《A Lonely Girl's Journey to Immortality》 Chapter 1 The Girl Abandoned by the Heavens An elderly daoist whose golden years were long gone stood next to a masked man outside of a wooden shack. The Old Daoist held a newborn swaddled in white linen. He gently rocked the infant back and forth. "Look at you. You''re a dirty old man with a crippled cultivation base." The masked man sneered condescendingly at the Old Daoist. "It would''ve been better for the sect if you had died in battle." "I know." The Old Daoist sighed. "I have truly dishonored our sects name." "Dishonored? You''ve done more than lose face! Our whole sect has become a laughing stock! Fleeing from a brat in the Core Formation Realm? You''re a joke." "I have no excuses." "You should''ve been punished long ago. However, you''ve given great contributions to the sect. In light of that I''ve convinced the other elders to exile you rather than condemn you to the punishment hall." The infant started to wail as if sensing the tension in the air. The masked man stared apathetically at the young infant. Disdain obvious in his eyes. "Take the girl with you. Raise her, kill her, or throw her to the beasts." The masked man said frostily. "Her spiritual roots are trash. She has no place in the Qin family." "She is your daughter! Waste or not you can''t just abandon her!" The Old Daoist showed a rare flicker of emotion in his eyes and protested stoutly. "Think about Yue''er!" "You are not worthy to mention her name!" The masked man growled. "My Yue''er couldn''t have given birth to such a waste." The masked man took one last look at his child and flew off the ground with a flick of his sleeves. "Old Daoist. She has no fate in the immortal path. Let her live as a mortal." The masked man muttered as he flew away far into the horizon. "Your parents were the most talented cultivators in High Heavens. They swept away countless evil sects in lower worlds and were invincible." The Old Daoist whispered sentimentally. "It''s a pity that even the heavens seemed to have abandoned you." The Old Daoist was a warrior who knew little about matters outside of warfare. However with assistance from the villagers below the hill he was able to watch over her without accident for ten years. To the Old Daoist, ten years was a trival amount of time however the young infant grew into a rambunctious young child.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. She was precocious child, a mischievous girl who had unrivaled confidence in her own abilities. Truly her fathers'' daughter he thought to himself. Unfortunately the young girl''s talent in cultivation paled when compared to her father''s. She had barely managed to enter the first stage of the Qi Condensation Realm. Even though the young girl could be considered a cultivator in the first stage of Qi Condensation, her Qi was so weak she was hardly any different than a mere mortal. Perhaps If the Old Daoist had managed to retain his cultivation all those years ago he would''ve been able to guide her. Yet in his current state he could do little more than offer advice and pointers. He lazily watched her as she tried to circulate her Qi throughout her frail body. "It''s no use." The Old Daoist gently smiled. "It''s already impressive that you managed to enter Qi Condensation at ten. Your little meridians can''t possibly handle breaking into the second stage." "An extraordinary genius like me should be at Foundation Establishment by now." The young girl smiled bitterly. "I''ve dallied far too long in the Qi Condensation." "Dallied too long in Qi Condensation?" The Old Daoist thought to himself. Just what does this brat think Foundation Establishment is? Even in High Heavens a child breaking into Foundation Establishment at ten would be considered a spectacular talent. The Old Daoist couldn''t bear to see the girl treat cultivation so frivolously lest she suffers a Qi deviation through her carelessness. "Fine. I''ll impart a breathing exercise to you girl." The young girl halted her mediation and listened attentively to the Old Daoist. The Old Daoist tossed a worn scroll to the girl. She caught it and ran off into the woods without a single word to the Old Daoist. "It''s not like I would take it back girl." The Old Daoist stared at her fleeing figure and smiled. "Just how exactly did the little girl view the old man in her head?" "Where exactly does the young girl even go?" The Old Daoist thought. He had personally checked the woods, there was nothing but trees and wildlife. Not a speck of spiritual energy. Hardly an ideal location to meditate. Not that it mattered to Old Daoist. Although he had grown attached to the young girl she was a constant reminder of his failures. A constant reminder that he had been reduced into a decrepit old man who could do nothing but wait for eventual death. "Is this the punishment you intended? The Old Daoist muttered. "To watch over the fate of a cursed child? Quite the cruel punishment you''ve devised." "In the end I suppose it doesn''t matter anyway. I won''t let you have your way." The Old Daoist whispered, nearly inaudibly, staring at the sky. Chapter 2 The Nine Nethers Madman A young girl not yet in her adolescent years yet passed her childhood walked cheerfully through a dark forest. The tall trees blocked sunlight from reaching the forest floor. The girl paid no mind to the gloomy atmosphere and marched on obliviously. She clutched a worn scroll close to her chest. She wandered around aimlessly looking for her go-to cave to cultivate in. The spiritual energy in Red River Hill was scattered and ineffectual however the girl had found a cave where the energy was two times as dense. She had conveniently neglected to inform the Old Daoist about the cave. The old coot would only monopolize it for himself just like everything else. He had imparted only a single crappy breathing technique after years of begging. "Who needs you anyway?" She thought spitefully. "I entered Qi Condensation without your help and I''ll do it again for Foundation Establishment if I have too." She arrived at the opening of a dark cave and hesitated for a second before entering. There were great benefits to cultivating in the cave however there was always a strange feeling that lingered for days. A strange indescribable emotion she couldn''t yet identify. She whipped open the scroll hastily and pored over the contents. In just five short hours she had analyzed and studied the scroll countless times. She circulated what little Qi she had throughout her body. The young girl guided her Qi through her medians in a full cycle. It was only several hours she stopped her meditation. She felt that her meridians were much more thicker than before. Her Qi had also received a significant boost in quality. The young girl wasn''t sure exactly what realm she had reached but she could confidently say that she was far above the second stage of Qi Condensation. Perhaps hovering around the fourth or fifth stage. "I really am quite the genius." She thought proudly. "How many other ten year old Qi Condensation experts were there in the world? She was obviously a unique once in a hundred year genius." "Genius? A waste like you dare proclaims to be a genius?" The young girl rose to her feet in shock and scanned the cave for the owner of the voice. "Identify yourself!" The girl shouted nervously. An invisible force brought the girl down to her knees. The girl rose to her feet shakily, resisting the invisible force. "Impudent wench!" The voice mocked. "A mere child at Qi Condensation dares to display airs in front of me?" The girl had lived a relatively peaceful life on Red River Hill and had never experienced a situation as dangerous as this. She could do nothing but tremble in fear of the voice. "What is your name?" The voice sneered. "I have no name... senior." "What? No name? Are you mocking me?" "I dare not senior!" The girl said hastily. "The Old Daoist never named me." "Fine. From hence forth you are now Jiang She." "Senior wouldn''t such a name be unfit for a pretty young girl like- "Dare talk back girl?" The invisible force shoved the young girl back to her knees. "No complaints! No complaints at all!" She shouted desperately. The invisible force eased the pressure and magically brought her back to her feet. "I was once an immortal sovereign." The voice muttered gloomily. "The patriarch of the great Nine Nethers Serpent Sect!" "Senior has such an esteemed identity! Forgive this child who had eyes but could not see Mt. Tai!" You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author."You''re a clever child. Much more suited to raise my Nine Nethers Sect out of obscurity than the crippled man outside!" "Was the esteemed senior bipolar? He abused her to point of her bones creaking then on the flip of a coin he started praising her intelligence." She thought to herself shakily. "Here! I shall impart the first three layers of my Nine Nether Serpent Method. Learn it quick brat." In an instant a flood of information rushed into Jiang She''s consciousness. She clutched her head and fell to floor frothing at the mouth. "Oh dear. I may have overdone it." The voice muttered sheepishly. Hours passed until the sun dipped far below the horizon. The girl began to stir from her coma, she groggily looked around the cave. "Was it all a dream?" Jiang She muttered. "It was no dream! I, the great founder of the Nine Nethers Serpent Sect have chosen you as my disciple. Be honored!" Jiang She ignored the voice and pore through her memories. Shockingly she could recall "memories" that were not there before. "Surprised? Now then kowtow and accept me as your master." The girl dropped to her knees and kowtowed profusely, she knew that becoming the disciple of a true immortal was a once in a lifetime opportunity! "No! We have no time for rites!" The voice boomed, nearly shattering her eardrums. "You are forbidden from leaving this cave until you break through the first layer of the Nine Nether Serpent Method." The voice guided her through the various ways to gather Qi and even taught her basic offensive attacks. She practiced circulating Qi until her meridians felt like bursting. It was long,tortuous training that no young girl should''ve had to endure but under the immortal''s ruthless tutelage she could do nothing but endure. It was until only after the sun peeked slightly above the horizon that she crawled out of the cave. Her robes, once white were now covered in grime and dirt. Her beautiful black hair tangled and in knots. But the joy on her face was concealable even through layers of dirt and filth. The ten year old struggled to her feet and dragged herself through the forest. "A worthy disciple you are! My eyes have not judged wrongly!" The voice said proudly. "I am a genius am I not master?" The girl said proudly, her chin elevated ever so slightly. "Nonsense! A small little thing like you could''ve been turned into meat paste from a single fart by me in my prime!" The voice boomed. "Wasn''t your master amazing?" "That''s... pretty disgusting actually master." "Ahem!" The voice cleared his throat. "Now that you''ve inherited my skills you should make your way to the Nine Nethers Serpent Sect! It may be ruins now but that is where we''ll hold our grand comeback!" "Yes master! With the help of your genius disciple the Nine Nether Serpent Sect''s name will proudly resound through the world once more!" The girl said with a passionate spirit. "Where is the sect location! We should make haste at once master!" "..." "Master?" "Shut up! I''m thinking young one! I believe it''s... somewhere around the... should be near the..." "Master... could you possibly not know the location of your own sect?" "Ridiculous! Preposterous! Are you doubting the memory of your own eminent master?" He roared righteously. "Of course not master." The girl sighed inwardly. "Could she have picked up a retard for a master? Was there a rule against changing masters in the martial world?" "I see what is in your mind! Abandon the thought this instance!" Her master roared furiously. The invisible force she had been introduced to the previous day tired to push her downwards in vain. Alas she was no longer a fake cultivator and the gains she had made in the cave were significant. Her master gave up after he realized he could no longer push his disciple to the knees. "No-Peak Mountain!" "No-Peak Mountain?" "Yes! That''s where my sect is!" "Truly a good name master! An awe inspiring name that truly befits my Nine Nethers Serpent Sect!" "You mean MY Nine Nethers Serpent Sect. Right?" "Whatever you say master!" Chapter 3 Qi Spring Jiang She approached the shack of the Old Daoist calmly. Leaving Red River Hill was impossible beforehand thanks to the Old Daoist but know that she had received the inheritance of an immortal she was determined to leave. "I refuse to let a single Old Daoist stop me from leaving Red River Hill!" "That''s right disciple! Onward!" "I''m afraid I can''t allow you to leave." The Old Daoist calmly walked out of the shack, gleaming sword in hand. "Interesting... Although this old man has lost his cultivation... He''s still quite strong I must say." Her master sighed. "You are not his opponent disciple." "What shall we do master?" "There''s no use discussing with that pathetic spirit you found." The Old Daoist said. "If you can defeat me in battle, you''ll be free to leave the hill! We start on the count of three!" "Fine!" Jiang She shouted with a passionate spirit. "Get ready old man!" "On the count of three run the other direction." Her master whispered. "You are no match for him." "But master- "This is no joking matter disciple! He intends to disperse your cultivation." "Three!" Jiang She felt the pressure in the atmosphere increase. "Two!" It was as if... The Old Daoist was absorbing the Qi around them! "One!" Jiang She bolted in the opposite direction of the shack! "Foolish!" The Old Daoist sneered. "Use the Nine Nether Steps!" Her master shouted. "You don''t have to remind me master!" Jiang She burst forward with an incredible speed. Every step she took was filled with incredible vigor. "So the little one learned some techniques didn''t she!" The Old Daoist did not lose to the young girl in speed but was actually catching up. "Master! What do we do!" The girl shouted tearfully. "He''s catching up!" "Stop panicking disciple! Her master roared. "Burn your essence!" Jiang She was at a loss momentarily but steeled herself. She burst forward with even greater speed. She felt her Qi circulate furiously throughout her meridians. "Master my meridians are cracking! They''re actually cracking!" She whimpered. "What do we do!" "We''re leaving him behind! Hurry Disciple! Burn more!" Her master shouted. "The Old Daoist suddenly halted. "Master he stopped!" Jiang She said. "It may be a ploy! Keep on running!" This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon."Yes master!" The Old Daoist watched the girl run far off into the distance. "There''s no stopping that girl is there." He sighed, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. "She truly is your daughter I suppose." "It was only after an hour of running did Jiang She stop. She fell to her knees panting. She peeked from the corner of her eyes that her once black hair was now gray. She felt blood pour from her nose. But it mattered little to the young girl. She had finally escaped her life long prison. She wobbled to her feet shakily. "Keep on walking young one." Her master gently said uncharacteristically. "It''s no good to fall asleep on the road." "Yes master." And so the girl walked for hours under the blazing sun. "Wait. Turn right." Her master whispered. "Yes master." After half an hour into the woods the girl came across a clear spring. She jumped in without a moments hesitation. Jiang She washed off the previous days grime and dirt. She also inspected her reflection carefully in the spring. She never considered herself a vain girl but she felt that it was just too unfitting for a young girl in the prime of her life to have gray hairs, and a whole head to boot. She put her thoughts to the side and focused on minimizing the damage done to her meridians. Her meridian lines were damaged not to the point of no return but it was clear she would need external help to recover. "Master... What do we do now?" "Worry not disciple. The damage can be fixed." Her master said nonchalantly. "I''ll need a spiritual fruit... any fruit above the mortal grade should be enough." "Mortal grade?" "Spiritual fruits are graded in tiers." He explained gently. "Mortal Grade, Earth Grade, and Heavenly Grade." "Are Earth Grade fruits hard to find master?" Jiang She asked. "Back in my prime Earth Grade fruits were quite common." He mused. "It''s a different case now. I''m afraid the mortal world has degraded far too much." "The revival of the Nine Nethers Serpent Sect can come later." Her master said regretfully. "Your new task is to increase your strength. Break through the Foundation Establishment by next month or you can forget about inheriting my sect." "Yes master." She sighed, thinking to herself silently. "Who else would want to inherit a dusty, old, dead sect from a geezer like you." "Young girl... er disciple." He murmured. "I can find numerous of other willing candidates..." "Whatever you say master." After cleaning up and stabilizing her meridians she left the spring with a passionate spirit. A genus such as herself couldn''t let small setbacks such as this set her back. She wouldn''t stop until the whole world knew her name. She was no longer a nameless girl trapped in a well. She was Jiang She! Inheritor of the Nine Nether Serpent Sect! Chapter 4 Divine Saint Sect Miles away from Red River Hill was a mid-sized village. Rows of young children were lined up and appraised by lofty elders in fine robes. "Master? Why are we at the Divine Saint Sect''s annual recruitment of disciples? Aren''t I the inheritor of the Nine Nethers Serpent Sect?" Jiang She muttered under bated breath. "You may be the inheritor of my sect but you''re still a poor, penniless cultivator." Her master sighed. "Whats important right now is to get you to Foundation Establishment, only then can you be considered a real cultivator." An elder with graying hair stopped in front of Jiang She. "Not bad..." The elder muttered. "Step out of line girl." "Yes elder." She respectfully said. The elder disdainfully waved away the other children. Out of fifty children or so only Jiang She and another brat were chosen. "You may address me as Falcon Elder." The graying elder said authoritatively. "I''ll ignore your meridian problem for now girl." "Master? He knows. Let''s silence the elder." She thought inwardly. "Wouldn''t it be dangerous to let a- "Has fracturing your meridians also result in a brain fracture?" Her master sneered. "He''s an elder at the Core Formation, and quite the strong one at that." "But he knows- "Why would a tiny injury on a Qi Condensation brat matter to him? Her master snickered. "You should be grateful you were even chosen! A brat on your level didn''t even have the qualifications to become a servant at the Nine Nethers Serpent Sect in my prime!" "And yet I''m your inheritor." She fired back, not backing down from her masters provocation. "Why don''t you go find a more talented disciple to become the inheritor of your broke sect." "She''s quite the brave little junior." Her master sighed, thinking inwardly. "To bad she''s as stupid as she is brave." The Falcon Elder pulled a whistle from a bag on his waist. He gently blew into it, although no sound was produced Jiang was certain it was no ordinary whistle. Distant screeches could be heard echoing from the mountain not too far off from the village. A dark figure could be seen rapidly approaching the village. As the figure loomed closer to Jiang She''s shock it was a giant falcon. She had heard about such mythical beasts from the Old Daoist but this was the first time she had seen a spirit beast in person. Jiang She and the other child made it up the falcon with help from the graying elder. She wasn''t sure just exactly how spirits beasts were ranked but she knew for certain that the falcon was strong. In fact probably stronger than the crippled old man she had left behind. The falcon burst into the sky with such speed Jiang She couldn''t help but let out a yelp. The elder couldn''t help but chuckle at the sight of the young children holding on to the back of the falcon fearfully. Jiang She lost track of time on that cursed falcon. What felt like an eternity passed on that accursed falcon for Jiang She. She managed to compose herself as they approached the sect. It consoled her that the child beside her had fared no better on the hellish ride than she had. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!She had managed to pick up information on the road regarding the recruitment of new initiates at a village near Red River Hill. It was child''s work for her to blend in with the rest of the village urchins. The sect was a composed of low-key yet elegant buildings dotted all throughout a large mountain. According to the words of the Falcon Elder an immortal had once spent his last years on the mountain. Countless mortals flocked to him for tutelage and direction. Eventually the Divine Saint Sect was formed, She had asked the Falcon Elder how an immortal being could died but only received a harsh scolding in return. The Falcon Elder grounded his over-sized bird behind one of the low-end pavilions near the base of the mountain. He lazily tossed over identification badges to the two hapless initiates. The girl caught it deftly and tossed it in her robes indolently while the other child treated the badge reverently, as if it was an immortal''s treasure. "You two are now considered outer court disciples of the Divine Saint Sect. You two should be grateful for the opportunity. We shall do the coronation tomorrow- The village brat was too absorbed in worshiping the wooden badge in his hands and the girl was busy murmuring to herself like she had done the whole ride to the sect. "I suppose I''ll just save the talk for tomorrow" The Falcon Elder sighed and flew away without as so much of a word to the disciples. The girl was too busy talking to herself to notice that the Falcon Elder had left. "So sir Falcon Elder what exactly do we- "Tsk." Jiang She looked up and saw no sign of the elder. "What sort of master just dumps his disciples and leave without any explanation. What a shabby master. If he''s the caliber of master this sect has it''s obviously not fit to teach a heavenly talent like me." "Ignorant bumpkin." She thought proudly. "Getting so excited over a little badge from a second rate sect is below a great genius like me." "Master how strong was the Nine Nether Serpent Sect exactly?" She asked, her curiosity piqued. "I''m sure we were much stronger than these Divine Saint bumpkins right?" "Er..." For once her ever proud master seemed to be at a loss. "The situation of the sect is... complicated." "I see." She thought it best not to push the matter any further and attempted to change the question." "How old is the master exactly? How can you hear my thoughts? Is master a ghost?" "Well if you''re so curious about the sect then I suppose I can''t just ignore the matter." "Your disciple would rather know about- "Long ago our sect used to be prosperous and unrivaled in all the land. We were the- "Hey bumpkin!" The girl said imperiously. "Got any food?" The village brat looked up from his badge and threw over a sack slung over his shoulders. "Here this should have some vegetables." He went back to inspecting his badge. Jiang She caught the sack and decided to turn in for the night. She had a long day and even a super genius like her could get tired. "Master. Why did you choose me become the inheritor?" She asked uncharacteristically softly. "I''m sure there were better candidates than me right?" "Don''t look down on yourself girl. I know I''m harsh but raising a sect from the dead is a difficult task that not even those heavenly blessed talents can do easily. My eye for people is never wrong, I''m sure you''ll be a worthy- He cut his speech short after realizing she was fast asleep. "Rest well young disciple." He said gently. "We have long journey ahead of us." Chapter 5 The Sure Kill Formula of the Nine Nether Serpent Sect Jiang She woke up the next day feeling relaxed and well rested. The country bumpkin had fallen asleep last night outside of the pavilion. "Did this idiot... really fall asleep admiring his badge?" Her master asked dumbstruck. "I''ve finally found a child who can rival my disciples stupidity." "Oi, don''t compare your super talented disciple to a waste like him." "Actually his talent isn''t so bad. " Her master scoffed. "In fact even comparable to yours. A pity his intelligence isn''t nearly as promising as his talent." "Oi. Get up." Jiang She shook the boy awake carelessly. "It''s morning." "Give me a second... mother." He murmured sleepily, not yet awake. "This kid is useless." Jiang She exclaimed. Jiang She decided to leave the kid, after all the saying went let sleeping dogs lie. There was no helping the bumpkin idiot. She found a graveled path and decided to follow it, it was far better than just wandering around aimlessly. "Are you sure you''re in any position to call the village brat a bumpkin?" Her master asked derisively. "I mean you aren''t even from a village. You were living in a shoddy hut in hill with an old man when i found you. Technically you''re more bumpkin than anyone else in this sect." "Master... some words are just better left unsaid." "Right... sorry disciple." He muttered. ''Wait, why am I even apologizing?" Jiang She finally reached the end of the path, it led into a large plaza surrounded with pavilions and shops. She could see a good number of other kids just like her. "You''re here. Do you realize everyone here has been waiting for hours?" A dignified looking elder scolded imperiously. "Take a seat with the rest of the outer disciples." Jiang She nodded curtly and decided to sit next to a another female disciple. "You are now all outer court disciples of the Divine Saint Sect. I am the head elder of the outer court. You''re previous identities, whether the crown prince of a kingdom or a village peasant is forfeit. You all will be expected to give great contributions to the sect- Jiang She dozed off mid speech, she couldn''t help it. The elder talked for hours about the glory of the Divine Saint Sect and all the regulations and rules that came with it. When all was said and done the disciples were released to go back to their pavilions. They were given outer court robes, two spirit stones and a small flying dagger to signify their entry into the sect. "Divine Saint Sect sure does treat their disciples nicely." Her master muttered. "Two spirit stones a week for all outer disciples is impressive, for a small back-water like here at least." Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings."Are these shiny stones that valuable master?" She asked quizzically. "They are my young, ignorant disciple." "I don''t think that ignorant part was necessary- "You can absorb the Qi from the stones to enhance your cultivation. The more pure the Qi is the higher quality the stones are." "So what quality are these stones?" "Quite low, not that it matters. Until we get your meridians repaired you''re forbidden to use the stones. The Qi will only be wasted." Her master said gravely. "We should focus on improving your external martial arts." "So you''ll finally teach me real skills?" "Real skills? The Nine Nether Steps is a mid tier earth grade foot technique!" "Countless would kill for the opportunity to learn." He sneered. "Anyway I''ll impart the first three layers of the Nine Serpents Sure Kill Formula. Find a suitable spot for practice, preferably quiet." "Yes master." Jiang She managed to find a open clearing in the woods behind her pavilion. "I shall impart the first technique of the Nine Serpents Sure Kill Formula." He proudly said. "First technique! Dragon Erupts from Earth!" "First get on your knees and grovel young disciple." "Wait? What?" "Do it now!" "Yes master." "Now what master?" Jiang She got on her knees and half heartily groveled. "Are you sure this is really- "Grovel better! You''re not acting pathetic enough!" "Yes master!" "Oh spare me great master! I have eyes but did not see Mt. Tai!" Jiang She took a deep breath and decided to play along. She even rubbed her palms together to elicit pity. "Forgive this young junior!" "Good!" He shouted fervently. "Keep on doing that for an hour, now circulate your Qi!" Jiang She pleaded and groveled on the dirt by herself for an hour while building up the Qi in her body. "Now strike upwards and release it all at once!" Jiang She instinctively struck upwards with her dainty hands, releasing the pent up Qi all at once. "Excellent! I knew you were the perfect inheritor!" Her master roared gleefully. "Now try to pinpoint your Qi all at one point." "What type of sect was the Nine Nethers Serpent anyway?" Jiang She sighed and dropped to the floor once more. "With such abnormal techniques... I''m afraid that my sect can''t be anything but righteous." "We were the world''s greatest assassin sect! Our cunning and guile was known all over the world!" "Now hurry up and grovel!" "Yes master." And so Jiang She practiced the first technique of the Nine Serpents Sure Kill Formula until she could grovel no more, until her meridians creaked under the pressure and her body ached from the spartan training. As the sun fell she grabbed her belongings and nearly threw herself into her pavilion out of exhaustion. She reviewed her gains that she made, two low-tier spirit stones, a flying dagger at the low-tier mortal grade, and a "powerful" new offensive technique. "Not bad in a days work." She thought before falling asleep. Chapter 6 Rest In Peace Junior Brother Jiang She awoke early the next day to meditate early. As a cultivator she set a strict morning routine for herself. She tempered her body on a freezing waterfall in the woods behind her pavilion, not only did she train her external body it could also be counted as a form of showering. She wandered around the sect until she found a cafeteria that served food. Of course due to her lack of real currency she could only begrudgingly go the day without breakfast. She spent the rest of the day training the "Dragon Erupts from the Earth" technique under the guidance of her master. A light meal was brought to her by servants of the sect around midday, she then dedicated the rest of the to the "Dragon Erupts from the Earth" and the temperament of her body. On the second day she awoke early and began practicing the "Dragon Erupts from the Earth" from morning to night. And so for a month she practiced a singular move, all the way to the realm of perfection according to her master. A single kill-shot he described it as, even a peak Qi Condensation Realm expert would suffer under the blow of her sneak attack. Jiang She was practicing her Nine Serpents Sure Kill Formula when she was interrupted by two outer disciples carrying a large sack slung over their shoulders. " You entered the sect with this waste Zhou Xia." The lead outer disciple sneered. "Here take the pathetic clown." The two sect disciples threw the sack down to the ground. "He can only blame himself for offending young master Feng." The lead disciple arrogantly said, before they walked away. "Is that the bumpkin master?" "I believe so." "What should we do with him?" "The world of cultivation can be quite fierce." Her master sighed. "The least we can do for the poor boy is to bury him." Jiang She hauled the sack to the woods behind the pavilion. Although she didn''t know Zhou Xia well he at the very least deserved a quiet resting place. She borrowed a shovel from some sect servants and got to digging. After a few minutes of digging she had managed to unearth enough dirt to create a suitable hole to throw Zhou Xia into. "We may not have been very well acquainted village boy. But I''m sure you were a decent person. May you have better luck in your next life." She respectfully bowed, while kicking the boy''s corpse into the grave. "Master, you should impart more cultivation techniques to your disciple, lest she offends a strong young master and dies an early death like the village bumpkin." Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings."Well I suppose another technique wouldn''t hurt- Her master was interrupted by the supposedly dead Zhou Xia waking back up. He tore through the sack and leaped out of the grave. He looked around incredulously but composed himself in a fraction of a second. "Impossible... So in the end I survived... Even the heavens can''t keep me shackled!" Zhou Xia majestically shouted. "Don''t worry. I''m here for you now." He sauntered over to her postilion and caressed her cheek. "You don''t have to worry about a thing now." "..." "My current state is far too weak. I must get stronger." Zhou Xia sighed bleakly and paraded off. "Master, did dying turn the village bumpkin into a retard?" "The poor boy." Her master muttered. "He must''ve suffered a blow to the head." "Ignore him, he walks his own path." Her master said. And so Jiang She spent a year in the Divine Saint Sect training under the tutelage of her master. Zhou Xia spent the majority of his time in the woods of the mountains and rarely came down to the pavilion. However. the more often he came down the more displeasing his face became to Jiang She. By her second year she had completely mastered the first three layers of the Nine Serpents Sure Kill Formula. Zhou Xia had caught the attention of the sect elders after breaking though 4 stages successively. It was as if he had become another person. It was around then the annual outer court ranking competition was announced. Jiang She cared little for pointless competitions but the rewards for this competition were far too important for her to give up. The first ranked disciple would be given the Low-tier Earth Grade spiritual fruit "Mystic Fire Mist Berry." It was a spiritual fruit that could repair her shattered meridians. She had underwent two years of harsh training and was no longer the naive girl from the hills. She even looked forward to the competition. It was the perfect opportunity for her to show off and cement her place as the greatest genius in the Divine Saint Sect. Jiang She did more than just train for two years. She also gathered information on potential rivals and threats in the outer court. A real genius not only trains hard but also prepares accordingly for every situation. She had gathered information on every significant threat and devised strategies to ensure her victory in the competition. This competition was only a small stepping stone for Jiang She. Her ambition was far more grand then just winning a small outer sect competition. She was going to catapult her way into the inner court through the competition and become the number one disciple of the Divine Saint Sect. Chapter 7 The Day before the Competition Jiang She had taken the day off, she had trained the first three layers of the Sure Kill Formula to perfection, anymore harsh training would be detrimental rather than helpful. She had intended to take the day off and relax but was unfortunate enough to come across Zhou Xia. "I know you''ll be worried about me participating in the competition." He pretentiously proclaimed. "But worry not junior sister I am different now, stronger than before." "I think I liked him better before he lost his mind." She thought inwardly. "I vaguely remember you calling him a village idiot?" Her master replied. "He''s still an idiot, just even more insufferable than before." Somewhere along the line it appeared that the idiot came to the conclusion that Jiang She actually cared about him, so he had pestered her constantly to the point where she even regretted being chosen as the poor unfortunate to bury him. She would''ve just cremated him if she knew beforehand how much of an idiot he would become. "I''ve heard that this years competition will be different." Zhou Xia muttered gravely. "At least according to Falcon Elder''s words." "Really? How so?" Jiang She''s curiosity was roused. After suddenly realizing his innate talent Zhou Xia became acquainted with many of the outer court elders. Naturally that meant he was privy to information unknown to common outer court disciples like her. "Apparently this year''s outer court competition will be held in the sect patriarch''s immortal grade treasure." "The sect patriarch''s immortal treasure?" "When a heavenly graded treasure ascends and becomes immortal it becomes more than just stronger, they develop their own domain and consciousness." He explained. "It looks like the outer court disciples will be brawling in the patriarch''s miniature world." "However worry not junior sister, in this life I, Zhou Xia cannot be held down by anyone!" "I really should get going, we''ll talk later junior brother." Jiang She strategically made her leave before he started ranting. If Zhou Xia was indeed telling the truth, all the preparation she had done for this year''s competition would be for naught. With only one day before the tournament she couldn''t possibly prepare for a free for all with a thousand other disciples. "Master? What do we do? We didn''t train for this!" "Keep calm!" Her master barked. "Is the inheritor of my sect really stressing over a mere outer court competition? Win or lose, we have bigger ambitions than this small competition!" "But the fruit- "Forget about the fruit! So what if you get your meridians fixed? Do you intend to cultivate your way to immortality through fruits and pills? The cultivators most important strength isn''t powerful tools or rare fruits, it''s their state of mind! When you falter even once on your path as a cultivator than you''ve already lost!" "Yes master!" "Good now worry! Believe in your training! Schemes and ploys will only get you so far, it''s your cultivator''s heart that truly matters!" Rather than scheme or come up with clever ploys Jiang She dedicated the rest of her day to shopping. She had two years of spirit stones accumulated and spent the majority of them on Mortal Grade protection talismans and even bought managed to snag a Mid Tier Mortal Grade tool, the Sky Shattering Crossbow. Unable to cultivate because of her shattered meridians she had focused on tempering her body and movement techniques, coupled with the plentiful protection talismans she was sure certain that she wouldn''t lose out to even the top outer sect disciples. Thousands of Li away was an Old Daoist mediating by a decrepit, old shack in Red River Hill. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original."Old Daoist, still cultivating? I thought your Dantian was destroyed?" A mocking, derisive voiced sneered. It belonged to a tall, handsome youth in white robes. "Sentinel Iken, you have no business here in the lower worlds. Does your master know you''re here?" The Old Daoist sighed and calmly rose to his feet while dusting off his pants. "Where''s the girl Old Daoist?" "I believe that''s none of your business either." "Lord Qi is dead. We''ve exterminated the Qi family." Iken said, grinning from ear to ear. "I just thought I''d do the girl a favor and send her off to see the rest of her family!" "Lies..." The Old Daoist muttered. "Have you come to bully an old man? Tell me why you''re really here." "You see... After we slaughtered the Qin family and the rest of the heavenly clans we assumed that the complete ownership of the heavenly realm would''ve been ours to claim. What we didn''t count on was a single rat managing to slip away. So naturally, I, Iken, Herald of Chains was sent down to this inferior world in order to take her head!" "Is that so." The Old Daoist reached for the sword by his side. "And you''ve told me all this because- "Because you''re going to die here today. I might consider letting your soul pass on peacefully if you tell me where the girl is." Iken derisively mocked. "Not that it matters, once I refine your soul all your memories will be mine anyway." "She''s dead. I smothered her to death as an infant." "Lies! Lies can''t fool us you doddering old fool, you should know by know. Any last questions before I refine your soul?" "How... how did Lord Qin perish?" "He died pitifully and brutally. It was quite the sight, an immortal being begging for his life. I almost even felt pity for the old man- "That''s enough." The Old Daoist began absorbing Qi from the atmosphere. A vortex of Qi circled around him. "So you still have some fight left in you? Its pointless to fight." Iken muttered, his grin fading. "Very well. This won''t take but a second." Chains erupted from the ground and gored the Old Daoist through all sides. The old man fell to his knees, his white robes stained in red. "I told you it was pointless." Iken lazily shuffled towards the Old Daoist. "Now be a good boy and tell- "Fine. I''ll tell you." The Old Daoist said, his face wincing from pain. "Good boy!" Iken exclaimed, retracting his chains. "Where is she!" "Die!" The Old Daoist roared, as he leaped from the ground and slashed at Iken''s head. "Futile!" Iken raised out his arm, an ethereal shield materializing in front of him. "Useless! My shield has no blind-spot!" The Old Daoist leaped into the air, bringing his sword down on Iken. "Bastard!" The Old Daoist vaulted over Iken''s shield and severed Iken''s arm. The Old Daoist didn''t stop at the arm, and thrust his sword into Iken''s heart. "If a little pain is all it takes to defeat a warrior like you..." Iken grabbed the blade with his good hand, and kicked the Old Daoist away. "The I''ll bear it!" The Old Daoist was blown away by the kick and crashed through the walls of the shack. He struggled to his feet, undeterred from his wounds. He rushed towards Iken, his Qi circulating throughout his shattered meridians. "This ends now!" Iken roared, chains erupted from the ground in rapid succession. "Yes... This ends now." The Old Daoist roared, dodging the chains until he finally made his way to the Herald of Chains. A white, radiant spear materialized in Iken''s hand, he lunged forward, his spear pointed at the Old Daoist. The Old Daoist not losing in aggressiveness, didn''t stop. His fist hurtled pass halberd and toward Iken''s face, stopping just short of his face. The Old Daoist''s fist had lost to the spear. Even Iken was astonished by the old mans tenacity. He had not stopped his charge, not even after being pierced through his chest. And so the Old Daoist, former heavenly general of the Qin family, passed away on Red River Hill. Chapter 8 The Competition Begins The disciples of the Divine Saint Sect couldn''t help but get caught up in a passionate fervor. The annual outer court competition wasn''t the cause of the commotion, rather the location where it was to be held. The rarely seen patriarch was going to open up his little world for the disciples of the outer sect. The disciples never had the opportunity to look at much less enter the world of a heavenly graded treasure. The disciples were gathered at the very peak of the Divine Saint Sect mountain. Spectators were seated in stands enclosing the outer disciples. Inner court disciples and elders of the outer court could be recognized among the spectators. In just a few years the outer disciples would be eligible to challenge the inner court disciples for their positions so it was only natural that they had come to watch. "What are our chances?" Jiang She asked her master while sizing up potential rivals. "You''ve grown far stronger these last two years, but you''re still far too young to even think about competing with the older disciples in terms of strength." He replied. Although she didn''t like to admit it, her master was right. She was among the youngest, if not the youngest of the outer court disciples. However in her opinion she wouldn''t lose out to any of the other disciples in terms of strength. "Quiet!" The head elder of the outer court cried, silencing the crowd. Standing next to him was an extraordinarily handsome young man. Even dozens of feet away Jiang She could feel the pressure he exerted. She knew without a doubt that he must be the patriarch of the sect. Gifted cultivators would stop aging physically after they formed their golden cores. She wasn''t sure exactly what realm the patriarch was at but he was easily the strongest being she had met yet. Perhaps if the Old Daoist had not lost his core he could''ve been just as strong if not stronger than the patriarch. "The rules for this year''s competition is simple. Once you enter the little world you''ll be matched up against a fellow disciple. In the case of defeat or death you''ll be transported out of the world immediately. Each fight will have a time limit, in the case of a match running long both fighters will be disqualified." The patriarch wasted no time on pleasantries and delved straight into the rules of the competition. With the wave of his hand a brilliant light consumed the outer sect disciples. The competition to determine the strongest outer court disciple had just begun. "So you''ll be my opponent? I won''t hold back!" A burly, tan disciple with a saber in hand declared. "I don''t expect you to!" Jiang She retorted, while getting her talismans ready. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.The burly disciple dashed towards Jiang She, his Qi enveloping the entirety of his saber. Likewise she bolted forwards, meeting his saber with her fist. She was blown back several feet, losing in terms of brute strength to him. Jiang She whipped out talismans from her sleeves. The burly disciple charged at her determined to prevent her from igniting the talismans. "Three fold hurricane slash!" He roared, the Qi in the air dancing around him. She managed to dodge the first slash but her left hand was struck by the second. She collapsed on the ground clutching her hand. The burly disciple relaxed after seeing her fall, sure of his victory he circulated the Qi in his body once more. The powerful Qi on his saber getting even more fierce. He threw launched another slash at her, intending to finish the battle. "Nine Nethers Redirection Palm!" The burly disciple was the one to be blown back this time. As the saber met the palm, his blade shattered and he was forced back several feet. Jiang She dashed forward determined to capitalize on the opening. "Wait! I concede." Unexpectedly the burly disciple had chosen to yield. "A bladesman is nothing without his blade. My name is Chen Wudi! I shall redeem my loss!" Chen Wudi bowed to her before fading from the little world. She was then swallowed up by the brilliant light and transported to her second match. "Nice job getting to the second round! But I''m afraid this is as far as you go!" A handsome youth in extravagant robes declared. With a wave of his robes, Qi arrows hurtled towards Jiang She. She hastily ignited the paper talismans she had prepared beforehand. The Qi arrows smashed into her barrier, leaving cracks. She was up against one of the strongest outer sect disciples, Xinyi Ren. He was given the epithet , Intellect Arrow, at the tender age of ten. He had the unique ability to materialize and manipulate Qi outside of his own body to a frightening degree. She had even heard rumors that he had wiped out an entire clan during training outside, not even the children and women were spared from death. "A talisman? Useless. I''ll just blow it away." He muttered. With a wave of hand the Qi in the atmosphere thrashed her barrier. Her barrier was whipped apart by his ferocious Qi. She bolted in the opposite direction towards a heavily wooded forest in the opposite direction using the Nine Nether Steps. Xinyi Ren sprinted after her, even managing to close the distance somewhat. The only cultivator that had managed to pressure her this much was the Old Daoist. This was the first time she had ever fought such a skilled opponent. "Nine Nethers Presence Concealment!" Jiang She faded into the shadows of the tall trees. Xinyi Ren slowed to a halt and scanned the forest, trying to find even the slightest hint of her presence. "Not bad. You did a good job hiding yourself. However if you keep on running then we''ll both lose out in the end. "Why don''t we make a deal?" Jiang She responded by releasing a succession of crossbow bolts. Xinyi Ren blew the bolts away with a wave of his hand. Xinyi Ren sat himself down on a fallen log, seemingly dropping all defense against Jiang She. "Ready to make a deal now?" Chapter 9 "There''s no point in playing a game of cat and mouse. Dragging this match out would be disadvantageous for both of us." Xinyi Ren had a point, the patriarch had made it clear that it was forbidden for disciples to stall matches. However, no matter from which angle Jiang She attacked, she could not seem to find an opening. "A deal? Is that what you offered to that mortal clan before exterminating them?" Jiang She couldn''t afford to take him lightly. He was different type of fighter compared to Chen Wudi, far more sly and conniving. Xinyi Ren took no offense and even cracked a slight smile. He jumped off the log and brushed the dust from his robes. "It seems to me that you''re not open to the idea." He muttered as he pulled a tracking talisman from his sleeves. "It''s over for you. Do you see what''s in my hand? It''s a tracking talisman! Let''s see how you can hide now!" He said, Igniting his talisman. The smoke of the burnt talisman spiraled into the sky. "Impossible! If my talisman can''t detect you, that means your concealment technique should be at the Earth Grade at least!" He sputtered, showing a rare loss in decorum. "A Earth Grade concealment technique? What difference does it make? You want to hide in trees? I''ll just blow all the trees away!" Xinyi Ren shrieked while slashing down trees with his Qi whips. "Wait! Could this be what you wanted? To unnerve me and strike after I over exert myself?" He exclaimed. "Why don''t you stop overthinking!" Jiang She jeered, darting towards Xinyi Ren from her hiding spot. "A head on fight is exactly what I want!" Xinyi Ren sneered, the Qi around him buzzing. Xinyi Ren unleashed several Qi arrows at Jiang She''s approaching figure. "Looks like you''ve used all your Qi!" Jiang She brushed away his Qi arrows, his Qi had weakened from overexertion. She sent Xinyi Ren barreling through the forest with a Qi infused punch to the face. "Impossible. Done in by a child? It''s my loss. I''m afraid it''ll only get harder from here for you. Good luck." Xinyi Ren admitted to his loss while nursing his bruised jaw. He faded from the world but not before rising to his feet and gracefully bowing. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.Jiang She bowed back but he had already left the world. Not long after she also disappeared. "A little girl like you got this far? Impressive." A tall, broody swordsman in black robes said. "Don''t underestimate me." Jiang She retorted. She assumed a ready stance and started circulating her Qi. She circled the broody cultivator cautiously. The aura he gave off reeked of death, she was sure that he was no stranger to murder. "My name is Jiang She. Your name?" "My name is Yi Haoran, with the epithet of Phantom Blade." "Phantom Blade? That''s an impressive title. Let''s see if you live up to it!" She replied, dashing forward with palm outstretched. Yi Haoran placed his hand on his sword, he knelt on to one knee. It was an odd stance but Jiang She was determined to end the match with a single strike. She had used up too much of her Qi and could not afford to fight a long drawn out battle. 15 meters. 10 meters. 5 meters. She suddenly halted at 5 meters. She leaped back to 15 meters. She was shocked to find that the ground had a neat cut running through it, starting from Yi Haoran and ending at 5 meters. If she had taken even another step she would''ve been cut into two. "It looks like I can only resort to that move" She muttered. Yi Haoran had remained emotionless throughout the fight but she knew that her "special move" would definitely put a change to his expression for sure. She cautiously made her way to the 5 meter mark. She knew that she had no conventional way of winning, her only bet was to gamble it all on one strike. Yi Haoran sheathed his sword and took his former stance. "Please let me win! Please! I''ll do anything!" She prostrated herself on the ground and grovelled miserably, inching closer and closer to Yi Haoran. "What? You disgrace yourself as a warrior!" Yi Haoran dropped his stance momentarily from a mixture of shock and rage. "Dragon Erupts From Earth!" She had just managed to cross the 2 meter mark when she leaped from the ground and struck Yi Haoran with all her might. At the distance of 2 meters naturally he was blown back. He landed on his back several meters back. "To think I, the Phantom Blade, could''ve been done in by such a cheap trick. It''s your win." Yi Haoran sighed while staring at the artificial sky. "Good luck on your next match." He said before disappearing. "I''ll win for sure." Jiang She was determined to win. She owed it to all the warriors had had beat to come so far.