Yexuan was a twisted monster. He derived pleasure from the suffering of others and himself. He feels joy when he is targeted by his enemies, he feels pleasure when he is harmed, and he feels bliss as he tortures others, taking what they value the most for himself.


    And yet, despite all these twisted qualities, there was no denying his talent and abilities in the path of Cultivation.


    Even as a peak Void Refinement realm expert, Xiang had to fight for three days and three nights continuously to overcome Mo Yexuan¡¯s power and defeat him thoroughly.


    Shaking my head to get rid of those unpleasant thoughts, I walked into the room that Xiang chose as his own when he was the Heavenly Demon, only to stop in utter shock.


    For standing in front of me was a woman who should not be alive by this point in time according to my memories because she was one of the reasons why Xiang went on a decades-long conquest of the continent in the first place.


    As I continued watching the smiling woman sitting on my bed who gave me a tender gaze, I finally managed to calm down my mind and push back the influence of the illusion.


    With a deep breath, I started to speak.


    ¡°You are dead. You are not real.¡±


    ¡°Correct. But, I could be real, if you wish it, my beloved disciple.¡±


    I felt Xiang¡¯s emotions overwhelm me as my own mental strength started to deteriorate.


    ¡®¡­.David, please give me this last chance to fix things.¡¯Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡®What do you need?¡¯


    ¡®I need to take control of your body.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.Very well. I declare to the heavens that I am willingly conceding my body to you temporarily¡¯


    It was a declaration that needed to be made due to the oath that Xiang took all those years ago when we first met. If I did not make that declaration, the Heavens would perceive Xiang¡¯s attempt to control my body as violating his oath and strike him down the moment we stepped out of this illusion.


    Did I feel comfortable passing over my body to someone else, even if that was my older self? No, I did not. However, over the years, I have witnessed Xiang¡¯s change in person, and I am relatively confident that he will not overstep his boundaries.


    Besides, this is a closure that he needs dearly.


    I felt my consciousness recede into my soul as Xiang took over my body, allowing me to perceive the world around me in the same way that Xiang does all the time.


    And it was an enlightening experience, informing me why Xiang was always so grumpy.


    Having all of your senses dulled so much that they might as well not exist is a terrifying thing to witness.


    Fortunately, my cultivation allows me to enhance my senses in my current form. Enough to perceive what was happening outside.


    Although I must admit, it is extremely unnerving to watch yourself in the third-person view as if you were a game character.


    Xiang moved closer to the bed and sat down beside the woman, allowing her to drape her body over him like a blanker.


    Tears fell down his eyes as he embraced her, yet, his face still held the stoic look he adopted the moment he took control of my body.


    ¡°I know, that you are not real, my master. And, no matter how powerful this illusion and the one who made it was, they cannot hope to truly bring you back from the dead.¡±


    The woman gave us an amused look as her lips touched our ear, her whispers held a playful tone while she spoke bewitching words that stirred Xiang¡¯s emotions even further.


    ¡°You say I am not real, and you are right, my disciple. After all, how could I be when you killed me with your own hands? But, I don¡¯t hold it against you.¡±


    She leaned back and this time, pulled our body onto the bed with her.


    ¡°After all, I was the one that made you kill me so that I don¡¯t fall into the Demonic Path thanks to the actions of that pathetic man that I call a father.¡±


    ¡°And yet, it does not change the fact that I killed you, Master. I killed the woman I loved with my own hands. How can I ever hope to face you again in this timeline? It is the reason why I have not requested my current self to go search for you.¡±


    ¡°I understand your reasoning, my beloved disciple. And as I said, I don¡¯t blame you for it. Besides, the past is in the past, or rather, should I say the future is in the past? How confusing.¡±


    Suddenly, I saw her smile change to a predatory one as her hand slowly reached for the Heavenly Reversal Bead, making me panic.


    However, I did not take any action because I could still feel Xiang¡¯s emotional turmoil and his thoughts, hence the action he was going to take.


    ¡°Forget about moving out into the world again, spend the rest of eternity with me here. Isn¡¯t that what you always wanted? To take me as your Dao Companion and spend all our lives together, away from everyone and everything else on the continent?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. That was my dearest wish. It was that wish that drove me to cultivate so diligently. It was what made me a Void Refinement realm cultivator. And yet-¡°


    Xiang moved so quickly that the illusion did not even have the time to react.


    His hand burst through her chest, spraying illusionary blood across the floor and our body.


    Her beautiful black hair that fell like a waterfall behind her back now sat in disarray. Her pale skin which shone with an unearthly glow now looked pale for a completely different reason.


    Her beautiful black eyes which always held a tender gaze towards us now held pure hatred for us as her mouth set into a horrifying snarl.


    ¡°DAMN YOU!! DAMN YOU TO HELL!! HUXING XIANG!!. Why did you have to fall in love with me when my heart belonged to another?? Why did someone as useless as you become my disciple when you couldn¡¯t even protect me from Mo Yexuan!? Why did I have to die and leave behind the man I loved when it could have been someone as useless as you who could have died instead!? Why!? Why!? Must I always suffer!?¡±


    With every word and shout, I felt Xiang¡¯s heart die little by little, and yet, instead of his emotional turmoil increasing as I expected, I felt his emotions start to stabilize.


    ¡°You are right, Mo Qingyin, my master. I never should have become your disciple. Perhaps, if you had never happened upon my dying form when I fled from the Heavenly Sword Sect after being exposed as a demonic cultivator, you would have lived a long and happy life with the man you loved. Perhaps, I really am a curse that brings nothing but misery to everyone around me. However, I have learned from my younger self that it does not do to dwell on the past.¡±


    Xiang gave a bitter smile as he hugged Mo Qingyin, the daughter of the Heavenly Demon, Mo Yexuan, as she went still in his hands.


    ¡°It was my fault for falling in love with you, knowing that you belonged to another. It was my sin to harbor thoughts about when I already knew what you truly wanted. It was my mistake that led to Mo Yexuan discovering our hiding place. It was my weakness that allowed him to take me hostage and force you down the demonic path to save me. It was my hands that killed you when you fell to your heart demon, becoming someone that you never were, even if it was what you wanted.¡±


    By this point, Mo Qingyin had stopped moving as Xiang continued pouring out all his regrets.


    ¡°And yet, despite knowing all of this, I must still move forward. Because if I want to make sure that the fate that befell us never falls on anyone else that I hold dear, If I want to make sure that the new family that my younger self has found for us is safe from the same tragedy that befell us, I cannot continue dwelling on the past and allow my inner demons to control my moves. I am a Demonic Cultivator with enough Blood Qi to make the very world recoil in fright, and yet, I am also Huxing Xiang, your beloved disciple. I will not fail again, that much, I promise you.¡±


    By this point, I was ready to regain control from Xiang since it felt like he was about to lose himself in his emotions completely and do something that he would regret.


    Yet, suddenly, Mo Qingyin moved.


    Her hand raised and tenderly rubbed Xiang¡¯s cheek even as blood poured down her mouth.


    No words were spoken from her illusion before it broke apart along with the rest of the palace, revealing the familiar hallways of the ruins.


    And yet, for some reason, I felt like something important within Xiang had been strengthened.


    I felt my conscious being ejected from the bead as Xiang retreated back from my body transferring control back to me as he retreated into his original place.


    I did not say anything as I continued walking down the hallways, knowing that this was not the time for idle chatter, but somehow, I knew that he would be okay soon enough.


    After all, he is me, and I am nothing if not resilient.


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 Chapter 23 (Vol-2)

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    Yin Lingxi sat in the seat with an expressionless face, just as she had always been taught, as her mother managed the royal court.


    Even at the young age of 12, she clearly understood what was going on thanks to the Empress that gave birth to her.


    The latest issue was the massive flood that destroyed the Eastern border of the empire, allowing the Demonic Beasts that lived within the massive river to travel inland and cause many problems for the mortals.


    ¡°My Empress, we really need to divert some funds to support the noble families near the border to deal with this.¡±


    The scholar who suggested this course of action was a young man with some good left within him, a rare quality within these accursed halls that the young princess had known all her life.


    And yet, the Empress, her mother, still held the same cold expression as she always had.


    ¡°And why should we? Do the nobles not have their own wealth that they can use to mitigate this issue? Better yet, why not have the Hao family sell that Qi-rich land that they recently ¡®acquired¡¯ from the merchant family that ¡®unfortunately¡¯ passed away last year thanks to an unknown ¡®plague¡¯?¡±


    The scholar just looked confused at her mother¡¯s words, but Yin Lingxi saw several members of the court start to shift uneasily, realizing that they, and by extension, the rest of the nobles, were the real targets of her mother¡¯s words.


    Yin Lingxi¡¯s mother was the eldest child of the Yao family, the branch family of the Royal Line, and held extreme hatred for anything that had to do with nobility and royalty due to a past traumatic experience she had that she never spoke about to anyone. In fact, her hatred was so great that she took every opportunity to knock down the various noble and influential families of the empire, actively plotting their downfall and misfortune from the shadows.


    The unfortunate thing was that her hatred even extended to her husband and her children, despite their devotion to her.


    The only reason she even married the Emperor and had children with him was for the sake of securing her position as the ruler of the Empire.


    It was not a coincidence that all of the Emperor¡¯s lovers had suddenly disappeared or met unfortunate ends while the Emperor himself fell ill and had to frequently stay in bed to even have the strength to speak right after the Empress gave birth to the third prince, fulfilling the condition of giving the emperor three children as it was agreed upon by him and her younger sister, Yao Xingchen, in exchange for saving his life from the Yanfeng family during their childhood.


    Everyone in the Empire¡¯s upper nobility knew this truth, yet none dared to go against her out of terror.


    If she was willing to be this ruthless to her own family, what was stopping her from dealing with them should they turn on her? And more importantly, if she managed to pull the Yao family as her backing to deal with them along with using the forces of the Royal Family as the current empress, what were they supposed to do?


    As such, this kind of thing where she always sent jabs at the nobility and ruthlessly destroyed their power in the shadows had become the norm.


    Just like it had become the norm for The Empress to scathingly scold her three children for even the most minor of mistakes that they made.


    This was why, despite being only 12 years old, Yin Lingxi did not even dare to move from her spot unless ordered to by her mother.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Time suddenly flew by in front of the confused 12-year-old girl as she suddenly found herself in her mother¡¯s courtyard where she was sitting beside her siblings, all of them receiving training from their mother on how a Royal is supposed to be.


    As she listened to her mother speak with her usual stern face, she started to realize that all of this felt very familiar, like she had already gone through all of this, yet she could not understand why she was feeling like this.


    Then, her mother¡¯s words caught her attention.


    ¡°As a royal, you will never trust anyone, not even your siblings, but yourself. Anyone and everyone can turn against you when given enough incentive.¡±


    ¡°In this world, there is no such thing as true friendship, companionship, brotherhood, or sisterhood. Everyone is but a pawn to be used for your gain.¡±


    Despite her young age, Yin Lingxi could not help but feel like there was something in her mother¡¯s words that rubbed her the wrong way.


    So, for the first time in her relatively short life, she raised a question, showing bravery beyond what even her brothers were willing to.


    ¡°But, mother, is everyone like that? Is everyone really only interested in our title?¡±


    Immediately, she regretted her words as the sheer hatred in her mother¡¯s eyes made the children cower in fear.


    ¡°Yes, my dear daughter. Most of the people in this world is only looking out for their personal interest.¡±


    For a split second, Yin Lingxi saw the hatred in her eyes replaced with longing, love, and bitterness.


    ¡°Of course, there will always be some exceptions to those rules. If you are lucky, you will meet people who wish to associate with you not for personal gain, to get your wealth, beauty, or connections, but because they really care about you.¡±


    Then, those emotions were quickly consumed by the hatred that returned with even more intensity than before.


    ¡°Unfortunately for you three, you are of royal birth, as such, that kind of luck is out of your reach. It would be prudent for you to only look at everyone else, including each other, as nothing more than competition or tools for your own use.¡±


    Once again, the scenery shifted around Yin Lingxi as she suddenly found herself in front of a massive procession with her siblings and father.


    The focus of the procession, of course, was none other than the Empress, or rather, the former Empress, as she had left the mortal world behind thanks to an unknown poison that killed her in her sleep.


    As the procession carried on, Yin Lingxi heard faint sobs from near her mother¡¯s body, making her look at a woman who looked strikingly similar to her mother.


    The only difference was that their faces were slightly different and the fact that Yin Lingxi¡¯s mother was not capable of cultivation while this woman was clearly a cultivator.


    It took her young mind some time until she realized that she was looking at her Aunt, Yao Xingchen, who used to visit her and her siblings very often before a big fight between her and the Empress.


    ¡®¡­.k¡­p¡¯


    The little princess stiffened in surprise and fear as a faint, distorted, voice reached her ears, making her look around for the source, only to find nothing out of the ordinary.


    ¡®Y¡­L..gxi,..ke..up!¡¯


    The eerie atmosphere of the ceremony combined with the voices that she was starting to hear creeped the girl out as she started to shiver in fear.


    Once again, the surroundings started to change, this time, she was sitting in her room as her aunt sat in front of her with a brittle smile.


    ¡°So, am I to take this as confirmation that the princess has accepted my request?¡±


    Yin Lingxi felt her smile stretch a little, becoming something genuine as she replied to her aunt.


    ¡°Of course I do! I would love to have Aunt Xingchen as my personal guard.¡±


    And it was the truth. In the little time she spent in this accursed world, Yao Xingchen was one of the few people that Yin Lingxi knew who never looked at her as anything other than a relative, as family.


    In truth, Yao Xingchen was more of a mother to Yin Lingxi than her own mother before she left the palace due to the fight.


    ¡®Yin L¡­.yo¡­in¡­.i¡­sio¡­.ke¡­up!¡¯


    Once again, the eerie voice returned making her chest tighten in fear and another emotion that she could not understand. However, the young princess dismissed the voices and concentrated more on talking with her Aunt.


    This was one of the rare few occasions where she could genuinely express herself and she was not willing to ruin it because of some voice that she kept hearing.


    The princess spent the entire day speaking with her aunt, unaware that the voice was trying to desperately reach her but failed to because of her fragile heart that refused to leave this comfort behind.


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 Chapter 24 (Vol-2)

    Deep within the ruins, the noise of steel clashing with fists echoed across the structure. The strength behind each blow shakes the surroundings a little with each clash.


    Da Wei maneuvered to the side, allowing the sudden burst of light that took the form of a beam to pass by the space where his torso was just a second ago.


    However, just as he avoided the hit, a rush of scorching fire engulfed him completely, singing his clothes and nearly overwhelming the defensive inscriptions on his clothes and artifacts.


    The combined assault pushed Da Wei back a little before he rushed forward with a burst of Primal Qi, delivering a devastating hit to the center of the enemy¡¯s body, only for the being created from flames to break down and reform into a new body without any injuries.


    The second enemy took advantage of his momentary distraction and shot another burst of light at his head while turning the surrounding with bright light, hoping to overwhelm Da Wei¡¯s senses.


    Thanks to his enhanced senses, Da Wei sensed the sudden spike in Qi from his opponents, allowing him to dodge and retreat for a distance to catch his breath.


    ¡®Damn it!! None of this is working!¡¯


    ¡®We have to either destroy the core, thereby destroying the treasures or refine them into our body. I don¡¯t see any other way to defeat them.¡¯


    ¡®But the Flame is very useful for Da Ling, and I can¡¯t destroy the Water since it is enveloping Yin Lingxi and might use her as a sacrifice to save itself, not to mention that we don¡¯t even know where the Flame¡¯s core is since it has not exposed itself just like how the water has not shown its core yet.¡¯


    ¡®Worse yet, I can¡¯t use my Primal Qi to try and overwhelm these avatars since there is a high chance that we will have a repeat performance of that damned tree and make things even more difficult for ourselves¡¯


    ¡®Then, we have no choice but to wait until Yin Lingxi refines the water or wakes up and escapes its confinements¡¯


    Da Wei smiled bitterly at those words.


    ¡®So, we will have to leave things to fate!?¡¯


    ¡®Basically, yeah. Fate and Luck are the only things that can save her.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.This is so unfair. Why did we have to run into the most dangerous Natural Treasures pair in such remote ruins?¡¯


    ¡®¡­.I have no answer to that aside from blaming our luck.¡¯


    ¡®¡­Makes sense, I guess. Since we had not faced many issues since we isolated ourselves, I had forgotten just how ridiculous and life-threatening our luck usually is¡¯


    Before Da Wei could continue talking with Xiang, the flames from one of the two Natural Treasures that were at the heart of the ruins, The Nine Suns Soul Fire, one of the nine heavenly flames, sent another bout of flames toward him which immediately took a humanoid form and started to engage in a duel with Da Wei again.


    While the flame distracted the human, the other Natural Treasure, the Starlight Essence Dew, one of the nine heavenly waters, condensed the element of Light and shot beams of the element at Da Wei, targeting his major organs and limbs.


    After Da Wei had escaped the illusions placed on him, it did not take him long before he arrived at the center of the ruins and found Yin Lingxi.


    The only problem was that she was held within a cocoon of golden glowing orb of liquid, the main body of the Starlight Essence Dew, while the Nine Suns Soul Fire guarded the orb of liquid as it continued to refine Yin Lingxi into nutrients and Qi for its own nourishment.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    The panic that Da Wei felt when he realized what was going on was beyond his ability to describe, as he used his full might to try to break her out of whatever illusion the Starlight Essence Dew put her under.


    However, no matter how he tried or how much he called out, she would not respond to his voice, and the damned treasures did not allow him to approach her.


    Worse yet, because the flame and the essence dew were using avatar bodies made of their elemental Qi while hiding their real bodies, it made it difficult for Da Wei to cause any meaningful damage to them.


    For the first time in many years, Da Wei felt truly powerless as he watched the woman that he cared for, the woman that he loved, was in a life-threatening situation and he could do nothing about it.


    Gritting his teeth, Da Wei suppressed the scream of pain and frustration that was about to erupt from his mouth as a beam of Light Qi passed through the side of his body, carving out a large chunk of his flesh as his Primal Qi worked overtime to fix the damage.


    ¡°Yin Lingxi!! You are trapped in an illusion!! Wake up!¡±


    His words rang across the massive hall, but just like before, they fell on deaf ears as Yin Lingxi¡¯s body didn¡¯t even twitch in response to his shout.


    Once again, anger consumed Da Wei¡¯s mind as he shot forward, destroying the avatar of the flame and heading straight for the water, only for another flaming avatar to form in front of him, blocking him off as multiple beams of Light Qi burst out of the water, targeting his vital organs once again.


    This forced him to retreat once again in frustration and he could not help but curse in his mind.


    ¡®Why the hell are these two things so good at coordinating anyway!? I don¡¯t remember the Nine Suns Soul Fire and the Starlight Essence Dew being symbiotic by any means!!¡¯


    ¡®My best guess is that they were left here by the creator of this ruin and were left on their own for such a long time that they developed a symbiotic relationship through sheer chance.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.Just our luck that such a situation would happen.¡¯


    ¡®Indeed. Now, the best path I can thin-WATCH OUT!!¡¯


    Da Wei instinctively jumped to the side in response to Xiang¡¯s shout, barely escaping a flaming blade that was aimed at his heart, but he could not dodge it completely as the blade skewered his right arm, flooding his body and spirit roots with scorching Yang Qi.


    He winced in pain but easily suppressed the feeling thanks to his experience with enduring such injuries and focused back on the fight.


    ¡®How long do we have?¡¯


    ¡®From the rate at which the girl¡¯s life force is depleting along with her Light Qi, I would say two hours, three at most, before she is completely refined by the water.¡¯


    Da Wei contemplated on what to do as he kept an eye on the flaming avatar and escaped its assault.


    While he could try to use another artifact to try and make a run for it towards Yin Lingxi, he knew that it would be a futile effort since these things were strong enough to overwhelm his Hard-Light shielding artifacts and were not fooled by his illusion artifact thanks to their lack of a biological body, the very reason why Da Wei was struggling so much to fight them.


    Ever since awakening his memories of Earth, Da Wei had given up on the path of the sword and worked to refine his martial arts because of how the sword felt wrong in his hands.


    However, his fighting style was primarily based on targeting the biological weaknesses of his opponents and crippling them with quick and efficient strikes, maximizing the impact while minimizing the strain on his own body.


    While this method worked most of the time, there were times when it would not work on his opponents, especially when his opponents were incorporeal in nature.


    In such situations, Da Wei utilized the bizarre nature of his Primal Qi to destroy his enemies by overwhelming them with his Qi, making it so that he never had to face much trouble no matter the opponent he faced.


    Yet, this heavy reliance on his Qi and his scientific approach to fighting had come back to haunt him at this moment as he was left with no way to fight these damned things.


    They lacked a physical body, rendering his martial arts useless, and they could potentially become even more powerful if he used his Pure Qi as displayed by the Primordial Yin Wood during their confrontation in that cave all those weeks ago. This meant that he could not use his usual tactics to deal with the incorporeal foe.


    Truly, Da Wei felt stuck and powerless facing these enemies.


    Yet, he could not back down, not when his lover one¡¯s life was in danger.


    In such a way, one human fought against the two Natural Treasures while his loved one was trapped in a dream that she refused to leave behind.


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 Chapter 25 (vol-2)

    Yin Lingxi sat on her throne, watching the bickering of her two brothers as they debated the best course of action to deal with the sudden attack of the Baihu empire.


    She loved her brothers just like any sibling would, but she also hated how these two never agreed on anything. It was as if they were born to annoy each other.


    Thankfully, despite their mother¡¯s attempts to poison their relationship in their childhood, they still held a close relationship with each other and supported each other.


    They even agreed with their father when he decided to hand the throne to her, allowing her to smoothly ascend to her status as an Empress unchallenged.


    Ever since then, things have been going very smoothly for her and her empire.


    The Yin Long empire was thriving and expanding its borders steadily, the mortals led content lives while the cultivators worked to protect her empire from the demonic path. The Holy Lands kept to themselves as always, allowing her to rule her lands in peace despite the occasional attacks from the Baihu Empire which were swiftly crushed by her Aunt who led the empire¡¯s military.


    Yes, everything was as perfect as it could be for her.


    ¡®Y..L..xi!...up!¡¯


    Except for the voice that had been haunting her for as long as she can remember.


    Once again, the empress ignored the voice and continued watching her brothers debate with a happy smile.


    However, the voice rang out in her ears again, annoying her like always.


    ¡®Can¡¯t this stupid voice stop bothering me for once!? Why must it always mess up my happy moments with its jumbled, unintelligible words!?¡¯


    ¡®You are right. He really needs to stop with his futile struggles and let you enjoy your life indefinitely¡¯


    ¡®Right!? It is so rare that I get the time to relax like this-wait, WHAT!?¡¯


    Yin Lingxi immediately sat up on her throne and started to look around, trying to find the source of the new voice that spoke to her.


    The terror in her actions made her brothers stop arguing and turn to her with concern.


    ¡°Sister? What happened?¡±


    Yin Lingxi continued to watch her surroundings as a strange feeling filled her heart as if she was forgetting something very important but could not remember what it was.


    After using her senses and finding nothing, she slowly started to calm down and turned to answer her brother¡¯s question.


    Only for her vision to overlap and replace what she was seeing with something else entirely.


    Yin Tianzhu, her older brother, had his smiling and gentle expressions replaced by one filled with hate and rage as he glared at her.


    Yin Haoran, her younger brother, similarly had his gentle and playful expressions replaced by of drunk and idiotic expressions. His vitality disappeared, replaced by the feeling of someone who had spent all their life playing around instead of properly taking care of themselves.


    Yin Lingxi¡¯s heart chilled as she somehow found this scene to be more fitting of her siblings than the natural one she was familiar with.


    Just as suddenly as it had happened, the image reverted to reveal their normal forms that showed their clear concern for her.


    ¡°Looks like you have been running yourself ragged again, sister. You should take some rest and leave the rest to us.¡±


    ¡°Eldest brother is right. You should retreat to your chambers and take some rest.¡±


    Still in a daze, Yin Lingxi slowly got up from her throne and headed toward her chamber while he servants bowed to her on her path.


    As she finally arrived at her room, she saw two servants stationed outside, trying very hard not to appear suspicious as they tried to eavesdrop on whatever the person inside was doing.


    With an amused smile, Yin Lingxi coughed, making the servants jump and turn to face her with pale faces.


    ¡°Y-Your Highness! w-we were just-¡°


    ¡°Calm down, you two. I know exactly what you were doing. So tell me, is he bickering with the princess again? What is it about this time?¡±


    The two servants looked at each other before bowing and started speaking.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. The consort is bickering with the princess again. This time, it is about following him to his work without informing him.¡±


    Yin Lingxi smiled as she pushed open the door, revealing her beloved husband and their daughter.


    ¡°Yin Ling! Don¡¯t you dare try to divert the conversation-¡°


    ¡°But Father! I only wanted to see why you are always stuck- Oh! Mother!!¡±


    Yin Ling, her daughter and the sole princess of the empire, jumped into Yin Lingxi¡¯s embrace as her husband held a grumpy expression.


    ¡°I hear that she followed you to the Formations Guild?¡±


    ¡°She did, and she did not even inform me about it. She used that stupid illusion technique that your aunt taught her to follow me straight to the forbidden area and nearly caused a disaster when she messed with one of my experimental formations.¡±


    Yin Lingxi laughed as she walked towards her husband and gently killed his cheek with a sly expression.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll talk to her about how she should not disrupt your work. After all, my Empire would not have been what it is today without your work.¡±


    ¡°¡­I better get some compensation for what I had to deal with¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, you will get all the compensation in the world once we retreat to our private chambers-¡°


    He held his palm on her mouth with a slightly embarrassed expression as he looked past her at the servants who acted like they did not hear anything.


    ¡°Honestly, where is the shyness that you showed when we first met all those years ago?¡±


    Yin Lingxi grinned at that question as she snuggled up to her husband while still holding her 12-year-old daughter.


    ¡°That was just a ploy to get close to you. Otherwise, how was I supposed to capture the attention of a powerful cultivator like you who hid himself in a remote village!? You have no idea how many women I had to take care of secretly to keep you to myself.¡±


    Even as she said that Yin Lingxi suddenly felt that something was wrong.


    She tried to remember the faces of the women she just mentioned but came up blank. She tried to remember exactly how she managed to win over her husband in the first place, but still could not remember the details.


    Then, her worries and bad feelings disappeared instantly as her husband, Da Wei, smiled at her words.


    ¡°Well, I guess you got what you wanted in the end. Let¡¯s go and eat something before we take some rest.¡±


    Yin Lingxi just nodded her head at those words as the family of three walked out of her chambers and headed towards their dinner where they sat with the other two princes of the Empire.


    And just like always, things devolved into discussions of stately affairs in which her husband actively participated and provided ideas for her.


    Once again, Yin Lingxi felt a sense of wrongness as she watched her husband actively engage her brothers on matters related to the Empire, specifically the issue with the Baihu Empire.


    This time, no matter what she tried, she could not get rid of this strange feeling.


    ¡°Brother-in-law, what do you think we should do to deal with those prisoners we captured during the latest assault?¡±


    ¡°I suggest we interrogate them for information before getting rid of them.¡±


    Yin Haoran nodded at those words as the sense of wrongness within Yin Lingxi increased further at those words.


    ¡®Since when was Da Wei so ruthless towards others? I don¡¯t remember him being capable of dismissing the lives of others so callously¡¯


    ¡®Does it matter? He is making your job easier, isn¡¯t he?¡¯


    ¡®While that is true, I-¡­.never mind. I guess this is for the best.¡¯


    She stayed silent and continued to watch the interaction.


    As the conversation continued, her strange feeling continued to intensify as Da Wei increasingly became more and more callous with his words


    ¡®This is wrong. This is not the man I married. What is going on here!?¡¯


    ¡®Calm down. Everything is fine. Just focus on your happiness-¡®


    The strangely hypnotic voice suddenly stopped as it was replaced with the familiar jumbled mess of words that she always heard since her childhood.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Yet, somehow, she felt like the voice was slightly clearer than before.


    ¡®Yin L..xi! Wake ¡­.!¡¯


    This voice was clearly calling for her, but what was the other half? She could not hear it clearly.


    Then, the hypnotic voice returned and suppressed this jumbled voice.


    ¡®you should get back to your room with your husband and spend some time relaxing¡¯


    ¡®Yeah, I guess you are right- no, no. Something is wrong.¡¯


    With the stuffy feeling in her heart increasing by the minute, Yin Lingxi got up from her seat and quickly ran out of the room, heading straight for her personal garden.


    For some reason, she broke down crying in the center of her personal garden as unexplainable emotions ran through her heart.


    Soon enough, Da Wei found her in that position, prompting him to embrace her and ask worriedly.


    ¡°Lingxi, what happened!? Why did you run out like that!?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know! Something is happening, something bad. But I can¡¯t tell what it is. What do I do?¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should take some rest and forget about all of this?¡±


    Terror enveloped her heart as she pushed herself away from Da Wei, making him adopt a hurtful expression.


    ¡°Lingxi, what are you-¡°


    ¡°Who are you!? You are not my husband. He would never tell me to forget about my problems. Neither would he suggest killing helpless prisoners like you did before. He would never suggest a plan to attack a helpless border village to distract the Baihu empire¡¯s forces and he would most definitely never care more about his pride than the lives of his loved ones like you did during that conversation just before.¡±


    As she continued speaking, she felt something starting to break in her consciousness as a strange calmness engulfed her, making her stand tall and continue questioning this anomaly that took the shape of her love.


    ¡°So, I ask again, who are you and where is my Husband?¡±


    With a resounding crack, her world fell apart like shattered glass as a rage-filled snarl rang out in her ears.


    ¡°Stupid girl. All you had to do was listen to me and stay ignorant. You could have had everything you ever wanted, but, I guess those that love misery will never accept happiness.¡±


    The darkness of the void was once again replaced with the image of her castle, but this time, it looked just like it did in her childhood when her mother was the Empress.


    Turning to the throne, she found the perfect replication of her mother¡¯s form looking down at her with the same contemptuous expression that she remembered from the woman.


    The creature got up from the throne with a cruel grin as it continued speaking in the same voice as Yin Lingxi¡¯s mother.


    ¡°A life where your mother¡¯s venom did not poison your relationship with your siblings. A life where you peacefully ruled your empire. A life where you marry the man you love without worrying about the secrets you keep from him or worrying about what will happen in the future. A life where you did not have to worry about your neighboring empire as is your duty. A perfect life. That is what I gave you, yet you reject it so vehemently. How ungrateful, just like the rest of you humans.¡±


    Each word felt like a stab in Yin Lingxi¡¯s heart as the fog slowly lifted from her mind, allowing her to finally remember what had happened and what she had forgotten for who knew how long.


    With her clarity returned, Yin Lingxi realized that she had been trapped in an illusion since the moment she confronted her inner guilt¡¯s manifestation in the ruins, making her live a lie all this time.


    For a split second, she felt despair as she realized that all that happiness, that contentment, was just an illusion. A devastating blow to her heart.


    Yet, she suppressed those thoughts as she turned to confront the creature which continued looking down gleefully at her.


    ¡°Fortunately for me, you realized your situation too late. Any minute now, your body, soul, and cultivation will be completely refined by my core and you will cease to exist. Actually, that is a lie. You will continue to exist, as a part of my cultivation.¡±


    ¡°I see. I take it that you are some form of a Demonic Cultivator?¡±


    The being snarled at those words, telling Yin Lingxi that she had been right to put out those testing words.


    ¡°Foolish human. I am not a demonic cultivator. I am one of the greatest treasures in this world, The Starlight Essence Dew. One of the nine heavenly waters. Now, die with that piece of knowledge.¡±


    Yin Lingxi felt a chill travel up her spine as she immediately recognized the danger she was in.


    Out of the nine heavenly waters, The Starlight Essence Dew in not considered all that dangerous to those who seek it since it is relatively weak in a direct confrontation if one could defend against its Light Qi-based attacks.


    However, for those who are caught unaware, the Starlight Essence Dew is the most dangerous thing that they could ever run into.


    As a heavenly water that is made of Light and Water Qi, it is exceptionally powerful in terms of illusions and healing capabilities. In fact, its illusions are so powerful that only cultivators with the strongest of wills can escape its illusions without any outside help.


    Suddenly, the voice she had been hearing all along rang out in the space again. However, this time, she heard it very clearly and recognized who was shouting those words.


    ¡®Yin Lingxi!! You better wake up right now or so help me, I will ban you from Da Ling¡¯s cooking for a whole decade¡¯


    ¡°What the hell!? Da Wei!! That is uncalled for!!¡±


    Yin Lingxi instinctively exploded at that extreme threat to her food source before she remembered her current situation and calmed down again.


    ¡®I see. So you were trying to reach me all this time, Da Wei.¡¯


    Yin Lingxi did not know if it was a residual effect from the illusion she lived through till now or her finally realizing her feelings, but she felt happy knowing that Da Wei had not given up on her till now and was still trying to get to her.


    Somehow, this though gave her strength as she prepared to confront the damned natural treasure that had reduced her to a delusional woman.


    The natural treasure looked at the Empress with an amused look.


    ¡°Do you really think you can confront me in my own domain? Foolish girl. From the moment you were caught in my illusion, you were already mine.¡±


    ¡°I know that I can¡¯t defeat you in a direct confrontation, but who said anything about a direct fight?¡±


    Suddenly, Yin Lingxi unleashed her cultivation and reached deep into her mind, removing one of the many seals placed on her power by her own hands. A secret technique of the Royal Family that she always kept as a trump card.


    Instantly, Yin Lingxi¡¯s golden eyes started to glow with power as a strange force started to distort her surroundings, making the natural treasure take her seriously for the first time.


    ¡°What are you doing!? I did not see anything related to this power in your memories¡±


    ¡°Of course you didn¡¯t. It is one of the Royal Family¡¯s many secrets and the handiwork of a Grandmaster level formations master. I would be very disappointed in her if you could see through her work that easily. Now, prepare for your end.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! I admit that you are full of tricks, little girl, but do you really think you can defeat me just because of a strange power that can absorb the air around us?¡±


    ¡°Again, who said anything about defeating you?¡±


    Yin Lingxi grinned viciously as she felt the changes in her real body and the foreign Qi that was being sucked into her by her technique.


    The same changes that the natural treasure felt as well as it started to panic for the first time.


    ¡°YOU!! WHAT DID YOU DO!??¡±


    ¡°It''s pretty simple. The Royal Family of my empire has been around for a thousand years during which we have accumulated a lot of knowledge and treasures. Did you seriously think that we would not have a way to deal with bothersome natural treasures like you?¡±


    ¡°W-Wha?¡±


    ¡°I admit, your illusions are good. You even caught me in an illusion that exploits my inner desires and guilt to trap me. Unfortunately for you, this is the end.¡±


    The natural treasure roared in anger and tried to attack Yin Lingxi, only to be countered by the Empress who easily escaped the attack and countered with her own move, pushing the treasure back.


    Yin Lingxi was not exaggerating when she said that the Royal Family had prepared counters for most kinds of natural treasures in the world.


    As an Empire with a thousand years of history, her ancestors knew that there would eventually come a time when they came across such things and prepared accordingly.


    However, all these safeguards and techniques were only ever passed down to the intended heir to the throne.


    The fact that Yin Lingxi was taught these techniques when she was just a child was already telling of who the previous emperor had chosen as his heir way before anyone else had even realized.


    Yin Lingxi continued channeling her Qi into her Core according to the technique sealed into her mind, making her core suck in the Light and Water Qi of the natural treasure relentlessly while neutralizing any attempts at illusions that the treasure would make by using Yin Lingxi¡¯s own Light Qi to distort the light in their surroundings.


    An effective technique that would soon destroy the natural treasure on a fundamental level and allow Yin Lingxi to refine it into her spirit roots, dramatically boosting her power.


    And yet, just like everything in life, there was one flaw with this technique.


    Yin Lingxi suppressed her screams and continued fighting the manifestation of the natural treasure within her mind as the light and water Qi wreaked havoc within her real body.


    As someone with a single element of Spirit Roots of high purity, the effects of absorbing Qi of a different elemental affinity would be tantamount to crippling herself.


    The only reason why she had not ended up losing all of her cultivation, or worse, dying on the spot, is because of the powerful technique she was using to absorb the Natural Treasure along with the extremely pure Light Qi from said treasure that had a nourishing effect on her spirit roots.


    It is because of this relentless process of destruction and healing that is causing her to feel pain the likes of which she had never felt.


    However, her pain was not what dominated her mind. No, it was the blinding rage that she felt as she remembered how this thing had manipulated her emotions and dreams to create a blissful nightmare that would no doubt haunt her for the rest of eternity.


    As the human and the treasure exchanged blows, the empress gave a devastating blow to the avatar of the natural spirit.


    ¡°This is for making me live a life that could never be. For making me feel hope for my siblings when there should be none.¡±


    With another blow, she destroyed its legs.


    ¡°This is for making me relive the nightmare of that woman¡¯s teachings, for making me remember a time that I would rather forget.¡±


    With a final blow, she crippled the creature completely and glared coldly at its avatar.


    ¡°And this, is for distorting the image of the man I love, for trying to make him into something that he is not.¡±


    Suddenly, the natural treasure grinned as it took on the form of Yin Lingxi just like it did when she was first caught in the illusion.


    ¡°Is that so? Then, how about you tell him the truth and see if he will not turn into what I showed you? How about you confess everything? Your childish feelings, the truth you had been hiding from him, the reality of the darkness his family hides. The truth about his father and his former sect, what you did to them, and that you still house the woman that was supposed to marry him in your palace. Let us see if he really is as saintly as you believe him to be¡±


    Yin Lingxi glared coldly at the creature before striking again, shattering its core and finally absorbing its consciousness into her real body, along with the rest of the natural treasure power.


    Despite the pain intensifying, Yin Lingxi gave a grim smile at the floor.


    ¡°I will. I will tell him the truth after we are done here. However, I have faith that he will not become the man that I saw in your illusions. Because unlike you, I know him better than he knows himself. And, even if you are right, even if the truth distorts him into the kind of man I saw in my dream, so what?¡±


    She closed her eyes as she felt her consciousness slowly start to slip due to the pain.


    ¡°Even if he is distorted, even if he becomes a monster, even if he wants revenge, even if he hates me for hiding the truth from me. I will still continue loving him. Because that is who I am.¡±


    Finally, Yin Lingxi, the insecure little girl who was easily fooled by illusions of a perfect life, ceased to be, the powerful Empress of the Yin Long empire, Yin Lingxi awoke in the real world.


    <hr>


    Da Wei panicked as the Starlight Essence Dew that engulfed Yin Lingxi¡¯s body suddenly disappeared into her body, allowing it to fall like a puppet with its string cut.


    With a burst of his Primal Qi, he rushed past the Nine Suns Soul Fire¡¯s avatar and caught her in his arms.


    ¡®David! You need to get out of here immediately!!¡¯


    ¡®On it!¡¯


    Da Wei did not waste a single moment before he turned around and prepared to burst out of the room, even breaking through the supporting walls if need be to take Yin Lingxi away from there.


    However, he was stopped as he felt Yin Lingxi wake up in his arms.


    ¡°Lingxi! How are you!? Are you feeling anything strange? Did anything happen-hmp?¡±


    Da Wei¡¯s mind went black as Yin Lingxi moved forward and sealed his lips with her own before moving back with a tender look in her eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am fine. Now, stay put while I deal with this annoyance.¡±


    For the next few minutes, Da Wei stared in a daze as Yin Lingxi effortlessly dealt with the Nine Suns Soul Fire by drowning it and the rest of the room with her newly acquired treasure, the Starlight Essence Dew while avoiding Da Wei.


    ¡®¡­.What just happened?¡¯


    ¡®¡­..I am too old to deal with such bullshit. Wake me up when you need me.¡¯


    <hr><hr>


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 Chapter 26 (Vol-2)

    Baihu Hankai gritted his teeth in anger as his Prime Minister worked on directing his people outside the secret realm.


    If it was any other time and the foe wasn¡¯t someone of significance, he would have personally taken charge and never allowed anyone to tamper with their tradition where they sent their promising young cultivators into the secret realm for training.


    Unfortunately, he did not have such a choice this time around.


    ¡°How long is it going to take?¡±


    ¡°it depends on how far into the realm your target has traveled. If he has gone too deep, then our transmission might take a day or two to reach him due to the density of the Pure Qi disrupting our artifacts.¡±


    ¡°Just how primitive are your artifacts if they can¡¯t even filter out the interference from ambient Pure Qi? As expected of a backwater Empire like yours, Baihu Hankai.¡±


    Once again, Baihu Hankai could only gnash his teeth in rage at those words from the man on the other side of the communication jade token.


    Just two days ago, a massive force of thirty Core Formation realm experts, twenty Nascent Soul realm experts, and a single Soul Formation realm expert had arrived at his capital in five Airships that were armed to the teeth.


    Such a show of force and the very conspicuous way they arrived had completely ruined the festive atmosphere of the capital, making the mortals and most nobles think that they were under attack from the Yin Long Empire.


    Unfortunately for the Emperor and Prime Minister of the Baihu Empire, the truth of the matter was somehow even worse.


    For the airship and the forces on it belonged to the Autumn Fang Holy Land. One of the four Holy Lands of the continent, and was being led by none other than Bai Jianhong, one of the Grand Elders of the Holy Land and the eldest son of the Master of the Holy Land, Bai Tianfang.


    Worse yet was the fact that Bai Jianhong and Baihu Hankai were bitter rivals thanks to both their personalities and their lineage.


    ¡°Whatever. I can¡¯t depend on your uselessness to find my target, especially since Father will kill me if I fail to bring back this Huxing Xiang back to the Hidden Heaven Holy Land. Luo! Come to me!¡±


    The moment the Grand Elder of the Autumn Fang Holy Land called out, the Soul Transformation Realm master appeared out of thin air and directly kneeled before the projection of the artifact.


    ¡°This servant is here, Grand Elder.¡±


    ¡°I want you to send a small team into the secret realm to track down Young Master Huxing Xiang. Once your men find him, they are to immediately bring him back to our Holy Land. If the team fails, I want you to encircle the entrance to the realm and take him the moment he comes out.¡±


    Then, he thought for a few seconds before he continued issuing orders again.


    ¡°Also, if he refuses to come with you, tell him that we will continue hounding him until he agrees to our request. Based on what we learned from our scouts who managed to make those fools in the Yin Long Empire talk, he is an extremely stubborn but carefree person who does not want to get involved with anything, he is bound to take up our offer if we promise to pester him for the rest of eternity until he agrees.¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°And, if even that fails, then simply threaten the lives of his loved ones, even make an attempt to attack that little Empress of his if you have to. Nothing lethal, of course, but just to get our point across.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Grand Elder.¡±


    ¡°Good. With you there, I won¡¯t have to worry about the thieves of the Baihu family stealing from us again.¡±


    With that jab that made the Emperor explode in fury and unleashed his full cultivation as a Soul Formation initial stage cultivator, the image disappeared, making the captain of the Autumn Fang Holy Land immediately move to complete his task, not questioning the words of his master because it was an open secret at this point between their two forces.


    It was no secret that the founder of the Baihu Empire, Baihu Jinlie, the powerhouse of the Dao Integration realm, was once an Elder of the Autumn Fang Holy Land and later left on his own accord to help his sworn brother, Yin Tianlong, establish the Yin Long Empire.


    However, what many people outside of the members of the Holy Lands and the Baihu Empire¡¯s upper echelons knew was the fact that the Autumn Fang Holy Land hated the Baihu Empire, specifically, its royal family, because they believed that Baihu Jinlie had stolen their techniques, modified them to make them easier to understand, and then passed them down as inheritance for the Baihu Empire.


    In fact, their hatred is so strong that there have been countless attempts to eliminate the Baihu Royal Family throughout the eight centuries that the empire has stood by the Holy Land, through both direct and indirect means.


    Thankfully, the Baihu family has always been cautious and has managed to stave off these attacks thanks to their preparedness and the fact that the holy land can¡¯t really go all out to attack them in fear of the retaliation they would face from the rest of the holy lands and the Barbarian Clans that are always looking for a way to break into the human territories.


    As Captain Luo moved toward his forces to organize a team, Baihu Hankai called for his own forces with a voice transmission technique.


    ¡®We hear you, your majesty.¡¯


    ¡®Send our own people into the secret realm before these Holy Land forces. I want the strongest of the Night Guards to go in. Once they find this Huxing Xiang and the Empress of Yin Long, either capture them or kill them both if they prove too dangerous. Another squad will find my son and escort him out in secret. Let''s see how long these bastards of the Holy Land will stay smug when they return empty-handed.¡¯


    ¡®Your majesty, you are making another rash decision because of your emotions-¡®


    ¡®Ling Tianze, I am not asking your opinion. I am giving you an order as your emperor.¡¯


    ¡®¡­very well. But don¡¯t ask me for a solution when this blows up in our faces.¡¯


    ¡®It will not. The girl is only in the Core Formation realm late stage from what our spies told us and the boy should not be any higher than the Nascent Soul given his age.¡¯


    ¡®I hope you are right, Your Majesty.¡¯


    With that, the emperor cut off the communications as he grinned viciously at the forces of the Holy Land with glowing yellow eyes that had slits in the pupils like a cat. His technique fueling and enhancing his emotions with that of the beast from which the technique was originally derived.


    ¡®That¡¯s right, act superior to us all you want, call us thieves as much as your heart desires. But, when all is said and done, you will have to answer to your father why you failed to retrieve the person you were looking for, Bai Jianhong. I would love to see what that ruthless man you call a father would do to you for this failure.¡¯


    With those thoughts making his emotions swell in glee, Baihu Hankai walked away from the secret realm¡¯s entrance, waiting to hear the good news from his teams of Night Guards, the greatest of assassination forces directly under the command of the Royal Family.


    <hr><hr>


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 Chapter 27 (Vol-2)

    I sat under the moonlight and continued absorbing the Pure Qi into myself, pushing towards the Soul Transformation realm.


    All the while, my mind was filled with a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts that distracted me from my cultivation.


    Something I am thankful for since it allows me to keep my mind away from my senses which are being enhanced with every second as I advance towards the next stage.


    ¡®David. You need to focus on your Qi circulation. If your circulation of Qi is not done properly, you could end up being killed during the tribulation.¡¯


    ¡®¡­If there is a tribulation.¡¯


    ¡®Weren¡¯t you the one who told me not to jinx it? Why are you acting like this now?¡¯


    ¡®How else am I supposed to act? Xiang? After everything we learned today from Lingxi?¡¯


    ¡®¡­.Do you blame her for keeping secrets from you?¡¯


    I fell silent at his words as I contemplated my own feelings.


    It was after we left those ruins that Yin Lingxi picked up the stupid panda that was waiting for us outside. She took me back to that field of Midnight Moonflowers for a discussion, something that she said could not wait.


    The truths that she revealed were enough to blow not just my mind but Xiang as well who nearly went hysterical after learning of these things.


    The truth about who my mother really was, the truth about my ancestry, the real reason why Yin Lingxi took an interest in me when we first met, everything that was ever hidden from me by her.


    Including how she felt about me, much to my dismay.


    Because I too felt the same way, however, I do not believe this to be the right time for us to engage in our emotions, especially with a war right around the corner and something far worse waiting for us in the near future.


    However, what¡¯s done is done. Besides, I promised myself on my mother¡¯s grave that I would no longer allow my life to be filled with regrets, so I will follow through with these feelings of mine.


    Even if it means I will have to get out of my comfort zone and confront the threats I have been avoiding all this time head-on.


    ¡®No. I do not blame her. I understand her logic and why she kept these things from us. And given how we are reacting, she was right to keep things from us. Even if her worry for us was only part of the reason why she kept those secrets from us.¡¯


    ¡®And yet, you still want to blame someone to vent your frustration at the revelations given to us.¡¯


    ¡®Yes. But, we have nowhere to vent our frustration. So, all we can do is endure it, like we always do.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.I guess we could just hunt a few demonic beasts to vent our anger?¡¯


    I chuckled at Xiang¡¯s words but winced in pain as that action accidentally broke the iron grip I held on my senses, overloading my mind and soul with the enhanced senses I now had to deal with thanks to how close I was to the Soul Transformation realm.


    ¡®We could, but I don¡¯t think there are many beasts in this realm that can give us a challenge right now. Besides, I need to break through to the Soul Transformation realm before I do anything.¡¯


    ¡®Now that you mention it, why are you so urgently trying to break through when you were reluctant to do so before?¡¯


    ¡®Well, as you know, I was originally worried about the suppression of the secret realm. I thought that the realm would reject my entry if I had broken through to the Soul Transformation realm before entering. However, now that we know that the restrictions don¡¯t apply to us for some reason, I want to attempt to become untouchable in this place.¡¯


    ¡®I guess it is because of what happened in the ruins?¡¯


    ¡®¡­Yes. I never want to experience that helplessness ever again. I was this close to losing Lingxi to those damned Natural Treasures. I promised myself and you that I would never experience such a loss ever again, but I nearly experienced it because of my hubris. Never again.¡¯


    ¡®David, I¡¯ve told you this before and I¡¯ll say it again. You are not like me. We are two aspects of the same soul, but unlike me whose life is a tale of despair and tragedy, you are different. So, don¡¯t blame yourself too much. Besides, even if you had broken through to the Soul Transformation realm, I doubt you would have been able to do anything to those incorporeal avatars of the Natural Treasures. There is a reason why most forces are always willing to recruit cultivators with Yin element spirit roots.¡¯


    I nodded my head at his words since I saw the truth in it.


    It is a known fact that the only way to deal with incorporeal entities is through the use of artifacts or treasures that are rich in Yin Qi or with the help of a Yin element cultivator due to the Yin element¡¯s natural ability to interact with the incorporeal on a conceptual level.


    It is the reason why the Yin element was highly valued by the various forces across the continent during the previous era.


    However, for some reason, things changed as the years went on, and now, the Yin element cultivators are looked down upon by most forces except for the holy lands who still hold the same view as before.


    If I were to guess, I would say it was some kind of a conspiracy made by someone to push the Yin cultivators away from civilization for whatever reason. However, I don¡¯t have any proof for this hypothesis so I¡¯ll just have to keep this theory to myself for now.


    ¡®You are right, but also wrong. I always knew that the chances of us running into incorporeal creatures were low but not zero, so I should have prepared accordingly. Yet, I did not. That was my hubris. Because I trusted my bizarre cultivation too much. But it is a mistake I will not make again. That much is certain.¡¯


    ¡®That much I can believe. Unlike me, you are cautious to the extreme and are willing to learn from your and mine failures. Now, focus back on your cultivation. I can sense that your Nascent Soul is ready for the next step.¡¯


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    I turned my attention back towards my Dantian, where the formless mass of Qi, my Nascent Soul, existed, and observed as it greedily absorbed the Pure Qi in the atmosphere, continuously converting it into Primal Qi.


    The first step of cultivation, the Qi Condensation realm, is the process of sensing and condensing the Qi into the Spirit roots of a cultivator. Then, in the Foundation Establishment realm, this Qi is condensed to form a physical manifestation of the Qi, which usually takes the form of a dense liquid in the metaphysical organs.


    The next step, the Core Formation realm, is the stage in which the liquid form of the Qi is given a solid form, creating the Core, or as it is usually called, the Golden Core. After that, in the Nascent Soul realm, the core is broken apart to give birth to True Qi, or in my case, the Primal Qi, which once again gains a gaseous form like the elemental Qi of the Qi Condensation stage.


    But, unlike before, the Soul Transformation realm can be considered the turning point for all cultivators as there are many paths that could be taken from here.


    It is possible to condense the True Qi of a cultivator into a liquid form just like in the Foundation Establishment realm to achieve the Soul Transformation realm. The advantage of doing this is that this type of Soul Transformation cultivator can use the liquid form of their True Qi to directly nourish their Spirit Roots, and by extension, their soul, and strengthen it to impose their own laws on the world, overwriting reality, hence creating their personal domain.


    Another path that can be taken is to spread the gaseous form of the True Qi through the Spirit Roots and straight into the soul of a cultivator. This kind of cultivation would be slower than the previous method since the gaseous form of the True Qi is much less energy-dense compared to the liquid form, but the advantage is that these cultivators would have a much more solid foundation and are generally stronger than others of the same realm.


    And then, there are the methods used by Demonic Path and the Barbarian clans that are even more bizarre but that is something that I don¡¯t have to worry about.


    Especially since my cultivation is anything but conventional.


    Unlike the rest of the cultivators on this continent, I don¡¯t have nor have needed a cultivation technique from the very beginning of my new life.


    From the Qi Condensation realm to the Core Formation realm, I relied on the Heavenly Reversal Bead¡¯s regenerative properties to strengthen myself through continuous cycles of destruction and healing.


    But, after reaching the Nascent Soul realm, all I did was randomly absorb Pure Qi and convert it into Primal Qi without any circulation technique or any methodology to it. And yet, I have reached the peak of the Nascent Soul realm, which should be impossible.


    Even to this day, I have no explanation as to why this happened or just what kind of bizarre process is going on within my body to allow me to continue in this way. All I know is that it works for me and that is all I care about.


    Now, I am at a crossroads where I need to choose a path, yet, I do not know if my choice will even matter since I have a feeling that my cultivation will make the choice for me and make it irrelevant.


    It is frustrating to not know the truth of your own powers and the inability to control its direction. Yet, I am still grateful for whatever the source of my cultivation is, since it has given me the strength to protect what I care about the most in this world.


    I closed my eyes and slowly released my control over my senses bit by bit, allowing my mind and soul to adapt to the information overload that resulted from my senses.


    It is painful and paralyzing, to process so much information at once, but it is something that must be done since I can¡¯t afford to keep dividing my focus between my cultivation and suppressing my senses.


    Soon, the absorption of the Pure Qi reached a critical point as my Nascent Soul slowed down its absorption rate.


    As the absorption rate slowed, I observed that the Nascent Soul had suddenly started to become denser with Primal Qi, obtaining a strange form that is neither solid nor liquid. A sight that instantly alarmed me.


    ¡®Xiang? Please tell me I am seeing things.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.I don¡¯t think you are seeing things, David. I see the same thing.¡¯


    ¡®¡­FUCK!! AM I BECOMING A DEMONIC BEAST NOW!??¡¯


    My desperation is justified since the process that is happening now is similar to what happens to a Demonic Beast once it reaches the Soul Transformation realm where its True Qi is condensed into a solid form similar to ta Golden Core in the Core Formation realm.


    While it is another branching path of the Soul Transformation realm, the reason I am panicking is that this form of advancement is something that is unique to the Demonic Beasts and something that simply cannot be achieved by humans.


    There were many cultivators in the past who had tried to achieve such a feat, trying to condense a solid core instead of a liquid or gaseous form of their True Qi. Yet, without exception, all of them perished.


    This is due to the fact that a human body is simply incapable of supporting a solid core of True Qi as the sheer power released during the formation of such a core is enough to shred the body and soul into nothingness.


    This is why only the Demonic Beasts are capable of naturally attaining such a path of cultivation since they are born with superior bodies and souls compared to humans, allowing them to endure the strain of forming such cores.


    ¡®Not necessarily true. I think this has to do with your Primal Qi. Given that it can be considered a natural evolution of the Pure Qi in the atmosphere, I think that either the heavens or the very world are guiding your Pure Qi in the most natural path such Qi would take to evolve, just like how a Natural Treasure or a Heavenly Treasure would form.¡¯


    ¡®Still not a reassuring thought. What if I end up exploding like every other cultivator that tried to form a solid core of True Qi?¡¯


    ¡®You won¡¯t because your body is absurdly powerful by human standards thanks to your perverted cultivation before you reached the Nascent Soul realm. I guess congratulations are in order. You will be the first human to attain the same kind of power that made the Demonic Beasts of Soul Transformation realm so feared throughout the continent.¡¯


    ¡®I still don¡¯t like it.¡¯


    I continued bickering with Xiang as my cultivation continued to advance, and just like I thought, I saw no tribulation clouds in sight.


    Within seconds, the Nascent Soul condensed into forming a solid core made of Primal Qi, producing an explosion of Qi that reduced my surroundings into a crater and made my body fall into the newly created pit.


    Yet, I could not do anything as my mind was dominated by the sheer agony of my body, mind, and soul being overwhelmed by my newly acquired power.


    My senses expanded for hundreds of miles and became so sharp that I could literally sense the heartbeats of the various creatures that were caught within the range.


    I could taste the Qi of the various treasures, could feel the texture of the tree barks, the feeling of the fur on the various creatures, the very essence of the Earth.


    I could feel everything that was caught within the range of my senses.


    It was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time, and the best and worst part of all this is that the process is not done yet.


    As the rate at which my senses expanded slowed down and finally came to a stop, I instinctually knew what I needed to do next. Instincts that I followed by releasing the full power of my newly condensed Primal Qi core.


    I knew that this was the part where I would form my own domain, my inner reality and understanding of my Qi and soul manifested into the real world.


    Yet, nothing like that happened.


    Instead, the only change I felt was that my Primal Qi flooded my surroundings and started to nourish everything caught within the range of my senses with its properties, making all living things grow at an exponential rate.


    I continued waiting patiently, to see what kind of domain I would form, but even after my newly formed core solidified and became dormant, even after I felt my cultivation settle and the same kind of strange golden light that fell on me during my ascension into Nascent Soul fall once again from the sky and merge with my body, my domain did not form.


    ¡®¡­.Xiang? any explanations?¡¯


    ¡®¡­.No comment.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.You are really unreliable.¡¯


    ¡®¡­And you are a bizarre anomaly. What¡¯s new?¡¯


    ¡®¡­Let¡¯s just return to the camp.¡¯


    ¡®Agreed.¡¯


    Seriously, just what the hell is wrong with my cultivation?


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 Chapter 28 (Vol-2)

    Yin Lingxi sat on her chair, nervously combing through the fur of the asleep demonic beast cub, waiting for Da Wei who had been sitting silently in front of her with his eyes closed for some time now.


    Ever since breaking out of that illusion in the ruins and revealing everything to Da Wei, Yin Lingxi could not help but second-guess her decisions.


    However, she knew that if she continued to stay silent and keep those secrets from Da Wei and started her relationship on buried truths, she would end up regretting it in the future.


    That is why, in addition to admitting her feelings to him, she also revealed all the secrets she had hidden from him, for better or for worse.


    She knew that the likelihood of Da Wei rejecting her feelings just to spite her for keeping secrets was extremely low based on his personality, and yet, the chances were not zero.


    But, after experiencing that illusion, she knew that she must not keep secrets from him anymore if she did not want to end up like that bitter woman that she called a mother.


    Even if it meant that the man she loved would reject her feelings.


    Thankfully, her trust in his personality proved to be right as Da Wei did not blame her for keeping such secrets from her.


    However, this raised a new issue, He did not comment on her confession until now, which made her feel extremely uncomfortable.


    Finally, Da Wei opened his eyes and sighed heavily before looking Yin Lingxi in the eyes, making her sit up straight.


    ¡°¡­Lingxi, I think I have had enough time to think about what you said, both about my family secrets and your feelings.¡±


    Her heart sped up as her stomach dropped in dread and excitement.


    ¡°¡­And?¡±


    ¡°I think you did the right thing in keeping the details about my family secret until now. I will admit, I felt angry at first, but, after thinking about it clearly, I really would have reacted badly if I had learned of this just after we met.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. Thank you for not blaming me for that.¡±


    Da Wei smiled at her words, knowing that she felt somewhat disappointed that he did not comment on her confession.


    But, his smile quickly disappeared as he stared seriously at the Empress.


    ¡°On the other hand, about your confession¡±


    The dread that Yin Lingxi felt increased exponentially as Da Wei took a deep breath, already imagining the worst.


    ¡°¡­I feel the same way. I love you as well, Lingxi. But-¡°


    Before Da Wei could continue speaking, Yin Lingxi threw herself at him and embraced him tightly. Her fears of having her feelings unrequited were washed away by his words.


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    Yin Lingxi is a tough and powerful woman. A born empress with the temperament required of her station.


    She is capable of ruthlessness that would make even the hardiest of cultivator sweat and her cunning can make even the greatest of scholar¡¯s head spin.


    She is a royal who is even capable of massacring her own family for the sake of her empire.


    And yet, below all these shades that made her the perfect Empress, is a girl who only ever wanted a happy family. A dream that proved to be an impossibility for a Royal like her.


    Sure, she had her Aunt who loved her dearly, and a father that favored her a lot, but she knew that she could never have a loving family like what she normally saw even the mortals of her empire have.


    Sometimes, she felt extremely jealous of them, for having loving parents and siblings who looked after each other.


    A few years ago, she thought she had finally found someone else aside from her Aunt who truly loved her, but that proved to be nothing more than an illusion for that man only ever cared about her title and her beauty, not her heart.


    For a time, she believed that such a simple and pure emotion was out of her reach and focused purely on running her empire.


    And yet, the heavens proved her wrong once again when she ran into Da Wei on that fateful day at the Auction house.


    Yin Lingxi was not religious. She believed in the Heavens just like the rest of the people on this continent, but she did not pray to it like everyone does.


    But now, she can¡¯t help but be grateful to the heavens for guiding her towards the man that she has now fallen in love with.


    Da Wei smiled at her reaction and hugged her gently as she started to speak excitedly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the village quickly! I¡¯ll speak with Da Ling and the village chief. I¡¯ll contact the royal family¡¯s astrologers to look for an auspicious date for our marriage-¡°


    Da Wei gently placed a finger on her lips, making her stop talking.


    ¡°Lingxi. I am not opposed to your plan, but, I think we should postpone such stuff for later since we are approaching a war with the Baihu empire. Besides, I need to tell you something.¡±


    At her confused look, Da Wei took a deep breath before speaking seriously again.


    ¡°Lingxi. I will be honest with you, I have never fallen in love like I did with you. Sure, I had a fianc¨¦ until a few years back and we grew up together, knowing that we would be husband and wife someday. But, I never felt for her as I do you. So, I will say this in advance. If, in the future, I ever make a mistake and hurt you in any way, tell me immediately. Because I am completely inexperienced in matters like these.¡±


    Yin Lingxi fell silent at those words as she remembered that this former fianc¨¦ of his was in her palace back home and that she had forgotten to tell him about her. But, after hearing his words, she felt relieved, knowing that he had no feelings for that woman.


    She gently kissed him before speaking.


    ¡°I am the same, Wei. I too have never experienced this kind of love. There was a time when I thought I had something like this, but it turned out that it was just my wishful thinking. So, just like you, if I make a mistake, you must tell me. Oh! One more thing.¡±


    This time, her gaze sharpened and the Empress of the Yin Long empire replaced the shy maiden in love.


    ¡°In the future, if you bring back any other women from outside, they will only remain as your concubines and will always be beneath me in status. Never even dare to think that they can have the same status as I do because my empire belongs to me, you after our marriage, and our future children. No one else, not even any of your children from other women, can claim ownership of the throne.¡±


    At her serious concerns, Da Wei could not help but laugh loudly, much to her annoyance before he leaned in and whispered into her ears, making her blush madly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my empress. I am strictly monogamous. That means that aside from you, there will be no other woman in my life. So, you don¡¯t need to worry about any competition that would steal away my attention from you.¡±


    She gave a fake cough, trying to compose herself again, but the deep blush on her face betrayed her feelings, as did the giddy grin on her face.


    ¡°Good. Then, shall we go back now?¡±


    Da Wei matched her grin as he waved his hand, bringing out his airship from the storage.


    ¡°Yes, let''s go home and tell our family the good news.¡±


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 Chapter 29 (Vol-2)

    Deep in the night, near the village¡¯s border and just outside the barrier prepared by Da Wei and Jin Tianrui for the village, the two Yan siblings silently made their way southwards, making sure to suppress their Qi signature so that no one would know that they were leaving.


    While, technically, they were allowed to leave anytime after Da Ling had dismissed them, they had waited for a long while before finally deciding to leave in the dead of the night so as not to alarm the villagers.


    This was due to a multitude of factors, but one of the major ones was that they were very self-aware of the threat to their life in this place.


    Under the power of the strange formation around the village, they were no different from mortals, albeit with stronger bodies. This meant that it would not take much for anyone to kill them outright and they would not be able to do anything.


    And given the ire they felt from the people of this place, the chance was very high that they would be silently killed off once they tried to leave the village for the sake of keeping Da Ling and this village¡¯s existence a secret.


    This was not just speculation on their end since this was a common method that is used across the continent to keep secrets intact and a tactic that they themselves have used many times in the past.


    Worse yet was the fact that whatever kind of Qi was used for this barrier interfered heavily with their communication jades, making it nearly impossible for them to contact reinforcements.


    In fact, during the few weeks that the Yan siblings had spent in this village, they had spotted many baffling anomalies that simply did not fit in with such a backward place.


    Rich Pure Qi that was even more concentrated than what they would normally feel at the holy land. Artifacts were a common sight across the village and being used by everyone, even the mortals, which would have been an impossibility anywhere else in the world.


    Strange buildings and their purposes that were even more mysterious, such as the so-called ¡®school¡¯ where the children and even a few adults were taught knowledge that only cultivators were supposed to know along with body cultivation for those without Qi cultivation potential while also teaching Qi cultivation with the help of high-level cultivation techniques to those that could cultivate Qi.


    Then there are the mysterious buildings called ¡®Factories¡¯ where strange contraptions were being manufactured by the people employed there, the inner workings of which were kept a strict secret from everyone not involved.


    Even more strange things that they spotted were the strange vehicles that kept moving to and from the village towards somewhere else on a path paved with spiritual materials.


    All in all, this place looked nothing like a frontier village. It looked more like a miniature holy land.


    Perhaps, the words of Da Ling had some merit when she said that she had already found her ¡®holy land¡¯?


    As they slowly made their way across the barrier and finally managed to regain their cultivation, their communication jades started to incessantly buzz with hundreds of unanswered calls from their mistress, making them sweat in fear for her safety since she would not call so much unless something really serious happened to her.


    Yan Xinyan immediately sent her Qi into the jade, making it connect directly to its counterpart which is with her mistress.


    Within seconds, the call connected as the distressed face of their mistress appeared.


    ¡°Where the hell did you two go!? Do you know how worried I was when you did not answer my summons for more than a few weeks??¡±


    The two siblings immediately knelt on the ground and started to speak.


    ¡°We are sorry for not answering your calls, mistress. But, we were caught in a bad situation and could do nothing about it.¡±


    ¡°Xinyan is right, mistress. We managed to find your niece, but the circumstances around her are quite complicated so we did not have a chance to contact you until now.¡±


    ¡°You found Yan Ling!?? Where is she- no, forget that. Just take her and bring her back. I¡¯ll hear the details later. I really need you all to get back to the holy land as soon as possible. Things have gone in a direction that I never could have imagined.¡±


    The urgency in Yan Huo¡¯er¡¯s voice made the siblings tense in worry.


    Yan Liehuo could not help but speak up.


    ¡°Mistress? What happened?¡±


    ¡°The Hidden Heavens Holy Land happened. Those bastards finally revealed why they were so cross with us when you two destroyed that sect all those months ago. Do you remember Huxing Liuyue?¡±


    ¡°You mean the daughter of the ¡®Bloody Seas¡¯ Huxing Lianhua? The one that ran away after some kind of conflict with the elders of the Hidden Heavens Holy Land? The one that was given the moniker of ¡®Raging Seas of the North¡¯ after her rampage in the Obsidian Valley Holy Land?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, her. Apparently, she was not dead like we were led to believe. Or rather, she did not die at that time but a few years after giving birth to a son. And guess where her son lived?¡±


    ¡°¡­.No</a> way!! If they knew where she was all these years, why did they not take her back!? Weren¡¯t they the laughingstock of the holy lands for letting one of their juniors steal their most important heritage and run away? Why did they not take the Heavenly Reversal Bead back along with their daughter?¡±


    ¡°Who the hell knows!? The important thing you need to know right now is that they recently came to know that her son is still alive and living in that backward empire where you two are.¡±


    The slightly frightened look on Yan Huo¡¯er¡¯s face made the siblings feel a chill travel down their spine.


    ¡°The Hidden Heavens Holy Land has fully mobilized all of their disciples and even called in all the favors that others owe them. They are now searching for this man throughout the continent and will not show any mercy to anyone who gets in their way. I need you two to take Yan Ling and come back as soon as possible so that you don¡¯t get caught in the crossfire.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Do</a> we know who this man is?¡±


    Yan Huo¡¯er nodded her head and showed the image of a fairy handsome man with black hair and eyes. The thing that stood out to the duo was just how similar he looked to Huxing Liuyue.


    Even without knowing about his relationship with her, they would only need to look at him once to directly figure out that he was related to that woman.


    ¡°Somehow, those bastards managed to find a picture of him before he left that sect. In the sect, he was supposedly known as Wang Xiang and was unaware of his true identity. The information they released is sparse so we don¡¯t have the full details, but it is highly likely that he may have changed his name by now and could be literally anywhere in that empire. The only reason I am telling you two any of this is because I need you two to stay away from this man. The Crimson Realm Holy Land cannot afford to offend the Hidden Heavens Holy Land in any way, and if this boy is anything like his mother and shares her battle lust, we are doomed!¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, Mistress, we will avoid contact with him at any cost. That aside, there is something that we must tell you.¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is, can wait until you three get here-¡°


    ¡°Mistress, Yan Ling, now going by Da Ling, has-¡°


    Before Yan Xinyan could continue her words, the image was suddenly cut off, startling the siblings before a tired voice rang out in their surroundings, making them stiffen up in surprise.


    ¡°Really, I overestimated your intelligence. I thought you two would be wise enough not to mention this incident to your higher-ups if only to keep your lives intact, but looks like your loyalty is more overwhelming than your survival instincts.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s there!?¡±


    The siblings suppressed the fear in their hearts as the sound of footsteps echoed around them, slowly approaching their location.


    However, when the figure was finally revealed under the moon light, they felt their fear be replaced by confusion.


    For facing them was the old man with a head full of white hair and a messy beard who was responsible for keeping an eye on them when they were kneeling at the center of the village.


    They recognized the old blacksmith and knew that he was a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment realm, a relatively high level in this area but not that much in comparison to what they were used to.


    Now that they were outside the barrier and could fully use their Soul Transformation realm cultivation, they could not understand how this old man still confidently stood in front of them.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    From what they overheard in the village, this old man was called ¡®Old Feng¡¯ by everyone and was the village¡¯s blacksmith.


    Looking between the calm old man and the communication jade that had stopped working, it did not take long before things clicked in their mind, making their temper explode.


    ¡°You damned old man!! What did you do!?¡±


    Old Feng simply raised his brow at those words before shrugging, making the siblings even more angry.


    However, the two had learned their lesson after these few weeks and did not recklessly put pressure on the old man through their cultivation, fearing that the barrier, despite being outside its influence, could do something to them should they be careless.


    Old Feng must have realized the reason for their caution because he laughed at their expression before smiling amusedly.


    ¡°Looks like you two are capable of learning. Good. This makes things simpler.¡±


    Suddenly, the old man turned serious, making the siblings feel chills despite knowing that the old man was not a threat to them.


    ¡°Leave this village and never reveal its location to anyone, even your mistress that you were talking to until now. Never look for little Ling again and tell your mistress that she is now the daughter of someone that you cannot afford to offend.¡±


    The old man made a peculiar expression as he looked into the distance.


    ¡°Seriously, don¡¯t piss him off. I have never seen a brat more bizarre than that guy and trust me, you do not want to be his enemy.¡±


    Yan Liehuo, being the bullheaded idiot he was, pushed down the strange fear that enveloped his heart and glared at the old man.


    ¡°And what gives you the right to order us around? Old man? If you have not noticed yet, we are outside the influence of your barrier and you are just a foundation establishment realm cultivator while we are Soul Transformation realm experts. You are like an ant that we can crush with just a thought.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that so? Why don¡¯t you try it then?¡±


    Suddenly, the old man took out a massive, plain looking-hammer, from his storage ring and held a casual stance, clearly looking down on the Yan siblings.


    And yet, they did not act. Because the moment the hammer came out, they immediately sensed the power held within the weapon, clearly informing them that it was at least an Earth-grade, maybe even a Heaven-grade, weapon.


    More importantly, they clearly recognized that hammer and they could not help but take a step back in abject terror.


    ¡°Y-You! How do you have that hammer!? Who are you!?¡±


    The old man gave an amused and self-deprecating smile.


    ¡°Just an old man living out the last years of his life in this peaceful place. And as for my name, I suspect you already know it if you can recognize my hammer.¡±


    ¡°¡­..Feng Tianyan. The divine blacksmith of the Obsidian Valley.¡±


    Yan Liehuo moved forward with rage, ignoring the awe-filled whisper of his sister.


    ¡°Impossible! Fen Tianyan is dead, the Obsidian Valley confirmed it themselves. After he was falsely accused and stripped of his cultivation because of internal politics, he was killed by his enemies. So, tell me the truth, who are you, or don¡¯t blame me for being impolite!¡±


    ¡°Ah! The ignorance of youth. Come then, show me what your being ¡®impolite¡¯ looks like.¡±


    Yan Liehuo could hold back no longer as the humiliation he had endured throughout the last few weeks, the fear for his mistress¡¯s safety, the helplessness he felt when Da Ling refused to come back with him, and now this, combined together finally made him explode.


    With his full cultivation packed behind his attack, he sent forth a straight punch with enough force to level a mountain.


    And yet, this force that was equivalent to a natural disaster was casually defeated when Old Feng swung his hammer and hit Yan Liehuo, making him bounce like a baseball hit by a batter, and shooting him into the distance.


    ¡°Liehuo!¡±


    Yan Xinyan tried to go after her brother but was forced to stay put when overwhelming killing intent locked onto the woman, making her look at the old man with abject fear.


    Reading in the records that this old man¡¯s killing intent could make even rampaging demonic beasts freeze in terror was one thing, to experience it personally was something else altogether.


    And yet, it made sense to the woman since this man¡¯s lineage was no secret to all the Holy Lands.


    It is said that during the first era, also known as the Age of Chaos, there existed many races of sapient beings in this world. Some, are born with superior bodies, others with superior spirit roots. Some races were born of a specific elemental Qi while others were unmatched body cultivators.


    Out of these countless different races, there were five races that stood at the pinnacle of the world in those times.


    The Forest folk, elemental beings born from Wood Qi that took on a humanoid form with long, pointy ears and unmatched mastery of Wood Qi cultivation.


    The Giants. Beings that were masters of the Earth Qi and capable of collapsing the very ground beneath them with a single stomp. Beings of unmatched strength yet also unmatched in the art of spiritual blacksmithing.


    The Sea Tribes, beings born from the abundant Water Qi of the oceans and as a result, are unmatched in manipulating anything related to water. Their ability to easily transition from a humanoid form to that of an aquatic creature gives them the ability to easily travel across the oceans as they please. It also gave them unmatched wealth as they alone could monopolize the treasures hidden beneath the waves.


    The Puppet race, is creatures born from the abundant Metal Qi found beneath the earth and the ability to manipulate any metal in their surroundings. Their bodies are made entirely out of spiritual metals allowing them to easily tunnel beneath the earth and live peacefully.


    And finally, the Fire spirits. Another race of elemental beings that were born from the Fire Qi of the volcanos and magma beneath the earth. These beings, being made of pure Qi, could take any form they liked, but most of the time, they took on the form of serpentine creatures that closely resembled the Dragons of the second and third eras.


    Some even speculate that the Dragons were born based on the images of the Fire Spirits.


    It is believed that in those chaotic times, humans were nothing more than food for the other races and led lives similar to livestock.


    Not much is known about those times except for the fact that something happened that dramatically reduced the power of these other races and eventually led them to go extinct, allowing humans to finally become the leaders of the continent.


    Now, why was all of this important? Because the man standing in front of her, Feng Tianyan, is a man who is said to possess the bloodline of the Giants form the first era, making him unmatched in physical power and blacksmithing ability.


    It was believed that these abilities played a large role in his rise to fame as the Divine Blacksmith, the spiritual blacksmith without equal in the entire continent.


    The old man glared at Yan Xinyan as he slowly spoke out.


    ¡°I will repeat again. Leave, and never come back. Never mention this village¡¯s existence, and never tell your mistress about Da Ling¡¯s whereabouts. If you do, you already know what happens. After all, you don¡¯t want to end up like my old enemies, do you?¡±


    Yan Xinyan frantically nodded her head, knowing better than anyone what happens when the divine blacksmith is enraged.


    The number of experts that were flattened into a paste by his hammer was not low in number and she definitely did not want to become like them.


    ¡°Good. Now, leave.¡±


    She did not even waste a single second and directly shot towards her brother.


    Watching the Yan siblings disappear into the distance, Old Feng sighed tiredly and put away his hammer, finally allowing himself to curse as the pain of forcefully using his treasured weapon despite his cultivation not supporting such exertion caught up to him.


    ¡°Damn it, Da Wei! You owe me some of the better stuff from your stash of wines for making me exert myself so much.¡±


    The old man grumbled as she slowly walked back home, but he could not help but smile wryly.


    ¡°Still, who would have thought that you are a direct descendant of the Hidden Heavens Holy Land? With Da Ling, me, and you, we have three of the four holy land¡¯s people present in the village.¡±


    Old Feng laughed a little as he continued walking home.


    ¡°How interesting.¡±


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 Chapter 30 (Vol-2)

    Yin Haoran, the third prince of the Yin Long empire, felt utterly bewildered as he arrived at the secret realm near the capital of the Baihu Empire.


    From what he remembered of the future, this year¡¯s opening of the Secret Realm was supposed to be a relatively calm affair if you could call the massacre of nearly 40% of the young geniuses sent into it a ¡®calm affair¡¯.


    Sadly, such things are indeed considered nothing much on the path of cultivation.


    He still remembers clearly, of his experiences from a future that is no longer of any concern to him.


    He remembers how he was sent into this secret realm as an attempt made by his sister to both appease the Baihu Empire and to try and get some use out of him instead of indulging in his debauchery.


    He still remembers how the people of the Baihu empire cleanly stabbed his forces in the back once they crossed the threshold of the secret realm, instantly reducing him to a helpless man at the mercy of his enemies.


    For a time, he was convinced that this was exactly his sister¡¯s plan, to end him and tie up the last loose end that would pose a threat to her status as the Empress, following their cruel and heartless mother¡¯s teachings perfectly.


    Of course, those assumptions would be proven wrong later on but that is not of concern to Yin Haoran.


    What he is truly concerned about, is the fateful meeting with the woman he fell for in that secret realm.


    When he was trapped in a helpless situation, being assaulted by the forces of the Baihu Empire for his heritage and the hatred that the Baihu Empire held for the Yin Long Empire since the war between the two empires had already begun and was in full swing in that timeline, she had appeared out of nowhere and saved his life.


    She had used her techniques to spirit him away to her hiding place within this secret realm where she was hiding from her father and his forces.


    An ancient ruin that housed not one, but two Natural Treasures, one of which happened to be the Starlight Essence Dew, the treasure that allowed him to escape the destruction of his empire at the hands of the stupid mortals and that demon while his family and everyone he cared for succumbed to his schemes.


    But now, after finally finding the time to arrive at the fateful place that changed his future, he found that things were completely different from what he remembered.


    Gone were the sparse warriors that protected the entrance to the secret realm. Gone was the small collection of cultivators and mortals that bought and sold goods found from within the secret realms. Gone are the lazy elders of the various forces in the Baihu Empire who were there to overlook the life and death of their disciples.


    In their place was a powerful force of cultivators, all of whom were in the Core Formation realm at the very least. Aside from them, He also spotted a large collection of Nascent Soul realm masters, which was already a ridiculous number for this region of the continent.


    The area around the secret realm had been cleared out, removing the traders, both mortal and cultivators, along with pushing the Elders of the various forces out. A feat that should not have been possible since this was the territory of the Baihu Empire, the home territory of these forces.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Finally, as Yin Haoran and his followers finally got close enough for their enhanced eyes to catch the attire of these forces, he could not help but swallow nervously.


    ¡®What the hell are the Autumn Fang Holy Land¡¯s people doing here??¡¯


    He was not the only one whose mind held this question as his followers, which consisted of various warriors who he knew from his future knowledge and that girl, Yun Xin, who still served as his maid.


    Initially, he had planned to discard her the moment he had his revenge on Huxing Xiang, that demon. But, as time went on, he finally decided to keep her by his side for now.


    Her cultivation potential was relatively high, with her single attribute spirit root which specializes in the Ice element. This meant that she could become a reliable fighter under his command with proper grooming.


    It also helped that she was pleasing to the eye and he could use her to provoke Huxing Xiang when he finally ran into that demon again because he knew how much the broken marriage between those two affected the demon¡¯s mentality during these years when the memory was still fresh in that demon¡¯s memory.


    As his airship approached the secret realm, the people of the Holy Land instantly locked in on his forces with a squad directly flying to his ship.


    ¡°This place is currently restricted. Turn around and retreat for ten Li or don¡¯t blame us for being rude.¡±


    Yin Haoran knew that these people were not joking and really would kill them all if he did not comply, that was just how the Holy Lands operated. Anyone who opposed them even slightly would be annihilated along with every living member of their family.


    He bowed to the men and spoke in a tone unfit for a prince.


    ¡°I understand. But, before I retreat, can I trouble the seniors to tell me why this place is currently restricted? I was hoping to enter the secret realm to hone my skills along with those of my followers.¡±


    The men were clearly pleased with the way the prince treated them so they relaxed slightly.


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t tell you too much but we can tell you what is already known to everyone above a certain level. We are currently searching for the heir of the Hidden Heavens Holy Land who is inside the Secret Realm. We are going to invite him back to the Autumn Fang Holy Land for getting acquitted before he is sent back to his homeland.¡±


    Instantly, Yin Haoran felt his stomach drop at those words since he knew that there were only three heirs for the Hidden Heavens Holy Land that were deemed suitable enough to inherit the position of the Master of the Holy Land, two of which would never leave the holy land due to their personal circumstances.


    This meant that the last heir, the demon who haunts his nightmares every night, Huxing Xiang, was here.


    ¡®That demon is in the secret realm. The same secret realm where Mo Qingyin is supposed to be hiding.¡¯


    ¡®He is where he is not supposed to be in this time¡­.HE IS NEAR THE WOMAN I LOVE!! HE IS GOING TO KILL HER AGAIN!!¡¯


    Sheer panic consumed the prince¡¯s mind as he instantly operated the Royal Family cultivation technique, the Radiant Light Art, and used one of its techniques, the Illuminating Aura, to turn into a stream of light, directly reaching speeds that no one below the Void Refinement Realm could hope to reach.


    The forces of the Holy Land instantly became alert and tried to chase him but they could do nothing but watch helplessly as he disappeared into the secret realm.


    It has to be said that the followers that Yin Haoran picked up were truly worthy of his attention.


    The moment they saw their master make a break for it, they realized that staying here any longer would be detrimental to their health, prompting them to directly abandon the airship and use the escape artifacts given to them by the prince to directly shoot into the distance at similar speeds to the Prince.


    The end result was a group of Core Formation realm and Nascent Soul realm experts who could do nothing but fume in pure rage, taking out their anger on the poor airship and reducing it to dust.


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 Chapter 31 (Vol-2)

    These guys are really persistent.¡¯


    ¡®That they are, but the question still stands, what do they really want?¡¯


    ¡®Whatever it is, they better get it over with quickly. Their constant appearance within the range of my senses is pissing me off and making me unable to concentrate on my conversation with Lingxi.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.is that really a priority right now?¡¯


    ¡®To me? Yeah, it is. I mean, this is the first time that I¡¯ve ever felt like this and I don¡¯t want distractions when I try to figure this out.¡¯


    Xiang fell silent at my words but I could still feel his amusement through our connection.


    Ever since we left the ruins and headed towards the exit of the secret realm, I¡¯ve spent all of my time with Lingxi, indulging in this new type of love that I¡¯ve never felt before.


    It may seem like an exaggeration on my part but it is simply the truth. I am not some fool who never had a girlfriend or something like that. In fact, there was once a time in my old world, when I was still in the initial stages of my career when I fell in love.


    Then, things slowly fell apart as we realized over time that what we felt was more of an infatuation than real love and that we simply did not fit with each other.


    She wanted a life where I was around more instead of spending eight hours a day, five days a week, working at my firm. She did not want the money I earned through such work and neither did she look at me with suspicious eyes, thinking that I was keeping things from her or cheating on her.


    She was a simple woman with simple demands, one that anyone would have considered the greatest treasure of their lives.


    And of course, being the fool I was back then, I squandered that luck and turned my back on her for the sake of achieving social status and wealth.


    My vision of the world simply did not align with hers and whatever feelings we had for each other faded with time.


    There was no big fight, no argument or falling out. We simply sat down and talked like adults, and went our separate ways.


    Hell, she did not even take any money or even a fraction of my property in the split, saying that she did not help earn that money and as such had no right over any of it.


    The point is, even with such a wonderful woman, the only woman that I ever allowed to walk into and out of my life throughout the nearly eight decades I spent on Earth, I never experienced what I am feeling right now.


    I know that part of the reason is because we are cultivators, which makes us much more in tune with our emotions, but I can¡¯t help but think that the rest of the reason is that I am a changed man. That I am no longer that ruthless and cruel man from Earth but one who has learned to let go of the past and live in the present.


    It is truly confusing and exhilarating to try to untangle this mess of emotions that I feel about Lingxi, which is the reason why I am so focused on spending time with her.


    And yet, this happiness did not last long.


    Ever since we approached the entrance that was only a few dozen miles away from us, I felt a large group of cultivators tailing us.


    This group always kept a distance from us, so far that not even someone in the Soul Transformation realm could sense them, except for me who is now able to sense everything in a radius of a few hundred miles.


    This group is made up of a few dozen Core Formation realm cultivators, a few Nascent Soul realm masters, and even a Soul Transformation realm expert. A powerful force that would be quite formidable no matter where they went on the continent.


    And yet, I could also tell that they were all suppressed by the rules of the Secret Realm thanks to the heavily congested flow of their Qi within their bodies.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    This meant that, despite their true cultivation, they were not even a threat to Yin Lingxi, much less me since I could freely use my cultivation without any suppression for some reason.


    However, even though they don¡¯t pose any threat to us, I still can¡¯t help but feel angry since their constant presence is grating on my nerves thanks to my paranoid and cautious personality.


    It also does not help that I am sensing a lot of movement from the entrance of the secret realm that I could already feel with my senses.


    I felt a tap on my shoulder, making me look up at Yin Lingxi who walked around and sat by my side.


    ¡°What are you thinking so deeply about?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much. I¡¯ve been picking up on a lot of movement around the entrance and some cultivators following us. I¡¯m just thinking if I should confront them to see what they really want.¡±


    She chuckled at my words.


    ¡°No need. They might just be loose cultivators looking to make a profit off of us. In which case they will reveal themselves sooner or later and try to rob us. We¡¯ll just take care of them at that time.¡±


    ¡°¡­And what if they are the forces of the Baihu Empire or those from our Empire sent by either of your brothers?¡±


    The cold smile she gave me sent shivers down my spine since that expression fit way too much on her face. A fact that I did not like. Not one bit.


    ¡°Then, let me handle them.¡±


    I kept silent and allowed her to lean into the chair and put her head on my shoulder.


    I did not want her to be forced to take such ruthless actions for either of our sakes, not when I am already strong enough to take care of any problems that head our way.


    ¡®David. Don¡¯t think that you are invincible just because you are Soul Transformation realm master now. Remember, the Holy Lands have ancient cultivators that have been at the peak of the Void Refinement realm for hundreds, maybe even thousands of years. Even our newly discovered ¡®family¡¯ has at least a dozen Void Refinement realm masters.¡¯


    ¡®I know, Xiang. But those old monsters rarely leave their hidden abodes unless things are very dire. I mean, remember the invasion? Those bastards did not even make an appearance in your timeline despite the continent being on the verge of being swallowed up by those foreign entities.¡¯


    ¡®Things were different back then. I remember hearing the news that the holy lands were in some kind of turmoil in those times and could not afford to divert their attention elsewhere.¡¯


    ¡®Whatever the case may be. I still think I have enough power right now to help Yin Lingxi deal with most threats and problems she may face now. And if there really is some guy with Void Refinement realm who comes after us, I can simply take her and run away, right?¡¯


    ¡®¡­.It is ultimately your choice on how you live your life, David. But take this advice from me, don¡¯t be blinded by the power of your cultivation, and think that you can do anything you want. I don¡¯t want you to lose what makes you unique in this world.¡¯


    I felt the weight of his words as I started meditating immediately, looking within myself to see if he was right and I had let my power go to my head.


    Thankfully, it was not the case since I could not find any kind of unnatural interference within my brain or my soul, which meant that this newfound arrogance was solely my own fault, something that I would have to work on.


    ¡®Thanks, Xiang.¡¯


    ¡®I am just doing what I promised you all those years ago. Besides, I don¡¯t want to see my younger self repeat the same mistakes that I made which led to my fate. It is the least I can do for you after you gave me a chance at redemption despite knowing my past and the atrocities I committed in my life.¡¯


    ¡®Everyone makes mistakes, Xiang. What separates a man from a monster is whether they can learn from their mistakes, and their crimes, and strive to make up for them in any way they can. I do not regret giving you a chance to fix your mistakes since you have already proven to me that you are capable of change, so, don¡¯t mention anything about debts between us any longer.¡¯


    The complicated mess of emotions that I felt from him spiked for a few minutes before settling down as I felt him retreat deeper into the bead and loose himself in his meditation which made me smile.


    Moments like these always prove that he and I are the same person, moments where he displays behavior characteristics that I know all too well since I have them as well. Such as right now where he could not handle the compliment I gave him and chose to ignore it completely, something that I tend to do as well.


    Suddenly, I felt a cultivator in the Core Formation realm fly into the secret realm at speeds that should not be possible for someone in that realm.


    But it was not his speed that caught my attention.


    No, it was the sudden change in the group that was following me shortly after this person entered the realm.


    The sudden movement is too much for me to think of as a coincidence, which meant that either this group was not made up of loose cultivators or that they had some kind of a force backing them from the outside.


    Both scenarios are concerning but I did not have the time to think much about it since the group following us suddenly sped up.


    At the speeds they are traveling, they will reach us in a matter of a few seconds at most.


    Yin Lingxi suddenly sat up and looked behind us, indicating that she had sensed them as well as they rapidly traveled toward us.


    ¡®Looks like we will get our answers much sooner than anticipated.¡¯


    ¡®Yup.¡¯


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 Chapter 32 (Vol-2)

    Yin Lingxi sensed them when they were just a few seconds away from their airship.


    A large group of cultivators made up of core formation realm experts, Nascent Soul realm masters, and someone whose cultivation she could not tell.


    A formidable group that would bring despair to whoever they targeted.


    Thankfully, they were inside the secret realm where their cultivation was restricted to the peak of the Core Formation realm and even then, they could only exert force equivalently to the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm thanks to the rules of this place.


    However, she was still worried about the person with unknown cultivation since he or she could pose a serious problem if they were in the Soul Transformation realm or above.


    She turned to her side to see how her beloved responded to this threat, only to see an intrigued look on his face as he turned in another direction, away from the approaching group.


    ¡°Wei? Where are you looking?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh! Nothing, I just sensed something strange. Putting that aside, do you want to retreat into our room for some rest while I deal with these people?¡±


    Yin Lingxi gave him a playful glare and smacked his shoulder.


    ¡°I am not some helpless beauty that you need to look out for. Besides, this could be a good opportunity to test out my new powers on live targets instead of training against you which does not help me understand my true limits.¡±


    Da Wei laughed at her words before sitting down.


    ¡°Alright. Have fun.¡±


    She felt her heart soar at the trust he showed with this gesture, once again making her realize why she fell in love with this man.


    In this world of cultivation, it was sadly common for women to be looked down upon no matter their power or status due to how their culture had evolved over the years. It was even worse for cultivators since most of the ancestors and leaders of the various forces counted their lives in hundreds or thousands of years, making their views on things extremely traditional and biased.


    But Da Wei was different. He never looked down on Yin Lingxi and neither did he ever take advantage of her. He never tried to act superior because he is stronger and neither did he ever try to be overprotective of her, as if she were a delicate vase that would be shattered with the slightest touch.


    Even with their relationship now confirmed, he never tried to be dominant over her like most men did with their lovers, and neither did he try to push his view of things on her.


    Yin Lingxi could not even name a single man who had such qualities which went to show how unique he was.


    Shaking her head to get rid of those distracting thoughts, she turned back towards the back, just in time for a group of cultivators to land on their airship.


    Normally, something like this would have been impossible since Da Wei had crammed hundreds of defensive formations onto his personal airship, including barriers meant to keep out unwanted intruders. But, he disabled some of these barriers to allow these people entry which was the only reason they landed on the airship and were not splattered all over the hard light shield around the ship.


    Instantly, Yin Lingxi and Da Wei noticed that it was not just one group that was following them, but two.


    One of them had higher numbers but a lower cultivation realm overall with eighteen cultivators in total, six of them in the core formation realm and twelve in the Nascent Soul peak. They were also dressed in pure black clothing with masks and artifacts that kept Da Wei and Yin Lingxi from identifying who they were.


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    The other group was much smaller and wore luxurious robes and trinkets. This group was only made up of six people but they were all in the Nascent Soul realm with their leader being in the Soul Transformation realm.


    It was also evident that the two groups had completely different objectives from the get-go.


    The group with the luxurious robes bowed towards Da Wei and started to speak.


    ¡°Young Master Huxing-¡°


    Before they could complete their words, the other group moved and the airship erupted into chaos.


    With blades that reeked of foul essence to Da Wei¡¯s senses, they plunged forward in a messy and oddly coordinated way. Half of them, those in the lower cultivation realms, rushed Yin Lingxi while the other half rushed towards Da Wei, intending to kill the two people on the spot.


    ¡°YOU!!¡±


    The enraged roar of the Soul Transformation expert had barely rang out across the ship before Yin Lingxi moved.


    With a burst of Qi, the airship was suddenly engulfed by an oppressive feeling and crystal-clear liquid that completely trapped the assailants in their place.


    With a wave of her hand, the liquid instantly broke through whatever artifact these people used to hide their identities along with the masks and clothing, leaving them nearly naked while also revealing a small seal on their backs, a seal that she recognized instantly.


    ¡°Oh? I never realized that the Baihu Empire was bold enough to attack an Empress in such an underhanded way. I thought Baihu Hankai was a straightforward man but it seems I thought wrong, right? Wei?¡±


    Da Wei relaxed in his chair and chuckled, completely unaffected by the liquid surrounding him thanks to Yin Lingxi¡¯s conscious control over the treasure.


    ¡°Yeah. Looks like he could not risk losing this chance to kill you even if he had to use assassins for it. What do you want to do with them?¡±


    ¡°What do you wish?¡±


    Da Wei smiled, knowing exactly what was going on through her head.


    He knew that Yin Lingxi thought of him as a person who was too na?ve and did not like bloodshed while viewing herself as someone extremely ruthless. A baseless thought process but one that he could not change since she would not recognize the truth unless she witnessed it personally.


    ¡°Lingxi, I am not na?ve and I know exactly what you are thinking. No matter what you do, my opinion of you won¡¯t change.¡±


    That was all the confirmation that she needed as she grinned savagely and operated the natural treasure expertly.


    Under the horrified gaze of the other group of cultivators, the assassins were slowly crushed into a paste by the increasing pressure of the liquid until all that was left was a pile of meat.


    The crazed grin on her face sent chills down the spines of this group as they now looked at her with a trace of fear.


    ¡®No wonder young master Huxing took her as his own. This kind of ruthlessness and talent is indeed worthy of being a part of the Holy Land. It is a pity she was not born in our own Holy Land. We could have used her hand in marriage as a way to strengthen ties with the Hidden Heavens Holy Land.¡¯


    The leader of the group, Commander Luo, made sure to carve her figure and appearance into his heart so that he would report back to his master after this expedition and make sure to keep an eye on her in the future for any opportunities.


    Da Wei turned towards the other group while Yin Lingxi retracted the Starlight Essence Dew into her body.


    Somehow, the calm smile on his face appeared extremely threatening to this group of people.


    ¡°Sorry about the mess. So, you were about to identify yourself right? Please, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°¡­..of course, young master Huxing. I am Commander Luo from Autumn Fang Holy Land and we have come here to invite you back to our holy land for a visit.¡±


    ¡°Not interested, you can go back now.¡±


    The dumbfounded look on his face made Yin Lingxi chuckle but she relaxed quickly when she sat down beside Da Wei and he took her hand into his own.


    As the group tried to understand what they were supposed to do now, Yin Lingxi secretly sent a transmission to her beloved.


    ¡®You are really good at acting, Wei. I thought you would give us away when I killed those assassins in such a brutal way, or that you would openly be disgusted by my actions.¡¯


    ¡®¡­While your method was indeed too cruel, you should also know by now that I only care about the lives of those I love. Besides, they were assassins who were after our lives, you don¡¯t need to justify your actions to me.¡¯


    Yin Lingxi smiled at those words and silently leaned on him.


    ¡®So, do you really not want to go with them to find your family?¡¯


    ¡®Not really. I don¡¯t need a family that I never knew about until recently when I already have a loving family waiting for me. How can a holy land compare to a loving daughter, a beloved woman who crossed thousands of Li with me for the sole reason of spending time with me, and a village that looks at me as their pillar of support?¡±


    He received no response to his words, but he did feel Yin Lingxi¡¯s hold on his hand grow stronger as she leaned more on him.


    The couple sat there like this, making the group of cultivators green with envy while they contemplated their next course of actions.


    All the while, an extraordinary meeting was taking place a few miles away from them.


    <hr><hr>


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 Chapter 33 (Vol-2)

    As Yin Haoran flew with the maximum speed allowed by his cultivation, his mind was only dominated by fighting the demon to death to save his love.


    But, he could not hold onto these thoughts for long.


    Just a few miles off the entrance to the secret realm, he was suddenly intercepted by a force that felt familiar but different.


    ¡°Wha-!?¡±


    The prince of the Yin Long empire did not even have the time to scream before a black blur crashed into him and took him in a different direction.


    In a matter of mere seconds, the precious time it took for the disoriented prince to regain his bearings, they had already flashed at least a hundred miles away from the demon he wanted to fight.


    ¡°Who are you!? Let me go!!¡±


    ¡°¡­..I am sorry but I can¡¯t let you get yourself killed.¡±


    The familiarity of the voice stunned the prince before he stopped struggling, allowing the blur to land in the forest below, the canopy only allowing beams of light to pass through that further highlighted the figure that basically kidnapped him.


    Her figure was just as beautiful as ever, with her long black hair flowing behind her while her black eyes held longing and sadness within them. Her beauty which could rival even his sister marred by the tiredness from whatever she had been doing.


    Mo Qingyin, the daughter of the heavenly demon, Mo Yexuan, looked sadly at the prince.


    ¡°I apologize, but I cannot allow you to-¡°


    Whatever she was going to say was forgotten as Yin Haoran crashed into her with a tight hug, the young but old prince slightly trembled with suppressed anguish within his heart.


    Without the need for words, the woman instantly understood what was going on and the light returned to her eyes as they misted over with emotion, making her reciprocate the hug even tighter.


    ¡°You came back as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I woke up nearly a year ago.¡±


    Mo Qingyin smiled at the words of her lover.


    How much had she longed to hear his voice? How much had she longed for his touch like this? How long had she dreamed of a scenario where he would suddenly appear at Huxing Xiang¡¯s abode and take her away from that place?


    How much had she longed to see him one last time before everything went wrong because of that monster that she called a father?


    When she was forced by her father to cultivate Blood Qi arts or watch him kill her disciple, she had no choice but to follow his words and cultivate the arts that she had abhorred all her life.


    Satisfied and deriving pleasure from her ruin, that monster left her alone with her disciple, knowing that she would now be forced to kill her disciple with her own hands and drain his essence for herself because if she didn¡¯t do so, she would turn into a mindless demon that thirsted for the blood essence of mortals and cultivators alike.


    So, with her sheer willpower, she held back the technique¡¯s influence and begged Huxing Xiang to kill her with his own hands before she was consumed by the demonic arts and did something truly regrettable.


    Watching the tear-stained face of her disciple as he reluctantly complied and remembering his maddened and despair-filled howls, she had thought that this was it for her, making her feel regret for not being able to say goodbye to Yin Haoran.


    But, who would have imagined that she would wake up in the distant past like this?


    Back before everything changed, back before the fateful day she had taken in a wandering loose cultivator as her disciple because of how miserable she found him, because she saw the same kind of helplessness in him that she felt every day under her father.


    Back before the same beloved disciple of hers locked her up within his abode located in a remote corner of the continent, hoping to isolate them from the rest of the world and keep her away from her love, thinking that, with time, her feelings for Yin Haoran would disappear and finally give Huxing Xiang a chance to prove that he was better than her current lover in every way.


    And yet, even after being reborn, even after everything that happened, she did not blame Huxing Xiang for what he did.


    She had known about his admiration and budding love for her for a long time before he knew it himself. And yet, she chose to do nothing about it, to not make things clear between them, so the blame lies solely with her for what happened afterward.


    As someone who was in love herself, she knew better than anyone how unreasonable love can be for a cultivator, especially those who cultivate the dark arts like herself and her disciple.


    But still, the shadow of his actions was still there on her heart, that was why, she never sought him out despite knowing exactly where he was because of the unique connection they shared and the threads of fate that bound them.


    Unlike the orthodox path that strictly dealt with the material world and the power of the elements, the unorthodox and demonic paths focused more on the esoteric aspects of existence, including things such as fate, predictions, and other such things.


    It was also because of the destructive potential these arts held that the demonic path is so heavily despised by the orthodox path and the unorthodox path is heavily frowned upon.


    Shaking her head to get rid of those thoughts, she turned up to see the face of her lover who was still trembling while holding her to his chest.


    ¡°Haoran, calm down, I am here and I am never leaving you again. But, this is not the time for us to relish in our reunion, we need to get out of here right now.¡±


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    The urgency in her tone brought the prince out of his chaotic thoughts and he instantly became alert.


    ¡°What? Why? Did that demon find you already? Don¡¯t worry, I am sure I can take him right now and keep you safe. He will not take you away from me again.¡±


    Mo Qingyin shook her head at his words.


    ¡°No. While my former disciple is indeed in this secret realm, he has no idea that I am here as well. After all, you were the only one who ever knew about my hiding place in this realm before I met Huxing Xiang.¡±


    ¡°Then, what is the problem?¡±


    ¡°The problem is that things have changed this time around.¡±


    Those words made the prince fall into silence before he spoke up again.


    ¡°That reminds me, Yin¡¯er, do you know anything about how we came back in the first place?¡±


    Mo Qingyin¡¯s eyes flashed with worry before she spoke.


    ¡°I have an idea but I am not certain if my theory is correct.¡±


    ¡°A theory is better than knowing nothing, tell me about it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I think it has to do with that foreign technique that we gave to Yan Ling.¡±


    Yin Haoran could not hide his shock at those words.


    ¡°You mean the prodigy from the Crimson Realm Holy Land? What does the technique we gave her have anything to do with our current situation?¡±


    Mo Qingyin gave a wry smile at her lover¡¯s question.


    ¡°Did you forget that the techniques used by the invaders are all based on the concepts of space and time? That was why it took me nearly a decade to modify the damned thing so that it was usable by humans and then gave it to that girl so that she could one day defeat Huxing Xiang.¡±


    The despair that she felt as she spoke those words was palpable, prompting Yin Haoran to embrace her once again as she started to sob into his chest.


    In her life, there were many things that she regretted, but the greatest regret and guilt she felt even when she was on the verge of death was the fact that she had consciously played a hand in ensuring the defeat of her own disciple.


    In those days, she never blamed Huxing Xiang for locking her up in his abode, keeping her from her lover. But, what she did blame him for, were the actions that resulted in the death of countless innocents and painted him as an even worse monster than her father.


    In his thirst for revenge, he ravaged and entire empire and made it collapse on itself. Worse yet, the empire in question was the home of her lover, how could she not be affected by something like that?


    So, she used her many techniques to secretly correspond with Yin Haoran to smuggle out resources given to her by Huxing Xiang, helping him establish a force that would help her lover deal with her disciple, and take her away.


    And yet, all was for naught as she died before she could even see the plan come to fruition.


    Yin Haoran¡¯s expression took on a contemplative look before he nodded.


    ¡°That makes sense. Still, why did it affect us? I mean, you were killed by that demon a long time before the final confrontation, and I, I died along with the team I assembled to fight him shortly after his and Yan Ling¡¯s death.¡±


    Suddenly, Mo Qingyin felt a suffocating sensation as her vision blurred. Her mind filtering out everything and only holding onto some of the words spoken by her lover.


    ¡°You died? Xiang went on a rampage? Final confrontation? Yin Haoran, speak clearly! What happened after I died!?¡±


    Yin Haoran smiled bitterly, knowing that she would not stop until he told her everything, and he couldn¡¯t even lie to her or omit any details since she had the terrifying ability to tell the truth from lies, even lies by omission were useless in front of her.


    ¡°¡­.After he killed you, that demon went on a rampage across the continent, killing every cultivator he came across, no matter if they were orthodox, unorthodox, or demonic. Meanwhile, Mo Yexuan, took advantage of the chaos to further solidify his powerbase and indulged himself in his sick pleasures.¡±


    ¡°It was a time of great despair for the entire continent. Later on, he killed Mo Yexuan and became the new Heavenly Demon.¡±


    Mo Qingyin nearly collapsed at those words, but held on as Yin Haoran took a deep breath and continued to speak.


    ¡°He started cultivating Blood Qi arts and rapidly enhanced his power. For nearly a thousand years, the continent lived under his shadow. Finally, once we were done preparing and were confident, I led our team along with that girl, Yan Ling, to end his threat.¡±


    The twisted look on Yin Haoran¡¯s face made Mo Qingyin¡¯s heart drop as despair clouded her mind.


    ¡°We won. We all sustained fatal injuries and died one by one shortly after the battle, but we won. Yan Ling delivered the last blow by piercing his heart with her sword. That is the last memory I have before I succumbed to my wounds.¡±


    She could not hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground, wailing in heartbreak.


    She had indeed helped her lover form a team to defeat her disciple so that she could escape from him, but she never meant to kill him. How could she even think of doing something like that when they had spent decades together as master and disciple?


    It was already heartbreaking for her to learn that he had gone mad after her death, but to learn that her lover personally helped kill her disciple, her heart simply could not take it as she broke down.


    For a long time, her wails of despair echoed across the forest and Yin Haoran simply held her tightly, knowing that he could not do anything to help her and that he could not lie to her, saying that he regretted his actions when he really did not regret his part in orchestrating Huxing Xiang¡¯s death.


    <hr>


    ¡®¡­¡­I see. So that was why those kids were so well equipped and wielded weapons that were exactly matched to suppress my art back then.¡±


    The despair and self-deprecating tone I heard from Xiang made me feel really bad. I could not help but feel pity for my older self.


    It is one thing to be hated by everyone else, but to be hated and schemed against by his own master? That must hurt more than I can imagine.


    I can¡¯t even bring myself to imagine what I would feel if I were in the same place.


    Now, I don¡¯t even know if I made the right choice when I decided to use my newly enhanced senses to keep an eye on Yin Haoran when I felt him being taken away mid-flight when Yin Lingxi was dealing with the assassins on the airship.


    Perhaps, it would have been better to not know of Mo Qingyin and Yin Haoran¡¯s existence and their knowledge of the future.


    Ignorance is bliss, as they say.


    But, now that things have progressed to such a state, we can¡¯t really ignore it anymore.


    ¡®What do you think about Mo Qingyin¡¯s theory? Do you think it holds any merit?¡±


    ¡®¡­I don¡¯t know. I always thought that our situation was caused by the Heavenly Reversal Bead, but this new information is something that we will have to validate step by step. Worse yet, we don¡¯t know what kind of modifications my master made to that accursed foreign technique.¡¯


    ¡®And even if we did have access to that knowledge, there is no guarantee that we would know what to look for. Your master was a genius in terms of understanding techniques and was without equal in your life.¡¯


    ¡®True. The decades it would take me to modify a Heaven-Grade technique, she would do in a matter of weeks. After all, her brilliance was one of the many reasons why I fell in love with her in the first place.¡¯


    Once again, I felt the dark emotions he felt as he lost himself in those memories, making me stop asking questions and let him be.


    It will take time for him to recover from this devastating blow to his mind.


    For now, I think it is better if I keep away from those two and let Xiang recover.


    Fortunately, I still have the issue of dealing with the holy lands, so that should give us plenty of time to work through his issues.


    I just hope that I never have to suffer the tragic life that my older self has.


    I don¡¯t think I have the willpower to endure that kind of despair.


    With those thoughts in my mind, I turned back to the forces of the Holy Land that were tied up like dumplings by Yin Lingxi after they tried to force me into accepting their invitation by subtly threatening her safety.


    The tired grin I held on my face must have been something truly scary since the people of the holy land flinched as I directed my gaze at them.


    ¡°Now then, shall we talk about how you should not threaten the loved ones of someone more powerful than you?¡±


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 Chapter 34 (Vol-2)

    Baihu Jianxiao, the current crown prince of the Baihu Empire scowled at his father who kept glaring at the entrance to the secret realm, silently communicating with someone.


    The prince was so very close, close to finding that mysterious man with no blood Qi on his body, when he was suddenly brought out by his father¡¯s forces.


    His inner beast refused to let go of his prey and the prince agreed, so he wanted to fight it out with his father¡¯s forces.


    Unfortunately, no matter how powerful, a peak Core Formation realm expert can never face an entire group of Nascent Soul realm masters, especially when they are part of the Night Guards, the elite forces of the Baihu Empire.


    In the end, he was tied up like a child and brought straight to his father.


    The Emperor was finally done communicating with his forces and making countermeasures, allowing him some time to deal with his rebellious son.


    ¡°You should not have defied my orders like that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t care. You interrupted my hunt so of course I retaliated.¡±


    Baihu Hankai glared at his son and let out a low growl of anger as his cultivation technique churned within him, distorting his voice and making it sound similar to the growl of a tiger.


    Yet, his son did not submit and imitated his father, glaring back and releasing a similar growl.


    As a technique based on Metal Qi and derived from a peerless technique belonging to a holy land, the Baihu family¡¯s technique imitated the very nature of the beast it is based on, the Golden Tiger, and gave its owners a similar mindset and characteristics.


    It is one of the reasons why they can literally smell the types of Qi and have somewhat animalistic tendencies and instincts.


    As the two continued to growl at each other, trying to make the other submit, their senses suddenly picked up movement from the entrance to the secret realm, making them turn towards it.


    Just in time to see a small airship float out of it.


    The first thing that ran through their minds was shock at how it was possible for such a small airship to exist. It was a well-known fact that the very nature of airship construction required the airships to be large enough to house hundreds of people at once so it should be impossible for such a small airship that looked like it could barely hold twenty people at most to even exist, not to mention that their senses picked up only a negligible amount of disturbance in the Pure Qi, indicating that this airship¡¯s use of Pure Qi was extremely efficient, which was another impossibility.


    As the airship slowly moved out, it was instantly surrounded by dozens of cultivators belonging to the Autumn Fang Holy Land.


    Before the cultivators could do anything, they were stunned when a few cultivators wearing the same clothes as them were directly thrown overboard and into their arms, much to the captive cultivator''s embarrassment.


    But, before the people of the holy land could retaliate in anger, water erupted from the deck of the airship which sent chills down their spines for some reason.


    The water, instead of striking at the cultivators, formed a large podium upon which a breathtakingly beautiful young woman appeared along with a relatively handsome young man.


    Instantly, Baihu Hankai growled in anger since he would recognize that silver hair and golden eyes combo anywhere.


    Given that the Empress, Yin Lingxi, was standing as an equal with the young man, his mind instantly guessed that he must be the Huxing Xiang that the Autumn Fang Holy Land was looking for.


    A guess that was also made by the forces of the holy land who gritted their teeth in anger but swallowed their emotions and bowed at the young man.


    ¡°Young Master Huxing, we are forces of-¡°


    ¡°I know, your leader already told me everything, and just like I told him before, I won¡¯t be going anywhere for the time being. I will visit the Hidden Heavens Holy Land at a later time, but not now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we must insist-¡°


    ¡°Enough! Don¡¯t make me repeat myself.¡±


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    Instantly, Baihu Hankai and Baihu Jianxiao felt a terrible premonition as chills traveled down their spines as they sensed a strange, formless, pressure from the young man, something that only these two could feel due to their high mastery of their cultivation technique.


    If the cultivators of the holy land had truly mastered their techniques like these two did, then they too would have felt the anomaly since their techniques shared a similar origin, alas, these forces only focused on raising their cultivation base and not truly understanding the nature of their techniques.


    Hence they failed to perceive the danger like the duo of the Baihu royal family did.


    For a split second, the father and son felt like the very world had gone silent at the young man¡¯s voice as if it were a loyal dog waiting for the instructions of its master. A strange thing to compare the world with but for some reason, that was the first thing that came to their minds.


    The fires of anger and humiliation that were burning within Baihu Hankai ever since this debacle began were instantly smothered as cold sweat soaked his back. His inner beast warned him that he must not cross this man no matter what the cost.


    A warning that he had no choice but to listen to since it had never led him astray until now.


    Similarly, Baihu Jianxiao felt the same thing. But, in his case, his instincts were clashing against each other as his desire to hunt for his prey, who happened to be this young man on the podium, while the other half of his instincts warned him of a terrible end to his life should he cross this young man.


    However, unlike this duo who instantly understood that the young man, Da Wei, is not someone to be trifled with, the forces of the holy land were not as in tune with their techniques and did not perceive the danger they were walking into.


    At Da Wei¡¯s words, the people of the Holy Land could not hold on anymore and attacked Yin Lingxi as per their instructions, hoping to hold her hostage and force Da Wei to follow them back to the Holy Land.


    Even the leader of the forces, Commander Luo, did the same as he fully unleashed his cultivation as a Soul Transformation realm master, intending to cripple Yin Lingxi for the humiliation he suffered in the secret realm.


    Then, the instincts of the Baihu family proved to be true as they bore witness to a strange fright that they would never forget in their lives.


    Da Wei pushed Yin Lingxi behind him, straight into the range of the protective barrier around their ship as he took a step forward, straight into the line of fire.


    Since the forces had already unleashed their full might and had used their martial techniques to their full, they could not pull back in time and could only feel terror in their hearts at the prospect of seriously injuring the young master of the Hidden Heavens Holy Land.


    Then, something so strange happened that they could not help but question their eyes.


    Every attack that should have landed squarely on Da Wei¡¯s various body parts all missed.


    The physical attacks missed because the air pressure around their fists suddenly changed, changing the trajectory of their attacks.


    The spiritual attacks missed because the Pure Qi in the vicinity suddenly changed its density, making their attacks veer off into the distance.


    The swords missed as the gravity suddenly spiked for a split second, changing the trajectory of the weapon and making it miss.


    The entire exchange was over in a single second, yet, out of the dozens of spiritual attacks, physical attacks, and weapons, none even came close to hitting Da Wei.


    The spooked look on the cultivators was shared by the Baihu duo who stared at Da Wei as if he were a ghost.


    ¡°¡­What the hell kind of a technique is that?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve no idea. But, I doubt it was done on purpose.¡±


    Baihu Jianxiao looked at his father with surprise as the Emperor pointed towards Da Wei with a pale face.


    ¡°Look at that little monster¡¯s face.¡±


    Baihu Jianxiao followed his father¡¯s words and looked at Da Wei¡¯s face, only for his stomach to drop and heart to clench in terror.


    Because the shocked look on the forces of the Holy Land was also shared by Da Wei himself who looked at the missed attacks blankly, unable to understand what happened.


    The forces of the holy land instantly retreated and breathed a sigh of relief, not knowing if they should be grateful that this guy managed to escape their attacks or should they be terrified that he managed to escape the combined assault of a few dozen fully powered Nascent Soul realm experts and a Soul Transformation realm master at the same time.


    Da Wei did not waste this opportunity and directly activated the warp function on his airship just as Yin Lingxi retracted the Starlight Essence Dew into her body, making the vanish into thin air and leave the forces of the holy land to stare in confusion, trying to understand what just happened.


    On the other hand, Baihu Jianxiao watched the various emotions fluctuating on his father¡¯s face before they settled into grim determination.


    ¡°¡­.Once we get back, I am sending you and your sister to the Yin Long Empire.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Baihu Hankai ignored his son¡¯s outrage and turned around, walking back while speaking again.


    ¡°You two will either win over that boy to our side or find out a weakness that we can exploit to keep him out of the war. If there is an opportunity, and if either of you two manages to kill him, I will directly appoint the killer as the Emperor of my empire.¡±


    Then, he suddenly paused before speaking again.


    ¡°You should work hard, Jianxiao, if you don¡¯t want your sister to take back her status. Especially since she has a distinct advantage in this task due to her gender.¡±


    Biahu Jianxiao glared hatefully at his father but resigned himself to do as he was told.


    After all, he and his step-sister knew from a young age that they were nothing more than tools for their father to further enhance the power of their empire, just like he was nothing but a tool to their grandfather who brought their father into the royal family for his strength.


    Such was the tradition of the Baihu Empire, where strength and merit were all that mattered.


    <hr><hr>


    Author Notes:


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 Chapter 35 (Vol-2)

    ¡®What the hell was that!?¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t know. I have never seen anything like it, it was almost like-no, that can¡¯t be possible no matter how bizarre your existence is.¡¯


    I frowned at his hesitation.


    ¡®If you have any theories, tell me.¡¯


    ¡®No. The theory I have is far too dangerous for your mentality and I am not even 10% sure about its validity, so it is better to find out the truth through our regular method, through trial and error.¡¯


    ¡®¡­Fine. But, if it becomes a matter of life and death, I expect you to immediately tell me what is on your mind.¡¯


    ¡®Deal. Now, get back to reality. looks like your wife-to-be had quite the shock despite her outward stoicism.¡¯


    I turned to Yin Lingxi, and sure enough, the knowledge of body language I inherited from Xiang helped me realize that she was heavily suppressing the shock of whathad  happened in the past few hours.


    It is understandable, first, it was that damned ruin, then the shock of whatever she saw in those illusions, followed by the sudden attack on her life by the Baihu empire¡¯s assassins, and now this issue.


    Anyone would feel freaked out by such a strange turn of events.


    I walked forward and sat down beside her, allowing her to hold onto my hand tightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, we are safe now. Not even a Void Refinement realm cultivator can catch up to my ship when it is in Warp.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not worried about that, Wei. I am worried that they will find your village and make things difficult for you, especially now that you have made enemies out of both the Baihu Empire and the Autumn Fang Holy Land.¡±


    I chuckled at her words before I gave her a gentle hug.


    ¡°Is that what this is about? Don¡¯t worry, even if they comb the entire continent for me and have some way to track me down, they would still need at least two months to travel from the secret realm to my village. We will be arriving within a few minutes at most.¡±


    I felt my temper rise to the surface for the first time in a long while.


    ¡°And when they do arrive, we will be ready for them. Don¡¯t forget that I am a Grandmaster level inscriptions master, a Grandmaster level Alchemist, and a Master level Large-scale formations master.¡±


    Yin Lingxi nodded at my words before her eyes turned cold as she glared into the distance, taking on the familiar visage of the powerful and formidable Empress I remember from Xiang¡¯s memories.


    ¡°You prepare in your own way, meanwhile, I¡¯ll have half of the Royal Protectors go to your village-¡°


    ¡°OUR Village, don¡¯t forget, it is now your home as well.¡±


    Her persona as the Empress cracked a little as I spotted a faint blush on her face before she regained her seriousness.


    ¡°Yes, our village. As I was saying, I¡¯ll have half of the Royal Protectors look after it while I deal with things at the capital. Between you, your formations, and the protectors, things should be easy to manage.¡±


    ¡°As I said, it will take them a lot of time to find us, especially since our village is now surrounded by Pure Qi and is extremely hard to detect for a cultivator, partially due to my formation and partly due to its vicinity to the Forbidden Zone.¡±


    Yin Lingxi nodded at my words and leaned into my shoulder like she had gotten used to in the past few days.


    ¡®Speaking of, I think we should start working on that backup plan you made for the Forbidden Zone.¡¯


    ¡®The Black Hole Plan? Why? Didn¡¯t you say it was extremely dangerous and could easily end up going out of control, putting the entire world in danger?¡¯


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    ¡®That I did, but now that things have come to this, we can¡¯t allow a threat like that to stay near our home. Especially since we don¡¯t know if the invasion will end up accelerating beyond its schedule, thanks to the many changes in this timeline.¡¯


    His reasoning is sound, but his warning still rang in my mind from all those years ago when we first learned of its existence.


    The Forbidden Zone.


    A place within the Great Wilderness, relatively close to our collection of villages.  A place where no cultivator dares to enter lest they draw the ire of all the top forces of the continent.


    Long ago, during the 2nd Era, it is believed that this zone that was slightly larger than the island nation of Japan from Earth was a holy ground for Cultivators from all walks of life since it belonged to a force that had eerily similar mannerisms and religious basis as the Buddhists from Earth.


    If it were not for a few differences in these forces, which were also called Buddhists for some reason, and the Buddhists of my home, such as their philosophies and way of life, I would have thought that some Buddhist Monk from my world had also reincarnated in this world.


    Even now, I can¡¯t take this theory off the table since I have no evidence to prove or disprove this theory.


    Anyways, this Holy Land of the 2nd Era was a paradise filled with most types of Qi known to cultivators, allowing anyone to quickly increase their realm and power quickly.


    The fact that these Buddhists never barred entry to anyone and only charged a small amount of spirit stones that allowed even Loose Cultivators to enter their land was also a bonus to their reputation and boosted the respect they held in others¡¯ eyes.


    However, just like always, Greed and jealousy, the fundamental aspects of humanity, would raise their ugly heads and bring the downfall of such a paradise.


    The other forces of those times could not tolerate the existence of such a force. They also coveted the land and resources that this Buddhist Holy Land held. So, they hatched a plan.


    They put false accusations of colluding with the demonic path on the Holy Land and attacked it from all directions.


    The names of these forces, the real name of this Buddhist Holy Land, and what exactly happened during the attack are all details that have long since been forgotten with only word of mouth and legends staying alive till now.


    What is known, however, is that the Buddhists, in their desperation made some kind of an unimaginable mistake, which led to the entire land turning into a desolate wasteland filled with Yin Qi while also wiping out the Buddhist forces, the attackers, and even the bystanders of the nearby area that were caught in this disaster.


    The end result now, is a large sector of the forest that is void of any kind of Qi except Yin Qi and is filled with so much Blood Qi that even a Void Refinement cultivator would feel nauseous and would be forced to relive the times when they took the lives of others, over and over again until they were driven insane.


    Of course, there exist ways to circumvent this effect of the Forbidden Zone with relatively common artifacts, but still, no one dares to go to that place due to the Yin Qi and the overwhelmingly large population of Demonic Beasts that have made their home in that place.


    However, there is one reason why I was interested in exploring that place when I first heard about it from Xiang.


    It is said that deep within this Forbidden Zone is a relic that allows one to ¡®Ascend¡¯ past the heavens and into the realm of immortals.


    However, this rumor is completely false since Xiang, as a demonic cultivator in his timeline, had risked his life and limb to explore this Forbidden Zone.


    The truth is that the relic in the rumors is actually a portal that leads to the other side of the world, to an unknown place that no one knows about.


    The portal cannot be opened from this side since its control formation has long since deteriorated and faded to such an extent that even Grandmasters in formations like Xiang could do nothing about it.


    My suspicion is that this portal might have played some role in the Invasion of the Outsiders that happened in Xiang¡¯s timeline and should take place in the next few decades in this timeline.


    That is why I had planned to destroy this entire zone through the use of formations that would create an artificial black hole for a few minutes so that it would not pose any threat to my life and the lives of my loved ones.


    But Xiang disagreed. His objection was that such a force of nature was unpredictable and could easily go out of control, devouring the entire planet.


    His sound logic and reasoning forced me to abandon that idea and put it on the back burner as a last resort.


    But now that things have escalated to such levels, maybe I need to re-evaluate that plan again like Xiang said.


    Shaking my head, I concentrated back on the distorted view outside my ship which was starting to clear up, indicating that we were about to drop out of warp.


    ¡®We will look into that later. First, we need to prepare for War. There is no doubt that with their attack on Lingxi in the Secret Realm, they are serious about attacking the Yin Long Empire. I will need to bring out those plans for weapons that we discarded before and arm our people.¡¯


    ¡®Hmm. That is true. Alright, tell me if you need anything.¡¯


    ¡®Alright.¡¯


    Soon, my airship dropped out of warp right on top of my village, making me smile in relief as I observed that nothing had truly changed and there were no signs of any damage.


    ¡®Home sweet home.¡¯


    All my plans for the upcoming era of violence can wait. For now, I can''t wait to tell the good news about Yin Lingxi and me to my daughter, my disciple, and my friends.


    <hr><hr>


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