ã€ŠCelestial Foxã€‹


 Prologue

    The world of Asela, a vast world that is divided into 4 wide continents. There exists numerous beings that live and dies. But in this world, there is an existence feared by many. They are ferocious beasts, beasts that absorbed the dense amount of energy in the world, resulting in many different mutation and evolution, turning into what is now called ferocious beasts.

    But in this large continent, humans, elves, beast men, dwarfs and numerous other beings also exists, may it be in harmony or not.

    Even so, hunted down as prey for the beasts, they joined hands in the face of common enemy, and after many blood shedding years of countless generations. They finally came up with a way to fight back against the beasts.

    Cultivation.

    With their new found strength, the races fought back, and the continent have finally stabilized while the relationship of the races have turned tense once again.

    The world of Asela then passed through the years with numerous changes.

    But on a certain day on the continents, gray clouds looms over what should be a star lit sky. Countless stray lightning sometimes leaked from the clouds and smites the land of Asela. But the residence of Asela are more worried of the huge fluctuation of energy in the atmosphere and the fact that many beasts in the continent are rather quiet, as if in fear of angering a mighty existence.

    Within a continent located in the west, there stands a tower which pierced through the dark clouds above surrounded by a city which reaches far and wide. But unlike how it usually is, the tower currently shone with a luster as it shook with a deep rumble. Weirdly, the shaking of the tower did not affect the land on which it stood on, as if a certain power separated it from the land underneath it.

    In other continents, similar events have also taken place. In the east, a certain tree which seemed as if it could support a world, in the south, a certain ancient temple which could make one¡¯s blood boil simply at the sight of it, in the north, a certain mountain range which looked just like the body of a slumbering dragon. They all shone with a luster and shook deeply without disturbing the land.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    But no matter where this happened, this event shook the heart of numerous people who noticed this event, from the common to the royalties.

    At the same time, in a desolate mountain where blizzards happened all year round, a boy stood on an edge of a cliff surrounded by many snow white wolves. Surprisingly, this boy has snow white hair and a pair of ears atop his head that looks almost exactly like the snow white wolves¡¯.Currently, the man and the pack of wolves are staring intently at the clouds covering the skies, when suddenly the boy¡¯s eyes turned sharp as he stared deeply into the clouds.

    But after muttering some words, the boy shook his head as he lightly sighed before turning back and entering a wooden cottage.

    In an even farther place, until finally reaching a small island in Asela, a group of women are currently kneeling respectfully in front of a single woman with her back facing them. Each of these women havecharming features that is above the common, which naturally makes one wonder for what reason they bowed down to a single woman of similar, or even younger, age.

    But the woman that is standing right before them is currently staring intently at the sky, as if trying to discern the secrets behind them.

    She then suddenly turned to look at the other girls, because of this, her face that was hidden by the shadow of the clouds is lit up by the light of the surrounding torches, revealing her charming features which could even defeat those bowing by many folds.

    "From my reading, I found that this event will be the start of a world-changing era for us, but may it be a fortune or a misfortune, it is all up to fate to decide."

    The voice of the white robed woman sounded out like the chimes of a divine silver bell.

    None of the kneeling women have a change on their faces, as if what she said had nothing to do with them, but that doesn''t mean their heart is worry free.

    With a sigh, the white robed woman walked back into a large mansion not far from the cliff, with the numerous women silently following behind.

    As these figures contemplated about the events that traversed the continents. A small crack silently showed up on the looming gray clouds.

    Unnoticeably, a beam of golden-white light shot out of the crack before flying out towards a certain direction that was soon pursued by other beams of light.

    Not long after, the crack slowly dissipates together with the looming clouds, while the fluctuation of energy returned to normal, together with the beasts of the land.

 Chapter 1: Descent of The Silver Fox

    Stellar City, a Middle Grade city under the jurisdiction of Crimson Blood Empire, one of the human Empires in Asela. However, due to the massive number of cities the Empire comprised of, this is one of the cities that the Empire does not bother with. More so, given its remote location in the Empire territory. The Empire won''t send anyone of the ruling class to the city unless it is of the utmost importance.

    The Ruling Class is made up of ministers, the upper echelon of the aristocracy and the imperial family and their clans. However, most of the small and remote cities are governed by Ruling Clans; which are the clans who have reigned supreme in that city for a long time.

    In the middle of the night, within a garden of the ruling clan of the Stellar City, Aasmany Clan, stood a middle aged man, staring at the gray clouds looming above, covering the night sky. This middle aged man is the patriarch of the Aasmany Clan, Bahram Aasmany. For what reason he is standing there watching the night sky, only he knows.

    Suddenly, a dazzling gold-silver ray of light shot out of the cloud towards the garden. Witnessing this, Bahram''s eyes went wide as he raised his guard.

    Surprisingly, when the ray of light was about to hit the ground, it stopped and hovered a few meters above the ground for a moment before the light subsided, revealing a man with multiple bloody scars on his body and a pair of translucent golden wings on his back. But what Bahram is most surprised of is the fact that the man is currently carrying an unconscious girl of around 5 years in age. But this girl had a pair of silver fox ear and a tail revealing that she isn''t human.

    "Are you the current patriarch of the Aasmany Clan?" The winged man asked with a voice filled with urgency.

    Bahram was about to inquire something, but hearing the urgency from the winged man''s voice, he swallowed back his questions and nodded.

    "Good, then I ask of you to take this child in and raise her as you would your own. Never mention that I was the one who entrusted her with you. She will explain more once she gets better. She may age slower after developing due to her race so you have no need to hide her race." The winged man appealed as he handed the girl over to Bahram.

    As Bahram took the girl off from man''s arms, he glanced at the scars all over the winged man''s body as he furrowed his brows.

    "Those wounds look rather life threatening, we should treat th-." Before Bahram could finish his words, the winged man rose up to the sky as his body was basked in gold and silver light once again.

    "No need, I am already prepared to forfeit my life for this mission, I simply ask of you to take care of the girl." The man''s voice resounded as he flew farther away.

    Not long after, numerous ray of light followed behind the winged man.

    Bahram stood there, stunned for a moment before he finally recomposed himself and walked back into the mansion. Knowing that he is not a significant character in this world, he dared not to be too deeply involved into the fights which he would not have qualification to directly interfere in.

    Suddenly, at the corner of his eye, he noticed a small silhouette at the corner of the garden. He hurriedly turned his head to see who it was. When he saw that it was just his son, Behnam, who is currently staring blankly at him, he sighed in relief before reminding him sternly.

    "Keep quiet about all the things you just saw. Right now we are just insignificant people that cannot afford to offend those big characters." Bahram then continued on his way, carrying the unconscious girl, leaving his son to stare blankly at his father¡¯s back.

    He brought the girl into an empty room close to his living quarters before telling a passing servant to forbid anyone from entering the room.

    Inside, Bahram laid the unconscious girl on a bed before he sat and meditated while reflecting on everything that had just taken place.

    But even after he finished his meditation, the girl had not woke up, so he decided to return to his room and slept.

    As the sun rose over the horizon, Bahram rose from his slumber together with the resurfacing of the memories from the night before.

    Recollecting those memories, he left his room and stood in front of the room where he left the girl at. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door of the room as quietly as possible.

    Inside, he saw the girl draped in a white gown as her silver hair glimmered, staring out the window across the door as she was bathed in the shimmering light coming through it. Looking at this picturesque scene, Bahram lost himself for a moment, resulting in him taking a stiff step forward and breaking the tranquility of the scene.

    When the girl heard the sound of his footsteps, her body shook as she jerked her head towards him. When she saw Bahram, her pair of gold and red eyes was filled with wariness and a hint of fear as she raised her guard.

    When Bahram saw her eyes, he went stiff for a moment before taking a step backward while saying with a coercing voice.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Please do not worry, I mean you no harm.¡±

    Hearing his words, the wariness on the girl''s dimmed slightly, allowing Bahram to sigh in relief before continuing.

    ¡°My name is Bahram Aasmany, may I have your name, young miss?"

    "My name¡­ it is Yvette Celestiel."

    "Then can you tell me who you are and what happened to you?"

    But instead of answering his question, the wariness within her eyes increased as she moved backward, causing Bahram to smile wryly.

    ¡°I was entrusted by a man to take care of you, he also said that you will tell me everything once you woke up.¡±

    Hearing his excuse, her wariness decreased once again. But even then, she still did not give any answer to her question, only to open and close her mouth with no words coming out of it.

    Seeing this, Bahram sighed as he could only helplessly say.

    "If you are unwilling, you don¡¯t have to tell me anything, but I hope that you will be able to trust me since you have been entrusted to me." He said in a soothing voice as he approached Yvette.

    After a hesitating for a moment, Yvette gave a small nod, as if she finally accepted her fate.

    Seeing this, Bahram smiled as he continued.

    "Alright, you must be hungry after all the things you went through, right?" He offered as he stood up while offering Yvette a hand.

    She stared deep into his eyes as if trying to discern his true motives before nodding lightly before accepting his hand.

    As they walked through the hallway to get some food, they kept close to each other, as if they''re a pair of father and daughter. At this time, Yvette suddenly asked.

    "So... what should I call you, sir?" Towards her question, Bahram pondered for a moment before replying with a smile.

    "Since you have been entrusted to me, I shall be your new guardian, so you may call me anything which you deem fitting."

    "Then... father..." When she said that, a complex light shone within her eyes, but before Bahram could notice, her eyes once again returned to its usual look.

    But hearing her calling him father made Bahram felt rather awkward.

    When they reached the clan''s dining hall, many people were stunned by the appearance of their clan''s patriarch together with a female fox beast man child, but nobody dared to question him in fear of angering their patriarch. It is common knowledge in the clan that their patriarch is amiable when left alone, but turns fierce once angered.

    After ordering a servant to bring food for the both of them, Bahram led Yvette onto an empty seat. Seeing this, the surrounding people tacitly made space for the pair while occasionally throwing curios glances, particularly towards Yvette who managed to calmly eat while being under the glances of many people.

    But halfway through their meal, a wave of killing intent drowned the whole dining hall causing everyone there to go stiff while a few younger children started to bawl.

    "Husband~, I left you alone for a day and you already dare to turn towards a little girl?"

    Looking towards the source of the voice, there stood a woman draped in a white gown at the entrance of the dining hall who is currently releasing a frightening amount of killing intent that was increasing as she moved closer towards Bahram and Yvette.

    "Esfir, calm down." Bahram calmly said as he stood before Yvette, covering her from the oppressive killing intent.

    "Oh, I am calm, I am only waiting for your explanation." She then retracted some of her killing intent as her eyes squinted into slits. But Bahram shook his head helplessly and continued

    "No, this is not a fitting place for a discussion, follow me to my room." Realizing his predicament, Esfir secretly glanced at the surroundings filled with clan members staring at them, finding Bahram¡¯s words agreeable.

    With a sigh, Esfir retracted the rest of her killing intent before walking closer towards Bahram and Yvette. Surprisingly, she just walked past Bahram, who was whispering instructions to a close-by servant, and crouched herself as she stared deep into Yvette''s pair of eyes. Suddenly, her body went stiff before she suddenly reached out towards Yvette. But the next moment, her hand froze, as if she is struggling to resist something. Noticing this, Bahram, who sent away the servant, inquired.

    ¡°Esfir? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    When she heard his voice, Esfir¡¯s hand suddenly froze before it slowly retracted.

    "Nothing, I just thought she looked really cute and wanted to pet her." She said with a smile, hiding the cold sweat flowing down her back.

    ¡°Alright, let us go to my room, I will explain everything there.¡± Saying that, he left the dining hall with Yvette and Esfir following right behind.

    But during the whole way there, Esfir kept on giving an intense look towards Yvette, causing her to unconsciously move away from Esfir. Even then, she did not relent and kept on staring intensely at Yvette.

    At first, Bahram did not think much of it, thinking that his wife must have wanted to know more about this girl he took in. But as time passed, he realized that the intensity of her stare did not diminish in the slightest, on the contrary, it increased at the passing of time.

    ¡°My dearest wife, I believe that you are making her uncomfortable with that stare of yours.¡±

    At first, Esfir wanted to ignore his words, but after seeing Bahram glaring at her from the corner of his eyes, she could only give a few unwilling glances before looking away.

    Noticing this, Yvette threw a grateful glance at Bahram before she kept on walking.

    Not long after that short event, the three finally arrived at Bahram¡¯s room. Inside the three sat facing each other with Yvette sitting on the side.

    "Now I will explain everything." When Bahram said that, Esfir¡¯s straightened her body and conducted herself in a serious demeanor. Seeing this, Yvette threw a few curious glances at them, as if wanting to know what they are about to talk about.

    As Bahram recounted everything that happened that night, Esfir showed many expressions, astonishment, fear, questioning. But even more so, she felt rather complicated over everything. From what Bahram has told her, she concluded that if the people that were chasing after Yvette knew that their clan is currently hiding her, they might come here and try to take her back, even worse, they might even destroy their clan.

    When she glanced towards Yvette, she was surprised to see her eyes filled with an almost undiscernible sorrow as she looked at the bracelet on her wrist that''s adorned with a sun and moon image. As if noticing her gaze, Yvette lifted her head and looked towards them with indifferent eyes. Seeing this, Esfir felt her chest tightened.

    "It''s fine, she, herself is currently feeling hardship, being separated from her parents while still being this young must have dealt a heavy blow towards her mind. Either way, I''m happy to have her." Esfir said towards Bahram.

    Hearing her agreement, Bahram himself was happy since he already promised that man to take care of Yvette.

    From that day onwards, the Aasmany clan had an additional member to their family who will cause a huge change towards their clan and the whole continent of Asela.

 Chapter 2: Meeting The Brother

    After Bahram and Esfir agreed on adopting Yvette, they decided to announce it to the clan.

    "Yvette, we will go announce to everyone that we will be adopting you, wait here quietly for now. If you are in need of anything, you can ask the servant outside the room." In response, Yvette meekly nodded. Seeing this, they were both reassured and left the room.

    Left alone inside the room, Yvette contemplated over what she should do now. But out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed a bookshelf at the other side of the room. Then, with a brightened face, she approached the bookshelf.

    After she checked the whole book inside the bookshelf, she took a book and sat on the table near the room''s window. Surprisingly, soon after she started to read, she was already engrossed in the book.

    Meanwhile, within the garden which could be observed from the room¡¯s window, one of the bushes within rustled as a boy that looks to be a few years older than Yvette appeared from within the bushes. Unfortunately, Yvette was too engrossed in her book that she didn''t even notice the sound.

    After getting out of the bush, the boy stealthily looked around. But by coincidence, he caught sight of Yvette who is reading next to the window. Seeing this, his brow knitted as he approached the window.

    When the boy arrived before the window, he saw Yvette deeply engrossing herself into her book, to the point that she is unable to see him who is standing right before her. Unable to stomach the sense of being unnoticed, he tried to get her attention.

    "Excuse me, but who are you?" Hearing the unexpected voice, Yvette examined her surroundings and saw the boy standing outside the window with knitted brows, causing her to think of the question he has just asked.

    After pondering for a moment, she found no reason to not tell him her name, hence she closed her book and looked directly into his sky-blue eyes as she answered.

    "Yvette Celestiel."

    Yet, instead of replying, the boy only stared at her stiffly like a statue. But a moment later, he quickly regained his composure. Unfortunately, the faint redness on his face quickly gave away the embarrassment he held within.

    Strongly shaking his head, he forcefully cleared his mind and inquired.

    "You must be that girl from last night, what are you doing inside my father¡¯s room?" Saying that, he vigilantly squinted and appraised Yvette with his eyes.

    But those actions were ignored by Yvette who stared at him in bewilderment. From the words he said, it could only mean that the room¡¯s owner, Bahram Aasmany, is his father. Which also means that the boy before her is most likely her adopted brother. Coming to that conclusion, she finally answered him.

    ¡°I am here as your father instructed as he has left to make an announcement.¡±

    Yet, even after hearing her answer, the boy is still looking vigilantly looking at her.

    ¡°Really? But why would he leave you inside his room?¡±

    ¡°He has gone to make an announcement of my adoption.¡±

    Hearing her words, the boy was clearly surprised. Yet, when he saw how Yvette could still keep a calm face even after saying those words, he was unwilling to show a hint of surprise on his face and suppressed it as he inquired.

    ¡°How can I trust your words?¡±

    After pondering for a moment, she was unable to find any words to resolve his doubts, hence she was unwilling to continue the argument. She turned to her book and said without looking at him.

    "You will know once they returned."

    Saying that, she once again focused on her book, ignoring any more words the boy said.

    Realizing that he is being ignored, he could only reluctantly go and meditate under the shade of a tree, waiting for his father¡¯s return. Yet, those enchanting pair of golden and red eyes still could not be removed from his mind even after a long time.

    Meanwhile, within a certain room, Bahram sat facing fifteen people with Esfir sitting on his right. Those fifteen people are the fifteen elders of the Aasmany Clan.

    "Patriarch, why have you called out for us all? It is quite rare for you to have the servants call for us for a meeting unless it is quite important." Asked one of the elder.

    Once that question was asked, all the elders perked up their ears and focused their gazes on the patriarch. Yet, facing all those collective gazes, Bahram was unflinching.

    "First, I want to clarify that what I am going to say here is going to be strictly confidential. All who dares to leak this information, whether by accident or not, shall be judged by the clan law, do you all understand?" As he finished his words, his gaze slowly turned sharp as it gazed at each and every one of the elder.

    Noticing the graveness within his words, all the elders realized the seriousness the patriarch held over this matter, hence, whether they were willing or not, they all nodded to show their acknowledgement. Seeing this, he continued.

    "I have decided to adopt a daughter, some of you should''ve seen her inside the clan''s dining hall. She is a girl from the fox beast man race." Up to this point, a few of the elders could be seen looking at each other in inquiry of their opinion while some others may even be using their Qi to transmit messages. Knowing their state of thoughts, Bahram did not stop them from secretly discussing with each other and instead waited until they have finished.

    Once they all calmed down and returned their focus to the patriarch, he continued.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°I did not adopt her without reason. As you all must have known, the day before, someone with a high level of cultivation suddenly appeared within the clan. From what I saw, he must have been at least at the peak of Core Formation stage.¡± Saying that, he once again went silent. But in his mind, he added, ¡®Just as the prophecy stated¡­¡¯ Before rising to his feet.

    ¡°She will be staying here for a few days. I will then send her to the North Yin Peak just like any other girls of her age within the clan. I want you all to treat her just like you would to any other clan member. Any objection?¡± Seeing none of the elder raising any form of objection, Bahram nodded contentedly and proclaimed the meeting¡¯s dismissal before turning to leave with Esfir in tow.

    Outside, Bahram whispered towards a servant before going on his way as the servant ran towards another direction.

    At the same time, within the patriarch''s room, a girl could be seen calmly reading a book as the light shimmering from the window illuminated her. While outside of the room, there is a boy sitting under the shade of a tree, staring at the scene in a daze.

    ''How beautiful...'' As that thought silently ran through his head, the room''s door suddenly rattled open as a pair of man and woman entered the room.

    "Father, mother!" Seeing Bahram and Esfir entering the room, the boy''s eyes lit up as he quickly approached the window.

    Hearing a familiar voice suddenly calling them, Bahram and Esfir turned their attention to him in surprise.

    "Behnam? What are you doing here?" Esfir said as she approached the window with a smile while Bahram followed behind her.

    "I was passing by when I suddenly saw her reading a book inside father''s room. She told me that father adopted her, is she telling the truth?" He then pointed at Yvette that''s currently staring at them expressionlessly.

    "What she said is true, we did adopt her today, she will also be your younger sister from this day onwards." She then gestured Yvette to come towards her. Seeing this, Yvette obediently came forward and stood next to Esfir

    "My name is Yvette; I will be in your care." With a faint, almost non-existent, smile, she bowed slightly towards Behnam. Her sudden action caused him to be flustered and subconsciously bowed back.

    Seeing that they seem to be on good terms, Bahram and Esfir smiled before continuing.

    "Yvette, this is Behnam, our son, and your new step-brother."

    "Nice to meet you, brother." Standing right in front of her, Behnam stared in a daze at the clear sight the pair of golden and red eyes which he could not remove from his mind all this time. Noticing that her son¡¯s dazed state, Esfir called out.

    "Behnam?"

    "Ah? Yes, forgive my rudeness, it¡¯s nice to meet you." As Behnam snapped out from his dazed state, he replied back to her greeting while forcefully controlling his voice and body from showing any hint of flusteredness.

    But after seeing the fluster within his actions before Yvette, Esfir was able to quickly deduce the problem.

    ''I have already known that her charm is fearsome, but for it to even affect a firm-hearted child like Behnam...'' Once her thoughts reached that point, she silently sighed within her mind.

    "Behnam, we need to talk privately with Yvette regarding her accommodation. As for you, you should go and cultivate yourself in the meantime. From the current state of your body, I believe you will soon achieve breakthrough."

    Motivated by his father¡¯s words, Behnam nodded and took one last glance at Yvette, as if trying to brand her image to his mind, before finally leaving the garden. Seeing that Behnam finally left, Esfir and Bahram focused their attention back to their new step-daughter.

    ¡°Yvette, as I was entrusted to take care of you like my own daughter, I will spare no effort to raise you up. I will not force you to anything, but I ask of you to at least follow the rules which I and the clan holds.¡± Saying that, he gave a seriously look to Yvette, who in response, nodded her head in acknowledgement. Seeing this, Bahram smiled as he continued.

    "Alright, from now on, you will be taught about etiquette from your mother, because no matter who you are before, every woman in this world needs to learn at least the most basic etiquette. I believe no normal parent would want their children to be unbridled people.

    You can also choose to learn at most two more things from being an Inscription Master, Formation Master, Alchemists, and Master Crafters. Do you know what these professions are?"

    "Yes, Inscribers are people who inscribe runes to weapons or items, turning them into treasure weapons or other special kinds of tools.

    Formationists creates different kinds of formations and arrays using items and energies.

    Alchemists creates varieties of pills to help with cultivation and other things.

    While Crafters are people who can turn various materials into tools, weapons, and armors."

    Hearing Yvette''s explanation, Bahram was not surprised after considering Yvette¡¯s possible background. But he would have never thought that Yvette learned and memorized these things from one of his books.

    "We will find you tutors suited for your choice of profession. And we will also find you a tutor to teach you about cultivation as not only does every and each one of those professions requires you to be a cultivator, you also need strength to protect yourself in this world."

    After pondering over Bahram¡¯s words for a while, Yvette finally answered.

    "If so, I would like to learn Formations and Inscriptions techniques. Regarding cultivation, father need not to worry, I will learn it on my own." Bahram and Esfir were rather surprised of Yvette''s answer and was quite reluctant to leave her to her own devices, but seeing that she has no plans on relenting on this, they gave in.

    "Alright then, we will get you the best tutor we can find and a fitting cultivation technique for you." But after he finished his words, Yvette shook her head and said.

    "There is no need to find a cultivation technique for me, my parents have already prepared something for me." Hearing her words, Bahram and Esfir hesitated for a moment before finally nodding, as anything her biological parents gave her must be better than what they could give.

    "That''s fine then, next, I will find a place for you to live and a handmaiden you could choo-, Ah, speaking which." Followed by Bahram''s words, a knocking sound came from the door followed by a voice from outside.

    "Patriarch, I have brought a few female servant just as you ordered."

    "Good, bring them in." Following Bahram''s order, the room''s door opened as a man followed by five girls wearing servant clothing entered the room.

    "Let them introduce themselves, after that, you may pick any one of them as your handmaiden, you must choose carefully, for the one you choose will be the person to accompany you for life until the day you or she perish." Hearing Bahram¡¯s grave words, Yvette examined each one of the servants.

    The oldest of them seems to be 10 years old while the youngest looks to be 5 years old.

    When Yvette''s sight landed on the youngest looking girl, her gaze stopped as she examined her.

    The girl has smooth, black hair that reached her waist and a pale face with a pair of violet pupils that is currently examining her surroundings silently.

    "Gree-" "Please wait." Following Yvette¡¯s sudden interruption, everyone focused their gazes on her.

    "Is something wrong Yvette?"

    "Father, may I take her as my handmaiden?" She said as she looked towards the youngest girl of the group.

    Taken aback, Bahram followed where Yvette was pointing. Seeing that it was the youngest of the girls, Bahram pondered a bit before asking Yvette once more.

    ¡°Are you truly sure of your choice Yvette?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Hearing Yvette¡¯s firm reply, Bahram nodded lightly before saying towards the male servant.

    "Alright then, get an experienced servant to train the girl while accompanying her on serving Yvette. And have that girl prepare herself to serve Yvette starting tomorrow."

    "This servant understands." As the servant was about to bring the five girls out, Yvette suddenly stood up and questioned the young girl.

    "May I have your name?" At the sudden questioning, the girl halted her steps and turned around before making a bow with an expressionless face.

    "Your humble servant is named Daiyu."

 Chapter 3: Cultivation

    After the servants left the room, Bahram looked towards Yvette and said.

    ¡°Now that you have chosen a handmaiden, I will go find a room for you in the North Yin Mansion. I am unsure of when it would be prepared, but for now, you will have to stay in the Main House Mansion, in the room you were sleeping at before.¡±

    Hearing this, Yvette turned to Bahram and asked with confusion in her eyes.

    ¡°Am I not allowed to stay in the Main House Mansion?¡± Hearing her inquiry, Bahram¡¯s face is filled with complication as he turned towards Esfir. Seeing Bahram like this, she could not help but let out a small laugh before she explained to Yvette.

    "Well, the only people that are allowed to live in the Main House Mansion are seniors from the main branch of the clan and people who has done great contribution for the clan. That is why there are a few girls and boys that became concubines for the males and females in the Main House Mansion so that they may stay there, there are even a few young boys or girls that became concubines just so that they may stay in the Main House Mansion.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±

    After those words, none of them continued to spoke, filling the room with silence.

    "Ah, actually, as it is still quite early, you will have a lot of free time, what do you plan on doing?¡± At Esfir¡¯s words which broke the silence, Yvette lowered her head in thought.

    After a while, she raised her head and stared towards the two of them.

    ¡°Are there any libraries here?¡±

    ¡°So you like to read? That is quite a rare hobby for ones around your age.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my mother encouraged me to read and gain as many knowledge as I could, she always said that knowledge is power while showing me how to put knowledge into use.¡± She said with a melancholic smile.

    Seeing her smile, Esfir¡¯s heart tightened. So as to distract her, she continued.

    ¡°Well, first things first, since you will be living here starting now, you should first get to know your home better. Getting lost in your new home is not something you would like to happen now is it?¡±

    Hearing that, Yvette nodded slightly in agreement.

    ¡°You can go look around the clan when your handmaiden has finished preparing herself tomorrow. For today, you should try cultivating as even girls need strength to protect herself to live in this world.¡±

    When she heard that, Yvette nodded seriously as even she herself understood this point long ago.

    ¡°Well, since you have said that your parents have already prepared something for you, then we will be leaving, if you are ever in need of anything, you may notify the servant outside the room and he will do whatever he can to fulfill your needs.¡± Following those words, Esfir stood up together with Bahram and walked out of the room. But as they were about to leave the room, Yvette¡¯s faint voice drifted into their ear.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Esfir froze for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure and continued to walk out.

    Left alone within the room. Yvette looked down towards her wrist where a bracelet, adorned with the image of the sun and moon, could be seen dangling.

    After looking at her bracelet for a whole minute, Yvette lifted her other hand and pricked her finger, causing a drop of crimson blood to surface. But from the twitching of her facial muscle and suppressed groans, it could be gathered that she is not used to hurting herself.

    But even so, she did not mind the tiny wound and dripped the drop of blood onto her bracelet before sucking on the wound, as if to numb the pain.

    When the drop of blood landed on the bracelet, a layer of white starlight suddenly appeared on its surface and converged on the drop of blood, as if examining it.

    After a moment, the layer of glittering starlight welcomed the drop of blood into the bracelet. When the blood entered the bracelet, Yvette could feel a sense of connection between her mind the bracelet, as if no matter where the bracelet is, she would still know where it is and call it back to her.

    Suddenly, Yvette felt as if something is drilling through her head, causing her to let out a groan as her consciousness slowly starts to fade. But by sheer willpower, she managed to keep a strand of her consciousness from going away.

    Slowly, the pain starts to fade, leaving Yvette who is covered in cold sweat lying on the ground while gasping for breath.

    After some time, Yvette slowly raised her body and examined it. Seeing her body covered in a sticky layer of sweat caused her to wrinkle her nose in displeasure. But as she was about to go clean herself, she suddenly found a new piece of memory engraved inside her mind causing her to stare blankly.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    [Yvette, if you have found this message, that means you have acquired the approval of the Celestial Bracelet, our family heirloom. I am only leaving a layer of starlight from my powers as a form of protection. This bracelet is an item created by your first ancestor. It has stored the cultivation techniques and skills of the first ancestor, it also has few other things we may not know. Since you have received the approval of the Celestial Bracelet, that means you have the talent and heart for cultivation. But your father and I still hope that you can live a happy life, even if we may not see you again, as long as you are happy, we are also happy. So do whatever you see fit, my dear daughter.]

    After those words faded from her mind, she lowered her head as her eyes moistened.

    ¡°Thank you, mother.¡± She whispered in a slightly hoarse voice with her eyes closed.

    After a few moments, Yvette opened her eyes, revealing a pair of serene eyes, as her mind returned to its calm state before continuing to examine her newly gained memories.

    Inside her mind, a line of word appeared.

    Yin-Yang Circulation Technique

    The word seemed normal at first, but after she examined it even deeper, she can sense a charm in the words. Even if she is still a 5-year-old, she still understood how amazing of a feat this is, she could only imagine how grand of a character her first ancestor is.

    Even so, since she is still not a cultivator and has not learned anything about the laws concerning this technique, she cannot understand fully understand true charm behind it. But for some reason, she could still sense a feeling of attraction from the word, causing her to tilt her head in confusion.

    But since she is just a beginner in regards of cultivation, she decided to throw this event to the back of her mind and look into it later. With that, she continued to study the cultivation technique.

    [The first stage of Yin-Yang Circulation, form the seed of Yin and Yang, growing into the Celestial Tree that will circulate the air of Yin and Yang all over the body...]

    Commonly, cultivation techniques do not have focus on an element, which would only qualify it as a lower tier until middle tier technique. But no matter how strong it is, it would still be weaker than a technique focusing on an element trained by someone with an affinity for that element. And even if a technique focuses on an element, it could only focus on one of it at the most. A technique that allows you to cultivate two elements at the same time is much harder to find than someone that has affinity with two or more elements.

    Because of this, when Yvette ¡®saw¡¯ the description of the technique, she was quite amazed. Fortunately, she still managed to keep her composure and continued to search through her memories.

    After some time, she noticed that she was unable to make sense of the other memories, as if they were covered in a thick layer of fog. Even after trying to forcefully ¡®read¡¯ those memories, she could not even get a hint of the information hidden within.

    With no current way to get over it, she could only give up and leave it for the future.

    Now with her mind cleared up, she proceeded to practice the Yin-Yang Circulation Technique.

    Sitting down in a lotus position on the mattress, Yvette slowed down her breathing and closed her eyes.

    Slowly, she started to breathe in a certain pattern following a technique she remembered which her mother imparted, a prerequisite to be able to sense the energy in the surroundings. But this breathing technique is also able to allow her to absorb the surrounding energy.

    At first, her breathing was constantly disrupted because of the breathing technique¡¯s weird pattern, but after a few minutes, she was able to smoothly follow the breathing pattern. Finally, after a half an hour passed, she managed to sense the energy around her. Even so, this kind of speed is already at the level of a genius as there are people who would take a few days or, if untalented, until half a year just to detect a tiny bit of energy. Even more so since she did not receive any external help to detect the energy around her. But it could also be considered that this achievement is credited to the breathing technique she used.

    The energy of the world has been called with multiple names by people, but commonly, people refer it as World Energy. But once that it has been absorbed into the body, it will be called Qi.

    Following the Yin-Yang Circulation Technique, Yvette did not temper her body like the common orthodox method. Instead, she once again used the breathing technique and directly refined the World Energy in the surroundings into her dantian, turning them into Yin and Yang Qi using the method within the memory piece and formed a Yin-Yang seed inside it.

    Usually, common Body Tempering stage cultivators would be required to absorb the energy in the surroundings into their flesh and use them to temper their bodies using body tempering techniques which can do both for them, but once a cultivator enters the Qi Refining stage, they can use the Qi within their acupoints to form a whirlpool which takes in the energy in their surroundings, meaning that breathing techniques are commonly only used to allow cultivators to feel energy of the world, unlike Yvette¡¯s which also allowed her to also pull in the energy around her.

    But the Yin-Yang Circulation Technique allows her to omit the body tempering process. Instead, the technique requires her to directly absorb energy to cultivate, meaning that she is required to take in raw energy before even having Qi, forcing her to use breathing techniques as a way to absorb energy.

    Unfortunately, this method did not leave her in a much better situation than the people who train using the orthodox method. On the contrary, she could feel a piercing pain wherever the energy went through within her body, causing cold sweat to trickle down her head. But even then, she clenched her teeth and continued to cultivate.

    After what she assumed to be an hour, a black and white outline of a seed can be seen inside her dantian. The black and white outlines are the representation of the Yin and Yang Qi respectively, the amount of black and white color on the outline can be said to be of the same amount, which is one of the reasons why it took so long for Yvette to form only the outline of the seed.

    Looking at the outline of the seed inside her, Yvette made a small satisfied smile.

    But as she was about to continue forming the seed, she suddenly felt as if the back of her head was hit by a hammer, causing her already pale face to pale further.

    As Yvette was about to lose consciousness, she wryly smiled, scolding herself for her neglectfulness, before falling flat on her bed.

 Chapter 4: Aasmany Clan

    Inside a room within the Main Household Mansion of the Aasmany Clan, a girl draped in a white silk robe could be seen lying on a layer bed sheet spread on the wooden floor. As the first light of day shimmered through the window, it landed on the girl¡¯s charming face, illuminating her beautiful silver hair and causing it to glitter as if it is covered by moonlight.

    Suddenly, the girl¡¯s eyelids twitched before slowly opening, revealing a pair of hazy charming gold and red eyes that focused on the next moment. She then lifted her body and did a stretch while examining her body.

    She noticed that, unlike most people who have just entered Body Refining stage, her body did not seem to have gone through the impurity cleansing process. Or to be exact, there was no impurity to be cleansed from her body. Yet this came to no surprise to her.

    After examining herself, she then proceeded to sit in the lotus position on top of the bed sheet and calmed her mental state.

    As she gradually calmed her mind, she suddenly felt as if she has opened her eyes, yet as she took in the sight before her, she did not recognize it as the room which she was residing in before. Instead, she only saw darkness. Yet within this darkness, there was an outline of a seed shimmering with a half white and half black blight.

    But this sight did not surprise her as it was explained within the explanation of the Yin-Yang Circulation Technique that once she started forming the seed outline, she will naturally have her ¡®Inner Eyes¡¯ unlocked.

    Inner Eyes are not truly eyes, but they are a type of ability which allows one to gaze into their body. This ability is commonly unlocked once one reach the Qi Refining stage using a common technique. But the technique is not without any dangers. The process of unlocking the inner eyes is a painful one, and if an accident happens while using the technique, it would cause extreme pain to the cultivator. And during worst case scenario, they may even turn blind.

    Knowing this, she was able to recognize that she is currently looking at the dantian within her body.

    As she looked at the seed outline within her dantian, she was able to feel how it slowly emits a type of unrecognizable energy, slowly causing a change within her body.

    Finished examining the result of her first day of cultivation, Yvette stopped examining her body and opened her eyes for the second time. But after opening her eyes, Yvette noticed that her eyes that were originally already quite sharp are now even sharper. She could even clearly see the movement of the specks of dust that is floating in the air.

    As Yvette marveled at her enhanced sight, her pair of fox ears twitched slightly from the sound of the footsteps she could hear coming from the outside. From this, she realized that not only did her sight has been enhanced, all her other senses also seemed to have been sharpened.

    But before Yvette could examine her other enhanced senses, soft knocks came from the door of the room followed by Esfir¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Yvette, are you awake?¡±

    ¡°Yes, mother.¡±

    With her confirmation, Esfir entered the room with Daiyu and an older female servant following right behind her.

    After the older female servant closed the door, Esfir sat in front of Yvette elegantly with her legs folded while Daiyu silently stood behind Yvette. When the old servant stood behind Esfir, she was about to tell something to Yvette, but she suddenly stopped and gave her a deep look.

    ¡°Hm? The feeling that your body radiates¡­ It seems that you have finally started cultivating, and you have even reached the Early Body Tempering stage!¡±

    When Yvette heard her words filled with amazement, she bowed her head and said.

    ¡°I thank mother for your generous praise, but I believe reaching the level of Early Body Tempering stage is not worth mentioning.¡±

    ¡°There is no need to be so humble, as your mother, even as an adopted mother. I would naturally be proud towards the achievements of my children, no matter how miniscule it may be. I also hope that you would have less reservation to us as your family, or at least towards me, your father or brother.¡±

    Seeing the motherly smile on Esfir¡¯s face as she said those words, Yvette¡¯s face was still expressionless. But a hard to detect glint shone deep within her eyes as she slowly nodded, making Esfir¡¯s smile bloom.

    ¡°Now for what I actually came here for.¡±

    Followed by those words, she glanced behind Yvette, or to be exact, towards Daiyu that has been standing behind Yvette silently all this time.

    Sensing Esfir¡¯s glance, Daiyu that has been looking at her new master all this time looked back towards Esfir and gave a courteous bow with an expressionless face.

    ¡°Daiyu will be your handmaiden from this day onwards, but since she has not been trained as a handmaiden yet, she will also receive guidance from the old servant that is behind me for a year. But at other times, she will still accompany you as a handmaiden. She will also follow you to the North Yin Peak once you have finished looking around the Main Peak. It is fine if you wish to directly go to the North Yin Peak, but I believe it would be better to be familiar with your own home where you would be staying in for a long time.¡±

    Then, without waiting for any reaction from Yvette, Esfir stood up.

    ¡°Alright, I must go now. I and your other future teachers will go visit you once you have arrived at the North Yin Peak, if you are in need of anything, you can get a servant to inform me or your father. I hope you will also visit us during the first week of each month if you are able to.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Turning around, Esfir walked out of the room with the old servant in tow, leaving Yvette inside the room with her new handmaiden, Daiyu.

    Inside the room, Yvette stood up and said.

    ¡°Let us also go and not waste time.¡±

    ¡°Understood, My Lady.¡±

    Daiyu said with a deep bow before proceeding to lead Yvette out the room.

    In the Main Mansion, a pair of unknown girls can be seen walking through its corridor, the sight of two girls with different charms caused many males in the mansion to stare with wide-eyes regardless of age, while the few married men that were dazed while walking with their wives received a smack behind their head.

    After walking for some time, Yvette and Daiyu finally left the Main Mansion.

    Outside, the land was covered in the morning mists as the faint sound of sweeping came from the surroundings. Accompanied by the sound of rustling plants, the peak gave a sense of morning tranquility.

    Gazing at the unfamiliar land before her, an overwhelming sense of lost filled her heart. But she quickly managed to suppress that feeling and gazed towards Daiyu, hinting her to lead the way. Then, with Daiyu guiding her, Yvette visited the few, notable places within the Main Peak.

    Night, within a pavilion filled with books, a pair of girls could be seen quietly reading books. Yet the darkening of the sky went unnoticed to them who are under the illumination of the ceiling which has been emitting light ever since the sky darkened.

    When Yvette closed the book within her hand, she glanced out the window nearby and noticed the sky which has already darkened. Even then, she did not seem to be anxious nor hurried as she quietly waited for her handmaiden who she permitted to read with her.

    But without needing to wait for long, Daiyu quietly closed her book and noticed Yvette who was quietly waiting with closed eyes.

    Seeing this, she quickly bowed her head as she said with guilt.

    ¡°This servant has imprudently made my lady waited like so, this servant is willing to any punishment.¡±

    Hearing her words, Yvette opened her eyes and shook her head.

    ¡°I was the one who invited you to sit and who decided to wait, why worry like so?¡±

    She then stood up from her seat and walked away.

    ¡°It is about time. Let us go to the teleportation array.¡±

    ¡°Understood, my lady.¡±

    Saying that, she lifted her head and guided Yvette to the teleportation array.

    The trip itself did not take long as every location commonly used by the clan members, such as the teleportation array, households, library, and dining hall, are all located at the topmost of the peak.

    Soon, they arrived before a white, hexagonal platform situated in the middle of a garden. The platform was not decorated in any way, but the white platform did not look out of place inside a garden filled with nature. However, when Yvette glanced towards the platform, she saw a few lines and symbols shimmering with a golden light, with the darkness of the night, it made the sight even more eye-catching. Her curiosity aroused, Yvette slowly walked closer towards the platform.

    Suddenly, when she was a few steps away from the platform, a shadow loomed over her, blocking the illuminating moonlight.

    Turning around, Yvette saw a man standing imposingly behind her and Daiyu.

    The man has roughly shaved facial hair on a chiseled face and disheveled golden hair with a hint of white, giving him a ruffian feeling. But his darkened skin tone, well-built muscle and sharp sky blue eyes gave off a contrasting feeling of a tempered soldier.

    ¡°Are you the Young Miss that the Patriarch has taken in?¡± The man suddenly asked in a deep voice.

    As if expecting his question, Yvette calmly nodded in confirmation.

    ¡°Good, I am the protector and also the one in-charge over the teleportation array. Your parents might have already explained this to you, but you will be living at the North Yin Peak over there.¡± Followed by those words, the man pointed towards the north where the silhouette of a mountain peak could be faintly seen.

    ¡°The clan is divided into three peaks, the first is the Main Peak where the important members of the clan reside, the South Yang Peak where the male members of the clan usually reside. The South Yang Peak is also the only place which accepts normal guests. And there is the North Yin Peak over there where most female members of the clan reside. The clan is also in-charge of the Stellar City located right outside the clan¡¯s three peaks. If you ever wish to visit the city, you may request to be teleported there using the array since you are the daughter of the Patriarch.¡±

    Finished with his explanation, the man walked towards a pedestal near the platform and placed his right hand on it.

    Moments later, the symbols and lines on the platform slowly brighten, but before Yvette could give it a closer look, the protector¡¯s voice sounded.

    ¡°Go stand on top of the platform, it will send you to North Yin Mountain.¡±

    Hearing his words, Yvette gave a last curious glance towards the runes before stepping on the platform with Daiyu right behind her.

    When the pair stood on the center of the platform, the light emitted by the symbols has turned blinding, causing them to involuntarily squint their eyes.

    Once the light finally died down, the pair has disappeared from the platform, not even leaving a speck of dust. Seeing this, the man walked away silently.

    Meanwhile, on a certain garden on the North Yin Peak, a white platform that is almost identical to the platform on the Main Peak can be seen emitting a blinding light before suddenly dying down, revealing a pair of 5-year-old girls.

    As the pair stepped off the platform, a garden filled with white flowers entered their view.

    But the pair disregarded it and stepped down from the platform. At the same time, a person draped in white suddenly appeared from the shadows of the garden, appeared before them.

    ¡°Mistress Yvette and her handmaiden, I presume?¡±

    Nodding in confirmation, she examined the person before her, she saw a woman with smooth, silver hair reaching her shoulder. Her complexion was pale with a pair of calm, ocean blue eyes. Her body did not seem full of strength, yet it was filled with gracefulness of a woman.

    ¡°Come with me, I will take you to the residence.¡±

    Saying that, she turned around and led the pair away.

    Not long after, they arrived before a white mansion. But as the pair neared the mansion''s entrance, footsteps could be heard from the entrance as the door was slowly opened, revealing an elderly woman with a head filled with gray hairs at the entrance.

    ¡°I have been waiting for you, mistress. Please come in, I will be the one guiding you here onwards.¡±

    Following those words, the woman who guided them silently disappeared into the shadows while the elderly woman smiled gently as she motioned Yvette to follow her.

    Inside the mansion, many pairs of curious eyes can be seen following the newly arrived Yvette and Daiyu as they followed the elderly woman through the mansion corridor.

    Even though it is already quite late, it is common for cultivators to not even sleep at all and spend their time cultivating instead. But for cultivators with low cultivation like them, they would still require a certain amount of rest.

    But even as the countless eyes followed behind them, the two still has a face as still as water without a hint of nervousness, making the elderly woman pleasantly surprised.

    ¡®For the two of them to have such a strong mental strength at this age, how strong would their mental strength be when they grow up?¡¯

    Even as those thoughts ran through her mind, her face did not have a change of expression, showing the amount of control she has over herself.

 Chapter 5: Violet Moon

    After some time, the crowd slowly dispersed, with some going back to sleep while others continued to cultivate.

    When the elderly woman saw that the girls have slowly dispersed, she glanced towards the pair behind her. And as she has anticipated, the pair of girls are still as unperturbed as when they first came.

    ¡®Truly a pair of good seeds, if nothing goes wrong, the two of them could be prodigies in the illusion branch of the Yin art.¡¯

    As her train of thoughts went there, she smiled faintly as she proceeded on guiding Yvette through the mansion.

    Walking through the corridor, the pair of girls memorized their surroundings and the path they took as a map of the mansion slowly formed inside their mind.

    But even so, they did not fail to notice when the elderly woman suddenly stopped and turned towards them, so they raised their head to meet her gaze.

    ¡°You will be living in this room from this day onward.¡± She said as she motioned towards the room next to her before motioning towards the room across it. ¡°And your servant will stay inside the room across yours. If you have anything else to ask of me, you can have a servant notify me. As for everything else, you can have a servant or your handmaiden do it for you.¡±

    With those words, the elderly woman walked back towards the way they came. When she finally left their view, Yvette turned towards Daiyu.

    ¡°You may return to your room. I shall call for you later if I require you.¡±

    After an acknowledging bow, Daiyu stepped back and entered her room, while Yvette proceeded to enter her own room.

    Stepping into the room, the first thing that came into view is the large queen sized bed on the other side of the room. On the right side of the room, a desk complete with a writing set could be seen placed right next to a bookshelf filled with varieties of books. Across it, there is a wardrobe made out of white colored wood. Most of the wooden items in the room are made out of white colored wood, including the desk and bookshelf.

    After examining her new room, Yvette climbed onto her bed and sat in a lotus position to start meditating.

    Meditating is important to cultivators, as they need to have a stable mind before cultivating or they would get Qi deviation. Originally, Qi deviation should be an impossible thing for most Body Tempering cultivators as they only train temper their body using techniques. But the Yin-Yang Circulation does not start with body tempering, instead, it directly jumps to the Qi Refining stage where a cultivator starts learning to absorb and use Qi, where the possibility of Qi deviation exist, albeit quite miniscule.

    It did not take long for Yvette to stabilize her mind and to enter a meditative state.

    Assured, Yvette proceeded to follow the breathing technique and slowly absorbed the world energy around her before refining them into Yin-Yang Qi within her body.

    After some time, she once again felt piercing pain all over her body. But this time, she could sense that the pain felt much lighter than before. Even so, her mind is still as calm as ever and continued to cultivate.

    And as time went on, the color of the seed¡¯s outline slowly thickened until it finally formed a solid outline of the seed.

    Currently, there is only a mix of black and white outline of the seed while its insides are simply a haze that is barely discernable. Even so, she could feel the seed nourishing her body, providing strength to it.

    Seeing that the outline finally solidified, Yvette stopped cultivating and opened her eyes which now has a certain luster in it.

    But when she gazed out the room¡¯s window, she realized that it was already morning of the next day. Even so, she did not feel much fatigue other than her mind feeling tired, which she barely felt.

    She then stood up and stepped out of the room, but just after she left her room, she noticed Daiyu standing near her room¡¯s entrance.

    When Daiyu heard the sound of the door opening, she turned and bowed.

    ¡°My lady.¡±

    Without questioning why she stood before her room, Yvette directly spoke.

    ¡°Let us go, I wish to take a look around.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    With those words, Yvette walked through the mansion¡¯s corridor with Daiyu in tow.

    As the pair walked through the mansion, many curious pairs of eyes followed them as they went. But this did not deter them as they went.

    Suddenly, Yvette halted her steps and closed her eyes as her little nose trembled. When she once again opened her eyes, she said.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°I believe we have not eaten ever since we arrived here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, My Lady. If you wish to, this servant will go find a servant to lead us to where the dining room is.¡±

    ¡°There is no need to trouble yourself.¡±

    Even though Daiyu had many questions in her head, she still faithfully followed her mistress who walked with assured steps through the mansion corridor as if she had been through it hundreds of times.

    When they finally stopped, they arrived in front of a door which has an appetite provoking scent wafting out of it.

    Smelling the scent, Daiyu finally understood why her mistress¡¯ steps are so assured. She could not help but take a glance towards her mistress, once again realizing that her mistress was not simply human.

    Even so, she still remembered her responsibility and stepped forward to open the door for her mistress.

    Stepping into the room, Yvette saw many female servants running around as they cooked one dish after another while sweat trickled down their foreheads. Seeing this scene, Yvette was about to step out so as to not bother them.

    But before her foot could step outside the room, a voice came from inside the room.

    ¡°Lady Yvette, I believe?¡±

    Turning her head, Yvette saw an old servant who seemed to be the head of all the servants here approaching her. Once the servant arrived before her, Yvette nodded to confirm her inquiry. Seeing this, the old servant bowed her head and said.

    ¡°I am the head of the servants here. May I ask what lady Yvette is in need of?¡±

    ¡°I would like to ask for some food for me and my handmaiden.¡±

    ¡°Certainly, we will usually send daily rations to each room during set times, but exceptions are of course allowed.¡± But just as she was about to turn around, she once again asked, ¡°Is there a type of food you favour?¡±

    ¡°Fruits, and ones that could be brought away would be best.¡± She answered after a quick thought.

    Nodding, the old servant walked away and whispered a few words to a nearby servant before returning to her job.

    At the same time, another servant offered a chair to Yvette, which she accepted.

    As she sat silently with eyes closed in meditation, Daiyu stood right behind her, faithfully watching over her.

    But the servants in the kitchen couldn¡¯t help but take a few glances towards the pair. Even though all the servants here are female, they are still enchanted by the beauty of the pair.

    Even so, the pair is still as calm as ever, as if to them, the stares of others doesn''t exist.

    Meanwhile, Yvette once again delved deep into the memories she received from her bracelet. She could still feel the existence of the first stage of Yin-Yang Circulation Technique and the other memories covered by mists. But this time, she could feel that a patch of memories has disappeared, revealing a new piece of memory. When she examined it, a new technique appeared in her mind.

    [Violet Moon Technique]

    [Absorb the Yin Qi of the moon and ice, forming the violet moon of the coldest nights, freezing even the fiercest lightning, one moon covers the sun, nine moons freezes the world.]

    As the description of the technique appeared in her mind, Yvette could not help but glance towards Daiyu. An expressionless, yet faithful face with beautiful violet pupils which is currently staring at her in wonder.

    ¡°Is there something wrong, my lady?¡±

    ¡°Daiyu, have you cultivated any technique?¡±

    Hearing the unexpected question, Daiyu couldn¡¯t help but be filled with confusion. Even so, she still truthfully answered.

    ¡°No, this servant was taken as a servant from the day this servant remembered. We, servants who never cultivated, are usually not allowed to cultivate any technique unless our master permits us.¡±

    Nodding, Yvette turned to look at Daiyu straight in the eye before finally saying.

    ¡°Then¡­ I shall gift you a cultivation technique. Give me your hand.¡±

    Taken by surprise, Daiyu was about to verify her offer, but once she saw the sincerity within her mistress¡¯ eyes, she held her words back and stretched out her hand.

    ¡°Do not resist and feel how I circulate my Qi.¡±

    With those words, Yvette held Daiyu¡¯s hand and subconsciously felt the warmth from her hand, it also felt smooth, like a piece of silk. Not only her, at the same time, Daiyu also subconsciously felt her mistress¡¯ beautiful pale hand, it felt warm, yet at the same time cold as snow, giving her a weird sense of comfort.

    But those thoughts did not last long as the two of them closed their eyes and focused back to the matter at hand. First Yvette slowly inserted her Yin Qi into Daiyu through her hand and circulate it throughout her meridians.

    The Qi went through her hand then slowly went from her hand and rotated in the middle of her eyebrows, the moment it reached there, Daiyu¡¯s expression turn pained for a moment before returning to normal. Even so, beads of sweat still covered her forehead as she held back the pain.

    But it did not stop there, once the Yin Qi reached her forehead and rotated, it slowly went down into her chest, making her gasp for breath as her chest is filled with coldness. Fortunately, the Yin Qi did not stay there for long and went down into her dantian and formed a faint Yin Qi sphere at the size of a grain.

    When the Yin Qi sphere formed, it quickly dissolved moments later as they let go of each other¡¯s hand and opened their eyes. The first thing Daiyu saw when her eyes opened is her mistress¡¯ forehead which is covered in numerous beads of sweat, seeing that, Daiyu felt a warm feeling in her heart as she bowed and said.

    ¡°Thank you for your guidance, My Lady.¡±

    ¡°It is only natural, as you are my handmaiden. It may not be enough to show you once, hence I shall impart it to you once more later today, it will also be much harder and painful, so I wish you would be able to bear with it.¡±

    At the same time, the scene of her guiding her Qi through Daiyu''s meridians appeared on her mind. If she moved the Qi wrongly even the slightest bit, she would have caused a major internal damage inside Daiyu and turn her into a cripple who cannot cultivate, if she did that, she wouldn''t be able to forgive herself, even if Daiyu is her handmaiden whom her life she owns. And so she poured all her concentration into guiding the Qi as the memories showed which placed a lot of burden on her mind.

    But she did not think too much about it and continued.

    ¡°After the food is prepared, let us find somewhere to bath before continuing on our way.¡±

    Right after she finished her words, a servant went up to them while carrying stuffed bag.

    ¡°Mistress, here is the food you requested.¡±

    After saying those words, she bowed deeply and stretched out her two hands that were holding the bag towards Yvette.

    But just as she was about to reach out for the bag, she suddenly asked.

    ¡°Where is the bath located?¡±

    Hearing the abrupt question, the servant kept her head bowed as she gave out the direction.

    Receiving her answer, Yvette nodded and was about to once again reach out for the bag. But before she could, Daiyu took the initiative to take the bag from the servant girl.

    ¡°Please allow this servant to help you my lady, even if it is simply carrying items.¡±

    Turning her head, Yvette looked deeply towards Daiyu before finally nodding her head and leaving as Daiyu followed unhurriedly right behind her.

 Chapter 6: Pavilion of Knowledge

    After stepping out of the room, Yvette reached out towards the bag held by Daiyu.

    Noticing this, Daiyu held out the bag in her hands. After a moment, Yvette finally took out her hand that is now holding onto a round, red fruit which makes one wish to bite into it just by looking at it.

    Taking the fruit, Yvette took a small bite and turned away before saying softly.

    ¡°I cannot eat all of these myself.¡±

    Processing her words, Daiyu realized the meaning behind her mistress¡¯ words and faintly smiled as she said.

    ¡°Then excuse this servant, My Lady.¡±

    Saying that, Daiyu also took out a similar round, red fruit from the bag and bit into it.

    And so, they proceeded on while eating before finally reaching a place where a sound of water could be clearly heard.

    ¡°My lady, is it fine for us to enter without preparing a change of clothes?¡±

    Hearing her question, Yvette who is currently looking around, as if searching for something, replied.

    ¡°If we cannot find any change of clothes, we can use the same set of clothes.¡±

    After saying those words, Yvette walked towards a girl in a servant attire that¡¯s currently walking through the corridor.

    When the servant saw Yvette approaching her, she bowed her head and asked.

    ¡°Is there anything I can help you with, mistress?¡±

    ¡°Is there any spare clothes prepared?¡±

    ¡°Forgive me, mistress, but we only have clothes prepared for normal clan members and servants.¡±

    ¡°That is fine, please bring a set of clothes for me and my handmaiden.¡±

    ¡°Understood, mistress.¡±

    Saying that, the servant turned around and left while Yvette and Daiyu proceeded to enter the bath, leaving the corridor in silence.

    Meanwhile, on the highest point of South Yang Peak, a boy can be seen doing various kind of punch and kicks, signifying an obvious practice of body refining technique. With every set of moves, strings of golden light entered his body from the surrounding air, causing his white skin to slowly turn into a reddish gold color. If anyone could get a clear look of his muscle, bones, and marrow, they would realize that they are also slowly turning into a reddish gold color.

    But the moment the reddish gold color started appearing on his body, many beads of sweat fell like a waterfall from his forehead and you could see his whole body trembling as if he is bearing an unbearable weight on his shoulder.

    As time progressed, the trembling on his body intensified until he could not handle it anymore resulting in him falling flat on the ground as he took deep breaths of air while the reddish gold color on his skin slowly fades away, revealing his parched skin which almost seemed to be cracked.

    "Behnam, are you nuts?! Even though cultivating the Sun Embodiment Technique on places that are closer to the sun can speed up progress, but it''s also simply playing with your life! For you to still live after cultivating like this for 3 years is practically a miracle!¡±

    Following where the voice came from, Behnam turned his head to see a boy around his age sitting on a rock while handing out a flask of water to him. But Behnam did not reach out for the flask, instead, he forced his body to sit in a lotus position. Seeing this, the boy simply retracted his hand and shrugged.

    After a while, the reddish gold color on his dried skin slowly faded as black, foul smelling impurities came out of his pores.

    ¡°I say, you really do like to torture yourself, to not drink water after cultivating that technique just so that you can have the purest form of Yang Qi.¡±

    Saying that, the boy once again handed the flask to Bahram while giving him a weird look. But Bahram simply ignored his look and emptied the flask as he entered the spring near his cultivation spot without removing his clothes, causing the spring to turn black in moments before rapidly turning clear once again.

    ¡°Usually, you would still drink water after cultivating, but now you¡¯re not even willing to drink water, is there a reason for this?¡±

    After waiting for a while but still not receiving a reply, the boy sighed, thinking that he has been ignored, and sat back down on his rock while taking in the majestic view around the mountain peak. What he did not notice is that Behnam did not ignore him, but after hearing his question, a pair of golden and red eyes appeared in his mind, causing him to be dazed.

    ¡®I wonder what she is doing now¡­ she should have gone to the North Yin Peak by now¡­¡¯

    Meanwhile, in the North Yin Peak, Yvette and Daiyu arrived before a white pavilion, which is also the last place they have not visited. Currently, they silently stood before an elderly woman.

    ¡°Since you are the daughter of the patriarch, you have access to the first until the fourth floor of the Pavilion of Knowledge. The first floor is where we keep normal books, the second floor, Cultivation Techniques, the third floor, Martial Arts, and the fourth floor, Low-World Ranked Martial Techniques. But as you are still in the Body Refining Stage, you would not have anything to learn from the fourth floor, so I advise you not to waste your time there. You can stay inside as long as you want, but just like everyone else, you are only allowed to bring out two books, even if it is a book from the first floor. If your handmaiden also wishes to enter, have her to stick close to you every time you go through the stairs or going through the entrance.¡±

    Finished speaking, the elderly woman gave Yvette a white medallion with the character 4 written on it while an image of a pavilion on the back of it.

    Receiving the medallion, Yvette proceeded towards the pavilion¡¯s entrance. As they stepped inside, a feeling similar to passing through a membrane of water went through them. At the same time, the badge Yvette held started to emit a soft, white light that covered the pair which lasted until they passed through the entrance.

    Inside, there are numerous bookshelves and a few tables placed in an orderly manner. Different labels could be seen attached to the bookshelves, from history, cultivation, guides, and other kinds of miscellaneous topics. After taking a quick glance around, Yvette proceeded on towards the second floor, where the Cultivation Techniques are stored.

    There, she could only see 3 books placed on their individual pedestals, but she noticed that the 3 books seemed to be diligently taken care of. Walking towards one of the pedestals, Yvette read through the book placed on top of it.

    [Moon Embodiment Technique]

    [Cultivate under the clear view of the moon, receiving its blessing and powers, earning the Yin Qi of the moon. It is still possible to recover Qi during day time at a much slower speed.]

    Reading the Technique¡¯s introduction, Yvette instinctively knew that this technique is far, far inferior compared to the techniques inside her memories. Even so, she still kept reading through all 3 books before proceeding to the third floor.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    There, rows of bookshelves and tables could be seen orderly placed around the room similar to the first floor. But unlike the first floor, the bookshelves in the third floor are made of higher quality materials, there are also fewer books and only 3 labels can be seen attached to the bookshelves, like Movement Techniques, Defensive Techniques, Offensive Techniques.

    Even so, the amount of book on the third floor is still not something someone could go through in a short time.

    Noticing this, Daiyu respectfully offered.

    ¡°My Lady, if you want to, this servant could help you to find the technique you are searching for.¡±

    But Yvette shook her head to indicate her refusal as she was reminded of a piece of memory regarding the Yin-Yang Circulation Technique.

    [Yin-Yang Circulation focuses on the Qi, Mind, and Soul, abandoning the body, leaving it unable to train any high class Offensive and Defensive Martial Techniques and only enough to bear Qi.]

    ¡®If that is so, then I simply need to dodge and strike quick enough.¡¯

    With those thoughts, Yvette stared at the bookshelf in front of her. Seeing the label Movement Techniques attached on it, she took out one of the books inside it.

    [Agile Crane Movement Art]

    Reading the description, Yvette shook her head and placed the book back before taking out another book.

    [Flickering Light Technique]

    Once again, she disappointedly returned the book before taking out another book which she once again put back.

    This continued until she came across a black, ragged book covered in a faint layer of dust at the end of the bookshelf.

    [Void Step Technique]

    [Embody the void and move as the void, even if gods and devils comes, no harm shall befall!]

    Reading the short, yet the arrogant introduction of the Technique, her eyes faintly flickered. If this technique is so overbearing, why would it be placed in a corner, leaving it to collect dust?

    But after she thought over it for a while, she nodded in understanding. If it is like so, then it means that it is too weak of a technique or it is just too hard to train in. But the former sounds too unlikely with how overbearing the Technique¡¯s introduction sounded, so she is inclined to have more trust on the second idea.

    If so, then this technique must be quite amazing. How many talented people does the Aasmany Clan have? Even though the clan is only a ruler of a Middle-Grade City, it is still a clan with a solid foundation which should have produced countless talented people like the patriarchs of each generation. But even then, this technique is still untouched! Which means that even the patriarchs also gave up in training it.

    Knowing this, Yvette could not help but to reevaluate the dusty book on her hands.

    And so, with the Void Step Technique in hand, Yvette left the third floor with Daiyu in tow and continuing until she arrived before the pavilion¡¯s entrance, arriving before the elderly woman.

    When the elderly woman saw Yvette holding the Void Step Technique book, she questioned.

    ¡°Oh? Void Step Technique? Are you sure you wish to learn Movement Technique?¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± She grunted in affirmation.

    ¡°I advise against it. This technique has been here as far as I could remember, yet no one managed to learn of its true essence even until now.¡±

    ¡°I still wish to learn it.¡±

    Hearing her persistent answer, the elderly woman did not press further and simply asked Yvette for her medallion before waving her sleeve, leaving a red imprint on the medallion.

    ¡°After a whole month time, return the book here. Even though it is a technique nobody could train in, it still belongs to the clan.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    With that, the pair left the Pavilion of Knowledge and walked back to the mansion.

    When they finally arrived before the entrance of their rooms, they collected the rations which was placed before their respective rooms.

    But instead of entering her room, Yvette turned towards Daiyu and spoke.

    ¡°Daiyu, I shall impart you with the Violet Moon Technique, but promise me to never leak this technique to others.¡±

    Even though her mistress¡¯ tone did not change, Daiyu felt the seriousness of the matter, hence she gravely answered, ¡°Yes, My Lady, I swear upon my life that I will never leak out this technique even after death.¡±

    Seeing Daiyu taking her words to heart, Yvette nodded and walked into her room together with Daiyu.

    Inside, she motioned Daiyu to sit while she herself sat with folded legs behind her.

    Once Daiyu sat down in the lotus position, she said.

    ¡°Close your eyes and clear your mind, follow the breathing technique that I will be imparting to sense the energy within your surroundings. Once you are able to sense them, keep following the breathing technique to absorb the energy. I will then refine it into Ice and Moon Yin Qi and you simply need to refine it just like how I did it. If you are fortunate enough, it is better if you can find a source of natural Ice and Moon Yin energy to make the refining process faster.¡± Following her words, Daiyu closed her eyes and followed the breathing pattern within the technique, slowly adapting herself to the weird pattern.

    After an hour passed, her eyelids trembled slightly before calming down the next moment. Following that, the energy around them slowly moved towards Daiyu. Noticing this, Yvette softly said.

    ¡°Now gather them into your forehead, I will then help you refine them and you just need to copy it.¡±

    After Yvette finished her words, Daiyu felt a pair of palm on her back, giving her a reassuring feeling as she continued to close her eyes.

    Slowly, the energy around them went into Daiyu, as if her body is a funnel.

    Nodding to herself, Yvette closed her eyes and sent Qi into Daiyu¡¯s forehead. There, she could sense the existence of energy which Daiyu absorbed through her Qi.

    Using her Qi, Yvette refined the energy in Daiyu¡¯s forehead, slowly turning them into a rotating sphere of Ice and Moon Yin Qi.

    Even so, the process took quite some time as Yvette did every process very carefully, afraid of causing an accident to happen in the process. But as time passed, she was able to adjust herself and slowly increase the speed of the process.

    At one point, Yvette could feel Daiyu¡¯s body trembling, hence she leaned closer gently whispered to her ear.

    ¡°If you cannot handle it anymore, do not force yourself.¡±

    Hearing her voice, Daiyu forcefully stopped her body from trembling.

    ¡°Slowly guide it into your dantian through your forehead and heart, do not allow it to dissolve. And whatever happens, do not lose consciousness and do not stop.¡±

    Following her instructions, Daiyu guided the ball of Ice and Moon Yin Qi down to her heart. But the Qi did not pass through her meridians and Qi passageways, instead, it miraculously moved directly down towards her heart, as if an invisible path has already been prepared for it.

    At first, she felt nothing different, but when the ball of Qi was within her heart and half-way to her dantian, a coldness which seeps deep into her internal organs started to invade her body. At first, she could still handle the coldness, but as the ball of Qi went closer, the coldness started to seep out of her body, causing the surroundings to turn colder.

    Noticing this, Daiyu slightly opened her eyes and spoke with a faint trace of anxiousness.

    ¡°My Lady, you should leave first, this servant will-¡° ¡°Calm yourself, I am perfectly fine.¡±

    Hearing her words, Daiyu hesitated for a moment before finally refocusing herself on cultivating.

    Behind her, Yvette sat calmly behind her and drew out the Yang Qi within the seed outline inside her dantian to help her handle the coldness around her. Unfortunately, as her cultivation has not yet solidified, each use of Yang Qi caused the seed outline to slowly dim as it could not recover the lost Qi on its own, and to keep the balance within the unfinished seed outline, Yvette had to constantly remove an equivalent amount of Yin Qi within the seed.

    Meanwhile, after the ball of Qi reached her heart, Daiyu noticed that the ball of Qi slowly turned violet as it rotated there. But Daiyu did not carelessly continue pushing the ball of Qi down and waited for her mistress¡¯ guidance.

    ¡°Do not hastily proceed, if you can allow the color of the ball of Qi to turn deeper, you will have a stronger foundation, but do not force yourself. Once the ball of Qi shines with violet light, that means it has reached its limit.¡±

    Hearing her words, Daiyu silently clenched her teeth as she bore with the coldness.

    As time goes by, the violet color of the ball of Qi deepened. But not only that, the coldness brought by it also increased by several folds, turning her every breath into a white cloud.

    When she was about to reach her limit, the ball of Qi shone with a violet light, giving it an ethereal feeling. Seeing this, Daiyu did not wait for Yvette to instruct her and guided the ball of Qi downwards.

    Once the violet ball of Qi left her heart, Daiyu noticed that a faint layer of ice seems to be covering the room with the place around Yvette being the only exemption.

    ¡°I am able to decrease the coldness you are feeling, but if I do so, it would weaken your foundation. So I hope I would not need to resort to that.¡±

    Hearing that, Daiyu quietly nodded as she continued guiding the violet ball of Qi into her dantian.

    As time goes by, the coldness within the room started to seep out of the room. Fortunately, the room they resided in is located in a place rarely visited by normal clan members, allowing the unnatural coldness to go unnoticed. Yet whether it was noticed by those of higher cultivation remained unknown.

    And so, Daiyu bore with the coldness and finally managed to guide the violet ball of Qi near her dantian.

    But when it was about to enter her dantian, a wave of coldness that is far more piercing than the ones before invaded her body, causing blood to trickle down the corner of her lips.

    Even so, she still clenched her teeth and bore through it before the ball of Qi finally entered her dantian, where it quietly rotated as a wave of coldness- which she now could bear ¨Cspread throughout her body.

    At the same time, Daiyu weakly opened her eyes as the coldness and layers of ice inside of the room quietly disappeared. But before Daiyu could do anything else, her body wavered before falling back towards Yvette.

    The last thing she saw before her consciousness faded was the faint yet warm smile on her mistress¡¯ face.

 Chapter 7: Void Steps Technique

    Placing Daiyu on her bed, Yvette examined her body. Realizing that she only received a light injury, she sighed in relief.

    But she could not help but be troubled by the black impurities that has discharged out of every pores on her body. She could clean her bed by herself, but to carry Daiyu to the bath and wash her, with her height and strength, she could only think about doing it. With no other choice, she could only go out of her room and find the nearest servant.

    Fortunately, a middle-aged servant was coincidently passing after noticing the abnormalities around her room, so she requested her to give Daiyu a wash before returning Daiyu to her own room.

    Once she saw the middle-aged servant carrying Daiyu away, she glanced out towards the window and noticed that the sky has been covered in the curtain of night. Seeing this, she stepped out of the room and walked out of the mansion, out into the garden.

    Standing there, she felt the cold, night wind blowing against her. Looking up, she saw the night sky illuminated by the stars and moon.

    Reaching out into a pocket inside her clothing, Yvette took out the Void Steps Technique Book and started reading it.

    The Void Steps Technique has four stages,

    First Stage, Shifting Void,

    Second Stage, Void Movement,

    Third Stage, Flickering Void,

    Fourth Stage, Void Realm.

    The first stage, Shifting Void, requires the user to become the void, allowing the user to shift into the void and unable to be damaged by any form of attack for a few moments.

    But this technique requires no Qi, hence why it was placed in the Third Floor of the Technique Pavilion.

    Instead, this technique requires a large amount of stamina and comprehension of the Void.

    The first stage requires them to comprehend how to turn into the void. But the only hint the book gave is that one must empty their mind and make their presence completely disappear, turning themselves into a void. This state was also called as the state of being one with the void.

    Without being told, Yvette realized that this is the point which made others unable to train in it.

    To empty their minds and fully erasing their presence at the same time, it is easier said than done. If someone is told to fully erase their presence, with years of training, a talented assassin might be able to do so. And to empty their mind is even easier, almost every experienced cultivator should be able to do so in minutes.

    But to empty their minds and fully erasing their presence together, that is truly hard. Not only that, they must also be able to enter the Void and return in that state.

    If they cannot return from that state, they will forever be stuck in the void, unless someone with a high comprehension of the void saves them.

    Even so, Yvette was still determined to train in it.

    And so, sitting in the lotus position, she proceeded to forcefully comprehend the void.

    But even after sitting there for an hour, she could not make any progress, realizing this, she shook her head as she thought.

    ¡®Enlightenment truly cannot be forced¡­¡¯

    With that thought, she decided to cultivate instead.

    But when she was absorbing energy, she noticed that the Yin energy seems to be far more abundant, causing the original balance of Yin and Yang to be shaken slightly. Realizing this, Yvette tried to expel the unneeded Yin Qi from within her, but as more and more Yin Qi was expelled, the air around her started to turn colder and colder.

    At one point, the coldness of her surroundings caused her mind to turn sluggish until her eyes glazed over, as if to prove how empty her mind currently is. Not only that, but because of the coldness in the air, her presence was also covered, making her enter the threshold of being one with the void.

    But at that moment, the Yin energy of the surroundings instantaneously disappeared, as if being devoured by the void.

    A moment later, Yvette came to her senses, but she felt nothing different, only as if a moment of time passed without her realizing it.

    The last thing she remembered was the moment when the coldness of the Yin Qi covered her mind and body, but in contrast to the past situation, she could not feel as much Yin Qi from the surroundings anymore.

    Even when she closed her eyes and tried to remember that moment when her mind entered the state of void, not even a hint of it appeared in her mind. Unlike the memories transmitted by her bracelet, the memory she lost completely disappeared, as if that moment in time never happened at all.

    Realizing how futile her efforts are, she could only bitterly smile and give up on trying to remember the feeling of that moment.

    But after pondering over the things she could remember, she drew out a conclusion.

    ¡®So currently, I can only use Shifting Void by instilling my mind and body with Yin Qi? With my current amount of Yin Qi, this only qualifies it as a last resort move.¡¯

    Reaching such conclusion, she could not help but be confused as to how no one could even reach the first stage all this time. But after pondering for a moment, she realized that if normal people tries to leave their mind be so blatantly covered in cold Yin Qi, their mind would not be able to handle it and quickly turn them into a vegetable.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Even then, she sighed in disappointment, unsatisfied with the results she garnered.

    But after that moment of disappointment, her face turned serene as she walked back to her room for a rest.

    Unbeknownst to her, moments after she left, a person covered by the night¡¯s darkness appeared at the place where she was before.

    ¡°This was where the massive Yin Qi appeared, but why did it disappear so suddenly?¡±

    Taking a sweeping glance at the surroundings, the person covered in darkness could not find any hint of what it was looking for, so after a final, careful look, the person turned around and disappeared into the darkness of the night.

    Morning, the first ray of light appeared over the horizon, illuminating the land. But even before dawn came, in the Aasmany clan, many servants could be seen moving around to do their chores. Not only the servants, but many clan members, especially the young ones, have already proceeded on training themselves.

    But an exception to this would be a certain fox girl who is currently sleeping serenely under the illumination of the morning light. When the light finally arrived at her face, her eyelids faintly trembled before it slowly opened, revealing a pair of eyes looking around in a tired manner.

    ¡°Good morning, my lady, please forgive this servant¡¯s intrusion.¡±

    Hearing the voice coming from her side, Yvette glanced towards its source with her drowsy eyes. She could see a blurry silhouette of a person, after blinking a few times, her eyes finally focused, allowing her to see the true face of the silhouette.

    ¡°Good morning, Daiyu.¡±

    Saying that, she propped her body up as she asked her.

    ¡°I do not mind your intrusion, has something happened?¡±

    ¡°The mistress has arrived not too long ago, but the mistress has instructed this servant to allow my lady to sleep longer.¡±

    Hearing that, Yvette was confused at first, but then she realized that there is only one person she would call mistress, hence she nodded as she moved down from the bed.

    ¡°Tell mother that I have awoken and is currently preparing myself.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Daiyu said with a bow before walking out of the room.

    Outside, a pair of people could be seen in front of Yvette¡¯s.

    ¡°Madam, are you not being too lax to the mistress? She might turn pampered in the future.¡±

    Hearing the reminder of her old servant, Esfir did not lash out like how most people would towards their servants, instead, she calmly replied.

    ¡°I believe that she is not such a weak minded child.¡±

    After she said those words, the door to Yvette¡¯s room opened, revealing Daiyu who has just notified Yvette.

    ¡°My lady has just woken up and is currently preparing herself.¡±

    Saying those words, she positioned herself next to the room¡¯s door, as if she is guarding the room from anyone her lady has not permitted to enter.

    Her actions, as a servant, could be considered to be quite rude, but instead of being mad, the pair of master and servant smiled instead, complimenting her loyalty internally.

    But Esfir did not miss the moment to compliment her daughter.

    ¡®My daughter truly has a good eye for people.¡¯

    As she thought happily, the door suddenly opened as Yvette stepped out of the room.

    ¡°Forgive my tardiness, mother.¡±

    Saying that, Yvette bowed slightly. Seeing this, Esfir shook her head.

    ¡°Lift your head, it doesn¡¯t matter whether you are late or not, you are my daughter and I don¡¯t want my daughter to bow to me for something as irreverent as this.¡±

    After a moment of thought, she continued.

    ¡°But even to others, you shouldn¡¯t bow down so easily. As a woman, you must have etiquette, but at the same time, I also want you to keep your pride and confidence intact, even more so as my lovely daughter. You can think of this as my first lesson on etiquette.¡±

    Saying that, an oppressive, prideful aura could be felt radiating from Esfir, as if proving her status as the wife of a clan¡¯s patriarch.

    Hearing her words, Yvette lifted her head up. Nodding in satisfaction, Esfir continued.

    ¡°Now as I said before, I will teach you about etiquette today. We will be doing it inside your room. And then tomorrow, someone will come to teach you about formations before you learn about inscriptions the next day. After that, you will once again learn about etiquette with me. While you are learning, Daiyu will be trained by my old servant here.¡±

    With those words, the old servant behind her stepped forward and bowed slightly towards Yvette before leading Daiyu away.

    Seeing this, Yvette stepped to the side and said.

    ¡°Please come in, mother.¡±

    ¡°It is good that you know a few basic etiquettes without me needing to teach you.¡±

    Esfir said with a smile as she stepped into Yvette¡¯s room.

    Inside, Esfir sat down with legs folded under her as she motioned Yvette to sit.

    ¡°In a formal gathering, while you are sitting on the floor, always sit with folded legs and straight back as a basic form of etiquette. But during other times, you can freely sit in any way you wish.¡±

    Acknowledging her words, Yvette sat down in front of Esfir with a similarly folded legs and straight back.

    Seeing that she was able to sit down with folded legs and straight back fluently, Esfir smiled lightly as she continued.

    ¡°During any moment, always mask or suppress your emotions. But I am sure that without me needing to tell you that, you can do so easily. It will help you in taking the lead during every talk. You must also never allow yourself to fall for the deception of others, instead, try deceiving them without being able to realize it themselves.¡±

    Saying that, her smile turned sly and menacing, as if she is a fox toying with a prey.

    But Yvette was not scared of her smile, instead, her eyes shone with a faint light, as if those words has enlightened her and filled her with interest.

    Seeing this, Esfir¡¯s smile returned to her usual charming yet elegant smile as she continued.

    ¡°Now, I will teach you about how you should act during fights.¡±

    Hearing the unexpected words, Yvette looked weirdly at Esfir for a moment, but after she gave it some thought, she decided to consent with a nod.

    ¡°First, before a fight, conversing is fine to help you gain a higher mental ground. But if it is useless chatter, you should directly fight,

    Second, never go easy on any kind of foes,

    Third, never have mercy on dying or pitiful enemies, they might even be trying to fool you,

    Fourth, unless you have no other choice, never take risky moved, safety is most important,

    Fifth, do not let your impulse lead you by the nose, always keep a clear mind during fights,

    Last but not least, never fight like a barbarian, do not reveal your full strength unless you are forced to, plan every move and make no mistakes.¡±

    When Yvette heard of the six teachings, she gave a look towards Esifr.

    ¡°This is included in etiquette?¡±

    But even though she doubtfully asked, she still did her best to engrave those teachings into her mind, because she knows that in the future, those teachings would be useful for her.

    ¡°Yes, it is rude to you and to your enemies to not follow these rules. It is also a form of etiquette to your life, for it is rude to have it waste away from ignorant mistakes.¡±

    Pondering for a moment, Yvette thought that her words are reasonable, so she kept quiet and continued to listen.

    ¡°Patience is a must have during any event, if you allow yourself to fall to rashness, you will be the first to fall. In a fight, if you can patiently wait for the moment your enemy forms a gap, you will naturally emerge victorious. And during discussion, patiently wait for the chance to turn the tables to gain advantage. Falling once is fine, but never allow yourself to stay down forever, use your fall to push yourself higher.¡±

    Saying that she once again continued to teach Yvette of various basic common knowledge and forms of etiquette.

 Chapter 8: Formations

    While Yvette is being taught by her mother, inside a certain room, Daiyu and the old servant are silently looking at each other eye-to-eye while sitting with folded legs on the ground.

    If a normal person is told to look at another person in the eye and handle minutes long of stifling silence, most of them might have lost control already. But this pair of servants has been quietly staring at each other for half an hour long yet no changes could be seen on their faces.

    Surprisingly, the first to break the silence was not the 5-year-old Daiyu, instead, it was the old servant who spoke in a serene voice.

    ¡°Daiyu, as the servant who has been chosen by lady Yvette to serve her, are you ready to take full responsibility of protecting and serving her from this day onwards? Ready to forfeit your life for her should the need arise? Otherwise, say your objection now as this will be the last chance you shall have to consider.¡±

    Uttering those words, the eyes of the old servant turned sharp as she gazed deeply into Daiyu¡¯s eyes.

    But even when those piercing eyes stared into her, Daiyu still looked back without being fazed. Instead, she quietly closed her eyes as the memories of the short time she spent with her lady surfaced.

    ¡®Even though it may be short, since she has chosen me and given me more favour than needed, I can only do my best to return her favour even if this single lifetime is not enough.¡¯

    As a 5-year-old girl whose first memory was being taken as a servant and never received any great treatment, it was only natural when she has a feeling of reliance towards the person who gave her a better treatment without requesting much in return.

    Once Daiyu finished with her thought, she slightly lowered her head and said.

    ¡°This servant is willing serve lady Yvette with her life, may it be through heaven and earth, this servant shall accompany the lady even until death.¡±

    Hearing the sharp determination within those words, the old servant¡¯s face softened.

    ¡°Good, now I will teach you all that you must know about being a servant and train you to become one.¡± Seeing Daiyu listening attentively, she continued. ¡°As a servant, you must not only know how to serve your lady, you also need to protect her from any form of danger. You will become the sword and shield of your lady, cutting down her enemies and anything that could endanger her at her every command. To us servants in the clan, it is fine for us to die, but we must die in pride for protecting our masters.¡±

    As she said those words, a sharp, prideful aura started to emanate out of her. Seeing this, a gleam appeared deep inside Daiyu¡¯s eyes as she engraved those words into her mind.

    While the pair of master and servant received their guidance, the world outside still kept on going. Hence, by the time they finished, the sky has been tinted by the red of dawn.

    ¡°It seems to be quite late already, it is a good time to end the lesson for today. I will come back next week, your Formationist tutor will come tomorrow, so you are free to do anything for the rest of the day.¡±

    After pondering for a moment, Yvette decided to go to the Pavilion of Knowledge to read more general books within the first floor. With that decision, she unhurriedly left for the Pavilion of Knowledge after requesting Esfir to notify Daiyu of her location.

    When she arrived at the Pavilion of Knowledge, it was as quiet as the day before, maybe even more peaceful. But as a place where most people only come to read techniques and find knowledge when they are in need, this place is always peaceful during ordinary days.

    When the old protector saw Yvette walking towards the pavilion, she took the initiative to extend a greeting.

    ¡°Mistress, is there anything I can help you with?¡±

    Stopping for a moment, Yvette was about to decline, but after she pondered over it, she asked.

    ¡°Can you take me to where the books regarding Formations are kept?¡±

    ¡°Certainly, please follow me, mistress.¡±

    The old protector then took her into the pavilion, leaving her post empty. Seeing this, Yvette asked her.

    ¡°Is it fine to simply leave just like that?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Yes, anyone who wish to enter the pavilion will have to receive a special imprint on their medallion unless they have a rank 4 medallion or higher.¡±

    Glancing at the pocket of her robe where she stored her medallion, Yvette unconsciously nodded as she followed the old protector as they went through various bookshelves.

    Passing a few other shelves with various labels attached to them, they finally arrived at a bookshelf with a ¡®Formation¡¯ label attached to it.

    The old protector then looked through the books and took out a few before placing them down on a nearby table.

    ¡°These books should be fitting for a beginner formationist, if mistress needs anything else, this old woman will be outside.¡±

    Saying that, she flashed a smile before walking out of the pavilion and back to her post.

    When the old protector left her sight, Yvette finally picked one of the book from the pile on the table. Seeing the title ¡®Basics of Formations¡¯ on the book¡¯s cover, Yvette took a seat on a nearby chair before started reading it.

    Formations, it could also be called as a unique way to use energy. Who found it? Nobody has a sure answer for that. But one thing for sure, is that formations are one of the most ancient existence, maybe even older than during the founding of cultivation.

    Formations are divided into two types, those that was formed by cultivators, and those that are naturally formed. But there is also another formation formed by cultivators, which are commonly known as Arrays.

    Unlike formations, which runs itself using a prepared power source or from the world, arrays require someone to constantly feed it power.

    There are three ways to make formations, which are called Rune Formation, Treasure Formation, and Energy Formation¡­

    As Yvette engrossed herself into her book, she did not notice the arrival of a certain black haired girl.

    Seeing that Yvette is engrossed in her book, Daiyu decided to keep quiet and silently keep watch over her.

    Moments later, Yvette finally lifted her head from her book and caught sight of Daiyu. Even so, she still calmly spoke as she picked up another book from the pile.

    ¡°Rather than wasting time standing, find a book and read with me.¡±

    Without commenting on her words, Daiyu bowed slightly before going around the first floor in search of a few books of her interest.

    Once Daiyu¡¯s back left her sight, Yvette focused back to her book, engrossing herself into it.

    When she finished her second book, she realized that Daiyu has yet to return. But putting her faith on her handmaiden, she reached out towards the pile for another book to read.

    At that moment, her pair of fox ears twitched as a faint sound of heavy footsteps entered her ears.

    Usually, as cultivators, most people would not even cause the slightest disturbance from their footsteps because of their control over their strength unless they are making heavy footsteps on purpose or if they are carrying something heavy.

    Hence, with her curiosity piqued, Yvette retracted her hand that was reaching out for the pile and moved towards the source of the sound.

    But when she arrived, she saw Daiyu carrying a stack of books about half her size with unstable steps. Afraid of the possible bad outcomes, Yvette approached Daiyu without being noticed and took half of the stacked books she was carrying.

    Noticing the reduction of the weight, Daiyu examined her surroundings and saw Yvette who is carrying some of the books she was been carrying.

    Seeing this, she was about to request her mistress to allow her to carry them on her own, but then Yvette glanced towards Daiyu, giving her a look before walking away. With that, she could only give up on her attempt to carry the books on her own and follow behind Yvette.

    Once they returned to the table, Yvette involuntarily glanced towards the books she has been carrying, and saw the title ¡®Arts of Crafting¡¯ written atop the cover. But neither of them said anything as Yvette took a book from her pile and begun to read, followed by Daiyu who sat next to her after being thrown another look.

    Time passed as the pair of girls quietly read inside the serene pavilion.

    By the time they realized it, the pair has already finished reading all their books, while the sky outside has already turned dark.

    With no intention to stay, Yvette stood up and walked out of the pavilion with Daiyu in tow.

    As they walked, Yvette suddenly spoke.

    ¡°The next time I decide to read, you may simply read next to me.¡±

    Hearing those sudden words, Daiyu internally felt grateful as she continued to faithfully follow behind Yvette. Yet the sense of responsibility silently burned within her eyes as she gazed at her mistress¡¯ back.

    Outside, the old protector from before still stood at her post. When she saw Yvette and Daiyu coming out of the pavilion, she nodded with a smile as she followed their backs as they walked away.

    Once the pair returned before their room, they said nothing to each other as Daiyu gave a bow towards Yvette as she returned to her room before she went back to her own room.

    But unlike most others of their age, who would have rested once they returned to their room, the pair returned to continue their cultivation.

    Suddenly, as she was about to meditate and start cultivating, a memory within her mind surfaced, causing her to unable to focus. When she delved into her memory, she realized that it was a memory which was covered in ¡®fog¡¯ in the past.

    She noticed that the ¡®fog¡¯ covering a piece of memory has cleared up ever since she read a few books inside the pavilion. But because she did not wish to stop reading at the time, she ignored it and kept on reading until she forgot about it until now.

    Wanting to focus on cultivating, she decided to ignore the memory and was about to continue cultivating. But each time she was about to enter a meditative state, the newly uncovered memory started to fill her mind, as if it was pestering her to take a look at them and does not wish to wait.

    With no other options, she closed her eyes and delved deep into her mind to examine the new memory.

    After giving it a quick look, she realized that this memory is filled with a few knowledge regarding formations. But she realized that the knowledge from this memory has a few difference with the knowledge from the books. There are also a few formations inside the memory, but because she did wants to spend the rest of her night cultivating, she stopped examining the memories and proceeded to meditate.

    This time, the piece of memory no longer pestered her, allowing her to quickly enter a state meditation and to start cultivating.

 Chapter 9: Tutor

    As night came to a finish, day once again came to the lands.

    But in a certain room inside the mansion of the Aasmany Clan¡¯s North Yin Peak, a girl sat in the lotus position on top of her bed. If it was not for the slight rise and fall of her chest, people might have thought of her as an exquisite doll.

    When the sun light shimmered into the room, her eyelids trembled before it slowly opened, revealing a pair of calm eyes.

    But even if her eyes reflected her calmness, a bitterness and helplessness which only she knew exist within her heart.

    ¡®Even though I knew cultivation would slow by a large margin after the seed outline materializes, this is still quite troubling.¡¯

    Thinking back to her cultivation last night, the helplessness within her heart increases.

    That night, she noticed that she could barely do any progress in her cultivation. Ever since the outline has solidified, the seed seemed to have turned into a bottomless pit of Yin and Yang Qi, absorbing a tremendous amount of energy yet barely showed any progress.

    Even though she knew that cultivation would slow down after breaking through each stage from the books she has read, the huge difference between the two stage of the Yin-Yang Circulation Technique left her helpless. Even if the seed¡¯s only changed slightly, she would be satisfied. But no change seemed to have happened even after she cultivated for a whole night, leaving her bitter and helpless.

    But moments later, she quickly cleared the feelings within her heart and as it became calm once again before proceeding to think of her next plans.

    Because her cultivation has slowed down, finding something else to assist in improving her cultivation speed is a must. Even though she might have the patience to slowly cultivate, the world would not wait for her and others would improve faster than her, which is not something she is willing to accept.

    No matter how calm she might be, she still has her own pride, which is one of the things she is not willing to let go easily.

    As she contemplated her future plans, she remembered about the piece of memory which was opened the day before. Hence, she once again closed her eyes and meditated, submerging her mind into her sea of memories.

    As she once again examined the piece of memory, she found a certain information which aroused her interest.

    Yin-Yang Field Formation

    Once she took a clear look at the formation¡¯s information, she could not help but smile inwardly. This formation could be said as the answer to her cultivation predicament.

    Yin-Yang Field Formation, just like its name, turns the energy inside the formation into Yin and Yang energy and increases the absorption of those energy from the surroundings.

    Even though the effect could be said as simple, the uses of it are astounding. Yin and Yang energy could be found almost anywhere, but to find it in an abundant amount, that itself is a rare occurrence. But to find a location abundant of both Yin and Yang energy, that itself is almost impossible.

    Knowing the preciousness of this formation, Yvette¡¯s face turned serious as she told herself to not easily reveal it.

    With that thought, she examined the details of the formation.

    But after looking through it, she realized that this formation is not easily learned. Even after she tried to force herself to understand the words, she received no understanding, instead, she felt a piercing headache, as if telling her that she is straining her mind.

    With no sign of comprehending the formation, she could only sigh and open her eyes, leaving the formation for another time.

    At that moment, a knock suddenly came from her door that was followed by an unfamiliar voice.

    ¡°Mistress Yvette, have you woken up?¡±

    Hearing the voice of a stranger, the first thing that came into her mind was the tutor which her parents were talking about. But still having a suspicion within her heart, she asked.

    ¡°Yes, may I know who you might be?¡±

    ¡°My name is Nastaran, a formation tutor your mother assigned for you. May I come in?¡±

    Without replying, she approached the door and opened it before finally saying lightly, ¡°Please.¡± Nastaran, after giving a short ¡°Thank you.¡± Proceeded into the room as Yvette closed the doors.

    Inside, Nastaran kept on examining the inside of the room until Yvette returned and gestured her to sit on the floor before sitting in front of her.

    ¡°Forgive me for the poor accommodation.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem. Is there anything you would like to ask before we start the lesson?¡±

    As if expecting those words, Yvette asked without pondering for long.

    ¡°Have you seen Daiyu, my handmaiden? She has long black hair and violet eyes.¡±

    At those unexpected questions, Nastaran made a face as if she did not expect those question before finally answering.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°When I arrived, I believe I saw an old servant bringing a girl who looked like that away.¡±

    Once she finished, she glanced towards Yvette, trying to see any change in her expression. Even though she could not see any change in her composure, she noticed how Yvette¡¯s expression, that was rather stiff before, slightly relaxed, to the point that it was almost unnoticeable if it was not for her sharp eyes.

    At that, Nastaran could not help but to internally praise Yvette inside her heart, but worried that she might become arrogant and conceited, she kept her praises to herself. But whether it was a praise for her almost unreadable expression or for the care she held towards her handmaiden, only she knows.

    ¡°If that is all you need to ask, then we shall now start your lessons.¡±

    ¡°Yes, teacher.¡±

    At those words, Nastaran faintly smiled before continuing.

    ¡°First, let us go outside, staying inside a room all day is not good even for a cultivator.¡±

    Saying that, she stood up and walked out of the room while Yvette quietly followed behind her.

    As they moved through the mansion, each servant that they saw them bowed and politely greeted, ¡°Mistress Yvette.¡± Before continuing on their way, and each time, Yvette would give a silent nod as she followed behind Nastaran.

    At her action, whether she noticed or not, Nastaran simply kept on leading Yvette to a place.

    Once they arrived, Yvette realized that this place is actually the garden in which she practiced in before. But before she could examine her surroundings, Nastaran beaconed her over.

    ¡°Today, I will be teaching you about Rune Formations, do you know what that is?¡±

    At her question, Yvette pondered for a moment before answering.

    ¡°Rune Formation is type of formation which is formed by special Symbols connected by various lines placed in certain geometrical shapes that needs to be powered with any form of Qi or energy that can be engraved on items to form a formation.¡±

    ¡°It does, and it makes things easier for me to teach you.¡±

    She said with a faint flicker of praise within her eyes as she pulled out a piece of wooden board from a pouch tied to her waist.

    ¡°This is a board made from the Spirit Tree, a tree that specialize in absorbing and storing spirit energy, making it one of the things in the world to have many important uses for formationists. With enhancement of spirit energy, Spirit Trees can quickly gain durability at each passing year, they are also not rare, making it a great practice material for beginner formationists. But because of its poor performance, it could only be used mostly as practice material and other miscellaneous uses. You might not have saw it being explained in the books, but this is quite obvious since many major powers wishes to have monopoly over formationists.¡±

    Hearing her explanation, Yvette curiously examined the normal-looking piece of wooden board which Nastaran handed to her. Even after examining it multiple times, nothing seemed different from this board and other normal wooden board. But when she tried to apply pressure to the board, it was able to handle it with no trouble. And when she applied enough strength to break average wood in half, not a dent was shown on the wooden board.

    ¡°With your cultivation of early body refining, you would only be able to make a dent with all of your strength.¡±

    Saying that, she once again took out another similar wooden board from her pouch before continuing.

    ¡°Wooden boards made using Spirit Trees are usually called Spirit Boards, but they are also called, albeit rarely, Training Boards by Formationists.¡±

    Followed by those words, Nastaran lightly waved her fingers over the spirit board for a few moments. But when she lowered her hand, the surface of the spirit board was engraved with various kinds of symbols connected by various lines.

    ¡°This is what we call formation symbols. Once it is powered with Qi or other energies, it will show its effects.¡±

    As she said those words, white string of light silently appeared on her hand which held the spirit board and quietly moved into the spirit board and covered the engraved lines and symbols.

    Once all the symbols and lines were covered by the string of light, a faint luster appeared atop the board for a moment before receding. But not long after, a faint feeling of absorption came from the spirit board. Not giving a chance for Yvette to ponder over it, Nastaran explained.

    ¡°The formation I engraved is called Energy Gathering Formation. This is the most basic form of it and can only slowly pull in a miniscule amount of energy in a short range without storing them. The stronger forms can quickly pull in more energy in a wider area while also storing them at a prepared storage. Most cultivators use them to speed-up their cultivation speed, which makes these kinds of formation one of the most common, especially by cultivator clans, sects and academies.¡±

    She then applied pressure on the spirit board, causing it to break. At a quick glance, inexperienced people would have thought that the spirit board was originally not that hard to break. But Yvette knew how tough the spirit board actually is, and from how not a hint of strain was shown on Nastaran¡¯s hand, she realized that the only possible conclusion is that Nastaran¡¯s cultivation is just that high, enough to easily break the spirit board.

    ¡°In the past, there was no such thing called a spirit board, making the learning of formations much more expensive, and even though formation training is still expensive, it was still far more expensive in the past. You would need numerous treasures to be used as training, and engrave the lines and symbols using your own power, which will require you a sufficient cultivation base before you can even start to practice making Rune Formations. But we cultivators have also improved by the age, so a certain cultivator in the past founded the Spirit Board and also invented an item which allowed cultivators with low cultivation to still be able to make rune formations.¡±

    Once she finished, Nastaran once again reached towards her pouch, taking out an item which, at first glance, seemed to be a brush.

    ¡°This is an Engraving Pen, an item commonly used by beginner formationists with low cultivation bases.¡±

    Saying that, she extended her hand towards Yvette with her palm open.

    Atop Nastaran¡¯s open palm, she saw an item which, as she expected, looked like a brush. But the head, instead of being filled with animal hairs, has a thin, sharp needle stuck into it. And all over the brush¡¯s wooden handle, there are numerous symbols and lines engraved on it, showing that the brush has a formation applied to it.

    Taken over by curiosity, Yvette took the engraving pen and examined it, especially the handle which has symbols engraved all it. But once she felt the wooden handle, she noticed that the material seemed quite familiar.

    Even though both the engraving pen and spirit board was topics brought up in the books she read before, it is still much better to feel and examine to real thing up close.

    Deep in thought, Yvette involuntarily glanced towards the remnants of the spirit board which Nastaran broke. At that moment, she finally realized what was so familiar about the wooden handle.

    ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve realized. Yes, the wooden handle of the engraving pen is made out of the same material as the spirit board, wood of the spirit tree. But to be exact, spirit boards are made out of the trunks, while engraving pens from the branches.¡±

    Hearing the confirmation from her teacher, Yvette finally stopped examining the engraving pen and looked towards Nastaran. Seeing that, she smiled lightly and took out a thin book out of her pouch.

    ¡°This is a list of basic symbols. You need to memorize them to the best of your abilities, while I will go leave to do something else and return later to check your progress, then we can continue to your next assignment.¡±

    After handing the book to Yvette, Nastaran turned around and walked away as her body faded at each step, leaving Yvette who stared curiously at the direction Nastaran went.

    Moments later, she opened the thin book and started to examine its contents.

 Chapter 10: Training

    The first thing that Yvette saw within the book was a symbol. At the bottom of the page, the word ¡®Endure¡¯ was written while a short description of it was written underneath the word.

    Flipping to the next page, she saw a different symbol with the word ¡®Absorb¡¯ and a description at the bottom.

    She then continued to flip through the book, only giving a momentary glance at the page before going to the next page, not bothering to memorize them.

    Once she finished, she closed her eyes as she pondered quietly.

    Moments later, she once again opened her eyes and glanced at a certain direction. But she did not look for long before once again refocusing to her book.

    Unlike before, this time she stayed at each page for a longer period of time, engraving the symbols and descriptions into her memories, before continuing to the next symbol.

    Even though she has the memories which explained about the basics of formations, the memory did not give any deeper explanation, as if whoever left those memories wanted her to comprehend them on her own.

    After an hour, she finished memorizing the last symbol inside the book and once again closed her eyes to ponder.

    But this time, she thought of each and every symbol she saw and tried to verify her conjecture.

    Moments later, she quietly muttered to herself before glancing to the place where she looked at before.

    ¡°These symbols are actually another language, while the name and description of it are a translation of it, is that it?¡±

    At first, when she was speaking, there was no reply, as if she was talking to herself. But moments later, light distorted at that direction as Nastaran appeared out of the void.

    ¡°Correct, to be able to deduce it on your own in such a short time, you are quite perceptive.¡±

    At her praise, no change occurred to Yvette¡¯s expression as she said back.

    ¡°That is not so, it is quite obvious once anyone give it some thought.¡±

    But to her words, Nastaran shook her head as she moved closer.

    ¡°Most people thought so too, but on the contrary, many beginners did not realize that even after a long time without their teachers telling it to them, and those who required others to tell them this are known to have limited achievement in the field of rune formation, as if a force is stopping with low perception from understanding it.¡±

    Yvette¡¯s expression remained unchanged, as if those words meant nothing to her, but the look in her eyes changed as she stared deeply into the book, as if wanting to uncover the secret it may withhold.

    Noticing the change in her gaze, Nastaran smiled, but she thought of how Yvette managed to notice her even with her concealment technique. The first answer that came into her mind was her sharp perception. Even though she found it unreasonable, it is still the most likely answer.

    But she did not linger on those thoughts any longer and took out a few items from her pouch.

    ¡°Now, you will learn how to engrave rune formations, I will carve an example for you on a spirit board, then you will have to carve a copy of it onto another spirit board. But once you make a mistake during the carving process, it cannot be fixed, and might even cause the spirit board to be destroyed. The training will be finished once you carved a copy of the formation or when the spirit boards has all been used up.¡±

    She then handed an engraving pen, dozens of blank spirit boards, and a single spirit board with a carving to Yvette before leaving her to her own devices.

    Seeing her leaving, Yvette proceeded to prepare herself do her assignments.

    Examining the already engraved spirit board, she squinted her eyes as she forced her mind to memorize each and every detail of the engraved formation, even to the smallest details.

    After a few minutes, she closed her eyes as the formation surfaced in her mind before once again examining the engraved formation in comparison.

    Once she made sure that the formation was perfectly memorized, she picked up the engraving pen and had her white colored Qi flow from her dantian into the engraving pen.

    When the engraving pen was covered with her Qi, it lit up with a faint white light as its sharp tip gave off a feeling of sharpness.

    She then picked up the nearest blank spirit board and slowly neared the sharp tip of the engraving pen to it.

    Once the tip connected, it easily penetrated into the spirit board. Seeing this, Yvette squinted her eyes, concentrating to keep herself from making any mistakes.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    As her hands stiffly moved, she noticed that there is a slight error in her engraving. As she knitted her brows, she sighed inwardly and continued to engrave the formation.

    To compare it with calligraphy writing would be an insult. Unlike writing on paper, certain amount of strength would be needed to stop the hand from making too deep of a mark on the item. And even then, the carved symbols have to be an exact copy or it would produce a major difference to the result.

    When she finished, not a trace of happiness nor frustration appeared on her face. Instead, she calmly picked up the spirit board she carved on and compared the formation she engraved with the one Nastaran prepared.

    Once she finished examining it a few times in search of the biggest mistakes, she tried inserting Qi into the spirit board.

    At first, a faint light appeared over the spirit board accompanied by a weak suction force. But not long after, the light receded together with the suction force as a line of crack appeared from the middle-top of the spirit board to the bottom, dividing it into two broken halves.

    Expecting these results, Yvette shook her head while leaving the broken halves aside and started engraving on another spirit board.

    This time, she tried to relax her hand, but after a few moments, her hand would unconsciously turn stiff once more from her effort to follow the formation within her memories. But she was still undiscouraged and continued to move her hand.

    Once her engraving pen arrived at one the part she failed on, her eyes squinted as she increased her concentration, doing her best to keep herself from making another mistake.

    Each time her hand moved, a line would be carved, sometimes moving stiffly, and with fluid movements at other times.

    When she finished carving on the second board and compared it to the first broken board, she noticed a few improvements on her carving, but when she compared it to Nastaran¡¯s board, she saw even more mistakes than her improvements.

    And even after trying to power it with her Qi, the result was no different than before, splitting the spirit board into halves.

    But instead of being discouraged and seeing them as the difference, she saw them as the improvements she could make.

    Once again, she picked up another blank spirit board and started to carve without a change of expression.

    Time passed quickly as Yvette used up most of the spirit boards, only leaving a small amount of spirit board unused.

    At that moment, Yvette could be seen wielding the engraving pen like a brush, fluently carving symbols and lines on the spirit board as drops of perspiration flowed down her forehead.

    Compared to her first try, the difference is quite obvious. But if anyone took a look at the pile broken spirit boards, from her first to the last, they would see how her skills improve with each try.

    Now, engraving the last line onto the spirit board, Yvette finally finished carving on the spirit board. At the same time, the engraving pen fell as the hand holding it turned limp. Finally noticing the fatigue on her mind and arm, she sat in the lotus position and relaxed her whole body to meditate and recover, not minding the finished formation she carved.

    After she could no longer feel any fatigue, she opened her eyes and took the spirit board she just carved on and Nastaran¡¯s spirit board to compare the two.

    Once Yvette finished comparing the two, she realized that the two boards almost have no difference whatsoever. Seeing this, no change happened to her expression, but on the corner of her lip, the faintest of smiles could almost be seen.

    But that unnoticeable smile went as quickly as it came, leaving the usual expressionless look on her face.

    Then, putting away Nastaran¡¯s spirit board, Yvette slowly poured her Qi into her spirit board. Moments later, a white light covered the board accompanied by an energy pulling force.

    As she kept on pouring her Qi into the board, no change happened as it continued to pull in the energy from the surroundings.

    Once she felt the disappearance of a fair amount of Qi, Yvette finally stopped pouring in Qi into the board, causing the white light and suction force to slowly disappear from the board.

    At that moment, a voice drifted from her back.

    ¡°A perfect copy, to have you as my student really makes me gratified.¡±

    Looking behind her, Yvette saw Nastaran smiling slightly while watching her since who knows when. But to Nastaran¡¯s praise, she only replied indifferently.

    ¡°It was only copying, anyone would have been able to do so with some training and effort.¡±

    ¡°That is not so.¡± Nastaran said while shaking her head, ¡°Learning the art of formations is not that simple. To go far in this path, you would need talent, strong will, wealth, luck, and some destiny.¡±

    At her words which pointed towards the painful truth, Yvette asked doubtfully.

    ¡°If that is the case, would it not be unfair for people who are unable to fulfill all of the requirements yet still wants to walk on that path?¡±

    Suddenly, the calmness within Nastaran¡¯s eyes disappeared, replaced by a look filled with strong will as she answered steadily.

    ¡°We are born unequal, the heaven is unfair, that is why we cultivators cultivate in the first place. To grasp the chance to go against what we were fated as and reach the peak. Many people will have different reasons to cultivate, but all of them will have something to do with going against their predetermined fate. Some may die trying, but others will survive and reach the peak.¡±

    Her usual calmness then returned as she looked towards the twilight sky.

    ¡°It is getting late; you may go now.¡±

    Saying that, she collected all the spirit boards, the destroyed, unused, and engraved ones, and the engraving pen, before walking away.

    Following Nastaran¡¯s back going farther away with her gaze, Yvette thoughtfully pondered over those words as she walked towards the Pavilion of Knowledge.

    When she arrived, she saw the old protector talking with a middle-aged woman. Noticing Yvette¡¯s arrival, the old protector flashed a kind smile towards her and said a few words to the middle-aged woman before going towards her.

    ¡°Is there anything I can help with you with today, young mistress?¡±

    ¡°I would like to bother you to help me search for books regarding beginner inscription knowledge.¡±

    ¡°It would not be a bother, please follow me.¡±

    She then gave an apologetic smile towards the middle-aged woman, who only smiled back in return, before motioning Yvette to follow her.

    As Yvette followed the old woman into the Pavilion of Knowledge, she secretly glanced back towards the middle-aged woman outside the pavilion.

    After a few moments, she suddenly realized that the woman is the person whom she met after arriving at peak.

    ¡°Are you curious about the identity of that woman?¡±

    Hearing the voice, Yvette looked back towards the old woman who is still guiding her without turning her head. After Yvette affirmed those words, the old woman continued.

    ¡°She is one of the elders of the North Yin Peak, one who is responsible for taking care of the peak¡¯s security and teleportation array. As for what we were talking about, I believe it would not be something you need to currently be mindful of.¡±

    Saying that, she slightly turned her head and flashed a kind smile towards Yvette before continuing to guide her.

 Chapter 11: Inscription

    After moments of walking, Yvette and the old woman soon arrived before a bookshelf labeled with the word ¡°Inscription¡±.

    Just like the day before, the old woman took out a few books from the bookshelves and stacked them atop a table nearby.

    Once she finished, she gave a few reminders to Yvette before returning outside unhurriedly.

    Left alone, Yvette took a seat on the nearby table and started to read through the stack of books.

    And just like the day before, Daiyu quietly arrived, but this time, without requiring any words from Yvette, she brought a stack of books and read them next to Yvette.

    When Yvette was putting down her book, she noticed that the books Daiyu brought this time was not about Crafting, but Alchemical knowledge.

    But she knew that she held no control over Daiyu¡¯s preference, and neither does she wish to have control over it. Hence, after taking a quick glance, she continued to engross herself into her pile of books.

    Time quickly passed as the red sky turned dark with stars and moon replacing the sun. But this went unnoticed to the pair that is currently buried deeply into their books, to the point that even if someone sneaked up behind them, they would hardly notice even with their sharp senses.

    When Yvette finally finished reading all her books, she noticed that Daiyu still has a few books left that she has not read. As someone who loves to read herself, Yvette decided to refrain from disturbing Daiyu.

    Once she reached that decision, she quietly stood up and started to roam in search of books to read.

    As she passed through numerous shelves, she found that there was no book which fits her current interest, but when she was about to return, she saw a bookshelf filled with medicinal knowledge.

    Scanning through the shelf, she mostly saw books filled with knowledge of medicinal plants and how to use them. When she was about to take out one of the books for a read, she noticed a thin, ragged book hidden between the book she was taking out and another thick book.

    With her curiosity piqued, Yvette took out the thin, ragged book instead.

    As she held the book on her hand, she could see the layers of dusts covering it, showing how unused it has been all this time.

    Seeing the layers of dusts covering the book, Yvette brushed the white sleeve of her white robe, cleaning the book from dusts.

    Ignoring her dust covered sleeve, Yvette took a closer look on the book¡¯s cover. On it, she saw the word ¡®Acupuncture¡¯ written in a rough manner, as if the writer was someone who just learnt how to write.

    If others saw such a writing, they would have thought that this book must be written by a child. But Yvette believed that the Pavilion of Knowledge would not store useless books, so with the book in hand, Yvette walked back to where Daiyu was.

    But when she arrived there, Daiyu has just finished her last book and was looking around, seemingly in search of something, which would most likely be her. Yet, because Daiyu faced the opposite direction, she could not see the expression she currently has on her face.

    ¡°Daiyu...¡±

    As Yvette called out to her, Daiyu froze for a moment before turning around with a face filled with few emotions before walking towards Yvette.

    Without saying anything, Yvette returned the book she just took out and left the pavilion with Daiyu in tow.

    As the pair walked out of the pavilion, a stalking feeling filled Yvette¡¯s heart, causing her to involuntarily turn to the source of it.

    There, she saw the middle-aged elder she saw before staring at her from afar. Seeing Yvette looking towards her, the elder smiled and waved towards Yvette before continuing on her way.

    After a while, Yvette also turned her head away. Yet, a faint feeling of being watched kept bothering her until she reached the mansion, wherein the feeling faded away on its own.

    Even so, an indescribable feeling kept on bothering her even after she returned to her room. But after she sat down and meditated, she managed to slowly cleanse her mind of those troubling thoughts until it was wholly focused with cultivating.

    As morning came, Yvette once again saw her formation tutor, Nastaran, visiting her. But rather than being bewildered, Yvette quickly managed to guess the reason of her visit.

    As if she read her mind, Nastaran smiled, ¡°It seems that you have realized. I am also your inscription tutor.¡± After saying that, she turned around and walked down the mansion¡¯s corridor while Yvette followed right behind her without questioning anything.

    Once they arrived at the garden where Yvette was learning about formations the day before, Nastaran turned and, because of their height difference, looked down towards Yvette, while Yvette herself calmly looked into Nastaran¡¯s ocean-blue eyes, which makes one feel as if they are looking towards the calm, blue sea.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    In actuality, the silver hair and ocean-blue eyes are inherited characteristics of every female of the Aasmany clan. On the other hand, the males of the clan have golden hair and sky-blue eyes. It is also known that the clearer the color of their hair and eyes, the thicker their bloodline is, and the closer they are to the main branch. Which means they would also have better talent in regards to the field their clan specialized in.

    Knowing that, Yvette examined Nastaran¡¯s hair and eyes. From her silver hair flowing down to her hip with a beautiful luster and the gem-like ocean-blue eyes filled with calmness, it could be seen that if her bloodline is not part of the main branch, it would be fairly close to it.

    As Yvette thought about these, Nastaran started to speak.

    ¡°Let us start with having you explain to me what you know about the inscription profession.¡±

    At her words, Yvette stopped examining Nastaran and started explaining.

    ¡°Inscription is a profession where one inscribe symbols onto treasures to imbue them with special properties, almost just like rune formations. But inscribing does not engrave but inscribes treasures with symbols using specially made ink or the blood of certain types of beasts. Once an inscriber become strong and experienced enough, they may even inscribe by simply using their Qi.¡±

    Once Yvette finished her explanation, Nastaran nodded lightly.

    ¡°Since you are already knowledgeable, you can start practicing.¡±

    Saying that, she took out a few items from her pouch.

    When Nastaran passed the items to Yvette, she looked down to her hand and finally had a clear look on the item Nastaran took out.

    A writing brush, a glass bottle filled with a type of golden liquid, and a piece of paper.

    ¡°Those item you hold are tools used by inscription beginners. The brush is called Inscribing Brush; its body is made out of a branch of a sprit tree, while low-rank ferocious beast fur is used as its head. The liquid inside the bottle is called Inscribing Ink, it is not a normal type of ink, but one specially manufactured out of the sap of spirit trees, while the paper, also called Inscribing Paper, are made out of the leaves.¡±

    After her explanation, Nastaran then took out another set of those items. But instead of being held on her hand, the items floated mid-air in front of Yvette.

    Yvette, who has already started cultivating, could detect the appearance of Qi surrounding the floating items, which showed that Nastaran is using her Qi to cause the items to float in mid-air.

    Nastaran then started waving her hand in the air, followed by the movement of the brush as it dipped into the ink. It then moved towards the paper and started writing.

    Realizing her intention, Yvette looked on tentatively at each and every movement of the brush.

    Once the brush drew a last stroke, the symbol drawn on the inscribing paper shimmered with a green light. Then, the brush and the ink flew back into Nastaran¡¯s pouch while the finished inscribing paper floated towards Yvette.

    Looking at the symbol radiating green light, Yvette recognized it as the same symbol from the formation symbol book which she read the day before with the meaning of ¡®Sharpness¡¯.

    ¡°The green light which radiates from the inscription signifies that this is of the lowest grade, after that would be blue, red, orange, purple, and white as the most superior grade.¡±

    Along with her words, the green light shimmering atop the inscription symbol slowly died, leaving only the golden symbol atop the inscribing paper shimmering with a faint luster.

    ¡°For today, try inscribing the symbol I have just made.¡±

    She then handed the inscribed paper and a stack of blank inscribing papers to Yvette before sitting down in lotus position to meditate.

    Not questioning her instructions, Yvette sat down with folded legs and placed the inscribing tools neatly before her.

    As she held the inscription brush with her hand, her eyes slowly turned sharp as it focused only towards the inscription paper before her.

    Unlike when she held the formation pen, her hand did not tremble in the slightest, showing the improvement she garnered from her continuous engraving the day before.

    When she finally finished inscribing the symbol, a green light shimmered atop the symbol. But in the next instant, the green light quickly darkened before disappearing, followed by the darkening of the golden symbol until it turned pitch black.

    Yet, not a hint of surprise could be seen within Yvette. Instead, she looked towards Nastaran with a questioning gaze.

    Noticing her gaze, Nastaran explained with closed eyes.

    ¡°Unlike rune formation, the inscribing process is much stricter with a slight mistake able to cause the whole inscription to become useless. The symbol and light turning dark is an indication of this.¡±

    Hearing her words, Yvette nodded and once again focused her mind on inscribing, once again inscribing the same symbol repetitively without knowing about rest.

    As time passed unknowingly, the sun hung right in the middle of the sky, indicating the time as mid-day.

    But for Yvette who has been focusing on inscribing all this time, how much time has passed does not matter.

    Currently, only half of the stack of inscription paper is left, while dozens of failed inscriptions could be seen piling right next to it.

    And now, as Yvette drew a last stroke onto the inscribing paper, completing the symbol drawn on it as green light shimmered upon the symbol.

    As moments passed, the green light shimmered softly without any sign of darkening until when the green light dimmed and leaving behind the golden symbol inscribed onto the paper.

    ¡°Congratulations, you have made your first inscription.¡±

    Turning around, Yvette saw Nastaran looking at her with a slight smile.

    Nastaran then stood up and waved her sleeve, causing the inscribing paper to float towards her with her Qi. When the inscribing paper arrived before her, she carefully examined it before giving a slight nod and collecting the paper into her pouch.

    ¡°This concludes today¡¯s lesson.¡±

    Saying that, Nastaran stood up and walked away. Seeing this, Yvette stood up and was about to leave for the Pavilion of Knowledge, when she suddenly heard a voice drift into her ears.

    ¡°You have four days of rest. In that time, you may do as you please before once again having lessons for the three days after. But I advise you to visit your parents in the Main Peak.¡±

    When she turned to look, not even a shadow could be seen, hence after looking thoughtfully for a moment, she softly muttered, ¡°Understood.¡± Before continuing to walk away.

    After cleaning herself in the bath, Yvette once again arrived at the Pavilion of Knowledge. This time, seeing her arrival, the old protector no longer looked surprised, and simply greeted her.

    ¡°You are rather early today, is there anything I may do for you?¡±

    After greeting her back, Yvette did not hesitate and politely refused her before continuing into the pavilion.

    Inside, she did not look around the bookshelves one by one and directly went to the bookshelf with the label ¡®Medicine¡¯ attached onto it.

    There, she directly went to the location where she found the ragged book from before.

    She could see that the book was still placed there without a change. But without giving much thought about it, she simply took the book and went to the table where she read yesterday.

 Chapter 12: Melancholy

    Opening the thin, ragged book, Yvette once again engrossed herself into reading.

    Surprisingly, unlike the words written on the cover, the words within the book are all finely written.

    *Acupuncture, this ancient art itself could not be said to be perfect, nor could it considered as the best.

    Yet, it is still able to survive through the ages and be preserved.

    In comparison to miracle medicines, it may not be able to regenerate limbs.

    In comparison to strengthening elixir, it may not allow you to own the fleshly strength of a ferocious beast.

    In comparison to tasteless, scentless and colorless poison, it may harder to use and learn.

    Yet, with a few needles, you are able to strengthen yourself for a short time, quicken the regeneration of the flesh, and cause the limbs of your enemies to become useless.

    Unfortunately, even as an all-rounded art, this art has a major drawback. Each time you use this art to strengthen or heal, it draws the vitality within the applied one, shortening their lifespan and weakening their constitution.

    But after years of researching for countless years, I have managed to partly solve this problem.

    At the end of this book, I have written a set of breathing exercise which allows one to gather vitality from the world¡¯s energy. Unfortunately, this art has not been perfected and will cause the gathered vitality to disappear after some time. But if you, who found this book, use this breathing exercise while applying the ancient acupuncture technique to yourself, your vitality will not be damaged.*

    Reading the introduction, Yvette had her interest intrigued, causing her to be deeply engrossed into the book.

    But because of how thin the book was, not too much time passed before she finished the book.

    Closing the book, Yvette looked towards the window nearby, showing the still bright sky as light shimmered through it. Looking on, she involuntarily found herself at a loss.

    Even though she wished to practice acupuncture, she would need a needle, as her fingers, affected by her cultivation technique, are not strong enough to press deeply into her acupuncture point. And even if she wished to cultivate, she found this location rather inappropriate, leaving her with a sense of loss.

    Yet, with how she has been straining her mind for the last few days, she could not help but to appreciate the moment of tranquility.

    Suddenly, her pair of fox ears twitched as the sound of footsteps drifted into her ears.

    Glancing at the source of the sound, she saw Daiyu walking towards her. But unwilling to disturb the tranquility, she said nothing and once again turned towards the window, looking at the scenery outside.

    When Daiyu arrived near her, she greeted, ¡°My lady.¡± Indicating her arrival, while Yvette lightly nodded to show her acknowledgement.

    Seeing her mistress simply staring out the window, Daiyu refrained from disturbing her and took a book to read beside her.

    Noticing this, Yvette silently thanked Daiyu within her mind before once again letting her mind to wander freely.

    At one point, she thought of Nastaran¡¯s advice to visit her adopted-parents before her consciousness unknowingly drifted away.

    When she awoke, she noticed that she is no longer sitting on a seat inside the Pavilion of Knowledge, but lying on the familiar bed within her room.

    Silently thanking the person who carried her to her room, she looked out the window and saw that it is already night time. As she pushed open the window, she felt the cool, night wind, causing her hair to flutter as moonlight illuminated her figure, forming a picturesque scene. Yet, there was none to appreciate the scene.

    As Yvette gazed towards the moon, she could feel a sense of loss once again filling her mind. But this time, she quickly regained her composure and directly sat cross-legged on the floor, meditating.

    Soon enough, she managed to stabilize her frame of mind. But fearing of once again being overwhelmed by the sense of loss, she decided to wholly focus herself into cultivation.

    As she immersed herself into cultivation, day unknowingly arrived.

    Noticing the thinning of Yin energy around her, Yvette opened her eyes and glanced out the window.

    At that moment, a knocking sound came from the door followed by a voice.

    ¡°My lady, have you awoken?¡±

    Hearing Daiyu¡¯s familiar voice, Yvette turned around and voiced her consent.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Once Daiyu entered, she curtsied before proceeding to stand a few paces behind her, awaiting orders.

    Turning around, Yvette noticed that there was a faint worry within Daiyu¡¯s eyes as she looked at her.

    Seeing this, Yvette¡¯s gaze unknowingly softened. But a moment later, she retracted her gaze and softly spoke.

    ¡°I wish to visit my parents.¡±

    Then, without waiting for Daiyu to react, Yvette walked out of the room. Seeing this, Daiyu said nothing and silently followed behind her.

    Remembering the path that she took days ago, Yvette soon arrived at the teleportation array.

    As she once again appraised the symbols and lines engraved upon various placed on the array, she was able to roughly comprehend the array. Yet, when she tried to take a closer look upon the formation, she was unable to comprehend its vital parts. Unconvinced, she tried to touch the engraved rods, inspecting the symbols upon it.

    ¡°With your current level of comprehension upon formations, it would exhaust too much of your time to comprehend the array¡¯s secrets. Even more so with the seal placed upon it. It would be best to not waste your time on it.¡±

    Turning around at the unexpected voice, Yvette saw the middle-aged woman who she met at the Pavilion of Knowledge two days ago.

    After bowing slightly in greeting, Yvette glanced inquiringly at her. Noticing this, she spoke.

    ¡°Arya, North Yin Peak elder. In charge of the arrays and safety, which I assume you already know, lady Yvette.¡±

    Nodding, Yvette was about to speak when Arya continued.

    ¡°You must be here to use the teleportation array, go stand atop the platform and tell me where you wish to go. I will send you there.¡±

    After giving her words of gratitude, she directly gave her destination, ¡°The Main Peak.¡± Before walking towards the teleportation platform with Daiyu in tow.

    Once the pair stood on the center of the array, Arya moved placed her hands atop a pedestal located at the edge of the array. Moments later, the array symbols started to light up one by one from the Qi she poured into the array. When all the symbol lit up, the light from the array turned blinding as it engulfed both Yvette and Daiyu standing atop the array.

    As Arya gazed at the disappearing silhouette of Yvette within the light, she mused lightly, ¡°Her sleeping face is indeed much cuter.¡± Once the light died, she could no longer see the pair. Seeing this, she walked away and slowly disappeared, blending into the shadows.

    On the Main Peak, where the teleportation array is located, a surge of light came out of the array. Once the light disappeared, a pair of girls was revealed standing at the array.

    As she gazed at the familiar surroundings, she walked down from the array platform and followed the familiar white stone path with Daiyu quietly following right behind.

    Not long after, the familiar sight of the majestic mansion appeared before them.

    As they neared, the sound of shouting and wooden weapon clashing drifted into their ears. Curious, Yvette searched for the source of the sound and arrived at a garden.

    There, she saw the sight of her brother kneeling with one knee while gasping for breath as sweat trickled down his face, while in front of him, her father stood tall like an immovable mountain.

    Puzzled at the unexpected scene, her gaze wandered and found her mother sitting quietly at a location distanced from the pair of father and son. At the same time, Esfir¡¯s head turned as it met with her gaze.

    Then, with a blooming smile, Esfir beaconed to her.

    ¡°There is no need to stand there, Yvette, come here and join your mother to watch these pair of brutes fool about.¡±

    As she spoke, Bahram and Behnam turned their heads towards Yvette and showed a faint smile that is very similar. But when they heard how Esfir called them a pair of brutes fooling about, their smile turned wry almost at the same time.

    Unable to refuse her mother¡¯s request, Yvette nodded and walked towards where her mother sat.

    Seeing this, the pair of father and son looked at each before Bahram raised his chin, motioning Behnam to attack. Gritting his teeth, Behnam ignored the complaints of his tired body and rushed towards his father, refusing to leave a horrible opinion upon his new sister.

    Noticing his thoughts, Esfir rolled her eyes and quietly muttering, ¡°Men¡­¡± Yet her actions did not go unnoticed by Yvette who casted an inquiring glance at her.

    Even though she looked down upon her son¡¯s act, she was still unwilling to ruin his image upon his new sister, hence Esfir shook her head and offered her a seat instead.

    As Yvette spent time with her new family, she could feel her mental state slowly turning much more relaxed compared to before. Yet, knowing the cruel truth of the world around her, she would still hold more vigilance towards the world, but with her family, she would have a place to rest her mind.

    Once dusk arrived, Yvette bade her farewell and returned to the North Yin Peak with Daiyu, repeating her daily reading and cultivation.

    Each week, she went to study under Esfir and Nastaran every six days before going to visit her parents during the end of each week, but never forgetting to read and cultivate each day.

    Time quickly passed and a month passed.

    Within one of the garden of North Yin Peak, a middle-aged woman and a young 5-year-old girl stood facing each other.

    ¡°Yvette, you have learned under me for a month and can already form tier one formations, qualifying you as a Beginner Formationist. Not only that, you have also managed to successfully inscribe green-tier inscriptions consecutively, which also qualifies you as a Beginner Inscriber. All that is left is to finish the formal procedures and you may be officially be a formationist and inscriber.¡±

    Saying that, Nastaran handed Yvette a medallion which is engraved with an image of a pagoda surrounded by a ring of stars.

    ¡°If you decide to visit Stellar City, make sure to visit the Vocation Union¡¯s formation and inscription branch there. You can show the medallion to someone in charge to take a formationist and inscriber exam, they will then take care of the rest.¡±

    ¡°Understood, teacher.¡±

    She then bowed respectfully before walking away. As she watched her back getting farther away, a faint smile crept up onto Nastaran¡¯s face as she gazed at her young disciple¡¯s back.

    As she left the garden, Yvette once again treaded the path leading towards the Pavilion of Knowledge. Arriving there, she once again spent the rest of her day reading before returning to her room with Daiyu.

    The next day, no one came to her room as it was a free day, and just like how she spent her other free days, Yvette directly went towards where the teleportation array is located.

    Arriving there, her gaze wandered in search of something. At that moment, a voice drifted into her ear.

    ¡°Visiting your parents again, young mistress?¡± Turning her head, she saw Arya standing behind her and Daiyu smilingly.

    As the pair has been using the teleportation formation multiple times to visit the Main Peak, they have slowly become acquainted with the elder who guards the array, Arya.

    ¡°Yes, if it would not be a bother.¡± Replied Yvette.

    ¡°Oh, certainly not. Go stand on the center and I will send you two there.¡±

    Once the pair stood at the center, Arya activated the formation, causing bright light to shoot out of the array, sending the pair directly to the Main Peak.

 Chapter 13: Stellar City

    Accompanied by a flash of light, Yvette and Daiyu appeared atop the teleportation array within the Main Peak.

    Traversing the familiar path, the pair soon arrived before the Main Mansion. But instead of entering the building, the pair followed another path and arrived at a garden.

    Entering, the usual sight of her brother being trained by her father came into view, while her mother watched the sight in amusement.

    Catching sight of her, Esfir smilingly beamed towards her, which she consented to.

    Arriving before her mother, Yvette did not sit next to her like how she usually would. Instead, she stood before her and directly spoke.

    ¡°Mother, may I visit the Stellar City?¡±

    Unprepared of the sudden request, Esfir silently pondered for a moment before inquiring.

    ¡°As you would be required to leave the clan at one point, it would not be a problem. But is there a reason for you to ask now?¡±

    ¡°I wish to take a formationist and inscriber examination.¡± Answered Yvette.

    Surprised, Esfir silently looked at Yvette before finally saying with a smile, ¡°To have become beginner formationist and inscriber. I am very proud of you.¡± She said while ruffling Yvette¡¯s hair, ¡°Fine then, I will allow it, I will also try to persuade your father to consent. But you will have to take another person with you aside from Daiyu so as to be able to both protect and guide you as you go around the city.¡±

    She then looked towards where Bahram and Behnam is and called out, ¡°Husband, Behnam. Would you two please come here.¡±

    Hearing Esfir called them over, the pair of father and son put aside what they were doing and walked towards them. As Esfir explained the situation, Bahram nodded his head, expressing his consent with Esfir¡¯s decision.

    ¡°Father, mother, may I be the one to accompany sister to the city?¡±

    Looking towards their son who suddenly said those words with a straight face, Esfir and Bahram pondered for a moment before looking back at each other.

    ¡°Fine, you may.¡± Said Esfir, whose words was agreed upon by Bahram who silently nodded.

    But before Behnam could say anything else, Esfir turned towards Yvette, ¡°Are you fine with having your brother to accompany you around the city?¡± Turning to look towards his sister who always kept an expressionless face, a slight apprehension filled Behnam¡¯s heart as he waited for her answer.

    ¡°I do not mind.¡± Said Yvette.

    Hearing her natural sounding answer, Behnam silently sighed in relief inside his heart, confirming that his new sister did not despise him for his rude behavior during their first meeting.

    ¡°When will you be going?¡± Inquired Esfir. Behnam who has just volunteered to be her guide also pricked up his ear.

    ¡°If possible, I would prefer to go now.¡± Answered Yvette without hesitation.

    Not expecting such an answer, the others were taken aback. Thinking that Yvette was thinking rashly, Esfir worriedly inquired, ¡°Have you considered thoroughly?¡±

    Understanding her mother¡¯s worries, Yvette nodded her head and explained, ¡°I believe it is unwise to delay the inevitable, hence I have decided to take the examination as soon as possible.¡±

    Finding her words reasonable, Esfir pondered before finally relenting, ¡°Fine then, you may go with your brother.¡± Then, she raised the palm of her hand as a stuffed bag appeared atop her palm, ¡°Take this money with you in the case you find something of your interest.¡± After handing the money, she continued to give her a few advices before finally, yet unwillingly, letting go of Yvette after a reminder from Bahram.

    As Esfir looked at her pair of son and daughter who slowly walks farther and farther away, worry continued to sprout within her heart. Then, as if finally reaching a decision, she took out a small piece of talisman paper covered in inscriptions from her ring and gently pressed it onto her forehead. Moments later, the paper shone with a green light before finally turning into motes of light which slowly faded away.

    ¡°A low-grade message talisman? Are you not worrying too much?¡± Said Bahram as he neared her.

    Shaking her head, Esfir spoke, ¡°I might be, but I would rather be too cautious rather than allowing them to get hurt.¡± As she said that, she continued to worriedly look towards where her children disappeared.

    Located at the foot of the three Aasmany Clan¡¯s mountains, there stood a city called Stellar City. It was said that the Aasmany Clan existed since the founding days of Stellar City, yet it was also said that the clan existed long before the city was built. If a person of enough authority bothered to look into such information, they might be able to find out the truth. But who would bother to waste such resources simply for looking into the history of a clan which only has control over a middle grade city?The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Currently, within a certain building of Stellar City, a bright light flashed for an instant before quickly disappearing, revealing a pair of girls and a single boy standing atop a platform.

    ¡°Make sure to never leave my side while we are in the streets.¡± Said Behnam as he looked at Yvette and Daiyu.

    Then, without waiting for an answer, he stepped down from the platform before glancing back to see the pair of girls who followed suit. Seeing this, he discarded the worry within his heart and continued to lead the pair away.

    Outside the building, the street was desolate with few people dotting the streets. Even then, those people are mostly composed of guards and workers.

    But after walking through a few streets, Yvette noticed how the amount of people around them gradually increased.

    ¡°The teleportation array is located within the private lands of the clan which is only accessible by the clan members or by people with status.¡± Explained Behnam while continuing to lead them through the streets.

    After a few minutes of walking through the bustling streets, the group finally arrived before a white pagoda that has a golden plaque with the words ¡®Vocation Union Branch¡¯ engraved with a lofty font onto it, placed right atop the entrance of the pagoda, giving off an air of pride. Next to the entrance, a pair of men could be seen standing guard with a careless expression. Giving a contrasting feeling compared to the plaque.

    As the group neared, the pair of guards threw a casual glance at the group. Yet when Yvette felt the eyes of the guards upon her, a feeling of being thoroughly examined overwhelmed her. Fortunately, the feeling did not last long as the guards soon stopped bothering with them after noticing that they seem to bore no ill intent.

    Entering the pagoda, the first thing that came into view is a few reception desks with four doors with the height of two men right behind it. After a quick examination, Yvette noticed that there seemed to be no stairs leading to the higher floors.

    As the three arrived before a reception desk, the woman who stood behind the desk professionally smiled at them and greeted, ¡°What may I do for you three?¡±

    Even though the three before her are quite young, she did not look down on them as she has already experienced her own set of experience of meeting the young masters of various clans. Just from a single look, she was able to roughly determine the identities of the three before her.

    From the golden hair and sky blue eyes of the boy in the lead, she could recognize him as someone from the Aasmany Clan who holds control over Stellar City where they currently reside, and from the luster of his hair and eyes, she guessed that the boy must have quite a high position within the clan.

    As for the two girls who are with him, even though one of them has the characterized silver hair of Aasmany Clan¡¯s females, she did not have the ocean blue eyes usually owned by them. Not only that, she also has a pair of fox ears and a slightly hidden fox tail, proving herself as someone non-human. In the end, the closest answer she could reach would be that she is a friend of the boy in lead. But even then, she would not lightly look down upon the girl. As from what the receptionist could determine, the last girl with raven black hair and uncommon violet eyes is a trained servant of the silver haired fox girl.

    Knowing so, the receptionist woman tried to make her smile friendlier, in hopes to at least be able to keep out of trouble. But to her surprise, the boy in lead was not the one to answer her inquiry. Instead, the silver haired fox girl was the one to step forward and spoke, ¡°I wish to take a beginner formationist and inscriber examination.¡± Then, without waiting for a reaction, Yvette handed the medallion which Nastaran gave her to the receptionist.

    Unconsciously, the receptionist stretched out her hand and took the medallion from Yvette. But she quickly sobered up, a prove of her trained self, and looked down towards the medallion on her hand. After a quick glance, her expression changed as she infused Qi from her hand into the medallion. Then, a small projection of a white pagoda which looked just like the Vocation Union branch building appeared from the medallion. But above the projected pagoda, an image of a brush and a six-pronged star appeared, each surrounded by three stars while above them was written Nastaran¡¯s name.

    Seeing this, an astonished look flashed by the receptionist¡¯s face before quickly disappearing as she tried to keep a calm expression while retracting her Qi from within the medallion. But even then, the way she carefully, or even respectfully, returned the medallion to Yvette already showed the change within her heart.

    ¡°Please wait a moment, I will start the preparation for your examination.¡± After saying those words, the receptionist quickly put up an ¡®away¡¯ plaque atop the table and hurriedly left for a door at the back of the building.

    Seeing her in a rush, confusion filled Yvette¡¯s mind. But guessing that she would receive an answer to her questions later, she decided to quietly wait.

    Moments later, the receptionist woman returned with a pair of elderly men who kept on glancing around as they moved.

    This time, the woman did not go to the back of her desk, instead, she moved towards the group and spoke, ¡°These two elders are the examiners who will be in charge of your examination.¡± Saying that, she stood at the side and made way for the two elders.

    As the two arrived before the group, they examined the three carefully one by one, each time leaving them with an uncomfortable sensation of being an open book.

    At that time, the surrounding people noticed the appearance of the two elders, some were confused, while others had a look of astonishment. Yet none dared to step forward to inquire, only spectating at the side.

    When they finished, the pair¡¯s gazes both landed onto Yvette. Reflexively, she also looked up towards the pair of elderlies. As her gaze met with two¡¯s, silence loomed around them. Neither side were willing to speak up, and none of the people at the side were willing to bother them.

    Then, after who knows how long, one of the elders¡¯ body suddenly trembled before he laughed uproariously, startling the surrounding people.

    ¡°Still so young yet has such an amazing mental strength. Even I had not reached such a level at that age!¡± Said the elder who laughed as he continued to look at Yvette.

    ¡°Ferhus, I would appreciate it if you could just stop acting so embarrassingly.¡±

    Saying that, the other elder held the shoulder of the elder who referred to as Ferhus.

    ¡°Hah! Already so old yet still as stiff as ever.¡± Ignoring Ferhus¡¯s words, the other elder approached Yvette and courteously spoke.

    ¡°My name is Hefas, head of the Vocation Union inscriber branch, may I ask for your identity, young lady?¡±

    ¡°Yvette Aasmany of the Aasmany Clan.¡±

    Confirming her identity, Hefas nodded, ¡°Follow me, I will have you be tested as an official inscriber. You may leave your friends here; I will make sure that they are treated well.¡± He said before turning around and walking away with Ferhus.

    Seeing this, Yvette turned towards Daiyu and Behnam, who both simply nodded in reassurance, before finally following behind the two elders into a door which closed soon after she entered.

 Chapter 14: Examination

    As she stepped through the door, she felt as if she had just passed through a thin membrane before noticing that she arrived within another room.

    Looking at her surrounding, she realized that the size of the room is similar to the one before, though it is not decorated and is simply a white room filled with a few necessities and furnitures. Noticing this, she thought back to the thin membrane she went through as she stepped through the door and involuntarily muttered.

    ¡°A connected space?¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    Looking towards the source of the sound, she saw Hefas standing before a long table covered with items with Ferhus standing right behind him, showing that Hefas will be the examinee for the inscriber exam.

    ¡°The pagoda connects each floor using a single door by using a combination of formations and inscriptions. I will not be going into details as it would be far out of reach at your current stage. Now come here, we will start your beginner inscriber exam.¡±

    Following his words, Yvette walked towards the table. Standing before it, she could see that the items are actually inscriber tools set up neatly above the table.

    ¡°You may start inscribing a green tier inscription.¡±

    As his words ended, Yvette calmly reached out for the inscribing brush, showing the stability of her mind. Seeing this, both elders nodded in approval.

    To not be told the rules, the grading method, and being suddenly told to start inscribing yet still being able to keep a calm mind, this itself begets a praise.

    The two elders did not doubt the slightest that Yvette would know the rules and grading method beforehand as they would always change during every examination based on the examiner.

    As the pair continued to silently observe Yvette, they noticed how her hands which held the engraving pen moved fluently without any wasted movements above the inscribing paper.

    ¡°Such a good seedling, it is unfortunate that she is female, otherwise I would have had her be trained as my heir after some body building.¡± Said Ferhus in a voice that could not be considered to be too loud or too quiet.

    Clearly, he intended to test Yvette¡¯s mental fortitude. By saying those words which holds praise and insult at the same time, it could cause a level of disturbance to the minds of most young beginners. And by making his voice neither too loud nor too quiet, it also made her unable to fully blame him as his voice is not too loud, which could neither be said to be said as provocation nor to be whispered behind another¡¯s back. Though Ferhus may seem to be a sort of meat head from his burly body unfitting to be one for a formationist and his forthright actions, he is clearly no idiot. Otherwise, how could he qualify as an elder of the branch of Vocation Union¡¯s formationist branch.

    Noticing his devious intentions, Hefas only glanced at him for a moment before focusing back to Yvette. Seeing how she seemed to not be disturbed at the slightest, a faint smile crept up to the corner of his lips.

    ¡®It is quite rare for those around her age to be able to easily ignore Ferhus¡¯s provocations. Maybe she is able to enter a deep Focused Mind state?¡¯ As Hefas mused within his mind, time quickly passed. In a flash, around ten minutes passed and a flash of green light came from the table before Yvette.

    Checking the time which has passed, Hefas realized that not even fifteen minutes has passed, causing his smile to become even deeper.

    Meanwhile, Yvette silently raised the inscribed inscribing paper and held it towards Hefas.

    Taking it from her, Hefas unhurriedly examined it before finally nodding in approval.

    ¡°Congratulations, you pass. You may finally officially become a beginner inscriber.¡± Hefas said, while putting away the inscribing paper. ¡°If you wish to continue to your formationist exam, you may directly ask Ferhus, he is the elder of the formationist branch.¡±

    Hearing his words, Yvette turned towards Ferhus, who in turn smiled widely, ¡°Just follow me if you want to take a formationist exam.¡± Saying that, he walked towards the door which they came from and placed a seal onto the door. Moments later, a series of symbol lit up all over the door before it opened. Then, without waiting for Yvette, Ferhus directly went through it.

    Seeing this, Hefas shook his head, ¡°Follow him if you wish to take the formationist exam. Once you would like to return, simply say ¡®close¡¯ before the door and say ¡®return¡¯ once it closes.¡± Saying that, he then walked deeper into the room and into another door.

    Seeing Hefas leaving, Yvette turned and followed Ferhus. As she walked through it, the door silently closes behind her, leaving nothing but an empty room.

    Meanwhile, as Yvette stepped through the door, she glanced around and noticed that she arrived before a similar, yet different room compared to the one she was in before.

    ¡°Haha! No need to look around so much, the examination rooms aren¡¯t allowed to be filled needlessly to avoid cheating, so there wouldn¡¯t be much difference between each of them.¡±

    Following the source of the voice, Yvette saw Ferhus standing behind a long table similar to the one in the room before, albeit covered in different items.

    Arriving before the long table, Yvette saw that the table is actually covered with a row of spirit boards while an engraving pen lied at the end of it.

    ¡°Engrave the blank spirit boards with the same formations engraved on the spirit boards next to it.¡±

    Once he finished his words, without waiting for anymore explanation, Yvette reached for the engraving pen and soon started engraving the formations with fluid hand motions.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Seeing this, Ferhus simply waited silently without bothering her like before, believing that even if he tried to test her mental strength once more, there would be no difference.

    Soon, a few minutes passed and Yvette finished copying the first formation. Then, without a moment of rest, she proceeded to continue to the next formation.

    Seeing this, Ferhus looked at her worriedly. But as an examiner, he is not allowed to disturb the examinees unless it is a part of the examination, hence he could only watch over her at the sidelines. Even so, he believed that the girl before him is not a push over.

    As time passed, Yvette finished copying all the formations, each time without taking a moment of rest. It could be seen from her slightly hurried breath that she is quite tired. Yet other than that, no sign of over-exertion could be seen, causing Ferhus to be surprised.

    He knew that for normal beginner formationist, engraving formations in such rapid successions would usually cause them to fail or even over-exert themselves, damaging their cultivation. Yet from what he saw at a glance, the girl not only managed to engrave those formations smoothly, all the copied formations should also be above average.

    As he thought so, he examined the formations one by one. But to his surprise, all the formations are actually of quite a high quality. Which would be rather hard even for expert formationists.

    ¡°Hahaha! Looks like there¡¯s going to be a new prodigy formationist!¡± Ferhus then turned towards Yvette and said with a wide smile, ¡°Alright, you¡¯re now officially a beginner formationist. Keep improving and don¡¯t waste your talent.¡±

    To his friendly words, Yvette simple nodded in consent. Seeing this, Ferhus once again laughed before finally saying, ¡°You can go back now. By the time you return, your identification badge should be prepared at the receptionist. If you want to ask about anything else, you can go ask that receptionist lass.¡±

    Hearing that, Yvette politely bowed and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± towards Ferhus before walking back to the door which she entered from. But when she stood before the door, she suddenly stopped, turned around and bowed, ¡°Forgive me for being a girl.¡± After saying those words with her usual cold, expressionless face, she then turned back and unhurriedly walking out of the room.

    Left within the room, Ferhus stood there stupefied after hearing the softly, yet bluntly spoken words from such a girl. But moments later, a small laugh escaped his lips that turned increasingly louder, finally tuning into an uproarious laughter.

    As he laughed, he moved towards the door at the back of the room. Slowly, his laughter finally faded once he stood before the door, only leaving the smiling face of a gentle elder. As he walked through the door, his softly whispered words resounded within the plain, white room.

    ¡°Such a gentle lass.¡±

    As Yvette stepped out of the door, she returned to the lobby whence she was before. As she looked around, she caught sight of Daiyu and Behnam slowly walking towards her with Behnam slightly raising his hand as a greeting.

    But before they could say anything to each other, a voice called out from the distance.

    ¡°Miss Yvette, may I have a bit of your time?¡± Turning to the source of the voice, they saw the receptionist from before waving at them from the receptionist table.

    As the group approached, the receptionist took out a badge and handed it to Yvette.

    ¡°This is the Vocation Union member badge. It grants you access to certain privileges based on your rank.

    As a beginner formationist and inscriber, you have access to the beginner practice room and library so long as you pay enough contribution points. Some materials are also purchasable so long as you have enough contribution points and a rank that is high enough.

    To earn contribution points, you may take on requests from the union. But you may only take on requests based on what your profession is. Another way to earn contribution points is to sell things to the union. Anything may do, may it be materials, pills, recipes, treasures, scriptures, book of ancient knowledge or anything of worth.

    If you have anything else to ask of me, please do not hesitate to ask.¡±

    Hearing her words, Yvette politely nodded before walking out of the building.

    Outside, Behnam turned towards Yvette and asked, ¡°While we are in the city, how about we try visiting a few placed before returning?¡± Hearing her suggestion, Yvette pondered for a moment before consenting with a nod as she thought that as her parents did not tell her to directly return, it would not hurt to learn more of the city she now lives in.

    As Behnam guided the pair through the city, he explained,

    ¡°Our clan, the Aasmany Clan, is the ruling clan of Stellar City. But our clan is not the only clan which exists in the city.

    There are the Torkan Clan in the east and the Farzan Clan in the west.

    Though we still have more authority and holds some control over those parts of the city, the east and west part of the city are managed by the other two clans respectively.

    Even then, our clan is the oldest clan of the three. The other two managing clans have been changed multiple times, but from what I have heard, our clan has never been replaced and we always hold authority over the city overall, holding full control over the north, south and center part of the city.¡±

    At the end of his explanation, the pride he held over his clan could clearly be felt. But just as he was about to continue his explanation, his body stilled.

    ¡°We have arrived.¡± Saying that, he led the two girls into a common looking shop.

    Inside the shop, various weapons could be seen hanged on the walls. As Yvette curiously looked at the weapons, a voice called out.

    ¡°Anything I can help you with?¡±

    Turning her head, Yvette saw that it was a boy who spoke. Thinking that he is a normal worker in the shop, she answered with a question.

    ¡°Are there any more weapons?¡±

    ¡°There are more weapons inside if you would like to take a look. Please follow me, miss.¡± Saying that, the boy turned around and went through an inconspicuous door which leads deeper into the shop.

    Just as she was about to follow him, she noticed that Behnam had disappeared. Confused, Yvette turned towards Daiyu who has been quietly following her all this time.

    Noticing her lady¡¯s gaze, Daiyu explained, ¡°Young master Behnam disappeared some time ago with another man. Young master said to not worry and that my lady should take her time looking for a weapon.¡±

    Hearing her words, Yvette nodded as she felt reassured and continued to follow the boy deeper into the shop.

    As the two stepped through the door, what came into sight was not another small room like the one before. Instead, the place behind the door is a big square room which seemed to resemble a vault of weapons. Without needing to ponder over it, Yvette instantly knew that the door works the same as the door from the Vocation Union, a gate to another space. As she examined the room, she realized that the weapons within are scatted around in disorder, yet they seemed to be of incomparable quantity and quality in comparison to the weapons outside.

    But when Yvette walked deeper into the vault, she realized that the weapons within the room might be of the lowest quality within the vault. Because there, deep behind the vault, she could see three doors which seemed to lead into a deeper part of the vault.

    As Yvette looked at the three doors, a voice suddenly resounded within the vault, ¡°You may only pick one of the weapons within the weapon vault.¡± Recognizing the voice as the boy who led them here, she tried to look around in search of him. But then she noticed that the boy who went in before her had already disappeared without notice, causing her to be slightly vigilant.

    Still, she decided to continue looking around for a weapon which would fit her. Just as she moved, she suddenly spoke, ¡°Daiyu, you may leave me and search for a weapon which befit you.¡±

    Not expecting those words, Daiyu was about to refuse her words. But after she thought it over, she finally relented, ¡°Thank you, my lady.¡± Saying that, she entered a door on the right in search of a weapon which would allow her to protect her mistress.

    Guessing her servant¡¯s thoughts, Yvette looked towards the direction Daiyu disappeared to before finally entering the middle door.

 Chapter 15: Weapons

    As Yvette entered the middle entrance, the door behind her closed by itself. But she felt no worry and examined the place she entered.

    Rather than calling the place she entered a room, it would be better to refer it as a hall.

    But instead of having wood or metal as a wall, the walls are all made out of glass while the flooring seemed to be some sort of metal. And behind those glass walls, countless weapons of variety could be seen.

    And after a closer examination, Yvette realized that all of the weapons there are at least a Spirit Weapon, different from normal Mortal Weapons within the other two rooms.

    Though the two kinds of weapons might not look different. In regards to their quality, the difference is unsurmountable.

    Mortal Weapons are, just like its name, a weapon for mortals made from the metals of mortals and using the common forging method. These weapons are barely able to handle the Qi of cultivators which would cause them to break easily when a cultivator tries to infuse Qi into these weapon.

    On the other hand, Spirit Weapons are weapons that qualifies to act as a catalyst for using techniques which naturally makes their endurance towards Qi a requirement.

    Most would first thing that to increase the endurance of a weapon would be easy. But unlike a physical endurance, the endurance towards Qi requires the material itself to be naturally able to handle Qi. But if a normal forging method is used to make a weapon using special materials, the endurance would not improve, and instead would degrade. For that reason, numerous forging methods has been made for forging cultivator weapons.

    As Yvette thought of the information she found from the library, she continued to move deeper into the hall.

    Meanwhile, Daiyu who went through a different door arrived at a different location. Unlike the hall her lady is within, she arrived at a wide white space with various weapons lying all over the floor while others stuck into it. Rather than being a weapon storage, the space is closer to be a world of weapons.

    Yet the sight of the countless weapon within the space did not deter her from finding a weapon to help her protect her lady.

    Then, just as she was intending to reach out for a nearby weapon, the weapon instead flew over and landed before her. Not expecting such a thing, Daiyu reevaluated the unknown space she is within. But after not finding worth noting, she turned to look back at the weapon that flew over to her.

    The weapon is a great sword that is a head bigger than her. At first, she thought that with its wide surface, it would make it easier for her to protect her lady. But when she tried to lift it up, she realized that, speak not of swinging, even lifting it is practically an impossible task for the current her.

    Even so, she felt no disappointment and instead scanned her eyes over her surroundings in search of another weapon.

    Then, she kept on trying weapons from swords, blades, bows, and other weapons including shields.

    Still, even after trying all the weapons near her, she could not find anything which fit her. Yet that did not cause her to give up as she delved deeper in search of a weapon which would allow her to protect her lady better.

    Meanwhile, Yvette who is still walking through the hall noticed a peculiarity within the place she is within. She noticed that the deeper the weapon is located; the higher quality the weapon will be. But because she has no experience in evaluating weapons and treasures, she could only determine this once the difference gets too big.

    At first, only orthodox weapon such as bows, swords, sabers, spears, and similar commonly used weapon could be seen. But as she went deeper, weapons such as whips, scythes, chains, small projectile weapons, and various other weapons.

    Suddenly, she halted her steps as she caught sight of a pair of weapons within the group. But to refer them as ¡®weapons¡¯ is not exactly correct.

    The thing that caught her attention is a pair of war fans. Though it is not the first war fan she caught sight of within the hall, these particular ones are fully composed of black throwing blades instead of paper or feather. Even then, occasional spots of light could be seen shimmering on its surface, just like stars in the night sky, giving them a sense of aesthetics that could easily make one forgets about the dangers it may hold.

    Unlike normal weapons, war fans fit more as a throwing weapon while also able to be used as a melee weapon. And looking at the inscription on its surface, though she was incapable of fully discerning its true use, she realized that the war fans might also be able to strengthen her techniques by using it as a catalyst.

    As she thought it over, she realized that the fan is a perfect weapon for a physically weakened cultivator like her.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    Then, after moments of deliberation, Yvette finally reached out for the fan by the wall of glass.

    As her hand came into contact with the glass, it rippled just like a disturbed water surface before her hand finally pierced through it and came into contact with the fans.

    At that moment, a soft white light shone within the hall. Seeing this, Yvette raised her vigilance and carefully examined her surroundings. Then, without giving her a chance to react, the light in her surroundings flashed for a moment and engulfed her. When the light faded away on the next moment, Yvette and the war fans she was holding onto disappeared.

    Meanwhile, Daiyu who has been trying various weapons all this time finally stopped before a single rapier stabbed into the floor.

    The rapier looked very ordinary, with a long, thin silver blade, a golden grip guard and crossguard which slowly bends towards the blade.

    Seeing as how thin the blade is, Daiyu thought it must be a speed oriented weapon, not a good weapon for protecting another.

    Still, she felt that it is worth trying all kinds of weapons before coming to a decision. Reaching such conclusion, Daiyu held the rapier¡¯s handle and tried to pull out the rapier.

    Unexpectedly, unlike the other weapons here, she managed to easily pull out the rapier from the floor. Not only that, but as the rapier was pulled out, a sharp sound resembling a sword being drawn out of its sheath rang out for a while before slowly dissipating.

    But Daiyu, who continued to hold onto the rapier, noticed that it was not the sound of the rapier being pulled out. Instead, as the rapier was pulled out, sharp wind blades came from the rapier and ran around wildly, which is the true source of the sound.

    Holding the rapier in her hand, Daiyu slashed towards the air, producing a sound of wind being cut. Seeing that wind blades did not come out like before, Daiyu tried to lead her ice, cold Qi into the rapier and slash at the air once more.

    This time, wind blades appeared and slashed towards the direction she slashed at. But unlike the wind blades from before, these ones are like frigid cold air, reducing the temperature of everything they cut through, even air.

    Unfortunately, she noticed that once the wind blades are produced, they are no longer able to be controlled and will attack enemy and ally alike, which may possibly endanger her lady. As she thought of this, she came into a struggle.

    Unlike the other weapons from before, she felt a deep feeling of affinity towards rapiers which made her feel natural as she held the rapier in her hand. If that was all, she would have searched for another rapier that is able to protect others. Yet ever since she arrived within the miniature weapon world, the rapier she held is the first one she came through. It might not be the only rapier here, but she by delaying her stay, she might keep her lady waiting.

    Reaching such conclusion, she stopped struggling with her thoughts and finally chose the rapier in her hand as her weapon.

    Then, as she turned and prepared to walk back, a circle of light appeared under her feet and emitted a bright light which engulfed her whole without giving her a chance to say a word. Moments later, the light disappeared, leaving nothing at the location where Daiyu stood before.

    At the same time, within a certain room of the shop which Yvette and her group entered before, the floor shone with a bright light, revealing the formation which has been hidden by the darkness. Moments later, the bright light receded, leaving a girl it brought within the cover of darkness.

    As Yvette opened her eyes, she found herself unable to see anything but darkness. Recounting her situation in her head, she tightened her grip to the pair of war fans in her right hand and calmly tried to understand her situation. First, she carefully moved her limbs before finally taking small steps forward while having her hand reach out. But when her feet left the formation which she could not see, a light lit up from above, causing her to subconsciously squint her eyes.

    Once she was able to get accustomed to the light, she finally examined the room. The room is not too large, it only has a single door which stands in front of her and a formation which she guessed to be right behind her feet. But looking at the supposedly cheap, yet familiar material the room is made out of, she could gather that she is within one of the rooms of the shop she entered before.

    As she was about to approach the door before her, the formation behind her lit up. As Yvette turned around, she caught sight of the other person which was teleported here by the formation.

    It was Daiyu, her handmaiden, who entered a different weapon vault.

    Seeing that Daiyu was unhurt, Yvette drifted her gaze and caught sight of the rapier in Daiyu¡¯s hands.

    At that moment, Daiyu finally opened her eyes and caught sight of Yvette, her lady, standing before her.

    Seeing her, Daiyu bowed her waist and greeted, ¡°My lady.¡± At which Yvette simply nodded and turned around, walking towards the door.

    Leaving the room, Yvette saw that the room is now within is actually the first room of the weapon shop.

    But unlike the time she was here before, a man now stood behind the counter while speaking to the boy who she recognized as her brother.

    As if feeling her gaze, Behnam turned towards her. Seeing Yvette and Daiyu coming out of the room, he beckoned to them to come over with a smile.

    ¡°It seemed you two have found a fitting weapon for yourselves.¡± Behnam said with a smile.

    But in reaction to that, the pair of lady and handmaiden simply nodded quietly. Behnam, who is already used to this, simply smiled complacently. But the man who stood behind the counter soon became uncomfortable of the silent atmosphere. Then, as his gaze wandered, he caught sight of a pair of war fans held by Yvette.

    ¡°War fans? That¡¯s some taste you have.¡± The man said, trying to start a conversation.

    But to his frustration, Yvette simply nodded once more in reaction to his words.

    Unable to bear the atmosphere any longer, the man finally said, ¡°I¡¯m going back to work, you three better leave soon.¡± He then walked out of the counter and entered a nearby door with hurried steps.

    With the three left within the shop, silence ensued upon the three.

    Moments later, Yvette was the first to break the silence, ¡°Let us return as to not worry father and mother.¡± Saying that, she unhurriedly left the shop followed by the complacent Daiyu and Behnam who smiled wryly.

    Yvette, who was able to roughly form a map of the city within her mind, was able to smoothly find her way back to the private land of the clan. To this, Behnam could only have a mixed feeling of shame and pride. Though, in the end, he could only comply with his sister since this is supposed to be her trip to the city.

    But as the light of the teleportation array engulfed the group, Behnam secretly resolved himself to make his dear sister feel proud of having an elder brother like him.

 Chapter 16: Tournament

    A month quickly passed since the time Yvette first visited the city. Ever since that day, she no longer came to visit the city and instead only took a look at the map of the city and engraved it into her memory when she came back to the clan. Even so, no one forced Yvette and left her to her own devices.

    After she reported her results to Nastaran, her teacher did not seem surprised, as if she already expected it as such. But ever since then, instead of giving Yvette her usual training regiments, she was constantly given new, harder tasks.

    Even then, Yvette passed her days just as how she usually would. Cultivate, train, read books, and visit her parents during her breaks. And because she now had her own weapons, she also focused on researching and training with her war fans.

    Naturally, many curious people wished to meet her, the new princess of the clan. This include the time during her first month of her arrival. But because of her seemingly cold disposition, few managed to even take up the courage to speak up. And even if they did, they would only receive a reply of few words, causing them, as kids, to find it hard to continue the conversation.

    In result of this, few dared to approach her. Still, many of them were fascinated by her beauty and ended up watching her from a distance.

    And now, on a certain day, when Yvette visited her parents, her father pulled out an invitation.

    ¡°Behnam, the regional tournament is about to come soon and you are already old enough to attend. It will start at the beginning of the next month; you may decide whether you wish to attend or not.¡± Saying that, he handed the invitation to Behnam and looked at him silently.

    Behnam, who received the invitation, did not hesitate for a moment and quickly answered, ¡°I am willing to attend.¡± Hearing this, Bahram nodded in contentment.

    At that moment, Yvette who has been spectating from the side with her mother inquired, ¡°Tournament?¡±

    ¡°Yes, tournament. It is a regional fight which begun since the founding of the empire for the younger generation who are within the body tempering stage. The tournament occurs every three years and it is divided into the east, west, south and north side, where the four states of the empire are. The winners of each tournament will be given the title of Regional Prince or Princess. The title will make them receive treatment equivalent to a prince of the empire within that region. But their titles are applicable until they are twenty years old, no more, no less. This means there can be more than one regional prince or princess within a region each generation.

    Since we are located within Eastern State of the empire, we will be going to capital of the Eastern State.¡±

    After hearing the explanation, Yvette pondered before saying, ¡°I wish to spectate.¡± Bahram who expected her words nodded in consent, ¡°That is fine. We shall be leaving tomorrow with those who will be joining and spectating the tournament.¡±

    As Bahram finished speaking, Esfir stood up, ¡°If you wish to leave the city, I will prepare a veil. The last time you left for the city, your brother managed to act as a deterrent. But we will be leaving for another city with people outside the clan, so I hope you would take precautions.¡± Saying that, she soon left, seemingly in preparation for the trip.

    Following her leave, Bahram turned towards Yvette, ¡°You should go prepare. We will not be returning for a few days, so make sure to tell your teacher.¡± Before walking away.

    Seeing this, Behnam and Yvette parted ways and left for their own residences.

    Taking Daiyu back to the North Yin Peak, Yvette went and notified Nastaran of her trip and received her consent.

    After doing so, she went to the Pavilion of Knowledge to gather information regarding the Eastern City and the tournament with Daiyu.

    By the time they finished, day turned into night and the pair spent their night as usual, cultivating and training.

    When morning came, not a hint of fatigue could be seen from the pair. This could be contributed to their daily meditation and cultivation. But even with their strong mind, meditation and cultivation were not enough to keep away their fatigue, hence they would still need to rest occasionally.

    Just as the pair were preparing to go to the Main Peak, a servant appeared, saying that she was instructed by Esfir to lead them.

    Hearing this, Yvette consented and followed the servant as she led them towards the teleportation array.

    There, she saw Arya standing guard over the array. When Arya caught sight of the three, she faintly smiled and lightly waved towards them.

    ¡°I heard you will be leaving for a while.¡± Hearing her words filled with faint reluctance, Yvette nodded towards her and stepped onto the array with Daiyu and the servant, saying nothing.

    Though she did not receive a real response, there was no change in Arya¡¯s expression. From the few interactions they had, she understood that Yvette is someone who speaks very rarely, though she knows not of the reason. But knowing so, she continued, ¡°I will miss you quite a bit.¡± Ending her words there, she went and activated the array, sending the group of three to the Main Peak.

    Arriving at the Main Peak, the servant continued to lead the pair. Soon, they passed the mansion and arrived before the path leading to the peak of the mountain.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    As they neared the peak, clouds started to appear around them and the air slowly turned colder. For ordinary people, this kind of place would be unbearable without the right equipment. But for cultivators, even ones with weak physiques like Yvette, this kind of place would not bother them much. Instead, a location which allows one to reach closer to the skies would only be an advantage for people who cultivates the corresponding techniques.

    Just as the group was about to reach the peak, the female servant suddenly turned around and took out a barely transparent white veil sewn to a white beret.

    ¡°Young mistress, please put on the veil.¡±

    Not questioning her words, Yvette took the beret from her hands and wore it. Though it had no hole for her fox ears, she could still hear smoothly and feel no discomfort. The white veil then fell and covered her face as a whole until it loosely fell to her neck. Curiously, though the veil seemed thick enough to impede the view from the outside, she was able to clearly see anything over the veil. But whether it is because of the material, the crafting technique, or because there is an enchantment placed on it, she was unsure.

    Seeing Yvette wearing the veil, the female servant continued to lead the pair to the peak.

    Though she was half in doubt from the clear transparency of the veil, Yvette decided not to question the servant, thinking that her mother might not have explained anything detailed to her.

    Finally, the group arrived at the peak of the mountain. But unlike the peak of the other two mountains that is either filled with extreme heat or extreme coldness, the peak of the Main Peak could be described as paradise. The peak is covered in lush plants and other greeneries while a lake filled with life could also be seen within the peak.

    But Yvette ignored the sight of this paradise and perceived the energy around her. Soon, she realized that the energy within the peak, especially those of sun and moon, are multiple folds better in comparison to the ones within the peak of the other two mountains.

    Within the two months, Yvette had a few chances of visiting the peak of North Yin Mountain. Though most people would rarely visit the place as staying there for a prolonged period of time could cause hidden injuries from the concentrated moon yin energy. And even if she was unable to visit the South Yang Peak, she assumed that the concentration of sun yang energy would not differ much in quality.

    But within the peak of the Main Peak, the yin and yang energy are balanced, causing the usual possible occurrence of hidden injuries to disappear. Yet, she could not see a single person making use of this place to cultivate.

    Just as she was wondering about this, she caught sight of her parents, brother and a few others looking towards her group from the distance.

    When Yvette and Daiyu finally reached the group, Bahram waved his hand. Seeing this, the female servant who led the pair there bowed and left without a word.

    ¡°Now that all of us are here, let us start the preparation.¡± Saying that, Bahram took Esfir and went to a square stone tablet that is stuck into the ground faraway from the group. Curiously, the stone tablet looked perfectly smooth which made one wonder whether it has long been taken care of to stay like so.

    Bahram then took out a talisman from who knows where and placed it atop the stone tablet. After doing so, both Bahram and Esfir placed their hands above the stone tablet.

    Though she stood faraway, Yvette managed to catch sight of the translucent layer of gold and silver which flowed into the talisman atop the surface of Bahram and Esifr¡¯s hands.

    Soon enough, light lit up from the stone tablet and flowed around the mountain peak in certain paths, powering the array hidden underneath.

    When the array was finally fully powered, causing the whole peak to shine with a bright light.

    Then, the light all gathered to the center of the peak, converging into a body of light in the shape of a boat. Moments later, the light slowly disappeared one by one into motes of light, leaving a ship behind.

    ¡°Everyone, please get on the ship. Later, we will be breaking through the cloud layer so that we may be hidden from the flying beasts who usually flies under the cloud layer, so I advise everyone to be careful as we break through the layer of clouds.¡± Hearing the command from Bahram, the group leaped up to the ark one by one while those like Yvette with low cultivation had to wait for those with higher cultivation to bring them up.

    When Yvette finally reached the ark¡¯s deck with Esfir¡¯s help, the boat slowly rose up from the ground and flew down from the cloud layer. As Yvette looked back, she saw how the peak slowly became smaller in her view until it became hidden by the clouds.

    When they broke through the clouds, various people who is not from the clan, especially those from the younger generation, kept glancing curiously at her.

    The reason for this is, not only because of her being the adopted daughter of Bahram, the Aasmany Clan¡¯s current generation patriarch, but also because of the pair of fox ears protruding out of her beret.

    But Yvette who gained all those attentions calmly followed Esfir who led her into the ship with Daiyu following right behind.

    Seeing this, the children that are not from Aasmany Clan turned towards Behnam in inquiry. But just like Yvette, Behnam ignored them and sat down to cultivate.

    Finding no way to sate their curiosity, some of the children followed Behnam¡¯s example and sat down to cultivate, while those who could not focus or did not want to cultivate went to look around the ship and visit their cabin with the guide of the Aasmany Clan¡¯s servants.

    Meanwhile, within one of the ship¡¯s cabin, Esfir stood before Yvette who has removed her veil and took out a set of clothing.

    ¡°I noticed that you do not seem to have any change of clothes aside from your white robe, hence I had this prepared for the trip this time.¡± Hearing her mother¡¯s words, Yvette looked down towards her clothing, a two layered white robe tied with a sash on the waist, that she had been wearing since the time she first came to the clan. Then, she looked towards the clothing her mother prepared.

    The clothing is composed of a white haori with a red trim over a black yukata and a red hakama reaching her knee tied with a long black obi and red-white bow.

    ¡°Come, allow mother to dress you.¡± Saying that with a smile, Esfir carefully changed the clothes of Yvette who has quietly consented to her mother¡¯s actions.

    Soon after, Yvette stood within the cabin wearing her new set of clothing.

    ¡°This set clothing truly looks great on you.¡± Saying so, Esfir smiled and continued, ¡°Now, on to another matter, you will be staying within the room right across here with your handmaiden. You are free to do anything you wish during the trip and both of your meals shall be sent to your room.¡±

    ¡°Understood, mother. I shall be taking my leave.¡± As she said that, Yvette bowed towards Esfir and left the room with her veil on, directly going to her own room.

    To the disappointment of the curious people, Yvette and Daiyu spent their time quietly cultivating within the room and outside of prying eyes, only occasionally making leaving when called by her family. Not only that, the various guards of the Aasmany Clan and the lack of windows connecting the hallway to the rooms caused the last notion of those who wish to take stealthily take a peak to disappear.

    And so, without realizing it, a few days passed and they soon arrived at East City.

 Chapter 17: East City

    Gazing from the window of her room, Yvette caught sight of the silhouette of East City as the ship went down from the cloud layer.

    As the ship slowly went downwards, the view of the city that stood far away became clearer until the large city came into view.

    Seeing this, she stood up and put on her veil before walking out of her room with Daiyu.

    When the pair arrived at the deck of the ship, everyone else aside from the servants were already there. Many children, especially those of the Aasmany Clan, were surprised of the change of her clothing. Though switching clothes itself is not a surprise, the uncommon type of clothing she changed into came as an unexpected thing for them, especially for those from Aasmany Clan who knew that this young lady of theirs never worn anything else aside from her usual white robe before.

    But Yvette ignored them all and silently greeted her family.

    At one point, everyone in the deck of the ship noticed that a man riding a giant bird coming from the direction of the city suddenly approached the ship and shouted.

    ¡°Halt! Please identify yourselves before proceeding any further!¡±

    Following the shout, Bahram walked to the bow of the ship and replied, ¡°We are the regional tournament participant of Stellar City.¡±

    ¡°Stellar City¡­¡± Muttered the man as he took out a list. Moments later, he nodded, stores back his list and shouted, ¡°Please follow me, I shall guide you to where the transports of the participants are located.¡± Then, the man had the giant bird he rode turn around and flew to a direction followed closely by the ship.

    Soon, they arrived at a location filled with a few other ships near the city.

    As the ship landed, the man who rode the giant bird went down his bird and approached followed closely by the bird, showing how well-trained it is. When he arrived before the group, he struck the left part of his chest with his right hand balled into a fist and bowed his waist slightly, showing the military salute of the Crimson Empire.

    ¡°I am a patrol guard of the East City. The tournament will start in two days, until then, you all may do as you wish until the then as long as none of you starts trouble within the city. Just follow the white road if you want to go to the city.¡± Saying that, the man once again climbed up the back of his bird and returned to patrol around the city¡¯s border under the gaze of the group.

    Meanwhile, Bahram led the group into the city. Simply by looking at the city from afar, Yvette realized that the size of the city is incomparable to Stellar City.

    As she moved through the bustling street, she felt a few gazes landing on them, but when she glanced around, she realized that most of them seemed to converge around the children who seemed to most likely be the tournament participants.

    Though some people seemed to have turned to her, they seemed to have quickly lost interest in her excluding the insistent few.

    But at one point, the surrounding gazes receded like tide. Confused, Yvette who has only been following behind Esfir looked around and realized that the place road they are on currently seemed to be much more desolate compared to the ones they were on before. Not only that, the buildings around them seemed to look more luxurious and people who seemed to be guards could be seen frequently walking around. Seeing this, she realized that they have arrived at the second area of the city.

    The second area, also known as the noble¡¯s area, is where only those who holds certain qualifications are allowed to enter. An example would be the governor of the city and their guests or people with high cultivation. On the other hand, the area they were in before were called the third area, the most populated place and also where most of the populace reside. Then, there is also the first area beyond the second area. Unlike the second and third area, the first area only accommodates the arena and the residence of the state governor, which is also the extended family of the empire¡¯s family.

    And according to the book she read before, all the state capitals are also formed into the same way.

    As Yvette reviewed those information, the group soon arrived before a tall white building which seemed to be an inn.

    But as they were about to enter, the door of the inn opened as a man suddenly came out and bowed his waist.

    ¡°Welcome, patriarch. I have prepared the rooms as you ordered.¡±

    ¡°Good, lead the way.¡± Following Bahram¡¯s orders, the man turned and led the group into the building.

    Inside, though the building is filled with necessities, it could only be said to be simple, just like its exterior. But its calming simplicity itself is its charm.

    As the group arrived at the counter of the inn. The man who led them here took out a set of keys and distributed it to the group.

    ¡°The room numbers are all written in the keys. If you want to stay in one room with somebody else, you can just return the keys to the counter. But please keep in mind that all of the rooms are designed to accommodate two people at most. Breakfast, lunch and dinner can be sent to your rooms if you wish.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Finished with his explanation, the man bowed towards Bahram once more before taking his leave.

    Left behind, the others went to do as they will. Some went to examine their lodgings, while others went to look around the city.

    As Yvette was planning on staying in one room with Daiyu, she had already returned Daiyu¡¯s key and was about to take a look at her room. But at the moment, her parents called out towards her.

    Even as she was confused, she approached them without a question.

    When she arrived before them, Esfir spoke ¡°Yvette, after you take a look at your room, you should accompany your brother to look around the city.¡± She then glanced towards Behnam whose expression changed into one filled with surprise before continuing, ¡°It is also a good experience as you have rarely left the mountain all this time other than when you went to find your first weapon.¡±

    As she said that, she soon left together with Bahram without waiting for a reply, as if she was not even expecting a refusal to her offer.

    Meanwhile, Behnam who was also forced into this simply accepted his fate with a wry smile. But when he saw Yvette turn towards him while bowing, holding the clear intent of ¡®Please take care of me¡¯, he shook away his stray thoughts and said.

    ¡°Come on, let us take a look around the famed capital of the eastern state.¡± He then led the Yvette and Daiyu out of the inn.

    In the end, in fear of being unable to watch over them, Behnam only led the two around within the second area.

    But at one point, while the three were still exploring the area, they suddenly came across a certain carriage moving through the streets. Though carriages are not rare in the noble¡¯s area, this carriage seemed much more extravagant in comparison to most others. But as the carriage passed by them, Yvette was able to catch sight of a blood lotus engraved at the side of the carriage.

    As she thought back to the various books she has read, she realized that the blood lotus engraving is actually the symbol of the empire. And the only carriage which can bear the symbol of the empire would be the imperial family¡¯s carriage.

    Noticing that, she took one last look at the carriage before urging Behnam, who has also seemed to notice the identity of the carriage, to continue taking her around with her gaze.

    Then, as the sky was dyed with the orange of the setting sun, the three returned to the inn they were staying in before.

    When the inn¡¯s receptionist saw them entering, he remembered that the three was within the group which the inn owner led in and approached them cautiously, ¡°Dinner has just been prepared, do the three master and mistresses wish to have your dinner be sent to your rooms?¡±

    Without thinking much, Yvette accepted his offer and told him her and Daiyu¡¯s room number before leaving for their room after bidding farewell to Behnam.

    Returning to their room, Yvette left Daiyu to her own devices and went to sit down and practice engraving formations.

    Seeing her mistress¡¯s diligent act, Daiyu went to the opposite edge of the room to cultivate so as to not disturb her mistress¡¯s training.

    Time passed quietly as she spent time silently within her room training and cultivating. Soon, the day of the tournament arrived and the whole city was filled with festiveness. Though their inn was quite deep into the noble area, the sound could still faintly reach her ears.

    As Yvette gazed out of the window of her room, she could faintly see the third area being filled with many decorations. Behind her, Daiyu stood there silently like a shadow.

    Suddenly, a knock sounded from the door followed by a voice, ¡°Young mistress, the master and madam invites you to go with them to watch the tournament.¡±

    Without saying anything, Yvette put on her veil and walked out of the room followed closely by Daiyu.

    Outside, the servant heard the sound of the door opening and lowered his head to look at the mysterious young mistress that was rarely seen outside. Still, as a servant, he knew his status and only took a single glance before looking away.

    ¡°Lead the way.¡± Hearing the command from Yvette, the servant silently consented and led the two away.

    Soon, they arrived at the first floor of the inn. There, all the participants and the guests from Stellar City have all arrived.

    When everyone caught sight of her coming down to the first floor, they all either nodded towards her or gave a light greeting out of courtesy.

    Once she finally reached her family, Esfir led her and Daiyu outside and into a carriage while Bahram dismissed the servant who led her here and took care of the guests. While waiting, Yvette sat there meditating. Esfir who saw this simply smiled and glanced out of the carriage¡¯s window.

    After a few minutes, the carriage started to move towards a direction. But it did not move deeper into the city, instead, it approached a certain wide path. A few days ago, this path was covered by numerous guards which prohibited anyone aside from the state governor and those with high status from entry. Yet now, this edges of this path are all filled with numerous stalls which sold various goods as the vendors all shouted loudly in hopes of attracting customers, drowning the street with their shouts.

    Though the carriage Yvette rode on could was made with materials that could muffle sound, the shouts were so loud that it faintly reached her ears, causing her to stop meditating. Out of curiosity, she slightly opened the curtains blocking the carriage¡¯s window and peeked outside.

    Catching sight of the festive street, she thought back to the three months she has spent here with her new family. At that moment, she caught sight of a little girl of a close age to her holding her mother¡¯s hand as they went through the street. Coincidentally, the girl turned her head and met eyes with her. Unknown whether the girl could actually she through her veil, which is unlikely, she cheerfully smiled and waved her hand towards her. Seeing this, Yvette hesitated for a moment before waving back weakly towards the girl.

    Watching the pair of mother and daughter walk away, she silently thought back to her actions all this time and noticed the great difference between their two lives. She knew that if she just slightly let loose, she might have a chance of living happily like the little girl, even if it may be only for a short while.

    Even so, she held no desire to turn back nor did she regret her actions. At least for now, she would only focus on trying to become stronger.

    Thinking so, she let down the curtains, causing the shadow of the carriage to once again envelop her.

    Esfir and Daiyu who was within the carriage also noticed the unnatural state of mind Yvette held.

    Daiyu, who sat across Yvette, lowered her head to show that whatever decision Yvette may hold, she would quietly follow.

    Esfir, who sat next to Yvette, faintly smiled and moved closer to Yvette and softly pulled her head to her as she whispered to her fox ear, ¡°What decision you will come to choose, I¡­ we shall stand beside you. Though you may not truly be my daughter, I have already considered you as one.¡±

    As Yvette listened to her soft spoken words, her eyelids slowly closes as she lied her head on Esfir¡¯s shoulder, unconsciously falling into slumber. And so, until they reached their destination, they sat there in silence, isolated from the festiveness beyond the walls of the carriage.

 Chapter 18: Qualifier Round

    Feeling a slight trembling in her surroundings, Yvette¡¯s eyelids trembled before it slowly opened. As she strenuously forced herself to rise her body and examine her surroundings, her memory resurfaced and remembered that they were on their way to the tournament arena when she fell unconscious halfway there.

    But when she looked towards where she was leaning her head on, she realized that she has been lying on her mother¡¯s lap.

    Usually, when such a thing happened, Yvette would have quickly apologized for her thoughtless actions. But when she thought about her head lying quietly on her mother¡¯s lap, she dazedly reached touched her cheek which lied there and felt a foreign warm feeling in her chest.

    Noticing her actions, Esfir warmly smiled as happiness filled her heart. From all the interaction they had done. Though Yvette acted as if she was close to them, Esfir knew that she still kept a distance against everyone else, putting her feelings in isolation.

    But from her current actions which differed from how she usually acted, she thought that a slight change might have happened to her.

    Meanwhile, Daiyu who sat across them spectated all that happened. But as if she did not notice all that happened, she was still as quiet as ever.

    When Esfir was about to approach Yvette, a knock suddenly sounded from outside the carriage followed by the voice of the coach.

    ¡°Misses, we have arrived.¡±

    When the knock sounded, Yvette already came back to her senses and picked up and wore the veil which seemed to have fallen when she fell asleep. Seeing Yvette return to her usual calm self, Esfir knew her chance was now gone and sighed. Though she knew she could not blame the coach for his ignorant actions, she still sent a silent glare to where the coach should be beyond the wall before leading Yvette and Daiyu out of the carriage.

    Meanwhile, the coach who was still sitting at the front seat of the carriage suddenly felt a deep sense of coldness and shuddered. When he looked left and right, he saw that nothing seemed out of place and could only sit silently in confusion, attributing the event as hallucinations.

    Stepping out of the carriage, Yvette saw that the festiveness of the city did not seem to have subsided. Instead, the closer they are to the arena, the surrounding people seemed to be increasingly excited.

    Watching the excited sea of people surging into the entrance of the arena which is built just like a colosseum, Yvette felt a slight ache on her head. Before, she was able to smoothly go through the city smoothly because she was more focused on her brother who led her around. But now that she took a clear look at the sea of people, a sense of discomfort overcame her until she finally managed to ignore the crowd.

    At that moment, she heard Esfir calling out to her. Looking towards where her voice came from, she saw that everyone but her and Daiyu had already went to another entrance of the arena that was still closed. Seeing this, she took Daiyu and went towards them.

    Once she arrived, she noticed that the surrounding people all seemed to be those of high status with either wealth or power. The crowd there could be divided into two categories, the first being those who came as a big group like her, which hinted that they may be a governor of a city, while the other being those that are either alone or in a small group who seemed to be people with either high status or power. She also noticed that many who fell into the latter category has symbols woven on their clothes, signifying that they are a part of a sect or organization.

    By the time she finished observing the surrounding people, the closed gate opened with a rumbling sound and a man stepped out of the entrance.

    The man has average looks with no notable features. But the fact that he could still keep calm even after being the focus of all those people proved that he is not an ordinary person.

    ¡°Dearest guests, please come in. The servants inside shall be guiding you to your respective spectator rooms.¡± Saying that, the man bowed his waist and stepped to the side to give them way.

    Seeing this, no one said anything and passed by the man as they entered the arena.

    But as Yvette was about to pass by the man, she slightly turned her head and nodded, faintly whispering to him, ¡°Please keep up the good work.¡± Before walking away with Daiyu close behind.

    Moments later, the man raised his head and stared intently at Yvette¡¯s fading silhouette with gleaming eyes before once again closing the gates of the arena.

    When the guests walked deep into the corridor, a line of servants appeared before them with bowed heads, seemingly waiting for them all this time. Then, the servants all approached a group of guests which they were assigned them before leading them to their respective room.

    As the servant assigned to the group from Stellar City led them to their room, she further explained that she will be acting as their guide until the tournament is over. By the time she finished her explanation, they already arrived before their room.

    Inside, the room is only filled with a single row of seats facing a glass wall. Though the room did not seem luxurious at first glance, when Yvette looked down from the glass wall at the normal spectator seat outside, she saw people crowding around each other with sweat constantly trickling down their faces. Seeing this, she realized that to have a room all for themselves is already quite a luxurious treatment.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Looking out of the glass wall, one could have a clear look at the surrounding spectators and the competition area underneath. And near the room, numerous glass walled rooms that cannot be seen through from the outside are placed at different locations. Even so, each of the rooms are all of the same height. But higher up the glass walled rooms, one small room could be seen placed at the highest position of the arena. At first glance, the room could be clearly seen through. Yet when anyone tries to peer into the room, the features of everyone within the room would seem to distort, causing them to be unrecognizable.

    When Yvette took a seat between Esfir and Bahram, she noticed that Behnam was not with them. Confused, she was about to inquire his whereabouts. But at that moment, she heard a voice which resounded throughout the whole arena.

    ¡°Participants of the tournament, please enter the arena.¡±

    Following those words, a stream of people appeared from one of the entrances within the arena.

    Though they seemed disorderly, they all managed to smoothly enter the arena excluding the few unexperienced ones who stumbled a few times from being pushed by others.

    Through this, some of the spectators, especially those from the VIP seats, were able to quickly discern those who would potentially be eliminated first.

    Once all the participants finally arrived, the voice continued.

    ¡°We will now begin the qualifier round of the tournament.¡± As the voice faded away, a rumbling sound came from the arena and four circular pieces of the ground rose up, each lifting many of the participants with them.

    When the circular grounds finally stopped rising and floated there, the voice continued, ¡°For the qualifier round, participants atop the stages must push off or cause other participants to be incapable of battling until only eight participants are left atop each stage. You may all now begin.¡±

    BOOM

    At the same time as the word ¡®begin¡¯ came out, explosions came from two of the four stages, covering the stages in dust clouds and blowing most of the participants off the stages. But before any of the participants could hit the ground, light covered each and every one of them, bringing them away to safety.

    When the dust clouds faded away, it was revealed that the two explosions were caused by two of the participants, leaving only a few participants who were struggling against the aftereffect of the explosion and most others who were still standing there in a daze after they luckily did not get pushed off by the explosion. Surprisingly, neither of the stages have a hint of damage on them even after the explosions.

    One of the explosions seemed to have been caused by Behnam who stood in the center of the second stage with him still making a pose of punching the ground.

    The other explosion happened atop the first stage. There, a boy with crimson hair and pupils stood arrogantly at the center of the stage while holding a crimson sword which stabbed deeply into the ground.

    But instead of looking at the result of their actions, they both looked towards each other and showed a challenging smile. Then, as if understanding each other¡¯s intent, they both started to push off or disable the other participants on their stage starting from those who managed to struggle against the explosion.

    Though the struggling participants tried to fight back, none of them managed to truly fight back against the two.

    Behnam used simple hits and kicks filled with overwhelming strength to dominate over all his opponents. Meanwhile, the crimson haired boy relied on his nimble footwork to dodge every attack aimed at him and the shockwaves sent out by his sword to suppress his opponents.

    By the time the dazed participants returned to their senses, over half of the struggling participants were left. Seeing this, most of them started to attack Behnam and the crimson haired boy in attempt to dominate them with numbers while the smarter ones attacked other weaker participants in hopes that they will be one of the eight last standing participants.

    In the end, the fight within the second stage finished first before soon followed by the first stage. Within an hour after the qualifier round began, Behnam and the crimson haired boy dominated all the other participants while the other seven qualifiers of the two stages managed to gain a place by bearing through the first explosion and were fortunate enough to not be targeted early. Though the surrounding spectators all cheered loudly throughout the fight, the fourteen of them only feel gloomy because they knew the ones being cheered on were the two dominators.

    By the time the battle within the two other stages finished, two hours had already passed after the fight within the first and second stages ended and the other sixteen participants were determined. Followed by that, the voice which has not spoken for a long time once again appeared.

    ¡°The qualifier round has ended. The elimination round shall begin the next day.¡± Then, all the stages slowly hovered down, returning to their original location within the arena grounds.

    As Behnam walked towards where the rest probably are, he took a quick glance towards the crimson haired boy who has been looking at him with a quiet gaze before quickly leaving.

    Yvette who has been spectating from the VIP room suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning her head, she saw that Esfir who tapped her shoulder and everyone else within the room has already stood up in preparation to leave. Following their lead, she also stood up and followed them out of the room.

    As they walked through the corridor, they saw all Behnam walking towards them from the distance together with other participants from Stellar City. At the same time, he caught sight of them and lightly waved his hand as he sped up his pace.

    Once the participants rejoined them, they all walked out of the arena together. But when they stepped out of the building, Yvette felt a gaze landing on her. Turning to the source, she saw a crimson haired boy staring followed closely by an elderly man who seemed to be his attendant. Though they stood rather far away, she was able to notice that the boy was not really staring towards her, but Behnam who was standing right next to her.

    But the moment her gaze landed on the boy, she could feel his gaze moving from Behnam to her. After some time, she quickly lost interest on the boy and turned her head away, leading Daiyu to follow Esfir as they prepared to return to the inn.

    Meanwhile, the crimson haired boy finally recovered from his shock and turned towards his attendant.

    ¡°Do you think it was a coincidence?¡± He asked with a grave face.

    ¡°No, I believe not.¡± Said the attendant after a quick pondering, ¡°Her perception must be very acute. Either that or she is actually an elf who are famed for their abundant soul and affinity with nature. From her body build, she must not be very old, so for her perception to be so sharp should be impossible, so I believe she must be an elf, especially so with the veil she used to hide her appearance.¡±

    Hearing his attendant¡¯s discernment, the boy muttered, ¡°I see, that makes sense.¡± Before gazing thoughtfully towards the direction which the carriages of the Stellar City¡¯s group disappeared in.

    Seeing his master deep in thought, the attendant hesitated for a moment before finally whispering, ¡°Prince Cyrus, do you want me to gather information about them?¡±

    ¡°No, there is no need, that would just be rude of me.¡± Said the boy, Cyrus, after snapping out of his thoughts. Then, without wasting another moment, the boy went towards his carriage, the carriage of the Kirmist imperial family before riding away to the residence of East city¡¯s governor.

 Chapter 19: Battle

    ¡°Participants of the elimination round, please enter the arena.¡±

    Following the words of the unidentifiable voice, all 32 participants walked out of the entrance of the arena. The moment they did, the whole arena was covered in the cheers of the countless spectators.

    In reaction to their cheers, the participants, excluding Cyrus, Behnam and a few others who remained calm, all either their head drew back out of surprise or waved back to the spectators with a satisfied expression plastered across their faces.

    When they finally arrived at the center of the arena, the voice continued, ¡°All participants shall be divided into four groups based on the stages they were on the day before. Participants of each group will then draw lots to determine their opponents.¡±

    As the voice spoke, a man wearing a mask came out of another entrance which the participants walked out of with a box in hand. After he had each of the participants take one ball from within the box, he quietly left the arena.

    Following the departure of the man, four circular stages rose from the earth while in the air, light screens which faced the four directions showed the participants who would be fighting.

    ¡°Participants may not initiate an attack to other participants they are not fighting.

    Participants who are fighting may not deliberately aim for the kill, but accidents may happen.

    Participants may use any sort of weapons or treasure within their arsenal, but must not receive outside help nor use treasures of the spirit grade or above.

    Participants who have stepped out of the stage, fainted, or conceded defeat may not be attacked by the opposing participant.

    Participants may not make any attempt to strike the referee.

    Any participant who breaks any one of these rules shall directly be disqualified.¡±

    As those words ended, four people suddenly flashed into the arena and spread onto the four stages, seemingly the referees of the matches. Then, with hands clasped behind their backs, they called for the participants who would be fighting first.

    Soon after the participants stepped onto the stages, they started fighting.

    By the end of the elimination round, the sky was already dyed red and only four participants were left, with each coming from different groups.

    ¡°The elimination round has ended; the semifinals shall begin the next day. May the corresponding participants please prepare.¡±

    Following those words, all the participants left the arena, with those who have lost wearing gloomy countenance as they left the arena while the those who passed walked all walked away with a calm expression except for one who constantly waved cheerfully towards the surrounding spectators.

    As Behnam observed the other two other participants who kept their calm, he could not help but to reevaluate them stealthily. But when he looked towards the cheerful boy who was filled with vigor as he waved towards the spectators in pride, there was no ridicule in his eyes. Instead, he constantly tried to discern what secret the vigorous boy had, believing that those who could have reached this far must have held real abilities.

    But even after they reached the point where they must part ways, he could not discern anything from the other participants, causing him to be slightly despondent. At that moment, a faint melodious voice entered his ear, ¡°Brother...¡±

    Looking towards the source of the voice, he saw Yvette who was wearing a veil slowly walking towards his direction with Daiyu following close behind her. Seeing this, he approached her with hurried steps.

    Watching Behnam approaching her hurriedly, Yvette stopped in place. When he finally arrived before her, he asked with worry, ¡°What are you doing here alone with your handmaiden?¡±

    Hearing his question, Yvette finally realized why he seemed hurried and replied, ¡°Everyone has already left the arena, hence mother and father asked me to bring you out directly.¡± Listening to her reason, Behnam felt doubtful. If it was only that, they could have simply sent a servant to call for him, yet they sent the young Yvette to him instead.

    Feeling that it would be nigh impossible for his sister to lie, Behnam guessed that it was another one of his parents¡¯ abnormal ideas.

    ¡°Brother¡­¡± Just as the thought crossed his mind, Yvette¡¯s melodious voice once again entered his ears and brought him back.

    ¡°Alright, let us hurry and go.¡± Said Behnam as he walked away with Yvette and Daiyu.

    But just as they were about to walk away, Yvette felt a gaze land on her, but thinking that it might just be the usual fleeting gaze, she ignored it and continued to walk away.

    ¡°Participants of the semifinals, please enter the arena.¡± In accordance with those words, the four participants once again entered the arena for the third time.

    ¡°Today shall be the final day of the tournament. The semifinals and finals shall be held today.¡±

    Following those words, a circular stage which covered most of the center of the arena suddenly came out of the ground and a man which seemed to be the referee leaped to the center of the stage.

    ¡°Behnam Aasmany of Stellar City and Saba Dahae of Sepehr City, please get on the stage.¡±

    Following the referee¡¯s words, Behnam and Saba both leaped up the stage in a direction opposite to each other.

    Examining his opponent, Behnam saw that it was the most low-key one of the four. Not only does Saba constantly wear a hooded robe, he never heard a single utterance coming from this particular person. Even though Saba is half a head shorter than him, he dared not to let down his guard.

    ¡°The moment the coin in my hand falls, the battle will start.¡± Suddenly hearing the words of the referee, Behnam snapped out of his thoughts and prepared himself for the upcoming fight.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Following that, the referee flicked the gold coin in his hand upwards with his thumb before quickly jumping backward, out of the stage.

    As the gold coin continuously flipped as it fell, Behnam¡¯s concentration peaked. He knew that unlike his opponents from the day before, Saba is much stronger, hence he decided to act with more caution.

    The moment the gold coin hit the ground, it was as if the sound rang throughout the whole arena. At that moment, Behnam felt a gust of wind blowing wildly from his front, causing him to reflexively squint his eyes.

    ¡®A wind cultivator?¡¯

    Just as the thought crossed his mind, he felt a fierce gust of wind rush towards him. Noticing this, he quickly reacted and jumped to the side. Unfortunately, he never had the chance nor had the desire to look into his potential opponents. It could be his pride which does not allow him to, but he still thought that fighting in such a way is also a form of training.

    When he finally managed to regain his bearing, he heard the sound of a clicking tongue. Looking towards the source, he saw Saba rushing towards him once again accompanied by rushing wind.

    This time, he was prepared and quickly gathered strength into his fist and smashed downwards, producing a shockwave which forced back the gust of wind and affecting Saba¡¯s movement, seemingly causing Saba to be flustered. Finally finding a chance to retaliate, Behnam dashed forward with a lowered stance before bursting forward with his right fist thrown, aiming straight for Saba¡¯s chest.

    But when his fist was about to hit, Saba managed to put up a defense by crossing both arms while his fist seemed to have its force reduced by the surrounding wind.

    Unwilling to withdraw his attack, he roared and withdrew his fist before once again punching forward with increased force, producing a shockwave and cloud of dust as it made contact with his opponent¡¯s arms.

    Then, Behnam hurriedly jumped out of the dust cloud and made some distance between them.

    ¡®No, the force was not enough¡­¡¯

    As he thought of such, a burst of wind blew away the dust cloud, revealing Saba whose robes were in tatters, especially so for the top part, which included the hoody that has been hiding Saba¡¯s face.

    When Behnam saw the identity of the person under the hooded robe, his eyebrow twitched as he wryly thought.

    ¡®A¡­ girl?¡¯

    Under the tattered robe, what was hidden was actually a girl with shoulder-length black hair and a pair of hazel eyes. Though her figure was lacking due to her age, her round and tender face was enough to prove that Saba is without a doubt a girl. But such a face made him unsure whether the person who attacked with great fierceness the same person. Just as he thought so, he noticed the fiercely burning fighting spirit within her eyes, which deeply contrasted with her tender face.

    Seeing those eyes finally cleared the last of his doubts he had about her. But after he pondered for a moment, he finally spoke.

    ¡°Do you truly wish to continue? I do not wish to be rude nor do I look down upon you, but neither do I have any desire to hurt girls.¡±

    At first, the girl, Saba, felt furious due to his offer. But after hearing his explanation, she took a deep breath and said with eyes glaring straight at Behnam.

    ¡°I appreciate your offer, but I wish to continue. And I hope that you would not go easy on me simply because I am a girl.¡± Saying that, she directly rushed towards him.

    ¡°I plan on doing so.¡± Behnam said as his gaze sharpened.

    Then, he lowered his waist, gathering strength in his leg, before launching his body forward.

    Expecting such a move, Saba gathered most of her Qi into her right fist as she moved, causing it to light up with a green light. Then, she caused the Qi within her fist to rotate, attracting the surrounding wind and forming a tornado around her fist.

    Seeing this, Behnam¡¯s expression turned grave. Unwilling to take a risk by evaluating the strength of her attack, he also sent his Qi into his right fist, causing it to light up like a golden sun.

    As their pair of green and gold fists met, a giant explosion surged through the whole arena producing a giant dust cloud, and causing the barrier surrounding the stage to shake.

    But soon, the dust cloud was quickly swept away. Looking at the location right outside the stage, the referee from before could be seen waving his hand, showing that he was the one who swept away the dust cloud.

    Meanwhile, on the stage, there are still two people atop it. But this time, one of them laid collapsed, unconscious, while the other person stood before the one who was defeated, standing straight like a spear, emitting a grand air which could not be hidden by the various small wounds and dirt covering his body.

    Moments later, the referee finally jumped up onto the stage and announced.

    ¡°The winner, Behnam Aasmany of Stellar City!¡±

    Following the announcement, the whole arena resounded with the loud cheers from the spectators.

    But Behnam who was the target of all those cheering simply disregarded them and walked away unhurriedly. Though he seemed to have treated them coldly, the excited cheers of the spectators did not reduce in the slightest, instead, a few young girls within the crowd seemed to have screamed even louder, scaring the people around them.

    Meanwhile, Behnam who has gone out of the sight of the spectators lost the grand air around him and stumbled.

    Leaning on the wall of the arena¡¯s corridor, Behnam¡¯s breath turned ragged while blood trickled down from the corner of his lips. Noticing this, Behnam smiled wryly and thought back to the final attack they exchanged.

    The moment the two fist hit each other, it was an exchange of the technique within their attacks. With the sheer heavy brute force contained within his vigorous Sun Yang Qi, he was able to dominate Saba.

    But in exchange, he had to take on the sharp attacks of Saba¡¯s fist which contained a small tornado of Wind Qi. Though his well-forged body was able to handle the attacks on his body, the Wind Qi was surprisingly able to penetrate into his body and attack his internal organs. And because he used up all of his Qi into that one attack, he could only watch as his internal organs receive the attacks from the Wind Qi until it died out on its own.

    In the end, he managed to knock Saba unconscious while the Wind Qi continued to attack him until the referee announced his victory. At that moment, he only wanted to lie down and take a rest, but when he thought of his family which might possibly worry for him, he forced his body to stand straight as he exuded a grand air around him using the vigorous Yang Qi left within him.

    And at that moment, he was no longer capable of handling the damage to his body. Just as he thought that he might have to forfeit the tournament, he heard the sound of footsteps coming from deeper into the corridor. At first, Behnam was vigilant of the incoming party, but when he saw their identity, he froze in place.

    ¡°Yvette¡­ what are you doing here?¡± The ones who came from within the corridor was the pair of master and handmaiden, Yvette and Daiyu.

    ¡°I was worried.¡± Said Yvette curtly when she arrived before him. Though Behnam could not truly see the worry she hid deep within her gaze, he still lowered his head and apologized, ¡°Forgive me.¡±

    Without another word, she crouched down and examined Behnam¡¯s wounds. But when she tried examining his internals, she frowned and glanced towards Behnam.

    ¡°Had you forfeited, the referee would have helped you.¡± She said with a light voice devoid of blame.

    ¡°That may be true, but I have my own pride.¡± Replied Behnam with a confident smile.

    Seeing him like this, Yvette sighed and motioned towards Daiyu to approach. Once Daiyu arrived before her, she took out a roll of bandage and other ointments from the dimensional pouch hanging on her waist. Then, she gave a set of instructions to Daiyu and added an ointment to the bandage before starting to dress Behnam¡¯s wounds.

    The process did not take long and once she finished bandaging his wounds, Daiyu already finished the medicine which Yvette had instructed her to make and handed it over to her.

    ¡°Brother, please drink this.¡± Following Yvette¡¯s words, Behnam took the wine cup filled with the medicine with no hesitation.

    Moments later, he felt his stomach warming and his internal injuries slowly healing. Surprised at the effects, Behnam turned to look at Yvette with a befuddled gaze.

    But before he had the chance to question Yvette, a voice resounded throughout the arena.

    ¡°The winner, Cyrus Kirmist of Crimson Capital!

    Next, the finals shall begin, may Behnam Aasmany of Stellar City please come up to the stage.¡±

    Hearing the announcement, Behnam stood up with no hesitation and put on another set of clothing which Yvette had prepared, hiding the bandages hidden underneath. Though Yvette who was looking at him held worries within her, she did not stop him and simply watched as he once again stood atop the stage.

 Chapter 20: Finals

    Walking onto the stage, Behnam crossed gaze with his new opponent, Cyrus Kirmist.

    Seeing his body covered in small scratches and dust, he gathered that Cyrus might not have a better time in his fight, just like him.

    But when Behnam looked at Cyrus¡¯s crimson hair and eyes, Behnam was once again faced with the fact that his current opponent is a member of the empire¡¯s imperial family. Though there are no other clans who holds the same surname, to look at the person in the face is always the best method of verification.

    ¡°As both participants have received injuries from the battles, body recovery and Qi recovery medicines have been prepared for both participants to recover.¡± Following the announcement from the unknown voice, the referee threw two pills which landed right onto the two participants¡¯ extended palms.

    As Behnam gazed at the pill on his palm, he felt the bandages tied around his wounds. Without hesitation, he shook his head.

    ¡°I decline; I believe I have healed enough in this time.¡± Saying that, he returned the pills to the referee.

    ¡°If that is the case, I also refuse to take these.¡± Following those words, Cyrus also returned the pills that were handed to him.

    Accepting their refusal, the referee stored back the pills and spoke, ¡°If that is the case, please prepare yourself. Once the gold coin falls, the fight shall start.¡±

    He then once again took out another gold coin and lightly flicked it upwards before leaping off the stage.

    Behnam once again focused himself to the coming fight. As he gathered strength into his four limbs, the ground under his feet cracked under the pressure while his fist crackled like thunder.

    Cyrus who stood on the other side drew out a silver sword from his waist which glinted under the sun.

    One overbearing, one graceful stood on the stage, calmly facing each other.

    The moment the coin fell, an explosive sound resounded from the location which Behnam stood on before.

    Without giving a chance for most of the spectators to react, another explosion once again occurred right where Cyrus stood, producing a shockwave which hit the barrier covering the arena.

    Looking at where the explosion occurred, there could be seen Cyrus standing a few feet away from where he stood before while holding his sword horizontally while Behnam stood right where Cyrus was before with his fist aimed towards where Cyrus was pushed back.

    Seeing that his first strike was blocked in such a way, Behnam clicked his tongue and fixed his stance.

    But at that moment, Cyrus waved his sword downwards and rushed towards Behnam like a gale. Not losing out, Behnam also rushed forward with an overwhelming momentum on each step.

    Suddenly, when Behnam was a few meters away from Cyrus, the scent of blood wafted into his nostrils. At the same time, Cyrus¡¯s sword suddenly pierced forward even faster than before while giving off the pressure of a mountain.

    Caught off guard, Behnam did not dare to take any risk and dodged to the side. Unwilling to be on the losing side, he swung his feet towards his opponent¡¯s abdomen.

    But as if he was expecting his retaliation, Cyrus forced his body to land and threw his body backwards, reducing the impact of the kick.

    Without a word, the two once again rushed towards each other fearlessly.

    As they both exchanged strike after strike, neither side relented. Even though it is an exchange between a sword and fist, the fist did not lose out in the slightest.

    Each time the sword edge was about to wound him, Behnam would always manage to repel or dodge each strike before they could wound him. But even when he acted so carefully, his overwhelming momentum did not wane in the slightest and instead kept on rising.

    On the other hand, Cyrus who was able to keep calm in the face of such momentum gave off a feeling of leisure.

    Finally, Behnam found an opening and shouted in his mind, ¡®There!¡¯ and swung his fist.

    Then, with the sound of metal hitting metal, the sword Cyrus wielded finally flew off his hand and dropped out of the arena.

    The spectators who saw this all thought it would soon be the end for Cyrus. But Behnam who stood before the weaponless Cyrus kept a serious face and did not underestimate his opponent as he attempted to continue his attack with his full strength.

    And just as Behnam¡¯s attack was about to hit his opponent, a thick scent of blood assaulted his nostrils, causing his expression to change.

    Without hesitation, he stopped his attack and leaped backwards. Following which, a blood red sword swung downwards, almost reaching the tip of his nose by a hairbreadth.

    Distancing himself further, Behnam muttered, ¡°The famed Blood Materialization Technique of the Kirmist Imperial Clan?¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°It seems you are quite knowledgeable.¡± Saying such, Cyrus once again rushed forward with a swing of his sword which increased in both speed and strength.

    Once again dodging the attack, Behnam¡¯s expression turned grave as he thought in his heart, ¡®If you desire an exchange of techniques, then so be it¡­¡¯

    Then, following the Solar Flare Body Technique in his memory, he gathered his Yang Qi into his four limbs. But unlike the way he used it to enhance his attacks from before, the Qi moved in a certain pattern and required more Qi than before.

    In return, he felt his four limbs enhanced far stronger than before, unlike the crude method of body enhancement he used before. But each time he tried to move his body, it was like his body became twice as heavy, requiring much more effort to exert.

    Even so, for him who has long trained in this technique, this sort of thing is not enough to be a problem.

    With a forward step, his overwhelming aura surged as he once again exchanged strikes with Cyrus.

    But instead of dodging or repelling his sword, Behnam directly used one of his hand to hold onto the blade of Cyrus¡¯s sword. Seeing this, Cyrus¡¯s eyes flickered as he tried to increase the force of his attack.

    Unfortunately, no matter how much force he exerted, his sword did not budge in the slightest, as if it held down tightly by a mountain.

    At that moment, Behnam¡¯s arm which had been gathering strength all this time swung straight for Cyrus¡¯s chest.

    The moment his fist connected, Cyrus¡¯s body was thrown backwards, accompanied by a long trail of dust cloud from the force of the blow until he finally stopped with a crash, covered by a dust cloud. Meanwhile, the sword of blood was still clamped in between Behnam¡¯s finger. But moments after the sword left Cyrus¡¯s hand, the sword lost its solid form and fell, turning back into its normal liquid form.

    Waving his hands, the drops of blood stuck on Behnam¡¯s hand flew away. Even as he did so, his gaze never left the place which Cyrus was thrown to.

    ¡®That much force should not be enough to defeat a prince of the empire¡­¡¯

    As he thought such, Behnam saw a silhouette stepping out from the dust cloud. But the moment he tried to prepare for another attack, a heavy sense of pressure washed over him as he heard Cyrus say coldly.

    ¡°It is time to end this farce.¡±

    Following those words, a blood red sword once again appeared in his hand. But this time, a blood red glow emanated from the sword while Cyrus¡¯s rosy face turned pale white.

    Then, holding his sword with both hands at his side, Cyrus dashed forward towards Behnam.

    Seeing this, Behnam¡¯s gaze turned serious, knowing that the strike would determine the final victor.

    Then, his overbearing air receded, replaced by peaceful tranquility, yet still emanating a sense of pressure, just like the sun high up in the sky.

    When Cyrus finally closed onto him, Behnam kept his tranquil state and took a slow step forward. This step of his did not seem to hold any noticeable movement in the Qi inside him. Yet the moment his foot landed, the Yang energy in his surrounding converged wildly from that foot into his whole body, causing it to lit up with a golden light, as if he was a small sun.

    Within the Aasmany Clan¡¯s spectator room, Bahram squinted his eyes and muttered, ¡°This child is really¡­¡± Hearing his muttering, Yvette looked towards him in inquiry.

    Noticing her gaze, he explained, ¡°The technique Behnam is using is called the Solar Descend Technique. It gathers raw energy from the surroundings into his body to bolster a single strike. This technique has a harsher body endurance requirement in comparison to the Solar Flare Body Technique due to the harsh backlash. And the power each step can gather is all based on the purity of the yang energy in the surroundings. At the same time, the purer the yang energy, the harsher the backlash.¡±

    Turning to gaze back towards Behnam on the stage, he continued, ¡°With Behnam¡¯s current body and cultivation, a single step is his limit.¡±

    With that single step, Behnam and Cyrus finally stood before each other.

    Then, with one swinging his fist and the other swinging his sword, the two youths clashed.

    The moment the golden and crimson light came into contact with each other, a deafening explosion resounded throughout the arena, to the point that the shockwave itself caused the barrier covering the stage to shake and be covered in small cracks, silencing the spectators. Though the spectators could not feel the after effect of the exchange, just seeing the small cracks caused them to gulp nervously.

    Though the damaging of the barrier has occurred before, it was a rare event in itself. And the barrier is also a formation that has a defensive power that is capable of taking on multiple attacks from a late Qi Condensing Stage cultivator. For a shockwave from the exchange of two peak Body Tempering Stage cultivators to damage it was enough proof for them to know how fearsome the exchange was.

    Then, as the shaking of the barrier stopped, they could finally take a clear look at the stage.

    The stage was fully covered in cracks, giving it an appearance as if a single touch was enough for it to turn into dust.

    Meanwhile, the two participants were standing at the center of the stage, still with their fist and sword in the position of clashing against each other while their eyes stared proudly at one another.

    Moments later, Cyrus¡¯s sword of blood cracked and turned into grey dried blood, losing their former crimson luster.

    But Behnam who was before him stood there, frozen, and muttered in a voice which only allowed Cyrus to hear.

    ¡°It was a nice match¡­¡±

    Following those words, he who moments ago was still standing there proudly fell directly to his side.

    ¡°Winner, Cyrus Kirmist of the Kirmist Imperial Clan!¡±

    As the referee announced such, the spectators who have been silent all this time flooded the whole arena with their cheers.

    Observing from their room, those from the Stellar City sighed in regret. But those from the Aasmany Clan was not the same and instead stood up before walking out of the room.

    But the moment they left the room, Esfir and Bahram both disappeared from the rest of the clan member¡¯s view. At the same time, Esfir¡¯s voice sounded right next to Yvette¡¯s ear.

    ¡°We will be taking away your brother first, bring the others to the carriage and wait.¡±

    Without a change in her expression, Yvette silently consented and led the party from Aasmany Clan to the carriage.

    When they reached the location where the carriages were left at, Bahram and Esfir had also arrived with Behnam carried by Bahram on his shoulder like a sack.

    Though Yvette and Daiyu did not have the slightest reaction to this, the clan members all twitched the edge of their lips, as if they were trying to hold back their laughter. Meanwhile, Esfir who stood right next to Bahram was not as restrained and chuckled with mirth in her eyes.

    But without giving a shred of care to the thought of others, Bahram turned with a wave of his sleeve, ¡°Let us go, we will be leaving today.¡±

    As Yvette was about to step into her carriage, she felt a gaze falling on her. Involuntarily glancing towards the source, she once again saw the crimson haired boy who was looking at her yesterday, who she learned to be the fourth prince of the empire, Cyrus Kirmist.

    Noticing her actions, Esfir also followed her gaze and caught sight of Cyrus looking towards Yvette. Though Yvette herself did not know, Esfir recognized the intent his gaze held.

    Then, bringing both Yvette and Daiyu into the carriage, Esfir used her Qi to transmit her voice to Cyrus.

    ¡°It is best to not be so curious.¡±

    Following that, the carriage left alongside the clopping of the horse hooves.

 Chapter 21: 6 Years

    A year soon passed since the day Yvette first arrived in the Aasmany Clan.

    A few weeks after the tournament, Behnam, her brother, received various invitations from the Nine Great Cultivation Grounds. But after he weighed the benefits, he narrowed his options to the Sky Piercing Sect and the Adventus Academy which was formed by the human race, and the most mysterious of the nine cultivation grounds, Heaven Path Academy.

    In the end, Behnam chose Heaven Path Academy with the support of the clan and was brought away by an envoy a few days after his acceptance. In the end, he was not able to return for Yvette¡¯s sixth birthday, the day in which she first arrived at the clan.

    Still, occasionally, Behnam would send a few letters back to the clan through the Messenger Guild. In that way, they could still keep in touch occasionally.

    Aside from the absence of Behnam, not much change occurred within Yvette¡¯s everyday life.

    Just like in the past, she kept on trying to improve herself. Constantly training and studying during each moment she could use.

    In that time, she made few improvements.

    The Yin-Yang Seed within her dantian was just like a bottomless pit, unable to be sated no matter how much Yin and Yang Qi she put in.

    Unfortunately, this caused her body to not show any real improvement, leaving it at the level of early Body Refining Stage. But her parents did not question her about it, more so the ordinary clan members.

    She had also managed to familiarize herself with the acupuncture breathing technique. Unfortunately, as she had not found any time to master any of the acupuncture techniques, the breathing technique could only become useless.

    On another end, her Void Movement Technique met a slight improvement. Unlike before when she could not even feel herself moving to the void, she could now be in a half-conscious state as she uses the technique. In that way, she continued to attempt to comprehend the process of her body being sent to the void so that she no longer needed to envelop herself in her Yin Qi to use the technique.

    Meanwhile, she learned how to use the pair of war fans she received from the small store, which she later learned that it is actually the secret weapon storage of the clan. When she inserted her Qi into the fan, she could feel her Qi flowing much easier in comparison to flowing it into normal items.

    Not only that, she also found it much easier to make the blades move according to her wishes. Unfortunately, she had not learned how to split her mind to control different Qi flows, making her only able to wield the blades so that it moved in the same direction. And that is the direction she attempted to improve in regards to the war fans, though it had not met with much improvements.

    She had also gathered much more knowledge and continued to train more in Formations and Inscriptions, and as she had already finished her training on etiquette, she had even more time to train.

    And now, as she turned six years old, she heard a certain news.

    ¡°There is a Chaos Stone being auctioned in a nearby city?¡±

    Yvette inquired as she looked towards Daiyu.

    ¡°Yes, my lady.¡±

    After a moment of pondering, Yvette continued.

    ¡°Let us go visit my parents.¡±

    ¡°Chaos Stone in Blood River City?¡±

    At Esfir¡¯s question, Yvette nodded in affirmation.

    As Esfir hesitated, Bahram who has been staying quiet all this time spoke.

    ¡°You have my permission. But you must bring guards with you and once you have found what you wanted, you must return immediately.¡±

    Without hesitation, Yvette accepted the conditions while Esfir glared at him.

    Unperturbed, he continued, ¡°There is a branch of our clan within that city, so you will be staying there. You may also pull out as much money as you need from the branch.¡±

    As his words ended, Esfir handed a pouch to Yvette.

    ¡°I stored a few attack talismans and a message talisman inside the pouch. If you are ever in trouble and require our help, do not hesitate to use the message talisman. And should you ever be in danger, use the attack talismans. Always remember that your safety comes first before everything else.¡±

    Raising her head, Yvette met eyes with Esfir whose gaze was filled with worry. After a moment of uncertainty, Yvette finally nodded her head to assure her mother.

    Seeing this, Esfir sighed, ¡°Prepare yourself for the trip today, we will prepare your transportation and guards.¡±

    Saying thus, Esfir walked out of the garden.

    Without saying anything, Yvette also silently departed from the garden after bidding farewell to her father.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    The next day, Yvette, accompanied by Daiyu and two female guards at the Early Qi Condensing Realm, rode a carriage right outside the city and headed straight for the Black Gale City.

    ¡°Are you sure this is fine?¡±

    Esfir asked with worry as her gaze never left the leaving carriage.

    ¡°Blood River is not too far. We must also not keep her within the clan forever, she will have to be capable of being independent at one point of her life.¡± Saying thus, Bahram took a final look at the disappearing carriage before returning back to the clan, soon followed by Esfir who was still filled with worry.

    Meanwhile, inside the carriage which was pulled by a pair of vigorous horses, Yvette sat cross-legged in meditation with Daiyu while the two female guards sat on the coach, taking turns to hold the reins.

    Occasionally, Daiyu would stop her meditation to observe how the two guards drove the carriage and attempted to simulate it in her mind. And at one point, Daiyu even asked for them to teach her how to drive the carriage, which they accepted.

    By the time they reached Blood River City, the sky has already turned red from the setting sun.

    At the back of the line of carriages wanting to enter Blood River City was Yvette¡¯s carriage. Though she found it weird how there could be so many people wanting to enter the city, Yvette still patiently waited as she sat inside the carriage, meditating, while at the coach of the carriage were the two guards. But unlike before, their hair was no longer silver, but raven black.

    Once their carriage finally arrived before the gates of the city, one of the female guards passed the gate guard a silver coin as an entrance fee before proceeding inside.

    When the carriage entered the city, Yvette lifted the curtains of the carriage window and looked out to observe the city.

    As a middle tier city, Blood River City is naturally not as prosperous as East City. And compared to Stellar City, which is also a middle tier city, it is not as lively. But naturally, the city has its own advantage, with it being famous and yet also infamous for its strong and strict army.

    On the streets, even to the hidden alleyways hidden within the dark, soldiers could be seen patrolling around with a hard expression.

    After some time, the carriage arrived before a large, three-storied white building. Above the entrance, a plate could be seen hung there with the words ¡®Aasmany¡¯ written on it.

    Stopping before the entrance, the two female guards went down from their coach while Daiyu and Yvette who wore a veil stepped out from inside the carriage.

    Before the guards standing before the entrance could say anything, one of the female guards took out a token. Seeing it, the guards relaxed and opened the entrance for them.

    When Yvette entered the building, she saw various items put on display around the shop, ranging from talismans, pills, to other general tools of cultivators. Meanwhile, the hair of her two female guards once again reverted to its silver color.

    As she observed the shop, a voice suddenly came from deeper inside.

    ¡°Young mistress Yvette, I believe?¡±

    Looking towards the source, Yvette saw a lean man with a golden hair and sky blue eyes filled with craftiness. But unlike those from the clan, she noticed that the hair and pupils of the man before her looked darker as if they were much more impure.

    Turning towards the man, Yvette answered, ¡°Yes, I am.¡±

    Following her confirmation, the man bowed his head. ¡°My name is Casper; it is my honor to meet you.¡± Raising his head, he continued ¡°If you would please follow me, I will take you to your room.¡± Saying thus, Casper led the group of four up to the third floor of the building.

    Standing before the doors leading to the rooms, Casper spoke ¡°This is the quarters of the workers, as they are all currently unused, young mistress can freely choose whichever room you desire. Should there be anything inadequate, please tell any of the workers, we will do our best to accommodate any of you.¡±

    As Casper walked back to the shop, Yvette went and checked a nearby room. Inside the room, there were only four simple beds placed separately into two, with two being on the right while the other two being on the left.

    Seeing this, she assigned the two beds on the left to her two female guards, while taking the two beds on the right for her and Daiyu. After that, she told her two guards that they may take turns protecting her and looking into information regarding the current situation of Blood River City until the auction starts. Finished doing so, she took off her veil and started cultivating atop her bed.

    Without questioning her words, one of the guards and Daiyu also entered the room and meditated while the other female guard went to gather information as Yvette instructed.

    In that way, two days passed, and on the third day they stayed there, the auction finally started.

    Inside the carriage, Yvette observed the streams of carriages and people moving towards the Golden Leaf Auction House.

    When the carriage was parked at the side of the auction house, her two guards, whose hair once again turned black, and Daiyu led her into the auction house.

    Once they reached the entrance of the auction house, a bespectacled man came out and spoke respectfully, ¡°Please deposit a hundred gold coins for each person¡¯s entrance.¡±

    From what Yvette have gathered during her past readings, she knew that a gold coin equates to 100 silver coins and 10,000 copper coins, which is what an average mortal family income could gain in a year.

    But from what she gathered the past few days, she knew that this hundred gold coin deposit for each person is the limit of the Gold Leaf Auction House for their average customers in accordance to its worth.

    Knowing so, she nodded towards Daiyu, indicating her consent.

    Seeing this, Daiyu stepped forward and took out a pouch Yvette had given her before. From it, she took out four hundred pieces of gold coin and handed them to the man.

    When the man noticed how the small pouch was able to store such a large amount of gold coin, a thought crossed his mind.

    ¡®Spatial pouch?¡¯

    When the thought passed through his mind, he took another look at the young girl wearing a veil who seemed to be the head of the group.

    Opening the pouch, the amount of gold coin inside caused the man to momentarily gape in astonishment before he quickly restored his composure.

    After he moved the gold coins inside to another pouch, the man spoke with a tone more respectful than before, ¡°A deposit of a million gold coins, eligible for VIP room. I will be guiding you there.¡±

    Saying thus, the man handed the pouch bag to Daiyu before leading the group into the auction house.

    As the bespectacled man led the four to the VIP room, he secretly took a few glances towards Yvette. But to his dismay, he was unable to discern the identity of the little girl. And at one point, he even felt as if she and the other three knew that he has been secretly taking glances at her, causing his heart to chill.

    After that, he no longer dared to have any more ideas and quietly led them to their VIP room.

    When they finally arrived before the VIP room, the bespectacled man tried to hide his apprehension with a smile, ¡°Please enjoy your time.¡± Saying thus, he did his best to calmly walk away.

    On the other hand, Yvette who was the target of the man¡¯s apprehension did not think much of those stealthy glances as she had received many of them within the clan.

    And so, entering the room, Yvette took a seat in the VIP seat while Daiyu and the two female guards stood right behind her.

    Not long after, a girl who introduced herself as a worker who will be serving her during the auction came and soon followed by a voice from the auction stage.

    ¡°The auction shall now start!¡±

 Chapter 22: Auction

    ¡°The auction shall now start!¡±

    Following the announcement from the auctioneer, the auction which was filled with various murmurings suddenly became quiet while the lightings above dimmed, leaving only the spotlight above the auction stage.

    On the stage, there calmly stood an elderly man. As he became the focus of the whole auction house, his voice resounded throughout the auction.

    ¡°The first item we will be auctioning is a perfectly intact skin of a Thunder Beast.¡±

    Following his words, a woman elegantly stepped on to the stage from the side while pushing a cart with a cloth covering it. When she reached the center of the stage, she reached out and took off the cloth, revealing a bundle of golden skin which occasionally released a charge of lightning.

    After a few moments, the elderly auctioneer continued, ¡°This skin was harvested from a Thunder Beast residing within the depths of the Thunderstorm Mountain. Furthermore, this Thunder Beast was at the peak of the Dan Stage!¡±

    Following the announcement, the whole auction house was filled with uproar. Seeing this, the auctioneer seemed satisfied as he continued saying, ¡°We will start with a base price of ten thousand gold coins.¡±

    Soon following the announcement, a voice called out from one of the VIP booths.

    ¡°Twenty thousand gold coins.¡± As if those words were a fuse to start the auction, more bids started to be called out.

    ¡°Twenty-one thousand gold coins!¡±

    ¡°Twenty-six thousand.¡±

    ¡°Thirty thousand!!¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°Fifty-five thousand gold coins!!!¡± After one of the people within the VIP booths called out his bid, the whole auction house quietened and no following bids were called out.

    Noticing this, the auctioneer smiled, knowing that the original estimated price of fifty thousand gold coins has long been broken through. He then announced, ¡°Peak dan stage Thunder Beast skin, sold to the bidder in the fifth VIP room for fifty-five thousand gold coins, congratulations to our VIP customer.¡±

    Following those words, the woman pushed the cart carrying the skin away while another woman entered the stage while pushing in a different cart.

    ¡°The second item we have today is an Aquatic Pearl.¡±

    As the auctioneer spoke, the woman revealed the item hidden under the cloth, an ocean blue pearl at the size of a fist.

    ¡°The aquatic pearl was found in a recent exploration of an underwater ruin. It is a perfect core material to forge a weapon with the water attribute, or even to be used as a source of water attribute energy. The base price is one hundred gold coin.¡±

    Unlike during the auctioning of the Thunder Beast skin, few of the participants seemed excited, but with a bit of influence from the excitement from before, some of the participants threw out their bids. In the end, the aquatic pearl was sold for 850 gold coins.

    And so, various items started being auctioned with their pricing progressively rising up.

    Yet out all the items that have been auctioned off, none caused Yvette to bat an eyelid. When the attendant girl noticed this, she could not help but to take a closer look at this veiled young lady and doubt whether she was actually here to buy anything.

    But then, following the appearance of the next item being auctioned off, Yvette squinted her eyes as she gazed carefully at the stage.

    ¡°The next item we have is a Chaos Stone, a rare material containing a chaotic property. As most already know, a material containing the chaotic property is one of the rarest kinds of material. Although chaotic energies are hard to control and hardly stable, with the energy being in its primordial form, it is also in its strongest form.

    Today, we are going to be auctioning off five pieces of chaos stones with them being sold together. The starting price is set at fifty thousand gold coins!¡±

    Following those words, bids started being called out by some of the participants.

    ¡°I bid Fifty thousand gold coins.¡±

    ¡°Fifty thousand five hundred gold coins.¡±

    ¡°Fifty thousand six hundred gold coins.¡±

    ¡­

    Unlike during the auctioning of the Thunder Beast skin, not many participated in bidding for the Chaos Stone that is more expensive than it. And even if they did, they did not add in too much gold coins, showing that they were not attaching much importance to it.

    This could only be attributed to the chaotic nature of the chaos energy. With it being too rampant and hard to control, finding a use for this rare material would be as hard as trying to find the material itself. Most would just cultivate normally, with it being more efficient and less dangerous.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Naturally, Yvette would not be included in those lists of people.

    Without turning her head, she said to the female attendant.

    ¡°Increase the bid to sixty thousand.¡±

    Hearing the unexpected command from the young lady next to her, the female attendant froze for a moment. But knowing that is not allowed to question the words of a VIP, the attendant called out.

    ¡°Sixty thousand gold coins.¡±

    When the participants heard the amount of bid, many could not help but to look towards the VIP box which the sound came from.

    To them, 60,000 gold coins for a rare stone that is only worth as decorations is simply not worth it. Most of the ones who actually went to bid were mostly collectors. But even then, 60,000 gold coins would still not be worth it for a couple of rare stones, and the increment of almost ten thousand gold coins made most of them realize the determination the person inside the box has to have this piece of ¡®useless¡¯ stone.

    And as none of them wished to make an enemy out of nowhere, none of the participants increased the bid.

    As for the old auctioneer, he was naturally satisfied with this, as he knew that having the almost useless yet rare Chaos Stones sold for such a price was already quite good. This is also why the auction house decided to sell all five stones together instead of selling it in batches.

    ¡°Five pieces of chaos stones, sold to the bidder in the seventh VIP room for sixty thousand gold coins, congratulations to our VIP customer.¡±

    Following the announcement, Yvette stood up and told the attendant that they were going to leave and had her bring the five chaos stones to her.

    Soon enough, the attendant returned with the five chaos stones stored carefully inside a wooden box and a pouch filled with the return of her deposit after deducting the 1% tax and purchase, which left her with 930,000 gold coins.

    Then, without another word, Yvette and her group left with their carriage and returned to the Aasmany Clan branch. By the time they returned, the sun has already set. In the end, they decided to return to the clan the next day.

    The moment they returned to the clan¡¯s branch, Yvette told Daiyu and her two female guards that she is going to attempt to breakthrough and had them stand guard for her.

    Without questioning her words, the three acknowledged her words and stood guard outside the room.

    Meanwhile, inside the room, Yvette removed her veil and took out a few black and white rods covered in exquisite formation engravings.

    These black and white rods were made of normal iron. But the things that made them valuable were the liquids smeared on them and the engraved formation.

    The white rods were smeared with a mixture of plant essence with the yang nature, while the black rods were smeared with those of the yin nature.

    All these she had long prepared to form the formation she had long received from the bracelet memories.

    This formation is called the Yin-Yang Field Array.

    Unfortunately, she did not have a core for the array before. And the Chaos Stone is one of the materials that can be used as a replacement for the core.

    Carefully, she placed the rods in a pattern, forming a circle of black and white rods around her.

    Next, she took out a chaos stone and sat in a meditative position in the center of the circle.

    Finished with the preparation, she drew out her Qi from the Yin-Yang seed and used it to stimulate the chaotic nature of the chaos stone.

    The moment her Qi came into contact with the pure chaotic energy within the chaos stone, the chaotic energy became even wilder and used the connection between Yvette and her Qi as a bridge to invade her body.

    Yet before it could even reach her body, Yvette forcefully connected her Qi to the location she was sitting on, which is also the center of the formation she had just placed.

    As a group of mindless entities, the chaotic energy could only follow the path of Yvette¡¯s Qi and flow into the formation.

    With the arrival of the chaotic energy, the formation engraved on the black and white rods all lit up brightly. Following that, a vortex of chaotic energy appeared over the formation rods. The vortexes domineeringly pulled in all the surrounding energy without leaving a single shred.

    Noticing this, Yvette was finally reassured at the stability of the formation and closed her eyes before filtering through the incoming energies and taking in all the Yin and Yang energy to nourish her Yin-Yang seed.

    Although the filtering process took a while, the energies sucked in by the vortexes were all of the topmost quality and are perfectly pure, which erased the need of refining the energies.

    In that way, Yvette spent the whole night cultivating. Comparing it with her usual cultivation, it was comparable to a whole month of cultivation. She even felt that by cultivating a few more nights in such a way, she would be able to breakthrough to the next stage.

    By the time the chaotic energy ran out, morning already came.

    When Yvette stepped out of the room, she saw Daiyu and her two guards sitting cross-legged on the corridor, cultivating while keeping watch for her.

    At the same time as she stepped out, the three who were sitting all opened their eyes and stood up before bowing towards Yvette in greeting.

    ¡°Prepare our luggage, we will be returning.¡± Said Yvette impassively.

    Without another word, the three servants abided to her words.

    Soon after, under the watch of Casper and the other high-rank members of the branch, Yvette¡¯s carriage departed for the city gates.

    But as they proceeded, they all noticed that the road to the city gate was crowded with people.

    Without waiting to be instructed, one of the guards questioned someone from the crowd regarding the situation.

    They then learned that not only this city gates but all four city gates of Blood River City were sealed off, refusing entry and exit for anyone.

    At first glance, the crowd seemed to be rather rowdy, but it could clearly be seen that they all restrained themselves from making any drastic moves, showing the control the authorities of the Blood River City have over it.

    Meanwhile, Yvette who was observing silently from inside the carriage was suddenly struck by a bad premonition.

    As she observed the expression from the guards, she noticed that expressions from most of the guards had a difference from their usual expressions. Unlike their usual hard expression full of indifference, they seemed to be filled a grim seriousness, as if an impending danger is about to come.

    Without a shred of hesitation, Yvette instructed the two guards to drive the carriage back to the clan branch.

    When they arrived back at the branch, Yvette had one of the confused branch members to lead her to Casper.

    Once she met up with him, she directly said to him.

    ¡°The gates have been closed off and I believe there is something off regarding this.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Do not worry, I will send some people to look into this.¡± Said Casper with a hint of seriousness in his eyes.

    Nodding, Yvette was about to walk away. But after a moment of hesitation, she stopped in place and said without turning her head, ¡°Please focus the search on the army.¡±

    Startled, Casper took a moment before finally replying seriously, ¡°I will do so.¡±

    Assured, Yvette finally left the room. She then had her one of her two female guards help with gathering information before finally returning back to her room.

    In the end, she spent her time inside her room cultivating for a whole day using the Yin-Yang Field Array.

    Soon after the second chaos stone ran out of energy, a knock sounded from the room¡¯s door.

 Chapter 23: Sprout

    Hearing knocking sounds from the door, Yvette put on her veil and said, ¡°Come in.¡±

    Following her words, the door was opened and the female guard who Yvette sent to look for information before came in. But Yvette noticed that a slightly plump man followed behind her as she entered.

    Seeing this, Yvette did not ask anything and motioned her to explain.

    ¡°My lady, this man is one of the merchants who has a friendly business relationship with the clan branch. He said that he has information regarding the current lockdown by the army.¡± Said the female guard.

    Hearing this, Yvette turned towards the slightly plump man. Feeling her gaze, the plump man also looked back towards her and gave a friendly smile before bowing towards her.

    ¡°Greetings, my lady. This humble merchant is called Hain; I am most pleased to meet you. May I know what your name is?¡±

    The sight of the plump Hain bowing could be considered quite amusing, but Yvette kept an impassive face and said curtly.

    ¡°Yvette.¡± She then inquired, ¡°What information does sir has?¡±

    Hearing her question, Hain¡¯s expression turned grim. Then, with a suppressed voice, he explained.

    ¡°I received an inside information which said that in a few days, the general of Blood River City is prepared to lead his army to attack Stellar City. They are also planning to put the whole Aasmany Clan branch in the Blood River City under house arrest.¡±

    Just as he finished speaking, a loud voice came from outside of the gates.

    ¡°Aasmany Clan¡¯s Blood River City Branch, the Blood River City¡¯s governor has hand out the verdict, please come out and acknowledge!¡±

    Staring out through the window, Yvette saw a soldier standing right outside the clan¡¯s gates.

    Right at that time, one of the higher members of the branch clan came out with a calm look.

    Handing the letter to him, the soldier continued, ¡°The governor has announced that due to a need for an inspection, all the members of the Aasmany Clan will be under house arrest and are forbidden to leave the residence.¡±

    Saying thus, the soldier then did a military salute before walking away with large strides.

    Meanwhile, the expression of the branch member who received the mandate turned serious as he swiftly rushed back into the building.

    By the time he arrived in Casper¡¯s office, all the high ranking members of the branch, Yvette, her guards, and Hain had all already arrived there.

    Without saying anything, the member who had just arrived placed the letter on Casper¡¯s desk before moving to his position.

    When Casper picked up the letter, he did not open it and instead extended it towards Yvette, ¡°Miss Yvette? If you would please do the honors.¡±

    Without saying anything, Yvette took the letter from Casper and read the contents.

    The contents were exactly the same, only that it contained the details regarding when the inspection and house arrest would begin accompanied by the seal of the governor at the bottom right of the letter.

    Placing the opened letter back to Casper¡¯s table, Yvette spoke.

    ¡°Using my authority as the daughter of the patriarch, I command all members of the Aasmany Clan Blood River City Branch to look into any information relating to the general of Blood River City.¡±

    Hearing the words filled with unquestionable authority coming from the 6-year-old Yvette, everyone inside the room excluding Casper, the two female guards, Daiyu, and Yvette herself were filled with astonishment.

    Without giving a chance for anyone to question her words, Casper stood up and bowed towards Yvette, ¡°As you command, young mistress.¡±

    Nodding, Yvette then turned towards Hain and inquired, ¡°What is the name of the general and when will he lead his army to attack?¡±

    Though filled with doubt, Hain answered, ¡°His name is Henric. Unfortunately, I did not find any detailed information regarding the plan.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Your information has benefitted the clan greatly, should sir be in need of anything, please do tell.¡± Said Yvette with her usual impassive voice.

    ¡°No, no, as a merchant who is in a business relationship with the Aasmany Clan, I would naturally not want to see anything bad to befall them.¡± Replied Hain hurriedly.

    Of course, Yvette did not truly believe his words and thought that he wished to gain a closer relationship with the clan, believing that this would be nothing but a small tribulation for the clan and gaining a bit of merit from this would make him become increasingly close to his goals.

    Though she thought such, Yvette only said, ¡°If that is the case, I thank sir Hain for his assistance on behalf of my clan.¡±

    She then turned towards Casper, saying, ¡°Then I entrust the search of information regarding general Henric to sir Casper.¡±

    ¡°Rest assured, I will put my full effort into this.¡± Replied Casper.

    Then, without another word, Yvette left for her room while Casper had someone see Hain out.

    In such a way, a few more days passed.

    And finally, a wave of energy turbulence appeared with Yvette at the center of it, causing all the furniture within the room to shake and creak, as if about to break. Fortunately, the wave of energy only appeared once and did not leave the room she resides in.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    But Yvette who was the cause of it could not be bothered to pay attention to this. Instead, she focused her mind to the Yin-Yang Seed inside her dantian. The seed had long become solid, as if it had turned from an energy entity into a solid matter. Not only that, but with the extra nourishment of Yin and Yang energy, the Yin-Yang Seed started to shake, which is the source of the energy wave, as if the seed was preparing to sprout.

    Even so, Yvette did not stop gathering Yin and Yang energy and instead sped up her gathering speed.

    And then finally, when the finally shred of chaotic energy ran out, a crack appeared on the surface of the seed, followed by the appearance of a sprout with two leaves bursting with boundless life force.

    Unlike a normal sprout, the sprout which appeared from the Yin-Yang Seed was colored black and white, with one leaf being white and the other black.

    But soon after its appearance, the sprout rapidly drained the remnants of energy from what is left of the Yin-Yang Seed.

    Even then, the sprout did not seem to find it to be enough and its roots quickly latched into the nearest source of energy, Yvette¡¯s dantian.

    With swift motion, the sprout extended its roots into the bottom of Yvette¡¯s dantian. Yvette who noticed all these did not stop the sprout and instead focused her mind, changing the rhythm of her breathing.

    Then, the moment the sprout took root in her dantian, Yvette felt a massive drain of energy from her body, causing her body to sway and her face to become pale.

    But she did not lose her calmness. Instead, she quickly stabilized her body and kept it upright. Following that, she proceeded to regulate her breathing and followed the vitality recovering breathing technique she found in the acupuncture book from before.

    As she breath in, she could feel life force entering her body, stopping the drain in her vitality. Yet even then, her vitality did not quickly recover and the leftover life force she breath in dissipated.

    Fortunately, she had already familiarized herself with the breathing technique and could already use it unconsciously.

    Now, seeing that her state had stabilized, Yvette proceeded to check her current cultivation, the black and white sprout.

    Though it seemed as if the sprout is an independent entity, she could feel a connection with the sprout, as if it was an extension of her limb, meaning that their state could affect one another.

    As Yvette examined the sprout, she noticed that flows of Yin and Yang energy kept on being naturally absorbed by the sprout and refined into Yin-Yang Qi of the highest quality. Seeing this, Yvette was not surprised as the memory from the bracelet already has this information. But others who saw this would all be in astonishment, as cultivation techniques who could allow one to cultivate and gather Qi automatically are extremely rare, especially those for the lower stages. And another thing was that the Qi that was produced was of the highest quality, meaning that the foundation would also be extremely solid, causing one to be far stronger than those of the same stage.

    Of course, this came at a price.

    After she finished examining the sprout, Yvette moved her focus to her body.

    Though her body was already quite weak in the first place from the lack of body refining, the current state of her body was even worse after the sprout absorbed some of her vitality.

    Even when she had used the breathing technique to reduce the damage to her vitality, it did not stop her vital life force from being permanently damaged.

    But from the first time as used this cultivation technique, she knew that she had to give up on her bodily strength. Even so, she willingly gave up on it all so that she could use this technique which came from her parents and ancestor. Whether she did it for its redeeming qualities or for the sentimental feelings it held, only she knew.

    After stabilizing her condition, Yvette stood up and tried tapping into the Yin-Yang Sprout.

    Feeling her will tapping into it, the sprout swayed and released Yin-Yang Qi which flowed throughout her body, just like any other Qi Condensing Stage cultivator.

    Following that, Yvette took out her pair of war fans. Then, using her Qi and spiritual will, she controlled the blade pieces to fly out of the war fans.

    At first, all the blades flew together in a circle, but after a moment, Yvette divided the group into two and had the second group fly in a square path.

    Next, she tried to send out a few of the blades from the second group to form another group. But when she tried to do so, she could feel her Qi and spiritual will reaching their limits, causing her to feel light headed while white spots started to appear in her vision.

    In the end, she managed to force herself to form another group of blades to fly in a different path for ten breaths of time before her Qi and spiritual will reached their limit, causing her body to stagger followed by the sound of the blade pieces falling down.

    ¡°My lady, is everything alright?¡±

    Hearing Daiyu¡¯s voice from outside the room, Yvette replied whilst hiding the fatigue in her voice.

    ¡°Yes, do not worry.¡±

    ¡°¡­Understood.¡± Replied Daiyu with a hesitant voice.

    Following that, Yvette sat down onto the center of the Yin-Yang Field Array.

    Having ran out of Chaos Stones, Yvette should not be able to use the array any longer. But that would only apply should she had not broken through.

    With the Yin-Yang Sprout as the center, Yvette spread her Qi through its roots and into the formation rods to act as guiding lines.

    And then, using her Qi, Yvette activated the formation, causing it to emit a soft glow.

    As the formation was activated, the surrounding energy started to move towards the rods. But unlike when she used the Chaos Stones to activate the formation, the attraction did not hold a tyrannical feeling. Even then, the gathering speed was still comparable, as if the surrounding energies themselves moved willingly towards the formation points.

    When the energies reached the formation points, they followed the guiding lines made by Yvette¡¯s Qi and were refined by the Yin-Yang Sprout into Yin-Yang Qi.

    Soon enough, her Qi was quickly restored followed by the recovery of her spiritual will.

    Opening her eyes, Yvette glanced out through the windows of the room and saw the night sky covered by dark clouds, as if it was a warning of ill omen.

    Standing up, she put on her veil and walked out of the room.

    Outside, she saw Daiyu and her two female guards standing there prepared.

    When they saw Yvette walking out of the room, the three of them simultaneously bowed.

    ¡°My Lady.¡± ¡°Young Mistress.¡± They greeted respectfully.

    Seeing this, Yvette nodded and motioned them to rise.

    ¡°Has the preparation been completed?¡± She inquired.

    One of the female guards then stepped forward.

    ¡°Yes, four sets of camouflage clothing and a set of illusion formation made by the clan.¡± She answered while taking out the said items.

    Seeing those items, Yvette went quiet for a few moments before she nodded her head and looked at them.

    At that moment, one of the guard made a hesitant face before slowly asking, ¡°Young mistress, must you participate? It would be better if only the two of us went as your safety is still of utmost priority.¡±

    Hearing her words, Yvette merely shook her head without saying anything. Seeing this, the female guard could only give up on persuading her as she still had to consider her young mistress¡¯s words as the highest authority. For her to not be punished nor berated is already kind of her.

    Meanwhile, Yvette who was still looking at the three opened her mouth, preparing to say something. But then, she suddenly hesitated and her eyes drooped.

    Moments later, she looked towards the two female guards.

    ¡°It is quite late for me to ask, but what are your names?¡± Asked Yvette.

    Hearing the unexpected question, it was the two guards¡¯ turn to be hesitant. But in the end, they finally answered.

    ¡°My name is Avaleigh, we are twins.¡±

    ¡°And I am Avaley, the younger one.¡±

    When they identified themselves, Yvette finally realized that the features of her two guards resembles one another very closely. Not only that, they were actually also not very old, seemingly around 15 years old, their teenage years.

    Coming to this realization, Yvette suddenly noticed that she had actually never paid much attention to others around her, causing her to feel despondent towards herself.

    In the end, she shook off such feelings and said towards the three.

    ¡°It is almost time, let us prepare.¡±

 Chapter 24: Assassination

    Within the Blood River City, under the cover of the darkness, four silhouettes moved quietly through the night.

    When the four silhouettes arrived outside the city, they did not stop and continued onwards. But as they continued to move, an encampment site lit with light soon came into view, just like a bright torch in the darkness.

    ¡°Young mistress, that is the encampment site of the army.¡± Said Avaleigh.

    Nodding, Yvette reviewed the information that had been gathered during the past few days before pointing towards a direction.

    ¡°Based on the information, that location will allow us to have the clearest view of the camp.¡± Saying thus, Yvette took the lead and stealthily moved towards the location.

    Soon, they reached the location of the information, a small hill a few hundred meters away from the encampment.

    Arriving there, Yvette took out a tool from her spatial pouch put it near her eye.

    The item was revealed to be a hand-held telescope. But unlike ordinary ones, the glasses of the telescope were covered in inscriptions. This telescope is an item which Yvette had long requested from the clan branch to help with reconnaissance, which they willingly handed away.

    After some time, Yvette put away the telescope.

    ¡°There has not been many changes.¡± Said Yvette, ¡°Our movement will prioritize stealth, forsake speed if you must, but we will retreat on the spot once we are discovered.¡±

    Without waiting for a reply, Yvette leaped and moved towards the camp. Behind her, Daiyu and the two female guards followed closely.

    Although Yvette had her vitality damaged after the sprout took root within her dantian, with the enhancement of her Yin-Yang Qi, she could be compared with early Qi Condensing stage cultivators.

    Not only that, but the loss of her vitality had only greatly weakened her endurance and strength. Aside from that, she still retained and even improved, her other physical traits.

    From each step she took, not a sound could be heard and not much strength was used. Ever since she had determined her future path, Yvette had long forgone the reliance on body strength and instead tried to gain more advantage of what she had.

    Although Daiyu and the two female guards were surprised by her capabilities, none of them had the slightest idea of asking about her current cultivation.

    Within the group of four, Daiyu was the slowest with her early Body Refining stage cultivation. Even then, her strong body forged by Yin Qi accompanied by her formidable Qi from the Violet Moon Cultivation Technique allowed her to be able to follow the group, albeit barely.

    Meanwhile, the two female guards could only stare dazedly at the two young girls. Regarding Yvette, their young mistress, they could not pinpoint the level of her cultivation. Even then, they did not dare to think that she had already reached the Qi Condensing stage and only thought that she had reached the late Body Refining stage using external means and had exquisite footwork technique.

    Meanwhile, Daiyu who could clearly be seen to have the early Body Refining stage cultivation was even more surprising with as she could catch up to the purely by her strength even when her body did not seem different in comparison to others her age.

    This is because the body refining process of the Violet Moon technique relies on strengthening the body inside-out, making her outer appearance no different than others. But if anyone examined her body, they would find it filled with cold Yin Qi, making the insides of her body forever filled with coldness. Yet in exchange, it made her whole body as strong as a thousand-year-old ice but still filled with its usual flexibility.

    When the group neared the camp, they reduced their speed and moved slowly within the shadows.

    Following the information that had been gathered, they only moved once the patrols changed shifts, which is when their guard is the laxest, to slip past the guards.

    Even when a chance to slip through appeared, if there was even the slightest uncertainty, Yvette would not hesitate to give up the chance and wait for another one to come.

    In such a way, a few hours were spent for the group to finally arrive near the supposed tent of the army¡¯s general.

    Unlike the other locations within the camp, there was not a single guard stationed.

    Though Yvette held her suspicions, she ignored it and examined her surroundings.

    After doing so, she pointed towards three inconspicuous locations and handed the three a piece of the illusionary formation each.

    ¡°Once you have placed them down, you all must directly rush to the tent.¡± Instructed Yvette quietly, ¡°Avaleigh will attack first and hold his attention, Avaley and Daiyu will find a chance to cut through his defenses, while I will assist your attack and retreat.¡±

    Standing up, Yvette continued, ¡°And remember, your lives takes precedence, retreat once anyone notices or when your life is in danger.¡±

    Saying thus, Yvette walked towards another inconspicuous location. Without a word, the three also walked away to place their formation pieces.

    Once Yvette reached her set location, she took out a piece of stone engraved with formations and placed it down before channeling her Qi into it in a certain pattern. Following that, the formation lit up and silently searched for the other three formation pieces.

    Not long after, a barely noticeable ripple of energy came from the formation rock and three other locations. Following that, a formation wall was unnoticeably erected with the four locations as the edges. And then, without anyone outside noticing, the illusion formation was set up, causing not a single sound to be able to escape from the area and making the area much less noticeable by reducing its presence.

    Seeing that the formation had been successfully set up, Yvette held no more worries and quickly rushed towards the supposed tent of the army¡¯s general, Henric.

    Meanwhile, Daiyu and the two guards had arrived near Henric¡¯s tent and prepared to wait for their young mistress to arrive.

    But before having time to prepare anything, a silhouette leaped out of the tent and struck down at them.

    As the strongest one in the group, Avaleigh struck out first with her sword to repel the enemy and said to the other two, ¡°Follow the young mistress¡¯ strategy, strike when there is an opportunity.¡±

    But as she was distracted, she felt the weight bearing down on her become heavier accompanied by a deep growl.

    ¡°Intruder¡­ kill!¡±

    Turning her attention back to the assailant, Avaleigh met eyes with a pair of crimson eyes filled with savagery, wielding an army saber against her sword. But she did not feel intimidated and instead calmly parried the saber before distancing herself from him.

    But without giving her a chance to rest, Henric kept close to her and swung his saber at her heavily.

    Following the usual fighting method of females within the Aasmany Clan, Avaleigh prioritized a soft fighting method where she would dodge or repel every strike using her sword while patiently seeking a chance to break his defenses.

    Meanwhile, Henric¡¯s fighting method was filled with savagery and wildness, as if he was a wild beast. The sight of this caused Avaleigh and the other two observers to crease their brow, as according to the information that had been gathered, Henric was a person filled with calmness, which is how he was able to rise to be the army general even with his commoner background.

    Not only that, from the information they found, Henric was supposed to be in the middle Qi Condensing stage, but the power he showed was almost at the level of late Qi Condensing stage, making it even harder for Avaleigh who was still at the early Qi Condensing stage to handle him.

    Each time Henric swung his saber, the wind screamed from the force of his strike. Not only that, but with the passing of time, his strike became faster and stronger, making it harder for Avaleigh to dodge and repel his attacks, causing a few cuts to appear over her skin, dying it red with blood.

    Finally, Avaleigh was about to land a strike through an opening in Henric¡¯s defenses. But at that moment, the speed of Henric¡¯s saber suddenly increased and neared Avaleigh. With the speed of the swing, Avaley and Daiyu both knew that they would not be quick enough to stop the attack.

    Yet Avaleigh who was under the threat of this strike did not hold the slightest worry and instead increased the speed of her attack, intending to land a heavier damage on Henric.

    DING

    Just as the strike was about to land on Avaleigh, a sound of ringing metals resounded.

    Taking a clearer look, Avaleigh saw a black metallic piece striking against the saber. And followed by that, a graceful yet authoritative voice came from behind her.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Daiyu, Avaley, aim at his back.¡± Followed by those words, two figures appeared behind Henric and struck down to his back with their weapon, causing his body to stagger forward.

    But instead of the sound of flesh being pierced, the sound of ringing metal instead resounded.

    Noticing this abnormality, the four of them creased their brows. Looking towards the place where the two strikes landed, Yvette noticed that under the two rips on his clothes was the metallic luster of an armor.

    Seeing this, she told the three, ¡°He is wearing an armor.¡± And waved the war fan in her hand, sending a group of black, glimmering daggers flying towards Henric and attacking him chaotically, drawing his attention.

    Hearing her words, the three nodded without needing more instructions and charged forward in different directions. But this time, the three used different methods to attack.

    Avaleigh who arrived first slashed with her sword. But unlike before where she passively dealt against Henric, she swung down her sword heavily with its blunt side, using it to hamper Henric¡¯s movements.

    Meanwhile, Avaley used every opportunity she could find to attack Henric with her saber through the gaps of his armor, resulting in small cuts all over Henric¡¯s body that was not covered by his armor.

    On the other hand, Daiyu who was the slowest took out her rapier and attacked each time she found an opening. Of course, with her lack of fighting experience, the amount of her attack is negligible in comparison to Avaley¡¯s. And even then, few of them actually hurt Henric.

    Even so, Daiyu kept on attacking, increasing her battle experience with every passing moment.

    But Henric, the target of all those attacks, was not some mindless beast.

    Soon enough, he realized the danger he was in and raised his saber, ignoring the attacks aimed towards him.

    Then, under the dumbstruck gazes of the four, Henric stabbed his saber into his stomach, causing blood to spurt and flow out.

    Then, without giving a chance for any of them to react, Henric¡¯s upper clothes was suddenly torn away by a gust of energy from the inside, revealing a chest plate which covered his whole upper body while emitting a blood red light. But weirdly, the saber did not meet obstruction from the chest plate and instead seemed to smoothly cut through, or maybe even phase through the chest plate.

    As Yvette kept on observing, a sense of disgust filled Yvette as she looked at the now blood red armor. Following this, her eyes turned determined.

    ¡°Attack him and keep watch over his armor, kill him if you must.¡± The moment the word ¡®kill¡¯ left her, Yvette¡¯s voice hardened, forcing down all feelings she held as she waved her fan, aiming for Henric¡¯s vital areas.

    Without a shred of hesitation, the three struck towards Henric, also targeting his vital areas such as the heart and head.

    Yet what they did not expect was that the moment their weapons were about to come in contact with him, he suddenly tilted his head upwards and made a beastly roar.

    Although the roar did not cause the four to be intimidated, they felt the blood within their bodies suddenly going out of their control, forcing them to stop and focus on suppressing it. The effect was most apparent on Yvette who had the weakest physical body as her face turned unnaturally red while a trickle of blood flowed down the age of her pale lips.

    But without giving them a chance to rest, Henric whose face had long become warped akin to a beast suddenly growled and rushed towards the nearest person with speed incomparable to before. Yet at the same time, he discarded his army saber, showing that although his prowess has increased, his last shred of intelligence had also disappeared.

    Looking straight forward with a pair of calm eyes, Daiyu, who became the target of Henric, did not show a shred of fear and instead forcefully raised her rapier in an attempt to block the fist aimed right at her.

    Although she managed to raise her rapier, she knew that the strength in her arms would not be able to block much of the blow. Even then, her determined face did not hold the slightest fear as it faced the incoming attack.

    The moment the fist was just a meter away from her, afterimages suddenly flashed next to the arm before it suddenly froze.

    Turning his head and growling towards the source, Henric¡¯s beastly crimson eyes searched for the one who attacked him, only for him to suddenly feel something piercing him from the side, pushing him towards the direction he was looked at.

    Although Henric failed to find his assailant, Daiyu who was observing from the side saw that it was her lady, Yvette. Although she felt gratified to be saved, seeing the pale-faced Yvette perspiring as she moved caused a sense of worry to appear in her heart.

    In actuality, Yvette had recovered the control over her blood long ago.

    A moment after Yvette lost control over her blood, the Yin-Yang Sprout within her dantian had suddenly swayed and glowed with a white-black light, taking control over her blood and calming it.

    In the end, Yvette who faced the heaviest damage against the roar was also the first to recover from its effects.

    Even then, Yvette did not have time to recover and was not in a good shape to fight. But when she noticed that Henric was about to make his move, Yvette did not hesitate to rush forward.

    In the end, she managed to intercept him and used her barely consummate acupuncture technique to stop his attack.

    Originally, with his muscles enhanced and her strength reduced from losing control over her blood, even piercing Henric¡¯s muscle defenses would be a miracle. But using her Qi to supplement her body strength, she managed to gain enough strength to strike his acupoints while he was focused on attacking Daiyu.

    Then, to make him no longer be able to attack the others, she used her fan daggers to force him away.

    Once she managed to move him away to get rid of other unwanted possibilities, Yvette finally unrestrainedly rushed towards Henric.

    Unlike before, Daiyu and her two guards can no longer help her attack Henric, leaving her to take up the responsibilities of defeating him on herself, until they are able to recover.

    With her recent breakthrough, Yvette managed to improve her mental prowess. Taking advantage of this, she waved her fan.

    If the daggers of the war fans worked just like the ammunition of a cannon, then the fan is the cannon itself. Using it as a catalyst, Yvette had an easier time controlling the groups of black daggers, putting less burden on her mind.

    Followed by the movement of the fan, the group of flying daggers also flew in the same direction, acting like a guided school of fish as they rapidly approached Henric. Seeing this, Henric who had lost his rationality released a roar as he wildly rushed towards the daggers like a mindless beast.

    Meanwhile, Yvette who had long moved to Henric¡¯s blind spot took out a normal dagger she kept in her spatial pouch. Naturally, she held no expertise of holding a dagger and although her grip is correct, an expert would notice many holes in her stance.

    But knowing that her acupuncture technique has not reached its consummate level and would hardly work on moving targets, she was forced to use a cruder method to attack.

    But using the medical knowledge she had gained from reading countless medical books within the clan¡¯s Pavilion of Knowledge, Yvette did not hesitate and charged forward.

    Soon enough, she chose the most vulnerable part of Henric¡¯s body she could find.

    Finding her target, she lowered her stance as she moved and poured her Qi into the dagger in her hand, causing it to crack, yet be filled with sharpness.

    Then, as Henric was about to collide with the wave of daggers, the dagger in Yvette¡¯s hand turned into a blur and swept through Henric¡¯s legs, cutting through the back of his knees.

    Feeling the pain coming from his legs, Henric suddenly roared in pain, turned and swept one of his legs towards Yvette.

    But by that time, Yvette had long leaped back and made a distance between them.

    Ignoring the daggers flying towards him, Henric turned and stood there, snarling furiously towards Yvette. Yet the moment the wave of daggers collided with his armor, only the sound of metal colliding resounded, while the daggers which did not only managed to make small cuts on his skins.

    Even then, the blood which leaked from those wounds flowed unnaturally into the blood red armor, nourishing it and causing the blood red light to become stronger, once again affecting the blood within Yvette and the others.

    But this time, the Yin-Yang Sprout reacted instantly and suppressed the raging blood flow.

    In the end, Yvette was forced to give up on her initial plan on slowly weakening Henric.

    Once again, Yvette pulled out another dagger and held it before her chest. At the same time, Henric who had been standing there silently, glaring at her, suddenly let out a roar and charged towards her with each step bringing him forward by a large distance.

    Similarly, Yvette also charged forward, as if intending to bring Henric down with her. But different from Henric¡¯s large strides, Yvette¡¯s steps were filled not large but kept the wastage of energy at a minimum level.

    The sight of the two rushing towards each other gave off the feeling of futility, just like an egg thrown at a stone. But this time, the stone is rushing towards the egg while the egg seemed to move at a leisurely pace in comparison.

    On the sideline, the two female guards, Avaleigh and Avaley watched this scene with an anxious face. And although Daiyu still kept a calm face, her eyes filled with worry betrayed her inner feelings. Even though the three wanted to move their bodies, the force of the blood inside their bodies made them incapable of doing large movements. And even if they did manage to move, they knew that with the speed and distance, it would be far too late by the time they reached them.

    Suddenly, just as Yvette and Henric were about to collide with each other, a burst of coldness suddenly came from Yvette while her gold and red pupils took on a silver shade, turning unfocused.

    But to Henric who had lost all his sense of reason, to the point of madness, his body was burning hot, fueling his rage and bloodlust.

    Then, as the two were about to come into contact with each other, something which made Henric, Daiyu, Avaleigh, and Avaley to doubt their eyes came about.

    The moment they were about to collide, the space around Yvette darkened, as if it was blinking. And in the next moment, she instantaneously disappeared from their view.

    Just as Henric was about to stop his movement out of confusion, he felt a chill from behind his neck. Although Henric had long lost his sense of reason, his battle instincts had instead improved. in result of this, he placed more trust on his instincts and reflexively tried to lower his body.

    But before he could, the space in which Yvette stood in before once again darkened momentarily before brightening once again. And in that exact moment, Yvette appeared from the void, turned her body and leaped towards Henric, stabbing her Qi filled dagger into the back of his neck.

    By the time he realized it, Henric could only let out a muffled roar while shaking his body, attempting to shake off the source of his pains.

    Moments after he did so, he felt the dagger coming out of his body. But before he could feel relieved, he felt another sharp pain coming from his neck, causing him to involuntarily let out another muffled roar.

    Out of desperation, he pushed his body back, attempting to flatten the source of his pains on his back.

    The moment she realized his intent, Yvette once again pulled out and stabbed Henric¡¯s neck with her dagger before leaping away from his back.

    Yet at that moment, Henric suddenly let out a deep muffled roar and swung his arm.

    Meanwhile, a feeling of dread filled Yvette. In reaction to this, she barely turned her body and used her arms to raise a guard towards Henric. Although she also wanted to call onto her fan daggers, she knew that they would not be able to arrive on time to protect her.

    Then, the moment Yvette managed to raise her arms to guard, Henric¡¯s fist came straight before her arms. Although Henric only managed to gather a third of his full strength because of his fall, the power of the fist was enough to fill Yvette with a sense of dread.

    The moment the fist hit her arms, Yvette was instantly blown off while a trail of blood could be seen appearing anywhere she flew over. Not only that, but the moment she hit the ground, her body bounced off the ground a few times, causing a cloud of dust to follow her, covering her in dust while blood continuously trickled down from the corner of her lips.

    Meanwhile, Henric who had fallen backward once again let out a muffled roar as he struggled for his life while the back of his neck profusely bled after the dagger stuck there was pushed deeper from his fall. But moments later, his body stopped struggling while his beastly red pupils took in a brown shade which then slowly dilated, proving his passing.

    In the end, Henric died moments after he fell while the blood red armor dimmed and broke into pieces soon after his passing. Yet the final gaze of Henric, the Blood River Army General, the commoner of the Blood River City, was filled with self-deprecation and happiness, not holding the beastly rage he had before. Unfortunately, no one would ever realize the last feelings he bore.

    And such was Henric¡¯s thoughts as he quietly passed away within the temporary camp of Blood River Army.

 Chapter 25: Entry

    A few days after the Golden Leaf Auction House ended their auction, an event which rattled the whole Blood River City occurred.

    Henric, the general of the Blood River Army, was assassinated during a mission.

    This event outraged the common populace as Henric was known to be one of the few high ranking commoners in the army. He was also known as a powerful yet benevolent person who had protected the city for a long time, causing the city to be even more pained towards this loss.

    Although the public called out for the capture of the assassin, none of the other members of the army nor the governing city clans actually reacted.

    In actuality, many of them also wanted to capture the assassin who killed their only general. But by the time they found out about his death, his corpse had long gone cold on his bed while not a trace of the assassination could be found. Had there not been bloody scars all over his body and a hole at the back of his neck, they might have thought that his death was a natural one.

    Unfortunately, even though some of them wanted to find out about who assassinated Henric, all of them are facing the pressure from the few parties that found out about their plan on attacking Stellar City and were dissatisfied with their actions.

    Not only that, they also found out that they themselves were acting weirdly these few days. Had they been their normal selves, never would they have dared to attack their own neighbor.

    It was as if the various important people of Blood River City consecutively lost their mind and decided to attack Stellar City.

    After discovering this, the higher echelons of the Blood River City chose to keep quiet about the assassination and instead looked into why they themselves chose to attack Stellar City while slowly placating the furious citizens.

    In such a way, the curtains of war between cities closed prematurely and unknowingly.

    Now, winding time back to the night of the assassination¡­

    After Yvette was knocked out by Henric¡¯s final attack, she had also managed to kill Henric at the same time, causing the raging blood within the others to calm down.

    The moment it did, Daiyu instantly rushed towards Yvette¡¯s side to check on her. To their relief, their young mistress managed to survive, causing them to involuntarily relax. But when they took a closer examination, they noticed that the long sleeves of her clothing had long been torn, revealing her arms that were horribly bruised, and possibly even broken. Her face was also extremely wane, as if she was having a heavy fever.

    Keeping her composure, Avaleigh instructed, ¡°Daiyu, carry the young mistress away to the location we agreed on before. Avaley, come with me and hide any evidence of the battle.¡±

    Without a word of complain, Avaley and Daiyu both went to do their assigned tasks.

    Without much trouble, Daiyu managed to walk out of the camp without being found out by any of the soldiers and went towards the aforementioned location, far away from the camp.

    There, she waited for Avaleigh and Avaley while checking on Yvette¡¯s condition. Unfortunately, as she had not studied much into it, she was incapable of determining anything useful.

    After some time, Avaleigh and Avaley finally left the camp and met up with Daiyu.

    Without exchanging any words, Avaleigh reached into her pouch and took out a flying ship.

    Compared to the one used by the clan to go to East City, the size is much smaller, around the size of a fishing boat.

    The boat was something Yvette had prepared when they were in Blood River City to escape after the assassination. Because of its large size, they had to get a spatial pouch exclusively for it which Yvette then gave to Avaleigh because she had the highest cultivation level out of them all.

    After the boat was taken out, they all went on it and took turns to power the ship to rush back.

    By the time they returned to Stellar City, dawn had arrived. Yet in that time, they saw that Yvette¡¯s complexion worsened and cold sweat covered her temple. Worried about their young mistress¡¯ situation, they directly flew into the city with the flying boat.

    In reaction to that, a man in flying beast flew up and prepared to intercept them. Without waiting for him to say anything, Avaleigh threw a token towards him.

    Catching it, the man saw that it was a token of the Aasmany Clan and looked up, recognizing Avaleigh which rid the last of his suspicion.

    ¡°It is an emergency, please pardon us.¡± Saying thus, Avaleigh hurried the ship forward to the clan.

    When they landed on the main peak, Daiyu carried Yvette on her back and hurriedly carried her to the main mansion with Avaleigh and Avaley.

    But before they even managed to reach the entrance, two figures suddenly appeared from within the mansion and arrived before them.

    Then, without giving them without a chance to react, one of the figures quickly took Yvette from Daiyu and brought her away.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Asked Bahram grimly as he took his eyes off the departing Esfir.

    As the three kneeled down on one knee, Avaleigh recounted the events starting from how Blood River City was closed off until the assassination of Henric, the Blood River Army general.

    During the whole time, Bahram quietly stood there with an unchanging grim expression.

    Once Avaleigh finished recounting, Bahram finally asked, ¡°Did you bring back the armor he wore?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Answered Avaleigh.

    Reaching to her spatial pouch, Avaleigh took out pieces of rusted irons.

    ¡°After his death, his armor broke into pieces and soon turned such.¡± She explained.

    Picking up one of the pieces, Bahram tried to appraise it. After not finding out anything, he used his Qi to examine it.

    After a few moments, he sighed and took the rest of the metals, storing them in his spatial ring.

    ¡°You may leave.¡±

    Hearing his words, Avaleigh and Avaley hesitated for a moment before bowing towards Bahram and leaving.

    But left where they were, was Daiyu who still adamantly refused to leave.

    Not minding her action of not heeding his words, Bahram walked back into the mansion.

    Left alone, Daiyu still remained kneeling there, refusing to leave.

    But after some time passed, Bahram¡¯s voice came from within the mansion.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    Hearing those words, Daiyu stood up without a word and bowed before finally entering the mansion.

    As Daiyu walked through the long corridor, she could feel a certain force guiding her through the mansion.

    Then, after some time, Daiyu arrived before a room which constantly gave off a medicinal scent.

    Opening the door, the scent of various medicinal plants burst out of the room and assailed her nostrils, causing her to involuntarily relax.

    But in the next moment, she caught sight of a certain silver haired maiden lying quietly atop a white bed across the room, filling her with worry.

    At that moment, she heard a voice.

    ¡°No need to be so distant, come here.¡±

    Looking towards the source, she finally noticed Esfir who had been sitting next to the bed where Yvette lied. Complying with her words, Daiyu approached them, all whilst looking towards Yvette with worry hidden within the depths of her eyes.

    Noticing this, Esfir silently smiled.

    At that moment, she was suddenly overcome by an impulse.

    ¡°Do you wish to be of more use for her?¡± Esfir asked suddenly.

    Turning her head, Daiyu answered resolutely, ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Then, would you like to learn the art of Alchemy?¡± Continued an unknown voice.

    Suddenly hearing a foreign voice, Daiyu quickly swept her eyes around the room, catching sight of a smiling woman entering through a door connected to another room.

    Just like all the other female Aasmany Clan members, her hair is of a glittering silver color while her eyes were blue like the ocean. As she approached, Daiyu could smell a heavy herbal scent constantly wafting out from her body.

    As she stood before Daiyu, the woman looked at her silently with a calm gaze.

    ¡°Would I be of use to my lady?¡± Asked Daiyu as she stared back at the woman.

    Instead of answering her question, the woman explained, ¡°The art of alchemy revolves around one principle, equivalent exchange. Simply put, alchemists are material processers. But we are incapable of forging exquisite tools like crafters do. Instead, we specialize in purifying materials and even changing their nature and also combining them to form other materials. With that, alchemists also learn how to create pills and various other things which are needed by cultivators.¡±

    Lowering her head, Daiyu thoughtfully ruminated over her explanation. Seeing this, the woman did not get impatient and instead quietly observed her.

    Finally, Daiyu once again raised her head and met eyes with the woman, saying determinedly.

    ¡°I am willing!¡±

    Hearing her words, the woman nodded her head as a faint smile crept up her face, ¡°Good, since you are willing, I will teach you the basics. It is unfortunate that I do not take disciples and your time would be occupied by your little mistress.¡± As she said thus, she shook her head in regret before continuing seriously, ¡°My name is Delara, and until your mistress awakens, you may call me teacher as I guide you in the way of alchemists.¡±

    Without hesitation, Daiyu answered, ¡°Yes, teacher.¡±

    ¡°For now, build up your foundations by reading the theories. You may read them in the neighboring room as to not be bothered by anything else.¡± As she spoke, Delara took out a few scrolls and books from her spatial pouch and gave them to Daiyu before pointing towards the door she entered through.

    Without questioning her words, Daiyu took the books away and entered the neighboring room.

    Now left alone, Esfir and Delara looked at each other.

    ¡°It is rare for you to be willing to teach someone so suddenly.¡± Said Esfir with a faint smile.

    ¡°She is an interesting child, and she seemed faithful and determined enough, she would be a great help to our little mistress.¡± Answered Delara as she returned the smile.

    But then, her smile quickly disappeared as she grimly inquired, ¡°According to the speculation of the patriarch, the ability to affect blood is almost identical to those used by the royal family. Are they possibly the one behind this?¡±

    ¡°They would not dare to.¡± Said Esfir as her tone turned oppressive, ¡°Even if they are the ones behind this, we would still be able to handle the situation.¡±

    Listening to her words, Delara could only nod and stop inquiring.

    Then, the room was once again filled with silence.

    ¡°How is she?¡± Esfir suddenly inquired, breaking the silence.

    ¡°The bones of both of her arms broke and she received light internal injuries. It will take around a month for her to recover.¡± As she spoke, Delara¡¯s expression turned weird, ¡°I can sense that she has already reached the Qi Condensing stage and went through body refining. Even if the one who attacked her was a few level higher, her body should not have been damaged this badly.¡±

    ¡°Before she left for Blood River City, her cultivation level was still on the early Body Refining stage. It should not be possible for her to raise her cultivation so quickly, so her cultivation technique might be one of those eccentric ones foregoing the body refining process.¡±

    Hearing Esfir¡¯s speculation, Delara looked towards Yvette and said quietly, ¡°So, she is the girl of the prophecy?¡±

    ¡°She is.¡± Esfir answered peacefully.

    ¡°No wonder then. Those eccentric techniques usually cause instabilities within the body, but her body is perfectly fine even with the surging Qi flowing inside. If she is from that realm, it is not that surprising. Even so, this technique would cause many problems for her in the future.¡± Said Delara with a sigh as she looked towards the unconscious Yvette.

    ¡°There is nothing else we can do. We can only support her as much as we can.¡± As she spoke, Esfir sighed and stood up, preparing to leave the room.

    At that moment, she suddenly heard the sound of rustling bedsheets.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    Turning around, she saw Yvette with her unfocused eyes looking around the room with confusion before soon regaining its clarity, struggling to move her body and attempting to get up.

    Seeing this, Esfir hurriedly sat back down and said, ¡°You should not forcefully move your body; it will aggravate your internal injuries.¡± While attempting to have Yvette lie back down.

    Feeling the pain from her injuries, Yvette could only helplessly follow Esfir¡¯s words and lie back down. But as she did so, she suddenly asked with a pair of clear and tranquil eyes.

    ¡°Did I kill him?¡±

    Hearing her question, Esfir froze and hesitated. But knowing that she would not be able to keep it a secret forever, she answered truthfully, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Receiving the expected answer, Yvette went silent. But instead of the unease and repulsiveness most would feel from their first kill, she only felt calmness in her heart, causing her to be confused.

    ¡°I see.¡± Yvette said calmly in the end as she turned her head to gaze out the window next to the bed.

    Seeing her dull reaction, Esfir was filled with worry and opened her mouth to speak.

    But at that moment, a hand tapped on her shoulder and held her back. Turning her head, Esfir looked at the owner of the hand, Delara.

    ¡°It is best to not disturb her and let her rest.¡± Said Delara quietly.

    Forced to admit that her words are true, Esfir took one last look at Yvette before unwillingly departing from the room.

    After watching Esfir leaving the room, Delara turned her gaze towards Yvette and said, ¡°Your handmaiden will be under my tutelage and learn the art of alchemy. Once you have recovered, I will return her to you.¡±

    After a moment of silence, Yvette turned to look towards Delara and nodded her head.

    ¡°Please take good care of her.¡± Said Yvette.

    Receiving an unexpected reply, Delara froze for a moment before answering with a smile, ¡°I will.¡± Before finally leaving for the neighboring room.

    Following that a month quietly passed by.

    In that time, Yvette spent her time quietly reading, cultivating and training her footwork as she slowly recovered.

    Although her internal injuries only took a week to recover, her hands were still in recovery, only allowing her to do light activities with it, forcing her to temporarily stop her formation and inscription training. But in that time, she had also managed to consolidate her cultivation,

    In the middle of it all, Behnam also sent back a letter after being informed of the situation. Although the words were needlessly long, Yvette could feel the care and worry he held. But the fact that he almost forced himself out of the academy to return only to end up being forced back made her feel rather helpless.

    On the other hand, Daiyu who had spent all her time on studying alchemy under Delara¡¯s guidance was soon able to reach the threshold of a beginner alchemist.

    Now, inside the clan infirmary, Yvette sat on her bed while Daiyu and Esfir stood at the side, watching Delara slowly unfurling the bandages on Yvette¡¯s arms.

    As the bandages slowly unfurled, they revealed a pale white arm underneath filled with a lingering medicinal scent.

    ¡°Your arms have mostly recovered, but I advise that you do not strain it too much.¡± Saying thus, Delara then turned towards Daiyu, ¡°Now that your young mistress has recovered, it is time for you to return to your original occupation. But I believe that you would still soon reach the ranks of beginner alchemist so long as you do not slack off.¡±

    Once she finished, Delara stood up and left, leaving the three inside the room.

    At that moment, Yvette turned towards Esfir and spoke, ¡°Mother, I still wish to go.¡±

    ¡°You have just recovered, are you sure about this?¡± Esfir asked worriedly.

    Without hesitation, Yvette nodded, saying, ¡°It would not be good for me to stay here forever, and brother would also be there to help me.¡±

    Hearing her words, Esfir¡¯s face darkened as she remembered what had occurred a few days ago.

    At the time, Behnam had sent Yvette another letter after finding out Yvette was close to recovering.

    According to the letter, a hidden realm is about to be opened by the nine academies and sects, and because of his great capabilities, Behnam was allowed to bring two more people with him, hence he invited Yvette to come with Daiyu.

    When she found out, Esfir flew into a fit of rage and attempted to persuade Yvette from going. But in the end, there was no real reason to not go, and she was still adamant on going.

    In the end, Esfir could only sigh to herself, ¡°Alright, but promise me that you would put your safety above all else. I do not wish to see you hurt like before.¡±

    Noticing the worry in her voice, Yvette did not argue and nodded meekly, ¡°I promise.¡±

    Although she still held worry within her heart, Esfir could only hope for the best.

    ¡°I will make some preparation for your trip. I suggest you go visit Nastaran, she has been rather worried about you.¡± Finished speaking, Esfir reluctantly walked out of the room, taking a final look at Yvette as she did so.

    Left alone, Yvette stood up from the bed and walked out of the room together with Daiyu.

    Soon, they reached a certain room within the mansion.

    Stand in front of the door, Yvette gently knocked on it. Moments after she did so, a voice came from inside the room, ¡°Come in.¡±

    Following those words, Yvette unhurriedly opened the door.

    The room was decorated in a simple manner while only a table at the side of the room covered in formationist and inscriber tools while next to it was a pile of used spirit boards. Sitting there was Nastaran who was unhurriedly moving her hand, seemingly inscribing an inscription on an item.

    ¡°Find yourself a seat, it will take some time.¡± Said Nastaran without stopping her hand.

    Unbothered, Yvette followed her words and took a seat on the bed at the edge of the room with Daiyu.

    Without nothing much to do, she took out a book from inside her spatial pouch while Daiyu who was next to her focused on cultivating.

    With the room filled with nothing but the sound of flipping pages and Nastaran inscribing, time quickly passed as the sky outside turned red from the setting sun.

    As she heard the sound of nearing footsteps, Yvette raised her head and saw Nastaran standing before her.

    ¡°So what have you come here for?¡± Nastaran inquired as she sat next to her on the bed.

    ¡°I will be leaving for the hidden realm in a few days.¡± Answered Yvette.

    Hearing her words, Nastaran sighed and said after hesitating momentarily, ¡°You do not have to tell me. In truth, our relationship is only between a mentor and student. The moment you became a beginner formationist and inscriber, it should have ended.¡±

    Then, without giving Yvette a chance to reply, Nastaran reached out her hand and handed an item to her, saying lightly.

    ¡°Consider it a final gift in memory of our short relationship.¡±

    Looking at the engraving pen in her hand, Yvette went quiet.

    In the end, she kept the pen and stood up.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± As she calmly said those words, she walked out of the room with Daiyu who had long opened her eyes following right behind.

    Watching them leave, Nastaran heaved a sigh, feeling a slight reluctance in her heart.

    ¡­

    The next day, under the first light of the day, numerous flying boats could be seen flying in the sky. Should someone observe from the sky, they would see most of the flying boats flying towards the same general direction.

    Within one particular flying boat was a pair of young girls and a woman.

    ¡°We will be arriving soon.¡± Said Esfir.

    At those words, Yvette looked out from one of the windows of the boat. Through it, she could faintly see a city covered in the morning mist.

    Once the ship landed, the three went down and Esfir waved her hand, storing away the flying boat into her spatial ring.

    Unlike the one they used before to travel to East City, the boat is far smaller, making it able to be stored inside.

    After doing such, Esfir went on and led Yvette and Daiyu through the city gates.

    As she walked through the city gates, she noticed that there were no guards stationed anywhere nearby. Keeping her confusion to herself, she tilted her head upwards and saw a plate hung above the gates. On the plate, the name of the city could be seen clearly.

    ¡®Silver City¡¯.

    Although the city was bustling with people, the group was able to smoothly make way through the crowd.

    Each time anyone was near the group, they would all unconsciously make way without even showing signs of noticing the three.

    Although she could not understand how, Yvette had a feeling that the source of the abnormality was Esfir.

    As she focused her senses, she could faintly feel a thin veil of Qi around them coming from Esfir. Each time anyone made contact with the layer of Qi, they would move away and form a path for the three.

    Soon enough, the three reached the inner parts of the city where the number of surrounding people gradually thinned out.

    But when the group reached the center of the city, they could see a large crowd gathering. Although the difference lay within the fact that all those who are here, may they be the old or the young, are all cultivators.

    As Esfir led Yvette and Daiyu in, a man suddenly came forward and obstructed their path.

    ¡°This is a restricted area, please identify yourselves.¡±

    Just as Esfir was about to speak, a sharp voice came from the crowd.

    ¡°Move aside.¡± Following those domineering words, a golden haired young man came out from the crowd of people and walked towards them.

    Seeing him, the man who stopped the three moved away without a word.

    On the other hand, when Esfir saw the young man, she narrowed her eyes and slowly said, ¡°So you are finally here¡­¡±

    When he heard those words, the golden haired young man muttered wryly, ¡°Mother...¡±

    Behnam, not daring to look at his mother¡¯s eyes, turned to meet eyes with Yvette. Not knowing why, seeing her familiar calm expression made him feel better, causing his wry smile to turn into a bright one.

    Noticing this change, Esfir shook her head internally, thinking that her son had really lost himself to Yvette.

    ¡°Alright, I leave them in your hands. If I see them hurt, you better be prepared¡­¡± As she said those words, Esfir glared at Behnam.

    Seeing her glare, Behnam shivered before hurriedly nodding.

    In the end, although reluctant, Esfir could only take one last look at Yvette before departing.

    Once he saw the silhouette of her mother disappearing into the crowd, Behnam turned to Yvette, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll introduce you to the others from the academy.¡±

    ¡­

    Within the camp of the Heaven Path Academy, Yvette was surrounded by a group of youths.

    ¡°So this is the little sister you always talked about?¡± Questioned a hazel eyed girl as she carefully observed Yvette.

    Looking at the girl, Yvette recognized her as Behnam¡¯s opponent in the tournament during the semi-finals, Saba Dahae.

    ¡°Why is she wearing a veil though? I wonder how she looks like underneath, hehe¡­¡± Said a boy with a dirty smile on his face as he reached for Yvette¡¯s veil with wriggling fingers.

    ¡°Stop it, Arash.¡± As Behnam spoke, he reached out his hand, attempting to drag Arash back. But before he could, a blade tip suddenly appeared on Arash¡¯s hand, threatening to cut it off should it continue approaching.

    Seeing this, Arash felt a chill running through him. He then looked at the holder of the blade and wryly said, ¡°Miss Daiyu, it was just a joke¡­¡±

    Standing next to Yvette, Daiyu continued to coldly look at Arash with the tip of her rapier still pointing at his hand.

    In the end, Arash could only carefully pull back his hand and back away.

    Watching this, Behnam did not show any reaction and said, ¡°It¡¯s about time the secret realm¡¯s entrance is opened. Since we have already finished all preparation, let¡¯s go to the gate.¡±

    Following those words, he led the group away while Arash still warily distanced himself from Daiyu.

    Arriving at the location of the gate, the city¡¯s square, they saw a crowd of people already waiting there.

    Just as they found a spot, a voice was heard resounding throughout the square.

    ¡°The secret realm gate will soon be opened. Entrants, prepare yourselves.¡±

    Following those words, a bright light came from a large platform covered in formation engravings at the center of the square guarded by a group of people.

    As the formation engravings on the platform lit up the surroundings, the space above the platform slowly started to distort and twist.

    Finally, when a sound akin to, yet sharper than the sound of breaking glass resounded, the space above the platform split apart and turned into a gap in space which constantly sucked in energy in the surroundings, finally turning into a whirlpool of energy leading to another space.

    ¡°The gate has stabilized; entrants may now enter.¡±

    Following those words, the closest group of people entered the gate together. The moment they disappeared through the gate, another group would go through the gate.

    Finally, when their turn arrived, Behnam took the others onto the platform. There, they were given a medallion would send a signal to the gate guard to bring them out when crushed.

    ¡°Hold each other¡¯s hand and don¡¯t let go while you¡¯re transported or you will be separated from the others.¡±

    After saying thus, he quickly took Arash and Yvette¡¯s hands and held them tightly whilst sending a warning glare at Arash as he did so, causing Arash to shrink his head back wryly.

    Ignoring their weird antics, Yvette silently reached out her other hand, which Daiyu naturally held onto.

    Finally, Saba who had been watching from the side threw a fleeting glance at Arash and Behnam before clasping onto Daiyu¡¯s free hand.

    Seeing that all of them had held onto each other, Behnam took the initiative to step onto the gate, directly throwing everyone into another realm.

    The moment Behnam stepped in, Yvette could feel her sight darkening followed by a faint sense of nausea.

    Then, as a flash of light appeared, Yvette reflexively closed her eyes. When she opened them once more, she was already standing in a prairie of silver grass under the dark sky filled with stars.

    At the center of the night sky was a silver moon shimmering moonlight down to the world.

    Weirdly, the moon on the sky seemed bigger than the one in their world. Not only that, the moonlight shimmering down was also much brighter, almost to the point of being as bright as the sun. Even so, the moonlight was not hot nor was it blinding. Instead, it was slightly cold and even enchanting.

    Just as Yvette became lost in thought at the sight, she heard a low groan coming from her sides.

    Turning her head, she realized that other than her and Daiyu, everyone else had a slightly pained expression on their faces.

    Even so, Behnam tried to suppress the headache he was feeling and said whilst attempting to examine the surrounding.

    ¡°How is everyone?¡±

    As he looked around, Behnam noticed that Daiyu and Yvette seemed to be faring much better in comparison to them. Although surprised, he did not say anything and kept quiet.

    Once Arash and Saba came to themselves, Behnam led them through the silver grass plains. The whole way there, sounds of battles could be heard around them, but in the end, they would always manage to avoid any other group. Although Yvette did not know what he used to guide them through, she soon found themselves arriving before a kingdom of silver.

    There, she did not hear even an echo of a battle which she constantly heard on the way.

    As they stepped into the kingdom, Behnam stopped and said towards the others, ¡°Once we enter, don¡¯t try to kill anyone or destroy anything, otherwise the royal guards will neutralize you until you are sent out from the realm.¡±

    After seeing the others nodding, acknowledging his warning, he continued with a smile, ¡°Since we¡¯ve arrived here, it¡¯s fine to split up to find our own good fortune. What do you all want to do?¡±

    ¡°I will follow brother.¡± Said Yvette.

    ¡°I will follow mistress.¡± Said Daiyu.

    ¡°I will follow Behnam.¡± Said Saba.

    ¡°I will¡­ well, I might as well follow you all¡­¡± Said Arash as he slumped down his back and sighed exaggeratedly. But then, he quietly muttered, ¡°Being together with a hot guy surrounded by cute girls, I¡¯m really pitiful.¡±

    Although his voice was low, everyone there has a sharp hearing, naturally allowing them all to hear his mutterings.

    While the girls had no reaction to his words, Behnam¡¯s lips twitched in exasperation as he smacked the back of Arash¡¯s head.

    ¡°Enough nonsense, let¡¯s go!¡±

    As he spoke, Behnam led the others deeper into the kingdom.

    ¡°Right, do you all know about the background of this realm?¡± Behnam suddenly asked as he turned to look at the others whilst leisurely walking.

    Naturally, the other four all shook their heads.

    Thus, Behnam began explaining.

    ¡°In truth, this realm was first found by someone of the Crimson Empire who then reported it to the imperial family. At first, the imperial family wanted to keep this realm hidden and keep it to themselves, only allowing a select few of their people to enter.

    But after they sent a few of their best cultivators to enter the realm, they found that this realm isn¡¯t one that they could easily exploit.

    Commonly, secret realms would be a small world filled with rare ferocious beasts and herbs, making it a good place to cultivate resources. Those sort of realms are usually naturally formed and are untouched.

    But there is another kind of secret realm which are either formed by a cultivator or was already touched by them but then abandoned, making it more like an inheritance ground. This realm, the Silver Night Kingdom secret realm, is that sort of realm.

    Here, no one could use force to get anything from the realm and instead must follow certain rules and go through tests before being given resources or even inheritances.

    In the end, the empire decided to give the various sects and academies some slots for their disciples and students so that they can nurture their younger generation, of course, they had to pay certain costs for those slots.¡±

    As he finished speaking, they arrived at a square which connects to four directions with their group entering from the bottom direction.

    ¡°Where do you all want to go?¡± Asked Behnam, ¡°The top road leads to the harder and more valuable inheritance while the side roads lead to the normal inheritances. The trials usually take a long time, so you should stick to your choice.¡±

    But just as his words ended, a familiar scene repeated before him.

    ¡°I will follow brother.¡± Said Yvette.

    ¡°I will follow mistress.¡± Said Daiyu.

    ¡°I will follow Behnam.¡± Said Saba.

    ¡°You know my answer¡­¡± Muttered Arash with an exaggerated dismayed expression. He then kneeled and faced upwards, shouting exaggeratedly at the sky, ¡°For me to be put under this sort of torture, I refuse to accept this!!!¡±

    But once again, the group of girls completely ignored his existence whilst Behnam watched this scene with a wry smile and twitching eyes.

    Taking a short breath, Behnam finally regained his composure, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s go through the top road.¡±

    Saying thus, he led the group through the top lane.

    As they walked, Yvette noticed that as they went deeper, the surrounding buildings started to appear more majestic, showing a faint hint of its past glory.

    Seeing her looking at the surrounding buildings, Behnam explained, ¡°This location is called the noble district. From the information gathered, this is where the home this kingdom¡¯s nobles are located, and those majestic houses are those homes.¡± As he said that, he looked at the surrounding buildings and muttered, ¡°Actually, for this majestic kingdom to fall into such a state, what had actually happened?¡±

    In the end, he could only shake his head and throw the question to the back of his head, continuing to lead the group deeper in.

    But just then, their surroundings lit up with a bright light. No, to be exact, it was the various hidden formation symbols engraved on their surroundings.

    Without having the chance to react, the light swallowed them all. At the same time, a voice which seemed to be the agglomeration of numerous voices rang out in their heads.

    ¡°Children of the future, you who wonder of our fate, receive our test.¡±

    Following those words, Yvette felt her consciousness faint away.

 Announcement(Not Dropping)

    Alright, so maybe some of you might be wondering why there was no chapter after a few months... okay, maybe even less than some.

    Well, to explain, I will have to first tell you all that when I first started writing this story, my drive was short-lived... very short-lived... actually, not just this story, but my last one, Master of Weapons, was also made by a short-lived drive. It is probably because I am simply that sort of person, lacking focus and has short-lived drive for most things I do.

    Now, currently, I have reached the point of story where not only is my drive disappearing, but also where the plot ideas that I have made before has gone to pass. So basically, I do not have any real plans after this point, so it is really hard for me to actually make a continuation after this, especially with my lack of imagination and drive.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    But the good news is, I do not plan on dropping the story, unlike my last one. Even so, it would probably be a long, long time until I make a new chapter, maybe years. So do not anticipate, I do not really like giving others fake hopes.

    Moving on, I plan on maybe making another story that would only be posted on the other site I use, but do not get your hopes up.

    You might probably think how unreasonable I am with the way I do things, which I actually am. But I really like making stories, even with my short-lived drives. Honestly, I might be better off making one-shots or short stories, so we will see if I will ever make them.

    And to those who liked my story, even if it is just a bit, I am very, very sorry with my poor way of doing things.

    Well, that is all from me, have a good day.

 Chapter 26: Fate

    Opening her eyes, Yvette no longer saw that her surroundings were no longer the desolate Silver Kingdom, but a road filled with the hustle and bustle of the people.

    Keeping her calm, she examined her surroundings and noticed that her location was still the same. The road filled with the houses of nobles on both sides, albeit with those houses being in a much better state.

    But as she looked around, she realized that the others had disappeared, leaving only her at the center of the crowd.

    Just as she was pondering over her next course of action, a giant explosion suddenly occurred in the distance, followed by the scream and escape of the crowd.

    Out of reflex, Yvette turned and looked at the source, just in time to see a crimson explosion appearing underneath a gathering cluster of dark clouds which gave off an oppressive feeling.

    Following that, a group of cultivators could be seen flying up towards the cluster of dark clouds.

    As she observed, the group of cultivators collided with the dark clouds. At that moment, a soul-rending scream could be heard from the dark clouds, as if it was filled with evil spirits.

    Observing underneath, Yvette stared on, attempting to understand the current state of events.

    But suddenly, she heard a voice calling towards her direction.

    ¡°Princess! I finally found you!¡±

    Turning towards the source, she caught sight of a young man clad in silvery knight armor.

    When the young man arrived before her, he suddenly kneeled down on one knee, saying, ¡°Princess, please hurry and return, currently is not the time for you to be playing around. The kingdom is in danger and we must secure your safety!¡±

    Seeing the unexpected turn of events, Yvette parted her lips to speak of her doubts, but just as she wished to do so, a different kind of voice and lines came out.

    ¡°Ian, as the princess of the kingdom and a member of the Silver Royalties, I must not abandon my kingdom and its citizen, for I and my family have long tied our fate together with the kingdom.¡±

    As Yvette- or to be exact, Argent, the princess of Silver Kingdom said those words peacefully, the illusion covering her faded away akin to the morning mist.

    The ordinary black hair turned deep silver, reminisce to the moon, whilst the ordinary face slightly changed, yet turning her simple look unordinary and noble which even the commoner clothes she wore was incapable of hiding.

    Then, as Argent caressed the ring on her index finger, a mist appeared and covered her whole body. When it faded, her commoner clothing was replaced by a set of battle garments, which overshadowed her gentleness with heroic charisma.

    ¡°Come, let us once again push back that demon. Even when we perish, we should never give in.¡±

    Hearing her words, although the young knight, Ian, felt helpless, he still stood up and thumped his chest, proclaiming loudly.

    ¡°As the princess desires!¡±

    Following his words, the air trembled.

    ¡°AS THE PRINCESS DESIRES!!!¡± When the cluster of voice suddenly came out of nowhere, a group of people flying in a formation could be seen coming out from the center of the kingdom.

    Then, with a stony expression, Ian flew up with Argent, leading the group of knights to engage against the enemy.

    The moment they did, Yvette who, at some unknown time, had changed her form of view from being through Argent into a floating specter, saw her view being obstructed by a thick veil of mist.

    As she continued to calmly observe, a familiar voice came through the mist, followed by the appearance of a silhouette walking out of the mist.

    ¡°This servant greets my lordship.¡±

    As the silhouette walked out of the mist, the person underneath could be clearly seen.

    It was Argent, the princess of the Silver Empire, once upon a time.

    But Yvette noticed that the Argent she is currently looking at looked is older than the one she saw in the illusion.

    If the one from the illusion was a young adult, then the one she is currently looking at is a full-fledged adult.

    Yet even with her noble status, she referred her as her lordship.

    Noticing Yvette¡¯s confusion, Argent simply smiled and simply said, ¡°You will one day understand.¡±

    After saying those words, the air around Argent changed, turning much more noble and solemn as she spoke out, ¡°In accordance to the ancient oath, I, Argent Lune, princess of the Lune Royal Family, represent the Silver Empire, swearing allegiance to under the current Celestial Descendant, binding our fate.¡±

    Although Yvette still has no clear understanding of the situation, there was an urge deep inside her. Feeling no malice, she followed the urge, reciting.

    ¡°In accordance to the ancient oath, I, Yvette Celestiel, accept your allegiance.¡±

    Following her words, the surrounding mist churned and a cluster of voices could be heard from within. At first, they were only whispers, but as time passed, they became roaring sounds which shook the world of mist.

    But no matter how long, all they said was only one line of words.

    ¡°We greet the lord!¡±

    At the center of it all, Yvette stood with her usual calmness which disregarded the surrounding roaring voices. As she stood there, her gaze landed on Argent which still knelt before her.

    Her gaze only contained a single meaning.

    ¡®Why?¡¯

    As if knowing the meaning of her gaze, Argent silently stood up, silencing the roaring voices beyond the mist.

    ¡°My lord will one day understand. For now, I ask my lord to visit the cathedral within the center of the kingdom, we have left something for my lord.¡±

    Even as she said those words, Yvette saw Argent¡¯s body becoming fainter and transparent, as if dissolving.

    Noticing this, Argent continued to speak, ¡°There is not much time. Should my lord ever need us, simply call onto us by spurring upon the power of the oath, we shall aid you to the best of our abilities then.¡±

    As she spoke, her voice became fainter and fainter together with her body until she completely faded away, turning into a ball of light which shot between her eyebrows.

    But Yvette who was still pondering over her words did not notice.

    At the same time, the surrounding fog started to thin away, revealing the place she and her group had been engulfed in light before, the lane between the houses of nobles.

    Around her, the others who had disappeared could be seen standing where they stood before in a dazed state. But moments later, they broke out of it and looked around confusedly.

    Unsurprisingly, the first to actually come to their senses was Daiyu whose thoughts never left her young mistress.

    When she caught sight of Yvette standing there in a daze, she approached and inquired, ¡°Are you alright, my lady?¡±

    Hearing a voice calling out to her, Yvette broke out of her thoughts and saw Daiyu looking at her with worry.

    ¡°I am fine.¡± After reassuring Daiyu from her worries, Yvette looked at Behnam who had just broken out of his daze and approached him.

    When he noticed her approaching, Behnam blinked his eyes, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Brother, could you take me to the kingdom¡¯s cathedral?¡±

    Taken aback, Behnam inquired with some doubt, ¡°Does this¡­ have something to do with what you saw?¡±

    Although she was not sure whether what they saw was the same, Yvette still nodded.

    When he heard her words, he took a fleeting look at the surroundings before finally announcing.

    ¡°Alright, since we don¡¯t have any actual destination in the first place, let¡¯s go!¡±

    Following his words, the group finally proceeded deeper with an actual goal in mind.

    As they were already half-way into the core of the kingdom, they soon caught sight of a giant cathedral standing strongly in a large square, emanating a holy aura of faith which had not disappeared even after the passing of time.

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Bahram whispered, looking at the cathedral with awe.

    Standing before the door, he tried pushing open the two large cathedral doors. But purely by his physical strength, the doors barely budged, causing him to crease his brows.

    Without any other method, he infused his arms with his Qi, causing a faint layer of golden light to appear over them.

    As he breath in, he pulled back his arms.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    The next moment, a bang resounded as his pair of arms hit the two doors.

    Even though the effects seemed intimidating, the two doors did not even budge an inch, only managing to scatter the gathered dust around.

    Seeing this, Behnam shook his head and looked at Yvette.

    ¡°You try.¡±

    Following his words, Yvette nodded and approached the two doors while Behnam stepped back.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    As she stood before it, she found that the cathedral gave off a sense of intimacy. But before she even had time to ponder over it, she noticed a small ball of light floated out of the center of her eyebrows and entered the cathedral doors.

    After the ball of light disappeared, a layer of light appeared on the doors¡¯ surface before rapidly dimming.

    Then, the doors slowly opened, as if a seal had been released.

    At that moment, a silhouette appeared and rushed at Yvette. By the time she realized it, it was already so close that she would not have any time to properly react.

    Yet at that moment, another silhouette came and intercepted it.

    ¡°So, you all can no longer wait patiently it seems.¡± Behnam said as he pushed back the person who attacked Yvette.

    ¡°When did you notice?¡± The assailant, a boy around Behnam¡¯s age asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s not really important now, is it? Now, why don¡¯t the rest of you come out?¡± As he spoke, golden light overflowed his body, empowering his presence.

    Then, following his words, one person after another started came out of hiding, revealing the numerous people that followed them here.

    ¡®Dozens¡­ and more coming¡­¡¯ Behnam thought as he examined the crowd.

    ¡°Just give way, you don¡¯t stand a chance.¡± The boy who first appeared said, taking the position of a leader.

    Ignoring him, Behnam turned and said to the others, ¡°You all can go first, I¡¯ll catch up later.¡±

    ¡°What are you even saying? You think you can handle this on your own? Either way, this inheritance is supposed to be your sister¡¯s, I¡¯m not going to take it from her. You¡¯ll just beat me up later.¡± Arash said flippantly as he stepped forward, drawing out a bow.

    Right behind him, Saba who had barely spoken since their arrival in the secret realm closely followed, drawing out a sword, seemingly holding the same intent.

    Shaking his head, a pair of gauntlets appeared on Behnam¡¯s hands as he waved his hand back, hitting against the assailing group which had silently sneaked onto his back as they were talking. Then, his fists pummeled down onto one person to another, each blow knocking one out.

    Following his actions, arrows were rapidly shot out of Arash¡¯s bow while Saba moved swiftly and caused chaos throughout the battlefield with a gale behind her.

    Seeing this, Yvette instructed Daiyu who was beside her, ¡°Help them.¡±

    Without hesitation, she replied, ¡°As you command.¡± Following that, she drew out her rapier and rushed into the battlefield whilst waving it, causing icy wind blades to cut through each of her targets.

    Reassured, Yvette finally proceeded into the cathedral. Following her entry, the cathedral doors closed, unbeknownst to those battling outside.

    When the door was closed, Yvette found herself surrounded by pitch black darkness. But as she looked around, she could faintly see a wisp of light in the distance. With no other goal, she went and walked towards the wisp of light.

    As she closed on to it, the wisp of light in her view enlarged. By the time she realized it, the light was already around the same size as her.

    Stepping through the gate of light, she found herself within a forest clearing, similar to the place which she arrived in when she first came to the realm.

    But differently, at the center of this clearing, there was a small lake peacefully residing there.

    As Yvette approached, she curiously found that the moon which hung high up in the sky was reflected perfectly right at the center of the lake¡¯s surface.

    Standing before the lake, Yvette took a careful look around, attempting to find what she was supposed to look for.

    In the end, as her gaze returned to the moon reflecting lake, a wind blew as a voice softly whispered into her ear.

    ¡°Come¡­¡±

    Sensing no malice from the voice, Yvette followed its words and stepped into the lake.

    As her foot dipped into the water, the lake rippled as small waves appeared over the calm lake. Yet even as it did, the reflection of the moon could still be clearly seen at the center.

    When Yvette finally reached the center of the lake where the moon was reflected off, half of her body had already been submerged in the water, yet nothing seemed to happen. But as the moonlight fell, her gaze was attracted towards the moon high up in the sky.

    As moments passed, Yvette started to feel that there was something off about the moon.

    Subconsciously, she tried to raise her hand which had gone deep into the water, producing waves over the lake.

    Yet at the same time, Yvette could faintly see the moon high up in the sky suddenly dimming and wavering, as if waves had washed over it.

    Taken unaware, Yvette quickly thought of a possibility and looked down at the lake under her. But at the same time as she did so, she suddenly felt the ground underneath her feet disappearing, causing her to plunge down into the depth of the lake.

    Reflexively, Yvette shut her eyes, not wanting the water to enter her eyes.

    But when her head entered the water, she did not feel the water that was supposed to surround her. Instead, it felt as if she was floating in the air.

    Out of wonderment, she cautiously opened her eyes, and what she saw caused her to falter for a moment.

    It was a world of darkness glittering with numerous tiny lights, the starry skies.

    Floating there, she could feel a sense of familiarity towards the starry skies itself.

    But just then, the surrounding starlight suddenly moved. At first, their movements were hardly noticeable, but as time went on, they got faster and faster, until they all seemed to look like a rain of falling stars, a sight to behold.

    Even so, Yvette noticed that the starlight seemed to be moving to the same point. As they gathered, they became bigger and bigger, forming a silhouette of a person.

    Find i

    Although cautious, Yvette still gave a curious look at the silhouette formed by clusters of starlight. But suddenly, Yvette heard a voice.

    ¡°My descendant¡­¡±

    Caught off-guard, Yvette looked at the only possible source of the voice, the silhouette formed of starlight.

    ¡°For you to have reached thus far signifies the choice you have made.¡±

    As the figure spoke, Yvette felt an increasing sense of familiarity towards it, one that is far closer than those bound by blood.

    ¡°Although it is what I desire, I must tell you that the path you are taking will be full of pains. You may possibly face many loses, yet forced to stay strong.¡±

    Then, the figure approached Yvette and embraced her without an ounce of resistance from Yvette.

    ¡°There is not much that I am capable of giving you, and all that I could give, may simply bring you more pain.¡± As the figure said thus, the starlight which formed it started to enter Yvette¡¯s body and gathered in her head.

    ¡°I will not force anything upon you. You may choose whether to use what I gave or not, but be warned, for whatever you gain could bring you more losses.¡±

    After uttering those words, the figure of light finally faded away, leaving Yvette who stood there in a daze with a trickle of tear flowing down her cheek.

    Meanwhile, outside of the cathedral, Behnam and the others finally managed to push back the group of assailants, although they were left in a rather sorry state.

    ¡°Phew, that was one helluva fight!¡± Arash said as he sat down on the ground, gasping for breath.

    ¡°Do not let your guard down, more could be coming at any time, and we have no idea when Yvette will return.¡± Said Behnam as he sat down cross-legged, attempting to recover as much energy as possible.

    Following his example, Saba and Daiyu also focused on recovering their physical energy and Qi.

    As he looked at the three, Arash smiled wryly. Yet in the end, he also followed their actions.

    Suddenly, the three heard the sound of doors opening behind them and turned their heads back.

    ¡°My lady!¡± Daiyu called out as she stood up.

    Yet Yvette who slowly walked towards them did not react.

    ¡°My lady?¡± Daiyu once again called out as she approached Yvette.

    This time, Yvette finally went out of her daze and nodded towards Daiyu.

    She then looked towards Behnam and the others, asking, ¡°I am a bit tired, could we rest and halt our exploration?¡±

    Seeing her gold and crimson eyes that seemed duller than usual, Behnam and the others were worried, but Behnam still said calmly, ¡°Alright, we also need to recover from the battle just now. We can enter any one of the surrounding buildings and rest there.¡±

    As he said that, he led the group into one of the large houses.

    When they finally arrived there, Behnam finally could not hold back his worry and inquired Yvette.

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re just tired? Did something happen inside the cathedral?¡±

    But Yvette simply shook her head and said, ¡°I am fine, I will be going in first.¡± Saying that, she entered a nearby room.

    Still unable to shake off the worry in his heart, Behnam could only say to Daiyu, ¡°Do watch over her.¡± Who simply nodded her head and entered the room which Yvette walked into.

    Unable to do anything else, Behnam entered another room, followed by Saba and Arash who also silently departed to their own rooms.

    Meanwhile, Yvette who had sat in meditation on the bed sent her consciousness into her sea of memories.

    There, other than the memories from the bracelet that are and are not covered in mists, there is also a new piece of memory covered in starlight.

    Naturally, that piece of memory was something that the silhouette of starlight in the cathedral gave to her.

    The memory only contained two things, and what Yvette is currently searching for, was a memory of a cultivation technique.

    But this cultivation technique was not one of flesh nor Qi, but one which cultivates the soul.

    Of course, those who cultivate the soul before the Core Formation Stage are the minority, even after counting the soul cultivators who specialize in soul cultivation.

    There are many reasons for this, but the biggest reasons would be because of the difficulty of cultivating the soul in the early stages, and the low number of soul cultivation technique. And even then, the expended resources would usually not be worth the small amount of improvement at the early stages.

    As Yvette tapped into the piece of memory, a line of words appeared in her mind.

    Soul Purity Scripture

    Different from normal soul cultivation techniques, Soul Purity Scripture did not require much resources and it only needed to be used once.

    Of course, the drawback is far worse.

    Just as the name said, the Soul Purity Scripture purifies one¡¯s heart. But the level of purification could not be limited and would fully purify the soul.

    Although a perfectly pure soul may sound good, it was something no normal cultivator would ever want.

    A perfectly pure soul is far purer than those of a newborn. It is without a single desire nor emotion, it can never carry happiness nor sadness. As most cultivator cultivates to fulfill their desires, who would ever wish to lose them?

    But naturally, a soul of such purity had its own advantages.

    If the sea of memories could be said to be a part of the brain which stores memory, then the soul could be said to be the part which processes those memories.

    With a purer soul, its thought processing power would also become far better. It would also make refining and absorbing the world energy much easier, as the purer the soul, the closer they are to nature.

    Of course, although there are many advantages to it, no cultivator would be willing to lose their emotions and desires, what would differ them to a puppet then?

    But Yvette who was facing such a choice did not even hesitate and recited the incantation within the scripture.

    Unusually, even though the language used in the incantation is foreign to her, she managed to smoothly utter each and every word.

    With each word she uttered, she could feel a sort of force entering her body.

    Following that, Yvette suddenly felt the Qi inside her moving out of her control.

    But knowing that it is in accordance to the technique, she let go of her control over her Qi.

    After some time, all the Qi in her body were guided into her head.

    Once they all gathered there, she felt a weird movement in her Qi.

    The next moment, she felt as if her whole body, or even existence, being washed over.

    At first, she felt as if her body was washed over by water, but as time went on, a sense of emptiness started to fill her heart.

    By the time she realized it, she could feel more and more of her emotions disappearing. Together with it was her flame of life which seemed to dim and wanting to fly away, as if it wanted to detach from the mortal world.

    Noticing this, Yvette did her best to keep her will together, knowing that the moment all her emotions disappeared, her life would also disappear along with it.

    Even so, it was easier said than done.

    Even after she had stopped reciting the scripture, she could feel her emotions starting to fade away, washed away by the combination of her Qi and the power of the scripture.

    Still, Yvette kept a stable mind, searching for that little shred of emotion which still kept her soul bound to her flesh.

    Not knowing any other method, Yvette tried to reflect on every memory she had gone through to discern which emotion still kept her together.

    The small happiness in her carefree life in the past, the overwhelming sadness of parting, the tiny fear of losing more, and all those other little emotions she had.

    In the end, she managed to grab ahold of one emotion which made her unwilling to go, the strongest emotion which had held her together.

    It was melancholy

    The melancholy towards her fate, towards her life, and towards those around her.

    She felt no anger towards those who parted her with whom she loved, there was no indignation towards fate for its cruelty, nor was there envy towards those with a better life.

    Only a simple melancholy.

    As she came to that realization, she could feel her flame of life burning once more.

    It did not burn strongly with passion, but it was steady and warm.

    Together with the rekindling of her life flame, she sensed something condensing in her sea of memories.

    It first took the form of motes of light, but it then gathered together and formed a ball. Then, the ball shaped itself into Yvette wearing a simple white robe, bearing a perfect imitation of her appearance even to its minute details.

    The moment she saw it, Yvette knew that it was her soul which had finally condensed and took form.

    For those who did not focus on cultivating their souls, their soul would only condense and take shape in the later stage of cultivation. Even then, their soul might not be as pure nor as exquisite as Yvette¡¯s. And even those who cultivate their soul, it would take a ridiculously long time for their soul to even come close to such quality and purity.

    But for Yvette who had condensed her soul early on, the future growth of her soul would be much farther than those of her generation, maybe even stronger than those of the late generations.

    Of course, its true benefit would only show far in the future.

    But currently, Yvette who had done such a feat through that deadly ordeal, she only had one thought.

    ¡®I should rest¡­¡¯

    With that thought in her mind, she laid back down on her bed, silently going to sleep.

    And so, without causing the slightest disturbance, a turning point of fate had silently occurred without the knowledge of those around.

 Chapter 27: Finale

    Not knowing how much time had passed, Yvette finally awoke.

    At first glance, there was no difference about her, but she could faintly feel that a change had happened.

    Looking around, she could see Daiyu still lying on the bed next to her, asleep.

    While making sure to not wake her up, Yvette went down from her bed and went to the nearby window, lifting a bit of the curtain and looking outside.

    As she expected, the sky was still the same sky she saw before, a night sky full of stars shining bright with the moon resplendently hanging high at the center of it.

    But unlike before, she could keenly sense the changes and peculiarity of this small, isolated world, a change brought about by the enhancement of her soul.

    The one change she truly felt was the enhancement of her soul¡¯s senses, which surpassed even the senses of her physical body.

    Different from the senses of the physical body, the senses of the soul do not require anything to transmit information to it. Just by willing the soul to extend its senses to a certain item, one could gain much more detailed information than simply using the bodily senses, or even Qi.

    As she realized this, Yvette thought of a certain thing with similar description in a book.

    The book called it Spiritual Sense.

    Thinking of thus, she tried to experiment and spread her spiritual sense throughout the kingdom. She could sense the surrounding people energetically moving all over the place, and the most common thing she found was people fighting each other, either for benefits or because of their hot-bloodedness. But no matter why they fought, the moment they were about to damage the kingdom, whether accidentally or deliberately, a statue of a knight would appear and bind them before kicking them out, leaving them defenseless.

    Then, as she extended her spiritual sense to the night sky, she found a certain peculiarity about it.

    When she first arrived, she noticed that the moon was different from one above the main realm. But now, she felt as if a veil had been removed, revealing the true appearance of the moon and the eternal night sky.

    With its true appearance revealed, Yvette realized that the moon was actually a treasure!

    Not only that, but she could feel a type of energy emanating from the moon which seemed to cover the whole realm.

    After a careful thought, Yvette realized the true identity of the moon.

    In every world, may they be the main realm or a pocket realm, there would always exist a core which kept the world together.

    And the moon hanging high above is such, the core of this realm.

    The moment she came to that realization, a strand of intent came from the moon and came into contact with her spirit sense.

    Although the intent did not form coherent wordings, she was able to roughly discern what it was trying to convey.

    But right at that moment, she heard a rustling sound followed by a voice.

    ¡°My lady?¡±

    Not showing a hint of emotion, Yvette turned around and calmly looked at Daiyu who had called out to her.

    Seeing that her lady was fine, Daiyu finally put her worries at ease. But when she looked at her eyes, she sensed that something seemed to be amiss.

    Yet no matter how she thought of it, she was unable to find the exact problem.

    Before she could continue her thoughts, Yvette called out to her.

    ¡°Is something the matter, Daiyu?¡±

    ¡°It is nothing, my lady.¡± Answered Daiyu, throwing her doubts to the back of her mind.

    Just as she answered, a knock came from outside the room.

    ¡°Yvette, Daiyu, are you awake?¡± Said Behnam from behind the door.

    Not waiting for Daiyu to react, Yvette approached the door and opened it, ¡°Is there something the matter?¡±

    Sensing nothing amiss, Behnam spoke, ¡°If you two are ready, we will be leaving for another place soon. If we don¡¯t hurry, we might not be able to partake in the main event.¡±

    Nodding, Yvette stepped out of the room, closely followed by Daiyu.

    Seeing this, Behnam said nothing more and led the two outside of the house.

    There, Arash and Saba was already waiting. When Arash saw the them, he waved his hand and approached.

    ¡°I scouted around, and it seems it will be located outside this time.¡±

    When Behnam heard his words, his expression became heavy.

    Without waiting to be asked, he explained, ¡°In truth, the benefits gained in this realm could be divided into two, inheritance and resources. Inheritances would usually be found in the kingdom, but the resources would only appear after some time passed, or possibly not appear at all.

    The location of where the resources would appear is not definite either, so we would have to search around each time. It could be outside or inside the kingdom.

    If it was inside, we would receive some protection from the kingdom¡¯s statue guards. But if it is outside¡­ we can only rely on ourselves.¡±

    By the time he finished explaining, the expression on Behnam¡¯s face turned slightly grimmer. Then, he turned to say to Yvette.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to go, it would be far too chaotic there, and we¡¯re not sure whether we would be able protect you there.¡± After a moment of hesitation, he continued saying, ¡°But if you truly wish to go, I won¡¯t stop you.¡±

    Listening to his words, Yvette did not hesitate, ¡°I will go.¡±

    Expecting such an answer, Behnam sighed, ¡°Alright, but make sure to not get separated.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    Then, with Behnam leading the group, they rushed out of the city.

    By the time they arrived, a large crowd could be seen outside the city. Beyond the crowd, a screen of light could be seen blocking the way.

    Looking around, Yvette noticed that although the situation seemed calm, people in different groups could be seen distancing themselves from one another, clearly wary towards the others.

    In the end, Yvette and her group found a secluded location with less people far from the light screen.

    Soon, a pillar of light appeared from deep inside the location blocked off by the light screen. Following that, the light screen rapidly dimmed, followed by the uproars from the people waiting before it.

    But before the light screen completely disappeared, a scene broke out from within the crowd.

    ¡°Who dares to sneak attack me?! Show yourself, coward!!!¡± As a burly looking boy went through the crowd in search of his assailant, similar scenes broke out in other parts of the crowd, quickly causing the crowd to escalate into chaos.

    Meanwhile, Yvette and her group who hid themselves were not the least bit implicated.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Behnam ordered as he led the group to stealthily enter the area passing the light screen.

    At first, there was no change in their surroundings, but as they got closer, Yvette was the first to notice that there seemed to be traces of beings that are not human.

    Cautioning the others, their pace started to slow down.

    Suddenly, they heard a roar of a beast from the distance.

    With a grim look on his face, Behnam instructed, ¡°Arash, scout ahead.¡±

    Knowing the situation, Arash did not joke around and nodded, scouting ahead as instructed.

    After a few minutes passed, Arash returned with a heavy look on his face.

    ¡°Around a hundred meters ahead is a group of people fighting a beast around the late Enhancement Stage, we better leave quickly.¡±

    Just as he finished his words, a loud roar came from within the forest.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Behnam shouted, hurriedly leading the others away.

    Just as Daiyu wanted to follow them, she noticed that Yvette was unmoving. Although she did not understand her intentions, she followed her and stood still behind her mistress, preparing to do her best to fend off any incoming danger.

    But before long, a long roar sounded and a silver snake appeared, chasing after them.

    ¡°Damn it, a serpent beast, we won¡¯t be able to outrun it!¡± As he spoke, Behnam stopped running and turned around.

    ¡°You guys hurry and run, I¡¯ll- wait, Yvette, what are you doing?!¡± Shouted Behnam when he noticed them still standing there, wanting to turn around and pull Yvette away from there.

    At that moment, the giant serpent slowed down and laid subserviently before Yvette.

    As if it was natural, Yvette then stepped onto its head.

    Following that, the serpent once again raised its head and turned around, preparing to return deep into the forest.

    But before it could, Yvette tapped on its head, pointing towards the others.

    Understanding her intentions, the snake also brought the others onto its body and slithered deeper into the forest.

    On its body, Behnam and the others sat there in a daze, attempting to process the whole situation.

    That is, excluding Daiyu who still focused on accompanying her mistress, conveniently ignoring any other unexplainable situation.

    When they finally realized the situation they were in, they chose to obediently stay put on the snake¡¯s body, while Behnam stared at Yvette¡¯s back atop the snake¡¯s head with a complex gaze.

    Unfortunately, or fortunately for him, Yvette was wholly focused on another task entirely, failing to notice his gaze.

    With each interaction Yvette made with the realm¡¯s core, Yvette slowly managed to understand its intention.

    ¡°The true inheritance¡­ is there.¡± Yvette muttered, looking towards where the center of the forest should be.

    As if spurred by her words, the white snake sped up, rapidly slithering through the forest.

    But with their increase in speed, they became increasingly noticeable until someone finally noticed Yvette and the others atop of its body.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s riding the white serpent?¡±

    ¡°Impossible, it¡¯s at least at the late enhancement stage, how could anyone under the late qi condensing stage subdue it?¡±

    ¡°They definitely know some secret, capture them and make them spill it!¡±

    Shortly after those words, numerous people appeared and obstructed the white serpent¡¯s path.

    Even with its strength, the white serpent still needed to be wary against numerous opponents.

    But without giving it a chance to make a move, Yvette took out her pair of fans and waved it up to the air, causing the numerous blades on it to detach and fly away with the guidance of her qi.

    Before the assailants could react, a rain of blades fell upon them, causing screams to sound out all around.

    Those who were fortunately out of range from the blades were struck in fear.

    Yet before they could get away, the blades again flew up and regathered into a cluster before raining down onto them once more, causing more people to cry and scream in pain.

    But Yvette was apathetic to them all and once again waved her fan, causing all the blades to once again regather in preparation of another attack.

    Right as she was about to once again cause the blades to rain down, she felt a hand holding onto her shoulder.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough Yvette.¡±

    Hearing Behnam¡¯s voice, Yvette¡¯s hand froze before pulling back, returning the blades into her fan.

    As she turned around, Behnam was about to reproach her. But as his gaze met with her apathetic eyes, his words were stuck in his throat, not knowing what to say under her gaze which seemed to view everything beneath it.

    By the time he realized, Yvette had already looked away, seeming to be staring forward blankly.

    Not knowing what to do, Behnam hesitantly walked away from the head of the serpent.

    Unbeknownst to him, Yvette was not as calm as she seemed.

    When Behnam stopped her from attacking, she came to truly realize what she had lost in exchange for her reforged soul.

    But it was not enough to stop her, nor would she let it.

    For there was something for her to strive for. One which kept her going. A fuel for her now unfeeling self.

    As those thoughts came to her mind, her soul, which was dim and weak from the sudden cleansing once again burned steadily.

    Had she failed to pass through the trial and unable to reignite her soul, she would have turned into an unfeeling doll, one who had lost its way in life, no better than a dead person.

    As she silently went through those changes, Behnam met up with Arash and Saba.

    Noticing how down he looked, Saba was about to go and console him. But before she could, Arash pulled Behnam towards them and whispered with a serious expression.

    ¡°We¡¯re being followed.¡±

    Hearing his words, they both turned serious.

    ¡°How many are there?¡± Behnam asked in a whisper.

    ¡°From what I found, at least a dozen of them.¡±

    Those words caused Behnam to knit his brows in contemplation as he looked at Yvette who still seemed to be out of it.

    In the end, he came to a decision.

    ¡°I will take care of them as silently as possible, you two cover for me.¡±

    Then, without waiting for their words, he leapt away into the surrounding forest.

    Seeing him leave, Arash turned to Saba with a weird look on his face.

    ¡°Since when can he fight without making a-¡°

    *BOOM*

    ¡°ruckus¡­¡±

    The moment they both heard the sound of explosion, they knew Behnam had already started his fight.

    With a resigned sigh, they both armed themselves and started to intercept anyone going after, or escaping Behnam.

    During that time, Yvette did not even notice what was happening, being too focused on the changes inside her.

    By the time she came to her senses, she was already deep inside the forest, where nothing but the sound of leaves rustling and wind blowing could be heard.

    The white serpent had already departed since who knows when, and she found that there was no one else aside from her, not even Daiyu.

    Before she even had the time to think, her heart throbbed as she felt something calling out to her from the depths of the forest.

    The sensation was so irresistible that without even realizing it, she had already taken a step into the forest.

    She felt no sense of danger.

    ¡­

    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡±

    Muttering those words, Behnam stopped chasing after their assailant and observed his surroundings.

    ¡°Since you said it, something must really be wrong.¡± Arash said as he jumped down from a tree with his bow in hand.

    ¡°A trap?¡± Saba thought aloud as she silently appeared.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ where¡¯s Yvette?¡± Following his words, silence surrounded them before the sound of clashing metals came to interrupt.

    Looking at the source, the group saw Daiyu clashing against a group of people is cloaks.

    Based on what they could see, Daiyu was at a clear disadvantage in terms of skill, power and experience. But from time to time, they could see a white silhouette coming to her assist whenever her life was in danger before continuing to attack the people in cloaks.

    Not willing to stand around doing nothing, Behnam charged in, throwing his fist right at the back of the nearest enemy.

    Caught off guard, the enemy reflexively raised his arm to guard his vitals. But the moment the fist came into contact with the enemy, he was instantly blown away, catching the attention of the others.

    ¡°Surround them!¡± Following his shout, Behnam charged into the fray, fists raised.

    In the end, they managed to capture all their attackers with their numbers and the assistance of the white serpent.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Yvette?¡± Behnam suddenly inquired after the last of the attackers were bound.

    Shaking her head, Daiyu answered, ¡°Mistress has already arrived at her destination, we can only wait.¡±

    Realizing that they were forced to wait once again, Behnam sighed and turned to look at the robed men.

    ¡°Who are you all? I don¡¯t think I saw anyone as suspicious as you guys before.¡±

    At his words, they all suddenly let out a chilling laugh. His eyebrows wrinkled in confusion, Behnam approached them, prepared to interrogate them. But then, one of them suddenly spoke up.

    ¡°Too late, you¡¯re all doomed, we¡¯re all doomed!¡±

    Seeing the madness in his eyes, Behnam was about to question him further when sounds of explosion came from the distance, causing everyone¡¯s expression to turn bad.

    Running out of patience, Behnam grabbed one of them and raised them by their necks.

    ¡°Explain, now!¡± He growled.

    ¡°Hehe¡­ We¡¯ve placed engraved explosion seals all over the hidden realm, and it¡¯s not just some normal ones, we powered them with highest grade of beast cores and they¡¯re going to go off any minute now. There is nothing any of you can do about it!¡± By the end of his explanation, the man started to laugh maddeningly, seemingly to revel on their despair.

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Behnam shouted, knocking out the laughing man.

    He then turned and looked towards the others with a dark look on his face.

    ¡°If what he said is true, we need to hurry and evacuate. I¡¯ll go search for Yvette, you all try to find a way for us to get out.¡±

    ¡°There is no need.¡± Just as Behnam finished speaking, a voice came from behind him.

    Turning around, Behnam saw the silhouette of a person coming out of the forest ¡°Yvette?¡± He exclaimed, approaching her.

    ¡°The explosion runes will go off in minutes, but I am able to send you all out.¡± Yvette said.

    But as they became relieved, Daiyu suddenly asked, ¡°My lady, you only spoke of us, what about you?¡±

    Hearing her question, Behnam jolted and stared at Yvette.

    In the end, she could only confess, ¡°I will not be leaving, nor could I do so even if I wish to. But I will be safe, I assure you.¡±

    It was because she held a few more things to do here, and also to make sure that the realm would send out everyone out, but she chose to keep those reasons to herself.

    Just as the others were about to talk her out of it, Yvette suddenly turned to look at the distance.

    ¡°We are out of time.¡± She muttered and waved her hand, causing the space all over the realm to tremble.

    Looking at Behnam, she smiled and said, ¡°Tell mother and father that I will be safe and return another time.¡±

    But Behnam who was starting to get ejected out of the realm with the others noticed how empty her expression was, just like how she was earlier today.

    Just as he opened his mouth to speak, he felt his body being pushed away heavily, causing him to instantly black out. The same thing occurred to all other people within the realm.

    As everyone disappeared, silence blanketed to realm. But it was not for long.

    *BOOM*

    From one corner of the realm, an explosion swallowed the area, soon followed by the next and those after.

    *BOOM*

    *BOOMBOOMBOOM*

    In the end, the explosions finally reached the center of the realm, where Yvette stood.

    But she who stood there apathetically did not put it to her notice. Instead, there was only one thought in her mind as she stared at where Daiyu and the others were.

    ¡®Be safe¡­¡¯

    Then, she was swallowed by the final explosion.